4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, February 12, 1997 Ulie £i igrn Thlg 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan JOSHW HITE Editor in Chief ERIN MARSH Editorial Page Editor NOTABLE QUOTABLE 'Our tendency is to stay within ourselves, within our community. We do not have, in the inner sense, 'community." - University English Professor Ralph WTliams ,in a Diversity Days seminar on religion and diversity Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect dh opinion of the majority of the Daily 's editorial board. A ll other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily FROM THE DAILY Dubious improvement Rape statistics may not indicate reality JIM LASSER ARP.S.4_ S C ontrary to a Department of Justice report showing rape rates decreasing since 1990, the University is seeing an all- time high in the number of reported rapes. Nationally, the decrease in reported rapes is not necessarily a good sign - there is an insurmountable number of rapes that go unreported. Many women remain reluctant to come forward, thus the national decline may look better on paper than in actuality. Campus reports - although higher than ever - may be a sign that more women are reporting rape incidents. Rape is a reality the University community must continue to address. In the past year, the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center saw la record high number of reported rape cases. Joyce Wright, prevention and education coordinator of SAPAC, attributes the increase 'to the general increase in crime. Wright also believes that more women are reporting rapes - whether they report to a crisis center, such as SAPAC, or to law enforcement officials. SAPAC offers counseling and confiden- tiality to clients - many women turn to cri- sis centers before turning to law enforce- ment. Reasons survivors may not want to pursue a legal avenue vary from woman to woman. Many are concerned about others -even family - finding out about the incident. Some survivors feel they need to deal with their emotions on a personal level, wanting to eliminate the law out from their private trauma. Whatever path a woman chooses to follow, coming forward - to law enforcement officials, a close friend, or a counselor at a crisis center - will help the survivor deal with her emotions. Sobering statistics prove how real rape and sexual assault are - nationally, every six minutes a woman is raped; one in three American women is sexually assaulted dur- ing her lifetime. The increase in the number of women coming to SAPAC verify how prevalent violence against women is at the University. About half of SAPAC's rape sur- vivor clients are date rape survivors; the other half are stranger rape survivors. Coming forward with an accusation of date rape is difficult, but it is important that many survivors recognize where to turn. Only then can they begin to tackle the issues that follow a heinous crime. SAPAC is in the midst of its 10th year serving the University community. It offers a variety of counseling and support services including one-on-one counseling, survivor group meetings, a 24-hour crisis line and workshops and presentations to inform the public about prevention and awareness. SAPAC is a great place for survivors, friends, family and significant others who have had to endure the effects of rape in their lives. Coming forward and dealing with rape is a difficult step. A crisis center such as SAPAC serves as a support system to help survivors through all of the emotions that . come with surviving a rape. Reporting rape and seeking counseling helps survivors understand and cope with an array of com- monalties: patterns of emotional upheaval, nightmares, anxiety and frequent mood swings. Coming forward helps a survivor step beyond the crisis point and begin the healing process. Survivors of rape who feel isolated must realize they are not alone. Not far away, there is help. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Genes on the line State should keep DNA records confidential M ichigan residents' right to privacy may soon extend to the realm of genetic information. Senators Alma Wheeler Smith (D-Salem Twp.) and Dianne Byrum (D-Onondaga) plan to propose six bills to the state financial services commit- tee that would prevent parties from receiv- ing an individual's genetic information without permission, require testing facili- ties to discard DNA samples after genetic testing except in legal situations, and pro- hibit health insurance companies from dis- criminating against individuals based on genetic information. The State of Michigan - and the rest of the country -needs such legislation to prevent businesses and health care organizations from using genetic data to preclude employees and clients from obtaining certain benefits. A 1994 nationwide Time/CNN poll found that 90 percent of respondents thought it should be illegal for insurance companies to use genetic tests to decide whom to insure. Despite the public senti- ment expressed in this study, many insur- ance companies are inclined to discriminate on the basis of genetic information. In fact, a 1992 congressional study revealed that underwriters at I1 of 25 Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans would turn down an applicant if pre-symptomatic testing discovered like- lihood of disease. The study also found that "insurers price plans higher - or even out of reach - based on genetic information." Refusing genetically defective individuals insurance effectively denies them access to treatment derived from genetic research - the very treatment aimed at helping these individu- people who really need it. The bills' provisions that keep genetic information private would also assist many people seeking employment. With genetic profiles available to them, employers might select workers based on their genetic quali- ty, rather than on their aptitude for an employment position; a