4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, April 1, 1998 ale lid1tnuu i adg 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 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 Narrow optIons Living-learning programs need improvement 'It's a government of the Exxons, for the General Motors and by the DuPonts.' - Consumer Advocate Ralph Nader, discussing the corruptness of corporations Monday night at the Michigan Theater KAAMRAN HAFEEZ As IT HAPPENS lwu.ARY CLMTOX't TOP 7EN fJA -i Do WREN C (UIEW& SDEO L lv. CANC"J CAL-WAfTIIJ4 ERVCI. .q. SAY Q#*)- BVE '10 CNf r e. RUOCATM (0APmrPT A0 J. C14S&S&A's 4RAUAflot, CE tFMM' 6. SWITCI 9u'PIrv Pg2gg ASDo c how 5. CA" MOM 4. LUNCH W ITqf ANLy ; p.sDMINk NowW ITH HAI. LETR T LETTERS TO THE EDITOR A s graduation approaches, many University students will remember the first-year experience as one of change and exploration. Living with a vast array of students provided an experience unlike any other. But the University's residence halls could soon become home to a number of new living-learning programs that cluster students according to academic interest. The proposal would nearly double the num- ber of living-learning communities, and expand the programs to the majority of the University's traditional residence halls. But until the current problems are addressed, the living-learning programs should not be expanded further. Most of the University's living-learn- ing programs are academically and socially restrictive. Students who take part in the communities are required to live in a certain residence hall and take certain classes. Since they spend the majority of their time with the same peo- ple, living-learning communities result in predetermined social groups; increasing the number of these programs would only make this problem worse. In addition, students who wish to leave the communi- ty still must remain in the residence hall for the rest of the year, and spend their first year at the University living with stu- dents who are part of a specified and pos- sibly narrow group. If more of the resi- dence halls host living-learning commu- nities, then even first-year students who choose to not participate in the program would be isolated among members of liv- ing-learning communities. The requirements of the living-learn- ing programs also prevent students from exploring the full range of academic options that the University offers. The core curriculum of most living-learning programs is too narrow to allow students to broaden their academic range. It is important that students have the ability to explore many different options while at the University; increasing the number of living-learning communities would close important options to many students who have not yet decided on a specific course of study. In addition to the restrictiveness of the living-learning communities, many of the existing programs are having difficulty retaining students. Many, like the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program or the Women in Science and Engineering program have problems that need to be solved. The University should concentrate on fixing the existing living- learning system before expanding it. The communities need time to develop. For instance, the Residential College, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, is a successful living-learning community because it is well established and offers students a wide range of academic options. But the more recently established communities have many social and logis- tical flaws; increasing the number of pro- grams would'be helpful to no one. Living-learning communities restrict students to a particular academic curricu- lum and a particular social group when taking advantage of diverse options should be a vital part of University life. Although some students may enjoy the living-learning environment, increasing the number of programs despite the fact that the system is flawed will only create more problems. More living-learning communities does not mean more options for students. Patience Organ donations should For patients facing the painful wait for organ transplants, a recent decision by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala may offer new hope. Last Thursday, the Clinton adminis- tration ordered the private network that distributes organs nationwide to be revamped. The move's intent is to prevent distribution problems that crop up due to the demand and supply of different organs in various regions. While the new system would likely benefit thousands of patients across the country, the administration should let the medical community guide the new distribution mechanism's devel- opment. Under the present method of organ dis- tribution, the United States is divided into 63 local areas. Organs are first made available to patients within the area in which they are donated. If there. is no need for the organ in that area, it is then made available to anyone within the area's region - of which there are 11 nationwide. Finally, if there is still no need for the organ, it is offered to patients at the national level. As a result of this mechanism, gross variances exist in the demand for organs in adjacent locations. For example, patients in San Francisco often wait two to three years for a much-needed trans- plant, but in nearby Sacramento, the wait- ing period can be as short as a few months. In addition, the system creates the. opportunity for an unfair economic- based advantage to ensue. Those who can afford to relocate when dire medical con- be distributed nationally graphic location as great a factor as health in determining whether or not a patient