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. . .IN :SUMMARY, INDIANS ARE GOOD, BLACKS ARE GOOD,
LATINOS ARE GOOD, WOMEN ARE GOOD, GAYS ARE GOOD, WHITE MALES ARE BAD,
AND ASIANS WE'RE STILL NOT SURE ABOUT...
SPECIAL ORIENTATION ISSUE What your OA doesn't want you to see!
Executive Directof ................. Adam Bromberg Publi shing Editor ................. .... .John Maggio Managing Editof. ..................... David Holland Copy Editor. .... ........... .... ...... Bemadette Mallone 1111路re"sur路er.. .............................. Alexandra Allcone
Contributors
Memoirs of a Politically Incorrect Freshman...... .................. .4
'1l1e Real Man in Charge .................... Peter Kaplan Alex Consilvio Jeff Rubinoff T. Kotch Scott Kocher Ephraim Bemstein
Diversity Requirement: A New Low in Academic Standards ........... 6
Kerry MacNamara Joseph RosenUJaI Steven Schwamenfeld W. Gloffke A. Araaya
Whafs in a Name? ........................ 10 AlumniBoard Brian Sullivan Katrina Schwing Ka Ulryn Doherty MaUlew Carr James T . Sheka
Richard Carr Paul Scolese - Yan Rusanovsky Joseph Rosenthal Billy Schor
University Under Siege .......... .12 Race, Campus, & Admissions ......... 15
Adv isor. ............ ............. ........ Dr. Herb London Honorary Advisor ..... ................. Ronaid Reagan
"[ shall do nothing in malice, what I'm dealing with is too important malicious intent . .. Binghamton Review is an independent jOllmod of news, commentary, and anal ys is published monthl y. Binghamton students receive the Review free of charge. Lc t~e r s to the editor are encouraged and should be sent to: Bi nghamton Review SUNY Bingham ton P.O. Box 6000 Billghamton. New York 13902-6000.
All submissions to the Review become the propert y of the Review . The Review reserves the right to edit and print any submissions. All opinions expressed are th ose of the author 's and do not that of tJle Review .
Departments: I
Fro m the Edi to r................................ 3 Right Side ...................... ............ 8
WELCOME To SUNY-BINGHAMTON! I 'm s ure I'm not the first to welcome you so let me be the first to warn you . Warn you of all the challen ges that you will face in the nex t few years. Fortunately, most of these chall e nges will be academi c-however, some will not. Being away from the comfort and secUIity of home can be frightening and the urge to "fit in" to your new surroundings will be great, but don't let these changes make you do things you would not ordinarily do. At this point you might think that I'm givi ng some speech about drugs. I'm not. While drugs is certainly one of those things that people in new surrou ndin gs succumb to, it's not the focus of what I want to talk about. What I want to discuss is political correctness (PC.) PC is a phenomena that, unfortunately, has swept mos t American campuses in recent years. It is a far left wing political and philosophical orthodoxy that insist that you become a member (pCer.) The PC movement does not have a ny space for dissension; you either agree or be labeled racist, sexist, homophobe or eurocentrist. You won't find PC li sted in any student hand book because it is not one particular group or groups, but rather it is an eclectic combina tion of chic causes, radical politi cs and various "is ms." You will find PC hiding behind words like "multicultural," "diversity," and the "environment." While these words have distinct dictionary definitions their meanings get blurred as politics enter the scene. And although the meanings do get blurred you can rest assured that they all come to the same conclusions- contempt for everything White, Male and Western . I could give countless examples of political correctness both on and off the campus; in fact the Binghamto n Review is filled with articles that shed li ght on thi s insidious disease. We here at the Bingham ton Review see poli tical correctness and the new left as the greatest threat to free speech and academi c freedom o n the American campu s today. We are dedicated to promoting traditional American values and to providing a forum to chall enge this entrenched lefti st orthodoxy. We are the onl y conservative paper on thi s campus today. Additionally, we do not get onc dime of Student Association money and are in fact the only privatel y funded paper on campus. In closing, I would agai n like to welcome you to the school and while the warning about PC is real you don't need to let it effect you. SUNY has its problems as do all Universities, but if you work hard you can get an excell ent education and still manage to have the best fou r years of your life. .
?-f p. ;jd._r-_ Letters to the editor are encouraged and should be sent to:
1jingijamton J~~lli~ltJ SUNY Binghamton PO. Box 6000 Binghamton, New York 13902-6000.
