OPINION
Page 4
Sunday, April 3, 1983
The Michigan Daily
Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
Goodbye engine humanities*
Vol. XCIII, No. 145
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board
Pay IOU wit
N OT MUCH has changed with the
Michigan Student Assembly over
the past few years. Students still per-
ceive it as distant from their interests,
thus few students bother to vote or get
involved with MSA. Still, MSA should
serve a vital function as the student
voice, speaking to both the University
community and to those elsewhere af-
fecting students.
Though none of the candidates have
a firm grasp of what MSA can and
cannot do, we believe that Mary
Rowland and Jono Soglin of It's Our
University (IOU) would best serve as
that student voice. They offer the
least amount of hype, a well-rounded
set of priorities and goals, and the most
experience of any of the presidential or
vice presidential candidates.
IOU recognizes that redirection and
financial aid are the two primary con-
cerns facing students. In opposing the
administration on redirection
Rowland and Soglin plan to gel
students in the various schools under
review together on a regular basis to
map out strategy to fight the cuts.
Both candidates have lobbied exten-
sively at the state and national levels
against the Solomon Amen-
dment-which links financial aid
eligibility ,to draft registration-and
for increased financial aid. They want
to set up a service through MSA that
would match students to available
financial aid.
IOU also is the only party to take
more than a cursory interest in
minority affairs on campus. Besides
being the only party with more than
one minority candidate on its
slate-IOU has four-IOU is committed
to improving minorities' status on
campus by helping them unify the
voices of their various organizations
and developing an MSA research project.
Rowland and Soglin know the ropes
around MSA. Rowland is member of
MSA's Women's Task Force and she
founded the local chapter of the
College Democrats. Soglin is MSA's
vice president of legislative relations.
IOU's overall platform sets it apart
from the other parties, such as Im-
prove Michigan's Policies, Academics,
and Communications Today (IM-
PACT). IMPACT's presidential can-
didate, Steve Schaumberger, and vice
presidential candidate, Lynn Desen-
berg, stress the need for increased
communication between MSA and
students. Yet Schaumberger has failed
at this task as MSA's current vice
president for communications.
Schaumberger has few ideas on how
he would approach redirection except
that students should be better
represented on the review committees.
When pressed for details, he has no
idea how to get that better represen-
tation.
IMPACT fairs little better on finan-
cial aid. IMPACT wants to levy a sur-
charge on athletic tickets which would
be earmarked for financial aid. No one
th MSA votes
is in favor of this plan, it is against the
Big Ten Conference's rules, and the
University would not be able to keep all
the money.;
One of Schaumberger's other ideas for
getting more financial aid shows how
little he understands this University.
He wants to take a percentage of the
money in the University's "general
research fund" to use for financial aid.
The only problem is that no such fund
exists.
IMPACT is also short on minority
representation (it has only one can-
didate) - and experience. Though
Schaumberger is an MSA representat-
ive, Desenberg's credentials are
limited to her role as Panhellenic
Association representative for her
sorority.
Similar problems face the British
Humour Party (BHP). Back as
presidential candidate for BHP is
uane Kuizema. His vice presidential
candidate is Residence Hall
Association executive boardmember
Laurie Clement. Outside of financial,
BHP offers little.
Kuizema 'and Clement do not have a
program for redirection because, as
the presidential candidate says,
students are "not going to stop redirec-
tion." The best they offer is to say the
burden be shared more equally among
University units.
Other than suggesting that MSA
bring minority groups together with
the administration, BHPs proposals
for helping minorities don't amount to
much. BHP also does not have a
minority on its slate.
But the party's ideas on financial aid
are worthy of consideration. Kuizema
and Clement advocate lobbying foun-
dations and corporations to get finan-
cial aid.
The last party, ACT, and its
presidential and vice presidential can-
didates, Marc Dann and Kim Fridkin
respectively, would concentrate on
redirection and "rebuilding (MSA's)
legitimacy," according to Dann.
Dann opposes the current redirec-
tion method of selective review, but of-
fers no alternatives. He wants to set up.
a computer system to store data on
redirection and other topics to help
MSA analyze the administration's
decisions. All that information, though,
won't help Dann develop responses.
ACT's plans to fund the computer
system would defeat a large part of its
efforts to rebuild MSA's image. ACT
wants to take part of MSA's allocation
from student fees to get the com-
puter-funds that now go to the various
minor programs MSA now financially
supports. One of the most important
things MSA does is support these
groups.
Because Mary Rowland and Jono
Soglin of IOU offer the best com-
bination of experience, well-rounded
priorities, and an understanding of
MSA's function as the student voice,
they would make the most effective
leaders for MSA.
and a c
A NOTHER REVIEW and another de-
partment on the way out. At least that is
the recommendation of a committee that
looked into the College of Engineering's
humanities department.
