4A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, February 26, 1998
Uiie £kirxatt Oralg
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed by
students at the
University of Michigan
LAURIE MAYK
Editor in Chief
JACK SCHILLACI
Editorial Page Editor
'He and his wife are the epitome of what
everybody imagines when they imagine a University
president and a first lady on campus. He was a
scholar and a supporter of scholarship on campus.'
- Former Vice President for University Relations Dick Kennedy, on former
University President Harlan Hatcher who died yesterday at the age of 99
Lnlc' odierwisu noted: unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of the Daily s editorial board.
ll othwr articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily
FROM THE DAILY
Leading the way
Hatcher was important to the 'U"s development
PURPLE HERRING
ONV ENJ ENC
arlan Hatcher has the unique distinction
of having occupied an office that only
lI other people have ever held. As University
president, he held the opportunity to lead and
shape the development of one of the largest
universities in the country. As the president
who brought the University through the
tumultuous 1960s, he also weathered an era of
student protest and opposi-
tion that has faced no other
University president during
his term. Yesterday, the man
who ran the University
between 1951 and 1967
died at the age of 99. In
many ways, he is responsi-
ble for bringing the
University to the position Hatcher
of academic excellence that it now holds.
Today's University campus is covered
with markers of Hatcher's term as president.
One of his greatest contributions was the
purchasing and creation of North Campus.
During his tenure, the stretch of land saw
the construction of the School of Music, the
Cooley Laboratory and the Phoenix
Memorial Laboratory, among others. The
Flint and Dearborn satellite campuses also
came about during Hatcher's term.
Recognizing that the University's under-
graduate population had insufficient library
resouces, Hatcher set forth the construction
of the Undergraduate Library, which was
completed in 1957.
But the greatest expansion that the
University saw during Hatcher's administra-
tion was not in the number of physical build-
ings. The University's student population
more than doubled from a low of 17,000 in
1951, following a drop in the post-World
War II GI Bill-supported veterans, to 37,000
in 1967. Hatcher's legacy includes making a
University education accessible to anyone
who wanted it. He organized an effort to
lobby the state Legislature for larger annual
appropriations and organized a funding drive
that raised $7.2 million. The University also
saw a huge jump in both the number and
quality of faculty during Hatcher's adminis-
tration. South Quad and Mary Markley resi-
dence halls were also constructed during this
period to help support the University's grow-
ing student population.
Another hallmark of the Hatcher admin-
istration is the establishment of the
University's strong research base. The
Institute of Social Research moved into its
own building in 1965, and the University's
scientific research community boomed.
But with his great achievements came
student opposition. Student protests against
the Vietnam War and the administration were
commonplace in the '60s. Unlike many cam-
puses of the era, the University was compar-.
atively peaceful as the end of Hatcher's term
approached. Although he had to support the
University's stance on student activism - a
fact that brought him head to head with stu-
dent leaders - Hatcher stood behind stu-
dents' right to have access to education
regardless of their political activities. In a
speech to the Council on Financial Aid in
1965, he stated, "To prohibit expression of
student opinion with which we disagree, or
because we dislike the manner in which they
express their opinion, would be a violation of
the Constitutional freedoms so precious to
all of us."
Hatcher has left an indelible mark on the
University's campus. Much of what the
University is today is thanks to his contribu-
tions to it. He should be remembered as some-
one who pushed the University's standards
higher in an era of change and advancement.
AL.!
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I
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Ballot blunder
Voters should support affirmative action
T his November, Washington voters may
get the chance to decidewhether or not
affirmative action will remain legal in their
state. Washington state Rep. Scott Smith is
working to place Initiative 200 - which will
make affirmative action illegal if it is
approved - on the election ballot. The ini-
tiative is similar to Califonia's Proposition
209, which the state's residents passed in
1996. The trend toward ending affirmative
action also surfaced in Texas, where the case
Hopwood v. the University of Texas Law
School struck down the school's admissions.
