University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 66, No. 44, Ed. 1 Friday, March 23, 1990 Page: 3 of 6
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uNiyBRsrrY press ‘ Fair Comment
March 23, 1990
Page 3
Kremlin must
allow change
LU should admit problems
The Soviet Union has seem-
ingly lost another chunk of
real estate.
Lithuania, one of three
Baltic republics gobbled up
by Stalin’s Red Army in 1940,
has declared its in-
dependence.
While the world cautiously
watches the crumbling of yet
another piece of the once-
monollthic Soviet Union,
events inside Lithuania may
be taking a nasty turn.
Recent reports from the
newly re-established republic
speak of plain-clothes Rus-
sian security forces in-
filtrating Lithuanian public
works and, more ominously,
the amassing of Soviet armor
and Infantry in the country’s
southern half.
In other words, it seems the
smiling facade of
Gorbachev’s reformed Soviet
Union may be wearing thin.
Glasnost is hitting too close
to home.
Gorfeachev has recently
consolidated even more
power in the domestic arena
of the Soviet Union by gamer-
ing the presidential post he
had long advocated. But now
that his power at home seems
finally to be at its most stable
point in months, the area of
With the passing of Tony
Branch from Lamar Universi-
ty’s basketball head coaching
position, Lamar is in an ex-
cellent1 position to grab a na-
tionally prominent coach to
succeed him.
With Branch gone, Lamar
can hope to regain some of
the prestige it held in the ear-
ly ‘80s as a basketball
powerhouse of sorts.
What is needed, then, is a
coach, pronto.
Numerous names have
been bandied about for the
position, including those of
Oklahoma coach Billy Tubbs,
- former Kentucky coach Eddie
Sutton and Loyola-
Marymount coach Paul
Westhead.
However, university of-
ficials are keeping fans
blissfully in the dark.
President Billy Franklin
isn’t talking about who he’s
contacted for the position,
although we hope that person
is considering his offer.
But Franklin would do us
all a favor by at least telling
us who Isn’t In the running.
We know Tony Branch Isn’t
foreign relations may turn
sour.
Even though he has recent-
ly delivered an ultimatum to
the Lithuanians, in the form of
a resolution from the Soviet
Legislature which voided the
republic’s right to secede,
they are not likely to give up
their new-found freedoms
without a struggle.
If Gorbachev subverts
Lithuanian sovereignty,
through outside force or
political channels within the
Kremlin, it will send the
wrong message to a world
with which he has played a
spectacular game of public
relations.
In any event the bottom line
is a matter of economics. Like
its Russian neighbor,
Lithuania is reeling under
years of communist-directed
economic programs. The
republic is searching for a
better way, not necessarily
one which splinters any
economic ties with the Soviet
Union.
If the Kremlin decides to
use a heavy hand in the
handling of Lithuania, many
other Soviet states will be
alienated, ideologically as
well as economically.
being considered, but what
about Tubbs? Or Sutton? or
Westhead? At least let those
of us who are waiting patient-
ly know who not to get our
hopes up about.
Beaumont Enterprise
Sports Editor Joe Helling has
speculated recently about
several names.
Franklin won’t say yea or
nay to any of them, only say-
ing that Heiling didn’t get his
information from him.
Well, Heiling didn’t just pull
those names out of a hat —
he must know someone.
Certainly, Franklin has the
right to keep his short list
secret, but let us in on the
secret of who’s not on it,
please.
With national signing date
coming up April 11, Franklin
has promised us a basketball
coach by April 1. Let’s hope
he’s true to his word.
While this season’s
recruiting may well be shot,
we could use a little shot in
the arm by hiring a Tubbs or a
Sutton or even a Westhead.
Hopefully, Franklin will do
the right thing.
Lamar University has a black eye.
It’s a big black eye, and one that
won’t go away too quickly unless
emergency measures are taken.
We have heard much in the past
few weeks about controversy after
controversy that has battered
Lamar into submission.
Whether it’s administrative pay
raises, canceling the football pro-
gram, firing the basketball coach or
not answering an investigative news
series, Lamar administrators can’t
seem to do anything right.
It almost seems like the blind
leading the blind.
Morale on campus is certainly at
an all-tune low, with students, facul-
ty and staff cursing administrators
for bumbling about in the dark.
Otho Plummer is probably rolling
over in his grave seeing his universi-
ty, that he devoted his life to, go
down the tubes like liquid Drano.
What can be done? Can we save
the patient?
By Bennie Do iron
UP columnist
There are people who view a
movie again and again, never get
tired of it and find some little
something blew in each viewing.
Then, there are people like me
who read certain books over and
over and in each reading find the
same enjoyment.
My latest re-reading was of Tom
Clancy’s ‘‘pie Hunt for Red Oc-
tober.” As soon as I heard that it had
been made into a movie, I re-read it.
I dread to think of what the movie-
makers have done, so I don’t think
that I will go to see it. But — can I
bear to miss Sean Connery?
