4 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, January 10, 1997 stichi m tt'r1g LAW e 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 Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of the Daily's editorial hoard. A ll other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily. ROM THE DAILY S all steps '' must continue to add minority faculty NOTABLE QUOTABLE 'The key thing for me to make sure of is that I am the first but not also the last.' - Conrad Mallet Jr.:, commenting on his election as thefirst black chiefjustice of the Michigan Supreme Court Jim LAs ERSHARP As TOAST CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY AMERICAN 5TIDENT5 CONTINUALLY LAC BEHIND IN THEIR WE'VE RECENTLY COME MATH SCoRES? ACROSS A NEW, CVLTURALLy UNIQUE. SET OF NUmBERS USED BY AME RI CANS CAL L E DT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR he latest report of the University's minority recruitment effort brings with it both good and bad news. An increased number of minorities is the University's obvious good fortune - and the result of efforts put forth by individual deans and professors. However, the increase from 1995 was not large - a mere 12 minority additions to the University's teaching staff. The University community can be pleased with the increase for the sake of progress, but rightfully should be concerned that the progress is not enough. The University should continue to push for diversity within its many facets and not content itself with small successes. Of course, any increase is always wel- come - increasing minority representation within the student population, administra- tion and faculty has long been among the University's primary goals. Former University President James Duderstadt cre- ated the Michigan Mandate nearly 10 years ago in the hopes of achieving academic opportunity in conjunction with racial, eth- nic and gender-based diversity. In 1994, Duderstadt implemented the Agenda for Women, a plan designed to attract women to the University and create a comfortable environment. Duderstadt's goal is slowly coming to fruition; last November, race and ethnicity statistics for the class of 2000 showed that minority enrollment had increased to 25 percent. For the same group of students, women now comprise more than half the class for only the second time in University history. Duderstadt's Michigan Mandate and Agenda for Women have made steady, albeit slow, progress for enrolled students. But it needs to speed up. Administrators must now try to bridge the gap between faculty and student recruit- ment efforts - the same tactics are not applicable to both groups. Distinguished faculty are infinitely more difficult to attract and require no small amount of per- severance. The community can credit deans and professors from the University's various schools and colleges for courting the 12 new members of the University faculty. The largely decentralized effort demonstrates success on a small scale - with stepped-up efforts and cooperation between college and school deans and department chairs, the personal approach again may prove suc- cessful in raising the number of minority staff. While this year's increase shows progress, the sum total of minority repre- sentation within the University faculty stands at 15.4 percent. The figure has grown by only 3 percent in five years. The low numbers do not reflect the student pop- ulation and appear woefully small in com- parison to the national population. National statistics will soon show minorities com- prising 50 percent of the population and Prof. Thomas Dunn, chair of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs, said, "we've got a long way to go before the faculty, looks like that." Failure to give students a more represen- tative teaching staff may negate some of the progress through programs like the Michigan Mandate. Students without role models or mentors may find their educa- tional experience unfulfilling and seek more diverse colleges and universities. Increasing minority faculty to at least a level that reflects the University would give its community a fairer picture of the world - and with it, the chance to learn. SHAKING THE TREE The trouble witi cats: They are cold and mean: T oday's column is a plea for help T You have the opportunity here to save a cat's life. Because if nobody claims the cat my housemates have adopted, I'm going to kill it. Yes, I know I'm a vegetarian and I try not to wear leather or wool. I know I think ani- mals have the right to be free and happy and 7R' well-fed and all that. But I hate Y m. cats. Call it speciism, KATIE if you want. Call it HUTCHINS hypocrisy. Call it HTHN anything you like, but the fact remains: The cat will be dead in one week. I think rat poison might be a good choice. It's not that I want every cat dead. 1 don't mind if they exist, as long as they stay out of my face. They're self- ish, nasty, finicky, rude, stuck-up aq stupid. They get their owners to love them somehow (some people think they're cute) and then they have their run of the place. They come and go as they please. They kill cute little birds and rodents. They expect their meals on time - and they'll destroy the furni- ture if you fail to deliver. And they ignore you. Dogs at least appreciate the fact that as far as they're concerned, you' God. They jump up and down and bark and wag their tails when you come home. A cat might look up and acknowledge your return. If she feels like it. My housemates feel sorry for this cat. They wanted me to write a column - a tribute to the cat that has brought so much joy to our lives. I told them I probably needed a bit more of an ang than that to fill the space. One of my housemates offered, "Isn't it interesting that we treat ani- mals better than humans? We haven't donated anything to the homeless, but I've already given up four cans of tuna." I wasn't sure if it was such a good idea to talk about how we should help the homeless more; I feared that humans might show up at our place looking for bowls of tuna and milk. So I decided to compromise. 