4A -- The Michgan Daily - Wednesday, January 7, 1998
ae Eidigan &iflg
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, M 48109
Edited and managed by
students at the
University of Michigan
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JOSH WHITE
Editor in Chief
ERIN MARSH
Editorial Page Editor
U niess ulhcr'se noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of the Daily s editorial board. All
ther arwIces. leiters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect th opinion of The Michigan Daily.
FROM THE DAILY
Book exchange offers students savings
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
'We're undefeated, ranked No. I... this may be the
single greatest season ever, in college football history.'
-Michigan fboball co-captain Eric Mayes
JORDAN YOUNG
I-k
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
-ith th' me le that occurs at book-
ores across campus at the begin-
ing ot 'vcry mst r, the Student Book
Exchange offers a great service and pro-
vides student with a chance to help each
other out and save money. Students should
capitaliz4 on the exchange and use it to
sell their old books and to purchase used
ones.
Ioday is the first day of classes - and
the last day for students to drop off books at
the Pendleton Room in the Michigan Union
to have them 'old. Tomorrow and Friday,
tudent wil be b t purchase used books
at the same plac e.
When students sell their old textbooks
to bookstors. thy have no control over
how much money they get for their used
volumc. Often, students will get back less
than half of what they paid for their books.
Sometimes, supplementary readings, such
as novels, will be purchased back for a
fraction of what they originally cost. In
addition, book s tores do not accept all
books - they usually only accept those
that professors have idicated intent to use
in future courses.
The Student Book Exchange, on the
other hand, gives students the ability to
sell any book for any course. Further, stu-
dents get to decide how much they will
get for their used volumes - not being
fore d into a certain price by a book-
stores profit margins. In addition, the
student organization Environmental
Action is selling notebooks at the
exchange made of recycled paper - giv-
ing students the chance to support a stu-
dent group and to help the environment at
the cam t im
The exchang an also help save stu-
dents money whil shopping for this semes-
ter's books. When students shop at commer-
cial bookstores, they often have to buy new
books because used ones are the first to go.
New books can be prohibitively expensive
- causing a huge cash drain at the begin-
ning of the semester for many students.
Even used books are not cheap, often cost-
ing almost as much as the new ones. For
students on a tight budget, the book
exchange can provide some relief from the
annual financial crunch at the beginning of
the semester.
The exchange is staffed completely by
student volunteers. Books to be sold are
sorted by subject but not by course num-
ber or professor. Students should check
book lists before heading over to the
exchange to determine which books they
need to buy. The book exchange takes a
15-percent cut on all sales for operating
expenses - insignificant in comparison
to the profit margins other bookstores
often get.
The exchange, like the bookstores, is
dependent on professors getting their acts
together and submitting book lists for their
courses. But some professors fail to do so in
time and as a result, students are unable to
get the books their courses require.
Professors should get their book lists in on
time and should also post their syllabi on
the Internet. With book lists on the Web,
students could forgo stopping at other
bookstores before going to the book
exchange.
Between tuition, fees and rent, students
have plenty of things draining their check-
ing accounts. The book exchange could
save students money by offering used texts
at reasonable prices. Though it takes a bit of
extra work on students' part, it is a worth-
while trade-off.
pffing hairs
Court should stand against all harassment
Nebraska
deserved
No. 1 ranking
TO THE DAILY:
I am a senior business
education student at the
University of Nebraska. I am
writing about all the bad
press the Cormhuskers and
Coach Tom Osborne have
been getting from Michigan
fans. The Michigan team did
not play a tougher schedule
than we did, period!
According to an
Associated Press reporter,
Michigan beat four teams
ranked in the top 10 at game
time with only one in the top
10 at the end of the season.
Nebraska, on the other hand,
beat five teams ranked in the
top 10 at game time with two
in the top 10 at the end of the
season, Not only that, but
everyone is afraid to play the
Cornhuskers in Memorial
Stadium.
Now, as for the Rose and
Orange Bowls, Michigan
played the No. 8 team and
barely won. We, on the other
hand, played the No. 3 team
and walked all over them.
People say that we played
poorly in the first half. It
doesn't take a genius to know
that Nebraska is a second-
half team, If you are losing to
us by halftime, it will only
get worse in the second half.
I think the guys played a
heck of a game in all four
quarters. They are some of
the greatest people around.
Now, for the fact that our
coach is retiring. Some
reporter wrote that many
coaches cast a sympathy
vote. The coaches just know
a better team. How do we
know that some of the AP
voters didn't even bother to
watch the Orange Bowl
because they had already
made their decision? We
don't, so we really can't sec-
ond guess any of the voters.
We just need to congratulate
each other and move on.
I don't have a problem
sharing the championship
with Michigan. Does
Michigan?
