MONDAY
DECEMBER
3,2001
/^
44 -^ S- 64
Sunny
Lady
Raiders beat
Ole Miss
In Sports, page 8
INSIDE:
Janitors need to make more money
Middle Tennessee State University
Comic breaks
the mold
of funny
In Features, page 6
An editorially
independent
newspaper
Si nuuic iciiiiciice oidie *_/inver
IDELINES
Volume 76 No. 105
Criminal justice fraternity wins honors
Seniors bring home 10 awards in
firearms, corrections and more
By LaQunda Partee Contributor
Delta Omicron Alpha, the criminal justice fraternity .it MTSU, went to regional compe- tition Nov. 15-18 and brought back 10 awards.
Seniors Kyle Evans, Robyn
Burns and Cameran Reed com- peted against more than loo students from 13 stales.
"The competition gave an opportunity tor professionals to come together lor a little fun," said Burns, president ot Helta Omicron Alpha.
The competition was held in
Greeneville, S.C. Students com- peted in events involving crime scenes, firearms and physical
agility.
lo compete, students had to have their own weapon, have studied a safety course and completed 70 credit hours.
Reed also won an all expense paid trip to the nation- al competition in Cheyenne, Wyo., to be held March 17-23.
The awards were as follows:
Evans, 3rd place, police man- agement, 2nd place, firearms team; Burns, 1st place, correc- tions, 2nd place, juvenile, 2nd place, firearms team; Reed, 1st place, overall academic, 2nd place, corrections, 2nd place, firearms team, 3rd place, juve- nile, 3rd place, physical agility.
Delta Omicron Alpha is a professional fraternity for stu- dents who major or minor in criminal justice.
The organization provides an outlet for criminal justice majors to consult and meet pro- fessionals in the field.
Applicants must have a 2.5 GPA and no felonies on their records.
Dues are S40 each academic year. ♦
Officers run for fallen sisters,
brothers in New York City
Photos by Amy Jones | Staff
(Above) Volunteers and employees of MTSU Public Safety wait at the water table for runners and walkers during Thursday's Enduring Freedom Run.
(Right) Public Safety secretary Margie Hardin runs a lap to raise money for the fam- ilies of the officers killed in New York City Sept. 11.
Money raised will benefit
families of rescue workers
By Victoria Cumbow Staff Writer
MTSU's police officers broke out their running shoes Thursday to raise money for the families of New York City relief workers who died as a result of the events of Sept. 11.
For the past few weeks, par- ticipants have been collecting money from sponsors for the Enduring Freedom Run.
A total of 10 police officers and department personnel participated in the event and ran or walked a total of 257 laps.
"We ran in hour shifts," said Officer Tony Taylor, who came up with the idea lor the run.
"I ran the whole hour for a total of 38 laps. It was a little hard, but I just figured, if those officers can go out and give the ultimate sacrifice, then I can endure a little bit ot pain.
"I was in the Cult War and Somalia, so (the attacks) hit me pretty hard," he said.
"I felt I needed to do some- thing. I felt that if this money
can help one person out, then we've done something."
All the money collected will go directly to a fund for the fallen officers' and port authority officials' families.
"We decided as an office that the money collected need ed to go directl) to the families of the officers killed,' said Margie Hardin, secretary tor Public Safety. Donations were made either through a flat donation or a donation per
lap.
Chief Jack Drugmand admitted to being sore.
"I usually exercise roughly about three miles a day," he said, "but I almost doubled that on Thursday. I'm sore."
Although the total still is not known, the department hopes lor at least $1,000.
t ash or check donations can be made through Friday to
MTSU Box 141. ♦
MTSU expands contract with Aramark
to cover 800,000 square feet of campus
Custodians have been shifted to
different buildings, not fired;
recruitment, money cited as reasons
By Angelica Journagin Staff Writer
Recruitment problems and the need to save money have prompted MTSU to expand Aramark's custodial contract.
Aramark, which has provid- ed food services to MTSU for the past 30 years, now is respon- sible for providing custodial services to 800,000 of the 2.5 million square feet of MTSU's
campus.
This is an increase of 300,000 square feet that Aramark had been responsible for from a pre- vious contract.
According to David Gray, MTSU director of facilities, it will cost MTSU 20 percent less to contract out to Aramark than it would if MTSU provided the services themselves.
Money was not the only rea- son for MTSU outsource part of
campus.
"We've had a very hard time trying to find level one custodi- ans," Gray said. "Part of the problem is that we simply can't pay them enough."
Tennessee sets the pay scale for the custodians. Currently, entry level custodians make a little more than $11,000 a year, which is about $3,000 less than the national poverty line.
This year MTSU received $280,000 from the state to make improvements and fix problems with the campus. Cray went on to say he is not expecting an increase of funds from the state in the near future.
"If the state isn't going to give us money to fix our prob- lems then I don't think they are going to give us money for a raise" for custodial workers. Gray said.
Custodians who worked in the newly controlled Aramark buildings have been moved to another shift or different build- ing.
Gray said he currently has no plans to fire workers.
This has not stopped custo- dians from worrying that they will lose their job.
"I feel, eventually, we will be without a job," said a custodial monitor at MTSU who pre-
ferred to stay anonymous. "|Aramark] is taking all of the buildings. Soon there will be no other place for us to go."
While many of the custodial workers are forced to have a sec- ond job, she said she had not heard of anyone planning to take a job with Aramark.
"We don't stay here tor the money," she said. "We're state employees so we have good benefits. Aramark doesn't offer benefits."
Aramark could not be reached for comment. ♦
www.mtsusidelines.com
ONLINE
How do you cope with
stress around the holidays
and finals?
In Opinions, page 4
MURFREESBORO,
TENNESSEE
www.mtsusidelines.com
School
vouchers
still
debated
By Kelly Smith Contributor
The issue of school vouch- ers may seem unimportant to most college students, but to students with children, it holds more significance.
For the past couple years, the implementation of vouch- er programs within the K-12 school system has been a hody debated national issue.
A voucher is a document that may be used by parents to pay for their child to attend an out-of-district school, either private or public.
