4 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, January 17, 1997
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420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed by
students at the
University of Michigan
RONNIE GLASSBERG
Editor in Chief
ADRIENNEJANNEY
ZACHARY M. RAIMI
Editorial Page Editors
NOTABLE QUOTABLE,
'Every year (leasing) seems to get earlier. The ones who
are looking later are sorry they did.'
- Laine Stephens, an Ann Arbor Realty leasing consultant,
describing off-campus housing
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
JIM LASSER
SHARP AS TOAST
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Parties will prevent annihilation of MSA
T uesday, the Michigan Student
Assembly faced a proposed amend-
ment to its governing code that would have
effectively abolished parties from MSA. A
23-10 majority defeated the amendment,
which LSA independents Andy Schor and
John Lopez proposed. The assembly made
the correct decision. MSA's party system is
advantageous for students and representa-
tives because it helps them make better
decisions.
The party system is beneficial in many
ways. Parties provide a streamlined plat-
form with which candidates can identify
themselves. Students also can use platforms
to identify the parties with which they most
agree, making their voting decisions easier.
The proposed amendment would have
eliminated candidates' party affiliations
from election ballots. Instead, the ballot
wounld have presented students with a long
list of names - with no method of distin-
guishing one platform from another. Voter
turnout for MSA elections is already
abysmal. Students often don't have the time
to learn the individual parties' platforms, let
alone dozens of different candidates' names
and personal politics. Eliminating parties
would have caused even lower turnout.
MSA elections are already something of
a popularity contest. However, parties allow
some new faces to enjoy the coattail ride,
potentially involving more students in
MSA's political process. Moreover, parties
mobilize resources. While such power can
get out of hand - witness the Michigan
Party - any qualified candidates would be
unable to run for MSA due to a lack of
funding and support - both of which are
necessary for a successful campaign. MSA
Vice President Probir Mehta said, "People
have and will spend money to gain popular-
ity ... people who have no money will get
shut out of MSA (under the defeated
amendment)."
Lopez told the Daily, "The mentality of
the assembly seems to be anti-reform."
While the approach that Lopez advocated is
misguided, MSA must not ignore the fact
that some reform is necessary. Efforts to
increase productivity at MSA meetings are
in order. Partisan bickering at MSA meet-
ings often leads to unruly arguments con-
cerned with petty procedural points - rob-
bing the issues that truly deserve focus.
Using commission reports to exchange per-
sonal attacks or making picky changes to
proposed legislation while the whole
assembly waits #re gross misuses of pre-
cious time. MSA should use its resources,
financial and temporal, to serve the stu-
dents - not to argue over the mundane, and
the inconsequential.
Ensuring that all representatives know
fundamental skills such as parliamentary
procedure would be a spectacular idea;
maybe it could prevent the typically tedious
arguments that inevitably result from the
general lack of procedural knowledge.
Parties play an important part in MSA's
political structure. They provide a manage-
able number of platforms to offer guidance
to students who are new to campus politics.
Candidates can also utilize party resources
for opportunities they might not have ordi-
narily.
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VIEWPOINT
Retaining tenure system is essential
BY JENNY JUSTUS
The philosophy behind
tenure is one that has been
around since the middle ages.
Medieval professors were
given the opportunity to
explore new areas of knowl-
edge without fear of losing
their job as long as they didn't
step over the boundaries' set
by the church.
A more recent version of
tenure was adopted by col-
leges and universities in the
United States in 1915. In
recent years 94 percent of col-
leges and universities have
reported that there is some
form of tenure at their school.
Why do so many colleges
and universities have this pro-
gram at their school? Is it to
ensure job security to grumpy,
old professors who don't
know how to teach? Contrary
to popular belief, the answer
to that question is "no."
Tenure was established to
ensure that professors had the
freedom to teach.
The biggest benefit of the
tenure system is academic
freedom. Tenure ensures that
professors are able to expose
students to unpopular ideas in
the classroom. It makes sure
they can teach these ideas
without suffering retribution
from local, state and federal
governments, or university
This article was original-
ly published in The Mustang
Daily (of California Polytech
University) on Jan. 15, 1997.
officials who don't agree with
the subject being taught, or
the method used to teach it.
Subjects like the theories
of creationism and evolution,
and communism were all, at
one time, considered unpopu-
lar ideas in the United States.
It is important that college
students are exposed to these
unpopular ideas during their
education to make sure that
they don't happen again. I
also think studying and dis-
cussing some of the more
unpopular ideas in history
gives us a better understand-
ing of the world today.
Tenure protects
controversial pro-
fessors and ideas.
It is the job of a professor
to give us all of the informa-
tion concerning an issue so
that we can make well-educat-
ed conclusions. If professors
are unable to present one of
the sides of an issue because it
would result in them losing
their job or being demoted,
the conclusions being made
by students on that subject
would be made in ignorance.
