1993_03 Insight March 1993

              Page 2
March 3,1993
Better schools
and gardens
Cement jungles are popping up at
an alarming rate. Smoke stacks and
smog lines fill the skis. Traffic and
congestion block the streets, adding to
the urban decay plaguing the city.
Take a walk through campus and
look around.
Flowers bloom everywhere, trees
are trimmed and kept neatly, grass
grows in lawns of green that spread
out. The birds chirp in an almost
deafening chorus and, aside from the
free speech area, there is an abundance of open space to take a break
and look for configurations in the
clouds.
Budget cuts multiply and everyone
sits around just looking for something
to gripe about, but perhaps the time
has come to really take a good look at
the campus we spend so much time
on.
Instead of moaning about the new
music building, take a step back to
appreciate the aesthetic appeal of the
structure.
In a time when the downtown area
is crumbling around Fresno's feet,
enjoy being in an area that blooms and
grows every day.
It is said that you can't see the
seasons change here, because in California there are no seasons. But on
this campus, the community can see
the leaves change to brilliant shades of
red, orange and yellow before they
descend to the ground for their fall
demise.
Spring is still a month away, but
flowers blooming and trees sprouting
already invade the senses. The Pit
glows with the purple flowers blossoming on its trees, the Cherry Blossoms flutter across campus to give off
a pink aura and the little white flowers
cover the ground in a blanket reminiscent of snow.
Okay, our campus may not be as
sublime as a Disney movie, but its
beauty definitely deserves recognition.
Construction these days tends to
remind a passerby of city-scapes and
overcrowding. This problem escapes
those planning the grounds here.
Greenery does not pay the price for
expansion. The landscapers use the
plants, flowers and shrubberies to accentuate the buildings and make them
more appealing.
The gardening staff and landscape
crew should be commended for making school such pleasant surroundings to be in. It is a pleasure to walk
from class to class when the walks are
like those in a park. The atmosphere
set by the gardening allows one to
enjoy the campus and almost get lost
in the beauty.
So the next time you're looking for
something else to bitch about, look
around and take a moment to smell the
roses.
Letters to
the Editor
Dear editor.
Wow! Finally an "INSIGHT' to be
proud of! It is now a pleasure to grab one
and sit down and read. The paper looks
different (good) the articles are written
well,easy lo understand, fullof facts- what
can I say- its great-1 love it! Keep up the
good work
Now an INSIGHT fan,
Gail Leeds
Letter to
the readers
To our fastidious readers:
There comes a time in every college
newspaper Opinion Editor's life when he
or she must say: "Send mc a letter, opinion
piece, commentary, cartoon or even snot-
rag!"
The Insight is a publication put out by
students who, believe it or not, are like the
readers. Wc like to eat pizza, ditch classes
on occasion and eventually plan on graduating. (I" fact, professors do the same
thing, that is, they like to eat pizza and
ditch classes on occasion and want you to
graduate so you can get out of their life.)
The astute, well-read, intelligent Insight reader (CSUF studenu faculty and
staff, advertiser, town local, Fresno yahoo,
etc.) appreciates the fine, high-quality product that is news and marvels at how we put
out such a first-class product The stories
are always appealing, written flawlessly,
and merit Pulitzer Prizes.
As for the Opinion page, the editorials
are always correct, the cartoons awesome,
and the regular column by George
Constantinopoulos is the most beautiful
piece of writing that has ever been printed
since the Gutenburg Bible.
If you agree with this, then good. If not,
then you must write a letter, opinion piece.
commentary or cartoon. It is your civic
responsibility. Lcucr writing is a most
noble thing, a higher calling. It takes
effort, but the rewards arc bountiful. You
gel your name in print. You get to spew
logic or hysteria for the masses to read and
admire. You can defdy craft a commentary that displays your literary prowess.
If you do not think that letters have
impact, refresh your memory to our
country s Founding Fathers beginning with
a letter that began "We the people..."
The policy of Insight is to print all
letters to the editor and guest commentary. The Insight is a forum for all CSUF
students, faculty and staff to make available opinions and ideas known to the
campus and community at large.
All work submitted to Insight retains
ihe submitter's style. We do not edit
letters to the editor for style nor delete any
material. They are printed intact.
