4- The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, November 27, 1996

Ul £rdgu 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 ref lect 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
Mofongo, anyone?
'U' can sample culture in its own backyard

NOTABLE QUOTABLE,,
'But when they stop smoking here, I think
It will get hostile for a while.'
- Inmate in the Michigan Training Unit in Ionia,
explaining how prisoners feel about their cigarettes
JiM LASSER SHARP AS TOAST
OH LORD, WE ThANK THEE FOR THY MANY YES DEAR?
BL.ES5I t6iC1S. WHAT D)O YOU MEAN "LORD,
WIDADDYV voU KNOW 1M ATHIS T
NOW, DON'TT YOU?
*>
OH. AND HOW CAN WE SAY'THANKS' WITH OH LORD, PLEASE SEND MY DA)6HTER
ALL THE STARVING PEOPLE IN BACK TO COLLEE
I ZAI EEJ TH E HVMAI' gICH TS
2'IF -EHMNReHS'VIOLATIONS IN CHINA, AND
FHTIN INTHE MIDDLE/ AN WE'RE ALL
EAST? HOW SELFISH E!! A ET TOL
~ I-WAN S
f f , q E T O
ET /E T EVOLVEDT-FO
LETTERS To THE EDITOR

E ver walk into the dorm cafeteria and
notice a theme?
It's on purpose. These theme dinners -
with interesting-sounding Puerto Rican
dishes - are just one of the many ways the
University exposes students to unfamiliar
cultures and practices. The multicultural
atmosphere is a University trademark. Each
year, cultural organizations and clubs dis-
play their diversity through heritage
months, weeks and days, giving students a
chance to celebrate new customs. Students,
faculty and administrators should actively
take part in these events, which strengthen
the University community.
The University purposely cultivates its
diversity by drawing students and faculty
from many backgrounds and locales. The
cultural focus events, which highlight
unique aspects of each ethnic group, are an
integral part of the University atmosphere.
These celebrations include everything
from the Indian American Students
Association's sold-out fashion and dance
show to "Islamic Jeopardy" in the Michigan
Union. And, students tasted mofongo, a
dish made with plantains, at a Puerto Rican
Week event earlier this month. Each cultur-
al group strives to present interesting illus-
trations of its heritage in which students can
all be proud to participate.
The programs also help students gain a
greater appreciation of their own distinctive
backgrounds. For students and faculty
members unaware of their own heritages
and cultural practices, these sponsored cel-
ebrations foster a sense of identity.
Moreover, ethnic celebrations encourage

people to get further involved in their own
specific cultural niche within the
University. Students may observe forgotten
aspects of their own cultures and re-estab-
lish ties between generations.
Students should consider participating
in some of these events. One of the best
ways to gain an appreciation for the varied
backgrounds of University students is to
experience their view of their cultures. By
sampling food and listening to music, stu-
dents and faculty learn more about them-
selves, as well as the culture they are enjoy-
ing.
The world is a diverse place - and to
provide a well-rounded education, the
University must reflect that. As business
becomes more global, the ability to com-
municate across cultures becomes an
increasingly sought-after skill.
Understanding differences improves com-
munication. After observing diversity in
action at the University, graduates will be
able to put this experience to use in the
working world not only globally, but
within different American communities.
Furthermore, cultural celebrations such
as the recent Puerto Rican Week boost rela-
tions between ethnic groups. Ethnic stereo-
types fracture working relations between
groups and people. One of the many ways
students and faculty can enrich their lives is
to take part in the various University-spon-
sored ethnic celebrations that occur through-
out the year. Even though these events may
only last for a week or month, the lessons of
diversity they teach are beneficial for a life-
time. So, go on - sample the mofongo.

MULTiCULTURAL EVENTs

September
October
November
November 15-23
December 7
January
January 10
February
February 5-10
February 9
February 24-28
March 15-16
May 14 (begins)

Latino/a Heritage Month
Filipino American Heritage
NativeAmerican Heritage Month
Puerto Rican Week
Dominican Celebration
Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
Dia de los Reyes Celebration
African American Heritage Month
Chicano History Week
Caribbe Fest
Latin American Week
Ann Arbor Pow Wow 25thAnniversary
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Thanks for
commitment
to A2 gay
community
To THE DAILY:
On Nov.15 The
Michigan Daily printed an
editorial ("Help from
friends") suggesting that Ann
Arbor and the University
could well benefit from the
presence here of a local chap-
ter of the national organiza-
tion Parents, Families and
Friends of Lesbians and
Gays.
On Nov. 18, the Daily
included an editorial "Ann
Arbor PFLAG') explaining
that the Nov. 15 editorial was
erroneous in assuming the
absence here of a PFLAG
chapter, given that PFLAG-
Ann Arbor was organized in
1982.
The editorial continued by
explaining the purpose and
work of the group.
On Nov. 22 an excellent
front-page news article ("A2
PFLAG connects gays, fami-
lies") in the Daily built upon
the content of the Nov. 18
editorial, describing in depth
the outreach of PFLAG-Ann
Arbor.
I greatly appreciate this
evidence of the Daily's com-
mitment to responsible jour-
nalism and its ongoing sup-
port of lesbian/gay
male/bisexual concerns.
JAMES TOY
UNIVERSITY AFFIRMATIVE
ACTION REPRESENTATIVE
Wolverine
fans helped
a Buckeye
Saturday
TO THE DAILY:
To the four Michigan fans
parked on the top of Ohio
State University's 11th Ave.
garage: I want to tell you
how much my mother and I
appreciated your friendly
assistance Saturday evening
after the game when we
returned, cold and depressed,
to a dead battery.
I know it wasn't easy
pushing my car up and down
the roof of the parking
garage. I also appreciate the
use of your cell phone to call
Traffic and Parking for a
jump. You could have easily
answered, "No," when I
asked if you had jumper
cables and left it at that.
I'm sorry I didn't think to
ask your names and address-
es so that I could thank you
personally. Your warmth and
friendliness were the high-
light of a very disappointing
day. Thanks again and happy

forward to seeing an article
on this past weekend's show
at the Blind Pig with
Thornetta Davis, Getaway
Cruiser and Five Horse
Johnson. I opened up the
paper to the '80s hair band
that no one likes or ever liked
to my knowledge ("When
'Cherry Pie' gets a little
stale," 11/22/96).
I then thought maybe we
will see a review afterwards.
No, instead your staff has
written an article of drivel
filling one half of a page on
bad Christmas action films
("How the action star ruined
Christmas," 11/26/96).
Detroit and Ann Arbor
have much more to offer than
your writers obviously can
see. I simply ask that you
kick your writers into gear,
and tell them to write some-
thing good, or nothing at all.
The day Warrant plays soul-
ful song one, will be the day
that I revoke this submission.
EVAN P. CORDES
LSA JUNIOR
Hutchins
is a 'moral
debacle'
To THE DAILY:
I have found Katie
Hutchins' column titled:
"Monogamy? Not For This
College Crowd" on Friday,
Nov. 22 very interesting and
factual, if not utterly
absurd. I am sure that her
sister, by dating her 45th boy
friend, is having a ball!
While it is perhaps dating
a few people before settling
down provides some experi-
ence, but if her attitude
toward men and herself are
serving as a role model for
this society, then she and her
disciples, including Hutchins,
are in real trouble. And that
is an ugly fact because others
have to deal with it. The
heart of the matter is the val-
ues that such attitudes impart
into the society and our lives.
When people are raised with
a "bottom line" mentality and
a primary focus on image, in
the long run, decline in val-
ues and a deteriorating men-
tality will inevitably ensue. It
is that shallowness of those
who look "at" others instead
of seeing "through" them that
is the detrimental factor in
their moral debacle.
This mentality caters to
those superficial individuals
who cannot see better things
in others. Rather, they judge
based on materialistic attrib-
utes of those who "seem" to
be worthy of their efforts in
order to satisfy their carnal
desires. It is the erosion of
spiritual values and a grow-
ing egotism that are the real
culprits. Those whose hearts
become dark and whose souls
become diluted because of