The voucher proposal offers about $2,500 for parents to use toward either tuition for a pri- vate school or other accommo- dations, such as transporta- tion, if the transfer is to a pub- lic school.
"Although the voucher sys- tem appeared very promising, the actual implementation of a voucher program would only reach a small percentage of the school-age children across the nation," said Dorothy Craig, assistant professor of educa- tional leadership.
In addition, because the program offers $2,500, many parents cannot afford to match the money needed to send their children to private schools.
Another problem with the voucher program is the lack of knowledge some parents have of other schools, creating diffi- culties in deciding where to move their children, Craig said.
Carla Jackson, an MTSU student and parent, said she feels parents who are propo- nents of the voucher program want the option of moving their children to schools that offer a better education and have better resources.
With the voucher program money, parents are at least given the freedom to choose, she added.
"I would appreciate a pro- gram that allows me to have a voice in where I send my child to school," Jackson said.
On the other hand, oppo- nents of the voucher program argue that, at best, vouchers would help only a lucky few children, while keeping the rest in a school with depleted resources.
"(We) need to fix what problems are already in these schools, like better resources and meeting the needs of diversity," Craig said.
Cindy London, a Murfreesboro resident and mother of an 11-year-old, said she feels the voucher program would create segregation.
"When I was my son's age, we started bringing in children from different districts in order to create diversity," she said.
Hence, the voucher pro- gram would "bring back the segregation problems that schools have tried to elimi- nate," she added.
Congressman Bart Gordon, D-Murfreesboro, said he feels children are our most pre- cious resource and a quality
See Vouchers, 3
2 ♦ Monday, December 3, 2001 ♦ SIDELINES
POLITICAL UPHEAVAL
From the left
Affirmative action needed for equality
By Angela White
Staff Columnist
Once upon a time in a land tar far away, there existed a society where no one was ever judged,
ridiculed, hated or discriminated against based on skin color. In this land of equal opportunity, every-
one had the same chance to provide the best possible life for themselves and their loved ones. There
was never talk of making up for past wrongs, for there was nothing in the society's history to repair.
This fairy tale ain't America, tolks.
The majority of powerful people in this country (white men) view anything that knocks them off
their social pedestals as inherently unfair and therefore not equal. Equality to them is not a give-and-
take process - the privileged are rarely willing to give up their favored status to help the disadvantaged.
Thus arguments against equality-seeking programs like affirmative action arise, formulated with nei-
ther history nor fact in mind.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, white men hold 95 percent of senior management jobs.
In 1993, minority men were half as likely as their white counterparts to be employed in managerial
positions.
The Census Bureau reports that women earn approximately 73 percent of a man's salary for the
same work. While that gap narrows as quality of education and employment increase, it never com-
pletely disappears. Furthermore, the discrepancy is most prevalent in lower-waged positions, which
are more likely to be held by minority women. In 2000, black women earned a weekly median salary
of $458, while white men earned $717. Hispanic women earned only $373.
Equality has yet to be achieved, even with the use of affirmative action. Yet conservatives insist the
need has passed for leveling the playing field. Some argue that affirmative action is not only harmful
but insulting to minorities who neither need nor wish for such advantages. Reality, however, appears
to contradict these claims.
The American Civil Liberties Union reports a study by The National Conference, an employment
diversity organization, in which 63 percent of whites surveyed believed that African Americans already
enjoy equal opportunity. Eighty percent of African Americans surveyed disagreed.
In addition, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People supports affirmative
action - the organization protested the nominations of both |ohn Ashcrofl as attorney general and
Linda Chaw/ as secretary of labor due to, among numerous other factors, their extensive anti-affir-
mative action records.
"We agree with the university that affirmative action is critical to enhancing educational opportu-
nity" Kweisi Mfume, president of NAACP, said in March in response to the University of Michigan's
appeal of a court decision striking down its affirmative action program.
Educational institutions use perhaps the most controversial affirmative action policies. Many uni-
versities require lower testing and grade standards for minorities in order to place a representative
sample of the population into their incoming classes.
The question that should be asked is not why people who are considered "unworthy" and "inca-
pable" of a reputable education because of their academic numbers are allowed into universities based
solely on their race, but why these students make such low numbers in disproportionate percentages.
Standardized tests constantly face criticism due to their cultural biases that give middle- and upper-
class white students an unfair advantage. In addition, well-funded public schools, which tend to be
located in areas where property taxes are abundant (wealthy white neighborhoods), offer test prepa-
ration courses that are not offered to less-funded schools. Wealthy public schools also are more likely
to offer advanced placement courses, which can both boost a student's GPA and make the student
more desirable to universities during the admissions process.
See Upheaval. 3
From the right
Affirmative action hurts, not helps
By Jeremy Davis
Staff Columnist
Affirmative action may have put hundreds of minorities in American colleges and universities, but
at what cost? Have the benefits of preferential treatment in admissions actually bettered the lives of
minorities at large?
No - the idea of affirmative action may have been good 30 years ago, but it has no place in today's
society.
A Gallup poll asked if preferential treatment of minorities was acceptable if it led to increased
opportunities for historically neglected groups. More than 70 percent said no, and 66 percent of
African Americans said no. If a majority of the people a certain policy is supposed to help do not want
it, then why is it still on the books?
The problem is that programs that cater to one group are politically divisive and spawn emotion-
driven, name-calling shouting matches. Democrats love their programs, but this dedication to out-
dated relics of public policy blinds them to the reality of current conditions. Their focus should be
people - not their programs and careers.
A study at the University of California-Berkley before affirmative action was banned in California
shows just a hint of the problems affirmative action has created. The university admitted 317 African
Americans with an average SAT score of 952 compared to the school's average of 1,200.
Can you imagine being accepted to a school you weren't prepared for just because of your race?
Just more than 70 percent of those students flunked out of school. These students' self-esteem has
been permanently damaged, and their academic record is forever tainted. This could have been avoid-
ed if the university had denied them entry and the students had gone on to a university more to their
academic abilities.