And in Michigan, State Rep. David Jaye (R-
Macomb) recently proposed a bill which
would amend the state's constitution to make
affirmative action illegal. It is extremely
important that this dangerous pattern does
not reach any further across the country.
The initiative in Washington will become
law if it is approved by the voters. Smith has
failed three times to pass the initiative as a
bill in the state Legislature and is attempting
to take it to a public referendum. He claims
that Initiative 200 has overwhelming public
support and likely will pass. But with voting
situations like this, most of the people who
turn out to vote are those who have an agen-
da or are deeply involved in the issue - in
this case, those who favor the elimination of
affirmative action could go to the polls in
droves while more moderate affirmative
action supporters may abstain from voting.
So the results of this referendum will very
likely be slanted - it will not be an accurate
gauge of public opinion.
It is important that Initiative 200 does not
pass. The trend of banning affirmative action
is a disturhing one and must ston. In
drop in minority enrollment at the law
schools of the University of California and
the University of Texas are particularly
alarming. Without affirmative action, fewer
opportunities for minorities in the job market
are available because it is more difficult to
access higher education. Affirmative action
does not give overwhelming preference to
minorities - nobody gets into college based
solely on their race. Although universities
often use race as a factor in admissions, it is
never the only factor. Such policies con-
tribute greatly to diversity in both academia
and the workplace.
With Jaye's proposed amendment and
the two class-action lawsuits against the
University, Michigan faces a similar threat
to the future of affirmative action.
Eliminating affirmative action could, in
effect, prevent minorities and women from
breaking through the "glass ceiling" that
years of de jure discriminatory policies
have left behind. Diversity contributes a
great deal to the University's environment
- allowing a broad spectrum of ideas and
backgrounds to be represented - and it
must continue to be encouraged in higher
education and in the workforce.
It is important that affirmative action
policies continue to be used in Washington,
Michigan and throughout the nation.
Without them, many women and minorities
people will no doubt find their opportunities
diminished simply because of their race or
gender. While affirmative action opponents
hold that discriminatory actions can be com-
bated in court on a case-by-case basis, it is
often difficult to prove such cases to a jury's
satisfaction Endinii affirmative action can-
Superfan has
become
'offensive'
To THE DAILY:
We are writing in response
to Josh White's column
"Superfan needs your help to
carry on his tradition"
(2/17/98). As.two people who
know Jeff Holzhausen as a
friend and sit next to him at
hockey games, we view his
behavior in a different light.
We've sat next to him for an
entire season and we've seen
him at other sporting events,
and we will not deny that he
is a loyal fan. He has the abil-
ity to stir the emotion of the
crowd at the most opportune
moments and his spirit ener-
gizes the fans. But as of late,
his antics have changed. Some
of his action and cheers have
become downright offensive.
At the Miami of Ohio game,
he heckled a Miami fan, bring
the old woman to tears.
Another example of his antics
would be his homosexual
assumptions and comments
about the opposing goaltender
and fans. What relevance does
this have to the game of hock-
ey and supporting his team?
According to the column,
Superfan has been on "every
major sports network and has
been an unofficial mascot for
the University." His behavior
is representing the University
and the student body. We
must ask ourselves if that is
how we wish to be viewed in
the public eye. There is a line
between leading the fans and
offending the fans. Superfan
of the past was aware of this.
Superfan of the present for-
gets it. The Superfan of the
future must keep this in
mind.
JUNE LATHERS
JASMINE ZARZECKI
LSA SENIORS
Miller ignored
'U' community
values
TO THE DAILY:
In the Feb. 18 Daily,
James Miller wished to con-
vince us that the Winter
Olympics are "weird"
because they include unusual
sporting eventswith which
he is unfamiliar ("Winter
Olympics bring more than
just sports to television view-
ers"). Rather than discussing
the merits of the events that
he doesn't like, he attempts
to rally his readers around his
views by ascribing the sports
with unfavorable qualities
that are mostly xenophobic,
racist, sexist and homophobic
stereotypes. He reserves
some of his most mean-spir-
old lie perpetuated by those
whose agenda is to portray
lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender people as inhu-
man and depraved. It is
wrong and harmful to the
entire University community.
