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January 28, 1999 - Image 4

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The Michigan Daily, 1999-01-28

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4 - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, January 28, 1999

420 Maynard Street L,
Ann Arbor, MI 48109 LAURIE MAYK
Edited and managed by Editor in Chief
students at the JACK SCHILLACI
University of Michigan Editorial Page Editor
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
No need to hurry
New admissions system benefits 'U'

'The lack of willingness to compromise is troublesome.'

A s applications continue to pour into the
University in record numbers, the
Office of Undergraduate Admissions has
made a change in its admissions procedure.
Instead of a rolling process, under which
applications were processed as they were
received, the Office of Undergraduate
Admissions will now process applications
in four batches. The modified rolling
admissions process should have a positive
effect on the University.
The modified process will allow the
Office of Undergraduate Admissions to bet-
ter estimate its number of applicants.
Because the office will wait to process most
applications, it will be able to see sudden
surges in the applicant pool. In previous
years, the University has experienced prob-
lems that come with an incoming class that
is too large. This modified admissions
process should work to solve the problem of
overcrowding in residence halls and class-
rooms caused by excessive admissions.
The new admissions process also is a
fair process. In previous years, qualified
students may have been denied admittance
later in the year because spots had been
filled with students who applied earlier. In
the new process, applications for the incom-
ing fall term are only processed four times
throughout the year, as opposed to the
rolling system under which applications
were considered as they were submitted.
Each of the four batches of applications

should be roughly equal in student strength,
giving all applicants an equal chance for
admission.
Thus, the real strength in the new admis-
sions process is the eventual improvement
of the quality of students admitted to the
University. Qualified students applying late
will now have an equal chance of being
accepted. This should strengthen the stu-
dent body, and in turn enhance the academ-
ic reputation of the University.
The University should be careful as the
new admissions process could also be a
threat to the quality of the student body.
Qualified high school students may become
frustrated with the slower admissions
process and increased number of deferals.
Their frustration could lead them to accept
admissions offers at other schools.
Therefore, although most applications
won't be processed immediately, the Office
of Undergraduate Admissions must stick to
its schedule. Any further delay in response
time could lead to qualified students being
lost to other schools.
With about 21,000 applications expected
this year for a first-year class of 5,200, the
new admissions process will serve to pre-
vent overcrowding and enhance the overall
quality of the students accepted to the
University. But with responses taking
longer than their previous four to six weeks,
the University must be careful not to scare
off the students it seeks to attract.

- Graduate Employees Organization member Chip Smith, on
the contract negotiations between GEO and the University
THOMAS KULJURGIS TENTATI VEL Y SPEA K NG
GON~G OW RITALUM.
'uC
15
G-
THE FUTURE Of ACCEPTABLE PARENT W IN AMER\CA
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Countdown
2000 Census must have better accuracy

illions of people may not be counted
in the 2000 Census that will be used
to determine the official population of the
country and divide Congressional seats
among the states. In a 5-4 vote on
Wednesday, the Supreme Court rejected a
plan by the Census Bureau to count at least
90 percent of households in every census
district and then estimate from a segment of
those counted the characteristics and popu-
lation of the entire district. In the wake of
this decision, Democrats and Republicans
must seek new ways to obtain an accurate
count.
The Census Bureau's plan would have
replaced the traditional and less accurate
head counting method with techniques sim-
ilar to those used by public opinion poll-
sters. The new plan would likely have
accounted for poor people and minorities
who are often missed under the current sys-
tem. Since statistical sampling was pro-
posed, a spirited debate has ensued on
Capitol Hill because groups who tend to
vote Democratic could become more
prominent in the nation's official popula-
tion estimate.
The political ramifications of the decision
are immense. In California, statistical sam-
pling could add thousands of individuals
who are often passed over in federal census-
es. Suburban congressional districts could be
redrawn to stretch into urban areas where
support for Republicans is often slim.
While the Court's decision perpetuates a
grave injustice, it cannot be faulted for a
decision based on years of precedent and
fair if not predictable interpretation of the
Constitution. The, Court's majority opinion
cited federal policies and laws that explicit-
ly ban the use of statistical sampling to

determine how congressional seats will be
apportioned. But the politicization of the
unfairness inherent in the current methods
of census taking required by law is repre-
hensible.
Any law or policy that essentially denies
certain citizens a fair level of representation
needs to be changed as swiftly as possible.
Almost immediately after the ruling, both
Democrats and Republicans reacted by draft-
ing new policies. The Clinton administration
plans for the Census Bureau to produce two
sets of numbers. One set would be gathered
by means of the traditional census taking
methods to determine the apportionment of
Congressional seats, another would use sta-
tistical sampling, and could be used to deter-
mine the distribution of federal funds and
how political boundaries within the states
themselves are drawn. Republicans have pro-
posed to quadruple the budget for the census
to $400 million to send more census workers
into difficult-to-count areas and print house-
hold questionnaires in up to 33 different lan-
guages.
Both sides are already digging in for the
long haul, with many beltline insiders pre-
dicting a bitter debate that could result in
several parts of the federal government
being shut down this summer when appro-
priations for the census run out. As a result,
millions of people could be missed by the
census. Instead of weighing the political
impact of the different census taking meth-
ods, both parties need to actively work
together to amend any law that stands in the
way of an accurate 2000 census. Equal rep-
resentation - one of the most fundamental
values behind a democratic state - cannot
be consciously violated in the name of par-
tisan bickering.

