4A - The Michigan Daily - Monday, April 8, 1996

CitE £idn agig tg

420 Maynard Street RONNIE GLASSBERG
Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Editor in Chief
Edited and managed by ADRIENNE JANNEY
students at the ZACHARY M. RAIMI
University of Michigan Editorial Page Editors
Uless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the 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 DAILY

NOTABLE QUOTABLE,
'I was surprised and dismayed that, after so many years
of education given to him at the University and at
Harvard, that he would show his ideologies that way.'
- Prof Chia-Shun Yih, discussing Unabomber suspect
Theodore John Kaczynski; Yih served as Kaczynski's dissertation adviser

JIM LASSER

SHARP AS TOAST

Take a
Skip classes for GEO
G ood morning, Michigan. Today and
tomorrow are a students' dream come
true - few or no classes to attend. Great
news, right?
Wrong. The reason behind these two
days off goes beyond vacation. The
Graduate Employees Organization has

today and tomorrow
would lose pay for all cancelled classes.
Goldenberg also ordered that LSA classes
"may not be rescheduled in time or place."
Any rescheduled classes would be regarded
as cancelled - therefore, conscientious
staff members trying to accommodate both
undergraduates and GSIs would be penal-
ized for their extra efforts.
Goldenberg wrote, "I hope that the

MICHICAN APWuM, %19b

T HE DotuLX
Crossroads of
oppression.
The JAP
S ince I came to the University, I
have heard that Long Islanders
have too much money. make too much
noise, have too grating accents and
join Greek soci-
eties in too large
numbers to be tol-
erated. When the
complainers
describe them,
they always seem
to be women.-
The description
looks like a colle-
giate version of.
the Jewish KATE
Princess. Long EPSTEIN
Island has traditionally been a place to
find JAPs. Growing up in New York
City, I was aware of that before.1 came
to the University. I joined in making
fun of Long Island JAPs for being
from the suburbs - clearly peripheral
places, probably crowded with super
ficial people who had traded the city's
cultural advantages for backyards -A
and for shopping at "mawls" for over-
priced sweaters.
We all hate the women of Long
Island because, supposedly, they're
rich. Their sorority houses, their
expensive clothing and their strings of
pearls all exhibit wealth. Long
Islanders are by no means the only
rich people on this campus, but the
stereotype makes them look like it.
Tension over income level runs high
at the University, probably higher than
in most places. Through its prestige, it
attracts students wealthy enough to
afford private schools, and through its
high rates for out-of-state students, it
maintains a wealthy out-of-state popu-
lation. Its in-state rates may be higher
than most state schools', but they are
still low enough to attract students
who cannot afford private schools.
Add to that the fact that life at the
University makes it very easy to gauge
students' income level, since employ-.
ment and living situations give clues
to students' wealth, and you have a lot
of resentment at all income levels. The
women of Long Island have become
the scapegoats for that resentment.
Resenting people because they have

I.

stopped work.
GEO, the graduate student
union, is picketing during this
two-day work stoppage. The
measure is less drastic than a
strike, but it is still GEO's
last-ditch plea to the
University to reach a contract
satisfactory to both sides.
They have been discussing
contracts since October, but
the University constantly
stonewalls any sort of
progress GEO tries to make.
GEO members picked April 8
and 9 as two days far enough
from exams - and close
enough to home. Bargaining

instructors'

J

4

_

negotiators arrive at agree-
ment without any of the
unpleasantness associated
with a work stoppage." Get
used to it - the rest of the
term will not only be
unpleasant, but ugly, if the
University continues its rigid
responses to GEO. If media-
tion does not work, GEO will
have to strike indefinitely,
which will cancel classes in a
more permanent manner.
In February, GEO orga-
nized a mock strike, picket-
ing outside various

"THIS 6 UY IN THE
MY NERVE S.

SUN6LASSE 15 GET iN6a
4~7'- MI f ' ft X'

ON

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

MATT WIMSATT/Daily

will begin on Wednesday of this week and
continue to Thursday; the picket will set the
tone for the week's discussions. A state
mediator from the Michigan Employment
Relations Committee will go between the
two sides, possibly bringing them to an
equitable settlement.
But the University called off bargaining
at noon on Friday - so the work stoppage
will continue. Moreover, GEO is filing a
civil suit against the University for unfair
labor practices. The union claims that
administrators are not engaging in the
mandatory subjects of bargaining, such as
international GSI training and GSI wages.
In an e-mail last Wednesday, LSA Dean
Edie Goldenberg warned department heads
that all staff, including GSIs and faculty,

University buildings. But the mock strike
was more like a protest, a visible statement
for the whole community to observe. Now
GEO requests the community's involve-
ment. Whether students choose to go to
classes in protest of GEO or because they
are concerned about academics, they will
have made a choice about the strike.
Everyone is forced to make a stand, by
action or inaction.
GEO would likely welcome any students
who wish to picket alongside GSIs. In addi-
tion, students could attend the outdoor bar-
becues at noon on both days in the Regents'
Plaza outside the Fleming Administration
Building. But the less obvious support is a
stronger statement. Stay home. Don't go to
your classes.

