©Copyright, State Press, 1991 Tempe, Arizona Friday, April 5 ,1 9 9 1 Arizona State University’s Morning Daily Voi. 7 4 N o. 51 P resid en t’s race to o clo se to ca ll B y ANDREW FA U G H T State P ress This year’s student government elections ended in the announcement of two run-off races for the positions of president and executive vice president. Results came in at 5 p.m. Thursday after a notably low voter turnout Tuesday and Wednesday than past years. Associated Students of ASU presidential candidate Greg Mechem. who spent no money financing his campaign, finished the general election with 28.9 percent of the vote, slightly ahead of opponent Frank McCune’s 27.8 percent. “I feel the best for the students,” Mechem said of his status. “Let them tell me what to do.” Mechem added he was going to study for his geology test and “get the first good night’s sleep in a month.” Meanwhile, McCune said he will kick off his run-off campaign today to mobilize as many students as possible. “We have to get the vote out,” McCune said. “We need to Mechem, McCune will compete in run-off work to get the issues out more and let students know they’re there.” For the position of executive vice president, Christian Hageseth and Adrian Fontes also will face a run-off election after Hageseth won 38.2 percent of the vote and Fontes won 30.5 percent. Both Hageseth and Fontes maintained they would continue “clean campaigning” into the stretch. “This is more than just a feeling,” Hageseth said. “It’s more than anything I can articulate right now.” Hageseth said he has enjoyed the elections process “in an exhaustive kind of way.” Meanwhile, Fontes said he will continue “plugging away.” “I think the students have spoken,” he said. “Now they have to make one of the most important decisions for one of the most important offices.” In the race for ASASU president and executive vice president, no candidates were able to garner a majority plus one vote, the necessary figure to win the election, forcing a run-off election scheduled for April 9 and 10. Only 2,881 voters turned out at the polls according to elections officials, the lowest voter turnout since 1985, when about 1,200 students marked their ballots. Assistant Flections Coordinator Randy Hawkins said voter participation may have suffered because of minimum mudslinging during the campaigning. Last year’s “warlike” elections drew 5,151 voters. In other results, Amy Golden beat opponent Rachel lH s, V Turn to E lections, page 6 . Senate w inners penalized for election offenses By KEN BROW N State P ress ASU’s student government elections commission decided not to disqualify two of Thursday’s senatorial winners for election code violations despite a constitutional mandate requiring automatic forfeiture of the election for the offenses. Gena Brewer, Associated Students of ASU senator-elect for the College of Fine Arts, and Heather Collins, a College of Public Programs senator-elect, were cited by the elections commission for failing to submit a summary of their campaign expenses by the 5 p.m. deadline on March 26. Officials said the two candidates violated Title XI, Article 6 of the ASASU constitutional bylaws. A third Senate hopeful. College of Nursing write-in candidate Mary Landgraft, was penalized for the same reason, but did not win the election. According to the bylaws, the candidates should receive a 20-point penalty and must forfeit the election for the infraction. The punishment “must apply” to all candidates who violate the code, the constitution states. Despite the provision, all three received 19 penalty points on Tuesday from the ASASU Elections Commission. With 19 points, neither Brewer nor Collins will be required to give up their seats unless they receive one or more additional penalty points within the next two weeks. Bruce Arnoldssen, chairman of the elections commission, said bylaws are open to a “certain degree of interpretation.” He said past elections commissions have chosen not to punish fully candidates with similar offenses. When asked what ruling allowed alternate interpretions of Turn to Finance, page 9 . B y JUDI T A N C O S State P ress One in seven women will be raped before they graduate from college, but only 1 percent of the male students who rape will be p ro se cu ted , acco rd in g to U. S. government statistics. These figures form the basis behind an effort by ASU officials to make the campus safe for women. “If there’s only one sexual assault on this campus, then it is still a problem,” said Steve Beykirch, associate director of state relations for Associated Students of ASU. ASU’s State Relations office has begun The Honey­ moon is Over: Gov. Fife Symington delivers his proposed budget for Legislative approval. Page 2 Joe Bamason/State Pruts A sso cia te d Stu de nts o f A S U presidential can didates Frank M cCu ne, left, and G reg ory M echem talk after electio n results w ere an­ nou nced T h u rsd a y afternoon. M echem e d g ed M cC u n e by 32 votes, but th e m argin w as not en o u g h to call the w inner. T h e tw o can­ d idates will fa ce e a ch othe r in a run-off election next M onday and Tu esd a y. preliminary efforts to introduce legislation that would provide additional funding for campus security, support service programs and rape education and prevention programs. The bill would be modeled after Title IV of the Violence Against Women Act, which was reintroduced to Congress in January after it failed to make it to the floor in time for a vote during the last congressional session. “We’re hoping it gets to the floor in time to vote this year,” Beykirch said, explaining that Title IV would also give victims the right to know the outcome of campus disciplinary proceedings. Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump: Robert Townsend’s new flick, ‘‘The Five Heartbeats,’’ is reviewed. Page 11 Currently, a sexual assault victim might not have the ability to find out whether the student who raped her will be sitting next to her in class the following day. “We’d like to make sure that the state is involved, (but) there are a lot Of things that need to be worked out,” Beykirch said of ASU’s effort. ASU police reported 14 campus rapes in 1989, one in 1990 and none so far in 1991. However, officials said many rapes go unreported. A recent ASU survey of 350 women conducted by the State Press Magazine revealed that one in 10 has been the victim of date rape. But 50 percent Of the ASU women know someone who has been date raped. National figures also echo an alarming trend. The Senate Judiciary Committee reported that at least 17 rapes occur on American college campuses every day, and 57 percent of those victims are attacked by dates. In addition, one in four women will be attacked by a potential rapist, and four out of five sexual assaults on campus are committed by students. At ASU, Beykirch said the Safety Escort Going Back to Cali: The ASU baseball team plays a weekend series against the California Golden Bears. Page 15 Turn t o W om en, page 9- Today’s weather: Sunny w ith a high in the 80s. Tonight: Low in the upper SOs. C l a s s i f i e d s . . . . . . . .................. .... .17 Comics.................. H o r o s c o p e . . I ? S p o r t s . . . . w , . . , V . . ........... IS Pageg Friday, April 5,1991 State Press Symington budget assures surplus, no taxes PHOENIX CAP) — Gov. Fife Symington released details Thursday of his proposed budget for next year, saying it meets his goal of ending the year with at least $70 million in the bank without raising taxes. Democrats complained that the budget recommendations are based on faculty assumptions and misplaced priorities, while House Republican leader Mark Killian called it “the most responsible approach to budgeting I’ve seen since I’ve been in the Legislature.” Symington’s $3,458 billion spending plan is about $82 million under former Gov. Rose Mofford’s proposed budget and $30 million less than the Joint Legislative Budget Committee’s proposal. Symington said he used the JLBC budget as the basis for his recommendations, but added to some programs and took money away from others. “This budget does not contain an acrossthe-board cut,” Symington said. “Rather, we examined each agency’s budget in detail to find cuts that allow us to maintain a high quality of necessary state services:” Most state agencies would get less money under the Symington plan, although he recommended substantial increases for the Office of Tourism and his own Office of Strategic Budgeting and Planning. His plan also anticipates a year-end balance of $72,6 million, which is nearly three times the cushion recommended by the JLBC. Symington said the estimate of the current year’s ending balance had been adjusted upward from only $150,000 to more than $26 million. Most of the increase was realized by upping the estimate of this year’s income-tax collections by $20 million, he said. S enate A ppropriations Com mittee Chairman Jaim e Gutierrez, D-Tucson, accused Symington of using “smoke and mirrors” to a arrive at his revenue estimated $82 million. Symington said, however, that he did include $4.5 million for school districts that experience “sudden growth.” Gutieirez said other changes Symington would make in education funding would reduce state school aid by $6.8 million. “It’s crazy to cut K-12 when he’s planning a $72 million carry forward,” Gutierrez said. The Democrats also noted that Symington included no provision in the budget for a settlement with ENSCO should negotiations with the Arkansas company result in a modification of its contract to build and operate a controversial hazardous-waste facility in Arizona. . Symington acknowledged that ENSCO Could be a potential problem. “I believe ENSCO will be settled this fiscal year,” Symington said. “I am hoping the settlement will minimize the fiscal impact on the state.” estimates and questioned the wisdom of budgeting for a $72 million carryover. “My personal feeling is that the $72 million is not going to be there,” Gutierrez said. “I believe that amount is going to go down