4 The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, January 27, 1998
Uib *idS= &ztiig
4'20 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed by
students at the
Nveirsity of Michigan
JOSH WHITE
Editor in Chief
ERIN MARSH
Editorial Page Editor
+ }AkMs otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of the Daily's editorial board. All
ther articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily.
FROM THE DAILY
Empty seat
Nelms contributed much to Flint campus
" NOTABLE QUOTABLE,,
'I do not believe the Congress is going to
Impeach the president unless there is an
open-and-shut case, and I believe If there is an
open-and-shut case ... the president will resign.'
- Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.)
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
L ast week, Charlie Nelms, chancellor of
he University's Flint campus,
announced plans to move to a newly creat-
ed position at the University of Indiana.
Nels will officially leave the Flint campus
onJuly 31, making his stay in Flint just less
tZln-four years. With his decision to leave,
the University community - and especial-
lythbse attending class at the Flint campus
",will feel a great loss. The chancellor
bmught about many positive changes for
the Flint campus, which is located in an
utub" environment with a majority of its
.tdnts commuting to and from campus.
During his tenure at Flint, Nelms has
uwd lis unique qualities to create a more
integted environment between the school
and the surrounding community. When he
Was appointed by then University
Pteident James Duderstadt and the facul-
ty-advising committee, the Flint campus
ws-n academic community set against an
uuban setting. By the time he leaves this
swmer, people may no longer feel this
Way. Due in large part to the chancellor's
offbts, the Flint campus has been trans-
formed into an urban university working in
cooperation with its community. The cam-
pta bas expanded greatly during his stay,
and he has worked to create several pro-
gmms that address the social and econom-
it problems that lie outside its boundaries.
"i# effort and accomplishments deserve
emup praise.
Perbaps what best describes Nelms is
his desire to use higher education to help
tbose with few opportunities. At Flint, the
chSeellor tore down the walls isolating
tbediversity from the community in an
ffrt to address problems, such as pover-
ty, that are close to home. His new posi-
tion at the University of Indiana will
require some of the same ideas that
allowed him to make an enormous impact
on the Flint campus. At Indiana, the chan-
cellor will be responsible for promoting
diversity on the school's eight campuses
through the recruitment of minority stu-
dents and by improving their graduation
and retention rates. Indiana was recently
the site of two racially motivated incidents
-- indicating a need for someone with
Nelms' sensitivity and experience. He will
begin his new occupation in Indianapolis,
where he will once again work with mem-
bers and organizations of that community
to provide more educational opportunities
to those who do not have them - an
admirable effort by Nelms and the
University of Indiana.
The Flint campus is losing a person who
has thrived in the situation presented to him
nearly three and a half years ago. University
President Lee Bollinger and the faculty
advising committee will soon begin the dif-
ficult task of finding a new chancellor.
When they begin the search, they should
look for a candidate who embodies similar
qualities similar to Nelms'. The Flint cam-
pus is unique in that it is located in the mid-
die of a major urban area and a large per-
centage of the students are commuters.
Nelms worked to create an environment that
is conducive to interaction between fellow
students and between the University and the
community. Flint's next chancellor should
have these two priorities set high on his or
her agenda. Nelms turned his ideas into
reality, and his departure will be felt
throughout the University community.
No way in
U.S. visa pol icies should not be discriminatory
n 1993, American diplomat Robert E.
Olsen was fired from his job at the
'ited States Consulate in Sao Paulo,
mweail, for refusing to follow a policy
f**arding the issuance of visas to foreign-
ts. This policy advised consular officers
tggive extra scrutiny to the way visa appli-
mnts were dressed and their ethnic back-
ground--as a result, many Brazilians
who are black or of Asian or Middle
Eastern descent have been unfairly denied
visas.
The justification for Olsen's termination
was that he was taking too long to process
visa applications and granting too many
because he conducted thorough back-
gjopd checks that his peers did not. But
Wrctions were preventing blanket judg-
ts about entire ethnic groups from pre-
R ng fair access to the United States. He
-i ot deserve to be fired.
last month, a federal court ruled that
the visa policies at the consulate in Sao
Paulo are illegal because they discriminate
qsipst people on the basis of race, socioe-
conomic status and even appearance and
manner of speech in some instances. This
ru lin could have ramifications around the
world, as some other American consulates
hsve similar policies. This decision should
help change the ways in which visas are
isiuwd, as the current method is blatantly
tWiWt.
The visa manuals issued by the Sao
P~ulo consulate advise employees to pay
dpcial attention to applicants of Arab and
Chinese descent, as well as those who
"ap)eaf' to be poor. The U.S. State
Department defends this policy as a precau-
ple. Whether or not someone is a potential
terrorist cannot be determined solely on the
basis of ethnicity or appearance. Further,
economic status cannot be ascertained with
a simple glance - and even if a visa appli-
cant is poor, it does not mean that he or she
will attempt to illegally settle in the United
States.
The fact that many people are summar-
ily denied visas on the basis of ethnicity
and appearance does not speak very well
for U.S. national security. Beside the fact
that the policy is racist, it is not even an
adequate method of preventing terrorism.
