Daily offers a student * perspective by Geoff Earle Everyone reads the Daily - they really do. I'm not claiming this out of blind egotism or even out of my love for the newspaper. Many stu- dents only read the Daily as a way to kill time before classes. A marketing survey conducted a few years ago made it clear that it is the Daily crossword puzzle and Calvin and Hobbes - not our editorial policy - that most students are concerned about. But I like to think there are other reasons why everyone reads the Daily. Administrators read it to field criticism of their policies. Professors read it to survey student opinion. Activists read it to see themselves in print. And scores of letter-writers read it awaiting a screw-up so that they can scold us in print. More importantly, though, the Daily offers a unique perspective that other papers don't have - a student perspective. And the Daily's commitment to students goes beyond what's inscribed in its masthead. It is not only "edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan," but for students at the University of Michigan. Without this perspective, student issues might well get swept under the carpet. When Daily reporters write sto- ries about national issues like the '92 election, they always include a student reaction. When the Daily made endorsements for Ann Arbor City Council seats, its editorial deci- sions were made on the basis of stu- dent issues. What was the candidate's posi- tion on the city's crackdown on loud parties? On the Ann Arbor Police's affinity for tear gas? These questions were important to students, and only the Daily pursued them. Without the Daily, students would have to chose a candidate based on someone else's criteria. That means the campaign issues would center around garbage dumps and property taxes - something students care little about. When covering the University, a student perspective is especially crucial. One thing that becomes clear after a brief tenure here is that the University is about more than just students. Faculty, state taxpayers, local residents, and alumni all have a stake in the University. But it often seems like each of these constituencies has someone looking out for their interests. City residents have a City Council that caters to their needs. The University administration has the regents to vote its agenda. Alumni have finan- cial clout to buy influence. But stu- dents - despite the giant financial contribution represented by tuition dollars - don't have much pull around here. That is why when University de- cisions are made (and they are usu- ally made without student input) someone needs to be writing about how it affects students. When the re- gents pass a budget for the University, the University Record and the local newspapers may be concerned about funding for the medical center. But students would probably rather know how much their tuition went up and why. When the University doesn't of- fer students a place to study all night, they need to know what their student government is doing about it. A variety of rare conditions make the Daily's independent perspective possible. For one thing, there are no real economic pressures affecting what appears in the Daily - a far cry from the considerable pull ad- vertisers have over the "corporate media." Sometimes this freedom allows the Daily to fall into the trap of mak- ing the news instead of simply re- porting it. Two of the biggest issues on campus last year involved pieces that appeared in the Daily - a holo- caust revisionist ad and editorial cartoons that some deemed offen- sive. Regardless of those debates, it is encouraging that the student newspaper had the freedom to ignite them. That freedom simply does not exist in the mainstream media. It is that type of freedom to print what the editors see fit, coupled with the Daily's commitment to deal first and foremost with student issues, .. nfr'. TnAM. ranilpr. a :in_ n The Michigan Daily/New Student Edition-Perspectives - Thursday, September 10, 1992 - Page 3 SHARON MUSHER/Daily Two women rally at the annual Take Back the Night March. Campus women's organizations offer political action, support FROM THE EDITOR Students leave 'U' ready for real world by Melissa Peerless Daily NSE Editor Three hours after my parents first brought me to the University, I was bopping from frat party to frat party having the time of my life. "This is college," I thought, relishing the freedom - from curfews, from enforced laws about underaged drinking, from responsibility to any- one besides myself. Three weeks later, I was sitting in a blisteringly hot laundry room in Mary Markley Hall, struggling to understand some chemistry problems while doing an emergency load of whites. I was sweaty, confused and miserable. "This is college," I thought, fearing I would crack under all of the pres- sure - to get good grades, to keep every aspect of my life in order, to get along with my roommate. I was right both times. College is all things to all people. It's parties, but it's also laundry. It's free beer, but it's also chemistry. It's playing fris- bee on the Diag on a gorgeous spring afternoon, but it's also trekking through three feet of snow to go to early morning classes in February. A successful college career blends the right amount of unabashed glee with just enough woeful misery. There really is a positive for every nega- tive. A tragedy is always followed by some wonderful occurrence. A bad grade in one class always coincides with a perfect paper in another. A fight with one friend always reinforces closeness with someone else. A large university magnifies the paradox of college life. An institution dealing with thousands of students cannot reach out to every student and offer special advice and personal attention. This lack o guidance may cause you to take courses which are too difficult or choose a major which is not suited to you. At the same time, however, students who are left to fend for themselves often stumble upon new and enriching expe- riences they would not encounter in a more rigidly programmed environment. A smaller school would keep a closer eye on students. The watch - while protective and comforting - becomes restrictive and limiting. The University draws its students from hundreds of different back- grounds, while smaller colleges often attract students from specific envi- ronments or areas. The University's diverse student body is both its biggest asset and worst drawback. You will come into contact with people who have grown up in circum- stances completely unlike your own. This can cause problems. Some students find it difficult to adjust to liv- ing in a multicultural community. Intolerance has resulted in a campus which is segregated, with many students spending time only with those people similar to themselves. These people miss out on the best education the University has to offer. More than 40,000 individuals - each with original ideas, perspectives and emotions - make up the University community. You owe it to yourself to listen to others' viewpoints. You will certainly be enlightened, and may even change your mind. You are used to home - for some of you, a place where everyone acted the same way, looked the same way, and thought the same way. At home, nobody encouraged you to protest anything. But nobody en- couraged you to question anything either. Just as you should challenge