Page 4-The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, April 7, 1993
fikunlaig
420 Maynard
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed
by students at the
University of Michigan
JOsH DuBow
Editor in Chief
ERIN LIZA EINHoRN
Opinion Editor
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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.
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PROPAGANDA
Publication represents only some Michigan Voices
NTIL LAST WEEK, only diligentreadersof
the Daily or those who have been perse-
cuted under the administration's new
code of non-academic conduct had a clear idea
of how the Statement of Student "Rights" and
Responsibilities
canaffectstudents.
But, last week the
administration at-
tempted to expand
student awareness
through a newslet-
ter entitled Michi-
gan Voices. While
it's nice to see the
administration fi
nally decided to4
inform students
about a Code that
governs their ac-
tivities, there areP
significant prob- PHOTO ILLUSTF
lems withtheman-
nerinwhichitwas Don't believe th
done.
First,the format was literally amockery. The
main purpose of this newsletter was to inform
students of the Code -at least three quarters of
the material contained in the newsletter was
code-related. Yet, scattered among the infor-
mation about the Code and its implementation,
were pictures of professors on roller-skates,
unrelated facts about students, and a picture of
the cube in Regents' Plaza. The picture of
professors on roller-skates is stupid, the facts
about students are irrelevant and most students
have seen the cube and know what it looks like.
It seems that the real purpose of this extra-
neous information is to make students feel more
comfortable about the Code. It is a sort of
painted Trojan horse in which the administra-
tion has disguised its new ridiculous, non-aca-
demic restrictions, hopingtodistract the reader's
attention away from the seriousness of its Code
and its new kangaroo court. Granted, Vice
President for Student Affairs Maureen Hartford
has justasmuchrightto spew propaganda as the
rest of us, but students must view this publica-
tion for what it is -highly attractive manipu-
14
lation.
Even the information given about the Code
is presented in a highly propagandistic manner.
The best example of this are "students" quoted
on the bottom of each page in the section
entitled"YourCom-
ments." Each com-
ment presented fa-
vors the Code and is
not-surprisingly
anonymous. These
arenotthe comments
of anyone we know,
or the majority of
| University students.
The fact that these
quotes are presented
anonymously leaves
open the possibility
for the administra-
tion to invent quotes
ATION BY HEATHER LOWMAN/Daily or change them; es-
pecially considering
e hype. the factthat theUni-
versity gives the names of students quoted in
most other publications. While there are some
very mild criticisms of the Code neatly tucked
away four pages later, this hardly seems like a
balanced presentation.
Also, the timing of this newsletter is ques-
tionable. It was sent to students approximately
three months after the Code took effect. The
students already charged under the Code may
not have even known the Code existed. It is
simply not fair for the University to wait this
long to send students an explanation of a policy
that affects them. As flawed as this attempt is,
ifthe administration really expected students to
change their behavior, some such effort should
have been made before the Code was instituted.
Hartford writes in the publication, "The
editors have tried to include voices from around
campus, some with divergent views on topics
that affect students." It would appear that she
knows what should have been written - a
balanced newsletter, explaining the effects of
the code. It is truly unfortunate that the admin-
istration found itself unable to create such a
document.
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Editors' note: Unfortunately, sexual assault has become an issue of statistics. We often see so many
numbers, we forget human beings are involved. It is for this reason that the Daily dedicates this
space every Wednesday to sexual assault survivors. Some pieces will be signed. Others will not. All
of them present real situations from survivors who respond in their own way to assault.
'Dizzy. Sick. Crying.Alone. Totally alone.'
by an LSA junior
I saw him on my way to the computing
center tonight.
I was going to work on a term paper.
Couldn't get much done.
He was coming from the bar or a party.
quieter. We can hear each other.
Iwould have gone even if Ihad not been
drinking. I know. I think. I hope.
The door was closed. The lights were
off. A candle burned.
We sat on a couch and talked for a few
minutes. He inched closer and closer to me.
I trembled.
'1 ran back to the dorm by myself. How could I trust
my friends to get me there safely? He had been my
friend. I had trusted him.'
Drunk. Giddy with the basketball victory.
With a group of friends.
As I have on the other, painful times
when I saw him, I averted my eyes, my gaze
riveted on the cracked sidewalk.