Brown's talents
Commerce secretary was gifted leader

he crash of an Air Force plane near
Dubrovnik, Croatia, last week, claimed
the lives of a group of committed individu-
als intent on ensuring the success of the
peace effort in the former Yugoslavia. That
journey of hope and determination reflected
the tradition of American public service.
Ronald Harmon Brown, secretary of
Commerce and leader of the mission to
Croatia, was a fine example of the tradition
with his work, both in the public and private
sectors.
Brown led an extraordinary life. It was a
life of firsts - he was the first black to be
chief of staff for a U.S. senator, first to run
a presidential campaign, first to head a
major political party and the first black sec-
retary of Commerce. His service went
beyond the color barriers that he broke in
politics. While a law student and father of
two young children, Brown worked as a
welfare caseworker for the National Urban
League in New York City. He later went on
to become vice president of Washington
operations for the Urban League.
Using the skills he developed as a top
assistant to Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-
Mass.) and at the Democratic National
Committee, Brown became director of the
Rev. Jesse Jackson's 1988 presidential cam-
paign. His work helped Jackson make a
strong impact on the race, winning the
Michigan Democratic Primary in the
process.
With that experience in hand, he became
chairman of the faltering DNC in 1989.

visible presence on the national political
scene. His abilities at building consensus
among disparate groups enabled him to
bring the liberal and moderate elements of
the party together. The culmination of his
efforts was unifying a divided party around
the centrist Bill Clinton in 1992. President
Clinton rewarded Brown with the top post at
the Department of Commerce.
As Commerce secretary, Brown again
turned his leadership abilities to reinventing
the department. Long regarded as a "sec-
ondary" cabinet position, the Commerce
secretary had little influence on the eco-
nomic policy of the United States. And at a
time when German and Japanese business-
es had their government's support in pursu-
ing international business, Americans were
left to fend for themselves. Brown changed
this. He actively involved the Department of
Commerce in promoting American business
to foreign governments. Brown led
American businesses on trade missions
around the world, and refocused them on
the emerging markets of Asia.
Brown sought a place in American for-
eign policy for the Department of
Commerce. His mission to Croatia was an
example of those efforts. The region is in
desperate need of infrastructure redevelop-
ment, which is important if the peace
process is to have any success. Brown's mis-
sion brought with him leaders in the con-
struction, engineering and power industries
with the intent of providing expertise and
assistance the troubled region. As always,

Wolverine
Party ran
clean race
TO THE DAILY:
This letter is to all the
Wolverine Party candidates
that ran in the MSA and
LSA-SG election. I thank
you for all your effort and
hard work. I could not have
made it through the election
without any of you. I really
feel that we ran a great cam-
paign. We kept it clean and
really attempted to get out to
the voters.
You all showed real guts
and courage in the hard work
and campaigning. Whether it
was postering at 7 a.m. or
talking to groups or quarter
sheeting, I believe that we
really showed many people
that student leaders and those
attempting to be student lead-
ers really care.
No matter what the results
were I know that you all
deserved seats on student
government and I know that
you all will stay involved and
work hard for the student
good.
Once again, thank you all
for everything. You have
made this a campaign to be
proud of.
ANDY SCHOR
WOLVERINE PARTY
LSA JUNIOR
M-Party will
make LSA-SG
for students
TO THE DAILY:
My name is Eve Madison
and I was recently elected
LSA-Student Government
vice president for the upcom-
ing year. I would like to
thank the student body for
the tremendous support they
gave Paul (Scublinsky) and
myself; there haven't been
many times when LSA-SG
candidates have won by
almost 100 votes.
We won, not by using
fancy posters or spending the
most money, but by identify-
ing and actually getting out
and talking about the issues
LSA students care about
most. Michigan is an incredi-
bly big school, and while it
does have many advantages,
it leaves many of us feeling
like a number.'
Why do I think less than
10 percent of the student
body votes? Perhaps, it is
because they feel that they
are one number out of 30,000
other numbers buried in a 10-
tier bureaucracy. LSA-SG
should not and will not be
another tier. Paul and I have a
mandate to be theavoice of
LSA students.

