1990_05 The Daily Collegian May 1990

              Page 2    Monday, May 7, .1990
.-
The Daily Collegian
- Opinion
Meet Fresno's
power brokers
Donnell Alexander
Reader shares varied thoughts
Dear Editor,
La Voz comes out today-1 know this
because the Collegian has taken to
advertising it ahead of time— why?
Hopefully my little contribution will
provide some balance today. Why the
Collegian can't balance itself is a good
question- Hello? Anyone listening?
As for the insert papers, they would be
very humorous papers—except these
guys are actually serious.
To Brad the Creationist (AKA "Brad,
you ignorant slut"), a question: Why
are you, an accounting teacher, trying
to explain physics to the physics
department?
To Unity-SRG. which managed to
slash ' Vintage Days in half this
year—get a grip. Vintage Days is in
April, and the harvest you claim it
glorifies is in September. The workersr'
you claim it denegrates are no't
necessarily Hispanic: many of them
are Hmong. The difference Is that the
Hmongs are new. but already
advancing to better jobs. The
"campessados" have been harvesUng
for years and haven't advanced.
It's not that I am vehemently
opposed lo these people, but I resent
being force-fed others opinions as
facts with no support. Respect other
people's opinions, offer another view,
but realize that your opinion is most
importanloplyiJo yourself. Of course.
I'm jusl an"oversexed Greek," loo busy
necking in ihe Free Speech Area to
notice the world, bul occasionally I
need to come up for air.
GaryBrasc
Multiple term papers defy logic
An open letter to. the instructors on
this campus (or on any campus):
Through perfect prior planning, I
was able to arrange my schedule for
this semester so that my classes would
be mutually compatible (meaning that
they would all be on the same subject,
but from different directions and with
dilTerent emphasis).
All of the instructors whom 1 have
this semester require a term paper,
and they all have left the subject of the
paper up to their students. So long as
the paper follows the basic idea of the
class. It will be acceptable. Through a
judicious application of common
sense. I chose one subject which was
applicable to all of the classes and
created a paper which fulfilled the
requirements of each professor.
This paper, not necessarily a work
of art (I sacrificed my chances for an A
grade In any class by being loose
enough with the requirements of each,
resulting In a B paper applicable to all)
is entirely my research, my time, and
my work, and therefore Is not
plagiarism.
The problem arises when I find out
that some of the professors on this
campus might be offended by not being
given a virgin' paper.
This bugs me. .
If I had written one paper for each
class which required one, I would have
had to write at least 36 pages of
original    work. Comparing    this
figure with the five hours per page that
It took me fort he 13-page paper that I
did produce (research, write, type,
print) ft would have required 180
hours to complete.
Figuring my spare lime al about 30
hours a week for homework, it would
take me six weeks lo do the papers. By
which time I would no longer be in
school due to flunking all the tests
which I had not studied Tor because all
my spare time was taken up writing
term papers.
Some instructors may lake this
opportunity to suggest that [ cut out
hours from other activities during my
week, tike from work or from my
leisure time. Normally. I would agree.
Next year, however, I will be studying
in Frace under the auspices of the CSU
International Program, and it could
cost me almost twice what It cosls to
attend Fresno, depending on Ihe
exchange rate. This is why 1 am
working more hours and can't reduce
them (of course, if my employers
would give me a whopping big raise to,
say, three times what 1 make now...).
As for my leisure time, I am tempted to
say. "What leisure timer, but this
would undoubtedly be taken the wront
way. Suffice ft to say that Ihe amount™
of time that 1 spend now on Mental
Health Prevention and stress
reduction Is minimal.
Don't get me wrong. I understand the
necessity of term papers, and I even
enjov writing them when they Involve
subj#ts which I enjoy. But when I am
struggling with time management. I
am going to save ail the time that I
can. whenever I can.
I would appreciate your thoughts on
this subject.
Richard P. Williamson
French major
I open up the Sunday Bee over
breakfast and see the Fresno Old Boys
Network and its Friends laying all
over its frontpage. Top 10. Eight men.
two women, all operatingunder ihe
title of Fresno's Top Power Brokers.
Extremely well done. Ihe article got
thoroughly read. So well done in fad.
that Iheartical got me ihnroughiy
contused. As well it should have. This
is. alter all. Fresno.
I write here not to find fault with
politics writer Jim Boren's first story
in an (1 can'l hardly wail) 11 -part
series. The Bee's method of nailing
down the big wheels in town in seems
more than efficient: Over the course of
months, gather 250 people with power
and have agroup of community
leaders vole on Ihe main shakers and
movers.Then keep boiling tt down
until the lop 24 is had. Next is a second
tier and, finally, top 10.
If 24 seems lo you to be an odd cut¬
off point, you are not alone. The only
reason I can see for choosing this
number 24 as the end slop in bigwig
tallying is that lierisbookended by
City ManagepJames Aldrege [No. 11)
and Joe Williams (No. 24). Aldrege is
Ihe first person of color to be ranked
in the survey. Williams Is the second.
Having them around lightened up
Ihemoodabil.
No Latino leaders made the grade.
The same was true for Asians.
