4A - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, November 6, 1996
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed by
W students at the
Oniversity of Michigan
[i t i ttn tti(
RONNIE GLASSBERG
Editor in Chief
ADRIENNE JANNEY
ZACHARY M. RAIMI
Editorial Page Editors
NOTABLE QUOTABLE,
'Based on this system we have at the
University, (women) will get lower raises,
and this concerns me of course.'
- Prof Katherine Freese, commenting on
possible gender biases in evaluations
IM LASSER SHARP AS TOAST
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 reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily.
FROM THE DAILY
Bollinge
Regents name n
M ore than 13 months after former
University President James
Duderstadt resigned, the Board of Regents
selected the 12th University president yes-
terday: Lee Bollinger.
Welcome to the University, Bollinger.
After a court battle that nearly shut down
the search last month, regents unanimously
selected Bollinger, a former University Law
School dean and current provost at
Dartmouth.
Throughout yesterday's meeting, the
regents continually praised all candidates,
and indeed, they deserve such lauding. The
Presidential Search Advisory Committee's
top four recommended candidates were all
highly qualified. Most likely, they will land
presidencies elsewhere within the next
decade. The other three: Stanley Chodorow,
provost at University. of Pennsylvania;
Carol Christ, vice chancellor and provost at
Berkeley; and Larry Faulkner, provost of
the University of Illinois.
But unlike Bollinger, their worries are
over. From the moment Bollinger assumes
the presidency, he will face tremendous
challenges as the University heads into the
21st century.
Appropriations
It is no secret that the state Legislature
has become increasingly hostile toward the
University. Many top legislators hail from
the western part of the state; many graduat-
ed from Michigan State University.
Since the state Legislature allocates
more than $300 million per year to the
University, good relations are crucial -
and should be one of Bollinger's top priori-
ties. The new president should engage with
the legislators consistently and not meet
with them only at appropriations time. He
should make frequent trips to Lansing, host
lawmakers at many University functions
and continue to invest resources in the
University's Lansing office.
At the same time, Bollinger must be the
University's most public cheerleader. In
1995, Gov. John Engler wanted to give
MSU and other universities allocation
bonuses - but not the University. While
Duderstadt fought against this plan, he
failed to plan far in advance. Bollinger must
be a more strategized advocate for the
University.
In his interview, Bollinger spoke a lot
about reinstating a sense of greatness into
the institution. However, it must not be mis-
taken for arrogance. Bollinger will have to
walk a fine line - fighting tirelessly for the
University without offending influential
lawmakers. It will not be easy.
One way to deflect a bad image is
through public service. The University must
give back to the state visibly - as it does,
for example, through the Flint campus,
which strives to revitalize a dying area. The
state can benefit from the institution's
efforts in K-12 education, business and
other public service arenas.
Cost Containment
Undoubtedly, the University will face
tough financial decisions in the near future.
As government agencies continue to down-
size; so will the University. To keep tuition
reasonable and maintain adequate academic
and social services, Bollinger will be faced
with difficult budgetary decisions. He must
protect the University's rich and renowned
academic programs at all costs, especially
undergraduate education.
Moreover, one of the most pressing
financial issues that Bollinger will face is
keeping the University's Medical Center
efficient. Bollinger was the only one of the
four candidates to have hands-on experi-
risback
ext 'U' president
often lacking.
The University's minority enrollment
has risen since Duderstadt instituted the
Michigan Mandate in 1988. When the pro-
gram began, minority enrollment at the
University was 15.4 percent. As of 1995, it
increased to nearly 25 percent and is
remaining around this level.
Bollinger must maintain and expand the
Michigan Mandate. The program already
increased minority enrollment, which bene-
fits the entire community. However, the
president's work must not stop here -
retention of minority students, faculty and
staff also must be a top priority.
In addition, Duderstadt created the
Agenda for Women in 1994, which pledged
to make the University a leader "among
American universities in promoting the suc-
cess of women of diverse backgrounds as
faculty, students and staff." Since its incep-
tion, there have been few tangible results of
this program, but its goals are worthy;
young women students need women faculty
and staff as role models. Bollinger must
continue to push for this and support its
programs.
Accessibility to students
At the same time, the administration
often ignores student protest over
University policy, partly as a result of mis-
communication - or no communication.
Throughout his eight-year presidency,
Duderstadt deputized the Department of
Public Safety and rammed the Code of
Student Conduct through the regents -
students overwhelmingly objected to these
measures.
Bollinger must be more willing to talk
with students - and listen to them. During
his interview, he said that students must not
be "treated like customers." And that's the
right attitude; the best way to understand
student issues is to talk with them directly.
Bollinger said he would teach a course if
selected as president; again, this is an
important activity and Bollinger should not
renege on his promise. Moreover, Bollinger
must not underestimate the power of ran-
domly meeting students on the Diag or eat-
ing meals with them in the dorms. The
University will always need a president
directly in touch with undergrads.