significantly.” Democratic leaders also criticized Symington’s spending priorities, noting that he would cut funding for education, mental health and environmental programs, but would provide additional money for prisons. Senate Majority Leader Alan Stephens, £>Phoenix, said the plan also relies too heavily on funding sources that may or may not be there. “There seems to be a lot of reliance on federal money coming into this state,” Stephens said. “If that money is not there, then a lot of these assumptions will be faulty.” The Symington plan follows the JLBC recommendation that no allowance be made for inflation in the budget for elementary and secondary education, which will save an T o d a y _________ The Today section is a daily calendar of events happening at A SU that is presented as a service to the University community. A n y cam pus d u b or organization can submit entries fo r publication to the State Press, located in the basement of Matthews Center, Room 15. Entries must be legible, are subject to editing for content, sp ace and clarity, and will not be taken oyer the phone. Due to space restrictions, the State Press cannot guarantee publication. Deadline for the entries is 1 p,m. the previous business day. Meetings •Alcoholics A nonym ous will have a closed meeting at noon at the Newman Center on College Avenue and University Drive. •ACM RS will present a lecture on Dante at 3 p.m. in LL C319. •Women Students will have an intercultural discussion at 2 p.m. in the Women’s Student Center. •Center fo r A sian Studies will present the film “The •MUAB Film Committee will present “Major League” at 7 Funeral” at 7:30 p.m. in LL A18. p.m. and 9:30 p.m. in the Union Cinema for $1. •Kayak C lu b will have a meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the •Hispanic Graduate Student Alliance will have a meeting Aquatics Complex. at 5:30 p.m. in the MU Coconino Room. •Phi A lpha Theta will present a speaker at 4 p.m. in SS 226. •The Historian will have an open house from 2 p.m. to 4 • S aturday, April 6 •The A grib usiness C lub wilt host the college rodeo at 1 p.m. in SS 222. p.m. and a dance at 7 p.m. at the Rawhide Rodeo grounds •Arizona Energy O ffice will discuss environmental in Scottsdale. consequences of energy at 11:45 a.m. in AED 60. •MUAB Film Com m ittee will present “Major League” at 7 • M U A B 's T h e Farce Sid e Com edy Hour will present a free comedy show at 12:40 p.m. in the Union Programming p.m. and 9:30 p.m. in the Union Cinema for $1. •Phi AlphaTheta will have a regional conference from 8:30 Lounge. a.m. to 5 p rh. in the MU. •Devil’s Juggling C lub will have a meeting at 3 p.m. in front of the Language and Literature Building. •Golden Key H onor Society will have newsletters S unday, April 7 available in McClintock Hall 106. •The A grib usiness Club will host the college rodeo at 1 •International Group of the Catholic Newman Center will p.m. at the Rawhide Rodeo grounds in Scottsdale. have a meeting at 7 p.m. at 230 E. University Drive. T O N IG H T SEMEPRESSSKOAL $1.50 LO NGNECKS COCKTAILS St. 8 : 30- 10:30 HAPPY HOUR V P apago P la za Ju st 3 M ile s N orth o f A S U ! 423-8499 8-10:30 S W C orner S cottsd a le & M cD ow ell Happy Hour Complimentary Buffet 2for 1Well, Wine, Longnecks 4-8 p.m. w it h MORNINGSTAR f e a t u r in g W alt Richardson B and Starts 6:30-10:30 D J . J e ff B everid ge 10:30-1:00 SATURDAY is LADIES NIGHT! $1.00 Drinks All Night for Ladies. D.J. JEFF B E V E R ID G E : F o rm e r C lu b U M D J W orld/N ation O fficial predicts Ira q i starvation BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) —Many Iraqis will soon starve because of a scarcity of food in. state warehouses, a top government official said Thursday. Trade Minister Mohammad Mehdi Saleh attributed the shortages in basic foodstuffs to the U.N. economic embargo and rebel looting of warehouses in northern and southern Iraqi cities. He appealed to international relief agencies for assistance, telling reporters: “The Iraqi people will soon starve to death because government food stocks are drying up and there are no means to fill them out again now.” On March 22, the United Nations Security Council allowed food and medical shipments to Iraq, waiving restrictions imposed on the war-ravaged country to punish it for its Aug. 2 invasion of Kuwait. The council eased —- but did not lift — restrictions on fuel, generators, spare parts and essentials to repair water purification systems. On Wednesday, the United Nations passed a cease-fire resolution that would lift the economic embargo if Iraq agrees to a series of conditions, including destruction of much of its weaponry. Iraq has yet to formally respond. Saleh said military attacks by the U.S.