100%

Scanned image of the page. Keyboard directions: use + to zoom in, - to zoom out, arrow keys to pan inside the viewer.

Page Options

Download this Issue

Share

Something wrong?

Something wrong with this page? Report problem.

Rights / Permissions

This collection, digitized in collaboration with the Michigan Daily and the Board for Student Publications, contains materials that are protected by copyright law. Access to these materials is provided for non-profit educational and research purposes. If you use an item from this collection, it is your responsibility to consider the work's copyright status and obtain any required permission.

October 28, 1993 - Image 3

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Michigan Daily, 1993-10-28

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 28, 1993-3
Forum addresses interracial dating, self-respect

By SARAN KIINO
DAILY STAFF REPORTER
African American students gathered at
Stockwell's Blue CarpetLounge lastnightfor
adiscussion many in the University's African
American community believe is long overdue
-a discussion on relationships between Af-
rican American men and women.
"We feel Black men have a responsibility
to address what may be perceived as miscom-
munication," said Matthew Marks, co-coor-
dinator of the forum.
The panel discussion - sponsored by a
number of University African American or-
ganizations, as well as the Sexual Assault

Prevention and Awareness Center - was a
dialogue between Black men and women on
interracial dating, the concept of commit-
ment, and color or complexion preference
within the African American community.
Interracial dating proved to be a topic that
spurred intense conversation. However, there
was no consensus.
Many participants said they are opposed
to dating outside of their race because they
think Black students use it as a status symbol.
Others said they could never have a deep
relationship with someone of another race
because only another Black person could un-
derstand them and the unique African Ameri-

can experience.
"You won't be able to understand and
relate to each other if one person is more
privileged than the other," one woman said.
But others said race should not outweigh
the more important ideal of love.
"Love is something that is given by God.
When you see an interracial couple, you should
first ask whether they love each other and not
judge them on the hue or the melanin content
of their skin," saidLSA senior Stanley Slaugh-
ter.
AssociateDeanofStudents Richard Carter
and his wife -who mediated the dialogue -
raised other issues besides interracial dating.

Mrs. Carter said she believes Black women
have a lack of love and respect for themselves,
and that they need to realize their own value
before they are valued by Black men and
society.
"It's understandable because society
teaches that beautiful is blond, and beautiful
is something Black women are not," she said.
"Everyone has bought into that," she con-
tinued, adding that women generally get what
they demand and expect from a relationship.
"If you expect nothing, you get nothing,"
she said.
LSA junior Andrea Diallo said it was nice
to hear women at the forum talking about

respecting themselves. "Maybe people who
haven't thought about it will be able to go
home and make it a part of their lives," she
said.
She also said it was helpful to have the
Carters moderating the discussion. "What
often gets talked about is the student's point
of view," she said.
"It's nice to see how other people in our
race see it."
Carter expressed concern over the names.
he sees students call each other, and the disre-
spect he says has emerged among them as a
result.

Attorney calls for civil right legislation for gays

Students to go 'Into
the Streets' to serve

By HOPE CAL.ATI
DAILY NEWS EDITOR
Gays and lesbians must challenge
the existing social order and not be
content to merely assimilate, said na-
tionally known gay and lesbian civil
rights attorney Paula Ettelbrick at
Hutchins Hall in the Law school last
night.
"It's challenging the existing or-
der. It's not just being accepted into
the existing order," Ettelbrick said.
Ettelbrick told the 130-member
audience to have pride in the gay and
lesbian movement. And she called
the audience, which was dotted with
local activists, to action.
"The time is now. And if federal
civil rights legislation isn't passed we
will fight county by county in Or-
egon, city by city in Florida, and state
by state in this country," Ettelbrick
said. "It's time to pass a federal law
banning discrimination against gays
and lesbians in every corner of this
country."
Ettelbrick serves as the director of
public policy f6r the National Center
for Lesbian Rights. She was legal
director of the LAMBDA Legal De-
fense and Education Fund for seven
years. She is currently writing gay
and lesbian civil rights legislation.
She spoke with guarded optimism
about President Clinton, families and
civil rights.
President Clinton chose the wrong
battle when he fought to include gays
openly in the military, Ettelbrick said.
"If I were president of the United
States and I wanted to pay back the
constituents who elected me, I
wouldn't choose the military," she
said, eliciting laughter.
"The political process was a di-
saster. We'll see what the courts will
do about it."
Gay and lesbian civil rights attor-

