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