The committee said the department should
be dumped and would-be engineers should be
sent packing to LSA for humanities classes. If
approved, the plan would phase out the depar-
tment over seven years and eliminate seven
faculty positions.
The student reaction was an interesting
contrast to demonstrations and activism of
students in the reviewed schools of natural
resources and art. The Engineering Council
took swift actionon the report and decided not
to take a stand. One student leader wouldn't
comment and another said he didn't unde-
stand.
The faculty, however, was much quicker to
hunk of state aid
level its criticism. On the day the report
went to the faculty, one committee member
wrote a letter saying he had changed his mind
and no longer- supported the conclusions.
Department Chairman Dwight Stevenson at-
tacked the report for making curriculum
judgments which he said should be up to the
department and its faculty, and he said the
committee didn't do what it was asked to do in
its charge.
Committee chairman Prof. William Kuhn
said the report is nothing more than a
guideline for possible changes. The faculty
will undoubtedly want to change those
guidelines at its meeting this week, but it
remains to be seen whether the students
really give a damn.
Smaller but smaller
T HE PROGRAMS offered by the Uni-
versity aren't the only things getting
smaller. Governor James Blanchard signed
in to law this week an executive order which
will reduce University funding by at least 5.7
million dollars. And the "better" side to this
smaller has yet to be seen.
University officials were hardly surprised
by the cuts, some even acted with relief after
speculating cuts as high as 13 million dollars.
Richard Kennedy, University vice president
for state relations, said that though the state
Kennedy: Stablilize the state
funding cuts are unfortunate, "that's the
price you pay for stability".
Kennedy said that the University has not
figured out how to deal with the cuts because
it is uncertain when they will actually take
place. The University has already lost $45
million in state funds since January because
of payment deferrals. The tax increase, said
Kennedy, will probably mean immediate
restoration of those funds.
So the University with all it's financial
problems has yet another concern to worry
about. For the students involved, though the
"smaller" seems definite. The "better" is,'
unfortunately, likely be "bitter" instead.
Doctors and the draft
SO YOU WANNA be a doctor?
Well, if you want to go to doctor school at
the University of Michigan, you better be
ready to support the Pentagon, too. That's
right, the campus' greatest supporter of
humanity - the educators of students who
desire to save lives - is the first school to
follow the federal government's drive to tie
education to military service.
The medical school's financial aid office is
asking recipients to voluntarily prove they
have registered for the draft, despite strong
signals from the courts and Congress that
such a requirement will be held up for at least
a year.
Officials in the University's central ad-
ministration and the central financial aid of-
fice - which is separate from the medical
school's - have expressed relief that higher
education will not have to serve as the federal
government's police force. But the medical
school, which says it is just trying to avoid
delays should the law go into effect as
originally scheduled on July 1, seems a bit too
eager to follow national conservative trends.
Some medical students feel the request
violates their constitutional rights to avoid
self-incrimination - not an unreasonable
assumption considering that a preliminary
decision by a federal court judge in Minnesota
supports that position.
At least there will be plenty of M*A*S*H
units around to help clean up the nuclear
mess.
By-laws and gays
ACK AND JILL walk hand in hand through
the Diag without giving it much thought,
Affectionate strolls around campus arent
quite so comfortable for Zack and Bill
however.
Members of a campus gay rights group
realize that their proposal for a University
policy prohibiting discrimination against
homosexuals will do little to ameliorate
public prejudice. Nevertheless, the group ii-
sists an official statement from the Univer-
sity would do a lot to ease the tension
homosexuals feel on the job and in the
classroom.
University President Harold Shapiro told
members of Lesbian and Gay Rights on Cam-
pus (LaGROC) Friday that he takes their
problems seriously, and that he intends to do
something about them. Just what Shapiro will
do is a little less certain.
LaGROC has asked for a regental by-law.
If adopted, this policy would require the
University to enforce non-discrimination in
its outside relations as well as within the
University.
This would undoubtedly affect the Univer-
sity's relations with the military, a risk the
University would characteristically avoid.
The Pentagon, a $5 million contributor to
research at the University, is also a notorious
discriminator against homosexuals. The Pen-
tagon has already threatened to withdraw
grants from any school which prohibits its
recruiters.
Director of the Office of Affirmative Action
Virginia Nordby will probably suggest a
presidential policy statement, which worries
LaGROC members who realize the impact a
by-law has, but are unsure of the legal
recourse the weaker presidential policy
would provide for gays with grievances.
The Week in Review was compiled by
Daily staff writers Neil Chase, Rob
Frank, Sharon Silbar, and Barry Witt.
