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 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