4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, December 2, 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
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
Academic honor
Students would fare better with a universal code
'The university's dragging their feet
and the undergraduates are paying.'
- Liz Geyer, external vice president for UCLA s under-graduate student
government, discussing the Graduate Student Instructor strikes in California
DAVID MENDGJ ANKOWSKI'S WORLD
\it
T E
Fii w
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
A fter years of having a code of non-
academic student conduct, the
University may soon consider another
type of code. But unlike the current Code
of Student Conduct, the new one would
deal with the academic side of this acad-
emic institution. Led by Engineering
junior Patrick Guffey, many students are
moving toward setting a Universitywide
honor code for student academic conduct.
This new code is much more appropri-
ate for the University than the code that
currently exists. While it is questionable
what role the University should play in
conduct outside of class, ensuring acade-
mic integrity should be a major responsi-
bility of any higher education institution.
Rather than defining how students should
act outside of class, the new code would
focus on conduct in the classroom. Its
basic goal would be to curb cheating and
put all students under the same guidelines
for academic behavior.
At the moment, most schools and col-
leges at the University already have some
sort of academic code in place. Of these
policies, the College of Engineering's has
had the greatest influence on what will
hopefully soon be the campuswide code
of academic conduct. For years,
Engineering students have been held
responsible for cheating and other issues
of academic integrity by their peers. It is
upon this concept that the new policy will
be adapted for all University students.
Until this code is in effect, students
across campus face completely different
systems of justice for breaking rules of
conduct inside classes. For example,
while Engineering professors can rely on
their students to report misconduct, LSA's
academic standards policy holds students
to no such standard - laying the problem
of detection in professors' laps. A univer-
sal honor code would alleviate this diffi-
culty by putting all University students
under the same academic policy.
Many universities across the country
have campuswide codes of academic
honor conduct, including Michigan State
University. It is only fitting that the same
is done here, at one the nation's premier
state universities. To the rest of the
nation, a uniform academic code would
stress the University's belief in integrity
while providing a fair community of
learning.
The point of this new honor code
should not be to replace those already in
existence, but provide a set of standards
to which students in all academic units
must meet. With a widely known school
policy such as this, students who plan on
cheating would do so knowing the conse-
quences no matter which department they
are taking classes in.
The goal of the new policy should not
be to simply set more rules, but to show
the student body that their academic con-
duct reflects on their peers. As the con-
duct of every student reflects on the
University as a whole, regardless of their
particular program, the University should
make sure that these values are universal.
While it's questionable whether or not an
academic institution may influence stu-
dent behavior outside of the classroom,
certainly their conduct within the class-
room is very much withing
University's purview.
the
Degrees of diversity
Universities should encourage studies in culture
W ith the death of former Alabama
Gov. George Wallace, one powerful
lingering memory of racism in the South
has left. And as Wallace replaced his segre-
gated agenda with a strong stance on equal-
ity late in life, so is the University of
Alabama at Birmingham taking great
strides to erase the image of Wallace block-
ing the entrance of two black students into
its sister institution, the University of
Alabama's Tuscaloosa campus. A major
milestone on this journey to racial harmony
will be passed next year when Alabama-
Birmingham becomes one of only a few
Southern schools to offer an undergraduate
degree in African American Studies.
Offering a degree in African American
Studies is a long-overdue step. By creating
such a major, Alabama-Birmingham is
helping to lead southern universities
toward a more diversified curriculum.
Many southern universities lag behind
their northern counterparts with regard to
African American Studies, and Alabama's
push to remedy this deficiency is to be
commended. Other colleges and universi-
ties, particularly but not exclusively in the
South, should follow the lead set by
Alabama-Birmingham and its predeces-
sors and offer the option of an African
American Studies degree to its students.
Programs like African American
Studies, Women's Studies, Asian Studies
and others are extremely important in rec-
ognizing and spreading awareness about the
richness an individual culture has to offer,
and should be encouraged nationwide. In a
society continually pushing toward racial
harmony, it is a sign of discord when one
region of the nation is conspicuously lack-
ing the same diversity of curriculum that is
widespread elsewhere. Alabama-
African American Studies degree program
implemented demonstrates the unfortunate
difficulty of the battle. This struggle should
continue nationwide in order to aid the
stopping of the racial divide. Education is
key to understanding and acceptance; offer-
ing a degree in African American Studies is
a powerful motion towards increasing both
education and acceptance.
But the number of schools offering of
these majors should not stop here, such pro-
grams must spread in order to solidify and
validate African American Studies and sim-
ilar types of degrees. Newer majors such as
African American Studies and Women's
Studies can be limiting to graduates
because of the initial rarity of such pro-
grams, especially in graduate programs.
But as programs are built nationwide and
the uphill battle for inclusion among tradi-
tional majors is waged, degrees in African
American Studies, Women's Studies and
others become increasingly valuable. Only
by an increasing amount of interest and
development can the battle be won; colleges
and universities should recognize the expo-
nential increase of interest in African
American Studies and respond accordingly.
