0
4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, February 26, 1997
be £idiagz &dlg
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed by
students at the
University of Michigan
JOSH WHITE
Editor in Chief
ERIN MARSH
Editorial Page Editor
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
y itself
Univ
gency
first
that t
was a n
cloyd
specu
peed
Univ
with
Univ
a sub
serioL
CI
back
the U
Ame
"(The
basis
and s
gover
by p
facili
Cloyd
addit
tance
Univ
and
relief
tance
was t
py w
suit fi
Univ
Depa
mer L
'Claus
UNpIUnne
vacation
"NOTABLE QUOTABLE,,
'He just shows up In Florida, gets a residence at a
motel, walks in and walks out with a gun that could kill
14 people in three or four seconds. That's just absurd.'
- New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, attacking lax gun control laws
in Florida that allowed the Empire State Building gunman to buy a weapon
JiM LASSER H A. s: TCA- *
T T' 'Too AT LtADEK YEAH. H E 1ULT U
DENn XAtOPINC, DIEDYE. THI DAY CARE
HiE WAS A CPEAT MrAN~. C EN TE K
Cli-t
.- .C
E TE
' Ja- ---. v
LETTERS TO TH E EDITOR
'U' abused the purpose of medical leave
he University may have masked its true against the University for denying her
intentions regarding a dispute between requests.
and English Prof. Emily Cloyd. The However, if the University imposed
ersity wrongfully imposed an emer- medical leave as a result of dissatisfaction
y medical leave against Cloyd without with Cloyd's teaching performance, it
obtaining her consent. Some speculate should choose to investigate the matter with
he English department used the leave the proper course of action: a filed com-
means to deal with dissatisfaction with plaint and investigation. A University stan-
d's teaching performance. However, dard practice guide defines the purpose of
alation of neglect is different from the emergency medical leaves: "The University,
for emergency medical leave. The consistent with its needs and requirements,
ersity should not impose medical leave desires to minimize the compensation loss
out employees' consent. If the of its staff members during certain periods
ersity uses emergency medical leave as of absence from work due to personal ill-
stitute for service evaluations, its must ness, injury or preventive medical or dental
usly revamp its evaluative process. care which is either unavoidable or in the
loyd, who has undergone extensive best interest of the University and its staff
surgery between 1985-90, alleges that members." The University claims that the
Jniversity violated her rights under the medical leaves should be in the best inter-
rican Disabilities Act. The act states, ests of its staff. However, in this case, the
e- ADA) prohibits discrimination on University used the policy to its advantage
of disability in employment, programs rather than in the best interests of a staff
ervices provided by the state and local member.
rnments, goods and service provided The University must not weaken the
rivate companies, and in commercial benefits of medical leaves by imposing it on
ties." When back problems slowed those who have no desire to take advantage
d in 1990, the University approved of it. This practice may eliminate the option
ional graduate student teaching assis- for those who feel they need to take leave.
but it refused to renew the help. The The University should not force employees
ersity allegedly granted photocopying into medical leave - this matter should be
clerical assistance and committee up to the individual.
, but refused additional teaching assis- The University should demonstrate more
Instead, she was informed that she respect for a faculty member who demon-
o take a medical leave. Cloyd, unhap- strated dedicated service since 1967. The
ith the University's actions, has filed University should have negotiated with
or $50,000 against the University, the Cloyd about her need for medical leave
ersity Board of Regents, English rather than simply informing her that she
rtment Chair Martha Vicinus and for- was to take one. In the end, additional
LSA Associate Dean John Chamberlin. teaching assistance - or an evaluation -
ses in the ADA support Cloyd's suit would have been the only necessary action.
Centering management
VCM oversight could
ast year, the University Board of
Regents approved a new administra-
tive philosophy called Value Centered
Management. They developed the program
in an effort to make funding procedures
more efficient and responsive to students'
needs. However, specific provisions in the
new budgetary management plan - which
took effect in July - may prove trouble-
some to the University's smaller academic
:units. Recognizing potential problems, the
'-Michigan Student Assembly passed a reso-
- uRtion last week to commit itself to lobby
b for a VCM oversight committee. It is a pos-
itive step, designed to help achieve equi-
' table funding for all of the University's 18
,,schools. The Senate Advisory Council for
_ =University Affairs and the University
administration should move quickly to
implement MSA's proposed committee.
