4 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, October 3, 1994
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'Men are competitive by nature, whereas with
women, the role of rush is to keep everyone even.'
- Terry Landes, Interfraternitv Council coordinator
420 Maynard
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan
Jessie Halladay
Editor in Chief
Samuel Goodstein
Flint Wainess
Editorial Page Editors
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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.
Dirty politics at MSA
Students will need to recharge AATU in Nov.
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Last Thursday, in an emergency meeting
alled to finally resolve their budget, the
Michigan Student Assembly (MSA) allocated
only $2,000 to the Ann Arbor Tenants' Union
(AATU), a fraction of the $24,320 allocated
last year. This money will only cover AATU
operating expenses through September, and
MSA is the AATU's principal source of in-
come. In a last-ditch effort to save face, sup-
porters of the AATU obtained a temporary
restraining order from the Central Student
Judiciary (which will prevent MSA from
spending any money until the case is heard
Monday evening) because they felt represen-
tatives were not duly notified of the meeting.
The unfortunate reality is that MSA President
Julie Neenan and her cohorts have sacrificed a
vital student resource that cannot yet be dupli-
cated. The funds that would have gone to the
AATU were transferred into MSA's Student
Lobbying Fund.
The real issue here is not the import of the
Tenants' Union, but the short-sightedness of
President Neenan and the Michigan Party. On
the November MSA ballot, students will be
presented with a ballot question asking whether
or not they wish to pay an additional few cents
to cover expenses for the AATU. Until stu-
dents decide the fate of the Tenants' Union,
MSA should keep the organization viable. If
students decide that they do not want to sup-
port the organization, this is a mandate for
MSA to cut funding. Until then, they should
have continued supporting the AATU.
Two points in particular highlight our
qualms with the Michigan Party. First of all,
there exists a provision in the MSA compiled
code which allows the Assembly to raise the
student fee without seeking student approval.
Only the rubber stamp of the Board of Regents
is required. Generally, this page holds that any
such budgetary maneuver would violate the
spirit of MSA's constitution. However, the
ability to govern sometimes calls for extraor-
dinary measures, and raising the student fee
would certainly be such an instance from
which all in the community would benefit. If
the Michigan Party is so dead-set against using
current funds to support the Tenants' Union,
they certainly could have raised the student fee
five cents to keep the AATU strong until
students decide its fate in November. If stu-
dents proceeded to vote against this fee in-
crease, the Assembly could repeal the fee
increase and the issue, along with the Tenants'
Union, would die.
Our second sticking point lies with the fact
that enough money was in the MSA surplus
budget from last year to tide the AATU over
until students decide its fate. Claims that AATU
funding had to be cut to support student groups
are vacuous, because the money for student
groups comes from a separate budget, and
instead of giving the surplus money to stu-
dents, or the lobbying fund, the surplus could
have been used to support the Tenants' Union.
So it ends. The bickering, posturing and
politicking has come to a close and now the
fate of the Tenants' Union rests solely in the
hands of students - ultimately where it be-
longs. While the Michigan Party won this
round, students can reverse the decision by
voting in November to support the Tenants'
Union until a viable alternative is offered.
Daily ignores Latina/os
A clarification
on the
To the Daily:
In the past, the Daily's cov-
erage of Latina/os has ranged
from mediocre, at the best, to
nonexistent, the norm. For in-
stance, last year's cover story
article on Chicano History
Week placed more emphasis
on attendance than what
Baldemar Velasquez, Angie
Reyes or Julio Cesar Guerrero
said.
Unfortunately, even this to-
ken effort at journalism was
more than the Daily could mus-
ter last Friday, September the
16th. Otherwise, why else
would Arturo Rodriguez, Presi-
dent of the United Farm Work-
ers, successor to Cesar Chavez,
keynote speaker of Hispanic/
Latino(a) Heritage Celebration
and University of Michigan
School of Social Work alumni
go completely unnoticed and
unmentioned in a publication
by, for and about the student
body at this University.
From the moment Mr.
Rodriguez walked into the
Pendelton Room at the Union
last Friday afternoon, he dem-
onstrated the same sincerity,
compassion and honesty for
which his predecessor was
known. Immediately, he made
my acquaintance by shaking
my hand and greeting me as
Rhermano, my brother. Further-
more, not only did he not forget
my-or anyone else's-name
while here, but he also treated
all of us with the same dignity
and respect, whether we were
student or administrator, par-
ent or child. When he addressed
the audience, he did so without
a microphone. It was as if we
were having an intimate con-
versation with a friend from
long ago. As only friends can
do, Mr. Rodriguez spoke from
the heart; some of us in the
audience, including myself,
could feel the presence ofCesar
Chavez in the room.
Needless to say, the Daily,
in their non-coverage of his pre-
sentation, missed all this. It ap-
pears that covering a meeting
of the Hillary Clinton fan club
is more important, judging by
the front page article with a
color photograph, than Arturo
Rodriguez, the 50-plus people
who came to see him or even
the 1,300 Latina/os on campus
celebrating their heritage
throughout the year. We lis-
tened to no cardboard cut-out.
