4
OPINION
'age 4 Friday, September 13, 1985
The Michigan Daily
NSA faces unprecedented resignation
4
The Michigan Student Assembly
lost a central cog on Monday when
executive vice-president Micky
Feusse resigned her post.
Feusse, who was elected last fall to
serve alongside president Paul
was responsible for heading the board
of -directors of Student Legal Ser-
vices, overseeing communication
between the distinct sub-committees,
and supervising the MSA office area.
Because of the unprecedented ac-
tion, the MSA constitution had no
provisions for filling the vacancy.
During Tuesday's MSA meeting, the
Assembly approved a motion that
permits Josephson to nominate a
candidate to fill the post and calls for
confirmation of that selection by a
two-thirds majority.
For a time it appeared that MSA
had also lost the services of Roderick
Linzie, its minority researcher. Lin-
zie submitted his resignation early
last week, but reconsidered after he
had spoken with Josephson.
Star Wars
Two University professors have
been awarded grants to conduct Star
Wars related research on campus.
Nuclear engineering Prof. Ronald
Gilgenbach will receive $180,512 to
further his research on laser and elec-
tron beam technology and electrical
engineering Prof. John Meyer has
been granted $75,000 in Pentagon ap-
propriations to design advanced
computer systems.
The two professors and those af-
filiated with their respective projects
will be participating in the design of
President Reagan's much maligned
"nuclear shield" design which
numerous scientific experts claim is
a totally unrealistic, unworkable
military scheme.
However, because the research has
been approved as unclassified,
University resources and facilities
will be at disposal of the two
professors.
Squirrels and computers
If the University's new vice provost
for information technology, Douglas
Van Houweling, has his way, com-
puters could soon be more numerous
than squirrels on campus.
Oh sure, squirrels are cute and
furry, but let's face it, they really
aren't capable of solving complex
mathematical algorithms.
At a forum on Monday night, Van
Houweling outlined an agressive
University plan to increase the num-
ber of computer terminals on campus
from the current 225 to over 2,000 by
the end of 1988.
Our four legged friends had better
be careful, because with that many
new terminals, the University will be
placing the workstations in trees for
lack of better spots.
Not only has Van Houweling been
foraging for new terminals, he's also
got some ideas that will put the
University far ahead of its peer in-
stitutions.
One idea is to lease terminals to
students for short-term use. Though
not unique, such a program could be
advantageous if the University were
to keep the costs minimal.
Van Houweling has also proposed
the establishment of a Student Comn-
puting Advisory Board under tle
auspices of the Michigan Student
Assembly. Such a panel could have
tremendous impact if the Universijy
sincerely listens to their input.
It finally seems as if the University
is trying to integrate the students into
its computing policy. For anyone who
has had to wait three hours for a ter-
minal in the dead of night, this wfll
come as welcome news. There's
nothing nutty about that.
Week in Review was compiled
by Opinion page editors Josephl
Kraus and Jody Becker and news
editor Thomas Miller.
Josephenson, claimed that she was
,unable to devote enough time to her
'MSA duties. She is a resident fellow at
East Quad residence hall.
As executive vice-president Feusse
ie S tutsatTUn at
Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
Chassy
Vol. XCVI, No. 7
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board
I
The wrong tonic
OR THE second time in three
L' years the alcohol policy at
#Couzens Residence Hall has been
stiffened. Building director Jerrell
Jackson promises that he will ad-
vise his staff to enforce the current
policy more strictly than they have
in the past, and further that he will
confiscate all kegs.
The current policy on alcohol in
residence halls advises dorm staff
to ask students not to consume
alcohol in public areas of the dorm.
Jackson claims that a 1984 sur-
vey showed that a great number of
Couzens residents found the dorm
too distracting to study. He argues
that stricter controls over the use
of alcohol will make the dorms
quieter by doing away with large,
full-hall parties.
He also notes that it is against
the law for most undergraduates to
consume alcohol.
If there is indeed a noise problem
in the dorm then it certainly should
be dealt with by the building direc-
tor. Couzens is, after all, home to
over 500 University students, and
those students have a right to a
reasonably quiet and subdued at-
mosphere. Nevertheless, when any
steps taken to insure such basic
comforts restrict residents in other
ways, the residents' basic rights
must be considered.
