4A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 22, 1998 (7tie £idt41gaun DMatigl 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Edited and managed by students at the U niversity of M icdhi gan LAURIE MAVK Editor in Chief JACK SCHILLACI Editorial Page Editor NOTABLE QUOTABLE 'Last week the chapter members broke their commitment to keep their house alcohol-free. In failing to keep that commitment, they also separated them- selves from the core values of this fraternity.' - Robert Bigg, e'xccutive vice president for Phi Delta Theta national headquarters THOMAS KULJURGIS T EN T T;.H PAKN ~ Z P T L - T ST S u i t A AW WY o r k g R E VR O GI c o9oA' NTI TRST utTAGAIN ST Iy t oF T 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 Tuxng decision State should give 'U' students tax credit L.AST N161AeJD ALL. r, OF our.FILESS 1,'$6tovS4 T he prohibitive cost of the University forces many students and their families to search for many alternative means to pro- vide the funds: scholarships, grants, student loans, parent loans, etc. But one avenue that seems logical is reducing other financial bur- dens on families so they can allocate more money to their child's education. One avenue through which this method is implemented is a tuition tax credit. This state provision is a $500 income-tax credit given to a family whose child attends an institution where the tuition increases fall within the rate of infla- tion. But students at the University - the most expensive public school in the state - are ineligible for this easing of their financial burden due to the stipulation regarding tuition increases. It is illogical for the state to deny its most financially taxed students the same credit as their peers at less-expensive schools. University students are not responsible for the tuition increases; indeed, they are forced to search for means with which to meet the addi- tional financial burden each year. In effect, University students are struck by a double blow evaded by the students of most other state universities - the higher tuition rate implemented by the University Board of Regents and the denial of the tuition tax cred- it. Instead of working together to make the University affordable to all, the regents and the state Legislature are battling each other and harming only the students. The state is unwilling to remove the stip- ulation regarding inflation rate in an attempt to coerce the state's universities into controlling the inflation of their tuition. And as University students well know, exor- bitant tuition increases are certainly a prob- leni that must be addressed. But by denying students the tax credit, the state is striking at the wrong sector of the University commu- nity. Emptying student pocketbooks will not decrease the rate of tuition increase - it is not the student body that the Legislature should be trying to coerce. Further, the state's methodology for determining what universities' students get the tuition tax credit is flawed. It is based on the Consumer Price Index, which calculates inflation by comparing prices of goods and services that a nuclear family of four com- monly use from year to year. But the University is not a family of four, and its rate of inflation should not be calculated as such. The heavy costs of supporting the University's many programs and depart- ments make CPI an unreasonable measure. Coercion should not be the method employed by the state. The regents should recognize the necessity to keep tuition increases near the rate of inflation, not only to obtain the tuition tax credit for the student body, but to keep a University education available for all. The cost of an education at the University is already prohibitive - the regents should recognize that an increase greater than the CPI - which more closely mirrors average income increases - is a sig- nificant hardship on students and their fami- lies as their financial resources do not grow by the same extraordinary percentages as the regents' tuition increases. The regents and legislators must work together on this issue in order to reach a suitable compromise. But until such a compromise is reached, the state must eliminate its stipulation regarding tuition increases and aid University students in their battle against the increasing cost of a University education. The administration and the state have an obligation to contin- ue to work together to ensure that the University offers an education available to all, not just the elite. C-' S1LL GAThS\ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Cast a ballot on Nov. 3 TO THE DAILY: Election Day is Nov. 3 and I want to encourage all of you that are registered to vote. Do the activities of the Congress distress you as they do me? Does it bother you that this Congress has been more interested in politics then in service to the people who put them in office? If you are of this mind and you do not feel that your voice is being heard, send it in the only way that those who hold an office understand. Send it through the ballot box. If your Congressional represen- tative is not representing you, vote against him/her. I would like to take this time to encourage you support and vote for Phil Power (D- Ann Arbor), who has served us well on the University Board of Regents, and give him a team to work with by voting the entire ticket. Most importantly, no mat- ter what your political lean- ings are, exercise your privi- lege and your right. Vote. vote, vote! SALLY YORK UNIVERSITY STAFF Miller is the Daily's No. I TO THE DAILY: In response to James Miller's Wednesday column ("James Joyce is 15 percent better than Ernest Hemingway"), all I have to say is that Miller is, without question, the No. I columnist at the Daily. JOHN LEROI UNIVERSITY ALUMNUS Goingsoft Microsoft threatens innovation in the market ew nations in the world have fewer government regulations of the econo- my than the United States. In order to remain the business capital of the world, cotporations are left to do almost any- thing they want in the name of competi- tion. But