4A - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, September 8, 1998

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

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LAURIE MAYK
Editor in Chief
JACK SCHILLACI
Editorial Page Editor

'Charging is not the same as conviction, so
that's a harder issue. ... I would rather err on
the side of making sure our students are safe.'
-University Regent Phillip Power; on the administrations suspension
of Daniel Grange, who would have started classes today
A LOOK BACK M ATT W A*

Clinton ' trubles
tell S more about
ourselves than
they do about him
T hough allegations and rumors of
extramarital affairs and excessive
hanky-panky have followed President
Bill Clinton throughout his political
career, the problems before 1998 were
little more than pro-
logue to the scandal. .
that has ravished the
nation from top to
bottom since
January. After
"friend" Linda
Tripp announced h r

a

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

6

until when?

S,'TES6 PNt.JI!IkLS1KC REP1URES
KEEP KILLINGC CVC OTHER, ovE -T1115
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~~(S)foATS RIGHT

1

'U' should not block Granger's matriculation

1N15 RELIGIJON

MU)ST BE

O ne of the bedrocks of American soci-
ety lies in the assurance that all per-
sons accused of a crime have the right to
trial before they are punished. The recent
case of Daniel Granger - a Grosse Pointe
North High School graduate who intended
to attend the University this semester -
has dragged the administration into the
middle of the public spotlight where the
hypocrisy of its own administrative deci-
sions is open to scrutiny by all.
The problems started when a picture of
Granger - the president of his senior class
- with his genitals exposed appeared in
the 1997-98 yearbook. A school investiga-
tion resulted in allegations that Granger
and other students had enganged is sexual
acts with several other students. Granger
soon found himself charged with third-
degree criminal sexual conduct, or what
amounts to statutory rape because the girls
allegedly involved were under the age of
consent. On Aug. 27, Granger's problems
grew when he received a letter from Vice
President for Student Affairs Maureen
Hartford informing him that he had to
attend a hearing to discuss his future at the
University. Last Tuesday, Provost Nancy
Cantor sent him another letter, informing
him he would be suspended at least until
winter term, pending the findings of a
University investigation.
Despite the University's statement that
its actions are an "admissions review," the
entire predicament smacks of past prob-
lems engendered by the University's Code
of Student Conduct. The Code is a three-
page document that attempts to create a
shadow of a legal system over campus, at
the same time ignoring many of the rights
basic to citizens.
The administration's actions seriously
tbreaten some of the most basic building
blocks of the criminal justice system, not the

least of which is the belief that the accused
are innocent until they are proven guilty.
Granger has not plead guilty; no judge or
jury has ruled as to his guilt. The possible
threat to the University student body is
unclear, if existent at all. The administration
has thrown the presumption of innocence to
the wind for its convenience.
Further, by punishing Granger without
sufficient investigation or procedure, the
University has violated his right to due
process. The administration is casting an
aura of guilt on the 18-year-old without
giving him a chance to defend himself.
Even if the University's premises had
some meat to them, Granger's actions
would fall beyond the University's juris-
diction. First of all, it took place beyond
the confines of the University's campus.
The administration evidently feels that its
brand of justice should be omnipresent in
student lives - a proposition that is
patently foolish. Even if the University's
authority is accepted as extending beyond
campus boundaries, Granger allegedly
committed the act last winter - long
before he would have become a student -
thus putting the acts well beyond the scope
of the University.
The University should not attempt to
impose itself in lieu of the legal system. If
Granger's guilt can be proven, then he will
not be able to attend the University
because he likely will be in prison.
Hartford and Cantor's actions are a chal-
lenge to Granger's civil liberties - and a
serious threat to those of all students. If it
must delve into the matter, the University
should allow Granger to attend school dur-
ing the investigation. Supposition and pre-
mature reaction have supplanted the inves-
tigative processes that normally take place.
The University should recant its actions,
and let the legal system do its job.

} UR AO(- NI.

N.

- This cartoon originally ran in the Feb. 15, 1996 Daily
VIEWPOINT
Life scinces play m 1 importint role at the 'U'

