The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 75, No. 11, Ed. 1 Friday, November 6, 1987 Page: 3 of 20
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THRESHER Opinion Friday, November 6J987
Admissions officer on minorities; Russell responds
Editor's note: a panel discussion and open
forum—"Racism at Rice? The office of Mi-
nority Affairs Debate"—will be held Wed-
nesday, November 11, at 7 p.m. in the Baker
college library. The discussion will feature
Rice students and faculty, and all students
and faculty are invited to attend.
To the editor:
A full week after the appearance of Dave
Russell's letter (Threshing it out, October 23), I
am still being bombarded with outcries of rage
from students at this university.
I was amused and concerned by his naivete. I
do not believe Mr. Russell is a racist, but I do
believe he suffers an insensitivity that is most
likely the result of racial ignorance.
I see ignorance if Russell feels the university
descriminates against "anglo-saxons and/or
males." The representation of these groups in
the administration, faculty and student body
should be enough to nullify this point. I do not
expect that even within the next 20 years we will
see any sort of dramatic change in anglo/male
representation on this campus, and certainly not
enough change to cause Russell undue dismay.
I note ignorance«when Russell states that the
university would even consider "doctoring its
standards" in order to hire minority faculty. Is
Russell implying that there are no qualified
minority professors to be found? If so, I would
have to rethink my previously held contention
that he is not a racist.
I view Russell as insensitive because he is too
naive to see the need for support groups and role
models amongst groups who historically have
been discriminated against, have been the sub-
ject of unequal treatment, and have been made to
THRESHING IT OUT
letters to the editor
feel inferior. I sense insensitivity on the part of
any individual who questions "what it is about a
person whose racial background is negroid or
hispanic or oriental, that makes this person dif-
ferent from one whose racial background is
anglo-saxon."
We cannot view affirmative action as racist It
is simply a small effort to correct a great wrong.
And while I respect Mr. Russell's right to ex-
press his opinions, I hope he will take time to
visit the Office of Minority Affairs when it is
established. (It will most certainly always be
open to all students.)
I am confident the visit could be an educa-
tional experience for him. Besides, I, like most
women, minorites, handicapped individuals and
veterans of today, would like to believe there is
hope for a full-fledged system of equality in this
nation, and the tearing down of racial ignorance
in our lifetimes. Until that time, offices of mi-
nority affairs and minority student groups will
continue to address a great need.
Catherine E. Clack
Associate Director of Admissions
Reply to letters
Editor's note: Russell is responding to sev-
eral letters from students and a column from
associate professor Richard Wolin in our Oc-
tober 30 issue. Those writers attacked an Oc-
tober 23 letter to the editor from Russell.
To the editor:
Many people overreacted to my use of sar-
casm to illustrate the subjectivity of the "diver-
sity" argument. Many people misinterpreted my
stance as signifying that I believe that non-
whites who have difficulties in this society can
go to hell. Not so.
My letter does not propound white suprem-
acy or unfairness to non-whites. My position is
that there exists an unfair double standard re-
garding what is racist and what is not, against
which I am quite justified in protesting loudly.
An Office of Minority Affairs and a Black
Student Union are OK, so it seems, while an
Office of Anglo-Saxon Affairs or a White Stu-
dent Union is unspeakably foul and evil, anti-
democratic, and so on. To dare to question the
status quo, as far as Dr. Wolin is concerned, is to
"sully our public forums." I did not instigate the
politicization of the issue of race on this campus,
I merely responded to it.
If the double standard did not exist, I would
have no objection whatsoever to OMA or BSU.
I understand fully that groups of people sharing
racial characteristics have issues and interests in
common and that their members undoubtedly
benefit from association with one another. I
believe that people have the right to form asso-
ciation with one another. But these rights must
also apply to white males.
And yes, I realize that, formally speaking,
"membership in the BSU is open to all regard-
less of race, color, or creed." But the fact re-
mains that the BSU's very name indicates that it
is a club for black students, a fact which, in light
of the double standard, makes it unfair. Blacks
and whites do have cultural differences. Since
this is the case, let us all, right now, discard the
stigma currently attached to the idea of "white
issues" and of a "White Student Union."
Non-whites are no longer being held back,
and have not been for some time. Slavery in the
U.S. ended in 1865. Public schools were inte-
grated and U.S. Government discrimination
against non-Whites was ended prior to 1966.
And in spite of twenty-odd years of discrimina-
tion in their favor, there still exists a chronic
"shortage" of Ph.D.s and professors and Ivy-
caliber students who are black or Hispanic.
By contrast, many people of oriental ancestry
in the U.S., some of whom start in the lowest
economic stratum with little knowledge of
English, graduate at the tops of their high school
classes, have no trouble meeting the standards
of top-flight universities, are extremely com-
petitive, and rise to prominence in their respec-
tive fields. So it appears that for some non-white
groups, the allegedly repressive conditions in
the U.S. and at Rice don't have any significant
negative effect. There must be something more
to it than just prejudice and poverty.
