October 1995 - Binghamton Review

BINGHAMTON REVIEW Hillg/Wl1IfOIl ("l1ive,.sity :'1 Journal o./Opininn

Volume 9 Number 2

October. 1995

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BINGHAMTON REVIEW

BINGHAMTON REVIEW October, 1995

Volume 9, Number 2 "God who gave us life gave us liberty" -Thomas Jefferson Edltor-ip-Cbld Nathan J..,ayjs Wurtzel Business Manager Lee Markiewicz

Departments Editorial: The administration's zeal 10 conlrol every possible aspecl of student life succinctly illustrates our disdain for governmenl

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Campus Presswatcb continues to poinl oul the fools and leftist blowhards who pervade Ihe olher student publications

Assistant Dunness Manager Joanne Scarola

Letters: Some new ideas on how the adminislration can save SUNY-8 and a plea 10 help a fallen officers family

Semor Editor

and

Hillary loves her contaclS. Giuliani proleslers look silly, and SeUeck rips Sireisand in Quibbles & Bits

Good Taste Arbltress

Teresa McGoff Layout Editor

Features

JcffCOOen Copy Editor

Joshua Trapani fuas ....r Gregory PinkhasOY

Anthony J, Benardello investigales the OCCT fiasco and finds tilat practically everybody has egg on Iheir faces ~

Lee Markiewicz sits down wilh a couple of adminislrators

c::i) in an attempt 10 ex'Plain Ihe new off campus·rules Faculty Advisor

Dr. Aldo Bemordo Binghamton Review is :m independent journal

JlC[J)

Amy L. Gardner traces tile hislory of tile diversity requirement and charts its present progress

of news, analysis, opinion, and commentary.

Students at Binghamton Uni\'t~rsity receive the Rev{ew free of charge. Binghamton Review is published on the first Mooday of every month duringthc school year (except January).

JlJl

Professor Allan Arkush grants permission to publish his previous commenls concerning the need for a diversily requirement

Subsalplioos to theReview are S20 perycar and can be ordered through the editorial and busi-

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Joshua Trapani ex'Plains why Ihere have nol been any Studenl Assembly elections this year

ness offioe located at UU- 16 4 or mail:

Binghamton Review

Teresa M'Goff conducts a sludy on leftist textbook bias-the results are sad, but expecled

PO Bo.60oo Bingltomtoo, N.Y. 13902-6000

Unsolicited manuscripts

mu~

be accompanied

by tho IIUthor'S current address and phone num-

ber. All submissions become tbepropcn.y of the Review. The Rewewreservesthc right to edit and print any submission . Preference will be given to memben; ofthe Binghamton University com-

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Dawn M'Kibbin releases the first installment of her sci-fi epic, "Keilka"

Gordon Sharpless advises would-be proteslcrs in "Sharper Image"

munity.

Letters to the editor Are strongly encouraged and welcomed. Submissions oftess than 300 words are strongly encouraged. Submissions arc sub-jed to editing for olarity. readability, and legnlity. Letters are printed as space is made avail. able and at the disaetioo. of the edaor.

Binghamton Review is chartered by the Student Association at Bingtlamt.on University.

Binghamton Review is a member of the Collegiate Network.

The cover photograph of tile dilferently-abled OCCT bus and curious byslanders was Iaken by Lee Markiewicz

Next Issue • A curious case of "se~,'lJal harassment" • A look at General Colin L. Powell and his political prospecls • Our own "Natural Highs" Available on November 6, 1995

Cktober, 1995

Editorial

Administration Gets GreedyWhat Else is New?

G

楼ernment is an institution that .s generally lqathed at Bing hamton Review-with good reason. Excepting a handful of tasks that private individuals are incapable of performing-such as national defense--the presence of a body overregulating personal interactions is profoundly detrimental to all involved.

The administration at Binghamton University serves nicely as a relatively small, but highly malignant example of how quickly and completely a governing body can infect a successful enterprise and encroach on personal liberty.

The recent administrative bungling of the Off Campus College Transport service takeover is prime evidence.

In total candor, it must be stated that University Controller Don Paukett did have some legitimate concerns regarding the blue buses-specifically regarding the fact that the University was forking over $200,000 annually to OCCT with no input as to how the service was operated. While the former coordinators dreamily clung to the notion of their "collectiven structure-really a pure democracy-as the ideal form of governance, they lost sight of the moral truth-funding sources ought to have a voice in the operation of the service. As a result, OCCT lost a great deal by gambling on a whimsical and unrealistic quasi-Marxist fantasy.

However, this is small potatoes when compared with the larger transgression of the administration-the complete failure to recognize how well OCCT operated their service. There was absolutely no reason to call for a major uprooting of the OCCT structure when the simple addition of representatives from funding sources would have sufficed.

Furthermore, as路much responsibility as poSSIble should have remained with the coordinators-they knew the particulars of the service better than anyone else.

Nothing seemed to stand ,in the way of the administration in its quest to absorb OCCT. When SA President Doug Boettner threatened to teU OCCT that he was being forced by the administration to accept their terms, Vice President for Student Mairs Rodger Summers fired oft' a memo pleading Boettner not to "make the situation worst (sic) because...they [the coordinators] would expect you side (sic) with them. n What's alarming about this, besides the unbelievably poor grammar, is the administration's notion that elected student leaders are their pawns.

Although the SA and the Review are usually at odds, it must be said that Boettner and Financial Vice President Erik Kopelman did an admirable job of dealing with the situation-one which they inherited from their unscrupulous predecessors Carrie Printz and Tom Majewski. While we would prefer that the SA as well as the administration would stay as far away as possible from our daily lives, there is nevertheless a comfort in the fact that students rather than greedy social engineers are in charge-at least this year.

Our ideal solution in regard to the OCCT mess-a fee-for-service structure that would rest all authority with the OCCT coordinators and free students who do not use the buses from "contributing". In short, those who use the blue buses would pay for them by way of cash or perhaps an electronic card similar to the ones used for dining on campus.

OCCT would be forced to maintain their already high standards through competition With BC Transit and private ownership of automobiles. This solution, as you might well imagine, has not been discussed at all throughout the situation-a free-market enterprise would leave the administration by the side of the road-a position ofdetachment they can't seem to bear.

Binghamton Review

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Binghamton Review

October, 1995

Campos Presswuteh

Student Organization Directory 1995-96

Pipe Dream September 12, 1995

We 'd love to see these two organizations

Assistant Ne ws Edi tor Marianna Horton manages to write aboul cuts in

listed side-by-side .. .

EOP without inlen1i ewing anybody who

" l2G-Coalition for Family Valucseducated students on values which form the foundation of the fantily. The group concentrates on pro-life issues, but in addition works on other causes vital for the preservation of the family, including assistance to families in need and haIting the destructive efforts of pornography. lf you are concerned about the future of the family, we encourage you to join us,"

might be able to explain the very real inefficiency a/the program ... "'Everyone seems to think another round of reductions will be proposed for the SUNY system in general, and special programs are always a target,' said [EOP Interim Director Louis] Del Valle.

Senior ,Katrina Huffman agreed with Del Valle's predictions.

'The budget is going to be introduced earlier this year and we are anticipating more cuts in SUNY funding. But, we 're still here and we plan to stay alivewe're fighters ', she said."

The Student Advocate September 4, 1995 llice President for Multicultural Affairs Yumeris Morel shows her apparent inability to realize that people with the same in/ormation might come to COI1lplete(y different conclusions. The grammar, by the way, is hers...

"Last year one of the major problems the office of the Vice-President for Multi-Cultural Affairs faced was the lack of understanding which existed in respect to what the office is about, IIle rype of programmi ng that it is a part of, and more specifically the structure of the office. One of its major goals this year is to ensure that there is an accurate understanding of the office and about the role of its position within the Student Association. I have. attributed the misinformation that has existed to the recent attacks that have taken place on affirmative action (which in my opinion has also taken place bce.ause of a lack of information) ...

The VPMA's office is hoping its efforts and as well as the ICA programming this year will help to establish a better understanding of the Office and its impact on the entire student body."

Pipe Dream September 22 , 1995 This editorial should be declared illegal unless served with butler and syrup ...

"You ' re at a party and some folks are smoking the stuff: pot. So you thinkwhatever-some people think it 's the greatest llting, some people just don 't do it because it carries the stigma of an illegal drug and they want to run for President of the United States or something ...

No one can tell you why not, but despite its popularity, a lot of students consistently choose not to light up ... They give enigmatic answers as to why they don 't smoke. Ultimately, a significant portion of people decline to try...

