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p Friday, April 10,1998 Organizat ^ copy editor REE^ cades in the path of race relations, rated but too many students of different eth- 0f cer A nic backgrounds are still standing at to thj opposite ends of the bridge. pgQp] Everyone is allowed to cross now, we>re but many students still aren't budging. g To change this, some USC organi- ident zations are trying to do their part to im- stu^e prove relations and attempt to lessen reSpC discrimination at USC. ?j "We all know that there is a prob- nee(j lem, but how do we really get to the neecj, core?" SALA president-elect Megan n:za! Hoffinansaid. theo Hoffman said she thinks much of ^ the problem stems from surviving USC black Pledge's editor in cfjteJAPAW SWT Pew "I believe...I will." These are two key parts to the Birmingham Pledge. Officially unveiled at a Martin Luther King, Jr. breakfast in Birmingham, Ala. this year, the pledge has reached far corners of the world to help bring an end a to racism. The pledge is a simple statement and reminder for people to work towards the end of racism. It may be a small step, but promoters are hoping it will increase awareness and lead to bigger steps in the future. The Community Affairs Committee of Operation New Birmingham sponsors the pledge. The committee believes that for each person who strives to live the % pledge, the world will be a better place. Jim Rotch, chair of the advisory board for the Birmingham Pledge, said the goal is to light a fire that can consume racial prejudice all over the world," In fact, it has reached several foreign countries: Argentina, Australia, Canada, England, Liberia, Malaysia and Pakistan. The biggest boast for the pledge came on Jan. 27 when President Clinton and the First Lady signed the pledge after the ^ State of the Union address. Other key leaders, including the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, have signed the pledge. Since the pledge's introduction, more than 4,000 people have signed on. The signatures have been collected through a grass roots effort. But the most effective signature drives have been on college campuses. More than 1,000 names were added to the rolls at two schools in Birmingham. ^ Birmingham has been described as "ground zero" for the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Promoters believe it is important for such an effort to be based in a city with such a reputation. In fact, the signatures will go on permanent display at the Civil Rights Institiute in Birmingham. The USC community is invited to sign the pledge and follow its message. The Gamecock is encouraging students, faculty and staff to return the completed ^ pledge to room 343 of the Russell House. For more information about the USC campaign, call 777-3914. For more information about the overall Birmingham Pledge campaign, contact Operation New Birmingham at (205) 324-8797 or at www.onb.org. J * Structure o GREEKS continued from page two While most usu students ac- notiu knowledge traditional and cultural dif- thing ferences as reasons for Greek segrega- V tion, many disagree as to the actual essai effects of this segregation. jor s Community Outreach Chairman "1 Kathy Van Nostrand believes that me ft Greek segregation is an obstacle at USC. stud< % "A lot of conflicts get turned into sion, racial problems when they're not nec- is a i essarily racial problems," Van Nostrand peop said. ^ Franklin agrees that the struc- life, ture of the Greek system represents a tem definite problem on campus. stacl "I think that there's a lot of diver- "1 sity on the surface, but it's only token a syi diversity," he said. "That is, there's Caro ions doii dons and old habits of earlier genms. can i lot of things I see are just taken blai ing okay because that's how it's done for 100 years," she said. just tie said students need to "get away 0th what our parents think, rise above kin md be an educated person. Think >urself." fice offman noticed that a major faclat tends to keep the races sepa- enQ . is organizations. She said people mfl tain organizations tend to only go Qn, it organization's meetings, and if e keep doing that, "there's no way j j going to learn anything." . bony McMorris, NAACP vice pres- 01 , thinks part of the problem is that ?ar ints aren't assuming enough of the )e insibility. think that students on campus to realize that the effort not only can 3 to come from the heads of orga- ten :ions but from the members of ed 1 rganizations," she said. She orris said the race problems at san are not just between white and org : people. gro goal is 1 i I BELIEVE... every person has worth as an I believe every person is entitl< dignity and respect, regardless race or color. I believe every thought and ev< act of racial prejudice is harmf I believe if it is my thought or then it is harmful to me as wel to others. SIGNATURE PLEASE PRINT NAME STREET ADDRESS CITY, STATE ZIP CODE ORGANIZATION DATE RUSSELL HOUSE ROOf f Greek sj ing for people to notice until some- ten [major happens like SG elections." sai ice President Dorsel does not necily see Greek segregation as a ma- gui ource of racial tension at USC. sor Being in a fraternity doesn't