4 - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, January 7, 1999
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420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed by
students at the
University of Michigan
LAURIE MAYK
Editor in Chief
JACK SCHILLACI
Editorial Page Editor
'The longer this drags out, the more acrimonious, the
more political and the less helpful it'll be.'
--Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.),
on tomorrow's Senate trial of President Clinton
THOMAS KULJURGIS TENTATIVELY SPEAKING
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
Room to improve
Engler must consider the 'U"s needs
0
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n his inaugural address this past Friday,
Gov. John Engler claimed "education has
been, is now and will remain a cornerstone
of my administration." Action speaks loud-
er than words, and Engler, in his eight years
as the state's chief executive, showed little
commitment to improving educational
opportunities in Michigan. In his final four
years as governor, Engler should turn over a
new leaf and demonstrate a true commit-
ment to higher education through the state's
appropriations process.
For the 1998-99 fiscal year, Engler sug-
gested a 1.5-percent, across-the-board fund-
ng increase for all public universities and
colleges - a rate lower than inflation as
measured by the Consumer Price Index.
The schools are often forced to compensate
for the loss of state funding by raising
tuition and slashing budgets for important
expenditures such as research.
Contrary to any spin Engler puts on the
issue, tuition hikes and budget cuts do not
help improve the educational experience of
students. Adequate state funding is crucial
to all higher education institutions, but has
a unique significance to the University of
Michigan, the state's most well known high-
er education institution.
The University is consistently at or near
the top of academic rankings in many areas,
including business, social work, law and
medicine. Research expenditures at the
University for the 1997-98 fiscal year
totaled $491,472,206, making it the top
research institution in the country. Without
sufficient state appropriations, the
University is stuck between a rock and a
hard place. To attract top-notch faculty, it
must have superior research facilities and
competitive salaries. But it also has a duty
to provide an education to the top students
in Michigan without drastically increasing
tuition.
In a time of nationwide economic pros-
perity, when Michigan's unemployment rate
is among the lowest in the country, it is odd
that Engler would feel the need to push for
contractionary fiscal policies. Evidently,
however, he would rather dramatically
increase appropriations to the state
Department of Corrections to fund the con-
struction of new prisons. The irony in
Engler's funding decisions is apparent.
When prisons take priority over universi-
ties, the future of the state is likely to be in
jeopardy.
During the appropriations process for
the 1998-99 fiscal year, the state House and.
Senate passed funding recommendations
that were higher than Engler's, and the final
compromise was a 2.5-percent increase,
still significantly lower than increases in
past years. While most of the calls for ade-
quate university funding were led by
Democrats, some members of Engler's
party advocated higher appropriations.
Even state Sen. John Schwarz (R-Battle
Creek), a University alumnus who chaired
the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee
for Higher Education during last year's
appropriations, deemed Engler's recom-
mendation insufficient.
But this year, both houses of the state leg-
islature are controlled by Republicans. And
owing to newly enacted term limits, many
legislators will be new to the state capitol
building, with little experience in govern-
ment negotiations. This could leave Engler,
a Lansing veteran, with even more clout,
and his appropriation recommendations
could go unchallenged by the Legislature.
To preserve the academic integrity of the
University, state funding must be kept at or
above the rate of inflation. And the fate of
the funding increases lies largely in
Engler's hands. During his last term, he
must realize the dire importance of ade-
quate higher education funding for the
state's future. If he does not, education will
not be seen as a cornerstone of his adminis-
tration, but rather a gravestone.
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
NCAA must
continue to
regulate
wrestling
TO THE DAILY:
I am writing in response to
Brian Knavish's article on Dec.
10 ("New safety regulations
not welcome by all college
wrestlers"). After reading this
article and hearing from others
who are directly affected by
the NCAA's attempt to make
wrestling safer for athletes, I
am absolutely disgusted by
some of the responses.
Knavish wrote that Rob Loper,
a wrestler from the University
of Pittsburgh, said, "They (the
new rules) suck. I think they're
more restraining to the ath-
letes. Now we have to con-
stantly be watching our weight
and dieting, and that takes
away from our college experi-
ence"
I may be wrong, but it has
been my understanding that
wrestlers have been dieting
and watching their weight for
years.
Perhaps some wrestlers do
not understand that the NCAA
is not trying to take anything
away from their college expe-
rience, but rather protect them,
possibly by saving their lives.
Cutting extreme amounts of
weight in such a short time is
dangerous no matter how care-
ful the athlete is. Jefferey
Reese and the others thought
they were safe because they
were following the guidelines
provided for them by the
NCAA. Unfortunately, those
were not enough.
Furthermore, it is
appallingly disrespectful to
Reese as well as every other
wrestler who has died trying
to make weight. Those heroes
died so that others might
learn from their mistakes.
Loper went on to explain,
"It's probably a lot healthier,
but college is supposed to be
the best time of our lives." I
would be willing to bet that
Reese had the same ideas
about college life.