Brooks was
given a fair
punishment
TO THE DAILY:
This is in response to
"Suspension shows double
standard," (1/20/99).
This article struck me
because it made me think
about the actions that were
taken by the Athletic
Department and Michigan
football coach Lloyd Carr in
dealing with football player
Jason Brooks.
I believe that Brooks was
dealt with in the correct man-
ner. After being accused of
the sexual harassment, he
was put on probation. It did-
n't matter what he did next to
provoke his suspension. In
this case, he allegedly stole
something and started a
fight. If he were to allegedly
assault another woman, then
he would have received the
same punishment.
I really found it hard to
see the message of sexism
coming out of the discipli-
nary actions of the Athletic
Department. I find it very
disturbing that the football
player in question is involved
with such crimes, but perhaps
we do not know the full
story. Brooks said he is cur-
rently in mediations dealing
with this case. This by no
means makes his actions
right, but maybe we do not
know the full story.
Brooks did have to go to
some behavioral classes and
other self-improving sessions
that I find to be more helpful
than a suspension. If, in fact,
it was a borderline situation,
then Brooks has paid for it by
going to the informational
sessions, so that in the future
these mistakes will not be
made again. That's what we
want, isn't it? Change inter-
vention.
I think that Brooks got the
correct sentence. If we were
to punish him with a suspen-
sion, then he wouldn't learn
anything. Sexual harassment
is such a "gray" subject that
even Brooks could probably
learn something about it.
Ultimately, we do not
know the full story or what
has come out of the sexual
harassment investigation. I'm
not saying he shouldn't be
more severely dealt with, but
until we know the situation,
perhaps we're making it big-
ger than it really is.
DON PACKARD
KINESIOLOGY SENIOR
Daily hockey
photos were
misleading
TO THE DAILY:
The Daily Sports section
is practicing unethical jour-
nalism. The photos on pages

Dekers" logo appears on the
boards in the background.
Implying that these pho-
tos were of the game in
Columbus show just what
unethical depths The
Michigan Daily sports staff
goes to. If there was no pho-
tographer at the game, don't
try to pass off old photos as
current ones. Please give the
intelligence of the readers
some credit.
DAVID TAUB
LSA JUNIOR
Daily should
continue
quality film
reviews
TO THE DAILY:
I constantly wonder how
films like "Varsity Blues" are
made, much less find an
audience. Thankfully, Jeff
Ringenberg has provided the
answer through his letter to
the editor ("Film reviews do
not help students," 1/25/99)
- people have lost their
standards when it comes to
movies. People like him don't
want to be challenged. They
expect and demand bad
movies. While this is his
decision, it doesn't mean that
Daily reviewers should lower
themselves to his level of
blandness. I don't agree with
every review in the Daily, but
every reviewer seems to have
high standards and they seem
to be able to give objective
opinions, the key word being
"opinions."
To prove to Jeff that I
belong in his "normal, target-
ed-audience," I first have to
disclose that I've had a cou-
ple of film courses, that I
liked "Pulp Fiction" and that
I go see films at The
Michigan Theater (gosh, who
would want to see films like
"2001" or "The Godfather"
at a classic theater?). But I
also love schlock movies. I
own all five "Rocky" movies,
"Billy Madison," and "The
Long Kiss Goodnight." The
list goes on. And I paid to see
"The Big Hit." With that said,
1 can still recognize that these
movies - which I truly love
- are not great movies, and
I would expect that a review
by anyone would reflect it.
Just because something
makes you smile doesn't
mean that it deserves four
stars.
When any mortal man is
compared to Harrison Ford,
the mortal, however interest-
ing or handsome he is, is
obviously the lesser man.
When "Patch Adams" is com-
pared to the brilliant
"Shakespeare in Love" (or
even to Williams's much bet-
ter doctor film,
"Awakenings"), "Patch"
should be described as a cou-
ple of laughs inside a preachy,
repugnant waste of film. If
"Shakespeare" can only get