Memoirs of a Politically Incorrect Freshman Bernadette Malone
have just completed my first ycar at this "public ivy" university and thought it would be a nice gesture to share some of my {r,,,/lpe'rs,oll year experiences with you,just so you know what to expect. I entered this insti tution as a relatively ignorant, apolitical Staten Islander with expectations of having coffee with my professors under a big oak trcc near L1.ke Lieberman. discussing whether God is dead or is he just sleeping. Most of all, I was vcry excited about the ·academic freedom and intellectual atmosphcre that our public ivy was sure to offer, but it nuns out that Ule small, !lUll-nUl Catholic girls school I had just left had more tolerance for freedom of expression than the enomlOUS, state subsidized lUliversity I had entered. My coffee drinking professor spent entire lectures spewing mali cious anti-Reagan- Bush speeches at twenty disinterested srudents, us ually avoiding what the subject mailer was supposed to be. n,e rcst of the class was amused by llis tirades and enjoyed giggling at his choice of words that he employed to de sc ribe the RepUblican party; but I, a Repub~c.'Ul myself, was slighuy 1111comfortable,
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The evening was spent learning ,,, UIC hardships and injustices endured people of color. homosex uals, " womYIJ. I was never told where the libmry or bookstore was at Orientation.
and knew to challenge him could adversely effect Illy grades. There cxislS a great double standard on thjs cmnpus. Any minority or
"oppres sed" segment of community that is openly challenged lcaps behind the shield of Political Correctness. Any phrase. policy. or ideal that may be interpreted as offensive, to
even the smallest Illunber or most hyperse nsitive individual, is immediately labeled "incorrect". If you take the position that is not deemed politically correct you will be called racist, sexist or some oUler pejomtive inSldt Ulen actions are taken instantaneously to remedy the incident and compensa te the party made to feel "uncomfortable" by your obvious ignorance. At my jreshperson orientation session , we played games called Cllltllral Pllrsllit and Wheel oj Oppression. Sound like fnn? Don't laugh they will make you playas well. I have never felt guiltier Ulan tlmt evening. when in a room of three hundred strangers, I was forced to admit that I a111 inherenuy a racist, sexist, homophobic, capitalist pig.
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[would never d..'U'C intentionally insult someone's eilulicity and being a "",,mU', 1 I nm hardly a proponent of harassment and discrimination. gripe is with ulOse who carry ule issues of race, gender. sexual orientation, or whatever their point of contention is . far. Here are a few of the memorable examples of sucb bel.aviior l -O-=---, from my first year at SUNY -B:
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__ _but it turns out that the small, nun-run Catholic girls school I had just left had more tolerance for freedom of expression than the enormous, state subsidized university I had entered.
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During U,e fall semester of 1991 I was living in Cayuga Hall in CIW. Residents of the"Woods" allowed to paint murals in the hall adjacent to their rooms. Oue such mural was a depiction of Marvin tlle Martian from Bugs Buuny cartoons (the short guy WiUl a helmet, no face, and two big eyes who's plotting to blow up Planet C<Oj, UO 'I I One day, rumor took hold that artist who painted Marvin was asked to delete his mural, althougb it been approved by Residential and was part of Cayuga's ulird hallway for an entire year already. Reason given: It was offensive to African Americans. Puzzled?