-led coalition during the Gulf War did not serve _P82£¿ Friday, April 5,1991 State new “their purpose of destroying the Iraqi food stocks.” “But the groups of traitors and criminals did the job and destroyed all government food stocks and warehouss in areas they captured,” Saleh said, referring to insurgents opposed to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. He said losses from food vandalized from government warehouses in the southern and northern cities included 149,000 tons of wheat, 61,000 tons of rice and 6,095 tons of cooking oO. “Almost 100 percent of our food stocks in the vandalized areas has been looted, burned, or transfered to Iran in long vehicles by the saboteurs,” Saleh charged. He s a id th e g o v e rn m e n t b eg an resupplying northern and southern areas immediately following “their liberation (by the government) with food products from our stocks in Baghdad.” Saleh said since U.N. sanctions were imposed on his country, the government has provided citizens with subsidized food according to quotas based on reduced supplies He said the government supply was reduced 50 percent to 60 percent for most food items such as wheat flour. “Before Aug. 2, the ministry provided Turn to Iraq, page 10. Gates placed on 60-daypaid leave LOS ANGELES (A P) — P o lic e C hief D a ry l F. Gates was forced to take a 60-day paid leave of ab­ sence T hursday pending completion of key investiga t i o n s in th e videotaped beating of a black motorist G a t e s b y w h i t e policemen. “ I feel that I hav$ been disgraced and defamed,” Gates said after emerging from an 8 0 -m in u te , c lo s e d - d o o r P o lic e Commission meeting. “I have no idea why this is happening. I’m very controlled. I always have been.” The commission gave no reason for forcing Gates to take the leave. “We emphasize this action is not punitive in nature and results in no loss of pay or benefits for Chief Gates,” the commission said in a statement. “More importantly, it should not be taken by the public as reflecting any conclusion as to whether the chief should be charged or disciplined in the future.” Mayor Tom Bradley on Tuesday asked for Gates’ resignation, joining many critics of the department. Bradley, who lacks the authority to fire Gates, said the chief’s response to the March 3 beating of Rodney King plunged the nation’s second-largest city and its Police Department into crisis. “It is my hope that today’s Police Commission action will give us all time to bridge the differences that have grown between us since the Rodney King incident,” Bradley said on his afternoon return from Sacramento. King, 25, was released from a hospital earlier this week and went into seclusion, his attorney, Steve Lerman, said Thursday. He said King was still having trouble with his facial muscles and memory lapses. “This is a time of healing for the city of Los Angeles to restore credibility and to show minority communities that the LAPD will clean house,” Lerman said. Meanwhile, the president of the 8,100-member Los Angeles Police Protective League said officers were so angry that they might authorize “some Turn to Gates, page 10. Sen. John Heinz, 6 others, killed in air collision MERION, Pa. (AP) — Sen. John Heinz and six others, including two children, were killed Thursday when a helicopter collided with his plane over a schoolyard at midday, author­ ities said. The collision occurred as the heli­ copter was checking the landing gear of the senator’s plane, authorities said. The children killed were on the ground. Most children were in class at Merion Elementary and only a few were outside at the time of the fiery crash, said John Fowler, head custodian. “Fifteen minutes later, there would have been 400 kids where the helicopter came down,” Fowler said. Heinz, a 52-year-old Republican, was an heir to the H.J. Heinz food empire. He was elected to the U.S. House, representing Pittsburgh, in a special election in 1971 and was re-elected twice. He was elected to the Senate in 1976 and was re-elected in 1982 and 1968. Heinz and his wife, Teresa, have three children. The bodies of Heinz and his two pilots were taken to Lankenau Hospital. Officials said the bodies were burned so badly that dental records were being brought from Washington to identify which one was Heinz. Heinz’s fellow senator from Pennsylvania, Republican Arlen Specter, was “too upset” to comment on the death, his office said. A spokesman said the two had been “very close friends” as well as colleagues. Heinz concentrated on issues involving the elderly and on protecting steel from subsidized foreign competition. He was the second ranking Republican on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and was the ranking GOP member of Banking’s securities subcommittee. Also killed were two pilots on Heinz’s twin-engine Aerostar PA60, Rick Shreck and Tron Stegan. Their ages were not immediately available. Two pilots in the Bell 412 were identified by an airline spokesman as Charles J. Burke, 42, and Michael Pozzano, 43. The aircraft burst into flames on impact and showered debris over the old stone houses and manicured lawns in the upper middle class suburb of Philadelphia. The helicopter wreckage came to rest on the playground about 35 feet from the school. The plane fell to the ground on the other side of the building. “The room started shaking and the windows blew open,” said Joelle Morgan, 10, a fifth grader who was in math class at the time. “The teacher yelled, ‘Fire.’ Everyone was crying. Everyone wanted to go home.” Three children and two school employees were injured. Fowl«*, the custodian, had his hand bandaged from the thumb to the wrist and said he was burned when he caught a boy trying to run into the school from the playground, his clothing on fire. “The teacher was trying to restrain him, his pants were on fire,” Fowler said. “We knodked him down and snuffed it out.” “I saw two children on the ground,” said Fowler. “It was too hot to get close to them.” O fficials loo k o ve r the w reckage o f a sm all plane that'Collided in mid-air with a h elicopter near Philadelphia Thursd ay. T h e plane carrying U .S . Se n . Jo n h Heinz, Ft-Pa., a n d the helicopter fell on to a sch o o ly a rd killing tw o child ren. A ll three peop le In the plane w ere killed a s well as tw o p e o p le in th e helicopter. Heinz, in bis home state for Congress’ Easter recess, was en route from WiUiamsport-Lycoming County airport to Philadelphia, said his administrative assistant, Cliff Shannon. Shannon said he had heard reports that the instrument panel on the senator’s plane did not show that the nose landing gear was locked and down. Township Manager David C. Latshaw said the pilots of a Sun Co. helicopter overheard the pilot of Heinz’s plane report the problem to the tower and went to investigate. The helicopter was shuttling back and forth from the Philadelphia airport to Sun Co. headquarters taking board members to a directors meeting, said Sun spokesman Dick Jackman. “The helicopter went up into the plane,” said Chuck LeGar, a painter working on a school addition when he saw the collision. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman LeRoy Johnson said the helicopter crew had confirmed the plane’s landing gear was down and. the plane was headed for the airport when the two collided. He said their radio conversations were tape-recorded. The National Transportation Safety Board began compiling information shortly after the crash, but an agency spokesman said it could be four to six months before a report is issued on exactly what happened. Gov. Robert P. Casey may appoint a successor to serve until a special election can be held in November. Casey, a Democrat, called Heinz “a distinguished and dedicated son of Pennsylvania.” But he would not answer reporters’ questions, including whether he would appoint someone to hold the office until November. Heinz’s term would have ended in January 1995. “Hie people of Pennsylvania have lost a great leader and the nation has lost a great senator,” President Bush, traveling in California, said in a statement'. Vice President Dan Quayle was in Los Angeles to make a speech when he learned of Heinz’ death. “He was a special friend of mine,” Quayle said. “He was a special friend. of.my wife’s. He always put his eountryfirst. Opinion State Press Friday, April S, 1991 Page 4 Show dow n NextASASU p resid en t last h o p e to avoid U niversity cuts Michael LaMantia Asst. O pinion Editor While many students were abuzz over ASASU election results Thursday, greenhorn Gov. Fife Symington distributed copies of his budget proposal for fiscal 1992, These papers revealed that Symington is aboard a statesized treadmill, ready to put Arizona on a diet. By cutting fat, Symington plans to pay the bills and have some cash left over for the next year. Specifically, he is hoping to hold onto $72.6 million to use as an emergency buffer. In addition to the buffer, after covering some other incidentals, Symington proposes that $50 million be left at the end of the fiscal year. Fat chance. Our Slim-Fast governor isn’t being realistic. And as a result, the new president of ASASU — who will be decided during next week’s run-off election —will be facing a student population that will be deprived of classes as a result of the trim-down. While Symington offers no new revenue-raising ideas, he is asking state agencies and the universities to reduce their budgets by up to 5 percent. And to top it all off, the governor, not wanting to renege on all of his campaign promises, will not consider new taxes. The Legislature may give Symington a token fight on his budget proposal. A deal may be struck. A reduction of 2 or 3 percent will likely be the outcome. For ASU and the new ASASU president, the future looks bleak. Regent Andy Hurwitz said he is disappointed that Symington who vowed not to compromise education during his campaign — seems to have forgotten where his priorities are; Consider this. This Legislature isn’t the same one that confronted a former governor who ordered reductions while offering no revenue-raising plan. That thrifty guy was Evan Mecham, and that Legislature tossed him out. But this isn’t 1988. The State Legislature is accepting new governor appointees to its ranks in order to fill the positions formerly held by departing AzScamers. The present governor is smart. He