Before VCM, the central administration
,collected most funds entering the
s University. Fund redistribution happened
according to predetermined proportion, so
41l schools knew how much money they
would receive from year to year. Under the
new VCM system, certain funds go directly
to the schools. The administration still col-
lects state appropriations - however,
tuition-dollar redistribution is no longer
predetermined. Instead, the Office of the
Provost reallocates this money according to
"the highest interests of the University."
In theory, VCM should lead to healthy
competition among schools and the devel-
opment of beneficial new programs. In
practice, it may lead to damaging competi-
tion through which smaller schools might
find themselves squeezed out.
help budget disputes
directly from student to school under VCM.
Smaller schools, like the School of Natural
Resources and the Environment, don't have
the same advantage; LSA-sponsored pro-
grams automatically affect a greater propor-
tion of students than SNRE initiatives. For
the provost to decide which represents a
"higher interest" for the University could
prove troublesome. Numbers alone are not
indicative of program value.
Accordingly, establishing a VCM over-
sight committee is a necessary and impor-
tant goal. The MSA panel would consist of
18 members, one from each of the
University's academic units. Furthermore,
six of those would come from each of the
University's three major components -
students, faculty and administration. This
way, every school and each facet of the
University community has an equal voice
on the committee. Whether a school has a
student or faculty representative would be
determined randomly. MSA looks to
reserve the right to select the committee's
student members - a move that could have
more political than positive ramifications.
The current proposal calls for one-year
terms for committee members. While a stag-
gered turnover might be more beneficial for
newer committee representatives, specifics
remain open to debate - both SACUA and
the administration must approve the propos-
al before implementation.
Ultimately, the proposal is most benefi-
cial for its broad-based approach to VCM's
potential problems. All schools, from LSA
to the School of Public Policy, have opin-
ions about VCM funding. Each should have
the opportunity to express its viewpoints
Daily should
cover club
sports teams
TO THE DAILY:
Congratulations to the
University of Michigan men's
water polo team on last
semester's Big Ten and first-
ever national title. A Big Ten
record of 21-2 and an overall
record of 28-5 speaks highly
of this year's accomplish-
ments in the pool.
Unfortunately, much of
the University did not know
of these achievements due to
a lack of support from the
Daily. A new policy in the
Daily sports department did
not allow any of our success-
es to be translated to the stu-
dent body in article or picture
form, because we are a club
team.
It is disappointing that the
Daily failed to acknowledge
our victory to the University
community, even after The
Ann Arbor News ran several
articles on our success. We
have a hard time understand-
ing why a Michigan team,
achieving its ultimate goal,
would not be recognized by
its own student paper.
This letter is not about
getting men's water polo
recognition for winning a
championship. This is about
getting all club sports recog-
nition within the University
for being a dedicated group
of athletes who compete for
the University in the same
way varsity programs com-
pete. We do not get letter
jackets or rings for champi-
onship seasons; we play for
the love of the sport and for
ourselves. The University is
part of what we are as a team,
but apparently the Daily does
not think so. When we won
our championship, we sang
"Hail to the Victors" as loud
as anyone ever has.
We would like to thank
everyone who encouraged
and congratulated our team
this year. A special thanks to
the varsity athletes and pro-
fessors whose congratula-
tions show an understanding
of what was accomplished.
MATT MAASDAM
LSA SENIOR,
1996 UNIVERSITY MEN'S
WATER POLO CO-CAPTAIN
RICH WITT
ENGINEERING JUNIOR,
1997 UNIVERSITY MEN'S
WATER POLO CO-CAPTAIN
Miller puts
humor over
intellect
TO THE DAILY:
I was disusted by James
does, however, take a good
writer to write a thought-pro-
voking, intelligent column.
wish that I could open the
newspaper that supposedly
represents this prestigious
University and find some-
thing related to more than
just the petty social world of
the "college bubble."
