4 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, April 21, 1997

UiE 3irditganDtig

420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, M1 48109
Edited and managed by
students at the
Un ivers ity of Mticahiogaind

JOSH WHITE
Editor in Chief
ERIN MARSH
Editorial Page Editor

"NOTABLE QUOTABLE,,
I believe the residence halls are too
crowded and too expensive, period.'
- University Regent Laurence Deitch (D-Bloomfield Hills), during the regents'
discussion of increased University housing fees and space shortages
JAIM LASSER SHAR PAsTOAST

In search of
dreams and
discovering

the

'spark'

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
Funding the future
'New Century' will assist efforts for diversity

University President Lee Bollinger has
wasted no time in addressing the prob-
lems associated with fostering diversity on
campus. He recently released guidelines for
the President's New Century Fund for
Diversity - a program to provide funding
to innovative proposals that aim to further
multiculturalism at the University. Building
on the diversity programs proposed and
implemented by former University
President James Duderstadt, Bollinger's
fund provides an ideal opportunity to pro-
mote change and quell existing misconcep-
tions.
The New Century Fund designates
$450,000 to "encourage units, organiza-
tions and interested individuals to pursue
the goals of the Michigan Agenda for
Women and the Michigan Mandate."
According to guidelines, projects should
aim to support action or research in finding
ways to sustain diversity. Up to 10 propos-
als will be accepted, with each receiving a
grant of $25,000 to $100,000. Academic
departments and student organizations
should look to these funds as a way to pur-
sue goals that previously were financially
unobtainable.
Academic units could use such funding
to expand the breadth of their curricula.
One way of doing so is to increase recruit-
ment of high quality minority and female
graduate students and professors, making
the faculty and staff more representative of
the student population. The money could
also be used to broaden the scope of current
summer programs aimed at recruiting and
retaining minority students. These pro-
grams exist to provide assistance to minori-
ties and women pursuing varying fields of

study at the University.
While the Michigan Student Assembly's
Budget Priorities Committee does have
funding available for student groups, the
New Century Fund has greater resources at
its disposal. With such funding available,
student groups also have an opportunity to
undertake more expansive multicultural ini-
tiatives. For example, campus groups have
lobbied the administration to establish a
Latino/a cultural center. This project could
be an exceptional candidate for funding.
Bollinger is encouraging applicants to
take on projects with high risk and poten-
tially high gain that are unable to receive
funding from other sources. In addition, he
wants programs to promote diversity "so we
can provide a quality academic experience
and working environment for all members
of the working community." To accomplish
these goals, a large number of the final pro-
posals should focus on dispelling racial and
ethnic misunderstandings. Improving multi-
cultural programs for first-year student ori-
entation could target some of the issues that
arise on a racially and ethnically diverse
campus.
Thanks to Bollinger's New Century
Fund, students, faculty and University
departments now have the means to imple-
ment innovative programs to expand multi-
culturalism. Proposals are due on May 16.
All eligible parties should apply, consider-
ing the great benefits that could accompany
a successful proposal. The president's initia-
tive, while promising, should be just the
first in a series of efforts to expand diversi-
ty. A more diverse campus will allow the
University to provide students a more com-
prehensive and higher quality education.

/ T 592 EDITORAL CARTooNS
AJ 'O F NtryE N
L TERS TOTHEaDITOR
-ys
LETTES TOTHE EITOR

LATER . * o

MFR
Ot llfi .ts v "tea

Flash in the pan
Engler's lack of foresight could mean trouble

Last week, among talk of empowerment
zones and vice presidential visits, the
state of Michigan announced its lowest
unemployment rate since it began monitor-
ing it in 1970. The new 4.3-percent low for
March also marks the 24th straight month
that Michigan has reported unemployment
rates below the national rate. While Gov.
John Engler parades the numbers around
boastfully, the state must take a more seri-
ous look at Michigan's long-term economic
health and the support services that must be
in place to ensure continued success.
The federal empowerment zone in
Detroit was the subject of praise during
Vice President Al Gore's visit to the city last
week. The system of $100 million in feder-
al grants and $250 million in tax breaks
over the next decade is functioning right on
track in pursuit of urban renewal. Jobs are
beginning to return to the city's southwest
side and many businesses are moving back
into the city from the suburbs to take advan-
tage of offered incentives. The empower-
ment zone also appears to be sparking
residual effects: Other manufacturing inter-
ests in the area are hiring more workers and
increasing output to keep up with new
demands on area businesses. Most impor-
tant, the presence of the federal government
in Detroit has given new confidence to
investors - a consortium of seven banks
have, in two years alone, given $600 million
in business loans to the area.
However, there are certain facts that
statewide unemployment figures and huge
federal grants have overshadowed. Namely,,
many areas of Detroit have unemployment
rates uv to seven times the state average and

