4 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, April 18, 1994
aIje £iuitowun taig
420 Maynard
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed
by students at the
University of Michigan
JiEsSIE HALLADAY
Editor in Chief
SAM GOODSTEIN
FLINT WAINESS
Editorial Page Editors
Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of a majority of the Daily's editorial board.
All other articles, letters, and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily.
A new agenda for women
Duderstadt takes the lead in creating policy for women
The agenda has been set; now, all that
Tremains is for it to be fulfilled.
Last week, the University unveiled its
new "Michigan Agenda for Women: Lead-
ership for a New Century." This plan, com-
ing directly from President Duderstadt's
office, states as its "vision" that "by the year
2000, the University of Michigan will be-
come the leader among American universi-
ties in promoting the success of women of
diverse backgrounds as faculty, students
and staff." The plan goes on to outline sev-
eral ways of reaching this goal, from re-
evaluating the tenure process to reaching
gender equity in varsity sports.
First and foremost, Duderstadt should be
commended for initiating this effort. A plan
such as this is long overdue -one only need
look at University statistics to understand
that. In fall 1993, there were 281 senior
(tenured and tenure-track) women faculty,
and 1,683 senior male faculty. Yet 53 per-,
cent of lecturers - a non-tenure track posi-
tion - are female. Currently, women com-
prise 48 percent of undergraduates, but only
40 percent of graduate students. Clearly, the
University has a long way to go in achieving
gender equity - and creating the Agenda
for Women is the first step in this process.
There are several areas on which the
Agenda must shine its focus. The first, and
perhaps most important of these, is faculty.
The need for more women faculty is obvious
for several reasons, having to do with both
the faculty and their students. Women have
historically been the victims of discrimina-
tion in academia, as in the rest of society,
and deserve to have this situation rectified
and their accomplishments recognized and
valued. Furthermore, having more women
faculty will be a great benefit to female
students, many of whom have few role mod-
els to whom they can look for support in
academic life.
The Agenda for Women addresses this
need in several ways. It pledges to appoint
10 new senior women faculty over the next
five years, a bold and important step. Yet
this will not fulfill the real goal - long-
term, institutional change. In order to do
this, the University must - as it has also
pledged to do - seriously reevaluate its
tenure process, a process that was formu-
lated decades ago and does not reflect the
needs of women and families in the '90s. It
must take into account differing demands
on men and women, and not, as it currently
does, force female faculty to choose be-
tween family life and professional advance-
ment. The process must also become more
flexible across academic disciplines - cur-
rently, tenure requirements are the same for
all faculty, whether their field is physics or
art history. The Michigan Agenda for
Women pledges to establish a Presidential
Commission to study the tenure process,
and make it less rigid and uniform - this is
an important promise, and it will help all
faculty members, both male and female.
Another area on which the Agenda for
Women must focus is undergraduate and
graduate representation. Duderstadt has
pledged to make the University a nation-
wide leader in women's education, a place
where female students will want to come
study. This is an intangible goal, involving
less a change of structure than of culture.
Yet the University can contribute to this
culture change with widespread educational
programs on women's issues, including
sexual assault and violence against women.
The Agenda for Women provides for cre-
ation of these programs, and should move
forward quickly in this plan.
The Michigan Agenda for Women is a
bold plan, with the potential for outstanding
results. However, the University must com-
mit itself wholeheartedly if the plan's broad
goals are to become reality. Simply putting
the plan on paper is not enough - it is now
up to the administration, with Duderstadt's
leadership, to follow through.
Five years ago Duderstadt created a simi-
lar plan, the Michigan Mandate, to ensure
the participation of all racial and ethnic
groups in University life. His commitment
to the plan was both personal and unshak-
able, and positive effects are beginning to
show as a result.
If Duderstadt and his administration -
from the President's office to individual
departments - commit themselves to this
new plan in the same way, the Michigan
Agenda for Women can truly make the
University a leader for women in the 21st
century.
'University culture was created by white men to benefit
white men.'
- President James J. Duderstadt, on the reasons for creating
the Michigan Agenda for Women
4E V CLINTON ! MAY {o/ WANT to
HEAR ABOur MY HEALTH.4 CARE PLN
--'f
Anger at Arafat provide "mere words" which obvious double-standard
would project even the which serves to cheapen
To the Daily: illusion of decency and Jewish lives, especially
Last week, a suicidal sincerity. Israeli lives. Angry, but not
fanatic drove a car filled with The PLO chairman's surprised. Arafat, the U.N.
explosives into a passenger reaction is far more and the world have never
bus in Afula, Israel. When congruent with the image of really reacted to terrorist
the smoke cleared, eight "Arafat the Master Terrorist" actions against Jews. In this
people along with the than "Arafat the President of instance, the red-hot coals of
terrorist, were dead and at Palestine." Furthermore, it is my genuine wrath are stoked
least 30 were injured. A ominously indicative of how by the words of Israel's
caller to Voice of Israel little his Palestinian Police representatives.