I hope that when we grad-
uate we can leave feeling con-
fident that we have the best
education possible. This
would not be possible without
tenure and the academic free-
dom it provides. This insur-
ance of academic freedom is
only one of the reasons that I
think tenure improved the
quality of education at col-
leges and universities.
Let's face it - we all know
that most of our professors
could probably be making a lot
more money if they were
working in private industry.
Tenure is able to provide uni-
versities with a way to recruit
faculty and staff by inciting
them with financial and job
stability. Without tenure, the
quality of our higher education
system would not be what it is
today because many of the
good teachers we have on fac-
ulty would still be working in
private industry. I don't deny
that there are problems in the
recent implementation of
tenure. I am sad to say that
there are some professors out
there who do not deserve their
tenure status.
Universities have- been
very liberal in the awarding of
tenure of faculty. It seems that
rather than professors having
to prove that they deserve
tenure status, the school is
required to prove why they do
not. I believe that this element
of tenure needs to be restruc-
tured. I believe in the philoso-
phy on which tenure was start-
ed. I think that it is necessary
to ensure a high quality of
education at the university
level. I think that the review
process of tenured faculty
needs to be restructured, but
getting rid of tenure complete-
ly would be devastating to our
system of higher education.
SHAKING THE TRE
Graduate school
applicants: The
good, the bad
and the whiny
Ihate January. And not just because
of the cold.
T hi s is graduate school season.
was painful enough to deal with grad-
uate school appli-
cants while they
were applying; it's
absolutely excru-
ciating to deal
with them at the
various stages of
admission, rejec-
tion and waitlist-
ing.
This being one
of the biggest KATIE
feeder schools for HUTCHINS
graduate pro-
grams in the country, the campus is
overflowing with seniors who are a lit-
tle nuts in one way or another, and it's
all because of graduate school.
There are four kinds of grad school
applicants: those who were accepted,
those who haven't heard anything ye
those who were rejected and thos
who are still deciding whether to
apply.
Depending on your perspective,
those who were accepted are the most
fun to be around. They don't go to
class, they love to party, and they're
constantly in a good mood.
A friend of mine got into a good med
school way back in November. I
haven't seen the kid on campus since.
I don't think I've seen him sober sine
either.
Despite their entertaining qualities,
accepted people have one major draw-
back: They're accepted. And they
somehow always find a way to mod-
estly work grad school into the conver-
sation - speaking abstractly about
graduation, next year, career goals or
whatever, until they strategically lead
their companions into asking the ulti-
mate question: "Have you gotten *
anywhere yet? Oh really? Where?"
They love this part. Milking praise is
one of their favorite pastimes. But
aside from this extremely annoying
characteristic, the accepted people are
basically good people. And at least
they're not whining. to h
Which brings me to those who
haven't yet heard anything. These are
the worst grad school applicants to be
around. These are the people who wi
probably get in -somewhere but ar
convinced they won't. They need con-
stant reassurance that their qualifica-
tions are good, that they're probably
lying in an accepted pile somewhere in
New Haven or Cambridge, and that
very few people have been admitted so
far.
However unsettling, the whining of
this group is justified. These people
are in agony, particularly when han
ing out with the accepted people who
like to be so modest as they try to
decide which school to go to. This can
be tough to take.
However, the haven't-heard-ay-
thing group has a distinct advantage
over the others. Not only do they get
sympathy and comfort throughout the
waiting period, but they also get to be
admitted later.
They get the drama, the suspense
the climax, the aftermath. They'll 4
partying down and congratulated with
champagne.
Those who are accepted now will be
old news. And nobody gives accepted
people champagne this early - only
resentment.
The third kind of grad school appli-
cant is the rejected group. Fortunately,
I don't know of anyone who's a mem-
ber of this group - yet. Perhaps it'
because grad schools simply don
mail rejections this early. Perhaps it's
because members of this group don't
advertise the fact that they're members
of this group.
I assume that the rejected kids are in
hiding somewhere or continue to insist
they're part of the group that hasn't
heard anything yet.
Those who haven't applied yet are
the group deserving the least Pity.
These are the people who've be@
bitching about the application process
since September and who constantly
whine about graduate school. They
feel they have some kind of advantage
over the others because if they had
applied, surely they would have been
admitted by now.
I have no sympathy for these people.
Aside from those considering the few
grad schools that have no rollin
admissions and February deadlin
these kids are all slackers who simply
don't want to go to school anymore.
Which is fine. So they should stop
talking about it.
By far, the best people to hang with
at this time of year are non-seniors and
Stand and deliver
Citadel must create comfortable environment
A fter years of fighting for the chance to
attend the Citadel, two women - Kim
Messer and Jeanie Mentavlos - will not be
returning for the spring term. Both women
have accused male cadets of sexual harass-
ment, criminal assault and hazing. The
Citadel promised a safe, albeit rough, envi-
ronment for the female cadets - and the
academy has not kept its end of the bargain.
