Page 4-The Michigan Daily - Monday, September 21, 1992
41,
I e ttttgttn tlg
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor. Michigan 48109
764 - 0552
I lol ii i e
MATI'IIW 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 nece.sarin represent the opinion o the Daily.
--
zct
~cZZr,
RP
l
, ,, ,
I
rAgml. SPECIAL ,.
ft A al 0 A r
Hospitals should clean up their act
i)
_.
,_G"
G .a
,
_ t .
._
_
,r,..
(~ ; 1
0 ' '
y .
-
r" .
10*
Thr-- violations the Michigan Bureau of Envi-
ronmental and Occupational Health
(MiOSHA) has slapped on the University Hospi-
tals are serious and demand immediate attention.
Rather than paying the fines and complying with
needed safety regulations, the hospital has ap-
pealed - on shaky grounds - that the target dates
for remedying the situation are too soon. This
appeal may result in years of costly legal battles
and continued unsafe working conditions. The
hospital would best serve its patients, employees
and the community by paying the fines and insti-
tuting needed reforms.
Among the health code violations cited by
MiOSHA were:
"...unnecessary splashing, spraying, spatter-
ing... of blood";
"... regulated waste was placed in red bags
which were ... not closed prior to removal from an
area";
"It was apparent efforts have not been made
to ensure waste handlers and cart washers used the
available personal protective equipment";
"... cart washers were not prohibited from
picking up directly with their hands broken glass-
ware, which may have been contaminated with
blood or other potentially infectious materials";
"... two custodians who performed cart wash-
ing were not trained at all as required by the
bloodborne pathogens standard";
"The waste handling corridor, the logistics
room and the robo-system elevators were not
routinely cleaned and decontaminated";
This laundry list of violations includes some of
the worst examples of negligence. Some of them
- like prohibiting custodians from touching po-
tentially contaminated materials, or properly seal-
ing waste disposal bags --should take little effort
or money to correct. The others would surely be
cheaper to correct if the hospital dealt with them
now, rather than continuing to pay steep fines or
fighting loosing battles in court. But, hospital
officials have yet to adequately address the issue,
even though the violations have been brought to
their attention. One worker reported that he was
forced to mop up "blood and pee" that spilled from
an improperly sealed bag. These types of problems
shouldn't require major bureaucratic changes; just
simple regard for safety.
Additionally, workers have reported that hospi-
tal officials have been indifferent to their com-
plaints. According to another employee, when he
was pricked by a used needle, the hospital refused
to test the needle for contamination.
During a time when AIDS awareness and edu-
cation has increased considerably; when citizens
are encouraged to be tested for the HIV virus
regularly, it is tragic that the University hospital has
been unable or unwilling to meet the most funda-
mental safety requirements to protect its employ-
ees.
The Hospital administration should admit that it
made a mistake, pay for that mistake, and solve the
waste disposal problem as quickly as possible.
Until then, community members have little reason
to trust hospital safety procedures. Dragging this
issue out in court will undoubtedly cost a great deal
of money, and will not insure that University Hos-
pital patients - or employees - remain healthy.
pj /
1"
I.E7EJERS ..
0 SMOKING
vur WfE Ht I&L
SAFTY PROCEDURES
AROUND ttt
0
U
2
MAI1C1l
Joke went overboard
To the Daily:
Y'know, I'm not the world's
biggest George Bush fan, but
even I balked at "Bury the draft
issue," (9/16/92).
You marred what was an
otherwise well-written and
incisive editorial with the com-
ment that George Bush's war
heroics were based on his "single-
handedly crashing his plane into
the Pacific and killing his entire
crew while flying his first
mission."
First of all, I don't think it was
single-handed, unless you don't
count the guy who shot his plane
down. Second, do you really want
to accuse the President of "killing
his crew." Again, what about the
little matter of the Japanese
bullets' role in the affair.
Lastly, it wasn't his first
mission. If you are going to bash
Bush, get your facts straight and
don't use such stupid exaggera-
tion just for the effect.
The last thing you need is for
fewer people to read your
editorials.
Brian Kalt
LSA junior
Boycott Dollar Bill
To the Daily:
Today I was again subjected to
bad treatment from Dollar Bill
Copying. They get away with
treating students like this because
we are not going to get that
coursepack anywhere else.
Although it's true that I can't take
my business elsewhere, I can.
encourage my professors to take
their business elsewhere, and I
will as long as Dollar Bill
Copying continues to concern
itself more with fleecing students
than doing good work.
I would say that I'm overly
vindictive after being mistreated
by some nasty clerk following a
ridiculous wait-but it's not their
first offense. My colleagues and I
have been dealing with surly
clerks, incompetence, long waits,
and inconvenient paying policies
ever since being students here. So,
I am acting on a desire to see that
changed.
I encourage other dissatisfied
students to do the same.
Chris Lunt
LSA senior
To the Daily:
Aaron Hamburger ("Ridley's
rehash is still the same Blade
Runner," 9/15/92) says he was
"confused" by the director's cut
of Blade Runner. "There is a
moment," he writes, "in which
one of the replicants mourns over
the body of one of his friends,
then suddenly confronts Harrison
Ford, and then, just as suddenly,
is back to his mourning again."
This "strange lapse in continuity"
isn't that hard to understand,
though, for those who pay
attention: after confronting Ford,
the replicant tells him that he will
have time to run before he comes
after him, and then returns to his
mourning.
I bring this minor point up
because it shows, better than
anything else, what a lazy
reviewer Mr. Hamburger is. He
mentions that Ford's Steve-
Martin-style narration from the
original version of the film is
gone, but doesn't bother to list
any of the ways in which this
changes the movie - by shifting
from one viewpoint character
(Ford) to many, for example. He
doesn't describe the other
changes to the picture at all -
most obviously, the fact that there
is now a different ending. He
doesn't even bother to discuss
theme, symbolism, or even much
of the plot - even though Blade
Runner is full of all three.
We don't even get an explana-
tion of how this cut of the film
came to be, or any mention at all
of Philip K. Dick's Do Androids
Dream of Electric Sheep?, the
brilliant novel the movie was
based on. This may amount to a
"review" - but one that, for
those of us who saw and savored
Blade Runner, is kind of "confus-
ing." Ridley Scott's movie
deserves better.
Jesse Walker
1992 University graduate
Lazy 'Blade Runner' review
University Document and Supply?
T he original purpose of coursepacks was to
allow students to read excerpts from neces-
sary texts, without having to purchase all the
books. The price (and inconvenience) of
coursepacks, however, has increased dramatically
since a federal court ruled last year that Kinko's
Copies was not reprinting copyrighted material
within "fair use" guidelines. Depending on the
interpretation of "fair use," students may pay any-
where from one to 30 cents per page in royalties.
Since then, Michigan Document Services has
stumbled upon similar problems. Clearly, the laws
regarding coursepacks need to be clarified to pro-
tect students from sky-rocketing prices. Beyond
that, however, the University should open up its
own non-profit printing service and distribute
coursepacks at cost.
Michigan Document Services is suing three
publishing companies regarding the factors defin-
ing "fair use." The term is intended to judge
whether it is appropriate to use copyrighted mate-
rial on the following criteria: 1) whether it is for
commercial or non-profit educational use; 2) the
nature of the work to be copied; 3) the amount and
substance of the material copied; and 4) the effect
of the copying upon the value and market for the
copyrighted work. Michigan Document Services
says that if its use doesn't count as "fair use," the
law is unconstitutionally vague.
Because Michigan Document Services neither
wishes, nor intends, to drive down the value of
published texts; and because its services are for
educational - and not commercial - purposes,
the copy shop appears to be right in its criticism of
publishing houses and the law. And if the court
rules against Michigan Documents, the law ought
to change.
Until the dispute goes to court next April, stu-
dents will still have to pay excessively high royalty
fees when they buy coursepacks. To forge a long-
term solution -regardless of the court's decision,
the University should open a University copy shop.
Since the University print shop would be a non-
profit service, it would have to pay few royalties,
and would significantly reduce the price of
coursepacks.
Moreover, all students and instructors could
take advantage of the centralized service, without
having to traipse around Ann Arbor, searching for
the proper copying service.
Open letter to.
