I

OPINION

Saturday, October 17, 1981

The Michigan Daily



G1je 3idigan tai1Q
Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan

I.

Vol. XCII, No. 33

420 Maynard St.
'Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board

Feiffer
l" 4

} I 1t I"S[14
ART$
VW.1. U&C F W" Vni


picA'1

Stop
EDUCATION Secretary
Bell said Wednesda
considering trying to make a
students pass a needs test to q
the Guaranteed Studen
program. If the administrai
tinues in this fashion, higher e
may be virtually non-existan
middle class.
Bell said the cut is one way
out President Reagan's latest
cut most domestic program:
cent. But the college. comma
accepted more than its sha
Reagan budget cuts.
Reagan's wholesale cuts'
programs have harmed som(
of research-a cornerstone t
education. Today, both so
scientific researchers are fa
ever-dwindling contracts fronr
government.
Limiting the GSL progran
than directly harming the in
themselves, will prove to be
burden for those students wh


a

/'VA --

cutting GSL
Terrence afford to attend college, but whose
y he is families earn too much to receive large
11 college amounts of financial aid.
ualify for In the long run, this will not only
t Loan harm- individual students, but the
tion con- universities and colleges across the
education country which will only be able to
it for the select applicants from specific socio-
economic groups.
to carry While a needs test does have some
rry t merit-it can prohibit the wealthy
so12 rder -o from receiving aid they don't deser-
unity has ve-the tests can go too far. Parents
e of the are often asked to put too much money
toward their children s
education-money they simply do not
in social have.
e aspects Education is a commodity which
of higher should be available to all individuals.
cial and If the Reagan administration con-
ced with tinues to eliminate higher education
n the U.S. programs, education could become ac-
cessible only to a privileged few. In or-
n, rather der to preserve educational oppor-
stitutions tunities for all people, the Reagan ad-
a heavy ministration should reconsider its plan
7o cannot to cut the GSL program.

H

ww cow %U; THU

tov~*IY c

*1


A 1:v I K7

The first 'M' marching- band.,'

Easing nuclear restrictions

T HE REAGAN administration took
another step this week to aid the
spread of nuclear weapons.
Thursday night, Vice President
George Bush announced that the
'United States would be making the fir-
st ception in a 1978 law that was
gnedto curtail the spread of
ar weapons.
A "special case exemption" to the
Nonproliferation Act has been made
for Brazil-a country which has yet to
sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation
Treaty and which refuses to allow full
international inspection of its nuclear
facilities.
The exemption which the Reagan
administration has granted Brazil will
allow that nation to buy uranium to
operate its Westinghouse-built nuclear
reactor south of Rio de Janiero. -
Under the Nonproliferation Act,
Brazil, because' it refuses to allow
"full-scope safeguards" of its nuclear
program, cannot legally purchase
uranium from the United States.
Without the exemption in the law just

granted by the Reagan administration,
Brazil would have been subject to a
multi-million dollar fine under its con-
tract with Westinghouse if it had pur-
chased uranium from sources other
than the United States.
The exemption makes it easier for
the Brazilians to continue their nuclear
development program-which is
strongly suspected to be aimed at,
eventual nuclear weapons develop-
ment. The reason, in fact, why Brazil
ran into trouble with the Non-
proliferation Act in the first place was
its refusal-on the grounds that it
would ' impair . its "national
security"-to allow full international
inspections of its nuclear plants.
The exemption, while it may bolster
relations with the military regime in
Brazil, is just another of several steps
the administration has taken that ease
the laws to deter the spread of nuclear
weapons. The exemption effectively
removes a strong incentive for Brazil
to bring its nuclear program in line
with acceptable standards.

Last week's article on the history of the
"Victors" revealed that the development
of the University band was closely linked
to the success of the "Victors." The
University of Michigan Marching Band,
which is now so much a part of the sights
Replay
By
Will McLean Greeley
and sounds of fall in Ann Arbor, suffered
from lack of support in its early days, as
the following November 4, 1982 Daily
editorial points out:
The organization of a student band is a
commendable effort on the part of its
originators. Its members are interested in its
progress and the enterprise is bound to suc-
ceed. A plan is on foot by which the students
can show their interest in the band in a prac-
tical way. It is proposed to raise a fund from
the students for the purpose of uniforming the
men and thoroughly equipping them for the
work. In return for this the band agrees to
furnish music on all occasions when desired,
free of compensation.