JANA BARTELS
UNIVERSITY OF
NEBRASKA STUDENT
Poor tactics
cheapen 'M'
ast montth.1he U.S. Supreme Court
finished listening to oral arguments in
an important ,and controversial same-sex
harassment ca se. Joseph Oncale, who was
a llegedy subject to unwelcome sexual
advances from several co-workers on an
offsh or e L ouisiana oil-drilling rig,
appealed his case to the Supreme Court
a fter a lower court ruled that federal anti-
discriminaton law does not cover sexual
ha rassment between persons of the same
gender.
Lven th.ug h Ttl VII of the Civil Rights
A t of 1964 contains no specific provisions
st ating sexual harassment is a discriminato-
ry act, the Supreme Court ruled 10 years
ago that unwelwome sexual conduct or
remarks that foster a hostile work environ-
ment violate federal anti-discrimination
laws. This case provided those subjected to
unwan d 'exual advan es in the workplace
with the first opportunity to obtain legal
recomensen But it was originally construed
to app yonly th rassmnt done by mem-
bers of the opposite sex.
Th1 Supree Cour must take a firm
sTamce ginst al forms of sexual harass-
ment. Even though a ruling is expected
sometime in July. Supreme Court justices
are cur rently debating issues like how to
prove same-sex harassment, the difference
between male horseplay and harassment,
and whether there could even be gender
discriminatio n in a single-sex workplace.
Al indcaons point to a ruling that will
render same-ex harassment illegal only in
certain, narrowl P defined situations. Such
ment is as harmful as opposite-sex harass-
ment.
In addition, the ruling could be a
potential turning point in the gay commu-
nity's uphill battle to win federal recogni-
tion and equal rights. With the Supreme
Court's refusal to hear any cases concern-
ing gay marriage or the military's "don't
ask don't tell" policy, the justices are indi-
rectly denying equal opportunity to
America's gay community. Further, this
treatment, implies that the court believes
gays and lesbians lead a lifestyle that does
not deserve the same protection as
America's heterosexual majority. The
Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the most pow-
erful anti-discrimination law on the books
and it says a lot about the nation's values
- it is time for the gay community to be
included and receive the recognition and
necessary protection it needs from all
forms of hatred.
The court should treat same-sex
harassment the same as it would such con,
duct between members of the opposite
sex. There is no justified rationale for an
ambiguous ruling. Sexual harassment is
an unwelcome sexual act that violates a
person's right to a hospitable workplace,
and it should not matter whether it
involves members of the same or opposite
sex. The Supreme Court has an opportuni-
ty to help deter sexual harassment in the
workplace - while the situation may be
better than in years past, sexual discrimi-
nation on the job still persists. The Court
must recognize that same-sex harassment
headed for the bank, Had
Washington State won, as it
certainly could have if given
.a fair ending to the game,
then there's no Bob Griese
weeping over his MVP son,
there's no National
Championship, there's not
much to market for ABC
except in Pullman, Wash, -
a market smaller than
Ypsilanti on a good day.
So Michigan wins, but
why do you still look like
chumps, not champs? Is
someone taking advantage of
you at the cost of your
integrity to their economic
benefit? If so, did you really
win anything besides a pile
of brass? If you're No. I now,
then what kind of category is
it where you're the top?
JACK KINTNER
WASHINGTON STATE FAN
Lottery for
rally tickets
is 'idiotic'
TO THE DAILY:
Once again, our glorious
Athletic Department has
pissed me off. The idiotic idea
of having a lottery for tickets
to the football pep rally has
left myself and many other
extremely deserving fans
without tickets. After buying
football tickets, basketball
ticketsrand hockey tickets for
all four years, buying hockey
Final Four tickets twice, and
Rose Bowl tickets through the
Athletic Department, I now
have to sleep out to get a tick-
et to this pep rally while there
are a good number of fresh-
men (no offense, young ones)
who already have tickets. This
is a joke. Tom Goss is not the
great Athletic Director that
everyone has been making
him out to be.
First, he screws up with
his treatment of Steve Fisher.
Then, it's the Department of
Public Safety at the Ohio
State game acting like a
bunch of animals. Then, it's
charging us $80 for Rose
Bowl tickets while
Washington State students
paid $75. And now this crap. I
love our teams way too much
to organize some kind of
protest or boycott, but I want
the Athletic Department to
know that it is pissing off its
greatest fans and supporters.
Congrats to the football team
(but not to Tom Goss) on an
absolutely incredible season
which t will never forget.
MIKE KHOMUTIN
ENGINEERING SENIOR
Headline did
not represent
students
I have been and will con-
tinue to urge the Michigan
Student Assembly to place a
referendum about this issue
on its spring ballot, so that
we might have a better idea
whether students really do
support the University admis-
sions policy. But until that
time, I'd appreciate it if the
Daily didn't imply that I sup-
port any form of racial dis-
crimination.
DAVID BURDEN
ENGINEERING SENIOR,
MSA REPRESENTATIVE
Article ignored
other student
groups
TO THE DAILY:
The article "BAMN mem-
bers unite to vocalize their
reaction to suit" (12/8/97)
containedta conspicuous and
unfortunate error of omis-
sion.
