4 - The Michigan Daily - Friday. Sentember 25. 1998
tE hen
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
LAURIE MAYK
Editor in Chief
NOTALE QUOTABLE
'I think it Is safe to assume the lower numbers are
because of the increased (ticket) prices.'
-Bruce Made, director of media relations Jbr the Athletic Department,
on this year's drop in the number of student season tickets sold
Edited and managed byJ2L
students at the JACK SCHILLACI
University of Michigan 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
On evel ground?
Religious holidays policy is insufficient
KAAMRAN HAFEEZ
As
' MidNn1NtM0 A LdYi
A fler 20 years, students pretty much
have their whole Christmas routine
down. They get up early, open a preliminary
present, get dolled up for church, hit the
family reunion lunch at their grandma's and
turn the living room floor into a pool of
wrapping paper. But one thing that they do
not worry about is getting back to school in
time to call a few friends for the homework
they missed.
To most students, school on Christmas
seems a little inappropriate. But then
again, to many University students, so
does holding classes on Rosh Hashanah,
Yom Kippur, Ramadan and numerous
other religious holidays. The simple fact
is that there are numerous religions prac-
ticed by members of the University com-
munity, and not everyone celebrates their
most important holidays in late December
or early April.
The University is known for its incredi-
bly diverse - both ethnically and reli-
giously - community. It attempts to treat
members from all backgrounds with
respect. But unless school is cancelled for
each of these important non-Christian hol-
idays, someone is going to have to miss
class - and that can be academically and
socially trying.
At present, the University does have a
policy in place that allows students to
miss class for religious purposes. But it a
long way from making missing class
comfortable and easy. As it stands, stu-
dents who plan to miss class in order to
observe one of their religious holidays
must notify their professors of the dttes
of absence as soon as possible.
Assignments missed are allowed to be
handed in late with no penalty and tests
can be made up at another time (unless it
will be an "unreasonable burden for the
faculty").
True, the policy makes it acceptable to
miss class. But as it is structured, a stu-
dent who misses class remains a subject
of their teacher's own policies. Some pro-
fessors count attendance as a part of the
course grade. If, for example, each
absence deducts a certain number of per-
centage from the total grade, a Jewish stu-
dent that observes the high holy days may
find him or herself in dire academic
straits, especially in courses that are grad-
ed on a curve. Some professors make an
adjustment by allowing a limited number
of absences per semester without conse-
quence. But what if after using these class
periods for religious reasons, the same
student later gets sick. So far, the best
answer to this situation has been to sim-
ply schedule a meeting with the professor
the day after the holiday.
There is no reason it should not be
easy to miss classes in order to observe a
religion. It is up to professors, students
and the administration to make it so. Up
until now, for all intents and purposes,
missing class for a religious holiday has
been treated no differently than a sick
day. Maybe the working world will not
account for every religion, but the
University's policies should be a model
for the outside world, not a model of it.
The University must continue that tradi-
tion and make students of every religion
capable of achieving their best.
YPcALLIs uFE
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Needed change
Blair's proposal would enhance global economy
Public is
being duped'
over Lewinsky
matter
TO THE DAILY:
It's about time the public
realized that they are being
duped. It's obvious that
Clinton is upset with the
invasion of his privacy.
Radical right-wingers
should be ashamed at their
obnoxious behavior The way
I see it Bill Clinton is a man,
first and foremost. He
messed up and he seems to
be truly sorry in one respect
or another. A man in his posi-
tion should be in better con-
trol of his hormones and
should be smart enough to
foresee a set-up. But readers
have to ask themselves, "why
would any woman (Monica
Lewinsy) want to keep a
semen-stained dress?"
Regardless, all citizens are
given the right to privacy by
law of our land.
Shouldn't we explain to
the media and conservative
republicans that this right
extends to our president? I
think it is obvious that the
radical right wingers have
devised this ploy to get the
American public as well as
the president distracted from
real issues such as health
care and education.