genetically superior individual could cost businesses less in sick- leave pay, less in health insurance costs and less in diminished productivity due to ill- ness. While the ability to screen applicant pools for such individuals may spell larger profits for companies, it would preclude many well-qualified, yet genetically defec- tive individuals from attaining employment - many people could lose employment opportunities through no fault of their own. Given the profit-mindedness of contempo- rary business, the growth of such genetic selectivity among companies has a high likelihood. Acknowledging the possibility of this situation, Michigan Gov. John Engler plans to appoint a "Governor's Commission on Genetic Privacy and Progress." Through attention to issues of genetic confidentiali- ty, the governor and state legislators should keep employment opportunities accessible to adequately qualified candidates. The rapid growth of genetic research has enabled scientists to effectively diagnose and treat a range of ailments. Discovered at a rate of two per week, genetic bases for diseases hold high importance in medicine. However, outside the realms of medicine and research, such information should remain confidential. Michigan legislators and state residents should back the upcom- U Honors Program rates high To THE DAILY: I am very concerned about the recent article ("New college, special- expense fund requested for recruiting," 217197) that pre- sented a very negative view of the Honors Program (not 'Honors College,' as it was called eight times in the piece). As an Honors student, I feel that several points need to be addressed. The allegation that the quality of Honors applicants and enrolled students has been falling is preposterous. Allow me to clarify two things. First, there is no separate application for the Honors Program. When prospective students apply to LSA, those who meet certain academic criteria are automatically referred to Honors. If a stu- dent does not qualify during the automatic round, he or she can request a review of his or her file. Thus, the only way to claim that the quality of Honors applicants has dropped is to say that the LSA pool ilf exhibits signs of academic deficiency. Second, the standard for referral to the H onors Program is extremely high. During the past four years, the criteria have consistently risen. This year. students must have scored at the 97th percentile (or higher) of the SAT or ACT to qalify for the automatic referral. Additionally, the Honors Program has always believed that while standardized test scores can be a good indica- tor of a student's collegiate success, the program realizes that test scores may not accu- rately represent a student's overall potential. That's wy Honors reads applicants' complete files, including essays and letters of recom- mendation, before making an invitation decision. Second, h onors is hardly an impersonal institution. Honors is really a place where "everybody knows your name" From the student services personnel to the counselors, to the directors, individual attention for Honors students is the norm, not the exception. One of the reasons I chose Honors was the assurance that I would be far more than a faceless num- ber, lost in the University's bureaucracy. Without the advantages of counselors who knew me, a support staff that can and will do anything to fix a problem, and directors who are devot- ed to the principle that stu- dents who can do advanced' run by Honors, consist of taking Honors classes, exploring the opportunity to do independent research and participating in an Honors Sophomore Seminar. The second two years of the program are supervised by individual departments, which establish their own standards for admission to a departmental honors concen- tration. Some departments have limited space in their Honors concentration programs. Thus, not everyone who wants to do an Honors histo- ry, English or political sci- ence degree will have that opportunity, due to limited resources. Other students successfully complete two years in Honors and choose to pursue avenues of advanced study which do not include writing an Honors thesis. Saying that only 40 percent of Honors students who enroll as freshmen grad- uate with Honors implies that 60 percent of them simply drop out. This is not the case. The University Honors Program is not an impersonal refuge for the academically challenged Rather, it is an institution which allows the University to compete for the best students in the country. I feel that the task force report does not fairly or accurately present the Honors Program's true advantages. BEUNDA MATHIE LSA JUNIOR End Clinton's 'Goals 2000' To THE DAILY: The era of big govern- ment lives on in many of Bill Clinton's pet programs, including Goals 2000. This piece of Clinton election propaganda wastes money, duplicates existing programs and nationalizes parents. For those unfamiliar with this piece of legislation, all you need to know is that instead of improving elemen- tary education, as Slick Willy would like you to believe, its primary purpose is to lead you to believe he is doing something in the White House besides reading FBI files, having coffee with Chinese arms dealers and operating taxpayer-funded computers for campaign pur- poses. "Goals 2000" was passed during the 103rd Democratic Congress with an appropna- tion of $105 million. Of this, 88 percent, or $92.4 million, was earmarked for block- grants to states. Only 40 per- cent of the total had to go to the school districts. The rest was reserved for the bureau- cent increase in funding from $350 million to $491 million. He wants close to $1 billion dollars for 1998. The NESIC will do little to improve the American education system. For exam- ple, their history standards resolution was defeated by a 99-1 vote in the U.S. Senate. Nonetheless, the original bill gave NESIC the authority to impose ridiculous stan- dards on our