It wasn't all laughs. And Arturo
Rodriguez is not a household
name. But to those of us in the
audience, to us Chicano y
Chicanas, toda la Raza, Mr.
Rodriguez and the people he
represents are by far more im-
portant than any gavacho or
gavacha.
The last time I can remem-
ber Mexicans and Puerto Ricans
together in the same article in
the Daily was at the beginning
of this school year, in a story
about the Ann Arbor serial rap-
ist. However, I need not look
past yesterday for the last time
I can remember Mexicans and
Puerto Ricans together; for the
next time I need only look at
today. American is changing,
although we have always been
here.
We were at the Union last
Friday. We are in Alianza. We
are not invisible. Nor are we
silent. And despite the Daily's
best attempts to do so, we will
not be ignored.
Wayne Alejandro Wolbert
RC/LSA Sophomore
To pass or to fail
Pass/fail deadline should
t has happened to every University student:
you CRISP into a class that is more than you
bargained for. So you get it changed to pass/
fail. The problem is solved, right? Wrong.
What about the class that does not have a test
until the fourth week? Or the first-year student
who decides to rush, joins a fraternity or
sorority, and has less study time than he or she
counted on? What about the student who has
a work-study award and cannot quite juggle
classes and a job?
The three weeks allowed to change the
pass/fail designation are simply not long
enough to make the best decisions about
classes. If the pass/fail deadline were moved
to the midpointof the semester, students would
be able to make informed, thoughtful deci-
sions as to whether they are in over their heads.
By that point in the term, one can get a feel for
the class, as well as how studies, extracurricu-
lar activities and work are meshing.
Supporters of the current deadline may
argue that students who are having difficulty
with a class should simply drop it. While it is
true that the option of dropping a class is
available to the students until the end of the
term, that could potentially leave a student
with less than the 12 credit hours needed for
full-time status. That would jeopardize most
financial aid the student might have, as well as
put off graduation. Furthermore, students
should not have to give up entirely on a class
which may be interesting or challenging. The
most important aid of the pass/fail option is to
enable - and encourage - students to ex-
plore classes aboutwhichthey feel unsure. For
instance, an engineer would like to take a
Shakespeare class, but she thinks it may be
be extended
difficult for her. Or, a psychology major is
looking into a calculus class, but he had trouble
with math in high school. These students should
be able to dabble in another discipline without
ruining otherwise solid academic records.
However, if the engineer discovers that she
has a talent for Shakespeare, she should be
allowed to receive the deserved good grade -
without being locked into the pass/fail desig-
nation she chose earlier in the term.
It must be remembered that only 30 credit
hours of pass/fail course work count toward
graduation, and that those 30 credit hours must
be outside of a student's concentration. There-
fore, the student's grade point average still
reflects his or her performance in his or her
concentration.
Taking a class pass/fail is a viable alterna-
tive to dropping a class and should be easily
accessible to students, as the main purpose of
pass/fail is to help students. One example is the
student that wishes to take part in extracurricu-
lar activities. Sports, clubs and fraternities
take up a great deal of a student's time, yet they
are important parts of the college experience.
Pass/fail can relieve some of the pressure and
free up the student's time so that he/she can be
most productive. Students are not perfect ma-
chines; they can't be productive without a
balanced life and some rest.
The pass/fail option is a valuable resource
for students looking to be educated. Pushing
the deadline back to the midpoint of the semes-
ter from the three-week mark will extend the
usefulness of pass/fail to students. With some
room to think and make a wise decision,
students will be freed up to do what they are
here for: to learn.
prevention of
the HIV virus
To the Daily:
There is an issue of concern
I wish to raise about the article
regarding multiple sex partners
and STD risk which appeared
in the September 29 edition of
the Daily. You wrote that " ...
women need to be sure their
partner is unaffected." The re-
ality is that no one can be sure
about another person's HIV sta-
tus. Indeed, many people who
are HIV infected are not aware
of their own HIV status be-
cause they have not been tested.
To prevent the spread of
HIV, a person who is sexually
active must use condoms and
other latex barriers properly
each and every time they have
a sexual encounter. The prob-
lems with such prevention,
however, are that people often
fear rejection if they ask their
partner to use a condom, and
that many people are unaware
of the proper way to use a
condom. Additionally, prob-
ably as a denial mechanism
rather than as a discrimination
perpetuation mechanism, many
people think of HIV and AIDS
in terms of labels rather than
behaviors. Being poor does not
spread HIV; participating in
anal intercourse does. Being
gay does not spread HIV; vagi-
nal intercourse without using
condoms properly does. Being
of a minority does not spread
HIV; oral sex without using
condoms or other latex barri-
ers properly does. It is one's
behaviorthat spread's HIV, not
one's labels.
