0 Page 4 -The Michigan Daily- Monday, December 2, 1991 Wbr £cr b4an ibaii 1"1.S.... :'S'"}::1 :1 1 t7'. .1 :1i ::::.::.:.:. t"::;.: 1: : i T 1? 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109. 747-2814 Edited and Managed by Students at the University of Michigan ANDREW K. GOTTESMAN Editor in Chief STEPHEN HENDERSON Opinion Editor 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. xrflfrJ^{.:"rr;{{.;..;.r..>:. ".,.";r,..%VA> .. 4v4.Sr. .. F,..**..... :"r :}{}:.C^"::}5....... F... r............... ... 4 .J F ';.J. .:}?..4; 6* Y'.r-.4~ .n;v ..ss .. BYOB IFC and Panhel should support f and when the Panhellenic (Panhel)/ Intrafraternity Council (IFC) imposes apolicy of BYOB on its member houses, it will stop the flow on the Greek system's open beer taps. And that's a good thing. The policy, which will be presented to Panhel tomorrow and to IFC on Wednesday, would prevent fraternities from supplying large numbers of Uni- versity students with alcohol by banning parties with kegs and other kinds of communal alcohol containers. Panhel/IFC should move quickly to implement the change. Currently, many fraternities serve as a link between suppliers of alcohol and consumers. Ev- ery weekend, thousands of students - many of whom are under-age - flock to Greek houses, where they are liberally served their fill. Not only does the fraternities' participation in this practice conflict with state laws, it is morally questionable as well. Students will always find ways to indulge themsleves on the weekends, and many times that may involve consumption of alcohol or otherdrugs. BYOB proposal But the Greek system shouldn't be a conduit for that activity. Unfortunately, some members of the Greek system do not feel that way. Already, many have voiced opposition to the proposed policy, flagging it as an infringement upon fraternities' enjoyed autonomy. That just isn't so. Panhel and IFC are voluntary organizations that, in light of contemporary pressures, protect the Greek system more than they hurt it. If they don't institute a BYOB policy, it's likely that either the fraternities' individual national organizations or the University would. Clearly, these policies would be imminently more restrictive and less palatable to Greek members. self-imposed regulation may very well prevent outside intervention. Fraternities don't have to be about irresponsible drinking. And while a BYOB policy won't solve all of the Greek system's problems, it's an important step in the right direction. Panhel and IFC should keep this in mind as they consider the proposal in the coming week. Faculty dismayed To the Daily: We have encountered before the kind of anti-Semitic mentality that concocted the outrageous advertisement questioning the facts of the Holocaust. We are dismayed but not entirely suprised that students, in their desire to practice a much- valued "fairness," might be lured into thinking there exists a legitimate alternative opinion concerning those facts. But we are astonished and disappointed that the president of a great university should himself have found it impossible to criticize the Daily for not recog- nizing the difference between the practice of First Amendment rights and the prerogative of any publication to refuse to print advertisements it deems offen- sive. Although he made his own revulsion clear, Mr. Duderstadt's "open-mindednes" in defending the Daily's right to aid and abet the bought-and-paid-for dissemi- nation of noxious ideas shows a lamentable absence of moral standards. In fact it was just such an abdication of judgment and courage marked the failure of German intellectuals more than fifty years ago to stem the Nazi tide rising around them. While they fiddled with justifications and refused to see the ugly handwriting on the wall, millions burned. Mr. Duderstadt ought to have made it ringingly clear that the Daily, whatcver its internal communication problems, owes the University community a firm apology for its dangerous confu- sions. We hope he will still do so. Rosellen Brown English dept. Marvin Hoffman School of Education This letter was signed by 1Oother University faculty members. Albert Herring To the Daily: I was surprised, as were many of my colleagues, by Ms. Frieden's review of Albert Herring on November 18th. Artistic criticisms aside, many questions arise as to Ms. Frieden's perception of opera as an art form. First, she states that "opera is known for its simple characters and almost cartoon-like plots," and that in Albert Herring, the "characters never achieve the maximum potential of caricature." Caricature? Cartoon-like? Does Ms. Frieden mean to imply that opera is not a valid theatrical art form? If so, wouldn't any attempt at making the characters more human, believable, and easier for an audience to relate to, be a valid step in bringing opera into the '90s and on into the 21 st century? Ms. Frieden then goes on to state that "broad comedy... pratfalls and buffoonery were used in place of inspired staging." Totally acceptable. But surely "carica- ture" (which Ms. Frieden wanted more of) falls into the "broad comedy" category. I have never replied in print to a critic before and, believe me, I have been roasted worse than this in bigger publications. However, I felt that this review was so unaware of the basics of a theatrical performance, let alone an opera performance, that something had to be said in defense of the art form. Ken P. Cazan Lecturer of Opera Free speech? To the Daily: By running "CODOH attacks unfounded" (Insight 11/13/91) the Daily has firmly established its policy of printing hate propoganda in the name of the First Amendment. While the CODOH had to pay for an advertisement, Thomas Marcellus, director of the Institute for Historical Review, is given free space under the heading of free speech. Perhaps this is just a case of free speech and perhaps the Daily is an unbiased paper trying to promote debate by opening minds of students. In that case, I eagerly await a time when I will be reading propoganda from the Klu Klux Klan, Neo-Nazis, skinheads, the Arm of the Lord, and various other hate