Thursday, January 21, 1993 Color double standard Excuse me. If anyone knows, I was just wondering how minorities, well actually African-Americans, would really like to be treated. Are equality and acceptance really the main goals? I would be more than happy to judge not "by the color of their skin but by the content of their character," but I am constantly slapped in the face by the tremendous double standard that exists. This standard springs from very basic ground. racial slurs. Watch any black comedy club on cable. It won't be long before the comedian refers to his audience affectionately as "niggers". The comedian's black audience doesn't seem to mind. In fact they seem amused that they are allowed to use words that are forbidden to other cultures. Right now Cincinatti Reds owner Marge Schott is the center of stormy controversy for her use of racial slurs. I do not agree with Schott's derogatory comments but I do question how she can be so singled out when it happens every day within the minority itself. Two wrongs certainly do not make a right, but a racial slur exists as such no matter who says it. That is the fact that everyone. must recognize. I'm Italian and I know that if another Italian approached me with the greeting, "Hey, you greasy haired Wop," I'd still be offended by his ignorance even though he shares my race. This double standard was further high-lighted by an article in December third's Collegian. Tarsha L. Proctor wrote a very thought provoking article titled "No compromise, no sell out". Proctor's article expressed her anger at what many see as progress in race relations, interracial dating. Specifically, Proctor attacks the black man'c ignorance in being so open minded as to date women of other races. Race mixing is harshly questioned, as is the strength of all white females. Caucasian women are referred to as "...blind white b--@*..." How is this different from the condescending comments of Marge Schott? Or even from the generalizations made by the Do you need marketing experience? Writing experience? Photographic experience? Look no further. The Collegian to the rescue!!! You need us, we need you, so why not join up now? The best thing is, it's FREE!! Letters to the Ku Klux Klan? What if the author of "No compromise, no sell out" had been white and the article was colored (pun intended) that way? I do not believe that all African-Americans take advantage of this double standard. I believe that those who do, the culturally insecure and immature, are blinding many people with their skin by hiding behind it. As soon as they are ready to be judged for themselves and not for their color, I wish they'd let me know. I can't wait to meet them. Megan Musante 3rd Semester English Missing resources During these difficult times at Penn State-Behrend, with budget cuts and watchful spending, the Career Development Center continually tries to provide current, up-to-date materials and resources for the student body. While the majority of students who use our resources appreciate our efforts, it is sad to see that there are a few who feel these resources are for them alone and decide to take them without permission. Despite our efforts to monitor the resources being used, we find that some materials disappear, never to be seen again. Most people probably don't realize the expense involved in supplying the Resource Room with current literature. For instance, The Pennsylvania Technology Directory recently disappeared from the Resource Room after only being on the shelf for about five months. This directory cost $184.00 and will probably not be replaced because of our dwindling budget. While it is understandable that not all materials are as expensive as this, when all missing resources are added together the total becomes quite extensive. Thus, each year the new budget is used to replace former resources rather than adding new ones. The most important point that I am trying to make is that not only are these materials expensive to purchase and The Collegian replace, but other students are being cheated out of their use. While these few students may be proud of their pilfering, hundreds of other students are probably very disappointed that they will not have the opportunity to use these missing resources. Too bad the few have to ruin it for the many! Cara Loomis Staff Assistant Counseling and Advising Office No allowance for profit I would like to start out by saying that the article printed in the Thursday, December 10, 1992 issue of The Collegian "No allowance for profit" should not have been printed without all the facts present. What kind of paper do we as students have if we cannot trust the staff to do a full investigation of the stories that they cover? I hope in the future that Vicky Synder gets the whole story before reporting on it. I would like to state the facts of what actually happened before the SGA meeting on Wednesday, December 10,1992. I approached an administrator of Behrend who worked with me when I did the Spring Break trip last year and that person suggested that I deserved a commission check of $5 per person from the SGA because of all the problems and hard work that I had to deal with last year. That person also informed me that the commission check had to be approved by Dave Shields and Chris Reber before going to the Senate for approval. I presented