4 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, October 11, 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.

'The first war didn't get him a bump in the polls,
now let's try a second one'
-Ross Perot, when asked Sunday about President Clinton's
response to the current situation in Iraq
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Campus lighting
University and city must protect students

Student safety is an issue that seems to be
on all our minds. Whether you are leav-
ing a party at three in the morning, or the
library at ten at night, students are cautioned
not to walk alone, and with good reason. Many
young adults seem to possess an impractical
sense of invincibility. And more importantly,
as recent events have demonstrated, Ann Ar-
bor and the University campus are not im-
mune to crime.
While a majority of students go through
their college years unscathed, some do not.
Although admitting that additional security is
an important step, direct action to increase
protection is not being carried out. Both the
University and the City of Ann Arbor need to
investin aprogram that ensures the security of
students. One practical way to enhance the
safety of students is to increase the amount of
lighting in and around the University of Michi-
gan campus.
Better lighting will provide more safety for
several reasons. Primarily, it will make the
environment more visible. This will provide a
greater awareness of surrounding areas and an
easier way to spot anything outofthe ordinary.
If a potential victim can readily see the perpe-
trator, the victim has more options to escape
the situation, and hence more security.
A well-lit area will also deter possible
attacks. Common sense indicates that a crime
is less likely to occur if the perpetrator is
spotted. With adequate lighting, criminals are
also more likely to be identified. These are

only a few of the reasons why increased light-
ing is not only beneficial, but essential to the
well-being and safety of everyone.
With the recent stabbing of a University
employee and the presence of a serial rapist in
the Ann Arbor area, safety has become a hot
topic of conversation. Students and city resi-
dents are becoming more aware of insuffi-
ciently lit areas. Washtenaw Avenue, a major
student residential street in need of increased
lighting, still has yet to see any progress.
Moreover, small but densely populated cam-
pus streets, such as Ann and Linden, are also
extremely dark and deserve greater attention.
Finally, the University should address the
lighting around its dorms, especially in areas
surrounding student bike racks.
It is therefore the duty of the University to
take the initiative and make an effort to im-
prove these areas that students frequent. Cur-
rently, the University pays for the lighting
equipment and the City of Ann Arbor pays the
operating costs. But any newlyproposed light-
ing simply gets bogged down in the labyrinth
of City Council bureaucracy. Both the Univer-
sity and the City share the blame for the lack of
results in the area of increased lighting.
The University of Michigan is a nationally
recognized and admired school for many rea-
sons. Students from all over the nation con-
tend for the right to graduate with a degree
from this institution. Is it too much to ask for
the University and city to protect the very
people that keep them operating?

Students should appreciate dining services

To the Daily:
Recently I read an article in
the Daily entitled, "Stir-fry stirs
stomach, not taste buds" that
describes the writer's experi-
ence at a local restaurant. At
the end of the article there was
a rating system that listed in
descending order..." It won't
killyou"..."Itmightkillyou"..."
You might as well eat dorm
food". I won't speculate as to
the precise translation of the
final category, although it
strikes me as inappropriately
labeled for a number of good
reasons.
Essentially, any food estab-
lishment consists of two com-
ponents, food and people. Let's
examine the food purchased in
the residential halls (dorms).
The produce is purchased daily
at the Eastern Market in Detroit
by a specialist who has over
thirty years experience in the
produce business and is deliv-
ered the same or very next day
to all of the dining halls. A
visual inspection of our store-
rooms will find staple goods
with brand names like Kraft,
Kellogg's, Heinz, etc. Our beef
is USDA inspected choice grade
or better, poultry isthetop grade,
and our fish is often purchased
fresh, as in not frozen. Dairy
and frozen foods offer no ex-
ception to the quality of the
above items. While most often
we bake our products fresh, our
convenience deserts often fea-
ture Sara Lee, Awry's, and
Nabisco's. Pizza crusts, when
we don't make our own, are
Pillsbury. The list of brand name
purchases is endless.
The people are the other

relevant component to the qual-
ity and safety of the residence
hall dining service. Who are
these people and are they quali-
fied? Let's start with the chefs.
In the residence halls managed
by Housing, there are eight
chefs that oversee the kitchens
plus one Test Kitchen Chef and
Executive Chef. Ourchefs bring
a wealth of talent and experi-
ence to the dining halls. From
Denmark, Bahamas, Germany,
Mexico, as well as the United
States, these chefs collectively
have a list of accomplishments
that are impressive and lengthy,
but I'll list but a few: Most are
members of the American Cu-
linary Federation, one is a chap-
ter president, and some are cer-
tified with that organization.
They have collectively won
national recipe contests, re-
ceived awards for ice carving,
been featured in national maga-
zines, attended classes at the
Culinary Institute of America
and Johnson and Wales, and
most have graduated from two
year culinary institutions. Also,
one has prepared meals aboard
The King and Queen yacht,
another for the President of the
United States, while still an-
other was an apprentice chef
for the 1988 World Champion
American Culinary Team, and
I could go on.
All have received certifi-
cation in Sanitation by the
County of Washtenaw and the
State of Michigan. Working
behind these chefs are a dedi-
cated and seasoned staff of in-
dividuals, some with over 20
years of culinary experience.
Among these bakers, cooks, and