take offense to your sister's
demeaning comment that:
"Men are like buses - they
are everywhere, and they
come along at regular inter-
vals. They are good to look
at, but they are somehow not
worth the effort." I feel
equally repulsive toward your
denigrating and disrespectful
comments. I hope your sister
and you will start putting
your shattered minds and
souls together so those decent
men and women will be
worth your effort or you will
be worth "their effort." Just
be human.
AFSHIN JADIDNOURI
LSA JUNIOR
Stefanic
resigns from
SLS board
TO THE DAILY:
It is with sincere sadness
that I announce my resigna-
tion as a member of the
Board of Directors of Student
Legal Services.
I am currently serving my
second consecutive term with
SLS, and I have found it to
be an invaluable student ser-
vice. In the past, I have found
the entire SLS staff, and par-
ticularly Director Doug
Lewis and attorney Margaret
Clark, to be tireless advo-
cates of students in need of
legal assistance.
Likewise, I would like to
think that I have been an
asset in the development of
SLS. I am proud to have
assisted in the passage of
Michigan Student Assembly
ballot questions that resulted
in increased revenue and
financial stability for SLS.
Additionally, over the past
year and a half, I haveassist-
ed in modernizing SLS and
increasing publicity regarding
this organization.
However, after I was
unanimously reappointed last
March by MSA to a second
term on the SLS board, I
slowly began to detect a new
attitude concerning my
involvement with the organi-
zation. I was not informed of .
the dates of new SLS meet-
ings, nor were my phone
calls or e-mails returned. In
addition, and even more dis-
concerting, MSA
Appointments Chair Michael
Nagrant has not responded to
my request for information
concerning SLS.
To my knowledge, I have
have not been removed from
the SLS board by vote, nor
have I been recalled by the
general membership of MSA.
If I have been forcibly
removed, I was never
informed of such a vote nor
was I ever allowed to make
my case for remaining.
I can only attribute this
behavior to previous dis-

MILLER ON TAP
LSA course
requirements
revisited
C ertain Michigan Student
Assembly candidates have been
making a lot of noise recently about
getting rid of the LSA language
requirement. Personally, I think it's a
great idea. My
rationale is that
different students
come here to learn
different things
and that a lan-
guage requirement~
forces them to
take classes they
don't want or need
and probably
won't rememberJAMES
three days afterMILLER
the final exam. MLE
This is not, how-
ever, an argument that supports the
abolition of all required classes or sub-
jects. I think there are many areas of
study in which many of the limbs of
our student body are lacking. Here are
a few, but feel free to write in with
your suggestions.
101. Humility. (3). (Excl). (Grad.
Req). This course will teach students
the basics of humility. The overinflated
ego is becoming a growing problem in
our world and our campus. Coursework
will include the examination of such
questions as: What does it mean to be
an arrogant toad? Does the repetition of
words heard on PBS make you sound
more intelligent? The volume equation:
Does loud = right? (Miller)
Certain people need to take this
class. You've seen them. They come in
two types, the male and female. The
males are usually role-player idiots
who have had their minds rotted and
poisoned with existentialist literature
at a young age. They will be slightly
overweight, have terrible haircuts and
loathsome facial hair. The women will
often be heavier versions of the male
type, or the kind of obnoxious girl who
thinks that being felt up by her host
family's son while spending a summer
in France qualifies as worldly knowl-
edge.
But both types exhibit the same kind
of irritating mannerisms. They never
put their hands down, not even in a
two-hour discussion section. They
laugh too hard and too long at the pro-
fessor's jokes. But worst of all, these
are the kids who insist on calling their
professors by their first names. Now,
I'm an RC student, and many of our
professors prefer that, or at least don't
mind. Fine. But you can tell that these
people love it. They always have that
snotty grin on their face and speak as
if they and the prof. were going out for
drinks later. They say things like, "But
Edward, have you considered the fact
that Kierkegaard may have a deeper
meaning here? I know because I've
had two other English classes already
and I read three whole books this sum-
mer. Wanna play Magic after class?"
College is an environment that
encourages beings to exaggerate their
own intelligence. Try sprinkling your
next philosophy paper with a "hell ifI
know" or two if you don't think so.
The saddest fact about The Bullshit
Wars is that some students can't leave
the war behind.
101. Holding Your Liquor. (4)
(First-year students only). This course
is intended to teach incoming students