Again. 1 don't think Ihe article is the
least bit biased. The issue is power in
Fresno (The only argument lhat could
be made Is on the Bee's definition »i'
power. That argument will not be
made here.), and, as far as I'm
concerned. Fresno's minority
community overall is one ofthemnsf
cowed I've ever seen. The boat for
women is not much more steady.
The Inconsistencies affecting me
most came In the form of reasons for
some people being considered power
brokers.
Some are understandable. Joe and
Sharon Levy have years of political
experience and big-lime bucks behind
them. They've earned and spent money
in gathering respect. BevKeesmnsa
big. unchallenged daily newspaper and
doesn't have lo worry about readers
running to the competition when her
paper prints unpopular opinions.
Other choices confound me. which is
good.This means I'll be reading just
about every Installment, hoping
desperately that the profiles won'tjust
be power broker apple-polishing.
Take for example, the choice of
former mayor Dan WhltehursL The
extent of my knowlege of Whilehurst
are his Insane television
commentaries. A major shaker? 1
know he was once a mayor but. hey
man, so was Dale Dolg.
Whltehurst did get very high ratings
in the categories of starting and
finishing projects. But what does he
do in town?
The big fc'vcker was the exclusion of
mayor Karen Humphrey. That the
mayor makes the lop 10 is pretty much
a cinch. Boren said in Sunday's piece,
but the only honor Karen tabbed was
most overrated person In power.
1 suppose there could be various���explanations for why the mayor fared
so poorly— she finished on the second    ,
Her- but how can the mayor not be
considered among the very mosl
powerful?
The odd part Is that CSUFs Harold
This-getling-minoriry-
representation -thing-is-just-so-
heavy"Haak scored a top 10 finish.
One backer said since Haak ran the
biggest university in the area, his
finishwouldhavetobeconsidered x
aulomatic.-So understand this: Even
outside Mayberry, one state universiiy
president beais one mayor.
Harold Haak is an Intelligent, witty
man (Ihe antithesis of Whilehurst) and
seemingly a good guy to have around a
university, but one of the top power
brokers? Over the mayor? Would the
positions ofHaak and Humphrey have
been switched if their genders were as
well?
A final comment on Humphrey. I f
she is the tola! mayoral washoul the
survey results imply, then what
happens lo Aldrege? Wouldn't the city
manager position become even more
important wilh a lame mayor? Does
he go down wilh the ship? Or is City
Hall closed for business?
Indeed, there are loads of questions
to be answered in the next 10 days.
My numberonedisappointment is
that Jim Sweeney didn't make Ihe list.
Shucks. O Fresno. 1 thought I knew ye
well.
Bul maybe that's just the point. Mow
the hell am I supposed idjknowwho
lives in the ring of power? I don't go to *
private downtown dinner clubs and I
can't remember the last time I smelled
a cigar.
There is one thing I learned from
Sunday's piece. That is. that power by
definlion is the perception of power.
Bev Kces is probably worth a fraction
of Ihe Levys, but she is no less
powerful. And no one really knows
what she is allowed to do on her own,
without the blessing of McClatchy
headquarters In Sacramento. Doesn't
mailer. She runs lhat big. masterful
thing that shows up onyour doorstep
everyday without explanation and
helps set agendas. That's power, of
sorts.
The perception of power. That
means the powerless can never attain
It until they start flexing their muscles
In both their jobs and on the economic
front-
Power. The Bee is going to tell us all
about lOlocals who've got it. starting
today. I can hardly wait Maybe I'll
pick up some pointers.
Avedisian extends congratulations
I would like to extend my
congratulations to the Dally Collegian
staff and the members of the
Publications Commission for their
excellent work in getting the Dally
Collegian Independence Plan up and
running so successfully.   I would also
like to commend my co-authors Scott
Vick.and Dr. Greg Wuliger. and all of
the Sniers who helped make the
independence plan a reality. Good
luck and best wishes to the Collegian
In the years to come.
RonAvedlsia^f
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN
Editor in Chief. EricBumcy
Managing Edilor.... Amy Hemphill
News Mior. ZarinaZumbro
Copy Ediior. .Chris Heredia
Spixu Editor. Moray Holzman
Assistant to the Sports Editor....Damn Jones
Graphics Editor. John Francis
Photo Edilor.  .Terry Picrson
_  __, ■ StaffArusU-..OrtfUvy,JoshuaShepp»rd
Suff Wmai: B«h Corbo.Todd llelh, Sabriru Keliey. Robert Phipps,Tm W, Penny Sollcy.
l-isa Wylie
Sports Wrilcrs: Chris Branam. Debbie Sneer
Phomrraphcrsr Jason B. Carroll, David Telto
B^incss Manager. LisaMcKirmey    ,
Advertising Manager .Dsrcy Knighi
Ad Production Manager......Sharon Vaz
ST^.^^^*™^ Mclmosh-Belmonle. PatBoylan,
Missy Karab.an, Ron Marm. David Rodriguez, Sharon Vaz 7L    ™I™
C_££ SU!*?? * PUb1h8fl "*** **"**»«* 8*-**. Ineorporaied at
w-arri unh-ily tJ£^Sz££I£X2^'& ~5™™-SuM"*-•»«■-■-
tor J17 50 p* s*n«» „ TOp^^KSSfiEJjZ'" S^0*"™ *• *-** * m*
'«—«■ M-wra" »na oce* na raprecant MKlwMrnari by thepubUiMr or