Perhaps you do not know how to write
a letter to the editor. Here is a sample:
Dear Editorial Greatness,
I am writing this to show the structure
of a sample letter to the editor. See, even
this sample letter to the editor gets published.
Sincerely,
, Letter Writer
See, it docs not take a genius to write a
letter. And you don't need a computer,
word processor or typewriter. Just put it
on a piece of paper (Or whatever else you
want). Pencil orink is fine. Butplease.no
writing with blood, our plasma bank is
fine.
Guest commentaries in Insight can be
on whatever subject you desire, even if it
does not have anything to do with CSUF
or be in response to an article or opinion in
Insight The forum is yours for you to use.
Use h.
Remember Your stuff here. Got it?
Jump write to it.
Mail stuff to the address mentioned on
this page. Telepathy will not work this
semester since our soothsayer is out of
commission.
Sincerely,
George Constantinopoulos
Opinion* Editor, Insight
Stop non-intervention in Bosnia
ditor's
^AvJltJ A • r|oTCr1>NJ ^
Davin A. Hutchins
Ever since civil war erupted in Yugoslavia
nearly a year and a half ago, the world has
reluctantly borne witness to a nation's descent
into a nether world of human suffering.
Aside from the horrors commonly associated with the baltlefront alone, the Serbian war
practitioners have given this Balkan conflict a
sordid twist in Bosnia-Herzegovina by extending their targets to include defenseless men,
women and children.
The Serbs' advocacy of "ethnic cleansing"
has led to the rounding up of thousands of
civilian minorities, so categorized only by religious belief, for immediate extermination.
It has also been reported that high officers in
the Serbian military have authorized the hoarding of hundreds of women into "rape hotels,"
where multiple soldiers can repeatedly have
their way with a single victim.
In addition, masses of Bosnians have been
detained in prison camps where malnourishment
and human rights abuses arc commonplace.
However, it is saddening to sec that this
flagrant disrespect for human life is evident not
only in the actions of armed, nationalistic Serbs,
but also in the non-interventionist policies of
the United Nations, United States and European
Community.
The blood of those who have died in Bosnia
sullies any nation who witnesses the inhumanity taking place there and turns the other check.
Only after months and months of being emblazoned with images of starvation,
homclessness and annihilation were Western
nations finally prompted to significant action.
This does not mean serious considerations of
national interest should be ignored if a more
activist policy is to be pursued.
This does mean, however, that anachronistic
or contradicting policies should be discontinued if they have proven ineffective.
In July 1992, the United States backed the
UN Security Council's decision to enforce an
arms embargo of all former Yugoslav nations
by blockading the Adriatic Sea. A sound policy
of non-intervention, if it cut arms off to both
warring parties equally.
But, it did not. The post-Communist, Serb-
dominated government in Belgrade inherited
this superior fighting force of old Yugoslavia.
In addition, it has been reported this week that
private Russian arms dealers may have been
supplying the Serb army all along.
The instant it was apparent that the arms
embargo was making Bosnia the underdog in
this war and actuaUy encouraging "ethnic cleansing," the policy should have been reassessed.
But the policy was not flexible to the situation
-and became outdated, resulting a greater loss of
Bosnian and Muslim lives.
U.N. relief flights of humanitarian aid to
Sarajevo last June and to east Bosnia this week
must be praised, but it makes little sense in light
of the arms embargo.
Why try to save the lives of civilians trapped
in towns if you have rendered them defenseless
by denying them arms?
Recent proposals for the UN-sponsored
Vance-Owens peace plan overlooks entirely
the desires of individual Bosnians, Muslims and
Serbs within Bosnia. It proposes the division of
Bosnia into 10 autonomous cantons, each allotted to a single ethnic group.
For generations, all three ethnic groups have
intermarried, traveled where they pleased, and
coexisted with other ethnic groups in both the
workplace and community.
This bloody racial enmity is the contemporary exception not the historical rule. The plan
does not even consider the offspring of mixed
marriages who consider themselves both
Bosnian and Serb, for example. Where will they
live?
Besides, the Sabs, who have already gained
over 70 percent of Bosnian territory, would
never go for the plan for it would mean they
would sacrifice spoils gained in the war.
Commentary
Bad news, bad news, whatcha
gonna do when ya got bad news?