It is particularly ironic
that Miller's comments are
juxtaposed with my own
notable quotable about our
University's values. From the
Daily's editorial stances, I've
come to expect more from it.
KEN BLOCHOWSKI
UNIVERSITY STAFF
Editorial
contained a
small error
TO THE DAILY:
I would like to thank the
Daily so much for its cover-
age of our Kids Kare at
Home program for children
that are ill when faculty and
staff have to be at work. The
program came about as a
result of a series of focus
groups held by the Child
Care Task Force that indicat-
ed that sick care was a huge
issue not only for employees
but also for students. During
the pilot phase (which ends
June 30), we only had fund-
ing for regular employees,
but it is a high priority of the
task force to expand the pro-
gram to serve students and to
our branch campuses if we
can get funding to do so.
I would like to correct
one piece of information
which appeared in the Daily's
editorial ("Care for all,"
2/24/98). Employees pay part
of the cost of the program
($4 per hour) for the first 16
hours while the University
subsidizes the additional cost
($10 per hour). Some dis-
counts are available for fami-
lies that meet the income
guidelines.
Thank you, Daily, for
your interest and support of
this program.
LESLIE DE PIETRO
COORDINATOR, FAMILY
CARE RESOURCES
PROGRAM
Affirmative
action does
not ease racial
stratification
TO THE DAILY:
In "Letter ignored societal
problems" (2/19/98), Isa
Kasoga again blames the
racial problems of this nation
on elitist white suburbanites. I
am distressed by his implica-
tions that every white person
was born with a silver spoon
in hc nrh-r n nT
middle-class Americans.
Kasoga constantly brings
up the fact that the solution
to the problem of racial strat-
ification is affirmative action.
But he contradicts himself by
saying that minorities are
worse off now than they were
30 years ago when affirma-
tive action was begun. To me,
that seems to say that affir-
mative action did not serve
its purpose well. Despite
what Kasoga thinks, the poor
of this nation are not all
minorities. We should be
concerned with the plight of
all poor people, not just those
about whom it's politically
correct to be concerned. All
benefits and aid should be
given strictly by socio-eco-
nomic status. Since, accord-
ing to Kasoga, most minori-
ties are "impoverished," they
should benefit as well from
this kind of system as from
affirmative action. What
makes whites indignant is
when wealthy minorities -
who do not need any aid -
benefit from affirmative
action.
Kasoga frequently refers
to the United States as "the
most racist nation in the
world." If that's so, why
would the poor of the other
nations risk their lives and
everything they hold dear to
comenhere. America is the
only nation where almost_
everyone is given some
opportunity to succeed. There
is, was and will be discrimi-
nation and hardship in the
United States, but that does-
n't keep immigrants from
wanting to come here. Why
should we let it hinder those
who are already here?
MARK ADAMS
ENGINEERING JUNIOR
Seating at
Crisler Arena
should be
changed
TO THE DAILY:
The Daily's Feb. 18 edito-
rial ("Stadium crunch") was
correct in supporting the ath-
letic department initiative to
augment and change the foot-
ball stadium seating for stu-
dents. I wonder if Athletic
Director Tom Goss and his
values mantra are prepared to
continue this positive trend
for student fans by changing
the student section seating at
Crisler Arena. Goss could
both serve students and
improve the atmosphere in
Crisler by moving more stu-
dents closer to the floor. A
new seating plan would need
to address the concerns of the
alumni and others holding
season tickets, but numerous
schools with great college
hnckthall e nvi rnmnt have~
In celebration of
the amateurs'
last great victory
U nfortunately, most of us are too
young to remember theso-called
"Miracle on Ice" when the 1980 U.S.
