r 4 OPINION rw 'I r Page 4 Thursday, February 3, 1983 The Michigan Daily I ii 4 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 I iiIJ ~v :4 4 4 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. A .Sa t 4 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. 3wI r'7 r-r-y A t - -- - - - - - - - -- - - _ I r