4A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, January 21, 1999
Ott idig ul
NoCIOZoTLs QI Fear and
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed by
students at the
University of Michigan
Editor in Chief
JACK SCHMvLAC.
Ed itorial Pag~e Ec tor
'our country is not in crisis.
There are no tanks in the streets.'
- US. Rep. Jennifer Dunn (R-Wash.), in the GOP response to President Clintons
State of the Union address, on the effects of the Senate impeachment trial
THOMAS KULJURGIS TENTATIVELY SPEAKING
loathing in the
streets ofAnn
Arbor
*
Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of the Daily : editorial buad.
All other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Di&
FROM THE DAILY"
Overreacton
Resolution rebukes AAPD's raids
T. CoULiT COM4E UP WITh A RLVAt4T
i /iw1 G rea
C ourtney Cantor's fatal fall this past
October from her sixth-story window
of Mary Markley Residence Hall was tragic.
Although her death was declared an acci-
dent by the Ann Arbor Police Department,
the University community has undergone
dramatic changes as a result of her death. In
response to Cantor's death, the AAPD has
attempted to curb underage drinking by
breaking up house parties, citing minors for
possession of alcohol and raiding fraternity
houses.
With attention focusing on Cantor's
death, the AAPD needed to find a scapegoat
for the terrible death. In an egregious man-
ner, the AAPD launched a selective attack
on the most visible scapegoat, Phi Delta
Theta - the fraternity where Cantor was
seen drinking on the night of her death. Her
blood-alcohol level was .059 percent, below
the legal drunk driving limit in Michigan.
With a warrant, the AAPD searched the Phi
Delt house and found fake identification
that led officers to search through hundreds
of tapes at Meijer, of which one showed 10
underage Phi Delts purchasing alcohol.
Last week, the 10 Phi Delts pleaded not
guilty to various misdemeanor charges.
Each of the fraternity members could face
up to 90 days in prison and a $1,000 fine.
Neither students nor Michigan Student
Assembly representatives on campus have
been blind to the actions of the AAPD. The
act that fraternity members committed,
namely purchasing alcohol for minors with
fake identification, is something that often
occurs in Ann Arbor. Even in instances
when students host parties that serve to
minors and the police show up, most cases
end with a relatively small ticket. But in this
case, the AAPD seems to have gone out of
it$ way to charge the Phi Delts with crimi-
nal activity, even though the rim ty
have committed is common in An Arbor
The AAPD seeks to foilow the usa ly
minor violations to the most x reme netter
of the law - to take a pound of fesh when
a much more reasonable punishmerE is in
order.
Does the AAPD truly beheve t derage
drinking will end by means of raid and
lawsuits? Education is a much wser yenue
to help students regulate their own drinking
decisions. The high drinking age 21 sur-
rounds alcoholic consumption in a rystique
of notoriety - actions like dhe AA PPS
only make matters worse.
On Tuesday night, MSA tried to pa:s a res-
olution to "oppose scapegoatg ar d eice
persecution." Although thE m<jri y of MSA
representatives said they felt that both the
AAPD and University acted. viP' por judg-
ment, dissent arose over he wdi> of the
resolution. The Defend Affirrnatc Action
Party, headed by Rackham Rep. Jesica
Curtin, presented a resolu6on hat the majori-
ty in the Students' Party found t.o \ehemenl.
A more benign version was suggested ut lot
incorporated, and in the end it took a speech
from Treasurer Brai Elias to pull he two
camps together. Elias offered w' wk on a
compromise resolution, and Curtin agreed to
delay discussion of the res lution until nex
Tuesday night, when MSA. will ikly pass a
resolution specifyring exactly bow the A APD
acted excessively. Elias and Curtim s:ouid
both be commended for abandonin: partisan-
ship and finding a way to create h most rea-
sonable outcome - a resolution ih reflects
how ridiculous the AAPD'S a :irT hv been.
A long-term problem requires a lng-term
solution, and the AAPD mersuy looked for
short-term results that exacerbated the
problem.
