4- The Michigan Daily ° Monday, April 10, 1995 c~I1je £kigau Dui tg 420 Maynard Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Edited and managed by , students at the ' University of Michigan MICHAEL ROSENBERG Editor in Chief JuuE BECKER JAMEs NASH Editorial Page Editors JaMs R. CHo BENEATH THE PALIMPSEST Graduation marks the end of college dasys=m- almost Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflectthe 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. Han gt U'todry State House action Last week, the Michigan House of Repre- sentatives passed its higher education appropriations budget, exclusively withhold- ing a 3-percent increase in state funding from the University. This decision signals an alarm- ing trend toward both the University and the state of higher education as a whole in Michi- gan. Although Gov. John Engler proposed an increase of at least 3 percent for all 15 state universities, the House voted to deny the University's share, while increasing appro- priations to Michigan State, Western Michi- gan and Grand Valley State above 3 percent. The reason for this cut, as stated by lawmak- ers, stems from the University's current 33- percent out-of-state enrollment, 3 percent higher than the Legislature would like to see. The irony here is that in the effort to increase the percentage of Michigan resi- dents at the University, the House has taken action that will result in higher tuition for the in-state students who already attend the school. This follows a pattern that has been in place for the past 20 years: State appropria- tions have plummeted to account for only 55.4 percent of public university funding - from 75.1 percent in the 1972-73 school year - while tuition has steadily risen to account for the state's stinginess. Caught in the middle of this conflict be- tween the University and the Legislature are, of course, the very students the government claims to be trying to protect. The University already has the second-highest tuition rate in the country, with the University of Vermont a mere $50 a year higher. Perhaps the Legis- lature is looking out for No.1--although the University fell short of a hockey or basket- ball national championship, it can still be the leader in forcing the burden of the cost of education on students. There is no other logical explanation for flatly funding the University of Michigan while increasing funds for all 14 other state institutions. signals grave trend Michigan is currently among the top 10 states in forcing its schools to rely on tuition money for funding. This state appropriations' bill may only affect the University of Michi- gan, but Michigan State, Western Michigan and other schools that benefited from our loss should take note: They, too, can easily fall victim to a tight-fisted state Legislature. The University may be out of favor in Lan- sing this year because of its population ratio, but there is nothing to prevent other schools from withering under the spotlight for differ- ent reasons. The overall trend in the state is that of fewer dollars for education - and from such a governmental attitude, no school is safe. The current majority in the state Legisla- ture clearly wants nothing more than to con- tinue posturing on inane tax and spending cuts. Lawmakers cannot seem to understand such a simple concept as cost-benefit analy- sis: The benefits of well-supported schools help the state as a whole. The University of Michigan brings in far more dollars to the state's economy every year than the Legisla- ture offers in return. If the House wants to slash education and turn the Michigan uni- versity system into a shining example of mediocrity, then this bill goes a long way toward that goal. The bill to punish in-state students and the University now rests in the hands of the state Senate. If it passes, the responsibility will fall on Gov. Engler to live up to his former pledge and veto a bill that fails to achieve 3-percent across-the-board appropriations increases. State senators and the governor need to think long and hard about whether the lasting con- sequences and continuing pattern of neglect will be worth $8.4 million. They need to decide whether an education at the Univer- sity that is already prohibitively expensive for many of Michigan's working-class fami- lies is to placed further out of reach. By a circuitous route but with great enthusiasm, you, the graduating se- nior, third-year law student, fourth-year medical student, will soon leave the self- contained, sheltered community of the Uni- versity of Michigan. Diploma in hand, you prepare to embark on your childhood dreams. (You don't get the diploma until six weeks later.) The cold, hard truth is that in our times, Fate (read: unemployment) lurks, wield- ing its scintillating machete, ready to cut your ego down to size. Whether Monday, May 1 marks your first day on the job or September locks you back in the classroom, remember that as a Michigan alum, you're part of the largest "family" in the world. (Eds'. note: What would have followed the preceding paragraph is a laundry list of alums, their accomplishments, anecdotes about Deloreans and a proposal for a man- datory class titled Drugs are Bad 101 for all MBAs and athletes without the pass/ fail option. In the interest of the reading public, we cut directly to the chase.) Whether you're