Page 4-Friday, May 18, 1979-Thee Michigan Daily f wMichigan Daily Eighty-nine Years of Editorial Freedom 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, M. 48109 Vol.LXXXIX, No. 13-S News Phone: 764-0552 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan Harvard's idea could work here L IBERAL ARTS education has been altered as technology and other advancements force it to keep pace with the dynamics of knowledge and job markets. Yesterday, Harvard University, a frontrunner in educational innovation, unveiled a plan to revise its undergraduate curriculum. The plan transcends the concept of broad in- troductory courses and instead is aimed at schooling undergrads in various approaches to learning. Harvard's design includes a "core curriculum" to invest proficiency in writing, math and the use of computers in students by the time they graduate. Students must devote one quarter of their courses to classes from the core area, one quarter to electives, and the other half to classes in the student's field of concentration. This University is more distinctly defined by its colleges and disciplines than Harvard's generalized curriculum. However, it would be beneficial to adopt the most desirable aspets of our eastern peer's plan. While the general education curriculum is not outlined here for each incoming student, counselors encourage students to take a slate of standard courses to commence their undergraduate career. But many students can attest to the diminutive knowledge gained by mass intro courses. These courses often are handicapped by teaching to the mean while boring the extremes. It is most unfor- tunate that some students acquire an unrealistic idea of the quality of education available here af- ter wasting countless hours in MLB auditoriums. Many students can become disillusioned with an entire field of sudy because of an unappealing or unscholarly intro course. Counselors should advise students about such courses. Student evaluations should be examined carefully and used as a guideline for change. The aim of inculcating a broad basis in an academic discipline should not subordinate the offering and challenging coursework. Requiring some background in computer use is another worthwhile aim of the Harvard plan. Such knowledge is a useful asset for today's student needs to deal with an ever-automizing society. Harvard was wise not to mandate each student to take a computer course, but rather that he or she demonstrate a proficiency in computer skills. This University should offer computer courses for the non-technically inclined student and em- phasize proficiency instead of the completion of a specific course. Counselors should strongly en- courage students to explore this field, even if students do not have a knack for working with numbers. Thus, the University would be wise to adopt the spirit but not the specifics of Harvard's plan. It would be to the contemporary student's benefit to offer courses with real world application such as computer operation, whilepermitting students to decide their own course of study with professional guidance. Letters to the Daiy Root of the problem what about the people who will be useless because all of the leaders To the Daily: h hurt in the process? Nobody wan- of the past went crazy and cant I aes n ice ts to claim responsibility, the be trusted." It would be more I am responding to your article administration would rather see responsible to help identify the of April12thentitled,"Study says things swept under the rug and system behind the- corrupt dorm life difficult aoued unfortunately the Daily has behavior; for example, why does Blacks in which you announced shown whose side it is on. MSA become dominated by rain. the release of the UM NAACP - -Charles Holman, III dless student bureaucrats, and Chapter's report which I Co-Chairman, NAACP how does the administration authored. National Task Force on exercise control over student My problem with your article Black College Students government? centers around the quote you at- Furthermore, obnoxious tribnted to me, that the negative Welcome loopholes preachings like, "If the students conditions outlined in the report To the Daily: have the power to run their own are continuing today. Your ar- stude tidle went on to quote three Ilam sure many of us are stdnt government, they shuld peo: ha grteful for the article 'Paup exercise the power wisely, or nt allegedly said. What I said was Loophoe.. e a r have itW" simple do not help not that these problems are con- It provides so many of us some anyone. Why not apply this tinung g toaybut hatcurrnt opeof retaining a respect for statement to the Office of Student tinuing today, but that current hope rServices, which is right now up to problems of black students in the ouselves when we can read that its elbows, along with its SABRE dorms have their roots in the there still is self respect, and it is prorlmsoutlined in the report. shown by such efforts, to remove allies, to squash the emerging Thrort itself underscored the lecherous, insatiable monster political power of MSA and by noting that it was intended as from our backs... the election difficulties? Thinissa a record of past-struggles to aid I hope Frank Browning will con- disgracefuluse of power. black students in future tinue to be in the Michigan Daily digaeuusofpwr btrules sinforming (through your choice Second, Ms. Engebrecht digs str felthat there is a big dif- of editorials, such as this) people deep into fantasy when she say ference between what you quoted in Michigan about progress made "If the student groups had simply and what I