Unfrindlysies
Northwest should acknowledge pilots' sacrifices'
t seems like only yesterday that high-pro- and they don't work more than 14 days a
file politicians were desperately calling month, Northwest executives argue? Pilots
for President Bill Clinton to end the United are skilled workers who hold hundreds of
Auto Workers strike through federal arbitra- lives in their hands every time they start up
tion. But now, amid the second largest strike the engine. Northwest marginalizes the crit-
of 1998, officials are begging Clinton to ical role pilots play in the entire operation
send the Northwest pilots back to work under by saying that their pilots don't deserve the
the guise of an old labor law that would put going rate common in the industry.
the strike off for 60 days. But intervening in Northwest has presented propaganda to
the Northwest pilots' strike will not resolve win the support of the public through skewed
the fundamental problem at hand - that numbers and claims that fail to address
Northwest has mistreated its workers. important facts about the industry. They say
With 6,000 pilots on the picket line that with the raise they have proposed, the
instead of in the cockpit, 1,700 flights have pilots will be making more than other pilots
been cancelled so far and three major cities at top airlines. While in part true, pilots at
Detroit, Minneapolis and Memphis - American, United and Delta Airlines all are
are without their primary airline service. in line for their own contract negotiations,
For many people who had to change their negating Northwest's claim. After years of
flights or opt for a different mode of trans- concessions, the other airlines' compensa-
portation, the strike has presented as a bur- tion packages will all likelihood provide far
deri on the country and the economy. greater wages than in any package
Clearly, both sides of the equation need to Northwest has offered its employees.
work together to help alleviate future prob- In addition to better pay, the pilots are
lems them strike will cause. asking for a number of concessions.
Northwest's management should not forget Retroactive pay for years of concessions is
how the pilots saved the airline from bank- not unreasonable, nor is a stock option plan
rdpicy in 1993 by taking a 15.7-percent pay comparable to other airlines. In a time when
cIt; While the inconvenience created by the skilled jobs are becoming scarce for work-
strike is significant, it would have been much ing Americans, consumers should stand up
Worse if the entire airline had folded. Also, the for laborers and view advertisements with
fact that Northwest has amassed record prof- skepticism. Just as the United Parcel
it- since 1993 must be brought into strike Service and UAW strikes were successful
negotiations. Instead of attacking the pilots for displays of the power of labor, the
inconvienencing passengers over the past Northwest pilots are reminding us of who
week, their critics should recognize their com- drives corporations - the workforce.
meitment to their customers for working under Keeping this in mind, both Northwest and
alow wage contract for the past five years. the pilots should work together to produce a
How could these pilots be unhappy when contract that will be beneficial for manage-

BY GILBERT S. OMENN
Each academic year renews the organic
cycle of learning and teaching that energizes
the University community and excites our
intellect, emotions and sense of commitment
to personal goals and our larger society. For
those of you new to Ann Arbor, I'm particu-
larly eager to extend a warm welcome, since
I myself came here just a year ago, after 28
years in Seattle at the University of
Washington. The University and Ann Arbor
are a wonderful combination, with a diverse
population, a broad range of great musical,
dramatic and arts offerings, and attractive
natural settings in the Matthei Gardens, the
Arboretum and the campus. Learn about the
history of the University, including the
prominent names recognized on buildings
and in learned and artistic works. Be curious
about prominent alums and faculty: Arthur
Miller, W.H. Auden, Robert Frost, Harold
Shapiro, Albion Walter Hewlett, James Neel,
Francis Collins, Keith Black, Tom Harmon,
Charles Woodson, Gerald Ford, Marina
Whitman, Madonna, Mike Wallace and
many, many others.
I will focus my remarks on the life sci-
ences, which will attract many of you in your
undergraduate, graduate and professional edu-
cation. Advances in the life sciences are shap-
ing our lives and our concepts of ourselves in
philosophical, sociological, humanistic, legal
and ethical contexts. Advances in the life sci-
ences are reshaping our thinking and our
research in medicine and related health fields,
in agriculture, ecology, anthropology and psy-
chology. Genetic algorithms and directed evo-
lution are being applied in chemistry and in
engineering and architectural designs. In turn,
life sciences depend upon developments in
numerous other fields, from mathematics and
information theory to engineering, physics,
behavioral and social sciences, and business.
This past spring, President Lee Bollinger
appointed a special Commission on the Life
Sciences, with 19 prominent faculty members
from across the campus, the majority from
outside the health sciences. Provost Nancy
Cantor and I are confident that this group,
with input from students, staff and faculty
throughout the University, will propose a bold
framework and ambitious recommendations
for the life sciences here and nationally. We
want to look beyond the present acceleration
of knowledge and techniques in neuro-
sciences, genetics, immunology and cancer
biology - over the present horizon, one
might say, to anticipate what might be excit-
ing in the period five to 20 years from now. If
you have ideas you'd like the Commission to
consider, please share them!
All of you should think of ways to learn
about the life sciences. Some of you will be
aiming for majors in biological, psychologi-
cal, chemical and health sciences areas.
Others will be looking for diverse academic
experiences as part of the distribution require-
ments. Some will be keen about the social and
philosophical ramifications or the applica-