While it is necessary to protect the country
from terrorists, it is wrong to single out an
entire ethnic group because of a stereo-
type. This policy ignores the fact that
many of the terrorist acts on U.S. soil in
recent years - for instance, the Oklahoma
City bombing - were the work of
American citizens. Obviously, denying
visas to foreigners on a flimsy basis can-
not solve this problem. Instead, the U.S.
government should require a more thor-
ough background check into people apply-
ing for a visa.
The court made the right decision in
striking down the visa policies at the con-
sulate in Sao Paulo. Denying visas solely on
the basis of appearance is clearly a discrim-
inatory and unfair approach - violating
many American ideals of equality.
Although State Department officials must
make provisions to stop terrorism in the
United States, the method used in the con-
sulate is illegal and unjustified as well as
misguided and ineffective. The court's deci-
sion should mandate changes in policy that
Influential
woman spoke
on campus
To THE DAILY:
A recent article in the
Daily about the 25th anniver-
sary of the Roe v. Wade deci-
sion ("Campus to honor deci-
sion," 1/21/98) began by
mentioning the fact that
many U of M students were
not alive during the legal and
social drama of this historic
decision. I would like to
inform the Daily and its read-
ers that there was someone
visiting U of M who was not
only alive during Roe v. Wade
but was a key player.
Dr. Mildred Fay Jefferson
is a founding member of the
state and national Right to
Life movement, serving in
the past as chair of the Board
of Directors and for three
terms as president of the
National Right to Life
Committee. Before the Roe u.
Wade decision and continu-
ing today, Jefferson acted on
her interest in medical
jurisprudence, medical ethics
and the problems that arise
when medicine and law inter-
face. She has been an expert
witness in key trials and sig-
nificant legislative hearings
surrounding the issue of
abortion.
As the first African
American woman to graduate
from Harvard Medical
School and the first woman
elected into membership in
the Boston Surgical Society,
Jefferson has also served as
assistant clinical professor of
surgery at Boston University
School of Medicine. She
stands as a pioneer for
women in the field of medi-
cine, as well as being at the
forefront of the pro-life
movement.
Jefferson addressed the
University community in a
series of lectures, titled,
"What's the Choice?
Abortion: Reconsidered,"
sponsored by the Intervarsity
Christian Fellowship.
BETH MATEWS
ENGINEERING SENIOR
Daily music
poll omitted
many musical
genres
To THE DAILY:
I'm writing in response to
Nate Webb's letter to the edi-
tor ("Daily music poll
ignores R&B, hip-hop,"
1/21/98). I mainly want to
say that I completely agree
with his comments on the
Daily's top 10 albums of
1997.-1 especially agree with
Ragtime" for the musical the-
atre fanatic. The truth is, the
Daily's list consisted of "col-
lege rock" - music that is
written, performed and, most
important, marketed for col-
lege students. The truth is,
many college students don't
listen to these, unfortunately
the Daily staff obviously fits
into this stereotype. Maybe
that will change this year.
PATRICK ELKINS
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
'U' community
should not
support Nike
To THE DAILY:
In the context of
Michigan's recent Rose Bowl
victory, I would like to take a
moment from our basking in
well-deserved glory to draw
attention to issues of human
rights involving Nike and the
University's Athletic
Department.
Being a woman from
Malaysia, Nike's labor viola-
tions in South East Asian
countries such as Indonesia
hit a little too close to home.
If there were a Nike factory
in Ann Arbor - say, right
next to Michigan Stadium -
there would be masses of stu-
dents, faculty and community
members protesting. So what
is stopping us? The thou-
sands of mies that separate
us from the Nike factories?
I am fighting for very
basic, fundamental human
rights - three square meals
a day and a safe working
environment free of toxic
fumes from chemicals that
have long since been out-
lawed in the United States.
I am not advocating to
close down Nike factories -
many people need these jobs.
This is an effort to pressure
Phil Knight. chief executive
officer of Nike, who has
made more than his share of
$800 million in annual prof-
its. Or rather, how can he jus-
tify selling shoes for $180
and paying an average worker
in Vietnam $1.60 per day?
Meanwhile, Nike pays
Michael Jordan and Tiger
Woods millions of dollars to
fuel the skyrocketing con-
sumerism for Nike products.
I am targeting Nike specifi-
cally because it has set a
precedent for many other
companies in violating
human rights while continu-
ing to make record-breaking
profits. More important, we,
as U of M students and facul-
ty, should care because of
Nike's close ties with the
University. Together, by sign-
ing petitions to pressure
Knight into improving labor
wages and conditions, we can
make a difference.
President Bollinger and
ELLEN WANG
LSA SENIOR
Nebraska did
not deserve
national
championship
TO THE DAILY:
The 1997 football season
was perhaps the geatest in
Michigan history. The only
thing that kept this season
from attaining ultimate per-
fection in the eyes of the
media was the questionable
split of the national champi-
onship with the undeserving
Nebraska Huskers. To add
insult to injury, the Husker
fans are now insulting
Wolverine fans with claims
that they lack class ("'U' stu-
dents lack class," 1/20/98).
