4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, March 11, 1998

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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

'This is the culmination of a decade-long effort
to get control over the people that are most
culpable, namely boosters and agents.'
- State Rep. Kirk Profit (D-Ypsilanti) discussing the proposed
penalties for interference with a university s athletic department

Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of the Daily's editorial board.
All other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily
FROM THE DAILY
Scheduling struggle
Online course guides will cause registration woes

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KAAMRAN HAFEEZ

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F inals time is already stressful enough
for the frazzled, caffeine-addicted stu-
dents who rush to finish papers and cram
for exams. But the University, led by LSA
Dean Edie Goldenberg, now plans to
increase the frustrations of the student body
by eliminating the traditional LSA course
guides in favor of an improved online ver-
sion. This move, touted by the University as
cost-effective and environmentally sound,
will only serve to aggravate students and
unnecessarily complicate the already diffi-
cult registration process.
As students struggle to finish term
papers, the last thing they need is addition-
al competition for campus computer time.
Every LSA student enrolling for next
semester will have to wade through the
online listings, creating even bigger lines at
campus computing sites. Those students
could just as easily be flipping through the
pages of a traditional course guide at a
greater convenience and in their own home.
Many students prefer the accessibility of
a portable course guide. Marking pages and
scribbling notes have been a part of the
course selection process for years. It is eas-
ier and less time consuming to flip through
pages of a traditional course guide at one's
own pace, searching for that one course that
could develop into a career, than it is to find
that course after waiting in line to tackle a
maze of links and lists. In addition, some
students might choose to save their course
guides for a longer period of time than the
online guides will be accessible for to use
them to help plan future course selections.
This will no longer be a possibility with the
online course guides, which only lists
courses for the current semester.
There are, of course, benefits to the
online system. The University will report-

edly save $10,000 in printing costs each
semester with the online plan. But while
this is a lot of money to the average stu-
dent, it is only a minuscule portion of the
University's budget. The University has
the financial resources to make printed
course guides available to students each
semester. The environmental benefits of
this new system have also been touted, and
while the University should maintain its
direction in preserving the environment,
eliminating hard copies of course guides
is not the proper method. To offset envi-
ronmental costs, recycling centers could
be set up in residence halls and other areas
of campus.
But some planned improvements to the
online course guide should be pursued as
a supplement to the hard copies. New
additions, such as links to class home-
pages and course syllabi, will prove
immensely useful to students interested in
pursuing a deeper investigation of a
course than the 150-word allotment
presently available. But whether students
want to search for classes online or in
print, their options should be open. By
preserving the hard copies, students can at
least have a tentative plan before sitting at
a computer and logging valuable hours
searching through the online course guide.
These new innovations should not
come at the expense of the students' con-
venience - the registration process is
already intricate and complicated. The
Office of the Registrar, which publishes
the time schedule, should be commended
for its determination to retain printed
copies of the time schedule in addition to
an online copy. The University should fol-
low this example and reinstate printed
copies of the LSA course guides.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Badgered speech

