91

Page 4 -The Michigan Daily- Thursday, April 2,1992
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420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
764-0550

Editor in Chief
MATHEW 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 do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily.

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IFC organizes to;
Last night, the Interfraternity Council (IFC)
hosted a debate for city council candidates
that focused on student issues. In addition, the IFC
and Panhellenic Council have been executing a
massivevoter-registrationproject within the Greek
system, registering more than 720 Greeks. These
eventsindicate that the Greek system is on the
move. Its actions will be critical in the 3rd-Ward,
where many fraternities and sororities are housed,
and may change the landscape of city politics.
The project involves a combined effort of mem-
bers of the IFC, led by IFC president Bruce
Namerow and public relations chair David Garcia,
and the Panhellenic council, led by junior presi-
dent Julie Stacey, to register members of the Greek
system to vote in Ann Arbor. Project workers have
been canvassing individual houses and registering
Greeks en masse.
The project is motivated by the dissatisfaction
that many students, especially members of the
Greek system, have experienced in dealing with
Ann Arbor's current city council. In the past year
alone, the City Council has made it difficult for
three Greek organizations (Delta Zeta, Sigma
Kappa, and Pi Kappa Phi) to receive special-
exception permits to occupy or renovate houses in
Ann Arbor. All co-ops and Greek houses need to
obtain special-exception permits before moving
into a new house or beginning renovations on an
old house.
While the City Council does not directly ap-
prove or reject permits, it does appoint members to
the city Planning Commission. Several council
members, however, do sit on the Commission. The
end result of the Council's picks to the Planning
Commission is an unfortunate hostility between
the city and student residents. The city's manipu-
lation of special-exception permits is an issue that

affect elections
effects not only Greek organizations, but all group-
student housing, including co-operatives.
The IFC's project is clearly motivated by self-
interest. But if its efforts are emulated by other
student organizations, it could ultimately benefit
all students. Few council members even bother to
express concern with student issues. The special-
exceptions permits and the council's tacit approval
of the South University macing incident (which
involved city police) are notable examples of the
council's disdain for students.
The IFC is taking the appropriate steps that
citizens should take when their elected officials
fail to represent their interests. It is organizing its
political power, and threatening to "throw the
bums out." If council members know what's best
for them, they will take notice.
One unfortunate aspect of the IFC voter regis-
tration drive is that the organization has not made
an effort to incorporate the entire student body into
the voter-registration drive. The IFC's influence in
city council could be increased through a com-
bined effort with the Inter-Cooperative Council
and other groups concerned about student housing.
Moreover, Greek organizations have the poten-
tial to increase student power throughout the cam-
pus. A more broad-based voter-registration drive
would be a community service worth pursuing.
In any case, the voter registration drive could be
the start of something big. Namerow and Garcia
deserve high commendation, and should continue
their project. After all, the welfare of Ann Arbor is
inextricably linked to the welfare of the University.
The University brings jobs and commercial pros-
perity to Ann Arbor. Students create the taste and
the look of the city.
It is time that their concerns be given proper
weight in city council.

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Media should give Men's movement Much ado about

Brown a fair shake
To the Daily:
Why have we not looked at
Jerry Brown more seriously? Why
have the media refused to treat
him as a serious candidate? After
Sen. Tom Harkin dropped out of
the race, the media immediately
started guessing whether his
supporters would throw their
votes in with Clinton or Tsongas.
Why not Brown? His low-budget
campaign isn't spending much
money on advertising, and
perhaps the media have
downplayed his candidacy
because it has a vested interest in
high-spending campaigns. We
don't know, but the power of the
media to influence our percep-
tions (is clear). Had one of us not
taken the time to go and listen to
Jerry Brown in person, we'd still
be victims of the media-propa-
gated misconception that he has
nothing valuable to say.
John Humphries
Rackham graduate student
Debbie Humphries
School of Public Health
graduate student
Women in computing
To the Daily:
Noting your article in the
March 27 issue on women in
science, I would call your
readers' attention to an important
lecture on April 7, 4 p.m., in Aud.
A, Angell Hall, by Jean E.
Sammet, former president of the
Association for Computing
Machinery (ACM), and formerly
with IBM.
Ms. Sammet is a world
authority on the history of
programming languages and
related areas, but this lecture is on
women in computing. She will
cover the role of women in the
field, some important women and
their accomplishments, and
barriers that still remain for
women in computing.
I strongly recommend this
lecture.
Bernard A. Galler
Professor of Electrical
Engineering & Computer
Science

To the Daily:
I would like to thank Ms.
Vines for her feature about the
men's movements. I feel that this
is an important issue. The
correlation that Ms. Vines draws
between empowerment of women
and minorities and the men's
movements points to the signifi-'
cance of these movements: that in
this current society, men must be
accountable for the past and must
redefine their place in society.
This musthappen both for the
sake of men and the society in
which we live.
What disturbs me is that Ms.
Vines' attitude seems to be very
suspicious of these movements. I
do not criticize this in itself; I am
also skeptical of these various
movements. But it is disappoint-
ing that she would, as a journal-
ist, paint such a black and white
picture. Whether or not history
declares these movements as
fads, the issues involved tran-
scend racial and gender bound-
aries; it has an effect on men and
women alike. I believe that
Robert Bly would emphatically
oppose the vague conclusions
that Ms. Vines offers. I would
have appreciated a more circum-
spect and informative treatment
of the subject.
Arthur Perry
Music school junior
Daily neglected
NCAA tournaments
To the Daily:
I would like to express my
concern over the lack of attention
paid to the NCAA tournement
(before the Ohio State game) by
the Daily sports section. This is a
blatant disregard for one of the
premier sports events in the
United States. In my opinion the
Daily should have had daily
articles about the team. Addition-
ally, I would have appreciated in-
depth coverage of the other
games that are being played.
Andrew Astley
LSA senior