S5K0 I ~RC SOME MUCUXS R-EAC"TlN6 B AIEEArNSTMA
-j #
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
4 Down to bul.....
Clinton still has many promising
F{
wo nights ago, President Clinton
delivered one of the most memorable
State of the Union addresses in recent his-
tgry due to the political atmosphere sur-
rounding it. Clinton gave his speech in the
very House where he was impeached only
a month earlier. The partisanship could be
felt and seen as the Democrats enthusiasti-
cally applauded from one side of the
chamber while Republicans were content
to sit, quietly and politely, on the other
side.
But with this atmosphere increasing
the annual hype surrounding the State of
the Union address, President Clinton's
speech should also be remembered for the
promising ideas he proposed and the
unfortunate demise those ideas will likely
encounter.
Clinton first proposed to invest 62 per-
cent of the budget surplus to save Social
Security. In an unprecedented move,
Clinton proposed to invest some of the
budget surplus in the stock market to
estabish Universal Savings Accounts, a
plan engineered by former Public Policy
Dean Edward Gramlich, further strength-
ening the financial situation of American
senior citizens. Clinton also called on
Congress to eliminate the limits on earn-
ings for seniors who receive Social
Security. These proposals to ensure a qual-
ity life for more seniors are necessary in a
country that will see its number of senior
citizens double by the year 2030.
On the health care front, Clinton pro-
posed putting 11 percent of the annual
budget surplus toward Medicare. He asked
Congress to pass a Patient's Bill of Rights
guaranteeing the right of Americans to see
Clinton also proposed that the mone from
increased cigarette taxes and tob aco set-
tlements be put into health care.
Clinton proposed educational rfrm,
calling for an end to "social promotien"
and stating educational opportunty should
be blind to class and social standing. He
asked for the help of Congress in putting
more teachers in schools and making sure
that those teachers are qualified. He also
proposed to spend $200 million on school
improvements and asked Congress to help
him set up more public charter schools, so
parents could choose where their kids
receive an education.
In the business sector, Clinon ca.ied
for an increase in the minimum wage over
the next two years, proposing to raise the
minimum wage $1 from $5.15 per hou. to
$6.15 per hour. He also proposed tax cred-
its for companies investing in inner cities
and rural areas.
And among other things, Clinton's
speech included proposals to aid A\merican
farmers, combat nuclear pro iferation,
support Albania and raise adult 1iter acy
rates.
It is a shame that ou Cohi ress seems
intent to ignore the constituency that ekct-
ed it and continue the par Kiaan a+c;ering
while ignoring the country's more mpor-
tant business.
It is a shame that the media feel ihe
need to delve into the business o f ubiic
figures, destroying lives an d shatering
dreams in the process.
It is a shame that the puba ac ct ninuis to
pay attention.
Clinton outlined many ideas h esld
affect every American. It will be a sham:e
Tailgating is
problem for
U golf course
To THE DAILY:.
This letter is in response
to Karn Chopra's Jan. 8 arti-
cle regarding the University
being named the second
best tailgating school in the
country ("M' named 2nd
best tailgating school in
country") and a comment
made by Joe Cahn, the self-
proclaimed commissioner of
tailgating. Cahn, a represen-
tative of Kentucky Fried
Chicken's search for the 10
best tailgating schools in
the country, stated that "the
jUn iversity of Michigan's
golf course might be one of
the most scenic places to
tailgate in the country."
What he doesn't know is
that tailgating turns one of
the top university golf
courses in the country into,
at least temporarily, the
largest trash receptacle any-
one has ever seen.
As a member of the
men's golf team and having
the great privilege to play
on the University's golf
course, it is a disgusting
shame to see the empty
cans, charcoal, trash bags
and everything else scat-
tered throughout the course
once all of the tailgaters
have left. Dave Singer, an
Engineering graduate stu-
dent at the University, did
mention in the article that
there were some problems
with tailgating at the
University. Although he
probably was not referring
to the golf course's trash
problem, it should be known
that even though we might
have one of the best loca-
tions for tailgating in the
country, it sure doesn't look
that way after the cars have
left it. It should be the
responsibility of the fans,
not the golf course mainte-
nance crew, to pick up after
themselves. And when they
finally start, and only then,
will the University be able
to honestly call itself, "the
second best tailgating
school in the country."
