4 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, December 6, 1994
. e Cii ttn Nili
420 Maynard
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan
JessieHallada
Editor in Chief
Samuel 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.
'The pro-life side had its biggest victory in the
history of the movement.'
- Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.), commenting on this November 's election
MiE LEFT yS A COP oF "30OY'5 TOWN" I
CHAn
6RIA/J,
Wanted: housing director
University must refocus its selection process
The joys (and
;nightmares)
of the holiday
season
It was Sunday afternoon, and I
was caught in a traffic jam in the
parking lot of Target.
Ah, the joys of the ChrstmasO
season. I'd already decided to put
off my Christmas shopping until I
got home: trying to buy presents
when you've got three papers to
write and two exams to take is just
not productive. I went to Target
(that's Tar-zhay, as they say in
France) to buy a full-spectrum light
so I wouldn't get depressed this
winter and a ream of paper for my
printer so I could write those pa-
pers. Somehow Ijust wasn't in the
Christmas spirit.
T he University's search for a new housing
director is coming to a close. After nine
months of investigation and exploration, the
final four candidates for the position have been
chosen.
There are many important topics that should
be discussed during these last few weeks of the
search so that the University can be assured it
is hiring the best possible candidate. However,
the focus of most of the search has been toward
the living-learning programs here at the Uni-
versity. While these programs serve an inter-
esting and useful purpose within the Univer-
sity, they are not important enough to warrant
the amount of attention that has been placed
upon them. As the search process enters its
final stage, the focus must shift to a more
broad, issues-oriented perspective.
The living-learning programs at the Uni-
versity are not perfect models. These pro-
grams, such as the 21st Century curriculum in
Mary Markley and the Pilot Program in Alice
Lloyd, do not affect the needs of the majority
of students in the University's undergraduate
program. Moreover, the goals of the living-
learning philosophy - to create a community
with a dormitory designed to facilitate learning
- are often incompatible with a large Univer-
sity setting. Clearly, then, these academic pro-
grams do not warrant the time spent discussing
them during the current housing director search.
Furthermore, there is no evidence that students
really want these programs. Many students
choose to enroll in these programs simply
because of the dorms they are housed in. To
feel that all first-year students at the University
will participate in living-learning is a false
hope.
The attention of the search should be di-
rected towards more valuable and applicable
subjects. The final applicants should be asked
to give their opinions of significant concerns
regarding housing-including the expensive
dormitory costs for students, substance-free
halls and the entree-plus system, to name a
few. The applicants should also listen to stu-
dent concerns in an open forum. The ideal
housing director would have open communi-
cation with students, the real constituency of
any housing supervisor. Finally, the candi-
dates for housing director must prove that they
do indeed have a broad understanding of the
University housing system, and consequently,
have firm views on the issues involved. Time
and effort have been wasted in the search
process when they could have been more
wisely utilized.
The University should refocus its selection
process as it nears its concluding stages. While
the four final candidates may possess several
essential characteristics advantageous in an
ideal housing director, they have not been able
to express them publicly. It appears that the
right questions have not been addressed to the
applicants. The University must realize there
is more to housing, and to a housing director's
responsibilities, than a living-learning pro-
gram.
Focusing the search on such a small-scale
element of University housing has been to the
detriment of the entire process. Only when the
four prospects are able to speak openly about
the range of their ideas can the selection
committee make a competent decision and
chose the new University of Michigan hous-
ing director.
Students must beware of the 'Code'
The 'new' House
Republican refroms are symbolic, but welcome
Power corrupts, or so the saying goes. In
the U.S. House of Representatives power
not only corrupts but breeds lethargy and unac-
countability, as witnessed after more than four
decades of Democratic Party rule. Push button
elevators staffed with elevator operators, ice
delivered to each office daily and countless
other useless and expensive perks are distin-
guishing features of the Democratic House,
features than will not embody the House that
Newt is building. Skyrocketing budget deficits
have ushered in an era of fiscal restraint, send-
ing members of Congress scouring for politi-
cally friendly ways to slash the deficit. To the
credit of the Republican transition team, they
have found a boondoggle right under their own
noses: the day to day operations of the House
of Representatives. With a seething electorate
demanding change, Republican leaders' plans
to make the House look less imperial are wise,
even if the impending cutbacks are more bark
than bite.
