• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1987-12-10_Vol53_No15_03

Perspectives The Western Carolinian Page - 3 Thursday, December, 10, 1987 ^W*f!**W Coach Cottrell: Thanks. The CIA: America's Terrorists Steve Cottrell resigned as Western Carolina head basketbaB coach two weeks ago. Assistant coach Herb Krusen was named interim head coach forthe 1987-88 season. it was an astonishing $oi of developments — stunning to the Western Carolina University community. Coach Cottrelf had beenlhe Catamounts* head basketball coach fora dec* ode. And while we would like to wish coach Krusen well as he dives info the challenge that thebasketbaB season will bring, we'dtiketostop jusl a minute and lell coach CottrelHhanks,: Thanks for aB he did {or Western Carolina's basketbaB program and for the university. When coach Cottrell took over in 1977, the Catamount basketball program wos In shambles, It was on NCAA probation and ft was coming off a terrible yew. Coach Cottrell came inandrest or ed dignity totheprogramandmade it one ot the best In the Southern Conference. He brought exciting basketball to Western CaroNna. His teams won regularly and were among the better teams in the conference. He was league coach of the yea*. The basketball team filled Reid Gym every time it played. In fact, when you took at the new Ramsey Center basketbaB arena — one of the best basketball arenas cffiywhere — you shouldthrnk; of coach CottreB, Without his success, it probably would never have been there. ;;; Coach Cottrell did a lot for this university during his time here. He always talked about the university in glowing fashion, and he did his part to help people learn about the great things we have here at Western. We should aB be so devoted to a love. Thanks, coach. This university owes you a lot. Letter To The Editor Dear Editor, Regarding Lora Hooper's review of the Battle of the Bands in the November 19th issue of The Western Carolinian, Last Minute Productions would like to take the opportunity to correct some of the errors. First of all, the band "Nightwatch," not "Nighthawk," was given to reporter Jeff Battle. So there must have been a mistranslation of information between Ms. Hooper and Mr. Battle. Secondly, "The Hodads" were not promised, they were stated as being "hopefuls." "The Hodads" were invited to the Battle of the Bands as a professional courtesy as returning champions, but they failed to respond. The information of the newly released album was gathered by Alan Grant of Upstairs Sound through their phone conversations with "The Hodads." The Battle of the Bands was created to give non-professional acts an opportunity to perform before an audience. Obviously, our success with not only the Battle of the Bands, but other events, depends of student participation. We would like to encourage the students to contact us here at LMP if they have any suggestions on how we can improve our programs. These suggestions will help us to examine our entertainment programs and thus better them. , Sincerely, Last Minute Productions Please Stand Up and Speak Up By Catherine Hilz Special Contributor ) By EDWARD WATSON J Although most Americans aren't aware of the problem, theirtax money is funding the murders of innocent citizens in El Salvador by government Death Squads. These squads dre trained, equipped, and provided with intelligence information by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). A branch of El Salvador's security forces, the Death Sauads use torture to gain information from peasants. Americans must realize what evil their government is supporting and demand d hdlt to its actions. Described by Amnesty International as a movement designed "to use clandestine terror against government opponents;" the targets of such terror include religious leaders, students, journalists, and political activists. An agent of the CIA, General Jose Alberto 'Chele' Medrano organized the Death Squads under President Kennedy's administration with the help from the Green Berets. Medrano has been called "the father of the Death Squads and the chief assassin of them all." To enforce Medrano's "indoctrination of the peasants regarding the advantages of the democratic system an the disddvantages of the communist system," the Death Squads routinely kidnap, interrogate, torture, and then kill political suspects. Suspects is the opti mum word. A former member of the Salvadorion Treasury Police described their methods in detail ds follows: First, the squads begin psychological torture, trying to make friends with the prisoner by "sympathizing" with the prisoner's cause. After several conversations, the interrogator applies pressure for information. Following these sessions, the suspect is chained to a bed frame, naked, in d small, completely dark room, and not allowed to sleep for a week or two. The room is filled with the stench of urine and excrement from previous prisoners. Soon the suspect's nerves are worn down ond edsily subjected to further abuse. Among the most used methods of torture are cutting pieces skin, burning the prisoner with a cigarette, or continuous beating. If these means fail, the prisoner is taken to a toilet filled with humdn wdste dnd have their heads pushed into the woter dnd held under for 30 seconds or so. This is done several times d session. Another commonly used torture method is electriccl shock. Electrodes are connected to o prisoner's vital parts - between the teeth, tongue, or genital organs - while seated on on iron chair and the prisoner receives several jolts of varying degrees of