actually said. As a against this blatant crushing of a worked together to handle their result you managed to com- person's will. would have never become nitin pletely miss the point of the -Mrs.Konapek wold h ne met is in- volved." This statement is in- report in favor of presenting a Daily opinion defensible. The administration is false and misleading picture of To the Daily: always on hand, and eager, to get an improving situation for black Your reporter Julie Fnge- involved in controlling student dormitory residents. brecht's commentary of May 4, government affairs when it starts A paid public relations person "Politics to blame for loss of doing things that matter. for the University could have MSA" contains one very clear in- MSA has to fight every year to hardly done better! sight. "The administration does prove its legitimacy, and to a In specific, your article men- not belong in student government jury not of its peers, but rather of tioned the institution of minority affairs." But this bit of wisdom is administrators, who have shown peer counselors in the dorms and buried ina polemic of such super- themselves capable of the a guarantee by one dorm gover- ficiality and arrogance that I gravest insensitivity, and now, nment of 15 per cent of its income must respond. treachery. The current crisis to minority students as im- First, she says both major par- would not even exist if the ad- provements over the situation ties in the election, SABRE and ministration did not have the ex- outlined in the NAACP report. PAC, "became so preoccupied cuse, or bribe, of granting MSA's Obviously, you have not fully with winning the election that funding every year. read the report or you would have nothing else seemed to matter." The election saw a major par- known that these "alleged im- It distresses me that she would ty, SABRE, launch a campaign provements" have existed for fail to clearly identify which par- based on lies and prejudice, and several years and were men- ties have and which have not the same party sabotage sincee tioned in the report itself, hardly been involved in double-dealing efforts to get MSA back on its feet improvements at all. For the and opportunism. It is now by itself. We must go beyond record, the minority peer coun- generally agreed among most chastising people, however. We selors were first instituted in the observers that the SABRE party must understand what is keeping early seventies by C.U.L.S. was one which did truly lose sight MSA from taking itself seriously. Moreover, Markley's student of what was best for MSA in the If there are Donald Sergrettis in governmenthas for severalyears face of the administration's the making, let's expose them. granted a "guaranteed income" challenge to student government, But above all, let's do it critically to the Minority Action Council but with the sweep of the pen, she and thoughtfully, and in a way (MAC). One other development lumps all student activists which does not offend the sincere you cited in the article was that together and does everything activists within MSA. Stockwell's minority short of providing us all with -JosephPelava organization failed by only a dunce caps. Student Press Gouncil slight margin in its attempt to This type of arrogance, win representation on the Stock- although motivated more by THE MINNESOTA DAILY well House Council. Yet the fact timidity than vindictiveness, is a recently reported that their is, which you left unmentioned, disservice to the University Board of Student Publications that Stockwell minority residents community in that it clouds the will form a press council to air have been fighting this same bat- issue of MSA's current complaints against "any student- tle for over five years and are vulnerability to the ad- run news organization in the still losing! My question is, how ministration's attack. country." does this indicate an improving Making all of student gover- The council is to be the first of situation? Failure and defeat, nment suddenly seem like just a its kind at the collegiate level in annually for over five years is bad joke, producing a the country. Minnesota was also hardly an improving situation! Shakespearean "Alas, they've all the home of the first state press On a final note, I would like to gone mad" explanation subjects council. point out that although conditions students to a vision of student ac- Six students will be chosen at at present may not seem as tivism that seems completely in- the May 19 board meeting to "dismal" today in some of the sane. And, alarmingly, it is the comprise the council. However, dorms for black students, par- same tactic that the Office of selection of councilmembers will ticularly in Bursley Hall, I would Student Services used to vindic- be the only tie to the board. like to point out once again, that tively, and successfully, discredit Press councils have no actual the causes which led to the MSA before the Regents. power to punish a journalist or disturbing atmosphere at Bur- Although the article chides news organization. They hear sley in the mid-seventies still SABRE, its simple-minded con- and investigate complaints and remain. Things may seem well clusions frustrate rather than form opinions on the subject. and good for the present, but until illuminate. Tom Hayden once Delivery of the council's opinion real improvements are made. a said that the net effect of this kind is aimed at influencing the party threatening situation may once of journalism is "to make us feel against whom a complaint has again unexpectedly erupt. And that politics and movements are been registered.