4A - The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 11, 1998

U ie irbigatn ~ThIg

420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed by
. students at the
University of Michigan

d;

LAURIE MAYK
Editor in Chief
JACK SCHILLACI
Editorial Page Editor

'There is no basis for impeachment.'
- President Bill Clinton's private attorney, David E. Kendall,
in response to independent prosecutor Kenneth Starr s report,
which the US. House of Representatives received Wednesday
KAAMRAN HAFEEZ As '1T HAPPENS

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.
PROM THE DAILY
Getting better
lTD should broaden students' computing options

1M N1- p . m

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he first week of Fall term 1998 has
officially begun. Students now scram-
Ne through the online courseguide, weave
their way through the crowds of the Diag
;and wait in long lines to buy books. With
assignments and papers on students' minds,
:nany are quickly becoming dependent on
the services provided by the University's
iformation Technology Division. The has-
sles of setting up computers and mastering
the technological opportunities of the
University are among students first assign-
ments.
This year, ITD has responded to stu-
dents' desire for computer services more
appropriate for their needs. ITD has altered
its basic computer services package. As of
now, students will receive 400 pages of free
printing, 15 megabites of file system and e-
mail storage space and a 100 hours of in-
state dial-up access.
Although ITD is working to provide
technological opportunities to students, stu-
dents should be given more options. Each
student has different computing needs.
Some students do not own their own com-
puters and might prefer to allocate more of
their free ITD package to an increase in
printer use; others who rarely print from
one of the campus computing sites may
choose additional dial-up hours. Ultimately,
students should be offered more choices in
dealing with their computer needs.
Student involvement in current and

future ITD adjustments is essential. It is
important that students work to make sure
that their opinions are heard. From the suc-
cessful lobbying of ITD and the Office of
the Provost that took place this past winter
by a group of student, including members
of the Michigan Student Assembly's com-
munication committee, students are not
only involved in the ITD's decisions, but are
also are experiencing the benefits of the
new services package. ITD has shown its
willingness to adapt to the times and stu-
dents should continue to express their needs
to ITD and other divisions of the University.
Working to change ITD's policies
acknowledges the responsibility of the
University to allow all of its students access
to the vast resources of technology. As
Linda Green, a marketing manager for ITD,
expresses, "Technology is no longer an
option in the successful pursuit of education
- it is a way of life, which students and
faculty are demanding be available."
Students must continue their commit-
ment to technological options, the deci-
sion process and improving the quality of
their educational resources. ITD should
reopen students' options by allowing
them to dole out their resources as they
see fit. Further, the lobbying efforts
exerted by the students and the results it
produced set an excellent precedent of
which the rest of the University commu-
nity should take note.

MWlG D ER PERHAPSYOU MN'T BE ADMITTED TO THE COUEGE COMMUNITY,
SUT YOWPRE WELCOME TO RUN FOR OFFICE.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The waiting game
Board's decision is long overdue

I ast week, the National Labor Relations
Board finally settled a three-year strike
w ith a unanimous ruling that the Detroit
Free Press and The Detroit News violated
labor laws and failed to bargain in good
faith with their employees. The Board
found that the newspapers acted in bad faith
because they insisted that all raises be based
on merit without providing details as to how
the merit system would work and how much
money would be put into the raise pool.
This three-year-old strike has been a contin-
uing conflict between management and
labor - the papers hired replacement
employees in the meantime. The length of
the strike has exacerbated the problem of a
settlement between the interested parties.
The Board ordered the two newspapers to
rehire hundreds of reporters, drivers, press-
men and other workers and to give them
millions of dollars in back wages.
The Board ordered the newspapers to
reinstate the workers -within 21 days,
although an appeal may delay this action.
The ruling has wreaked havoc among the
strikers as well as the hundreds of
employees hired as permanent replace-
ment workers.
It is time for the newspapers to restore
their fragile relationship with their labor
force. Disputing claims of how many work-
ers actually struck and should be rehired,
how much back pay is owed by the compa-
nies, and appealing the board's order to
reinstate the workers will not hasten this
already lengthy process.
Both the unions and the newspapers
were hurt during the strike. During the
2,500-person walkout, the newspapers kept
operating with permanent replacement
workers, and they lost more than $100 mil-

