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 Althou pleased th the Michi Assembly related to ed to clar mation. T $168,000 Budget Pr Committe there is $ for comni jects fron Service B tional fun monies th but were: dent orga continuet dent orga them clain Applicati are due S can be pic Michigan 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 '