Binghamtoll Review
we. A do nn meeting was t\NO t:X>YOLl and il was explained 10 II!; by REMEM6e:R MY R.D. IIml II., image of Marvi n's w.AAING ~IlOOT THE CEILlt.lG;? Ibldgi'ngwhile eyes agains l a pilch ~ face w as demeani ng to A mericans si nce such sharply contras ting features were oftcn used as a comic stereotypc. fact 11lat he had no face was los t on 11lCI11 . Of course we argucd '1'CD~ WA.mlNG AeoUT iHEC:S "e:l<11< ~ M ~ l.,( QANG.:ROU;" A';;8E;iO; iI LE'= ? W'3. 'II'5. Ihe imeOlions behind Marv in COMtfl IT~ 61I.I..IONf::! f OR THEIR I<EMOVAL 'euT HAVE' ~I~ C! f OUNO 'THe,., in no means aim ed again st 10 '2£ "10" VERy OANE:Eli?oUf: l a c k s - Oo p s A fri c an Ex.CEP" OOlQt.lc:' -mE RtlteJAL ~T~E.: YE7. r \W.1EMBE'R Ameri cans - but o ur e fforts were '---_"'__ 'l'ooR WA~ I t.lu!>: of no avai l. Marvin had to go . A n o th e r in c id e nt of IhY]>CI·sellsil:i vily look place in m y IaIlltln·opol()gy class, agai n during my fIfS t semester. Hhmml1 College was having a "Gel Leid" parly and senl supply fell 10 criticall y low levels would you like 10 fmd yourself in a fl yers ad verti si ng the evenl. T he because the Red Cross was baJmed heated d ispUle with a person of flycr featured a drawing o f a Hawaiian from collecling blood on cmnpus. ano ther sex, race, or religion . and Why? Because Ule FDA had nol wind up in fronl of the judiciary Hula girl in Ihe Iraditional costume long black hair, flower lei, grass skirt. A approved a lest 10 delecl HIV2 (a committee because your opponent stir was crcaled by our T.A.,who staled slIai n of the virus Ihal causes AIDS) c laim s your ang ry words (quite eumicityas Hawaiian, and prolesled and since no lest had been approved possibly complelel y free from bias) that the image was stereotyp ical and for delecting it they had the choice of offended them . I warm you: The tmfair to natives. Hawai ians really don't ri sk conlaminating the blood suppl y Speech Police arc listening. All il lock like the girl on the flyer, his poinl with tainted blood that would be a takes is all accusation for you to be was, and it 's unjust to portray them as death sentence for any recipient or convicte d in tlus climate of "free such . (1 guess he never spoke 10 the not accept do nati ons from tJlOSCat a speech." What kind of aunosphcrc does this Hawaiian Tourism D epartm ent whi ch high ri sk of carrying tJlis strain of has copy ri ghted similar images .) I HN. The choice is clear thaI Ihey sort of thinking fOSler on a university believe he filed an official le ller of should no t accept donati ons from campus? A nylhin g could offend those who are a l a hi gh ri sk. The anyone, aJld you will immediately be problem was thaI HIV2 is onl y labeled a sexist, a racist, or a religious prevalent in s \lb ~S ah anU1 Africa. bigo l. T Ill S Ire nd pa rall e ls th e The evening You guessed il! They cal led Ihis Stalinism of the 1930's. It is essential was spent racisl. II should be nOled Ukll no U.'1students are aware of the political learning about the ban was on receiving blood o nl y climate on campus and respond to it. hardships and I have heard so m an y of m y friends on givillg blood. injustices endured by O ur c.1pable Presidenl DeRellr say, ''Y cab, it's ridiculoll!;, bUI il really has created a committee for thc docsn' l affecl me." Their apathy will people of color, study of free speech (I ' m happy be Ihe dealh of our generation . My homosexuals, and "womyn." she fecls ule U.S. Constitution is ex -roommate, upo n our initi al I was never told subject to he r int erpre ta ti on !) meeting, declared herself to be where the O bviously they have been doing complelely di sgusted by "PC" A few library or bookstore au efficienl job. An article in Pipe wceks laler, she was shocked 10 find Drea11J_ recentl y reported that oul thaI the lenn "PC" was nol a slyle was at Orientation. charges were lev ied against an of clothes. I was honified. 1bis person individual who called someonc a dido 't have the fai ntest idea of the "faggot" in tlle University Union. concept o f politi caJ correctness in Many times during my fi rst year al September, bUI by OClober she had • • SUNY-B I have read articles rel aying jumped on Ihe bandwagon and was less attentio n than MarYin. TI,e Red Cross holds blood drives on o(xA'lSio IlS jn which people have becll gleefull y pain ling over Marvin the lcampills every YCc.'lf, from which it draws accu sed o f sex ual o r rac ial MartYL I of Broome COWlly 'S blood supply. harassment , and di sciplinary action thi s past year the counlies blood has been taken against them. Ho w
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Adam
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his incoming rreshman class will be bomb.1fded by SUNY Binghamton's obsession will1 diversity and the new diversity requirement. To the casual observer, the diversity requirement is a han111css attempt to educate students about
T
... the diversity requirement is the first step in a campaign of indoctrination to bash the West and its institutions.