yourself academically by taking difficult courses, you should challenge yourself morally and intellectually by giving different viewpoints a chance. You should take advantage of the diverse perspectives expressed by students on campus. You shouldn't be afraid to disagree with unconventional ideas, but you shouldn't be afraid to agree with them either. Living in a multicultural community is not easy, but it is realistic. Existing as part of a diverse student population helps prepare you to exist as part of a diverse world population. You will learn how to take both failures and successes in stride as you complete your college career. You will emerge ready to tackle a world even bigger - and more confusing - than the University. by Gwen Shaffer Daily Staff Reporter Whether you are male or female, there is a group on campus dealing with women's issues that could af- fect your life. From staunch conser- vatism to the radical left, the follow- ing is a summary of some of the more active University organizations that deal with gender issues. The Society of Women engineers (SWE) was founded on the base of promoting careers in engineering and encouraging women to pursue them. SWE is open to both female and male engineering students and focuses on educating all students about engineering, providing stu- dents technical and professional de- velopment opportunities and promot- ing the engineering field as a whole. The Ann Arbor Coalition to Defend Abortion and Reproductive Rights, commonly known as AACDARR, is an organization which actively fights for women's rights. Some of its goals are to maintain Roe v. Wade, defend women's health care clinics and support free, safe abortions. For students already involved in student organizations - but who have a personal interest in preserving women's reproductive freedoms - the Pro-Choice Coalition functions as an umbrella group. It attempts to unify pro-choice students from many different student groups and back- grounds. Its chief purposes include educating and involving mainstream students not affiliated with other pro-choice or political groups. On the other side of the spectrum, Students for Life is a coalition of University students who seek to en- gage the important issues and con- positions. The Feminist Women's Union is a broad-based feminist movement committed to internal education and outreach to the public. The Union sponsors public forums, lectures and study groups. The Feminist Women's Union is the main orga- nizer of the annual Take Back the Night Rally, a march for women For students already involved in student organizations - but who have a personal interest in preserving women's reproductive freedoms - the Pro-Choice Coalition functions as an umbrella group. f# cerns surrounding abortion and the preservation of pre-born, human life. Women who would like to pro- mote sisterhood, scholarship, and community service might find their niche in the Angel Club. The Angel Club is a non-profit, non-Greek or- ganization specifically for women. The Domestic Violence Project provides direct services to survivors of domestic violence and their chil- dren. In addition, the Domestic Violence Project promotes com- munity education through counseling and group dialogues. Students are always needed to help answer calls on the phone lines and in support held to commemorate a woman's right to walk safely through the streets at night. The Jewish Feminists group is a branch of Hillel, the student syna- gogue. The group meets regularly throughout the academic year to ex- plore issues that impact the lives of its participants as Jews and women. The organization is open to anyone in the University or local commu- nity. Recent topics discussed include Judaism and abortion and Yiddish Women's Poetry. The group also presents programs of special interest, such as the annual Feminist Seder during Passover. University Activities Center lets 4 4 students show their true talents by Lee Gardy The University Activities Center (UAC) - the single largest student-run organization at the University - was created in 1965 to pro- vide the campus with a programming board devoted to offering a variety of cultural, social, and educational events. UAC is operated by volunteer students who are in charge of all of the organization's day-to-day administration, including financial. This provides the student body with a tremendous opportunity not only to gain valuable professional and leadership experience, but also to meet new people and - most importantly - to have fun. The majority of UAC's work is done in its 18 committees, which cover a wide range of interests. If, for example, you enjoy performing on stage, UAC has five groups that might be for you. Amazin' Blue is a co-ed a capella singing ensemble that performs a variety of music in- cluding rock, jazz, and blues. It holds one con- cert per term at the Rackham Auditorium. Comedy Company is our student-directed and written comedy troupe. It also performs once- a-term at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre and has taken the show to other schools in the Big 10. For those who have training in dance but are not dance majors, Impact Dance could be the ticket. Auditions are held in early fall, and the company's performance is in the spring. M U S K E T presents a musical each semester in the Power Center. Last year, the group's performances of Evita and Chess played to rave reviews and sold-out audiences. Meanwhile, Soph Show's cast is restricted to first-year students and sophomores. Auditions will be held in the fall for the first show, The Apple Tree. While the arts are certainly a major part of UAC, we also have a few other groups devoted headliners Wednesday nights at the U-Club in the Union. Stop by some night for some great laughs. Soundstage provides musical enter- tainment Thursday nights at the U-Club. Established bands - both local and student - are featured each week. Special Promotions brings exciting activities to the University. Past events have included the CBS College Tour and fashion shows by Girbaud and Mademoiselle Magazine. Finally, Starbound, the campus-wide talent competition, provides students with the opportunity to perform, win prizes, and gain experience and recognition. Two of the University's greatest traditions are organized by UAC committees. As official coordinators of Homecoming, we plan the The majority of UAC's work is done in its 18 committees, which cover a wide range of interests. parade, float contest, pep rally, and many other campus-wide activities. Michigras brings the festive atmosphere of Mardi Gras by celebrat- ing the coming of spring with a fair on campus. UAC, however, has not forgotten its obliga- tion to planning educational activities. College Bowl is a competitive quiz-trivia contest which begins with an intramural tournament in the fall. The all-star team selected from that tour- nament travels to other competitions during the winter term. The University's team has fin- ished in the top 10 nationwide for the last two years. Each term, Mini-Courses offers more than 30 non-credit courses including ballroom dancing, bartending, and wine tasting (sorry, you must be 21 years of age or older, but it will be worth the wait). Viewpoint Lectures sponsors -a variety of lectures and forums. Previous speakers have included Spike Lee, Betty Friedan, and ESPN's Chris Berman. 'fk53?rs .It _ I I