The selection
At the meeting yesterday, the regents
spoke about these challenges and said that
they were trying to select a president who
would best meet them. The meeting ran
fairly smoothly; Bollinger was the top
choice of six of the regents, who enthusias-
tically supported him.
However, two of the regents displayed
indecision, if not outright opposition.
Andrea Fischer Newman (R-Ann Arbor)
would not say publicly who she initially
supported; instead, she rode the fence until
after it was clear that a majority of the board
would endorse Bollinger.
Deane Baker (R-Ann Arbor) endorsed
Faulkner. He voiced concerns about
Bollinger's public testimony against Robert
Bork's nomination to the Supreme Court in
the late 1980s. Baker said the incident, and
by extension Bollinger's political views,
would alienate key segments - namely
Republicans - of the University communi-
ty. However, Baker seemed to be pushing
his own political agenda; the regent race
may be partisan, but the job of president is
not. Moreover, Bollinger said last month
that he would not, as University president,
repeat such an action. Later, Baker wisely
voted for Bollinger.
Dan Horning (R-Grand Rapids)
deserves commendation for nominating
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Informed
election
coverage
TO THE DAILY:
The Daily did an out-
standing job covering this
Fall's election. From local
candidates to Bill and Bob,
all the information was avail-
able. After the Oct. 31
"Election Special," no stu-
dent (could have used) lack
of information as an excuse
not to vote. Keep up the good
work.
RYAN D. FRIEDRICHS
RC SOPHOMORE
Daily opinions
given little
thought
To THE DAILY:
I was reading through the
Oct. 25 issue and came
across the sports pages, with
staff members' picks on foot-
ball games against the spread,
as well as a breakdown and
predicted score for the
Michigan game. Although all
of the writers for the Daily
picked the University to beat
the spread of 13 points, the
breakdown article, written by
one of the people who made
this pick, predict that
Michigan will win by seven.
This is no big deal, and
this is not an earth-shattering
event.
Unfortunately it is when
other aspects of the Daily,
such as editorial opinion and
current events, are given
about as much thought and
time as this pick.
STEVEN SHANNON
RACKHAM
'U' should
practice
responsible
disposal
To THE DAILY:
As a groundskeeper for
the University, one of my
duties is to police the School
of Business Administration
block for trash. Among the
employees of the Grounds
department, the student pop-
ulation has a terrible reputa-
tion for littering, but I have
been surprised at the lack of
mention of the practices of
University faculty and staff.
While I see students callously
flick an occasional cigarette
butt onto the ground, the
daily congregations of some
University employees create
piles of spent cigarettes that
irresponsible to deal with dis-
tributors that use styrofoam
when environmentally sound,
biodegradable alternatives are
available. The careless man-
ner with which Building
Services disposes of this
material, spilling it all over
flower beds and the lawn
rivals even the cigarettes'
ugliness. If a styrofoam-lit-
tered environment is one in
which we wish to train the
business leaders of tomorrow,
I shudder to think of the
future.
I hope that the University
can once again demonstrate
its leadership in environmen-
tal concerns by dealing only
with distributors that use
biodegradable packaging
foam, and encouraging facul-
ty and staff to do their part in
keeping our campus beauti-
ful. We would not only be a
role model to other universi-
ties, but to the students them-
selves.
ScOTT HANSEN
UNIVERSITY STAFF
Israelis still
mourning for
Rabin
TO THE DAILY:
Yesterday I joined more
than 100,000 people in
singing, chanting and sup-
porting their hero.
No, I was not at the
Michigan-Michigan State
football game, I was in
Kikar Rabin (Rabin Square)
in the middle of Tel-Aviv
remembering the person that
Yitzhak Rabin was, and the
dream for peace that he stood
for.
Rabin was an honored
war hero, a respected politi-
cian and was, and remains
today, a hero for Israelis and
others as well.
Since his assassination
one year ago, Rabin's image
has become a symbol of the
desire for peace and the
unfinished project that began
in Camp David in the late
'70s and continued in
Madrid, Oslo and now in
Israel and Palestinian-gov-
erned Gaza.
In recent weeks the world
has criticized Israel for
reneging on promises made
during the struggle for peace,
and the state of Israel has felt
just how much they miss
their former leader Rabin.
Plastered all over cars and
walls are bumper stickers
proclaiming, "Haver, Atah
Haser" or, "Friend, you are
missed," playing on the now
famous words of President
Clinton, "Goodbye, friend"
While I do not blame current
Prime Minister Bibi
Netanyahu for all of the trou-
bles and delays that have
plagued the peace process, it
as more than 100,000 people
remembered their fallen
leader and the bloody year
that has followed his death.
The rally ended with a
performance by the popular
and sometimes controversial
Israeli rock star Aviv Geffen.
In Geffen's final song he
called to bury the rifles, and
not the children. Sadly the
funerals of the nation's youth
have been an all too com-
mon.
A year has passed since
Rabin was murdered. The
question asked here in Israel
is, what has changed? It is
hard to say with all of the
progress made in the peace
process there is still a con-
stant fear of violence.