o ther cultures and 10 enhance their education. In fac t, the diversi ty requirement is the first step in a cmllpaign of indoctrination to bash the \Vest mld its institutions. The requirement will begin the imposition of a political orthodoxy on students and faculty. People who have led the charge 10 impose the diversity requirement have a ssumed tha t th ere is adequa te education about Westem culture, but thi s is not the case. A student can casily get tluough four years at SUNY Binghrullfon WitJlOut taking a course in Wesle m culture or history. Most stude nts can ge t through college without learning about individuals such as Plato, Dante or Homer. Many students g raduate hi gh school and coll ege without ge lling a solid education in \Vcstem cul ture. In 1984, the Nati ona l Endowment for th e Humanities did a study on higher ed ucatio n which concl uded th at, " Few of [Americas college gradl"'tes] can be said to receive nn adequate education in the c ulture a nd c ivili zation in whi ch they live ." Before we start our students
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Western countries shouldn't we require tllCOl to have a knowledge of the foundations of their own culture and civilization? Some Universities in America have a curriculum in which studen ts arc first required to take a course(s) in Wes tern civili za tion and then are required to take a course(s) ill 110Jl - \Vestern civili lA.'l tion. This seems like a wise curriculum to have rather than one which j ust requires students to study other cultures besides their own. . Unlike the students who protested a t Stan ford Uru versi ty chanting, "Hey, hey, ho,ho, Western culture's got to go!", I believe there is benefit in studying \Vcstcm culturo. First of all, Westem culture is tJle culture in which we Amcricc.llls live, and we are obliged to 1e<U11 about its fOWld1UOns. T he West has also made sigrufieant contributions to tl,e world and should be s tudied by all. The ideas of individuals like Adrun Smith, John Locke and Thomas Jefferson a re important ideas th a t have ha d implications tJlroughout the world. De-e mphasizi ng the works of individuals like tllese for some goals of diversity or multiculturalism is ri,h eldous. The new fad of academic radic.lls I.,s been to dismiss the works of people like tllese because they are "Dead White Men". Whether they arc dead, while or a m~Ul should have no be..1.ring all whether their works are studied . They are importrult because of the ideas they advanced not because of the color or gender tlley were born with or the fact that they are dead. The Harpur College Educational PlmUling and Policies Committee, which recommended the impl ement a ti on of the diversity req uirement sa id, "The se recom mendati ons [the diversity requirement] arc made considering the educational needs of the students and tJle leaders of tomorrow."
The view that loday's student learn about other cldtllres as Annel,,,,,"sl global role increases is a valid one, there are other skills necessary for future . As our society becomes technologically advanced it will impossible for citizens , let alone leaders to survive without a knowledge computers. Why doesn't lllC Ulluv(:rsitv l require every student to take a course computers? The content of the courses which fulfill the diversity requirement is disturbing. In looki ng at schools across tJle country one sees tJlat these diversity co ur ses si mpl y bas h Ameri capi tali sm , the West and don't teach students about other cultures. These courses do not teach students about the politics, ills tory or cultures of non-
The ideas of individuals like Adam Smith, John Locke and Thomas Jefferson are important ideas that have had implications throughout the world.
Westem nations, tJley teach students hate the West mId its institutions. classic example of the emptiness ulese courses was the teaching of book, I, Rigoberta Menchu. This was hailed by many as the epitome. the new multicultural teaching. book is written by French auu.<C" I Bisabeth Burgos-Debray who lr3IlSlates I tl,e story of Rigoberta Menchu, a l""'tsaIllt I woman from G uatemala. In introduction to the book, Bur.!!os-Cteblay I says that Rigoberta "speaks for Indians of the American continent.
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COlltinues 011
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the Intercollegiate Studies Institute articulates and defends the ideas of a free society on the American college campus. lSI is also a strong proponent of high standards for college education. The Institute's programs enhance the quality of learning and thus further understanding of the nonns and institutions so necessary to a society that is humane and free. lSI emphasizes the following principles: Individual Uberty
Personal Responsibility 1he Rule Of Law Umited Govenunent Free Market Economy Cultural Norms Do you agree with these principles are essential to a free society? Are you tired of seeing these ideas derided on campus? If so, join lSI. We are doing something about it. For More Information Call 1-800-526-7022 Or Write: Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 14 South Bryn Mawr Ave., Bryn Mawr, PA 19010-3275 Binghamtoll Review
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"[Political Correctness is) the right to be hypersensitive and to hector and harass and punish people who do or sayar show any sign of thinking anything that offends anybody in an officially approved racial or ethnic category" -George Will
Recently Esquire magazine rated SUNY-Binghamton in the top-ten "deadhead schools." Maybe the administration should consider renaming our school "Dead Head 0."
The SUNY-B Instant Protest Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, (add your cause here)
has got to go. Repeat until President Defleur caves in.
