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Page 2 Ending racism in all our interests 11 _ 11 Tonce BJ^knew white girl. She one day white people did not felicia BROWN owe Columnist black people anything, and that we should stop expecting white people to do everything for us. She believed that even though there used to be feelings of supremacy and domination from white folks, all that is over now. We should stop feeling sorry for ourselves and stop acting like the world is in debt to us. She didn't even know she was racist. COMMENTARY On the campus of USC, there are a lot of people just like her, whether white, black, yellow, red, or whatever color their skin has been blessed to show. For so long they have believed that their way H was the "right" way, that no other opinion mattered. I just am not able to conceive the notion of judging someone because of the orientation of their body. Remember in high school or middle school when there used to be that one feature about you that made you cringe when anyone would mention it? You prayed nightly that it would correct itself while you were asleep. My old best friend had a horrible overbite. People would whisper nasty remarks behind her back. But I realized that if she wasn't bothered by her teeth, that I hadn't a reason to be either. When there are so many flawed personalities, and so many other things T ~ : i. uiai 1 am auie tu xiuiu a^auisi pt;upie, the last thing in the world I judge people by is their skin color. When you meet someone for the first time, what makes a good first impression? This is where we need to start work. Do you hold different standards for that fine, tall brother that you wouldn't mind kickin' it with in your dorm room after midnight? What about that cheerful, sparky sorority girl that just moved into the room next to yours? Do you just assume that Asian man can't speak English well enough for you to carry on a conversation? What about the obviously gay man that is standing behind you in the lunch line? What would he have to do to make a good first impression on you? Would it be easier for that fine brother than it would for that : ?:_io WU..0 jumpy ouiuiity giiii vuy; No doubt that there are certain people we feel more comfortable around. But should other people be ostracized because you don't know them? If you haven't exchanged a word with somebody, but you can already tell that you can't stand to be around them, you are prejudiced. "She looks like she dates black guys," my friend once said about this white woman sitting at another table at the restaurant where we were dining. When I asked her how she could tell, she said that the woman was the type of white woman that black men look for. She had a big butt and lots of money that she could spend on him. I couldn't tell. Race relations is a touchy subject, considering we are all humans fighting to survive in an ever-changing world. What can I share with you to make you examine your own actions, to rethink the next derogatory message you send? It's admittedly hard to give everybody a chance who wants one. But the man next to you against whom you are acting prejudiced just may be the same man ,to save your life one day. Who knows who will be there to help us through the bad times? Isn't it usually the people who you would have never thought about? I > Self-se ! Students find racial comfort zones asst. features editor KRISTIN FREESTATE Walter Jackson, the director of multicultural student affairs, calls it "a broad term that, really, no one wants to define." But regardless of preference, the word "minority'' is one that must be considered, whether it refers to a racial group, to women or to the disabled. Although enforced segregation is a thing of the past, self-segregation ? the tendency of minority groups of people to stay within those groups ? is, according to Jackson, "an issue, depending on your vantage point. "Self-segregation, to me, exists eveiywhere in the country," Jackson said. "And I think (it) happens when, basically, people who like the same types of things congregate together. "A congregation of likes is not uncommon in America " Self-segregation can make itself most apparent in eating areas around campus or audience populations at public events. Indeed, according to Jackson, the typical scenario that comes to people's minds when they consider selfsegregation is that of "black students in a cafeteria sitting together." Many might cite such instances as evidence of a racial problem, but Jackson believes they become the focus simply because "to the naked eye, you can see the physical differences in terms of skin color and how certain pockets of certain populations may gather together in fellowship." However, Jackson pointed out that white students as well as other "majority" students are guilty of the same. "I think it's very important that we keep in mind that all students do that, whether they're minority or not," Jackson said. Cleveland Sellers, professor of African-American studies, has a similar perspective, although he said he "[doesn't] detect a pattern of segregation (on campus), from the premise that segregation would be a kind of enforced, f I SG looks senior writer BRAD WALTERS the complaints they have heard as this issi ues to develop. SG president Kim Dickerson thinks is a lot of work to be done, especially i race relations problems on campus. ! however, feel that positive steps are bei "I think there are a lot of student! ready to do something about it, which is itive and exciting," Dickerson said. She said every branch of SG, espec ate and Cabinet, has been working to to improve race relations on campus. 