The best way to avoid this is to simply take the race question off the application. A colorblind soci-
ety is what we are all striving for. But until race questions are taken off all applications for public uni-
versities, federal grants and loans and jobs, we are still judging people by the color of their skin instead
of the content of their character.
Many universities lower the standards for minorities in an effort to raise diversity in their class-
rooms. This is the most insulting thing anyone could do to minorities. The message these schools are
sending to minorities is: "You're not ever going to meet our standards, so we're going to lower the bar
for you." These administrators don't think minorities can make the grade.
Every minority's response should be a dignified middle finger and a smile.
During the Berlin Olympics in Nazi Germany, Jesse Owens did not get a head start. He went out
there and beat the Nazis at their own game by their rules on their turf. This example of outperform-
ing should be the model for the civil rights struggles of today.
1 iberal Democrats think they can solve racial problems through condescending speeches and gov-
ernment handouts. All this does is make minorities dependent on them for privileges, which in turn
increases the power of liberal politicians.
Do you honestly believe 93 percent of African Americans are liberals? That is the percentage of
African Americans who voted for Al Gore. Even though Bush's issues of school choice, faith-based ini-
tiatives and Social Security reform poll incredibly well with African Americans, hardly any of them
voted for him.
The problem is programs like affirmative action create dependency. Dependency takes away digni-
ty. Dignity and vision are the keys to progress.
It is time civil rights leaders renew the fight for individual empowerment instead of calling
Republicans bigots and defending condescending liberals.
Diversity is not achieved by creating a colorful classroom. It is achieved by surrounding yourself
with colorful minds.
♦
Visit Sidelines on the Web
www.mtsusidelines.com
Have you ever wondered what it's
like being Santa Claus?
Here's your chance to find out,
The SGA Senate
is sponsoring a
aoy nvt
for the Salvation Army
Donations of new,
unwrapped toys can
be taken to the SGA
office, KUC 208,
between now and
December 7.
SIDELINES ♦ Monday. December 3. 2001 ♦ 3
Upheaval: Drops in minority college admission leads to 'two-tier' educational system
Continued from 2
In 1996, the U.S. Court of Appeals struck down the University of Texas* affirmative action policy in Hopwood vs. University of Texas School of Law, resulting in an 88 percent drop in African American stu- dents admitted and a 64 percent drop in Latino admissions in the first year alone. Affirmative action also took a hit with
California's Proposition 209, which resulted in a 72 percent drop in African-American admissions and a 35 percent drop in Latino admissions to
Berkley and UCLA.
Such drastic drops are lead- ing to the further creation of "two-tier" educational systems. Students who can make the numbers are admitted to more prestigious state institutions, while minorities who are unable
to compete due to the quality of their "equal" education are forced to attend universities that are "better suited" for their "academic abilities." Thus uni- versities become racially segre- gated, with those housing minority students offering a poorer quality of education as well as fewer career prospects. Sound familiar?
Affirmative action is not about quotas. In fact, quotas are
Vouchers: Gordon says U.S.
should improve education
Continued from I
education is critical to meeting the challenges of today's increasingly competitive world. However, we should not take resources from our public schools in the process, he insist ed.
"(The taking of resources from public schools) is why 1 oppose school vouchers," he said.
Gordon said he believes that when organizations accept money from the government, they open themselves to govern- ment regulation, which is the reason many parents leave the public school system.
"Regulation could be in the form of accreditation of schools and teachers, national standards and curriculum," he added.
Consequently, Gordon said. the nation needs to spend time and public tax dollars on improving the education sys tern, and school vouchers would only divert America's already limited resources away from schools that are suffering, and in some cases, failing.
Only three states, Wisconsin, Florida and Ohio, currently use the voucher system, but those states remain tangled in court challenges.
Tennessee currently has not taken a side on the issue. ♦
IP
PARKING LOT CLOSING FOR
\
SPECIAL EVENT DECEMBER 4
On Tuesday, December 4, 2001, the parking lot located at the intersection of
Blue Raider Drive and Baird Lane (across from Project HELP) will be closed from 12:00 noon to 9:30 p.m. for all vehicles due to a special event for the opening of the new Center for Dyslexia.
AH vehicles that are parked in this lot after 12:00 noon will be lowed al
the owner's expense.
Suggested arras for stuoVnt parking arc the designated Green Permit Parking
arvd close to Development House and St. Mark's UM Churt h (located off
Main Street), the gravel lot located close to the Re< reation Center, and the Tennessee livestock Center off (Jreenland Drive.
The Raider Xprcss operates from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Mon. - Thurs., and
from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday lo transport sludents, faculty, staff, and visitors throughout the campus.
\
for questions, please contact Parking and Transportation Services at
898-2850. Your cooperation regarding this lot closing is apprec iated. Ji
illegal. Affirmative action allows race, gender, sexual orientation, religion and disability to be considered in the creation of diverse educational and employment environments.
Conservatives hardly com- plain when preferences arc shown for children of alumni, family legacy, veteran status or blood relation to management. One's geographic region is even used as a factor in the admis-
sions procedures of some uni- versities. Many factors besides numbers are used to determine who is admitted or hired.
Affirmative action not only helps to make up for historical atrocities but also provides for an interesting and diverse envi- ronment that better facilitates both the learning and labor processes.
Conservatives do not expect minorities to succeed by per-
forming at the same level as they. Instead, they want to "raise the bar," not to the height of their own, but higher. Minorities must prove them- selves to conservatives in order to be considered worthy, despite the poor circ*mstances they may have faced. The privileged's abilities, however, are assumed to exist without such tests. Perhaps this is why minorities vote the way they do. ♦
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MTSU Crime Stoppers is offering cash rewards for information that leads to
the arrest of the person or persons involved in the following crimes:
Four Peck Hall snack food vending machines were vandalized sometime
between 10:15 p.m. Nov. 22 and 6:55 p.m. Saturday Nov. 24. In each case, food
was removed from the bottom two rows of the machine. The machine on the
east side of the building had its glass broken out. The same four machines
also were burglarized sometime between 7 p.m. Oct. 19 and 7 p.m. Oct. 20.
