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Monday, March 15. 1993
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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IN OUR OPINION
Media give Westerners only negatives of Islam
Last Thursday, Mohammed Salameh, a New Jersey man described as a Muslim fundamentalist, was arrested in connection to the bombing of the World Trade Center. Also under investigation in connection with the incident is the Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, Mohammed's alleged religious leader. He has been linked to the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1981. Rahman was acquitted of any wrongdoing. However, he is still closely monitored by the United States government for his openly radical and militant religious message.
Since the early 1980s, U.S. citizens have found a new adversary in radical Muslims who have declared jihad (holy war) on the Western world. This notion has become more prevalent since the end of the Cold War. Unfortunately, this perception has led to an underserved negative stereotype of Islam.
served negative scrutiny. The media can be blamed for reinforcing this generalization. In the wake of this latest incident and with ongoing tensions between the Middle East and Western nations, a constant negative picture has been impressed upon the minds of U.S. citizens of what the Muslim faith is and who the people are that follow its teachings.
This began with conflicts with the Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran in the early '80s, Libya's Muammar Qaddafi during the late '80s, and finally with Saddam Hussein during the Persian Gulf war. Granted, these are events of terrorism and violence that are considered more newsworthy than more positive events. However, this type of coverage in the media is playing a tremendous role in perpetuating negative stereotypes of Islam to people in a predominantly Christian society who have little concept of what it means to be Muslim.
The notion that all Muslims are fundamentalists with militant tendencies who despise the Western world is simply not true. Aside from what we learn from the media, Islam has one of the largest followings in the world, with most of its followers concentrated in Arab and other Central Asian countries. Those factions of Islam that can genuinely be categorized as "fundamentalist," "radical" or even "militant" are, in proportion to the rest of the Muslim faith, "microscopic," according to Omar Jabara, system organizer at the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in Washington D.C.
Unfortunately, it is solely this microscopic view that the U.S. public is exposed to and takes as the truth for all Muslims. Accordingly, it should be no surprise that during the gulf war in 1991, hate crimes against Muslims in the United States went up a staggering 300 percent. More recently, two of the national weekly news publications, Time and Newsweek, in their latest issues ran as their cover stories: "After the Blast: A Militant Islamic Link," and "In the Name of God — What happens when believers embrace the dark side of faith." The latter cover depicts the Sheik Rahman alongside David Koresh, the fundamentalist Christian who is currently in a standoff in Waco, Texas.
Although it is the smaller factions of the Muslim faith and their acts of terrorism and violence that warrant serious news coverage, the media should take on a more responsible role in ensuring that the negative stereotypes are not perpetuated. Likewise, the U.S public in general should be more receptive and open to understanding any religion or society that is not Western or Christian.
SIMON NALDOZA FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Recruitment of football players degrades women
When a potential football recruit makes an official campus visit to the University of Kansas, he receives special treatment. In addition to extra attention from the football players and coaches, the football recruit is assigned a member of the KU Crinson Crew as an escort for the day. The purpose of the Crimson Crew hostess is no more than to show "a student's perspective" of KU, as RD. Helt, the head of the football recruiting program, said. However, for some reason this "student's perspective" comes from an attractive female. In order to make sure the recruits enjoy their visit to Kansas, the recruit is offered a pretty hostess to sit with and to talk to.
The duties of a Crimson Crew member include writing the recruit letters, showing the recruit around campus once he visits, eating lunch with him and then taking him to the game. The rules are made clear. A hostess must not buy the recruit anything of material worth. She cannot give him cash. She is also not supposed to date him. However, the Crimson Crew manual does state that "what you do with your own time is your business." The manual also encourages the hostesses to "try to get in his (the recruit's) comfort zone—let him tell you things he isn't telling the recruiters or other hostesses from other schools."
According to Jennifer Klemp, Leavenworth junior and 1929 Crimson Crew member, the group is not more than a "high-class football escrort service." Leah Davis, former Crimson member and Panhellenic vice president says she felt like "nothing more than a hostess, someone pretty for the recruits to sit with at the game."
This is not implying that any sexual favors are given to the recruits. Helt stresses over and again that "this is not a dating service." However, stressing this at the informational meeting for prospective Crimson Crew members caused two of the five men who showed up to think twice about joining. From the informational meeting, Tom Chadwell, Lenexa junior and Barry Ziglari, Chanute freshman, received the impression that the Crimson Crew is perfective legitimate. However, when asked if they were going to join the Crimson Crew, they both chuckled and shook their heads.
Vered Hankin
high school, and only in high school. Although Helt insists that the Crimson Crew is open to both men and women, the only two men in last year's group did not escort the recruits. They served as runners and helped to check the recruits in. Helt explained this difference as necessary so that none of the recruits would feel as if he were being treated differently. If one recruit has a male host while all the others have female hosts, he might feel as if he were being singled out. However, the Crimson Crew manual did not include males in its list of members. Also, in the Crimson and Blue football program, only females were in the Crew photo.
Chadwell pointed out that the application for Crimson Crew asks the applicants "How did you hear about crimson crew?" and gives the choices: a friend, the Kansan, a sorority house or flyer. In no place does it mention a fraternity or any other male organization. "It sounds like they are unintentionally trying to get female recruits. They're not turning guys away, but they're not encouraging them either," Chadwell said. Chadwell also said, "If girls sell the school, we better use them" and that "the thought of having a college girl write you a letter would be tempting to any high school guy."
