4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, November 19, 1997
c1w Cirbigan &zig
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 & editorial board. All
other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily.
FROM THE DAILY
t dh
Party, Rosenberg are
November is marked by many things in
'Michigan: Color tours, a change in
temperature from mild to freezing, and at the
University, Michigan Student Assembly
elections. Today and tomorrow, students
should take the opportunity to place the most
qualified people on MSA to represent them
by casting a ballot. The Students' Party
deserves recognition for its success at help-
ing the assembly produce tangible results.
Also, Independent Barry Rosenberg has a
great combination of experience, insight and
institutional knowledge to help guide the
assembly and promote the student voice.
MSA President Michael Nagrant and
Vice President Olga Savic both deserve com-
mendation for achieving something of which
past assembly leaders often fell short: The
assembly, under their leadership, actually
accomplished something beyond maintain-
ing the status quo. Their work toward creat-
ing the student-run coursepack store - to
open Winter term - proves that they are
committed to coming through on campaign
promises and working for students' best
interests. In addition, as promised, Nagrant
and Savic trimmed a lot of MSA's internal
budget, providing student groups with addi-
tional funding.
The Students' Party candidates must
strive to follow the party's dictums. The
party's philosophy of progress, coupled with
its .strong leadership, suggest that these can-
didates are well suited to be representatives
of the student body. But in order to fully rep-
resent students' interest, the new members
will have to maintain their party's record of
keeping up with student needs and desires.
Many of the candidates have named specific
projects on which they would work on -
extending library hours, working to establish
mt& Pwty
catalysts for change
a student regent, cutting internal spending
further and standing behind the University's
affirmative action policies - showing an
ideal for progress in the assembly's efforts.
With the Center for Individual Rights'
lawsuit against the University, affirmative
action is an important issue to the student
body. It is vital that MSA stand ardently
behind the use of admissions to foster a
diverse campus. Engineering Reps. Mark
Dub and David Burden are both up for re-
election this semester. While both have expe-
rience on the assembly, they are outspoken
critics of the University's admissions poli-
cies. Re-electing them could constitute a
serious threat to the continuation of the
assembly's support of affirmative action
policies.
Barry Rosenberg deserves re-election. In
his work with Advice Online, he spearhead-
ed an effort to force several University
departments to release class evaluation
reports under the Freedom of Information
Act - providing students valuable informa-
tion. Rosenberg also lobbied in favor of an
increase in funding for student groups. He
heads a task force that examines students'
problems with the Information Technology
Division. His broad experience and skills
speak well for him as a representative of stu-
dents' needs.
The assembly should follow Nagrant and
Savic's example and continue to be a potent
force in aiding student needs. The Student's
Party proved itself during the past semester,
the party's new candidates deserve to be
elected for a chance at continuing the trend.
In addition, Barry Rosenberg's long service
record makes him a valuable asset to MSA.
Vote Rosenberg and Students' Party for
MSA:
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
'We are very happy. The drive started out slow, but it has
started to speed up. (Students) should keep donating
because the last week is the big drive for both schools.'
- Engineering senior Robb Smylie, co-president of'Blood Drive United, the group
sponsoring the annual blood donation battle between the University and Ohio State
JORDAN YOUNG
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
a shave and a
haircut away
For 'U'students,
adulthood isjusw
i
Get wired
Public schools need increased Internet access
S tudents' and faculty's dependence on
the Internet is so widespread at the
University that computer use has become
almost second nature. Students and faculty
use the World Wide Web for research and
leisure. Students use e-mail to keep in con-
tact with friends, associates and family
members. The University makes most of
this possible by providing vast computing
access and making substantial annual
investments in technology.
When Congress passed last year's
Telecommunications Act, it included provi-
sions to carry that same access over to ele-
mentary and high schools - to help
younger students get on the "information
superhighway" early in their lives. While
the:process for school districts applying for
Internet access grants is underway, a dis-
turbing statistic has came about: according
to Sen. Carl Levin (D-Michigan), about 100
school districts in the state have yet to get a
piece of the $2.25 billion pie designated for
supplying Internet hardware and service to
public school classrooms. Though the
application process requires the creation of
a comprehensive plan for the hardware's
use, schools must take the opportunity to
connect their students to the Internet on the
ing today's competitive workforce.
However, a catch-22 exists for schools
applying Internet access funding - in
order to get the federally subsidized wiring,
computers that are ready to handle the
"information superhighway" must already
be in place. Studies have shown that
Michigan is below the national average in
both the ratio of students per computer and
in the number of students with Internet
access. Moreover, state teachers, on aver-
age, have minimal computer training.
Funding to provide a connection to the
Internet does school districts no good if
they do not possess Internet-ready comput-
ers. In the same regard, even if the districts
do have computers, they still need training
for teachers on the proper use of the
Internet, so they can effectively teach chil-
dren.
While the federal government's new pro-
gram has the potential to help breed a com-
puter savvy generation, it has a gaping flaw.
Unless further steps are taken, the program
will increase the gap between schools in
affluent neighborhoods that have computers
in place already, and poorer districts that do
not. The government must provide money
for the basic fundamentals of information
technology: computer hardware, software
and the training necessary to use them.