Food was removed from the bottom two rows that time as well. If your infor-
mation leads to an arrest, you will be eligible for a cash reward of up to
$1,000.
At approximately 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17, part of the Sigma Alpha
Epsilon homecoming float topper, which was next to the SAE dumpster, was
set on fire. The wood fencing surrounding the dumpster also was damaged
by the fire. Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for
information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for
this crime.
Computer equipment, books, software and furniture were taken from the
Midgett Business Building sometime between 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21,
and 8 a.m. Monday, Nov. 26. Some of the items stolen include a microwave,
a Macintosh G-4 computer and a Power Macintosh 6500 computer. Crime
Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to
the arrest of the person or persons responsible for this crime.
On Tuesday, Nov. 27 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., a green
cart was stolen from the bed of a 2000 Chevrolet pickup truck parked
behind Smith Hall. The cart has "Simplex" printed on the side. Crime
Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to
the arrest of the person or persons responsible for this crime.
A 1993 two-door red Jeep Wrangler parked in the Baird Lane parking lot
was broken into sometime between 11 p.m. Nov. 26 and 1:45 p.m. the next
day. After breaking the driver's side window, the thieves removed the stereo
from the dashboard. However, the stereo was left behind, leading officials to
believe the thieves were scared off. Crime Stoppers is offering up to $1,000
for information leading to the arrest of the responsible parties.
Contact MTSU Crime Stoppers at 893-7867 (STOP) between the hours of 8
a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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This is my brother Omar.
He had a hole in his tummy.
Madness
A bullet hit him.
I saw red grass.
A gun was in the garage.
I didn't mean to shoot daddy's gun.
I didn't mean to shoot daddy's gun.
An unlocked gun could be tin- death of your family.
Please lock up your gun.
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OPINIONS
SIDELINES ♦ 4 Monday, December 2,2001 Murfreesboro.Tenn.
Editorial
Janitors need to
make more money
Recently, MTSU announced that
Aramark, which provides dining and lim-
ited janitorial services for the university,
will expand its janitorial service to include
800,000 square feet of the 2.5 million on
campus.
David Gray, MTSU's director of facili-
ties, said the university will save 20 percent
by contracting custodial work to Aramark.
Before one starts espousing on the won-
ders of capitalism, however, it should be
noted that janitors at MTSU start at a
state-mandated pay rate of $11,000 a war,
which is $3,000 below the federally estab-
lished and generally accepted poverty line.
This pay rate is simply not enough for
the work these people do.
Custodians clean up after thousands of
students, faculty, staff and visitors every
day. They deal with slobs who leave trash
and various bodily excretions on the floor
and various "smells" that linger in certain
campus buildings.
In an institution of higher learning,
whor* '.he emphasis is on acquiring
knowledge and money, why are the people
who keep the university working in a
clean, sanitary fashion paid as it their
work is meaningless?
All of us realize the tight financial situa-
tion our state and, in turn, our university,
is in, but is there money left to be saved?
Where can 20 percent be cut from a bud-
get that barely satisfies federal regulations?
By setting the pay at such a low level,
custodian turnover is very high.
Recruitment was cited as a reason for
expanding privatization.
While the state does provide a high level
of benefits, one cannot charge groceries to
their dental insurance policy.
If the state wishes to display compas-
sion and compete with the private job
market (as well as other states), it should
pay its hardest workers what they are
worth.
♦
Correction
In the Nov. 29 issue of Sidelines, Stephanie Saujon was not given credit for writing "An exhibit of life."
Sidelines regrets the error.
SIDELINES
P.O. BOX 42 Murfreesboro.TN 37132 Editorial: 898-2337 Advertising: 898-2533 Fax: 904-8487 www.mtsusidelines.com Editor in Chief Managing Editor News Editor
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Sidelines is the editorially-independent, non-profit
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during the fall and spring semesters and every
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expressed herein are those of the individual writers
and not necessarily of Sidelines or MTSU.
The originality crisis of the Pepsi generation
Banging on My Drum
Cody De Vos
Staff Columnist
Every so often, I sit down to write the Great American Novel. As a rule, I get about a paragraph into my masterpiece before I realize that everything I'm preparing to say has been said before, and more eloquently at that.
The good news: Our generation has been more exposed to, and had more access to, books, movies, television and music than many of our parents.
The bad news: We seem to he running on borrowed emotions, looking at our memories through cine- matic lenses and littering every earnest conversation with pop culture similes.
Too' often, the best guide we have for expressing our feelings or making deci- sions is what we've seen in the movies or read in a book.
For example: "Since I got to college, the spirit of Holden Caulfield has almost constantly been with me." However true, this statement poses a dou- ble quandary - are my feel- ings of dissatisfaction with all the "phony" people I've met one hundred percent genuine, or are they spiced with sentiments I picked up from The Catcher in the
Rye7. And what motivation
should 1 have for commit- ting these youthful long- ings to paper when J.D. Salinger mastered the art long before I was even born?
Mike Dirnt of Green 1 )ay once said he got all his religious beliefs from Star
Wars. When asked about
my own religious beliefs, the best way I know how to
respond is to prepare a statement peppered with quotes from various books, movies and inter- views.
As legitimate and per- sonal as my own beliefs are to me, I am painfully aware that every nagging ques- tion 1 have has already been asked, and every con- clusion I arrive at has already been written by somebody somewhere, and that I am incapable of any- thing more than agreeing or disagreeing with them.
Post Gen-X media- addicted quasi-intellectu- als such as myself have a song for every occasion, a book for every theme and a movie allusion for every experience. My ideal of human perfection is Dostoevsky's Prince Myshkin. My AOL screen name is the title of a Misfits song. My best friend and 1 are "like Samwise and Frodo," and my farewell to a friend who
recently moved overseas included lyrics from Bob Dylan's "Forever Young."
And this crippling sense that I can never feel a sen sation that hasn't already been felt for me? The last time I mentioned it to someone, they asked me if I'd read Dave Eggers' A
Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. The
entire novel addresses what I chose to write this article about. Dammit.