neys have been fighting within the
courts for 25 years against this law,
which is the only remaining federal
law that singles out homosexuals for
discrimination.
Ettelbrick warned against both
feeling defeated by the legislative loss
on gays in the military and fearing
that Clinton will not support civil
rights legislation.
"We need to keep reminding our-
selves that the military is a very dif-
ferent issue."
She steeled people for the impend-
ing legislative arguments.
"We know that people will add
amendments for full religious exemp-
tion on this bill. It's really hard to
work the politics on this," she said.
"We need tobe prepared to tell stories
of discrimination. When they hear the
stories, they come around."
Ettelbrick's experience in litiga-
tion in gay and lesbian discrimination
cases laid the groundwork for discus-
sion of "the need - the desperate
need I think - that our community
feels for the recognition of our fami-
lies.
"What we have is a system that
upholds the old order," Ettelbrick said.
"The family rhetoric has worked
against most of us."
There is no option to legalize our
families, to marry, to adopt, or to die
in security without a will, she said.
She stressed the importance of
employee benefits for gay and lesbian
partners. Itis simply an issue of equal
pay for equal work, she said.
Gay and lesbian civil rights are
being directly threatened in Michigan
and other states, where activists are
organizing efforts "to declassify gay
people as citizens in that state,"
Ettelbrick said.
These movements draw their
strength from the success Colorado

By LASHAWNDA CROWE
FOR THE DAILY
Hunger. Homelessness. Environ-
mental degradation. These are just a
few of the social problems to be tack-
led nationwide and on campus this
weekend.
About300University students will
touch the lives of local residents Sat-
urday by taking part in Project
SERVE's "Into the Streets," a com-
munity service project dedicated to
improving social conditions.
In thisnationwide event, more than
300 universities across the country
will be tackling community issues
ranging from homelessness and hun-
ger to education and literacy.
Project SERVE (Students in Edu-
cationally Rewarding Volunteer Ex-
periences) - which is participating
in the event for the fourth year - will
be sponsoring and providing hands-
on involvement in 20 social projects
around the city.
"Often people want to do commu-
nity service, but they don't know how
or where to go," said Jon Nash, SNRE
juniorand co-chairof Project SERVE.
LSA sophomore Andre Hewitt
knows he wants to participate in a
project involving interaction with
children and youth this weekend. "To
actually see somebodysmile and have
the joy of knowing you have helped
somebody is the pleasure I get out of
(community service)."
Project SERVE provides accessi-
bility to numerous service projects. If
students are interested in participat-
ing in activities not available through
SERVE, the group will refer them to
other local organizations.
Nash said although Project

'Often people want to
do community service,
but they don't know
how or where to go.'
- Jon Nash
co-chair, Project SERVE
SERVE targets first-year students to
try and get them involved in a lifetime
commitment to service, other Uni-
versity students are encouraged to
participate.
For the first time, doors are also
open to faculty and high school stu-
dents. Vice President for Student Af-
fairs Maureen Hartford will jump on
the opportunity to serve.
"It's an important opportunity for
students and faculty to work on a
different level as equals in their com-
munity," she said.
For some participants, Saturday's
eventwillbe achance to help outwith
an issue they feel particularly strong
about.
LSA sophomore Seema Barnawal,
SERVE committee chair for residence
halls, plans to spend her weekend
advancing women's issues at a shel-
ter for battered and homeless women.
"(Working in women's issues) is
something that I feel strongly about,
because I've always felt women
should be respected and treated as
equals," Barnawal said.
Community service is vital tocom-
munity health, and as Hewitt put it,
"(Community service) is a stepping
stone and learning experience for ev-
eryone."

UANI:L KRAUSS/ady
Paula Ettelbrick, director of Public Policy at the National Center for Lesbian
Rights, speaks last night at the Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights forum in
Hutchins Hall.

activists have had in passing Amend-
ment 2, which prohibits local and
state governments from passing laws
or ordinances that grant "special treat-
ment" to gays and lesbians.
"We've gotten special treatment
and it's all bad," Ettelbrick said.
She listed genetics, philosophy and
religion as factors in the testimony in

the trial that sought to determine the
constitutionality of that amendment.
"It's very easy to see this as an
anti-gay measure because that's how
it's framed," she said. "The politics of
stigma are really at the root of this."
Ettelbrick, a Wayne State Univer-
sity law school graduate, returned to
Michigan on fellowship.

Woman bounced
from Angell for
unlawful entry
Police were forced to escort a
woman suspected of unlawful entry
of Angell Hall from the building
Monday, after she became abusive
toward University Department of
Public Safety (DPS) officers handling
the incident.
According to police reports, the
woman has a past history of unlawful
entry into Angell Hall, and was a
suspect in an investigation of a lar-
ceny from that building last year.
The woman is believed tobe home-
less or to live at the downtown Ann
Arbor YMCA.
The woman allegedly told police
she is an alum and regularly uses the
Mathematics Library with the per-
mission of the library staff. However,
police were unable to confirm this
statement.

Police reports indicated that the
woman was "very verbally abusive
toward officers" and expressed a
strong dislike of DPS.
The woman was read the Univer-
sity rules on trespassing and was es-
corted from the building.
Cops nail block
bandits
Five University students were ap-
prehended early yesterday while at-
tempting to steal University property.
DPS officers saw the men loading
concrete blocks from the construc-
tion site between the East and West
Engineering Buildings into a van at
about 2:30 a.m. yesterday.
Police found seven full blocks and
six half-blocks in the back of the van.
DPS Lt. James Smiley speculated
that the students may have wanted to
use the blocks to build shelves at their
homes.