1 housemates will like the column because it's in the cat's best interest to become adopted by someone else - it might get to live. This is not a cat whose life is misery because it is homeless. Pushing ahead Congress faces important legislative agenda T he campaign season has passed, the winners have gone to Washington and the government is about to begin another cycle of legislation. New members of Congress were sworn into office Tuesday and President Clinton will be inaugurated later this month. Although voters once again elected a divided government, the president and Congress must put aside par- tisan differences and focus their attention on a number of pressing problems - including campaign finance, welfare and entitlement spending. When Republicans swept the congres- sional elections in 1994, Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) led the party down a path of uncompromising conservatism and parti- sanship. His hostile approach to governing spurred a bitter stalemate between Congress and the president, resulting in a partial shutdown of the government. In the new 105th Congress, it is important that the Republican leaders - particularly those in the House - work with Clinton. One major issue Congress is supposed to tackle this term is campaign finance reform. Currently, the political parties and many politicians try to circumvent the nation's campaign finance laws. In fact, the Democratic National Committee came under intense fire last fall for its acceptance of questionable campaign contributions. Clearly, reform is necessary. Congress should begin by limiting the amount of "soft money" that donors can contribute to political parties. Currently, donors can give unlimited amounts of money to parties, which then distribute that can give a particular candidate an unfair advantage in a race where the opposing candidate's party is not financially support- ive. Moreover, it may lead party leaders to feel obligated to offer large donors access to government officials - a privilege that ordinary citizens are not afforded. Also, Congress should consider passing a constitutional amendment to limit the amount of money a candidate can spend on his or her own campaign, and making fed- eral funds available to congressional candi- dates in exchange for a cap on the amount of expenditures. Last year, Congress passed and the pres- ident signed harsh welfare reform that places unfair burdens on welfare recipients. Clinton and the Democrats promised to fix the legislation by adding provisions for childcare and health care - the president and his party must not renege on their promise. Such provisions will ensure a smoother transition for recipients as they move off of welfare and into work. Also, the new law gives each state a block grant of money for welfare; however, Congress must not abdicate all responsibility. One of the country's most pressing prob- lems is the impending bankruptcy of Medicare and Social Security. It is often difficult for lawmakers to choose a course of action - reducing entitlement spending inflicts political harm. Hence, the president and Congress should appoint a bipartisan commission to create proposals for keeping the programs solvent. Such an approach would depoliticize this issue and allow both parties to make substantive reform. Hip-hop review omits many artists To THE DAILY: I found several things that bothered me about your arti- cle in the Daily, "Hip-Hop Hooray: A wrap up of the highs and lows of 1996" (1/9/97). However, it was not what you included in your summation that really both- ered me; actually, for the most part, I found most of them worthy of mention. What I found troubling about your article was what you failed to mention - points that I must beg to reward more notice than some of your own. These points included the East Coast/West Coast feud, Tupac Shakur's death, collaborations with R&B artists and last, but cer- tainly most vital to myself, the emergence and re-emer- gence of female rappers. Sure, many of us are weary of the East Coast/West Coast battle. Some of us think that it just was taken to a ridiculous level, causing the focus to shift from quali- ty hip-hop work to cheap shots, from one rapper to the next. However, this concept was one of the most relevant to hip-hop in 1996 and there- fore, it must be included in any wrap up that deals with hip hop. This issue goes hand-in- hand with the death of Tupac Shakur. Whether he is dead or alive, as many seem to believe, he was indeed a leading artist in the hip-hop community across the coun- try and to simply mention his two albums and their mone- tary achievement disrespects him, his fans and the rest of the hip-hop community. And this point is coming from someone who was never a big fan of the guy. Third, how can you wrap up the year in hip-hop with- out mentioning the rapper / R&B artist collaborations that seemed to have grown exponentially? 