competing in the Olym- pics, implementing public policy or plant- ing a Michigan flag on the moon, remem- ber you still are and always will be a Wolverine. President James J. Duderstadt will always welcome you back with open arms - especially if you return with a $20 million endowment for the University's Western Civilization program. (Just don't ask for the privilege of hiring faculty.) As Michigan men (and women) you've learned to hope for the best but expect the worst - like forward-thinking Chris Webber, we thought he'd return to take the team to another NCAA championship but we all knew he'd never turn down millions to play in the NBA. (Eds'. note: That's the requisite sports analogy in which the answers to deep philosophical questions are found in the simple musings of graceful athletes.) As you exchange addresses, tearful good-byes, please remember a few things: 1. If you work 80 hours a week at the corporate headquarters of Kmart in Troy, remember the important things in life - family. Shed your self-centered, utility- maximizing ego and make time to give back to the community. Coach Little League baseball. But make sure they're real and not replacement players. 2. When Lana from Michigan Telefund calls asking for a "small donation," give generously because the students you're leaving behind will have to contend with triple-digit tuition increases now that the state Legislature despises us and refuses to increase state appropriations. (And don't give the minimum $19.95 either. For next year's graduates, like me, the minimum is $19.96. You're lucky.) 3. Don't be satisfied pushing papers across the desk your entire life. Strive to right historic wrongs; push for equal rights for all people; address injustices in immi- gration or welfare policy; demand lower taxes and, of course, rights for women. 4. If you have to move back in with your parents: Be nice. Hey, you belong to a generation of people less likely to own their own homes than any since before the days of Reconstruction. Rent away! We grew up in a world where the ominous cloud of foreseeable nuclear an- nihilation eventually blew over, thanks in part to thousands of demonstrating stu- dents in Eastern Europe demanding free- dom and forcing the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union. With the end of the Cold War, we should be entering an era of unprecedented progress. Yet it seems we're losing a more vicious war. You're entering a sick world where disease, hunger, teenage pregnancy, crime, crumbling freeways and widespread inci- vility pervade. But battle against the drum- beats of despondency and cynicism. Shed your callousness and apathy. Search for answers you may never find. What is life anyway? Life is not the neoclassical model of maximizing one's own wealth - it's contributing a verse to the poetry of the world. "Heard melodies are sweet, but unheard ones sweeter still." So contributed the 20-something, ode-writ- ing John Keats. So frame your diploma, send out more resumes/applications, indulge in post-teen angst. Read Allan Bloom. Remember your first job won't be your last. And remember what Hamlet said of life, love and labor: "If it be not now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come. The readiness is all." Be ready. Jim LA SSERSSAmm As TOAST 1:r'i A CooD THMGIcYU& out OF Thi jeff WAS "-IN C-% NOTABLE QUOTABLE "Service is the rent you pay for living." - Stella Ogata, spokeswoman for the Children's Defense Fund 0 0 SAC the code New group embodies student activism Sack the code. That is how Students Against the Code (SAC) feel about the code of non-academic conduct, the State- ment of Student Rights and Responsibilities. So they mobilized 80 students and are plan- ning steps to protest the policy. SAC is student activism at its best. De- serving special praise is Vince Keenan, who was instrumental in forming SAC. Keenan's tireless efforts as the MSA Students' Rights Commission chair have been a driving force in the movement against the code. The new group gathered a following in a relatively short two weeks, with supporters ranging from members of MSA, Student Civil Liber- ties Watch, The Michigan Review and the National Women's Rights Organizing Coa- lition. These groups and others have shown coalition-building ability by uniting in the fight - SAC members possess diverse back- grounds and ideologies, yet have converged on a common goal: elimination of the code. Part of the group's strategy is a protest rally and march set for April 20, the same day as the University Board of Regents meeting. The march will begin on the Diag and end at the Fleming Administration Building. At the same time, student activists, MSA officials and other concerned students will be inside the meeting to negotiate with the regents. Students should make an effort to attend the How TO CONTACY THEM rally to show the administration their opposi- tion to the code. However, the regents meet- ing is scheduled during final exams, poten- tially discouraging many students from par- ticipating or speaking. The 12 students who will be allowed to speak at the meeting will have to limit their comments to five minutes each. These circumstances are only one more reason to hope the non-voting student regent will be on the April's agenda. The passage of this item would greatly improve students' ability to communicate with the