4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 11, 1996
aE d )igan Daigi
420 Maynard Street
-Ann. Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed by
students at the
University of Michigan
T' Ali
r«
RONNIE GLASSBERG
Editor in Chief
ADRIENNE JANNEY
ZACHARY M. RAIMI
Editorial Page Editors
NOTABLE QUOTABLE,
11 always wear a condom. It's a habit.'
- Male LSA junior discussing his sexual habits with the Daily
JIM LASSER SHARP AS TOAST
OnIess 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.
tROM THE DAILY
Holydays
New U' policy accomplishes little
:r MHOOSE lb KEE6P M r Y e2
CLEgATi OF All- THO5U
J 4 ___L________
NO MOV/ES
yo'V SNK
fvc vOL/AR, IV bee
O> f ,
any students find themselves in a
similar predicament: They must
decide whether to miss class for religious
reasons, or skip religious observances for
class. In fact, this dilemma will affect many
Jewish students over the next few weeks, as
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - two of
the religion's holiest days - approach. It
afflicts many students of other denomina-
tions throughout the academic year.
Recently, the University approved a policy
that aims to aid students who must miss
class for religious reasons. While the policy
is. a step in the right direction, its vague
wording lacks the substantive impact neces-
sary to make the proposal fulfill its intent.
Throughout the summer, LSA senior
Anthony Scaglione, who chairs Hillel's
governing board, and Associate Provost
Susan Lipschutz worked together to create
the "New U-M Policy On Religious-
Academic Conflicts.'' Recently, the Offices
of the Provost and Vice President for
Student Affairs approved the policy. It will
be mailed to students in the next few weeks.
Overall, the policy states that the
University will "make every reasonable
effort to allow members of the University
Community to observe their religious holi-
.days without academic penalty." Students
\must inform their instructors that they will
miss class, and the two parties must decide
on "a reasonable alternative opportunity to
complete such academic responsibilities."
However, if the faculty member can demon-
strate that the student's absence would pose
an "unreasonable burden on the faculty,"
then the instructor can deny the student's
request.
The University deserves commendation
for formally approving the policy. However,
the vague wording takes much of the bite
out of it, thereby undermining its purpose.
While most faculty members easily accom-
modate students in these types of matters,
there is no guarantee that all will. A faculty
member could have a legitimate reason for
not granting the student permission to make
up missed work. The policy does not direct-
ly protect the student against a possible
denial, thereby placing the student in an
unenviable situation.
Scaglione told The Michigan Daily that
if a disagreement arises, the policy dictates
that the parties involved should contact the
chair of the department. If the chair cannot
satisfactorily solve the problem, then they
should contact the college's dean. And if
this proves futile, then they should talk to
the Ombudsman.
However, weaving one's way through the
busy and obtrusive University bureaucracy
is no easy task - and an unfair burden to
place on students who simply want to cele-
brate their religious holidays without has-
sle. Moreover, it could take several weeks
for a dispute of this nature to be resolved -
long after the holiday in question comes
and passes.
Furthermore, it is unlikely that a faculty
member would contact the administration
- unless the student complains, then the
instructor's decision will stand. Hence, the
burden falls on the students' shoulders.
In the end, the policy does little to alle-
viate the conflict. A better, more effective
policy would have included specific clauses
that automatically granted students the right
to make up any work they may miss on a
religious holiday. As it stands now, the pol-
icy could create more conflicts than it orig-
inally planned to solve.
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AND NO POL/
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PLI$1CANS FoCr
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LETFERS TO THE EDITOR
BILL
GOR
Free Tfshirt
Students should steer clear of the credit trap
Anyone who has walked down State
Street, passed through the Michigan
Union or attempted to enter a book store
has encountered them. Going through the
mnotions of the first weeks of school, stu-
dents find themselves completely surround-
ed - they circle - armed with pen and
application ready to go in for the kill. These
tives may claim that you can cut them up
later, they would not waste their time with
these massive sign-up campaigns if it were
not in their best interest. Most people don't
cut up their new cards - and cutting the
card does not cancel the account. Those
who do dispose of the cards will find them-
selves on a permanent mail and phone list,
Give an
unbiased
report of the
Emmys
TO THE DAILY:
As a first-year student
who was previously very
involved with my high school
paper, I'd like to commend
you on your very profession-
al and thorough publication.
However, I have a bit of a
bone to pick with you about
your coverage of the Emmys.
On the front page of
Monday's paper you have a
preview box, denoting
expanded Emmy coverage on
page 8A. But the article
accompanying the picture of
Dennis Miller ("'ER' dos
leave 'NYPD' blue at 50th
Emmys," 9/9/96) is void of
one of the basic news writing
laws, objectivity. Why is the
article so opinionated? What
authority does (Joshua) Rich
have to deem certain shows
inferior? I, this piece was
supposed to be heavily opin-
ionated, why was his e-mail
address not left at the end, in
the same fashion as
(Adrienne) Janney's piece on
Page 4A ("Student housing
theory 101," 9/9/96). If this
article was a review, like two
of the others on Page 8A,
where is the review logo?
