4A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, January 30, 1997

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420 Maynard Street
Arnn 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

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
inding the future
Congress must preserve research dollars

NOTABLE QuOTABLE,
'(The government says,) "We're frustrated with the crime
so we're going to kill the criminal." There's no deter-
rence effect to having the death penalty on the books.'
- Former teacher Sally O'Connor; at an Amnesty International-
sponsored panel discussion on the death penalty Tuesday night
YuKi KUNIYUKI GROUND ZERO
NEW GlitN L-C. tc 5-
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

foresight is lacking in the beltway.
Recently, Congress announced plans to
cut federally-funded collegiate research by
20 percent. The University currently
receives approximately $200 million in
government research dollars. Other colleges
and universities also depend on federal dol-
lars .as a major portion of their operating
budgets. The proposed changes would
affect adversely all levels of the University
-resulting in a decrease in faculty quality,
along with rising tuition bills. President
Clinton deems himself the "education pres-
ident" - now he must draw a line in the
sand. The federal government must stay
committed to higher education.
University professors - including those
at the University of Michigan - are among
the brightest and most talented innovators.
They often join academia to perform inves-
tigatory research in their areas of expertise.
Often - especially in medicine, engineer-
ing and other sciences - their research is
extremely expensive. Federal funding cuts
would result in fewer available professorial
positions ,and less funding for those who
can remain.
The cuts could devastate graduate stu-
dents also. Graduate research programs may
admit fewer students and the job market
could become unstable. Consequently,
researchers may avoid many innovative
avenues of study - lack of funding could
force professors and potential graduate stu-
dents to take their skills to the private sector.
Moreover, U.S. Rep. Lynn Rivers (D-
Ann Arbor) warned, "Not only are we deal-
ing with money for medical research ... If
we don't research on our own shores we
will be outstripped by foreign nations."
Mudh of today's technology originated at

U.S. universities, often giving Americans
first access to new innovations. Cutting
research funding would eliminate the tech-
nological leadership Americans take for
granted.
At last week's regents meeting, Interim
Vice President for Research Frederick
Neidhardt said the University can look to
several options to make up for a re-educa-
tion in federal funding. These include:
increasing non-federal funding, increasing
spending efficiency and attempting to mod-
ify the federal research support environ-
ment. As Congress ponders the possibilities
of cuts, it is wise for the University to begin
studying these options.
Although Congress has yet to approve
the cuts, the University must be prepared to
find alternative sources of funding.
Industry is often interested in real-world
applications of research. The University
could forge new partnerships that would
help not only research, but expand the job
opportunities of those students who con-
tribute to the findings. Moreover, depart-
ments must stress efficiency - frivolous
spending still plagues the University.
Increasing tuition to compensate for
funding cuts is one avenue upon which the
University must not embark. Research is
certainly a vital aspect of the University's
existence, but students must take priority.
Maintaining the $27.3 million in tuition
stipends that federal research provides to
students must be first on every administra-
tor's agenda.
The race to slash the federal budget is a
new fad in American politics - but it is not
always in the country's best interest. Such
cuts would harm the University - and
American education overall.

