Page 4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, January 29, 1992 Ab idwrn1ailg I. i l 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. Cop out Deputization hearings a far cry from fair Yesterday, the University announced the staff to make their concerns known, and dates on which the board of regents will deputization is too important and too controversial .~~hld public hearings on deputization. an issue to prevent anyone in this community from Unfortunately, the timing, length and na- being heard. The time allotted for the hearings tre of the hearings hardly live up to the should be properly extended to facilitate more spirit of Public Act 120, the legislation input. tat allowed for deputization under the regents. Perhaps the most disappointing part of the More importantly, the hearings' structure is an University's announcement is the fact that the impediment to meaningful community input, hearings will not provide an opportunity for dia- The hearings will take place on Wednesday, logue with the regents; speakers will merely ad- Feb. 19 from 4 to 6p.m. and on Thursday, Feb.20 dress theregents. This typeof public session, much from 4 to 5 p.m. They will be conducted much like like the regents monthly public comments ses- the regents' regular, monthly public comments sions, is a farce. The regents are likely to listen sessions: Those who wish to speak will have to politely to the speakers and then ignore what they sign up beforehand and will be given five minutes have to say. Even worse, they could revert to their each to address the board. usual practices and sit comatose through the hear- But the week of Feb. 19 and 20 is the week ings. before spring break, when many students are pre- The administration should implement hearings occupied with mid-terms and the impending vaca- during which the regents actually take part in tion. Additionally, many students may have planned discussion with speakers. months ago to leave town by Wednesday or Thurs- Public Act 120 established the hearings as an day of that week, and will not be able to attend the opportunity for the community to adequately voice hearings. The administration could easily have its concerns about deputization. Even the Univer- picked a time more conducive to student participa- sity must acknowledge this fact. Rather than de- tion. emphasizing the hearings, and neglecting commu- The hearings are also too short. Three hours nity concerns, the administration should follow the simply isn't enough time for students, faculty and spirit of the legislation. SRC should work harder to protest hearings, educate students 1 ' " 'r '' l %' ,--. -- - . " .. ; .,._..- ., t... , _...., _"- !a . _ I IL a 4 -- J7r VLO RM w vT-H 01 pa ' 01 ...Meanwhile, the Students Rights Commission (SRC) seems all too willing to play by the administration's rules. Despite persistent attempts by the SRC and others to construct a more amiable environment for the deputization hearings, stu- dents have failed to achieve substantial conces- sions froi'i the administration. The SRC, with the help of other students should start now by protesting the tokenized hearing pro- cess, and insist that the administration lengthen the meetings. Equally strong must be the SRC's com- mitment to keep students informed about the hear- ings, and ensuring active opponents of deputization attend. At last night's Michigan Student Assembly meeting, SRC vice chair Robert Van Houweling seemed hasty to let the University take care of publicity for the hearings. He appeared content to have the administration announce the hearings through Daily advertise- ments, and invite concerned students by mail. This is a mistake. It is clearly the SRC's responsibility to mobilize students for the hearings, in addition to informing students in the community about the event. The SRC needs to take the deputization issue to the students by canvassing individuals, advertising and circulating fliers. It would do well to use some of the techniques Cottage Inn Pizza and other local businesses use to reach students in the residence halls. Another positive role the SRC could take in- volves educating students. One quarter of the stu- dents here were not around during last year's anti- deputization movement. By holding its own edu- cational forums the SRC could reach students who are unaware of the issues. The SRC can't let deputization slip by withonly token gestures to get students involved. The com- mission must live up to its name, and assure that students' rights are respected. Ypsilanti is my kind of town To the Daily: There are several issues I would love to debate with you regarding your opinions on the Deja Vu issue (1/22/92). But, for the time being I would like to address the statement, "Moreover, it is foolish to suggest that Deja Vu, which grosses over $1 million dollars (sic) a year and is patron- ized by over 2,000 customers per week, is in conflict with the moral standards of Ypsilanti." Would it be reasonable for me to say that this means that Ypsilanti residents are the only people visiting this establishment, thereby reflecting the entire city's moral standards? The last I heard, Deja Vu offers the only nude dancing in southeast Michigan. Could it be possible that maybe one or two of its patrons are from outside the city? Or, if I have misunderstood