4 OPINION Page 4 Sunday, February 3, 1985 The Michigan Daily 4 i Edieb tut aUn f a n& Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan Free time for 'U' athletes Vol. XCV, No. 103 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, Ml 48109 Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board Pornographic rights Are students - members of a University community - considered adults? Do they maintain the same constitutional rights as other citizens not affiliated with a university? It seems that recently these questions have been answered negatively all too often by university administrators looking for a convenient way to solve campus problems. The most recent example of infringement of students' rights is at Michigan State Universtiy. An independent movie group on the campus of MSU has been told by the university administration to stop showing pornographic films. Moses Turner, MSU's vice president for student affairs, said that such showings are inconsistent with the university's values. The controversy began when the movie group, Beyolyer Cinema, had planned to bring the X-rated film, Cherry Trucker, to MSU's Wells Hall. Turner canceled the group's reservsation in Wells and subsequently called for a halt of X-rated films in the future. Darwin Greyerbiehl, Beyolyer's director, will take his case to the Lan- sing chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union next week. ACLU's Lansing chairman, Philie Dean, said the organization would first have to prove that the students' First Amen- dment rights were violated by the university. That should not be a dif- ficult task. Supreme Court decisions in the last decade have consistently said por- nographic film showings are protected by the First Amendment. Students, as adults and citizens of this state, are also granted the Constitutional right to show or see whatever film they desire. University officials in this case looked for the quick and easy solution to something they defined as a problem. Unfortunately for the administration, this solution is not within their rights to institute or enforce. It is time universities and those who run them stop ignoring the rights of students to set their self-made codes of behavior. At a university, where free exchange of information and ideas is of the utmost importance, censorship of this type must not be tolerated. Students must be exposed to all media of expression abailable - and that in- cludes the expressions of a Cherry Trucker. Sen. David Holmes, a Detroit Democrat, has introduced a bill which would allow some athletes up to 15 years to complete their un- dergraduate education. The bill, proposed on Jan. 22, would obligate universities to offer varsity letter recipients in basketball, football, and hockey full scholarships for ten years after their eligibility had expired. Sen. Holmes said universities do not share enough of the ticket receipts with their money-making athletes. "These schools make millions off of these boys, millions," he said. Holmes said the period of the free-schooling extention was negotiable but justified. "The training period is so strenuous.. .they don't get enough time to concentrate on their studies." According to the Michigan athletic depar- tment, an in-state player costs about $5,331 a year. An out-of-statercosts about $10,017. Multiply those figures by fifteen, and you get a price athletic administrators are not anxious to pay. gThe Week in Review. Don Canham, the University's athletic director, called the bill inappropriate, saying "I don't think it's effective at all." "We can't provide any more financial aid for the athlete than for the student body," Canham said. Strong south wind Things were not smelling like a rose last, week in South Quad where a urinal line leak left part of the main lobby sectioned off to protect students from being "dripped on." The cause of the leak was unknown by students working at the East desk in the lob- by. Housekeepers chaned up the puddles beforeleaving for the nay but by 5 p.m. new puddles had formed. Maintenance workers w ere called and they fixed the leak the following morning. Nevertheless, students 1 ad to spend the evening dodging droplets. '1 Ve area suffering the leakage was taped off a. d adorned with signs which said, "What you smell is what is is!! Watch the drips!!" Students making their way t( dinner found the situation less than appetizing. "I'm really glad you told me," said Kara Swancson, an LSA sophomore. "You just ruined my dinner. But it doesn't smell worse than food here." For LSA freshperson Jessica Durrie the situation was rather revolting, "It's pretty disgusting and it doesn't really help my ap- petite." South Quad has been plagued with a rash of mishaps, mainly fire alarms, and students are becoming used to things