The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 22, 1992- Page 5
(Letters continued from pg. 4)
DPS justified at football games
To the Daily:
I read with amusement your
editorial condemning the attempts
of the Department of Public Safety
(DPS) to control student drinking
at football games ("Is DPS
Watching You?" 10/14/92).
Characterizing the actions of DPS
as a violation of students' rights is
ridiculous.
When one purchases a ticket to
a Michigan football game (or any
public event, for that matter), one
agrees to abide by certain condi-
tions in return for the privilege of
attending the event. "Rights" play
no part here; by purchasing the
ticket, one agrees to follow the
rules laid out by the ticket seller.
Take a look at the back of your
football tickets and read the fine
print:
"Alcoholic beverages are not
to be brought into the stadium."
"Management reserves the
right to refuse admission or to
eject any person whose conduct
Management deems disorderly,
obnoxious, or unbecoming."
Why should anyone object to
enforcement of rules that have
been clearly stated again and
again?
It is interesting that you claim
that DPS's activities distract the
attention of fans from the football
game.
Having bought student football
tickets for eight years, I have
found the actions of people who
are drunk, throwing marshmal-
lows, or "passing up" people far
more distracting than the officers
trying to remove these offenders
so the rest of us can watch the
game.
Purchasing a ticket to a football
games does not give someone the
right to act in any manner they
choose.
Jim Huggins
Rackham graduate student
Bust student drinkers at games
To the Daily:
Your editorial criticizing the
presence of plain-clothes officers
at University football games ("Is
DPS watching you?" 10/14/92)
was illogical and juvenile.
You argue that "trying to
eliminate student drinking will be
an uphill battle - one not worth
fighting."
Following this line of reason-
ing, we should not try to prevent
theft, rape or murder either. After
all, people will still try to commit
those crimes.
You also assert that student
drinkers "usually keep to them-
selves" and do not present
behavioral problems. Does this
justify the fact that they are
violating University policy (and
state law if they are under age)?
You whine that DPS officials
are spoiling student fun by curbing
marshmallow fights. Perhaps
students at one of country's top
universities should not engage in
such sophomoric highjinks,
particularly when it may be seen
on national television.
Most sickening was your
indignation at the "violation" of
students' rights. You claim that
students "should not have to worry
about dodging 'Big Brother" at the
games. Get real!
Maybe students are just afraid
they will get caught. If they are
following the rules, they should
have nothing to hide.
It's time these University
students grew up and started
behaving like law-abiding adults.
Then DPS could stay at home.
Linda Wolfgang
Rackham graduate student
Thanks for Festifall
Open letter to the University
Community:
We would like to thank the
University community for its
participation in the most success-
ful Festifall student organization
fair to date.
Students were able to speak
with representatives from more
than 230 student organizations and
University departments (50 more
groups than last year)!
Despite the disappointment we
felt for having to postpone
Festifall and any hardships
organizations faced, we were
thrilled with the beautiful weather
on Friday, Sept. 25.
The feedback we received from
the participants and organization
representatives was overwhelm-
ingly positive.
We would like to request your
assistance in evaluating Festifall,
no matter your level of involve-
ment. Significant changes to
Festifall' s coordination have
occurred due to feedback from the
University community.
Please share the areas you
would like to see improved or the
items that should be maintained by
dropping by the Student Organiza-
tion Development Center, 2202
Michigan Union, or calling 763-
5900.
For those unable to attend
Festifall who are still interested in
learning of the breadth of involve-
ment opportunities at the Univer-
sity of Michigan, please contact
the SPDC for your copy of the
Student Organization Directory
(it's free!) or to speak with an
organizational consultant.
Beth Adler
Chrisann Newransky
Festifall Co-Coordinators
Stop perpetuating
sorority stereotypes
To the Daily:
Like oh ... my ... god, I could
just die, after reading Jim
Chapman's letter "Greek brats
noisy, obnoxious."
Like how, Jim, could you even
think that we sorority girls are like,
so shallow and insensitive? Of
course you, yourself seem like
such a nonjudgmental and ami-
cable individual.
Tell me Jim, how did you
become such an authority on
Greek life and tradition? Further-
more, how many women in
sororities can you call friends of
yours? Based on the stereotypical
categories you described in your
letter, I'd venture to say zero.
