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February 01, 1994 - Image 4

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The Michigan Daily, 1994-02-01

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4 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, February 1, 1994

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420 Maynard
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed
by students at the
University of Michigan

JEsSIE HALLADAY
Editor in Chief
SAM GOODSTEN
FUNT WAIsss
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.

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I1VEt"1 1 I IV VMIL.1

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Foresightat tNA
Greenberg and Kight put tuition waivers to a vote

Michigan Student Assembly Presi-
dent Craig Greenberg and Vice-Presi-
dent Brian Kight have made an admirable
decision -they have opted to put their con-
troversial tuition waivers up to a student vote
in March. On this ballot, students will have
the chance to determine whether MSA lead-
ers should be funded, and whether or not this
proposed funding should be through the ad-
inistration.
Two weeks ago, Greenberg announced
that the President and Vice-President of MSA
would each receive a $2500 tuition waiver
every semester. The money would be pro-
vided by the Vice-President for Student Af-
fairs. As expected, the reaction within MSA
and among the student body to this dubious
agreement was intense and mostly negative
- and with good reason. The original deal
with Maureen Hartford, Vice-President for
Student Affairs, left out any guarantee that the
waivers would last indefinitely - leaving
open the possibility of the administration
using the scholarship as a political tool.
Clearly, MSA's constituents - the entire
student body - did not give overwhelming
consent to this idea. The $10,000would come
out of students' pockets every year, and they
deserve a say in where their tuition dollars go.
At a time when the relationship between
students and their government is rocky at.
best, Greenberg and Kight's gesture takes on
paramount importance - and demonstrates
integrity.
The funding of student leaders in theory is
by no means a faulty premise. Typically, the
hours spent by MSA leaders in fulfilling their

responsibilities are equal to those of a full-
time job. Many students simply cannot afford
to put this much time into a non-paid en-
deavor and must shun involvement in student
government, thereby artificially narrowing
the poolof potentialstudent leaders. Students
should be represented by the most qualified
candidates, not by the most financially stable.
Furthermore, the distribution of tuition
waivers must take into account any conflict of
interest that may exist. MSA leaders should
receive their money through an endowment
fund that is given as a gift by the administra-
tion to students for the advancement of stu-
dent leadership.
The University could donate upwards of
$150,000 to this fund, money that will con-
tinue to earn a substantial amount of interest
over the years. This will guarantee that there
is no financial relationship between the ad-
ministration and MSA leaders - in short, no
conflict of interest.
Greenberg and Kight have made the nec-
essary move for both MSA and students in
calling for a vote on the matter. While they
still claim that the tuition waivers are fair and
necessary, they have put aside personal feel-
ings about the issue for the greater good of
MSA.
This action should increase MSA's cred-
ibility with students. If tuition waivers are to
be instituted, the process must insure that
students leaders do not find themselves in a
symbiotic relationship with administrators.
But perhaps more importantly, student lead-
ers must have the support of the people they
represent.

"Liberals Beware - She's Here!!"
--The College Republicans and The Young America's Foundation,
in a poster advertising Kay Buchanan's upcoming speech on campus.
'D-VEAT AT COMMENCEMNT.
wwvUAreiy . w
DR. JACK
KEVORK IA N
LSAt/RA /
M 40I AIWLY
Lisa Turtle - proving that moral agenda.
interracial friendships can A speech by Kevorkian
No perfect world indeed exist. Samuel would be valuable in that it
without "Saved by the "Screech" Powers - would allow students and
demonstrating that the faculty to test their own
Bell" socially inept do have a place beliefs and see if they would
To te Daily: in our society to exist and classify Kevorkian as a hero.
We are writing in response flourish. Levin acknowledged,
to Ken Sugiura's article on These seven characters however, that some already
Wednesday, January 26 ("To represent the hope and dreams have voiced opinions. The
suffer fools gladly - or of America's youth. Granted, "some people," a pseudonym
maybe not"). We have a the Tori episodes kind of for society, have made it clear
couple of complaints. First of sucked, but Ken, if your that Kevorkian kills, and
all, what the hell does that perfect world exists without society does not like those
title mean anyway? Secondly, "Saved by the Bell," we who kill. Why else, in a
he refers to a better world as a want no part of it. democratic society, would it
place where the show "Saved JOEL SHAPIRO be that Kevorkian is
by the Bell" does not exist. LSA senior constantly getting into
We must disagree. In this ERIC SKLAR trouble?
world of sexism, racism, and LSA graduate It must be then, that it is
economic troubles, "Saved Let Kevorkian speak Levin's own "warped
by the Bell" and its glorious morality" that causes him to
cast stand as a shining To the DaIly: disregard the opinion of the
beacon of hope. This is in response to the multitude of our citizenry
A closer analysis of the letter by Jared Levin on whom Kevorkian has
show reveals the true nature January 25, 1994. Along with offended. Levin's
of a perfect world. Bayside Levin, I would like to see Dr. classification of the "ending of
Principal Richard Belding - Jack Kevorkian speak at the lives" (killing) of the
showing that authority need Spring Commencement. terminally ill as a stand for
not be wielded with an iron Unlike Levin, however, I "individual human rights" is
fist. Zack Morris-always would not describe Dr. as biased as Kevorkian
wanting to better his lot in Kevorkian as a "hero." himself. I think most people
life, all the while protecting Kevorkian as an individual understand how impractical
his friends and his school. has provoked considerable and morally difficult it would
Kelly Kapowski - a symbol (nationwide) attention by be to legalize killing in any
of innocence and purity, persuading and acting upon form. So even if Kevorkian
representing all that is good. others according to his own was a man who I had great
A.C. Slater-representing the personal beliefs about death. admiration for morally, I
eternal paradox of a man with It is paradoxical that Levin would still have a much easier
a good heart battling his would speak harshly of "some time calling Jalen Rose a hero
primitive competitive instinct. people...imposing" their for college students than I
Jessica Spano -showing that morality, when it is Kevorkian would Dr. Death.
an intelligent woman need not himself who most HENRY KRATCHMAN
be an outcast in our society. passionately espouses his own LSA senior
Code editorial mislead
By MAUREEN HARTFORD Student leaders were also Hearings of the Judicial
and MARY LOUISE closely connected with Board have been submitted

