Page 4-Friday, December 8, 1978-The Michigan Daily
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420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Eighty-Nine Years if Editorial Freedom
Ailing time over a coke:
havhazard debate on 'death'
Vol. LXXXIX, No. 76
News Phone: 764-0552
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
Title IX suffers a setback
WOMEN'S SPORTS programs at
major universities suffered a
setback with HEW Secretary Joseph
Califano's announcement of the
relaxing of some of the federal Title IX
sex discrimination guidelines.
At a press conference, Califano said
that compliance with the federal
regulations may be relaxed in certain
cases in which the college or university
has a large-scale football or basketball
program.
As lobbiest Lynda Weston put it,
"they blew a hole right down the
middle of the law."
Title IX, adopted six years ago, was
a noble effort by the Federal
Government to produce equal
opportunities for male and female
athletes, and to try to give women's
sports, which have' traditionally
attracted less spectators than men's
sports, the financial boost they so
badly need.
Originally, the intent of the
guidelines was to force universities to
spend proportionately the same
amount on womens' 'as mens' sports,
with the possible penalties being the
loss of federal funds. The new
guidelines say to universities, "O.K.,
you have to make things equal -
unless you have a big moneymaking
sport."
Clearly, Califano had some practical
goals when he altered the guidelines.
Certainly the University could not,
afford to keep its men's football team a
at the current financial level if it was
forced to spend equally on women's
sports. And it can't be denied that its
because of surplus from the football
program that allows many of the
woman s programs, which operate as
a deficit, to exist in the first place.
We think, though, that caving in to
the pressures of University Athletic
Director Don Canham, and those who
hold similar posts at other campuses
across the country, is not the proper
answer. Califano has compromised the
entire aim of the program, and said
that equality is not the government's
goal.
If, . over a period of years,
spending levels would be equalized,
and women's sports were to receive
the same amount of attention and
scholarship funds-as the mens sports
get, who can really say that they
wouldn't draw as well?
We recognize that this equalization
has to be done gradually, and one can't
expect changes overnight. Instead of
gutting the'spirit of the law, Califano
should have given universities a
reasonable amount of time to comply
fully with the original intent of Title
IX.
With some East Quad residents still
toting aronund dart guns ,tith hope of
being the last to surcire this Year's
"Killer Game," this conraersatlion took
place next to the coke machine at The
Daily late one night last week:
M.C.: Well, Blanche, I really
feel good about the killer game. It
looks like even more people are
going to play next year than this
time...
B.B.: Got a dime?
M.C.: Yeah, here. I've heard
it's spread to other campuses,
even into OHIO!
B.B.: They deserve it.
M.C.: And the sky is blue - so
what the hell's that supposed to
mean?
B.B.: I mean they can play
James Bond down therebut the
whole idea bugs me. Want a
coke?
M.C.: No, thanks. What bugs
you about it?
B.B.: Everthing I know about it
the way everybody gets a name
and then goes about scheming to
"kill" that person by getting him
alone in a corner. Organized'
treachery ... hey, are the wire
machines still running?
M.C.: Yeah, but I'm not sure
your mind is. You make it sound
like a vicious version of "Hit
Parade."
B.B.: Worse. Look, why don't
you tell me why you like it,
because - don't sit there, there's
spilled glue - I think the reason
you find it fun is the same reason
I think it's a bad idea.
M.C.: Funis the one aspect of
the thing that's natural. But
there's just so much behind it.
For instance, how many other ac-
tivities can you think of that get
165 dormitory students together
in one event? Eating in the
cafeteria? I'd--say that doesn't
apply, because the students
aren't willing participants.
B.B.: Hitler got a few people
together, no argument in num-
bers, Mitch. Since you mentioned
the dorm, I am surprised the
headquarters of such a
militaristic game is East Quad.
Don't we tag "the bastion of
thoughtful, far-left students" on
every story about that place? But
you avoided-my question, what is
fun about it?
M.C.: Hitler? I don't think he
would have settled for rubber
darts and it's pretty absurd to
refer to him - I don't think he
could have gotten tesa people in
the dorm to get together for an
activity. And speaking of
thought, the Killer Contest has to
be one of the most inventive ideas
involving students in recent
years. Though it is primarily a
release from studies, an en-
joyable game, it allows players
to match their wits with their vic-
tims and assassins.
