4 4- The Michigan Daily -- Friday, October 21, 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.
s t
Journalism concentration
Dean should adopt professors' recommendations
'Governor, what you have done is put a $1 billion
time bomb under the children of this state.'
- Gubernatorial candidate Howard Wolpe at the debate Wednesday night,
referring to the economic shortfall for education some economists are
predicting for Michigan
3'3~~ 1H15 15 MICHAEL~ ZACKo0v...-~
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MR W .
Covering the presidential election of 1872,
the New York Times "reported" that if
any one man could send a great nation to the
dogs, that man is [Democratic candidate] Mr.
Greeley." Obviously, times have changed.-
Journalism has gone from being the domain of
the partisan to a house built on objectivity and
.bservation. Predictably, with these new goals
scame new responsibilities, and new questions
for potential journalists. What are appropriate
means for story seeking? Should sources be
paid? Should the names of crime victims be
printed? And the list goes on.
The University never quite knew how to go
about training students to answer these ques-
tions. For a while, an undergraduate journal-
ism program existed, but it was to be merged
into the Department ofCommunication. How-
ever, consolidation was bound to fail. In big
cities, such as New York or Chicago, churning
- out journalism "generalists" may be accept-
able. There, real experience can always be
found in the diverse opportunities available in
aprofessional mass media outlets. In Ann Ar-
bor, those same internships and opportunities
=just aren't available. The result: journalism
classes have floundered, and there may be
some that would like to see them die a slow
death.
Most University classes that focus on jour-
nalism are taught by lecturers. Professors, and
tenure-track faculty are conspicuously missing
from the fold. Not surprisingly, this lack of
consistency has allowedjournalismto, in many
ways, disappear as an avenue for students to
seek at the University level.
A host of University professors have recog-
nized this, and are proposing a new structure to
assure journalism's autonomy. Knowing that
the mission of ajournalism program is qualita-
tively different than that of the Communica-
tions dept., these faculty members have recom-
mended -- in a lengthy report -- that LSA
Dean Edie N. Goldenberg create a journalism
concentration at the University.
Under this proposal, majoring in journal-
ism would not be an easy task. Students would
be required to take on dual concentrations,
ensuring that journalism students would be at
the forefront of their field.
Today's journalist are specialists. To work
for the New York Times or the Washington
Post is probably to have at least a master's
degree.
Papers are looking not only for writing
skills, but a particular area of expertise -not
to mention the ability to analyze and synthe-
size. The latest proposal to Dean Goldenberg
would dojust that. Its recommendations should
be adopted.
Unfounded prejudices often lurk in our minds
BY EPHRAIM GERSTEIN
"Always ask why" -
Anne Frank
"Never Lump people
together" - Otto Frank
(Anne's Father)
Much of the learning I do at
this school happens outside the
classroom. This happened
again last Tuesday when Miep
Gies spoke about her experi-
ences helping Anne Frank and
her family hide out in
Amsterdam during the Holo-
caust. For me, this was an in-
credible experience because
the Holocaust is such a major
part of my heritage. In a very
real sense, I view Anne Frank
as family, and to see such a
courageous act committed on
her behalf makes makes me
very grateful. Even more
important, though, the speech
taught me a lesson about toler-
ance of other people.
I came to Ann Arbor from
a homogenous community.
Great Neck, N.Y. is mostly
Jewish, and most of the people
I grew up with and dealt with
were Jews. I never considered
myself prejudiced against any-
one, but I have to admit that I
did have unfounded notions
Gerstein is a member of the
Daily's Editorial Board.
about a lot of people. Coming
to the University was a bit of a
shock for me because although
I grew up in the New York area,
this was the first time I lived
and worked with people who
were not Jewish. Before this, I
never really had black friends,
now I have many. I also have
Asian friends, friends who are
gay and friends who are
WASP's. The differences be-
tween me and all ofthese people
didn't keep us from becoming
friends, but I did harbor ideas
that all black people liked rap
and were good dancers, that
most Asians were very
hardworking, that many Jews
were upper middle class and
wanted to be lawyers. I never
really thought about it until now,
but the prejudices were there.
The lecture made me very
aware of that fact. Austrian
born, Miep Gies remarked that
she was very eager to become a
Dutch citizen so she wouldn't
have to be a part of the people
who committed the atrocities
ofthe Holocaust. She told about
how every time she'd come
into contact with Germans af-
ter the war, she'd give them a
hard time. It never occurred to
me before, but I'm exactly the
same way sometimes.I
wouldn't say I'm prejudiced
toward Germans individually,
but Germany does make me
feel uncomfortable as a whole.
Miep learned, however, that in
truth many Germans were vic-
timized under Nazi rule, and
like herself there were others
who helped Jews, even in the
midst of the evil. Her experi-
ence taught me a lesson about
myself; I dojudge people with-
out getting all the facts, espe-
cially here where I meet differ-
ent types of people every day.