ANTIEAU drafting the specific by an individual student via
After reading language of the SSRR. A this method.
"Amending the Code," the telephone survey was I would also like to
editorial which ran January conducted and finally, address your comment
24, 1994, we feel public forums were held to alleging that "[o]nly
compelled to clarify several gather community-wide recently has any
issues that were raised. We input. information been available
support the Daily editorial The policy did not about how these student
staff's right to criticize the develop in a vacuum jurors are trained, or many
Statement of Student devoid of student concerns. other aspects of the
Rights and In fact, when the policy Statement's inner
Responsibilities. However, was near completion it did workings."
we expect that criticism to not contain any provisions This statement is not at
be based on fact. for amendment. all true. A reporter from
We would like to begin Amendment procedures The Michigan Daily was
by agreeing that the were initially proposed by a present at the first Judicial
Statement of Student representative from the Board training on March 6,
Rights and Responsibilities Michigan Student 1993. Several in-depth
(SSRR) is indeed a very Assembly. The language of articles covering the
important policy. Because that proposal was debated training session appeared in
the policy has the potential by myself and several the Daily the following
to seriously impact the student leaders until we week.
educational opportunities arrived at the language of Our most recent training
of students, student input the current amendment session was also attended
was critical to the SSRR's procedures. by a reporter from the
development. Student input It is true that the process Daily. Copies of the
was gathered in several of amending the SSRR is training manual for Judicial
ways. Each student was difficult and perhaps Board members were
mailed a draft of thespolicy tedious. However, it was provided at both training
and was asked to provide the intent of the students sessions and are available
their thoughts and with whom I was working to any interested person.
concerns. Ahmost 3000 to make the SSRR difficult Additionally, video tapes of
responses were received for the administration to all training sessions are.

Those in
the middle
always get
trampled
I love letters to the editor. How
else can one be compared to a
lobotomy patient and still come back
to write another column?
The tacit rules of journalism
dictate that a columnist should either
a) ignore letters to the editor, or b)
ridicule their authors in an attempt to
fill space as Mike Royko often does.
But, since I am soft-hearted as my
correspondents know, I can't help
but answer some of their charges.
Either that, or I'll take the Royko
approach. You be the judge.
The Missingthe Point Award goes
to Jason Pollack, who is inordinately
enamored with his own wit and his
extensive knowledge of violin
sonatas. "She appears to condone,
nay to applaud, the physical attack
on Nancy Kerrigan," Mr. Pollack
wrote. And what did I say in the
column? "What happened to Nancy
Kerrigan was deplorable, and I do
not mean to condone the attack
against heror anyone connected with
it." Hmmm ... I see a few
contradictions here. Come on, Jason,
you even stole my vocabulary word.
I learned "condone" for the GRE fair
and square.
Having grownup in Irving, Texas,
home of the Super Bowl champion
Cowboys, I do indeed understand
that hitting someone on the knee on
the way to the locker room is against
the rules of football. All I am saying
is that in football (or in men's figure
skating), beingcharming, demure and
beautiful willgetyou nowhere. Being
strong, tough and a good athlete -
all the things Tonya Harding is -
will. This is why I believe she would
be the obvious winner in almost any
other sport. But not in figure skating,
where beauty seemstobe score-deep.
But in this age of simplistic
journalism, subtlety is lost. I support
Tonya Harding; therefore I must
condone the attack on Kerrigan. The
point is much more complex than
that, but as always there is Right and
there is Wrong, and nothing in
between. TV has taught its lessons
well.
I laughed out loud at Joel Jacobs'
suggestion that "every one" of my
columns "in some way accuses the
entire male population of mistreating
or stereotyping all women." I have
written a few columns on feminist
issues, true, but I fail to see how
columns on roadtrips, people eating
Cheez Whiz, vegetarianism and
Beavis andButt-head'sviewofhealth
security contribute to male-bashing.
And in my columns on gender issues
I have defended assholes over the
much more PC Nice Guys,
acknowledged that men are often
nicer to women than to men, argued
that "vestigial" sexism also applies
to men, and admitted that my own
brushwithsexualharassmentactually
accrued me advantages for being
female. It is the feministswho should
be on my back, Mr. Jacobs.
But yet again an argument is