The possible legalization of the substance would only heighten IIle aspect of smoking marijuana as a personal choice-with the furth er implication that if you don 't choose it, you' re shackled to some archaic notion of Puritanism.

So we' re all for the status quo ofmarijuana: illegal, slightly taboo, largely available to those that want it. "

"Ot8--Pro-Choice Coalition-is dedicated to providing accurate information on abortion, birth control, health care, and women's rights ... We are strongly committed to defending women's health care clinics from anti-choice attacks and blockades .. .Our group invites all to attend meetings and activities and does NOT discrintinate on the basis of anything."

Pipe Dream September 19, 1995 Howard Unger has not only lost his bid to become Edilor-in -Chi ef of Pipe Dream, but his sex drive, as well. We feel for you, Howie .. .

"Has anyone ever stopped to wonder why there's such a big hype over Miss America; why it still exists? Defenders claim its fabled history; the same thing European witch hunters said after finding themselves out of ajob sometime in the 17th century; the same thing Bob Hope says about his career; the same tlting the networks said about Hee-Haw. What started out as a Depression Era outdoor hurlesque show has elevated itself into an indoor, multi-million dollar eX'jJloitative talent show for hicks who ca n 't affo rd to watch soft porn on Cinemax. God save Miss America, defender of all that is good and savior to the good people of Oklahoma! "

October. l'i'i:;

Cover Story

Bing hamton Review

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Administration, SA, & OCCT Battle

By Antho ny). Benardello

S

tudents at Binghamton University have a job-to go to school. be come educated. and finally become productive citizens of society. Does that job im'olvc running a bus service to get students to and from campus?

Perhaps it docs. but does it then follow that students should accept state money for the service without allowing state input?

In 1971. enterprising students at the then State University of New York at Binghamton founded Off Campus College Transport (OCCT), largely due to lack of comprehensive sen'ice from Broome County Transport. At that time.

BCT only provided weekday service until 6:30 P.M . and no buses on Sundays. This left many. especially graduate students. to fend for themselves in getting transport to and from campus.

By 1995 . OCCT had grown from a single bus to ten. as well as two liftequipped vehicles and two vans.

At that point. Binghamton University was contributing half of the funding for the sen'iee. about two hundred thousand dollars per year. said current OCCT Director of Transportation Andrew Lohmann, but had no input as to how the business was operated.

OCCT had always taken pride in its collective structure. stated former coordinator Abby Kessler. All drivers and coordinators, she said. each had one vote in making sen'ice and policy decisions.

Lohmann added that the collective fostered"a sense of community" among the OCCT staff-they would often put in extra time to help solve the problems of the collective.

Kessler believes that the recent loss of student control will lead to higher expense. "No one is willing to put the time in to fix the problems. because the drivers no longer have the control we once did:' she said.

Lohmann and Kessler both agreed

that the dri, ers could once "fine tunc" the routes that affccted students most and that lhl! prior collcct.i\'c structure fos-

tered better cooperation. All things being equal. said Lohmann ... the quality of the new OCCT is down ."

Since Lohmann and Kessl er ag ree on the major issues. where did the OCCT controversy begin and why arc the two coordinators on opposite sides?

Last semester. OCCT was transferred from the state payroll to the Student

5;ince (Jeer was transferred Jrom/he s tudei'll collective tn a corporatioll r llll hy dri vers ami Jimding sources, th e hus service has exp erienced a few g litches

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Cover Story

Binghamton Review

Association (SA). Kessler charges that University Controller Don Paukett was direcUy responsible for this action, although Paukett has not confirmed this and there is no hard evidence to substantiate her claim. An account was created by then Financial Vice President (FVP) Tom Majewski for OCCT, but the university then decided to renege on their financial commitment unless changes were made in the collective structure. According to a memo from University Assistant Vice President for Student Life Lloyd Howe to SA President Doug Boettner, the administration was concerned about risk and liability.

Howe, in consultation with Paukett, suggested that a board of drivers and funding sources be created to administer OCCT. The OCCT, according to an SA press release, "thought they were an autonomous body [in the pastj," but this was not the case. The SA had always held

October, 1995

all insurance and liability coverage and was "directly responsible for all actions taken by OCCT." Bocttner said that he attempted four times to negotiate a new contract with former coordinators Kessler, Christopher Burger, and Shoshana Lev. The final offer paid the coordinators $18,460 per ycar plus medical benefits, with the stipulation that the coordinators were appointed "at-will" and were to report directly to the FVP- now the newlyelected Erik Kopelman. Kess ler, Burger, and Lev refused the appointment, stating that the "at-will" clause, among other concerns, prevented agreement.

At this point, the SA said that they transferred OCCT to a "separate, independe nt operating co rporatio n" OCCT, Inc. The operational authority of this corporation rested with a Transportation Board composed of all funding sources save the University, the SA said.

Howe, in his memo, had suggested that the University Transportation Committee be granted decision making authority in order to " remove the accountability of the coordinators from the drivers." This was clearly unaccept~ble to the coordinators and appears to have appalled Boettner. In a confidential memo obtained by Binghamton Review, Vice President for Student Affairs Rodger Summers tried to dissuade Boettner from telling the coordinators that he was being forced to accept the administration 's terms. " If you went back and told the coordinators that we forced you to accept the new terms, Doug, this would only as I said, make the situation worst (sic) because then, they would expect you side (sic) with them if you were truly being forced to accept OUf terms, " Summers wrote .

Boettner refused to comment on the memo and Summers did not return phone calls on the matter despite re-

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Cover Story

Binghamton Review

In response, Kessler asserts that the former collective was "most capable of providing safe and reliable bus service to the University community." The logistics of Lohmann 's organization are a "recipe for disaster" and the new drivers cannot handle the fall schedule, she said.

Boettner publicly stated that the SA takeover "is the best'thing for the students as well as the school." He said "the SA is committed to seeing that this forum will be weighted favorably toward students. " It appears that the SA was willing to map out a treaty palatable to all, but the coordinators and administration were unwilling to compromise. The coordinators wanted total control-they could not have it. The administration's unnecessary secrecy and aloof manner suggests that they had something to gain by wresting ocer from the collective--our investigation into that aspect will

continue. The SA has succeeded in ensuring liability and, for the moment, funding for the student bus service.

Do the students lose? Perhaps in the short term, if the safety concerns and scheduling blunders continue. There may be a inore efficient OCCT in the future once the bugs are worked out, however.

What of the former coordinators? Due to their stubbornness, they are the big losers-not because they dido't care--but because they forgot that the first rule in labor-management negotiation is compromise. They would have given up total control, but they would have had more money and a better OCCT. Collectives did not work under socialism! communism and they won't work at Binghamton University, either.

October, 1995 peated attempts to contact him.

The new corporation is headed by the SA, which serves as any E-Board would its shareholders. To replace the coordinators, the SA hired Lohmann as the new Director of Transportation, a position that pays $31,000 plus benefits yearly. Throughout the early part of the summer, said Kessler, Lohmann and other drivers were paid despite the fact that there waS no bus service. On July 12, Kessler said, new titles and registrations were issued to OCCT, InC.-an action she says will be fought with legal recourse.

For his part, Lohmann said "safety is our first concern." In answer to charges concerning the new driver training, which has been cut from ten to five weeks, Lohmann said that "they are doing the same amount of driving in those five weeks as they did in ten weeks."

Lohmann said that all new drivers passed their tests on the first attempt.

Anthony J. Benardello is a junior majoring in political science. Nathan Wurtzel contributed to this article.

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Binghamton Review

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October. 1995

News

Administration Extends Jurisdiction

By Lee Marldewicz

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O

e of the many changes in Uni rersily policy finalized this summer was the alteration in the Student Rules and E~-pectations extending jurisdiction to off campus residents. Off campus conduct may be addressed under current judicial procedures when those actions "endanger the personal safety of members of the university community".

When asked what constitutes this endangerment. Dean David L. Anderson explained his position by first giving Binghamton Review a copy of an internal policy statement that was given to Judicial Affairs. It states that the accused must be enrolled at the time of the incident. the incident must involve endangering behavior such as violent assault. rape, or arson~ and that there must be reason to believe sufficient information will be available to the hearing board to render a decision on the charges. Anderson clearly stated, U[We1 are not talking about drinking at parties ... we are talking about physical injury." He also stated that adequate case law exists for addressing misconduct off campus. but the university had been reluctant to address it until recently. Anderson highlighted the legitimate concern with normal New York criminal process and its length with an incident in which a student was arrested for shooting a bow in a residence hall-still pending in court years later. In more serious cases, the University wanted to be able to take action quickly so danger may not exist for a victim when they return to campus.