LETTERS TO THE DAILY:
The benefits to MSA 's Proposal A
*I
To the Daily:
As the outgoing Treasurer of
the Michigan Student Assembly,
I am writing to ask for student
support on Proposal A on the
student election ballot. The ballot
proposal would call for a con-
tinuation of the current MSA fee
at its current level with cost of
living adjustments only to be
made each year. The fee curren-
tly is $4.25 per student per term.
What do students get for their
money when they pay this small
fee?
- They have access to
aggressive and thoroughly com-
petent legal help at Student Legal
Services.
" They have their interests as
tenants and housing consumers
protected by the SLS Housing
Law Project and the Tenants
Union.
" They have access to MSA-
sponsored, low-cost health, ac-
cident and property insurance.
" They have access to the Cour-
se evaluation program's yearly
results published in the booklet
Advice.
" They have access to funds, of-
fice space, meeting facilities, ac-
counting services at the Accounts
Office for the recognized student
organizations they support.
" They receive representation
on committees and boards
throughout the University
system.
" They receive representation
on student issues before the
University administration and
Board of Regents.
Thousands of Michigan studen-
ts utilize the Student Legal Ser-
vices (3,000 students), the MSA
Insurance programs (6,000
students), the Course
Evaluations (more than 10,000
students), the Volunteer Income
Tax Program coordinated by
Project Community and MSA
(1,200 students), and the other
MSA programs and projects.
Without renewal of funding,
these programs, which are run
and controlled by students to ser-
ve the needs and interests of
students, may die. I urge studen-
ts to vote to continue the funding
for the spectrum of programs
that help ourselves, our friends
and our classmates preserve
vital student services.
-James Flaum
MSA Treasurer 1982-83
March 29
al
BHP realism for MSA
City ballot proposals
A NN ARBOR VOTERS face five
ballot proposals in tomorrow's
city elections. Of the five, four deserve
endorsement and- the other, a
misguided bid to repeal Ann Arbor's
liberal pot law, should be rejected.
Proposal A gives Ann Arbor tenants
a chance to do something about ever-
rising utility costs. If approved, the
plan would require landlords to
provide minimum levels of insulation
and other energy saving devices. This
proposal deserves a yes.
Proposal B would raise property
taxes an additional half mil in order to
nrovide money to imnrove city narks.
vative vote in Ann Arbor.
The council has provided a backup
law if voters repeal the current law
which would raise the fine to $25, a
penalty still considerably less than
that imposed by the state. But the
backup law is a charade because it
would allow the council to gut the law
on a whim. Thus the best choice voters
have is to vote against Proposal C,
keeping the pot law in the city charter
and out of reach of council.
Proposal D is a fairly innocuous
initiative that would give the city per-
mission to sell bonds to raise money to
renovate the Allen Creek drain
Tax hike a boondoggle
To the Daily:
It's that time of year - time to
seriously consider the candidates
for that most powerful of elected
bodies: the Michigan Student
Assembly. After about thirty
seconds of sober reflection one
comes to the conclusion that it's
time for change. Those in control
of MSA have been misrepresen-
ting and misusing its resources.
We need a party that sets
realistic, achievable goals and
doesn't try to mislead the elec-
torate. The only party with these
beliefs is the British Humour
Party.
The other parties and those
who currently control MSA seem
to believe that MSA has a great
deal of influence on this campus.
Or maybe they just want the
voters to believe that. Do they
seriously believe that a gover-
nment elected by 10 percent of
be student activists and go to law
school" routine. The others con-
tinue to play up worn-out (and
soon moot) issues such as
military research as if these
issues were another Vietnam
War. Do they believe that a
student flunking freshman
chemistry cares about Thomas
Senior's research projects?
The lack of participation in
MSA elections is partly due to
MSA's lack of importance but
mainly due to MSA being out of
touch with students. Fortunately,
the British Humour Party seems
to recognize MSA's limitations (I
have yet to see them making
phony promises to "establish
dialogues" or spouting other such
drivel). MSA can accomplish
good, but it cannot expect to solve
the world's problems (not to
mention the University's) just by
bitching at rallies or referring to
To the Daily:
The state of Michigan needs a
tax hike like itdneeds a hole in its
collective head. But every boon-
doggle has its advocates, and
Governor Blanchard's state in-
come tax increase is no excep-
tion.
In a letter published March 24
in the Daily, the members of the
Higher Education Task Force
ask us to not only accept Blan-
nrd' j ,i h at nrnd it_
depression on the shoulders of the
state's wage earners is a clear
example of "blaming the vic-
tim."
In any case, there is no guaran-
tee that the state's massive
deficit will be eliminateddby
Blanchard's tax hike. The debt
exists because legislators are
unable to spend other people's
money with any semblance of
restraint. To think that sending