4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, December 4, 1996 Uhe £Idigrn Dalg 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 NOTABLE QUOTABLE 'We feel that it is inappropriate for any University-sponsored publication to be printing homicidal fantasies about graduate assistants.' - GEO Organizer Tamara Joseph, responding to an anonymous article in Advice magazine that tells stories about instructors JIM LASSER SHARP AS TOAST Unless otherwise nted unsigned editorials rfect the opinion of c thmajort of te Daiys editor ilbard. All other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily FROM THE DMLY Four years and out Curriculum change is graduation-friendly Zt4AUUAT.ON DAY. JAUA VI/%A ful & AAU" T he Engineering class of 2001 could have an easier time graduating from the University in the standard four years. Curriculum 2000, the brainchild of the Undergraduate Curriculum Task Force, is a set of structural changes to the College of Engineering that would not only make it easier for students to get out on time - it also would enrich the education they get. The task force has found an effective solu- tion to a long-standing problem and deserves commendation for this inventive initiative. At the heart of the new curriculum lies the combination of several 100-level intro- duction classes. Engineering 101 - Introduction to Computing, a four 4-credit course - will absorb Engineering 103,104, 106, 107 and EECS 100. Unlike the old classes, 101 does not pair a specific pro- gramming language with an introduction to computer science, weeding out classes that beat dead computer trends to death. Moreover, the new curriculum design aims to streamline coursework to make graduation in four years a reachable goal. 'iition isn't getting any cheaper; getting students out on time saves students money. In addition to making four-year degrees more attainable, the new curriculum promises to increase their value by expand- ing their breadth. Currently, some of the engineering programs allow for as few as two elective credit hours. As part of Curriculum 2000, each undergraduate engi- neering program must have at least 12 elec- tive credit hours, enabling the student to have a more diverse educational experience. The task force is composed of four stu- dents from different sections of the College of Engineering. Student members represent every class except the present group of first-year students. The committee's cross- section of the Engineering student body is beneficial and promotes discussion of a variety of concerns. Students have been calling for a change to allow them to graduate within a four-year period. The College of Engineering has answered those requests by establishing a program to improve this possibility without requiring students to overburden them- selves with 17 or 18 credits per term. Between students' influence on the task force and the demand from the student body to make four-year graduation feasible, Curriculum 2000 is an excellent example of the administration tapping the resource of student input to help solve a difficult prob- lem. LSA could learn from Engineering's example. LSA students also face the prob- lem of involuntary graduation delays. Upper-level concentration classes frequent- ly require more work and a greater time commitment but offer fewer credits. The credit system forces students to take on more than they can handle - or stick around for an extra semester or two or three. LSA administrators should try to solve the credit problem in a similar manner to the College of Engineering. The results might not only alleviate the problem, but might improve the education students receive. Curriculum 2000 promises to help solve some of the problems facing Engineering students. Regrouping may save students an extra year's tuition while enriching their edu- cation. Michael Parsons, former associate dean of Engineering and chair of the task force, said: "We have accepted our students' arguments.' Indeed, the new programs should increase both the quality and accessibility of students' education. The University should finalize the plan soon. t/c /v'.F LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Blood donation a 'Riske' business Letter was a personal attack TO THE DAILY: What purpose did Jim Riske's letter ("LaLonde is too risky to donate blood," 12/2/96) serve? He offered ill-informed comments on what constitutes high risk for HIV and a personal attack on Ryan LaLonde. Without any informative basis, the pur- pose of this letter seems only to allow Riske to publicly express his homophobia to the University community. LaLonde has proved him- self to be one of the strongest leaders on campus. His hard work in making this campus more comfortable for lesbian, gay and bisexual students is admirable. In fact, it was just such an action in writing his letter regarding the discrimination in Red Cross practices that inspired Riske's ridiculous attack. The letters to the editor section of The Michigan Daily should not be a forum for expressing personal attacks on other students on campus. If Riske wants to write a well supported dis- cussion of his position on the blood donation policy, this would be far more appropri- ate for publication. STACEY BRONOEL LSA SENIOR Riske is just as risky as the rest TO THE DAILY: Oh, for crying out loud. Today I open up the Daily and find some moron wrote this ("LaLonde too risky to donate blood," 12/2/96) tes- tament to idiocy, "When Ryan stops engaging in an activity that puts him at a high risk for AIDS (and who says he is) ... he will no longer pose a risk of passing those diseases into the nation's