4A - The Michigan Daily - Monday, December 1, 1997
Ttje wticbm.0,tn 13ttitlu
420 Maynard Street
Ann' Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed by
students at the
University of Michigan
JOSH WXHITE;
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. Al
other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily.
FROM THE DAILY
P4ore
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
'He fought for his people. He fought for all good people.
He fought for the city and for his party. He fought all his
life and never backed down. He was just a great fighter.'
-Detroit entrepreneur Mike Ilttch, on former mayor Coleman
Young who died Saturday afternoon at the age of 79
JORDAN YOUNG
,'ca s()00...
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Programs should be
Teaching can make or break an institution
of higher education. The University
prides itself on its high-caliber faculty and
research. Yet some fields of study suffer in
comparison to other more lucrative depart-
ments. The Center for Afro-American and
African Studies, Women's Studies and
American Culture all lack the ability to hire
and promote faculty, which could prevent
these fields from offering as many academic
opportunities as possible. In order to advance
study in these disciplines, the University must
provide them with more leeway and potential
in the procurement of their own faculty.
Currently, he three programs are not
departmentalized, causing them to draw
instructors from other sources. CAAS and
the other programs must rely on University
departments in order to procure faculty. For
example, if CAAS expresses interest in a
political science professor, it must approach
the department to get that professor into one
of the center's courses. As a result, the cen-
ter is dependent on outside departments to
survive - seriously threatening its autono-
my. CAAS and the other programs are at the
mercy of department heads - causing sig-
nificant friction if a department from which
CAAS wants an instructor follows a differ-
ent philosophy than the center. In addition,I
many of the professors associated with the
programs have obligations to their respec-
tive departments, forcing the programs'
educational goals to be secondary.{
Women's Studies, Afro-American and
African Studies, and American Culture1
deserve the respect that departmentalized
programs receive. The past two decades1
have proven that these studies are valuable
and contribute greatly to the goals of a lib-1
eral arts education. The programs demand
at least the ability to hire and promote their1
able to hire faculty
own faculty. There are few graduate degree
options in the programs' academic areas -
hence, there are few professors available
with a background in these areas. As a
result, it becomes difficult to keep faculty
loyal to the smaller programs rather than
their home department. A history professor
teaching an American Culture class will
remain committed to the history department
and may not want to switch over to an
entirely new area of study.
To departmentalize is controversial -
many inside the programs are opposed to
becoming a department. By drawing from
numerous departments, CAAS and other
studies provide a more varied learning envi-
ronment. With professors from many of the
major fields of study, CAAS and the others
benefit from the different philosophies and
experiences of each faculty member.
Instead of limiting themselves to one out-
look, these programs are able to form a con-
glomeration of studies that provides a well-
rounded education.
Afro-American and African Studies,
Women's Studies and American Culture are
established fields of study and research -
the University should give them the ability
to hire and promote faculty. The University
hinders these fields' growth and the contin-
uation of a strong liberal arts program by
limiting crucial practices. The University
prohibits these fields from shaping their
own future by not affording these studies a
certain amount of sovereignty. The ability
to hire and promote is a key aspect to the
advancement of any field, especially ones
that have risen to the programs' level of
academic recognition. It is time to facilitate
these fields in any way possible - hiring
and promoting faculty offers a viable
beginning.
Pet parks
Parks should not be legislators' political tool
W hen making vacation plans, people
often face two options: Going to
some tourist trap or venturing out to one of
the numerous national parks to enjoy nature
for a while. The National Parks Service
runs and maintains hundreds of national
parks, memorial sites and visitors' centers
across the country but is at the mercy of
federal legislators for funding. Many con-
gressional leaders take advantage of their
position of power to institute pet projects
that win favor with their constituents. The
service must not be reduced to a personal
campaigning tool - Congress must allow
the service's officials to make budgetary
decisions and set expansion and develop-
mnent priorities for themselves.
This year, the Parks Service will get
about $1.2 billion from Capitol Hill.
Included in that sum is money for park
maintenance, visitor services and employ-
ees' salaries. It also includes about $350
million for park expansion - legislators
often earmark this money for their pet
projects. For example, Sen. Robert Byrd
(D-W. Va.), chairman of the Senate
Appropriations committee, pushed $2.5
million for the restoration of a railroad
station in a town of eight people through
the Senate. Putting so much money into a
project that so few people will be able to
enjoy negates the service's purpose - to
provide natural preserves that many peo-
ple can utilize.
Byrd is not the only legislator using his
or her power to influence the Parks
Service's projects. Many legislators suppos-
edly bent on cutting the federal budget have
initiated projects to build visitors' centers
constituencies at taxpayers' expense. Often,
Parks Service officials have certain areas
they would like to develop but are unable to
because legislators allocate money for their
own pet projects. While the Parks Service
should receive a healthy appropriation from
the government, it should be allowed to
make its own internal budgeting decisions
and guide its own expansion and develop-
ment. After all, service officials are in their
positions for a reason.
