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women's
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Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers
or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints
FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 1972
NIGHT EDITOR: ROSE SUE BERSTEIN
No commitment on sexism
UNIVERSITY is now faced with
what many claim is an important de-
cision -- whether or not to replace the
Commission for Women and the Com-
mission on Minorities by a single admin-
istrator.
Today, after five months of existence,
the minority commission has yet to ac-
complish anything. The women's com-
mission, after a valiant struggle, has
hardly managed to wedge a foot in the
door as far as fully investigating and
solving the University's problem of sex-
ism in employment practices.
Run by a single administrator or the
two commissions, the affirmative action
plan can never be effectively adminis-
tered until high echelon University offi-
cials indicate real support for reform of
the University's racist and sexistsuhiring
and promotion procedures.
It s. undoubtedly true that the com-
mission 'system hinders the implementa-
tion of'fair employment policies. With-
out administrative powers, the two com-
missions are hampered by advisory status,
and by lack of commitment among mem-
bers. Co-operation from the University's
personnel offices and the various schools
and departments is difficult to obtain for
a one-year group, many of whose mem-
bers are inexperienced in administrative
gamesmanship.'
Certainly a single officer, placed high
in the executive structure and given" the
power to restrictx funding to uncoopera-
tive University departments, could func-
tion much more effectively for change in
employment practices. Such an officer
would also give minority and female em-
ployes the security of a representative in
the top ranks, if the officer chose to
function as one.
BUT EVEN with a single administrator,
there would still be problems. The wo-
men's commission chairwomen, Virginia
Davis Nordin commented that "it's very
trying to be an in-house revolutionary."
A single officer, no matter how energetic,-
will face the same problems Nordin de-
scribes as long as the University drags its
feet on the question of women's and mi-
nority employment.
The University's lack of support for
the commissions has manifested itself as
passive resistance.
The minority commission, established
in October, has been plagued by low par-
ticipation from its members - 50 to 75,
per cent attendance at most meetings.
Members can hardly be blamed for lack-
ing a sense of urgency. The University
has spent a year resisting HEW demands
for reform of employment practices,
yielding only under strong financial pres-
sure.
The women's commission can hardly be
accused of having done anything but the
maximum within its power. Yet commis-
sion members still cite lack of support
from several University offices and major
disagreements with the personnel office,
which has substantially impeded all in-
vestigative action.
INSTITUTION of a single office for wo-
men's and minority employment can
have no more effect than the present
commission system until the University at
all levels expresses the sincere desire to
establish equitable and honest employ-
ment practices.
--REBECCA WARNER
By ROSE SUE BERSTEIN
"COULD A WOMAN become a Merrill Lynch Account
Executive?" This question opens a magazine ad-
vertisement appearing in Ms. magazine, among others.
The copy goes on to list, as questions, the points which
"qualify" one for the account executive post.
"Do you have poise?"
"Could you survive a tough six-month training pro-
gram?"
"Are you resilient?"
"Are you smart?"
"Are you truly self-confident?" (added next to this:
"No phony bravado, please.")
The final glorious question asks: "Are you perceptive?"
and then continues: "If all the foregoing qualities sug-
gest to you the female as a dominating, offensive know-
it-all, you've got it all wrong . . . and you're not for
us."
Were "black" substituted for "woman" throughout
this ad, of couse, there would be a public uproar. How
could a company demean a whole group ,of people, we
would wonder, by first pointing out all these indicators
of success and then adding, presumably as insurance
against too-ggressive sorts, the admonition not to be a
"dominating and offensive know-it-all."
ANOTHER AD of recent vintage exhorts women to
"stand up for your right to sit down at dinner time."
How? Not, as one might suspect, by having someone else
prepare the dinner, but by purchasing that firm's "Hot-
ray" which "keeps fresh cooked food tasting exactly. as
it does when it comes out of the oven or off the stove."
No acknowledgement that perhaps women aren't sole
responsibles for preparing the world's dinner each night;
Instead, a. plug for a product which is, at best, an un-
necessary extravagance.
Ads such as these are reminiscent of those a few
yeasr ago, when companies such as Mobil Oil and Con-
solidated Edison took up full pages in Saturday Review
and Time to tell us what they were doing to fight pollu-
tion. What they left out of their ads, of course, was that
the pollution they fought was their own.
And then there were the equal, opportunity ads -
large firms and banks advertised that they were foster-
ing black economic developm~ent, by helping blacks in
business. A similar advertising campaign was waged
with job training forthe hard-core dropouts and unem-
ployed.