schools. "Goals 2000" will put public schools at yet another disadvantage. Read the bill yourself and join me in opposing wasteful, unnecessary and out-of-touch programs such as "Goals 2000." JEREMY MOwSON LSA FIRST-YEAR STUDENT Debate over school control is 'classist' To THE DAILY- I'm writing in response to David Sirkin's letter to the editor on Monday ("Local control hurts public school quality"210/97). Sirkin states, "they (school board members) may not be partic- ularly well-educated them- selves, especially if the dis- trict is a depressed or work- ing class town. The board members may include real estate agents or retired policemen." This is a heinous example of the classism found among college stu- dents. I'm sure real estate agents and retired policemen would be very upset to find out that they are not "well-educated" This is part of the belief that if you do not attend a univer- sity, you are an idiot. I would beg to remind Sirkin that the founding fathers of this great nation were farmers and city dwellers who never attended an university. I will remind you of all of the not-so- "well-educated" individuals who have gone off to war to die for your rights. I would also like to state that my parents, who are "working class" people, know a hell of a lot more about what's good for the local school than the state government does. My parents are the people who I come home to and tell about the problems our school is fac- ing. Government officials have their kids in schools that are already teaching to state standards, so what do they know about schools that aren't? Sirkin also states that only inexperienced and bad teach- ers teach in "less desirable" school districts. He states that good teachers go to wealthier The guy'sguide~ to real movies Picking out a rental movie can be a eIrculean task, eenfor the brightest coo j*l - PJ. O'Rourke F ew things provide more insight into the schism between male and female tastes as movies. Most of the time, gender differences are subdue and subtle: An upraised toilet se here, a closet full of identical black shoes there. As a species we arey pretty good at ignoring the fact that men and women are so fun- <> damentally oppo-v site that not only is the heterosexual union a marvel, but a miracle on the order of Tori JAMES Spelling's contin- MILLER uing television MILLER ON career. TA I feel sorry for women. To them, our taste in films must seem not oly repugnant but baffingly illogical. My parents have stopped going to the video store together, realizing that an eye-to-e agreement on a film is nearly impossi- ble across the gaping gender gap. People of our age and experience must find the problem even harder to deal with. So as a public service to all the women of the University (although this will be less useful than my leaving town), I will try to delineate, as clear- ly as possible, the rules and methods for understanding what constitutes a good "guy film" and how to rea some kind of truce in the movie war'. No. 1: Ladies, please, realize that everybody has stupid tastes. When a guy watches, say, a "Conan" movie, usually he is aware that what is watch- ing is crap. Pleasant crap. Crap that he likes. But crap nonetheless. If sent to the video store to select a movie for him and his woman, he will usually know better than to bring home the lat- est Jean-Claude Van Damme ovee lest he find himself in the middle of a U.N.-sponsored nookie embargo. 'his having been said, STOP MAK- ING US WATCH SACCHARIN. TEAR-JERKING TREACLES LIKE "FRIED GREEN TOMATOES" AND "WAITING TO EXHALE." Please. We know you like it, but, Jesus, we hate it. No. 2: Why guys hate chick flicks. Himm, this one is a little tough. S guys like movies that are interestin. This is a deceptively easy concept. By "something," I mean interesting char- acter development, good c inematogra- phy or an intriguing story that proba- bly would never happen to me in the real world. The whole point of going to the movies is to see things that never happen to you in real life. That's why they call it entertainment. If I wanted boring, drab, motionless and stupid, 1 stay home. Films like "Mermaids," "Thelma and Louise" and the aforementioned "Fried Green Tomatoes" consist of an hour-and-a-half pity party that either leaves you feeling like you haven't seen anything at all or feeling like you should have a sense of guilt over your ownership of a penis. And while we're on the subject of "Thelma and Louise," let's put this one to bed for good. The movie sucks, a sucks hard. I don't buy the line that men hate it because it shows women doing things that men usually do in action movies and that threatens us. Hogwash. You call that an action movie? One stolen car, one car chase, one blown up truck and only three deaths (two of which are not pictured) do not an action movie make. Clint Eastwood after a bottle of bourbon an a handful of Quaaludes could make more exciting movie. Either make them right, or don't make them at all. No. 3: Debunking the "Shoot 'E m Up" myth. There is a fallacy in com- mon circulation that a guy movie must only contain breasts (mere cleavage would be acceptable), guns, blood and casual, meaningless sex. Not true. While all of these things are impor- tant, movies with all of these things are typically of the Dolph. Lundgr made-for-"Showtime" variety an suck almost as hard as "Thelma and Louise:' This is similar to the myth that all women think Robert James Waller novels are the end-all be-all of seduction and that the sun rises and sets in Brad Pitt's pants. It's basically a lot of nonsense propagated by Oprah, Ricki, Sally and that emasculated yahoo who wrote "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus." No. 4: The list. The following is a short list of films, actors and directors that have a strong command of the guy sensibility: "The Hustler," "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid," "Full Metal Jacket." "Apocalypse Now,"