Action can be initiated by either complaint or university learning of facts related to an incident, but they will not proactively investigate.

When asked about the rules of evidence, both Dean Anderson and Director of Judical Affairs Steve Nelson confirmed that the "preponderance of evidence" standard still applies. Anderson.

however. did allude to the fact that they will treat differently a case that would invoke this rule. When asked about the same issue~ and why higher standards aren't applied. Nelson hinted that it would not be fair to apply higher stan-

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dards to one type of offense. He defended the standard because it docsn't jeopardize "true libert)·'·. Nelson said that to require the "beyond reasonable doubt" standard requires more training for the staff. "The 200 or so RA's and RD's in

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DATE:

August 24. 1995

1'0:

All Members of the University Community

FROM:

David Associate Vice President/Dean of Students

SU8JECf:

University RutH and ExpectatloM, 1995-96

(~Anderso~'\~

Each year the University publishes Ruin anti Exp«Iat;ons. a compendium of rules and policies. All members of the University community are encour.ged to review the "University Expt'ctaUons- and "Other University Policies" sections of the dtXUmen\.

Expected undergradual£> and graduilt~ student conduct is outlined in the "R\"~ of Student Conduct." Alleged violations of these rules are addressed through the protess explained in "Studcmt Judicial Procedures."

The University does not. as a matter of general practice, pursue alleged uff· rampus student misconduct. However, in those exceptlonal CASeS that could endanger the }X'I"sonal safety of members of the University community, action may be taken. of these polities or rules are intended to infringe on the bask fr«'dorns of assembly, or free inquiry. They are designed to mt'et the pranical requirements

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for tht> efrectlve operation of the University.

Should you have questions regarding "Rules of Student Condud" or "Student judicial Procedures,· please contact Mr. Stephen Marcou" Nelson- Director of Judida) Affairs, at 771-6210. For additional infonnation regarding a particular policy Ilst2d in '"Other Unh'er:;ity PoUdes,· please rerer to the department responsJhJe for it,

adminlo;tration.

STIITE

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NEW

This memo was included in a/l new copies o/Rules and Expectations distrihuted this semester

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October, 1995

News

residential life didn't go to U,e New York State police academy," he said. Nelson is willing to look into the possibility of changing the standards as long as that standard is consistent for both on and off campus cases and is well-defined.

Anderson made it clear that the ultimate say in invoking an off campus jurisdiction case lies with him.

Geography will not be a constraining factor in off campus jurisdiction. "The issue for me is how the scenario endangers members of the university community," Nelson said. "Does it meet all the tests ... the list of offenses ... the standard of evidence ... enough evidence from witnesses ... the student being enrolled.. .it clearly endangers university community members ... if it meets those, whether it happens here or in the Bahamas on spring break, it is just as valid," he concluded.

In a worst case scenario, one can be e'-pelled from school by a three member panel that is 51% sure that a student committed an act that "endangers the university community"-having never be convicted in a court of law and the

act having taken place on the other side of thc country. This is an obvious exaggeration. but it illustrates the potential long-term flaw in the ambiguity that exists.

Anderson supports an inclusion of his policy memo in next year 's Rules and EXJlCCtations manual. Nelson is willing to consider this and other changes to clarify and refine the rules to address student concerns. Among ideas he is willing to consider are a higher evidence standard, inclusion of the policy memo next year, an addition of more board members in special cases, and any other concern brought forth .

Dean Anderson can be reached at extension 4879 and is located in AD 229.

Steve Nelson 's office is located above residential life in CIW and his extension is 6210 . Both encouraged concerned students to come forward with suggestions to improve and clarify these rules.

Binghamton Review

4. All matters on which iii decision may be bilSed must be brought up at the hearing and must be based on iii. preponderance of evidence..

A preponderance of evidence is of greater weight or more convlndng than the evidence which is offered in 0pposltlon ro it; that is, evidence whict'! as a whole shows the faCt

sought to be proved is more probable than not Preponderance of evidence may not be determined by the number of witnesses. but by the greater weight of all evidence. which does not mean the greater number of witnesses. but opportunity for knowledge. information pas路 sessed. and manner of testifying (Henry C. Black. Black's law Diaion.ry, 5th 0<1. West Publishing Co., St Paul. 1979, p. 1064}.StudenlS

The standards of evidence are a key concern for students affected by the new regliialiolls. This oddition to the rules and expectations establishes a lower standard than in a criminal court. in which the accused must be found guil!y beyond a reasonable doubt.

Lee A1arkiewicz is th e Business /l'/anager oj Binghamton Review. Chris Bates contributed to this arlicle.

BINGHAMTON REVIEW Presents:

Jeremy Rabkin Professor of Law at Cornell University

"Sexual Harassment and the University" Thursday, October 26 4:00P.M. UU-221B

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News

Binghamton Review

October, 1995

Diversity Requirement In Committee

By Amy L. Gardner

N

er two years of debate and ar gument in Harpur College ouncil (HCC), a new diversity requirement was finally passed at the end oflast semester. The earliest the new diversity requirement will be implemented is the fall semester of 1996. It will only apply to incoming freshman .

There are still many questions to be answered before the requirement can be implemented. The main sticking point is how the Harpur College requirement will coincide with the "Global Visions" requirement passed by the Faculty Senate last semester.

To answer these questions, the diversity requirement resolution stipulated that a committee be formed to set guidelines for implementation and to determine how best to maximize the number of courses satisfying both requirements.

If no attempt is made to have the two requirements complement each other in the curriculum, it is possible that Harpur College students would have to take four diversity courses. That is a whole semester of classes. Students already have a large load to fulfill their majors-four more classes could lead to delayed graduation.

The Diversity Implementation Com-

mittee is supposed to report to HCC by November I for consideration of their recommendations. The committee is composed of sixteen members appointed by the Dean of Harpur College, Sharon Brehm. There is one faculty member from the following six interdisciplinary programs: Mricana Studies, Asian and Asian-American Studies, Judaic Studies, LACAS , MEN A, and Women ' s Studies.

Why are these the onJy areas deemed worthy of diversity expertise? There are certainJy plenty of professors experienced in teaching diversity courses who do not belong to one of these departments. These faculty members are onJy eligible for the three additional faculty slots on the committee. There is also a position for a member of the office of the Dean.

Students have the remaining six spots on the committee. The SA Academic Vice President, Jeff Golant, recommended three of the positions. Yumeris Morel, the SA Vice President for Multicultural Affairs, named two additional students from the Intercultural Awareness Committee. The final student position was filled by a teaching graduate student from Harpur College.

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Thus far, the committee has met onJy twice and no decisions have been made except the election of the chairman, Professor Donald Weiss of the Department of Philosophy. Weiss, along with colleague Stephen Ross, is the author of the diversity requirement. The decisions made by the committee must be accepted by the full HCC before becoming final .

Golant voted against the requirement as a Newing Community representative last year, stating that he "felt that the amount of consultation with students over an issue that directly affects them was lacking." He is dissatisfied with the Implementation Committee as well, saying that these issues should be addressed by the Educational and Planning Policies Commission and the Curriculum Committee, as would be the case with other requirements.

In contrast, Morel strongly supports the requirement. " It was a relief to finally get the diversity requirement passed after two years," she said. "Hopefully, the committee will do the right thing."

What is the right thing?

Some people believe this requirement should not be imposed on students at all.

They believe the requirement has noth-

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October. 1995 ing to do with diversity. but is really a study in oppression. It is admittedly difficult to teach diversity without addressing oppression. but oppression is not the only issue central to diversity. It is easy to see how the requirement. based on its wording, might be interpreted as an oppression requirement. One section states: "In the sense of diversity here intended, such courses consider as central issues: the inequalities of power, the nature of oppression, and relations of dominance among various groups of people, as well as resistances to these structures."

Professor Melvin Shefftz of the De-

News

Binghamton Review

partment of History, an opponent of the requirement does not believe that students should be required to take diversity courses. "They call it a diversity requirement?" Shefftz said. "That's phony' It's an oppression requirement."

The fate of the diversity requirement is unknown. If the recommendations of the Implementation C.ommittee fail, the requirement could be held up for years.

What course will qualify for the requirement is unknown, as well. It could very well end up as an oppression requirement, as detractors have long asserted.

Most importantly, it is also conceivable that one would graduate from BU

and have not learned anything about cultures different from their own. If students stay with courses from their own background (Le. Latin and Caribbean Americans taking only LACAS courses to fulfill the requirement), the only individuals forced to learn about other cultures will be white Christian males.