Furthermore, the projects can cause a
serious financial problem for the Parks
Service. Officials have to provide for the
maintenance of present parks - an area for
which legislators are not as interested in
providing money. For instance, a park in
Delaware recently got $8.3 million for new
land acquisition and expansion - more
than Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Glacier
national parks combined received for new
buildings and trails. In creating numerous
new parks and centers, the legislators put an
additional burden on Parks Service officials
to stretch the maintenance funds - if
Congress plans to continue expansion at
this rate, they must provide funding to keep
the parks operational.
Legislators' use of the Parks Service as a
method to better their political names with
their constituents makes for bad politics.
Political campaigning should be kept out of
public programs. Congressional leaders
should not force the formation of new parks
that the National Park Service's budget may
not be able to handle. Instead, Congress
should support the Parks Service financial-
ly and allow it to create new national parks
when it sees fit while providing for the
Officers'
behavior was
'oppressive'
To THE DAILY:
If the Neanderthal behav-
ior of the Department of
Public Safety on Nov. 22 in
Michigan Stadium is an indi-
cator of the type of adminis-
tration we can expect under
Lee Bollinger then the
University is in for oppres-
sive times. As an alumnus
from the early '70s - not
exactly a quiet period for
public displays of civil dis-
obedience - I observed
more acts of outrageous bru-
tality and violence by un-
formed officers in 1 5 min-
utes after the game than in
four years on campus.
The management of DPS
deserves severe chastisement,
if not outright dismissal, for
incompetence and dereliction
of duty. You do not instruct
your outnumbered officers to
attack jubilant fans. You order
them to fall back, protect the
stupid goal posts, and let the
fans have the field. What
idiot thought they could pre-
vent thousands of fans from
charging the field after one of
the biggest wins in Michigan
football history? That person
does not deserve to be a part
of the University community.
It is a shame that police
tactics marred such a won-
derful event. The sweet smell
of roses was overcome by the
pungent aroma of pepper gas.
This outrageous behavior by
DPS deserves immediate and
decisive action by Bollinger
and his administration:
REX VAUGHN
UNIVERSITY ALUMNUS
DPS had to
protect 'U'
property after
OSU game
To THE DAILY:
I would like to respond to
some of the anti-Department
of Public Safety sentiment
that has been flying around in
the wake of Nov. 22's shame-
ful spectacle at Michigan
Stadium.
The stated purpose of all
police organizations, DPS
included, is "to serve and to
protect." So now students are
asking, "Well, why were
those bastards beating me
and macing me instead of
serving and protecting me?"
What they need to understand
is that they made it impossi-
ble for DPS to serve and pro-
tect them when they set
themselves against the offi-
cers and made it necessary
for the officers to protect the
University's property from
the students.
bration has been handled all
wrong. Even the Michigan
Student Assembly got in on
the action by proposing that
students be allowed to storm
the field. MSA's efforts
would have been better
directed at trying to orga-
nize some sort of alternative
post-game rally at a more
suitable location where fans
could mingle with players
and coaches and congratu-
late them and celebrate. The
playing surface at Michigan
Stadium is not just a hunk
of dirt and is not the place
for such a celebration to
occur. I am sure that if
someone had suggested such
an event an appropriate
amount of time in advance
of game day, the athletic
department would have been
glad to oblige.
What is bad is that peo-
ple think that the police are
the enemy. Worse still are
the people who run around
suggesting that DPS be done
away with altogether. DPS
provides services to the
entire University community
on a daily basis that most
people don't even think
about, but they are necessary
and people would get mighty
upset if no one provided
them.
As a DPS employee, I
can assure students that they
have some very dedicated
people working to keep their
community a nice place to
live and an environment that
is conducive to education.
Help them do their job.
Obey the laws, and if you
have a grievance, deal with
it through the proper chan-
nels. If you do this, you will
be amazed how much easier
your life will be. And most
importantly, if your mother
didn't teach you while you
were still living at home,
think before youact.
DAVID JORDAN
ENGINEERING SOPHOMORE,
DPS STUDENT ASSISTANT
FIELD EMPLOYEE
Pursuit of
excellence
c reates
diversity
TO THE DAILY:
I graduated from the
University in 1977, shortly
after the war protests, at the
height of Hash Bash lore and
before diversity became the
politically correct protest to
the establishment ideal of a
"melting pot."
My best years were spent
on the Ann Arbor campus.
What made the University
experience so valuable and
memorable was not the con-
cept of diversity, but that of
excellence. Was there diversi-
ty? Absolutely. On a campus
'90s sense of the the word.
If the University's goal is
excellence, diversity will fol-
low. Excellence comes in all
races, colors, religions and
ethnic backgrounds. If the
University's goal is excel-
lence, then its diversity or
affirmative action goals may
not be met at any particular
snapshot in time. You will,
however, see a great mosaic
of diverse and talented peo-
ple if you look at the
University over time, like a
motion picture.