your intent, would it mean that Ypsilanti residents are concerned only with the tax revenue that this business generates, and should not "bite the hand that feeds them?" As a resident of Ypsilanti, I am becoming used to the subtle and not-so-subtle derogatory remarks from Ann Arborites, many of whom have never even set foot in Ypsilanti. It's easy to understand how people get the impressions they have, based on this type of statement. I would certainly appreciate more complete and accurate coverage of this issue in the future, rather than the one dimensional portrayal which you have just published. Amy L. Doyle Rakham graduate student Let people speak To the Daily: Wednesday, Jan. 22 marked the 19th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, legalizing abortion. Traditionally both sides of the abortion debate hold rallies to recognize the significance of the event. This year's rallies by both the pro-abortion and anti-abortion forces were marred by rather disturbing behavior. The Ann Arbor Committee to Defend Abortion and Reproduc- tive Rights (ACCDARR), which participated in the pro-abortion rally, refused to allow the anti- abortion student group, Students for Life, its opportunity to use the Diag for its own rally. ACCDARR instead took control of the Graduate Library steps, taking and hiding the microphone to be used for speeches, and persistently- chanting to drown out anything the Students for Life had to say. Once Students for Life was finally able to begin their rally, the many speakers the group had specially brought in were ha- rassed and yelled down by the pro-abortionists. The pro-abortionists had their opportunity to present their side of the issue in their rally, yet they refused the anti-abortionists their right to express their side as well. Is the ACCDARR side of the abortion issue so weak that it cannot stand up to scrutiny and rebuttal by the opposing side? What was ACCDARR so afraid of that it could not allow a group with just as much right to speak air their own views? The behavior of the ACCDARR group. at these rallies was reprehensible and inexcusable, doing far more to hurt their own cause then the opposing side. I urge both sides, especially the obnoxious members of ACCDARR, to stop such grand- standing and disruption and engage in an intelligent dialogue over this complex issue. ScottGast LSA sophomore Colorless violence To the Daily: Black-on-Black violence is a terrible thing. So is violence. However tautological that point may sound, it is important to stress it. The Daily reported (1/21/92) that two nationally recognized speakers (Hooks and Archer) decried "Black-on-Black" violence in their MLK day addresses. Hooks and Archer's intentions are praise-worthy. Nothing could be better for the African-American community than for it to ban together and stop crime. Nothing could be more rewarding for the African- American community than to help each other raise their own economic status. Black groups should continue to work together and solve their problems. However, are the problems found in skin color or in crime and violence? The term "Black- on-Black" implies that skin color should be the only factor in deciding who suffers violence. Wouldn't it make more sense to fight "neighborhood violence" or "inter-community violence" or perhaps violence on the poor? For that matter, why not fight crime and violence in general? It is peculiar that on a day honoring a man who sought racial unity through non-violence, Hooks and Archer, from what the Daily reports, fail to consistently connect these ideas in their speeches. I understand, or at least attempt to understand, the ugliness of young Black men murdering each other. Yet, the term "Black-on- Black" implies that the answer is to murder lighter-skinned people. I know this is not what Archer and Hooks mean, and I respect their intentions. However, "Black-on-Black" shifts attention away from the violence and anger that cause problems. It focuses instead on skin-color which makes the term, by definition, racist. Ben Reames RC first-year student Babes and.beer Fraternity flier reveals the source of the brotherhood bonds O nce again, it is time for first-year male students However, Theta Delta Chi is not just one bad to go out and listen to their primal mating urges. apple. The fraternity system as a whole promotes Fraternity rush has begun once more. This festive this kind of sexist and objectifying behavior. All time is hon- - men in fraternities are not sexist, however all men ored by deco- in fraternities are affiliated with a sexist and insti- ratingtheDiag tutionally segregationist system. with colorful real fraternity Fraternities came into being during the middle banners and a labou of the last century. Aside from the exclusion of tackingup fly- women, many of these fraternities also had the ers over every exclusion of Jews and Blacks written into their square inch of a charters. Although these provisions are no longer the University. explicitly enforced, somehow the effects are un- As expected, comfortably similar. for it happens There are very few Blacks in the mainstream every semes- -~Greek system and there are clearly houses that are ter, someofthe sunderstood to be of certain ethnic majority. In flyers don't -addition, there is still the segregation of men and held back. -=.. women, each