Page 4-The Michigan Daily- Thursday, March 19,1992
Gbr Mid4hiau ai ii
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
764 - 0552
MAUFHIEW D. RENNIE
Opinion Editors
YAEL CITRO
GEOFFREY EARLE
AMITAVA MAZUMDAR
Edited and Managed
by Students at the
University of Michigan
Unsigned editorials represent a majority of the Daily's Editorial Board.
All other cartoons, signed articles, and letters d not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily.
FROM T!E AILY...........
Do you have Tsongas in a can? Yes.
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Excuse me, pardon me...." A backpack slammed
into some poor student's face. "Oops, sorry
..." - crushed toes, someone else's hair tickling
your nose, heat rising off hundreds of tightly-
packed bodies as even more people try to squeeze
their way into the room, hanging off door frames
and overflowing into adjacent halls. Yes, there's
nothing quite like going to hear a visiting speaker
at the University.
As presidential campaigns gained momentum
before Tuesday's primary, students increasingly
found opportunities to listen to the words of promi-
nent politicians - words that have the potential to
affect the way students think and vote. Unfortu-
nately, hundreds of them found it increasingly
difficult to get in to the events, and were turned
away at the door.
The most recent politicians affected by this
trend rank among the nation's most prominent
political personalities. Hillary Clinton, wife of
presidential hopeful Bill Clinton, was hidden away
in Hutchins Hall, Jerry Brown in the Pendleton
Room of the Union, and Tom Harkin in MLB
Auditorium 3, all addressed crowds of only a few
hundred - on a campus of 40,000.
Union officials had to turn away some 500
people who came to see former Massachusetts
Sen. Paul Tsongas in the Union Ballroom. Maybe
it was better that they didn't get in. The Ballroom
was packed like a sardine can, and Tsongas was
one hour late. The Tstudents for Tsongas tried to
placate the crowd by playing Top 40 radio. The
atmosphere was nauseating.
But who's to blame? Is it the fault of the people
who sponsor the speakers or of the University
Scheduling Department?
The answer is both. The current system requires
sponsors to request rooms for their speakers at
least a month in advance if they wish to reserve an
auditorium that could hold more than a few hun-
dred people. Unfortunately, most presidential can-
didates or other popular speakers, who can fill
rooms the size of Rackham or Hill Auditorium,
plan their schedulesonly a week or two in advance.
All too often this results in politicians speaking in
closet-sized rooms to crowds that are only a frac-
tion of what they should be.
If the University wants to continue to attract
prominent social figures, some effort must be
made to let them speak in places where they can be
heard. That may mean the University Scheduling
Office must make an effort to place them in audi-
toriums like Hill and Rackham. Something must
be done..
In addition to discouraging speakers from com-
ing to the University, the cramped conditions typi-
cal of these events make students think twice about
trying to hear the ideas of key political figures.
Sadly, this frustration may encourage many stu-
dents to rely solely on the media, instead of hearing
the words straight from the source.
The best solution to this problem is to place the
speakers in larger auditoriums, where the people
who want and need to hear what is said can com-
fortably stand, listen, and leave with new ideas and
without broken toes.
reedom of the mess
Maybe you've seen it around campus, a
small newspaper called MIM Notes. The
Maoist International Movement publication pro-
motes the teachings of Mao Tsetung and an inter-
national communist revolution to end capitalist
world oppression. Regardless of whether or not
you think Mao has the answer, MIM Notes, like all
other non-mainstream publications, are important
for political discourse and intellectual exchange of
ideas at the University.
Recently, however, MIM has had difficulty
distributing its publication atthe Graduate Library.
When MIM asked permission to set up a newspa-
per bin there, it was denied permission.
MIM was told that since it could not have a bin
because it was not a University publication, like
the Daily or The University Record. But if the
Graduate Library can make an exception for pub-
lications like Consider magazine, it should allow
other student publications, too. Instead, the Gradu-
ate Library's distribution policy seems contingent
on the contents of the newsletter. If the library
thinks it's a fair publication, it allows it. If not, it
doesn't.
Report*overlooks
The Safety and Security Advisory Committee
(SSAC) released its report, last December,
reviewing the Department of Public Safety's (DPS)
investigationofthe Oct. 3,1991 Diag incident. The
SSAC report concluded that the DPS investigation
was complete. In reality, it was far from complete.
Both the SSAC report and DPS failed to mention
the harassment of innocent African-American
women that took place.
The incident involved a University police offi-
cer who drew his gun on a suspect. Because the
suspect was seenwith an African-American woman,
the police randomly stopped Black women in the
Diag area in an attempt to locate him. The officers
even began arresting one of the women. But, the
officers backed off when she objected.