As to the "fun" part of it: have happened if there was the standard to attend, do the
it's competitive, like any game or killer contest back then. Just hand in the work and pres
sport, it's rewarding - ya know, joking, obviously. But I don't see stant competition, right? N
ya feel good when you've worked how the Killer game, is at all tually the Killer Game add
hard to track down your opponen- responsible for these tragedies. extra incentive, that added
ts - and it's not all that impor- Or are you saying it praises you need to succeed in life
tant. I've witnessed the death of them? people playing are goingc
several victims, and none of B.B.: Accepts and promotes their way, striving. Cha
them, nor any of the others I've the shoot-em-dead mentality That's no extra effort.Z
heard about, have been "upset" we . .. just a sec,. there's the what you're paying $6,500a
about being eliminated from the phone. Daily, we're closed. No I for.
game. don't know the score of the B.B.: Speaking of effort,;
B.B.: Precisely. You guys ac- hockey game. Mitch, how much to read three hundred pa
cept the whole premise and get fun would a Lover Contest be for history tonight. But reallyy
into the dying as much as the you: the object is to be the last saying we need this killer,
killing. That's what's fun about it. contestant who hasn't been to be productive citizens?
What did you call the participan- "stricken by love," the way to ever did our parents dot
ts, shooters and targets or stay in the game is to squeeze the East Quad brought the edu
something? hand of someone who's name to murder into the Universi
M.C.: They're pleasantly you'.ve been given and to keep M.C.: They got along f
referred to as victims and your hand from getting "the universities - going to frat
assassins. Don't worry, though, touch". That wouldn't be fun for parties and worrying about
the participants weren't all you because there's no reference to handle the latest danc(
dreamed up out of The Night of to slaughter in the set-up. for our predecessors it was
the Living Dead or anything sick M.C.: C'mon, the whole idea is important; they had to'gr
like that. They're just words. But so ridiculous. People living in this quickly with Vietnam. Wh
actually, they may, more, than Ivory Tower University don't we have now? Well,, East
anything else, relfect the game's need to learn about love. East has Killer, you have 300!
application to life. That's one of Quaddies are taking the time to of history, and - holy shit!
the good benefits to it - the find out what life is really like. remembered I've got a F
players all say they're learning B.B.: The hunter and the hun- expose at ten tomorrow.
about life. And after all, aren't ted, the capitalist and the worker, B.B.: He takes French an
there "assassins" and "victims" yeah, right. Are you trying to tell still play war games?
in life? me, wait, don't interrupt, are you M.C.: Yeah, and I'm dea
B.B.: I wasn't going to mention trying to tell me that students both.
Guyana or San Francisco, but should practice shooting at each
you seem to want me to, I'll throw other so they can learn how to Daily night editors
in Vietnam and the arms race for compete? I think Calc 215 does a Blanchard and Mitch C
good measure. You know my good enough job.
point ... M.C.: C'mon, Mr. Math. If so, felt arguing in print
M.C.: Of course I do - these you should be able to figure out preferable to dueling be
things probably never would that classes are habitualr- it's so it's less messy.
Y
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work,
to: in-
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ds that
I drive
e. The
out of
asses?
That's
a year
I have
ges of
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What
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cation
ty?
ine at
ernity
ut how
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sn't so
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hat do
Quad
pages
I just
French
nd can
adly at
Brian
antor
was
ecause
Samoff needs student s' help
T HE RIGHT for tenure for Professor
Joel Samoff is much more than a
protest about the fate of one good
teacher. This case further demon-
strates that students are given an in-
significant role in the development of
the educational experience at the
University. One group of students, they
Samoff Student 'Support Committee,
has shown the courage to refuse to ac-
cept this limited role. The committee
has sent petitions and letters to the
Regents and administration, and now
is urging students to boycott all
political science courses next term ex-
cept for the Politics of Liberation
sequence;, including those taught by
Prof. Samoff. ,
While many students will be un-
willing to comply with the boycott, we
nonetheless wholeheartedly praise the
Committee's valiant attempts to defy
the University bureaucracy and forge
a role for students in defining their own
education. The boycott is a worthwhile
endeavor, and we hope the committee
continues to attack the problem from a
variety of angles.
There are many more letters to write
and rallies to stage. More students
must be encouraged to support Prof.
Samoff at whatever level they are
willing to do so. Because some students
will probably feel a boycott of most
political science courses is too large a
sacrifice, the committee should elicit
their support in writing to Regents, the
LSA Executive Committee, Political
Science professors and administrators
such as Vice President for Academic
Affairs Harold Shapiro. Perhaps they
would feel more comfortable staging a
boycott if it were only for a week. The
possibility of Diag rallies should also
be considered.
The important thing is to broaden the
base of Prof. Samoff's support. In-
directly, all students will be affected
by the decision in this case as it regar-
ds students' role in the educational
process. When students are denied
services of teachers like Prof. Samoff,
the quality of our education suffers.
When students are denied different
political and educational perspectives
the quality of our education suffers.
But this is exactly what the University
and the Political Science department
are doing.
Such myopia denies students the op-
portunity of exploring alternative
methods of education, and thus limits
their knowledge base.