adhering to a different set of rules. They aimright One can babble on about brotherhood and the toward the -ideological dogmas of a fraternity however, a heart of why Brotherhood! Rush OAX! more pressing issue is how these institutions play men seek to be 700 s. state St out in reality. in fraternities Fraternities are social organizations. The pur- in the first place, women. pose is not to eradicate sexism or fight the repres- This term's winner for most sexist flyer is Theta sive gender roles imposed upon men in today's Delta Chi, with their outstanding portrayal of the society. The purpose of fraternities, for all practical objectification of women that takes place in frater- purposes, is to create social situations where men nities. The flyer, which has since been taken down, and women can come together and meet. This is a read "What is a real fraternity all about?" Beneath very natural and healthy desire. However, what this sentence was a beautiful woman wearing close actually happens is a subconscious social phenom- to nothing leaning on a keg, which she clearly enon, where members of a fraternity meet on their brought to the party herself because fraternity lowest common denominator. parties are now BYOB. The bottom of the flyer The sexism in fraternities is an intensification reads "Brotherhood! Rush Theta Delta Chi!" of the sexism that pervades society. This flyer is no Brotherhood, as it is commonly understood, is different than most beer and car ads which use the a bond between brothers. It is an association of size of a woman's breasts to sell fermented grains men united in some common interest. and gas efficiency. However, sexism and the objec- If this woman and this keg somehow promote tification of woman should not be tolerated in the conception of brotherhood, one must question society at large and should beequallyintolerablein. what the fraternity conception of brotherhood is all the fraternity system. What is a real fraternity all about. about? 0b ._. ,Sz..l . ..~~n~Snv.Svt Y"g:r.?{;: X :" . .' "}55 ,iv . . rr r ": ti$r fY}.;, rrq.( ,"?;>Y:"::: }%j:"wr{.:r" ,."""{i~yq};r,~~ : }:} . d:;..}""'r} ."{'.rY. .".+."'"y." A..,} .5 f"":' ,.a :":"" }'xl.Ur," Vr,",A}A}r . V.:SV.:.V.":W f, .;...vr'{r r v'l r' : ~i ' f ~r ..:$}:"v:"Y -{$'vA $S" { ."' ' q .t}{ }. 't; . kr*.*"*. r } . 5% * *M.ir3:* AV.V.V yf...V ?.W.." :...r .r de;;} "rrLr."{rr.',r,%r i.+ ""r r .<."} ,, v Yi"~; r , ".';, i'v .r{} "v ' r r;yr.J 4'' r{.~""}."". r r 'Rl ; . 9"r r { Or " r}y;.: .,. 5 :. Y~ S ,j" r rs . ".C~ ; , T ,:"} j,. }3 k** r"**";" ; ; . '** v' :'r.;:};rrt:}"~ ;r"" f r;::. ~ r'}rrF r :: f , {r ?}+. j, / i F " }~ of:A{ .{". "r{.,;:;^ rr r~..: " F .r,."'~.e, ry " ?""f '";., " ,rr , ".;Y ,S} .J,. .'. ,?;rr.T~ a~:..}ti i:S": vf:4.}".1: iiT'p'',. .r."". .1.".SL{:^ l.- .V.%V"c..,sra . }"';}::} ~:{ :""".?s:4.;:'i... a s r.,{.'.v.*n,,. ....... ... . Bad service by Kreg Nichols There is nothing more annoying to me than bad service. Unfortunately, that is exactly what I've experienced during my first semester at the University. You might think I'm complaining about the staff or administration of the University. However, it is not the University that has disenchanted me, but the service provided within Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor is not a bad place. It's small enough that there is no rampant crime and I feel rela- tively safe walking the streets at night. What bothers me is the service provided by Ann Arbor business toward its student population. It should be a business goal to provide both polite and good service if a business wishes to survive. Normally a business' service is checked by customers should not number of local restaurants. The service has been nearly perfect. The most reasonable explanation for this is that the waitstaffs are usually made up entirely of students. There could be two explana- tions for this. First, the waitperson/student's income is directly proportional to the service they provide. Secondly, a waitperson who is a student most likely feels a slight kinship to their fellow peers. As mentioned before though, restaurants are the exception. The greatest example and most common cause of my ire is Ann Arbor's banks. I can understand and accept a certain amount of indifference seeing that this is a college town. After all I am sure that college students are not the banks' prime customers. Yet, I come from be tolerated September, I have visited my bank a number of times. Each time I was greeted in the same manner by an unfriendly teller. They often seemed anxious for something, possibly for the arrival of their lunch break or closing time. During the course of the semester I received help non- grudgingly only once. Even though I am a student, I feel that I deserve better service. I finally decided to take this up with the management of my bank. After complaining to a rude teller, she seemed very happy to apologize. Her anxiousness to reconcile made me uneasy. The way she suddenly acted - as though she felt horrible for what had been done - left a feeling of insincerity. I then kindly asked to see her superior. After talking to the manager she said that the problem would be 0 Nuts and Bolts INOTS AND BLSWK5O S-r ~Cc*~ttvuES. -rM(THlE US WACN IM41EViSION ANtD EAT ________ by Judd Winick ONLY 00 CA Sropmts MADNESS. SENPFAN MAIL 7C>: