4 - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 6, 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
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.

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'There's so much pork in this budget that I'm not
sure we should be voting on it. We should be
sending it to the USDA for approval.'
- Rackham Rep. Josh Grossman,
on the MSA budget at Tuesday's meeting
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A farewell to D'Arms
Rackham must open process to public

A s of Monday, the Rackham School of
Graduate Studies is looking for a new
dean. The current dean, John D' Arms - who
has held the position for nine years - an-
nounced then that he will not seek reappoint-
ment. Traditionally, Rackham has chosen its
deans from a pool of candidates inside the
school, in a search closed to the public. These
traditions need to be broken so that women,
African Americans, Latin Americans and other
minorities can have a better chance to gain
entrance into these upper-level jobs -jobs in
which they are currently woefully under-rep-
resented.
First and foremost, the search for a new
dean must be open to the public, giving outsid-
ers a chance to watch the school's selection
procedure. This will increase equity in the
procedure, assuring students that candidates
from all groups are being considered and
treated equally in the process. This would be
an important change from the current proce-
dure, in which lists that may have originally
included candidates from all backgrounds are
pared down to a homogenous group - with
no accountability for these decisions. Open-
ing up the process will ensure women and
minority groups a fair fight.
Furthermore, Rackham - like many other
schools at the University - has an in-house
search, meaning only professors in the Rack-
ham school can be considered for appoint-
ments. The search needs to be open to profes-
sors that span the spectrum. This would create
a larger pool of candidates from which the

school could choose. Besides creating more
opportunities for groups not represented in
that school to gain entrance into it, the new
policy would increase competition and bring
out the best qualified individual for the job.
An open policy, both in dllowing the public
to watch the process and in allowing profes-
sors outside the University to apply for the job,
also decreases the possibility of the school
granting favors and accommodations to its pet
professors. While a committee willbe set up to
make recommendations for a new dean, ulti-
mately the power to choose rests in the hands
of Provost Gilbert R. WhitakerJr. Opening the
search committee to the public allows for
student input to be taken into consideration,
and ensures that there is a public check to
Whitaker simply setting up a token committee
with no real power.
From the presidential search process that
brought usMr. Duderstadt, to the flawed search
to replace Dr. Charles Moody at the Office of
Multicultural Affairs, the University has a
history of charging committees to deliberate
long and hard behind closed doors - only to
see their decisions ultimately be disregarded
by a higher unilateral decision.
A part of the job description for deans - at
every school, at any university - is to focus
on student needs and student quality. An open
policy in dean selection can only help stu-
dents, who will receive a dean that is the most
qualified and able to perform his or her job.
For students and for faculty, an open policy is
a win-win situation.

Suicide photo: a mistake

Investigating embryos
Government should fund research, with restrictions

L ast week, a federal advisory committee in
e National Institutes for Health (NIH)
made a report endorsing the use of govern-
ment funds for embryo research. This issue
has been controversial for several years, aris-
ing in response to the extra, "unused," already-
fertilized embryos that result from attempts by
infertile women to get pregnant. Naturally, it
only takes one fertilized embryo to serve the
needs of each woman, while the remaining
embryos are disposed of as useless by-prod-
ucts. In advocating the use of these "leftover"
embryos in medical research, the advisory
committee has made an important step for-
ward.
The benefits to such research could be
enormous. Study and experimentation on these
embryos could lead to answers about more
effective, more reliable contraception. Fur-
thermore, it would help to produce further
understanding about - and perhaps cures for
-infertility, miscarriages, cancer and genetic
diseases.
Proposing experimentation on fertilized
embryos calls up the tensions and disputes that
always go hand and hand with any plea to
meddle with the unborn. Anti-abortion sup-
porters are upset by what they see as tamper-
ing with the sanctity of human life. Although
the NIH's proposed guidelines would only
allow experimentation up to 14 days after
fertilization, to some this does not change the
fact that, no matter how early the stage of
development, testing is still being done on a
living human being. Yet doctors themselves
have classified these embryos as undifferenti-
ated masses of cells, incapable of conscious-
ness or of feeling pain. We are not discussing
infants here, or children. We are considering a
fertilized egg that would have otherwise been