the Asian cartoon
To the Daily:
Whenever the Daily prints a
page's worth of mail devoted to a
single subject, it is usually
because the event or topic being
discussed is of great importance.
The backlash regarding the back-
page ad from a couple months ago
which attempted to dismantle the
Holocaust was great, and justly so.
The rights and wrongs of that
incident were debated to a
considerable extent without any
real resolution, but the magnitude
of the Holocaust itself was too
large to allow the careless
comments in the ad to be made
without serious reprisals.
It is therefore with dismay that
I encountered so much outrage
behind Greg Stump's cartoon
regarding the Japanese child
playing pretend work with
American children. It seems that
so much hostility was pent up in
the angry writers that they felt
compelled to start criticizing for
all sorts of reasons, no matter how
erroneous or misguided. However,
people should be careful not to
overdo it.
Stump is an able cartoonist,
and his talent is remarkably
consistent. The fact that he sees all
walks of life as potential subjects
for humor tells me that his
integrity is sound. Just because
some people don't appreciate
being the butt of a joke doesn't
mean that he should have to
change his priorities. He doesn't
have to apologize to anyone, and I
sincerely hope he won't. Those
who consider themselves as
beyond reproach are those most
sorely in need of being taken
down a couple notches, so that
they can be reminded that they are
just as lame and insignificant as
the other guy ... who happens to
be white.
Paul Tranchida
Engineering senior
The Daily encourages its readers
to respond. All letters should be
150 words or less and sent to: The
Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard,
Ann Arbor, MI, 48109. Or via
MTS to: The Michigan Daily,
Letters to the Editor.

State senator resorts to violence

()n March 19, Sen. Gilbert DiNello (D-Clinton
Twp.) attended a hearing about restricting the
use of union dues to fund political campaigns. In a
display of childish and barbaric rage, the senator
physically attacked a United Auto Workers official
who was testifying before the Labor Committee.
DiNello claimed that he is "one senator they're not
going to intimidate. I've had it with these (union
leaders)." This was the second of Sen. DiNello's
outbursts - he was involved in a fistfight with
Sen. Jon Kelly (D-Grosse Pointe) last year. Such
behavioris not becoming of an elected official, and
the constituents in Clinton should consider whether
DiNello deserves to keep his seat in the Senate.
Witnesses have referred to the incident as "child-
ish" and "embarrassing." And some of DiNellos
own constituents have admitted that they are em-
barrassed that he is their senator. Their shame is
certainly understandable
It is regretful that a Michigan representative
would display the self-control of a four-year old
child when someone disagrees with him. Then
again, four-year olds don't go around hitting union
leaders. Even after he was physically restrained
from the union official, DiNello yelled back "I'll
get you!"

In his attempt to uphold the Michigan Constitu-
tion, DiNello must have forgotten about the right to
free speech, or the right to disagree. But he did
exercise his own freedom of speech as he referred
to the union official as a "labor goon" after the
incident. This comment by DiNello only adds
insult to injury and displays his classic immaturity.
Such incidents aren't unheard of. Before the
Civil War, a southern congressman clubbed a north-
ern colleague over the head with a cane. The
northern representative suffered permanent brain
damage. The southern attacker received hundreds
of canes as gifts. One would have hoped that
violent behavior would have faded from the legis-
lative scene with the onset Reconstruction. Appar-
ently, it hasn't.
Since this is a repeated incident, one must
consider whether Gilbert DiNello has a problem.
Do the people of Clinton Township really want
their state representative to display the maturity of
a child whendisagreements arise? Perhaps DiNello
would be better suited for the Michigan Student
Assembly, where physical disputes between the
parties has become an acceptable form of behav-
ior. DiNello may be able to teach MSA representa-
tives a lot.

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Nuts and Bolts
So REW AKS' OUR LWES
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"...a half-pint hunk
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a hot and wild night!!"
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by Judd Winick
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by Tracy Ore
Jim:
In my tenure as president of
Rackham Student Government, I
have been accused by you and your
band of regents of "lacking social
graces," being "out of line," and
having a
"confused
agenda." Si-
multa - .
neously,
you have re-
fused to
meet with
me, as well as other students who
have legitimate gripes with the way
you, as president, run this institu-
tion.
When I was six, my mother,
wanting me to have "social graces,"
sent me to Miss Bessie's "charm
school." While at this school, I
learned many things that you and
Regent Neilsen consider social

There is one thing that I did
learn from Miss Bessie that I do
think is quite appropriate at this
time, however. She taught me that
if you don't like the service at a
restaurant, bring it to the attention
of the Maitre d'. Jim, as you and
some of your administration have
already said, I, as a student, am

University not four-starestablishment

has begun to smell around here, Jim.
It smells like cockroaches and rat
droppings.
I, as a woman, have tried to tell
you that there are many women on
this campus that don't like the "ser-
vice" around here. Because I don't
approach you demonstrating the
social graces of a lady (quiet, sub-

... I, as a student, am considered a consumer. If
that is the case, you Jim, are nothing more than
a Maitre d'.

considered a consumer. If that is
the case, you, Jim, are nothing more
than a Maitre d'. Considering this,
I would like you to hear loud and
clear that there are many of us try-
ing to get across to you that we
don't like the service!
In your tenure as president, you'
have taken the big o1'heaping help-
ings of racism, sexism,
homophobia, classism, ageism,

missive, passive, docile, meek), you
don't feel that you have the respon-
sibility to listen. What you seem-
ingly fail to understand is that if
women remain quiet, submissive,
passive, docile, meek little ladies,
we wouldn't even be approaching
you.
In the past three years, the clos-
est opportunity that you have al-
lowed me to speak with you has

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