"It's been a long time since women's voices have been bold and definite. Feminism has become nothing more than group complaining, hand-holding, whining, and blaming men for all human problems." -Camille Paglia Binghamton Alumnus
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" THATS RIGHT. SENATOR .... AND THEN Tl-iE ACCUSEO ASKED, 'WHO PUT THIS HAIR ON MY CAN OF SPfNACH?' ... !"
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"To tell you the truth ... I'm not sure families are the best plnces to raise children," said Women Studies Director Ami Bar On. Perhaps the government should outlaw child rearing indefinitely until a comprehensive study on places to raise and breed children is carried out by the government.
"Capitalism is the uneven distribution of wealth, and socialism the even distribution of poverty. " -Winston Churchill
"We f ought too long and hard to make people stop saying blacks looked alike - but I say it's afar greater evil that many people say blacks think alike. -Associate Justice Clarence Thomas
Top Five Reasons I went to SUNY Binghamton
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5)To see if President DeFleur really does cackle li ke" a chicken. 4) Just what is thi s PC stuff anyway? 3) TO'learn World History (revised edition) 2) Those great games played at Orientation. 1) Because, no dead, white, European males are allowed on campus.
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Joeseph Rosenthal
Alan: How about something com-
A
ally abled might be traumatized
committee of three pletely apolitical, like the Couif everyone calls the team Big people, Alan, Paula, gars? Green, but they see the uniforms and Charles are meetas orange. Who's to say that the ing to discuss changing the name Paula: Apolitical!? Using a cougar as way most of us see colors is the mascot is the ultimate in correct way. of the sports team at SUNYspecieism. Cougars don't use Binghamton. Let us listen in on humans as mascots. Alan: I know a name you might go for. part of their discussion. In honor of everyone's favorite
Alan: Well, we could name our teams five-time loser, lief King, let's Alan: I never Wlderstood what was so after an inanimate object I've name the team the Kings. bad about Colonials. It's not always liked the Jets, and we the catchiest name, and maybe have the same colors. How Paula: But he's in the Sbldent Assembly Colonials doesn't stir up much about the Jets? and we can't name our team after excitement, but what's wrong an outdated, patriarchal system Paula: The Colonials is bad enough. with it? of government We don't have to name our Paula: Use your brain, Alan. The teams after the phallic toys of Alan: I give up, What do you suggest? name Colonials celebrates the American imperialist war Western cultural imperialism. machine. We might as well Charles: Paula and I were thinking calling the teams, "Divezse Memcall our teams the Flying PeAlan: I thought it just referred to the bers of a Multicultural, Politinises and be honest about it people w~o built up this area. cally Correct University ComThey lived in the colonies, Alan: I'm almost ready to give up. munity ," the DMMPCUC's for therefore they were colonials. How about just calling our short. teams the Big Green? Charles: But Alan, the people that Alan: We won't win a game with a built up this area were the Charles: That would be considered name like that! Native Americans. Lets name disaiminatory against the difPaula: Who want's to win? We should our team for them. ferently visually abled. encomage our teams to play for a Alan: Okay, well, I love the toma- Alan: The differently visually abled? tie, that way nobody loses. hawk chop. Let's name the Charles: Yes, those who non-PC Alan: And nobody wins? How do we team the Braves. people would call color-blind. reward excellence? Paula: That would be insulting! Alan: Why would that be called dis- Charles: How do you derme excellence? Charles: It neglects the nurturing side crimination? Excellence is subjective. If I think of their personality in favor of the Binghamton Mets are better the war-mongering stereotype. Paula: Because the differently visuthan the New York Mets, that's a valid opinion. Ul-t ... SIR, TI-tERE'S A
GROUP WERE DEMANDING TWAT WE FIND A NEW MASCOT•••
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Alan: But the New York Mets are a Major League team and the Binghamton Mets are. a Minor League team!
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Charles: That's your truth. My truth can tell me the Binghamton Mets are better. Truth, like excellence, is subjective.
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Alan: I can't win!
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Paula: Nor should you try. But feel free to agree with us.
