4A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 10, 1996 420 Maynard Street RONNIE GLASSBERG z Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Editor in Chief Edited and managed by ADRIENNE JANNEY students at the ZACHARY M. RAINI t University of Michigan Editorial Page Editors Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials li t the opin /he majority )/a1 Diily : eitorialnboard. All other arHcles, letters and cartoons do not nccc scilv r/lect the opinion of The Michigan Daily. qFROM THE DAILY : - , ,. , : s., Looking ahAftad NOTABLE QUOTABLE 'Regents want to eliminate anything that might be embarrassing from the public discussion.' -Ann Arbor media law attorney Joan Lowenstein, on the University Board of Regents 'possible circumvention of the state's Open Meetings Act in the current presidenvial search YuKI KuNIYUKI GROUND ZERO F;r S ... / f/ RCW Fop~ }R LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Neal brings foresight n Tuesday, Homer Neal celebrated his first 100 days as interim University president. Neal has stepped up to the plate i more ways than one. He filled a vacant president's office with administrative expe- rience, he has tackled serious issues within the University Medical Center, he has field- ed questions about former University President James Duderstadt's so-called '"secret deals," and he has fostered good relations and earned the respect of his administrative peers all at the same time, With his success and finesse in the presi- dent's office, some wonder why Neal did wnotconsider making a bid for the perma- n2itnt position. The Presidential Search Committee is scheduled to begin interviewing candidates next week, but Neal's name is not expected -to be on the list of finalists. Although Neal 1 maintains that he does not wish to be a uni- Sversity president at this stage of his life, he would be an excellent choice in the current :earch for this university's president. Neal :has demonstrated his ability to accommo- ^ date the needs of a large, prestigious uni- versity, promote good working relations among different factions of the University community and act in the best interests of the University's future. j Neal has not allowed the "interim" label to limit his action, nor has he used it as an :",excuse for stagnation. In September, Neal - along with Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Farris Womack created a new office to monitor the suffer- ing University Medical Center. The office should help to soothe some of the adminis- trative upheaval the Medical Center suf- fered last year. The University Board of Regents intended to make medical center to interim presidency administration a requirement for University presidential candidates; Neal creatively cir- cumvented the problem and at the same time refocused the presidential search. In mid-September, news leaked of secret deals Duderstadt offered top officials to keep them at the University. The University community was full of questions, and Neal was the one to answer them. His statement downplayed the scandalous nature of Duderstadt's deals and reassured concerned officials that the deals do not merit serious concern. Neal's good-natured and professional approach to administrative matters has won him the respect of many - within the University community and beyond. le earned a healthy academic reputation as vice president for research, the position he held before he became interim president. For this reason, Neal's transition to the pres- ident's office has been a relatively easy one. As Regent Rebecca McGowan (D-Ann Arbor) said: "There was a good strong rela- tionship going into this period. That rela- tionship has grown since he took the presi- dency, but we were fortunate to have a good floor on which to start." A "good floor" is essential for positive relations in Fleming. The relationship between Duderstadt and the regents was notoriously strained, from policy decisions all the way down to Duderstadt's resigna- tion. Neal has handily averted that problem by stepping into the office with already established rapport and respect. Neal said that while he has enjoyed his interim presidency, he is looking forward to returning to his work in physics research. Indeed, his gain will be the University's loss. 'U' celebrates National Coming Out Day M any students find that college is a time for self-exploration and change as they discover who they really are. For some of the campus, the exploration also involves delving into the makeup of sexual orientation. The Lesbian/Gay/ Bisexual Programming Office and the Queer Unity Project have a long history of defending the LGBPO's 25th anniversary. The University should be proud that the office is the oldest of its type in the country. It serves as the hub for on-campus gay, lesbian and bisexu- al-friendly activities. Among numerous other programs LGBPO sponsors are sessions held during the first week of dorm move-in. The pro- gram's focus is on making first-year stu- dents aware of the vast resources available AATU offers advice to students TO THE DAILY: Thank you for your gen- erally positive article on the Ann Arbor Tenants' Union ("Student money funds AATU," 10/3/96). I would, however, contest the charac- terization of the tenants' union as a "little-known" resource. In fact, thousands of student households seek AATU services each year. The most common concerns for which student tenants seek AATU services are repair/maintenance problems, security deposit fraud, exces- sive fees, privacy violations and inadequate heat. The Ann Arbor Fair Rental Information ordinance - which we passed in the late 1970s - requires land- lords to give renters a hand- book concerning