I take a certain measure of comfort in knowing that mankind is universally fac- ing the same questions and emotions that I am, and art is a creative reflection of life. I just wish I could face life with less art under my belt.
I've recently entertained the notion that if 1 were to stop reading books and watching movies, I'd acquire an untainted, or at least seemingly original, life experience. But even then, if I were to ever try to
write an autobiography, I'd stumble into the pratfalls ot unoriginality. Love, hate, addiction, longing, spiritual search- ing ... they've all been cov- ered more than adequately lor me.
Alter a grieving soldier ritualistically slaughters a baby water buffalo in Tim O'Brien's How to Tell a
line War Story, one soldier
says to another, "Well, that's Nam. ... Over here, man, every sin's real fresh and original."
While I don't want to go to Vietnam or any other war zone, I'm jealous of anybody who's found a place where a sin, a virtue, a passion or a vice can be fresh and original. I myself am still looking.
Even my despair-ridden conclusion borrows a quote from George A. Romero's zombie movie classic, Dawn of the Dead: "It's all done, man. It's all been done." ♦
The phallacy of artistic expression
By Gabriel Carerra
The Informer (17. Hartford
L WIRL-On Veterans I »ay weekend, Robert Rowan was ticketed for "misdemeanor criminal tampering" after going into the Boulder Public Library in Colorado and taking 21 ceramic penises, which were part of a public art display and placing them in the garbage. The faux severed penises were strung on a clothesline under the title "Hanging 'Em Out to Dry."
Later that day he phoned a local radio sta- tion and confessed his crime. Rowan was trou- bled that his 5-year-old daughter might see what he calls an "anti-male" and "p*rnographic" exhibit while using the public library. Rowan left a note stating, "El dild* Bandito was here" and hung an American flag in their place.
The Boulder library is the same one that recently refused to display a 10-foot American flag in its
entrance in the wake of Sept. 11 because some patrons might be "offend- ed."
A smaller Hag was even tually draped in the wake of controversy.
The penises were hung at the Boulder library to support the Boulder County Safe House, a woman's domestic vio- lence center. The library labels Rowan's actions as "intolerance" and "censor- ship," but Rowan states that this constitutes politi- cal expression being host- ed at taxpayers' expense.
"If they had put this up at a private art gallery, that would have been fine. That way people could pay and see this stuff," Rowan said. "In a private gallery, the exhibit would be a free- dom of speech issue rather than the abuse and improper use of tax dollars to promote a political view."
Many in the communi- ty believe the main prob- lem is that a public institu- tion is supporting one side of a hot political debate and disenfranchising the
other. Rowan believes the art exhibit and the Boulder County Safehouse do not merely educate the public about domestic violence; they are advancing an anti- male agenda.
Rowan eiteel that according to the U.S. Department of lustice's 1998 National Violence Against Women Survey, about 1.5 million women and more than 800,000 men are abused by an inti- mate partner every year. However, a flood of new research indicates that the rates of domestic violence for men and women are roughly equal and suggests that the incidence of bat- tered "husbands" is almost certainly under-reported due to the social stigma attached to male victims of domestic violence.
Yet the library's domes- tic violence exhibit por- trays men as the perpetra- tors - never the victims. The display included a sign reading "Abuse by hus- bands and partners was ... the leading cause of injuries to women." Another sign at the exhibit
read, "In approximately 60 percent of the cases where the woman is being abused, so are the chil- dren."
Rowan added that nowhere is it stated that women commit most of the child abuse and child murders in America.
Susanne Walker is the artist who created the dis- play and said she cannot understand why the dis- senters are against her dis- play. She is willing to meet with the dissenters . to answer their objections.
Rowan said he felt he could not "debate [penis- es| hanging in the public library."
The editor of leminist.com, Wendy McF.lroy, defends Rowan's civil disobedience. She writes that the "Hanging 'Em Out to Dry" exhibit provides the same sort of "awareness" as does an a priori indictment of all boys as wife beaters.
It is hate speech direct- ed at a category ot human beings.
If you doubt this, imag- ine a display of black
penises strung up. It would be condemned as racist in an instant. Why is it less hate speech to expand the category from "black men" to "all men?"
It is not merely that vic- timized men are being ignored. Hatred is directed toward all men as a result of the brutality of a statis- tical few.
Rowan said he intends to make a test case of this incident, and he has the eager support of a bur- geoning men's movement. The two newest chat rooms at the prominent Web site www.mensac- tivism.org have revolved around "El dild* Bandito" and how best to assist him. The participants draw a hard line between public- supported hate speech and privately funded opinion.
Tax-funded hatred must be eliminated; pri- vate expression must be tolerated under the First Amendment.
The penises are cur- rently in police custody, but if hung again, Rowan said he vows to take them down. ♦
Civil liberties must be preserved at all cost
By Alissa Miller
Campus Times (U. Rochester)
U-WIRE - Inter arma silent leges. This ancient
phrase presents the fright- eningly accurate attitude of much of the U.S. gov- ernment right now towards issues of civil lib- erty, "In times of war the law is silent."
Stop and think about this for a moment.
We are fighting a war to help bring freedom to the people of Afghanistan, and then possibly to other peo- ple oppressed by terrorism supporting governments. Officials are praising the
freedom of Muslim women to now go beyond the burkah if they chose.
We are America, the land of the free, and it is our solemn duty to prose- lytize to the world.
If our culture and our freedom are so precious to us that we protect them halfway around the world in foreign countries with the lives of our soldiers, why is our government not protecting those same rights here?
George Bush was sworn to protect the Constitution as the supreme law of the land. His executive order to try all non-citizens accused of terrorist activi-
ties in secret military tri- bunals, however, is a far cry from preserving the Constitution. It is directly opposing the established interpretation.
If the executive order was the only violation of civil liberties, the Constitutional safeguards would protect the public. Unfortunately, the execu- tive is not the only branch that has failed to think before acting.
Congressmen have noted that the passing of the anti-terrorism and relief USAPATRIOT bill is a mocker> of the rules of the institution, the sacred traditions of debate and
deliberation were blatantly ignored, in exchange for a quick-tempered and pas sionate decision.