voltoge. All these torture methods were taught to the interrogators by the CIA operatives and the US Green Berets and dre sometimes overseen by American operatives. The informant mentioned that outside pressure from Amnesty Internotional or foreign governments often decides d prisoner's fate. If the pressure is strong, the suspect will receive o tridl, "but if there is no pressure, then their dead." After the person is murdered, the body is thrown in the street with a Death Squad calling card attdched. To think the American government not only permits such actions, but actually orchestrates is quite disturbing. Under Reagan's administration, clandestine U.S. ties with the Salvadorian Death Squads hdve not only remoined firm, but hdve been strengthened despite congressional opposition. Although President Reagan has publicly criticized the Dedth Squads, funding and intelligence informotion continues to find its way to them. As a concerned citizen, I ask how anyone can remain apathetic to the situation? Has America lost its moral reasoning? We must not stand idle to wotch the ctrocities that ojjr government is executing without the consent of the American public. Take a stand and let your voice be heard for those who cannot speak! 11 Chris Of The Column, Summit Fever and Patrick's Farewell The last column of this fall semester is upon us now, only three months after I gave birth to it on this page. And I must say that I have enjoyed writing the column olmost os much cs some people hove enjoyed hating what's written in it. I must admit that I'm quite pleased with the response the column hos generated in certcin qudrters on this compus. Although not neorly being dble to write about all the issues which I felt a need to write obout on this page, I have written about enough things to provoke thought and make people read our newspaper. That's what my goal has been. Several recent instances have confirmed that people are reading. In fdct.it seems thdt many more people than I previously thought read the column, olthough probably a good dedl of them soy they don't but still sneak off to far-away places with their flashlights to read it late at night. Anyway, a group of girls accosted me dt a fraternity several weeks ago and promptly spent on hour of conversation with me, with the column as the guest topic of honor. Others plead for me to mention them in the column — from the friendly folks at the Townhouse to the freshman acrossthehallfrom me, Tim S., whose plea was most convincing. "Write a feature story on me, Chris," Tim told me Idst week. "Try to persoude the women that I'm not such a bad guy. Then again, if you say I'm a jerk, maybe they'll say, 'Hey, if Geis said he wds d jerk, mdybe he's d great guy." O.K., Tim, you're a jerk. I hope the girls like you more now. On to more important matters. • * * Heeding the advice of one Alice Morgan,the blessed writer of the letterto the editor several weeks ago, I attempted to forage for important editorial topics this week, but every time I came up with an idea or a format for the last column of the year I found I wasn't able to put together a decent last column. Then the wisdom came to me. More specifically, my friendly editor told me to fill this space with information on the summit show running this week in our most famous town, Washington. A couple of good buddies, Ronnie for the good guys and Gorby for the black hatters, are getting together and drinking a few beers and signing a pact to ban intermediate nuclear weapons. Sounds good. In between, Nancy and Gorby's nouveau Russian wench, Raisa, are seeing who can out do edch other in style. Lots of fun for the D.C. glitz crowd. I told Editor Erin, however,that, although I had briefly caught a case of summit fever before returning to my exam-saddled senses, that I didn't know enough about the summit or the famous pact to write about It. But I have noticed something that has to do with oil this summit stuff and Gorby poking around the free world's capital for the week. That is that Gorby, a slick p.r. man, may be beating us at our own game. We are providing the power for him to desensitize us. What I'm talking about is this: Gorbachev trails President Reagan by just three points in national public-opinion approval ratings. Can you believe that? What we've allowed the Soviets to do is to convince us of Gorby's greatness, and we've mdde him into a leader with pop-star-type quality. It's been a great medid campaign, one that has U.S.S.R. sweatshirts and Gorby books and related merchandise selling like hot cokes on D.C. streets. Shrewd of Gorby for using our media- hype mentality to package himself in a favorable way. He's beat us at our own game. What's scary is that some people actually believe that the Soviet Union is changing and is becoming more like our society. The poor ignorant masses have been done in by the tube ond media folks yet again, • • * The last thing I want to touch on as the semester comes to a close is the meaning of life as a friend hds tdught it to me. The friend is Pdtrick Willicmson, ond he is d tremendous acting talent who someday may, like his brother already hds, mdke it big in Glitz Town West. He grodudtes a semester early next week and is heading immediately for L.A., where he will offer o nice excuse for his friends to spend spring bredk with him. Pat was one of the first guys I ever met when I stepped on to this compus in August of 1984, wet behind the ears and, like him, seeking to shed some high school-bred ignorance. We've been friends ever since, with c few disdgreements