Page 4-The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, April 3, 1990
EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
ARTS 763 0379 PHOTO 764 0552
NEWS 764 0552 SPORTS 747 3336
OPINION 747 2814 WEEKEND 747 4630
Unsigned editorials represent a majority of the Daily's Editorial Board. All other cartoons,
signed articles, and letters do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily.
Daily readers
respond
Thank you for sharing your opinions. Letters to the Daily can be
mailed to 420 Maynard Street or delivered to the Student Publications
Building. Also, letters can be sent via MTS to "Michigan Daily."
MSA elections
Don't listen to the rhetoric of Action, CC
Daily record critics get reviewed
0
By Anthony Barkow, Sara Gold
and Pam Shifman
The lines are being drawn for MSA
elections. These lines, however, have been
sketched in an indiscriminate and falsified
manner. A recent Daily Viewpoint demon-
strated how the Conservative Coalition is.
trying to take credit for something for
which it did not initiate, in its continued
attempts to mislead you, the students, into
voting for them merely on the basis of
their name.
The Action Party, meanwhile, claims
to be concerned with preserving the envi-
ronment - "a comprehensive recycling
program for the entire campus." If the Ac-
tion Party is so concerned with the envi-
ronment, however, why are its flyers not
printed on recycled paper? While one
might not regard this as quantitatively
significant (which it is, though, as shown
The writers are MSA candidates from the
Student Impact Party.
by the recent Earth Day Diag demonstra-
tion that three feet of paper equals one
tree), it reflects either a callousness to-
wards the environment or an insincerity in
their platform.
Environmental consciousness should
pervade all levels of action, not just verbal
campaign rhetoric. If they were truly con-
cerned, it should have been their reflex to
use recycled paper. Instead their actions
seem to demonstrate how they have tried
to solicit the support of voters, without
genuine environmental concern. Look at
the actions of each party and the truth be-
hind their words - not their rhetoric.
Furthermore, in Angela Burks' letter to
the Daily (3/28), the Action Party's pan-
dering to get votes is portrayed in her ef-
forts to gain the Greek system vote.
Clearly, Burks stereotypes the Greek sys-
tem by appealing to them solely on the
basis of drinking - "when you're thrown
out of school for drinking a beer, don't say
I didn't warn you." Obviously, she views
this as the most important Greek concern;
Greeks should be offended. How can the
Action party represent the entire student
body when already they have misinter-
preted 25 percent of the campus?
The Student Impact party is for meal
reform - we all are. The Student Impact
party opposes the non-academic code of
conduct. The Student Impact party resists
the recognition of groups that indulge in
racial or sexual harassment or discrimina-
tion. The Student Impact party wants bet-
ter lighting to off-campus locations. The
Student Impact party wants recycling bins
to collect bottles and newspapers all
around campus - for example, the paper
you are reading right now. The Student
Impact party promises to represent all stu-
dents, not exclude them. End unproductive
political infighting; make sure your vote
is based on reality, not campaign rhetoric.
w
a
Graduate students should vote in MSA, RSG elections
By Tracy Ore and Patty Wren
On April 4 and 5, a series of elections
will be held to determine not only the
composition of student governing bodies,
but also the fundamental ways in which
your voices as graduate students are ex-
pressed and heard.
On April 4 and 5, graduate students.
have the opportunity and responsibility to
elect representatives to both the Rackham
Student Government (RSG) and Michigan
Student Assembly (MSA). Your votes for
the members and officers of RSG will
greatly influence the events, activities, and
opportunities for graduate student expres-
sion on this campus.
RSG serves three major purposes: rep-
resentation, advocacy, and funding. In
order to better represent student concerns,
RSG recently designed a survey that will
be distributed to all graduate students in,
the fall. The survey addresses many issues
relevant to graduate student life. In addi-
tion, we have created a public MTS con-
ference, RSG:TALKS, to provide an on-
line, public forum in which graduate stu-
dents may seek information, ask ques-
tions, and express concerns. All students
are invited to join this confer.
RSG's second function is to serve as
an advocate, both for graduate student con-
cerns and for larger national and interna-
tional issues. It has taken considerable
time and energy for our lobbying efforts to
be acknowledged by the administration;
lately, there has been increased willingness
on the part of the administration to solicit
RSG's input and representation.
The president of RSG advocates gradu-
ate student concerns as a member of the
Executive Board of Rackham and on vari-
ous other committees. There is also a
more public forum in which our advocacy
efforts are played out. RSG has condemned
U.S. involvement in Central and Latin
America and recently issued a proclama-
tion commending Nicaragua's free, fair
election held in February.
In the past, RSG has issued a reward
for any information related to campus se-
curity's use of violence against student
protestors. In the fall, we will be hosting
a symposium to address the issue of sex-
ual harassment in the classroom with lec-
tures, roundtables, and films. We encour-
age you to keep this event in mind come
September.
