4
OPINION
Page 4
Sunday, October 2, 1983
The Michigan Daily
Hey 'U,
who
forgot to sell
the stock4
"Dad?"
"Don't disturb me now son. I'm reading the
paper."
"But dad, I think you forgot to do something
you were supposed to do."
"Sure, son, sure" (continues to read paper).
"Dad!"
"Look here kid, I'm trying to relax. I'm
trying to get through the paper. The football
game's on right after this. What do you want?"
"Well, remember last spring when you
promised all those students and professors you
would sell those stocks in those companies that
work in South Africa?"
"Not really son (goes back to the paper).
Why?"
"That's where you've got some growing to
do, son. You just don't understand. We want
through the whole hassle of a public debate, we
held that long special meeting, listened to all
those people talk, then we took a public stand
against South Africa's bad apartheid. That's all
anybody was concerned about, the statement,
the words. Nobody cares whether we do it right
away or not. And if nobody complains, the
bassos usually won't say anything either."
"So when are you going to do it then?"
"Whenever we get around to it - real soon
real soon. Hey, can you flip on that TV for me,
son."
Union blues
There's a new show on television this season.
It's called "Lottery." These two guys walk
around and hand people millions of dollars.
Sound pretty unrealistic?
Not really. In fact University administrators
seem to be acting the same way. And this
year's lucky winner is the Michigan Union:
$650,000, just when it needed it most. Just
enough to cover its $650,000 deficit.
What makes the Ann Arbor version of this
series less believable than the prime time show
is that the Union, after winning once, is going
back for more - $450,000 more.
Where is all this money coming from? Either
from the University's General Fund or from
student fee increases. Translated directly,
either case means students pay.
Why does the Union need all that money?
Union officials claim that costs have risen, but
their budget hasn't. University budget books,
however, show that the Union budget has shot
up 64 percent since last year.
Of course expenses at the Union have gone up
since last year too, more than 64 percent. So if
they want to spend the money they are plan-
ning to spend, they are going to have to come
up with more. Or presto, they have another big
deficit.
And we out there in TV land know where the
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said one student who attended President
Harold Shapiro's reception this week at the
Union. "There were good cookies at his house.
Donuts and cider are just not as exciting."
"Just not as exciting," is how most of the
students who attended the Shapiro party, which
was held at the Union instead of the president's
house for the first time, reacted to the recep-
tion.
They liked the cookies at Shapiro's home bet-
ter. They liked the formal atmosphere at
Shapiro's house better. They missed the grand
tour of Shapiro's residence.
Sure, they liked Harold and his wife Vivian.
One student said Harold seemed like a "smart
guy," while another student found Vivian "just
like a mom."
But most agreed that they would have rather
visited the Shapiros at home.
Happily though, in a triumph for students,
the Shapiros agreed-to move the party back to
their house next year.
And with that, most students settled back and
enjoyed the reception. After all, donuts may
not be as exciting as cookies but there is no use
in wasting them.
Practice studying
Superstar freshmen athletes like Anthony
Carter or Antoine Joubert may be great for
Michigan athletics, but the University has
given full support to a proposal that would
make athletes like those two ineligible for their
freshman year.
In fact, the whole Big Ten conference is
debating whether to present the proposal to the
National Collegiate Athletic Association for
national adoption.
The proposal, barring freshperson athletes
from all varsity competition, is intended to give
first year student-athletes more time to hit the
books by forcing them to spend less time on the
field.
"At some schools a kid plays three games
before school starts," said University athletic
"You remember. You said all that stuff about
how bad discrimination is, especially when it
shows up as apartheid. Almost made me
proud."
"Oh, yea. I forgot all about that. What about
it?"
"Well have you done it yet? After all, it's
been five months."
m "Haven't gotten around to it just yet - soon
though, real soon."
"Won't the bosses get mad? And what about
all those students and professors who asked
you to do it? Some of them worked pretty hard
to get you to sell those stocks. Remember a
couple of years ago when hundreds of them
showed up at that meeting. Got awfully
crowded in that stuffy little room, especially
when they all started chanting. Won't they all
get mad again?"
Please deposit another $1 million. The
Michigan Union can't seem to keep itself out of
debt, but the University keeps coming to the
rescue.
money to cover deficits comes from. You got it.
Students. Union officials are already con-
sidering asking for another budget increase.