Information technology is perhaps the
future of our economy. While many benefit
from the Internet's convenience today, it is
imperative that we help future generations
by giving them a head start with technolo-
gy. It is important that Michigan school dis-
tricts take advantage of what is available. It
is also necessary for the government to start
with funding for basic computing equip-
New lTD
policy is not
'favorable'
TO THE DAILY:
Changes in the
University's Information
Technology Division comput-
ing billing policy were
announced last week. ITD is
obviously presenting the
change in the policy as some-
thing favorable to students,
but it is not the case.
Under the new policy, the
"basic" allocation includes:
E-mail access
120 pages per term of
laser printing
80 hours per term of
dial-in access
d Five megabytes of IFS
disk space
Access to Confer and
Usenet
This is for one term,
which is approximately 4
months in duration. So we
basically receive 30 pages of
printing and 20 hours of dial-
in per month under the new
system.
Let us do some math here:
Currently, we get $10 a month
allocated for our computing.
Printing costs eight cents per
page. So 30 pages of printing
is $2.40. E-mail and basic file
system (which includes 10 to
40 hours of dial-in and 5 MB
of file space) costs $6.35 per
month. Confer U (which I
have never used) is 35 cents a
month.
The total for the new
package is $9.10 per month.
Where does 90 cents go?
Ordinarily, 90 cents is not a
lot of money. But consider,
for example, ITD file space.
Right now, you can purchase
1 MB of ITD file space for 9
cents, therefore 90 cents rep-
resents a loss of 10 MB of
file space. Or, in terms of
laser printing, 11 more pages.
We can currently obtain these
services with no personal
charges, but will be charged
under the new policy.
Needless to say, this calcu-
lation does not apply to every-
one. People who dial-in fre-
quently during peak hours will
be getting extra hours under
the new policy. However, I
suspect more people would
like to have additional file
space or extra laser printing
than a few added hours to
dial-in during peak hours.
IlTD seems to be advertis-
ing its change of new policy
as less confusing and more
beneficial to most students. I
cannot speak for all, but 1 am
personally left with less ser-
vice as a result of the change
in the policy.
AN YAMAMOTO
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Affirmative
action equals
University has a diverse cam-
pus because of affirmative
action policies. Without
active recruitment by the
University many minorities
would find it impossible to
overcome the myriad obsta-
cles hindering their chances
for higher education. Among
these obstacles are dispropor-
tionate numbers of poor
minorities, disproportionate
numbers of minorities attend-
ing inferior and underfunded
public high schools and the
historic privilege given to
white males.
While Cavalieri's football
analogy was creative, it car-
ried that fetid stench of elit-
ism. He is assuming that all
people have the same access
to resources and education
that would make one acade-
mically competitive at
Michigan.
If we would all take our
hands away from our eyes,
we would see that savage
educational inequalities per-
meate this racist society. Let
me present an analogy so that
maybe Cavalieri will under-
stand. Charles Woodson is a
great football player, but if as
a young boy he had been
denied access to footballs,
cleats, shoulder pads and
organized ball, we would not
have been able to marvel at
his amazing interception
against Michigan State. I
doubt if Cavalieri was denied
the necessary equipment and
instruction to play football,
he is simply not talented
enough.
Many minorities that
apply to Michigan are talent-
ed enough to compete acade-
mically; they simply lack the
means to develop these tal-
ents.
ISA KAsOGA
LSA FIRST-YEAR STUDENT
Life of fetus
must be
protected
TO THE DAILY:
After reading the editorial
titled "Desperate measures"
(11/4/97), I arrived at a very
different conclusion in regard
to what would be the best
solution we might offer des-
perate people, such as
Kawana Ashley.
It is a sad commentary
when the best we as a society
and as individuals can offer
anyone in desperate circum-
stances is a choice of harming
their fetus, whether that harm
comes via an abortion or a
self-inflicted wound. The
fetus, by definition, is the off-
spring in the womb. Anyone
in doubt about the fetus being
a human being should take
advantage of the University's
world-class library system to
check out some good text-
books on fetal development.
When any woman finds
fail to recognize that not only
is it a poor choice to harm a
fetus, but that we definitely
should not be getting govern-
ment more involved in pay-
ing for the harm. One of gov-
ernment's primary responsi-
bilities is to protect people
from harm, and from harm-
ing others.
Just because our govern-
ment at this sad point in our
history is failing to protect
the most innocent human
beings, those defenseless
ones inside a woman's womb,
does not mean that we as citi-
zens should support any kind
of efforts, as the editorial
suggested, to make such a
harmful choice more readily
aailable to anyone. It is not
as if the women who are able
to pay to do harm are some-
how better off than those who
cannot afford to do harm.
I do not see this sad situa-
tion as a failure to help
Ashley to get an abortion; I
see this as a failure to love
Kawana Ashley and others
like her enough to give real
choices. Choices that give
life, rather than take life and
cause harm.