Moreover, they have wast-
ed millions of taxpayer dol-
lars to find out whether
Clinton got laid. As a person
who believes in God, I under-
standthat our nation expects
Clinton to be a moral exam-
ple. But I also understand
that our nation believes in
separation from church and
state.
In this particular instance
I believe that certain govern-
ment officials have gone too
far in investigating a "moral"
issue. We all make mistakes,
and Bill is no different. I say
forgive and forget. Let
Hillary handle Bill's indiscre-
tions. I'm sure this is not the
first time this has happened.
She does not need the whole
nation policing her marriage.
Bill is doing a decent job
with our nation, I say leave
him alone and let him work
in peace.
NATASHIA HILL
LSA SENIOR
town representative were
among those involved.
Had the Communications
Decency Act withstood judi-
cial review (which it did not),
posting the Starr report to the
Internet arguably would have
subjected the posters to fines
of $250,000 and five years in
prison.
If we were to impeach all
of the members of the House
of Representatives who were
hypocrites with the law (an
offense I find much more
reprehensible than lying
about one's sex life), then we
would have removed more
than 65 percent of the House.
WILLIAM NORTHWAY
UNIVERSITY STAFF
Williams
article was
sensitive
TO THE DAILY:
The Sept. 23 article by
Nikita Easley ("Family still
grieving loss of Williams")
was extremely well written
and sensitive. The death of
Tamara Williams is an impor-
tant anniversary to remember.
The problems of domestic
violence in our society
should not be forgotten, even
in this insular camnus corn-
A song for
the Spartans
TO THE DAILY:
Here is a little song for
this weekend's game that
harkens back to the days
when my father was student
here. (Sung to the tune of
"Home on the Range.")
O give me a school
Where the teachers play
pool.
And the cows roam the
campus all day.
Where seldom is heard
An intelligent word
And the ath-a-letes allget
high pay
Moo, Moo, MSU
That's the cow college for
you
Where a chimpanzee
Can get a degree
And the ath-a-letes allget
high pay.
I wonder who is guarding
Sparty now. Go Blue!
DAVID TAUB
LSA JUNIOR
M' hockey
ticket prices
have always
been high
Register to vote
and make your.e
opinion count in
November
F orget about the state of politics
today, however low it has fallen.
Think about the state of our govern-
ment, which was never supposed to
revolve around the people elected *
administer it. It
was supposed to
be a government
for the people,
who are now so.
disoriented that
it's impossible to
tell which way is ,
out.
The political
arena is the over-
whelming choice MEG
for humor and SCHIMPF
small talk right . C N
now, and the piti-
fully ironic thing is that the true politi-
cal arena -- the one that actually
involves governing - will have trouble
getting more than about half those same
people to care come Nov. 3.
That is the real travesty of modern
government.
The deadline to register for &
November elections is Saturday, Oct. 3.
Don't ignore it. Don't assume someone
else will vote the same way you would.
Don't be a sex-scandal skimmer. This is
a right we would fight to keep and rebel
bitterly if we lost - and yet too many
let it pass by.
Registering to vote is now easier
than ever. All first-year students
received voter registration cards with
their residence hall leases. Fgn]ijy
housing residents have been prov
forms. Between 1,500-2,000 addiTional
students registered during Welcome
Week. Voice Your Vote, a non-partisan
student organization that registered
about 6,500 students in 1996, is work-
ing with other campus groups to regis-
ter students living off-campus. Forms
are, as always, available at' the
Secretary of State's office and Ann
Arbor City Hall.*
I applaud those students who hal
taken the first step toward responsible
citizenship. For everyone else, register-
ing to vote is as simple as finding the
course guide, checking a sports score or
ordering from J. Crew.
Just point and clickat
http://www.netvote.mci.com.
The site, sponsored by MCI,s the
AARP and Rock the Vote, provides the
means to register for almost any state
with less information than you'll V
on your driver's license.