I think it is time for some
of these athletes to join those
of us who will forever be
missing our friend. They need
to appreciate the newrules
established because Reese and
others died so that they might
live.
review of "Patch Adams"
("'Patch' can't find funny
bone," 1/6/99), I am
appalled. I'm sure if
America were exposed to
this critical drudgery, the 30
or so million people who
saw it and loved it would
say the same thing.
Not only has "Patch
Adams" broken box office
records in its first two
weeks, but it has been nom-
inated for Golden Globes,
and insiders' talk says it
will be up for several
Oscars also. I think the
main point the Daily missed
is that "Patch Adams" was
indeed a true story.
Perhaps the scene in
which Williams receives the
corny name is a little far
fetched and immature.
Perhaps his shenanigans
are a bit overwhelming to
the conventional mind. But
this is a true story. If you
don't believe me, watch the
movie again - it says it
right in the beginning.
The writer makes a
mockery of what Williams's
character is trying to prove
and how he goes about this
in the movie. Not only was
this a noble effort to
attempt change in the med-
ical system in real life, but
it was transferred to the sil-
ver screen in a realistic and
moving manner. As I
watched "Patch Adams" in
the theater, every person
was laughing hysterically as
well as sobbing. This broad
spectrum of emotion has
only been brought on by a
select few wonderful
motion pictures, and many
of those won Oscars, or at
least earned hundreds of
millions at the box office.
Perhaps the Daily should
re-examine the message
behind "Patch Adams"
again, and this time,
remember that it actually
happened. The real "Patch
Adams" was present during
the whole movie to ensure
realism, and he chose
Robin Williams to play him
because Williams was the
only person who could mir-
ror his personality to a 'T.'
ZACK ARNOLD
LSA FIRST-YEAR STUDENT
Undergraduate
students are
Stepping up
Dole's run would benefit women nationwide
screwed. Our classes will
be severely affected
because there might not be
any to go to.
I won't pretend to know
the details of the negotia-
tions. But it seems as if the
GEO is too greedy and the
University is too stingy.
These two sides need to
work out a compromise
with the students in mind. I
don't support any work
stoppage. These two sides
need to get their act togeth-
er and solve their dispute
without pandering to the
media for support or
putting students' education
at risk.
DAVID TAUB
LSA JUNIOR
'U' should
improve
CRISP
procedure
TO THE DAILY:
On behalf of University
students everywhere, I would
like to comment on the inex-
cusable number of busy sig-
nals that have greeted stu-
dents who have been trying
to CRISP
On the morning I was
trying to CRISP, the line
was busy for more than half
an hour. I was so disgusted
that I decided to call the
CRISP operator. I said,
"The CRISP line has been
busy for a half hour!" And
do you know what she said?
"Yeah, it has been sort of
busy today." The nerve!
Is the University so inept
that it can't spend a few more
bucks to get some more
CRISP lines? Really, they
took away our printed course
guides - you would think
they could at least let us
CRISP in peace.
I felt like 1 was trying to
win a radio call-in contest!
"8-1-8-8-1" Please, let me be
number nine! I want to win
that VW Bug - busy again!
I was borrowing peoples'
cordless phones, clicking
redial, hanging up and trying
to use my mental powers to
try and sense when the ine
would be clear. But did it
work?
It did once. But then I
accidentally pressed "I"
when I wasn't supposed to,
and do you know what I
heard? "Please call the regis-
trar's office. Click!"
Noooooooo!
If the University cannot
figure out a way to schedule
everyone's CRISP dates
more efficiently, then I will
seriously consider transfer-
ring to somewhere where
registration is easier.
Students must
learn more
about Code of
Student Conduct
K now much about the Code of
Student Conduct?
If the answer is no, then you're not
alone. Lately, telling people they shot
care about the Code is like telling them
to eat their brussels
sprouts.
It wasn't always
an unpopular topic.
Before most of us
came to this cam-
pus, fighting
against the Code
was the leading stu-
dent cause at the
University.
Anti -Code JEFF
activists stormed ELDRIDGE
the Fleming STICS NO
Administration 81ON S
Building during a
regents' meeting. One of the Code's ear-
lier incarnations was successfully top-
pled in federal courts, to the administra-
tion's embarrassment.
Briefly described, the Code is t
University's mechanism for discipl
ing students whose behavior is viewed
as a threat. The Code cloaks its
motives in the language of values,
education and community - but val-
ues are the last thing this code repre-
sents.
It is an excuse for the University's
special Star Chamber. It is Big Brother
disguised in a Tickle Me Elmo doll, and
its standards for determining guilt are
far below those of the American le6
system.
If people here aren't riled about the
Code, a pair of professors are - one
from Penn, the other a former Harvard
Law instructor.
Their book examining how college
campuses threaten students' liberty hit
the shelves this past fall. "The Shadow
University: The Betrayal of Liberty on
America's Campuses" casts a critical
eye on universities' efforts to reconfi
ure campuses to their administrator
likings.