organizations. Or is only anti-Semitic journalism allowed to be printed under the heading of "Insight?" Eddie Weinstein LSA junior Check the facts To the Daily: This a letter to Thomas Marcellus and Bradley Smith, men associated with CODOH and the Institute for Historical Review. Men also associated with the Ku Klux Klan, neo- Nazis, and Waffen SS (former Nazis under Hitler). Millions of Jews were killed by the Nazis, the figures have been calcu- lated by different people. I cannot give you the facts, but if you have such a strong desire to see the truth, you can contact Professor Hank Greenspan of the Residential College or Professor Sid Bolkowsky of the University's Dearborn campus. They will give you references from historians, not Northwestern's professor of computer science, Arthur Butz, and not from the so-called gas chamber expert, Fred Leuchter. Dr. Bolkowsky will tell you that Fred Leuchter has no credentials with gas chambers. When the death penalty was reinstated in several states, he applied to design their gas chambers. When the states checked his background, they found out that he was a charlatan and told him to get lost. I read "Night" by Elie Wiesel, and I don't understand how it "actually serves to discredit the generally accepted Holocaust story." His story as a survivor, and all the other stories serve to prove it true. I assume that people Good debate who associate with the KKK, neo- Nazis, and former Nazis think that white people are superior to all others. I won't debate such a ridiculous assertion any more than I will get into an "open debate" on the extent of the Holocaust. People of the above organiza- tions only want to institute their own fascist regime, where in the end, open debate will be dictated by the Nazi party. Jordan Shavit LSA senior Safe sex Distribution of condoms protects health of New York youth 0 0 To the Daily: I read with some interest your paper's story (10/24/91) and editorial (1O; 2 5/91) about our recent Chines ..as at. I note that you agree( . ' n. us that holding the event vA a orthwhile. You also encouraged us to raise human rights and other issues with Chinese officials during the event. I am pleased to report that those discussions did indeed occur. The event was held with approximately 60 alumni partici- pating. We heard first Minister/ Counsellor Qi Mingcong of the Embassy, who spoke for about 15 minutes concerning China, its problems and its aspirations. Then, as promised, Minister Qi took questions from the alumni group. Among the issues raised were the crackdown on students during the Tiananmen Square events of 1989; China's illegal foreign trade- of consumer goods produced by prison labor; how communism in China can possibly survive in the face of worldwide rejection of that form of government by nearly every other communist nation; and the role of women in China and the problems they face. Every alum I spoke to was glad he or she had come to the reception. As I was leaving, one alum came by to thank me for not cancelling the event. I told him that the club's board and I believed it was important to have an opportunity to learn more about China and raise these issues with Chinese officials. He agreed, saying he enjoyed hearing both "what they said and what they didn't say." Your editorials hit it right on the head. This event probably won't change the world or change Chinese policy. But 60 Michigan alumni now have a better under- standing of the issues which separate our two countries. We also had a chance to confront those issues face to face with leaders of the world's most populous nation. In turn, the Chinese Embassy officials have learned more about Americans and our thoughts about China and political situation. I think there is something to be said for that. Mike Waring President, U of M Club of Washington, D.C. A t John Dewey High School and City-as-school in New York City, public school officials made condoms available to students without any requirement of parental consent. Later, condoms will be offered at all 120 public high schools to combat the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. This program is long overdue and desperately needed. New York City has 20percent of the AIDS cases for 13 to 21-year olds, while only 3percent of the nation's 13 to 21-year olds live there. In response to this overwhelming evidence of an unchecked epidemic, the New York City Board of Education passed the distribution of condoms policy over the objections of the Roman Catholic church, which charged that this policy would condone and en- courage teen-age sex. The arguments of the Roman Catholic church are without merit; the school system is not advising teenagers to have sex but is giving them the option of practicing safer sex. The church's position is similar to the argument that bulletproof vests condone shootings of policemen since policemen are protected. Condoms and bulletproof vests do not condone the act simply because they protect. Regardless of the objections of those who are against the use of condoms, the alternative is the continued proliferation of the AIDS epidemic among high school students. In the United States, sexual contact is the leading cause of transmission of thi AIDS virus behind blood transfusions, the sharing of needles, and other types of non-sexual contact. In addition to the prevention of AIDS, the distribution of condom programs will reduce the number of teenage pregnancies in New York City. More than 100,000 teenage women have babies every year in the United States. Many unplanned pregnancies among teenagers could be prevented with the use of condoms. In New York City, where the birth rate among 13- and 14-year-olds is the highest in the country, the distribution of condoms policy may lower the unplanned birthrate among teen-agers. In an age when AIDS, if current trends remain unchecked, will become the leading cause of death early in the next century, the distribution of condoms must continue to stop the preventable spread of the fatal virus. The policy implemented by the New York City school board is a welcomed step in the prevention of this deadly plague. Undoubtedly, dozens of students will not get sexually transmitted diseases this year with the adoption of this policy. Schools nationwide must follow this example to prevent the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Car fumes New California regulation helps to protect residents ".:v."