For those registered at home, surf to
http://wwwtmich.edu/~msa/ivote for
information on obtaining an absentee
ballot.
No more excuses. Sit in Angell Hall,
the Media Union or at home and clickto
register. Enough said.
But having the right to speak doesn't
mean you've opened your mouth. Po
is making choices in a month. Don't
that pass by, either.
November's ballot inclues
Michigan's governor, a proposal' to
legalize physician-assisted suicide, ian d
two seats on the University Board' of
Regents, among many other positio,$s
and proposals. I guarantee you at I
one - and probably more --wl
directly affect your life.
Sure, one person may not change an
election. Let's remind ourselves of
reasons to vote: People died to earn
right, people fought to expand tlIt
right, it's our duty and we are lucky
compared to other countries.
Beautiful., We remember high schtol
government. While these reasouisi re
absolutely true, they're apparent ynot
enough to propel us to the polls: So a
few more reasons:
In Michigan, governor's races can
swing based on voter turnout. GOV J
Engler was swept into office in 19.
largely based on high turnout in Detroit.
A challenger could upset, a compltaett
incumbent this year, too, if voters. stay
home. The stakes are too high this time.
And I would otherwise vote as a
Democrat.
E With the responsibility to vote comes
the right to complain. No one who stayed
home on Nov. 5, 1996, can justify com-
menting on the current state of White
House affairs. Citizenship is not just
when it's convenient or scintillating.W
The most important reason relates
to the principle of majority rule:- In a
democracy, those who speak the loudest
win, and those at home watching "South
Park" lose. And so groups like the
AARP and the NRA, who consider
election day a critical priority, are begird
loud and clear because 80 to 90 percent
vote in every election. People ages 18-
24 are a hot demographic for our cc
sumer habits, but only 20 percent tell
the federal government that they care.
The government is not only located in
Washington, D.C., and Lansing. It is
located in your tuition bill, if ydu
receive financial aid. It is located in
paychecks as Social Security taxes. Itis
located on campus in form of the
regents, who decide little things like the
Code and tuition increases.
We deserve the right to be heard by
people other than the producers
"Friends." Take the time: Register, rea
newspaper to educate yourself and votq.
Then go ahead and complain. Watgh
the videos, read the reports and make
jokes. Write letters, sign petitions,
attend rallies. Demand change.
You've earned it. People will listen.
- Megan Schimpf can be reached
over e-mail at mschimpf@umich.ed.
Thanks, R
While the thought of Congress
debating possible impeachment
proceedings takes precedence over most
other news, it is easy to forget about the
ailing economies in other nations
throughout the world. Luckily, British
Prime Minister Tony Blair has not been
sidelined by the Clinton fiasco. On
1Monday, Blair urged a revamping of the
way the world's financial institutions deal
with global economic turmoil. In particu-
lar, he called for an overhaul of
International Monetary Fund and World
Bank procedures. At a time when the
economies of Russia, Japan and other
Asian nations are in sharp decline, Blair's
proposal is a worthwhile endeavor.
In a board room at the New York Stock
Exchange, Blair spoke to 24 executives
and other officials, and according to the
New York Times, urged them to think big
-- claiming that "... we should not be
afraid to think radically and fundamental-
ly." The IMF and the World Bank are
institutions created during the Bretton
Woods conference 54 years ago. Their
procedures were developed in a world of
fixed exchange rates and capital controls,
at a time when capital flows were signif-
icantly smaller than today. But the inter-
lependent global economy that has done
nothing but grow within the last few
decades is in dire need of new rules and
regulations to help guide its develop-
ment.
International non-governmental orga-
nizations like the IMF and the World Bank
are needed and should be maintained. But
to be effective, new procedures should be
adopted. To date, the rescuing of Mexico's
financial crisis is one of very few success
stories involving these two organizations.