Last, but certainly not least, RSG has
a responsibility to provide grants to stu-
dent organizations. RSG has a long and
form. Blickensdorf also forgot to inform
the reader that two MSA assembly mem-
bers who ran with CC last term have actu-
ally sat down with the assistant Housing
director in two meetings for a total of four
hours working and negotiating over a meal
plan reform.
CC is ready to combine efforts with
RHA and complete meal plan reform, but
only if the hostility and political bias can
be put aside so that in the end the students
will truly benefit.
Ore is president and Wren is vice presi-
dent of the Rackham Student Govern-
ment.
Coalition responds
To the Daily:
The content of the article "Autonomy"
(3/27/90) seemed to imply to the average
reader such as myself that the Conserva-
tive Coalition is composed of power hun-
gry individuals who wish to trample all
over the minorities and international stu-
dents on campus in order to satisfy their.
unquenchable thirst for power. This
premise put forth by the Daily is false and
bordering on the tactics of David Duke and
Gus Savage in an effort to influence the
outcome of the election.
First of all, were the Daily to research
the records of MSA minutes, you might
discover to your utter amazement that CC
has never voted against a recommended
candidate to fill the MAC or ISAC chair
and that it was a non-CC MSA representa-
tive who proposed the amendment. Fur-
ther, CC is never going to vote against a
candidate for the chairs of the MAC and
ISAC commissions.
In response to the article by James
Blickensdorf ("Coalition doesn't know
about meal plans," 3/27/90), I can only
say that it is unfortunate that such a hard-
working individual would allow political
bias to cloud his vision of what I am sure
is the ultimate goal of himself and all res-
idents living in the dorms - meal plan re-
form. I applaud the close working rela-
tionship between RHA and the Housing
Division and their past accomplishments.
Unfortunately, Blickensdorf forgot to
inform the reader that CC, during the past
couple of weeks. has acquired 2,000 signa-
proud history of funding those groups
who, by virtue of the composition of their
membership, beliefs, politics, activities,
or events, are marginalized and disenfran-
chised from the principal sources of power
and resources on this campus.
Let us be very clear on this point.
RSG is committed to funding grant re-
quests that support groups with limited
access to other resources. Many of these
groups include and promote issues relevant
to women; persons of color; lesbians, gay
men, and bisexuals; persons with handi-
capping characteristics; and those persons
seeking and promoting freedom of choice
and self-determination. We will continue
to make these decisions in order to provide
this campus community with the oppor-
tunity to be exposed to, participate with,
and learn from these groups and events.
As officers of Rackham Student Gov-
ernment we are committed to the ideals
and the actions outlined above. We have
worked hard to ensure your representation,
to provide advocacy on your behalf, and to
use our limited resources in support of
student organizations. Now, we need your
support on April 4 and 5 to continue this
work. Vote in the Rackham Student Gov-
ernment and Michigan Student Assembly
elections.
The gubernatorial race in Texas is awful. I
cannot call this MSA race anything but
ridiculous. I simply do not understand the
point of negative campaigns. They do not
work on intelligent people, because intel-
ligent people realize that the people who
run such campaigns are not strong, they
are scared.
The fervor of some candidates in this
term's election does not prove to me that
they are competent and hardworking, but
rather that they are a group of fanatics en-
gaged in their own personal "holy war."
When are these crusaders going to stand up
and address the issues? When are they go-
ing to give me, the student, factual infor-
mation and a solid platform? When are
they going to stop crying about "unfair"
and "libelous" posters, when they them-
selves have printed ones that are, to put it
mildly, questionable? I am tired of seeing
Dick. I want to see some action!
I have a difficult time believing that
my fellow students have resorted to charac-
ter bashing to get my vote, and I am in-
sulted that they think that it is going to
work on me. I am frightened to think that
candidates may actually be elected, not be-
cause they are the best person for the job,
but because they can slam the other candi-
date.
I am angry that my roommate and fel-
low students have to be subjected to this
abuse of character. I do not expect to see
this at the University of Michigan, home
of some of the most intelligent men and
women in the nation. Can anyone tell me
why we have to be subjected to this?
Rathanv KavP-
To the Daily:
I have been subjected to the pretentious
record reviews of Forrest Green III for the
past two or three years (it seems like an
eternity) Now he has finally done it. The
sole purpose of his latest effort, "'Critics'
rag on pop's sacred cows," (3/28/90) is to
finish alienating any reader who hadn't
been alienated by his less direct efforts in
the past.
What other purpose could this
"journalism" serve but to show off Green
and Nabeel Zuberi's talent for the put
down. What do you guys do, anyway?
You must sit around and complain about
how flowers and sunshine are overrated,
worn out symbols of happiness. Your
record collections probably are fluid sets of
five albums (CD's are, of course, symbols
of the death of the industry) which lasts
for a week until you hear one other person
comment favorably about one of them.
Then you sell them because they have be-
come commercial and simple. The point is
that most people listen to music because
they like it, not because they consider it
part and parcel of their identity. Music is
a form of cultural expression, of commu-
nication. Sure our culture is lame, but it
isn't the fault of the musicians who make
music.