will have an equal chance to sur- vive - a serious problem that should be rectified. Part of the plan is that the organization that manages the current network - the nonprofit United Network for Organ Sharing - will develop the new system. But Shalala has ultimate veto power over the implementation of the new system. If, after the five months the organization has been given to create a new system, Shalala dislikes it, she holds the power to dissap- prove it - negating all of the network's efforts. Politics should not play such a large role in guiding medical policy - the gov- ernment should accept the suggestions of the network and the medical community and not pretend to be wholly knowledge- able when making such important deci- sions. The program's intent would also imple- ment a universal system to determine who has the greatest danger. Unlike the present system where individual hospitals rank patients' needs, this change would allow equally sick people on opposite ends of the country to have the same chance at getting a needed transplant. The number of patients waiting for donations in the United States is staggering. Under the current system, though, more than 10 people per day die because they cannot get the organ they need. The new system has the potential to ease some of the waiting and demand that plague patients in need of organ donations - the Department Editorial's mistakes weaken its worthy stance To THE DAILY: I was barely able to fin- ish reading the March 25 editorial "Well read" before I proceeded to vomit all over it. Seriously. Although I wholeheartedly agree that exposure to minority authors is important, it is unfortunate that this view was propounded in an arti- cle that can only be called a piece of editorial garbage. Ernest Hemingway, I'd like to point out, did not write "The Grapes of Wrath." John Steinbeck is the author. Not only does the editori- al author not seem to have read the works he or she is critiquing, but he or she apparently seems to have trouble constructing a gram- matically correct sentence ("But many student face quite a different life."). I would also like to object to the Daily's presumption that only students from inner cities will "have a hard time relating" to the protagonists of novels like "A Farewell to Arms." I find it difficult to relate to an impotent, alco- holic newspaperman and a war veteran. Further, what does it mean to relate to a text anyway? In my experi- ence, all it takes to read a novel, poem or play is an active imagination and intel- lectual curiosity, and I'm sure the Daily would not deny that these attributes transcend racial, cultural and economic boundaries. If a student cannot write complete sentences, or does- n't know Ernest Hemingway from John Steinbeck, he or she is certainly not, in my opinion, "well read" and should spend more time actu- ally reading works of litera- ture instead of worrying about the canonicity of minorityauthors whose posi- tions in the literary canon are by and large relatively secure in the first place. JOHN LEFFEL LSA SOPHOMORE Hockey fans' taunting is 'an art form' TO THE DAILY: I'd li ke to respond to Carrie Lewis's letter ("Hockey fans' behavior was horrible," 3/24/98) by saying that while I appreci- ate the fact that she has a right to her own opinion, I fans. It's become a tradition, not unlike what the media refers to as the "Cameron Crazies" of Duke basketball fame. No one dares to attack them for making lewd comments toward opposing teams, but instead, they are alluded to as some of the most passionate fans in their field. Yost fans are no different. They have sim- ply raised taunting to an art form, something that all students can choose to par- ticipate in like a well-orga- nized support for the Wolverine icers. My response to you Lewis is: How dare you question the manner in which fans support the University. Michigan hock- ey fans may never win any congeniality awards, but by the same token, ask any member of the hockey team, and they'll tell you that there is no better advantage than that which comes from playing at "the Barn" with the raucous support of fans. So before youkgoattacking the fans who make Yost great, remember that all sports have their good and bad sides, and both sides of the coin should be accepted if the game is to be appreci- ated. CRAIG BARKER LSA SOPHOMORE Inalienable rights belong to everyone TO THE DAILY: Well it seems thatonce again the students at the University cannot see beyond their own narrow- minded concerns. I speak in reference to Erika Alea and Julie Wellnitz's letter, "Sex offenders do not deserve a second chance" (3/19/98), in which the authors fail to consider the consequences of their opinions. Their basic opinion is that if an individual is convicted of sexual assault, time served should not be the end of their punishment. They fur- ther state that all sex offenders should be branded for life, and most horribly, they state that "sex offend- ers don't deserve the basic human rights we believe in here in the United States." I will state categorically that I agree that sexual assault is a heinous crime. But one cannot go around removing peoples' rights. Our society is based upon every individual possessing certain inalienable rights. If a prece- dent of creating exceptions to these rights is established, then the next thing that hap- until the one saying it is one of those few. Then again, no one read- ing this will be one of those few, right? DAVID HUDYMA ENGINEERING SENIOR Insensitive' speech still deserves protection TO THE DAILY: I am writing in light of a disturbing article I read in the March 25 Daily ("Candidate accused of racism"). I