lion and saw their combined circulation
plunge 300,000 at the beginning of the
strike. At a rally in Detroit last week, the
workers said the ruling was great news for
them. For those workers who are awaiting
reinstatement, the Board's verdict and inter-
vention was late, but appreciated. Many
other workers who left in the summer of
1995 moved on in their lives when they saw
their jobs being replaced and the division
between the two sides persisting without
government intervention. These workers are
the real casualties and losers of this dispute.
While the Board's decision favors the
workers, their three-year delay in settling
this matter has adversely affected many
lives. Workers who found jobs elsewhere
are eligible to return and are entitled to
back pay amounting to their lost salary
minus whatever pay they received in other
jobs in the interim. Giving a person their
job back is easy; giving a person their for-
mer life back is not. The decision of the
ruling did not make these people casual-
ties, but the length of time it took to reach
the decision did. This book is not finished,
though - the last chapter has yet to be
written. The newspapers state they will not
lay off any replacement workers to make
way for the strikers. Mark Silverman, pub-
lisher of The Detroit News, said the news-
papers are planning to appeal the decision.
It looks like this lengthy standoff will con-
tinue to go on hurting many more people.
It is clear that a more rapid intervention
and settlement process by the Board is
essential if future management-labor dis-
putes are to be decided in a time frame that
can actually benefit people's lives - not
force them to break with the past and find
a new future.

An open letter
to Tom Goss
To THE DAILY:
For years, the glitter of
Las Vegas and the Great Wall
of China used to be the only
two human creations on
Earth visible from the moon.
The Athletic Department .
added a third one: the reno-
vated Michigan Stadium.
I don't want to be an astro-
naut anymore. The horrid
vision of this cheesy and arro-
gant yellow and blue crown
over the home of the
Wolverines already made me
sick when I drove back to
school a few days ago, so I
bet it would be worse to watch
this memorable failure from
space. I am not talking about
the addition of new seats and
giant videoboards, (this was
an excellent idea) but of these
cheap colors (is this what you
call "maize?") and pompous
letters ("Conquering heroes")
that easily top Frieze building
in the contest for the ugliest
architectural mistake on cam-
pus.
The decision to transform
our venerable and authentic
college stadium into a bright-
NFL plastic-like arena is sad
because it is the indirect cnse-
quence of the wonderful 1997-
1998 football season. It is sad
to think that if the Wolverines
hadn't be so great last year, we
wouldn't have been gratified
with such terrible demonstra-
tion of bad taste.
So what can be done in
the few hours remaining
before the first game of the
year? Give us back our centu-
ry-old stadium!
Paint it back! Paint it
back, Athletic Director Tom
Goss! For every jeweler
knows that to fully appreciate
diamonds, you need to wrap
them up in a simple case.
JEROME BAME
LSA SOPHOMORE
Schillaci did
not give task
force enough
credit
To THE DAILY:
I would like to respond to
Jack Schillaci's article,
"Student regent is plausible
- if modified" (9/8/98).
Although I appreciate the
publicity Schillaci was able
to give to the student regent
issue, I do not believe he
gives those who have worked
hard in this effort the credit
they are due. He asserts that
members of the Student
Regent Task Force "...
haven't tried to build coali-
tions with other state univer-
sities' student governments to
lobby for a legislature-
ordered referendum... ' On
the contrary, since student
regent efforts were rejoined
in earnest 2 1/2 years ago,.