inhibit the om interacting with any other USC "th jnts. Rather than cause racial ten- un< I think that the Greek structure the esult of it," Dorsel said. "Many le are too set in their ways." Gn lorton offers a similar view of Greek stu He does not hold the Greek sys- bat responsible for USC's racial obes. Ma [ don't think it's a problem, but it's tiv nptom of race relations in South me lina. I don't think the Greek sys- ter / Race Rei The Gamecc tig part t( "There are many other groups on lpus, but when things come up, it's US( ck and wftite, she said. vers "It's almost like sometimes we not i ; don't take the time to find out about thin er groups and other issues and that ' d of thing," Hoffman said. nee| Walter Jackson, director of the Ofof Multicultural Student Affairs at s^e C, thinks students don't know er' * ugh about each other and that they ke decisions about each other based ,! myths. atl] er r There are some students who re- ^ y feel the pressure to conform ig racial and ethnic lines and, at the mej tie time, are chastised when that ^ sn't happen," he said. what happens now? Hoffman, who is not Latin Ameri- }em, , joined SALA because she was in- ? ested in Latin America and want- jnco jo help promote awareness about it. do o ; suggests that more students do the ] ae and try taking part in different the j ;anizations to learn about other try 1 ups and people. groc to fight i THEREFORE, FROM Tl WILL... individual. strive daily to elimina from my thoughts anc 3d to i of I will discourage raci< by others at every op sry I will treat all people ul. respect. act, I strive daily to honor II as knowing that the wor better place because RFTIIRN THIS FORM TO: 4 343, 1400 GREENE STREET, COLUMI )stem repn i perpetuates that, though," Morton d. ous SG Treasurer Susanne Newman ar- frat bs that minority fraternities and am] orities are not represented well in saic ! campus council. Newman believes ere are certain organizations that Chi xtnsciously discriminate, even though nev ;y don't mean to." will Regardless of the precise effect of she sek segregation on campus life, most curi dent leaders are committed to com- and ling the negative effects of racism. Da\ Fraternity Council President tici] itt Goddard acknowledges the eflfeceness of Greek Week as a healthy I dc ans of fraternity and sorority in- pie action. plei | LATIONS >ck ) impro That's one thing that I love about she said, "that it's diverse. Piity's] not something to be afraid of, something to go against. It's someg to really be proud of." She said each individual person is to take that extra step. it r i. l >1 i i i . n ii li aoesn i worn oui, try again, said. "If we all don't work togethhen it's not going to happen." Hoffman said that SALA tried to in the Racial Relations Committee rSC, but Student Government neveturned the group's phone calls. McMorris said the NAACP has been nstorming programs for next sester "that will help bridge the " Last year, McMorris said, NAACP ;ed the international students pron and talked to them about probs they were facing. We got ideas about how we could rporate them into a lot of things we n campus," she said. For next semester, McMorris said ?roup plans to follow up on that and bo have more meetings with other ips. She suggested that other groups 'acism ' HIS DAY FOREWARD, I ite racial prejudice i actions. al prejudice portunity. with dignity and this pledge, Id will be a of my effort. i BIA, SC 29208 I ?sents pn "Greek Week, as well as the variphilanthropies that most of these ernities participate in, are good exales of Greek cooperation," Goddard i. Multicultural Affairs Chairman iro Davis is determined to present i programs to SG each month that focus on all minorities. In addition, and her committee will try to see public speakers who will debate . discuss the issue of race relations, ris advocates awareness and parpation among USC students. "[Racism] is definitely present, but in't think it's as bad as many peomake it out to be. Students have lty of study groups and class situa ve raa who normally don't work to i race relations should try it. "The burden shouldn't lie v the minority organizations bi organization because it's every sponsibility," she said. Multicultural Student Affi sponsored several programs to diversity at USC, one being E Week. It also has organized ? (Students Educating and Emp for Diversity) that, through woi gives students ah opportu learn more about each other a help of trained facilitators. So is there a chance that USC students will break from afld work toward voluntary i tion? "I believe that it is happen the closer we get, the more issc out that need to be addresse Morris said. "First, you hav pose what's going on." But before that can happen, i "we need new faces." McMorris wants to see different people NAACFs meetings. Respect 'solve' r; JOHNSON uPj T Columnist ^ dec offer our services to try to "sol problem. Certainly things will not fc "solved" after this issue comes but it's a start to some change lightenments. Now, the obvious problem the way people think and the they've been taught. Some pe< don't have a basic respect for < We don't have to love one ano fact, you can hate a person bu respect