If one's goal is primarily
diversity, then you might find
excellence at any point in
time. But if diversity is
achieved by discriminating
against an individual of
greater talents, then excel-
lence has suffered a great
blow.
Excellence is not only test
scores, athletic prowess or
artistic talent. I do believe
that a great university must
attract people with diverse
talents. The base value must
be talent, not heredity.
Political correctness, the
antithesis of real diversity,
uses power to quell discussion
and debate of unpopular and
often uncouth speech and
acts. A great university should
be teaching students how to
think, not what to think. To
the extent that the lawsuit
against the University raises
the debate of what constitutes
fairness in admissions policy,
and exposes hypocrisy on
both sides of the issue, it is
hardly "reprehensible."
I trust the University will
be a stronger, greater
University as a result of the
suit and the ensuing debate.
MARK HALDANE
UNIVERSITY ALUMNUS
Chop is not
intended to
be offensive
TO THE DAILY:
For the love of humanity,
must we bleeding-heart, mid-
dle-class, white liberals ruin
everything that is good and
pure? I'm writing in response
to letters that have appeared
in the Daily criticizing
University students for doing
the "chop" at the football
games ("M' fans should not
chop but make a fist,"
11/21/97).
Look, it's not a chop. It is
not meantsto demean Native
Americans. It's the freakin'
first-down signal from the
officials. The student section
does it when our mighty
defense squashes yet another
pathetic, puny attempt at a
drive. The other team sets up
to punt and we signal first
down, because that is what we
are about to get! (Provided
that Mr. Woodson lets us.)
Stop searching for things
to be offended about. Not
World AIDS
Day reminds
students to ow
their health
T oday is the 10th annual World
AIDS Day. Begun by the World
Summit of Ministers of Health on
Programmes for AIDS Prevention, t
annual AIDS Day serves to ope
channels of com-
increase social
awareness and tol-
erance and
encourage educa-
tion.
Until recently,
A cq u i re d
I m m u n e
Deficiency
Syndrome was ERIN
the No. I killer MARSH
of adults aged 18 THINKING
to 44. Although'
it has dropped
from the top of the list of health
concerns, it has not dropped out of
the spotlight. Victims are getting
younger and youngerhence this
year's World AIDS Day them
"Children Living in a World wit
A IDS."
According to the Joint United
Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS,
400,000 children (defined as persons
aged 14 years or younger) contracted
HIV in 1996 alone. That brings the
number of children living with
HIV/AIDS to 830,000. Last year.
350,000 children died due to
HIV/AIDS-related problems. Th
world's children are the newest so
diers finding themselves on the los-
ing end of a tremendous battle.
Where do we start? Actually, "we"
would be a good place to start. As
University students, we are lucky
enough to have access to the kind of
health care that the majority of the
world can only dream about,
University Health Services is near-
by, professionally staffed, clean,
technologically advanced, and mo
studenits are covered for basic
health care services as part of their
tuition.
UHS houses a laboratory that offers
such services as free, confidential test-
ng for pregnancy and H IV and other
sexually transmitted diseases.
Students should take note of the
three options available at UHS for
HIV testing: If a student has numer-
ous questions or feels uncomfortabl
or unsure about the test, she or he can
meet with a counselor for answers,
optionsandrsupport: if a student has
tested before or has relatively few
questions, she or he can take a coun-
selor-facilitated test and simply call
back for results. Both of the previous-
options are free of charge for enrolled
students. If a student wishes to test ar
home, UHS sells a home-test kit in its
pharmacy for $40.A4
But the availability of the test does.
not explain why many students do
not take advantage of it. "I'd just
rather not know," I've heard people
say.
Their fear is partially understand-
able. It is' a frightening prospect for
people in their early 20s to sit down
for a test that will determine a lot of
their future. The LSAT or MCAT
don't even come close.
But it must be done.
An HIV test is a real wake-up call.
t's a time to evaluate all the twistd
and turns life has taken, and decide
the relative worth of any particular
journey. There is a time for caution,;
there is a time for consideration,
and then there is a time for life. But
being young, doesn't mean being
dumb.
Most students know the drill.
Posters in dorms, seminarsat UH
and messages on TV and radio give.
the recipe for prevention. But every
now and then, a study comes out
revealing the high number of young-
people who do not regularly practice
safe sex - a relatively easy preventa-
tive measure.;
Of course, the extent to which we-
can control the life trajectory is ques-
tionable.
A lot of people say that AIDS
shouldn't be a problem, that it is'
entirely preventable.
Sure. If all people had the benefit of
adequate health care. If all people had
access to education about prevention.
If everyone with a drug addiction,
received the help they need. If all peo-
pie could be sure that they'd never be
raped, assaulted, or lied to by their
partners. If no one ever had a blood:
transfusion before the age of screen
ing. If all cities offered needle-
exchange prognams.
If. And probably not even then.
So we have to start where we can,.
and make sure we protect ourselves
when it is possible.
It's true that our parents had it a lit
tie easier Thev didn't have to worrvy
I
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