Perhaps that is the biggest difference bet-
ween the TV show and reality. You can always
turn the TV off.
Donuts; no cookies
"The food just isn't as good as it used to be,"
Shapiro: Okay, okay. I'll have the party at m.
house next year.
director Don Canham. "He doesn't know where
the library is, but he's playing in front of 100,000
people. That's ludicrous. Football can't be that
important. That's tough for a 17 year-old kid to
hack."
Despite Canham's, and the rest of the
University athletic board's enthusiasm, some
have doubted the proposal would be all that ef-
fective.
Norm Betts, a former football player an4
current student representative to the athletic
board, said that the proposal would cut out very
little practice time, which comprises most of
an athlete's timecommitment.
Currently the proposal is doing the rounds in
the Big Ten seeking support. If the proposal is
presented at this month's Big Ten conference
meeting and is passed by member schools, it
will be presented at this year's NCAA conven-
tion.
The Week in Review wasicompiled by Dail
Opinion Page Editor Bill Spindle and Daily
staff writer Sharon Silbar.
t e Itrgau ail
Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
Laban
Vol. XCIV- No. 22
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, Ml148109
F
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Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board
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TAs should take 'U's
offer
WHILE THE PROPOSED contract
for the Graduate Employee
Organization is worth approving,
teaching assistants should understand
that the majority of its benefits come
not from the strength of GEO
negotiators, but from a state univer-
sity on the rebound from economic
hard times.
Past contract proposals did not give
TAs the benefits they needed and
deserved. Up until this current
proposal, the University hadn't
recognized the drain tuition placed on
a TA's finances. GEO bargainers were
unable to impress upon administrators
the importance of giving its members
tuition breaks.
After rejecting the last tentative con-
tract, union members were so upset
with their leaders they restructured
the bargaining team, bringing in many
fresh faces.
GEO's new leaders were supposed to
be more in tune with the needs of the
average TA, which" would generate
more interest in the union, thus
strengthen GEO's bargaining position.
The results of the move are mixed at
UTOPIA
best. To the union negotiators' credit,
they did get the University to agree to
a one year pact, which means the
University will have to negotiate
another contract again next year. If
the economy and the union are
stronger next year, GEO can push for
more benefits, including ones it could-
n' t get this time around.
Otherwise, the contract appears to
be one molded to the wishes of ad-
ministrators. The University is getting
more money from the state, so it can
and did recognize the need to give TAs
a tuition break and a raise. The tuition
break gives the average TA $62 per
term, while the raise pushes up his or
her salary $117 per term.
GEO negotiators also failed to get a
limit on class size or a recognition of
affirmativeaction goals in the
proposed contract.
Yes, this contract for University TAs
is a marked improvement over past
proposals. It deserves approval as a
first step toward a future when GEO is
strong enough to bargain with the
University, instead of being obliged to
accept what administrators offer.
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LETTERS TO THE DAILY:
Hidden racism taken out of context
4
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To the Daily:
I'm writing in direct response
to your editorial on hidden
racism at the University ("An
accidental peek at campus
racism," Daily, September 27). I
agree with your point that
preconceived notions concerning
the races are prevalent among
incoming freshpersons, however,
your means of obtaining material
leaves something to be desired.
Publishing private mail is an
obvious violation of privacy and
does little to enhance your
credibility as a newspaper editor.
Can we as students, trust a paper
that is willing to do anything,
even infringe on someone'e right
to privacy, in order to get a
story?
Perhaps this paper and its
editor should re-evaluate their
qualifications to sit in judgment
of others in light of their past
record of anti-semitism. I also
wonder about the absence of
minority staff members at the
Daily; what possible reason
could there be for this lack of in-
ter of the author of the letter,
based on your interpretation of
someone else's mail. Your
ignorance concerning the nature
of the relationship between the
parties involved in the
correspondence, may have led
you to mistake personal jokes for
racist comments.
In any event, your violation of
private property, evident
hypocrisy and your perhaps, un-
fortunate misinterpretation of
what you read may sadly result
in an ended friendship between
roommates.
I feel obligated to suggest that
in the future, creditable means
are employed in obtaining
material and the interpretation of
this material does not reflect the
projection of ideas and
prejudices of any level staff
member.
The author of this letter is
the student ,referred to in the
editorial. He asked that his
name be withheld.
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