01 Page 4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, February 3, 1993 ibe Ltidbigan +aIgl 420 Maynard Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan Josi Dunow Editor in Chief YAEI. M. CITRO ERIN LIZA EINIIORN Opinion Editors HR7ATS WRONG, FRED? 1 -IT'~HAT CAR oVEI TRE W'YIT DOESN'T HAVE / SNGE WHAT S Go TYO(),A LL SUMrP R.S-nCKFY? ONIT THAT EXPLAWIS HrOW VTHE OWNFP-- SE1T OUTA SHAPE? FEELS liou iNh Fou&H.S~OCIAt.. AND PoiiTICAL /;~u __:::": ~of o DAY ./WHAi~o ES i-I THINK I'M IA M/ND-READER z Y t I.-. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Daily editorial board. All other cartoons, signed articles and letters do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily. 1_ WATCH OUT If Dude leaves, next p> UMORS HAVE SURFACED inrecent weeks about Yale University considering Uni- versity President James Duderstadt as a candidate for its university presidency. These rumors may not be true - Duderstadt has vehemently denied them - but members of the Uni- versity community should bear in mind the process used to hire Duderstadt in 1988 to make sure that it doesn't happen again. During thesix-monthsearchpro- cess that led to Duderstadt' s hiring, a conscious effort was made on the part of the University Board of Regents to keepdetails of the search from members ofthe public and the University community. Regent Paul Brown (D- Duders Petoskey)-the chair of the presidential search committee- consistently refused to comment on the search as the field of candidates was winnowed down- even as the job was offered first to then-New York Pub- lic Library President Vartan Gregorian, who refused it,' and then to Duderstadt. Furthermore, the regents violated the state's Open Meetings Act in keeping the . hearings closed. The Open. Meetings Act requires allr public bodies - including the University - to allow the public access to meet- ings where decisions are made. Today, the University is still involved in litigation against the Ann Arbor News . and the Detroit Free Press,Behidi clbs aiming to keep the process of hiring a president closed. The regents hope to create an exception to the Open Meetings Act that exempts these searches. The regents' resolve in keeping the process closed has not been limited to presiden- tial searches. When Vice President for Student Affairs Maureen Hartford was hired in late 1991, the search process was closed. And when Hartford hired a new assistant to implement the State- E ATINR $MEA changes stop she OCESSIONS OF ROACHES spill out of cracks in the wall. Claustrophobia sets in as 30 small children pack into a room designed for 15. What seems like the unfortu- nate story of an underdeveloped country in turmoil, is the harsh reality for too many of Michigan's public school students. As these horrific stories become the rule and not the exception for all but a select few affluent Michigan school districts, the Michi- gan Education Association (MEA) introduced a plan last week that, if implemented, could alleviate some of these gross inequities. The MEA plan would reorganize and con- solidate the state's 500-plus school districts into 14 regional districts. Each school district would contain one school board and several smaller boards to oversee academic issues. Furthermore, the plan suggests offering social services such as immunization through schools. These bold proposals address the quintessential problems created for schools by "local con- trol," but unfortunately fail to provide a fair method for funding Michigan's public schools. Currently, property tax revenues fund Michigan's public schools. The result: Michigan's per-pupil spending ranges from one affluent district's outrageous $8,749 to a dismal $2,790 in a substantially poorer district. Moreover, city schools which often require the most attention usually end up receiving the e ez may also be illegal ment of Student Rights and Responsibilities - Mary Lou Antiou - in December, that search process was also closed. Both of these appoint- ments, which coincidentally are in the Student Affairs office and will certainly af- fect students, beg for student input. In fact, nearly every major admin- istrative appointment made by the regents in recent years has been in violation of the Open Meetings Act. It is clear that the regents and the University administration feel that it is in their best interest to keep the hiring process closed. For whatever reason, they believe that decisions that will have a marked effect on students are best made without stu- dent input. Their logic is flawed. ta dt But considering the pattern ex- hibited by the regents in recent years, and con- sidering the fact that there may be a major vacancy in the University administration this summer, there is reason for concern. Justin case the situation arises, keep these caveats in mind. To those students who will be here this summer: a warning to keep a weather eye on the administration. History tells us that when the regents or the administration want to be N> sneaky, they take advantage of the absence of most students from Ann Arbor. In order to prevent a recur- rence of the events of 1988, students will have to assert their