PAM WITALA
UNIVERSITY STAFF
Students do
not need to
vote in A2
TO THE DAILY:
Chad Bailey wrote a letter
("Students must vote"
11/11/97) deriding Michigan
students for their lack of par-
ticipation in the recent elec-
tion. I think he misses a signif-
icant aspect of the issue. I go
to school at the University, but
I am really not familiar with
the issues and candidates of
Ann Arbor politics. I vote via
absentee ballot back home,
where I have a better under-
standing of what is at stake.
Why should I vote here in Ann
Arbor, where I know nothing
of the issues, rather than back
home, where I understand
what is going on? I think an
uninformed vote is worse than
no vote at all. Students are vot-
ing, just not here in Ann Arbor.
Secondly, as a Republican,
I feel the need to respond to
Bailey's classifying
Republicans as."evil tyrants."
Just because you are opposed
to a party does not make it evil
and tyrannical. I could similar-
ly argue that Democrats are
evil and tyrannical based on
their affirmative action and
gun control policies and their
campaign finance abuses, but I
will not. We live in a democra-
tic society where both parties
represent views widely held by
many people. Yes, as hard as it
might be to believe, many peo-
ple actually support
Republicans and their policies.
I do not agree with
no..,,, +v t,,. r .n .
C ollege students are adults, at
least in the eyes of landlords and
state police. We sign leases, get
engaged, find jobs (this does happen
buy cars and do nearly all of t
things that "real"
adults do.
But we are not
truly a member of
the brethren.
Infantility raises
its ugly head and
the act that we try
to pull off,
indeed, are forced
to pull off, dis-
solves like cotton JAMU
candy in a hot MILLE
tub. Ma t,"-
Bluntly, we blow NTA,
it on the personal
appearance issue. As a population w
look bad. And I'm not talking about
something that genetics dumps on us,
or other things beyond our control.
The things that make us ugly are ver
correctable.
Now, I realize that the kind of
lifestyle we lead demands certain sac-
rifices. A lack of time and/or money
and your laundry doesn't get done.
Wake up late for class and what you
leave the house wearing is usually
what was closest to the door on your
way out of the house.
I know that evil-looking hair and
sweatpants sometimes is not ony
unavoidable, but a moral imperati
With this in mind, however, we ax
clearly not trying hard enough.
Men: Our offenses are rank; they
stink to heaven. Due to space con-
straints, let's work on the one or two
that will do us theimost good in the
shortest amount of time.
Facial hair: A beard, mustache, goa-
tee or combination and variation there-
in is a privilege, not a right of the
species. You must, I repeat, must, ha+
a certain level of testosterone in orde
to yield the secondary sex characteris;-
tic in question. There's no real rule of
thumb, unfortunately, to decide
whether or not a hair configuration is
appropriate.
Try this: If you can stand five feet
away from a mirror and see actual
patches of skin under the beard in
question, shave. Today.
Guys with that recently parole
tract-home-Romeo, ankle-brace
from-the-parole-board kind of dirt-
stache, shave.rSimilarly, if you hav q
beard that grows only out of yopr
neck and a half inch up your cheek-
bone and you have to tie it back so jt
doesn't get stuck in the bong, shave,
dude.
This also applies to the Beastie Boys
roadies that hang around the B-School
and skate.
Fellas: The whole retro, sidebu
thing that you're gunning for? It's over
been over for a long time. I can appre-
ciate you trying to look like that way-
cool, Brooklyn Jew, gangster, Adam
Yauch Buddhist scholar all the ~t
chicks dug in high school. But ywi,
look like 12-year olds. Stop.
Turn your hats around, unhook th
hardware from your wallet and ge
with the program. Very briefly: bi
pants. God, they look heinous. Yo
don't look like Puffy Combs. Yo
look like gun-toting pre-pubes from'
Salt Lake City, trying to "pimp some~
fly honeys" down at the Burge
King.
Ladies: I hate to even do this. Th
full complexity of female clothing:
make-up, hair styling and twisted
bathroom rituals would probably leave
the entire anthropology department
scratching their heads and wondenn
what all the damned cotton balls ar,
for. .
There is one thing I'd like to discus;
with some of you ...
The thrift store situation.n
I know it's a deal. I know it's fun to,
pile in a hatchback with the rest of
the gals from the co-op, throw inr
Simon and Garfunkel tape, drive t
Val-U Village andsdig all the dis
carded hipster fashions. I myselp-
have a Cubs jacket and a few othe
choice items from second-hand
stores.
But second-hand clothing, like gars,
lic, has to be used in moderation t
prevent disaster.
The big cardigan, bowling (or ortho
pedic) shoes, "funky" scarf and
"funky" T-shirt might look fine sepa-
rately. Together, they make you look
homeless.
Here's a tip: That really neat, brown
corduroy outfit that you bought so
you could look like your favorite les-
bian activist creative writing teacher
probably makes you look like some-
body's retarded, middle-aged spinster
aunt.
I realize that upper-middle class,
federal government's dime.
With knowledge of computers and the
Internet becoming almost a neccesity for
employment, it is important to provide chil-
dren with access to the worldwide network.
New computer technologies have spurred a
new Internet-centered job market that is
rapidly growing with time. Even jobs that
are not in Silicon Valley now require a
strong knowledge of computer applications.
Students at schools that are not "wired" will