Since you are obviously
lacking in accurate information in
regards to the sorority system, I'll
attempt to enlighten you.
It is true that women who join
sororities embark on an odyssey.
But it is not a "four-year odyssey
of fake friendships, Stairmaster
and holding sorority bonding
sessions during Psych 172
lectures" as you described. Rather,
it is a journey toward sisterhood,
personal growth and a lifetime
commitment to the rituals and
traditions of the sorority.
Yes Jim, some of these
traditions may seem juvenile and
disruptive to you. But to us, they
are symbolic of continuity as new
friends join in our enduring
odyssey.
If your life was so very
disrupted by our 30 minutes of
enthusiasm and exhilaration the
day we handed out bids, then I
apologize.
No, not for the so-called
"nuisance" we created. Rather, for
your obvious mental instability
which caused our nominal actions
to so greatly interfere in the course
of your daily activities and
prompted you to write such an
abrasive letter.
Oh, and by the way Jim, I drive
a Volkswagen Golf, not a
Cabriolet.
Sarah Rose Mendes
Vice President, Gamma Phi
Beta Sorority
Bush-Quayle failed
American families
To the Daily:
I am responding to a response
by Anne Arnold "Quayle has a
point," (10/7/92). Sure it is better
if there are two parents in a family
- a child needs as much love and
support that he/she can get. But,
the way Quayle addresses the
issues is the problem.
I found the Murphy Brown
episodes where she chose to and
then gave birth to her baby very
touching. I did not find her to be
"glamorizing" being a single
parent.
It is a difficult thing to both
decide to and to actually go
through with raising a child alone.
Quayle should have com-
mended Murphy for showing that
life is not perfect, but we can still
have love and compassion for one
another. Instead, he condemned
Hollywood for glorifying unwed
motherhood.
He should have concentrated
on all of the violence on television
not scorn people trying to do the
best they can with an imperfect
situation.
Quayle should also try to
explain what the Bush administra-
tion has done to keep families
together and what it would plan to
do - in light of the failure of their
"attempts" for the past four years.
Angela Nason
1992 University graduate
I believe Anita Hill,
Daily flatters itself
To the Daily:
You overestimate yourself.
I am a Democrat and a sup-
porter of Anita Hill.
It is not gall you incite, but
laughter.
Can you spell potato, oh stuffy
one?
Julia Shin
LSA senior
To the Daily:
This letter is in response to the
article "Abortion is Murder" (10/
13/92). We feel that a more
inforned letter on the issue is
necessary because the author
misrepresented pro-choice. Fitst
and foremost, the issue at hand is
choice, not the morality of
abortion.
The fact of the matter is law
makers are deciding for women
what is an indelible and highly
personal right. The woman has a
right to choose her future and
make decisions that will drasti-
cally affect it.
Having a child is a huge
responsibility and decision. It is
utterly astounding that some
people can expect to tell a woman,
whom they have never met, and
whose life experience they have
not shared, what to do with her
body. The right to choose between
adoption, abortion or carrying a
child to term is innate and cannot
be decided by anyone other than
the woman facing this decision.
Whether or not life begins at
conception is not the issue. It
merely clouds whether a woman
has a right to choose. This is the
real argument between pro-choice
and anti-choice groups.
As to the comments about
Choice is a fundamental right
pro-life groups giving help by
providing clothes and food, that is
true, however, so are the acts of
violence committed against
Planned Parenthood clinics
throughout the nation. Pro-lifers
use scare tactics to confuse the
issue. Yes, we agree that a seven-
week aborted fetus isn't a pleasent
thought. But neither is a seven-
month old baby in an overcrowded
shelter with no mother or future in
sight.
Pro-life groups continually
impede access where women are
seeking care, advice and informa-
tion including alternatives to
abortion. This is highly hypocriti-
cal because terrorizing clinics is
hindering women who are trying
to make an informed and realistic
choice.
We are not condoning
abortion, we are simply saying that
pro-choice is just that: a choice. A
choice no person has a right to
make for someone else. To make
laws prohibiting a woman from
making her own choice is a
disgrace to what the Bill of Rights
stands for.