The University is a diverse
place, and this can sometimes
be uncomfortable. I know I'm
not the only person on this
campus to have unfounded
ideas about people, but this lec-
ture taught me an important
lesson in dealing with that. It is
racist to lump people of one
group together. It's not initially
dangerous, but that type of
thinking can lead to problems
with people. That night I was
reminded of the value of view-
ing people on an individual
basis. I'm not saying I have the
solution to the ethnic problems
on this campus, they're too
complicated, but I'll keep this
idea in mind as I deal with
people of different back-
grounds.
It's not so much a matter of
ethnic relations that's coming
into play here for me, it's hu-
man relations.
Advice for
Generation
X. Be like Mike4
I don't mean to pull rank here,
but Iam a memberof a pretty exclu-
sive group. It's called Generation
X, or, as they say in Rome, "Gen-
eration 10." I like being in this
group. Forone thing,Idon'thaveto
pay dues. Also, I don't have to
attend any meetings.
Another nice thing is that since
this exclusive club admits every-
body in my age group, I run a very
small chance of getting kicked out
of Generation X.
First Generation X security of-
ficer: "This guy murdered 17 inno-
cent children."
Second Generation X security
officer: "How old is he?"
First Generation X security of-
ficer: "He's 20."
Second Generation X security
officer: "Aw, let's keep him."
So, basically, I have complete
freedom to do whatever I want and
still be a member of Generation X.
Of course, membership has its
privileges, butitalsohas down sides.
One problem is that I am only able
to express myself in TV commer-
cial-speak, so I'm constantly utter-
ing stupidcatch-phrases like "mem-
bership has its privileges."
While there are no actual re-
quirements, there are some activi-
ties members do to feel like a part of
the group. Personally, I feel obli-
gated to wear a flannel shirt at least
once a week, even in the summer.
When I'm feeling really dedi-
cated, I also wear a dirty white
baseball cap backwards. There's
no real reason forthese clothes tobe
the choice of a new generation, but
they are. So don't argue about wear-
ing them. Just do it.
Of course, even when I'm wear-
ing my Generation X outfit, life
isn't perfect. We are living in The
Age ofthe Jewish Mother-every-
thing you do makes you feel guilty.
Eat a chocolate bar? You racist
Give money to a beggar? You're
supporting a drug habit! Ignore a
beggar? You elitist oppressor! Call
someone a beggar? You politically
incorrect slime! Write a humor col-
umn? You're wasting paper!
',
.,.
01
01
Economic boom?
The middle class should not be neglected
SYh e World Economic Forum, the acknowl-
Hedgedauthority on international economic
rankings, placed the United States on top of its
annual economic survey last month. After
eight years of Japanese domination, the U.S.
economy was declared to be the world's most
competitive for 1993. Business journals in this
country acknowledged the news as the result
ofaleaner, more technological economy. These
"findings do hint at continued wholesome eco-
nomic growth in the future. But mixed feel-
ings prevail: has the corporate downsizing that
helped shoot company profit margins back
into the black taken in its toll on the American
worker?
While there is a labor shortage in some
areas of the country, such as the Midwest,
permanent employment still eludes thousands
of workers. Lay-offs resulting from corporate
downsizing are still displacing workers, while
the flurry of new jobs have notbeen able to
replace the quality of those lost. A good pro-
portion of these new jobs are temporary or
part-time, meaning such benefits as health-
insurance and pensions are not available. An-
other moderate proportion of these jobs are
low paying service jobs.
Hailing the 5.9 percent unemployment rate,
one forgets that many are only temporarily
employed or underemployed. American pro-
ductivity is rising beyond that of all other
countries. However, as shown by the General
Motors strike over the past two weeks, work-
ers now find themselves nearly burnt out.
Companies are not rehiring but simply giving
the extra work to fewer employees. 50 and 60
hour weeks and Saturday shifts are not un-
heard of as many assembly lines struggle to
meet demand. Yet, one of the most disturbing
economic indicators is that median family
income has fallen for the past five years, and
real wages continue to decline for the average
American laborer.
Today's positive indicators do not neces-
sarily olen well1for the fnitiire_ t is nhvinne
that social distress will result from two-parent
working families who find little or no time to
keep things in order at home because they
can't afford, or find, adequate child care. So-
ciety has already come to grip with the strains
of single-parent homes, but soon, the same
might apply to two-parent homes. Also, the
trend in temporary employment means that a
greater proportion of people will be uninsured
for health care and will have little or no pen-
sions to fall back upon atretirement. The strain
on public services trying to fill the void left by
diminishing corporate benefits could be disas-
trous.
It is still early. Economists say a time lag
should be expected between economic up-
swing and when the general populace feels it.
