4- The Michigan Daily - Friday, November 22, 1996 ti cue wtlch"77t g 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 reflect the opinion of the majority of the Daily s editorial board. All other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily refleci the opinion of The Michigan Daily. FROM THE DAILY Shedding some gIIIt is NOTABLE QUOTABLE, ' voted mostly because of name recognition from the fliers I have seen.' - LSA sophomore Rachel Goldner on yesterday and today ' MSA elections JIM LASSER SHARP AS TOAST E'V~ NEVE HAD 'FHE PASENERS TAK1IC-, NOTE S BEfFoR ~-r~I (E- I LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SHAKING THE TREE Monogamy? Not for this college crowd Winters' case brings O n Nov. 12, University football player Chuck Winters was arrested for beat- ing his ex-stepfather, Horace Davis, uncon- scious with a baseball bat. According to divorce documents, Davis threatened to kill Winter's mother while the two were mar- ried, and he made numerous other threats. Members of the Winters family have told reporters that Davis had abusive tendencies. hile acting violently toward another is not a good way to solve problems, Winters may have been reacting to a volatile family situ- 'tion. Although the case has already received a lot of media attention, it is by no means an isolated event in the University community. Many University students and faculty are not strangers to domestic violence in their families. The University and Ann Arbor vommunities have created some vital resources for survivors. YAbuse, which can be physical, sexual, emotiohal or a combination of the three, is a tactic to create and maintain power over a partner. Ignorance has led to several stereo- types and misconceptions about the abuse - for example, some believe domestic vio- lence is more likely to occur in lower-class families, while in actuality, it occurs at all class levels. However, abuse occurs fre- quently in all levels of society; it can affect people of any sex, race, socioeconomic class and sexual orientation. Although some people may believe that domestic violence does not happen often, statistics prove otherwise. In 1990, the FBI reported that half of all female homicide victims were killed by their ex-partners. Despite startling statistics, domestic vio- lence does not receive the attention it deserves in order to help stop the problem. But many in the University and Ann Arbor communities are working to dispel these and other myths - as well as encour- i abuse issue to front age the community to become involved. For example, the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Programs Office and the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center spon- sored a discussion on violence in same-sex relationships Monday. Violence in same-sex relationships is a very real issue, but often overlooked - society not only chooses to ignore domestic violence, but is unsupport- ive of the gay and lesbian partnerships. Many same-sex partners do not report part- ner assaults against them because they fear - legitimately - they will not be taken as seriously as survivors in opposite-sex cou- ples. The University and Ann Arbor provide survivors with many resources. SAPAC, a University program, and Safehouse, a bat- tered women's shelter in Ann Arbor, both offer counseling, drop-in support and/or discussion groups and 24-hour crisis hot- lines. Safehouse has an excellent facility dedicated to sheltering women who seek protection. It also has programs for children who escaped abusive households with their mothers. The Assault Crisis Center of Washtenaw County is another place to turn for help. University Counseling services and LGBPO both offer another outlet for counseling. Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti have taken tough stances on domestic violence - police officers are required by law to arrest, without a warrant, a suspect if the officer has "probable cause" that an assault has taken place. Officers are then supposed to give the survivor information on shelters and community programs. Despite all of the programs, prevention and enforcement, the group that really needs to get tough on domestic violence is society as a whole. A majority of society still accepts abuse as a way of life - even for themselves or someone they know. Accessing the Internet FCC proposals would benefit young students T hroughout his presidential campaign, Bill Clinton touted an educational pro- gram that would have all children logging on to the Internet by age 12. Under the aus- pices of the massive Telecommunications Act of 1996, he may be able to keep that campaign promise. Last week, in accor- dance with "universal service" mandates included in the act, a special panel of the Federal Communications Commission and utility officials revealed a proposal for $2.25 billion in telecommunication service discounts for schools and libraries. The chief component of these services would come in the form of getting schools wired for Internet access, and to provide discounts in access rates once that is achieved. A panel composed of four FCC officials, four utilities officials and one consumer advocate drafted these proposals. The pro- posals would benefit the youth and U.S. educational institutions. These plans would help spread computer use throughout the nation's schools. By extending the opportu- nity to access the Internet at a young age, the proposals could start children on the road to technological literacy - a skill that is becoming increasingly important. Another benefit of the proposals is found in their language, which call for 20- to 90-percent discounts on the