."r:1 ."h"."x.".: ". ".".L-."r.". ":w "h".+.. 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J::GJA. + .. .. ......t ..........................:,:.J.A.J....S...J'A..Sa A..,1....A 'U' education not worth the cost Late last week, the California Air Resources Board voted to require a new standard of gasoline that will produce lower emissions. At a time when California sits near the brink of an environmental disaster, the new regulation is a virtual necessity. Los Angeles is continually cov- ered by a blanket of smog that has on occasion made it unhealthy to breathe the air. While the measure will incur a great deal of cost for both the oil industry and consumers, it cannot be avoided. The airqualityinCaliformiais appalling, due in large part to an enormous number of auto- mobiles within the state. Although California already has the most stringent standards for automotive emissions, these measures have proven to be somewhat deficient. Despite the previous measures, California's air quality continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate. The new measure will force oil refineries to remove more of the impurities within gasoline and produce a fuel that can burn up to one-third cleaner than standard gasoline. Furthermore, the measure will direct producers to make gasoline less prone to evaporate. While the California measure is a great im- provement over current standards, it cannot be construed as an end unto itself. Aside from the extra costs for gasoline, the measure does not discourage the continued proliferation of individual automobiles or encourage the increased use of mass transportation. The measure aims at improving the conditions as they stand, instead of attempting to address the fundamental issues. In this light, the California measure must be viewed merely as a stopgap. While the people of California continue to seek a long-term solution to the transportation problem and the pollution that it causes, the measure focuses upon what can be realistically applied at the present. It is, in fact, a short term containment of a long- term problem. Meanwhile,other states are looking at the Cali- fornia regulation to perhaps adopt a similar mea- sure. California represents a precursor to what could happen across the country. Otherstates would be wise to study the situation in California and learn by the advanced environmental maladies that California suffers. Hopefully, other states can learn from California's experience. It suffers a worsening environmental situation. But it is taking long-term action as well short-term measures. It is depending not only on the effectiveness of future innovations, but on realistic changes that can be made today. by Amy Polk When I came to this Univer- sity seven years ago, a Michigan education was a bargain. For out- of-state students, the University offered an education comparable to the Ivy Leagues at two-thirds the price. For in-state students, the University offered an excellent education for a few hundred dollars per term. However, over the past decade, the University has squandered its resources while reneging on its educational mission. Accounting for inflation, undergraduate tuition has in- creased 60 percent over the past 10 years and spending in the University administrative sector has increased 50 percent. Since 1989, the University's ranking among national colleges and universities has slipped from 17th to 22nd. A Michigan education has become not a bargain, but a rip-off. University President James Duderstadt and Vice Provost for "Academic" Affairs Gilbert Witaker constantly claim that state budget cuts are forcing painful cutbacks. At the same time, University administrators spew much rhetoric about "quality" and "excellence," even sity administrators: the University was a "business," and students were "customers" who purchased "educational services." In a Feb. 5 address to the Sigma Xi Research Club, President Duderstadt disbanded early this summer. When the committee's chair, Architecture Professor Sharon Sutton, was asked what she thought of the administration's new language of "student as Accounting for inflation, undergraduate tu- ition has increased 60 percent over the past 10 years and spending in the University ad- ministrative sector has increased 50 percent. Since 1989, University's ranking among na- tional colleges and universities has slipped from 17th to 22nd. presented his free-market theory of education: The quality of education at Michigan must not be deteriorating, because Michi- gan parents are still willing to the pay the tuition required to send their kids here. Elsewhere in the University, however, proponents of reform are trying to re-examine the University's commitment to its educational mission. Unfortu- nately, University administrators are ignoring these efforts. In the fall of 1990, the Senate Advisory Committee on Univer- sity Affairs (SACUA) (the representative government for all T Tnivercity facn1tv creanted an customer," she replied: "I hate it. The University is not the same as a corporation." Even the Michigan state legislature has become suspicious of the University. This March, state representative Morris Hood (D-Detroit) released a ranking of faculty and administrative salaries. Hood, who chairs the state House Appropriations subcommittee on Higher Educa- tion, was "appalled by the results - of the inquiry" and threatened to restrict tuition increases to the rate of inflation for state universities. Today, you don't hear Duderstadt or Witaker using the "student as customer" lannouaoe' Nuts and Bolts * Tw* [5f~.w~v~GOaSIeGPROS~at-1M PAHN IT. HE iSNT PR'3NK' IHE? NO, Sati - OUT W JIM IT MAN !WNA'S WRONG WMt-W SANTA? by Judd Winick Yb4),W- RIGHT #AC$IJST?1AS ISA CmLE3RTION OF LOVE AND 1JFE ZI04r WANT ANY* rfffAwAa-- - - I 1v .Il WE 1 I? \