blood supply." Well "Riske'" why don't you pick your ass up and carry it back to Mars or whatever hell planet you've been living on. Do you hon- estly not have a clue who poses risks, and who is safe? Everyone poses a risk! And nobody is safe. If they've ever had sex. That's a risk most of us seem to be willing to take, but not with this asinine pipe-dream of invulnerability that you seem to have. What the hell? Do you really believe you "pose no risk" to the nation's blood supply? Do you really think you "pose no risk" to your part- ner? I swear, when God was handing out retard sandwich- es you must have had a sec- ond helping. ANDREW UN LSA SENIOR The middle ground: Dangerous blood banks TO THE DAILY: If Jim Riske thinks that barring homosexual men from donating blood will guarantee a clean blood sup- ply, he is wrong. Apparently he is unaware that AIDS is spread through heterosexual sex in the same way that it is for homosexual sex. Ryan LaLonde is not asking to be treated as though he is better than anyone else - the Red Cross rule is not, as Riske seems to think, "stop having sex with all kinds of gay men and we'll let you donate blood.' Instead, it says that if you are a man and have ever had sex with another man, you cannot donate. The rea- son LaLonde finds this unfair is that under this guideline, a man who has only had sex one time with anyone, and even if that was with a condom, is disquali- fied. The problem with that is that at the same time, a man who has sex regularly with many different women (possibly unprotected) is allowed to hop up on the table and put his pint of blood into the blood supply. Obviously, there is a flaw in the system when this can happen. What I believe LaLonde was asking for was to have the question in the pre-dona- tion stage read more along the lines of "do you now or have you ever had unprotect- ed sex with anyone.' That allows completely safe gay men to donate, as well as keeping unsafe heterosexual men and women from donat- ing. No one wants our blood supply to be compromised just to allow everyone who wants to donate to do so - but why is it such a big deal to change the rules so that people who are really involved in high-risk activi- ties are not allowed to give and those who are safe are approved? No special inter- ests, just fairness and com- mon sense. PETER WILHELM LSA JUNIOR Letter was inappropriate TO THE DAILY: I am writing in response to Jim Riske's letter ("LaLonde is too risky to donate blood," 12/2/96). Since when does the Daily print the equivalent of graffi- ti in the high school bath- room? Instead of a forum for insults and judgments of others' lifestyles, perhaps the letters page should concen- trate on intelligent discourse. ANTHONY ZARET RC SOPHOMORE MILLER oN TAP The lady ain't So polite like the CRISP system. Not because I enjoy being on hold, planning my future or listening to the CRISP lady's strangely erotic sermon every time I call up (OK, that last one isn't that bad). But the real reason I like CRISPing is the reactions that can be observed in your fellow students. College students usually don't like to talk about their schedules, classes, plans for the future, career aspirations and all that other non- sense. The desire to do that is usual- AMES ly driven out of usJAE by a passel of MILLER pushy, nosy rela- tives at holiday dinners. ("What the hell are you going to do with that when you graduate? Huh? Mr. College Student? What don't you just get a cas- trating, lifeless job with Corporate America, a drinking problem and start beating your wife? Hell, worked fr4 me!") CRISPing forces us to make decisions about life that require advice which oftentimes comes from our friends. Given the fact that concentra- tions and classes have been discussed ad nauseam this week, I believe I have gained some special insight into these things. At the risk of perpetuating a few stereotypes and incurring upon myself a mountain of terrifying e-mail, I give you: University concentrations. Due to space constraints, I have left many programs off this list, but I feel this will give a general idea of the kind of people who populate our campus. Engineering This is a major to make people who are bright, smart, and people who are smart, intolerable. Engineering stu- dents are the most dangerous people on campus because, since they are already smart people, they don't need to spend an awful lot of time on home- work, leaving their massive intellects free to other pursuits (i.e. forming unnatural relationships with personal computers). If you've ever wondered how a human being can take classes like "Theoretical Algebra" "Elementary Particle Physics" and "Fluid Dynamics," and not become dreary, lifeless and celibate, watch a few of these guys. (Hint: they can't.)4 Recommended courses: Math 281, Can You Afford Another "Star Wars" T-shirt?; Physics 363, Peeking Through Blouse Sleeves To Keep Yourself From Going Insane; and Computer Science 226, Yahoo, Lycos or Alta Vista: Who Has The Best Nudie Pictures? School of Natural Resources Or, "You mean I can climb moun- tains, look at rocks, weave hemp jew- elry and smoke hash by the metric ton for four years, and get a degree!? Hot damn! What box do I circle?" If you've ever wondered where the peo- ple who run wilderness retreats, own. camping gear stores, and generally are smelly, hairy and tie-dyed for a living come from, try the SNRE neck of the woods. Recommended courses: Right. Like they'd show up. The B-School Do any of these news stories sound familiar? A large corporation dumps toxins into a river and gives an entire town brain tumors, or sells dangerous, carcinogenic