University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 73, No. 49, Ed. 1 Friday, April 25, 1997 Page: 3 of 8
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U POpinion
University Press • Friday, April 25,1997 • Page 3
University Press
Allen Pearson....................................Editor
Tonya Andris...........................Managing Editor
The opinions that appear in editorials are the official views of the
University Press student management as determined by the Student
Editorial Board. Opinions expressed elsewhere on this page are the
views of the writers only and are not necessarily those of the
University Press student management. Opinions are not necessarily
those of the university administration.
Editorial ■■
Watching world waits
for Woods’ response
to Fuzzy’s faux pas
Last week we honored one of the greatest men
ever to play the game of baseball, Jackie Robinson.
The obstacles he overcame, as the first African
American in the major leagues, to keep his head up
.and play the game he loved were extraordinary.
How ironic it is that a few days before the 50th
anniversary of Robinson’s breakthrough, Tiger
‘Woods broke down golf’s color barrier by smashing
records and winning the Masters.
It was wonderful to honor two men who have
changed many people’s outlook on the black athlete.
Overnight, all of this has changed.
Fuzzy Zoeller, a Masters champ himself, men-
tioned to a group of reporters at the Masters for
them to “pat that little boy on the back and tell him
not to serve fried chicken (at next years champions
dinner) or collard greens or whatever else those peo-
ple eat.”
These derogatory remarks threaten to set back all
the gains from Woods’ victory.
It has taken many years to come this far in build-
ing race relations for golf and it took Zoeller five sec-
onds to tear them down again.
Although Zoeller has publicly apologized to
Woods and has withdrawn from the tour until he can
personally apologize, these remarks were uncalled
for and distasteful.
There is a lot resting on the shoulders of Woods
now.
Whether or not Woods will ever forgive Zoeller
will be important. People all across the country are
waiting to see how Woods will respond to these
remarks.
One of the things that made Jackie Robinson so
great was the way he handled himself when faced
with this kind of adversity.
Now we will see if Woods is ready to carry
Robinson’s mantle.
University Press
Editor............................. A//en Pearson Sports--
Bryce Darby, Brian van Staveren,
Managing Editor.............Tonya Andris Owen Myrhe, Sarah Stirk, Jamie May
Copy Editor.................Laura Lee Scott
Features -
Editor........................Holly Simmons
Staff Writers-
Samantha McGuire, Kim Green,
Vita Gradney, Ginger Sjolander,
Todd Sonnier, Billie Dorman
Graphics---
Editor............................Liv Lindberg
Mark Nesmith, Matthew Herndon
Photography-
Editor.............................Mark Smith,
Henrik Sandsjd, Shawn Sosa
Advertising.......................Linda Barrett
Adria Cormier
Letters to the editor policy
Individuals who wish to speak out on issues should send a letter
fewer than 400 words in length to Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box
I00S5, LU Station, Beaumont 77710, or drop letters off at our
offices in 200 Setzer Student Center. The writer’s name, address,
phone number, and social security number must accompany each
letter. Letters received without this information cannot be printed.
Letters may be edited for length, grammar, style and possible libel.
Opinions expressed in letters are not necessarily those of the UP stu-
dent management. Letters by the same writer on the same subject
will not be published. Poetry, reprints, anonymous letters and reli-
gious debates will not be published.
Media frenzy over Woods has overstepped limits
I watched with as much excite-
ment as any other fan when Tiger
Woods busted barriers of all types in
the world of professional golf.
I also observed with great
respect the 50th anniversary of
Jackie Robinson’s breaking of base-,
ball’s color line.
But, excuse me, sometimes I
think we’re carrying this sports thing
a little too far.
While we are celebrating great
achievements by these two gentle-
men — achievements too great to be
confined to the sports pages — we
also are helping perpetuate a perni-
cious myth.
We have a racially charged,
money-linked sports obsession that
the March 24 U.S. News and World
Report called the “Air Jordan
effect.” The term describes a fixation
in which the riches and fame of such
sports heroes as Michael “Air”
Jordan have caused a wildly dispro-
portionate number of young black
Americans, in particular, to focus on
the brass ring of professional sports
at the expense of more realistic and
productive career paths.
Figure it out: The odds that any
high school athlete will play a sport
on the professional level are about
10,000 to one. You’re more likely
to be hit by lightning.
Yet, 66 percent of all African
American males — about twice the
rate of their white counterparts —
believe they can earn a living play-
ing professional sports, according
to a recent survey by Northeastern
University’s Center for the Study
of Sport in America.
Where do they get this atti-
tude? From the rest of us, I’m
afraid. The survey found black par-
ents to be four times more likely
than white parents to believe their
children are destined for careers as
professional athletes.
We black Americans, as a
group, bought into sports for the
same reason we bought into liberal
politics: It worked. In a society that
closed off other
routes to equal
opportunity
and upward
mobility, sport
opened a path.
The impact
on America’s
fiercely segre-
gated society of
Robinson’s stepping up to bat and
performing with excellence for the
Brooklyn Dodgers cannot be over-
stated.
It helped pave the way for
President Harry S. Truman’s deseg-
regation of the military the next year,
the Supreme Court’s desegregation
of public schools in 1954 and the civil
rights movement and legislation that
followed.
Even today, the prominence of
“Air Jordan” posters on the bed-
rooms of white children across
America stands as a bracing monu-
ment to an America that seems to be
beginning to look past race to indi-
vidual achievement.
Similarly, the breakthroughs of
Woods, the son of a black father and
Thai mother, in a sport long consid-
ered to be the preserve of the coun-
try-club elite unavoidably strikes
Opinion
many of us as ye
another battle wor
against white
supremacy.
