4A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 14, 1996
Ulije £irtAun ThziI
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed by
students at the
University of Michigan
RONNIE GLASSBERG
Editor in Chief
ADRIENNE JANNEY
ZACHARY M. RAIMI
Editorial Page Editors
Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials ref lect 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.
FROM THE D iLY
Hiding pgain
Regents may use new committee to veil search
"NOTABLE QUOTABLE,
'This Is now a race between Bob Dole and Bill Clinton.'
- Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.), about the
1996 presidential election,
after winning primaries in seven states Tuesday night
MATT WIMSATI MooKiE 'S DLEMMA
TA AHERN E E IS VERY ) o YOU WANT
PtE UL AGGRESSION 'I f 'oiEs oT T4S fTOO
S N'1TIC ... ! UH LAMA
Atsw ER M
III)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The University Board of Regents trea-
sures its privacy. Members are evaluat-
ing the impending presidential search in terms
of confidentiality - and how easily they can
connive it. The regents solicited help for the
search that was meant to be representative of
end with the advisory panel. Earlier this
winter, the regents hired Malcolm MacKay
of Russell Reynolds Associates to serve as
search consultant. Upon his interview,
MacKay admitted to having no knowledge of
the OMA, and after learning about it, ex-
the University community; instead, it ap-
pears to be representative of
the regents' affection for
confidentiality. The regents
recently named a 12-mem-
ber advisory panel -which
was considered a positive
step until the regents began
defining tasks to fit their U
shady agenda for secrecy.(
The University community
eyes the advisory panel with
hope, expecting an acces- s
sible forum in which to ex-
press community wants and
heeds. But it seems the re-
gents have other plans for
the advisory panel.
In this search, as in searches past, the
regents have ducked and dodged the Open
Meetings Act wherever possible. In the 1988
presidential search, they weaseled around
the act enough to break the law. As the
regents kick off the current search, they are
setting a new and improved course of loop-
holes that circumvent the OMA; they are
assigning significant responsibility to their
advisory panel, and then dismissing the
panel's role as being "purely advisory." The
advisory label means the panel is not subject
to OMA guidelines and therefore is not re-
quired to meet publicly.
This situation begs trouble. Since the panel
can only advise, it is not allowed to eliminate
potential candidates - that must be done by
the regents in public. However, no one will
know with certainty ifthe panelists are elimi-
nating names. As a .result, the public will
remain skeptical.
The attempt at privacy does not begin or
"pressed little
MATT WIMSATT/Daily
concern for the necessity of
public meetings. Instead, he
stated his preference for
private meetings and main-
taining strict confidential-
ity. In spite of-or perhaps
because of - MacKay's
limited knowledge of the
OMA, the regents hired his
firm.
MacKay will work with
the advisory panel in closed
session. The regents held
one meeting with the panel
March 1 - another meet-
ing between the two groups
is not planneduntil the panel
presents the short list of can-
didates in the fall. That leaves the spring and
summer months for the advisory panel and
the consulting firm to work in conjunction-
and in secret. Regents' meetings will remain
open, but this will not help the public oversee
the search. By allowing the consultants and
advisers to meet privately, the regents have
effectively excluded the University commu-
nity from the true workings of the candidate
selection process. The panel may accept sug-
gestions and advice from the community
populations they represent, but little will
compel them to hold to its word if the selec-
tion process is not checked by the public.
This presidential search is shaping up like
the same elitist affair the University commu-
nity witnessed in 1988. Unlike the last search,
however, the regents' actions -- while frus-
trating - might be legal. They are creating
both the game and the rules, and now the
concerned University community must en-
dure the silence of the coming months.
Threefold mistake
House should not eliminate affirmative action
Lent is for
turning
away from
sin, to God
To THE DAILY:
We are writing this letter
in regard to the photo and
caption that appeared on the
front page of the paper
("Ash Wednesday," 2/22/
96), which depicted a
member of our parish
distributing ashes at one of
our Ash Wednesday
services. First, we wish to
extend sincere gratitude to
the Daily for the wonderful
front-page coverage
bestowed to us.
However, we, the student
members of the Parish
Pastoral Council, feel that
our parish and our Catholic
faith were misrepresented by
the quote that accompanied
the photo, and we wish to
offer our own insights
behind this important facet
of Catholicism.
The ritual of signing
people with ashes is, as you
reported, still done today.
However, the quote you
provided, "Remember, man,
that thou art dust, and unto
dust thou shalt return,"
comes from an ancient
version of this ritual.
As Catholics, we perform
this signing to symbolize
two things: that we recog-
nize ourselves as sinners and
that we realize that through
Christ there is hope for us.
We do not feel that the
season of Lent should focus
only on our sinfulness, but
that our constant conversion
to a better life and the
positive things we do to
improve ourselves also
should be stressed.
For these reasons, a
person receiving ashes is
told to "Turn away from sin
and be faithful to the
gospel."
We also wish to empha-
size that the priest is not the
only person permitted to
distribute ashes. The
scripture that was read at our
services Wednesday called
us to be "ambassadors for
Christ." Lay people, too
(students included), receive
this call. Each person
chooses to act out their
ministry in different ways,
one of which could be
serving as a distributor of
ashes, as John Greenberg,
the student in the photo, was
doing.