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Most interesling about this book is that Burgos-Debray met Rigoberta Menchu at a socialist conference in Paris. It is quite obvious that a Guatemalan women who travels to socialist conferences in Paris is not a typical peasant woman and does not teach readers about the life of a typical Indian peasant women as it claims. This episode epitomizes the teaching of multiculturalism bec.:,use it smacks of hypocrisy. The book trashes capitalism, the West, as well as motherhood and marriage. It is apparent that this author used the myth of writing a book about the struggle of a Latin American peasant to push her radical agenda. This has been the typical tactic of multiculturalism and diversity . Its supporters use the guise of teaching about another culture to push tlleir radical anti-Western views. These types of courses do nothing to educate students about other cultures, they teach s".dents to resent whites, resent America. resent capitalism. Instead of provoking thought these courses are provoking cultural cheerleading and cultural rivalry. According to Dinesh D'Souza, author of Illiberal Education, "[Students] only emerge (and tlus is tlle political objective of the activists who lobbied for these courses) angrier and more biUer toward their own culture. In
o er wor s, multlcultur stu les at Stanford and elsewhere are tuming into little more than a 'grievance industry.' which produces and markets etlmic and gender based resentment." To see the tme goal of diversity education. one Cc.1J1 look to a symposium on higher eduC<:1tion which took place at Yale a few years ago. One speaker at the symposium proclaimed to great applause that dimi.ushing the study of UlC West is one very important step to freeing the world from "the final fruit s of bourgeois humrulism: North Atlantic etlUloccntrism." The idea that education here at Binghamton is taught from a wllite, mrue heterosex.ual point of view is a fallacy . If you look at Lhe course guide you will see a ple thora of courses having to do willl issues of rnce, gender religion and non-Westem culture. According to Professor Michael Mittelstadt, 'The curriculum at Harpur College has ste.,dily, for at least tlle past twenty years, expanded to include such COllrses without any serious opposition. In fact such 'diversit y' has alwa ys been welcomed." There is no question tl13t for many years lligber education was lacking in its teachings of other cultures and it is improving greatly. There still needs to be inclusion of
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more wor's yother cultures, btH they should not be taught simply because they are non-Western, they must meet certain standards and should have an educational purpose. Since these courses will be required of rul students. professors will pile as much anti- \Vestem rhetoric as they can into these courses while they have these captive audiences. A distinction wh.ich must be made is one between real diversity and politicized diversity. The fIrst intends to eduC<:1te stttdents, the other intends to indoctrinate them. The first Olle however, docs not exist in todays multicultural movement. The imposition of the diversity requirement will soon lead to the
fOfming of committees to examine the teaclung of these courses. Any professor who teaches a course which fulfills tl,e requirement will have university commi ttees combing through hisfher syllabi and assigned I'e.:1dings 10 make Sllre they are diverse enough for the commi Uee. If professors arc lIssig.ung books which
do not teach tlle students to resent every tlung the West stands for then that professor will be reprimanded by tl,e "ulOught police". These types of supervising commi ttees are a natural and frightening consequence of the imposition of the diversity reqnirement. Any professor tÂŤ,ching a course on Latill America who doesn't assign I, Rigoberta Menchu better watch out. Any student entering one of these diversity classes should walk in prepared for what they will encOlmter. They will be taught that anything which is white, male, heterosexual or Western is evil. They will be put tllfough ideologicaJ indoctrination in which they will probably be taught nothing about other cultures, only to hate the one Lhey Ii ve in. The imposition of this requirement is just a beginning, it will continue to expa nd . There will be more requirements, closer and closer scmtiny of lectures (md assiguments given by professors. It is time that we see the diversity requirement for what it really is , a tool of radical indoctri nation, and not a tool of education.
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Ephraim Bernstein
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s we come (0 the end of the Spring semester . we cast Ollr eyes towcrrds the next fall when another new class enters SUNY Binghamton. What tllCY , and freshman across the COllll-
Forto%ng the courses and departments of Binghamton have been infected by literary deconstructionalism, Marxism, and ethnic studies.