He saw me. Smiled. Winked. Left his
rowdy entourage and approached me.
"You were the worst fuck I ever had."
And then he was gone. Left me standing
on State Street. Dizzy. Sick. Crying. Alone.
Totally alone.
This is how I felt when it happened. -
My second week at this University. I
was at a frat party. Everyone was down.
Tough loss to Notre Dame.
I spotted him across the room. A famil-
iarface. We'd metatanotherparty the week
before.
The music was loud. Everyone guzzled
beer to help us forget our sorrows. He and I
were trying to talk.
Let's go in the other room. It will be
Then a blur.
His hand over my mouth. Sitting on top
of me. Pinning down my arms. His weight
on my thighs.
He was so strong.
Struggling to remove my clothing.
Popped a button off my shirt.
He was so strong.
Shut up.
Taking off his pants. Still holding me
down. Muffling my screams. Trying to
move on top of me. Not letting me go.
He was so strong.
Then help.
The door sprung open. They had heard
my cries. I got up. Straightened my cloth-
ing. Composed myself. Humiliated.
Ashamed.
On my way out, I saw them hitting him.
A last picture. Blood pouring from his
nose.
I ran back to the dorm by myself. How
could I trust my friends to get me there
safely? Hehad been my friend. I had trusted
him.
Seven showers later I was still dirty.
Almost three years later, I am still dirty.
In my nightmares, he is miserable, blood
pouring through hands clutching his nose.
Until now.
In my nightmares he will be happy.
Hangingout with friends. Having a great
time.
Tonight. Tomorrow night. Next week.
My birthday. Graduation. My wedding
night. Forever.
I'm trying to work on a term paper.
Can't get much done.
Dizzy. Sick. Crying. Alone. Totally
alone.
SEXUAL ASSAULTS
REPORTED TO SAPAC
IN 1993:36*
Involving penetration: 19
No penetration: 5
Acquaintance: 23
Stranger: 0
E On Campus: 1
Reported to police: 6
* No additional information
available for some reports
SCHOOL CENTS
Voters can choose a more equitable funding plan
T'S UP TO US NOW.
On June 2, Michigan voters will decide
whether or not to approve the school fi-
nance plan that the state legislature hammered
out last week. The plan, which received wide
bipartisan support, would cut the property taxes
that currently fund schools while raising the
sales tax 2 percent to offset the losses. Because
the law mandates an increase in sales tax receive
voter approval, the plan cannot take effect un-
less the referendum passes in the June 2 election.
Many feel this is a hopeless cause -since 1972,
Michigan voters have rejected 11 of 12 propos-
als to alter the property tax system, and the last
time the state saw an increase in sales tax was
1960. However, forthe sake of Michigan's well-
being, it is imperative that 1993 be different.
The new plan is good for Michigan in many
ways. First, a rollback in property taxes would
mean savings for homeowners. The plan would
immediately limit local property taxes to 18
mills, with districts having the option to levy -
with voter approval - up to 27 mills. This
would mean a great deal to districts such as
Detroit, for example, which currently pays an
outrageous 40.9 mills. A mill equals one-tenth
of a cent. Furthermore, the plan would limit
property tax assessmentincreases, meaning that
property owners could anticipate how much
they would be paying in property taxes.
Second, scaling down the level of property
taxes would have great benefits for Michigan
business. Currently, many businesses stay away
from cities such as Detroit, unwilling to pay the
high millage when they could pay half as much
in another place. By cutting taxes and limiting
assessment increases, the state encourages busi-
nesses to invest in the cities that desperately
cant to districts like Kalkaska, which had to
close down last month due to funding short-
ages. The shift in school funding, to rely less on
property taxes and more on state equalizers
such as the sales tax, would alleviate many of
the gross inequities faced by Michigan school-
children.
The state's plan is not perfect. Although it
does move funding away from the property tax
system, it does not eliminate it entirely - and
nothing less will come close to solving
Michigan's education problems. The system of
funding schools with local property taxes is
inherently unfair because it means that more
affluent districts, with much higher property
values, can give their schools advantages that
are out of the question for districts such as
Detroit and Kalkaska. Until the property tax
system is abolished, and replaced with a form
of state funding that would ensure equal spend-
ing for all Michigan schools, the gap in educa-
tional quality between rich and poor districts
will continue to hold true. Furthermore, imple-
mentationoftheplanmustbemonitoredclosely,
to ensure that lawmakers do not decide that
because school funding was increased by the
sales tax, it can be cut in another area. The idea
of this proposal is to increase funding for
schools, not merely to shuffle the state budget.