"Wer ushed Willie through high school, even though
he didn't really want to go, and now we've given him
a job in our factory. Willie's real happy now, and so are
we 'cause we have another feckless victim of capital-
ist exploitation. Ha Ha."
SNo, the ad did not say that, but it would have been
more honest if it had.
BUT NOW, the ad copy writers have caught up with
the latest social cause women's liberation - and they
are going all out to catch audience interest and to sound
au courant as well.
So, they offer us these ads, flimsy masquerades, at
best.
Think of the money they could save if they under-
stood the women's movement, and think of the pleasure
of not seeing any more ads like "Can a women become
a MerrAll Lynch Account Executive?"
Women who want to become account executives know
what is required of them. Women who want to become
corporation lawyers also know what it takes. Women who
want to attend military academies are learning what that
will require and they are fighting their way into these
bastions of male supremacy.
Women active in the woman's movement don't want
to take over male elitist roles and rule corporations, or
advise corporations, or command the military. Instead
they want a different social system, with the emphasis
on being humane, not supreme.
TWO YEARS 'ago, writer and activist Robin Morgan
spoke in Hill Aud. at a teach-in on women. Morgan ef-
fectively summed up feminist ambition then, when she
said: "We don't want to sit on the board of directors of
United Fruit; we want to destroy United Fruit."
Letters:
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By CARLA RAPOPORT
WITH A SLICK Madison Avenue format of wide col-
umns, splashy advertising, and lots of pictures, the
women's movement has slammed into the media game
with a brilliant, thought-provoking magazine: Ms.
But unlike other radical women's publications, Ms.
walked right through the front door of the intensely
competitive East Cpast magazine business.
Quite simply, a women's movement ma gazine today
seemed like good business to its sponsor, New York
Magazine. New York was happy to supply all the equip-
ment, backing and sexist advertising needed to get the
trial venture off the ground, in January.
Sandwiched between Lord and Taylor beaunies in leo-
pard nightgowns and the "fellow in the John Weitz shirt"
are stories, articles, poems and even a children's story,
all presenting perhaps one of the finest collections of
today's women's liberation literature.
It's too bad that the women who worked so hard to
produce a truly feminist publication had to painfully look
the other way as their ad men brought in demeaning,
sexist advertising. To protest would have meant dis-
solution for the magazine at this stage, explains an
editor.
IT'S EVEN SADDER that the scores of so-called wo-
men's magazines have not moved over to allow a libera-
tionist team to join their staffs. Other than an occasional
article on the myth of the vaginal orgasm cr a scare
column by Ralph Nader, women's magazines have larg-
ly remained in the innocuous fields of food, travel, health
and man-hunting.
Thus, in contrast, Ms. is extremely refreshing. Pro-
duced by a handful of female journalists, article after
article (even the one written by a token male) offers
fresh insight into a creative, extremely active force-
the women's movement for equality.
Some articles, like "The Housewife's Moment of
Truth," and "Down with Sexist Upbringing," detail ex-
periences and socialization patterns which activists in
the women's movement have already exposed. Yet read-
ing through them again does not bore the reader, but
rather causes one to rethink ter ownr explanationfor
the widespread acceptance of sexist roles, or riole-
playing in general.
Yes, ter. For those anxious for the most thorough equal-
ity between the sexes, Ms presents Kate Miller and
Casey Swift's essay on "D-Sexing the English Lang-
uage." In using 'he' when the sex of the subject is un-
known, these authors agree that "it implies.. per-
sonality is really a male attribute and that women
are human subspecies."
More practically however, such subjects as the working
girl, the myth of the sexual revolution, welfare, and the
black family anre also explored in this introductory issue.
It's these articles that push and pull at one's commit-
ment to women's rights issues, both on the legal and
sociological sides.s
Unlike many magazines, one can't read Ms., put it
down and begin something else. For instance, Anne .
Koedt's frank discussion of lesbianism takes irritating
little chops at most people's terribly heterosexual way
of life.
"tI've) shed the notion that, however, inde
pendent my life was, I must have a man; that
somehow, no matter what I did myself, there
was something that needed that magic element
of, male approval . . . In a way, I am like an
addict who has kicked the habit ."
Or Judy Syfers satirical plea, "I want a wife."
"...I want a. wife who will take care of my
physical needs. I want a wife who will keep y
house clean. I want a wife that won't bother -me
with rambling complaints about a wife's duties.
I want a wife who knows that sometimes I need
a night out to myself . . '. My God, who (what
human being) wouldn't want a wife?".