Polic
Beat 6
Smiley said the students returned
the blocks to the construction site,
adding that the construction company
involved has not decided if it will
press charges.
Man detained after
harrassing Subway
employees
JIn an unrelated trespassing inci-
dent Monday, police were called to
Subway in the Michigan Union by
employees who felt they were being
harassed.
The Subway employees told po-

lice they were being verbally abused
by a man at the counter who would
not leave after repeated requests to do
so by the employees.
A warrant check on the man found
that he had been escorted from the
Union for trespassing earlier this
month.
Police were eventually forced to
take the man into custody on a charge
of disorderly conduct.
stalking rep rt leads

DPS to investigate.
A warrant check on the man found
an outstanding bench warrant from
AAPD, meaning the man had failed
to appear in court for another offense,
thus violating the terms of his $100
bond.
DPS officers arrested the man and
held him until AAPD officers arrived
on the scene and took the man into
custody.
The stalking incident is being in-
vestigated by DPS.

According to police reports, two
swiveling chairs valued at $125 each
were stolen from the computing cen-
ter within the previous 48 hours.
There are no suspects in the case.
False alarm brings
cops to North Hall
A groundskeeper at North Hall
called police to reporta possible weap-
ons charge Friday, saying there were
four armed men running through the
building.
Officers responding to the call
found that the men were ROTC mem-
bers and were merely doing training
exercises, which posed no threat to
University employees or property.
-by Will McCahill
Daily Staff Reporter

police to wanted man Chair thieves strike
A call from Betsey Barbour Resi-
dence Monday Hall led DPS to a man B urs ey

wanted by the Ann Arbor Police De-
partment (AAPD).
The caller told DPS she believed
the man was stalking her, and wanted

Also Monday, residence hall staff
at Bursley Residence Hall reported
the theft of chairs from the dorm's
computing center.

hoo{
,vde t-
gon Wednesday, November 3
Noon - 4:00 p.m., Michigan Union

h U P-nnoingMkhj" ceme
Career Planning Placem~ent

Student groups
" Amnesty International, weekly
meeting, Dana Building, Room
1040,7:30 p.m.
" Campus Crusade for Christ,
weekly meeting, Dental Build-
ing, Kellog Aud., 7-9 p.m.
" Gospel Chorale Rehearsal,
Trotter House Auditorium, 7
p.m.
" HebrewTable, sponsoredby the
American Movement for Israel,
Michigan Union, Tap Room,
noon
O Inter Varsity ChristianFelow-
ship, large group meeting,
Michigan Union, Kuenzel
Room, 7 p.m.
" Investment Club, voting day,
MLB, Room 2002, 7 p.m.
O Korean Students Association,
weekly meeting, Michigan
Union, Welker Room, 7-8:30
n.m.

to Mott's Children's Hospital,
meet at Alice Lloyd, call 741-
1348 for details, 5:30 p.m.
U Psychological Society, mass
meeting, Angell Hall, Room 35,
6 p.m.
U Rowing Team, novice practice,
boat house, men 3, 4, 5 p.m.;
women 3:30,4:30,5:30 p.m.
U Saint Mary Student Parish,
graduate/young professional
discussion group, 331 Thomp-
son, 7 p.m.
U Taiwanese American Students
for Awareness, meeting- film
and discussion, Michigan
Union, Anderson Room, 7:30
p.m.
Events
U Lynne Sharon Schwartz, read-
ing from her work, Rackham
Amphitheatre, 5 p.m.
U Minority Health Service Ca-

Q Practical Training and Em-
ployment for International
Students, sponsored by the
International Center, Room 7,
10 a.m.
Q Professional Development for
International Spouses, spon-
sored by the International Cen-
ter, Room 7, 1-3 p.m.
0 Sharpening Your Interview
Skills, sponsored by Career
Planing and Placement, 3200
Student Activities Building,
4:10-5 p.m.
Q The Protestant Ethic and the
Spirit of 'Modernism,'
speaker: Victor Koschmann,
sponsored by the Center for
Japanese Studies, lecture series,
Lane Hall Commons Room, 12
p.m.
Student services
Q Dean of Students Office, open

Graduate and Professional School Day
* Meet with reps or simply pick up packets from schools across the country
* Programs represented: MBA, Liberal Arts, Public Health, Social Work, Public Policy,
International Affairs, Journalism, Industrial Relations, Education & More
* Uncover admissions requirements, financial aid packages, application procedures
& internships
" Checkout program content, electives & dual degree options.
* For more information: Stop by CP&P or call 764-7460

I

I

I

Back to Top

© 2024 Regents of the University of Michigan