Clarence But, my exuber-
Page ance over Woods
ascension as yel
_another black athlet-
ic milestone is tem-
pered by the fact
that it is only another athletic mile-
stone.
It doesn’t help matters much that
Woods dropped out of Stanford,
despite his excellent academic
record, to focus on his game. That
works out fine for his bank account,
but, for too many others it only rein-
forces the wrongheaded notion that
academics should take a back seat to
athletics.
Much has been reported about
the self-stereotyping that leads many
black youths to ridicule their peers as
“brainiacs” or “actin’ white” for
cracking open a book. But, in setting
aside certain career paths as suitable
for black youngsters while leaving
others to whites, these kids are only
mimicking the attitudes promoted,
intentionally or not, by many of their
parents.
We, as a society, asked for this.
We even set aside a major segment
of our daily newspapers and televi-
sion news just-to spotlight sports
stars’ achievements. We don’t do
that for the science fair winners.
And, as filmmaker Steve James
told U.S. News, you don’t see college
scouts swooping down on inner-city
math classes the way they swoop
down on the basketball courts.
James ought to know. He direct-
ed “Hoop Dreams,” the 1994 docu-
mentary that followed two Chicago
high school basketball stars until
their professional dreams faded into
brutal realities.
Some people believe poor black
kids are simply not able to improve
their academic achievement, that
sports is their best shot. I believe we
have given up too soon.
Back in the 1980s, I saw a signif-
icant survey that asked parents in
Japan, Korea and the United States
what they thought determined suc-
cess. The American parents were
most likely to answer “ability.” The
Asian parents were most likely to
answer “effort.”
I believe in effort. Most of us
have abilities we’ve never used
because no one has encouraged us to
develop them. High jumpers often
achieve more than they thought they
could, simply because their coaches
keep raising the bar. We need to
keep raising the bar of our academic
expectations to help our children
surprise themselves in that arena,
too.
Once sports opened tip as an
effective battleground against racial
prejudice, too many of us proceeded
think and behave as if it was our only
battleground. Blacks have pretty
much won all the battles to be won in
the sports world, except perhaps for
a little mopping-up action here and
there. (Professional hockey comes to
mind.) It’s time to move on.
Clarence Page is a syndicated colum-
nist with the Chicago Tribune.
Letters to the editor
Editor
“On March 10-14, the Department
of University Housing held its annual
Spring Room Draw event. During
Spring Room Draw, current residents
and current Lamar University students
could reserve a room for the 1997-1998
academic year in Lamar University res-
idence halls.
The results were fantastic! In 1996,
152 residents signed up to stay with
Lamar University Housing during one
week of Spring Room Draw (out of a
total of 542 occupancy). Out of a cur-
rent occupancy of 609 residents in the
traditional residence halls for 1997, 352
residents signed up to stay with Lamar
"University Housing for the following
year. This is an increase of 29.8 percent
\ from 1996.
The results from the 1997 Spring
Room Draw yielded a 52 percent
return to Lamar University Housing,
with Campbell/Gray complex leading
the way at 75.3 percent of the residents
returning. A 40 percent return is con-
sidered above average in housing
departments nationwide.
The dramatic increase of returning
students to Lamar University housing is
an indication that residents are current-
ly more satisfied with the staff and the
housing facilities than they have been
in recent years. Congratulations to the
staff and residents of Lamar University
on such an incredible accomplish-
ment.”
Julie Daugherty
Campbell/Gray hall director
Editor’s note: The following letter is in
response to a letter to the editor written by
Jason Rahmani, an election commission
member, April 18.
Editor
“As an election commissioner who has
attempted to remain objective, I feel the
opinions printed last Friday in regard to the
Student Government Association elections
can not be described as objective The elec-
tion commission was given privileged infor-
mation that would have been properly
released in due time. It is now known that a
member of the election commission, not the
chair, leaked information. Though his opin-
ions are that he should be able to inform the
student body, he clearly violated the instilled
trust.
Jason Rahmani expressed he did not
feel the election commission had the right to
nullify the first election. When a committee
is made to handle a situation, they are given
the power to make decisions that are need-
ed.
Blame ultimately falls to the top. If the
nation has a rough four years, the president
is blamed, not congress and fellow
Americans. The chair is ultimately responsi-
ble. However, before blame is directed it
should be accepted. Did you read the elec-
tion commission handbook, Jason? Did you
even ask for a copy? Did the senate partici-
pate like it should have? Did the student
body participate in voting? No, no, no, and
no. As far as conflicts of interests are con-
cerned, look to those four members in mind:
Dinkins stands accused, Rahmani hasn’t
pledged Pikes... yet, Penick has voiced that
she would like John Almon as president, and
Paulus simply wants a fair election to vali-
date. You determine the notable biases.
The accusation that Paulus rigged the
election is unacceptable. The program has
been in use for years without question. Also,
a copy of the program is kept in written form
in the SGA office, and the UP was offered a
copy. Furthermore, I was with Paulus on
Thursday, April 10. After he finished closing
elections, he went to the dining hall. I was
with him from that time until 5:45 p.m., when
the first copy of the election results was gen-
erated. He did not have time to rig elections,
and it was done before voting ended. Why
would he have taken the chance of two addi-
tional voters ruining his evil plot?”
Matthew Davis
Fort Worth freshman
Editor’s note: The current computer system
used in voting has been in use for two years.
Also, Sherry Penick testified in the Student
Supreme Court hearings Wednesday that
she did not say that Almon should be SGA
president.
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Pearson, Allen. University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 73, No. 49, Ed. 1 Friday, April 25, 1997, newspaper, April 25, 1997; Beaumont, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth500705/m1/3/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lamar University.