Granted, Congress is supposed to reflect the wishes of the public, and there is no doubt that a majority of the public is screaming for a swift and decisive reaction to the epidemic of terrorism within U.S. borders.
However, the reason why the Constitution is not a proponent of direct democracy is to prevent this type ot public passion from ruling when it is against the public's better interest
With the executive and
legislative branches both acting in haste, the only brakes left on the way down the slippery slope are the Supreme Court and the people. With Chief lustice William Rehnquist at the helm, it is unlikely that the unconstitutionali- ty of any government action will ever be even brought to judgment dur- ing a time of war.
I deeply hope, in the lace of a government that is usurping its responsibil- ities to freedom, that the people realize how vital it is that we protect our liber- ties not only on distant continents, but right here at home.#
Letter to the Editor
Per-hour tuition result of tax loophole
To the Editor:
Well, it looks like we get to pay the price again for our legisla- ture's refusal to solve the state's budget crisis. Now those of us who work hard and take a decent load of hours will have to pay more, since the Tennessee Board of Regents will start charging us by the hour. Of course, this is because.of our state's inability to solve its budget problem. The problem is the same legislature's who oppose an income tax are giving their big money donors tax breaks they should not get.
The problem comes with the state's LLC exemptions. These exemptions are suppose to go to small businesses, so they do not have to pay the business taxes the state charges. But big corpora- tions like Kroger, Wal-Mart and others are using them. The same legislatures that oppose an income tax are against closing this loop- hole.
The state should close these exemptions to make sure higher education does not suffer further.
Thomas Hoffman
Did your public high
school use shady
zoning practices and
illegal recruiting to
build a football
dynasty? Tell us.
[emailprotected]
SIDELINES ♦ Monday, December 3. 2001 ♦ 5
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FEATURES
6 ♦ SIDELINES Monday, December 3,2001 Murfreesboro.Tenn.
From comedian to recording artist, Carla Rhodes
gains fame and success with her diverse talents
Photo provided
Rhodes poses with her foam-like puppet that resembles the famous rock 'n' roller Mick Jagger.
By Alicia Pickett Staff Writer
Eccentric red-headed and world famous. MTSl sophom*ore Carla Rhodes promotes a brasher style of humor and now has a CD
to prove it.
"(My songs) just pop into my head," Rhodes says.
'Juicy and white/ Chicken oh I love you/ chicken oh I eat you/... cluck. Cluck, CLUCK!!' is the chorus of one of Rhodes' insanity- induced songs, fashionably labeled "Chicken" for obvious reasons.
A stand-up comedian and ventriloquist, 19-year-old Rhodes could easily be labeled a pro in the comedy business.
She has been profiled in numerous London newspapers, profiled in the New York Times and documented in her own TLC presenta- tion.
By using foam-like puppets that have uncanny resemblances to rockers David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Rhodes has taken her corned) act on the road, from Nashville's hot spots to London's comedy pubs.
"I think the crowd likes (my act) because it's so different, (because) I'm so different," Rhodes comments.
Now, with fame and success in the United States and abroad, she has decided to put some of her comical stunts on record.
'"I Love Animals' is about eating your pets," Rhodes says. Beginning at age nine, Rhodes' obsession tor a "different sort of wit" was ignited by comic geniuses such as Sherrie Lewis, Lamb Chop and the Marx Brothers.
'Their (joke) timing was so clever," she comments.
Rhodes' brilliant humor and curious drive to try new things in her act is displayed on her album.
"There's something inside of me that jusl won't let me quit," Rhodes says.
The first track off Rhodes' sell-titled Volume Six album is too
Photos Provided
(Above) Carla Rhodes has recently released her latest album titled Carla Golden Hits Volume 6.
(Right) On stage, Rhodes performs with one of her rock star puppets, Keith Richards.
Photo provided
Rhodes performs in a pub in Liverpool, England.
nutty for words, which makes it so appealing to the younger, hipper generation of college kids.
I wrote ('I Love Animals') while going down 1-24," Rhodes says. Her zany comedy of turning the normalities of life into gut- busting humor is edgy enough for the Bob and Tom syndicated radio show to give it tough ratings.
"(The Bob and Tom Show said) my CD was too odd and twist- ed," Rhodes says.
"Odd and twisted" adjectives are compliments to this wild and crazy comedian.
'I Love Animals' was number two on Dr. Demento's National Syndicated Radio (Show)," Rhodes says.
Songs ranging from "Scrubbing Bubbles," which makes a clever play on sniffing household products for fun, to "Lust For Lint," which speaks for itself, are daring techniques of a different sort as an approach to comedy. Too risque in some opinions, Volume Six takes a common place discussion and pulls it through the ringer until it oozes funny.
Even though this home-grown Indiana red-headed comedian has seen the world and played most of its gigs, Rhodes' humility would astound most people.
"Anybody can do it," Rhodes says.
Having a tenacious attitude that just won't stop got her a record deal by just walking in the door.
"I went in to the studio, and he found out about my act of stand- up corned} and ventriloquism. I played him a few songs," Rhodes says.
She says that inspiring entertainers will get a lot of rejection in this business, but when someone recognizes their work just once, it's all worth it.
Rhodes' Volume Six CD can be purchased for S10 at www.car- larhodes.net. ♦
email. Ipa2d@mtsu.
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SIDELINES ♦ Monday, December 3,2001 ♦ 7
^■^
hear Amtt: No excuse for violence
Dear Annie,
My boyfriend just bought a new CD burner and some new clothes. His roommate's dog
destroyed all of it. My boyfriend works really hard for his money, so he was really pissed all his
stuff was ruined. And he beat the dog ... bad. Like the dog isn't walking right anymore. The dog
isn't very big either - he probably weighs about 40 pounds. His roommate is out of town and
nobody has taken the dog to the vet yet. Anyway, this really frightened me that he could lose his
temper like this. He has never lost his temper around me or anything, so it was a complete shock.