Just today the radio and
newspapers warned of terror-
ist groups sworn to derail the
peace process and murder
more innocent victims.
As we here in Israel pre- z
pare for the worst, we contin-
ue to pray for the best, so that
next year, when the second
anniversary of Rabin's death
is marked we can look back
and confidently reflect upon
how things have changed for
the better.
DAN MESSINGER
RC JUNIOR
Angell Hall
inscription
shows morals
in school
TO THE DAILY:
The Daily editorial on
Oct. 30 ("Teaching values")
concerning Michigan Board
of Education's resolution to
adopt "religious" morals in
public schools was quite
unclear as to how the board's
actions threatens our state's
school children.
The values of good citi-
zenship and moral responsi-
bility do not sound detrimen-
tal to me.
To instill good values in
school children in no way
violates the Constitution. The
opposition to this resolution
is primarily based in groups
like the American Civil
Liberties Union, which has a
fit anytime the government
acknowledges God or reli-
gion in any instance.
I could see if the state
enforced mandatory prayer in
public schools, but this reso-
lution merely helps make
children into productive, car-
ing citizens with a moral
conscience.
When is the last time any-
one has read the inscription
on the outside of Angell
Hall? It reads: "Religion,
Morality, and Knowledge
being necessary to good gov-
ernment and the happiness of
mankind, schools and the
MILLER ON TAP
A treasure hunt
for uniqueness
t is to be expected that after spend-
ing a lot of time in one place, one's
surroundings begin to lose their luster.
I must confess that after only a year
and a half, my campus environment is
starting to bore me. Buildings lik
East Quad, the Law Quad and the irri-
tatingly modern
Mason Hall are
beginning to lose
the be-true-to-
your-school
charm they once
possessed.
But one would
think my fellow
students would
still be a source of
entertainment andA
pride. At least, I AMILER.
used to think so. MiLLER
The once-brilliant orange hair of,
Quaddies has begun to lose its allure.
The greasy white baseball hats of the
fraternity scene no longer hold the
same earthy attractiveness. And even
the shiny, entrancing nose rings of the
local mallternateens have ceased the
shimmering glory.
Am I the only person who has
noticed that the University stopped
admitting different kinds of students
about five years ago? I think that there
are no more than 10 different kinds of
people on campus and instead of
admitting new students, they just
stamp out more copies. Perhaps with
deviations, a different Ministry T-shirt
here, a new line of Birkenstocks there
So, to make the encroaching hom
geneous nature of campus life a bit
more fun, I invented a game to sharp-
en the eye and quicken the mind.
The rules are similar to the old Auto
Bingo that every kid has played on
long car trips.
Take the list below. When you see a
person or item on the list, cross it off.
The first three people to bring a com-
pleted sheet to the Daily will win: ,
DATE WITH HANDSOME AN
CHARMING DAILY COLUMNIST
JAMES MILLER.
(Void where prohibited. Employees
of The Michigan Daily and their fami-
lies prohibited from entering.
Rendezvous to be paid for by the con-
test winner)
Happy hunting.
1) Guys in fleece vests
2) Food service employees with nose
rings (Try Espresso Royale.)
3) Empty-headed, club rat, raver
chicks with that spray glitter crap on
their faces
4) Fat girls who give you dirty looks
if you watch them eat
5) Mr. Abercrombie
6) Mr. Fitch
7) Fraternity guys who use my
tuition dollars for herpes tests at UHS
8) Raver chicks
9) People with quiet, mousy sneez
10) Snotty New Yorkers who treat
my hometown like Mayberry, RFD
11) Tommy Hilfiger and his bastard
minions
12) People who worship Nine Inch
Nails as if they just cut Trent Rezor
down from a cross
13) Men who shave their chests
14) Young Republicans
15) People with a lot of pins on their
backpacks
16) Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlaP
and Ani DiFranco (OK, you may not
actually see them, but girls who truly
wish they were angst-ridden chick
rockers will suffice.)
17) Anyone who refers to '80s music
as "classic rock"
18) Vegans who live in co-ops (is
that redundant?)
19) Patchouli-scented, bongo-
thumping, tree-hugging, dirt-munc
ing, crystal-rubbing, Phish-lving,so
milk-drinking, Ben-and-Jerry's-eating,.
tofu-frying, bong-carving, bra-burn-
ing (do people still do that?), noodle-
dancing, filthy little hippies
20) Raver chicks
21) Girls with dreadlocks
22) Anyone who uses the words,
"phat," "ghetto" or "the bomb" more
that 10 times in a two-minute conver-
sation
23) Men who wear berets
24) People with Crayola hair
25) Snot-nosed, weaselly little beat-
niks who call a secondhand copy of
"On The Road" a library and buy their
pot with checks from mommy and
daddy
26) Girls who claim they can taste
the difference between two types of
bottled water
27) Men with blank stares and tho
headphones the size of truck tires
28) Raver chicks
29) Guys on skateboards with facial
hair or other evidence of actual male
hormones (If you get this one, let me
know.)
30) Maoists, Marxists, socialists or