1 Special The Gam< gregatk lj^ E:*j9|n9HHt >jj9HHHBF&|K ;^> bflHK;:|S|^H^HL^ MHHHil JhHIHp Self-segregation is apparent in many Carolina GrilL Greek organizations s< or a policy, or an implied withdrawal ^ or exclusion of a group." < Sellers said he sees where social or < ethnic groups of students have a tendency to eat together or sit together { at an activity. < "But I don't think that is an ex- < elusion of any other students," Sellers I said, "so I don't view that as segregation and the definition of segregation ( as I know it. I think that, for all prac- i tical purposes, we have managed to rise 1 above that." ; Sellers said he believes USC has escaped the problem of self-segregation i by means of programs through the mul- i ticultural department, the African- < American Studies program, the kinds t of forums that allow people to become j more aware of "the positive attributes ] of cultural diversity" and other practices, such as designating Martin Luther ] King Jr.'s birthday as a holiday and ( "the drive to provide more diverse fac- < ulty." Although Sellers believes self-seg- t regation is not a problem, he still en- \ courages the student body to continue to learn more about other cultures and r to interact with other minority students, t "I think that we are in the process t of educating young adults at the uni- v racial! to contribi "We'd like to put on some p program with other organization 31 a t u s o f nesg education to students, One of the biggest problems s as recent- . a f? * jpic of con. la Luat su many peupie are wm g students ^ listening, id Student "We're all at USC wanting i nt leaders learning and living together, an< pressed to to get to know each other bette itions to judgments," Dickerson said, ems and SG vice-president Chris Dors ue contin- -n tackKng this issue is for stu< x i.r dress the fact that there is a pi that there _ . , J_. ? ,, find solutions from there. now, with . . She does Charo Davis, chair of the A ing taken, fairs senate committee, says sh 3 who are ent races on campus are more tc i very pos- arate, but that there are definiti problems that can't just be over ially Sen- "My committee and I discus find ways impr0ve race relations on ca "We will try to have a forum evt about some solutions." I Report acock )n app Camk, :& U PWWj&888?r..ft~ m * IMS facets of USC. One such place is thi ?em to be segregated as well. /ersity, and we have a responsibility to expose them to the diversity of our mvironment," Sellers said. Jackson has a similar belief regarding the importance of education to mcourage diversity. "I think that knowledge is truly the variable in the equation," Jackson said. "People who congregate together typically are homogeneous, and a lot of t may very well be that we don't see a lealthy mixing, so to speak, because of i lack of information." Charo Davis, the chairman of milority affairs for student government, igrees. While she believes that a misconception exists about self-segrega;ion in that the situation "is not all bad," she does see the possibility for improvement. According to Davis, the comfort that people feel by remaining in their specific cliques can lead to miscommunication and a lack of understanding. "Once we get communication out here," Davis said, "the understanding vill come." The student body plays an integral ole in the spreading of such informaion, Davis said. "We need (the students) o tell us what they need and what they vant." ite to race rograms and co- Davis said that o is to bring aware- like to do is "set up p " she said. can interact more ? he sees right now She feels that, : j i. i problems, the issui ixxg ctxxu xxui xeeu- * ' blown out of propor Ll ? . "I think the ma die same things munication ^ s0? i I think we need relations on campus ir before making ter," she said. During studen el says that a key February, many acc dents to first ad- certain candidates roblem and then Gamecock contend( candidates fairly. lulticultural Af- Davis said this v e feels the differ- misunderstanding i ,1,1 to be prevalent betwi igether than sep- r ely race relations P" MartinaStringe looked. fairs in the Executi s solutions to try 0f communication i mpus," she said, that all races, whe ;ry month to talk American, Asian-Ar tive American or an; t arent a <%? /* fr-i HP- 1 ? *w*??. * > ---riniJHi wir nil ^ : .. ,% ?* .'