Because a person is good
looking does not mean they are
not HIV infected - ask Magic
Johnson. If you know you are
not infected, stay that way! Talk
with your partner about sex
before you become sexually
active with him or her. A dear
friend of mine who recently
died of AIDS used to say, "if
you can't talk with your part-
ner about sex, don't get naked
with them!" If your partner is
not willing to use a condom,
it's time to find one who will.
Be sure you and your partner
use condoms and other latex
barriers properly every single
time you are sexual. Unless
you both test HIV-negative and
are in a monogamous relation-
ship, you simply don't know.
And the reality is that the only
sure way of not contracting
HIV sexually is tonotbe sexual.
Sex is good, but not good
enough to die for. Educate your-
self and your partner about the
proper use of condoms and
other latex barriers. You're old
enough to prevent the spread
of HV. Live long enough to
use this great education you're
under student
conduct code*
Scenario: It's 1996 and former
sports great O.J. Simpson is looking
for a job. After standing as defendant
in two over-publicized, highly sus-
penseful murder trials, he's thinner,
weary and completely broke. (In the
first trial, 12 jurors deliberated for
seven days and then forced a mistrial
by refusing to come to an agreemen*
In the second - somewhat-less pub-
licized but a mediacircus anyway -
the former football star and televi-
sion personality was acquitted and
released from custody.) He lost the
Brentwood mansion, his family and
most devastatingly, his reputation.
Though acquitted, many still insist
on his guilt. He cannot find a job.
(I understand this scenario is in
great need of a reality check, but
bear with me a minute. This is hypo-
thetical.)
He does get a research grant,
though, moves to Ann Arbor and
enrolls full-time as a graduate stu-
dent in the art school (why not?). He
discovers he is a graphic arts genius
and is one of the most promisin
talents in, his program. Art world
recruiters are almost as excited today
as were the NFL watchdogs the first
time Simpson was in college.
But there's a catch: the mother of
Nicole Brown Simpson is quite cer-
tain that, despite the court's decision,
her former son-in-law is a murderer.
She contacts the University and ask
to press charges against Simpson
under the student conduct code (the
Statement of Student Rights and Re-
sponsibilities). You see, Simpson
(hypothetically) started his art stud-
ies three days before his wife was
murdered. Therefore, even though
the federal courts found him inno-
cent, he can be tried under the
University's own system. Hischance
of success here are almostnil. He will
likely be thrown out of school.
Here's why:
More likely than not: Consider-
ing the evidence the two sides pre-
sented in the first two court battles,
the jury was unable to decide beyond
a reasonable doubt that Simpson
murdered his wife and her compan
ion. But the University's "more likely
than not" standard is not too tough to
prove: Simpson's blood was at the
scene, he had a history of abusing his
wife and there were no other sus-
pects.
The jury: The months Simpson's
powerful legal team spent analyzing
demographics for the jury would no
apply to this University. They ende
up with a racially mixed jury that
included several members of their
target group (African American foot-
ball fans). But here, all that is neces-
sary is a majority of six jurors who
are randomly selected from the stu-
dent population. If we assume the
jury mirrors the campus racial
makeup, the jury is five whites an
one minority (probably African
American). According to national
opinion polls, the minority will vote
not to convict and 80 percent of the
whites will vote for conviction. That
leaves only four votes - but no
matter, it's enough: Guilty.
Shut up Shapiro: Now remem-
ber his powerful legal team? Well,
when Simpson comes before the stu
dent jurors, he could receive advice
from his attorneys, but they would
not be allowed to speak. Simpson can
either testify or pray he'll get off
without a defense.
The media: Now, don't think
you'd know what was going on all
this time. The over-publicized media
event of the last two years willb
reduced to a half-page press release }
from the University. Itreads:"A male
graduate student is facing physical
assault or endangerment charges."
We wouldn't even know it was
Simpson. He would be dismissed
Suicide photo in very bad taste
To the Daily:
A fundamental markofboth
professionalism and maturity
is knowing when to admit one's
mistakes and not making half-
ass excuses for them. The "ex-
planation" which appeared in
Friday's Daily which actually
had the gall to try to justify
running a phot of a suicide vic-
tim, to my mind, was much
more disgusting than the actual
photo itself.
Was the Daily's object in
running such a letter to punish
the now-deceased victim? Was
the Daily's object in running
such a letter to lower its already
low standards of decency? Was
the Daily's object in running
such a letter a cowardly attempt
to evade responsibility for an
egregious error?
On all these accounts, your
newspaper has succeeded val-
iantly. May I offer my con-
gratulations. Any fool, even a
three-year old toddler, can make
To the Daily:
I am utterly disappointed in
the manner in which the Daily
covered the recent suicide on
campus. The fact that a photo-
graph of the incident was in-
cluded in the article conveyed a
complete lack of respect for the
victim, as well as his friends
and family.
It is a grievous statement
that anyone would feel it neces-
sary to display such a tasteless
picture, and I am disgusted by
the fact that no one in the orga-
nization of the Daily had the
decency to withhold the photo-
graph from the article.
Stefanie Griffin
LSA Senior
Daily not
Pravda
To the Daily:
I think that you're the most
I