4- The.Michigan Daily - Friday, November 8, 1996 fwh Eidgiguu Eajg 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,, 'Regent Baker has served the University and he has served it well. Perhaps after 24 years, it's time to let someone else serve.' - Former University President James Duderstadt, commenting on Regent Deane Bakers (R-Ann Arbor) electoral defeat JIM LASSER SHARP AS TOAST Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials relect the opinion of the majority of the Dailys editorial board. All other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily. FROM THE DAILY Tpping the scales 'U' evaluation stats should consider bias 1 / ^ 0 ne of the most important opportunities for University students to impact the quality of their undergraduate education comes in the form of tiny ovals and a No. 2 pencil. At the end of each term, students fill out University-distributed evaluation forms to solicit students' feedback on courses and instructors. Although each University department assesses the forms differently, they carry significant weight in departe- mental determinations as to who gets raises, tenure and promotions. However, the University does not weight gender differ- ences enough when making these decisions - departments also should review male and female instructors' evaluations sepa- rately to account for inherent gender biases - not prejudices, but statistal bias. Although students often display it in subtle ways, gender bias does exist in class- rooms across campus. Students often per- ceive male and female instructors different- ly - such perceptions can lead to drastical- ly different concitisions on the evaluations, and they can prevent women from receiving raises. By evaluating genders separately, .pay raises might reflect a more balanced distribution for males and females. The change would help enforce a unbiased eval- uation of women faculty. Michigan Physics Prof. Katherine Freese told the Daily that statistical evidence sup- ports the claim that gender bias exists with- in the student evaluations - especially in highly technical courses, such as physics and math. Since many of these fields have been male dominated, many women instructors feel compelled to be tough, strict and impersonal. As a result, students may overlook the professors' actual teaching ability and give poor evaluations because of a less-than-motherly demeanor. The University should increase its efforts to study gender as a factor in raises and promotions - if gender biases persist, then the University could and fail to attract - and retain - top-notch instructors. Between the nasty competition and lower pay, female professors may not want to teach at the University because of apparent biases. In the end, this adversely affects the quality of education for students. The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching recently launched a project to study the association between gender of the instructor and the students' rating. Connie Cook, CRLT's director, said the research should last for about one year. CRLT's study is an important; the University should analyze its findings and take any appropri- ate action to deflate gender biases. Many members of the University com- munity are concerned that gender is not enough of a factor when the various schools and colleges determine advancement. Often, female instructors lose out because of inherent gender biases in many of the students' evaluations. The issue will not go away - individual departments should take steps to reintroduce fairness into the review and use of student evaluations, to best capi- talize on student input. F!SHINC... jJ 'PL.AYIN6 CATc H.. READ~C~ING-C0N-, To THE ^ PLASTIC SVI'CEON. (~0 Q) r. VIEWPOINT Po lutants endanger Lakes Holiday would raise participation, morale BY ANGIE FARLEIGH AND TRISHA MILLER The future of the Great Lakes could be drastically affected by current regula- tions proposed by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Under the federal Great Lakes Water Quality Initiative, which was signed into law in 1995,. each state bordering the Great Lakes must establish rules and regulations that meet fed- eral standards and set a proto- col for specific environmental and public health standards in their respective states. GLI requires Great Lake states to create regulations to prevent and control toxic pol- lution within the Great Lakes. Michigan's compliance is tantamount to ensuring a clean and safe environment that meets acceptable public health standards. GLI is nec- essary to protect the Great Lakes because they represent the world's largest body of surface fresh water and, unlike most lakes, they do not flush out frequently. This makes the Gireat Lakes more susceptible to persistent bio- chemical accumulative, which endanger the health of those persons ving in the Great Lakes Area. Although we have made progress in the remediation efforts of U.S. water systems since the passage of the feder- al Clean Water Act in the 1970s, our lakes are still large contaminated. The repercus- sions of toxic pollutants in our water are revealed in our own communities. A recent study from Wayne State University shows that I1-year-old chil- dren form western Michigan whose mothers consumed PCP-contaminated fish before and during pregnancy suffer as much as a six-point deficit in their IQ. Other effects of contaminated water - 1arleig is an RE senior and Miller is an LSA junlior' are showing up in the bald eagle populations on the shores of the Great Lakes. The eagles reproductive patterns have been altered, they cannot reproduce as easily and their offspring are born with defor- mities, such as twisted beaks. Michigan's draft of GLI lacks environmental and pub- lic health protection in many areas. The National Wildlife Federation recognizes several