This proposal may be a first step, but we
must be aware of the danger if the plait takes
effect. Lawmakers and citizens alike will find
it all too easy to become complacent, to con-
gratulate themselves on "solving" the educa-
tion problem and forget about it for another 20
years. This is exactly what Michigan does not
need. The only way to improve the state's
education system is to work continuously, al-
Look around,
be aware.
To the Daily:
When I came to the
University, I was naive to
-think that sexism was a thing
of the past. I soon learned that
this wasn't true. I became
aware.
Look at who the majority
of the speakers are in classes
or at open mikes. Be aware.
How many times does a
woman get interrupted when
she does speak. Be aware.
Why do men always feel
that they represent us? Be
aware. Why are we still
considered girls, when we
would never call them boys?
Be aware.
I know that ignorance is
bliss, but if you just look
around there are many
examples of sexism. Women,
we haven't come a long way.
Be aware.
Erika Gottfried
MSA women's issues
commission chair
Panther Moderns fear confronting issue
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To the Daily:
I'm writing this letter in
response to the Panther
Moderns group letter that
appeared in the March 17
edition of the Daily. First of
all I would like to say that
they have no right to decide
what I can or cannot read or
what I can or cannot say.
Also this group does not
speak for this "fellow
member of the university
community."
I would lketo saythat
although I do not personally
agree with the displaying of
the sign, it should not be
censored. Covering up a
problem will not make it go
away. The childish act by this
group is similar to an infant
thinking that things disappear
when their eyes are covered.
What is most offensive
about the letter is the
justification that they feel in
breaking the law. "Some-
times legality and ethics
conflict. Whenever we feel
that they do, we will act. Law
enforcement authorities can
try to stop us if they can."
Does this argument sound
familiar? It is exactly the
same argument that is put
forth by pro-life activists.
Abortion is legal but not
ethical in their eyes. They,
however, feel totally justified
in breaking the law. This is
no different than the actions
of the Panther Moderns
members. Where does this
lead? The most recent result
was the murder of Dr. David
Gunn, a doctor who per-
formed abortions in Louisi-
ana because "although his
death is unfortunate it saved
countless babies' lives," said
Don Treshman, National
Director of Rescue America
(U.S. News, March 22,
1993).
The childlike "dare" that
appears at the end of the letter
is exactly the type of ignorant
statement that does escalate a
conflict. Instead of trying to
deal with the problem, they
have painted over it and tried
to make it go away. They
have also broken the law. The
University should hold this
group responsible for its
actions or else it will send a
clear message that any group
can assume a vigilante
position when it doesn't agree
with the law.
How would the University
respond if Nazis spray-
painted swastikas on Hillel or
the KKK vandalized an Afro-
American lounge? These
actions are no different
except they are based on
ignorance and fear of
confronting the issue instead
of racism.
Jake Schmidt
LSA first-year student
Foster should rethink bathroom solution for nursing mothers
To the Daily:
I am writing in response to
the letter of Kinsley Foster,
published in the Daily on
Friday, March 12th. Ms.
Foster, you closed by ^ying,
"The answer is simple. Use
the bathroom." As a mother
who has nursed two children,
occasionally in public places, I
bag -few restaurant
bathrooms have chairs - with
strangers coming and going,
toilets flushing, and other
disturbances, the nature of
which I needn't specify, going
on all around.
Even if the bathroom is
completely private, relaxation
is elusive when one is
problems facing nursing
mothers, like those facing
people in wheelchairs, are
rarely obvious to anyone who
doesn't face them; we mortals
just don't see things that don't
affect us.
I am sorry, if puzzled, that
you find the sight of a mother
breast-feeding her child so
to enclose a table and solve
everyone's problems. In the
meantime, however, I'd like to
ask you, just out of curiosity,
would you really have
preferred to hear those babies
scream? One can turn away
from a sight that one finds
distasteful, but, as every
parent knows, there's no
emm~ning the fril-~throated
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