products to the public. Now, if it ever crossed your mind to ask where a person would learn to do something like that, walk out of East Quad, and it's on your left. (Imagine that, something being to the left o14 East Quad.) Recommended courses: International Business 423, Keeping a Thai Hooker Girlfriend As A Business Expense; Finance 111, Can You Think Of Anything More Important Than Huge Bonuses and Unearned Salaries? Neither Can We!; and Management 232, Sweatshops, Sweatshops; Sweatshops! The Residential College Being an RC student, I have a spe- cial reverence for this part of the University family RC students are easy to spot. We rail against the excesses of the capitalist system and spend $70 on Bob Dylan tickets. We think putting "Visualize World Peace" bumper stickers on our cars might actually save lives. We think the Bill of Rights applies to flag-burners and per- formance artists but not gun owner1 and KKK members. In short, we are what the conservatives think of when they think of liberals. Recommended courses: Social Science 225, Why The Rest Of The World Isn't As Smart As You Are; Pie 1 i1S Vir.,tim Ctn*,,o Ac 0 I" 1 I Cuffing efficiency Engler's plan would add chaos to state govt. L ast week, Michigan Gov. John Engler. announced a plan to drastically down- size the government bureaucracy. The pro- posal makes more than 7,000 state employ- ees eligible for a lucrative early retirement package. Engler intends to replace only one in four departing workers. But Engler is not thinking clearly. Simultaneously losing so many senior officials and increasing the workload of those remaining would severe- ly reduce the quality of service the state can offer its citizens. Some of the hardest-hit departments would be those Engler has already abused during his time in office. The Department of Natural Resources stands to lose up to 21 percent of its workers. James Carter, DNR personnel chief, says the largest number of retirements would come from parks and recreation. Park managers and wildlife biol- ogists preserve the livelihood of Michigan's wildlife - the positions must remain intact. Also, the Department of Civil Rights could lose 47 of its 166 employees - just less than one-third. Michigan has moved to the right since Engler's reign began, but the state must uphold its commitment to civil rights. And being committed means retain- ing enough personnel to pursue and resolve all civil rights complaints. Engler hasn't left out his favorite depart- ment to cut - education. Under his plan, up to 20 percent of Department of Education workers would be eligible to retire. The department certifies teachers and appropriates funds to local districts. From a broader perspective, Engler's plan puts the state government in danger. The retirement offer would extend to a 50- year-old with 25 years on the job, and a 60- year-old with 10 years of service. Many higher-ranking officials, including several department heads, have expressed interest in the plan - which, coupled with term limits in the state legislature, would result in a loss of state institutional memory. In addition, an exodus of workers would leave an inordinate number of responsibili- ties to redistribute. Chaos would result. Numerous and simultaneous promotions, along with higher workloads, would adversely affect all departments. Few offi- cials could provide training and some per- sons would inherit duties they are unequipped to handle. Vital departmental functions would fall through the woodwork. Engler's proposal would also affect the pension plans of new employees. The new pension - "defined contribution plan" - could result in lower benefits. Moreover, union officials fear it would damage the fis- cal solvency of the current retirement sys- tem. The state must solicit union input and explore long-term fiscal effects. Michigan is not in dire financial straits. Nevertheless, Engler wants to keep chop- ping the budget - and eliminate jobs while he's at it. His early retirement plan would result in an overburdened, inexperienced staff. After implementation, the state could not maintain current levels of service. Engler needs to refocus his energies on the needs of his constituency - rather than l Jordan article headline was misleading OI To THE DAILY: Get your facts straight! The headline on the Dec. 2 front page read, "Israel eyes permanent spots in Jordan." This is blatantly misleading and deceiving. The state of Israel has no claim to any land whatsoever in the coun- try of Jordan, nor is it seek- ing to build any such settle- ments there. (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu is pur- suing settlement expansion in the Jordan Valley, a part of the West Bank that Israel assertion that Netanyahu "rejects the premise of trad- ing occupied land for peace" is false. Regardless of your feelings about the peace process, most parties will agree that the hard line that Netanyahu is taking does not reject the basic premises of land-for-peace. Netanyahu and Yasser Arafat are working to arrange a more secure with- drawal from Hebron which will insure greater security for all parties involved, Jews and Arabs. Please be To THE DAILY: I find the headline of the article that you chose to print from the Los Angeles Times reading, "Israel eyes perma- nent spots in Jordan," (12/2/96) to be particularly offensive. Issues as to whom the West Bank belongs aside, it is completely out of line and deceptive to refer to the West Bank, or the Jordan Valley as it was referred to in the article, as "Jordan.' Doing so blatantly expos- es the author's anti-Israel sen- timents and hate-colored per- .