But now I am starting to wonder that, if he can viciously beat a dog, could I make him angry
enough to beat me? See, I don't have to work, and he said I would understand if I had worked for
that money and some dog had destroyed my stuff. I just don't know what to think about all of this.
We've been going out for five months and we haven't had any big problems until now. Do you
think this is a sign? What should I do? - Scared
Dear Scared,
I think this is a big red stop sign.
This is a sign of your boyfriends true character. I am an animal lover. I have two dogs of my own, so
your question really hit me in the heart. It's wrong for someone to beat a defenseless dog. It probably
didn't even know the reason for being beaten. Sure, he has a right to be mad. But I would think he would
get mad at his roommate and make him pay to replace his stuff. What purpose did it serve to beat the
dog? It didn't bring his stuff back.
You have a right to be concerned. Sometimes we see a "red flag" in our relationships, and we know
something just doesn't sit right deep inside. We can choose to address our feelings or talk ourselves out
of how we really feel. Don't let the lame excuse: "You don't understand because you don't know the value
of a dollar," cancel out your true feelings. While we are on the subject... what an awful thing to say to
someone. What is his problem? Could he be jealous that you don't have to work? There is no excuse for
violence.
I believe you know what you should do. just because you haven't had any problems until now does-
n't mean this event should be dismissed.
♦
Please send your questions to [emailprotected]
Dance Club brings
diversity to the stage
By Jessie Miraldi
Staff Writer
Enlarged shadows danced on
the walls of Tucker Theatre this
weekend, giving ihe audience
the feeling that it was surround-
ed by dancers, making it a part
of the show.
Friday and Saturday night,
the MTSU Performing Arts
Company performed its dance
recital, which they host every
semester. The show featured 22
dances, all of which differed in
style.
The opening number was
"P.J.'s to Pop Stars," which fea-
tured the song "A.M. to P.M.,"
by Christina Millian. The
dancers consisted ot two groups
of people in P.J.'s and club
clothes and was a hip-hop style.
The show also contained
slower lyrical numbers, such as
"Dancing in the Rain," which
featured a group of dancers
twirling with purple sashes to
Prince's "Purple Rain."
Funny, lighthearted dances
were also a big part of the
recital.
One dance, "The Big Comfy
Robot Couch," featured per-
formers in aluminum foil frol-
icking about the stage like
robots.
The colorful dance piece,
"Rasta Flavor," included a mix
of different reggae and rasta
beats. Another lighthearted
dance was the impressive .ill
guy number "Mixed Flavors,"
which was a group ot break
dancers all competing for the
most impressive moves. This
received a standing ovation at
the end.
The show opened and closed
with a company number, which
consisted of all the members ol
MTSU's Dance Club.
A majority of the performers
in the recital are members ol
the Dance Club, which meets
every Tuesday night in the
Murphy ' enter.
"Dance Club is a place to go.
where no matter how you feel,
you can dance it, said Dance
Club member Amanda
Virgillito. "If you're happy, sad
or angry, just dance it."
The members of I >ance Club
come from all different back-
grounds and have different lev-
els of experience. Some have no
traditional dance background
while others have a lot.
"I danced all through middle
and high school," Virgillito said,
"but I've never been as passion-
ate about dance as 1 am now."
Melissa Shahgoli, a member
of Dance Club for three semes-
ters now, has been dancing her
whole life, but she has never
taken formal dance classes.
"Dance Club is my second
home," she said.
Shahgoli was one ot the cho-
reographers for the dance titled
Mow Ya Luv That," featuring
hip-hop music from Daryl lay
and Missy Elliot.
"Ii was hard at first because
you have to come up with
ves that nobody else has,"
she said, "but we got it togeth- er."
I reshman Melissa Oakey is a
new member of Dance Club
this semester. "A friend of mine
was choreographing a dance
and asked me to come to Dance
Club, and I got hooked," she
said. (l.ikcy was m five different
dances tor the show, each con-
taining a different style. "I've
always liked to do a variety of
dances," she said.
"All of the members o!
Dance (dub are so diverse in
their educational goals and
their lives," said Angela
Armstrong, faculty coordinator
of Dance Club. "Dance Club is
an important part of them, and
you can see it when they per-
form."
The members of Dance Club
worked very hard on the show,
themed "United We Dance."
"We use dance as an outlet,"
said Virgillito. "Despite all that
is happening in our country
and all of the diversity amongst
ourselves, we pull together and
we dance."
♦
Photos by Charlene Callier | Staff
(Above) Students perform "Ballet in Three Parts," which was choreographed by Anne
Colle and dancers, during this weekend's recital. (Below) Angela Armstrong, director of
the MTSU Performing Arts Company, talks with students on final questions and instruc-
tions behind the stage at Tucker Theatre before their performance
\\ '//
rfJXk
ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT FOREST FIRES. www.imokeybeat.com
%
Deadline
Friday, December 14,2001
4:00pm KUC126
SPORTS
SIDELINES ♦ 8 Photo by Amy Jones Staff John Humphrey ponders whether to take on the IUPUI defender with the dribble or to take the jump shot.
Monday, December 3,2001 Murfreesboro.Tenn.
Blue Raiders lose game at Radford
Staff Reports
The Middle Tennessee men's
basketball team lost to Radford
72-53 Saturday afternoon in
Radford, Va., to drop its record
to 3-2.
The Blue Raiders fell behind
early in the game, trailing by 9
with 8:09 left in the first half.
MT cut the lead to 3. RU pushed
its lead to 33-23 at the half.
MT came out of the locker
room and cut the lead to 8 on
two William Pippen free throws
at 18:32. RU used the next three
minutes to increase its lead to
15 and take the win.
The Blue Raiders shot 32.8
percent from the field for the
game. MT was 4-of-16 from
three-point range.
"We turned the ball over
some, but that's not the issue
here," head coach Randy Wiel
said. "We're sputtering on
offense, and we need to get out
of it. We need to have a combi-
nation of the inside and outside
game and right now both parts
are sputtering."
Tommy Gunn led the Blue
Raider offense with 12 points.
Gunn has scored in double fig-
ures in six straight games.