IEducationa tkeover
Engler's intrusive plan would hurt schools
D uring his annual State of the State local citizens. The state administrat
address Tuesday, Gov. John Engler could act without considering the will
voiced his intention to propose, legislation those affected by their decisions. Engl
that would increase public school account- plan would lead to educational adminisl
ability by threatening them with state tive despotism.
takeovers. The plan would force inner-city, Engler made several attempts to refo
underfunded schools to improve their stan- the state's education system during his
dardized test scores or face tumult. The years in office. In his speech, he stated t
Michigan Legislature should not allow he wants to further expand the role of ci
Engler's drastic plan to come to fruition. ter schools - a clear attack on commun
Every year, the state administers stan- oriented public schools. Appointing st
dardized tests to all fourth, seventh, and administrators is another stab at put
11th grade students, and then it compares schools' autonomy. Many of the instituti
individual school districts by the test affected are inner-city schools, a gr
results. Engler would appoint state adminis- already hard hit by other state cutbacks
trators to supervise 10 public schools that educational expenditures and programs 1
scored low last year in several cities, includ- the voucher system.
ing Detroit, Flint, Highland Park and Rather than sending in state offici
Muskegon. Engler should focus on helping the peo
The schools need help - that is obvious. who are already working to solve the pr
However, revamping the present adminis- lem. Funding problems can prevent
trations to fall under the state's domain is school from giving as good an education
not the answer - running a school district it could. The state should provide
is a°local issue and should remain a local schools in trouble with sufficient resour
issue. Local administrators often start at the instead of trying to dismember th
lower levels of management and work their Giving the schools more money wo
way up. They have the advantage of experi- allow for more faculty and more individ
ence and understanding the dynamics of the student-teacher contact - students at r
school's relationship with the surrounding could get the help they need. In additi
community. better facilities would provide students w
A. state appointee may not know or a more education-friendly environment.
understand the specific problems each Engler has presented the state with
school faces, making it difficult for them to ill-conceived solution to a long-stand
improve the situation. Engler's appointees problem. It is important to address the is
would follow his political ideals and come of at-risk schools, but his methods wo
into the job with a pre-determined agenda. likely increase the severity of the probli
Introducing a foreign philosophy to an To remove experienced, community-sa
unreceptive community would not foster administrators and replace them with pol
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Engineers
have late
pass/fail
deadline
TO THE DAILY:
I am responding to your
editorial ("Deadline failure,"
1/28/97) regarding the
pass/fail deadline. I would
like to refer you to the
College of Engineering
Bulletin, Page 81. where it
states: "The decision to elect
a course on a pass/fail basis
or on a graded basis must be
made within the first nine
weeks of the term (or first
four-and-one-half weeks of a
half term)."
In the future, please check
your information before you
print your editorials and/or
articles in the Daily. The
College of Engineering
spends a lot of time and
effort in making sure that our
students get the correct infor-
mation pertinent to their aca-
demic curriculum and
requirements.
I would hope that you
give prominent place to this
letter since there are now
more than 5,000 College of
Engineering students that
have been misinformed on
the deadline for pass/fail. The
pass/fail deadline for the
College of Engineering for
winter '97 is March 18,
1997.
MERCEDES G. BARCIA
ENGINEERING ADVISER
Band tries
hard to pep
up Crisler
TO THE DAILY:
I am writing concerning
the article about the men's
basketball pep band ("Men's
basketball band needs to add
more pep," 1/27/97) by Barry
Sollenberger.
I am an unusual student
in that I will go out of the
way to read the Daily every
day. While I rarely agree with
the liberal stances that the
Daily takes on many issues, I
appreciate the information
provided about events going
on at the University.
However, I took particular
offense to the comments
made by Sollenberger.
I will be the first to admit
that something needs to be
done about the noise level at
Crisler Arena. I have had
basketball season tickets for
all three years that I have
been here and, with the
exception of the Michigan
State games, I have been
greatly disappointed by the
atmosphere of the arena.
It seems as if one of our
hest tactics is to ratteonann-

opposing team has the ball
the most noise is coming
from the band area. They are
screaming as loud as possible
at the opposing team while
the students spend time
screaming at the people in
front of them to "sit down."
In addition, Sollenberger
suggested that the band play
during intermissions other
than timeouts in the game. I
would guess that the average
out-of-bounds play lasts at
most five seconds. I have
never heard, nor could imag-
ine, a band playing some-
thing meaningful in five sec-
onds.
Finally, we all know that
the problem is that students
are not allowed to sit around
the whole court side. How
many times has the student
section been filled from the
court-side seats up to the
ceiling while there will be
empty court side seats on the
other side? I don't think the
reason that Cameron Indoor
Stadium is so intimidating is
because the Duke alumni are
wild. Rest assured, the
atmosphere at Crisler is
pathetic, but let's look at the
real reasons and not target
something that is trying so
hard to improve the situation.
MARK D. BERQUIST
LSA JUNIOR
Donor's
daughter
attended 'U'
TO THE DAILY:
Katie Wang's artic le
regarding University alum
John Schroeder's donation to
the University ("'U' donor
sets goals for gift," 1/28/97)
failed to mention Schroeder's
eldest daughter Patty, who
graduated from the
University in May 1996.
Although I realize that the
article concentrates on the
benefits that the donation
will provide to athletes, I just
wanted to make sure that
Patty was not forgotten. I
praise Wang for an excellent
article.
MELISSA KOENIGSBERG
LSA SENIOR
Daily has
wrong idea
of Canada
TO THE DAILY:
We would like to point
out the anti-Canadian senti-
ments expressed in the hock-
ey coverage by the Daily. In
the article "Getting a Legg
Up" (1/27/97) by Mark
Snyder, the writer refers to
London. Ontario (Canada as

persons in the 1991 Canadian
census versus 109,592 in the
1990 U.S. census).
Not all Canadian cities
consist of a two Eskimos in
an igloo eating back bacon
and drinking Molson while
watching Hockey Night in
Canada re-runs.
Signed: People for the
Understanding of Canadian
Knowledge (PUCK).
(Regroupment pour la
Comprehension de la
Connaissons Canadienne.)
JAMES D. HAMILTON
MARK LUBNSKI
RACKHAM
Dining hall
will lack
community
atmosphere
TO THE DAILY:
The planned mammoth
cafeteria for the Hill area
clearly addresses some of the
University's penny-pinching
needs and may indeed lead to
more edible food for students
condemned to endless cafete-
ria meals. It seems like an
unsentimental, corporate
approach, and leverages well
the economies of scale the
University's business profes-
sors are so fond of.
None of that, however,
negates the fact that this is a
folly of the first order and
runs exactly counter to some
of the better thinking that has
evolved at the University in
the last few years. 1 believe
this plan would obliterate the
community atmosphere I val-
ued so much in my two years
living in Mosher-Jordan.
The University has
endeavored, with great suc-
cess, to create welcoming
communities through the
Pilot Program, the 21st
Century Program, The
Honors Program, the
Residential College and simi-
lar projects. Rather than
being a serial number, stu-
dents are given a sense of
place and of individuality
when this philosophy is used.
Now, rather than having a
home-away-from-home, stu-
dents will pony up to the
trough alongside thousands
of others. They will be treat-
ed, inevitably, like "cus-
tomers," to use Regent
Phillip Power's (D-Ann
Arbor) word. Gone, I imag-
ine, will be the comfortable,
civilized surroundings and
wood paneling of the MoJo
and Stockwell dining rooms.
Gone will be the sense of
intimacy, or the comfort of
being surrounded by familiar
faces. Gone will be.any sense
of home.
In their zeal to conserve
money, the regents should
rmeamhetht thv are hnia_