It is not hard to insult. Yet you aren't
really justified in doing so. Some of your
points are valid. I'm sure you both have
studied pop music quite deeply in your
years of depreciation. Yet you have to
lighten up. Take it for what it is ... pop
music. If you despise the industry so
much then you yourselves are being just
as hypocritical as any of the artists you
grill. You take their work and use it as a
showcasehfor your writing abilities.
Where is the virtue in this?
You are going nowhere with your ni-
hilistic approach to music criticism. Your
tongue in cheek, sarcastic degradation of
pop groups are simple and hypocritical. If
anyone is swayed by your pretentious
ramblings then perhaps they deserve to be
called "dumb college kids" with the minds
of a "gnat" I for one will continue to lis-
C-!f'
p t
ten to what I want to, regardless of what
you all define as "cool" or "important."
Dan Milbrath
LSA junior
Critics are pompous'
To the Daily:
I've got another "P" word for rock mu-
sic experts Forrest Green III and Nabeel
Zuberi - pompous. Their "criticism"
("'Critics' rag on pop's sacred cows,"
3/28/90) of the Velvet Underground, the
Beatles, R.E.M., and other bands was at
best shallow iconoclasm and at worst
empty and pointless rhetoric.
I'm not a huge fan of any of the men-
tioned artists (except the Velvet Under-
ground; "Sister Ray," "Heroin," and
"White Light/White Heat" bring lots of
adjectives to mind , but "pretentious" isn't
one of them), but I tend to respect those
music reviews that actually analyze music.
This pointless, rambling commentary
served the writers' overexposed egos more
than the readers.
I have often heeded the advice offered in
Daily music reviews. My skepticism is
growing.
Steve Knopper
LSA senior
What's their point?
To the Daily:
In reference to Forest Green III's and
Nabeel Zuberi's article "'Critics' rag on
pop's sacred cows" (3/28/90), the question
that really screams to be asked is "What's
the point?" They obviously relish the op-
portunity to spend a whole page pissing
really large numbers of people off, but, in
the final analysis, does it accomplish any-
thing more? The piece basically amounts
to writing "you're ugly and your mother.
dresses you funny" for 2000 words. Real
challenging. Real cool. Next.
Dave Walker
LSA senior
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David S. Maquera
LSA Junior
CC Director of Publicity
is marred by
Election
negative campaigns
To the Daily:
I am one tired, frustrated, and angry
student. Not because of CRISP or the
shanties or impending final exams, but
because my roommate is running for pres-
ident of MSA. The midnight party meet-
ings and early morning phone calls are an-
noying enough for one not involved in the
campaign, but that was to be expected.
What I did not expect was that this was
to be the bloodiest campaign in MSA his-
tory. I did not expect my roommate would
get threatening phone calls, as she did the
other night. I also did not expect that
someone would try to break into my
apartment building to set off firecrackers
on the second floor (where we and the
party headquarters reside) at 3:00 a.m.
Now, I do not know who is doing this,
but I sure would like to know why.
Has anyone out there noticed the cur-
rent MSA camnain? I thonght the 19RR
Don't get rid of Barry
To the Daily:
In her letter "Get rid of Dave Barry,"
(3/28/90) against printing the wise and
witty columns of Dave Barry in the Daily,
Dawn Paulinski wrote: "...until now [the
Daily] was written, edited, and produced by
students. Now the Opinion Page has
started running David Barry's viewpoint
from Miami."
Y'know, before reading this, I never
knew that the real reasons for replacing
Bloom County with Calvin and Hobbes
must have been Berke Breathed's gradua-
tion from Michigan, and Bill Watterson's
becoming a Michigan student. And I never
even realized that the AP wire stories were
all written, edited, and produced by U of M
students.
Paulinski goes on to write: "Is he rep-
resenting white men who work for Florida
newspapers? If so, I think this opinion is
already very well represented." I challenge
Paulinski to name a single other white
man who works for a Florida newspaper
whose work appears in the Daily. And are
Barry's very perceptive (and extremely
f .nny l -r-n m ai A IIO a a rf 41.4.: 1.,
well written by many well-known writers
and social critics such as Harlan Ellison.
Perhaps university students would benefit
from being exposed to such ideas, particu-
larly when they are couched in a writing
style which encourages reading them?
Perhaps the best conclusion to a re-
sponse to Paulinski's letter is from a past
Barry column: "So the rest of this ground-
breaking column will be closed-captioned
for the humor impaired. After each at-
tempted joke, the humor element will be
explained in parentheses, so that you hu-
mor-impaired individuals can laugh right
along with the rest of us."
Tom Galloway
EECS graduate student
Keep Dave Barry
To the Daily:
Congratulations to the Daily for in-
cluding Dave Barry's weekly column. His
satire on things both personal and political#
is hilarious. Students aren't only students,
but individuals as well.
Barry's column is something many
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