administra- tion. The code will be evaluated as an interim policy at the meeting, as it must be every April as long as it is temporary. Also during the meeting the regents will examine the first-ever proposed amendments to the code. Students have worked hard on these amend- ments and they should be given serious con- sideration. However, regents must acknowl- edge that students, through SAC and other efforts, have overwhelmingly called for abo- lition of the overbearing policy. The cooperation among SAC members already makes the group an enormous suc- cess. Perhaps the regents will finally listen to the voice of students, which will be heard inside and outside the regents' room next Thursday. The cause is important enough for students to join and say: "Kill the code." LETTERS Hartford slights APA cultural show To the Daily: As concerned Asian Pacific American student leaders, we write in regards to comments that appeared in the March 31 Daily in the article "Pan-Asian program attracts big crowd" about the United Asian Ameri- can Organization's first annual cultural show: "GENERATION APA." In the article, Vice Presi- dent for Student Affairs Maureen A. Hartford said, "It amazes me how much talent these kids have, especially be- cause they aren't performance majors." "... because they're all pre- med and pre-law,"added Engi- neering Prof. George Hartford. GENERATION APA was not merely a cultural show, but a catalyst that ignited over- whelming feelings of together- ness and pride. On Thursday night, unity in the APA commu- nity was not just a much ideal- ized concept, but a reality. Many of us went home filled with hope for the future and waited with anticipation for the Daily's cov- erage of this milestone event. It was with great sadness, shock, and disappointment then, that we read the aforementioned an oppressive stereotype of APAs that limits the perception of APAs to the submissive, highly successful minority that doesn't "make noise" in this society. It places all APAs un- der the generalization that most of us are "pre-med and pre-law" or engineering students. This generalization ignores the struggling APA, and gives those in power to dispense aid, financial and otherwise, an ex- cuse to deny aid to the many needy APAs. It insults the intel- ligence of those who would openly recognize' the; diversity of backgrounds in the APA com- munity, and misleads the ma- jority of society into buying into a falsehood. Why should it come as a surprise to the general popu- lation every time Asian Ameri- cans excel outside of the aca- demic arena? If indeed we are as talented and successful as everyone seems to say we are, should not our talents extend to areas such as the performing arts and other "non-traditional" Asian arenas as well? There are those who would argue that one or two comments are not significant in the whole scheme of things. Dr. Hartford's comments and in particular those made by her husband, however, point to a general ste- reotypical perception. This view is not limited merely to stu- perpetuate an oppressive ste- reotype, to look beyond this ste- reotype and recognize us as in- dividuals. We would challenge espe- cially those in positions of lead- ership, the Daily staff and oth- ers who have a responsibility to the community, to be more aware of this and to make an effort to show a more informed understanding of issues of such importance to the community. Nguyen Park UAAO advocacy chair and fifteen other students Hartford ought to apologize for comments To the Daily: We would like to comment on a grossly disrespectful and repugnant remark made by En- gineering Prof. and Executive Director of the Office of Tech- nology Transfer George "Jay" Hartford Jr. In reference to last Thursday's pan-Asian culture show, Vice President for Stu- dent Affairs Maureen A. Hart- ford, Hartford's spouse, ex- pressed surprise. at the talent of the Asian performers because they were not performance con- centrators. To this comment, George Hartford added, "... ................................................................ University faculty member can watch a performance that illus- trated the diversity within the Asian community, and then af- terwards classify the members of all Asian ethnicities as "... all * pre-med and pre-law." This comment implies that there is no diversity within the Asian community, and it stereotypes all Asians as aspiring doctors and lawyers. Both of these assumptions have dangerous consequences. Whether he was being serious or "just joking," Mr. Hartford is4 responsible for perpetuating myths which have historically served to dehumanize Asians. By labeling all Asians as pre- professionals, Mr. Hartford dis- courages others from seeking out and appreciating the indi- viduality of each person. Fur- thermore, Mr. Hartfofd's remark is a disgrace to a University whose administrators pride themselves on their commit- ment to combating racism. As is often the case, we rec- ognize the possibility that Mr. Hartford may have been mis- quoted, or may have had his comment taken out of context. Therefore, Mr. Hartford should either clarify what he said, or apologize to the pan-Asian com- munity and the University at large. Jeff Ganldblatt CC University Regent Philip Power (D-Ann Arbor) 412 E. Huron, P.O. Box 7989 University Regent Deane Baker (R-Ann Arbor) 4944 Scio Church Rd. I