4 OPINION I Page 4 A few new Friday, February 17, 1984 ideas for spring The Michigan Daily vacation By David Spak Spring break 1984 is upon the Univer- sity once again. The Florida beaches and the Colorado slopes are getting more crowded by the hour as students leave their books behind for a week of wild and licentious living. Wet t-shirts and bikinis or hot tubs and goggles will be the fashion for a few days. Several breweries will be working around the clock to satisfy the soon-to- be hung-over masses of University students at Ft. Lauderdale, the Michigan of the South. How boring. Where is the spirit of ad- venture University students are known for? Are you looking for a change of pace? IT MAY BE too late to change your plans for spring break, but if your plans aren't set in stone or you are already thinking about next February, here are a few suggestions that might make you forget Ft. Lauderdale: " What could be better than Moscow this time of year? The gorgeous Moscovite comrade snow bunnies of both genders get a little bit of cabin fever around now especially because their winter begins sooner and lasts a few weeks longer. Besides, if you had planned ahead and taken off a week early, you could have been in on the changing of the guard from Yuri "I was sick while I lasted" Andropov to Kon- stantin "I thought George Bush was a type of geranium" Chernenko. President Ronald Reagan blew his chance to party with the finest from Moscow to Montreal, why should you? Think of all the heavy hitters you could have rubbed elbows with. Indira Gan- dhi, Maggie Thatcher, Andrei Gromyko, and that playboy of playboys, Pierre Trudeau. Moscow is always at its best during state occasions. The government throws a wonderful military parade or funeral. Imagine what the cocktail par- ties afterward must be like. Caviar and vodka in the land that invented them. But don't fret. Though you missed the mourning this time around, it may hap- pen all over again next February. The 72-year-old Chernenko did not appear to be in the best of health during the ceremonies for Andropov. The new Soviet leader could not keep his arm raised in salute and slurred many parts of the eulogy. " Now that the Marines are leaving Beirut the crowds won't be a problem in Lebanon. Many open air hotel rooms are available all over the city and you can pick your faction by crossing the street. Dress is casual though white is recommended if you cannot decide where to stay. Watch out for the big firecrackers those Marines are setting off from their cruise ship, the New Jer- sey, especially if you like to take after- noon hikes in the surrounding moun- tains. It might be nice to pay a visit to Amin Gemayel if you choose thishtrip. Like Chernenko, Gemayel might not be around next year. In fact, Beirut might not be around next year. " You say you don't like cold weather or mountains? There is no better tan- ning spot in the Caribbean than Grenada. While you are basking in the tropical sun you can watch democracy parks in Central America. The games and rides of Big Pine II in Honduras are still going strong. The helicopter ride is not for the weak hearted, but. en- thusiasts say training a Contra alone is worth the price of admission. The roads and bridges are not in good condition particularly in El Salvador. But don't criticize the management about this because their friendscan get a little testy. They don't carry water pistols in these neighborhoods. Afghanistan is becoming a peren- nial favorite for quagmire watchers. If you thought only the United States could get sucked into a no-win war, a few weeks in this mountainous paradise will change your mind. This place has already been dubbed the "Soviet Viet- nam." Like Lebanon, Afghanistan is an ex- cellent spot for a healthy afternoon hike. Be wary of sudden yellow rain showers and remember that the Soviets are using more than firecrackers from a cruise ship to soften the land for spring plowing. There are other places to go. A visit to Iran is always interesting for an American. Poland is due for some fun, water cannon displays soon. And you can always find a good rugby match in South Africa. So forget about Florida sunshine, Colorado slopes, and Southern Califor- nia. There's a whole world out there waiting to be discovered. Or you could always go home. Spak is a formner Daily editor. They throw the best party for you when you are least able to enjoy it. The funeral parties for Yuri Andropov may be winding down, but Moscow is still the place to be for spring break. get a start. The dorm food at the medical school is better than the stuff you get here, and it will not upset your diet as much as the food in Beirut. The Marines that vacationed in Grenada last fall said that the natives are particularly friendly. It's the stray Cuban or two you have to be wary of. The big problem with a vacation in Grenada is transportation. The airport is not finished, so the easiest way to get on an island is either by landing craft or - for the sporting type - parachute. If you choose to go by sea, remember to wear a life vest. UNLIKE IN Moscow and Beirut, American Express is accepted. " Another hotspot are the amusement Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan Vol. XCIV-No. 115 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board Resistors restricted Stewart, t \ TODAY REPRESENTS TES.., THE THE PASSING OF OUR STEALTH GREATEST WEAPON LEADER AGAINST FOREIGN INTELLEGENCE - / EVER, COMRADE,-, - College students are disrespectful, unpatriotic citizens if they happen to