The DPS investigation discussed officer's con-
duct. The report supported DPS's conclusion that
the officer involved should seek counseling, and
warned that "he be advised that he must wait for
backup before confronting a possible armed sus-
pect."
However, the committee ignored all racial as-
pects of the incident. It should have recommended
sanctions against the officer responsible for the
arbitrary questioning. To assume that Black women,
simply because of their race, were party to or
The Grad is abridging the right of MIM to
distribute its publication and goes against the spirit
of the First Amendment. Is the Graduate Library
keeping out these "fringe" publications because it
disagrees with their content? Or as library officials
have argued, are they just worried that the newspa-
pers will make a mess?
All students should be able to distribute their
publications around campus. The Graduate Li-
brary, and other campus libraries, should adopt the
"Open Literature Policy at Universities " endorsed
by Rackham Student Government and the Michi-
gan Student Assembly. This resolution explains
that libraries are places that contain literature in all
forms, and therefore should allow the distribution
of "non-profit free dropped literature" including
MIM Notes.
If libraries are to remain true to their purpose of
being centers for literature and ideas of all types,
they should adopt a policy that represents such a
commitment. Individual students should decide
what is and is not valid literature. No one else,
including library administers should make that
decision.
DPSInsensitity
knowledgeable about the crime smacks of racism.
Moreover, this assumption goes against the prin-
ciples of due process that must be followed during
police investigations. This aspect of the officer's
insensitive conduct should have been an equal
focus in the SSAC and DPS investigations.
Last month, the University's Board of Regents
voted 7-1 to deputize the campus police force
through the regents. Its overwhelming support of
the measure was based on the assumption that the
force was well trained and sensitive to the needs of
the campus community.
The regents justified this position by citing the
more than eight hours of sensitivity training that
would be given to each officer. Clearly, the behav-
ior of the officer in question reveals this training
was inadequate.
In fact, University officers have displayedpoor
judgment and insensitivity throughout the year.
The Diag incident, in conjunction with the incident
at Angell Hall, which SSAC alluded to in its report,
indicate that University police may be trigger-
happy. With the evidence of their racial insensitiv-
ity, minority students have every right to be con-
cerned. The DPS and SSAC reports, through their
negligence, will do nothing to keep similar inci-
dents from occurring.
Daily was out of line
To the Daily:
It appears to me that the Daily
editorial board members who
voted to print the very poorly
executed critique of the MSA-
sponsored "Alcohol Awareness
Week" are the ones who are
dangerously unaware of alcohol
realities. That last fall's "Alcohol
Awareness Week" was a flop is a
matter of record. However, poor
attendance at this event by
members of the University
community does not indicate that
alcohol abuse (or substance abuse
in general) is not a serious
problem in our society.
Making people aware of this
does not constitute a naive
attempt to "dictate ... puritanical
morality on (sic) the rest of this
campus." It is a well-motivated,
socially responsible undertaking,
if pursued in the proper fashion.
Put simply, you're way out of
line!
W. Clayton Hubner, Jr.
Rackham graduate student
Cultural ignorance
To the Daily:
On Feb. 6,1992, the Daily
published a political cartoon
depicting an Asian-American boy
mimicking recent derogatory
comments made by Japanese
politicians against American
workers. If this cartoon was
meant to criticize the verbal
blunders of Japanese statesmen,
then why use what is usually
thought to be a Chinese name
'Li'?
This seems to me to be a
particularly obnoxious eliding of
cultural images, on the order of
suggesting that Koreans tradition-
ally wear kimonos, that the harp is
the national symbol of England,
and that Vincent Chin was a
Japanese man.
Min Song
LSA senior
Same-speak
To the Daily:
It seems that everyone talks,
the same around here. I'm a
sophomore, but I've lived here
most of my life and I have just
realized that all the males use the
same catchy phrases, greetings
and farewells.
The females speak strikingly
similar to one another, also. I
mean what's the deal with the
phrase: "No, I mean seriously..."
and "...Oh my gosh..." and
everyone - I mean everyone -
says: "What's up?"
What is an appropriate answer
for this extremely ambiguous
question? I hypothesize that if I
were to blindfold someone from
another geographical area and
bring them into an area restau-
rant, they would not be able to
differentiate between one female
and the next.
Christi Foster
NCFD sophomore
A multi-purpose Daily
To the Daily:
I greatly enjoyed reading
"Daily as toilet paper?" (2/11/92)
in the Daily. I feel that this paper
is too liberal, and only represents
a small minority on the Univer-
sity. Mandarano's theory could be
proven, and if it is proven to be
true, what a savings the University
could enjoy. Just think of the
benefits:
1) Less waste;
2) Entertainment in the john;
3) Savings of school funds;
and finally,.