out of the or- dinary. "It's typical of the Quad, you expect things like that to happen. It always smells like sweatsocks anyway," said one resident who asked to remain anonomous. Educated spending For the third year in a row, Gov. James Blanchard called for an increase in state spending for education. In his budget recommendations toathe state legislature on Tuesday, Blanchard asked for a $300 million increase in education spending, including an 11 percent increase for higher education. If the governor's budget gets through the state legislature unscathed, the University will get a large share of the pie: a $16 million increase in its general operating budget, fun- ding to renovate the chemistry and natural science buildings, and the largest share of a $25 million fund to help support research in the state's colleges and universities. The governor also proposed an increase of $18 million for state financial aid. Blanchard pictures the creation of a Michigan work/study program to augment the federal program, and doubling of the state's need- based competitive scholarships. Richard Kennedy, vice-president for government relations at the University said recommendations are an 'encouraging signof the governor's continuing interest in higher education." Overall, the budget was a "toe-the-line budget" with an increase of only 2.4 percent, well under the 4 percent inflation rate. The state's program, excluding education,would suffer an overall cut of $16.9 million. Strike three In baseball terms, three strikes means the batter is out. Although the U-Club may not be out of the liquor game, it could receive its third strike in less than a year if another in- vestigation currently underway by the state's Liquor Control Commission detects a violation of commission rules. The new investigation was prompted by an anonymous complaint about an adver- tisement for the "World's Largest Nacho Platter," which was held at the U-Club last November. The controversial ad featured an,4 illustration of the giant platter, the Union logo, and the U-Club as the place of the event - seemingly a harmless juxtaposition. The, problem. however, was that the as also men- tioned Labatt's beer as one of the platter's sponsors. Much to the surprise of the members of the University Activities Center who designed the ad, it may have violated an LCC rule which says that "the name of a retail licensee shall not appear in the advertising of a manufac- turer of alchoholic beverages." In addition to determining whether the "flyer" officially qualifies as advertising for Labatt's - which could subject the U-Club to a fine of up to $300 and suspension or even revocation of its license - the LCC will determine if Labatt's and the U-Club entered into the advertisement jointly.This would violate another LCC rule against "cooperative advertising." The U-Club was already cited by the LCC last summer and again in the fall for violating its4 member-restricted liquor license by selling to liquor control officials who, not surprisingly, were not club members. The struggle continues Civil rights activist Dick Gregory told a Rackham Auditorium audience last Sunday that the FBI considered his "injecting himself into the racial movement" of the 1960s "dangerous." "Injected?" questioned Gregory with his usual sardonic wit, looking at his dark skinned arm, "It doesn't look like it comes off." Gregory has collected millions of dollars in donations for drought striken Africa and for domestic funds' such as the NAACP and Operation PUSH. Both are organizations con- cerned with advancing the positions of blacks in American society. Once a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity at Southern Illinois University, Gregory denounced black fraternities and sororities for "too much game playing" and not making contributions toward relief efforts in Africa. He also expressed his frustration with the low levels of minority student enrollment, recommending athlete boycotts of the "white racist institutions." The Week in Review was compiled by Daily staff writers Jody Becker, Sean Jackson, Jerry Markon, Ker Murakami, and Stacey Shonk. Abad joke T he nomination of President Ronald Reagan for the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize is like a bad joke: the incredible irony of the suggestion provides the opportunity to issue a collective chuckle at the inherent absurditites and contradictions of human nature. To like the notions of solidarity, social justice, and sacrifice embodied by such humanitarians as Lech Walesa, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., and other honorable recipien- ts of the award with Ronald Reagan is to bastardize the ideals and significan- ce of the Nobel distinction. Peace is more than just a temporary lull in