And that, say diversity requirement opponents, may have been the intention from the very beginning.

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Amy L. Gardner is a junior majoring in Politics, Philosophy. and Law. She is the Executive Director ofthe First Amendment Coalition.

Why Have a Diversity Requirement?

Editor :s- Note: The following statement was delivered to the February 8, 1995 meeting ofthe Harpur College Council (BCC) by Professor Allan Arkush, the representative for the Judaic Studies Program.

"I want to take a few minutes to review what I think is the central issue that has emerged in our debate on D2 [the diversity requirement proposal which preceded the current requirement] up to this point-and I want to do so especially for the benefit of the new council members, who have arrived in the middle of things. It won't take me too long. Appearances perhaps to the contrary, this debate really has been going on for only a fairly short time. The proponents of D2, for tactical reasons of their own, delayed introducing their proposal until very late in the fall semester. Today's session will be only the fourth devoted [to] this highly important matter.

"Professor [Kelvin] Santiago [representative for the Department of Sociology] and Mr. [Yusef) Daughtrey [ acc representative and vice president for multicultural affairs] introduced D2 at our November 16th meeting. They did

so without any comprehensive elucidation of its purpose, without indeed a word of explanation. They just dropped it in our laps. This is presumably what promptedMr. [Michael] Conlon's [representative for the Department of English] friendly request on December 7 for some sort of written statement that would amplify the first part of the proposal and explain in greater detail its academic purpose. The proponents ofD2 ignored this request. It was reiterated last week by two other members of this council. I wonder whether there will be any response to it today.

"In the absence of any official statement of D2's purpose. we have been force to rely on what we can pry out of its proponents here in council meetings and in places like Pipe Dream. What I take, after listening to them, to be the central argument for D2 has been made here principally by Professor Santiago.

When Professor [Warren] Wagar [representative for the Department of History] suggested the establishment of a Hegemonic Culture requirement that would enable students to understand the admittedly obtuse thinking of people on the right wing of the political spectrum, Professor Santiago declared such a re-

quirement to be superfluous. If it weren't for the fact that the current curriculum is already dominated by the hegemonic culture, he said, there would be no need for a diversity requirement.

"What do they mean by this? Can Pr0fessor Santiago or any of his associates prove that the 'hegemonic culture' dominates the curriculum, or at least try to substantiate his claim? Mr. Cohen, who is no longer a member of this council, tried to get them to do this in December, but failed. I asked them to do so last week, and Professor Santiago was, I am afraid, less than forthcoming in his response. Fortunately, however, the other co-sponsor of D2 has risen to the challenge...Mr. Daughtrey has tried to argue that the existing curriculum is just as political as D2, and therefore stands in need of correction by a contrary requirement But is this really true?

"On the basis of rather dubious evidence, which you can examine for yourselves, Mr. Daughtrey makes the following assertion: 'This requirement [02] is no more political than the current curriculum which we are forced to study."

"But what is anyone in Harpur College 'forced to study'?

"Every student must fulfill certain all-

12

Binghamton Review

News

college requirements. Apart from re- one major. What about the major requirements in science, mathematics, quirements? What do they force students physical education, and writing, which to take?

"Each major is, of course, different. are not of any political relevance, there But it is worth noting, first of all, that are three other requirements: everyone majoring in one of the depart• 1\vo courses in the humanities.

• 1\vo courses in the social sciences. ments in the division of science and • An additional four liberal arts mathematics can fulfill all of his or her courses chosen from the two divisions major requirements without taking any other than the division of the student's courses in the social sciences or humanimajor department. According to the ties that lack 02 approval. But what catalog, 'interdisciplinary courses may about majors in the social sciences and be included among these four courses if they are cross-listed with a division not encompassing the student's major. ' "The information packet distributed at the Diversity Teach-In in October, 1994 and published in Pipe Dream includes 101 courses from the division of humanities that could meet the 02 requirement. It also includes 112 02-approved courses from the social sciences and 85. 02-approved interdisciplinary courses.

"Conclusion: The all~nege distnbution requirements do not 'force' anyone to take courses embodying the ideology humanities and in interdisciplinary deof the 'hegemonic culture'. All such re- partments and programs? The followquirements can easily be fulfilled by se- ing is a partial list of departments in lecting courses drawn from the very long these divisions. It specifies the number list of 02-approved courses. of courses not bearing the 02 stamp of "But every student must have at least approval that one would have to take in order to major in anyone of these areas: • Sociology: 1 course in sociological method.

• Anthropology: 1 or 2 courses, depending on one's concentration. (This applies only to Track 2. Track 1 is a much more 'carefully defined and sequenced program' in general anthropology).

• History: No courses.

• Political Science: No courses.

• Afro-American and African Studies: No courses.

• English, General Literature, and Rhetoric: (Specialization in Literature and the English Language) 9 courses.

• Latin American and Caribbean Area Studies: No courses.

• Economics (BADegree): 7 courses.

"Conclusion: One can earn a BA from Harpur College in anyone of a large number of fields without being forced

October, 1995 to study the 'hegemonic culture' at all.

In most departments, one can fulfill one's major requirements entirely or almost entirely through courses that are either found on the D2 list or are from outside the social sciences or htpnanities. English and economics seem to pose special problems. But, of course, no one is being forced to major in English or economics.

"In short, 02 represents an attempt to rectify an imbalance in our curricu-

lum that does not exist at all.

"If, however, D2 is adopted, an imbalance will be created Students will be required to take courses critical of the 'hegemonic culture'. Courses in the 'hegemonic culture' itself will be, in effect, optional and easily avoidable. 02 will thus introduce an unprecedented bias into our curriculum. The only way to rectify this imbalance would then be to institute Professor Wagar's 'Hegemonic Culture' requirement, something which I personally would prefer not to have to do. I think that we're far better off leaving things to students' .free choice than we would be if we introduced a two-track scheme ofpoIiticized requirements."

[Editor snote: In response to Projessor Arkush sstatement, Projessor Santiago claimed to be personally insulted and promised to deliver a written response at the next meeting. The response was never delivered nor placed in the record.

Thus, the HCC voted in a diversity requirement without any demonstration of its need.}

October, 1995

News

Binghamton Review

13

Student Assembly Elections Delayed

By Joshua Trapani

8

r years, the process of electing students to serve on the Student Assembly and the Harpur College Council has involved rule-breaking, mud-slinging, petty politics, complaints, and judicial board charges. This year, most people expected business as usual.

They got quite a surprise on Tuesday, September 19-the day before the anticipated elections-when S.A. Executive Vice President Dave Siegel announced that elections would be postponed for three weeks, until October 11 and 12. Why the change? Well ...

In past years SA and HCC elections have been a mess. Most of our SA EBoard elections last year were invalidated and had to be rerun. Numerous sources have that this mess occurred primarily because such items as the rules involving submission of letters-of-intent and the responsibility for publicizing and holding fair elections was in the hands of the communities. Things were not always done fairly.

No community has as questionable a record as Off-Campus College. For example, last year OCC had some open spots on the SA at the start of the spring semester. Nicole Folkes, last year's OCC Facilitator, was under the assumption that she could "appoint" people to the positions. Only after consultation with the SA Constitution and at least one SA E-board member did she realize that in order to elect representatives, elections have to be held. And these elections haven't always been quite by-the-book either.

An example occurred two years ago when OCC had a meeting to try to fill its vacant positions on the SA. Numerous candidates showed up at the meeting, including both Michael Darcy, future editor of Binghamton Review, and the future president of the Black Student Union, Wllliam Peake. All candidates were allowed to spCak. Sources say

that Mr. Darcy gave his speech, but Mr. the S.A. Office Manager, Riva Rittberg, Peake must have gotten nervous because and copies circulated to each of the four he left the room. Yet as it turns out, Mr. S.A E-Board Members. Things were Peake got a position and Mr. Darcy did done carefully to prevent slip-ups, but not. Darcy was told he was "unquali- the elections were not publicized. fied" for the job. Which seems fine unOn Monday, September 18, OCC cantil one considers that there were more didate Anthony Benardello attended the open positions than there were candi- S.A. E-Board meeting in order to voice dates. Darcy, Peake, and any of the other his complaints about the lack of inforcandidates at that meeting therefore mation and publicity on the OCC elecweren't running against each other- tions. He was at first told that it was they were running unopposed. It would OCC's responsibility, but after more disseem the people at OCC have long cussion told that the E-board would thought that refusing to give someone a "take care of it". The next day an article student government position based on appeared in Pipe Dream in which Ausone's ideology is perfectly OK, no mat- tin Graff voiced further complaints ter how many more open positions there against OCC for not publicizing its elecwere than people interested in them. tions or giving its candidates ample time Rather an empty seat than a dissenting to campaign. OCC Facilitator Nicole Johnson was quoted as saying that she one.