tions in engineering and complex systems. I
urge you to make a special effort to talk with
students with these diverse reasons for being
curious and getting immersed in some aspect,
to broaden your own education and your and
their views of the connections of concepts and
of scientific methods.
Meanwhile, many of you are embarking on
periods in your lives independent (in space, if
not finances) of parents and family. You have a
special opportunity to form and sustain good
personal habits that will give you a better
chance of a healthy and enjoyable life. I've
learned on coming to Michigan that the gener-
al population health risk profile is not favor-
able - compared with the rest of the country,
Michigan residents are more likely to be phys-
ically inactive, overweight, smokers, diabetic,
have high blood pressure or high cholesterol,
use alcohol excessively, and be dilatory in hav-
ing their children or themselves immunized
against preventable diseases. No wonder med-
ical care costs are relatively high!
Learn about healthy personal behaviors,
and develop them for your own benefit; learn
about unhealthy personal behaviors, and build
your own resistances to them. Help your peers;
avoid unattractive peer pressures. Use the ath-
letic facilities; take the stairs. Use the
University Health Service to your advantage,
including counseling about coping with very
common feelings and problems that represent
uncertainty or depression or anxiety, much of it
well grounded!
You should know that the University has
one of the premier medical care, medical
research and medical education centers in the
nation and an excellent health management
organization, MCare. There are opportunities
for students to volunteer in our hospitals and
health centers, as well as in numerous commu-
nity social agencies and initiatives in which
our employees are commonly volunteering,
too. There are research opportunities for
undergraduates across a remarkable range of
laboratory, clinical, technological, social,
behavioral and policy areas. And there is
superb medical care, should you or your fami-
lies or friends need such services. Many of our
activities are collaborative with other schools
and colleges throughout the University, espe-
cially in the health sciences, of course.
Finally, give yourselves a lot of opportuni-
ties to lighten your mood, lighten your load,
smile, laugh. As Norman Cousins and Art
Buchwald say, "Humor is therapeutic." Have a
good time - there are many venues here, from
sports, drama, music, open lectures and resi-
dence halls to community activities. Meet lots
of students from other backgrounds. Encounter
and engage your teachers of all kinds. Make
the most of your time at this great University.
Go Blue!
Gilbert S. Omenn is the executive
vice president for medical affairs, chief
executive officer of the University
Health System, and a professor of
medicine, genetics and public health

that she had record-
ed onica
Lewinsky - a .
coquettish former JACK
White House intern SCHILLACI
- admitting to an
affair with the pres-
ident, all political
hell broke loose.
For months, CNN, MSNBC, The
New York Times, The Washington Post
and every other news media outlet in the
world has been awash with stories of the
embattled Clinton presidency. And oh,
what a thrill it was when said news
sources would stumble upon the latest
minutia with which to obsess. I can still
clearly remember the excitement in
Lynne Russell's voice as she announced
Lewinsky's new haircut on "CNN
Headline News."
I won't delve into the up-to-the-minute
yet not-surprisingly redundant reports
about the ying-yang battle between Ken
Starr and Lewinsky over immunity for
her testimony. Nor the monotonous latest
legal briefings on what some federal
judge somewhere said about executive or
attorney-client privilege. Nor the not-
quite-tear-jerking pleas of Tripp as she
complained about the cheap shots mem-
bers ofithe media made at her. Nor the
he-said- be-said accusations between
White Ilouse spokespeople and the inde-
pendent prosecutor.
It was almost as if there was nothing
else happening in this country.
Finally, after months of dodging the
subject, .Clinton expressed his mea
culpa and acknowledged that he had
had "inappropriate relations" with the
former intern. None to be satisfied with
anything, his critics harped on the sub-
ject to the point that he stated last Friday
that he was "... sorry about it" and that
it was a "bad mistake."
But what exactly did he do? He had
an extra-marital affair, an all-too-com-
mon occurrence in this country. He is
not the first commander in chief to
commit such an offense, but he is the
first to have his fling outed to the
American public during his term in
office.
Did he lie to the American people?
Probably - at the very least, he took an
all-too-literal usage of the phrase "sexu-
al relations" too seriously. Like the pres-
idents before him who had kept secrets
like this from the public, he figured that
his privacy would be respected rather
than violated. And while that doesn't
excuse his actions, it does go a long way
toward explaining them.
The charges of obstruction of justice
and perjury are vague and mired in
legalese. Clinton's actions are open to a
million different interpretations - only
a few of which imply criminal intent.
So what of these indiscretions? Many
of Clinton's critics have said that his
actions seriously challenge his character
and the respect with which the president's
office should be held. But the president,
by definition, is a political leader, not a
religious one like, say, the pope. His job is
to shape and enforce policy and guide the
development of the nation, not to set the
moral status quo. While his behavior may
call into question the stability of his mar-
riage and other issues affecting only his
private life, it does not mean he is inca-
pable of discharging the duties of his
office. It should be noted that despite the
mounting pressures on all sides, Clinton
has managed to keep doing his job
throughout the controversy. The respect
that a public official deserves should be
based on how he or she does his job, not
where he or she spends his nights.
Though it is devastating to a family,
extra-marital affairs are all too common
today. As noted feminist Gloria Steinem
wrote in an op-ed piece for The New
York Times, Clinton is really guilty of -

little more than "frat-boyishness."
Maybe he should rush Beta.
But what the Clinton-Lewinsky scan-
dal means for our society's intrusive ten-
dencies is significantly worse. When :
news media icons like Peter Jennings and
Tom Brokaw are covering the same topics
with the same zeal as the hosts of "Hard
Copy," something has gone seriously
wrong. When a tabloid-esque investiga- ;
tion leads to an invasion of an individual's "
privacy, it's a shame. But when that inves-
tigation is brought about by a public body :
and sanctioned by drooling American
television viewers, it's disgusting.
Label me too liberal if you want, but

Uj LETTERS POLICY

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Letters should be kept to approximately
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Longer "viewpoints" or "point-counterpoints"
may be arranged with an editor. Letters will be

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Letters should be sent over e-mail to
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address. -
- Jack Schillaci
Editorial Page Editor

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