Again, we wish to thank
you for the coverage that has
been granted to us. By
writing this letter, we intend
only to help eliminate any
misunderstandings about
Catholicism.
STUDENT MEMBERS OF THE
DADiCUcu ADAI (C'i Imr
speak out once again against
another Michigan Student
Assembly political party. In
the paper there were three
separate items directly
dealing with the Budget
Priorities Committee, Matt
Curin or Andy Schor, and
each item was inconsistent
with the others or a blatant
reason why Schor and Curin
should not be involved with
MSA in any capacity! First,
Schor says, "... As just an
assembly member I can't
solve that problem because I
need 25 people to agree with
me. d
What does this statement
imply~? It implies that Andy
Schor believes the role of
MSA president is that of a
dictator! Maybe he misinter-
preted the example set by
Flint Wainess. It is true that
Wainess was able to do
nothing at all his entire term
without the support of the
assembly. If that is what
Andy Schor plans to do -
nothing - then yes, he can
fail the student body in the
tradition of Flint Wainess
without the help of the
assembly. He obviously
believes that the MSA
president works autono-
mously from the assembly
and as president he can do
whatever he wants. It clearly
shows that Andy Schor has
no business in office.
Next there is poor Matt
Curin for vice president.
Hasn't the entire BPC fiasco
shown him anything? A
motion to recall was
proposed! In English, that
means he was almost fired!
Yet Curin has somehow
interpreted this motion's
failure as approval of his
performance. "It was a vote
of confidence in me saying
I've been doing a good job."
Is he joking? Hello, anybody
home? If people had
confidence in him and
thought he was doing his job
at all, this motion for recall
would never have been
brought forward!
I have to agree com-
pletely with Rackham Rep.
John Lopez. He said,
"There is a crisis of confi-
dence here, when you have
problems with Matt, you
have problems with the
entire committee." There is
a problem with the entire
BPC and they should all
resign immediately!
Finally, after Curin
proclaims that he has "been
doing a good job" and the
assembly has confidence in
him, he writes a viewpoint
to the Daily ("BPC funding
not irresponsible," 2/21/96).
Does he proclaim how good
a job he has done?
No, he says. "I take my
share of responsibility for
these actions, it is only
appropriate for the assembly
to do the same." I do not
think anyone can be naive
enough to think Curin is
Column was
sarcastic
To THE DAILY:
This letter is in response
to the "Rosenberg Spews
Chauvinism" letter published
Feb. 26. The following
opinion contains the views
of a male and a female who
attended ninth grade English
and learned to recognize the
use of sarcasm in writing.
As a woman, not only
was I not offended by
Michael Rosenberg's
column ("Sportsmen of the
beer salute Sports Illus-
trated," 2/15/96), I actually
found it to be quite amusing.
The letter writers obviously
lack the sense of security
that comes from knowing
there's more to person than
the way he or she looks. And
as a man, I think it's
important to note that Kathy
Ireland is spelled with a "K"
and not a "C". Any guy will
tell you that. (Laugh ladies,
this is what we mean by
sarcasm.) In a world full of
bad news and tragedy, it's
nice to read a column that
still sees the humor in life.
And for the girls who wrote
that letter, when was the last
time you looked in the
mirror and had a laugh at
your own expense?
RICK GRUBB 11
ENGINEERING JUNIOR
PATRICIA Pu
LSA SOPHOMORE
DPS has too
much power
To THE DAILY:
On Feb. 29, I noticed an
article ("Students protest
DPS action") in the Daily
concerning a student protest
of actions made by the
University's Department of
Public Safety. The main
content of the article was in
reference to "racist and
discriminatory" actions
taken by DPS in dealings
with students, people in the
community and even (in this
case) a "high ranking black
official." However, I am not
writing to comment on this
particular subject matter, as
I, personally, have not been
the victim of any racist
actions taken by DPS. I am
simply glad that someone
finally stood up and pro-
tested the ridiculous antics of
this on-campus nuisance. I
appreciate the fact that the
University has its own
branch of security to protect
the safety and well-being of
its students. What I do not
appreciate is how the
members of this service
abuse the power that they
have been given.
I totally agree with Jodi
Masley's statement that"...
DPS is out of control," and
SHAKING THE TEE
Public eating
disorders:It'snot
just bulimia and
anoreia today
She lives in South Quad. When she
binges, she sticks to foods that
would be easy to regurgitate: dairy,
eggs, starches. She goes to the bath-
room in the basement and takes off
her shirt so it
doesn't get dirty.
She kneelsoverthe
toilet and sticks
two fingers down
her throat. Her
stomach convulses
almost immedi-
ate ly. It didn't al-
ways come so eas -
ily, but each time '$' '
it's easier to allow KATIE
the food to come HUTCHINS
up.
Another woman
lives in a house. She never buys food,
because she would eat it all in one
sitting. When friends ask why she
doesn't eat, she says she's fasting.
She exercises a lot- sometimes two
or three times a day.
