4 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 5, 1997 I firticht-,"46-ttn ttt7lij 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan *l A j JosH WHITE Editor in Chief ERIN MARSH Editorial Page Editor NOTABLE QUOTABLE 'The rankings just don't capture what we see as exciting and adventurous about Michigan.' - Provost Nancy CawO 017 the UniveISityS ranking in US. News and Wrld Report imagazine PURPLE HERRING ",rtess otherwise noted, 1+ns; gned edcitoriarls reflect the opinion of the majority of the Dailys editorial beard. All other articles, leuers and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily FROM THE DAILY Mand ory sentence Uniform law doesn't work for Michigan I - . qt - . uring his tenure, Michigan Gov. John Engler regularly swept aside school children's welfare in favor of pursuing a personal crusade to increase state control of 'public schools. During the summer, an Ann Arbor Huron High School student brought a.small pocketknife to class. The child was overseas for 10 years and thus, may not have been aware of his action's dire conse- quences. State law mandated that the Ann Arbor School Board - to some of its trustees' chagrin - expel the student. The case exemplifies statewide student discipli- nary regulations' inflexibility and con- straints. More equitable decisions could be made if school districts once again were allowed to formulate their own weapon- possession policies. Two years ago, the state legislature passed a law stipulating that any student bringing a weapon to school be expelled for one year. The law improved the governor's standing with national conservatives who wanted to "get tough" on young criminals. Although intended to deter young ruffians, the law may leave some undeserving chil- dren in the lurch - it leaves little room to consider individual circumstances. Since 1995, Ann Arbor alone has been forced to expel 10 students for weapon pos- session. Many trustees regret that expulsion is the only option in such cases. Trustee Nicholas Roumel even tried to table the summer expulsion indefinitely to protest the ordinance. Engler should heed the trustees' convictions - local school boards are far better qualified to discipline local students than Lansing legislators. Bringing a weapon to school puts lives in danger and may eventually cause stu- dents fearing violence to lose focus on their studies. Students who bring guns or knives to school deserve to be severely punished - up to and possibly including expulsion -- for tarnishing a school environment designed for learning. However, there is a difference between a student carrying a gun with the intent of using it and another who inadvertently forgets a small tool left in a pocket or bookbag. In the legal system, judges handing out sentences have a large degree of flexibility. With children's futures at stake, school boards should have similar powers to inves- tigate and determine the appropriate pun- ishment for each incident. Some students are habitual dangers, while low self-esteem and a need for acceptance may plague oth- ers. Therapy and counseling, along with per- forming community service, could be preferable to expulsion in many circum- stances. Expelling a child for a year will affect the rest of her or his life. If they are unable to afford private schooling, finding a job will be difficult and motivation to grad- uate from high school may dissipate. Turning to criminal activity or rejecting academic pursuits altogether will become far more likely for an expelled student with lots of time and little to do. The same, uniform, across-the-board disciplinary laws applied to districts as var- ied as Flint and Farmington are bound to be flawed. Engler must stop seeking out the national limelight at children's expense - usurping school districts' power has caused some students' futures to be compromised. Getting tough on youth crime is an admirable objective, but uniformly expelling students without consideration for individual circumstances or context is not. VIEWPOINT Don't bury the media with Diana BY JOE REUBENS In the wake of Princess Diana's tragic and untimely death, the paparazzi has taken a lot of heat. Even members of the media have joined in on thesblitz. Some are going so far as to say that the freedom of the press should be limited, as it leads to high-profile people being harassed. The National Enquirer, the self-appointed king of the tabloids, has vowed not to print any photos taken "while a photographer was infringing on a celebri- ty's privacy." The National Enquirer, a publication that specialized in infringing on celebrities' privacy. Ambitious journalists, the ones who go the extra step to the get the exclusive, are being junked left and right. The truth is, the seven journalists who were "involved" in that horrible accident in Paris should be praised. The notorious seven should be heaped with accla- mation for their extraordinary initiative. They were going 70 miles an hour on motorcycles - now that is dedication! Any talk of restraining such brave lengths is nothing short of ludicrous. I feel the plight of the celebrity. Having no personal life could not be a good thing; I can definitely sympathize. There are times, I am sure, when nothing seems more appealing to them than an evening of tranquility and solitude. Alas, that is not the life they chose. To be blunt, constant hounding goes with the territory when you are famous. Marry the Prince of Wales, and one shouldn't be surprised when a lot of unde- sirable, unwanted and unso- licited attention comes your way. If one doesn't want the constant surveillance, simply refrain from becoming a celebrity. There are not many garbage men complaining about unwelcomed floods of photographers in their back- yards. Famous people have no right to be left alone; it is part of their job description. If President Clinton told the reporters on the