influence their decision on
whether or not to see a movie.
LANCE ROBERTS
LSA SENIOR
Alcohol, not
GHB, is a
date-rape
drug
TO THE DAILY:
In her letter to the editor,
("GHB is a date-rape
Drug," 1/19/99), Connie
Zvara declares that GHB
should be labeled a date-
rape drug, and implies that
representing GHB as a "reg-
ular street drug that kids
fool around with hoping for
a higher feeling of intoxica-
tion" is wrong, and that
GHB's "popularity is rapid-
ly growing and is not
because people are looking
for a better high." She also
lists Ketamine and
Rohypnol as "date-rape
drugs"
If Zvara believes GHB is
used as a date-rape drug
more often than it is volun-
tarily ingested to "get a bet-
ter high," she is simply
wrong.
At any club, bar or rave,
there are people voluntarily
taking controlled amounts
of GHB because they like
how it feels. Every week-
end, if not every day, people
do this in their own homes.
The same is true for keta-
mine.
The majority of the time
these drugs are used, they
are not being used as date-
rape drugs.
They are being used vol-
untarily and safely. But if
you want to label any drug
that some fool has at some
point used to try to get
someone into the sack, then
all drugs are date-rape
drugs.
In fact, Zvara completely
fails to condemn the most
commonly used date rape
drug of all time - alcohol.
But then again, just
because some sickos use
alcohol to try to rape some-
one doesn't mean that most
people don't use alcohol in
non-malicious ways, just to
have fun.
In fact, most people who
use alcohol do it voluntarily
and safely, just to have fun.
The same is true of GHB.
The same is true of keta-
mine.
Finally, using GHB as a
date-rape drug is just plain
stupid (I am not implying,
here, that it is smart or OK
to use other things as date-
rape drugs, mind you). Yes,
GHB is often sold in a col-
orless liquid solution, but it
tastes bitter and, depending
on how it is made, salty.
You would notice this
unless you're already drunk.
And if you are drunk,
depending on how much

Memories the
greatest gifts TiOi
Michigan Daily,
has given me
O /0 ne year ago, an exhausted but
proud new editor in chief sat a a
computer in the Student Publications
Building and wrote:
"Done.
Only a few more
hours and we get to
do it all over again:'
And ever since
4:30 a.m. on Feb. 2,
1998, I've lived
every day with the
assurance that those
words were true.
In the beginning, LAUR
they often seemed MAYK
more threatening SI
than comforting. SAY,r
The next day's
empty pages loomed, waiting for us to
fill them with news (which sometines
happened at the most inconvenient
times), photos (which sometimes
looked better on our production screen
than on newsprint), letters (which *
sometimes critical of what we had put
on those pages the day before) and
insight. As we settled into our roles andI
responsibilities on this paper and tfis
campus, those words became casual
truth: The paper would come out and\e
would all return - a little wiser anid
little more determined - to do it ag'in
the next day.
But now, it is not empty pages tht
loom, but empty days and nights with-
out the institution that has kept 9
awake at night and gotten me out of bd
in the morning for the past 3 1/2 years.
For me and my group of outgoing ed'i
tors at The Michigan Daily, those wors
expire this week with the end of dlir
terms. And we find ourselves wishing
them back again.
Along with quite a few amazing ahd
dedicated student journalists, I h'e
been proud to call 420 Maynard +
home for the past few years. I h
spent more time there than in any othr
building in Ann Arbor, and it represeits
for me the best that this University has
to offer.
It is filled with history. Daily staffers
treasure the stories of Daily alums af
they were relatives, and they borrow
much of their passion and idealism frbn
a tradition of classic journalism that hs
earned the Daily respect nationwide.
It is filled with knowledge. ;
knowledge comes second-hand, from
the students, faculty and community
members whose diversity of experi-
ences and perspectives make this cam-
pus vibrant and stimulating.
It is filled with people who care. They
care about each other with a genuine
affection that doesn't seem to be daunt
ed by the tensions of a daily paper. And
they care about the University com -
nity with an unabashed desire to
things better by disseminating informa-
tion and presenting viewpoints.
And until recently, it was filled with
the momentos and clutter of the Daiy''s
108th editor. This past week, with a few
boxes and a sentimental eye, I moved
out.
Through three semesters as a
reporter, two as a news editor and two
more as editor in chief (plus 0
spring/summer term), I've managedto
drape the Student Publications Build4
with an eclectic mix of newspapers,
faxes, clothes, photos, books (sme

racking up hefty library fines, I nust
admit) ...
the complete Unabomber manife'to
from the whirlwind week when 'e
found out Unabomber suspect Ted
Kaczynski was a University alumnus .
an Associated Press style guide given
to me my freshman year by an outgog
editor who was getting nostalgic in
last few days at the Daily ...
a clipping of another paper's inter-
view with my father, whose class acd
journalistic integrity continues to affct.
me, even after he's left the business ...
a copy of "When MBAs Rule the
Newsroom,' a book that made me angly
and grateful to be in such a business ..
daily itineraries from the 1996
Democratic National Convention'in
Chicago where another reporter aL
flagged down former Daily edito
Chicago Seven and SDS infamy Tom
Hayden for an interview ...
glossy press passes from Presid4nt
Clinton's second inauguration in
January 1997, where I phoned in quotes
from an inaugural ball while the bagd
Chicago sang (loudly) a few feet away

NANCY CANTOR
PROVOST AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
3074 FLEMING
ANN ARBOR, MI 48109-1340
764-9292

1
s
1

And try as I might to collect itall
and take it with me, I couldn't. T#
were some things I just had to leave
behind.
Perhaps that's one of the most pow-
erful and unique parts about the Daily
experience: You can't take it all wjth
you; you're not supposed to. You leave
behind advice, stories, examples, firts

I

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