EDITORIAL: Divided we fall

Five years after nine black students stole a run of DPs, racial tensions are still evident on campus. On Thursday, April 15, 1993, nine black students seized nearly 14,000 copies of the DP -- almost an entire press run -- as they were being delivered to campus distribution sites. The students posted signs at the sites attributing the theft to the "Black Community" and proclaiming that they were not willing to accept "the blatant and voluntary perpetuation of institutional racism" by the newspaper and the University. Questions arose about whether the confiscation was a criminal act and a violation of free speech. When about 1,000 copies of the paper were removed from two Wharton School buildings in 1987 because of an article about a professor charged with rape, then-University President Sheldon Hackney issued a statement saying that the confiscation of newspapers "is inconsistent with the University's Guidelines on Open Expression, and it could violate contractual agreements between the University and other parties. Members of the University community who are responsible for confiscating publications should expect to be held accountable." But Hackney's administration took a sharply different stance in 1993, deciding not to pursue charges. The case left a blemish on Hackney's record as he left Penn for the National Endowment for the Humanities. We'd like to think that the circumstances that led to the 1993 newspaper theft no longer exist today, that we are now immune from that sort of situation. Certainly the campus five years ago was much more of a hotbed of racial controversy. Only a few months before the paper confiscation, the infamous "water buffalo" case began. Then-College freshman Eden Jacobowitz was accused of violating provisions in the University's speech code prohibiting racial speech, after he allegedly shouted "Shut up, you water buffalo" to a group of black sorority women outside his High Rise East window. Since then, we have seen an overhaul of the Penn's judicial charter. And minority groups have become increasingly integrated into the governing bodies of the University. Last November, for instance, the United Minorities Council won a three-year battle to gain a seat on University Council. Additionally, the administration is making an effort to reinforce the importance of minorities on campus with the Minority Permanence Plan, which aims to increase the presence and retention of minorities at the University. Still, no one can deny that segregation remains an issue on this campus and that certain tensions do exist. With this in mind, we try to provide an open forum for all members of the University community to give voice to their concerns and opinions. Next semester we plan to expand this opportunity for discussion and debate with a new forum section and reader polls to The Daily Pennsylvanian Interactive. But successful dialogue relies on the willingness of our readers, only a small portion of whom submit letters to the editor or guest columns. When you feel strongly about an issue at the University, let us know. And if you ever have a concern about our coverage, editorial stance or mission, we encourage you to bring it to our attention. As the independent student newspaper of the University of Pennsylvania, we are here to serve you. Tell us what you want.