More recently, the IMF has agreed to loan
Russia billions of dollars to help stop
what could turn out to be a massive
depression. The value of the ruble already
fell sharply and the future of the govern-
ment is uncertain. Domestically, Russia is
next to helpless, and institutions like the
IMF need to use its resources to provide
some short-term liquidation, if not long-
term reforms.
But it is that exact theory of short-term
help that causes problems with some
nations throughout the world. First, the
leading contributor to the IMF is the
United States, creating an air of unilater-
al help rather than international coopera-
tion. Second, without serious considera-
tion of long-term reforms by failing
economies, the United States is growing
less ready to offer money to seemingly
unsuccessful organizations. Just last
week, members of Congress blocked a
move by President Clinton to increase
funding to the IMF.
Blair is currently the chairman of the
Group of Seven leading industrial nations
- the United States, Britain, France,
Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada - and
is considering calling a meeting of the
group's governmental leaders to push for
reforms. Blair's proposals call for greater
openness, transparency and improved
supervision and regulation of monetary
loans.
While these steps are necessary to cre-
ate an effective and successful internation-
al economic fund, reforms should not stop
there. When economies are failing, money
is not the only answer - reforms, both
economic and political, are also needed. If
the world is to begin a serious endeavor to
help ailing international economies,
money, but more importantly reform, is the
key to success.
munity. E
plary job
commend
thoughtfu
be the ext
reporters.
MSA
cont
inac4
TO THE D
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can be pic
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contact us
questions
cation.
B
COMI
TO THE DAILY:
of reminding a. I I am a recent graduate of
bet for her the University and I have
I coverage.rLet this always been extremely proud
ample for all Daily of Michigan's successful
sports tradition. I have
bragged extensively to people
JULIE HERRADA on the East Coast and in the
UNIVERSITY STAFF Ivy League about the superi-
ority of all of our sports
teams as well as the pride that
~ e every University student feels
k article in attending a school where
a . academics as well as athletics
a Ineu are respected across the
. 1nation. One thing I cannot
curacies brag about however, is the
exorbitant price U of M sets
)AILY: for season tickets. I always
ugh we were held season tickets for foot-
hat the details of ball and basketball, and even
iganStudent at those pnces four years ago,
gabudetr I could not afford hockey sea-
studentswwant- son tickets. Season tickets
ify some misinfor- were high enough when I was
ifysoe misifory a student, but it is ridiculous
'here is currently that a school with one of the
available from the biggestcathletic budgets
riorities would keep raising prices. It
te and additionally, is the students who make the
75,000 available noise level go up in the stadi-
unity service pro- um, it is the students who
the Community pack the stadium to record
oard. The addi- attendance, it is the students
ids are from who paint themselves maize
at were allocated and blue and scream out "The
not claimed by stu- Victors," itis the students
nizations. We will who hug strangers in the
to work with stu- stands when the Wolverines
nizations to help make a comeback, and itis
m their funds. the students who are paying
ons for either fund through the nose to do all of
eptember 30 and this. My friends and col-
cked up in 3909 leagues who attended other
Union. Please universities or colleges are
s if you have any astounded at Michigan's
about your appli- prices, (they often went to
games for free).
Admittedly, Michigan
HEIDI LUBIN might have a better record
MSA COMMUNITY over the years, but why
SERVICE CHAIR should students have to pay
SUMEET KARNIK the price of success?
3UDGET PRIORITIES S. VANDER WEIDE
MITTEE VICE-CHAIR INIVRSr ITYAl iMNIiR
U.S. House's
actions are
hypocritical
To THE DAILY:
I am writing to express
my disgust to find the names
of various members of
Congress on conflicting roll
call votes. In particular, the
passage of the Telecommu-
nications Reform Act, which
contained the
Communications Decency
Act, conflicted with the deci-
sion to publicize the initial
Starr report by posting it on
the Internet. Our local repre-
sentative, Lynn Rivers (D-
Ann Arbon-and nw home-
I
4
q ,y
yq
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