thrown away. If at all possible, it should be put
to use to help others.
Even for those to whom abortion is less of
an issue, this new-age type of experimentation
brings to mind a dark vision of "brave new
world" laboratories in which human embryos
are grown and created in an assembly line
format for the purpose of experimentation and
the pre-programming of human characteris-
tics. But any attempt at progress can result in
exploitation. This does not mean the medical
community should remain static or ignore the
potential to move forward. Rather, it needs to
take advantage of technology - while mak-
ing sure to establish strict regulations to gov-
ern its proceedings. In line with this need for
legislation, the NIH has listed several restric-
tions on embryo research. Consent of the
donors would be required for experimenta-
tion, and any attempts to deliberately produce
twins, to test in order to produce a specific sex
or to buy or sell human embryos would be
ineligible for federal support.
Unlike in the case of abortions, there is no
way to prevent these "spare" embryos from
being fertilized. And although there will al-
ways be controversy about whether or not
these early fetuses are actually "living," there
is no changing the fact that these embryos will
never develop into full-grown babies. The
solution is either to throw them away forever
or to use them to help find cures and bring
solutions to questions plaguing mankind. The
answer seems obvious. How can wenotchoose
the latter?
Experimentation and change is always
scary. But with the proper safeguards and
legislation, one must hope that a higher vision
will emerge - the ultimate vision of improv-
ing the human condition.

Instruction by
TAs
inadequate
To the Daily:
I can't believe what I just
read in the Daily! The TA's are
actually considering going on
strike, because they think they
deserve more?! If I had to pick
one area of my schooling here
at the University that I felt was
terribly inadequate, it would be
the education I receive from
my TA's. Granted, some are
very good, but I would estimate
about 70 percent of my TA's
thus far could barely speak
English! That is so unfair. I pay
over $13,000 a year to come
here and get taught by some-
body who doesn't even know
my language? How can some-
body convey their ideas to you
when they can't express them
in a language you understand?
I think that if I am paying that
much money, which helps to
pay them, I deserve to have
someone who can actually teach
me something. I can't tell you
the number of hours I have sat
in class just reading the Daily
because at least I could under-
stand it!
Jaime Birk
Engineering Junior
Illegal
immg ration
must end
To the Daily:
I am responding to the edi-
torial titled, "Anti nmmigrant
Fervor" (10/5/94), which op-
poses California's Proposal
187. Proposal 187 would ban
illegal immigrants from social
services such as government
aided housing, food programs,
health care and also education.
The author raised the question,
"How are they to become con-
tributing members of society if
they are denied necessary
tools?" My response to this
statement is that they are not
suppose to become contribut-
ing members of our society
unless they are legal immi-
grants. The title "illegal immi-
grant" signifies that they should
not be here in the first place and
that the government should be
attempting to return them to
their homeland. It is appalling
to me that our government is
spending millions of dollars to
support illegal immigrants,
while we cannot even support
ourown citizens. Ourcities need
financial help, farmers across
America are struggling, we

Printing picture
displays poor
taste
To the Daily:
Isn't anything kept sacred
at this school anymore? I was
very offended by the exploita-
tion of a student's suicide in
last Thursday's paper. I appre-
ciated the article written about
the suicide, the circumstances
involved, and on the back-
ground of the victim because it
is the responsibility oftheDaily
to make the student body aware
of school events - as unfortu-
nate as some might be. The
picture that went along with the
article wasn't necessary, and
was done in poor taste. I think
most students at Michigan could
relate to the victim because
we've all hit low points in our
lives, when things aren't going
our way, we're stressedoutover
classes, and giving up seems
like the only easy way out. So
when a student actually carmes
"the act" out, I think the victim
and his family deserve total re-
spect and privacy through their
grieving times.
Although the article written to
inform the student body about
the suicide was appropriate, I
don't understand the Daily's
intentions for exploiting his
death by revealing a picture
of the student dead with his
sneakers squatted apart. I
think the least your newspa-
per can do now is learn from
than being hospitable to those
who are illegally in our nation,
we should be working to return
them to their home country and
focus on taking care of our own
citizens.
Matthew S. Outlaw
School of Education Junior
A letter writer
responds to
criticism
To the Daily:
In reply to his letter of Sep-
tember 29 ("Liberal logic fails
again"), I offer U-M College
Republicans President Mark
Fletcher the following sugges-
tion: lay off the airplane glue
when writing letters to the
Daily.
Mr. Fletcher's connection
between Aristide and his
puported necklacing endorse-
ments is ludicrous. I have here
an electronic bulletin board
posting by Noam Chomsky (no

