Page 4-The Michigan Daily- Friday, October 9, 1992 be Mtl~btn auili1 Editor in Chief 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 764-0552 MATTHEW 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. ROMny DEDAILY County, Democrats dog Dolgon W ashtenaw County voters will actually have a choice when they pull the lever for county commissioner, no thanks to the county clerk, or the local Democratic party. That's because despite Washtenaw County Clerk Peggy Haines' attempt to keep University graduate Corey Dolgon off the November ballot.on a technicality, a Michigan judge ruled against her, and the county's case fell flat. This is a welcome ruling during a political season when voters need as many choices as they can get. The Michigan election law that applies right- fully forbids candidates from hastily switching their party allegiance to get on the ballot. Haines claimed that Dolgon, whose name appeared on the spring ballot as a candidate for delegate to the Democratic county convention, could not run for county commissioner as an independent. The prin- ciple is sound, but her evidence is sketchy. Accord- ing to Dolgon, he tried unsuccessfully to get his name off the ballot when he learned of the rule, but failed, and was elected anyway. After he was elected, he tried to resign, only to be told that there was no mechanism in place for him to do so. He did not attend the convention. The law is designed to keep people from influ- encing one party and then running for another. That logic is sound. But if Dolgon did not attend the convention, and tried to resign from his post, he was hardly influencing the internal politics of the Democratic party. Why then, would the Demo- cratic party go through so much trouble to ensure Dolgon was on the ballot as a delegate and was denied a resignation? The answer may lie in the fact that Dolgon's opponent for county commissioner - and the Democratic nominee - is the incum- bent Meri Lou Murray. Such political posturing on behalf of the county and the Democratic party is unfortunate. It is not unlike the Republican party's attempt to keep David Duke off the ballot in many states. But whether the candidate is a former Klansman or a left-wing University graduate, the principle remains the same. /- I J (J Read it, know it, join the debate Greek system: What's it all for? The decision to join - or not to join - a Greek house is one that confronts almost every student at the University. The positive and negative affects of the Greek system have been debated amongst friends, in public forums and, as of late, on the pages of The Michigan Daily. Some say that women in sororities form fake friendships and coddle male sexism. Others are of the opinion that sororities provide a positive environment for women to live together and govern themselves. It is a place for women to develop necessary skills for life. Some say that fraternities are blatantly sexist organizations which allow for the objectification of women. Fraternity parties have the reputation of being a place where women are taken advantage of, and often times, raped. However, others are of the opinion that fraternities are a place for men to form close friendships and have a good time. Fraternities are a place where men can learn form the experience of other older men and form networks that can prove to be helpful in the pursuit of a professional life. Fraternities and sororities do a lot of charitable work in the Ann Arbor community. Is there a judgement to be made here? Is there a right and a wrong answer? Or, is it simply the case of personal preference? It should be noted that a considerable effort was made to find someone who had de-activated a fraternity or a sorority. However, all those who showed an interest in participating in this forum wanted to remain anony- mous, which is against Daily policy. " Be a good host to MSU fans The annual Michigan-Michigan State football game never fails to inspire hate-filled chau- vinist hysteria between the state's two sister insti- tutions. The vitriol seems all the more unnecessary as the woeful Spartans limp into Michigan stadium to face certain defeat against the vastly superior " Wolverines. In light of the plight faced by our brethren from East Lansing, and the hateful words - and even violence - which in- variably develop between parti- sans of both schools following the game, we must make the follow- ing plea to all civilized, indepen- dent thinking members of the Uni- versity community: Kick them when they're down. That's right. Rub it in their green-and-white faces. After all, do they ever take mercy when dumb luck and outrageous offici- ating combine to let the Spartans eke out an undeserved victory? Of course not. Juniors and seniors will not soon forget the stomach-churning PER LES display of arrogant gloating put on by Spartan fans following their "victory" in 1990. Dejected Wol- verine fans, trying to forget the travesty that they had witnessed, faced repeated verbal harassment by State fans eager to relive every