{^??N^b xv^^a v ... ,.M .:.. . ;'. SEAN RAYFORD Asst. Photo Editor e dining area of Chick-fil-A and the The communication between students and student government is especially important concerning the program planning. "We want to plan events for all minorities," Davis said. By scheduling forums and speak i? i : l rv ers on a regular oasis next year, uavis hopes that students will experience "interaction and understanding" so they will feel comfortable openly speaking to others, with the intention of learning more about a different culture or experience and without the fear of insulting anyone. Creating a program schedule that will appeal to students from all walks of life is also paramount to Carolina Productions' Black Cultural Commissioner Keisha Mouzon. Mouzon believes self-segregation is an issue on campus because "it's human nature for people to look for others similar to them because it's just comfortable." "That doesn't mean that [self-segregation] is right, necessarily, or wrong either," Mouzon said. "People need to realize it's something we all seem to do unconsciously." As commissioner, Mouzon sees the need to appeal to a broad audience SEGREGATION page eight : relations ne thing the committee would open to un< rograms where different races blend of di md understand each other." "I have even though there are some but I ve he e of race relations has been that exists tion in many ways. She be jor problem is a lack of com- for the stu le misunderstanding... race the proble are good, but they can be bet- multiculti get the sti t government elections in wards cha used The Gamecock of giving "I have unfair coverage, while The Stringer s id that it represented all the One of to get the vas "a perfect example" of the ation of ra n communication that seems this way, s een whites and blacks on cam- to be invo] She sa r, director of multicultural af- open-mine ve Cabinet, agrees that lack the keys t s a large problem. She says solutions ther they be white, African- campus, nerican, Latin American, Na- "If you y other group, should be more part of the V Friday, April 10,1998 tusc . Are Greek groups split? staff writer KEHIEY YOUNG The apparent racial segregation within USC's Greek system remains an ongoing source of dissatisfaction for many USC students. However, Greek officials insist that such segregation merely is the result of tradition. According to Director of Greek Life Gena Staggs, most of the primarily white fraternities and sororities at USC were founded at a time when African-Americans were forbidden to attend universities. "If you look at the predominant- / / ly black sororities and fraternities, you People have simply find found their that most social comfort were founded zones based at predomi- upon the backnantly black grounds they schools [dur- were brought up ing segrega- in. tion]," Staggs said. "To be honest, it's jamel Franklin kind of an in- former student dicatorofbe- body president ^ ing in the ooutn. Staggs al- * % so believes / / that a lot of Greek segregation is the result of the different recruiting processes between black and white Greek organizations. Former Student Body President Jamel Franklin agrees that tradition plays a major role in Greek segregation. W "It's the same reason that we have somewhat of a self-imposed segregation on campus. People have found their social comfort zones based upon the backgrounds they were brought up in," Franklin said. "We cling to those comfort zones, and that's unfortunate." SG Vice President Chris Dorsel does not place the blame on the Greek system. He claims that an individual is free to select any fraternity or sorority ^ for possible recruitment. "Tf'a nnt lilro oifVior nrcmr?i'7?ifinn A U U A1UV A1AAV V1VI1UA Ui gUAAAUU Vivu specifically excludes the other. It's an individual decision," Dorsel said. Many USC student leaders attribute Greek segregation to cultural differences between races. Alpha Phi Alpha President Kendric Morton says discrimination is not the actual issue. "It's not so much about discrimination but more about cultural differ- ^ ences. In South Carolina, there is still such a divide between these differences, and I think that it's seen even more within the Greek system," Morton said. Sorority Council President Debby Hames also identified the differing interests of certain fraternities and sororities as a contributing factor to the structure of the Greek system. "I personally would like to see more interaction between these [Greek] groups, but most of them simply place an emphasis on different activi- ^ ties," Hames said. GREEKS page three solutions ierstanding and appreciating the unique ifferent cultures on campus. A in't heard directly about any problems, ard people comment on the separation 5 on campus," Stringer said, slieves that the most important thing dent body to do as a whole is to address ms and work together to change it.. As iral affairs director she wants to trv to iident body involved with working tonge as much as possible. i a lot of plans and ideas for next year," aid. her proposals is to distribute surveys student body's opinion about the situce relations and to hear their ideas. In he hopes, "students will realize it's okay Ived." lid that honesty, communication and ledness among all students are some of o working towards finding permanent to the racial problems that persist on 're not a part of the solution, then you're 3 problem," Stringer said. ^ 4