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OPINION
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Thursday, February 3, 1983
The Michigan Daily I
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Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
Shapiro and Stop-
N -Go:
A
Vol. XCIII, No. 102
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
vending machine conspirac
Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board
A fair shake on finals
ICK ERWIN'S appeal for a grade
change was denied. Erwin is the
student whose lung collapsed on the
first day of final exams last December
("Making up (an exam) is hard to do,"
Daily, Jan. 14), forcing him to miss
exams in two of his classes. He agreed
to retake one of those classes after con-
ferring with the professor. In the
other, a physics course, his professor
allowed him to take a make-up exam -
but under much different circumstan-
ces than the rest of the class. As a
result, he failed the exam. His grade
dropped from a "B-plus" to a "C".
Erwin appealed the grade because
he felt he was not given a fair make-up
exam. He was given a standardized
departmental final, but was not
allowed to use four note cards every
other student used. In spite of the un-
fair treatment, Erwin's appeal was
denied by the grade grievance com-
mittee.
Erwin's problem doesn't point to a
fault in the grade grievance procedure,
but it does point up a flaw in the
University's policy on make-up exams.
Professors currently have the first
and last word on whether or not they
will give make-up exams and on what
type of test they will give if they allow
such a test. A professor can, for
whatever reason, simply not allow a
student a fair chance at successfully
completing a course.
This policy is designed to give
s professors total control over a studen-
ts' grades. On its surface, it might
seem like a good idea. But if a student
runs up against a professor who
decides not to be bothered by a student
with a legitimate excuse - such as a
collapsed lung - for missing a final
exam the student is out of luck.
To ensure that students are given a
fair shake in these situations each
University department should be
required to set up a make-up final
exam review board. this group would
hear legitimate complaints from stud-
ents who have not been given an equal
opportunity to earn a fair grade on a
final.
These review boards could consist of
three to five faculty members. This
impartial body, not the professor,
should be given the final say as to
whether a student has been given a fair
and equal shot at a final exam.
This review board would rule on
cases like Rick Erwin's, where it is
clear that the student has a legitimate
reason for missing the exam. If the
board decides that a professor did not
give the student a make-up exam un-
der conditions as similar to the regular
test as possible, a new exam would be
scheduled.
Any system like this has the poten-
tial to be abused. This one could be
abused by students if the review
boards are not careful in screening the
applications for review. But if the
boards are careful, they will probably
find the number of unjustified com-
plaints dropping off considerably after
the first few terms.
But the current system can be and
sometimes is abused by, professors.
As it stands, no one can force
professors to change their policies,
even if the policy is unfair to students.
What is needed is a system thatgives
students a fair shake on make-up final
exams. It is not fair for students to be
penalized for being seriously ill.
Students should be guaranteed fair
chances to earn grades they deserve.
By Jon Weiss
I needed it bad, real bad.
It was 9:30 and I was in the
middle of another long night of
studying in the Graduate Library
Reference Room. My books
could no longer keep my atten-
tion. My heart was racing, my
mouth salivating, my palms
sweating.
THERE WAS no turning back.
I threw Shakespeare aside and
went for it. Within seconds, I was
there - heaven on the first floor
- the library snack bar.
I knew what I wanted even
before I made it through the door.
I'd had it hundreds of times
before: A beautiful, lucious, rich,
solid Snickers bar. What
pleasure 35 cents can bring.
By instinct, I whipped out my
change and made a sudden dash
to where those sweet machines
had stood for so many days and
night of study.
I was already mentally un-
dressing my slab of chocolate,
when, suddenly, my eyes alerted
me to the unthinkable. The
machines - they were gone! My
stomach went into an instant
state of shock.
"HOLY SMOKES," I blurted,
"someone has removed the best
artificial food dispensers in the
world."
But no one in the lounge
seemedto care. Theyhall justsat
there studying. One woman did
glare at me.
"Hey, ya mind shutting up,"
she said. "This is now a reading
room."
Half unconscious, I stumbled
out of the rezoned room with only
one thing on my mind. And I had
to go all the way to Stop-N-Go to
get it.
THAT NIGHT I painfully
discovered that the Grad snack
bar no longer existed. I also
discovered how much an or-
dinary hunk of candy named
"Snickers" meant to me. It was
always so dependable, so giving,
that I had somehow taken it for
granted.
Since then, I've had to hit Stop-
N-Go every night to satisfy my
need. But I know I'm not the only
one involved in this candy trade.
I've seen kids in line with Kit
Kats, Reese's Cups, M&M's
-you name it.
As a result of the forced library
exodus, Stop-N-Go has doing
more business than ever before.