ANDY MATTHEWS
LSA FIRST-YEAR STUDENT
Debate was
unfair to
Cllege
Republicans
TO THE DAILY:
The affirmative action
debate held Monday between
the Academics for Affirmative
Action and Social Justice and
the College Republicans was
nothing more than a sham. It
seemed more like a trap set up
by the group to push their
views on the affirmative
research on the issue. This
was opposed by two under-
graduates who did not have
such experience.
Also, the AAASJ side
had weeks to prepare. The
College Republicans were
asked at the last minute.
If AAASJ wanted a real
debate, they might as well have
taken some steps to make it
fair. The College Republicans
just served as patsies and token
conservatives. The debate was
a sham.
DAVID TAUB
LSA JUNIOR
'Road Rules'
promotes
segregation
To THE DAILY:
Once again, another sea-
son of MTV's "Road Rules"
has come, and with it comes
another soon-to-be-marginal-
ized black traveler. Another
African American will be left
out of the rather furious and
unscrupulous pair bonding
that the show seems to claim
as its own. While the young
lady will eventually become
distanced from the group for
one reason or another - but
it's never race -- she can rest
assured that she will become
the newest alumnus to a great
lineage of marginalized
African American cast mem-
bers of MTV series past.
An elite group has been
growing steadily ever since the
inception of MTV's first reali-
ty based series. She'll have the
honor of being among those
who have been kicked out, left
out, shut out and finally paint-
ed up as the "spoiler" of an all
around good time.
While this may seem to be
something that just happens to
be part of these programs'
characters - and if there are
some of us who don't know -
this is not acceptable. Nor
should it be presented as the
acceptable mode of treatment
for people who are of a differ-
ent race.
I often wonder why there is
never more than one black cast
member at a time on these
shows in the first place. Are
African Americans still being
used to spice up ratings or are
MTV's producers afraid of hav-
ing more than one of us around
at a time? At any rate, MTV's
programming seems to project
such ideas with frightening
resolve. If there is anything
being said or justified by these
"Generation X" misadventures
of MTV's to the larger audi-
ence they attract, it is that
Americans of the present gen-
eration all walk together, so
long as African Americans are
two steps behind.
MICHAEL BLAIR
LSA SENIOR
1 ck;,cs
Lehigh University as "a small
liberal arts school from a
small town in Pennsylvania"
("Michigan wrestling squad
staves off Lehigh, 24-18,"
1/19/99). Historically,
Lehigh has always been
known as an engineering
school. Hence the name,.
"Lehigh Engineers." Oh,
and by the way, the Lehigh
nickname is no longer the
"Engineers." It recently was
changed to the "Mountain
Hawks" to be more inclu-
sive of students in the
Colleges of Business and
Economics, the Arts and
Sciences, and Education.
The Daily's choice of the
word "small" is also a bit
misleading. Bethlehem, Pa.,
while no metropolis, is just
as big as Ann Arbor, the
seventh-largest city in
Michigan. Bethlehem is also
part of a larger metropolitan
area, the Lehigh Valley,
which stretches from
Allentown to Easton. In
addition, while it is true that
the University's student
body numbers six times that
of Lehigh, I wouldn't neces-
sarily call a school of more
than 6,000 students "small."
There are many liberal arts
schools in Pennsylvania
with far fewer students than
Lehigh.
Other than that, thanks
for the good coverage. I was
impressed that the Daily
highlighted the significance
of the meet in light of the
history of the sport.
JEFF HITTINER
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Fraternity
shquld not be
blamed for
death
TO THE DAILY:
If a 15-year-old steals a
car and gets into an acci-
dent, the 15-year-old gets
punished and probably has
to wait a few extra years
before he or she gets their
license.
You don't arrest the
owner of the car and put
him on trial. But if a 19-
year-old goesuto a party and
has a few drinks, under her
own will and judgement,
why is the person hosting
the party at fault? Isn't it
the fault of the 19-year-old
girl?