hostility. It is the process of working toward greater justice in the world without resorting to violence. Where Ronald Reagan seeks a stronger America, a true worker for peace calls for a better world. Furthermore, Reagan seeks stability through the buildup of arms and arms technology. He has called for the largest peace-time military budget in history, a proposal which clearly in- dicates his view of the future as one in which conflict - either on the bat- tlefield or in the laboratory - will con- tinue. In addition, that proposal comes at the expense of the unem- ployed, the homeless, education, and the arts. The current tensions between the superpowers is frighteningly palpable: Reagan has managed to bring the cold war with the Soviet Union to an aggravated freeze, which the most recent efforts in Geneva might only begin to thaw. The skewed priorities and militant nationalism with which Reagan is associated must not be legitimized by a Noble Prize nomination. Hopefully the nomination will be viewed by the selec- tion committee as the bad joke it is. Wasserman THE CBS EVENING NEWS WITH JESSE HELMS GOOD EvENNG.,. H1E aLBRAS LINvEt)To .2RSEAQ" SNO1WS ARE ToPMY' TOP LUNG CAt1CQ-.. E50651of WOisN "APP« STRISCAUGHT ~CHETING- A T tbE. L L< SALVAOQA Rl&HIS F PLEADS 4NNOCE'4T TO N ?PkQv-mG& t1CUrT... NAO PAINTED NAMCA'S SCA1OoL4OSS S \i 4 Letters PSN Protesters were guilty, but naive THE WHITE HOUSE WASH I NGTON To the Daily: I would like to respond to your editorial of January 29, "Guilty, but noble." The Progressive Student Network members that trespassed Prof. George Had- dad's research facility support a very noble cause, namely, the end of the arms race. They are courageous enough to break the law in hope of accomplishing their goal. What these PSN members lack, though, is a realistic view of today's world and the nature of the arms race. The Soviets have never been inclined to disrupt their massive arms research nor their equally rapid arms buildup. They are unlikely to halt or even slow such research purely because of the humanitarian reasons to do so. The continuing Soviet massacre of the Afghan people shows just how humane the Soviets are. Let us now suppose that public opinion in the United States swayed enough to reduce or even Hail to the Victors ban arms research here. Even- tually the USSR would be superior to the United States militarily. Inferior to the Soviets, would the United States have an answer to Soviet aggression and blackmail? Other nations have tragically seen what happens when they are inferior to the Seat belts To the Daily: I cannot find any logic in your Saturday editorial on the proposed enactment of a seat belt law. The passage of an effective seat belt rule in no way infringes on the civil rights of the operator of a motor vehicle on a public thoroughfare. The driver of an automobile must obey rules such as traffic signals and driving on the correct side of the road in a prudent manner. The use of seat belts gives the operator more assured control of the vehicle by keeping him behind the steering wheel. Of paramount importance to me is my own safety on the highway. If an oncoming vehicle To the Daily: I just started receiving the Daily once again and thoroughly enjoy your coverage of the Wolverines. "One Small Voice" by Bergida has rapidly gained my attention and appreciation. This may not be too timely as it takes 10 to 14 days to get each issue, but the columns on the laid- back Michigan fan was of special interest. I totally agree with Jeff in his analysis and regret the "self-absorbed, pseudo- Soviets. It is this kind of instability that would be a threat to world peace and our way of life. Pehaps a more fitting phrase to label the PSN members would be "Guilty and naive". -Edgar Kalns January 29 make sense Let's get a proper student sec- tion at Crisler and wake up the casual observer. My heart and soul are still behind the Wolverines from 4,000 miles away so it should be a lot easier from the confines of the arena or stadium. This weekend, Michigan- Dearborn hockey is in town and to see the reaction from the players when I walked into the dressing room with "The Vic- tors" blaring was more than enoug~h to convince me that fans is under the control of a firmly belted driver, we are both more likely to live longer. The financial burden to society of automobile accidents is borne by every user of a motor vehicle in higher insurance rates and the social expenses of hospitalization and job displacement. A seat belt law cannot prevent all accidents but it certainly will mitigate the highway carnage. My wish is that the final legislation enacted will carry a higher fine for violations and mandatory arrest for all unbelted adult occupants of the vehicle. - Donald E. Hoff January 26 rlrt rW I X .ak1