First, Huskers fans need
to realize that their winning
the national championship
was an act of God himself.
That miracle play against
Missouri was intentional and
should have been judged ille-
gal. This single point alone
should be enough to make
any sane Nebraska fan realize
that they did not deserve to
win the title. But the
Huskers' fans continued to
delude themselves with hopes
of winning and managed to
convince some of the media
that they deserved to win the
title too. Second, the Huskers
played an entire season pan-
dering to the pollsters. Last, I
think that the best indicator
of the class of the Huskers
could be seen in Scott Frost
begging the coaches to award
Nebraska the national cham-
pionship after the Huskers'
victory over the Tennessee
Volunteers.
Michigan, on the other
hand, played a classy game
on and off the field. The
Wolverines did not trash the
opponents before game and
did not insult them by run-
ning up ridiculous scores
even when the game was
already won. Michigan never
laid claims to a national
championship until after the
Rose Bowl victory. Brian
Griese and Charles Woodson
never begged the media for
anything but were still
rewarded with the MVP of
the Rose Bowl and the
Heisman Trophy. Overall,
Michigan had a great season
and solidly deserved to win
the national championship
without sharing it with a
mediocre team from a lousy
conference.
So, Huskers fans, all I
can say is that Michigan
played well and their fans
deserve to be angry with the
Huskers for trying to steal
their lorv If you want to
Ifyou had an
hour to relive,
which one
would it be?
A t the end of this week, the end of
an era comes. Perhaps not so
noticeable by the University commu-
nity as it will be for about a doze
seniors, The Michigan Daily's sta
changes in the wee
hours of Friday
morning. With the
change comes the
end of three and a
half years of hard
work and tireless
dedication; with
the change ends
the most meaning-
ful part of our col-
lege careers, an JOSH
era most of us WHITE
would gladly go JUMPING
through again and THE Gu
again and again.
It hasn't been an easy ride, to say the
least. From long nights that seem to
last until dawn (and ofen literally do)
to long debates about policy, coverage
and ethics, we have seen a little bit of
it all. For all of our ability to expe4
ment, strive, forge ahead and accom-
plish, we owe none other than the
University community and the stu-
dents who make it such a lively place;
without the school's dynamism in so
many areas, our jobs would not have
been nearly so interesting.
In examining the past several years,
as outgoing editors are sometimes
want to do, things appear as little
pieces in the larger puzzle. Some
those pieces are made of wonderme
and glory, others are made of grief and
defeat. Some of the pieces stick out
more clearly, and still other pieces are
the crux of our identity yet hide in
obscurity. While I hesitate to quantify
the vast number of hours we have all
poured into the walls of the Student
Publications Building, it is the finest
and often not-so-finest hours that pop
into reminiscence at day's end.
What I have been asking myself th
week, and what I think we should all
ask of ourselves nowwand again, is:
"What hours would we most like to
relive?" I don't mean to ask which
ones we would like to redo, because
that is a fruitless enterprise. I merely
mean to pick out those moments
where fates were decided (well, maybe
not fates, but you get the idea) and
energies ran high. I mean for us
focus on the moments that define ea
and every one of us and to make those
the ones we use to guide us in the
future. By remembering our best
hours, we can turn them into our best
possible days, years and later, lives.
For this newspaper, there have been
many hours that fit this billing in the
past four years, as there have been many
that have ultimately had a shaping effect
on the community. For me, the m
memorable hour of my first year wJ
when then-University student Jake
Baker was arrested by federal marshals
for his postings and -mails on the
Internet - an issue that later ballooned
into a national story about the use of the
virtual world and First Amendment
rights on the Internet. It was not surpris-
ing that the University of Michigan was
at the center of the debate nor that such
issues affected all of us; it wasn't until a
week later that I discovered Bak*
roommate was in one of my classes.
Sophomore year will probably be
most memorable for me because it was
the year President James Duderstadt
resigned from his post in a swirl of con-
troversy and the year a maize-and-blue
hockey team won that pesky National
Championship in perhaps the most
exciting and wonderful game of hockey
I have ever witnessed. That also ha -
pened to be the same year Unabom*.
Ted Kacynski was tracked down - and
his roots tracked to the University. The
hour in Cincinnati (against Colorado
College in OT) was nerve-wracking but
blissful, the hour in Ted's history was
hectic but rewarding.
Last year was memorable for a host of
reasons, from the terrible Comair plane
crash (which elicited some of the finest
work I have seen this paper produce
despite the horrible situation) to tJ
embarrassment of the alleged NC
violations by our basketball team. We
were given our current University presi-
dent (the third in my four years here)
and President Clinton was elected for a
second term. Perhaps the most interest-
ing hour of the year was the one spent in
the Daily's Batcave discussing how to
cover both a presidential election and
the selection of a new University presi-
dent (election/selection day, as it 10
come to be known).
This year has been beyond description
and the hours countless. The best hour,
in Pasadena, was spent with friends and
a national championship (Michelle, this
one's for you). It wasn't all cheers, as we
I