University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 64, No. 35, Ed. 1 Friday, March 25, 1988 Page: 3 of 6
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UNIVERSITY PRESS March 25, 1988-3
-fa i r-
Comment
SGA elections
Informed choice
yeilds best result
And you thought Super
Tuesday was a big deal ...
Although we have yet to
see the inevitable array of
campaign signs at the en-
trance of the Setzer Student
Center and elsewhere, the
contests for Student Govern-
ment offices have begun.
Two students have applied
for the chief executive ■office,
10 have applied for eight
senator-at-large seats and
both the sophomore and
junior representative posi-
tions are up for grabs.
All in all, it has been a good
showing of student interest in
filing for the offices.
Perhaps this larger-than-
average number of applicants
is a sign of increased student
interest in the political pro-
cess. That kind of interest has
been known to appear every
four years when the media
saturates the populace with
visions of intrigue and pathos
on the presidential campaign
trail.
Whatever the reason for
this situation, let’s hope that
interest can be transformed
into long-term student in-
volvement with the process of
governmental representation.
After all, it is in the
students’ best interest to take
part in a process that allows
their voices to be heard.
The key to effectively tak-
ing part in this process is to
make intelligent decisions.
This, in turn, involves the
assimilation of accurate in-
formation.
For instance, both students
who have filed for SGA presi-
dent appear to be qualified
and deserving of the post.
Mike Brezina, SGA vice presi-
dent, has been involved with
student government for some
time, making him an good
choice because of his first-
hand knowledge of the ins
and outs of the organization.
Richard Christ, on the other
hand, would make a good
choice for the office based on
his performance in his current
position as president of the
Residence Hall Association.
Both men have the
background and reputation
for getting things done and
representing student in-
terests.
But how do they differ from
one another In what particular
ways will one of the can-
didates better represent your
interests What new ideas are
being espoused by either can-
didate that make him the bet-
ter choice for the office
It is up to you, the voter, to
find the answers to those (and
other) questions. The ques-
tioning should be extended to
the senatorial candidates as
well.
Birdfeed, an open forum for
candidates April 3, will pro-
vide an excellent opportunity
for the voters to answer some
of these questions.
Also, students can attend
the weekly SGA meetings
Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m. on the
eighth floor of the Gray
Library. These meetings can
provide the insight of just
what it is that SGA is all
about.
Don’t just rely on the
political rhetoric of campaign
signs to make your choice.
Watch the candidates. Ask
questions. Become informed,
then cast you vote.
And may the best students
win.
Triumphs witness
to student power
Recent weeks have shown
that deaf people can have a
voice in what goes on around
them.
We’re talking, of course,
about recent student protests
at Gaullaudet University, the
only liberal arts college for
deaf people in America.
The students recently won
their fight when I. King Jordan
Jr. was appointed president
of the university after
Elisabeth Ann Zinser, the first
appointee, resigned earlier
this week.
Jordan is deaf, Zinser is
not.
But there is a much deeper
message than merely that of
deaf peoples’ rights involved
at the campus in Washington
— that of students’ rights.
In Canyon, Texas, students
and faculty at West Texas
State University have
gathered around two faculty
members who distributed an
underground newspaper that
criticized the university presi-
dent.
Both of these cases speak
of courage and dedication to
education and quality.
The students at Gaullaudet
barricaded the campus and
waged all-night vigils for a
week in an effort to gain con-
trol of the university and put it
in the hands of deaf people.
In Canyon, students, alum-
ni and faculty have run
newspaper ads attempting to
explain grievances against
the university president.
Ed Roach, president of
WTSU, is suing the two facul-
ty members for libel in prin-
ting the paper.
Student protests in
America traditionally have
been short-sighted, as B.
Drummond Ayres Jr. of the
New York Times said, but the
one at Gaullaudet was one
focused on restructuring, and
the students accomplished
what they set out to do. The
one at WTSU is yet to be
resolved.
If anything, this demonstra-
tion shows that students do
not have to listen to the short-
sighted and unreasonable ac-
tions of an administration.
Gaullaudet should not go
unheeded on campuses
across the nation, because,
despite their hearing deficien-
cy, the Gaullaudet campus
protesters were students, just
like you and me.
The lesson we are to learn
from this is that students can
make a difference in the way
their education is ad-
ministered.
Students can take initiative
and petition for constructive
change.
"YOU THINK I'LL HEAL IN TIME FOR
THE NOVEMBER MATCH?*
Defying convention?
The trouble with Jackson
Like die-hard confederates say,
“The South will rise again,” and so it
did on Super Tuesday.