I am asking the colum-
nists, especially Miller, to
challenge themselves and
look beyond their isolated
college lives. Insults may be
funny, but they are not food
for thought, nor do they
make up a good column.
ERIN GALWGAN
LSA SENIOR
Restrict
columnists'
speec h
To THE DAILY:
Now, I have never found
Heather Gordon amusing,
clever, or even deserving of a
reserved smile; yet, last
Friday's column sank to a
new low ("Cafe Evil: Lousy
service comes on the side"
2/21/97). The entire article
was supposed to be a witty
piece, geared towards elicit-
ing feelings of intense hatred
for said coffee shop and
empathy for poor Heather.
Instead, I found myself won-
dering why my tax dollars
have never gone to a KGB-
like organization which.could
haul away undesirables like
her in the middle of the night.
It's doubtful that the cafe
has a picture of you behind
the counter, reminding
employees to treat you like
dirt should you show up in
their establishment (not that I
would blame them for doing
so after your article).
You act like this one cafe
is a bad seed and the next
you ventured to was some
promised land of courteous
service. Any business, in a
college town in particular,
will be filled by those more
interested in their paychecks
than their attitude. The quali-
ty of service you receive is
going to fluctuate greatly.
Who I really felt for in
the end was "Bastard Man."
My heart goes out to you, sir,
if you have to take abuse
from people like Gordon all
day. She called you a "Milk
Nazi," for God's sake (petty
name-calling seems to be her
forte). Anyway, why should
you really care if the music
was too loud? If Big Boss-
man likes it that way, let him
get what he wants.
After all, who writes the
paychecks? Not that I justify
blatant discourtesy, but an
employee has a right to pro-
tect their standing at work.
The volume of music being
nrvdnec not wac rrant
Don't repeat
old MSA
mistakes
TO THE DAILY:
Given MSA's past history
of financial mismanagement,
MSA would be making a
serious mistake if it excused
MSA Vice President Probir
Mehta's unauthorized transfer
of $500 of MSA funds to the
UAAO. Instead, MSA should
send a strong message to
everyone that it will not tol-
erate violations of its finan-
cial procedures by MSA's
officers and members.
In the late '80s and early
'90s, MSA was in a state of
continual financial disarray.
MSA ran up a large debt in
the tens of thousands of dol-
lars in a single year, simply
due to the inattention and
gross mismanagement of its
officers. Even MSA's most
basic financial procedures
were routinely violated and
ignored. MSA's annual finan-
cial audits consistently
revealed serious deficiencies
in MSA's oversight of its own
funds. MSA was forced by
the University Board of
Regents and the University
administration to institute
reforms, including the hiring
of a full-time Financial
Coordinator, in return for
continued financial autono-
my. Despite MSA's progress
since that time, MSA can
hardly afford to take its
financial procedures lightly.
The excuses presented by
Mehta, his supporters and the
UAAO to justify this transac-
tion are particularly weak.
Most notably, they claim that
Mehta had to make the trans-
fer without authorization due
to lack of quorum. Yet the
UAAO event took place in
the fall, not the summer, and
UAAO did not receive any
funding until after the first
fall MSA meeting. Thus,
waiting for assembly
approval would not have
delayed anything.
MSA should also be
alarmed that many, including
Mehta and the UAAO, have
suggested that this unautho-
rized transfer was performed
as "student service" and that
Mehta's actions were an
example of "good govern-
ment." These indicate that
few understand the serious-
ness of Mehta's actions. The
rules that Mehta violated
were neither trivial bureau-
cratic hurdles nor were they
particularly ambiguous.
Requiring that MSA approve
all transfers to outside orga-
nizations is one of MSA's
most basic and fundamental
financial rules.
The UAAO may be a
great group and $500 may
not have been a lot of money,
but the recklessness with
w~hich ths tranfer ws md
Pop barbarians
storm the gates
Plicture it. ome 410 A.D. The
remperor Honorius stands atthe
gates of the Eternal City and watches
the Goth hordes loot, pillage and gen-
erally whiz on centuries of civilization
and one of the last bastions of classical
learning left in the entire world.