al monies will certainly help drive the fig-
ure down, the state is not doing much to
help.
The economic health of the state is weld-
ed to the auto industry. The American auto
industry is in the midst of a boom that only
a few years ago would have seemed impos-
sible - but it cannot last forever. The
Engler administration has not taken advan-
tage of the state's economic health for any
long-term gain. With a strong industrial
base, the Engler administration could
increase tax revenues and build programs
for education, job retraining and other safe-
guards that protect citizens from falling into
poverty with every dip in the business
cycle. Instead, the governor viciously cut
into welfare, education and other social
programs without considering replacing the
old systems with other supplementary ser-
vices. Certainly, the administration's tax
cuts are friendly to business interests, but
they are not a long-term solution to keeping
jobs in Michigan; Engler has shown that he
cannot cut taxes without drastically reduc-
ing services or incurring other repercus-
sions.
The time has come for the Engler
administration to stop showing wanton dis-
regard for the underprivileged and to start
addressing their needs. The state govern-
ment must create programs that address the
large proportion of urban poverty and
unemployment. The problem will only get
worse as more and more people are shuffled
off the welfare rolls with no jobs to which
they can turn. The state must take advan-
tage of its current good fortune and look
toward long-term solutions - such as job

Affirmative
action misses
the point
TO THE DAILY:
In Jill Halpern's letter to
the editor ("Affirmative
action works for equality,"
4/15/97), she states that those
who disagree with affirma-
tive action "the challenge is
to create something better."
At least within the scope of
academic admissions, there is
a better option.
It would be a mistake to
suggest that racial prejudice
does not still exist in society.
However, the concern of
admissions offices should be
to what extent that prejudice
serves as an obstacle to uni-
versity admissions.
Much has changed from
the days when Ivy League
schools used quotas to
exclude Jews and other quali-
fied students. More than 20
years of race-based affirma-
tive action has yielded
diverse admissions offices.
Would anyone believe an
African American would be
denied admission to this uni-
versity on the basis of his/her
race today?
Similarly, a diverse board
of educators, representing
various cultural backgrounds
and both genders, reviews the
SAT. Questions are tested for
fairness among different
groups of students, so cultur-
al bias is negligible.
Halpern wrote: "Even the
seemingly most objective
standard, the SAT, is subject
to the artificial disparities
created by professional test
preparation - a mostly white
upper middle class institu-
tion."
Here, she touches on the
root of inequality while miss-
ing the point. The Princeton
Review and other prep class-
es are not exclusively for
whites, but they are exclu-
sively for those who can
afford them. So, for the most
part, is a good college-
preparatory education. Most
of the better public high
schools are in property-rich
areas. The elite public
schools often do not offer the
education of a $20,000 per
year boarding school.
The oppression minori-
ties have endured in this
country means they would
still be the chief beneficia-
ries of class-based affirma-
tive action. Poor students of
any race would receive due
compensation for the obsta-
cles they have faced. If we
look at the neighboring
Detroit area, we could see
that a minority student from
Bloomfield Hills probably
has a better chancerto attend
Michigan than a white stu-
dent from Downriver.
To assume a permanent,

ous victims of discrimination.
JAY AMomA
LSA SOPHOMORE
Holzhacker's
demands are
based on
ignorance
TO THE DAILY:
In response to Ron
Holzhacker's letter ("Get
ROTC out of the Nichols
Arb," 4/17/97), I pose several
questions. The first is, who
really is safe to use the Arb
freely, if we can start to elim-
inate certain student groups
from University property? It
has been claimed that ROTC
disturbs the quiet enjoyment
of the Arb. Holzhacker is on
the edge of infringing upon
the cadets' constitutional
rights. The removal of ROTC
cadets because of the sup-
posed menacing aura that
they carry is based purely on
ignorance.
Not knowing what ROTC
is doing leads to an unneces-
sary fear. Does Holzhacker
wish to ban all activity in the
Arb? Could people begin to
claim that churches shouldn't
be able to hold picnics in the
Arb, reasoning that their
praise songs were disrupting
the peace? Or that their
singing of religious songs
were infringing upon their
personal beliefs? Or how
about those disturbed by cou-
ples kissing in the Arb?
It has also been claimed
that the Arb is being damaged
by ROTC. Does that call for
the removal of all joggers and
bikers who occasionally step
on or ride over plants? Or
would a rowdy game of foot-
ball be reason enough for dis-
missal from the Arb? Why
not? There is the chance for
injury, damage to wildlife,
and it could be very disturb-
ing to those trying to absorb
the serenity from the Arb.
The fact of the matter is,
all of the activities that ROTC
conducts is purely stimulatory
or based on the goal of devel-
oping physical fitness. The
exercises that ROTC conducts
are in accord with the rights
of the civilians in the Arb and
they make sure that nobody
gets injured.
The cadets in ROTC are
technically still civilians -
they are not commissioned as
officers until they graduate.
Shouldn't they be given the
same right to use the Arb just
like other civilians?
People need not fear that
the Arb may be a breeding
ground for the militia.
Believe me, the militia is not
so foolish as to use such a
public and open place for
their illicit training purposes.