Two years ago a postcard was sent out to the football recruits with the picture of the members of the KU Crimson Crew, no men included. The recruits were encouraged to come to KU for "the beautiful scenery," referring to the women in the picture. Ann Schofield, associate professor of Women's Studies and American Studies, said that the postcard indicates that the University endorses the notion of women as a commodity. By using sex to sell KU, the University presents itself as a place advocating good times and women as objects rather than a good education. As
Klemp put it, the recruiting program "wants the recruits to be attracted to the school not just for the school."
Although many feel that this negative portrayal of the Crimson Crew is unfounded, the stereotype of the Crimson Crew still exists. Mention the group and people will raise eyebrows, however, the hostess program at KU is not a dating service. Sexual relations are definitely discouraged and not condoned in any manner. The problem is not sexual, but it is sexist. Women are being portrayed as objects whose purpose is to serve the male athletes.
The NCAA has two rules that may be applied to possible situations. First, no recruit can receive any "extra benefits." Second, the recruit is not allowed any special favors. However, as Shane Lyons, legislative assistant of the NCAA said, the NCAA must look at each case separately. There is no way to regulate dating, he said. However, if every single recruite who goes to a certain school receives inappropriate favors, there might be a case.
I realize it is a lot to ask KU to give its hostess groups such as the football Crismon Crew and the baseball team's Diamond Crew. Other schools would definitely have an advantage over KU in the recruiting game. Comparable groups at other universities are named the Crismon and Cream at the University of Oklahoma and Catamount Kittens at Western Carolina University. Compared to these schools, KU is innocent. However, if the NCAA would ban such escort services, universities would have to find another way to recruit. If the true goal of Crismon Crew is, as Helt claims, to "show a student's perspective of KU," the recruit is welcome to attend the student ambassador tour of KU. He could also go through orientation or simply talk to the players.
EDITORIAL COMMENT
The services of the Crimson Crew are not needed. Unlike student ambassadors or orientation assistants, members of the Crimson Crew do not receive any official training. They are simply expected to smile pretty and make small talk. This idea of women is long outdated. There is no place for such a sexist attitude at any university.
Vered Hankin is an Overland Park sophomore majoring in comparative literature and women's studies.
Once again, the subject of qualified admissions for Kansas Board of Regents universities has reared its provocative head. The issue is, at once, old and new.
another high school graduation.
Both bills will be decided by the state House of Representatives at a later date.
On March 3, the state Senate passed a bill that requires students to meet at least one of three academic standards in order to be admitted: a 2.0 grade point average, a cumulative score of at least 65 in the top third of their high school class.
This issue is fraught with emotion. Certainly taxpayers should be able to send their children to any school that their dollars support. But in this case, we're talking about higher education and tuition that goes far beyond tax dollars. By the time students graduate from high school, they are expected to know how to read and write and apply mathematics.
apply thank yous
so they will tax dollars be used for professional program like KU's Supportive Educational Services?
Wouldn't the funds be better invested in additional courses for those who paid attention the first time around?
patience and paying attention wasn't enough. In the case of one SES student, it was discovered that she had a learning disability. Why didn't someone discover this years ago?
Perhaps the high school she attended was substandard. If that's the case, more money needs to be spent there, not here. The same may be said of lower schools where students certain ethnic and cultural backstones taught information pertinent to functioning in the "outside" world.
But a low-income area, where many of these students live, would not provide a tax base that supports quality education. Should educational quality be sacrificed elsewhere because of this inequity?
this nearly.
KU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences nearly matches a federal grant of about $160,000 for the SES program, which tutors about 250 students. Could those monies be redistributed for everyone's benefit?
— the federal grant to students preparing for college, the matching funds kept for improvement in the college?
compete.
A Kansan article quoted a state senator opposed to qualified admissions as saying his son would not have been admitted under qualified conditions. The boy, however, went on to earn a master's degree.
Residents of Kansas need qualified admissions
What does this say about the policy? Would it discriminate against "late bloomers," as some claim? What does this say about the boy? Did he finally decide, after foofing around school, to take a responsible attitude toward his studies? Or did time and adequate atmosphere improve his ability?
r president Clinton is working on several plans to provide higher education to anyone who wants it. But he is attempting to deal only with the financial disparities of our present system.
If this suggestions, such as community service to repay college loans, come to pass, perhaps he'll also be able to figure out how to assure quality secondary education so those who do want more will be motivated and prepared when the time comes to get it.
KANSAN STAFF
GREG FARMER
Editor
GAYLE OSTERBERG
Managing editor
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
BILL SKEET, Technology coordinator
Editors
Asst Managing... Justin Knupp
News... Monique Gusialm
Features... Lymne McAdoo
Graphics... Dan Shauger
SteVE PERRY
Business manager
MELISSA TERLIP
Retail sales manager
JEANNE HINES
Sales and marketing adviser
Business Staff
Campus sales mgr... Brad Breon
Regional Sales mgr... Wade Baxter
Goo-p sales mgr... Ashley Hessel
Production mgr... Amy Stumbo
Marketing director... Angela Cleverange
Creative director... Holly Perry
Classified mgr... Jill Torney
Art Director... Hafagher
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Cecilia Julian is a Leawood senior majoring in journalism.
STAFF COLUMNIST
Mystery Strip
by David Rosenfield