All that is in the past. This year, "feels it [campaigning] is not necesNicole Johnson is the OCC Facilitator. sary". That same day, EVP Dave Siegel One potential OCC candidate for Hatpur announced the three-week postponeCollege Council told me less than two ment of the elections.

The next evening, the SA Elections days before the elections were supposed to take place that he had not yet heard Committee, co-chaired by Siegel and when the elections were-even though Marc Bloch, had its first meeting. The the dates for the election had been fi- committee consisted of two representanalized almost two weeks previously. He tives from Newing, one from Dickinson, hadn't even been notified as to whether three from Hinman (two voting), two his letter-of-intent had been received. from CIW, and Nicole Johnson from His phone calls, voice messages, and OCC, who left after fifteen minutes. The. notes to the Facilitator regarding the status of his letter-of-intent had gone unanswered.

Some candiYou're in good hands. dates for OCC positions, Edward M. Valdes fearing their Account Agent letters-of-intent would be 3102 Vestal Parkway East, Vestal, NY 13850 "lost" , had 797-1253 them stamped After Nov. 1: 1903 Vestal Parkway East, 786路8000 and dated by

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14

Binghamton Review

community representatives who stayed were upset by the change, and more than one asked why such a postponement had been made. Siegel seemed reluctant to discuss specific complaints, and in fact would not. The community reps said they thought the problem was lack of interest, not lack of pUblicity. In addition, there was a lack of information as to just what each position does. Community representatives asked questions about what would happen to their elections, still scheduled for the next two days. What would happen if someone running unopposed now had competition? Would that be fair? Would someone who lost a dorm election be allowed to run for SA in the later election? What about vacant positions? The committee discussed these and other possibilities and came up with what it felt were the most fair procedures.

Siegel stressed that these procedures, which some of the community representatives said would be very inconvenient for both them and their current SA and HCC candidates-such as taking down all their campaign signs and putting them back up in two weeks, were only for this year. A standing committee would be set up to establish an orderly elections procedure for the future, and to eliminate conflicts between the S.A. constitution, area constitutions, and Bylaws I. Further, running S.A. and HCC elections through a central Elections Committee is mandated by the SA Constitution.

Siegel also listed a set of procedures which he thought would make elections

October, 1995

News more fair. For instance, allietters-of-intent would have to be brought to the S.A Office, thus the possibility of their being "lost" is lessened. Ballot boxes will be manned by hired poll-sitters, but no poll-sitter will sit at a box in his or her own community-thus the possibility of stuffing ballot boxes is lessened. At night, the boxes would be brought to some central location to which as few people as possible have access. He h3lfjokingly suggested bringing the boxes to his house, then more seriously suggested ULED headquarters. This would hopefully reduce the risk of tampering overnight. All of these have been the source of past grievances.

Siegel spoke about the constitutionality of the postponement. While we now have an elections committee as the constitution mandates, putting the elections off until October violates the IS-day rule in the S.A. constitution-which states that elections must be held within the first fifteen days of class. Siegel said he believed holding elections fairly and establishing the committee outweighed the IS-day rule, but in the future an effort would be made to conform to both rules.

He acknowledged there were many complaints-he didn't want to name names or point fingers. Other sources in the S.A Office suggested that this postponement of elections is being done to cover certain people's behinds. Certain community leaders were not doing their jobs, and allusions were made to the acc Office. Some have alleged Siegel did it to cover his own behind-that he was threatened with impeachment.

This year, many people who were running unopposed for important positions will now probably have competition.

They are justifiably upset by this. Maybe balancing the competition with fairness is a reasonable trade. If these new procedures can guarantee fair elections in areas where the words "fair" and "election" have never appeared in the same sentence before, in areas where a certain ideology make one "unqualified" to serve on student government, then it seems to be worth it.

The Elections Committee is going to have a tough job this year. They are going to have to be strict and unbending.

They are going to have to impose tough guidelines and stick with them. Most of all, if they see violations, they are going to have to expose, punish, and correct them. If they can do this, maybe they can help fix a system that bas been badly flawed for years. S.A President Doug Boettner mentioned that while he was all for making the elections as fair as possible and giving people the greatest chance to get involved, he thought it was kind of upsetting that all these controls must be instituted, to the point where communities aren't even allowed to accept their own letters-of-intent.

But unfortunately, as past experience has shown, it's very necessary. Whether this plan works or not remains to be seen. Perhaps it is best to be cautiously optimistic.

Joshua Trapani is a senior majoring in Geology. He is the copy editor ofBinghamton Review.

BINGHAMTONREVIEW Save your mind-,-p1Jlitto work

October, 1995

Analysis

Binghamton Review

IS

A Study of Textbook Bias

By Teresa MCGoff

C

onservatives have often charged that a bias is prevalent in the teaching of college courses as illusttated in the texts chosen by instructors. They have felt that a subversive attempt to sway students is obviously underway, considering the alleged liberal nature of college texts. As such, an objective study has been made at our own university bookstore. Randomly selected classes provided a brief analysis of the current intellectual faire offered by the University faculty.

History 103, Foundations of America, is being taught by graduate student Laurie Gagne. Robert Harris, also a graduate student, was originally slated to instruct the class, but received a teaching opportunity elsewhere. As such, Ms. Gagne did not choose the texts for this class.

There are six texts required for this basic freshman history course. At the time of the research done by this writer, only four were in stock. The texts chosen appear to be of a fairly objective nature; primary documents constitute the basis of the students' reading. The Pioneers, by James Fenimore Cooper, and Common Sense, by Thomas Paine, equally present the student with a sound, overall vieW of the events occurring in their respective times.

A primary reader, The World Turned Upside Down: Indian Voices From Early America, edited by Colin G. Calloway, provides a view of North American Indian life. The editor appears to have a fairly moderate stance on the past; in his introduction, he states, "Just as European documents often presented a onesided view of the past, so Indian speakers often portrayed Europeans as greedy and aggressive, while depicting themselves as innocent victims." (p. VI). This is a decent interpretation of the interaction of the two groups.. The editor hasn't favored one group and denounced an-

other, a practice which is far too common in historical analysis today.

The remaining text, American Issues.

Volume I: A Primary Source Reader in U.S. History, edited by Irwin Unger, is also comprised of original documents, contplete with pro and con views of historieal events. Although the texts are of an objective nature, it will be up to the replacement instructor to present an equally objective viewpoint.

History 230, History of the Future, is being taught by Professor Warren Wagar. For this class, the students are required to purchase six books. The first, Ecotopia, by Ernest CaUenbach, is a novel. The main character, a federal agent, is sent to investigate a utopian society located on the western coast of the United States. This society is comprised of many elements that would be recognized as left-wing; women are the dominant force in the community, minicities are in existence, the worship of trees supplants their religion. In addition, individuals only work a twenty hour workweek, and all subscribe to the

prinCiple of free love. At the climax of the story, the protagonist is "kidnapped" (although his assailants do not refer to it as such), persuading him to recognize the error of his ways. Thus, our hero embarks upon the "right" decision, and ultimately decides to become a citizen in this unbalanced society.

Professor Wagar is the author of two of the course's texts. The first, A Short History ofthe Future, is decidedly leftwing. This book is a "made-up" version of what the future might hold.

Wagar describes a futuristic Soviet Union as such: "What prevailed then, in the allegedly socialist countries, was not socialism at all, but state capitalism.

Whatever else it may have been, for better or worse, state capitalism was capitalism." (p.14). The obvious message here is that no matter how you look at it, capitalism is responsible for all ofthe world's woes.

Wagar's second book, The Next Three Futures, is also overtly left-wing. In this text, Wagar basically analyzes the future of the Earth, as well as the future of war

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16

Binghnm ton Review

Analysis

October. 1995

and peace. Characteristically, his pre- able for review. dictions are overtly Marxist, as revealed T he firs t. Rein the following quote : "All this is ex- flections oj an actly what radicals have long been pre- Affirmati ve Ac- ~ dicting. In their view. as the capitalist li on Baby , by -.; L. j system matures, it runs into a wall of its Stephen own making, limits to growth that bring Carter, dea ls depressed incomes to all but the with a modern wealthy... ln time large segments of the issue which is middle class will be pauperized and the quite controvernewly poor. or their children, will even- sial, and theretually sink into the working class, lend- fore worthy of ing added support to the forces that must discussion. Alone day smash the system." It makes one though the auwonder if Professor Wagar's overriding thor attempts to preference for Marxism doesn't impair take a fairly ob- All of these books would be valuable to a University COllrse, bllt they do not appear on any syllablls jective stance, his ability to analyze the future .