I have read “Gone With the Wind”
at least five times, seen the movie at
least 10 times and loved each and
every minute. I have lost count of
the number of times that I have read
“Huckleberry Finn” and “The
Editor:
I would like to express my unease
at the bitterness on campus surroun-
ding race relations in general and
the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday
in particular.
Few of the attitudes I’ve en-
countered seem to reflect even a
modicum of maturity — something I
feel justified in expecting from a col-
lege campus. In the most infantile
remarks, some have even resorted
to name calling. Though we are
students, we need not behave like
children.
I am not racist, I am not prejudic-
ed, and no matter how many people
try to hammer it into my brain, I am
not responsible for any discrimina-
tion, past or present, and I will not
be convinced that I am guilty. Until I
was bused in the seventh grade, I
never encountered any hostility bas-
ed on race. From then on, however,
it has seemed the only solution
anyone has tried is name calling and
finger pointing.
I’m not sure how typical my upbr-
inging is of Southeast Texas, but I
Friends, students, faculty...
Something here on campus got you
down?
Thanks to the First Amendment,
you do have an outlet for your views.
Almost no one knows the answer to
that question.
With an image as bad as Lamar
has now, it will be hard to restore
public confidence. However, a few
steps could be taken to gain accep-
tance with the community that has
shunned us.
As with those with drug and
alcohol problems, the first step for
Lamar is to admit that there’s a pro-
blem.
Wouldn’t it be nice to see
Chancellor George McLaughlin call
a news conference and announce,
Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”
My favorite book of all time is
practically worn out. It was written
by Jim Corbett and is 230 pages of
holding-your-breath tales about
man-eating tigers in the hill country
of India. It is on a par with Paul
Scott’s “Raj Quartet,” which I have
read twice. ‘‘Man-eaters of
Kumoan” was made into a movie.
Fortunately, I resisted going to see
it.
I have read Gabriel Garcia Mar-
quez’s “One Hundred Years of
Solitude” twice and some of Pearl
Buck’s novels two or three times
each. Yet, the most fascinating
books to read are dictionaries. I am
so fond of words that I play Scrabble
by myself, but we won’t go into that.
So far, I’ve Only had time for a few
peeks into Will and Ariel Durant’s
“The Story of Civilization,” but I
Letters to the Editor
never learned to treat people
because of color. My family taught
me we were all special. My mother
realized the injustice as a girl in a
small town, when a black gentleman
had to step off the sidewalk into the
street to let her and her mother pass.
Thank God those days are over.
Yes, we do have other problems,
and they need to be addressed. They
do not, however, require accusation,
violence and ignorance, but rather
understanding and a willingness,
hear me, WILLINGNESS, to work
TOGETHER.
Racism starts where you live,
black or white. Your family teaches
you either respect or contempt for
others. These “closets” or “cells”
young grade school children join do
not encourage respect, that’s cer-
tain. Those after-school gatherings
involves no pain, other than the ef-
fort of putting your thoughts on
paper.
The only requirements we have
are that letters be kept to a 300-word
maximum limit and you include
your name, classification and
hometown if you are a student.
“It seems Lamar has a problem. We
have major problems with morale
and image. I want to publicly admit
these problems and work with the
community, students and faculty to
solve these problems.”
That would definitely be a start.
After that, we need positive, con-
crete actions from everyone on cam-
pus to illustrate that we are working
toward a solution and not away from
it.
We don’t need any more blue-
ribbon task forces with unheeded
recommendations — we need swift
actions for a growing problem.
When a university has as many
problems as Lamar has, it hurts
everyone on campus. Controversy is
interesting; endless controversy
starts to hurt, and Lamar doesn’t
need any more hurt.
So, who’s up to the challenge?
Anyone? Anyone?
made time for Amy Tan’s “The Joy
Luck Club.” It’s about Chinese-
American mothers and daughters
and is as delightful as Liz Smith’s
“The Mother Book.”
It used to worry me that I was con-
tent to read certain books over and
over. Now that I have realized that it
would take me a thousand years to
read all the bodes that I would love
to read, I don’t mind if people know
that I have certain books that are
like close friends. After all, one does
not make a close friend of every
chance acquaintance. I do enjoy any
new book or any new acquaintance,
but, just as close friends give one the
warm feeling of familiarity, so too
do re-read books.
Now, if I can find a library copy of
Booth Tarkington’s “Penrod,” I’ll
be almost happy.
(and in-school ones as well) need to
begin putting out the fires of hatred
rather than fueling them.
Beaumont is not like Boston. I
don’t think the Charles Wilson fiasco
could happen here. If you want to see
racism and discrimination, take
your pick of any northern city. But
vow, then, to change the ideas that
beget the hatred and violence.
There is equality of opportunity in
Beaumont. You really can be what
you want here. Children must be
willing to learn, study and work, and
adults must be encouraging and
guiding them.
The reality is, we’ve come too far
to go back to blaming and hating.
Until we realize what needs to be
done, we will never get any further.
If you’re not willing to cooperate
with mb and work together, don’t
you dare call me a bigot.
Felicia Winfree
Beaumont sophomore
reserve the right to edit the submit-
ted letter for grammar, style, length
and libelous content.