White House beat to give him some space, the whole world would laugh at how ridiculous the request was. There certainly would be no discussion of reforming the First Amendment to appease him. Gary Hart wouldn't even support that. Limiting the rights of gad- flies is a slippery slope. One week you limit the press from "harassing" people, the next week you limit them from reporting unflattering infor- mation about people. Eventually, anything really interesting and print-worthy will be too scandalous to run. The only way to ensure an honest, free press is to give them full reign. The only way to ensure that the press stays fresh and innovative and dynamic is to praise them when they take chances and go out on a limb. A society in which journalists who are brave and resolute are held in scorn is one where the press cannot thrive, or even survive. Diana's death lastbweek was truly horrifying, but the wrong people are being held accountable. The press should not be slandered for doing its job - instead, Diana's drunk, reckless chauffeur should be held responsible. Driving in excess of 100 miles per hour is reckless whether or not the parade of journalists trailing you is being intrusive. It is a moot point; flying that fast through a tunnel is a bad idea. Blaming the press for an egregious, fatal blunder made by the driver will have reper- cussions more lasting and devastating than the death of the Princess. It will strike a nail into the coffin of the already floundering American press. A short lesson in marketing Sell them what they haven 't got Tdo not think it has dawned on our j generation yet that we might actual- ly need. or want love. Few of us have decided in any concrete sense thatl might indeed want respect and c - mitment along with companion- ship. vam certain- ly no Dear Abby and Isure as hell ain't Dr. Ruth, but 'a I can think of no issue on which our generation is more cynical than our most personal and intimate relation- PAUL ships. Even poli- SERILLA tics, dreary eIk s employment out- b rbFAe looks and mondo- huge holes in the ozone layer have a better rap in the under-30 crowd than romance. Maybe I should punctuate that premise with an example of what I talking about. It is all embodied in mighty "hook up": the vapid, sex-d- yen, frigid, unfeeling, emotional outlet of the '90s. The "hook up" is quick,fre of emotional baggage and hopefully, relatively antiseptic. The whole idea is pretty depressing because I think most people could benefit by reaching below these shallow depths, but I understand the fear of finding nothing there. t It's not a moral judgment, just ;a preachy observation, because frank)I don't care what you do with you r time (pick up macrame for allI care) and I've never bought "Family Values (I haven't even shopped there). Beyond that, I can't say that the "hook up" is any different than the free love of the '60s or the one-night stand of the swinging '70s - it could just be a matter of linguistic fashions-fr describing exactly the same thing. I wasn't there then and I am in no tion to say that things were any dier- ent back then. Ask your parents, they were around, I'm sure they'd love to discuss cultural norms about sex. It is possible that most of us under 30 are too young to really care about being serious about finding much meaning or fulfillment in other people, especially in monogamous partnerships. Considering our parents' generation had about a 50-percent divorce rate it makes a lot of sense for us to be# tious and perhaps ay bit neurotically choosy. However, the baby-boomer generation exhibits the same symptoms of "heart disease" as their children, per- haps because so many of them are divorcees. Parent and child bridge the generation gap by running the "Love Sucks Marathon" together. It's touching - somebody, please call Oprah. So how do I know all this? Sin~ - "Jerry Maguire."W It's not really that the story is so meaningful, it is too cliche. Here's a quick summation: A cute, basically suc- cessful businessman falls for a cute, Jewel lookalike who also happens to be a single mom, despite his unyielding crush on a handsome, yet high-strung professional football player (hey, k11l them like I see them). Really folks,bo many times have we heard that one; "Jerry Maguire" taught me so because it made more than $153 lion. Men and women alike boiJt tickets. By the way boys, don't give "I~e that "I went to see the Wayne Foies cameo" bullshit - you went for the whole flick and cried like Cgba Gooding Jr. at the Oscars. .. In any event, a lot of people saw this movie, despite the fact that it was really a trite flick. They went to see it beca!s it allowed them to grab a little vicari9 romance. If sex and violence sell a little adrenaline escape for people who thitik they have boring lives, why not sell love too? Romance as a consumer good for a society that lacks it - the next big-fad, and you heard it here first. But what about all the other romantic movies that flopped like "Howard the Duck" times "Ishtar?" Well, Jerry bad something that I can't quite remember seeing in a big-budget picture recer46 Jerry did not understand love. In fact, he actually screws up sevral times because he does not get the whole romance, commitment, partnesiip equation. At the end, he gives a speech that was sure to make the loneliest beart buy another ticket, but you can't reiiy be sure that he completely knows uViat he wants or what he's got. "Jerry" the movie made the big bucks because Jerry the characterde n't understand love and he got it any- way. Perfect for a society that doesn't comprehend love either; sort ofike winning a romance lotto, everyoie.is looking for a winning ticket. Don't believe me? Look at some of the recent trends in music, advertising, Paying for the parks Millage would benefit students, community Joe Reubens is an LSA first-year student. Students frequently mention the "work hard, play hard" ethic that dominates the University. The University provides the "'work hard"; the city of Ann Arbor provides space and opportunity for the "play hard." Ann Arbor city parks provide hundreds of square acres of rolling hills, trees, water- front and swimming pools where students can relax. A tax concerning local Ann Arbor parks will face voters on the Nov. 4 ballof. University students should use this as an opportunity to exercise their right to Vote as well as to preserve the valuable parks in the area. Two separate issues concerning the parks are proposed. One entails a renewal and increase of a five-year parks mainte- nance and repair millage at 0.4725 mills. The other requests a $1.7 million bond for reconstruction of the Leslie Science Center, requiring a 0.14 mills tax, which will be repaid over five years. The average home- owner would pay roughly $17 more per year. This negligible amount is a small price to pay to preserve the local nature sites. University students may not still run for the swing sets at the park, but a large major- ity continue to make use of the public parks. The parks provide an escape for University students as well as the commu- nity from the pressures of daily life. Students and taxpayers alike should be will- ing to contribute the small amount back to aid the entire community In addition to the aesthetic benefits the parks provide to the community, the Leslie Science Center would provide a chance for the community to become aware of envi- romental issues that effect everyone. The both young and old to learn about the envi- ronment. The center is a valuable contribu- tion to the community - with the passage of the tax, its assets could greatly expand to a larger portion of the community. The need for an increase in funding is integral to local parks' upkeep. Most stu- dents take for granted the well-kept grounds and services - the small tax will not only preserve these natural assets, but will also promote education throughout the community with the science center. Many students may view Ann Arbor as simply the town in which they attend class- es. Considering that students pay to reside in the city for the majority of, if not the entire, year, they should take an active stance in local political issues. By not reg- istering to vote, students waive the right to make their opinions known regarding issues of both lesser and greater consequence. In the absence of larger issues such as presi- dential elections, students looking to exer- cise their newly acquired right need look no further than the park tax proposal, which is an issue that does not require extensive research. Students could use the issue to voice their opinion and help support an important community project at the same time. Students should exercise their political voices in support of the park tax proposals. The importance of an escape in the midst of campus is an asset that deserves preserva- tion. Though local taxes are bound to show up in students' rents, the services they will support are important for maintaining health and well-being. The millage is an insignificant price to pay for the true value LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Miller's column was 'prejudiced' TO THE DAILY: I, along with many others, found James Miller's piece "Welcome to the U': An open letter to New York stu- dents" (9/3/97) prejudiced and discriminatory. Miller has obviously not made an effort to know many New Yorkers because, as with any other group, the stereotype does not hold true for the majority. It is dangerous and ignorant to encourage gener- alizations. Also, Miller has apparent- ly not been to New York in recent years. Mayor Rudolph Guiliani has been very suc- cessful in solving many of Manhattan's problems. He has been instrumental in helping the homeless off the street and crime is down tremendously. New York is now the safest city to live in with a popula- tion of more than a million people. Intelligent articles are the result of intelligent and cor- rect information. I hope Miller does not consider him- self a journalist because jour- nalism is about seeking the correct information and truth. I would also like to express my outrage at the editor, Josh White, for print- ing such a derogatory and prejudiced piece. While free press is an essential compo- nent to our society, so are civil liberties and freedom from discrimination. Columns like Miller's encourage stereotypes and ignorance. Certainly if this letter was to any other group on campus it would never have been published. All out- of-state students not only pay a lot of money to come to this University but also have to achieve excellence to be admitted. Even though we were not born in Michigan, we have as much right to be at this University as any other student. Miller and The Michigan Daily should be embarrassed and ashamed that this piece was printed. I think an apolo- gy should be issued to all out-of-statp students, and especially to New York stu- dents. I thought this campus was past discrimination and prejudice, I guess I was wrong. BRETT ROTHMAN LSA JUNIOR Negative stereotypes won't help 'U, TO THE DAILY: I am writing in response to James Miller's column ("Welcome to the sU': An open letter to New Work stu- dents," 9/3/97). I hope that I have not lost my sense of humor because I could not find any hints that the article was written tongue-in-cheek. It has been a tradition of Daily writers to poke fun at various groups of people on campus with humor and irony. However, I am quite sur- prised that Miller chose to write such a vitriolic piece about a sizeable campus minority in the first edition of the year Although I am sure the New Yorkers will survive the rantings of Miller, instilling and reinforcing such negative stereotypes will not improve the atmosphere of the University. BILL WALSH RACKHAM Do you have an opinion? 4