Page 4-Tuesday, May 16, 1978-The Michigan Daily
michign DAILY
Eighty-eight Years of Editorial Freedom
420 Maynard St.; Ann Arbor, MI. 48109
Vol. LXXXVIII, No. 10-S News Phone: 764-0552
Tuesday, May 16, 1978
Edited and managed by students
at the University of Michigan
Fond recollections of those
iafternoons on the courts
Legislators an'
delaySATpc
L AST WEEK U.S. Chief Arms Negotiator Pa
Warnke speculated that a Strategic Arm
Limitation Talks (SALT) agreement could 1
reached with the Soviet Union sometime th
summer, and the immediate response fro
Capitol Hill, was, incredibly, negativ
Congressional leaders said that members shou
be unwilling to consider such a controversial ma
ter as a new SALT treaty with elections a
proaching in November.
One unidentified senator commenter, "V
decided on the Panama Canal Treaty this yea
and we will decide on the Mideast arms packag
this week; most of us just don't want to tack:
another controversial issue like SALT in an ele
tion year. The risk of losing votes no matter whic
side you choose is too great."
This attitude is simply appalling. The govej
nment has worked years to achieve a SALT se
tlement, and now when it is all but in our grasj
our legislators ask us to put it off because iti
too controversial for an election year. Thei
prime consideration should be this term a
office, not the next one. Senators and represen-
tatives are elected to serve their constituents for,
full six and two year terms respectively. Thei
must not shirk their responsibility several month
early in order to concentrate on reelection.
With defense gobbling up an increasingly enor
mous amount of the federal budget, while vita
social programs are shamefully underfunded,
SALT agreement is of utmost importance. If w
can pare down the defense budget because of ar
ms limitation, the funds can be reclanneled int(
other needy areas. For this reason, Congres!
must put aside its election year fears, and wort
with President Carter and Warnke to reach a
speedy settlement.
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By Jeffrey Blake
It was the first day of spring.
Unofficially. The snow was
melted, classes were cancelled
(unofficially?, and the most of-
ficial of unofficial signs: basket-
ball across the street from East
Quad.
The boy took the pass from his
teammate, raced downcourt,
and-Boom-slam-dunk! Two-
hands. So who care if even your
punk brother could dunk one at
the shortened East Quad
baskets?
THE BOY turned back toward
his teammates with a most
unimaginative look of non-
chalance. But you could see it
coming. Perhaps he caught a
teammate's goading eyf, or
maybe the magnitude of the
moment struck him. "All right!"
he burst, and there went the
palms-a-slappin'.
These moments, these
unabashed (if delayed) displays
of emotion, are those which have
made the courts at East Quad,
the old IM and the Coliseum my
home. These places, and the
acquaintances I've made there,
are the ones I hate to leave as I
depart from Ann Arbor after
graduation..
The emotion isn't the only
thing. But it's a big part of it. I
used to be consumed by the idea
of winning. Now I still play to
win, but that's the difference. As
long as I only play to win without
undue concern for the actual end
result, I feel okay.
I PLAYED WITH a friend a
few weeks ago, and played well.
It happens sometimes. But after
one streak of particularly crisp
and accurate passing, I let a
hurried outlet pass fly so far over
my friend's hands, that he asked,
"What'd you do that for?"
"What'd I do what for?" I
replied. "Why'd you hurry the
pass?" 'Because," I said "I'm
impulsive as hell."
I really am. I'm no big guy, but
competitiveness and boiling
blood know no bounds. Last
one of the instances which give
competition a bad name. And I
admit it: When things get taken
too seriously in the game, the fun
goes. But chemistries conflict in
all places, and erupt usually,
even during games, only into
arguments. And arguments,
especially between two who dif-
fer not for personal qualms, but
simply to add some fancy verbal
trim to the contest, can be fun.
Far' more compelling than those
'The pass, the assist, the handshakes (any varietP)
and the calls of "Nice game"; the feelings shared.