States should prosecute
St is not easily understandable how it can
be unlawful to steal what is given away
for free. But student newspapers at both the
University of Florida and the University of
Texas have successfully filed criminal com-
plaints against thieves of their free publica-
tions. Although legislation against stealing
free newspapers will soon reach the
Michigan House of Representatives, many
collegiate and free-drop publications
around the United States cannot ask prose-
cutors to punish anyone that restricts the
distribution of a publication by theft. But
recent events in Madison, Wisc., may urge
investigators to consider that the First
Amendment's right to free expression
makes this theft a sort of censorship and
whether committed by individuals or gov-
ernment officials, it is unlawful.
The Wisconsin State Assembly's
Sergeant-at-Arms Denise Solie allegedly
ordered her assistants to remove all copies
of The Badger-Herald, the University of
Wisconsin's student-run paper, from the
State Capitol after the student paper quoted
an employee's controversial comments. The
legislative page's quotes criticized her duty
to find Coca Cola for the assembly speaker,
who refused to drink Pepsi. Other pages
working for Solie claim that after firing that
page, she ordered them to confiscate
Badger-Heralds in the building - appar-
ently to get back at the-paper. According to
the Student Press Law Center in Arlington,
Va., the Badger's disclaimer that asks read-
ers to take only one copy allows prosecutors
to charge Solie for theft. But the sergeant's
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all forms of censorship
publications violates their constitutional
right to free expression.
In Madison, this attack on free speech
takes a more serious turn because the per-
petrator was a public officer. The sergeant
acted as an employee of the state govern-
ment and kept the student paper from legis-
lators and workers in the Capitol. While the
page's comments could be regarded as hav-
ing been made in poor taste, even this
embarrassing coverage does not justify
what amounted to stifling the Herald's voice
for a day.
Solie, not unlike other newspaper
thieves, does not understand that free
speech often causes unpleasant situations.
Writers cannot always make everyone feel
good and newspaper coverage can occa-
sionally cause embarrassment or anger.
This is unavoidable in a democracy that
critically depends on a free, unrestricted
press. If the sergeant-at-arms thought the
student paper unnecessarily offended state
representatives, she could have advised
them to not read it. But instead, the theft
was meant to punish the Herald for quoting
the page's embarrassing comments. In
doing so, Solie violated both the paper's and
its readership's rights.
This sort of censorship is one of several
tactics used to silence opponents.
Newspapers, publishers and libraries con-
tinually endure unconstitutional efforts to
silence certain speech, and prosecutors
ought to consider the seriousness of these
actions. An attempt to censor public state-
ments - regardless if whether or not they
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'U'students
must 'better'
campuswide
race relations
TO THE DAILY:
I'm not stating that there
are only negative aspects to
affirmative action, but at the
same time, there needs to be
a point at which the positive
feedback stops. I don't under-
stand why anyone would
want to attend a school to
which they gained admittance
because they met lowered
standards than others.
But interrupting class
time and trying to force one's
views on other students will
only succeed in further divid-
ing students on campus. If a
student has not been ade-
quately prepared to go to the
University, this tension will
make it harder for them. But
if a student's foundation is
not good enough, then it
needs to be fixed, and that is
not what the University is
designed to do. I think that
much of the negativity voiced
on this campus that comes
from fellow minority students
makes it harder for other stu-
dents to enjoy the University,
and I find that minority stu-
dents can be very successful
both in student life and in the
classroom.
If you're a minority stu-
dent and you've decided to
attend the University, you
shouldn't make anyone else
unhappy about it. Everyone is
entitled to their own opinion
but not at the cost of others'
education.
Some way, students need
to find a way to better the
relations on campus and find
a common solution instead of
reverting to one that was
designed for an entirely other
purpose.
JASON TUTTLE
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Those against
affirmative
action are
not 'racist'
TO THE DAILY:
In the Feb. 24 demonstra-
tion to support affirmative
action, a handout was given
to students. This handout
claimed that anyone who did
not support affirmative action
was racist,
Whoever wrote this mate-
rial obviously failed to real-
ize that there are many
minorities - of all races -
that do not support affirma-
tive action policies.
Furthermore, I am sure that
the great Rev. Dr. Martin
I uther Kina Jr. who longed

right to demonstrate their
opinions. But they should
respect the views of those
who oppose their cause and
not distribute literature
claiming that all affirmative
action opposers are racist.
I am a Christian who
believes in the Bible that
states, "There is neither Jew
nor Greek, slave nor free,
male nor female, for you are
all one in Jesus Christ."
(Galatians 3:28), 1 am also
offended that my belief in
Jesus Christ seems to warrant
the title of racist according to
affirmative-action supporters.
MATTHEW SZWED
LSA SOPHOMORE
Heterosexism
is still widely
tolerated and
'uncountered'
TO THE DAILY:
In this country today, only
one major form of discrimi-
nation is still widely tolerated
and only somewhat coun-
tered. This is heterosexism,
the belief that heterosexual
people are superior to their
lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgendered counterparts.
Heterosexism, stemming
from homophobia is a very
real form of discrimination
and one which is still alive
and strong today.
As a gay man, I do not
have rights in the state of
Michigan. I can be fired from
a job, refused housing and
denied other basics of life
simply because I am gay. I
am guaranteed no constitu-
tional protection. I cannot sue
if I am fired for being gay
unless I challenge the
Michigan and U. S.
Constitutions.
This is not the land of the
free for me. As long as I can
be discriminated against for
something which is as much
a part of me as anything else,
there can be no justice. I am
asking that students at the
University stand up and say
that we will no longer toler-
ate injustice.
To those who say that
being gay is a crime against
God or that the Bible openly
declares homosexuality a sin,
I say, read your Bible.
I am a product of a life of
Catholic schools. I know
what the Bible says, and
there is no claim that God
hates anyone.
There is no way to claim
that loving someone, whatev-
er their sex, is sinful.
No one can call me a sin-
ner because I already know I
am but it is not because I am
homosexual.
There are many people
who choose not to accept that
homosexuals are just as
human zc nthr nnli N MnrA