Radio, speaking in Arabic, Force will do to control I'm sick of Israeli Foreign
claimed responsibility for the extremist elements, such as Minister Shimon Peres glibly
terrorist attack on behalf of Hamas. For organizations repeating the mantra, "these
the Palestinian Hamas like Hamas, Islamic Jihad, are the costs of peace."
organization. the Popular Front for the Acceptable costs for Peres
Within HOURS of Liberation of Palestine but never for Arafat. Well,
Baruch Goldstein's terrible (PFLP), and the Fatah they shouldn't be for Israelis,
shooting spree in Hebron, Hawks terrorist acts are trial Palestinians, Jews, Muslims
Israel and worldwide Jewish balloons. They gauge the or anybody. Then there are
communities responded degree of their organization's the astounding comments by
immediately and clearly to legitimation by the reactions Israeli Ambassador Eli
condemn the massacre. The to their deeds. Arafat's Dayan, who repeated the
government of Israel has silence has made it clear that "price for peace" mantra and
taken concrete steps, he will never be an obstacle then provided a reporter with
including the outlawing of to their goal of eradicating the analogy that one cannot
extremist Jewish Israel. buy fruit without money. In
organizations, to prevent Will the United Nations Dayan's transaction, the
future Jewish terrorism. Will draft a resolution "fruit" is peace and the
PLO chairman Yassir Arafat condemning this massacre? currency is the loss of Jewish
even bother to acknowledge If history is any indicator, life! This is not diplomacy
the Afula bombing? there will be a noticeable but self-immolation.
According to news accounts, silence on the part of that I'm beginning to feel that
when a reporter in Cairo worldwide body which the price is becoming
asked Arafat for some claims to speak for human prohibitively expensive and
reaction to the butchery dignity and coexistence. Arafat's fruit appears to be
committed for the cause of Global condemnation of rotten. Until the Palestinian
Palestinian nationalism, the Palestinian terrorism doesn't leadership is willing to come
PLO "statesman" turned and seem forthcoming either. to terms with its
walked away. Critics of There are not even calls for responsibility to act in good
Israel's willingness to make Arafat to restrain the faith toward peace, Israel
concessions were wrong murderous actions of his should not return to the peace
when they complained that own Fatah Hawks, let alone talks. I'm not against the
Israel was squandering condemnation of Hamas and peace process. I just want
strategically crucial territory Islamic Jihad. one that works for both
for "mere words." Arafat has So, I'm angry with Israelis and Palestinians.
become so cocky that he Arafat, with the U.N. and J. MICHAEL JAFFE
doesn't even bother to with the world for the Ph.D. Student, Dept. of
Communication
Stfling
dissent
Yesh G'vul means "there is a
boundary" in Hebrew. It is also th
name of an Israeli organization that
should give us all something to
think about.
Military service is mandatory
in Israel, and the military's presence
in daily life is much greater than in
the United States. Being in the army
is part of being an Israeli Jew, in a
way that many Americans do not
understand.
Yesh G'vul was founded by a
group of Israeli reservists after the
invasion of Lebanon in 1982. They
believed in the concept of
mandatory service, but only to
defend Israel, not to fight what they
considered to be a foreign war of
oppression. Yesh G'vul applies the
same standard to the intfada. Its
members refuse to serve in Gaza o
the West Bank for their annual
reserve duties. Conscientious
objectors to military service, in
Israel as in the United States, are
those who have moral and religious
objections to fighting, not people
who oppose specific political
policies. As a result, for the one
month each year that they would
otherwise be serving in the army
many members of Yesh G'vul ar
imprisoned for not following orders
and denied miitary benefits. The
organization helps to support the
families of the resisters, and has
tried to inform Israeli students who
are about to begin their mandatory
service just what sorts of things
they will have to do if they are sent
to the Territories.
Israel, obviously, is not th
United States. The intifada is local;
American wars usually take place
across the ocean. There is no
Canada to which Israeli "political
objectors" can flee. Those
Americans who refused to goto
Vietnam were thrown in prison for
a lot longer than a month. By U.S.
standards, then, Israel treats Yesh
G'vul with remarkable lenience.
The issue facing Israel,
however, is not how long to put
members of Yesh G'vul in prison.
The problem, as Yesh G'vul rightly
asserts, is the Occupation itself.
Within recent months, especially
since the Hebron massacre, more
Israelis have begun to question their
nation's proper role in the Occupied
Territories. The conduct of the
military at Hebron, as revealed in
subsequent hearings, was shocking.
Whether or not occupying the West
Bank and Gaza is essential for
Israel's security, it is clear that land,
water, settlement and military
policies in the Territories are
inherently flawed, and it is no longer
'radical' to say so. Yesh G'vul was
right to argue that the things tha
Israel does in the Territories are not
what the government had in mind
when it instituted mandatory
military service, and certainly not
what Judaism and Zionism really
stand for.