Racial division has plagued the nation
for long enough. Through education, col-
leges and universities can aid in the future
elimination of this social disease. Schools
across the country and particularly in the
South should follow the example of the
University of Alabama at Birmingham and
its predecessors and encourage diversity in
all forms, including the implementation of
African American Studies programs and
degrees. For when the University of
Alabama can overcome the stigma of
George Wallace blocking the schoolhouse
door, there is no reason the rest of the
MSA elections
should be
about issues
TO THE DAILY:
I won't be eloquent in my
disdain for the outcome of
the Michigan Student
Assembly election.
As a senior at the
University I have been wit-
ness to the tactics of many
MSA elections, and in every
one of these elections I have
witnessed students waste
their votes on candidates
whose popularity has come
solely out of their marketing
capabilities. Instead of voting
on issues, it seems that many
students onthis campus vote
on the pictures on the walls
of Mason Hall. Instead of
voting to make a difference it
appears that once again,
many votes were determined
by 4 x 10 glossies and car-
toons. If we all say that we
are intelligent voters, why do
we seem to be so in awe of
baby pictures and clever slo-
gans.
If all that it takes to get a
seat on MSA is a few car-
toons (especially the posters
this year, which makes me
wonder if the candidate had
the permission to reproduce,
distribute or even a cursory
head nod by the artist to use
his work for a campaign, if
they are not the candidate's
own creations), then next
year I'll cut out my favorite
serial and soar to the top of
campus politics. In any event,
students on this campus need
to think more about who
they're voting for and less
about the "pretty 'lil pic-
tures" on the wall. That's it,
I'm done.
MICHAEL BLAIR
LSA SENIOR
Affirmative
action needs
'some true
discourse'
TO THE DAILY:
I recently received a pam-
phlet establishing the plat-
form of the Defend
Affirmative Action Party
under my door. I am appre-
ciative because now I have a
clear understanding of the
beliefs that party professes
and the party's plans to
implement them. In the pam-
phlet it lays out a group of
"Myths" and "Facts" regard-
ing affirmative action relate
issues.
It claims as a myth that
SAT scores are synonymous
with merit. This fact, accord-
ing to the DAAP, is that the
test is designed to test gener-
al academic success, not apti-
tude. How ridiculous is it to
judge admission to college on
academic success.
the student body that could
(and should) have gone to
more qualified applicants.
The third and final myth
is that affirmative action
hurts Asian Americans. The
fact (described in the pam-
phlet) is that even though
Asians are cheated out of
financialaid and are harmed
by unfair admission policies,
it's alright because "affirma-
tive action has helped inte-
grate this society and has
undercut the influences of
racist and sexist discrimina-
tion." I'm sure that is really
very comforting to the Asian
American student paying a
full out-of-state tuition or the
one attending Michigan State
University because academi-
cally less-qualified person
filled their slot.
Wake up guys, you can
only appeal to the vocal
minority for so long before
the vast majority of students
realize that we should have a
say in campus politics. It is
only a matter of time before
the vast majority decide to
actually vote because they
are sick and tired of having
the campus run by whoever
speaks the loudest. Just wait
until you have counter-
protests at your days of
action -1 personally can't
wait, because it is time for
some true discourse on the
issue.
RONALD PAPKE
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
School of the
Americas
encourages
violence
To THE DAILY:
More that 100 people from
the Ann Arbor community,
including more than 25 stu-
dents, joined 7,000 people at
Fort Benning, Ga., the week-
end of Nov 20 to protest the
U.S. Army School of the
Americas. Greg Hillson's letter
to the Daily ("School of
Americas is beneficial to Latin
America," 11/19/98) defending
the School indicates either his
naivete about this issue or the
unreliability of his sources. He
states: "(T)he School is recog-
nized as having developed the
foremost human rights training
program available at any mili-
tary training institution in the
world." But the human rights
courses at the School are
known to be merely a weak
concession to its critics. It is
interesting to note that in 1997,
only 13 students took the
course on "Democratic
Sustainment," compared with
118 who took "Military
Intelligence." Former School
of the Americas human rights
instructor Charles Call has
reported that human rights
training is not taken seriously
at the school and human rights
training makes up an insignifi-
cant amount of students' over-
by a U.S. court. Or perhaps
Hillson is referring to the ten
heads of state (including
Manuel Noriega) who graduat-
ed from the school, none of
whom was democratically
elected in his own country.
Maybe he means those
responsible for the murder of
approximately 900 men,
women and children in the El
Mozote massacre in El
Salvador. Hillson is correct,
however, that the "School of
the Americas is an invaluable
tool that allows the United
States to maintain a presence
in important regions of the
world." Our training of mili-
taries in Latin America assures
the repression of workers,
peasants and church people in
order to ensure low wages,
cheap natural resources and
easy access for U.S. corpora-
tions. Sorry Hillson, but there
is a better way to "affect a(n)
understanding of human rights
and democracy" than the U.S.
Army School of the Americas.