every once in a while, a John D. Rockefeller, a Jay Gould or a Bill Gates takes advantage of this loose system. Although the first two have passed on and their wealth has been dispersed, the latter of, these magnates is still using unfair business practices to put his competition on the street. :In a suit brought up by the federal gov- ergment and joined by the attorneys gener- al of 20 states and the District of Columbia, Gates's company, Microsoft, has been accused of using its monopoly of the com- puter software market to put Netscape Communications Corp. out of business as well as engaging in many other monopolis- tic practices. Netscape CEO Jim Barksdale claims Gates has done everything he can to dispose of his stiffest competition in the Wpb browser market. There have allegedly been meetings when Microsoft threatened to choke Netscape to death unless the com- pany stopped making Windows-based Web browsers. To make good on these threats, Microsoft took advantage of its domination of operating systems by including its Web browser, Internet Explorer, in the Windows 98 package. Apparently, if everyone who had Windows received Internet Explorer for free, there would be no reason to go out and purchase Netscape's competing soft- ware. ,Thr.,n ,a'. +I.r- t i al Mie-rrncn'rci' f - £ has and likely will continue to center around the assumption that its practices were simply competitive. But what Gates does to put his software on top does not fit the usual style of competition. Traditionally, a company competes by pro- ducing a better product. But such is not the case with Microsoft and Gates. Microsoft's Internet browser isn't as popular as Netscape. Rather, the reason for Microsoft's software staying prominent in the market is because often users don't have a choice. By purchasing Windows 98 - which runs 90 percent of personal com- puters, users receive the program for free. What this means is that as long as Microsoft is allowed to remain in both the software and operating system markets, innovation will be stifled. What's the point of coming up with new and better software when Microsoft already gives out a pro- gram for free? Soon these companies will be forced out of business and Microsoft software will not only remain low quality but rise in price due to the lack of any com- petition. The current lawsuit has the chance to help fix all of that. It is apparent that Gates has violated the anti-trust laws and Microsoft should be punished for these practices. But the problem goes deeper than that. Back when Gates began to control both software and operating systems, the Federal Trade Commission could have stopped him. Now after letting the problem persist, they're going to have to do it the hard way. Through the lawsuit, perhaps the government will be able to restore the mar- one says something like that I am not going to let it go unnoticed. I am not going to get violent, but I am also not going to walk away dizzy and frustrated. I know that I am emotional now, but it goes to show that ignorance is not a problem that only exists in Wyoming. It is here in Ann Arbor. All I can say is educate yourself, educate others. Don't let things go unsaid. JOE TAYLOR LSA SENIOR Ethnic. studies are not flourishing TO THE DAILY: While it is satisfying to note that last Monday's cele- bration of Indigenous People's Day has prompted dialogue about Native People's concerns as well as the current state of the Native American Studies Program, it is equally important to note the obvious misconceptions presented in the Oct. 15 edi- torial entitled "Mending the Model." It is true that the needs of the Native American Studies Program are most desperate and measures to strengthen the program must occur immediately. But it is detri- mental to suggest that the other ethnic studies "depart- ments" are flourishing when exactly the opposite is true. How can we use the term "flourish" when the depar- ture of one or two key fac- ulty members can immedi- ately eliminate an entire program, and thus, an entire field of study at the University? This has already happened to one of our eth- nic studies programs, and with the absence of a single faculty members, could very well happen to another. How can we use the term "flourish" when the University systematically loses important ethnic stud- ies faculty members due to a lack of respect and under- standing for ethnic studies as a discipline of study? The birth of ethnic studies in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement and the Third World Strikes of the late 1960s and early 1970s arose from tremendous strug- gles. These struggles contin- ue today on this campus and nationwide. To suggest that the struggles and demands to institutionalize ethnic studies have been met is both dan- gerous and lacking of respect to those who continue to struggle. While we as students of color are constantly bom- barded with notions of diver- sity and multiculturalism, U should not dedicate room to Cohen TO THE DAILY: On Oct. 15, 1995, I was headed to the Million Man March in Washington, D.C., prepared to unite with other African American men who were tired of the injustices that they constantly seen within their communities, within their homes and with- in the society at large. It was out of this inspira- tion that many of us left the National Mall on that next night prepared to fight against all of the ills evident within our society. From these ideas and the tactics I learned, I decided to commit myself to fight any social injustices that were not beneficial to the society in which I was brought up. When I hear University administration attempting or even enter- taming the thought of dedi- cating a reading room to Prof. Carl Cohen of the Residential College, I real- ize that I must take immedi- ate actions to have this ven- tured haulted by the University community. For all of you who do not know Cohen, I ask you to research his beliefs. And then, I urge you to research the cli- mate that he has created for some of the students of color in his classes. Ju Juan