costs of telecommunication services. The actual dis- count awarded to any district would be con- tingent upon the financial status of its stu- dents - the more students eligible for the free lunch program, the greater the discount help poorer districts most, allowing them to narrow the technological gap between themselves and financially healthy districts. Finally, the authors of the proposals envision the sum of $2.25 billion as a min- imum. If this goal were not met in any year, the surplus funds would carry over to later years, allowing flexibility in the plan. However, the recommendations are not without flaws. These large discounts would primarily come from the coffers of telecom- munication companies; they would proba- bly pass their costs onto customers. More important, the proposals focus only on tech- nical costs, such as those of wiring schools for Internet access. It fails to address the financial burdens of buying and maintain- ing computer equipment. The authors also did not include any provisions for training teachers about the Internet, a crucial com- ponent in introducing any new technologies to the classroom setting. Without the hard- ware necessary to log onto the Internet, or the presence of teachers capable of under- standing that global network, discounted service fees and a perfect set of Internet- ready cables would be of no use. (The act also contains a vague Internet obscenity clause, designed to censure users.) Nevertheless, the FCC and utility offi- cials have taken an important step to bring schools and libraries fully into the informa- tion age. Telecommunication companies should move to implement the funding pro- posals. Then it is up to other sectors to fol- low through on their lead, and provide Daily should support Prop. 209 TO THE DAILY: The Michigan Daily has long been vigorous in its condemnation of racial dis- crimination, for which it is to be genuinely applauded. In view of that resistance to dis- crimination of every kind, the recent hostility of the editors of the Daily to California's Proposition 209 is puzzling. The operative paragraph of that proposition, now to become part of the Constitution of the state of California, reads in full as follows: "The State shall not dis- criminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis o race, sex color, eth- nicity. or national origin in the operation of public employment, public educa- tion, or public contracting." This wording closely fol- lows the language of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, adding only five words "or grant preferential treatment to." I find it difficult to understand what it is about this public reaffirmation of nondiscrimination by the state that might justify your angry opposition to it. CARL COHEN PROF. OF PHILOSOPHY 'Ground Zero' lacks humor, intelligence TO THE DAILY: T have been an avid reader of the Daily this year, and for the life ofIme I could never figure out the humor involved in Yuki Kunyuki's "Ground Zero." Finally it dawned on me while flipping through the Daily when I spied that Jim Lasser is both the author of "Sharp as Toast" on the edi- torial page. and the "University V comic strip. My theory is this: Lasser is "Kuniyuki" and draws these horrible cartoons twice a week to make his own strip look comparatively better! Am I right? If Lasser can draw eight cartoons a week, why not two more? No sane cartoonist would find humor in "Top 10 reasons we knowv it's winter:" "we need more bike racks," and some Refrigerator Perry bear eat- ing Purdue cupcakes. If my theor is correct, this is certainly a piece of pure propaganda brilliance on the part of the Daily: Readers open up to the edito- rial nae on Tuesdays and sion, please come clean and tell the truth about Yuki - he's the worst. CLARK SCHIER LSA SOPHOMORE Lasser's illustrations are 'poignant' TO THE DAILY: Editorial comments are usually reserved for com- plaints. I would like to offer a word of congratulations. The witty and poignant commen- tary found in Jim Lasser's "Sharp as Toast" comic strip deserves high praise. So much of our daily news is depressing. Hard- nosed Associated Press arti- cles tend to leave the student feeling lost and helpless. Lasser sheds a light-hearted glow upon current issues in a way that brings clarity and hope to our generation. I have read past letters to the editor with a heavy heart because they have been criti- cal of Lasser's work. Lasser's cartoons have been called both racist and inappropriate. I think that comments like these show the effectiveness of Lasser's work, and a humor void amongst certain members of the student body. Racism and uniformity are big issues to University students. Lasser uses raw wit and humorous sarcasm, plus a great deal of artistic ability, to dissolve differences between students and high- light the humor in the dreary everyday news. Many stu- dents start their day with a quick flip to Lasser's cartoon, a routine that ensures a good start to the day. MATTHEW KIRSHNER LSA SOPHOMORE Winters is a 'quality' man TO THE DAILY: Chuck Winters is one of the most outstanding individ- uals I have ever been associ- ated with at the University. Being a campus leader, I had very few opportunities to meet and interact with varsity athletes. A mutual friend put Winters in touch with me about organizing a public ser- vice campaign against domestic violence. When Winters spoke to me about his plans, he spoke energeti- cally, sincerely, and very pas- sionately about his ideas. Before I graduated, Winters already had a detailed plan and was working to imple- ment it. Winters is truly a quality indiidal-1He nosessece a Reaction to