Page 45 - Phoenix1999-2000

COMMENTARY Thursday, November 4, 1999 - Page 5 Isolated acts of unselfishness: Student apathy affects WMC oHthe mark by Mark Parisi I partook in a community ser- Devon Reeser calls for cute with others for we live in rela- vice activity last Sunday, of my more student participation tively secluded shells of prosper- own free will without tangible ben- in community service. ity and technology. efits to myself. Yes, I had to wake Americans are probably the up at 7:30 am on a Sunday. Yes, turned into self-interested fiends. worst victims of the disease be- there were things I could have been It is extremely difficult to find cause we live in such a fast-paced, doing that would have betterserved a person who will offer to forfeit technological environment. my self-interests. their time for another for no self- It is not just that we have no I could have been doing work, interested reason, and it is even sleeping, watching TV, eating, do- more difficult to locate a person need to talk to our neighbor; we do not have the time to talk to him. ing laundry, or participating in who will actually follow through Our society has mutated into a some other self-interested activity. with this commitment. depersonalized, depressing world. But did I? No, because I made Where did this attitude come All we care about is ourselves; a'lI a commitment to help with the ac- from? we have time for is ourselves. What tivity. Why am I so bitter then, you Were human beings always so kind of world is this? might ask? selfish? Not the kind of world in which I am not bitter that I sacrificed I find it hard to believe that we should be living, that is for sure. this time, but I am bitter that over people have always been so self- We need (0 awaken from our half of the people who committed absorbed. daze of selfishness and simply look themselves to doing the same failed I believe that the cause of this at ourselves. We need to stop for a to do so out of selfishness. problem relates to technology. With few moments and visit the guy next It is not even this single inci- technological inventions, we have door. dent that vexes me, but, rather, the evolved and evolved into less and We may not think we have the all too familiar trend ofselfishness less personal beings. time, but we need to make the lime. that it represents. We cannot relate to the person If we do not find this time, what The problem does not just exist next door because we never even will we become? within the realm of community ser- talk to him. That is a question I personally vice but everywhere. People have We have no need to communi- never want to see answered. Reaction to the Are students informed on Honor Rosenberg Charges Matt Hurff responds to the them in selling nuclear secrets. and Conduct Board procedures? Rosenberg story and the Yet, as Meeropol said, "It is im- Jane walks down the hallway Ientfer Sirkis and Kate Perhaps witnesses should be Meeropol visit to WMC possible to know what really hap- and is herded into the room by a Esposito question WMC allowed to testify without the ac- pened." In my opinion, evidence man, cused student present. If so, stu- It is difficult to imagine the so- was tampered with to such a de- She swallows the lump in her Honor Code procedure. cial climate during the Cold War, gree, it is very difficult to tell what throat and steps inside, unsure of "Honor Code procedure." dents would be more willing to where lists of supposed Commu- is true and what is false. her fate. We understand the importance be totally truthful. After all, isn't the purpose nists ran rampant, and Was Julius Rosenberg transmit- At least seven faces stare up of having an honor code, but is it the Honor and Conduct Board of to McCarthyism was at its height. ting the Vernona files? It is diffi- at her from around a long table. really necessary for students to be see that students are given a fair, If you were dubbed a Commu- cult to say, for there was not any Most are unfamiliar. held accountable for the actions of nist, you could be excluded from evidence that said he was or was "Have a seat," says her escort. others? impartial trial? that we just We must admit society, arrested, or, worse, killed. not. Was Julius involved In espio- A small black tape recorder is Also, how can we be expected briefly glanced at those Honor This was the situation facing nage? placed a few feet in front of Jane. to look into the face of one of our Code booklets that were distrib- Julius and Ethel Rosenberg as they In my opinion, chances are that The red light glows as it is acti- own at these hearings, and seal his uted in campus mail at the begin- were executed at Sing Sing Prison he was at some point. vated. One man questions her as fate without any feelings of guilt ning ofthe semester. on June 19, 1953, for being impli- But, the