In a finish that almost tied up the
Republican nomination, George
Bush swept the South with a furor.
On the Democratic side, three can-
didates moved to the forefront: Ten-
nessee Sen. Albert Gore,
Massachusetts Gov. Michael
Dukakis and Jesse Jackson. Wait,
was that Jesse Jackson? Liberal
black minister Jackson?
Correct.
Jesse Jackson, that “liberal black
minister,” placed a healthy second
in the Super Tuesday run, which
everyone was predicting, but no one
will give him credit for now.
Despite a finish that put him less
than 50 delegates behind the
“Yankee liberal governor” Dukakis,
none of the political pundits is yet
giving Jackson a chance.
The latest delegate counts given
by the Associated Press showed
Dukakis with 526.5 delegates and
Jackson with 508.55 after the Illinois
primary.
Believe it or not, that lead is very
slim, and could be overcome within
the next few weeks.
Jackson also may score big in the
final two big delegate states, Califor-
nia and New York.
Whether the issue in question is
Jackson’s race, his lack of ex-
perience in an elected office or his
liberal politics, every major
political observer discounts
Jackson’s campaign as one destined
never to end up in the White House.
But the fact remains that Jackson
is in second place in the Democratic
field; the man must have some kind
of popular support.
No one likes to point to racism, but
be sure that many of these pundits
are looking at that issue alone to
count Jackson out.
There are ways to hide that ob-
vious reasoning on their parts, and
they do so with eloquent zeal.
First, they use the qualifier, “I
don’t like to say this, but...” before
bringing up the racial issue.
Or, they might say, “Jackson has
no experience in public office.”
Or, the ringer is, “Jackson is too
radical to be elected.”
All of this points to the fact that
many of these people cannot face the
fact that a black person genuinely
has a chance to win the Democratic
nomination.
The Democratic Party has prided
itself on being the party that breaks
down barriers for all Americans,
witness Geraldine Ferraro, the first
female vice presidential candidate.
But Jackson doesn’t want a token
office. This man is taking his
populist message to the White House
if he has his say.
Political bosses might not think
this could happen, but Jackson’s
message is one geared toward com-
mon people, not political bosses.
The national convention is coming
up, and Jackson could be the first
candidate ever to win the nomina-
tion despite the party.
Or, maybe the party will do
something to back up its liberal
stance, its anti-racist stance — it
truly would be an achievement.
No matter what the outcome, the ;
Democratic Party definitely will
have to deal with that “liberal black
minister” in July.
SOUR GRAPES IN DISTRICT 20?
State Rep. A1 Price hinted at the
fact that opponents of his policies
hand-picked Democrat Everett
Sanderson to run against him in the
District 20 primary.
Price said during a news con-
ference last week that Sanderson
engaged in a “vicious campaign,”
before the March 8 primary.
Price also said that his opponent
was not “politically mature enough”
to have orchestrated a campaign
like the one he waged.
Sanderson ran advertising during
the campaign stating that Price had
missed over 400 roll-call votes in the
Texas House, all unexcused
absences.
Price said missing that many
votes would have made him absent
from four of his six terms in office.
Sanderson responded that he
thought it was “peculiar” that Price
would call a press conference after
the election was over to level these
charges.
Price defeated Sanderson in the
primary, winning 56.7 percent of the
vote. He will now face Republican A1
Ingram in the November general
election.
As they say, politics make for
strange bedfellows.
Columnist
bids adieu
with fond
memories
Editor’s note: Dick West, whose
humor column has been published
by hundreds of newspapers for 28
years, retired March 4.
West has worked 41 years as a UPI
reporter, editor and writer. His wry
humor and keen eye put a different
view on what was often a ponderous
and gloomy Washington scene.
In three decades, West’s pen has
touched presidents and the
preachers, the right and the left, the
hawk and the dove, the generals and
the privates, the famous and the im-
famous — and has taken a little wind
out of their sails.
His farewell column follows:
By Dick West
WASHINGTON (UPI) - This will
be the last column I will be writing
for a while and perhaps my last ever
under the present logotype.
One of the first editors I ever had
once patted me on the tousled head
and spake unto me thusly: “Son, you
soon learn in this business to avoid
absolutes.”
Truer words were never spokeii.
Write that black is black or white is
white, and some clown is sure to
challenge you. Which is why you find
so many “perhaps” and other
qualifiers sprinkled through my
copy.