cartoon is overly sensitive TO THE DAILY: I must comment on the letter by Shawna Lee that was in the November 14th issue ("Cartoon was insensi- tive"), concerning the Ground Zero cartoon of Nov. 12. Lee says the cartoon implied "we live in a commu- nity of only light skinned people" Welcome to reality ... those of Caucasian descent rarely turn blue from cold. Why don't you try red, maybe pink - and if you suffer from frostbite, you turn a pale, blue-yellow color, regardless of your skin tone. "Blue" is, and was, meant as a figure of speech. The issue was looked at a little too deeply ... perhaps readers should not be so quick to take defense at petty things. One cannot deny that we, as Americans, live in an unjust and racist society, but overemphasizing and deriv- ing nonexistent messages only further separates races and ethnicities. CAMILLE NOE LSA FIRST-YEAR STUDENT OSU will trounce 'U' in big game TO THE DAILY: I am originally from Columbus, Ohio, but I attend the University of Missouri. The reason for my letter is an effort to make Michigan fans aware of the fact that you all have no chance when you play Ohio State University. Your football team is so sad! How many games have you lost now, three or four? You've lost so many games that I've lost track! How do you lose to Purdue? Our vic- tory this week will clinch the national championship as our record will improve to 11-0. After we win, Michigan will be lucky to even make a bowl. Your team flat out sucks! That thing you call a defense will never hold our Buckeye offense. Dreisbach is the reason you lost to Purdue; and he'll be a key factor in your loss to Ohio State. I mean, how many interceptions can one team throw in a game? We are going to walk all over you. * And don't get me started about the rest of your offense - it goes without saying that it is horrible. M4y 36-year-old sister just got a new boyfriend. For the 45th time. Think 36. What comes to mind? Over the hill? Wrinkles? Varicose vein4 Not even. Not necessarily. Life isn't over after college. My sister is Madonna's long- lost twin. Thin,: sf- blond, beautiful, 'P brilliant. She has had many mar- riage proposals in' w s r her 20 years of dating, and she's H TIE turned them all HUTCHINS down. So she is not married, and she has no prospects. But all my sister ever want- ed was to be a wife and mother. She thought college was a good way to meet men. And it was. She met many men - even decent, cute ones. But she did4 meet one she thought she could spen the rest of her life with. And, unfortu- nately, she got a degree and now she's a career woman. And it kind of made mie wonder whether our generation will be much different. Particularly because we're not even looking. Now, unlike in my sister's generation, many of us feel that our career comes before family, that a Ph.D. comes before the two-car, two- kid, suburban life. Among all my friends, I know of one --just one - long-term relationship. It's a rarity in this town. Because nobody's lookingtfor long-tem rela- tionships anymore. It takes so much effort to look, so I think many of us have given up trying. You'd think with all these youn, attractive smart people crammed together in one little town with n much to do, we'd be seeing coup everywhere. But the overwhelming amount of good prospects is precisely the prob- lem. As a friend of mine put it, it's all about supply and demand. There's too big of a supply, so we figure we'll kick back and they'll come to us. So we don't actively pursue some- one unless we really, really want them. And we don't really, really want anyone because we don't activ ly pursue anyone long enough to find out if they're our soul mate. And even if we do pursue someone long enough to find out that we want to pursue them, they surely don't want us back because there's too big of a supply. Everyone's quite familiar with this ages-old problem of people not liking anyone who likes them back. I' beginning to think it's in our nature. But the current problem is much big- ger than that. It's a huge effort to get a good catch to even call you for a sec- ond date. We can afford to be very, very picky, and we are. So if you screw up just a little bit, all is lost. Oh, I don't want him because he smokes. I can't deal with anyone who doesn't love the Grateful Dead. I really liked her until I saw those hideous shoes she wore tl other day.- As my 36-year-old sister once said, men are like buses. If you miss this one, that's OK because there's always another one coming along. So why chase the bus that's halfway down the street already? I think the long-term relationship stage comes sometime after college, but sometime before we (women) turn 36. Because in the mid-20s, people 4 know start marrying off like crazy, anm it makes us panic. And we're no longer in a dorm room packedwith boys at their sexual peak, and we're no longer meeting new young people every day. So a guy who you once would never look twice at suddenly becomes your best possible hope. Supply and demand is what's killing my sister right now. There are tons mid-30s women, who, if they want have kids, need to get married soon. And a guy, if he wants to, can wait to settle down until he's 60. And he always has the option of dating a much younger woman, because - according to sociobiologists - guys just want cute women and women want rich, powerful men. But this whole situation makes col- lege a little less fun. I'd like to practice this long-ter relationship thing once or twice before it really counts. Because I have no idea what it's like to be romantically involved with someone for more than two weeks. Rut ;nseaa of ;maning into a rea- 1