All the stereotypes, all the 'subconscious feelings we
have about ourselves, about the sex opposite to our
own, all are jostled, pricked, and then politely asked
to justify themselves.
BUT A SMALL warning to women. Don't vpick up Ms.
while in bed. Chances are your husband or friend
will fall asleep and you won't really care.
Why Rhodes has, fai led
SINCE July 1 of last year, Frank Rhodes
has been dean of the college of Liter-
ature, Science and the Arts.
"We've just gotten the team together,"
he tells those who ask him to give account
of his work thus far, "it's too early to
judge us."
Rhodes' viewpoint is understandable. It
is only recently that he has made several
administrative appointments which could
figure greatly in any future evaluation
of his performance. But Rhodes, for bet-
ter or worse, has had far more to do since
appointed Dean than just organize a
"team" - a team which may or may not
be a success in the future.
As dean for over 16,000 students -
though for only eight months - Rhodes
bears a share of the responsibility for the
current failures of the literary college.
Through action and inaction; Rhodes has
started Aind continued practices which
have worked against the "innovative"
goals which he espoused and which were
responsible for his widespread popular-
Ity among students and liberal faculty.
Part, of the problem Rhodes inherited
was a student body and faculty that had
no working ties of communication be-
tween themselves and the office of the
Dean.
But instead of drawing students and
faculty together with those who have ad-
ministrative roles, he proceeded to con-
fuse and disappoint many who had pre-
viously been involved in literary college
government, especially students.
Students initially became upset last fall
when Rhodes seemed to treat lightly stu-
dents' requests for reforms on the LSA
Administrative Board - six faculty mem-
bers who handle questions of cheating,
degree requirements and counseling.
Though students were allowed to be
"represented" at these meetings they had
long pressed for real voting power because
they are the ones affected by the Board's
decisions.
Instead, Rhodes set up an advisory
study group to examine the general func-
tion of the Administrative Board, sup-
posedly knowing the type of proposals
coming out of it would be far more gen-
eral and time-consuming than simply
giving students voting power.
Sweeping change in the Administrative
Board organization would have trouble
getting by the faculty, let alone Regents,
and would again put off the students' re-
quest.
decide the winners this week with no
student input whatsoever.
In other areas Rhodes has fallen short
of last year's pledge to be the "servant"
of students as well as faculty. He and
former literary college Dean William Hays
are making proposals which they intend
to submit to foundations for extra money
to fund "innovative" programs - with-
out bothering to see whether students
find them as exciting as he does.
Three associate deans were named to
ease Rhodes' workload, but the only stu-
dents who knew that they had a chance
to recommend someone for this service
were those who were in town last sum-
mer, when most of the decisions were
made.
Rhodes furthers these mistakes by
seeking solutions to pressing problems in
a fashion long since proven archaic and
remote from students and faculty. He en-
courages and directs faculty and students
to examine existing experiments like Res-
idential College and Pilot program but
seems willing to let them go on making
sweeping recommendations that- take
years to complete and don't reach those
who need the results of these studies most
-those outside these programs.
Thus, LSA faculty through their Ex-
ecutive Board can keep the recently com-
pleted report and proposals on the Resi-
dential College secret, with the freedom
to edit and revise them and never make
the original study public.
THESE ACTIONS, though not all of
which are Rhodes' fault alone, seem to
be his pattern - a "steering away from
controversy," as one student active in lit-
erary college government put it.
The one wide ranging proposal for aca-
demic innovation during Rhodes' tenure
- that of allowing the community in on
University classes with the Program for
Educational and Social Change (PESC)-
received no support from Rhodes, only a
pledge to see that all the rules were en-
forced before such a program would be
allowed.
With a literary college in debt, Rhodes
often complains about how he is ham-
pered from doing anything "exciting and
innovative." But more basically, Rhodes
is doing little to encourage the discussion,
debate and sometimes heated argument
that seem necessary for change in a large
bureaucracy. And students and faculty
seem to sense it. Few even come to his
highly-publicized coffee hours anymore.
-Daiy-Sara Krulwicha
1rurT we
Weaver replies to Ihems
To The Daily:
I READ WITH interest the ar-
ticle submitted by the Ann Ar-
bor Democratic Party Executive
Board regarding their 1972 Party
Platform (Daily, March 1) Since
my name appears in the article a
response is in order.
My reaction to the platform is
that it is one of the greatest con-
jobs ever attempted in order to
capture the student vote. T h e
only thing that was left out was
the advocating of a free milk and
hot lunch program for all Univer-
sity students.
Probably an oversight. I'm con-
fident the student voter will see
thru this farce.