The book's index lists 13 entries for
the University of Michigan - not as
much treatment as the administrative
hijinks at Penn, Harvard and Wisconsin,
but serious nonetheless, albeit with
most entries focusing on earlier ver-
sions of the Code.
But "The Shadow University" also
glances at procedures in the current sys-
tem, particularly how the Code's obse
sion with secrecy decreases the likeli-
hood of a fair hearing.
This book is about a lot of things, but
most of all, it's about how - in the
names of fairness and progress - mod-
ern universities have damaged their stu-
dents' personal and intellectual free-
dom. Our University is shown as a
major offender.
At a more basic level, the Cod
functions foolishly. On Oct. 9, 199,
the Daily ran an investigative report
on Code case 97-39, in which a frater-
nity president was sanctioned for bat-
tering and sexually harassing a female
student.
As far as I know, the meticulously
researched article provides our only in-
depth account of these clandestine Code
cases. We're privy to a difficult he-said,
she-said case, which the student Code
panelists treat like a joke.
"I just couldn't believe that these pe
ple were sitting here determining my
fate," the defendant said, describing the
jurors' laughter and "pizza party."
And because of the Code's hyperbol-
ic, moral pretensions, this account is all
the more disturbing.
A couple months ago, I was airing my
frustrations to a professor about lack of
interest in the Code.
"People don't want to be taken aw
from their vodka," he said..
But like I said, it didn't used to be this
way. People were involved, and had rea-
son to care. They correctly regarded the
University's secretive, invasive, free-
wheeling disciplinary mechanism as a
threat to students and the campus'
broadminded traditions.
Today, I think affirmative action
monopolizes the political and intellectu-
al passions of this campus far more than
the Code.
This is a shame, and it's dangeroul.
No matter how important affirmative
action might be to the University's
future, it takes a back seat to the Code,
an ambitious document that, in a way,
reads like this University's version of
the Bill of Rights - only it's a bill of
non-rights.
Chalk it up to apathy, antipathy or a
simple lack of information, but from
what I've observed in recent month*
students just don't care (or even know)
about the Code anymore.
Hopefully, things will change before
the Code comes up for public reconsid-
eration. Hopefully, there will be sensi-
ble, responsible people out there mak-
ing a public case for scrapping this
his week, Elizabeth Dole added new
speculations to the 2000 presidential
campaign. She announced Tuesday that she
would be stepping down as president of the
Red Cross, a move that several pundits said
was intended to clear the path for a poten-
tial Oval Office campaign. Dole could
leave a mark in the history books by
becoming the first female presidential can-
didate in U.S. history nominated by a major
party.
Confirmation of her candidacy alone
would not only make history but change
the U.S. political climate for women. Some
find it inconceivable for a woman to be
president, as the president of the United
States is considered to be the most power-
ful person in the world. The idea of a
woman being the most powerful person in
the world is hard for some to swallow -
which is exactly why Elizabeth Dole is sit-
uated to shatter the glass ceiling that
stretches all the way to the highest office in
the land. Politics is hardly the only area that
is dominated by men. A woman in the Oval
Office, or at least a serious candidate,
could make female CEOs and other women
in power seem more a norm than a novelty.
Dole has both national prominence and
popularity among Republicans. With her
experiences as Secretary of Labor,
Secretary of Transportation, president of
the Red Cross and campaigning during her
husband's presidential campaign, Dole is in
an excellent position to earn the
She is known as a disciplined politician
who carefully manages all of her public
appearances. The Red Cross was ineffi-
cient and in poor financial health when
Dole started her work there - and she is
credited with accomplishing a truly signif-
icant management task in turning it around.
Dole's most difficult challenge may not
prove to be raising the millions of dollars
needed for a presidential campaign or
competition from Texas Gov. George W
Bush, the most popular prospective GOP
candidate who Dole closely tails in polls
of primary voters. She may face the
incredible demands of a presidential cam-
paign - and the extra obstacles that sex-
ism would put in her path. She would not
only be fighting for the Republican candi-
dacy and possible presidency, but for
women everywhere.
Dole's politics will have to come into
the spotlight for scrutiny as the specula-
tion over her interest in the office contin-
ues - and she has yet to clearly voice
them. Regardless of her politics, Dole has
the potential edge over Bush - or any_
other Republican contender - because
she not only has support from a large por-
tion of the Republican Party, but she
stands to receive a large chunk of support
from Democrats who believe in the sheer
power a female president could have. In a
year when Time magazine boldly suggest
that feminism is dead, Dole could single-
handedly take the largest leap for women
KATI OAKES hurt most by
LSA JUNIOR
labor dispute
'Patch
Adams'
is
realistic,
moving
TO THE DAILY:
While the Graduate
Employees Organization
negotiates with the
University over the impend-
ing labor situation, one
voice seems to be left out
- the students. Because if
something adverse happens,
we will be the ones who get
TO THE DAILY:
After reading the recent
MATTHEW SCHWARTZ
LSA SOPHOMORE