4 OPINION Page 4 Thursday, February 6, 1986 The Michigan Daily - J I Eie rndmaagdst ganiversity Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan Wasserman FM Tt* " wotc Vol. XCVI, No. 90 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 AS 'TAG NEW SECRETARQY 0f A6P1CUCTVRE, YoUp FIRST J+ \NitL 'TRYIN6 TO SAVE TN RLLUmCROP -"".. . F Unsigned editorials represent a majority of the Daily's Editorial Board ... /_ Rule Inadequate VAST JUNE the annual NCAA convention passed Proposal 16, a new rule concerning requiremen- ts for recruited athletes. While this new rule is an improvement on the former one, Proposal 48, it still ignores the major problems facing student athletes in major-college programs. The new proposal modifies 48, which set minimum standards of a 2.0 high school grade-point average and a 700 SAT score in order to par- ticipate in college athletics. Prospective student athletes who failed to meet these requirements could still be admitted to a college, but would be ineligible for their fir- st year, until they proved an ability to perform academically at a university level. Proposal 16 attaches a sliding scale to the scores. A student with slightly lower scores but a better grade point would not be eligible under the old rule, but would be under the new one. The new law is remarkable not for its flexibility but rather for its shortcomings. Many high-school athletes have been lead to believe in a fantasy where a professional career and millions of dollars help them to attain success. Academics seem worthless, and they have neither the grades nor the scores that this proposal requires. Society's routine glorification of sports celebrities must be held at least partially accountable for these athletes, who would not be allowed into college under the new rule. The proposal also fails to address a major problem - what to do with these student-athletes after they have matriculated. At many foot- ball and basketball powerhouses, students are exploited for their physical talents, then tossed away when their eligibility is gone. Rarely do these athletes make the pros. More often they are left to jobs which do not help them realize their potential if they are lucky enough to secure employment at all. At schools like the University which maintain pride in their academics, these problems are at least partially dealt with. Students recruited at the university are in- formed that their degree is impor- tant, and coaches are hired knowing that they will have to find athletes who will be able to survive the University and obtain a degree. In addition, the Athletic Depar- tment runs an Academic Support Program with a tutorial program and a skills development program to help its athletes. But many schools do not support and help their athletes; even the University's program, though ad- mirable, is not enough. The NCAA should pass a law which would compel every school to establish a system similar to John Thom- pson's basketball program at Georgetown. All incoming fresh- men map out an academic schedule with the team advisor and report their progress to her each Monday night. If they don't per- form well, they are suspended from play for the week. Thompson also runs an intensive career placement center for his graduating seniors to prepare them for the job market. The current athletic system places a great burden on individual coaches to prepare their athletes for the transition from college athletics fantasy to the reality of graduation. The NCAA must ac- cept this responsibility to provide athletes with real choices in a har- sh world. f1 7 / °B - \fw \~uaer 4 LETTERS: Review column found inaccurate To the Daily: I am writing to correct a serious error that appeared in the last issue of the Michigan Review (Jan'86, vol.4 no. 5). TheReview, in its "Serpent's Tooth" column, stated that "The local chapter of the Voice of Reason has been disseminating information about Accuracy in Academia. Members have been telling students thatramong the organizations supporting AIA is the Michigan Review." This assertion is completely untrue. As reported in the UM/A2 Voice of Reason (vol. 2 no. 1) released several days before this issue of the Review: "Among the organizations speaking out against AIA is...the Michigan Review." Upon reading this error in the Review I called David Vogel, Production Manager of the Michigan Review, and Seth Klukoff, Editor-in-Chief of the Review, and it has become clear that what happened was this: Last December a student working on an article on AIA for her Journalism class spoke to Dean Baird, president of U-M Voice of Reason, and asked him if he knew anyone on campus who had been contacted by AIA. Dean said that he did not, but suggested that she speak to someone at the Review, as AIA usually seeks support among conservative groups. Dean made it clear to her that Mr. Klukoff had already publicly spoken against AIA. This student, a freshman majoring in com- munications, later contacted Mr. Klukoff to solicit his opinions concerning AIA. It was from this call that the editors of the Review mistakenly drew the conclusions which led them Voice of "disseminating" tioned lies. to accuse the Reason of the aforemen- For the sake of fairness I must admit that Mr. Klukoff contacted Dean Baird before the release of the Review to apologize in ad- vance for the error, which they had discovered upon reading the UM/A' Voice of Reason. Unfor- tunately, that issue of the Review was already at the publishers and the mistake could not be correc- ted. Nonetheless, I am somewhat disturbed that the editors of the Review did not see fit to confirm the information before printing it. The accusatory piece goes on, to suggest the need for "Ac- curacy in Organizations," and i4 is with the utmost respect for the Review that I suggest that the staff of the Review heed their own advice. Physician, heal thyself. -Paul Carmouche U-M voice of Reason January 31 Abortion activists ignored 4 Apartheid Cop-out THE DECISION by the Ann Arbor pension board not to divest its holdings in South Africa is a blow against the fight for justice in that embattled country. The board passed instead a relatively meaningless resolution supporting peaceful change in South Africa. A more effective way of sending a message that Ann Arbor stands against apartheid would have been to unload the $18 million worth of stock holdings the pension fund holds in South Africa. Divestment would have put teeth into the resolution against apartheid by alerting companies