complacency of being on stu-
dent government - and
someone who remembers
what it feels like to be a
number.
Paul and I will be out
there, making LSA-SG
accessible to those we repre-
sent. Every week, one of us,
as well as every LSA-SG
representative, will be going
to student groups for ideas
and concerns. With diploma-
cy, vision and realism on our
side, Paul and I will make
LSA-SG an effective conduit
for the students, and the stu-
dents only. If I need to take
out my pom-poms to advo-
cate for change I will, as long
as the students' voices are
heard.
EVE MADISON
LSA SOPHOMORE
Fisher has
done worthy
job. as coach
TO THE DAILY:
In response to Doug
Pristach's letter ("Fisher is
the cause of 'M' basketball
troubles," 3/26/96), I would
just like to tell him to get a
clue. So we haven't won a
national championship in five
years. Neither have about 500
other schools. Steve Fisher is
doing an excellent job, and
has been doing an excellent
job ever since he became the
head coach.
How many schools have
managed to recruit the play-
ers that he has? How many
coaches can boast an NCAA
tournament winning percent-
age like Fisher's? And even
with the talent that we have
had, we certainly have not
had the most talent in the
nation over the last three
years. One thing to keep in
mind: If Dean Smith's Tar
Heels had not won in the
infamous Chris Webber time-
out game, would people say
Dean Smith is a bad coach?
Only one year before the Fab
Five, the Tar Heels' recruiting
class had also been pro-
claimed by many to be the
best of all time.
As far as your comment
regarding Fisher neglecting
the fundamentals, Baston and
Webber were both sopho-
mores at the time.
Approximately 19 years old,
playing in front of tens of
thousands of people, and
another couple million
watching at home. Is it fair to
say that Fisher can't get the
fundamentals through his
players' heads? I think not.
JIMMY WAN
LSA JUNIOR
Cover ballot
_1

you've devoted an enormous
amount of space to the elec-
tion of MSA representatives
and of the MSA president,
you have failed to report the
result of the other issues that
were voted upon.
Did the support for child
care for students with chil-
dren pass? What were the
results? The Daily seems
entirely caught up in the poli-
tics of the election and has
forgotten about the issues.
KEVIN HERSH
LSA JUNIOR
Article used
irresponsible
quotes
TO THE DAILY:
I was appalled when I
read the article "Dailys stolen
from campus drop sites,"
(3/28/96), about newspapers
that were taken from Daily
drop spots. As editor of a
campus newspaper, I can
understand how upsetting it
is when someone destroys a
product that the staff put a lot
of work into.
However, the author of
the article abused his authori-
ty to write a story that violat-
ed basic standards of journal-
ism ethics.
First, it was malicious and
unethical to print that the
people who took the papers
"looked like they were mem-
bers of Alianza."
This was never proved in
the article and played on
stereotypes about Latino peo-
ple. If this anonymous person
thought that members of
Alianza "looked a certain
way," that should have alerted
the reporter that the source
was unreliable because
he/she based that opinion on
racial stereotypes.
Secondly, the anonymous
source could say anything
he/she wanted because the
reporter gave that person the
luxury of not being held
accountable for what he/she
said. If someone is going to
make a claim that indicts a
whole ethnic group on cam-
pus, the reporter should make
sure that person puts his/her
name behind it.
When the Daily allows
people to take cheap shots at
minority student organiza-
tions, without facing conse-
quences,, it legitamatizes
those opinions to other stu-
dents.
It was irresponsible for
the Daily to run that quote in
the article or to even specu-
late who might have been
responsible for the thefts
without any proof.
That editorial decision
will do nothing but fuel
racial tension on campus and
confirm many students' sus-

As consumers, women
make as good scape-
goats for materialism
as Jews.

more money than you do is fairly
legitimate. P~eople who are born to
wealthy parents have a leg up in life; it
comes from luck, not merit. Paying
tuition on a tight budget makes it clear
how an accident of birth can affect the
quality of one's life. But singling the.
women of Long Island out for all the
resentment due to the wealthy parts of
the student body is not legitimate.
The women of Long Island are a
good targetfor scapegoating, partly
because they come from a place that is
traditionally Jewish. The scapegoating
of Jews for their monetary greed has a
long history. The practice dates as far
back as Shylock, the villainous money
lender of Shakespeare's play "The
Merchant of Venice," who took the rap
for greed in a play filled with greedy
people. It got particular play in Nazi
Germany when Hitler blamed the Jews
for the Great Depression in Germany.
Jews make good scapegoats for
materialism. They are sufficiently dif-
ferent from the general population to
be singled out, and they are often con-
sidered less refined than gentiles.
Refined rich people supposedly justify
their wealthy situations by maintain-
ing high codes of morals and behavior.
The Long Island accent has been con-
strued as both different and unrefined
by University students because they
are drawing on these categorizations
of Jews.
Women make as good scapegoats
for materialism as Jews. Women are
the nation's consumers. As caretakers
of the home and family, virtually all
women have had to be consumers.
Women exhibit more variation in dress
and style than men. Men can better
show off their wealth on women's bod-
ies than on their own, since suits and
ties show the money spent on them
much lesstobviously than women's
clothing and jewelry.
Because of this, conspicuous con-
sumption has been associated with
women, and when society needs
scapegoats for its practice, wome4
have supplied.
In the Jewish American Princess
stereotype, Jewish women become the
focus of the blame for materialism, in
the marriage of the two traditionally
blamed categories, and Jewish men

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