that, I surmise, only make a friendship stronger. We've both lived on the same hall for all four years we've been here, and we hdve d plethora of memories filled with hilarity, sadness, joy and rewdrds. In short, we've experienced the pursuit of discerning whet the meaning of life is. Our closest friends on the that same hall — Todd, Tim, Don, James, Dan, Calvin, Perry, John — have all enjoyed these years with him, and we know he has enoyed his years with us. In closing, I'd just like to show you whot kind of grasp on life he does have. Its one I hope he will hold on to forever. These are probably his favorite lines from the various plays he's been in during his time here. — "See. touch, learn, do, feel, experience everything you possibly can. Then remember every second of it...." — "Stand up, open yourself, reach out, embrace them with your inner- most feelings; no matter how childish, how riddicu- lous or how repulsive. Then revel in the glory of the ability to do so.... " Thonks, Pdt. We'll miss you. x^x^vWctfor^Gwiilmu^ As you get older, the way you perceive and experience situations will change. Some events gain in importance; others diminish. I am an older student who returned to "structured learning" last year. Probably I am observing in different ways than a 20-year old student does. When I sit in d clcssroom and am intimidated by d professor who does not like to teach, it annoys me greatly. I alsoworkedforafacultymemberwho said that she does not like to teach. I wonder what these people do in a learning institution if they don't like what they are supposed to do - namely teach. Obviously they just collect a paycheck and pursue their hobby called research or field work. This attitude is a disservice to the students. In a recent publication of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, a botany professor remarked:"... the provost seems to believe the university has three missions: research, teaching, and public service, in that order of importance. I disagree. I think our first obligation is to be educators. Very, very few people can be truly first rate teachers and still spend the time necesscry to regularly get their research published and do public service." He also argues that getting published does not consequently assure a better quality of teaching. Recently I had a disagreement with an instructor about his grading practices. When we fciled to see each others view points, I brought it to the department head's attention. Again, we could not come to on dgreement. I then went to the dean's office and stdted my case. The procedure for a complaint is described in the WCU General Catalog. page 34, called "Academic Appeals Procedure." An appeal can be filed if the visit to the dedn's office is still unsatisfactory. Not many students have the time dnd stamina to follow through; rather you give up or say nothing at all. You experience disillusion and injustice. The l-don't- care-attitude sets in, which is so prevalent in our society. This path is gloomy and unproductive. 200 years ago some brave people assembled dnd defied England because of injustice. The British colony became the USA. It was a significant historical event. But there are also little battles to be fought on individual bases, and YOU have to be in charge and be in control. We all need to know that with persistence, changes can be achieved. Standing up for your beliefs and rights can be a commendable virtue. Please gather courage and mdke your voice heard is you experience injustice. The evocations at the end of the semester are helpful, but they do not reflect everything. Who will take the time to read, dnd mdke changes accordingly to, some 30,000 evaluations? During your stay at Western, you will mature more. Not always taking the "easy way out' is part of growing up. Should you want to contact me, my address is P.O. Box 2393, Cullowhee. Good wishes and courage to all my younger fellow students. Quote Of The Week "Nothing else in the world .. not all the armies .. hso fwweifulm an idea whose time has come." .....Victor Hugo Erin H. Millner Editor Carol e Trantham Business Manager Associate Editors Mary Ellen Fleming News Martha McAfee ..Arts, Entertainment & People Chris Geis Sports Photographers Edwin Carlton Jeff Battle Writers Lisa Bristol Lisa Page Nancy Bryant Edward Watson Lora Hooper Typist Bob Bohl Kim Morris Michael Ward Linda Bodenhamer Ad Design Sandy Delmont Kirk Nelson Ad Sales Kara Wykle Distribution Jeff Battle Special Assistants To The Editor Scott P. Stalmasek To The Business Mgr Krlstina Gentile The Western Carolinian is published weekly by the Publication Board of Western Carolina University. It is an independent student publicatioi that receives its funding through student activity fe and advertising. Subscriptions are available at $16 per year. The Western Carolinian is printed at the Waynesville Mountaineer, Waynesville, N.C.

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University's student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolinian in 1933.

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 1987-12-10
  • Date digitized: 2019-04-11
• Extent
  • Dimension: 22.75" x 15"
  • Pages: 8 pages
• Subject - Topic
  • College student newspapers and periodicals
  • Cullowhee (N.C.) -- Newspapers
  • Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee -- Newspapers
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
  • Cullowhee (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1987-12-10_Vol53_No15
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library