By the way, the horror that is
1997 Grammy Awards will be ooz
forth tonight.
This is not to say
that there are no
worthy men and
women in con-
tention for that
silly gold gramo-
phone. But the list
of them is very,
very lean.
The mighty
Beck deserves
whatever he gets JAES
for the simple rea- MILLER
son that he is one MILLER N
of the few per- TAP
formers who has -
both wide commercial success, a s Ise
of history, talent with samping ani a
sense of humor. That, and "Odely"
has a groove tighter than an aero s
instructor's behind. Other folks
Fugees, A Tribe Called Quest, Bonlie
Raitt and Neil Young are artistsTof
taste, style and originality that should
be commended by a Grammy.
But the amount of horse manure tAat
you have to wade through in ordetto
find the pony is startling._-
Smashing Pumpkins might be he
worst offender. Certain sellout eer-
tainment publications have been
cheerleading for the Pumpkins'
thiness this year. Entertaint
Weekly went so far as to call their
album "Mellon Collie and the Infite
Sadness." "an ode to adoescent sut~r-
ban ennui" and "the truest teen-ziit-
geist smash."
What'? "Ode to adolescent suburan
ennui?" "Teen-zeitgeist'?" Are these
people serious? This is not Hendrix or
Ginsburg or the Stones or any other of
a hundred actual prophets of yout*
rebellion. The Smashing Pumpkins are
a passel of snotty, arrogant, semi-talent-
ed image rockers who preach to an eyen
more odious legion of fans whose ily
reasons for rebelling are that Mom and
Dad won't finance their Nine Inch
Nails tattoos and the girl at the Taste-T-
Freeze won't give them the time of day.
Overdue for a Grammy nod? Hardly.
I'd say they're overdue to have the two
largest members of the Clash d
them into a parking lot and beat t
kidneys with big wet sticks.
And I have just about had it with the
misuse of the world "diva." In the
grasp of Grammy madness, that word
has been applied to everyone from
trollops like Gwen Stefani ("No
Doubt") and Shirley Manson
("Garbage," how's that for prophetic?)
to drum-machine lovers like Brandy
and Whitney Houston.
Diva? Sorry, kids. Marian Anders ,
Bessie Smith, Ella Fitzgerald and
Billie Holiday were divas. Aretha
Franklin and Etta James are divas.
Somebody who looks good in a crop
top, sells records by exploiting adoles-
cent male sexual tendencies and does-
n't mind singing over top of software
rather than music is not a diva.
On a slightly more up note, the
Grammy field this year is pretty free
of angst-peddlers. Last year *
couldn't swing a dead cat without hit-
ting a crabby, white girl with tattoos,
nose rings and a tube top wondering
why the male-dominated world does-
n't take her seriously. Newcomer Tracy
Bonham throws her hat into the ring
this year in an attempt to convince mil-
lions of record buyers that a vague
sense of dissatisfaction is grounds for
a record contract and more money
year that talented working musiciN
make. Well, good luck, ladies.
But more than anything else, the burr
in my saddle is that overall poor quali-
ty of the pool of contenders. Whether
it's Celine Dion mooing about love in a
shoddy, over-produced ballad or Tori
Amos whining about God knows what
in that wish-I-was-Emily-Dickenson
way she has or Jewel pretending she's
an actual musician (am I the only per-
son who watches that video with
sound off?) or Brandy pretending what
she's singing is actually rhythm or
blues, most of them just can't sing or
play their instrument.
But before we start handing out tro-
phies to the nicest rack or the artist
who makes the 13-year-old girls the
creamiest, maybe we should think -of a
few musicians who made it without a
hair stylist or a video director. How
many prepubescent girls do you thO
lined up to see an Allman Brothers
concert? Now how many pack in for a
Smashing Pumpkins concert? Is this a
good arbiter of talent? Am I the only
one doing the math here?
If this is what the majority of the
I