n*esdy, May 12,1993- The Mch*sminymmWeky-5 VIEWPOINT 'nvestigating in-class activity is unfair to professors By JOHN WOODFORD It would be wrong for any University unit to investigate Prof.DavidGoldberg on the basis of the chargesreportedagainsthimin the Michigan Daily('Studentscallsociologyprof.racist,sexist inletter'4/9/93). Iarguethis as one who, asl will explain later, made a similar charge, based on similar "evidence," against a faculty member. I assume that, in calling for an investigation, the students and the Daily have publicized the "evidence"againstGoldberg thattheythinkmost dramatically supports their case. That's usually the tactic in such controversies. Some students condemned Goldberg for dis- playing a cartoon which made them uncomfort- able.Others said they weremadeuncomfortable byhisanalysisofBlack students' lowerscoreson standardized tests in relation to those of whites. The"evidence"suggeststomeanopportunis- tic coalition that wants to bar Goldberg from teachingassignedcoursesforpoliticalratherthan academic reasons. In some institutions in this country, teachers with high standards are facing similar harassment charges because they won't water down their courses or ease their grading. The University must not allow that to happen Shere. Were lower Black test scores the best ex- ampletoillustratethestatisticalprincipleGoldberg wishedtoteach?Idon'tknow.Thestudentsmay wish to sit down with him and discuss that issue. According to the Daily's first article on the con- troversy,however,Goldberg said thatchargesof racism against him rested on a complete misun- derstanding of the statistical principle in ques- tion. Students would do well to find out if he's right. If he's been a bit arrogant and that has impeded his teaching, he'll figure that out with- out an inquisition. In any event such journals as Black Issues in Higher Education and the Chronicle of Higher Education regularly report ethnically differenti- ated testscoresand discuss arange of statistical, sociological and educationalissues related to the method of testing and scoring, and to changes in those methods. As a Black person, when I read thesescores Iwince. But whatIhope togetridof is not the reports of the scores but the persistent test-score gaps. The heart of the Goldberg dispute, however, is: If he is investigated, who's next? Whose cartoon could be cunningly and absurdly "deconstructed" by the student commissar who ruled,"Thatcartoonisnotflmnytome!"?Whose off-the-cuffremark (and perhaps misheard, mis- construed or misunderstood at that) could land them before the Investigators? Whose reading assignments or class discussion -by taking up discomforting and provocative historicalor con- temporary facts-would condemn the culprit to bepluckedouttoftherequiredcurriculumlikethe offending eye? Totalitarianismisamasterofdisguises.Itwill put on the cloak of multiculturalism as readily as that of racism or True Religion or People's Para- dise. Think of a university where faculty, stu- dents, administrators and staff fear to make any statement, display any image or refer to any data that could place them at the mercy of mobocrats dcarging,"Youmadeusuncomfortable."Itwould be preparing the soil for an American version of the Red Guards. Rather than an investigation, it would be far better for Goldberg's department to arrange - but by no means require - a meeting between him and representative student critics. If they choose,let all parties discuss thematterfully and frankly. I know this is a better road to take. I recently read a report of a professor's research and concludedthatitgaveracistoffense whether or nothe meant to or even agreed that it did.My evidence? My authority? What better than my experienceeas a Black person, which wouldgive me agut feeling forsuchoffenses,anosetosmell them out. I communicated these feelings ina written tirade.My charges alarmed the professor but,atthesuggestionofhisdepartmentalchair,he agreed to talk them over with me. Right before our meeting I finally got around to reading sev- eral of his research papers that were the basis of the report I'd read. Idiscoveredanintellectualsensibility,abody of evidence and a rigorous argument that were profoundly anti-racist. Furthermore, his scien- tificinquiry tookmetoafardeeperprobingof the phecnmenon of racsm than anyone can readh withhisgut andnose.Mylifehistory,my volatile senseof outragemy capacity to feelharassed- all discomfort to another person and his family. I urge you anti-Goldbergites to ask your- selves: What is it that Prof. Goldberg has really done to us versus what we might do to him? Humans can feel emotional pain even for an imagined offense, or a trivial one. The pain of later realizing that you accused someone un- justly, however, can be sharper than that of the offenseyouimaginedevenifithadbeentme!We nolongerputpeopleinthestocksforloosetalkor for finding amusement in things unfunny to us. We don't poison their careers with charges of heresy. Goldberg's students should confer with him andkeeptheireyesontheprizeofunderstanding statistics. They may find that the realities -the differences - that are represented by statistics can describe some painful circumstances. But theymay alsogaintheintellectualtoolsneededto expose and refute poor statistics; they may ac- quire the power to undo the damage that poor statisticscan bring about. WoodfordistheliecutiveEditorofMichigan Today. Despite criticisms, Greek system fosters education and comraderie; members learn valuable lessons To the Daily: Greek systems across college campuseshave continuallybeenassociatedwithnegativestereo- types.Specificallyspeakingoffraternities,people give them images of immaturity, homophobia, hazing, and detriment. What people do not see is the brotherhood and caring that go with a