right to know about the events that affect them. Students can do this by keeping diligent, ex- :d doors ... pressing aninterestinwhatgoes on in the Fleming Building, and - if necessary - loud and vocal protest. Hopefully it won't come to that. But whether or not the University is going to need a new president, theregents should keep the Open Meetings Act in mind for all future hirings. Whether or not the University is going to need a new president, students should keep an eye on the sneaky administration. Because it's better to be safe than sorry. EFORM rt of needed reform problem. When neglected districts manage to obtain grants or federal aid, the money tends to get lost within the massive administrative bu- reaucracythatplagues Michigan's public schools. According to one Detroit public school teacher, even the simplest tasks often fall victim to bu- reaucratic nightmares. Last year, she said, she decided to spend her yearly-allotted sum of money on playground equipment for her el- ementary school children. Months after placing her order for the toys with the district, she was told that Detroit public schools were so far in debt that the toy company wouldn't sell them the equipment. Of course, when she asked for the money to spend on something else, it was too late - the money had been lost in the gargantuan bureaucracy. The MEA's plan to eliminate "local control" by consolidating districts would go along way in slashing unproductive, and often, contentious bureaucracies likethe one in Detroit. Last spring, Cincinnati's public school system paved the road of reform by slashing its administration by 51 percent. These changes resulted in a $16 million savings that can now be invested back into the defunct public schools. The MEA's commitment to consolidate Michigan's public school bureaucracy is admi- rable and represents a much needed change. However, the system can never be equal until funding is more evenly distributed. Tax-based .hnin iseth e Pt wav to mitigrate these savage AND b -ooK AT NR H.!HiE's LVARN& 1 7=SIRT,~ FOR PETE'S SAKE ji &HTNol Covi-D EiTHER BE ' '6 rnW6pMY GOP AFFIRMING MYV( ?64F"S aN A HOT" Top cf 1ALR' AeoUvh4WAS'iTDoPPo, {/\,- .4v F r . "v, A K AI J / CUA/1FoRTuW~AT LY, fI7S Too LATE FoF . )W SHE 5HE^ SA P 5To S'r"A tJ t(.UP A N t AT ~ COJ2NTED. BuTr NoT Fok "O gRw'~l1irY ! OcuTr .iTHIS HAWDYCARDOFl" OU~TYOUR OWN rposvrior4 Q APE'ToCAg.S...R-r' FoRELA, E-r, ® I~LOOK OU' WoF4LIIP, MEP-FYc~.J GotME /" M r SuPPo/r T j PPcSE CA P i TA L , f 1PVNISHrIENTF ]5uPPoRT F-1 oPPo A FF1 R/A T ICE- v I ]V-- .uPf'c*rLT 0oSbE GvAYS IN TH E c'ZLZ L ' 1R Mp Moral education supplements academics i To the Daily: Much is heard and read about the need for increased funding for higher and better education. This need is emphasized through the phenomenal advancement of the Japanese students. It is true that we need better education, but our problem is in defining the term "better education." If you study the culture and back- ground of most foreign nations you will find strict adherence to basic home life education. In today's fast moving and demanding society for better living standards it is quite evident that the basic building blocks for a sound society are the moral responsibilities toward our neighbor which have long been forgotten. This education does not come from institu- tions of higher learning but from responsible, God-fearing parents and families. It is written in the Scrip- tures, "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." In bygone years it was a shame to use derogatory language and to superimpose any immoral thoughts or words in illustra- tions in one form or another to the general public. This is not so anymore. This is evident in daily conversations and reading material. The feeling and living standards of others are disregarded. This freedom of expression reveals the depravity we have reached when the University men's room cubicle walls are marred with vulgar graffiti and language which is sickening and disgraceful. With this type of exposure it is very evident that we indeed have an urgent need for basic education before we set our sights on distant goals for better and higher living standards. We see this need for discipline in physical contests, so should it be any different in the building of a sound mind? Without discipline we are sure to add irrevocable disaster to a dying society. Secular education without moral education is like a mill without water. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" and the one who seeks it with all his heart shall find it. A good place to start is with the books of "Psalms and Proverbs" and remember, "the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all nations that forget God" (Ps. 9:17). Reuben Peterson CRISP employee 'Abortion has its place' To the Daily: In regard to Howard Scully's letter "Pro-choicers prevent choice," (1/25/93) the pro-choice movement is not about persuading a woman that she "can't possibly go on with her education, career and way of life the way she wanted to, and therefore she has no choice but to have an abortion." Rather, the choice to have an abortion is the choice to bring up a child in the best of circumstances, in a loving home. Nobody is "for abortion." Every child should be conceived out of love, with a loving family waiting. There should be no prostitution, no rape, no incest, no "cheap" sex or "free" sex. No one should have to "advocate distributing condoms every- where you look," to replace the self-control that should have been exercised in the first place. And certainly, mere children, as young as 11, should not become parents. However, the world is simply not so ideal. Multi- tudes of children grow-up in situations of disease, abuse, crime and neglect, taking the blame for the wrongdoings of their parents. I wholeheartedly agree with Scully's charge to, "remember that you are not dogs in heat," and remember the responsibility that comes with the choice to have sex. If everybody acted with a conscience, what a better world this would be. The reality of the world makes Planned Parenthood, sex education programs and birth- control distribution practical solutions to problems such as sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies and AIDS. In addition, the rise of abstinence programs, a spiritual solution, will help forge a link between love, sex and responsibility in the minds of all people, not just the young. This double-edged sword is fighting the need for abortions. However, for those who are too immature or unin- formed to realize the responsi- bility conferred upon them at puberty, let's not consign their children to a life of misery. Even with the best of guid- ance and information, people make mistakes and ugly things happen that our unborn progeny should not pay for, abortion has its place. Isabelle Chang Engineering junior 06 MLK Day offered many options o To the Daily: I'm writing in regards to the article "MLK Day attendance suffers as students stay home," (1/1/93). A student mentions how she did not know about many of the events taking place because most of the advertising was directed at Black students. Now, I can guarantee that I'm not what anybody would consider Black and I was overwhelmed with the amount of activities I knew were being held. I found out through posters, bulletins," and yes, I even asked a Black friend about what events were taking place. Also, at the events I attended, there were plenty of other non- Black people participating. If somebody truly wants to become involved, he or she can gain information, if they put forth the effort to find it. Of the few people who attended the march, or other events, I wonder how many people feel that participating in a one-day event is all they need to do to help the fight for equality. This was not meant to be an attack on any specific person, but rather a criticism of people who feign sincerity and really don't care or don't want to take the time and effort to do something. Daniel Zarazua First-year engineering student S First Amendment ignored U. 4 a 4r To the Daily: In my five years here as student, I can remember many incidents in which the question of free speech has come up on this campus. The Administration myopically attempted to block shanty erection on the Diag. The Daily responded incredu- lously, citing our inalienable First Amendment rights. The Administration also tried courageously to rid our campus of the drug-pushing scum that occupy the Diag around every April Fool's Day by blockading NORML. Again, the Daily came to the rescue. Again, the First Amendment. The Supreme the Supreme Court decision concerning Operation Rescue's blockading policy, you slammed the Supreme Court for upholding the right to engage in peaceful protest. Now, read this ... when Operation Rescue members physically assaults people, creates fire hazards, tres- passes, destroys property, or does anything against any city, state, or federal law, they deserve to be arrested. But they have every right to occupy public property (sidewalks) and assemble in protest (blockade). What they are doing is no less a protest than is desecrating national symbols or constructing ugly gifted photographer) would be banned, Das Kapital would be burned, and the 700 Club would probably be run off the air (Madelyne Murray O'Hare would see to that). It troubles me deeply that the future editors of our national press do not understand why we have the Constitution. It does not exist to make the country a pretty place, but to protect against someone's subjective view of ugliness. Maybe you don't like Operation Rescue. I'm not too comfortable with them, and I'm an anti-baby killer, pro- lifer. But there are two things to remember. The first is that you yourselves respect the Do the regents 0 know studen4s? To the Daily: With all this talk about, 'Do the students know their regents? ("Anything Goes," 1/29/93), 1 was wondering how well the regents know their students. For example - do any of the regents or executive officers have subscriptions to the Daily (or other campus newspapers), or do they pick up copies around campus on a daily basis? What about classes and student events - do they attend lectures once in a while to see what the leaders of tomorrow are learning today? Just curious. Stuart Kaplan L A SAni;r * U. *