Send your gripes, complaints or
praises to Letters to the Editor, P.O.
Box 10055, LU Station, Beaumont,
Tx. 77710, or drop it off at our offices
in room 200 of the Setzer Student
Center.
We’re waiting to hear from you.
Politics
eradicates
memories
of some
By Clarence Page
It is said that Texas Treasurer
Ann Richards blew a sizable lead in
opinion polls in the state guber-
natorial race by refusing to say
whether she ever used illegal drugs.
Maybe she could have avoided the
problem by saying she couldn’t
remember. It’s not much of an ex-
cuse, but it works like a charm for
Ronald Reagan.
The silver-tongued grandmother
nationally known for her keynote ad-
dress at the 1988 National
Democratic Convention (“Poor
George. He can’t help it. He was
bom with a silver foot in his
mouth”) became oddly tongue-tied
when asked whether she ever had
used illegal drugs.
Richards, having been quite
outspoken about how she is a
recovering alcoholic, excused
herself from further scrutiny on this
“character” issue, saying her “ad-
diction was alcohol” and she didn’t
want to discourage others from
seeking treatment.
Wc-c-eocll, I don’t know what
Ann Richards is concealing or
whether she is concealing anything
at all. But if she simply has grown
weary of how the “character” issue
has probed deeper into the private
lives of public figures than any
public interest can properly justify,
I sympathize with her.
Let’s put her politics aside for the
moment. I felt the same way about
the way conservative Judge Douglas
Ginsburg lost his nomination to the
Supreme Court after revelations of
his long-past marijuana smoking.
Sometimes the “character” issue
goes too far.
Drug czar William Bennett had
the right idea when he responded
with “None of your business” to in-
quiries about what he did when, as a
Harvard student in the 1960s, he had
a date with the notoriously licentious
rock star Janis Joplin. Good for him.
A gentleman does not kiss and tell.
Some memories are too special to be
hauled before the public forum. Or
too embarrassing.
Maybe that’s why Ronald Reagan
. said “I don’t recall” about 100 times
when he was questioned during
videotaped testimony for John
Poindexter’s Iran-Contra trial. Let’s
face it: Even the ol’ Gipper’s
memory isn’t that bad.
The things he failed to recall in-
cluded most of the details of the
arms-for-hostages swap and its
aftermath, including the tunneling
of funds to the Nicaraguan Contras
and efforts to cover up various
breaches of public commitments not
to negotiate with terrorists and
floutings of congressional laws
against aiding the Contras.
Had the questioning gone on a lit-
tle longer, one wonders whether
Reagan might have forgotten he was
ever President.
As one disgruntled letter writer
observed, Reagan’s diary must be
full of blank pages.
But Americans forgave Reagan
for his lapses because we have come
to expect such from a man whose
management style was, in the
description of the Tower Commis-
sion’s report, notoriously detached.
One of Reagan’s biggest talents
was in talent scouting. He surround-
ed himself with talented people,
some to put lovely words into his
mouth and set the stages for his
various media events, others to run
the country.
Unfortunately, some of them
misdirected their talents. For exam-
ple, taking the administration’s
“self-help” philosophy to heart, the
folks at the Department of Housing
and Urban Development helped
themselves to quite a bit of the
money that flowed quite freely over,
around and through the process of
awarding contracts to house the
poor.
Oliver North took an amnesiac
tack similar to that of his President
in his own testimony at Poindexter’s
trial, but his sailing was not as
smooth. U.S. District Court Judge
Harold Greene rebuked North
several times for “quibbles” with
prosecutor Dan Webb over minor
details and for repeatedly failing to
remember significant ones.
“Almost every time a question is
asked, he says he can’t recall,” the
judge said of North. “It’s like pulling
teeth.”
True. And some people have
stronger “teeth” than others. If
Ronald Reagan seems to slip out of
public criticism more easily than his
underlings, it is partly because
many Americans reason that he
never seemed to be all that much in
touch while he was in office anyway,
so why pick on him now that he is
out?
Call me a party pooper, but I am
far less concerned with what public
figures like Ann Richards or Bill
Bennett did with their personal time
years ago than I am with what a
public figure like former President
Reagan did with his public time,
public money and public trust.
If only he could remember.
University Press
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The Univenlty Pres* 1* the official student newspaper of Lamar University, and is published
every Wednesttey and Friday during long semesters, excluding holidays and Wednesdays im-
mediately following holidays.
runan located at P.O. Box 10060,200 Setzer Student Center, University Station, Beaumont,
Texas 77710.
Opinions expressed in editorials are those of the student management of the newspaper. These
opinions are not necessarily those of the university faculty or administration. Columns are chosen
to give a variety of opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the student management or
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LU campus faces
secretive search
Re-read books give warmth
Student bristles at racial trouble
Opinions wanted for publication
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Murley, Bryan. University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 66, No. 44, Ed. 1 Friday, March 23, 1990, newspaper, March 23, 1990; Beaumont, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth500243/m1/3/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lamar University.