this by choosing more
uplifting and inspiring
pictures to go along with the
articles, try to encourage the
formation of a support group
for his friends, and console
his family by owing them a1
big apology.
Angela Misko
LSA student
Show some
respect
To the Daily:
This letter is written con-
cerning your coverage of Seth
Charlson. The picture included
with the article was done in
extremely poor taste. I was dis-
gusted and shocked when I dis-
covered it. For those of us who
knew him and valued his friend-
ship, it was appalling to see his
death treated with such lack of
respect.
If you would have taken the
time to ask for a picture of
Seth, you would have found
one easily. However, your cal-
lousness to the situation only
served to tarnish the memory
of Seth.
Don't those individuals that
are no longer with us deserve
to be treated with respect? I
thought that this was an intelli-
gentenough publication to have
the common sense and com-
mon decency to realize that.
Dean Choi
LSA Sophomdre
Limbaugh and the Heritage
Foundation.
Mr. Fletcher also chides me
on my interpretation of "hu-
man rights," while using won-
derfully plastic terms like "anti-
American" and "lack of a na-
tional security interest," refer-
ring, respectively, to thewarped
priorities of Haitians to feed,
house and educate its people;
and the endangering of Haiti's
historical role as cheap labor
for American business. And
yes, human rights does involve
debt and money - somebody
has to pay for those guns.
Then Mr. Fletcher tells us
to "trust me. The day the Daily
goes conservative is ... not
likely to happen anytime soon."
George Bush gave us enough
"trust" for one lifetime, thank
you. Granted, the Michigan
Daily may waste precious space
commenting on the atrocious
dichotomies in our society and
other such uncomfortable sub-
jects, but they also give Mr.
Fletcher, to whom anything
even more remotely progres-
sive than the National Review

Notes from
Greenwood
At this point in the term, many of
you out there in dorms, apartments
and dingy houses are now coming
face to face with an unsettling reality
- those cool guys that you signed
the lease with and thought that you
had so much in common are now
sending your psychological health
into atailspin. I myself suffered from
that ailment last year, when I lived
with two friends of mine - one of
whom I quickly learned had certain
deeply held religious qualms with
cleanliness and order. This Amazin'
Blue star seemed so much more clean
and conscientious before move-in.
His clothes last year were so nice and
fabric softened fresh. Yet life at a
distance is all but a facade-real life
is in the smelly socks, the mountain
of unwashed plates, the hair in the
drain, the secret cache of military
supplies and weapons, the drugs, the
violence. David Koresh's Waco com-
pound-right here in peaceful 'ol A
squared.
This year I live on Greenwood
Avenue. Hereon Greenberg, we have
our own little community, kind of
like a gated community Just this
week I have decided to form aGreen-
wood Homeowners Association,
with a council of elders, appointed
by the sages of our humble home.
Greenwood features, if you care to
join this elite club: barbecues every
day of the week, a complimentary
One on One membership, weekly
90210 updates, a brand new jet black
94 Acura Integra (that'll cost you
though). If you know a few Yiddish
words, you're ensured social status.
Here's some background: Green-
wood is a densely populated hide-
away forwell-financed recluses, situ-
ated between Packard, Arch and East
U. - only a short walk from the
well-lit Espresso Royale. Our home
is a three-story, pre World War I
dwelling, whose inhabitants are well
versed in the neo-conservative col-
umns of Bill Safire, the never-end-
ing rantings of Patrice Maurer and
the shenanigans of the evil Republi-
can Senator from Kansas. (Some even
assert that the braintrust of the Daily
Editorial Staff resides in its white.
thinly wooded, easily flammable
walls.) Our abode on Greenwood
has its share of botanists, chefs and
the I-like-to lay-in the-gutter-drunk-
and-stoned types. We have our Sega
hockey aficionados, our Melrose
Place and Models Inc. fan clubbers,
our Seinfeld diehards and our classi-
cal music satirists. While on the first
floor, John Coltrane booms and talk
of human nature gone awry float
about, the poetry of N.W.A. and 2
Live Crew resounds incessantly on
the second floor, amidst calculations
of real estate titles and riverboat gam-
bling strategies. I live in an everyday
comedy of horrors, a scene that is
accentuated by the fact that my
housemates are a bunch of Joshua
Steiner wannabees.
Here in Greenwood land some

of us make Sweet Lorraine's-like
dinner items in the evening, some of
us subsist on gruel, better known as
"macaroni and cheese." Some of us
even buy Toilet Ducks for fun. But
by far the best thing of all, besides the
aroma of incense and asbestos, is
that everybody here is an individual,
out of the mainstream, swimming
against the current, forging an iden-
tity. Be it the likes of Michael Stipe
or Snoop Doggy Dogg, here the boys
are all but ordinary. One waters
plants, one doesn't shower - one is
a career capitalist, one is a vagabond.
One harasses the mailman and pleads
for air mail. Some of us are intri-
cately intertwined in the Democratic
machine of Flint, Michigantwo have
travelled long and far to the street we
call Ann Arbor's "Warsaw Ghetto,"
where it is definitely in bad taste to
make-out during Schindler'List. Ev-
ery one of us is a liberal Democrat,
but only a few of us hearty
apparatchiks can enjoy the esoteric
pleasures of Pat Buchanan accusing
and Michael Kinsley whining every
weekday night at 7:30. Some like

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