flaws in the Michigan draft that must be corrected before it is submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency for final approval. Some of the major issues are listed below: e Closing the loophole for variances. The Department of Great Lakes face many dangers Environmental Quality wants to grant "multiple discharge variances" that would allow all discharges on a river to apply for a "variance" (exempting them from com- pliance). This translates to every polluter on the Huron River is permitted to bypass the new water quality stan- dards. N Preventing all sources of toxic pollution. With limit- ed exceptions, Michigan's proposal fails to address the issue of pollution entering our water through sources such as the air and land runoff. It is crucial to focus on more than just the direct discharges. In Lake Michigan, over half of the PCPs fall from the sky. In Lake Superior, 90 percent of the mercury contamination found in the water is from the air. Removing loopholes that allow trading. Michigan would allow increased pollu- tion in some water streams in exchange for vague promises to reduce pollution elsewhere in the watershed. The state wants us to trust that this scheme will protect our health in an interim period, leaving stricter rules to be developed in the future. This proposal is illegal under the federal GLI. If Michigan wants to allow such actions, rules that assured the protection of our health must precede this pro- posal, as well as public input. Designing Lake Superior as an Outstanding National Resource Water. Michigan's proposal falls short of providing any extra protection for Lake Superior, despite promises from Gov. John Engler to the contrary. ONRW designation would freeze toxic pollution and pre- vent new or increased releases of the most harmful pollu- tants. Lake Superior is the largest and most pristine body of water in the Great Lakes. It is important to preserve Lake Superior's unique status. The Michigan proposal includes some positive regula- tions. It focuses on bioaccu- mulatives and sets new stan- dards above the federal rec- ommendations. s owever, these few progressive steps fail to ensure the protection of our Great Lakes and the health of those living in the Great Lakes region. GLI can set a precedent for the future management of the Great Lakes. Michigan, once an international leader in water quality protection, must adopt a GLI that eliminates loop- holes and guarantees adequate protection of the Great Lakes. The DEQ will be accepting written comments prior to Nov. 29. Please write or call to voice your support of GLI and your concern with the loopholes in Michigan's pro- posal. The DEQ can be reached at: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Surface Water Division, P.O. Box 30273/Lansing, Michigan 48909. The phone number is: (517)-335-4184. SHAKING THE TRuE .Katie's guide to good and cheap vegetarian eating out EĀ°ver have a fly in your veggie lo If you live in a residence hall, thig probably doesn't happen. Do you even get veggie lo mein in those places? All I remember is gar- banzo beans and 7 white rice and the occasional pathet- ic falafel, and get- ting really excited . when they had KATIE potato pancakes. HUTCHINS Anyway. I don't get my food made for me anymore. Not in a cafeteria. I assume most peo- ple on campus eat at home most of the time - even if it is only mac and cheese or cereal. But I eat out or order in for most of my meals. I got tired of doing dishes. And I think that's why I got a fly in m veggie lo mein yesterday. Yu eat ou often enough, you experience all the bad-luck parts of eating out. This was- n't just your average fly; it was big, fat, and gooey - and unfortunately it looked very much like the rest of the unidentifiable junk in my to mein. And it almost got into my mouth. I won't identify the food establish- ment responsible for this. I like to give people a second chance before con- demning them. But personally, I'm n eating there again. Good luck finding out which one it is. This is about the worst food experi- ence I've had since somebody put meat on my meatless burger at McDonald's. Other than that one screw-up, McDonald's is one of the best meal deals in town -just behind 'the Olive Garden, Oasis, and Amer's, which all tie for first place. I know what you're thinking Amer's? Deal? That place has Zingerman's prices and your-average- Mediterranean-deli quality. Ah yes, but don't forget the $2 soup and the sample cheese trays. The soup is usu- ally pretty good, and you get a big hunk of bread with it. And lately, they've been putting out cheese trays with bread (and sometimes meat, for you meat eaters). So you can get your full meal for tw dollars plus tax - all you have to do walk casually by the sample tray a few times and stuff some chunks of cheese in your pocket. Down side? They got rid of their smoking section. Which leaves the Fleetwood Diner, Oasis, and Burger King as the only places where you can get good. cheap eats and still have a cigarette after your meal. Fleetwood has to be the best because the whole place is a smokin section, the ambiance is comfortably dingy, and there are lots of interesting people to look at - particularly at 2 in the morning. But the best part has to be the Hippie Hash. Imagine: hash browns, veggies and feta cheese. The stuff is heaven. And - if you play your cards right -you can get six refills on your cup of coffee. But Subway is where playing your cards right matters most. You gotta b polite to these people, because th can really skimp on the ingredients. It all starts when you order your six-inch sub. You have to say please, and thank you, and smile a lot. Because they always cut the bread in half very unevenly, and whether you get the big half or the small half depends largely on whether your sub-maker