try face in the next four years is a university under siege. IUl educmion system finnl y entrenched in liberal orthodoxy. " ' hat is needed is an agenda to follow that will result in rCCc'1pturillg our universities. (Uul restoring traditional educational values to the schools responsible for educating Americas future. When looking at the State University of New Yark at Binghamton the single mosl important problem is the quality or tl,e education. Very simply the University needs to fannulate a core curriculum based on Westem studies. The mcre mention of this idea is enough to send the academic left of Binghmnton into fits of hys teria. For too long the courses and departments of Binghamton have been infected by literary deconslructionalism, Marxism, and etlmic studies. \Vhat is needed is a single core to put fOlth the wisdom of our civilization. The authors of the classic texts of our ci vilizatioll such as Plato, Dante, Aristotle are needed
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educational system. These men are not to be looked upon as white, mal~ Europeans. These individuals ri se above race, sex, and history, to put rorth ideas that express tlle links or our conUTIOIl humanity. There is no place in the ulli versity for the imposition of political vJews. Classic Westem writings should DOt be pushed aside for inferior texts simply because tlle authors are female, or minorities. Ideas such as women's studies are not conscious raising, but rather radical feminists who believe in removing themselves from the rest of humanity . It should not be tllOught tl,at a traditional curriculum will exclude tile teachings of all but European descended males. Westem arts and sciences have traditionally drawn from nOll \Vcstem societies, taken in these lessons, and have further asses to peoples around the world. The study of a variety if nations is of vast importance, but multi-cultural eduC<:ltion should not take the place of tilOse disciplines who's truths trruIscend cultural differences such as math, science, mId history. Affinnalive action is rulOther aspect of the uni versity that is in need if change in the coming decade. Binghamton like other universities across tile nation take part in this practice much to the detriment of those who ul e system was set up to help. Statisticall y, on tile average, black students perfonn lower titan white students. TIlere is nothing racist about tilis, it is simply an unfortunate truth. The sys tem of afflOuative action does absolutel y nOLhing to reverse ulis fact, <mel inst~1d creates ml atmosphere of resentment mId doubt. Black students who are admitted to the university due to their academic achievements, are lUlcomfortable WiUI ule prospects of being viewed as beneficiaries of
resentment runong some blacks that caused by tl,e asswnption that tlley help in order to achieve academic cess. This feeling of resentment is certainly understandable, and is onc of many negative side affects of allmna路路 1 Live action. The next topics that need to be lenged in the semesters ahead. ua'c .<C"" to do \Viti] ule administration Ulan with the students tilemselves, these are Student Association, and the student organizations. The Student Association is yet rulotiler presence on titis campus who 's agenda is shaped by tl,e political of it's central members in total di s'regard or tllC student body. Much or the problem stems from the student activity fee. This fcc runowlt.s to over sixty dollars, and each student is required to pay as part or tl,e yearly tuition. The Student Association collects this money and proceeds to allocate the runds as they see rit to tl,e schools man y ch,,,-t'''c<! 1 groups. The activity fee is nollling than a tax levied upon students, forcing them to rund groups which they opposed to or have no interest in. A simple and just solution would be pri vatize such groups. Let each privately finance themselves and abolish tlle activity ree. Till S would al so limit the role the Student Association plays in the lire or Binghamton stu路 dents. No longer would students be rorced to rund protests tl,at reOect the political ideals or tl,e outspoken lert in Ule student government, nor would events be cn.nceled due to pressure from special interest groups. Thc last issue on the agenda for conting year is the targeting of specific student organizations. Groups . NYP1RG, tl,e Gay Peoples Uuion, utin American Solidarity Com mittee. and tl,e Palestinian Solidarity Committee, mllst be exposed for the agendas they promote. NYPlRG is perhaps the most notori路
Binghamton Review
ous in laking ellonnous amounts of student money in order to fWId a radical political agenda. NYPIRO 's budget amounts to close to fifty thousand a year. This money is taken fr o m the student activity fcc. T he exact amo unt of NY PIRO's budge t is unkno wn due to their exemption from having to produce one. Repeated reques ts for a copy of their budget is met with ferocious denial of possessing o ne. as well as hysteri a over being asked. The fact of the ma Ll e r is that a majority of NYl'lRO's budget goes direc!ly to NYPIRO's celllral office which is a lobbying group U,a t is part of Ule lates t radical movement , Environm entalis t. Naturall y we all want a cleane r envirolunent, (it is very conservative to COllserve); yet opposing big business and nuclear energy is no t the way to go aoout it. llle envirorunental agenda promoted by groups like NY PIRO are an example of U,e lates t aHempt by the new left to create a movement that will set the masses against the es tablis hment. The Oay Peoples U nion is another group Ulat should be challenged in U,e next semester. Le t us not make any