4) Puts litter in its place,
instead of on the floor of some
auditorium, which is where you
usually find them.
I just wanted to voice-my
opinion and support for this fine
and semi-conservative individual,
Larf Mandarano, my hero!
Erik Bertrand
Engineering junior
To the Daily:
I would like to bring to
attention the enormous amount of
disgusting graffiti I find all over
this University. One would think
that by the time a person has made
it into college, he or she would
have learned that paper is for
writing on and not desks, tables
walls or bathrooms. I see writing
all over everything and it makes
me sick. There is a ton of scrap
paper in places like the I see
absolutely no need to write on the
tables there. It make the entire
place look trashy.
Jessica Ulbrich
RC sophomore
Get off the sidewalk
To the Daily:
I know this whole conversation
has become old hat, but there has
recently come about a new twist
which begs consideration. What I
am referring to, of course, is non-
pedestrian use of the sidewalks
around campus. Now bikes I can
understand, and even the occa-
sional University maintenance car.
But as of this year, there seems to
be a new form of transportation
which has made its home on the
sidewalk: mopeds, or motor-
scooters. The riders of said
machines are using the sidewalk
as their primary path of travel in
far too many instances. Is it going
to take a serious injury before the
University cracks down on this?
Where are all of these campus
police officers everyone is so
worried about? I wish they would
look into this.
Michael P. Lazarski
LSA junior
The Daily encourages its readers
to respond. All letters should be
150 words or less. Send all letters
to: The Michigan Daily, 420
Maynard, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.
Or via MTS to: The Michigan
Daily, Letters to the Editor.
01
Disgusting graffiti
0
Ay
N.
,
usios o te os-sexual revoltion
by Irit Kleiman and
Emma Rosi
East Quadrangle's "Women's
Weekend" featured movies, discus-
sions, a coffeehouse, dance and
music performances, and an art
show. These events were attended
by women and men from all parts of
the University, yet a bulletin board
put together
b y
Women's
Weekend
staff - work-
ers inspired
the most FERSNECT
heated con-
troversy. The board features a large
central "graffiti" area surrounded
by advertisements featuring vari-
ous media images of women and
poems by women about their feel-
ings and experiences. Many of the
advertisements feature well-known
sex symbols such as Madonna. Two
Obsession cologne ads showing
naked people in various embraces
were displayed next to a cartooned
woman wearing a plated steel and
leather-bikini bustier and boots
riding a savage bear and brandish-
ing a sword promoting peppermint
schnapps. One Esprit ad proclaims,
"keep a woman's right to choose ...
unless George Bush is free to
main hallway, anybody walking
through East Quad can stop, stare
and comment. Many people have
reacted passionately to this display.
Comments range from "Dumb
Broads" to long accounts of the
stereotyping and exploitation ex-
pressed in these photos. The board
explores societal repression and
objectification of women as re-
meant to be: sturdy, capable of car-
rying thirty-five pound packs up-
hill, and designed to bear healthy
childrennaturally. Women are beau-
tiful in all shapes, sizes and colors.
In many ways men, for all their
occasional incomprehension over
what all the fuss is about, are more
accepting of this fact than are women
themselves. Ideals of feminine
0s
w
How have we liberated, post-sexual-revolution
women allowed ourselves to be brainwashed by
these ridiculous male fantasies?
flected through public portrayals
of women as status symbols, pos-
sessions or objects of beauty.
One conspicuously written com-
ment reads "The human body is
beautiful," with two biological
women's signs drawn interlocking
beneath it. Nobody is denying that
these women are beautiful, but
where do these ideals come from?
Only five percent of the female
population is as tall or as thin as the
women shown in these advertise-
ments. Too many women diet them-
selves into literal starvation in or-
der to resemble Cindy Crawford. If
Barbie (yes, the doll) were a life-
size human being, her measure-
ments would be 52-18-45. How
beauty have changed radically
through history. No one would deny
the loveliness of Renoir or.Ruben's
paintings of women; but if these
same women were around today they
would most likely be referred to
weight loss clinics.
Often times women know these
truths intellectually but find them
hard to assimilate emotionally when
they are continually bombarded by
advertisements, magazine articles
and movies dead set against their
floundering self-esteem. Perhaps if
women insisted on their right to be
recognized as beautiful the way that
they really are, the media would be
forced to respond with more realis-
tic and diverse portrayals of them.
Nuts and Bolts
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