The three remaining texts deal pri- he freely admits marily with the role thatteclmology will that he, as a professor in a law school, it truly was.

Anthropology 363, The Anthropology play in the future. Brave New World, looks for reasons to admit applicants

by Aldous Huxley, is a novel which ex- who are of the same ethnicity as him. of Developing Nations, is taught by Proamines the effects of genetic engineer- At the very least, Carter admits that he fessor Michael Horowitz. There are five ing and brainwashing. In this possible does favor minorities. Nonetheless, this books available for purc hase in this future. individualism is dead. resulting practice is not fair to anyone, including class, four of which were in stock at the in a bankruptcy in society. The only the minorities who have gained admit- time of this review.

Green De velopmen t: Environment character which displays individualis- tance only due to their skin color.

The ne,1 book, Making a Ne w Deal: and Sustainability in the Third World, tic traits is referred to as "The Savage" and is ultimately ostracized from this Indllstrial Workers in Chicago, 1919- by W.M . Adams, is a tex1 which prerigidly determined society. In this novel, 1939, by Lizabeth Cohen, deals prima- sents the environnlental aspect of the detechnology is a force which is criticized rily with the working class and their velopment of third-world countries. Infor causing the deterioration of people "struggle" th roughout history. This tex1 terestingly enough, poor people are emas individual thinkers. is obviously very labor oriented, and powered by enviromnenlal development, Fast Forward, by Richard Carlson therefore tends to be one-sided. Cohen as the author slates, "At its heart, 'greenand Bruce Goldman, and Preparing For states that, "At even the most basic level ing' development involves not just a The 21st Centllry, by Paul Kennedy, also of job security, welfare capita lists pursuit of ecological guidelines and new deal with the impact of technology upon sbowed themselves to be untrustworthy. " planning structures, but an attempt to the future. These texts, recently pub- (p.240). This is quite an assumption for redirect change to maintain or enhance lished, appear to be overall accounts of the author to make, branding a whole the power of the poor to survive without how society will fare in an increasingly group of people as "untrustworthy" ; a hindrance and to dirccttheir own lives." technological world. fact which is quite difficult to prove. (p. 202) . The logical conclusion is that The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test , by environmentalism can be assessed as a The works of Alvin and Heidi Tomer are a glarin g omission on Professor Tom Wolfe, is a description of the ex- force which can be used by the poor to Wagar's syllabus. The Tomers claim to ploits of a group of hippies known as elevate thei r living conditions. be left-of-<:enter and their books, Flltllre "The Pranksters." TIleir leader, TimoThe next text, Development and UnShock and Third Wave , support tllese thy Leary, is best known for his serving derdevelopment in Historical Perspecideological assertions. Perhaps their as- acid-spiked Kool-Aid to various people, tive, by Gavin Kitching, also appears to sociation with Newt Gingrich has ren- as indicated in the title of the book. The attach left-wi ng philosophies to develdered them too reactionary for Profes- book is an account of the lifestyle of the oping nations. This book investigates sor Wagar 's laste. counterculture in the 1960's. Although neo-populist movements in Tazina and History 353, Society and Thought in this is a valid topic for discussion in this China . Once again, the perspective the Modem United States, is being in- course, one does wonder whether the give n to interpreting the historica l structed by Brian Crawford, a graduate lifestyle ofa small segment of the popu- framework of developing natio ns is defistudent. There are five texts required for lation in the 1960 's will be presented as nitely of a Marxist nature. the course, three of which were avail- mainstream, or as a counterculture, as The course also requires the purchase

'i

I

October. 1995

of rl l)1'ld IJel'e / opm enl R ep ort 1995: fl cwkers in aI/int egrating World. This

is just a yearly publication comprised mostly of the reporting and interpretation of da!.1 . As long as the students arc permitted to draw their own conclusio ns

of the statistics. it is a valid te~1 .

The last te.xt available for review.

Rural Developmen t ill lite Third frorld.

Analysis

Bing ham/em R ellieu'

cates that Reagan. Bu sh. and Clinton have become O\"crly co ncerned with America"s role as a global power. resulting in the domestic deterioration of our country. The authors stale. " In an era of deregulation and finan cial profiteering. care for the elderly plunged 10 \c,'cls reminiscent of the earl y decades of the last centur)".·· (p.77). The authors clearlv jump to an ill-gotten conclusion thai de-

17

nnd James B. Steele. and /n vc'l1ling Reali ly : The' /'otitics (~/ .vC' II'S ,\ ledia. nrc equally dominated b~' liberal philosophies. The wrilers of the first text blame as what they pcrceiy(' the horri ble condition of America on unca ring capitalists.

This study suggests lhat there is indeed a leftist slant to man\" of the classes taughl at this Universitv. The lextbooks

b!' Chris Dixon. also structures society along primarily economi c terms. There is a chapter dealing with the ad"ocation of the redistribution of resources.

Once again. the third world .~ is divided in terms of wealth. :1l Sociology 277 . Wealth . ~ I.'." .... ~,.~ : Power. and' Poverty in the j United States. is instructed by Professor James Petras. The ~~,""i"\t<llfl:lii, a- • six texts require d for the '· O'IIU~ .. \\{r1lP.\'n:. CJI - • -0 course are all re markably slanted to the left . lea"ing absolutely no room for dissenting viewpoints.

The first. 111e Assassinalion 0/ New lark, by Robert Fitch. is overtly biased. On the inside Oap of the text. the review states, "Their (financial and rea!-estate elite) goals USEt) , L ., have been simple and monor;,._...:.::B~L.( K 'IMINIS! TNOUGHT lithic- to increase the value of the land they own by ex( \\ \1 \\ \ ... _ truding low-rent workers and This selection af honks is represen tative of the intellectual [are factories. replacing them with served up hy educators at Binghamton Universi(v this semester high-rent professionals and office build!ngs.·· This propaganda is perpetrated throughout the regulation and financial profiteering are that various instructors have selected are book . Unsurprisingly. the author be- responsible for the ignora nce of the far from objective: instead. the books lieves that an evil class of elites exists plight of the elderly. How can this be seem to have been chosen to validate an only to defraud poor working people of proven') No matter. they don 't bother to instmctor 's own opinions. As such. there is not a wide range of opinions a"aildiscounl other possibi lities. their livelihood and working space.

The next text. Who Rules America able in the books reviewed. Only two The second text, r aria/ions 011 a Theme Park: The New A merican Cily No w?:;1 I'iell' /or Ihe 80 by G. Will- books in tbe entire books tore were and Ihe End 0/Publi c Space. by Michael iam Domholf. is also comprised of lib- aligned with conservative/libertarian Sorking. also maintains the opinion that eral half-truths. The classic Marxist con- ideololl" : Free Ii) Choose. by Milton and Rose Friedman . and Dip lumacy. by making money is wrong . One idea for- cepts of "ruling class". and "workers" warded. "Pioneering For Profit'· (p.79) are widely exploited, The text ob"iousl!' Henry Kissenger. were the sum tOlal of clearly implies that profiteering is ethi- blames our current stateofalTairs on the the opposition to the preva lent liberal cally wrong.

Empire or R epublic: 1980's. the decade of greed and wealth texts.

American Global Power and Domestic (as they see it).

The remaining two texts. .-Im erica: Teresa ,\ /'Gof/ is Ihe Seniol' I':elilor 0/ Decay. by James Petras (the instructor IIlwl INmlll ivng? by Donald L. Barlett Binghamton Reyiew. of the course) and Morris Morley. advo-

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Binghamton Review

Sei-Fi Serial

October, 1995

Keilka

By Dawn M ' Kibbin

A

young man lay in the green grass basking in the early Oc tober sun and reading lazily on day in 2131 . He often stared posessivcly at the early post-modern brick buildings which surrounded him. " 1 made it," he thought with self-congratulatory smugness though he was still scarccly able to believe that he was here, at a university studying what he wished, and beyond the reach of all the commissions, boards. and bureaucrats which had hitherto governed his life.

"They named me right," he thought as he took off his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes. His name. Keilka, meant ' the cunning one, ' and he had used every bit Utustraiioo

Joanna P, taki

of gilllc to wheedle his way into being allowed to attend a university. He took one last appreciative look about, tlus once wi thout the ever present shades, as he ra n his fi nge rs through his fine , straight, raven ha ir. stretched his long, lithe form and lay down to doze.

Keilka awoke to the sound of shouting in the distancc. The suddenness and volume of the disturbance had tapped some deep instinct, and the young man found himself looking about warily witil his body fully braced for a fight. Realizing his situation- this was just one of the incessa nt student protests-he placed his hand over his eyes, took a deep breath and forced himself to relax

as he fumbled about in the grass for his glasses. Luckily, no one had seen him without them, and the sun had fallen buildings leavfng his overly sensitive eyes in tile shade.

He tried to resume reading, but the protesters were nearly upon him, and their noise made it impossible to concentrate. At least they weren 't after him, he thought. He had been quite scrupulous in concealing his identity, though having to do so disgusted him. Keilka watched in both bemu sement and amusement as the whole cavalcade with its chants and bad altitude and misspelled signs marched past him. Then he went back to his studies. He assUI-

October, 1995

Sel-O Serial

Binghamton Review

19

edly did not care about campus politics lipped, wry smile, but this quickly exwith its in-groups and out-groups and ploded into outright laughter which reBinghamton Review's victims-in-need-of-sympathy groups. So vealed his small, pointed teeth and two Top·lO long as everyone let him alone, he would long, dagger-sharp upper canines. '~iversity" ··Courses return the favor.

"Breeder'" the woman gasped instincThe young man sat reading with re- tively in a voice tinged with not a little newed concentration for some time, but bit of fear and loathing. There were not 10. Physics and Phalluses finally hunger and thirst distracted him. may of the so-called "extra-humans" so He gathered up his things and ambled it was quite a shock to meet one of them 9. Tectonics and OpPression offtoward the Union where he saw knots face to face.

8. Antarcticocentrism..·; and gaggles of protesters standing in "That wasn't very nice," Keilka refront of the doors. Someone was trying plied without loosing his normal cold7. •·.·Bobpitnomi~s•. •·. . . •.•·.!•. .:.:<•. ,•.•.••.. . .•. . . . . . . . to organize a human chain about the ness or letting his native cynicism have 6. How to··· building, but the throng seemed unable free reign. He would not be drawn into Empty to respond to any attempts at coordina- any sort of a fight with a human-it was tion. Keilka shrugged and plunged into always quite useless to point out their Building .' the milling crowd which stood between own contradictions and it only rein5 .Misspelling:i~b~est him and the doors. Just as he thought forced the thinking that his people were Signs:ACrashq()~~. he might make it to his goal, he felt only what they had been bred for: the some one tugging at the back of his Last Great War. He stepped around the woman, and she, perhaps repentant for shirt.

Scourge <of Ameri¢a.,···. ..•...

Keilka turned to face a white, nose- her words, troubled him no more that ringed woman carrying a placard stat- day...

3~Victilltiztion: ing that the whole university with its a Pro. ..•... bureaucracy and concessionaires was a Editor s Note: Binghamton Review is 2..Nibilism:AMulticuitUra1··· racist, sexist, oppressive structure. The pleased to announce that we will be runwoman heatedly reinterated her sign's ning "KeUka" as a serial throughout the message and chided him so vigorously year. The author, Dawn McKibbin. holds that even the ends of her dreadlocks a Masters Degree in Political Science from Binghamton University and curseemed to wiggle in disapprobation. and·Effort:·H()~btor$~~.

Keilka merely shrugged and coolly re- rently resides in Jackson. Wyoming. as~ plied that he hadn't any evidence of their where she writes and works as a layout allegation and that they should not make artist for a local newspaper. the mistake of thinking the bureaucrats racist and sexist when they were merely being their normal incompetent selves.

He then turned toward the door, but she quickly pl~ced herself in front of him.

Again, to his annoyance, she lectured him, but as thirsty as he was, Keilka was loath to resort to violence, even though • Music •.Vldeo Cames • CD-ROM • Comics • he could have picked her up and put her aside without the least exertion.

We1re Your Game Card Headquarters!

- Magic Unaware of the true nature of the taIl, -Rage thin-faced, beardless man standing in - Star Wars MAGIC singles available front of her, the woman continued to talk • Star Trek at Kei1ka. For his part, Keilka main-Ice Age tained his usual calm demeanor al- Overpower though he did not agree with her. The woman grew disgusted and eventually - Guardians snapped, "You show exactly what we mean when we say white men will never be able to understand oppression."

Noun: Mon 10-9 • Sun 12-5 Keilka tried hard tt) maintain a tight-

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211

Htngha1l1fol'l I? eviell'

October. 1995

Colonm

How to Protest Effectively: A Basic Primer

S

tudent protests are a long-stand ing tradi tio n that hayc existed as

long as there have been students \\ ith something 10 complain about. It is generall )' accepted that the lirst student protest occurred about 2900 B.C.-during Egypt 's second dynasty Apparently.

a II umber of students had grown weary or the Illnited curriculum in thei r histo" de partment- which consisted primaril)' of the stud~' of Egypt"s first dy-

the stands began to shout: "We want hoops! " Having that many people turn against )'ou in your debut is most delinitely not a good way to build a poSitive gro undswe ll of support . Thus. the First Rule of Protest: Stage your initial actions directly at the person or persons in a position to negotiate with you. Do not incom'cn icncc those who ca nnot

nas ly. To promote their cause. the stu-

dents dove into the Nile Ri,·er. intending to form a human chain thai would block all eommcrcia l boating traffi c.

Unfortunatel)·. the students failed to take into account that this was the time of )ear the Nile flooded. The students were quickly was hed into the Mediterranean Sea and not heard from again . The lo-

Sharper Image

ca l lIni\·c rsit ~· resumed its intensive

stud)' of the first dynast'· of E/,'ypt and thlngs went on pretty mllch as before .

Not much has changed in the ncarl)' IiYe thousand yea rs since that fateful day.

Students are still protesting- with similar resuits more often than not. One need onl y consider e, 'ents that transpired at Rutgers Uni ve rsity. New Jersey. this pas t )·ear. When it was revealed that uniyersi t), president Francis Lawrence made a comment relating SAT test scores and racer. students staged a series of demonstrations demanding his resignation.

In a short period of time. these protests resulted in an exp:mential increase in publicit)' which coincided with an exponentia l decrease in public support for their cause.

The students first act of brill iance was to force the postponement of a Rut gers basketball game by staging a sit-in on the court midway through a ga me with Massachusetts. This was the lirst indication that these were not going to be a well-run series of demonstratio ns. As these students took over the b.1sketball court. nearly 8500 people in

Gordon Sharpless help you.

The students continued to stage small protests and rallies around campus. Rallies are a great way to get )'our demands heard without violating the First Rule.

Several bus loads of students then went to Trenton. New Jersey. to meet \vith Governor Chri stine Todd Whitman and present her wi th a list of demands. In addition to their initi a l request for Lawrence's head on a platter. the students also demanded tuition cuts and the abo lition of SAT scores as an entrance requirement. They subsequently added curriculum changes to thei r list. They

got nothing. Thus. the Second Rule of Protest: Do not increase your demands.

Stick with yO\tr original request and don 't get greedy.

But the greatest debacle at Rutgersperhaps the greatest debacle in the annals of modern-day demonstrationsoccurred when the students blocked the intersection of Route 18 and US . Route I in New Brunswick, resuiting in a traffic jam of epic proportions. There is nothing of this magnitude in Broome County- the Johnson City circle is peanuts by comparison. This screw-up beca me the topic of talk -radio shows throughout the state and public opinion of the protesters feU straight down the toi let. Several people suggested ca pital punishment as an appropriate punishment. Thus. the Third Ru le of Protest: Unless your goal is to increase air pollution. wastc natural resourccs. and urge the public to completely di sregard their personal responsibilities. never, ever. ever. pull a stunt like blocking major traffic arteries. You will receive more publicity than you bargained for- and none of it will be good.

That little highway gathering in essence marked the end of the Rutgers situation. This was unfortunate. not because the students lost their light. but because the)' did not have the opportunity to make a number of other mistakes.

Fortunately. a number of students at our very own Binghamton University pulled a few Rutgers-type stunts oftheir own last year. They have been well publicized in these pages, so I'll go straight to the rules. Rule Four: Do not involve children. especially the children of your target. Rule Five: Don't throw snowballs at him either. Let your parents come and throw snowballs at the governor. especially if they' re the ones paying for your tuition.