1996 has defi- nitely been a year of a plethora of collaborations including the Da Brat with Xscape and Mariah Carey; the Lost Boyz Biggie and Mase with 112; Nas with Lauryn Hill and R. Kelly; Missy and L.L. Cool J with everyone else and, of course, the queen of these collabora- tions, Miss Foxy Brown her- self. Wouldn't you say that this phenomena was even worthy of a sentence in your article? Finally, I take you back to Foxy Brown. She is only one of the many female artists that were in the limelight this year. Where it appeared yet again to be the year of the woman in the mainstream nnn 'lnr rs) a ci nsii tr worthy of mention of the female rap artists, but we must acknowledge the re- emergence of Queen Latifa, Yo-yo and MC Lyte as well as welcome the newcomers, Foxy, Kim and Missy. They have all created a trend unknown to rap ever before, and therefore, should have been included in your article. A big fan of hip-hop, I only wish to give props and atten- tion where I know it is due. Yes, you made many good decisions in what to include, but perhaps, you could have been a little more open mind- ed and included a little more, for as many points that you did note, there were that many more that may have deserved more notice. CHRISTINE BUENDIA SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN Hatcher is a valuable resource TO THE DAILY: When my professor authorized the topic for my first graduate-level term paper some two months ago, I shivered a bit. Up to that point, a good idea seemed like most of the battle, but after the conference I real- ized how my obscure take upon a complex discipline would require both rigorous research and an unusual aes- thetic presentation to become the cogent, original essay I envisioned. The Hatcher Library turned out to be the superb source of material and technology that I needed. The staff of Special Collections and the Knowledge Navigation Center in particu- lar guided me through the library's boundless resources with knowledge and enthusi- asm, allowing me to take full advantage of their magnifi- cent facilities. Thank you, skilled Hatcher staff, for helping me to complete a satisfying pro- ject and for expanding the scope of what I can accom- plish in the future. JOSHUA DAVIDSON RACKHAM New Edition article misses facts To THE DAILY: I read Weekend, etc. on Nov. 21 and was sickened by an article titled "New Edition reunites with a new album - but for music or money?" I'm sure your Arts writers man staff' are ac temnrpnen-. are backed up and no research done by the reporter first-hand. The Daily is noto- rious for misquotes, quotes taken out of context and not covering all angles of the story. During our discussion, one of the staff members assigned the Daily's errors due to the lack of experience and age of its staff. I was offended that University faculty and staff were discounting the ability of (undergraduate) students to perform and publish accurate and respectable work. Sadly, I could do nothing but nod in agreement. Doesn't your Daily staff want the credibili- ty, recognition and respect of its readers? Where does your staff demonstrate the attempt to investigate and report sto- ries and events remotely close to the truth? Unfortunately, most of your staff will gradu- ate, taking these careless and unprofessional practices con- doned by the Daily to hold jobs in print and broadcast media to further destroy the credibility of the news. Why was Bowen's article, which made an assessment of why music group New Edition released an album, based on incorrect information and facts? He clearly did no research on the group. So, my question to the Daily is how can a true reporter in good conscience criticize and bash anyone for their work when your staff doesn't hold the same standards? As an avid R&B music lover and huge New Edition fan, I must correct the many blatantly incorrect statements written by Bowen in the arti- cle. First, New Edition never broke up. Several times Bowen stated that the group broke up since several mem- bers of the group recorded solo albums. Johnny Gill and Bobby Brown didn't leave the group where the four remaining members did a great job with the 1988 release of "Heartbreak," making it five members who recorded the album, not four. A trip to Tower Records would help if Bowen needs to counttthe number of mem- bers on the "Heartbreak" album cover! Ralph Tresvant never left the group either; he merely recorded two albums while the other group members were recording other albums (such as BBD's two albums and Johnny Gill's two of his three solo albums since "Heartbreak"). Bowen said the group never planned to make a reunion album. Wrong! Since the early 1 990s, New Edition, the group that never broke up, said they would be coming out with the reunion album and tour in 1995. So they are a year late. To answer Bowen's question, did they record their latest album for I refuse to let the selfish little bea@ in the house. Aside from the afore- mentioned reasons why this creature does not deserve pity, I also get watery eyes, coughing, sneezing, itching and the inability to breathe - all because of this orange and white fuzzball. And my housemates shouldn't pity it either. They think the cat is starving, but if you saw it you'd realize we're not the only ones giving it food. This cat knows how to play college st. dents. It's probably lived in our neig borhood for years. The thing roams up and down East University, stops at each feminine household, gets a free meal and a lot of petting and whatever else girls like to do with cats. I'm sure many people let it inside the house, to the dismay of Copi Properties and Campus Rentals. This is not a cat whose life is misery because it doesn't have a home. actually has several - including cardboard box with a blanket in it on our front porch. It even has its name outside the box - sickeningly enough, they called it "Pretty Kitty" The other day, two nice young men decided to dotheir good deed for the day by knocking on our door and returning what they thought was our cat. One of these boys was pretty cute; so I opened the door to commence fli tation. And the cat slipped by my I and into my house. To our visitors' dismay, I picked up the cat, threw it out ontcrthe porch, and said something about hating cats. and maybe something about wishing they were dead. I don't think that got me any brownie points with the boys; in fact, I think I frightened them. My housemates think it's cruel that I won't allow this dirty, selfish little ar mal into our house. But that's not eve close to what I'm going to do to it if it doesn't disappear. I love animals. I'm all about living together in harmony. But this cat is involved in a deception of our entire neighborhood. It has penetrated .the II