The effects of double standards inevitably
reach beyond simple unfairness. The invariable
result of granting "victim" status and rights
extending beyond those of the individual to
racial and sexual groups has been legitimization
of policies that destroy self-responsibility and
demands for more power, in accordance with
the leftist agenda. If people in responsible posi-
tions in the university do not stand up to this
collectivist thrust (are you reading this, Dr.
Rupp?), the demand-concession cycle will
cease only when these groups have succeeded in
dismantling all objective standards that hinder
their quest for political power and numerical
advantage, by which time the University as such
will have ceased to be. I, for one, do not wish to
see that happen to Rice.
In any case, to punish an entire class of
individuals for an injustice in which individual
members may or may not have taken part is, in
a word, unjust, and accomplishes nothing pro-
ductive. If racial issues are to be addressed, they
must be addressed within a framework that is
fair to all, rather than one that only exacerbates
the problem. Everyone will be better for it
Dave Russell
Jones'90
Editorial Staff
Editor-in-Chief Michael J. Raphael
News Editor Michele Wucker
Fine Arts Editor Jen Cooper
Sports Editors Keith Couch, Joel Sendek
Production Manager Mary Elliott
Feature Editor Lisa Gray
Backpage Eds ...Jenny Berry, Lizzette Palmer
Photo Editor Dennis Kelley
Senior Editor Spencer Greene
Typesetters Linda Boms, Allium Knuith
Assistant News Editor Anu Bajaj, Shelley Fold
Assistant Fine Aits Editor JohnMontag
Beyond the Hedges Mary Ashkar
Graphic Artist Sieve Lait
News Staff Dan Blanton, Claire Qoanam
Leigh Anne Duck, Katy Feibleman, Suzy Feinberg
Katie Fleming, Shelley Fuld, Paul Hain, Saxnantfaa Hendren
Jim Low, Doug Park, Eliae Perachio, Jael Polnac, Jeff Solochek
David Stivers, Judd Valino, Sue Yom
Fine Arts Staff Paul Angles, Jaanin Bey,
Sam Collins, Andy Kanner, David Nathan
Eric Salituro, Tom Steven Spears
Sports Staff Sarah Bailyn, Hairy Bruell, David Cumberland
«■ WesGere, Brian Holmes, Jim Humes, Tony Maacn
Philip Miller, Steve Nations, Robert Nevill, Anthony Willa
Photography Staff R. Qauasen, Lawrence Cowsar
Michael CHadu, Ajay Kwatra, Lisa Opper
Harold Turner, James Yao
Production Staff Anne Bull en, Wendy Pmegan, Wyim Martin
Doug Park, Paul Phillips, Bob Rhode, Craig Romero
Ed Stewart, Amy Sayie, Sanjay Vyas
Feature staff Eric Salituro
Courier Anne Chang
Vacant position R. Reagan
Business Staff
Business Manager.... Carlos E. Soltero
Advertising Manager Lee Finch
AssL Business Manager Mike Alexander
Ads Production ....Beth Jennings, Ray Letulle
Staff Assistant Stuart Morestead
Circulation Christine Gibson
The Rice Thresher, the official student newspaper at Rice University
since 1916, is published each Friday during the school year, except
during examination periods and holidays, by the students of Rice
University. Editorial and business offices are located on the second floor
of the Ley addition to the Rice Memorial Center, P.O. Box 1892,
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semester: $15.00 domestic, $30.00 international (via first class mail).
The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of anyone
except the writer. Obviously. Done by 3 a.m.—I feel extremely guilty.
Apologies to editors of the past who lived with 9 hours leaa efficiency.
©1987, The Rice Thresher. All rights reserved.
Doonesbury
ti/ARPEN? HERE'S AN
UPPATE ON THE IN -
MATES'PEMANPS.
/
THINGS ARB REACHING A BOIL
IN THERE, SIR. THE EVENTS OF
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REALLY TAKEN
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5HOULP I CAN'T BE THE FIRST
WE CALL WARDEN EVER 70 PRE -
WASHING- SIPE OVER A MINIMUM
BY GARRY TRUDEAU
CURBFEPBML
5P5NPIN6/ CURB
FBPBRAL 5PBND/NG!
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CLANG!
GENTLEMEN, IF OUR PROTEST IS
TO SUCCEED, WE'RE GOING TO
NEEPA CHIEF COORDINATOR ANP
\ NEGOTIATOR. NOW, PHIL SLACK-
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CORPORA
ANYONE
HERE HAP
MORE LEAD-
ERSHIP EX-
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THAN
PHIL?
SO?EVER BREAK
J- USE® A UNION? I'VE
JPBZA BROKEN TWO
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THANKS,
BARNEY, BUT
I PONT KNOUJ
IF I'M THE
MAN FOR...
\
YES, HERB
THEY'VE BARRI
CAPEP THEM-
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/
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Raphael, Michael J. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 75, No. 11, Ed. 1 Friday, November 6, 1987, newspaper, November 6, 1987; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245677/m1/3/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.