the rights and duties of tenants and landlords. That handbook directs renters to the tenants' union in the event of a prob- lem. I encourage all student- enters to read that handbook now so that they will be pre- pared for any problems that arise. And, of course, call the tenants' union if there are any questions at all about tenants' rights and options in any given situation. Generally, tenants have more rights than they know, but fewer rights than they need. AATU edu- cates tenants about the rights they do have while also working to preserve and expand those rights. I am writing this letter on my last day of employment as the coordinator of AATU. After nearly four years at the demanding and rewarding task of coordinating the multi-faceted efforts of AATU, I am retiring from the field to - finally! - write my dissertation. So, let me take this opportunity to thank all of the generous volunteers, ded- icated work/study interns and committed campus and com- munity supporters who have helped to sustain our work in recent years. An old AATU slogan says it all: "Landlords have money and power ... tenants have each other" By sticking together through hard times, we have forged an ever stronger union. Despite reduced rev- enues, we have managed to provide more direct services each year while continuing to work toward our long-term goal of safe, decent, afford- able and accessible housing - for everybody! PATTRICE MAURER RACKHAM against any "people," "associ ation" or "lifestyle" is beyond me, and that it was carried out by a campus-rec- ognized organization makes it reprehensible. It seems to me that no school organiza- tion should be allowed to continue when it bases its activities and beliefs on the dehumanization of other stu- dents. The College Republicans' actions overstepped the bounds of freedom of speech. If someone is physically assaulted and that assault is coupled with a racial or homophobic slur, the crime is then elevated to a hate crime; the assailant has no right to claim "freedom of speech:" Our circumstances are no dif- ferent. Some institution of the University has to act in response to these events and address both the criminal actions of the College Republicans and the larger issue of homophobia; not to do so would also be repre- hensible. CAEN THOMASON-REDUS SCHOOL OF MUSIc Drinking age should not be lowered TO THE DAILY: I am writing in response of your editorial "18 and Life" (10/8/96). It says, "The magic number (18) means the power to vote, drive, smoke and buy cigarettes, drop out of school and be drafted." Not only is this a repetitive sentence saying "smoke and buy," but it is wrong. In Michigan at least, you can drive and drop out of high school at the age 16. This is the system of America. Your government realizes that as individuals grow up they are more mature. This is the reason why the government staggers rights like this. Also, the editorial states, "Lawmakers have failed to articulate a justification for refusing individuals who have so many privileges and responsibilities the option to drink alcoholic beverages legally." Now, this is a bold- face, straight-out lie. Ip the 1960s, those being drafted complained about this. The drinking age was 18. The deaths of young people due to alcohol ballooned. Not all these were due to drunk driving accidents. People under the age of 21 have brains that are stiill growing. Minors and young adults drinking alcohol affect the brain's growth. The aver- age 18-year-old is not mature enoupgh to handle alcohol they goto a party. Since it is illegal, don't do it, but if you're going to do it, do it safely. PRTRICK ELKINS LSA FIRST-YEAR STUDENT News story confused DOM A facts TO THE DAIL: The front page of Tuesday's paper featured a story about gay rights, including the Defense of Marriage Act. ("Candidates downplay gayp rights," 10/8/96). Roiani Sanlo, the director of the University's Lesbian/Gay isexual Programs Office, notes that this act was defeated this year. Sanlo i: wrong, howev- er. The article's author, Laurie Mayk, should have picked up on this error; or at least, the Daily's editors. The Defxnse of Marriage Act (Public Law 104-199) was passed (Dn Sept. 21 of this year, after President Clinton sigred the measure. Furthermore, Democrats played a role in its passage. In the Houe of Representalhves, 70 Democrats voted for the bill, and it was :igned by a Democratic president. Granted, Republicans were overvhelmingly in favor of the measure (only nine Republicans voted against it in the House), but they had DemocratiE support. I hope the Daily does a better job of researching campaign issues in the future. ThoMAs KORNFIELD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY Israelis had a right to build tunnel TO THE DAILY: I woiald like to respond to the gross distortions of fact and abs'rd logic displayed by Amer Zahr in his letter to the editor ('Netanyahu risks war by opersing tunnel," 10/8/96). First of all, consider his statement: "Arafat has told his troops to act only in self- defense, which means that if any aggression persists, any logical person could conclude that Israel is the provocateur." Has Zahr ever heard the term "circular reasoning?" Here are the facts: Israel did nothinE more "provocative" than open a touristtunnel in its own capital. Contrary to Zahr'sallegations, this tunnel POWERFUL MPAT Vouchers don 't solve problems As I sat with colleagues to watch Sunday evening's presidential debates, it initially seemed like a repe- tition of the same old thing, and my ears did not really perk up until toward the end of the debate. A proponent of implementing school vouchers, presi- dential hopeful Bob Dole did not seem to be strong in