The key components of the promised
changes are the dismissal of nearly 1,500 Capi-
tol functionaries, increased auditing, increas-
ing the size of the House inspector general's
watchdog staff from three to eleven and in-
creased accountability by making administra-
tive decisions in the public eye. These changes,
while perfunctory in the grand scheme of
things, amount to a revolution in the internal
workings of the House - a legislature with
traditions and norms of regality that have
outlasted their welcome, as far as constituents
are concerned.
The mnet noteuorthv ch ance in the HoueI
Administration Committee, which oversees
internal matters such as the granting of food
contracts and the like, to be replaced with a
new Oversight Committee. The new commit-
tee will confine its purview to broad policy
questions, leaving day-to-day internal deci-
sions to a new chief administrative officer of
the House, a position to be appointed by the
Speaker. This will streamline and depoliticize
decision making. Furthermore, the commit-
ment to make audits and reports by the inspec-
tor general available to the public is notewor-
thy because it signifies a commitment to an
"open House," which the GOP pledged to
create.
While the promised reforms are laudable,
they should be taken for what they are worth:
mostly symbolic gestures. Symbolism, of
course, has its place in American politics, as it
should. However, while it is easy to deride
Democratic pork and cut back and consoli-
date Capitol staff, it will not be easy, nor wise,
to completely dismantle the welfare state.
Unfortunately, internal reform is the excep-
tion in the GOP platform. The all-too familiar
normconsists ofvoodoo economics, draconian
welfare proposals and unwise tax cuts and
defense spending hikes.
Internal reform will save very few tax-
payer dollars, appease some irritated constitu-
ents who see members of Congress living the
high life and improve the image of the institu-
tion. However, these are relatively small feats.
We can only hope, and it is likely an empty
hope, that the Republicans have as much
sense in rnnnine the Congress as thev do in
To The Daily:
I was going to keep my com-
ments about the 12/1/94 article
on my lawsuit against the uni-
versity to myself, but in light of
the letter that Mr. Jamie Will-
iams had the gall to send to the
Daily, I feel I must respond.
First, the so called facts that
Mr. Williams claims were left
out of the article, were done so
because they are "facts" that
Williams has made up.
Yes, I was, at times, on the
same floor as and even near
Ms. Davidson's room, but that
was in no way to harass Emily.
The majority of my friends lived
on that floor, and anyone who
knows 2nd MO-JO knows it's
a small floor. I spent my time
with my friends in their rooms
and on their hall. Ms.
Davidson's presence did not
and could not have changed the
fact that my friends lived there.
She has the right to fear any-
thing she wants. Just as I have
the right to fear that the earth is
going to open up and eat me
alive.
I am only going to address
the issue of the obscenities on
her door by saying that is has
already been proven, and deter-
mined, that I did not write them.
In fact, the evidence has proven
that it was her own friends, who
were angry with her for what
she was doing to me, who did
write them. So, Mr. Williams,
if you want to get the facts
exposed to the public, make
sure they are facts first.
Oh, I don't want to forget to
thank Jamie for mentioning my
"team" of lawyers. My one,
very good, attorney has been
the one helping me along dur-
Republicans
selfishly
denounce
term limits
To the Daily:
I am writing in response to
the editorial entitled "Term
Limit Hypocrisy" which ran
on 1/29. I agre with the Daily
that term limits reduce the re-
sponsiveness of Congress, but
I think you are way off base
with your reasoning that Re-
publicans just "suddenly" re-
alized (three weeks after being
elected) that maybe termnlimits
weren't so good. In my opin-
ion, the Republicans are chang-
ing their minds because, and
only because, they do not want
to lose their offices with their
time is up. They recognize that
(unfortunately) America is
growing more conservative and
will not boot out Republicans
without a major Republican
blunder. They also realize that
ing this lawsuit, not a team.
And, Ms. Davidson most cer-
tainly did have representation
at the hearing. Her mother was
present, and she had, as did I,
the right to have an attorney
present to consult with. They
were not able, and did not
speak, for either myself or
Emily.
I want to thank the editorial
staff for last week's editorial
on the 'code'. That is exactly
what Thursday's article was
about. I havejust one comment
about the editorial. Ms.
Davidson, as is a matter of pub-
lic record, did go to the police
with her "story" and they did
nothing with her complaint, as
the 'U' should have done, be-
cause there was nothing to do
and I had done nothing wrong.
Now I want to focus on the
article published on December
1, 1994, "Stalking case takes
'U' student out of dorm and
into courtroom."
First, I want to thank the
Daily for bringing this case to
the publics' attention. It is very
important for every male on
this campus to know that they
too could be found guilty of
harassment. You may ask,
'What did I actually do to be
found guilty of harassment?'