knows how to use honey to catch bees. Mecham used fire and got burned. Therefore, since the Legislature promises only to strike a deal with this budget, most likely in Symington’s favor, the only One left to confront him will be the president of ASASU. Time will tell whether the new student body president is Mecheni or McCune. Sadly, it is the only chance the students have left to thwart tuition increases as well as lost classes and staff members. m m /** T ftE M et»/ A S A S U P R E S /P E N T S '“ F I R S T Symington is on a roll. His ambitious plan to reorganize the house will be challenged by the Legislature. In the end, it is doubtful it will be totally rejected. To some extent, the overall plan will remain. Schools are easy targets. The cuts will go forth. After the budget battle smoke clears, ASU will still be in the fog. So, how does the president of ASASU confront a governor who already seems untouchable? Bring a posse. That’s the hard part. Judging from the election results, there were only 2,881 students who bothered to vote for the student candidates. That’s a (pathetic) start. If the president of ASASU could muster half of these activists to go to Symington’s office and scream about how his priorities are screwed up, the other universities would gladly follow. The ASUA president could bring a posse. And the president of ASNAU could bring one as well. Outgoing ASASU President Matt Ortega seems to agree. “The only hope left at avoiding a tragedy lies with the new student regent from ASU and the new ASASU president,” REAL n tff “ RATTLE Ortega said. He said that if ASU leads the way, the other universities will follow. Symington needs to be reminded that hot everything is a matter of looking at numbers and having your bookkeeper figure out what to do. When Symington cuts, people get fired. When Symington wants a buffer, students have to wait another semester to graduate! Whén Symington wants cash left over, food stamp recipients go hungry . To a businessman, these normative considerations are an unfortunate thing. “ . . . During these difficult budget times, painful realities must be confronted,’’ Symington said. But, to a civil servant, these decisions are deplorable. Arizona’s new governor isn’t the civil servant he says he is. He is a businessman. If the next ASASU président doesn’t call upon the student body to confront Symington, it is sure to be another lame year for the ASU community. And it is the students’ responsibility to help our new president fight. Emir’s fancy fountain leaves Kuwait thirsty Tribune Media Syndicate freedoms. But their criticism is misguided. In this case, the government did the right thing. It must be remembered that we fought the gulf war to restore the “legitimate government” of Kuwait. And at considerable expense, in human lives and money, this “legitimate government” was restored. Despite its having been ravaged by war, there is encouraging news eoming out of Kuwait. Shortly after Kuwait City was freed, some residents began publishing a newspaper. It began very small as a mimeographed tip sheet on where people might find medical care or something to eat! But it soon became a more professional journal, and its popularity increased. But about a week ago, a government official came to the newspaper’s office and told the editor that he would have to cease publication immediately. The official was upset because the newspaper had criticized the government for its bumbling efforts to provide food, water, electricity, medicine and other services to Kuwait City’s miserable inhabitants. The editor asked the government official what he had to do to keep publishing. The official said he needed a government license. The editor asked how he could get a license. The official said he could apply for one, but he didn’t know if or when it would be issued. So that was the end of Kuwait’s first post-war independent newspaper. Now various international press organizations are criticizing Kuwait’s rulers for shutting down the newspaper. They are making the predictable statements about press So how does it look, after we have gone to all that expense and effort, to have the legitimate government we restored accused of being a bunch Of bumblers? Is that the impression a newspaper should be giving — that to restore a bunch of bumblers to positions of power, we killed more than 100,000 Iraqis and devastated their country? Besides, it’s quite possible that the newspaper was mistaked in its criticism. True, there wasn’t much being done in the way of making life tolerable for the people of Kuwait City. But the paper may have overlooked the fact that in such difficult times, the government had to establish priorities. That paper should have been aware that while it was carping about food, water, medicine and other matters, the government was faced with the urgent task of preparing a palace for Kuwait’s ruler, Emir Jaber Ahmed al-Sabah. It was essential that the palace be made livable so that the emir could return in triumph from the hardships of his