him or her. And my respect runs for a of life for this simple reason: i pie are different. No, really, I' kidding. People believe, think feel different things and shou spected in such ways. I respect what other peopl to say and think because, in t run, nobody knows who's righ who's wrong. So I take everyt and give it its equaled and de due process. Fm a very liberal guy. Son pie are amazed when I say I \ date a girl of another race. But this is the South, whe people are still amazed over t cept of a door knob ("You mea twist this thing here and the opens! Holy Fazoli's, this is tl thing since Scotch Tape!"), so * take it in stride. Respect is the start and a important one because everyt else stems from there. But wl we go from there? Well that's u/Viprp T mmfl ing the foremost expert on Fa pizza, was asked to offer my c and possible solutions. So I ol At first, however, I was th about selling my idea and ma lot of money, since I consider be some great advice, but I fig getting more than $400,000 ii ties from my invention of the tion mark, so I decided this si a free-bee. The problem is that we tei cus on our petty, physical diff oblems J tions that bring them tog Davis said. SG President Kim Dicke pressed an interest in holdir racial mixers. "I think mixers would be thing to start again. I think encourage different Greeks t< in other activities as well," D said. Staggs mentioned that al could use their common goal munity service as a means oi interaction. "I think we have a respons promote racial tolerance and c I think we are moving in that i towards a unified system," Sta Page 3 ; relations mprove S.E.E.D. 0ne S ^ rkshops, nity to S.E.E.D., Students Educating and vith the Empowering for Diversity, is one group working to improve race one day relations. the past ntegra- "There's always a chance for anything, but the question is how bad do ing but we want it," she said, tes come % Hoffman said that if students are d " Mc- n?t a^e to progress toward better ree'to ex- lotions, then everything she has worked for will be for nothing, she said, "That's something I really fight for, said she that everyone can see the beauty and come to the differences in other people," she said. to help ice problems Lffi COMMENTARY have iced He's got black skin. She's not strong se past enough. They have webbed eyelashnip nf es. iths What really needs to be focused s rela- on *s our conunon interests. That's is at how people bond together and beC have come friends. They share with each been other their thoughts and feelings to par. over a common subject. fie I have a little story to relate to necock fins. My RA last semester was a ided to black guy named Web. We never ve" this spoke much one-on-one. In fact we never spoke unless there was a hall ie meeting or something. * i out, But one day in early November, I is or en- got my pride and joy in the mail. It was Tama's 3.25 inch by 13 inch pichere is colo snare drum with a steel shell, way That thing sounds so good! Any3ple way, I had it for a day or two, and I others. would bang on it for the hell of it unther. In til I was able to go home and put it on it still mv opt. Anyway, one day I was banging 11 walks on it, and Web came into my room. Ml peo- He said that he didn't mind me makm not ing all that noise, just as long as my a^d neighbors didn't mind. Then, we Id be re- started talking about drums. He played for his church. Yeah, I was e have trying to get a band together. he long He asked if that was a piccolo. He it and couldn't believe I got it for only $120. hhig in He asked if I had it tuned properly. I served sajd that I thought I did, but he checked, and I didn't. tie peo- g0 he helped me out. He gave me v a couple of tips on tuning and told me to get rid of the cheap factor head re some . buy a new one (I was going to hecon" anyway). He told me to tighten the head , . until the thing screamed. I thanked lj him, and he left. From that day on, if I saw him around, I would nod my head and say hello, ask how he was very . . hing doing, etc. lere do He played drums and so did I. We had this common interest that in I be- brought us together. We had that zoli's bond. ipinions Though it wasn't an earth-shatiliged. tering event that will go down forever inking as the thing that saved the races, I king a think that it is a good example of how this to people can come together and share rure Fm themselves with others. It s just goi royal- ing to take a little effort on all of our ques- parts to at least try and make this lould be work. "Can't we all just get along?" See, nd to fo- they would be empty words without erences. my marvelous invention. cor USC ether," Franklin believes that Greeks, and all students in general, should endeavor rson exlg inter- to establish meaningful friendships with 1 a great ^verse people- He claims that the forces it would of social change eventually will lead to iengage ickerson future advancements in the realm of race relations. 1 Greeks I of com- "The greatest weapons we have f further ag^st racism are time and education, ibility to and the greatest contributors to racism liversity. are ^ear an(j ignorance, which lead to direction ggs said, hatred," Franklin's said.