4A - The Michigan Daily - Monday, November 10, 1997

ue Bibigun &ulg

420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed by
students at the

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JosH WHITE
Editor in Chief
ERIN MARSH
Editorial Page Editor

University of Michigan
Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of the Daily editorial board. All
other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily
FROM THE DAILY
The gitt of ifen
Minorities should register for marrow donation

NOTABLE QUOTABLE
'Lee Bollinger is in for life with this stunt.'
- Music School senior Jason Tuttle, expressing his approval of University
President Lee Bollinger s decision to open up his house to more than
1,000 celebrating students Saturday night
JORDAN YOUNG
2
-t
VIEWPOINT
Celebration brout out best in U

Read my lips:
I'll be the next
Jimmy Carter

Bone marrow transplants have cured
thousands of patients who would have
been labeled "terminal" only a few years
ago. But some minority patients are unlike-
ly to benefit from this monumental medical
advancement. Bone marrow recipients must
find a donor whose marrow closely mirrors
their own, and outside of immediate family,
the best chance of a match comes within
one's own racial or ethnic group. But
minorities compose only 16 percent of the
nation's 2,790,000 registered donors. Next
week, the National Blood Marrow Donor
Program is sponsoring a minority blood
marrow drive on campus in efforts to allevi-
ate this shortage. Students should consider
signing up as potential donors - all it takes
is a few minutes of time and two tablespoons
of blood.
Normally, patients in need of transplants
have a 75 percent chance of finding a match,
but for minorities this number drops dramat-
ically. Minorities needing organ or marrow
transplants often must wait twice as long as
whites. It is not uncommon to see widely
publicized donor searches in the local news,
but their chance of success is unpredictable.
The black community, with only 216,000 of
the registered donors, faces the greatest dif-
ficulties finding donor matches. The
NBMDR is working relentlessly to increase
the size of the national bone marrow donor
registry, and these efforts must continue,
especially for minority groups.
Since NBMDP's inception in 1986, more
than 18,000 bone marrow transplants have
been performed. The procedure gives a 40 to
60 percent chance of survival to patients suf-
fering from leukemia and 60 other formerly
fatal diseases. Marrow recipients are first
given chemotherapy to kill their own dis-

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eased marrow, and shortly thereafter, doc-
tors give patients new marrow from a donor.
Donors have the potential to save patients,
but before signing up for the registry, they
should consider the ramifications - mar-
row donation is a painful procedure.
If a registered donor is matched with a
recipient, they are contacted and urged to
donate, unless they are gravely ill or face
other extenuating circumstances. The pro-
cedure requires a three-day hospital stay,
and up to a week of recovery time. Doctors
usually anesthetize donors and extract 5
percent of their marrow, from the rear of
their pelvic bone. But no permanent harm is
done - the marrow regenerates within a
short period of time, and the operation
involves minimal risk. While this is a diffi-
cult operation, potential donors should
remember to put it in perspective - a week
of discomfort can give a recipient many
years of life.
It is not clear why minorities are under-
represented among registered bone marrow
donors. Perhaps there are certain religious
or cultural considerations - but it is more
likely that there has been insufficient out-
reach into minority communities. NBMDP
has taken stock of these problems, and is
increasing efforts to put more minorities on
its donor roles.
Normally, it costs individuals $45 to join
the marrow registry, but at next week's cam-
pus-wide bone marrow drive, registration
will be free. Interested individuals can reg-
ister from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday at the
Michigan Union, Tuesday at the Medical
Center and Wednesday at Pierpont
Commons on North Campus. Minorities
should strongly consider registering; thou-
sands of lives hang in the balance.