No one forced Courtney
Cantor to drink. No one is
saying the death of that
young lady in October was
not a tragedy. It is one of
the saddest things I have
ever heard. But unless
someone pushed her out the
window, it is not a question
of murder. A legal adult
should know what the legal
drinking age is. If she
chooses to ignore it, then
she should be held responsi-
F or better or for worse, I grew up in
Big Rapids, Michigan - home to
Ferris State University, where the most
recent in a long string of alcohol-relat-
ed college deaths occurred.
I have no deep
attachment to that
school, but I know
it moderately well,
well enough to say
that Big Rapids is
nothing like Ann
Arbor, and that
Ferris State is
nothing like the
University of
Michigan. JEFF
But this is the ELDRIDGE
year where alco- S XNrws AM
hol-related deaths STONFS t'
have swept through
campuses like the black plague, so
Ferris State is now in the same eclec-
tic boat as Stanford, M.I.T., Michigan,
Michigan State and a host of others.
Television and newspapers report
these stories with vigilance - lasto
week's episode of "48 Hours" even
featured a brief, well-done segment on
the University of Michigan and the
death of Courtney Cantor.
A definite environment of fear has
settled into this campus. At a house
party I attended in December, the front
door and the walls inside all featured
glowering signs forbidding under-age
drinking.
The prosecution of 10 former Phi
Delts amplifies this anxiety.
I now regularly hear students utter
grave remarks about drinking penal-
ties.
If Ann Arbor's law enforcement
officials wanted to frighten kids away
from liquor, then they've succeeded -
however much we gripe and however
obnoxious this might be.
Now comes the death at Ferris State.
And again, there's a round of somber
discussion about the dangerous epi-O
demic of college drinking.
Is this really a fundamental problem
at America's institutions of higher edu-
cation? I'm cautiously doubtful.
This issue shows the deeply felt feat
parents have about their kids dying.
It's more emotion than reason, exag-
geration than fact.
Consider another story that received
similar treatment. Not long ago, the
hot issue was school shootings.
Tormented, spastic adolescents
came to their small-town schools with
guns, killed some kids, then went to
prison.
Much self-flagellation occurred:
"What have we done to our children?"
they asked. "Why have our values col-
lapsed?"
Then, a few reasonable folks got on
the airwaves and calmly informed us
that the number of school shootings n*
the country had actually gone down in
recent years. The school-shooting
panic then went away.
Public attention given to student-
drinking deaths is similarly dispropor-
tionate. At first it was startling and
moving - now, coverage and condem-
nation cease to carry meaning. It's
growing into a wall of white noise.
I don't say this to trivialize anyone's
tragedy, or to endorse mass consump-
tion of alcohol. I don't look at last
year's East Lansing student riots as the
Boston Tea Party resurrected. I don't
support death and destruction. I don't
even endorse vomit.
But I don 'tthink a series of unrelat-
ed tragedies at hugely different
American universities amounts to a
widespread unraveling.
Consider, }again, the universities
implicated in this topic - Michigan
State, Stanford, M.I.T., Michigan,@
Ferris State. These are vastly different
institutions. Their cultures, reputations
and emphases don't show much of a
pattern. They're not apples and.
oranges -they're kiwi fruit and steak
tartar.
Irony of ironies, the University of
Michigan is not even much of a party
school. It may be slightly more wild
than most Bible colleges, but com-
pared to any number of institutions
(including those in Madison, East*.
Lansing, Hanover and most of the
American South), Ann Arbor ista
Quaker colony.
Most people here expend more ener-
gy obsessing about internships, apply-
ing to grad school, buying nice clothes
and reading about market economies
than they do swilling beer.
I doubt Stanford and M.I.T. are any
more reckless.
"But," someone might be tempted to
say, "doesn't the fact that these elite
institutions have had drinking deaths
show how serious this problem is?"
Probably not. These universities
play temporary home to tens of thou-
sands of nennIe and it takes all tvnes
4