the overall area of education when his opponent twice mentioned Dole's voting record in cutting student loan pro- grams. To this issue, MPATANISHI Dole never direct- TAYARI ly responded, but instead began talk about a voucher program that encouraged poor stu- dents in inner cities to abandon public schools for private institutions. Introduced by two Republican repre- sentatives, the American Communiy Renewal Act of 1996 includes Title IV, the Low Income Education Opportunity Act that would establish an "educational choice scholarship program" through vouchers. According to the terms of the pro- posed bill, each locality determines the value of the scholarship for poor children, but the maximum value of the scholarship would not exceed the per capita cost of educating children in a local public school.1( A product of Chicago's public school system myself, I recognize the need for reform. Nationally, only one-third of high school seniors can read satisfacto- rily, 16 percent are proficient in math and, even beyond these dismal statis- tics, the high school drop-out rate has been dramatically rising since 1990. Indeed, there is a problem when stu- dents wait hours to get into school because of metal detectors, yet stil1 aren't safe during lunch or on their way home. I remember hearing about a situation where a deaf high school stu- dent was shot and killed going home while communicating in sign tah- guage. Gang members thought he was giving rival gang signals. Even beyond the violence immanent in many inner-city public schools, there are book shortages, inadequate lab equipment and holes in school ceilings that make these institutions comparable only to Third World states. At Sunday's debate, Dole took pride in the claim that he went to public school - as if this somehow substan- tiated his support for school vouchers. It doesn't, and that's because all public schools, like his, are not problematic. Only certain public schools in low- income communities need drastic reform. Like many of the pulfic school graduates at the University that went to such magnet schools as King (Detroit) or Whitney M. Young (Chicago) can attest, their situations are much different from many other inner city schools. As a graduate of Whitney Young Magnet H.S., it must be noted that our SAT and ACT scores, graduation rates and percent of students going on to four-year colleges and universit es, were significantly higher than oth z Chicago public schools, but even beyond this they were better than sev- eral "top" private schools nationwide. Similarly, Bob Dole should realize that although he was educated at a "public school" in an affluent neigh- borhood, he has not faced the apathet- ic situation present in most inner city public schools. He essentially attended an Anglo-Saxon Whitney Young. a All of these differences in public education aside, I recognize that there is a problem with our schools. Mostly in the inner cities, mostly in poor com- munities, and mostly dealing with blacks, Latinos/as and other-minorities. Taking money from nearly bankrupt public schools to create vouchers, however, is not a proper solution. It is improper to take public funds from public schools to support religious institutions. Whatever happened 'to separation of church and state? Is that now thrown out the window? Even so, this wouldn't bother me so much if I wasn't convinced that one or two reli- gions will be supported, rather than the large span of religious sects that reflect our nation's population. t It is important for all to realize that vouchers are only partial funding for private education. Where are rena ing tuition funds coming from?'Ie students whose low-income communi- ties never had enough school funding to begin with? How are they getting to school with busing programs being cut? Thebvery poor are left behind to wait for busesthat will never come. rights of the University's gay, bisexual community and fos- tering an atmosphere con- ducive to personal explo- ration. This week, QUP is cele- brating Coming Out Week by hosting numerous events around campus. Events included an open house last night and an appearance by Wilson Cruz from the televi- sion show "My So-Called Life" tonight at Rackham Auditorium. Tomorrow, the lesbian and r to the gay, lesbian and bisex- ual community on campus. Other programs oriented toward the gay, lesbian and bisexual community include social events,. such as the monthly dance "Club Fabulous." During spring break, LGBPO offers special retreats and vacations. "Out in the Academy" is a panel where gay, lesbian and bisexual faculty and staff members interact with stu- provide students with valuable about how to get along in the community. Also, "Queer events will conclude with a rally in the Diag at noon to celebrate National Coming Out Day. QUP holds similar events all year. For example, during black and Latino/a history months, it organizes programs relating to race and ethnicity within the gay, lesbian and. bisexual community. They also have special events on Martin Luther King Day and Valentine's Day. QUP's activities are outstanding for the University. They foster a nurturing environ- ment where people feel that they may open- ly express themselves. It contributes not MATT WiMSATT/Daily dents. They information academic University" is a service that provides health information, legal and resume help to cam- pus. LGBPO and QUP are an integral part of the diversity of the University's campus. They provide many services and programs for the gay, lesbian and bisexual communi- ty. They foster a caring, supportive environ- ment that allows for individual expression - not only of sexual orientation, but of eth- nicity and gender.