Israel has an army to run. To
maintain discipline and defend its
country effectively, any army needs
to minimize political divisiveness,
and it usually makes sense to take
action against those who break the
law or disobey commands.
Historically, however, nations often
find in retrospect that they
prosecuted the people who were
loudest in opposition to flawed
policies. When bad policy is
insulated from criticism, it becomes
stubbornly entrenched. until,
inevitably, bad things start to
happen. The U.S. experience in
Vietnam, among others, shows that
Israel's 'Iron Fist' is not the only
example of this.
It has been said that for
extremists (like ultra-Zionists),
raising questions has no effect; for
their equally extreme opponents
(like Hamas), there are no
satisfactory answers. People are
naturally dogmatic; everyone has
an extreme position on something.
If you have defined some part of
your identity according to your
position on an issue, however, it is
often too threatening to change your
I
1
0-
01
50 feet of smoke
Inside and outside are not the same thing
ith the finalization of the University's
W new smoking policy, many a dis-
gruntled smoker will surely be asking one
question: why? With what seemed to be
good intentions, the University has created
a policy with some extremely odd rules.
First, there shall be no smoking inside a
University building; second, there shall be
no selling of cigarettes on University prop-
erty; and third, there shall be no smoking
within 50 feet of a University building.
While the first rule is reasonable and appro-
priate, the other two, regarding the sale of
cigarettes and smoking near buildings, are
just plain silly.I
No one is disputing the intentions from
which this policy arose. There is definitely
good reason for a smoking policy. Many
people are bothered by cigarette smoke and
its potential health hazards. However, this
policy is misguided. Does the University
feel that by allowing tobacco products to be
sold on its property that it is somehow en-
couraging smoking? Does it feel that by
banning their sale it is discouraging people
from smoking? Either of these reasons are
ridiculous. If an adult wishes to buy ciga-
rettes, he or she should. be allowed to buy
them.
purchase cigarettes.
Equally absurd is the 50-foot "no
smoking" zone around all University build-
ings. This regulation now makes it illegal
for a person to smoke and walk through
central campus. On several paths through
the Diag area, there are spots that are com-
pletely covered by this zone (the West En-
gineering Arch, in between the UGLi and
the graduate library and in between Tappan
Hall and the Museum of Art, to name a few).
There is no reason for someone to have to
move 50 feet from a building to smoke.
Simply moving a few feet from entrances
will allow all smoke to dissipate in the open
air. If the University is trying to stop smok-
ing in enclosed entrances such as the gradu-
ate library, it should move the no smoking
signs to the outside front of the building.
Again, no one is suggesting that a
smoking policy is not a good idea, and it is
essential that the University protect the rights
of non-smokers. But, there is no reason that
the University needs to begin making arbi-
trary smoking zones that unfairly restrict
the rights of smokers. Perhaps University
officials will realize how silly parts of this
policy are. With seemingly arbitrary and
unenforceable regulations, they might see
Administration speaks
out on racist E-mail
To the Daily:
We are outraged over the
recent incident that involved
the use of a stolen University
of Michigan student account
name and password to send a
racist electronic message
through the Internet
computer network to
computer systems
worldwide.
We personally and
collectively denounce such
incidents within our
institution, and as executive
officers of the University, we
would like to clearly
communicate to the entire
community that this behavior
will not be tolerated.
Freedom of expression is
one of the core values at the
University of Michigan, yet
we deplore expressions that
create a hostile environment
and demean individuals,
their race, gender, ethnicity
or religion. What we find
equally appalling is that this
incident strikes at the heart
of anothe~r of our ce values.
action itself.
A lack of awareness and
silence will allow such
abhorrent acts to be repeated
time and time again. Only
through sharing the hurt
experienced by those
targeted by such acts and the
distress experienced by
others can we hope to create
an environment where such
acts simply do not occur. We
ask you to join us in
encouraging and
participating in open
discussions of such
incidents, and in condemning
this type of activity. It has no
place on this campus. We
must continue to work
together as a community to
make certain it does not
happen again. Various units
will be sponsoring
community forums where we
can share our concerns, and
we encourage everyone to
participate along with this
dialogue.
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Mason Hail activities
miust StoD
example was more than my
otherwise strong stomach can
take. I am certain that the
person responsible for the
contents of the picture is very
proud of his extensive work,
but I don't think I needed to
see it. Furthermore, I am now
terrified of entering any
restroom on campus. Perhaps
the University should look
into designating some
bathrooms as ones for
"traditional bathroom
activities only" - sort of a
parallel to the "substance free
halls" in the dorms.
On the other hand, I do
look at this as a positive
article because my parents
did save some money this
afternoon because of the
lunch that I did not eat at the
Union. As I look back on my
college career that will be
ending in less than three
weeks, I have many fond
memories of Michigan.
Hopefully this story will not
be one of them. I would urge
the University to take steps
to cure this epidemic, as the
possibility of fearful male
students like myself finding
II
01
{
I