doing business in South Africa that Ann Arbor will no longer put its money behind the racist regime there. Among the arguments of those voting against divestment was that board members could be in- dividually liable in suits filed by employees for violating state law regulating pension fund invest- ments. Though Public Act 55 states that pension fund investments should be made for the purpose of providing benefits to participants To the Daily: We are writing to protest the Daily's coverage of the January 22 abortion rights rally. Although the Daily accurately reported that abortion supporters greatly outnumbered right-to-lifers, the Daily appeared more sym- pathetic to the reactionary right- to-lifers than to the people who came out to defend women's rights. The Daily article on the rally devoted one-half of its space to the right-to-lifers and then in- cluded another article specifically focusing on that group. Although the spirited pro- choice rally was organized by the Ann Arbor Coalition for Women's Rights, the Daily article ignored the Coalition. The article doesn't even mention what the Coalition stands for: " Women's right to choose " Safe and accessible abortion on request " Reliable and safe contracep- tives readily available to all " An end to forced sterilization " Medicaid funding for abor- tions " Ending right wing attacks on abortion clinics and clients " Expanding social services for those women and men who choose to have children 9 Quality educational and coun- seling programs on contracep- tion, abortion and sexuality " Including contraceptive education in University orien- tation sessions for all incoming students The right-to-life movement ignores the rights of women. To them a fetus is a human life with full rights but a woman is not. According to them, once a woman becomes pregnant, she ceases to have control over her own body; indeed, it seems that at that point they deny her existence other than as a carrier of an unborn child. Abortion is not murder but rather the exercise of a women's democratic right to terminate pregnancy. The organized and well- financea right-wing movement daily attacks women's rights: abortion rights, sex education in schools, child care, working women's rights, black and other minority women. We need an organized movement to defend women's rights. The Daily ap- pears to be more interested in quoting and re-quoting right-to- lifers than in emphasizing the4 importance of organizing to defend ,women's rights. We en- courage the Daily to support women's rights and improve their coverage of women's organizing. -Dawn Chalker and the Ann Arbor Coalition for Women's Rights February 5 it also enables board members to consider the "character,' reputation and stability" of its stock investments. Another argument raised again- st divestment is that companies can act more forcefully for change by remaining in South Africa. Companies argue that by following the Sullivan guidelines they exert pressure for gradual change. This argument ignores the fact that the number of black workers em- ployed under the relatively liberal companies is minimal in com- parision to those working for com- panies which employ apartheid strictures within the workplace. The argument that divestment will hurt blacks is less persuasive in light of Bishop Tutu's support for divestment as the best way to force change in the apartheid system. The system of apartheid will only be changed when a chorus of inter- national condemnation and economic quarantine presents the leaders of South Africa with no alternative. Ann Arbor should act to speed the movement toward justice in South Africa. Daily needs consistency Give Goetz a chance To the Daily: I was angered to see the Daily run an advertisement for Philip Morris Companie's job interview (1/29/86). The ad was innocent enough - "Philip Morris, America's largest consumer products company, is looking for outstanding MBAs... (who will) work in planning and marketing." A simple, neat, elegant type of advertisement on their part. But it was still an offensive ad, despite their best intentions. "America's largest consumer products company" indeed! Philip Morris is in the business of making cigarettes. We have been hearing a great deal in the media lately about the effects of smoking on health, even on the health of non-smokers. If ever there was a group that very well might be called "merchants of death," it is the tobacco industry. MBA's beware! Philip Morris needs you to aid in their already successful marketing efforts. Maybe you too could help in- crease the profits of the company by convincing another im- nressionable nerson that No, I am not a member of an anti-smoking lobby, and yes, I do support the right for people to make well informed choices about how to live their lives. The key, however, is the idea about making well informed choices - not ones based on the propaganda of the tobacco industry. That i why I was surprised to see th Daily compromise its standards and values by printing the ad. If the editorial board can set such high moral and ethical standards about the CIA and other organizations, and support the plight of those who choose to protest CIA recruiters on cam- pus, thenawhy support an in- dustry that contributes to more deaths each year than the num ber of casualties from arms iu Central America? If the reason is "because we feel that people have a right to decide for themselves," then you have the obligation to print ads from any company that pays the bills - be it military, "consumer products" or whatever. And if people have the "right" to see these ads and go to job interviews without having to worry abou To the Daily: I found your editorial in the January 22nd issue of the Daily ("Put Goetz Away") to be an un- just and naive evaluation of the Subway Vigilante case. In response to a New York Supreme Court's dismissal of eight attempted murder and assault charges against Ber- nhard Goetz, you described Goetz as a "lunatic vigilante, who should go to prison". You further redefined the jury's role as to "determine if he (Goetz) weapon to avert a situation where one's life or well-being are in jeopardy is justified in the eyes of the law. You argued that the shot Goetz allegedly fires at an already wounded youth was "not aimed in self defense." I agree that this may be interpreted as aggression on Goetz's part. However, it must be remembered that Goetz was provoked. He did not act on im- pulse. 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