salad staff many have attended
culinary schools and seminars
while some have even achieved
there own culinary degrees. All
of our management staff have
bachelor's degrees in various
aspects of Food and Nutrition
Management, and many have
advanced management train-
ing. And yes, we have a full
time Nutrition Specialist on
staff who works personally
with our staff and many of our
students.
The principal point here is
not that our food is perfect, and
without room for improvement.
We recognize our shortcom-
ings and work diligently to
improve upon them. But, the
inside story of our operation is
that we have high quality fresh
food prepared by a dedicated
and capable staff of food ser-
vice professionals who care
very much about the health and
welfare of our customers. So,
it's with good reason that I ask
you to change the way you
describe your culinary ratings
and omit the description "you
might as well eat dorm food"
from beneath the "it could kill
you" classification.
In closing, I'd be happy to
give you a tour of our opera-
tions so that you could gain
further insight into the quality
and safety of the food we serve
as well as offer you the oppor-
tunity to meet the professional
staff who make up Housings
Residence Halls Dining Ser-
vices.
Steven J. Meyers
Executive Chef, Residence
Halls Dining Services

Naomi Wojf
feminism for the
masses
The woman at the front of the
auditorium is wearing eyeshadow
carefully chosen to match her shirt.
She wears a wedding ring, and be-
fore long she has proudly announced
to the audience that she is pregnant.
The woman is also a feminist.
In fact, she's feminist autho4
Naomi Wolf, and her eyeshadow
and strong feminist rhetoric both
made an appearance Thursday night
here in Ann Arbor when she spoke
to a packed auditorium at the School
of Education. Naomi Wolf is a mod-
erate feminist, a feminist who likes
men, and a feminist who wants to
embrace diverse perspectives and
work for power within the system.
Her views invoked disbelief from
some - when I told one guy I'd
heard a feminist speak who was
married and going to have a baby, he
responded, "Wait. You mean she's
married to a man?" Others were
obviously admiring, lining upto have
their books signed after the talk. But
there was also a response I didn't
anticipate: hatred from other fem-
nists.
Wolf's basic plan argues for in-
clusion. She maintains that being a
feminist shouldn't include a "check-
list" of attitudes given at the door.
She believes that women who are
anti-abortion should be included in
the movement, especially when it
deals with issues which affect all
women (like breast cancer).
She also argued strenuously
against the male-bashing which has
occasionally occurred in the move-
ment. Anti-male rhetoric, she said,
"stigmatizes people on the basis of
their biological sex" and is thus just
as sexist as discrimination against
women. The movement has some-
times cast men as the enemy and the
penis as the enemy. "But a lot of
women come home after a long day
and think the penis is their friend,"
she said, as the audience erupted
with laughter. ("Ma, can I be a femi-
nist and still like men?" asks the
daughter in a "Sylvia" cartoon.
"Sure," says Sylvia. "Just like you
can be a vegetarian, and like fried
chicken." Contemplate that one some
night when you can't sleep.)
Wolf also argues foraction within
the system and calls for an end to the
"victim feminism" of the 1980s.For
example, she encourages university
women to get alumnae to stop do-
nating until a chosen feminist goal is
reached, rather than simply com-
plaining about the problem. She also
urges women to examine their fear
of success; when she's asked women
to say how they'd feel if they were
behind the Presidential podium, their
most common response was
"scared." "The world doesn't have
to (oppress) them, because they're
already doing it to themselves," she

said.


01

,IN

Health care abundance
Costs and technology must give way to efficiency

L ast week in his address to University
students, C. Everett Koop faulted Ameri-
cans for their tendency to overuse health care,
insisting that more than 25-30 percent of diag-
nostic procedures are unnecessary. He ex-
plained that over-consumption primarily cor-
responds to physicians' prescriptions of wan-
ton tests and to patients' demands for high-
tech treatments.
The professorial Koop's speech leaves an
important message for those concerned with
reforming health care. As runaway health care
costs continue to place American businesses
at a competitive disadvantage, soak up needed
state and Federal funds and inflate the number
of uninsured year in and year out, the national
health care reform debate seems to be failing
to locate one of the most obvious outlets for
cutting fat: reducing over-consumption.
Americans ignore overuse, claiming it is
inherent in the system and can be attributed to
the natural tendencies of doctors and patients.
One common explanation is that doctors prac-
tice medicine because they fear malpractice
suits; physicians often assume more tests will
help avoid misdiagnosis. Also, doctors are not
completely confident norknowledgeable about
appropriate procedures. Dr. Koop suggested
that many physicians order excess tests be-
cause they do not know which ones are most
applicable, and they do not have the time, will,
or resources to seek this information. More-
over, there are few constraints on doctors in
regard to the number of procedures they pre-
scribe. If a third-party would pay for your
actions unquestionably, would youlimityour-
self? Finally, overuse is stimulated by doctor
and patient greed. Patients view more and
newer technology as necessarily better, and
private physicians know that more tests equal
more money in their pocketbook.
What does all this mean practically? Most
importantly, it suggests the status quo isn't
orkrintr The fahinninpv of the health rare