Michelle Bens
LSA junior
Madelon Gauthier
LSA junior
No equating abortion, Holocaust
To the Daily:
David Dougherty's letter
which compared an abortion to
the Holocaust shows that he is not
only anti-woman, but anti-Semitic
as well.
During the Holocaust, six
million living, thinking, breathing
Jews were slaughtered. To
compare six million lives to a
mass of cells which is not yet a
life, is ignorant and offensive.
The Nazis disregarded Jews'
individual rights and personal
freedom.
Maybe it's time Dougherty and
his anti-choice cronies take a long
look in the mirror and then decide
who is acting like the Gestapo.
Katherine Rosman
LSA junior
t I
U.S. should focus on world unity
Racism at O'Sullivan's Bar
To the Daily:
On Oct. 7, an incident of great
concern to the Asian-American
community occurred at
O'Sullivan's Bar. A party of three
- an Asian-American male, an
Asian-American female and a
Black female - entered
O'Sullivan's Bar. The bouncer
then asked for a cover charge,
which is not normally the case, so
they decided to leave. When their
backs were turned they heard,
"Get your silly Asian asses out of
here." Turning around to see who
said it, they saw only the bouncer
and other customers laughing at
the remark.
Many of you will regard this
incident as minor and trivial. To
do so is, in a sense, a greater
injustice than to be the speaker of
such racist remarks. By ignoring
this incident or by laughing at it,r
you allow it to perpetuate.
Whereas the speaker only starts
this chain of hatred, those of us
who stand by in silence continue
the chain.
This letter is not a demand for
an apology, for such an apology
from an ignorant person is hollow
at best. Instead, this letter is our
statement of outrage over this
incident and the countless other
similar incidents that occur, yet go
unnoticed and unheard. This
harassment and hate speech will
not be tolerated.
Tait Sye
Asian American Student
Coalition
Albert Chan
Asian American Association
and 13 other co-signers
To the Daily:
The time in history that I
began to question the two-party
system as a very unproductive
way to represent the people as a
whole was during the 1980
presidential election.
I was well aware of the fact
that the media weretrying to force
me into believing that to become
president you had to be affiliated
with either the Democrats or the
Republicans. It was also at this
same time that I was introduced to
the only type of political system
that I will ever support: the
independent system of govern-
ment.
During the presidential
election of 1980, the independent
candidate had the only voice that
would capture my undivided
attention.
At the time I did not under-
stand why the voice that I so
desired to listen to got far less
publicity than the voices that were
affiliated with either the Demo-
crats or the Republicans.
Although the government is
attempting to do the right thing in
every single case, it seems to me
that a lot of time and money is
wasted with trivial disputes
between the Democrats and the
Republicans.
I think it is close within our
reach that the world will exist as a
global community under one
government - taking into account
the morals and the ideals of all
people from every walk of life.
The biggest flaw that I can see
with regards to the responsibility
of the United States is in the
term"foreign affairs." I believe the
United States has the intelligence
and the technology to play an
integral role in aiding everybody.
Redesigning the U.S govern-
ment to place focus on unity will
be the most important day in the
history of mankind.
Christopher Carl Warber
Engineering sophomore
The Daily encourages its readers to express their opinions. All
letters should be 150 words or less. All op-ed pieces should not exceed
3,000 characters. Send all submissions to The Michigan Daily, 420
Maynard, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48109. Or via MTS The Michigan Daily:
Letters to the Editor
1
1
...'I i ?: ' i;'''t.; ~ ii i:i3 >'+ ' i i i
I
II
I
0 All.
MWor
l:
The Investment Banking Division
of
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
cordially invites the students
of THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
to an information session
on careers
in Investment Banking.
We encourage all majors
to attend!!!
Monday, October 26, 1992
MICHIGAN UNION
.-a11 -1 -r- -yc n 1 A
a
WRITE FOR THE
MICHIGAN DAILY
764-0552
Ancient
Formula
Health Conscious
Foods
Your first job after graduation
should offer you more than just a
paycheck. We can offer you an
experience that lasts a lifetime.
In Peace Corps, you'll
immerse yourself in a new culture,
learn a new language, receive
training and develop important
skills...and help to improve the
lives of others while at the same
education, agriculture, health, the
environment, and many other
disciplines, Peace Corps projects
around the world are bringing
help to where it's
needed...in -
more than 70
countries in
Latin
America, Asia,