The Coalition to Defend
Affirmative Action By Any
Means Necessary, the Black
Law Students Alliance and
the Asian Pacific American
IL.aw Students Association all
participated in the press con-
ference to express our united
support for affirmative action
policies.
Despite the fact that
BLSA and APALSA both
presented written press
releases and constituted the
majority of the student pres-
ence at the press conference,
the article fails to mention
either organization. A false
impression was conveyed of
passivity on the part of
minority law students and
BAMN standing alone.
LUKE MASSIE
BAMN
TONY MILES
BLSA
KEVIN PIMENTEL
APALSA
Basketball
players could
learn from
Bradley
TO THE DAILY:
After attending the Dec. 7
basketball game between
Bradley and Michigan in
Peoria, Ill, I noticed a big
difference between the two
teams
The Bradley players did
not make gestures to the
crowd to sit down, nor did
they talk trash to the oppos-
ing team. They simply went
out and played hard and con-
ducted themselves with class
Julius Caesar;
VE day and
other conquests
of the Gauls
PARIS - Paris is the older sister of
world cities, especially to Americans.
"Paris has a 400-year tradition of sup-
porting the arts. Paris has a clean, ofi4
cient system of public transportation.
Why can't you be
more like Paris?"
There are some
things here that
are just as wonder-
ful and cultured as
we've been led to
believe - things
we should emu-
late. The afore-
mentioned two are
just the beginning.JAMES
Nearly all the pub- MILLER
lic and private MILER
buildings in Paris ON TAP
have that kind of
cut stone beauty seen only in the old-
est American cities. There is little
street crime and the most polite bums
in the world, except for the gypsies.
But something is rotten on the Ie d
France. Parisians are inconsistent. Yo
see it in their homes. Picture an apart-
ment in a very rich and exclusive
neighborhood, the kind of apartment
that make childrenroot and wait for
their parents' timely demise. Marble
fireplaces in every bedroom, high ceil-
ings with tapestries, paintings and
ornate furniture to make the smallest
living room look like a mini Versailles.
Now picture the same apartment with
roaches, cracked plaster, crooked wall-i
paper, exposed fixtures and a paint job
that looks like a blind guy did it with
his fingers
All those charming little corner
bistros that I used to think existed only
in Henry Miller novels have fetid
Turkish toilets,filthy cigarette butt-
covered floors and tiny little glasses
for the weak, yellow beers.
It's like the whole city lost interest in
maintenance and technology afte
indoor plumbing and the steam
engine. The only building in the city
that looks like someone has cared for
it since Sputnik is the Louvre and
that's only because a country with
usurial income tax rates dependson
tourist dollars, pounds and
deutschmarks.
The people are like this too. There is
this French social convention "/a
poltesse" (the English word "polite"4
is taken from the French) that every
time you enter a place of business or
public building everybody says
"~Bonjour Madame" or "Bon soir
Monsieur" and "A bientot" upon leav-
ing. It makes them feel all nice and
courtly. But Parisian gentility is like
the winter sun, bright and cold. There
were three people in the whole city
who didn t give me eye daggers upon
realizing that I wasn't French, let alont
not Parisian
Similarly, it amazes me how, in a city
that is so fascinated with fashion
appearance, there can be so many ugly
women. There is something about
Parisian women, with a few glorious,
transcendent exceptions, that turns
them into foolish Molire characters
when they hit 50. Their hair inflates
like Jiffy-Pop, and they walk their tiny
dogs in full-length leopard coats and
Fendi sunglasses big enough to makc
punch. It's hard to take a country seri-
ously when they have you believe that
all of their women ook like Catherine
Deneuve when, upon personal inspec-
tion, they look like Lucille Ball.
And while we're at it, let's talk about
Parisian men, shall we? To their credit,
they have to be the best dressed single
population I've ever seen. At least half
of the men on the subway in the mid-
dIe of the afternoon are in ties an
creased pants. Even the bums are usu-
ally clean shaven and have some kind
of collar on.
Yet it doesn't look right. Look close-
ly at a Parisian man. His clothes are
immaculate, but the man is shady.
They have shifty eyes, fat, sallow
cheeks and noses like meat cleavers.
They stare at you in restaurants and
you can hear them thinking: "Peasant."
I know it violates journal isti
canons to do this, but the most accu-
rate and evocative description of the
Parisians I can give you is not the
most logical or the one that the rest of
my paragraphs demand, Imagine the
worst, most snotty, constipated, self-
important stereotype of a GSI; the
kind that works at a restaurant, works
on his thesis at night, writes poetry,
and hates you for reminding him that
Marxist theorist and raconteur is not
full-time, paying job.
They have more museums than we
do, more jazz clubs, more bookstores,
and more libraries. But, if you ever
need a nationalistic, patriotic pick-
me-up when the Gauls have you
victory
TO THE DAILY:
Well, that's one way to
win a "National
Championship." As I well
remember from my days in
Michigan, the capacity of the
football team to win any way
it can at any cost is exceeded