detail of the game - often at high volume. So if the Spartan fans foolish enough to travel down to Ann Arbor for the purposes of watching their team, school and entire way of life be dis- he pot caling yVice President Dan Quayle seems to take the American people for fools. He recently re- marked at a U.S. goods exposition in Michigan that he is "at a big disadvantage" going up against Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Al Gore (D-Tenn.) in the upcoming vice-presidential debate, because of the unfortunate conditions sur- rounding his high school public education in rural Indiana. Gore, said Quayle, "went to the most expensive private schools in Washington, D.C.." And since Quayle (who is now worth upwards of $40 million) was forced to attend public schools, he should never be expected to match Gore on an intellectual level. While the second half of this cynically dishon- est statement is completely true, the Republicans' futile attempt to paint the Democrats as agents of a morally decadent "cultural elite" represents the anti-intellectual populist nonsense typical of Bush's desperate re-election effort. The Republican strategy of presenting the Bush/ Quayle collective upbringing as more humble and less pampered than the Democratic ticket is truly comic. Bush, the self-professed "education presi- dent," must have had a deprived educational expe- rience, when he was somehow forced to attend the nrestipnious Andover orep school and then Yale graced on regional television do not wish to discuss the game as they leave the stadium for their dairy farms up north, do not let the subject drop so easily. Be sure to remind them of the vast discrepancy that has opened up over the last two years between our football pro-. grams - and now matches the academic gap which has existed ever since Michigan Agricultural College set hoof in East Lansing. The only downside to the laughable ineptness of the Spar- tans is that the Wolverines will no longer be able to declare them- selves state champions after the game, because that they don't play Central Michigan. Michigan fans can thank one man for this delightful turn of events: MSU coach George Perles. Now that the steroid flow has slowed down, Perles' stone- age strategy cannot beat even Mid-American Conference teams. Unfortunately, many MSU fans are now calling for Perles to be fired. We urge all University students and staff to begin a massive letter-writing campaign to MSU athletic director Merrily Dean Baker, urging her to retain Perles. Perhaps Michigan can offer part of its endowment to sign Perles to a lifetime contract - including free medical treatment at the University hospital should Perles' health falter. If the "keep Perles" campaign is successful, we will be tor- menting State fans for many years to come. Sororities; Organizations by women, for women by Meghan Cleary and Susan Kridler What do Joan Lunden, SandraDay O'Conner, Ann Richards, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Ann B. Davis, Elizabeth Cady-Stanton, Margaret Bourke- White, Jane Pauley, Anne Klein, Kathy Lee Gifford. Faye Dunaway and Mary Tyler-Moore have in com- mon? Besides being successful, strong women, they were all members of a sorority. This group of women at- women and women's issues. They are a safe place to reside, an environ- ment developed to help women excel in whatever area they chose to pur- sue. Whether that goal be career re- lated, academically oriented or an- other group on campus, a sorority provides a base from which women can reach out and attain their goals. From Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center workshops for pledges, to the Human Dignity state- ment in progress by the Panhellenic Association, sororities are commit- Sororities exist for the support of women and women's issues. They are a safe place to reside, an environment developed to help women excel in whatever area they chose to pursue. tion, members are encouraged to be- come an executive-board member of the Panhellenic Association, where broader campus issues are addressed, including sexual assault, alcohol awareness and other timely issues. Sororities promote scholarship and scholastic achievement of all forms. The all-sorority grade point average is consistently higher than the under- graduate women grade point average on our campus. Sororities also offer tutoring from members in the house and recognize and reward scholastic achievement and improvement by its members. Sororities are student organiza- tions, just like many organizations on this campus. They are self governed within each chapter and all take part in the Panhellenic Association, the gov- erning body of all sororities. Sorori- ties are and option for those who wish become involved in the University community and interact with other students on campus. Sororities are not an "issue." They are merely another way to get involved in our commu- nity. Many individuals make up the sorority system here at the University, and each contribute this diversity to the