mistake as to what the gay movement is, it is simply a group advocating a sex ual preference . They are not a sub-culture or "minority" as they arc li s ted ID university document s. Groups such as the GPU, i.md Act-Up are part of the Gay acti vist movement that wish to push their life-s tyle 0 11 U,e rest of society. Ideas such as Oay and Lesbian studies, and health care for gay "couples" is no nsense. Homosexlkllity is nothing more than one persons desire for sexual relations with members of the same sex. They should be afforded no special privileges. and gay "coupl es" should no t be viewed as deserving of tl]e same benefits as heterosexual couples. Lastly, there are gr'o ups on thi s campus that openly suppo rt terrorism and oppressi ve dictatorships arotUld the globe. The Latin Solidarity committee who suppo rt the . F.M.L.N. terrori sts in EI Salvador, as well as Fidel Cas tro's totalitari.:m regime sho uld be challenged by stll dents. This chall enge should be ex tended to the Pales tinian Solidarit y Committee, a cmnpus mouth piece for the P.L.O. Students should press
Ulese groups and facul ty that support them, for explana tions as to their bla tmlt s uppo rt of terrori sm and Marxis t to talitarianism . It is essential that all groups be all owed to exis t o n ca mpus, indeed thi s is what makes our democracy society unique in the world. Yet tltis does not mea n tllat the se groups should go ullchallenged, nor should students be forced to fWld such organi zati ons. It is hopeful that in the coming years we ma y look to the success of the nineties. We as conservatives mus t take th e responsibility of reversing the trends that spawned with U,e new left in the late 1960's and resulted in the deterioration of the traditional educatiollaJ sys tem . The success that were m ade in both out fo reign and domestic policies fell short in our wtiversities. We must work to defend Wes tern ideals and her ins titutio ns. Those who cherish higher education mus t help to rid tlle university of lhe pervasive tlueat the left poses to academic freedom , and restore the traditional values and wisdom of our civili zation.
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Binghamtoll Review
oor Tim Maguire. Poor, poor Tim Maguire! This mans life may never be normal again. Why? Because he stood up to racism on an American campus. He exposed blatantly racist policies in tlle admissions office of Georgetown Law School. What has happened to him for doing the right tiling is truly a nightmare worthy of George Orwell.
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He has been bombarded with hate mail, the University filed fOmlal disciplinary charges against him, he was attacked on campus both in and out of the classroom. The university tried to expel Tim after he had done three years of hard work; but sanity finally prevailed in the form of legal pressure administered by a law team from The Center for Individual Rights. With the attempt at expulsion thwarted the university did its best to see that Tim did not get a job in the law profession. While other graduates with lower grades received multiple interviews Tim received only one which was cut short wheu it was discovered that he was "that" Maguire. Tim, realizing that finding a position in Washington D.C. was impossible with what the university was saying about him, returned to his home state of New Jersey. New Jersey is far from Georgetown and
Binghamtoll Review
he could begin anew, or so he thought He passed the state bar exam with flying colors only to discover that the New Jersey Ethics committee is holding up his admission to the bar due to what he did while a student at Georgetown. Why he would be in trouble for exposing racism? Isn't this the 1990's? Isu't racism something that a university would try to eradicate? Well, they don't when the racism you find is not the racism officially scorned by the Politically Correct Movement on the American campus today - but rather racism practiced by the Politically Correct Movement. What Tim did is shortly after "Diversity Day" on the Georgetown campus he wrote an article in the publication LAw Weekly titled "Admissions Apartheid" which exposed in detail how the Universities "Affirmative Action" program worked against qualified individuals. He fortltrightly exposed admission practices that admitted black students into the school who's grades and test scores were far below that of other students who were being rejected. No one ever denied the numbers that he exposed, for they were straight from the files of the admissions office; what they didn't like is people seeing affirmative action at work. Affumative action, another brain child of LBJ's great society, is the institutionally approved method of discriminating against qualified whites. The original concept was: all other things being equal choosing a black over a white was good in order tornake up for past discrimination. While this plan mayor may not have been beneficial to anyone the fact remains we will never know if it could have worked. LBJ in instituting this policy defended and defined it by using his now famous man in chains analogy. This change of direc-
tion in the policy went from hiring the black when all other things are equal to hiring the black even if things are not equal on the premise that the black had not been given a "fair shot" at the opportunity that America provides.
Peter Kaplan
What has happened over the years in most private industry, government agencies, and colleges is that a defacto "quota system" had been introduced. This quota system will reduce or eliminate whatever standards are used when judging minority applicants in order to ensure that "racial parity" is maintained. This policy may appeal to the bleeding hearts amongst us but the fact remains that for every applicant accepted witllout the standards being met another who bas met the requirements has been turned away. In order to give someone something for nothing you must then in fact be giving someone noth- . ing for something. All this can do is put one person in a position for which they are not qualified and make another quite mad at a system that allows preferential policies based on race. This type of discrimination happens everyday on most American campuses -the problem is some people call tillS the cure for racism and not just anotller instance of it.
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