Most of us know people like these
women, whether we're aware oftheir
obsessions or not. Most prefer not to
think about it. But obsessive dieting
is part of many women's lives. On
college campuses, disordered eating
is considered normal. In a 1995 Uni-
versity study, Candace Kurth, et al.,
found that 42 percent of the first-year
women evaluated were considered
"intense dieters" or worse.
I'm not talking about eating disor-
ders. I'm talking about disordered
eating patterns, crash diets, occasional
binge/purges and overexercising.
Most of us have learned to adapt to
the constant pressures to eat less. But
not all of us can.
I heard many diet plans for fitting
into a swimsuit for spring break-all
from thin women. And nobody's re-
ally surprised when a thin woman
tells us she's fasting to fit into a
certain dress for a date party.
Many lament the PMS-induced
bouts of self-consciousness in which
usually self-assured women sk their
friends ifthey would look better thin-
ner. People often assume that when a
woman skips dessert or orders a salad
entree that she's dieting, and that's
fine. Even when some women in-
dulge and devour a pint of Ben and
Jerry's, they can be heard comment-
ing that "it's so fattening, I have to
work out/I don't care/I'm stressed
and I deserve it." Eating ice cream
becomes an emotional event and
something that must be excused.
And many women can tell you about
friends who bought diet pills at age
10, who exercised to work off those
puberty curves before they ever ap-
peared, who experimentally purged
during high school.
These women are not clinically dis-
ordered, but they still have an obses-
sion. Maybe they don't count all the
calories they eat in a day or weigh
themselves every few hours, but they
are heading in that direction.
The average woman in Patricia
Pilner and Shelly Chiaken's 1990
study of college students--the nor-
mal woman - ate less in the pres-
ence of an attractive male than in the
presence ofothers. Men didn'tchange
their eating habits for attractive fe-
males. The theory is that eating less
equals femininity equals sexual at-
tractiveness. It's aprocess ofnormal-
izing disordered eating.
Society overemphasizes thinness as
a precursor for success and desirabil-
ity. And it's a lot easier to have a
disorder when society agrees with
you.
These things cannot easily be
changed. Society's difficult to con-
quer, and its gradual changes won't
help the women who are suffering
today. And altering an individual's
outlook on life is difficult, especially
when the media tells us a career-
oriented woman should be thin, an
athletic woman should be thin, a good
student and a good housewife all need
to be thin. Simply telling someone
not to be obsessed will not help.
Education and awareness are a good
start. But college women know their
nutritional needs. They know it's ir-
rational to binge and purge. But they
also know that acceptance is much
easier when you're thin. From career
life to personal life, women who are
thinner have the advantage.
It's almost rational to be a disor-
dered eater, because the damage to
the body is not immediately tangible
but the weight on the scale is. And the
positive reinforcements - compli-
*ments on weight loss or preferential
treatme~nt in inh interview-. -- ar
I
I
I
R esidential College Prof. Carl Cohen
estified against affirmative action be-
fore the state House Judiciary Subcommittee
0nlate February. "We cannot right the wrongs
of times past by engaging now in the same
invidious practices that engendered those
wrongs," Cohen said. His argument focused
on the growing backlash in the United States
against affirmative action programs, and the
need for government to eliminate such pro-
grams because they are unjustified and un-
fairly discriminate against non-minorities.
Cohen's words were bold, but misguided in
their approach.
Three Republican-sponsored bills are be-
fore the House. If passed, all three would
eliminate state-sponsored affirmative action
programs. One proposal, promoted by Rep.
Michelle McManus (R-Traverse City), would
ban all affirmative action programs, includ-
ing specific goals or timetables for hiring
minorities. Another would amend the state
constitution banning affirmative action pro-
grams. The third proposal, by Rep. Penny
Crissman (R-Rochester), would forbid race
and other considerations from test scores and
college admissions. Crissman's bill would
hit state colleges hard.
All committee meetings are open to the
public and anyone may speak after taking the
time to fill out a name card. Cohen is notable
because of his academic status, but beyond
subcommittee, but his sentiments do not echo
the University's. In fact, University Presi-
dent James Duderstadt and the Board of
Regents are unwavering in their commit-
ment to affirmative action programs at the
University. Yet, Cohen's opinions are trou-
bling.
Opponents ignore the positive influence
such programs have on women and minori-
ties. Active recruitment ofminorities affords
them opportunities otherwise denied by both
covert and overt racism. In addition, the
government has a responsibility to address
society's residual inequalities. Affirmative
action can't take back the past; the program
is aimed at the future.
Another important aspect of affirmative
action programs is that they foster diversity,
and give American culture greater depth and
flavor by introducing new and different ele-
ments into society. Forthis reason, Duderstadt
has emphasized the importance of a diverse
University. The United States is not marked
by its homogenous character-it is noted for
and enriched by its many varieties, which
make the country stronger. Measures to kill
affirmative action would destroy diversity.
Michigan should cultivate all of its human
resources - ofwhich women and minorities
are a strong part.
Such proposals as those currently on the
House floor are shortsighted and misguided.
S
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