BY JODI S. COHEN, JEFF
ELDRIDGE AND WILL
WEISSERT
Students screamed from
the top steps of the president's
house. They stood on top of
desks in the Law Library. They
cheered from the top of
planters, garbage cans and cars
on South University. They
screamed "Go Blue" at the top
of their lungs.
They were on top of the
world.
One student proclaimed
Saturday night as "the most
memorable day of my college
years" while another said he'd
"never been prouder.'
The victory celebration
Saturday evening went beyond
the usual post-game excite-
ment. Streets flowed with
maize and blue. And it didn't
take long until throngs of
euphoric fans settled into one
location. With the magnetism
reminiscent of a more idealis-
tic era, fans surged toward the
residence of University
President Lee Bollinger to pat
him on the back and squeeze
his shoulders.
They roared for several
deafening minutes as he bran-
dished a single rose high over-
head and declared, "This is the
best university in the world:'
The 12th University president
opened his arms - and the
doors of his house - so the
crowd of about 1,000 could go
inside.
But the fans never got out
of hand. Sure, they screamed
in the stuffy' Law Library and
blocked traffic on South
University. The white carpet in
the president's house is a little
gray and a few hard-core
studiers might have been both-
ered by the noise, but there was
no harm done in Ann Arbor
from the "riots.b
The scene was jubilant,
hopeful and well-behaved.
Indeed, the atmosphere

Saturday evening stood in con-
trast to celebrations at other
large universities. No couches
burned, as they did at Michigan
State University this past
September when the school's
football team beat Western
Michigan. Inside the fraternity-
party sceneof the president's
house, beers were spilled -
and cleaned up with shirts.
Cigarettes were extinguished
outside the front door.
Sure, there were those who
went into his bedroom or stole
Bass beer from his fridge, but
they also filed out when Jean
Magnaro asked them to leave.
Here at Michigan, students
knew to put the excitement
into perspective. Nobody
wanted to trash the house. Fans
only wanted to squeeze inside
to add a postscript to the his-
toric game by signing the pres-
ident's guestbook.
The one student who
"puked" on, the president's lawn
saw the moment as a chance to
hug the president and say "it's
all better because I puked with
the president." Police stood
nearby in case the celebration
got out of hand - but no inter-
ference was needed.
Instead, everyone just want-
ed to enjoy the moment. In a
university of thousands, it can
be hard to feel a sense of unity.
But as the crowd on one side of
the library shouted "Go" and
the other side shouted "Blue,"
the cheers seemed louder than
any during recent years at
Michigan Stadium.
There could have been 100
people in the library. Perhaps
,000. It doesn't really matter,
because it seemed like the
entire student body was there.
From the beginning celebra-
tion on South University,
through the president's house,
into the Law Quad and onto
the steps of the Union, it was
the way Michigan is supposed
to be. It's how you imagine
Ann Arbor when you're a little

kid and you see the students
cheering on TV It's how you
imagine the students would
react after a big win.
"Look at this school spirit,"
one student said, pointing to the
screaming fans on the steps of
the Michigan Union. "Can you
say anything more?"
First-year students and
seniors alike chanted about
going to Pasadena and about
being the best in the land. They
carried roses, cow bells and
large Michigan flags. Students
rushed out of the bars - not
into them - to celebrate
together. They ran to the one
place that symbolizes the
entire university - the presi-
dent's house.
Their joy unabated, their
wonder and energy striking -
the student response went
beyond what had happened at a
football game in Happy Valley
just moments before.
They were all University
students - they were all on
top of the world. The whole
event came and went in less
than an hour, but as students
began to stream out from the
same house they had strained
to get into, their grins were as
wide as Angell Hall's pillars.
Parts of Bollinger's house
will have to be cleaned but the
words titling the Nov. 8 page in
his guestbook - "The
Destruction of Penn State" -
and the flood of names now
penned on that page will
remind the University of this
occasion for years to come.
It was about more than just
winning a game. It was about
maize-and-blue fans screaming
together: "It's great .:. to be...
a Mich-i-gan Wolverine."
And it is.
- Cohen, Eldridge and
Weissert are Daily news edi-
tors. They can be reached over
e-mail at cohenjs@umich.edu,
jeldridg@umich.edu and
wcw@umich.edu.