am disturbed not so much by Dale Winling's dis- tasteful, immature and illog- ical campaign poster, but instead by what may turn into an appalling case of suppression of the most basic of First Amendment rights. There was no threat expressed or implied in Winling's political state- ments. So while Winling appears insensitive to the point of being undeniably offensive to many, his con- duct falls plainly in the bor- ders of constitutional protec- tion. "Insensitive" is a charac- terization that cansbe at times applied to people across every racial, ethnic, political, sexually oriented ad reli- gious spectrum that one cares to examine. Unquestionably, being offensive is protected conduct in the United States. Obviously, many students quoted in the article are legit- imately upset, but to answer their calls for official sanc- tioning is opening the doors to divisive "witch hunters" while it simultaneously gags everyone. If the University seeks to engage in the crimi- nal or quasi-criminal prose- cution of behavior such as Winling's, I think the ene- mies of equality and progress have already won. The notion of free speech for all is a bitter pill to swal- low, but nobody said justice comes easily. The University should not turn down the path of suppression of expression. STEPHEN HIPKISS UNIVERSITY ALUMNUS Pi's decimal approximation was wrong TO THE DAILY: The March 13 Daily included an article, "Math enthusiasts to celebrate Pi Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right I had not been a columnist for more than two weeks when I received this letter, about which column I can't even remember: "James, after reading a cou-. ple of your columns, allow me make a suggestion: stay in academia. Your opin- ions are the worse v=______ type of socialist tripe, palatable only to lowest common denominator (which, unfortu- nately, is typically found at universi- ties.) Gotta go. God bless and all that."a Since then, this JAMES letter has remained MILLER my benchmarkafor t., civility and tact. ON TAP The rest have been worse. Join me, on a tour of the best of my hate mail. (Note that errors in spelling grammar, punctuation, logic and manners are theirs, not mine. Enjoy.) Most of the letters I get are of the fol- lowing variety: "I read your article think- ing it was going to be a funny piece on crisping. Instead I became more and more offended as you blatently stereotyped sev- eral groups. You mentioned that you wrote it with the risk of perpetuating a few stereotypes and incurringehate e-mail - well doesn't that alone tell you that it shouldn't be written. I am sick and tired of opening up the Daily and reading idiotic articles and letters!" "wThis University should be a place where anyone can break stereotypes. Everyone should be able to do what they want without being lumped into a group. Your article has insulted the intelligence, interests and life plans of whole groups of people. Even worse, it has publicaly contributed to the very. thing that keeps this campus segregated: - asinine stereotypes! I am all for free- dom of the press, but please considr how what you write affects others. The pen is a powerful tool - why don't yop use that power to help make this University a better place for all." Translation: "Boo hoo. You made fun of someone or something that I like. I think college should be like a great big expensive summer camp for the emo- tionally fragile. You should use your tiny column in a college newspaper to make everyone join hands and sing Whoops! Time for my thorazine!" These next gem was in the same let- ter, in response to a column with a few good-natured jabs at the School of Natural Resources: "While I found your column today funny, I also found it about as dangerous and insidious as the Nazi propaganda machine. Not to boast or anything, buttI have a professionally measured IQ of 162. (Yes, I can prove it)" Bet the dames come a-runnin. This next letter was written by an Ohio State student who stumbled onto my piece about pornographic scree savers, while surfing the 'Net for the real thing. Vintage Buckeye wit: "You bitch ass mother fucker, I came. to this site to find some sweet screen savers, not the bull shit you had to write which no one in the world gives a fuck about" Few columns triggered as much sav.l age e-mail as the "anti-techno" article.: It was predictable, lots of cheerleading for the "really cool, underground British DJs." You know, the geniuses. This next: letter speaks for all of them better than'I ever could. Never has so little been said so badly: "You call techno soulless, and yet have no problem listening to the pure crap that is Led Zeppelin. Techno mus e has a lot of soul and feeling: artists like Tricky and Portishead have songs which can wrench your gut with the power of human feeling contained within them. The only part of me that moves to a Zep song is my legs, getting out of the room. Believe me, the expieramental spirit of Bird and Hendrix is much more present in techno than it ever was in the bloated and shitty arena rock of Led Zeppelin. Hopefully, by millenium's end we will end the forgetting process spawned by punk and I will never have to here the derivative and crappy "Stairway to Heax en" again." This next young lady is apparently the Oscar Wilde of Long Island. Observe how she eloquently defends the fatherland: "I invite you to come to New York se that a whole bunch of us "spoiled brats"_ can kick the shit out of your fat ass, you hick. That article was a disgrace to what. I used to think was a reputable paper' Find something else to bitch about other than New Yorkers, like your fucking boring life as a hick in the Midwest. shithead."