Sandy Sirias
Not all TV news is smart news. It seems
there are limes in TV news when news is reported unfairly and biased. However, it's not
done intentionally to deceive or manipulate the
public opinion in any way.
A few weeks ago the Fresno Bee ran a full-
page ad paid by Accuracy In Media (A.I.M.).
This group has taken upon itself to be the
"watch dog" of the media "injustices." The
group claims to represent the American people
that are angry with the current format of TV
What the ad failed to do is enlighten the
people into what the medium is about. The
group could have provided a Utile background
information on what process the TV network
and stations have to engage in to bring the news
to millions of homes each day. For example, in
order to pay top-dollar professionals in the
field, stations have to create big revenues. Sponsors are looking to place their ads with stations
who have the most viewers. This is where the
problem begins, with money, "the root of all
evil."
always been, a fast-pace society which values
expediency to the highest form. Wc are always
on the go. We don't have time to wait. We warn
everything and we wani it now. Then, why be
surprised that TV stations want to cater this
large audience?
This is where a responsible, intelligent human being should become aware of other sources
of information. As ihe old saying goes: Don't
put all your eggs in one basket.
Don't rely on TV news as your only news
source. Read the local, or main newspapers,
news magazines, journals and watch TV news
shows such as the MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour,
CNN. Nightline. The news presented by these
sources are more often than not accurate, the
lime spent on each piece is more extensive. The
stories arc covered in depth, presenting both
sides of the issue.
TV news has its faults but should not be
blamed for what is wrong with ihe world as the
article suggested. Mistakes have been made as
in the case where "Dateline: NBC" rigging the
test which made the GMC truck explode in
order to maximize the effect it would have on
the viewers. It isn't every day that something
like this happens. In most pan, TV news is very
TV news can generate lots of viewers and it    responsible in reporting accurately.
is up to the stations to make sure their audience
keeps coming back, right along with new ones.
Sometimes this is done in a manner which is
some what embarrassing to other journalists. It
is called sensationalism.
Why is it that TV shows such as: Cops. Hard
Copy, Inside Edition. A Current Affair have
become so popular? Could it be because we
crave information that appeals to the barbaric
aspect of our personality? We like to think thai
we are a civilized culture but bow can that hold
true when one of the movies in the last few years
to have top billing and grossed millions of
dollars was "Terminator 2 ?" Let's face il
One of the arguments of the ad is that TV
news makes people think a certain way. This is
an unfair argument because all TV news does is
present the viewer with information for him or
her to decide what to believe. It might help
change opinions and shed some light on issues
thai were being kept in the dark intentionally.
Look at what the reporting on Watergate did for
the American people; we arc all a lot smarter
because of it. The Vietnam War ended largely
due to the TV news repons. How can that be
wrong?
Let's hope ihat in die future we will see more
in-depth reports, with accuracy and no sensa-
liketheugly,bloody,darksideofthenews. The u'onalism. After all, the medium is still young
networks know this and they will keep showing and •here is no previous pattern to emulate. For
it as long as wc keep watching it all •■* f«*hs. the American media is better than
We don't have time for the good, solid, in-    any other in this world.	
depth stories. We have become, or may have Sandy Slriu is an Assistant Editor for insight
See War, page 6.
Mail Stop 10, CSU Fresno
Fresno, CA 93740 (209) 278-2892
McKee Fisk, Rm. 240
CALIFORNIA STATE
UNIVERSITY,FRESNO
Insight
Davin A. Hutchins
Katharine Barrans
Graphic si Photo Editor
Eric Johnston
K.Arm Kaltman
George Constantinopoulos
Sports Editor
Arts £ Entertainment Editor
Michele D'Ambrosio
Lisa Driver
Shelley Willingham
Advertising Manager
Krista Helgeson
Adirrtuing Production Manager
Cindi Martinez
Assistant Editors
Andrew Forester
Sandy Sirias
Debbie Speer
Jenny Steffens
Fernando Tejada
Dallas Blanchard
Kelly Jantzen
Tommy Mon real
Matt Soby
Thean Su
Diane Troha
Insight welcomes all reader
letters and guest commentary.
Letters and commentary must
be signed by the author, and
may be edited for length. All
submissions will be published.
All unsigned editorials are the majority
opinion of the editorial board, and do
not represent the Department of
Journalism, CSUF administration, or
the trustees of the California State
University system.