JOEL HEERES
LSA SENIOR
Daily ignored
Speak Out
To THE DAILY:
In the past, the Daily has
let me down, but Nov. 24 is a
phenomenal low.
On Nov. 24, thousands of
University students had their
worst fear completely ignored
by the medium we use most.
On Nov. 20, two campus orga-
nizations, QWER (Quiet
Women End Reform) and
Ahava (Jewish LGBTQ and
friends), held the Hate Crime
Speak Out in the Diag to sup-
port all people who have expe-
rienced hate crimes. The Daily
was there. The Daily sent a
photographer and a reporter.
But I was disappointed when
the Nov. 23 issue contained no
article and no photographs.
Now I am appalled because
the Nov 24 issue also failed to
give mention to the event.
The Speak Out was
arranged because hate crimes
are virtually ignored, despite
the fact that they are increasing
in number. The brutal shooting
last month on Oct. 28 of a
black drag queen, Leonard
"Lynn" Vines, was the catalyst
for the Speak Out. News of
this crime traveled to the
University by word of mouth,
not via the media, as in the
case of Matthew Shepard.
Vines was shot six times in
Baltimore by teenagers shout-
ing anti-gay epithets. Luckily,
he is alive today.
As a prominent medium in
the University community, I
request that the Daily not
ignore hate crimes. Articles
surrounding Matthew
Shepard's death were conve-
nient - Leonard "Lynn"
Vines's injury was not conve-
nient.
In the Nov.24 issue of the
Open letters:
poor organizatio
andfree-floating
hostility
T love the idea of the open letter. It's
1 probably because I have a lot of
pent-up anger. The open letter is such
an elegant way to say things.
Say you have a beef with a profes-
sor. You write him
a letter saying that
you think you
should have gotten ;
a better a grade on
your last paper and
that he's a total
butthead. He'll
read it, over
cognac and cigars
in his office, show
it to his col- AMES
leagues, and then ILLER
give it to a grad M1kR
student to burn in ON TP
the basement of
the LSA building.
But if you are in a position to get an
open letter published (you are, for
example, a semi-talented hatchet artist
for a midwestern college newspape~
it's better. Lots of people read it, but
can hide behind that fact that the letter
really isn't "to" your victim. It's about
him and everybody gets to read it.
An open letter to the Graduate
Employees Organization:
Dear GSIs,
This might not be your fault. I think
they tell you these things in your
training process. But you seem to have
picked up a few habits that are putting
a great big damper on our educatioie.
We hate group work. Hate it. Loa
it. "All right, everyone number off
from I to 4" are the most dreaded
words in the undergrad lexicon, right
after "Get out a half sheet of paper
and put your books under your desk."
Group work puts your grade at the
mercy of three or four slack-jawed
lumps of unmotivated, undecided-
major meat. No one likes to figure out
a time to get together in the eveni
to work. No one likes trying to dec
if you're going to be the guy that does
all the work, or the guy who just takes
his chances with the humps in your
group. Stop it. Leave us alone.
To the wastes-of-oxygen in pea
coats that inhabit my LSA lectures:
Dear ladies,
Hey! What did you get for $14-
down?
Does that sound familiar? It shoud
because I can see you doing it. TI
are whole rows of you. Do you have to
take a class to be that rude and igno-
rant, or do you get practice berating
waiters in the finer Short Hills restau-
rants? I realize that class may be a ter-
rible imposition for you. I realize that
your daddy will spoon-feed you a job
to your large, hideous, brown-lip-
sticked mouth. There are, however,
some of us proletarians that need tlai
grades. Further, there are those ot
that think that if you're going to take a
class you should be quiet and pay
attention. Have a bit of respect for
your professor, shut your preppie
piehole, continue your conversation at
Touchdown's and put down the cross-
word puzzle!
To computing site users with lots of
leisure time:
Fellas,
It's possible that no one told
some of the things that happen on
side of the culture warp. There are a
few of us who still use the computer
for school work and personal commu-
nication. I know the PC makes a great
substitute for friends and success, and
I rarely begrudge a man his happiness.
In some cases, your marathon Ages of
Empire game may be interfering with
my paper printing or e-mail sending.
I would politely ask that if there
line like the one behind a Calct
ladies room that you take your thin-
beard-having, "Star Wars" trailer
downloading, Perry Drug's glasses-
wearing, Magic the Gathering ply-
ing, overweight, big, fat-ass back- to
the South Quad dungeon you crawled
out of and let the rest of us get on with
our business. You could shave,
squeeze whiteheads, listen to
Morphine or whatever else boils your
stew. Just let the humanoids get b
to work here, Scooter.
To the high school kids that hang
out in the South University and Drag
areas:
Dear young Gs,
Yo, Money! What's the dilly,
gangstaWestSideDogMastaKilla? You
keepin' it real?
No one cares, you infant. I'm not so
old that I don't realize that youth traf-
fics in shock value. However at L
we have English professors who hate
books and law students who think the
right of the accused to counsel. is
something Jesse Jackson made up to
end a speech.
Once you learn to read, this will
prove to be more shocking that your
A "t