likes the looks of you. Subway people have a lot of discr tion. They can give you four pickles ten, three black olives or a whole big pile. And they have two styles of sub- wrapping: Sometimes it's really tight and tidy; other times it is specifically designed to fall apart and spill vinegar and oil everywhere the second you walk away from the counter. Mongolian Barbecue is where they have the least discretion. You basically pay a lot of money and then you're on your own. You have to pick your ovO ingredients, spices and sauces - and then choose how you're going to eat it (with rice or in a tortilla). Now, I go to restaurants because I can't cook. If I could cook, I'd be at home doing it. When I pay more than $10 for my meal, I want it served to me with all the perfectly balanced sea- sonings. I want a savory dining experi- ence, with free bread (as you get L Cottage Inn), attentive wait-peop and a pretty plate. Mongolian Barbecue has the great- est possible restaurant scam. Everyone loves it because they cook your meal with big long sticks. However, if I knew what cumin would do for my p eople once fought and died for Americans to have the right to vote and choose their representatives. But many Americans find that their busy lives prevent them from excercising that right. Voting is more than a right - it is a responsibility. However, with work, classes, families responsibilities and other significant time commitments, Americans are forced to choose between obligations. To combat low national voter turnout - to make it possible for Americans to meet all their obligations - the federal government should make election day a national holiday. With an entire day free, most Americans will have time to vote - and the holiday would give symbolic emphasis to the voting ritual. On Tuesday, only 48.8 percent of eligible voters went to the polls. This rate was lower than 1992, which was 55 percent of eligible voters. The drop is disconcerting. Civic organizations across the country have worked to increase voter registration - and turnout - recently. For example, at the University, students worked in Voice Your Vote to increase registration rates. But even with MTV, the registration efforts did not bring citizens all the way to the polls. Turnout across the country declined. While candidates strive to please voters, the actual voting process deters participa- tion. People are increasingly busy with their jobs; lines at the voting sites can be usually slow moving. The country is hardly provid- ing voters the best chance to exercise their right. A national holiday would help elimi- nate this sentiment, sending a message to the people that voting is so important that the government and businesses are willing to shut down for a day to gather Americans' opinions. The concept is not unique. Many other countries, such as Italy, have made their election days national holidays. As a result, the voter turnout reaches approximately 80 or 90 percent in these countries - in com- parison, American voter turnout is just plain sorry. In these countries, the holiday gives citizens the opportunity to celebrate this right. The government can do even more to make the polls accessible to busy Americans: The federal government should adopt mail-in voting. In a special U.S. Senate election in Oregon last winter, citi- zens had the chance to vote by mail. In that race, about 66 percent of eligible voters cast ballots - much higher than Oregon's usual turnout rate and significantly above the national average. The candidates and many voters thought the mail-in system was ben- eficial. Opponents of a national holiday may argue that everyone can and those who do not take advantage should suffer the conse- quences. What a negative attitude to harbor - instead, lawmakers should be looking for ways to expand access to democracy. The holiday and mail-in voting would dramatically change American politics - in a way that Thomas Jefferson would approve. Tuesday's election is compelling evidence for the need to make voting more accessible to all Americans. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Fee increase will augment service TO THE DAILY: Being active in commu- nity service is as vital to our education as lectures, labs and exams. The lessons we learn while volunteering help us become more compassionate members of society. Here at the University, we demand top quality in the classroom, and we spend thousands of dollars a semester for it. Why should we expect any less when it comes to our education through com- available a year for the strengthening of community service at the University. In addition to funding Project Serve and the Black Volunteer Network, the fee increase would make funds available to any student organization that wants to benefit from community ser- vice. A mutlicultural group could request money for an educational program. The Greek system could obtain money for work with their philanthropies. A service group could get funds for a particular program or for campus awareness. A portion of the money also will be allocated for a scholarship. William Jewett Tucker said, "Do not expect that you Go OSU! TO THE DAILY: I am a former Ohio State University football player in the 1963-65.years. In 1965,I co-captained our football team against the Tom Mack- led Wolverines to a Buckeye victory. I even married a great woman who was born and raised in Michigan. I have respect for Ann Arbor and Michigan. Currently, I am mayor of Columbus. I must admit that Ann Arbor is fortunate to have Ingrid Sheldon as your mayor. I have worked with and know Sheldon to be knowl- edge, likeable and enthusias- How TO CONTACT THEM MSA PRESIDENT FIONA ROSE MSA VICE PRESIDENT PROBIR MEHTA MICHIGAN STUDENT ASSEMBLY CHAMBERS 3909 MICHIGAN UNIION ANN ARBOR, MI 48109-1340 763-3241