FBI was unable to truly the others look on, studying her or remorse? Neither of us realized that the cated in a ring of nuclear espionage pin him for anything, so they had face. If we did see cheating, in this proceedings would be recorded, and eventual1y charged with con- to fabricate evidence. Jane must agree to tell the case we did not, would we honestly nor was permission asked to truth or face harsh consequences. have reported it to our professor, record our statements. It was hardly a situation in which to expect Nervously, yet calmly, she an- or would we report it in a hearing We also were not aware of the swers each question hoping her such as this one? It is with certainty fact that professors, students, a afair trial. ... turn will end. that we can both answer: We aren't dean, and, not to mention, the ac- I She cannot help but give side- really sure. cused student would be present. spiracy to commit espionage. • Was'Ethel involved with espio- ways glances at the accused, sit- What would happen if the "ac- Their son, Robert Meeropol, nage? I feel that she was not and ting nearby, knowing that what Everything was done in a se- would retaliate? discussed his point of view in was Just a pawn in an attempt by she says will help determine his cused" Would our personal safety then rious, methodical manner. In all Alumni Hall on Thursday, October the FBI to extract more inforrna- fate. be in danger? of our classes, our professors Honor just the mentioned briefly 14. tionfromJulius. The questioning finally ends, Was it also necessary for the Code. I personally find the evidence As a result of what happened to and Jane is permitted to leave the tactics we faced to be used? First If this new system is going to stacked against the Roseubergs a his parents, Meeropol feels that intimidating atmosphere behind. of ali, we received letters in cam- stay, students should be educated farce to the American !egal system. government agencies should be re- Jane sighs with relief; her turn is pus mail, pertaining to the hearing, on the entire process of how the Flimsy evidence, such as a jello formed, so "big brother" cannot over. The next person is called to box top, hotel card, family photos, control our lives. the room. telling us to be present. Honor Code works, so there are This we did not mind, since we and a supposed "spy table," would He also feels that our nation is By now you may be wonder- had not witnessed the act in ques- no surprises. about Was this even thought never have held up in a normal "execution happy" and that the ing if Jane witnessed a murder or tion and could simply admit that. when the ncw system was imple- American justice system. death penalty is unnecessary under is being investigated by the FBI However, after several reminders, mented? I believe that there was an all circumstances. for smuggling illegal drugs. including face-to-face, a phone According to the Honor Code agenda by the United States gov- However, I feel that the govern- However, this situation was a call, and a written message, this booklet, the philosophy of the ernment to make an example of ment agencies do not need to be reality for both of us last week as quickly became excessive. Honor Code is to be "responsible Communists, whether they were totally reformed. we were summoned before the We were tired of the hearing guilty or not. We are not in the iron fisted, 1. Honor and Conduct Board \0 tes- before even attending. for ensuring that academic integ- It was hardly a situation in Edgar Hoover days of the FBI, and tify as witnesses in a "cheating" rity is upheld," and "the effective- ness of the Honor Code depends Nothing could have prepared which to expect a fair trial and even J feel things have changed. case on this very campus. for the actual event, though. Since us on everyone's participation." more difficult to expect a fair sen- I also feel that in some cases the Because of our experience, we we were coming in as an aid to the tencmg. death penalty should not be used feel that the "new" changes to the administration, we definitely In our opinion, the code does It seems preposterous for the for such a charge as conspiracy to honor code should be reconstd- little more than promote dishon- Rosenbergs to be executed when commit espionage. ered. should have been put considerably esty among those who, maybe for more at ease, Fuchs, Gold, and Greenglass all Most imponantly, it is a totally good reason, are not willing par- to the Honor Our only crime was being in the had solid evidence stacked against different situation to compare the Code If the changes however, students same room where the so-called vic- ticipants ordo no! want to be held remain, them. This evidence implicated Rosenbergs t!?,f1Ja~~.m~@:,!rs." need to be more informed of . lation occurred. accountable for the actions of oth-