ing for the dismissal of
ROTC from the Arb to main-
tai the natural quiet and
peace is viable. Better yet,
why not section off certain
areas where visitors can walk
to ensure that the wildlife is
not damaged? Rather than
preserving the peace of the
Arb in such a way that no
one benefits, a compromise
can be found.
ROTC schedulesthe use
of the Ad, and does not use
the Arb everyday or at all
hours. Merely finding the
times during which ROTC
uses the Arb and avoiding the
Ad, at those times can lead
to a quick and simple solu-
tion to those who wish not be
disturbed by ROTC.
ANDREW CHoI
LSA JUNIOR
MSA invites
'U' to join
Earthweek
TO THE DAILY:
Friday commemorated the
beginning of a 27-year-old
tradition at the University of
Michigan, a tradition that
seeks to invoke our sense of
personal responsibility, social
activism and dedication to
the environment. Started in
1970, Earthweek continues
today as the major focus of
student environmental action
across the country and here
on campus.
Organized by MSA, this
year's Earthweek festivities
hope to serve as a reminder of
the role that each and every
one of us plays in the protec-
tion of the earth. For exam-
ple, key Earthweek events
include a display of student
consumption on the diag, a
bike rally to promote alterna-
tives to cars, an environmental
service day, chlorine-free
paper in various computing
sites, a vegetarian low-in-the-
food-chain envirodinner in the
residence halls, and an envi-
ronmental fair on Earthday.
All of these events, and many
more, welcome your partici-
pation. We urge you to show
your dedication to the envi-
ronment by supporting the
upcoming festivities.
As the primary voice for
students, MSA plays a key
role in addressing environ-
mental concerns on campus
and in the community.
Through our Environmental
Issues Commission, we serve
to create an environmentally-
friendly campus for all.
MONA HANNA
SNRE SENIOR, MSA
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
COMMISSION CHAIR
MICHAEL NAGRANT
LSA JUNIOR,
KA QA Dnormnrem

'Remember what you dreamed of
when you were 11 years old? ... Try to
find that spark again. It's not that 
knew what job you wanted. ""t that you
knew what excited you. When you find
something that
makes you feel
that good about
yourself about
your lfe about
your world, do
those things."
- Lawrence
Kasdan, in his
1990 University
commencement
speech MEGAN
'm leaving, SCHMPF
but I'm not PRESCRIPTIONS
really leaving.
My world is.
Come May 3, I'll walk into
Michigan Stadium as a senior and
walk out an alumna. Yet come August,
I'll be back in Ann Arbor, staf
school just like I have for the lasts
years. While that much will be the
same, everything else will be different.
On Nov. 26, 1 woke up to the phone
ringing. Numbly aware that I should
have been in lectureI picked up the
phone seconds before the answering
machine did. While the message
played, I cleared my mind enough to
talk to the person on the other end.
When I hung up a couple of minu
later, I knew I had been accepted
medical school. Convinced I was
dreaming, I listened to the conversa-
tion again, which the machine had
rather thoughtfully recorded.
I had not been dreaming.
That day, my friends sent me mes-
sages that read: congratulations. One
sent a dozen roses.
But in reality, I have been dreaming
all along. Since my sophomore yeaf
high school, I have wanted to g
medical school, and beginning in
August, I will. Now, I'm putting orien-
tation in my planner and filling out
sizes for white coats.
"You can never be unfaithful to your
one true love. You always come back to
her."
- Norm Peterson, on the last
episode of "Cheers"
So this is that spark, that something
that makes me feel good, that to
love. Fortuitously, it isalso the job I
want. And this is what happens when
one of your dreams comes true. This is
what happens when you are less than
four months away from living what
you've been working for.
So what happens when your dream is
just that close? You start checking the
mailbox or waiting for the phone to ring
for more than an acceptance - you
waiting for the details of your life.
A slight ping of regret flies through
you as you wonder if you got all you
needed and wanted out of undergradu-
ate education, as you leave its security
forever.
The questions about what is about to
begin and the conclusions about what is
ending chase each other faster than you
ever imagined. You have decisions to
make on top ofa life to pack up. And all
you really want is to start your dream
Then, suddenly, lasts keep accumu-
ing - the last time you write an under-
graduate paper, the last exam, the last
last day of class, even the last discus-
sion section. While this has been hap-
pening all year, the realization becomes
more acute in April. As graduation
draws near, the time that dragged in
February suddenly flies. And suddenly
you're not so ready for the real last.
"Your goodfriends from college
be the best friends you ever have.
Guard those relationships like gold,

work hard to maintain them ... ifyou
do that ... your friends will become a
precious touchstone in your lfe; there
aren't many things more valuable."
- Lawrence Kasdan
So while I will return to Ann Arbor,
it will not be the Ann Arbor I know
now. Some of the most precious parts
of that world will have scattered toe
cornersof the country, at the very l
The times with our friends have
shaped whoswe have become and col-
ored our college years different shades
at different times. From .here, paths
diverge, and even the path less taken
leads in different directions.
Many soon-to-be-alumni will
remember what we learned outside the
classroom rather than what we learned
inside it. These are the events and rm
pe who changed our perceptions.
not exactly rejuvenating to pull an all-
nighter with a friend, but it's certainly
memorable.I
Try to pick your favorite moment
since that rainy afternoon you moved
into your dorm and were either terribly

I