1990_03 The Daily Collegian March 1990

              Page 2    Thursday, March 1,1990
The Daily Collegian
Booze—abused
Alcoholism is a universal concern
Bananas over General Ed.
Dear Editor.
Miss Zarina Zumbro wrote an
excellent 'article, "Spock-'see ya,"'
in the Tuesday edition of the Dairy
Collegian. ■   *
G.E. classes do seerri to be a waste
of time, especially when you have
determined your major and want
to focus on it. There are so many
G.E. classes to tajte.^and some have
nothing to do wlthyourmajor.
I'm sure many students will
agree with Miss Zumbro's article.
Good job Zarina. and ^thanks for
relating to us students. _y.. —
i's stark-raving
LisaZito
One
bananas.
Shocked by Shabazz
Dear Editor.
I have just read Salman Bilal
Shabazz's reply to Bill Tierce's
letter about Malcolm X. Quite
frankly, I'm shocked. I'm shocked
by Shabazz's language, hypocrisy,
and childishness.
First, he called Pierce a "clown-
Jerk" then proposed to teach him
il something. Without belaboring
the obvious, this seemed to be self-
defeating. In my experience, very
few people learn well after being
insulted. If anything, his language
and attitude only served to
increase hostility towards his
ideas and by extension, Malcolm
X.
He then accuses Pierce of
hypocrisy        while behaving
hypocritically himself. He directs
words and phrases such as "put in
your place" towards Pierce 'that
would be unacceptable directed
towards an African' American
from a white American. How
would you react. Shabazz, if Pierce
proposed to put you In your place?
Not well. I Imagine.
Finally, the sheer childishness
of Shabazz's letter was
aggravating.    From    the    name-
calling to       - the final
"HAJHAIHA1HAJ", his leKer took
an important and serious subject
and demeaned It. I. for one. would
have been interested in a reading a
reasoned reply to Pierce's letter.
Obviously. Shabazz wasn't
interested in informing either
Pierce or others about Malcolm X.
He seemed only interested in
creating further turmoil.
In essence, instead of showing
readers of his letter that Pierce
was wrong about Malcolm X, he
only created more hostility where
less is needed.
As a side point. Shabazz, why is
the word man in your statement. "I
am just the MAN to do it"
underlined and capitalized? What
is the point you're trying to make?
Are you trying to emphasize how
much of a man you are? Why is
that important? Is it that onfy a
man is capable of putting Pierce in
his place (wherever that is)? Or Is
it a slur against Pierce's
masculinity? Personally, I find a
man much more masculine when
he doesn't feel he has to shout to
prove It.
Heather Lockey
Dan Waterhouse        S
Morey Holzman's open letter to
Associate Dean Thomas Boyle
{Collegian Sports. Feb. 22) made
some good points, but in Its own
way. was as simplistic about
campus booze abuse as was Boyle's
beef about a certain beer ad.
Granted, the Athletic
Department and its performers
are highry visible in the
communltyandoncampus. They
are CSUFtoawhole lot of people
in this town.
With their high-profile
visibility, the athletes and
coaches are targets for
criticism-justified or otherwise.
However, they aren't the only
people on this campus abusing
alcohol.
Let's consider the dorms. "Party
Central" to those in the know.
. Most ofthe asbestos found last
spring was uncovered by the antics
of drunken hall residents
(translation- students).
The dorm hallways were used as
Indoor driving ranges. Awesome,
dudes. Handmemy3-wood,
please.
Last weekend1, a dorm dweller
had to be transported by
ambulance to a local hospital
after falling. He struck his head
after Ingesting a large quantity of
ethanol [booze to you unscientific
types) and passing out.
Another dorm resident was
given a choice between going to
jail or to the hospital by campus
police following a floor party last
year.   '
Novftfor the Greeks. The
editorial that ran following the
"near-riot" over at SAE only
revealed the Up ofthe iceberg.
How many people know about (or
remember) the alcohol-related
suicide ofaTheta Chi brother 10
years ago?
Yes. as Theta Chi's Eddie Kubo
said-last fall, "We know what's
going on. We have it under
control."
The Bucket-yeah, the Bucket.
The old place became known far
and wide as a dive.
Unaccompanied women felt
unsafe after entering Its portals.
Then, there were the two high
school girls who got by the   .
doorman one*night a few years ago
because they were cute.
They got loaded and one died.
Their car ended up wrapped
around a very large tree trunk over
on Chestnut just off campus.
Vintage Days nas always been
known as a four-day excuse to get
loaded.
True, the event has a no-booze
rule (imposed after a major
disturbance at the Jefferson
Starship concert in 1982). Unless
there's a problem, the rule's
generally not enforced.
The open orinking has been
toned down. People don't wander
around campus with open beer
cans, slamming, as much as they
used to.
Alcoholic beverage control
agents raided a kegger in an
apartment complex across the
street from campus during Vintage
Days 1988. The large crowd of
party-goers taunted police with
"HeTl.no. We won't go!" when the
hosts were arrested for furnishing
booze to under-2 Is.
Banning ads featuring scantily-
clad Bud women will no more
prevent the disease of alcoholism
than Instilling "discipline" in a
few athletes and coaches.
Despite what some ul-informed
people think, alcoholism isn't
caused by a lack of willpower, or
by personal weakness: it is a
disease just as cancer is.
However, I would not argue that
people should be held accountable
for their socially unacceptable
behavior. We are each responsible
for our own actions.
Alcohol abuse Is this society's
No. 1 public health problem today,
outstripping crack and AIDS.
Astudy done by two business
majors last year suggests that
Bulldog U is home to four Umes
the norm of students who are also
alcoholic. And that is scary, given
the median age on this campus is
23 years.
Yeah, I don't think the
university, given its public stance
on alcohol abuse, should be
making a profit from selling a
drug that'smore addictive than
cocaine, crack or heroin. But,
that's not my decision to make-
But, simplistic approaches to
anything, however well-
intentioned. Just purely piss me
off.
Folks, alcoholism is serious
shit No one sets out to be
alcoholic. And it is a progressive
and fatal disease; If left untreated.
You don't cure (or in this case,
arrest) a disease by treating its
symptoms.
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN
Edilor in Qrief, Eric Bumey
Managing Bd'oot. Amy Hemphill
Newi Edilor lohxmi Munoz
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