Perhaps a factual recap of
the event coupled with Rich's
opinion piece would have
worked better. Or at least an
article with some objective
recap of the event.
STEVE HORWITZ
LSA FIRST-YEAR STUDENT
'Smoke &
Mirrors' has
Reagonomics
all wrong
TO THE DAILY:
In his column last Friday,
Zack Raimi makes a number
of charges against the next
president of the United
States, Bob Dole ("Bob
Dole's taxing tale," 9/6/96).
While I have neither the time
nor the inclination to answer
all the charges, I feel com-
pelled to answer two of the
charges.
First, Raimi draws a con-
nection between Dole's recent
conversion to supply-side
economics and the lies of
Richard Nixon and Lyndon
Johnson. I could write pages
to refute this, but I will sim-
ply say that, if such a connec-
tion can be drawn, it pales in
comparison to President Bill
Clinton who must ask his
advisers each morning what
brush up on his history.
Reaganomics created the
greatest peacetime economic
expansion in history. As for
the deficit, Reagan fought for
a balanced budget amend-
ment and the line-item veto.
(It took a Republican con-
gress to pass the line-item
veto and to at least bring the
balanced budget amendment
to a vote.)
As Reagan himself said,
"I used to say to some of the
Democrats: 'You need to bal-
ance the government's check-
book the same way you bal-
ance your own.'
"Then I learned how they
ran the House bank, and I
realized that was exactly
what they had been doing."
JIM RISKE
ENGINEERING SOPHOMORE
Greek life
offers many
opportunities
TO THE DAILY:
In response to the Daily's
editorial titled, "What's the
rush?" (9/10/96): I would like
to offer a view from the other
side. First, the whole theme
that rush and the Greeks pre-
vent the fulfillment of other
outside interests is complete-
ly false.
In fact, the Greek system
strongly encourages campus
involvement. In my experi-
ence, I doubt that I would
have had the guts to run for a
student government position
in my first year if I hadn't
had the encouragement and
unfailing support of my
sorority.
I can't tell you how much"
it meant to me knowing that
more than 100 women were
out on campus rooting for
me. I wouldn't have won
without the support andncon-
fidence that they gave me.
I also would strongly dis-
agree that rush wastes too
much valuable time. First of
all, people that have gone
through rush, whether or not
they pledge a house, will
have met so many new peo-
ple, that this "great big cam-
pus" won't seem so scary
after they start recognizing
familiar faces all over the
place after rush.
Second, if formal rush
seems too intimidating, there
is always informal rush.
Many people, including
myself, who were terrified at
the thought of going through
the formal rush process, but
still wanted to be a part of a
strong sisterhood can find
what they're looking for in
informal rush.
You charge that the
pledge term gobbles up the
study time of that all-impor-
tant first semester. That's
lence.
I can see that every time I
go to the library with my sis-
ters and we see clusters of
other Greeks studying togeth-
er. A huge bonus is the abili-
ty to tap into the wealth of
knowledge about concentra-
tions, classes, instructors and
various other tidbits about
school with which the older
members of the house are
more than happy to share.
I want to thank my sorori-
ty for helping me learn about
my potential and giving me
endless opportunities for
learning, leadership, friend-
ship and helping me grow
into the kind of person that
can take on the world. I hope
that every student looking for
a place where they can do the
same listens to their heart
and finds it.
KELLY KLOUSTIN
LSA JUNIOR
MEMBER, ALPHA Xi
DELTA SORORITY
Distrust, not
abortion,
divided GOP
TO THE DAILY:
While I am reasonably
impressed by the Daily's cov-
erage of the state party con-
ventions this weekend I must
correct a few errors in (Anu)
Reddy's report from Lansing
("Abortion divides GOP in
Lansing," 9/9/96).
First, the contest between
Judy Frey and Mike Bishop
was hardly frantic, as report-
ed in the first paragraph.
While the contest was inter-
esting, to say the least, nei-
ther candidate's forces would
have been greatly put out by
a loss. While abortion was a
key factor in Frey's loss, it
was not because she was
"pro-choice." It was because
she had been actively pro-
abortion. Many of us consid-
er abortion to be murder. For
us, it was not a question of a
tolerance under a "big tent,"
it was a question of trust
regarding fundamental princi-
ples.
Reddy claims that
Bishop's win was "not with-
out last-minute arm-twisting
among delegates." It should
be noted that the folks twit-
ing arms were on the Frey
side. Pro-life arm-twisting
consisted of two College
Republicans holding up
handwritten signs in support
of Bishop. Abortion did not
divide the convention. The
Republican Party is decidedly
pro-life and rightly so. The
fight on Saturday morning
was between those who did
not trust Frey and those who
felt that Gov. Engler's
endorsement was the most
important thing. I can defend
MiujR ON TAP
To whom is the
accomplished,
smart woman
married?
H igh Stakes Miss America. Let m
tell you a story. It's about a young
woman. She is a product of her times.