the fundamentals of drinking.
Although we will be covering a broad
range of alcohol-related topics, we
will be concentrating primarily on
striking a balance between a pleasant
drinking experience and puking off a
balcony. (Bristol and O'Connell)
At the risk of perpetuating a few
stereotypes here, I recommend making
this course mandatory to the entire
freshman class. Some folks, upon
entering college life, are unable to
handle the newfound freedom and
wind up taking certain party-time sup-
plies and making nuisances of them-
selves. Whether it's the girl dancing by
herself at the frat party at 9:30 or the
two guys fighting in front of
Panchero's, it's never a pretty scene.
Someone hunched over in a front lawn
or clump of bushes, heaving up their4
shoelaces while their friends look on
in mock concern as they try not to
laugh.
But by far the biggest benefit of this
class is for the rest of the student body.
Alcohol morons ruin the good time for
everyone else who can handle it. If a
sorority pledge goes sailing with
Captain Morgan and spends the
evening throwing up in the gutter on
South University, lapsing in and out ofl
a coma, you can bet your last nickel
that she won't be the one who gets
nailed. The rest of the student body
will pay for it, in the form of more silly
pointless alcohol education week
speeches (tonight at the Michigan

p

I

1

1

I

r

- Thanks to Rosalyn Beene from Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs for helping to compile this list.
Pss g ete ngavel
Judges should be elected, not appointed

E arly next year, the Michigan
Legislature may appoint a commission
to study whether the state needs a change in
the way its judges ascend to the bench.
Currently, residents elect judges. If the
commission adopts the most extreme of the
alternatives under consideration -- selec-
tion of judges by gubernatorial appointment
- that right may be taken away from the
voters and hand-delivered to Lansing.
Proponents of change offer many rea-
sons for their case for a new system. They
believe the current system fails to elect the
best-qualified judges because the electorate
often knows little about the candidates for
whom they vote. This is true - due to lim-
ited campaign funds and seasons, voters
often cannot get a true idea of the ruling
patterns or viewpoints of judicial candi-
dates, unless they have actively followed
candidates' careers. As a result, votes are
often based on contents of fliers or testimo-
nials in the letters to the editor section of
newspapers.
. . . ~

ther exacerbate the problem. At the
extreme, critics of the current electoral
process would like a judiciary in which all
judges are gubernatorial selections, deliver-
ing more power to the governor. They seem
to believe that by removing the electoral
process - and thereby barring ideological
groups from funding candidates - political
philosophies would be removed as a driving
force in judicial selection. They convenient-
ly ignore the fact that if the governor - an
intensely partisan figure - is allowed to be
the sole judge elector, politics would neces-
sarily play a role in his or her decisions.
Critics must realize that arbitrarily appoint-
ed justice is worse than justice bought by
special interests.
Furthermore, if governors assume the
role of judicial appointer, a change in lead-
ership could result in chaos. Shifting politi-
cal winds may constitute de facto judicial
term limits, as new governors with different
philosophies try to mold the courts to their
own agendas. Lifetime appointments could
,.,a ... t. .. __1L e._ 1..4 ___,. - A _I--

0