joined by student govern-
ments statewide, with stu-
dents from as far away as
Michigan Technical
University taking part in
some of the discussions.
What is more, legislation is
currently pending that would
allow the citizens of
Michigan to vote on the stu-
dent regent issue without a
referendum. Unfortunately,
because of legislative and
gubernatorial opposition, this
legislation likely will not
even be voted on, much less
pass. Hence, the SRTF's
attempt at a state-wide refer-
endum.
If any students have ques-
tions about the Student
Regent Task Force or its
efforts, they should feel free
to contact the co-chairs,
Bram Elias and Andrew
Wright, myself or any other
Michigan Student Assembly
member.
ERIN CAREY
LSA SENIOR
MSA REPRESENTATIVE
Engler has
created jobs
in Michigan
TO THE DAILY:
I am amazed to see that
the gubernatorial debate con-
tinues to focus on the person-
alities of the two candidates
running for governor rather
than their respective accom-
plishments and qualifica-
tions. When you look at what
is really important to the stu-
dents of our state, the choice
is clear. Since April of 1991,
total employment in
Michigan has increased by
713,000 jobs. Over the same
period, unemployment has
plummeted from 9.9 percent
to the current rate of 3.5 per-
cent.
There are some people
who would claim that
President Clinton is responsi-
ble for the great economy we
currently enjoy in Michigan.
The fact is, from 1994
through 1997, unemployment
in Michigan has been below
the national average. Prior to
this period, the last time
unemployment was below the
national average was in 1966
- 32 years ago! For 26
years, from 1967 to 1993,
Michigan's annual unemploy-
ment rate was never once
below the national rate. For
15 years in a row, 1978 to
1993, Michigan's monthly
unemployment never fell
below the national average -
not for one month. Starting in
1995 and continuing through
1998, Michigan unemploy-
ment has been below the
national average 37 months
in a row! Those are accom-
plishments!
For those people who say
that the jobs Gov. John
Engler created are low pay-
ing, consider that the per
capita income in Michigan

agree with his primary oppo-
nents on most of the issues,
they certainly did not deserve
his personal attacks.
I hope that readers -
Democrat, Republican, or
Independent - will join me
in voting for Engler. He is
busy creating the jobs that we
will need when we graduate.
Fieger is busy creating the
insults he needed in order to
win the nomination.
JOHN Yo
LSA SENIOR
Commentary
article was
hypocritical
TO THE DAILY:
I was reading the commen-
tary by Peter Romer-Friedman
in the Daily on Tuesday
("Affirmative action vital to
'U' welfare") when I felt the
need to write this letter. I
found it disturbing that the
Daily will allow its staff writ-
ers to attack others for what
they themselves are guilty of.
Let us review the article.
In attacking state Sen. David
Jaye (R-Macomb), a favorite
pastime of the Daily, Romer-
Friedman asks, "has (Jaye)
stopped to think about how
minorities feel when he tells
them that they don't belong
at the University of
Michigan, that they only got
in under the guise of 'racial
preferences?' Probably not'
This is a valid criticism of
the senator, but one from
which Romer-Friedman
failed to escape. Let us now
review the opening paragraph
of that same article: "Imagine
a University where everyone
looks exactly alike. No peo-
ple of color - a homoge-
neous body of students who
have little to exchange about
different cultures through
peer contact. If anti-affima-
tive action advocates have
their way, this is precisely
what the University of
Michigan could become'
Unless I am mistaken,
Romer-Friedman has just
implied that all students of
color at our University were
admitted solely because of
the University's affirmative
action policy.
DAVID BURDEN
ENGINEERING SENIOR
Graphic was
inaccurate
To THE DAILY:
The graphic for the article
"'U' drops 2 places in rank-
ings" (9/9/98) contained an
understandable error. This
year's rankings have a new
methodology which has
resulted in more ties; for
example, my alma mater, Yale,
tied with both Harvard and
Princeton in the first position.