Messer and Mentavlos chose not to
return for the spring semester because they
feel the Citadel broke its promise.
According to former cadet Messer, she was
at worst, mistreated and at best, unwelcome.
Promising physical safety is not enough.
The Citadel has a responsibility to both
sexes to create an environment free of fear-
some and cruel hazing rituals. The environ-
ment should foster successful program
completion and thorough preparation for
service in the U.S. armed forces. Students
cannot focus on goals or academic pursuits
in a threatening environment.
The pioneering females who chose to
brave the male-dominated fortress are role
models for all women who aspire to serve in
the armed forces. If incidents of sexual
harassment and other (gender-motivated)
harassment - such immature incidents as
fellow cadets setting the women's clothes
on fire with nail polish remover - persist,
women may be discouraged from attending
the Citadel or even joining the military.
The academy suspended a few of the
male cadets, and several more face sanc-
tions. The Citadel must not treat the punish-
ment process lightly; the blatantly sexist
environment that fought even the admit-
tance of women into the academy must not
persist. The administration must institute
immediately precautions to prevent future
incidents.
The Citadel made a promise to these
female cadets. Now it must deliver. The
academy must thoroughly investigate these
allegations as well as sternly discipline the
parties involved. Letting off any of the
involved cadets with a warning or a slap on
the wrist can only add fuel to the fire. Other
cadets may see the situation as a joke or as
normal hazing and choose to repeat similar
infractions - or worse. Moreover, cadets
who have more malicious ideas will have no
negative incentives.
The incident attracted widespread media
attention, and with the spotlight comes an
opportunity for the academy to change its
image. It's time for the Citadel to surrender
its old-boy-network method of business and
establish concrete guidelines for proper
behavior.
The Citadel plans to install panic buttons
in female cadets' rooms and place nighttime
chaperones in all of the barracks. In addi-
tion, the academy plans to examine its hier-
archy, which forces new cadets to take
orders from older students. These attempts
should by no means halt the quest for com-
pletely equal status and treatment for all
Citadel cadets.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Punishment
by death is
unjustified
TO THE DAILY:
Recently, there have been
some editorial comments on
the death penalty ("Injecting
finality," 1/13/97). An issue
that has yet to be discussed is
the very root of this form of
punishment.
Supporters of the death
penalty basically support it
because it takes murderers
out of our lives permanently.
Antagonists of this pun-
ishment are mostly against it
because it is too costly and
considered to be used in
racist means around this
country. I find it impossible
to advocate this means of
revenge because it carries out
what it attempts to end. By
this, I mean that supporters
of the death penalty feel that
it is a killing that is justified
by the fact that the person
killed is a killer himself.
What does this say about
our society? Does this mean
that so long as a person has a
good reason to kill, they
might as well? Is revenge the
best form of consequence we
can inflict on those who are
ment. There is no justifica-
tion for the taking of a
human life. It is wrong.
LUKE H. KLIPP
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Jones case
illustrates
double
standard
TO THE DAILY:
Am I the only one in dis-
belief over the lack of femi-
nist criticism of the presi-
dent? This decade, feminists
have rallied around victims
of this terrible crime, sexual
harassment; now, as the pres-
ident faces his most serious
charges, they are silent.
Who can forget the
Clarence Thomas confirma-
tion hearings as feminists
from around the country
called for his head on a plat-
ter. That instance, which
Thomas was able to defend
himself from, nevertheless
brought forward men and
women who were victims
that didn't understand how
serious sexual harassment
was. Now we have a case that
Einstein did
not say black
holes exist
TO THE DAILY:
Your reporter wrote that
recent findings by University
astronomers "support Albert
Einstein's hypothesis of the
-existence of black holes in
his theory of generalrelativi-
ty" ("'U' scientists find evi-
dence of black holes"
1/14/97). In fact, Einstein
neither invented nor support-
ed hypotheses of the exis-
tence of black holes.
Moreover, he published
technical articles explaining
how his theory of general rel-
ativity precludes the exis-
tence of black holes.
It was other physicists,
including Karl Schwarzchild
and J. Robert Oppenheimer,
who used the theory of gen-
eral relativity in a different
way to show that black holes
exist. Hence, the recent find-
ings by University
astronomers help disprove
Einstein's belief that black
holes cannot exist. The find-
ings are nevertheless consis-
tent with Einstein's theory of
general relativity, which was
used correctly by men like
How TO CONTACT THEM
FioNA ROSE
MICHIGAN STUDENT ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT
3909 MICHIGAN UNION
ANN ARBOR, Ml 48109-1340