MARSH MADNEJSs
Ways to beat'
the mid-winter
sfles and
cure what ails
January sparkles. It glistens and
g sand treats happy, reax
students with balmy breezes and stu'
ning sunsets.
Palms sway gently
as crisply uni-
formed waiters t ,
serve up mai tais
at poolside.
January is glori-
ous.
In Barbados.
The winter
months in Ann
Arbor are a slight-ERIN
ly different story. MARSH
January here glis-
tens, all right; ice does that. We get a
different kind of breeze - more the
blistering cold, "oh my God my ears
have fallen off" variety. Crisply uni-
formed waiters? Mai tais? Does the
delivery guy from Pizza House count?
Along with the privilege of shelli
out mucho buckage to live in A
Arbor. residents and students get to
pay another kind of winter due:ttis-
sues, cough syrup, lozenges, medical
bills, tea, whiskey and aspirin. Winter
illnesses are striking, friends. Brace
yourselves.
Mom always yelled at you to wash
your hands, take your vitamins and
drink lots of OJ. Haven't listened? Tsk,
tsk. Having to take care of your sorry,
sick self alone can be a little depre
ing. Luckily, there are lots of ways to
remedy the pain and make it to Spring
Break alive.
No. 1. Call your mom. (Or grandma
or aunt or sister or whoever is the offi-
cial sympathy dispenser in your fami-
ly.) Sniffle a little bit. Nothing wilL
earn you warm, loving words like
Scroaking, "Bubby, I'b sick. By head
hurts and by throat hurts and I'b
coughing a lot. Bubby, I biss you."
course, this move may be unnecessari-
ly cruel. After all, if mommy is sever-
al hundred miles away, she can't do a
thing but sit around and worry about
you. When fishing for sympathy, exer-
cise caution.
No. 2. Go drug shopping. No, I'm
not suggesting you find yourselfa nice
little crack house. Instead, head for the
cold/flu medicine aisle at Meijer.
Aaaaaaw yeah - DayQuil, NyQ 
Robitussin, Sudafed, Drista ,
Benadryl, Sinutab, Advil, Aleve
Tylenol, Halls and Bayer: your ph-
maceutical friends. As Pink Floyd sug-
gests, it really is best to stay comfort-
ably numb. You stand there staring at
the shelves, the boxes and names
swimming before your delirious eyes
like schools of (healthy) tropical fish.
You may be conscious enough to
worry that you are offending the r*
of the customers with your dishevele
appearance. Uh, look around you in
the aisle - you'll find yourself in the
midst of quite a motley collection of
diseased shoppers, all looking like
pathetic shadows of their former
selves. You're among friends. Direct
your attention back to the boxes and
bottles and try to find one product that
will cure what ails you. Let's see; that
one relieves cough with congestio
this one is nondrowsy, that one alle
ates body achesnanda stuffy nose but
won't do anything for your sore throat

- forget it. You will not find one,
product to fix you. Best to use this)
approach: Lift arm directly in front of
you. Bend at the elbow Cup hand into
scoop-like device. Now, sweep arm
along shelf, knocking at least one of
each product into basket.
No. 3. Pay UHS a visit. (Warnin
Only resort to University Hea p
Service when desperate. Take out a life
insurance policy before your visit)
UHS is a valuable resource for
University students. It offers quality
care, a pharmacy, many specialists and
lab services. I'm assuming that's what
they tell you, anyway.
UHS is, at best, a gargantuan pain in
the ass, and at worst, almost kills peo-
ple. In all fairness, I've never had a
near-death experience there, but sev
al people I know have, including one
case where the patient went in for rou-
tine prescription medication and spent
the next 48 hours vomiting. He now
cringes in fear and repulsion whenever,
UHS is mentioned; upon entering the
building (to accompany a friend fool-
ish enough to seek treatment there) he.
calmly remarked, "This place smells
like death."
If you've decided to take yo
chances anyway, actually physically
getting into a physician's office could
be a problem. UHS usually offers
three- to four-hour waits for walk-in
appointments, which means you get to
pitch a tent in a crammed waiting

risk
on,
ith
an
ing
sue
uld
em.
vvy
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