In addition to the right to a quiet
atmosphere, residents also have
the right to a very small part of the
University that they call their
home. Within that home -
provided they don't unduly disturb
others - they should be as free to
do what they wish as anyone else in
his home is.
the building director to assure an
orderly dorm.
Without further strengthening of
the rules governing the use of
alcohol there are already great
means at the building director's
disposal to keep the building quiet.
Any time a particular group begins
to offend its neighbors, resident
advisors cam tell partiers to stay
in their rooms and demand that the
group make less noise. For
situations even more troublesome,
security can be called.
There is an important safety
oncern in stricter enforcement.
With students less able to drink in
their homes, they are more likely
to go elsewhere to drink. The result
could be an increased number of
accidents as drunken students
return to the dorm from bars or
other distant dorms.
Also, as resident advisors are
called upon to more carefully
report on their residents, they are
in less of a position to serve those
residents as friends and coun-
selors.
Finally, it is not the role of the
residence hall staff, as Jackson
seems to imply, to police underage
drinking. The staff is on duty to in-
sure that residents can get along
with one another in a community
living situation, and to help them
as they explore the University, but
not to insure that they do not
violate city, state, or national laws.
In banning all kegs and more
heavily enforcing state laws again-
st minors drinking, Jackson is ap-
proaching problems before they
materialize at the expense of
everyone in the dorm. One person's
right to quiet, while important,
cannot justify suspending so many
other people's rights to enjoy
themselves.
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14
II
LETTERS
University should help handicapped
7.
To the Daily:
The hallowed halls of the
University of Michigan seem to
be echoing with the empty sound
of apathy.
This is probably due in part to
the absence of handicapped
students on campus. Is it because
they can't qualify for admission
due to low GPA s or because they
lack ambition to accept the
challenge of the stringent
workload? No, it is simply due to
the University's failure to
recognize and accommodate the
needs of the handicapped
student.
I find this appalling and
discriminatory at this institution
where a sense of fairness and
equality appear to prevail. Han-
dicapped students are not
physically equal and certainly
deserve the same educational
chance held by their more
physically able peers.
Lest you think mine is an un-
founded viewpoint, allow me to
relay some of my own personal
experiences with this problem.
First of all, it is necessary for me
to wear braces on my legs.
Because of this necessity, I am
unable to climb an entire flight of
stairs or to walk more than half a
block.
Much to my despair, I found no
usable elevator in the Modern
Language Building or in the Bur-
sley Hall cafeteria where I eat
not attaining our goals.
This university is clearly not
designed to give handicapped
the chance they deserve. Worse
yet, it doesn't even seem to be in-
terested in helping us by
modifying the environment with
elevators and barrier-free ac-
cesses. I have never observed a
student at the University of
Michigan in a wheelchair. I now
know why.
Daily should keep supportin
Couldn't the money used for
nuclear research be implemen-
ted in a more positive way? Or
doesn't anybody care?
-Karen C. Cochran
September 1t4
g hockey
athletes in their chosen field.
As Mr. Aretha so adeptly poin-
ted out, for women athletes,
respect is a hard thing to come
by. Thanks for supporting
women's sports.
-Laura J. Lothschutz
September 1i
To the Daily:
I am writing in response to the
article on the women's field
hockey team ("Just messin'
around with stickers," Daily.
Sept. 10). Dave Aretha's piece
was designed to attract attention
to the hockey team, and, with this
regard, it was a very good ar-
ticle.
I hope that, as the season
progresses, the Daily sports staff
will continue to be this successful
BLOOM COUNTY
in fulfilling their reporting pur-
poses. For instance, right now the
fact that our hockey players are
cute and have a lot of personality
may be important information.
But in the weeks to come, it will
be more interesting to read about
how they are performing as
Letters to the Daily should be typed, triple-spaced, and
signed. by the individual authors. Names will be withheld only
in unusual circumstances. Letters may be edited for clarity,
grammar, and spelling.
That right should not
aside merely to make it
be tossed
easier for
by Berke
Breathed
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The Michigan Daily encourages input from
vur readers. Letters should be typed, triple
!*
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