Olympic ice hockey team captured a
gold medal and thus provided one of the
Cold War's rare instances of American
triumph and national unity. People don't
talk much about the
"Miracle on Ice"
anymore; I had to
read about it in a
So bad was the
patchwork club,
whose player core
consisted of nine
University of
Minnesota coll-
gians, that its JOSHUA
coach, notorious RICH
disciplinarian Herb 1"'iiA
Brooks, warned his
players before their
first match, "Gentlemen, you don't have
enough talent to win on talent alone."
So immature was the U.S. squad (its
members' average age was 22), that it
completed a pre-Olympic exhibition
schedule with a blowout loss to the same
Soviet team that had earlier defeated a
group of NHL all-stars. When the
Olympic hockey tournament began a few
days later in Lake Placid, N.Y., the
United States was seeded seventh out of
12 nations. The team's chances of victo-
ry were so remote that few Americans
paid attention to the hockey competition,
even though it was taking place on their
home ice.
So thorough was the American club's
mastery in the all-round-robin Olympic
tournament that its success was not lim-
ited to a come-from-behind win against
a titanic Soviet team in the Games' mar-
quee matchup. In its last game, the
United States impressively held off a
formidable Finnish squad when defeat
meant a mere bronze-medal finish.
So inspiring were the U.S. hockey
team's victories that millions of
Americans watched its games - to
observe, that is, a bunch of amateurs
take part in a relatively unpopular and
foreign sport. The team subsequently
graced the covers of nearly all major
national sports and news magazines, an
unprecedented distinction for a group of
otherwise negligible athletic figures.
Eighteen years ago this week, that
underrated bunch of virtually anonymous
kids hailing from dark, cold and sparsely
populated parts of the country succeeded
in doing what NATO, detente, the
Vietnam war, visits to China and
Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy,
Johnson, Nixon, Ford and Carter were
collectively unable to do: bring the Soviet
Union and its communist cohorts in the
Eastern Bloc to their knees.
Like many heroes, these were born
out of extreme circumstances, when
their situation gained an epic value. The
U.S. ice hockey players were the com-
mon man overcoming the uncommon
adversary, in many ways uniting a frag-
mented nation along the way -the mir-
acle thus became the "Miracle" And
after winning, the players simply sang
"God Bless America" (even though,
legend has it, none of them knew the
words), received their gold medals and
returned home to the obscurity from
whence they emerged.
Now only recalled when the
Olympics are on, the "Miracle" has4
slowly faded from popular conscious-
ness. Perhaps it gets lost as we try to
flush the frightening Cold War era from
our minds. Perhaps the 1980 hockey
players are, like ignored Vietnam veter-
ans before them, ultimate casualties of
the struggle with communism. Perhaps
we just forget about the 1980 Winter
Olympics altogether, in light of
America's boycott of that year's summer
Olympics in Moscow.4
Somehow, those great heroes have
largely slipped from our minds, and par-
ticularly troubling is getting to know the
men we've found to replace them. After
losing miserably to the Czech Republic
in last week's quarterfinals at the
Nagano Olympics, American hockey
player Keith Tkachuk, among others,
called the Olympic experience "disgust-
ing" and "the biggest waste of time -
ever." Members of the all-professional)
U.S. men's squad proceeded to trash a
bunch of their rooms before flying away
with their tails between their legs, their
dignity doubly annihilated.
Excusable is the Americans' falling
short of their goal, as well as their dis-
appointment for doing so. But unforgiv-
able are the juvenile and barbaric antics
that will, tragically, forever distinguish
this year's U.S. hockey team and this
Olympics. Lost in all this nonsense are
the gold-medal-winning efforts of the
inaugural U.S. women's hockey club, as
well as the noble behavior the Canadian
men's and women's hockey teams
exhibited after their respective losses.
As much as they may anger and