Courtesy of Michigan Historical Collections
The 1892 Michigan Marching Band.

Such an organization is needed to give spirit
and enthusiasm on field days, and at baseball
and football games, as well as at other times.
The hearty co-operation of the students at
large in placing the hand in a position to
thoroughly equip themselves would give the
leader and players an interest in the work
that would otherwise be lacking. The chief

defect in all University enterprises is the lack
of student enthusiasm in backing them up.
Let it be otherwise in the present instance.
* * * *
NEXT WEEK: Crossing the University's
Color Line, 1934.
Greeley's column appears on Saturdays..

LETTERS TO THE DAILY:

Daily

S

RA/RD solution poor

"YEAH, AND I THINK 1'0 BETTER KEEP MY EYE
ON RADICALS LIKE YOU'

To the Daily:
I am opposed to your editorial
entitled "End RA grade
requirements." You have misin-
terpreted the basis of the RA and
RD firing issue and I believe your
solution to this issue is a poor one.
It is evident from your editorial
that you believe the issue at hand
is whether or not grades should
play a role in the RA and RD
selection process. However,
housing officials, RAs, and RDs
Nix capital

alike would probably agree that
this is not the issue.
The real concern is whether a
new policy, requiring staff mem-
bers to hold a 2.5 grade average
at the time they begin work,
should be implemented this term.
The contorversy arises because
the old policy, requiring RAs and
RDs to hold a 2.5 grade point
average only at the time they ap-
plied for the position, was in ef-
fect when current staff members
fist war drive

were hired. In addition, many
believe this is an extremely poor
time to replace RDs and RAs.
In response to this dilemma,
you propose that the minimum
grade point average requiremen-
ts should be eliminated entirely.
Although I agree with your view
that grades have little to do with
an adviser's ability to com-
municate or build interpersonal
bonds, I oppose your proposal
because I feel that grades are
related to an adviser's
qualification for the job.
The RA and RD often provide.
academic counseling. This coun-
seling is certainly more useful
and credible coming from an ad-
viser who is a competent and
somewhat successful student.
RAs and RDs are role models and
as such it is reasonable to expect

them to! take their studies
seriously and show that univer-
sity life is more than just one big
party.
Having advisers hold.a
minimum grade point average
can assure this. Additionally,
having participated in the RA
selection process last year, I am
aware that there are many ap-
plicants who are well qualified in
all respects, (communication
skills, counseling ability, inter-
personal skills, and grades), but
are turned away due to the lack of
positions available.
It does not make sense to deny
one of these applicants the
position of RD or RA in order to:
give it to someone else who is less:
qualified in an academic sense.
-James Kagan
Oct. 15, 1981

'xw
r s ...t
t P ]}
L .. .. " v. ; l yr: yy .

:
's'-
°' 4^.:
.' ,
, N
.,

To the Daily: foreign markets to dispose of
Of all the horrors in the world, "surplus" commodities that can-
nuclear war is one of the most not be profitably sold on domestic
frightening. An all-out war bet- markets. In order to maximize
ween the two superpowers would these profits, capitalists are
probably end civilization and, driven to seek areas of foreign
quite possibly, end all human life. investments and sources in a
The International Physicians competitive struggle for
for the Prevention of Nuclear economic survival with other
War Inc., founded by four U.S. ruling classes including Soviet
physicians, held its first congress Russia.
in March. More than 100 The Socialist Labor Party con-
prominent physicians from 11 tends that only the abolition of
countries, including the Soviet capitalism and Soviet state
Union, attended. They adopted a despotism and its replacement by
statement which declared: "War a genuine Socialist Republic of
is not an inevitable consequence Labor with its production for use
of human nature. War is the and social ownership of the in-
result of interacting social, dustries can hope to prevent the
economic and political fac- coming nuclear holocaust.
tors .. ." Aci i
Capitalism's profit motive --Archiesim
drives its ruling classes to seek
Letters to the Daily should be


}

f °d. c:S i '.+.13''r t!<, e' .. c+ f'Sr ._ '3'A, e." " . :'. KS_ _xTa. .

l 41

Ami