These have made the game-as well as my education
-full.
spring at East Quad some op-
posing player, apparently
unenamored of my defeensive
play, took to retaliating-with his
plbows. Y'know, teeth-rattling
stuff. "Bastard," I said. I
couldn't help it. I swear it slip-
ped-but it was out for 'good.
"What'd you call me?" he
demanded. "Bastard," yet
before I could finished enun-
ciating, and far before I could
react, there it was: the basket-
ball so big it stole all my vision.
FROM FIVE FEET away, he
had slammed it full off my face.
"Now," he repeated. "What'd
you call me?" Daunted, I moved
back five giant steps, and offered
meekly, but audibly, the same
word again.
. That one was broken up
quickly-fortunately. So there's
cool and calculated classroom
conversations.
Don't get me wrong: com-
petition is nice, but cooperation is
nicer. The pass, the assist, the
handshakes (any variety) and
the calls of "Nice game"; the
feelings shared. These have
made the games-as well as my
eduction-full. And for these I
thank Mike and Mike, and Big
John and Rick and Steve, and
Allan (I could not even guess at
their last names), and the rest,
for all the "Nice games." You
werV the best friends acquain-
tances could be.
Jeffrey Blake graduated this
month from the University
with a degree in economics
and journalism.
LETTERS TO THE DAILY:
: Refusing versus unknowing
To The Daily: ment of Licensing and Regulation president, but 538 people com-
U 9n Saturday, March 25, the was in some way concealing in- prising the Electoral College, the
s Daily printed an article concer- formation. This is not true. It is Romulus Jaycees, ask that you,
ning the Muehlig Funeral Home our intention and standard Mr. and Ms. America, let your
and the difficulties with the Mor- operating procedure to share any Senators and Representatives in
tuary science Board and the information that under due Washington know that the time
Department of Licensing and process is public information. has come for a change in our
Regulation. An informal conference bet- Constitution.
I wish only to remark on the ween a Board and a licensee is a Even though both the Senate
manner in which your paper private discussion for the pur- and the House have introduced
reported the interview with the pose of evaluating whether com- bills for the amendment, 'this
Secretary of the Mortuary Scien- pliance with the law has oc- doesn't insure passage. For bills
ce Board. When your reporter curred. Following a compliance have been introduced in past
contacted Mrs. Alice Kidder to conference, the Board will, in legislaturesbut no positive action
find out the results of the infor- public, decide whether or not to was taken.
mal conference held by the Mor- proceed with action against the WE MUST NOT let another op-
tuary Science Board and the licensee. portunity pass us by. For when
operators of the Muehlig Funeral Mrs. Kidder is a very conscien- we hear: "Why doesn't somebody
Home, it was reported in the tous young-lady and a fine ad- do something about changing our
paper that Mrs. Kidder "refused ministrative secretary to the Constitution?" we never think of
to comment on the proceeding." Mortuary' Science Board. r only that someone as you or me.
THIS IS NOT precisely the way wish to make it clear that the Simply write a note or letter
it happened. Mrs. Kidder infor- employees of this Department stating you are in favor of direct
med the reporter that she did not are in no way unwilling to tell popular election of the president
know what had transpired at the reporters whatever they want to and vice-president amendment.
informal conference which was know. Sometimes they are If you wish, the Jaycees offer
indeed true as she was not unable, but never unwilling. petitions in which you can garner
present at the conference. -Virginia L. Zeeb, Director the names of your friends who
I only bring this to your atten- Bureau of Health Services feel the same way you do and
tion because there is a significant send them to your elected
difference between refusing to direct election leaders. Petitions can be ordered
tell a reporter something and in To The Daily: from the address below.
telling a reporter that you do not Sinc most voters know that it -Charles J. Dick, Jr.
know something. The connotation isn't the total popular vote that The Romulus Jaycees
in the Daily would lead your determines who shall be the 8350 Whitehorn
readers to believe that the Depart- country's president anq vice . Ro . ,mRulus, Michigan