For this reason, all students should
be willing to fight for Prof. -Samoff in
some way, and the committee's
biggest challenge is to tap all that sup-
port from the boycott advocates to the
letter writers. We endorse all their ef-
forts to that end.
Letterst tthe Daily
SAVES
Samoff protest
To the Daily:
In denying Joel Samoff tenure,
the department of political
science has announced to the
university community its
contempt for excellence in
teaching and outstanding
service. It has made an
agreement with certain approach
to the study of politics, known in
the discipline as "behaviorism",
the sole test of whether or not the
community as a whole should
continue to enjoy the benefits of
Professor Samoff's presence on
campus. In doing so, it has
ignored the expressed interests of
students, faculty and staff; both
within the department and in the
university as a whole.
We the undersigned, protest
this distortion of the broad
educational function of U-M. We
protest the exclusion of student,
faculty and staff interests from
the tenure process.
We hereby announce our
intention to express our
disapproval of the department's
decision by withdrawing our
financial support from the
department.
We will boycott all political
science classes other than the
following: 359, taught by Joel
Samoff, and the series of 309, 320
sections, courses established and
taught based upon student
initiative and concerns.
- We urge all students who have
an interest in maintaining
outstanding teachers like
Professor Samoff at the
University. To join our protest, or
for more infnrmation .call
Bob Gurss
Kay Kornman
Phil Deschaine
Daniel Jordan
Bob Stechuk
Gregory Irvin
Bruce Kozarsky
Mike Taylor
Ted Liu
Davrell Tien
Bob Warren
Geoffrey Cox
Carolyn Somerville
Jay Fikes
Sonia Guillen
Jim Delcamp
Cheryl Teplinsky
Thomas Danko
Maggie Affelder
Bill Kellther
The young
generation
To the Daily:
Anne Sharp, LSA sophomore,
showed an interesting lack of
logic and historical perspective
in her letter of December 7. A few
points need to be clarified.
I must wholeheartedly agree
with her poignant self-
assessment, she is selfish and
socially unconcerned. and
somewhat ignorant. Timothy
Leary and Abbie Hoffman
certainly made lots of headlines
in the straight press, but in no
way could they be called
representative of all political
action in the sixties. Acid and
yippies seem, even to a
sympathetic observer, as the
bread and circuses of that time,
not the foundationnofnr ntpce
assume such a large goal is to
doom it to inevitable failure. A-
more reasonable expectation
would be the assumption that the
sixties altered the perspective of
a few people, that perhaps these
few people saw their society as
something more than 'an
immutable monster. Perhaps
there exists some goals whose
ultimate realization is worth the
effort needed for change. The
causality Ms. Sharp searches for
seems more evident in this line of
thinking, than in her own.
As to Kent State, Ms. Sharp's
comments are the perfect
expression, slightly extrapolated,
of the medieval adage:
'Christians are right, pagans
wrong.' The assumption that the
repository of power is right in the
exercise of that power, and that
to antagonize that power is to do
something wrong is plainly
ludicrous. Wake up Ms. Sharp!
As to the issue of protest, Ms.
Sharp should take a few history
courses before she graduates, it
might change her opinion. Might
I recommend the history of
organized labor, civil rights, and
modern India, not to mention our
own little revolution in 1776.
I would also like to question Ms.
Sharp's ability to qualify her
sources of indormation as well-
informed. she is indeed lucky to
have such sources. I myself must
rely on the mass media, and the
various typical books and
journals that come my way. What
is a "leftist propaganda rag",
anyway? It seems some rather
well known newspapers (such as
the Dailv and the NAw vnr
RW
problems, and judging from your
attitude, the seventies will have.
its problems too. I sincerely hope
that in the pursuit of those goals
you value so highly, you are able
to forget the protest and
questioning that helped build the
society you take so much fore'
granted. As for myself, I'm not so
lucky. But then again, if I ever
need to help affect social change,
I'll know what to do.
-Joshua Greenbaum
0
Ffli
Yi 1
Seger concert
To the Daily:
We fail to understand why the
Daily would send someone to
critique a concert who obviously
knows next to nothing about the
artist performing. Mike Taylor
not only shows his obvious
ignorance concerning Bob Seger
music, but also, by writing the
typical cliche'ish review that
appeared in Thursday's Daily we
see that this may well have been
the first concert he has critiqued
in a long while.
First of all, Bob Seger did not
open his Tuesday night show with
"Sunspot Baby" (.which is a cut
from Night Moves) but rather
with "Ain't Got No Money" (from
Stranger in Town). Was Mr.
Taylor at the same concert we
were Tuesday night? As for
Seger becoming a "slave to his
songs" we did not go to hear a
version of "We've Got Tonight"
that varied greatly from the