be men who oppose registering with the Selective Service, and need finan- cial aid. This is the gist of the premise which led Delegate Jefferson Stafford (R-Giles, Va.) to sponsor a bill which would bar young men who fail to register with the U.S. Selective Service from entering state colleges and receiving financial aid. "If you're going to reap the benefits of this commonwealth you're going to obey the law," Stafford told the Virginia House of Delegates which ap- proved the vote 67-33 yesterday. As if it isn't enough pressure on college-age non-registrants to be denied federal financial aid funds and job training benefits, this Virginia Republican and his supporters have to make it worse, Proponents of the bill in the House ignored the fact that the measure could be found unconstitutional and easily overturned on the first court challenge. They ignored Delegate William Robin- son (D-Norfolk, Va.) who asked why the Virginia House should decide on the constitutionality of a law which is similar to a law currently being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. Soon, the high court will decide on the con- stitutionality of this law linking federal financial aid to Selective Service registration. But members of the Virginia House couldn't wait. It is perhaps easy to forget that such laws single out a special group of citizens - men going to college - and automatically strip them of their rights to due process of law. It also requires a person to incriminate them- selves when they refuse to sign the registration forms. Opponents of the bill facetiously suggested that to make the measure more effective the House should deny driver's licenses to those who fail to register. Or perhaps one might go a step further than this. How about taking away a citizen's right to vote - equally as important as a person's right of equal access to education? Whatever move state lawmakers want to take, the Supreme Court's decision on the issue will be moot to most of those who reached the age of 18 before the summer of 1980 when the draft registration law went into effect. It is also thought to be a trivial concern by the 98.7 percent of eligible men who have complied with the law. But for that less than 2 percent in- volved, being born after Jan. 1, 1960 is currently an unfair obstacle to ob- taining a college education. U; I i LETTERS TO THE DAILY: Stop bullying physical education . To the Daily: I realize this reply is a couple of weeks late, but it has taken awhile for the anger to subside over your latest trashing of the physical education department in "Let's not get physical" (Daily editorial, January 24). It is amazing to see how very uninformed the Daily staff is on the physical education program here at the University. Obviously, the individual who wrote that editoral and all those that agreed with it are physical education majors, knowing exac- ting what the curriculum is like in the department, what is taught in the classes that are offered, and what the staff is like, right? No, obviously this editorial was written by an individual who en- joys writing about stereotypes and not facts. So readers of the Daily, let me paint the picture for you - the reality of the School of Education. I draw from personal experience because I am a etudnt in the denartmnt things have a lot to do with stan- dard deviation, the Krebs Cycle, and how to run a class for physically handicapped students. They must. Why else would the professors in my classes that teach these things keep bringing them up in lectures then? Humanism is stressed in the physical educationidepartment. The professors? They're great. They really care about their students and make an effort to get to know each one. How many people in LSA who sit in lectures of 500 kids can say the same about their instructors? The athletes? To assume they are all just "dumb jocks" is sim- ply ridiculous. They're people - -and pretty nice ones at that. They show a hell of a lot more common sense and compassion for their friends than some engineers and economics majors I know. The bottom line here is that I would appreciate it if people BLOOM COUNTY would stop ragging on "physical education" when they just don't understand what it's all about. Sure the school has its problems, but what department at this University doesn't? I have received a very satisfying education in this school thus far and the influences of faculty and my fellow students in the program have been positive for me. It is sad that someone such as myself has to write this kind o letter to defend what I study her and why. The students that graduat from the school of physica education will be successes. The will be successes because they have been taught about the truly important qualities which will carry them through life. -Patty Donohue February 1: Candidates pro-gay rights To the Daily: The Lesbian-Gay Political caucus of Washtenaw County has interviewed the Fifth-Ward Democratic candidates in the Primary Election for City Coun- cil. Both Doris Preston and Bar- bara Rachelson are committed to the rights of gay people and have considerable political experien- ce. It seems evident to the Caucus that both Rachelson and Preston would be effective City Council members. To rate on over the other would do a disser- vice to both: consequently, th Caucus urges Fifth-Ward citizens to vote their informed judgment and the conscience, being certair that the concerns of Lesbians and gay men would be well served by either candidate. - William Milroy February 10 by Berke Breathed 11 -