The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 10, 1998, Page 3, Image 3
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.