U ntil just recently, I was a typical
college senior - fed up with
classwork, desperate to find a post-
graduate occupation and totally clue-
less as to what to do about any of it.
And then I turned on CNN.
In front of my eyes the unthinkable
was occurring: the
dedication of the
George Herbert
Walker Bush
Presidential
Library in College
Station, Texas. It
seems everyone
has apparently
forgotten George
Bush's true roots:
a native New JSU
Englander who RIH
went to YaleR A
University, Bush TRIVIAL
has probably spent PURSUITS
more time walk-
ing his late dog Millie than living in
the Lone Star state.
Nevertheless, all the old boys were
there. Gerry, Jimmy, George and Bill.
They were grinning and shaking
hands. They took turns cracking witty
sweet nothings to the press corps
comments that would surely sound
dumb and insensitive were they not
said by former Commanders-in-Chief.
That's the job for me, I thought. Ex-
President of the United States.
It would be perfect: safer than being
the president, much more fun, no one
to yell at me, memoirs to publish, his-
tory books to watch myself enter,
photo opportunities with the other liv-
ing members of my exclusive club,
boards of directors of public interest
firms to sit on and lots and lots and
lots of money to make.
But please, don't get me wrong. I
have no interest in becoming the actu-
al president; I think it is one of the
worst jobs anyone could have. AndI
have absolutely no chance of getting
elected until my beloved hometown of
Washington, D.C., becomes a state
(which is to say that I am positive that
I will never get the job).
Still, being an ex-president would be
pretty nice. About five years after I
would have left office, once everyone
has forgotten what a schmuck I was
and how I led the nation into the
ground, I would have a monument
built to myself - a library that would
return me to the spotlight I once hated
as much as broccoli. From then on I
could attempt to revise history so that
I may die clinging to a shred of digni-
ty. Even Richard Nixon was able to do
that without getting caught.
I know that I would be the perfect
ex-president because, since I will have
never held the office of chief execu-
tive, I, like George Bush, will have
done nothing while in office. Already,
I deserve a library more than he does:
Bush was president for 1,461 days,
and he has an $80 million library in his
"honor" to show for it. That's $54,757
per day in office. I'd say I'm worth at
least $55,000.
Of course, I'm sure Bush's library is
filled with some great stuff, like pho-
tos of him and his grandchildren, him
and Newt Gingrich, and him giving
the Skull and Bones secret handshake
to an old Yale buddy. Lest we forget
that in four years all the guy could
accomplish was theAmericanswith
Disabilities Act, a depression and a
botched war. (Isn't it funny that Bush
re-emerges at the same time that his
old enemy Saddam Hussein is getting
antsy again!)
As I see it, being an ex-president is a
position that requires no interview, no
application and no dreaded resume or
cover letter. Ex-presidents don't need
to apply for their jobs, they just grow

into them.Justassk Ronal~d eangan:h
started acting as an ex-president back
in 1983.

Speaking out
Clinton must support the gay community

O ver the weekend, President Bill
Clinton became the first sitting pres-
ident to speak at a gay-rights event - a
significant move in support of the gay
community. The Human Rights
Campaign's annual gala, consisting of
1,500 activists, is the nation's largest gay
and lesbian political event, and the presi-
dent's visit inspired intense emotion and
controversy.
Several gay-rights groups, such as the
Detroit-based Triangle Foundation, came
out in strong support of the president and
the human rights work he has done, while
other groups, like Act Up Washington,
who feel the president betrayed them,
protested his appearance. In addition, con-
servative organizations, such as the Family
Research Council, question Clinton's rela-
tionship with the gay community and
claim that his address at the gala shows
that he is ignoring Americans who morally
object to homosexual lifestyles.
The president's visit has sparked great
debate about gay rights. Much of the
attention has focused on what Clinton has
done for the gay community and whether
he has fulfilled his campaign promises. On
the positive side, Clinton has undoubtedly
been the most gay-friendly leader to ever
hold the Oval Office. Some of his progres-
sive efforts include appointing gays and
lesbians to high-level government posi-
tions, changing a security clearance policy