Fortunately for the Democrats,
party platforms are forgotten
about as fast as yesterday's news-
paper.
The article contains the follow-
ing quotations:
1. "There has been a difficult
'swing vote' problem on the city
council during the past year. If
the Democrat's progressive pro-
grams were to pass they had to
have the support of at least one
Republican, usually Robert Weav-
er (R-Second Ward)."
2. 'Now, the Human Rights Par-
ty declares its intention to be the
'swing vote' if one or more of its
candidates can be elected.
3. "So, without a Democratic
majority the city council would
still be subject to the whims of
a tiny, unrepresentative self-serv-
ing segment of the community.
The 'swing vote' might be con-
trolled by '25 students and non-
students without a serious or com-
prehensive program for the city
I with 2 and 3. I've been accused
of , many things but never 2 and
3.
I fully support Tom Burnham,
Republican candidate for the 2nd
Ward.- Burnham is articulate,
bright, informed and straight for'-
ward, unique qualities for a poli-
tical candidate.
If the student voter is sincere-
ly interested in exercising his vote
in a responsible way he has an
obligation to meet and listen to
Burnham as well as the other can-
didates.I
Incidently, Burnham is a 24 year
old law student familiar with stu-
dent concerns and will do a good
job of representing their interests.
After reading the Democratic
platforms my second choice would
be the Human Rights Party's can-
didate. Their simple solutions to
very complex problems is rather
naive. However, they are straight
forward and don't attempt to put
forward a phoney image in order
to woo-'the student vote.
-Robert E. Weaver
Councilman, 2nd Ward
(Soon to be replaced)
March 2
Dem platform
To The Daily:
THE STATEMENT from the Ann
Arbor Democratic Party which
appeared in Wednesday's Daily
was so filled with seemingly de-
liberate distortions that a reply'
seems in order.
It is doubtful that very many
people who read the Democrats'
statement failed to see through
it. It represented a frantic a t-
tempt by a thoroughly discredited
C~11fl 1-.'fMlf Y~ w..1.-..
everyone who came could vote.under the city's Democratic ad-
This is in, sharp contrast to the
Democratic platform, which was
written by a small coterie of party
"regulars," and then presented
to others in the party for ratifica-
tion and review.
Furthermore, the Democra'ts'
statement in the Daily convenient-
ly ignored the fact that their plat-
form is used purely for rhetorical
purposes. Democratic candidates
for all levels of political office
have repeatedly refused to abide
by platform planks they don't like.
Thus, while the first item in
their platform summary calls for
a governmental reform commis-
sion to consider changes in the
executive structure of the city,
Mayor Harris has publicly refused
to establish such a commission.
And while their platform calls
for the legalization of ma: ijuana.,
it should be noted that marijuana
arrests tripled in the past year
ministration.
As to their claim of o6fering
"progressive, humane and c o m-
passionate city government", just
look at the record. The Democrats
have fostered and supported a re-
gressive tax structure, helped to
push through approval of a dis-
astrous highway project which will
divide and disrupt the black com-
munity, and given approval to the
Briarwood shopping center, an
ecological nightmare.
Undoubtedly these desperate
public relations attempts by the
Democrats will increase during the
intensive upcoming city council
campaign. They are obviously run-
ning scared. For the first time
since the early 1900's, a grassroots
democratic political party is chal-
lenging the backroom politicians
and opportunists of the old par-
ties.
We will prove with substance
what they are trying to cover up
with rhetoric.
-Human Rights Party
March 2
To The Daily:
REALISTICALLY, blacks in re-
sidential halls here at the Uni-
versity of Michigan are forced in-
to integration.
Black halls.8
Being that a large number of
black students come from all black
schools, being that black students
basically come from all black
neighborhoods, and being that
black students basically interact
with black students, it is an evi-
dent fact that blacks arelittle ex-
posed to the white socializationi
process. that prevails here at the
University.
"Flash-exposure" to whites in
an all white corridor places a
black in an uncomfortable, dub-
ious, and suspicious position. He
becomesrresentful of the fna e t
that there aren't any or- enough
blacks which he is usually exposed
to 'and to which he ::an person-
ally turn to and relate to in case
of personal crisis.
He is indirectly forced to inte-
grate with people whom he has
had little interaction with, less
exposure to, has been segregated
from, and has always distrusted.
An all black corridor can be very
beneficial and helpful not only to
concern blacks but to concern
whites as well.
An all black corridor can provide
the security, reassurance, and em-
pathy that is especially needed
when a black student is exposed
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