best care and technology in the world for a
few, but has tremendous financial implica-
tions for the whole. This is while many remain
uncovered or without access to facilities, and
the United States continues to rank abysmally
in pre-natal care, infant mortality and the like.
Something needs to give.
The first step is to install a system in which
people take charge of their health and realize
that prevention of disease and promotion of a
healthy lifestyle are imperative. Logically, if
people do not get sick, they will not need
medical care.
Second, doctors and patients must advo-
cate low-cost, low-tech medicine. Medical
technology is a mixedblessing; it enhances the
field of medicine while encouraging the over-
use of technology and procedures that may not
be as effective as lower-cost primary care
options. As Koop advised, new medicine
should supplement, not supplant, old medi-
cine.
In addition, it is necessary to develop high-
tech communication techniques that give doc-
tors and patients access to information about
options for care. Dartmouth College already
took the initiative and developed "tele-medi-
cine" programs for use across the country.
Dartmouth's goal is three-fold: to provide
doctors with a way to easily access current
information about beneficial and low-cost treat-
ments; to provide patients with their options
for care, so they can make educated decisions
about their own treatment; and to combine the
doctor and patient information to advance
low-cost, high-quality care. In its four trial
cities, Dartmouth found savings of 45-50 per-
cent of normal health care costs.
Dr. Koop envisions a new age of medicine
which focuses on the best means to achieve a
healthy society. If efficient medicine is en-
couraged, overuse will diminish, the system
will be able to afford the health care of the
millions of nninsurer Americans and the na-

p"

1

Illegal immigrants benefit American society

To the Daily:
I am writing to respond to
Matthew Outlaw's letter about
ending benefits to illegal immi-
grants under California Pro-
posal # 187. First of all Mat-
thew, it appears to me that you
have never lived in the south-
west part of the United States
before. If you did, you would
know that the main industry
"down" there is agriculture. It
is mainly illegal immigrants
who keep this country's agri-
cultural business running. How,
you say? It's easy. Many illegal
immigrants come to the United
States seeking better employ-
ment. When the United States
offers them better opportuni-
ties and "reasonable" salaries,
it's like finding heaven.
First, let's agree that the
majority of illegal immigrants
are people from Mexico and
many South American coun-
tries where salaries are low,
thus the increase of illegal im-
migrants. These are hard-work-

you aware of where illegal im-
migrants live when contractors
hire them and take advantage
of their illegal status; that is,
either work for them or get de-
ported? Old, rotting, wooden
shacks with no floors. And they
have no choice; it's a sort of
blackmail.
You take away benefits
from illegal immigrants, and
you'll be digging your own
grave. Without this powerful
agricultural labor force, states
such as Arizona, California,
New Mexico, or Texas would
suffer economic loss. The gov-
ernment knows this and isn't
dumb enough to take away ben-
efits from illegal immigrants.
You termed illegal immi-
grants as people "who should
not be here in the first place." I
will ask you Matthew, who
gives you the right of judging
who should be here or not?
Why are you here, why am I
here? As far as I can see, no-
body should be here, but we

sending illegal immigrants
back home. But since there
aren't any willing to get their
hands dirty, I guess we're here
to stay. Viva La Raza!
George A. Lozano
LSA first-year student
No bikes on
sidwalks
To the Daily:
I don't know what our local
law enforcement thinks about
bike-riders on our sidewalks,
but I do know it's dangerous
and should be illegal if it isn't
already. Several times this
week while walking home
along E. William Street, I've
had to jump out of the way of
bicyclists riding down the side-
walk. Often they are not pay-
ing enough attention to where

is

a

Any plan for action, especially
one which involves the majority of
the population, should be hotly de-
bated. Yet some of Wolf's most
sensible points were greeted with
criticism during the question and
answer session. Some criticized her
for welcoming the men in the room.
Others felt that women with anti-
abortion or other unpopular views l
should not be included in the move-
ment.
The general sentiment was obvi-
ous: Wolf wasn't far left enough, or
feminist enough, for some of the far
left feminists in the room. She was in
the familiar position of the moder-
ate, hated by both sides. That's what
happens when you're in the middle
of the road - you get run over.
Yet Wolf is one of the few femi-
nists in America today who can reach
beyond the infinitesimal minority of
(here comes the stereotype) aca-
demic. intellectual. far-left. wreck-

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