An additional rule to consider: Do not take over administration buildings on

Column

Bingham/on Review

The constfllction of your sign is very important. If possible, usc water-resistant materials. That way, if it rainsinstant umbrella. After the march, if it is winter- instant sled. A sturdy handle will make an excellent steering mecha-

Now that a number of rules have been presented to facilitate successful campus demonstrations, perhaps we should find a cause. Better yet, we can stage a demonstration with no cause whatsoever. Perhaps we can march around campus with blank signs, shouting : "What do we want? Nothing! When do we want it? Now!" We can present university officials with blank pieces of paper which outline these very specific demands. We could block the entrance to a maintenance shed or take over the campus pub.

Has anyone given thought to the deplorable situation we have concerning available parking for commu ters?

Hmmm ...

October, 1995

Fridays. You may expect a long and lonely weekend. The official whose office you invaded will either be at home or enjoying a weekend outing camping in U,e CatskiUs. You and your buddies, on the other hand, will be holed up in an office without food, water, and did someone say something about needing to usc a bathroom? Think about these practicalities before laying siege to a university building.

On a positive note, I do believe a march can be an effective means of drawing attention to your cause without violating the above rules. It's also good exercise. I highly recommend carrying a sign with you, preferably one with writing on it. Be sure to use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. You are in college, remember?

nism.

One last bit of advice: Give serious thought to getting arrested, especially when the protest concerns something that probably won 't matter to you in 5 to 10 years. In the eyes of the Broome County authorities, you will not be some college student exercising his or her rights in a moment of self-discovery and inner gro\\1h-you will be a criminal and treated as such. Consider that you will be reminded of this youthful indiscretion every time you fill out a job application.

Gordon Sharpless is a graduale sludent majoring in Art lfislory

Non-PC Halloween Costumes Other Forbidden Costumes: Ghost: Makes fun of the terminally inconvenienced.

Soldier: Glorifies war. Buffalo Soldier acceptable.

Gypsy: Trivializes those of nomadic culture . They cannot lobby effectively against this.

This is a person who practices alternate property rights in a marine paradigm. Usually physically challenged or visually different. May not be trivialized.

Bill Clinton: Flawed-but still not allowed to be mocked .

Multiculturalist: It might hurt their feelings .

21

This is a not a member of the Womyn's Center, but a persyn who practices alternative religion. May not be marginalized symbolically in any way.

Be PC! Dress as a White, Heterosexual, Christian Male!

A public service message from the Task Force to Stifle Independent Thought-We Care!

22

Binghamton Review

October, 1995

Letters

Why do We Fail to Look Beyond the Shadows in the Cave?

It has been 10 months since I last wrote about the decimation of the quality of SUNY-Binghamton in Pipe Dream. I detailed some of my concerns in the piece, although the editors surreptitiously changed the title from

that we cut. Student organizations should work with the administration so that certain programs are improved or maintained. This would involve the university operating as a private institution in a free and open marketplace.

The decline" of the" university can be SUNY-Binghamton Burns as We All Fiddle to the comparatively sterile Qual- alleviated by becoming integrated iJtto ity of Binghamton U. Declining. This the marketplace. This would entail: time, I wi)). suggest solutions for the ail" • Working closely with the private sec" ingSUNY-B. tor to decide what courses provide betThe first point to be reiterated is that ter opportunities for students. the students at Binghamton are not get• All departments should be required ting a "big bang for their buck" as ubiq: to report their marketplace value to the uitous college guides and conniving administration. In other words, they university administrators suggest. In- must identify the utility they provide to stead, we are getting a "whimper". Class the marketplace. sizes continue to increase and graduate • The Board of Trustees should constudents teach more courses than ever tract out managerial and administrative before. Is this Lois DeFleur's idea of in- functions--such as financial aid, student novation? Innovation requires leader- accounts, and the office of the presiship and informed decision making, not dent-through a System of competitive gimmickry like new signs and new sta- bidding, one subject to review and contionary. Someone, in the tradition of tract.

Harry S Truman, must say that "the buck By the way, the Financial Aid Office stops here" and make the necessary pro- should be the first in the pilot studies of grammatic cuts, instead of spreading privatization efforts because they seem slow and agonizing pain throughout the to have mastered the art of creating uluniversity. What the present administra- cers in students. tion has done is akin to a slow poisonIt has been my observation that the ing by arsenic. The university adminis- university administration suffers from trators must decide whether they want cronyism. When was the last senior adto focus on graduate or undergraduate ministrator promoted from within the education. Given the declining economy university? How can one justify the of the state, the government of New York present gynecocracy except through lacks both the resources and political partron-client politics? will to excel at both levels. SententiousLet me conclude by saying that the ness aside, it is always better to be a university is in serious trouble. Undermaster of one trade than a jack-of-all standing how it got to this point is a step forward in solving the problems, but it trades.

The second point that I'd like to fo- is important for the university to try new cus my energy on is misdirected student approaches. We should keeP the followactivism. In my December piece, I said ing in mind: Those who continue to that many student groups employ a lib- cling to antiquated appr~hes in a new eral clone mentality and maintain that era are likely to continue to suffer from low tuition is their primary objective the harsh blast of changing times. It is instead of programmatic improvements. past time for the university community Universities simply cannot operate with- to wake up. out faculty members. We need an infuRobert W. Comp.ton, Jr. sion offresh blood into the system. FacPh.D. Candidate ulty members should be the last resource Department ofPolitical Science

BINGHAMTON REVIEW MEETINGS

7:30 P.M. UU-I03

THURSDAYS

WRITERS, ARTISfS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, AND SALESPEOPLE NEEDED

October, 1995

Quibbles 4 Bits

Binghamton Review

Not Bill, Not Chelsea

Short Political Test

Babs Babbles

Off-and-on President Hillary Rodham Clinton says that contact lenses are "the best thing that ever happened to me."

[New York Post, August 5, 1995]

Sam Brownback, a Republican representative from Kansas, sums up the differences between liberals and conservatives: "Do you agree with Sonny-or Cher?" [The American Enterprise, July/ Aug~ 1995]

On Larry King Live, Barbra Streisand said she was "tired of...[this] antigovernment rhetoric" and expressed her disappointment that people are shying away from liberalism. [TV, etc. ~ July, 1995]

PC ilacklash

Magnum, GOP?

A released assistant. stage director has filed suit against the' Metropolitan 0pera of New York City, claiming she:was fired because she is not a homosexual man. [Reason, July/August, 1995]

Tom Selleck on Streisand: "I like Barbra a lot, but she ought to shut up about [her liberalism] .. '.Hollywood is so intolerant of other points of view." [Tv, etc., August, 1995]

No Bias Here

We Hate Government?

Two cops in Grand Central Station grabbed black bus~essman Earl Graves and frisked him. They had been alerted to an armed 5' 10" black man with a moustache. Graves, is 6'4" and clean shaven. [Reason, July/August, 199~]

James Nichols, friend and brother to the accused Oklahoma City bombers, has complained to his state representative that he is owed more than the $36,522 he has been paid in farm subsidies by the federal government over the years [TheAmerican Enterprise, July/August, 1995]

Socializing Passivity?

A 6-year-old girl recently stabbeda 7year-old playmate in the back with a steak knife during a fight over Barbie Dolls. [Press&Sun-Bulletin, September 20, 1995] PC Courses

Brown University offers "Circumcision: Male and Female, Jewish and Gentile"; "Iron Johns: Power, Pain, and Violence"; and "Disney: Uncle Walt and the FBI" among its list of Ivy League classes. [Washington Times, September 16, 1995] Whoops!

No Liberal Media Bias, Either

Seen in the New Yorker: "Editor's Note... In criticizing the political views of Patrick Buchanan, Mr. [Bill] Bennett said, 'It's a real us-and-them kind of thing,' not, as we reported, 'It's a real S&M kind of thing.'" [Human Events, September 1, 1995] , Pere-strike-a

The boorish Vladimir Zhirinovsky recently got in a fistfight with Yevgenia Tishkovskaya, a female member of the Russian parliament. She got in a right hook; he responded by grabbing her throat. [Washington Times, September 16, 1995] Sayve Publik Skools!

New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was assailed by a crowd of college students who misspelled his name, ''tiution'', and "priorty" in another stirring rally intended to prove the SUNYs deserve more support. [The American Enterprise, September; 1995]

While reporting on the Susan Smith murder trial, Newsweek reporters made sure to mention that Smith's abusive stepfather Beverly Russell was "active in the Republican Party and the Christian Coalition". [Notable Quotables, July 31, 1995]

23

Capitalism Rules

The entire 10th precinct of the Moscow police force has been suspen~ for pandering. The officers had repo~y bee~. driving hookers to their clients. [Rea-, son, August/September, 1995.]' .'

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