Unusually bright,
she rises to the top
of her class and
graduates far
superior to her
peers. She then
enrolls in a presti-
gious Ivy League
school where she
excels yet again.
Despite the advice
of her parents and JAMES
friends she enters MILLER
law school, where,
again, she bests her classmates and
graduates at the top of her class. This
lady is Hillary Clinton. Or is it?
Elizabeth Dole is a remarkable
woman. She graduated from Harvard
Law, near the top of her class. SI
went off to work for all of the
Republican greats of her era; schilling
for Nixon and thedrest of his greasy
brethren. She has held two cabinet
posts in two administrations and until
very recently has been the head hon-
cho of the Red Cross.
Hillary Clinton has had almost as
illustrious a past as Dole. She graduat-
ed Yale Law near the top of her class
and had a very successful practice a
an attorney with the Rose Law firm. I
fact, she could be arguably considered
to be a less accomplished woman than
Elizabeth Dole.
Yet these two women are as different
as night and day when it comes to their
husbands.
Hillary is the biggest political liabil-
ity since Billy Carter. Since the'day
Clinton took office, the two of them -
especially her - have been subject t
more slams, jokes, innuendo, jibe,
tweaks, pokes and cheap shots than
Gary Hart in a Victoria's Secret.
And for what? What is so different
about these two women that they seem
like polar opposites during their
respective conventions?
I'm going to give away a little polit-
ical trade secret. The two women
aren't that different at all. Both of
them are stunningly well educated and
both of them have risen to the top of
male dominated field. They only differ
in the minds of the oily back-room
mercenaries, and thus, the American
public.
Republicans are still a party of the
old days. The real old days. Like, seg-
regation old days. A Republican's wet
dream is for life to be a scene out of
"Gone With The Wind" where women
are quiet, demure and exist only t
bring pitchers of iced tea out to th
menfolk and black people still refer to
white folks as "boss," but that's anoth-
er column. They would prefer that
their women be silent, corn-fed, straw-
berry blonde baby factories who quiet-
ly stand behind the podium and
applaud appropriately while their hus-
bands attack such worthy targets like
the poor, the homeless and anyone else
not lucky enough to be the son of a
rich, white podiatrist from Dayton.
It only complicates the issue whe
the women of your party start growing
brains and demanding things like an
equal voice: And then everything goes
to hell, and you find yourself reversing
your sensible opinions on everything
from abortion to discreet wife-b'eating
to unrestricted, masturbatory gun-
ownership.
Which brings me back to the poor.
first ladies. Professionally, there's r
difference between the two. They are
both aggressive, successful women.
The only difference is that the
Republican handlers have decided that
most voters who prefer to see a flat,
brain-dead Elizabeth Dole who has no
intellectual effect on her husband. It's
comfortable. It's easy. The husband
goes out and spends his day smiting
the Communists or the homeless or
whoever is supposed to be our enem
this week and the little woman stays'
home and bakes bundt cakes for his
triumphant return.
Whereas the Democrats have the evil
and spiteful Hillary Clinton who leads
her husband around by the nose, runs
the country and practices evil, twisted,
lesbian witchcraft ceremonies.
Right.
The thought of an accomplished
woman even close to the leader of t
free world makes the averagY
Republican so nervous that they are
willing to engage in that most unpro-
fessional of tactics, attacking an inno-
cent bystander, a candidate's wife.
There's no practical difference
htvn th tu rnwn _nAnd A t.it-
are the credit representatives, v
their tents stocked full of every
imaginable valueless trinket,
sign up the barely willing stu-
dent for every card conceived
in the world of modern plastic.,
While credit is a viable method
of payment, the responsibility
and financial burden of
overusing credit places many
students in the virtually
inescapable valley of debt.
Paying for college is a huge
expense - tuition, housing,
food, books and the expenses
of day-to-day living leave most
who from
and barely a
MATT WIMSATT/Daily
week will go by where a com-
pany doesn't try to talk
them into yet another card.
College is a profitable
market for credit compa-
nies. Statistically, college
students spend a greater
percentage of income on.
disposable or other non-
essential goods. Credit
companies take the risk that
students will be able to pay
it back, figuring that mom
and dad will step in if the
student cannot make pay-
students
with little cash, making credit an attractive
alternative to going without minor luxuries.
However, the immense expense also neces-
sitates loans - subsidized and unsubsi-
dized - for many students. When that debt
is compounded by several credit cards, a
gas card and phone card, students may find
themselves with a lifetime of bills or an
abominable credit rating.
These sign-up campaigns clearly target
first-year students living away from home
for the first time, and they create the irre-
- ,n r
ments. If students still cannot make their
payments, the company will generally put a
less-than-friendly collection agency on the
case, and may face the repossession of any
items of value - such as a car - that the
student owns. Credit does not fade away;
poor credit records may follow a person for
years, preventing him or her from getting
loans, mortgages or other lines of credit.
Exercising caution and restraint is the
best idea. Students who can afford a credit
card should shop around and find a single
card that best meets their needs - not
«T - it--- o hahc i nina n -r Th