temporary quarters at a luxury resort in Saudi Arabia. So Kuwait engineers and other craftsmen joined with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to do an almost miraculous job of fixing up one of the emir’s several palaces. Hie one they chose was built several years ago at a cost of a few hundred millions of dollars. The job wasn’t easy. They had to order and install dozens of gold-plated toilet paper rollers, gold-plated shower heads, new marble toilets and sinks, crystal chandeliers, cut-glass Mike Royko ashtrays and the finest fabrics and wall coverings. And the most sumptuous furniture for the dozens and dozens of rooms. To get that kind of stuff, you just don’t pop into a Great Ace or a Wal-Mart. It took a gigantic logistical effort to bring it in from Saudi Arabia. But that was the easy part. Naturally, the emir and his clan would need water. And not just to brush their teeth. The palace has a huge fountain inside so the palace has its own réservoir that holds two million gallons. It was filled from the city’s water supply and the fountain gushed in all of its pre­ war glory. Then there was the problem of electricity. It takes a lot of juice to light up the bulbs and get the air conditioners working in a joint about the size of the Pentagon. So three monster generators were put back in working order and everything worked: the stereos, the TV and the electric tooth flossers. This had to be done because the emir is the ruler of the nations. And until he was in Kuwait, the “legitimate government” wouldn’t really be restored. But without a palace to come home to, how could the emir return? And without the emir safely in his palace (the bulletproof glass was also installed), how could we claim victory? So that nagging newspaper was clearly out of line. Yes, the citizens of Kuwait could use water. But can their needs be compared to the needs of the emir’s great fountain? Electricity? Would they have the emir walk into a room that wasn’t properly cooled? They want food and medicine at a time when trucks are urgently needed to haul the emir’s new furniture? You have to wonder what kind of whining ingrates we fought this war for. Opinion Page 5 Friday. April 5,1991 Slate P iu s ANC reputation could falter First round on Students by backing W innie M andela Cody Shearer North American Syndicate WASHINGTON — If a general election was held in South Africa today, the African National Congress (ANC) would capture 50 percent of the vote, while the ruling National Party would score no more than 20 percent of the total. This is the consensus of U. S. intelligence experts who’ve'recently returned here after spending two weeks interviewing leading political figures in South Africa. But one need be no expert to understand the strength of the ANC within South Africa. One recent national poll by the institute for Black Research at the University of Natal shows that 41,6 percent of all South Africans would like to see Nelson Mandela, the current vice-president of the ANC, as their new president, including 66.7 percent of the black community, 18.7 percent of the whites and 19 percent of the coloreds. Current State President F. W. De Klerk only receives 23.8 percent of the vote. At the same time, there is one major political development taking place in South Africa that may effect people’s future presidential preferences. And that is the current trial of Winnie Mandela, who along with two others is accused by the state of kidnapping four activists from a church hostel two years ago and brutally beating, kicking and whipping them at her home. One of the activists, 14-year-old Stompie Seipei was found dead several days later. What many South Africans, including the staunchest ANC supporters won’t say in public, is that they are deeply troubled that Nelson Mandela has involved the ANC in the defense of his wife. Critics point to the following problems: 1) The charges against Winnie Mandela are not without substance. The original evidence was brought to light by Geoffrey Buddlender, a South African human rights lawyer with impeccable anti-apartheid credentials. Moreover, other witnesses are prepared to testify of additional instances of Mrs. Mandela’s participation in kidnapping and assault. 2) The chief defense attorney, Beorge Bizos, has acknowledged that in 1988 he carried a message from Nelson Mandela’s prison cell asking Winnie to free the young men being held at her house against their will. In $pite of these facts, Nelson Mandela has been joined at Winnie’s trial by top ANC leaders, and has even founded a support committee on her behalf. Furthermore, last year Mandela oversaw his wife’s elevation to high ANC office —she became director of the ANC’s Department of Social Welfare for the Johannesburg area — regardless of the legal charges facing her. On one level, Nelson Mandela is doing what any faithful husband would do, standing by his wife during trial. After all, when he was in prison, it was Winnie Mandela who supported him and often served as his only link to the