frater- nity. In this day and age, especially on a liberal campus such as ours, fraternities are constantly looked down upon. This is unfortunate because fraternities have so much to offer to college students. ManypeopledonotchoosetobeintheGreek system. I have a pledge brother who questioned whether or not he wanted to be involved with something that had been given such a bad name. What he and many others have realized os that they are now apart of something very special. A union with other men that have shared the good times and the bad times as well. So one creed goes, "a bond as strong as right itself, and as lasting as humanity." Apopularmisconceptionandanegativepoint for the Greek system is the rare occurrence of an incident involving hazing. This is the fuel for much ofthe anti-Greek sentiment that is popular among parents and campus Grtekbashers. Actu- ally, pledging and the ensuing "Hell Week" are the time periods of education for prospective members. This is when the inner workings of a fraternity are taught. Numerous tests are taken and much of the secretive oral traditions are passedon.Thiseducation isessentialtoteachthe associate member proper respect for the history of the fratemity. I agree, the few fraternities that are involved in deaths from haying or pranks should be discontinued. But many fraternities have begunnon-hazing programs. The fratemity I am pledging even offers a phone number I can call to report any action that I did that might be construed as hazing. The majority of fraternities have long, maybe even historic pasts that they wouldnotsacrifice with something asdumbasa prank or even hazing of any kind. If not for the advancement of each faternity member, the Greek System does much for the outlyingcommunity. In "Greek Week" alone, each fraternity and sorority has their particular organization to which money is donated. On top ofthat,25hoursofcommunity service was made a requirement for each team (consisting of two fraternities and two sororities). Overall, an esti- mated 50,000 dollars will be made anddonated, just at this university. Multiply that by theimany schools in this country with active Greeks and you cone up with a phenomenal amount of money. Money that many local charities and organizations cannot do without. Another concernwith the Greek systemharpson the ideas of racism and homophobia that may exist. As for racism, the Greek System is very diverse. AlletbicitiesarewellrepresentedAside frem this, an entire African-Ameriem Greek System which also accomplishes many chsai- table underakings, has been formmL This rga- nizatonobviously reducesthe numbers of Afri- can-Americans rushing the non-black fratmi- ties.It alsocauses theintegratedGreekSystemto look hoemphtbc, because of the few Afucan- Americans in the non-black fraternity system. Greeks on codlege campuses have constantly lived with a negative outlook on what they do. Many people simply take their preconceived notionsand fail to look at what the System is al about.Gmeksdodrnkadparty.Allcollegehde do this. But look at what else the Greek System does as a whole and you see what indeed does separate the average college kidfrom amember of a Greekfraternity. LSA first-year student Writers "deeply offended by the 'Happy 45th Birthday Israel' advertisement" that appeared in the Daily To The Daily: We, the undersigned, Jewish, Muslim and Christian, of American, European and Middle Eastern(includingIsraceli)background,aredeeply offended by the "Happy 45th Birthday Israel" advertisment that appeared on April 19. Some time agotheDaily publishedan adby"Holocaust revisionists," who claim the genocide of Euro- pean Jews didn't happen, to great disapproval. 0 We find the "Happy Birthday Israel" ad in the same spirit for its failure to acknowledge the ongoingoppressionofthePalestiniansthatisthe cost of Zionism's nmplishments. The admentionsIsrael's status asahaven for refugees, and its success in "making deserts bloom."Zionismcreatedoneof theworld'sgreat refugee problems whenupwardsof700,000Pal-" estinians were driven from their homes in 1947- 48, by design and circumstance. Half a million more were expelled by Israel from the territories it captured in the 1967 war. The refugees that Israel received were often housed in dwellings recentlyevacuatedbyPalestinians.Theoliveand citrus groves and fields that bloom under Israeli handsonce bloomedunder thehandsofPalestin- ians.ThecitiesandtownsofIsraelarebuiltonthe remnantsofPalestinanArabsociety.Israeltoday continues to discriminate against and dispossess its Arab citizens, and to absorb and develop the territories occupied in 1967. The PLO calls for a two-stale solution and mutual recognition, even as Israel categorically rejects a Palestinian state and withdrawal to the 1949 armistice line, and procinims exclusive, eternal sovereignty over Jerusalem.ThePalestin- ian delegation is now returning to the "peace talks"in Washington, asnearly 400 Palestinians deportees languish in no-man's land in southern Lebanon. We callon citizensofthe UnitedStatesandits govemnenttowithholdtheireconomicandimili- tarysupportofIsraeluntilitrecognizesPalestin- ian national rights and negotiates sincerely for their implimientation. The deportees should be returned,thosedetainedwitouthjustcauseshould be released, the torture should stop, the IDF's undercover death squads should be disbanded, and the state of siege in the occupied territories ended. The peace of conquestis an illusion;onlythe peace ofco-existence can bring Israelreal secu- rity.Until twostatesfor twopeoplesexistside by side,andtwobirthdayscanbecelebrated,srae 's birthday should bemainly anocasionforrecmg- nizing the Palestinians, whose national rights Lsaelcontinues brutally todeny. _Benjamin M. Ben-Daruch Kmima Bennoune Harry F. Clark and 10 others