Iiro Tenngren set a career
high with 12 rebounds.
Tenngren is the first Blue Raider
to reach double figures in
rebounds this season.
Andrey Savtchenko led four
Highlanders in double figures
with a game-high 19 points and
11 rebounds. Raymond
Arrington finished with 14
points. Correy Watkins added
11 points, 9 rebounds and 3
steals. Mike Hornbuckle had 10
points.
MT's road losing streak is
now at 12 games.
The Blue Raiders will return
to Murphy Center tomorrow
night for a 7 p.m. tipoff against
Rice.
♦
Lady Raiders score upset over Ole Miss
Almost perfect free-throw
shooting leads to victory
Staff Reports
Jamie Thomatis and loanne
Aluka combined for 47 points
and 15 rebounds as the Middle
Tennessee women's basketball
team beat Ole Miss 74-64
Saturday ifternoon at Murphy
( enter.
The Lad) Rebels (4-2) built
up a 13 point lead with 50 per-
cent shooting at the 12:00 mark
in the first half.
The lady Raiders (3-2) went
on a 17-2 run over the next
seven minutes to take a 2-poinl
lead with just under five min-
utes left in the half.
"I thought we started out
pretty well, and then Ole Miss
opened things up," head coach
Stephany Smith said. "At half-
time, I told our team we were in
a good position and to just
come out and play our game in
the second half. We started play-
ing scared about the middle of
the second half, but 1 am proud
of how our team responded."
Ole Miss held a 37-34 lead at
halftime despite 13 first-half
turnovers. MT responded with
a 14-3 run to go ahead 48-40 at
15:00. The Lady Rebels
answered with its own 9-0 run.
Paula Penttila ended the Lady
Raider scoring drought with a
three at the 12:12 mark.
The lead changed nine times
over the next 5:39 of the game,
with neither team gaining more
than a 2-point advantage.
Jessica Schlueter scored her only
points of the game at 6:51 to
See Basketball, 9
Photo by Amy Jones | Staff
Jessica McClure drives as the Ole Miss defender tries to regain position in Saturday's 10 point victory.
Aluka reaches 1,000
By David Hunter
Staff Writer
Jamie Thomatis and Joanne Aluka were double
trouble for Ole Miss Saturday.
During Saturday's big 74-64 victory over Ole
Miss, Lady Raider Aluka became a new member of
Middle Tennessee's 1,000 point club. The points
came with 5:43 left in the first half and made the
score 26-23 in favor of Ole Miss.
She scored a season high 16 points in the victo-
ry. She passed Kelly Chastain for 15th place on the
all-time scoring list. Aluka now has 1,006 points
for her career. At the same time, Thomatis scored
31 points and had 10 rebounds. She was perfect
from the foul line going 10-10. That included hit-
ting eight of them in the last 3:34 of the game to
finish off the Rebels.
See Aluka, 9
Photo by Amy (ones | Staff
(Above) Jamie Thomatis shoots for two of her game-high 31 points. (Right) Joanne Aluka soars past an Ole Miss defender.
Softball prepares for future with first
recruiting class under new head coach
Staff Reports
The Middle Tennessee soft-
ball team signed three players to
national letters of intent
Thursday.
The class is the fist recruiting
class for head coach Cindy
Connelley.
She signed two pitchers and
a designated hitter. Tiffany
Childress and Jen Dorais will fill
the pitching roles. MT loses sen-
ior pitchers Jennifer Martinez,
Stayc Preator and Amanda
Kendall after this season.
Childress is the first athlete
from the state of Tennessee to
be signed to a softball scholar-
ship at MT since 1997. She
pitched for Columbia Central
and led her team to a second
place finish in the 3-A State
Championship in 2001.
Dorais will play mostly as a
utility player for the Lady
Raiders. She can pitch and play
middle infield and outfield.
"Tiffany is a quality person
and player who studies and
loves the game," Connelley said.
"Jen is the consummate utility
player."
Megan Cherinka is transfer-
ring from Sierra Junior College
and will play in January.
Cherinka is a designated hitter
who can also play first and sec-
ond base.
"Megan is the instant impact
player we were looking for,"
Connelley said.
die Photo
Amanda Kendall is one of three pitchers for MT.
The Lady Raiders kick off
their season Feb. 15 playing
Troy State in the Mardi Gras
Classic in Monroe, La.
♦
Blue Raiders sign
state's top prospect
Staff Reports
The Middle Tennessee men's
golf team signed Tennessee's top
prospect to a national letter of
intent Thursday.
Josh Nelms signed with the
Blue Raiders during the early
signing period and will begin
competition next fall.
"Josh was our number one
target," Moore said. "He is big
and strong and should con-
tribute to our program right
away."
Nelms helped lead Baylor
High School in Chattanooga,
Tenn., to four straight state
championships. He won the
"Wally" in Nashville and later
the Craig Rudolph Memorial in
Clarksville, Tenn., last summer.
Nelms finished second in the
region and third in the Division
11 state this fall. He was also
third in the region as a sopho-
more and junior. Nelms fin-
ished runner-up in the
Tennessee Junior and the City
Junior Tournament. He won the
Chattanooga Junior Classic.
"I think Josh's best event was
a sixth place finish last summer
in the Tennessee Amateur
Championship at the Golf Club
of Tennessee," Moore said.
"Two of the players who beat
him were nationally ranked
men's amateur players, while 20
of the players he did beat were
collegiate golfers."
Nelms' father is the Central
High School basketball and golf
coach. His uncle is a former
Tennessee Open Champion and
a Creeks Bend pro.
♦
1
TUESDAY
■ Men's Basketball
Blue Raiders vs. Rice Murphy Center 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
I Women's Basketball Lady Raiders vs. University of Tennessee-Martin Murphy Center 7 p.m.
THURSDAY
■ Men's Basketball
Blue Raiders at University of Tennessee-Martin Martin, Tenn. 7 p.m.
SATURDAY
■ Men's Basketball Blue Raiders vs. Tennessee State Murphy Center 7 p.m. ■ Track Indoor Meet 11:30 a.m.