Buford of the University's Black Student Union describes him best: "Carl Cohen is a white philosophy teacher who hap- pens to be one of the oppo- nents of affirmative action and has expressed blatantly racist views concerning African American students on this campus and around the nation. He has published articles (that can be expunged from various databases on the Web) and appeared on C-SPAN explicit- ly denouncing the presence of African Americans in institu- tions of higher learning" What person deserves a room dedicated to him who constantly tries to segregate our University community through his "doctrines?" What person deserves a room named after them that has not benefit- ed the overall community, yet alone the University, or even more so, the society at large. I urge you to call Tom Weisskopf or Sheila Wilder at 763-0176 and request imme- diate answers. Call University President Lee Bollinger and attempt to get an answer. Before we continue to quote Martin Luther King, Jr., I ask each person reading this letter to evaluate the conversa- tions that are taking place around this subject of dedicat- ing the East Quad Residential College Reading Room after Pondering the realization of a commonplace nightmare l k ot of people on this campus. I spent the past week contemplat- ing the unsettling fate of someone I never met and someone I'll never know. Courtney Cantor's fatal fall from a sixth-floor Markley window was a flashbulb going off in the eyes. It was almost impossible not to have an . immediate reaction turning away just "" leaves lingering afterthoughts. This was a stroke of bad luck with JEFF tragic conse- ELDRIDGE quences. It should- In't have happened. and itcould have been anyone. Her death is the realization of a com- mon nightmare, one that begins with the question "What if?" Parting ways at the end of a long night, watching friends walk away behind me, there are moments when I ask myself these questions. I know other people ask them, too. What if they don't make it home okay'? What if something happens when they get there? What if there's been an accident? I heard of the death at 10:30 on Friday night, a casual phone call carry- ing the news. At the time, a friend and I were drinking some beers and hurling a frisbee around his cramped living room, an activity that annoyed his girlfriend and damaged innocent houseplants. We watched the local news as it showed a grieving father and friends, old photos, Markley's commonplace facade attaining a grim significance, the reporter declaring Ann Arbor unusuallyt quiet for a Friday. The evening's light atmosphere wilt- ed. Conversation that followed didn't begin with lofty intentions, but invari- ably returned to the grim and profound, puzzling over a lost life that seemed to indicate something gone terribly wrong. The University is a big place - think of it as a small city of 40,000 people. In a small city of 40,000 people. it's inevitable that tragedies transpire. Large and small, ugly incidents probably occur more often than we know, passing under the radar without gaining notice But when they are acknowledged, the* impact is significant. Because we're so young, it's alarming to hear that someone our own age has died. Because this is a place full of thinking peo- ple, we try to find meaning. The murder of Tamara Williams last fall prompted dis- cussion about domestic violence. The death of Chris Giacherio last month illus- trated the dangers of heroin use. The case of Courtney Cantor is dif- ferent. There's no obvious meaning to@ infer, no explicit social message con- veyed. This has been held up as an example of the perils of underage drinking. A network news broadcast included Cantor as the most recent victim in a string of alcohol-related deaths on col- lege campuses. There also has been subtle finger- pointing at the Greek system. Phi Delta Theta fraternity faces serious sanctions for hosting a party at which Cantor con-9 sumed alcohol. Just about every account of the incident makes sure to mention that Cantor recently was accepted to Chi Omega sorority. Such facts are important, but they don't allow us to draw clear conclu- sions. By Tuesday, it was announced that Cantor's blood-alcohol level was .059 percent, much below the legal dri- ving limit of .1 percent: Her level of intoxication is under debate. There has not yet been a coherent narrative of what preceded Cantor's death. We may never know how this ahappened, or whether alcohol was a factor. Using the incident to make negative inferences about the Greek system is just plain wrong. It strikes me as a sort of finger-pointing intended to bring clo- sure to the incident, as though punish- ment will bring cleansing. But disciplinary measures and blame won't soften the impact of this tragedy. It certainly won't prevent it from hap- pening again It shouldn't have happened, and it could have been anyone. She could have been at any party on campus. She could have been any of us when we were freshmen, coming home to the dorm, getting ready for bed, when, for whatever reason, subtle disaster struck. Using Cantor's death to condemn underage drinking or punish a fraternity house demotes a puzzling and affecting tragedy to a platitude. The best resolution we can find in this is perhaps the most generic one: Appreciate what we have. Look at what happened, and be that much more grate- Ignorance present in is A2 To THE DAILY: I just got out of a class today and I cannot sit. I was sitting in class, minding my own business, trying not to fall asleep. When a person in the front of class I have never met, raised his hand to ask a question, then it came. I heard from behind me someone whisper under their breath "queer." Now all of a sudden, I am awake. What did I hear? Who said it? Did that just happen? I can't think what to do, I want to turn around and shake this person, I want to yell at him and tell him off.' How did this happen here in liberal Ann Arbor, here at U of M, here in my class? I thought that the University was supposed to be a liberal, politically correct campus. I