Well, as the article stated, in a
10 day period of time I had 3,
count them, 3, face to face con-
tacts with her, all mutually
agreed upon. Two phone calls
and 11 e-mail messages.That's
all. I do not think that a ten day
period of time is a long time to
try and save what was suppose
to be a lifelong commitment.
Second, I want to correct a
very major mistake that the
College
Republicans
miss the point
on AIDS,
morality
To the Daily:
I am writing in response to
Mark Fletcher's letter ontDe-
cember 5, which comments on
the College Democrat's anger
over the JFK joke in the Col-
lege Republican's newsletter.
Obviously, Mark Fletcher did
not realize the message the
College Democrats were try-
ing make in their letter on De-
cember 2. The College Demo-
crats were not discussing JFK,
they were talking about the
AIDS flyers. To clarify some
points, AIDS affects everyone,
not just homosexuals and drug
users. It is hypocritical to say
"avoid homosexuality" and "no
one ever said hate was a family
vale" in the sme flver Con-
article made. It stated that I
ceased all contact with Ms.
Davidson on her request. On
January 15, I decided that I
wanted to get on with my life
and I deserved better than
Emily. It was at this time that I
ceased all contact with her, my
choice, without any idea that
anything was wrong. I did not
learn that anything was wrong
until Jan. 17.
The article that the Daily
published was not about the
question of my innocence or
guilt, being that I AM INNO-
CENT and anyone who knows
me, Emily, and/or the situation
knows that, except the Univer-
sity. The article was about the
lawsuit that I filed against the
University of Michigan for vio-
lating my rights, not only as a
student here on campus, but as
a human being. I was pleased to
read the last paragraph of the
article in which Alan Levy is
quoted as saying that they will
take this opportunity to look at
and correct their policy. But,
that is not enough, don't just
take a look, do something. You
have thousands of students on
this campus, and for those who
do not have the time, energy
and money to stand up to the
University as I have, they de-
serve the same equality and
rights that I am fighting for and
that are guaranteed under the
US and Michigan Constitutions.
To end, I just want to say to
all 'U' students, be aware. This
is a clear cut case of an innocent
person being convicted under a
flawed judicial process.
Marc Schauber
LSA sophomore
The Christmas season is a hard
time to be a young adult. As a kid,
you probably couldn't waittoopen
yourpresents; thedays until Christ-
mas seemed like an eternity. Now
the days until Christmas seem like
an eternity because of those pa-
pers and exams. And once those
are over, the days will seemlike an
eternity because you're back in
your parents' house with a curfew
and lots of relatives.
It's a terrible thing, turning into
a Scrooge. First, your classes start
to get to you. "From a Marxis
perspective, the holiday season
originates in the capitalist base
structure," you say to the bevy of
graying relatives over Christmas
dinner. "The capitalists want the
proletariat to buy things, so they
encourage a religion which in-
volves massive gift-giving once a
year ..." By this time you notice
Aunt Bertha's shocked look, and
the disturbing way her dentures
have fallen to the side, so you try a
different tactic. "Theologically,
Easter is actually the more impor-
tant holiday. Additionally, Christ
was probably born in the spring
instead of the winter..."
Now that the thrill has gone out
of Christmas presents, it's also
easy to get disillusioned by the
whole thing. I think I reached the
turning point when I was 16: my
mother asked me what I wanted
for Christmas, and I said "Good
grades and romance." Once you
reach the point when your parents
can no longer give you what you
want forChristmas, you've grown
up. Life is no longer simple when
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are
no longer enough to satisfy you.
Then there are the generally
bizarre aspects of going back to
conventional American life. No-
body ever featured a college dorm
in a Christmas commercial, unless
they were all talking about how
much they wanted to go home.
Christmastime is the season for
perfect families, and celebrating
all that is good and right about
American life (i.e., malls, televi-
sion specials and red-and-green
fuzzy horns, bells, trees mounted
on streetlights.) Even though it's
great to see your family and share
your experiences with them,
Christmas also tends to expose the
faultlines in the happiest of fami-
lies. We all have to face the fact
that Christmas dinner may not nec-
essarily be free of the normal bick-
ering and food spilling that's part
of family relations the other 364
days a year.!
Even if you and your family
get along well over the holidays,
it's still somewhat of a shock to gol
home after you've been commun-
ing with people your age for more
than three months. Nobody here
stays up until 3 a.m. on a regular
basis, and Aunt Bertha's never
heard of Pearl Jam. (She's a great
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