Few terms are more absolute than
“never,” unless it be “death,” as in
“reports of my death are greatly ex-
aggerated.” ••
There is a temptation to depend
upon memory or age in deciding
whether to refer to some public
figure as “the late.” But I don’t rely
on either. Unless that information is
at hand, I try to finesse it.
I would be remiss, however, if I
said the finding by the National In-
stitutes of Health that I have PSP
(progressive supranuclear palsy)
had nothing to do with hastening my
retirement.
PSP is a rare disorder that is
neither contagious, inherited nor
fatal. You can’t blame this on one of
your parents.
The term “progressive,” I’m told,
has nothing to do with politics.
Otherwise, they might have called it
a “reactionary ailment.”
Nor are we to assume that
“supranuclear palsy” means it is
akin to what used to be called “ner-
vous in the service.”
As they say at NIH, the former
was included in the name because
the “early symptoms get worse, and
new symptoms develop sooner or
later.”
Palsy, they say, “is a weakness or
paralysis of a part of the body,”
whereas the “S” refers to “the
nature of the eye problem.”
It also, as I have discovered, im-
pairs one’s balance. Probably the
prognosis that I might have to quit
driving a motor car before the year
was out had as much to do with
retirement as anything.
PSP has struck only about 20,000
persons in this country. It is doubtful
they knew what hit them.
It has attracted no celebrity fund-
raisers. Even the medical profession
has remained pretty much in the
dark, which may account for so
many misdiagnoses.
I also would be lying if I intimated
there had been any great change in
Congress since I started hanging out
on Capitol Hill 30 years ago.
Sure, there have been personnel
changes — Speaker Jim Wright, for
example, is hardly the same as
Speaker Sam Rayburn, although
both hailed from Texas.
Generally, however, I agree with
the observation that “the more
things change, the more they stay
the same.”
And I find I must rely on another
quotation to sum up my feelings at
this moment: “Don’t think it hasnjt
been charming, because it has.” J;
Letter to the editor
Editor:
It was with interest I read the
Feb. 26 issue of University Press. I
was especially pleased to see an
article and an editorial about the
“tailgate party” scheduled for the
day of the LU-Southwestem Loui-
siana basketball game. Such an
activity is positive and necessary
for Lamar.
However, please be informed
that it was not the first tailgate
party at Lamar University. The
College of Education hosted
several tailgate parties before the
home football games this past fall.
At the events, faculty members
and their families from the various
departments within the college
dressed in their Cardinal red and
white and gathered in the north
parking lot of the Montagne Center
for food and drink. Then everyone
attended the football games. We
even made signs and brought
various Lamar spirit items.
Those who attended the College
of Education faculty tailgate par-
ties wish to inform you that others
have made attempts to build and
encourage Lamar spirit. We sup-
port any activities and programs
that develop increased enthusiasm
for LU events.
When one promotes unity and
school spirit, one also lives and en-
joys.
Kip Sullivan
Assistant professor,
Professional development
and graduate studies
Editor..........
Managing Editor
News Editor____
Sports Editor
Copy Editor.....
Photo Editor____
Photographer..................Keith Watson
Entertainment Writer..........Brent Snyder
Staff Writers................Marlene Auster,
Cathy Faughnan, Tina Freeman,
Jason Hammond, Leah Hom,
Steven Lightfoot, Bonnie McLain,
Sharon Perkins, Denise Polly
David Smith, Danny Stegall
Advertising Assistant.......Antionette Kelly
Circulation Manager...........Darrell Ford
Office Assistants.....Dung Pham, Anh Pham
Marketing-Representative
Elaine Butler
Production Manager
Gloria Post
Assistant to the
Director of Student Publications
Louise Wood
Director of Student Publications
Howard Perkins
Publisher
Students Publication Board
Ann Shaw, Chairman
The University Press is the official student
newspaper of Lamar University, and is
published every Wednesday and Friday dur,
ing long semesters, excluding holidays and
Wednesdays immediately following holiday;.'
Offices are located at P.O. Box 10056, 200
Setzer Student Center, University Station,
Beaumont, Texas 77710.
Opinions expressed in editorials and col-
umns are those of the student management pt
the newspaper. These opinions are not
necessarily those of the university administra-
tlon.
UNIVERSITY PRESS
. .Steven Ford
Bryan Murley
.Evelyn Hawn
. .Lyra Katena
.Karen Davis
.Lyra Katena
V 4 Jf . -y jn
J I
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Ford, Steven. University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 64, No. 35, Ed. 1 Friday, March 25, 1988, newspaper, March 25, 1988; Beaumont, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth500362/m1/3/: accessed June 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Lamar University.