But no one, myself included, likes
having to go there.
Why then, did University
President Harold Shapiro allow
the vending machines to be
removed? The answer is ob-
vious: He wanted to increase
Stop-N-Go's profits - of which he
must be getting a handsome cut.
CONSIDER the overwhelming
evidence:
" Stdp-N-Go opened here right
after Shapiro became president.
anStop-N-Go starts with an "S"
and ends with an "o." So does
Shapiro.
* Stop-N-Go and Shapiro both
have seven letters.
* Stop-N-Go and Shapiro are
both located in Ann Arbor.
" Stop-N-Go and Shapiro are
both ripping off University
students.
Indeed, one could well argue
that the president's entire
"Smaller but Better" program
was designed to divert attention
from this clever ploy.
FORGET ABOUT all those
departments being axed. Student
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activists, football players, candy
junkies, and even pre-meds must
all unite. We must put an end to
the cover-up. The best artificial
food dispensers in the world must
return to active dispensing.
For this reason, I have formed
the Snickers Solidarity Commit-
tee, a group open to students of
all tastes. We soon will be spon-
soring our first rally on the diag
to protest the mean and corrupt
administration. This will be
followed by a day-long snack-in
on the subject (there will be plen-
ty of everyone's favorites).
As a last resort, if all other ef-
forts fail, I will publicly challenge
our president to a game of
"Twister" in Michigan Stadium.
Student pressure, of course, will
demand that he accept.
The rules would be simple:
Should he fall first, the machines
come back. If they don't we have
no choice but open revolution.
Hell no to Stop-N-Go!
Weiss is an LSA senior.
,, ,
Sinclair
A
Profits over pines
SINCE TAKING office, the Reagan
administration has consistantly
attempted to degrade safeguards for
the nation's environmental assets,
from A to Z. It started trying to make
the air fouler, moved to hacking the
national forests, and now stands at the
entrance of wilderness areas, hoping to
open the gates to greedy miners and
loggers.
This latest assault shouldn't be sur-
prising given the administration's
penchant for answering private
business' every howl. This time,
however, James Watt, notorious foe of
environmentalists, wasn't in on the
decision. The agriculture department
is to blame for this blunder.
The department has decided to scrap
a program begun in the Carter ad-
ministration to protect areas of
national forests virtually untouched
by man. The plan would also re-
evaluate areas already recommended
for protection.
The environmental effects of the
administration plan to let developers
take a bigger bite out of public lands
would be enormous, affecting no less
that 45 sights in California alone.
While bureaucrats take their time
''reevaluating" already protected
areas, miners and loggers will have a
free hand.
Once a road is built into an area, it
becomes ineligible for wilderness
status under federal rules. What the
department seems to be doing is giving
a wink and a nod to make the areas un-
suitable before Congress can protect
them.
But the timing of the plans is all
wrong. the logging industry is curren-
tly in a slump, having laid off thousan-
ds of workers in Washington and
Oregon. It isn't even cutting the timber
it has control of now.
The original idea behind designating
a wilderness area was to preserve un-
touched national treasures just as they
are - with no roads, no cabins, and no
axes. In essence, however, agriculture
department is sacrificing long-term
beauty to short-term greed.
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LETTERS TO THE DAILY:
Daily, sorority no friends of
To the Daily
In my three years as a reader
of the Daily I have never seen a
more infuriating article than the
one on Marilyn Kilinski
("Bulimic expelled from TA
house," Daily, Feb.1). What kind
of a way is this to treat a person
with a psychological problem?
Bulimia is a disease which is
almost impossible to control
without professional help. Yet,.
the disease is not contageous, nor
is it harmful to others. It is an
illness on par with anorexia ner-
vosa, not pyromania (which is a
detriment to others).
What I find especially
frustrating is that Kilinski's
sorority "sisters" do not wish to
recognize this fact. Rather, they
decided to have a closed meeting
- without Kilinski - to discuss
her problem with a psychiatric
counselor from University Health
Services.
Instead of getting
psychological help for their
"sister," they toss her out on the
street, as if to say, "your problem
is too much for us to deal with,
and we have our reputation with
the fraternities to consider."
I suppose this attitude just ex-
poses the myth behind this aspect
of the Greek system. Real frien-
ds would not act this way.
bulim iac
to print such an article. I do not
read the Daily in hopes of lear-
ning about other people's per-
sonal problems. I suppose that
pretty soon I can look forward to
.seeing Jeane Dixon's predictions
for Hollywood's movie stars.
Hopefully, the new 1983 staff
will reevaluate the substance aid
format of that article and will not
continue this sensationalistic
journalism at the expense of
others.
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