M' Stadium
renovations defy "
memories o
games past
"If you ever go to Ann Arbor on a
Friday night, around 8:30 or nine
o 'clock, go walk inside the .stadium.
Stand. Stare. It sinks in your head It
really does."0
- ABC college football analyst Keith
Jackson, asked about his favorite col-
lege football venues in GQ magazine
O n the eve of the first home football
game, think about which Michigan
football memo-
ries have sunk in
your head. Think
about football
weather, tailgat-\
ing. watching the
Ohio State victo-
ry last year
scrunched closer
to your friends
than ever before.
Think about how MEGAN
the Michigan tra- SCHIMPF
dition grabs hold PIz a T .z*s
and refuses to let
go, forever. Think about the sheer ener-
gy of more than 100,000 people wear
ing maize and blue.
Beware traveling bleary-eyed to the
game tomorrow. You won't know what
to think.
Welcome to the new Michigan athlet-
ic department: bold, brash and bright.
Welcome to the new Michigan Stadium,
redesigned for a new era. This Michigan
Stadium, once known as the largest col-
lege football stadium in the country, was
out-seated by Tennessee a few years
ago. To right that wrong - or officially
to provide tickets for all students who
want them - the Athletic Department
began renovations after last season.
While this "new" stadium is most
likely the only building in the world
with the word "VALIANT" tattooed on
its halo in big letters, we should wonder
why the football team now plays in
something that resembles an amuse-
ment park, something that seems more
likely to have been built by Nike thanbA
Fritz Crisler or Fielding Yost or Bo
Schembechler.
It is a garish embarrassment to a rich
tradition that does not need the onstant
reassurance of big letters and bigvideo
screens. This is a tradition that Can be
truly great while still being reserved,
proud without being braggardly.
The "new" stadium shows none oftthe
humble greatness we previously sought.
None of the magic, none of the mys-
tique.
Instead, it is a tribute to the brashness
and showboating that now permeate
athletics, thet look-at-me neon flash that
blinds the older, strong hero who never
needed "HEROES" on yellow alu-
minum to be successful. It screams,
"We're back - the biggest and bad-
dest!" without answering why sadium
appearance and size matter. Does writ-
ing "BEST" on the wall make it com
true? Champions are not crafted b
walking under letters. The Rose Bowl
does not read "GRANDDADDY"
My sentimentality follows a summer
of games at Camden Yards watching Cal
Ripken hit home runs. Magic happens
there, night after night. And yet Ripken,
one of his sport's best ever, is not the
flashiest player. He simply plays well
every day.
Ironically, across the harbor from
Oriole Park is a new restaurant, ESPN
SportsZone, that celebrates the ne*

type of sport, that of the swaggerers and
boasters. Television screens flash hip-
hop highlight reels. The paradox is
telling.
Returning to Ann Arbor, we find
nothing of our home these last few falls,
nothing we've come to expect during
years of attending games in Michigan
Stadium. It is as if someone decided to
compensate for the lack of noise insid
the stadium by creating walls that
scream. History is now relegated to
spliced highlights during time outs.
Welcome to androstenedione athlet-
ics, easily elbowing out yesterday's
humble heroes.
Athletic Director Tom Goss is excited
about the additional space to move
around and the additional bathrooms
(sure, but add 6,000 or so people and
it'll feel just as crowded). He is excited
about the technological leaps.
Perhaps Goss should have met witok
Kevin Sedatole, director of the
Michigan Marching Band. The band is
celebrating its 100th year and the
100th anniversary of "The Victors"
this year, despite the terrible burden
of a building still entirely made of
brick. Yet instead of jazzing p the
fight song with guitar riffs or writing
a rap version, Sedatole and the band
pay tribute by continuing to perfe4
the same version that has been played
since 1898.
The legacy of those athletes and fans
who built the tradition - and-whose
names now encircle the stadium on
bricks under a strange temple-like struc-
ture near Crisler Arena - also never

NANCY CANTOR
UNIVERSITY PROVOST
3074 FLEMING
ANN ARBOR, MI 48109-1340
(734) 764-9292
E-MAIL: NECANTOR@UMICH.EDU