reduced to easily understandable
labels. I write about feminist issues;
therefore I must be accusing all men
of mistreating all women. Therefore
I must be a female sexist. Someone
call "Hard Copy" - I think we're
getting simplistic enough to merit a
story.
I have never maintained that "the
entire male population" is responsible
for sexism. All of us are responsible
for sexism, and I am the first to admit
that women are sometimes their own
worst enemies (that includes Tonya
Harding, who stayed with an abusive
husband for four years.) A woman
named Phyllis Schafly was almost
solely responsible for the defeat of
the Equal Rights Amendment.
Blaming all men for the sins of
the past and the state-ofthe society is
no solution; many men I know seem
to have a guilt complex for their
gender even though they may have
done nothing to hurtwomen. Though
I am glad they understand the
problem, I do not believe that they
need to suffer for things they did not
do themselves. As for reverse
discrimination against men, I have

0
0

01

Commence silence
Seniors deserve more input in choosing speaker

Dennis Denno is on a mission. He is
doing everything in his power to have
Dr. Jack Kevorkian speak at spring com-
mencepients as well as receive an honorary
degree. He spoke with Kevorkian's lawyer,
Jeffrey Fieger, he initiated public debate on
the issue and he routinely goes to MSA
meetings to summon student support. But
despite his attempts, the administration is
not only denying the proposal, but it is doing
so without providing reasons. Denno said,
"(the administration) told me to pretty much
forget the whole idea." Basically, adminis-
trators responded with a firm "no" to his
proposal, and proceeded to tell him that they
have already selected a speaker. Unfortu-
nately, they will not reveal this mysterious
person's identity.
Should Kevorkian be a speaker at com-
mencements? Is he too political? Would it be
a poor reflection on the University to endorse
"Dr. Death?" The answers to these questions
are irrelevant - for the issue is really not
about Kevorkian at all. It is, instead, about
student rights, and about a University taking
full control over an issue that should involve
student opinion. After all, commencements
are for the graduating class, they are not for
the administration. The students need to have
more say in a matter that involves them so
greatly.
There has been speculation that the
University's unwillingness to reveal the iden-
tity of the supposedly selected speaker is
because of security reasons. This is a logical
assumption; for example, if the President
were scheduled to speak on a certain date, it
would be risky to give public attention to this
so far in advance. If the University truly has
already picked the speaker, and if security
really is the issue, then why don't they just say
so? The Administration has a responsibility
to its students to be more open and commu-

one wonder what dark secrets lurk behind
closed doors.
Certainly it isn't feasible for students to
determine the commencement speaker in a
student-wide election. What if they voted
every option down? And, how could it be
possible for the University to present students
with a whole list of available options? It
would be ridiculous for the University to ask
important people to speak at commencement
with the possibility of later turning them
down after a student vote. So while a full-
blown democratic vote is illogical, the sys-
tem certainly needs repair. More student rep-
resentation is a must.
Currently, there is a six-person committee
that is responsible for selecting and voting on
commencement speakers. This committee
has two student representatives. Although
this is a start, we need student voices to be
better represented. Two students don't make
a senior class. They need to have stronger
voting power, and the board needs to include
more student members. It is already Febru-
ary, and the approaching commencement is
no longer a distant affair. By now, it is prob-
ably only wishful thinking that Kevorkian
could be on this year's agenda for com-
mencement speakers -- this, however, does
not change the fact that graduating seniors
deserve a greater voice in choosing future
commencement speakers.
We look forward to proudly congratulat-
ing the graduating class of 1994, and we wait
with anticipation to hear yet another influen-
tial speaker. Recent commencements have
been filled with impressive speakers such as
President BushGovernor Engler and Hiay
Clinton. Hopefully the trend will continue.
But no matter who the speaker is, it is hard not
to feel bitter toward an unsupportive and
uninformative administration that quickly
dismisses zealous pleas coming from earnest

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