but we never will have those
rights unless we fight for
them.
LUKE KLIPP
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Day of action
disrupted
midterms
TO THE DAILY:
I am disappointed in my
fellow students. I really
thought that they could think
for themselves and could use
common sense. I had hoped
that they were not just a syco-
phantic throng hanging on
Rev. Jesse Jackson's every
word. But no, when the
National Day of Action rolled
around, those students who
support affirmative action par-
ticipated in the dumbest and
most inconsiderate way possi-
ble.
I had hoped that event
organizers would realize that
it was the week before spring
break and therefore, many
students would be studying
or taking midterms. But in
the middle of my history
exam in Mason Hall, the rally
on the Diag kicked off with
much enthusiasm and even
more volume. While I was
trying to remember what the
devil a "beguine" was, I was
forced to listen to shrieking
and chanting. An open ques-
tion to the day of action par-
ticipants: Would it be OK
with you folks if I screamed
in your ear while you were
taking an exam? I'd just like
to return the favor.
Also, as other letters have
pointed out, why would stu-
dents want to disturb the
University's business when it
has done more than any other
institution in the country to
support affirmative action? If
you want to disrupt some-
thing, take your protest to
state Sen. David Jaye's (R-
Macomb) next Michigan
Militia workshop and let me
take my damned exam.
JASON MAILLOUX
LSA JUNIOR
Music prof.
deserves
error-free
cove rage
TO THE DAILY:
I was extremely dissap-
pointed to find that in the
Feb. 26 Daily, conductor
Leonard Slatkin's name was
spelled incorrectly. In the
article "Music prof.'s sym-
phony to be performed in
D.C.," reporter Jennifer
Yachnin writes Bolcom's
"curnh nn il ;a.-irpo a

Vacation weasels
eat my brains
and TV conspires
against me
should have realized how stupid my
vacation plans were. I told myselP
was comfortable with the idea of ni
seeking warmer climbs for my weeks
furlough.
I said to myself,
"Self, this is no big '
deal. We went to "
Florida one year '
for break and hated
it, We went to
France for
Christmas and had
a great time and
spent lots of
money. No prob- 1AMES
lems here. We are MILLER
fully satisfied on
the vacation front.,
No submerged bit-
terness here. No sir."
I even told myself that same lie we
always tell ourselves in a situation like
this: "Dude, this is gonna be aw -
some. I'll, like, just chill, do hoe
work and read during the day and just
hang out at night." I gathered a heap
of books I wanted to read and made a
list of school projects I was going to
work on. I don't think it's goin' to
surprise anyone that I didn't get any of
it done. Not only did I not do any-
thing, but I did it in such a spectacu-
larly slothful fashion. The two most
intellectually stimulating things I did
was trip over a copy of "Death
Venice" on the way to bed and watc
two Cohen brothers movies.
This is not to say that 1 didn't learn
anything. TV is a great teacher - if
you are of certain mind and appropri-
ate age. Not to mention bored, lazy,
stagnant and lonely. Whatever.
"The Real World" and "Road
Rules." These are basically the same
show; let's treat them as such, I used to
think "The Real World" was incorrec
named.
At first glance it's hard to see what's
so real about it. Six or seven conspicu-
ously multiracial, bummy, raffishly
attractive, broke-ass, sub-GenX types
don't live in expensive furnished lofts in
big cities (or adventure-seeking RVs for
that matter). They can't afford it and
they'd hate each other. Besides, there
would never be enough room for all the
Third Eye Blind CDs and Eddie Ba
travel mugs.
But there's something universal here.
Anyone who's watched the show knows
that the bulk of plots consist of which
housemate is having or wants to be hav-
ing sex with which other housemate.
MTV can drag one embryonic affair out
for several episodes.
While this may not be representa-
tive of your life, it does provide
empirical evidence for James Mil
Rule of Life No. 1: Pretty people are
only concerned with having sex with
other pretty people. We ae of no con-
sequence to them, and we never will
be. We should stay in our caste and
shut up until one of them needs us for
a study group.
I challenge anyone to watch any
MTV programming and show me one
piece of evidence to the contrary. Since
it's inception, the entire "Road Rules"
and "Real World" cast has looked 
the Abercrombie and Fitch Annual
Eugenics Festival. (You think I'm kid-
ding, don't you?)
Jerry Springer. I have hesitated to

mention Jerry until now because I did-
n't have anything to say about him.
Sure it's sad that this sort of thing has
such an enthusiastic following. But
there is something so viscerally satis-
fying about watching these vaca
shallow, poorly spoken fungus spoi
beat the daylights out of each other,
and I would be a giant hypocrite if I
tried to preach against it.
I would like to propose one modifi-
cation that I think would greatly
improve the show, and if Jerry is the
sort of man I think he is, I'm sure he'd
approve.
Clear the studio. Conduct all the
questions from the host and audience
by closed-circuit radio. Tell the no
isolated guests that should a fig
erupt, there are two bayonets hidden
in the empty studio and they'd damn
well better find at least one of them
first.
Think of the benefits to the gene
pool alone. (Or, at least, there would
be much more interesting show titles,
i.e. "You'd better get your own man .
or lose a nostril.")
Self-serving talk shows. Here I 4
referring to the side of the coin opposite
Springer, namely Oprah "Beef Queen"
(pun intended, believe me) Winfrey;
Leno and the others.
Leno is the worst offender of the lot.
At least Onrah had Robert Duvall on in