that previously did not allow access
because of lifestyle, making persecution
based on sexual preference a qualification
for political asylum and supporting a
national law that would prohibit employ-
ment discrimination based on a person's
sexual orientation.
The president has made a sincere effort,
but he has failed to give gays and lesbians
equal rights during his five years in office.
A significant disappointment was the
enactment of his "don't ask don't tell" pol-
icy for gays in the military - a policy that
forces gay military enlistees and officers
to live their lives in silence and fear. Also,
Clinton has made no improvements in the
establishment of legal same-sex mar-
riages. Most important, Clinton has not
made enough efforts to include gays in
nationwide laws anti-discriminatory laws.
Clinton wields a tremendous amount of
power, and he has a vast array of available
resources - he must use his influence
more effectively in enacting legislation
that gives the gay and lesbian community
equality. In addition, Clinton is in his sec-
ond term of office, freeing him from polit-
ical pressure tied to his re-election; he
should not let popular conservative stances
influence his policies any longer.
Clinton made only half a statement by
showing up at the Human Rights
Campaign gala. It is his duty to do more
for this persecuted community.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Poll authors
must* draft
questions
carefully
To THE DAILY:
I was interested to see
that somebody in MSA, Rep.
David Burden, is interested
in finding out how students
truly feel on the issue of
affirmative action. I would
welcome a student opinion
poll as a sign to the begin-
ning of intelligent debate on
the issue.
However, it should be
noted that the authors of
such questions have the
power to make the poll
results support their opinion,
whatever that might be. For
example, if the question

Such a complex issue
deserves a carefully written
question, or questions, that
truly aim at uncovering the
student opinion, not promot-
ing political agendas.
TODD SZYMCZAK
ENGINEERING SENIOR
Album review
was poorly
written
TO THE DAILY:
I am writing my opinions
regarding the Shootyz
Groove album review by
Sharad J. Khemam (11/4/97).
It was poorly written, opin-
ionated, ignorant and unin-
formed. Shootyz Groove is
not a "young band," but

Website. (http://www.papil-
lion.ne.us/-npaul/shootyz/),
he could have written a more
truthful review.
The reviewer says that
Shootyz Groove should stop
touring with 311, yet the
band has not toured with 311
since 1996. The reviewer also
compares Shootyz Groove
with 311 many times
throughout the article, yet
these comparisons reveal the
author knows little about the
music and style of 311.
The only thing 311 has in
common with Shootyz
Groove is the number of
members in the band. The
reviewer suggests that
Shootyz Groove should "lose
the cockiness," but I have
met all the members of
Shootyz Groove and they are
sincere, friendly and enjoy
performing for their fans.
Maybe next time, the review-

Considering my predecessors' trac
records, I know I'm the perfect can di-
date. I've already got my path to the ex-
presidency planned to a tee. All I have
to do is grow old, become slightly more
conservative, get mean and ugly and
learn how to hit a golf ball, and the job
will be mine.
As an ex-president, I would serve my
favorite constituent: me. Accordingly,
many former presidents have spent the
time quite well. George Washington
got to ride horses and speak at the ded-
ication of a few cider mills and black-
smith shops before keeling over while
frolicking in the snow. Thomas
Jefferson spent the time inventing new
gadgets and impregnating the ladies of
the house. Lyndon Baines Johnson got
to fish and use profanity whenever he
damn well pleased. Gerald Ford, when
he's not tripping over his own shadow,
gets to be the only human being not
immediately associated with the
Michigan Athletic Department to have
access to Wolverine football practices.

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How TO CONTACT THEM
WALTER HARRISON
VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY RELATIONS
9090 Fi MIN


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