outside world. At the same time, Nelson Mandela has failed to distinguish his role as husband from his responsibilities as an ANC leader. One can understand his remorse over his past inability to support his wife, but this does not justify his activities in overseeing Winnie’s appointment to high ANC positions or in committing the ANC to her defense. If Winnie Mandela is found guilty, the reactions of the ANC and Nelson Mandela to the verdict could have an enormous impact on South Africa’s future. Should Nelson Mandela attack a guilty verdict and force the ANC to join him, many South Africans would feel that Mandela and company were prepared to subvert the rule of law for selfish ends. In return, the National Party would try to use it as a means to tarnish Nelson Mandela, as well as the ANC’s rep u ta tio n , thereby w eakening the organization’s position at a crucial point in South Africa’s transition. Like it or not, Nelson Mandela and the ANC must liberate themselves from the shackles of Winnie Mandela. Any rejection of a guilty verdict in her case would only set a dangerous precedent for the rule of law in a post-apartheid South Africa. They must understand this. Editor: , Wait a minute, let’s get this straight Professors and instructors, who are suppose to be preparing us for the “real world,” want the opportunity to indulge on campus . . . a college campus? Oh well, since toe increasing class sizes aren’t causing much of a teacher/student relation gap, we may as well give them a place to hide with their martinis — at toe Univerisity Club. Just think, maybe they’ll cancel class more often. But seriously, for those of us students out there who aren’t actually old enough to buy a drink for ourselves, at least our tuition can go to one for toe professors. First rounds on us, see ya in class! Jeremy Handel ' Sophomore, English Ethan Miller Sophomore, Photojournalism This is the real world . Editor: First, I would like to describe a scene in a class I had yesterday. I had asked one of my classmates if he had voted in the ASASU elections. “Yes,” came toe reply, “but for that guy you didn’t like” (I’d rather not say who). Then I asked why, as we had discussed the candidate, and knew he was not the best person for the position. “Because he’s Greek,” I was informed. What toe hell kind of reasoning is THAT? Greeks only vote for Greeks, regardless of who is running? This is toe kind of reasoning that kept blacks at the rear of toe bus, women underpaid for equal work and gave Jews Ty-Sachs disease. Fear someone different from your particular group, and a conscious effort to keep them down. Why are you so afraid? (I would like to note that I am an alumna of a social sorority and I am appalled at this discriminatory behavior. It’s no wonder that toe GDIs here at ASU despise the Greeks.) My second point is directed at toe State Press and other loud voices on campus. Why must one be of color to be “culturally diverse” or even sensitive to the issues? The buzzing in the articles lately has consisted m ainly of “ Minority candidates Candidate So-and-So’s remarks . . . ” I’m sorry, but are you implying that only people of color can adequately represent students here at ASU? The “minorities” that you mention are neatly divided into MCAB’s four main groups: black, Hispanic, Asian and Native American. This is being ethnocentric. There are more minorities than four on campus. Will a “minority candidate” who is elected be able to be sensitive to the needs of a Lithuanian student— Their rally was completely unnoticed by either toe students or toe State Press. Oh, but they aren’t as big . . . they won’t put up too much of a fuss. A flier on a dorm room door gets more attention than an oppressed nation striving for freedom and the members of its cultural group. That is not fair, nor is it equal representation. Someone, somewhere, has to draw toe line. I ask of you, newly elected ASASU officers and Senate, “do the right thing.” State Press, drop toe sensationalism and critical poses. Just keep your student population well informed of the facts. Students, faculty, staff, be AWARE. Real life doesn’t begin after you graduate from college, it begins with that first breath. This * is real life, and we are responsible for our actions. Make them wise ones. Michele Petrulis Senior, Art Education Photography m s AWAITIN GPERIODRJRHAKPQUH5: The R e a g a n E x p e ri rie n œ . OUCH. ¡¡I ; E D I T O R I A L ^ ^ § § 1 The State Press will reward o u tsta n d in g letters to th e e d ito r that o ffe r insightful com m entary and /or unique points of view. The letters chosen will be tagged with the award logo a n d d o not n e c e s s a r ily reflect the o p in io n s of the State Press Editorial Board. m i1 B O A R D Unsigned editorials reflect the views of the editorial board. Individual members of the editorial board write editorials and the board decides on their merit. The editorials do not reflect the Opinion of the State Press staff as a whole. 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