Provost Gil Whitaker has
recently initiated a search for the
position of Vice Provost of
Academic and Multicultural
Affairs and appointed an Advi-
sory Committee to assist him in
this effort. I write to youas Chair
of this Committee to invite your
participation in and assistance
with this search.
The responsibilities of the new
Vice Provost will include provid-
ing leadership in the planning,
development and implementation
of instructional and research
programs and other services to
promote multiculturalism within
and on behalf of the University;
conducting periodic reviews of
University policies, programs and
procedures that influence
multiculturalism; providing
leadership in the recruitment and
retention of faculty, staff and
students of color and
underrepresented groups; and
assisting the Provost in the
administration and general
supervision of academic pro-
grams.
Qualifications include a
distinguished record of scholarly
research and publication, related
teaching experience, extensive
administrative experience in
'U' students
higher education, and qualifica-
tions for a tenured appointment in
an academic department. This
individual will play a major role
in refining institutional policies,
programs and procedures
regarding multiculturalism, and
should have a record demonstrat-
ing a firm commitment to
affirmative action and equal
opportunity. The Vice Provost
should also exhibit a knowledge
of and commitment to the diverse
ethnic constituencies which
constitute an academic commu-
nity.
I invite your nominations of
candidates for this position,
which will become available in
January, 1993. In view of this
timetable, I would appreciate
receiving your nominations at
your earliest convenience.
Nominations,applications,
inquiries and requests for a copy
of the position description should
be sent to me via electronic mail
or in writing in care of the Office
of the Provost, 3060 Fleming
Administration Building, 1340.
Thank you very much for
your assistance.
Harold R. Johnson
Advisory committee chair
0
I
COItIIINSI:CpaGHTi n..mpeti.n
Abortion: Cooperation vs. competition,
01
ng the staving carivres
achfall semester, men suffer from "my mother nity Rush offers good, meaty food - for free.
asn't such a bad cook after all" anxiety. In the Some houses provide pizza.
dorms, the dining service mass-produces chicken Others cook hamburgers, and still others serve
chow mein, cheese souffle and meatloaf with such genuine, grade-A steak. We encourage all students
alarmingly bad results that even the most die-hard to take advantage of this free meal deal. The more
Ineat eaters regress into the organic, neo-hippy the merrier.
slosh diet of granola, yogurt and pita bread. Simi- In addition to eating vast quantities of good
larly, off campus, the daily diet of most residents food, male students will learn more about the
consists of Meijer mac-n-cheese, cereal, yogurt Greek system and have ample opportunity to tell a
and pita bread. few brothers just how much their fathers make, and
Alrandv alarg echunk of the Universitv's male what kind of cars they drive.Surelv. the fraternities
by Irving W. Knobloch
The abortion issue has created a
rift in the Republican Party, among
American Catholics, and among the
population in general.
One wonders how many of the
electorate will consider abortion
issues important enough to over-
ride other issues.
Probably the most important
point that I would like to make
concerns the matter of human free-
doms. As the population increases
in the world and civilization be-
comes more complex more and
more of our freedoms are eroded by
"thou shalt not" laws. Most people
feel that these laws protect us from
exploitation.
However, the geiicnal rule states
rope many of the freedoms that we
enjoy now (such as those in the Bill
of Rights) were not enjoyed by the
general population who chafed un-
der continuous political and reli-
gious pressures. Millions of people
left their homes and farms and spent
most of their money to seek free-
dom in the new world.
We should be the last ones to
forget this tragic series of events.
We should not pass a law which
repeals Roe vs. Wade and take away
an almost universal right, that of
being able to have an abortion.
There is no need for such an edict
because no crime is being commit-
ted.
This brings us to the second
source of confusion. Pro-life advo-
cates have been led to believe that
fused by this arrogant move.
The right-wing religious faction
holds that the developing baby is
really a child but the medical books
say that it is still in the development
stage and is properly called a fetus.
It may never complete the cycle
and society throughout the world
generally agrees with the medical
people: a "child is born" when the
fetus exits from the birth canal,
breathes air, is given a name and a
birth certificate. The word "mur-
der" is only applied to to an act
committed upon a named person
already born. No Bible passage
clearly supports right-wing theol-
ogy about abortion and murder;
prominent Jewish leaders agree with
what has been said above about the
onset of "childhood."
0
I