the price of the trip to the Senate with a $lO additional price increase to cover the cost of my commission check from SGA ($5) and all the expenses of the trip for SGA. The price increase was approved but the meeting between Dave Shields and Chris Reber never took place. Because the semester was coming to an end, I felt that I had to get the information out to the students before the Christmas Break, I approached the Senate with the reasons why I felt I deserved a commission editor check from them and they felt that I did not deserve it because we are known as a service group. I then presented to the Senate how a representative from University Park receives their commission check. For every $35 of profit, not sales, their representative to the travel agency gets $l5. If I book 60 people this year, like I hoped, the total profit for SGA, including my commission check from Travel Associates, would be $960. That is $lO a person times 60 for the cost increase on the trip ($600) plus my commission check from Travel Associates which would be $6 a person times 60 ($360). Nine hundred and sixty dollars that SGA thinks is theirs to cover the cost of paper and other materials needed to promote the trip. Mr. Brenneman was gravely mistaken when he said SGA is at risk for backing the trip. There is no risk. As for Greg Farrell's comment about the SGA being service oriented, I would like to say where are all the volunteers to work on these committees that SGA has? Most senators say that they do not have time to be on a committee and when someone volunteers to be a chairperson for a committee they are almost guaranteed to work by them selves. If the SGA is so service oriented then why are the president and treasurer paid a stipend for their work? Wouldn't the experience alone be enough? Not really, because it demands a lot of time just like my job doing the Spring Break trip. The Student Government does not understand all the time and effort it takes to promote one of these trips and have them be successful. At the meeting where the senators decided that I did not deserve my commission check from Travel Associates I severely under estimated the amount of hours that I would be putting into the trip. I just hope that the senate does not become greedier than it already is by keeping the $960 that is partly being made off the students here at Behrend. I also hope that the Student Govern ment does not continue to treat itself to a night out at Eat N' Park for all the hard work that they do because a lot of A POEM* "I ?rotes . therefore I am." Day by day, I am faced with issues that continue to bring my people down. Although we have come fa there are issues in our life that are still unanswered. Questions and opinions tha continue to be overlooked, but nevertheless I still PROTEST! --Tarsha Proctor 'The Collegian encourages all students to express their opinions and we support every person's constitutional right to freedom of speech. Page 3 Senators do not even deserve that much. Remember students that you are paying for the SGA excursions to Eat N' Park and the pizza parties that we have after our meetings, and not for my commission check from Travel Associates. Eric J. Pine 4th Semester Marketing Major Whiteness Is weakness I am writing in response to the "No compromise, no sell out" article which appeared in the December 3, 1992 issue of the Behrend Collegian. I am presently involved in an interracial relationship and therefore, the issue is one on which I feel inclined to comment. Supporting the continuance of your race and the tradition of the black community is not just encouraging and admirable, but absolutely necessary. This is obviously a choice you have made for your life and your future. However, to conclude that your life choices are right for all African-Americans, men or women, is unfair. You are only adopting the value of your oppressors, those values that legislate who is allowed to love whom. Wasn't it the feminist and black activist Audre Lourde who said "The Master's tools will never dismantle the Master's house?" I resent that my whiteness implies a weakness in the character of the man I have chosen to date. He is monumentally dedicated to the politics of the pro-black movement, well versed in his history and that of his people, and he respects and loves black women. The choice to be with me does not negate those decided values. In addition, I am offended by Ms. Proctor's suggestion that all interracial relationships are merely a diagnosed case of "Jungle Fever". People of all marginalized groups should be most familiar with the hurt that accompanies broad generalizations and stereotypes. Assuming that all interracial couples are together for no other reason than skin color is confining and close-minded. I realize that I have put myself in a rather precarious relationship. In 1993, isn't it sad that I face the judgement of both white and black communities for a feeling that humans in general have little control over? I encourage everyone at Penn State Behrend to have the strength to live by their own values and beliefs and not to be threatened by people who feel they have the right to judge other's life choices. In other words, in terms of who you are: no compromise, no sell-out. Angela Carone Penn-State Behrend Graduate
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