If demand stays robust as expected, compa-
nies will be forced to rehire permanent posi-
tions and wages will eventually start reflecting
the rising profits. Still, indications are clear
that things can be done to help. Health care
reform must be used to lower the health costs
that discourage employers from hiringperma-
nent positions. Means testing of Social Secu-
rity andMedicare would free up huge amounts
of money to help form a parachute for those
displaced to get back on their feet. Education
must be reformed so that more people have the
skills necessary to access high-tech jobs that
are being created in the booming computer
and technology industries. The price of inac-
tion will be the further decline of America's
greatest asset: the strength of the middle class.
During the time that Japan enjoyed its
status as the world's most competitive
economy, numerous polls showed that the
Japanese work force felt itself overworked
and was rife with high stress and general
dissatisfaction. It is hoped we can learn from
that example and perhaps reprioritize our ob-
jectives. If this current economic boom is the
real thing, let's not squander the chance to
ensure that all segments of society can enjoy
the nrnfite
I
An unjust
criticism of
Christie's
campaign is
bi-partisan
To the Daily:
I am surprised that you
would run a heading called
"Christie dishonest with vot-
ers" over a letter which is
clearly one man's opinion and
far from factually correct. Yes,
Mike Christie, Jr. is running
for County Commissioner and
yes, Mike is a Republican. That
is where the factual content of
Mr. Pokrywa's letter ends.
Mike's campaign includes
both Republicans and Demo-
crats who are serving as mem-
bers of the campaign staff and
as members of the student
group Citizens for Mike
Christie Jr. Mike and those who
support him can by no means
be characterized as "radical
right wing".
Mike has a proven record
of working for the students,
most notably with his hard work
on the issue of textbook costs.
In the June 15, 1994 edition of
the Daily, Mike is named as
one of the students selected to
work on a committee to study
textbook prices. This commit-
tee, as reported by the Daily,
was created by "state Rep. Kirk
Profit (D-Ypsilanti), chair of
the House Higher Education
Committee." NotonlydidMike
serve as a member of this bi-
partisan committee, but he also
proposed solutions that would
resolve the current frustrations
of students, professors and lo-
cal businesses, with an ultimate
goal of saving money for the
students through lower text-
book prices and higher buy-
back rates.
Mike is truly running a bi-
partisan campaign, and he is
running to serve the best inter-
ests of the students. Mr.
Pokrywa is merely running his
mouth.
Pamela M. Nash
LSA Senior, Treasurer
Citizens for Mike Christie
the Pope
To the Daily:
Jason Lichtstein is unjust in
his criticism of Pope John Paul
II and his actions. Recently in
the a Daily editorial, the Daily
editorial board supported the
giving of the Nobel Peace Prize
to Yassir Arafat, leader of the
P.L.O. and aman whohas com-
mitted huge atrocities against
the Jews. Now amember ofthe
Daily staffcriticizes Pope John
Paul Iand the Catholic Church
for bestowing papal
kinighthood upon Dr. Kurt
Waldheim.'No one is denying
that Waldheim may have com-
mitted great atrocities against
the Jews. This honor was not
granted because of those deeds.
Rather, the Catholic Church
is allowing for the fact that
people can change, repent and
be forgiven of any sin because
of Jesus' death and resurrec-
tion. This is the central mes-
sage of the Gospel. Jesus' dis-
ciples included tax collectors
for the Romans, prostitutes and
sinners of every kind. Surely
there is room for a reformed
German officer. Why is it that
Yassir Arafat can be praised,
while when .the Catholic
Another minor problem is that
my colleagues and I are saddled
with a $4 trillion debt, which is not
only difficult to pay off, it's tough
to spell. I try not to question it
much. I mean, why ask why? But
it's things like the national debt
which have TV reporters around
the country asking us dumb ques-
tions about "how we feel."
TV reporter: "You have a $4
trillion debt, an environment in
shambles, an overpopulation prob-
lem, a gang problem, a poverty
problem and no culture, and none
of it is your fault. How do you
feel?"
0
Actually, it just feels right. I
don't feel so bad about this stuff,
because I am a career mistake-
maker, and none of this is my fault.
I may oversleep for class half the
time, and I may fall asleep in class
the other half of the time, but no-
body can blame me for a $4 trillion
national debt.
It's like moving into anew apart-
ment and seeing beer all over the
floor. On the one hand, there's beer
all over the floor, but on the other
hand, you can't possibly have spilled
it. So it's not so bad. Keep that in
mind if you rent my apartment next
year.
That really should be the motto
of Generation X: None of this is my
fault
1
F7
Make profs
hire their own
TAs
success in the potential fruit-
fulness of capitalism. If you
actually considered it for more
than afew seconds, then I'd
probably see flying hogs the
next day.
I