system. Sororities may not be the path to everybody's happiness, but for those who choose to become mem- bers of a sorority, the rewards can be invaluable and life long. 0 tamed many of the skills necessary to become high achievers while taking part in sorority life. Sororities are a channel through which women can experience living and being involved with a large cross section of other women. Those who join the sorority system, are offered many opportuni- ties. Sororities exist for the support of Cleary is Publicity Chair and Kridler is Excecutive-Vice Presi- dent for the Panhellenic Associa- tion. ted to empowering women with the confidence and skill with which to face the 1990's and beyond. Sororities offer leadership for women, by women. There are many different levels in which to get in- volved, whether it be serving on a committee or running for an office. Every sorority is governed by an in- ternal executive board elected annu- ally. This provides strong and posi- tive role models for the younger mem- bers of the chapter as well as a strengthened understanding of lead- ership for older members. In addi- 01 ie ketfie elitist its to parents who send their children to private - even religious - schools, is puzzling, considering Quayle's stated disdain for the prep school crowd. It is hard to imagine why any sensible person would fall for this double-talk. Quayle, the grand- son of the founder of the Pulliam Newspapers, and Bush, a New England preppie who claims Texas residency to avoid Maine's state income taxes have both aggressively promoted capital gains cuts and opposed raising federal income tax rates on the highest brackets. Do these two men represent middle-class America? By portraying Clinton and Gore as educational elites, Quayle is dodging the real issues and waging a hypocritical cultural war. These crude dishonest tactics represent another attempt to divert voters away from the real issues, and reveal the utter bankruptcy of the Bush-Quayle platform. CRASS ROOTY241 DAY Foundation of Greek system rests on individuals by Bruce Namerow Over the past term as Interfrater- nity Council (IFC) President, I have always found it amusing when I'm asked to defend the Greek system. After all, when I arrived on campus three years ago, I had written the Greek system off as elitist, superfi- cial and socially high on itself. But as this overplayed story goes, my room- mate forced me out to rush and I went along for the free food. Life has been a lot different ever since. When you search for the core of what it means to be in the Greek system, it can all be condensed down to the simplest term: friendship. How- ever, the cynics will respond that any- one can have friendship. What makes friendship within the Greek system different? Nothing actually. Friends will be friends with or without Greek involve- ment. But the Greek system does pro- vide the support, activities and struc- ture to help friendship grow and thrive. On a campus such as this one, most students move out of the dorms and into off-campus housing. There- fore, fraternity and sorority houses can provide a consistent home base for friends to come together, whether it be to eat, study or hang out. And of course there are the big parties for everyone to just have fun - parties which are now run safely and respon- sibly. In our houses, we also find the support to help us academically. There is nothing like approaching an older member to ask for help in a particular class. The opportunity also exists to receive class and career coun- seling from older members who've already been through it all. There is community service and philanthropy which plays a big part in the role of the Greek system. Al- though such activities go on all year, during Greek Week alone we raise over $50,000 and perform hundreds of hours of community service. That is a record we should all be proud of. To add to it, in the past year the Greek system has registered more than 1,000 members to vote. With all this said and done, it would seem that the Greek system is a utopia. But like the rest of society, we all know that isn't possible. Like the rest of society, we are not perfect, Of most consequence is the his- torical problem our system has had with sexual assault. I would stress, however, that we are currently bring- ing this issue to the forefront and dealing with it honestly. Everyone When you search for the core of what it means to be in the Greek system, it can all be condensed down to the simplest term: friendship. can help stop sexual assault: no means no, it's that simple. We have also worked to address abusive drinking. Our recent adop- tionofanew restrictive alcoholpolicy has moved us in the right direction. Our continuing efforts to educate our members has moved us even further. No matter what your opinion of Greeks may be, one should remember one thing: the foundation of the Greek system rests on the accomplishments and responsibility of individuals. So, although this article has sought to defend the worth of an entire system, 01 ..