4A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, February 25, 1999 (1te daticgzn &ziltfg Hang in there! Semesters toughest week is almost over 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109 daily.letters@umich.edu Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan HEATHER KAMINS Editor in Chief JEFFREY KOSSEFF DAVID WALLACE Editorial Page Editors 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. Student bodies 'U' takes part in eating disorder awareness H ave you noticed that the week before a vacation always tries to kill you? Chances are you're going through the most academically painful week of the semester right now. And of course it's con- veniently placed right in front of spring break. Papers jump you like attackers in a Jackie Chan flick. Just when you strike the decisive blow on> one, another lunges from behind. And unlike Jackie Chan bad guys, sometimes papers team up anda hit you all at once. If David you stop working for Wallace even a moment, your E papers are going to be more overdue than. MaynaIrd St. the next Peter Gabriel album. And let's not forget midterms - tests determining a large chunk of one's final grade given to people for whom sleep is but a distant rumor. I don't know anyone on campus not going through this right now. Even people you think are slackers show dedication. For example, I live near people who never miss a chance to party. People who celebrate un- birthdays. And yet, this week I heard one of them turn down a chance to drink free beer. "I've got to work straight through until at least 2 a.m., man. Two big papers." Come on, this kid thinks beer is food and instead he's doing work? What are the academical- ly inclined students doing? Probably NoDoz. But you can tell it's a miserable time on campus - no one's wearing a smile unless they're like Lennie in "Of Mice and Men" imagining the rabbits. It's all drab, rumpled clothing and dirty baseball caps, which are the quickest way for a person on little sleep to comb his hair. I mean, a typical conver- sation goes like this: "Did you pass your test?" "Like a kidney stone." Ouch. I've been on both sides of this con- versation and you probably have too. We're plodding through the make-or-break week. This is the time to play through pain, because it determines the course for the rest of the semester. Ace the tests, and the remaining half is an alpine slope and you're Hermann Maier. Perform poorly, and you've got a long, hard climb back to C- level. But this is the worst way to do it. Our own University procrastinates, filling one week with a disproportionate percentage of students' grades for the semester. Breaking students down and wearing them out - can one expect to accurately test students' abil- ities this way? For starters, I'd wager stu- dents perform better at the beginning of this week than at the end. Part of the problem is our professors. Few of them recognize that students take other courses. Admit it, if your English pro- fessor saw your schedule he might say, "Physics? Did Joyce need physics to write his masterpieces?" And given the same for- tune, your Physics professor might respond, "Who needs English? I don't speak English and I'm doing fine." Ideally, more professors would take the path that a minority of their colleagues choose. Some professors and instructors schedule midterms and due dates earlier or later than the week before spring break, while others understand student pressures and give due dates some flexibility. Thanks to these people, we can take a few breaths. So why does spring break always fall after this most grueling week? Well, I think three philosophies play a part. There is of course the compassionate philosophy. The University understands the stress students incur over the entire first half semester - particularly during the midway point. A break is necessary for student morale and future performance. The second I would term the didactic philosophy. By depriving us of our lives outside school for one week, the University makes us more appreciative of blocks of free time to spend with friends and parents. Because the previous week was so tough, the sweetness of spring break is magnified. This crazy bastion of education, always looking to teach us something. Finally, a philosophy of self-preservation on the part of University administrators results in spring break serving as the proverbial light at the end of the mid-terms tunnel. This policy of appeasement stems from a fear that overworked students might conclude to show the history and French departments what Bastille Day was like in 1789. Take nothing for granted in dealing with students running on caffeine and desire. Today, spring break lies on the peripher- al of our vision. This past Sunday evening, the tests and papers stood tall enough to keep us from even viewing the goal. But now we can see those trips to warm cli- mates, those trips home and those trips to the lovely couch in the living room waiting for someone with nine days of relaxation ahead. - David Wallace can be reached over e-mail at davidmw@umich.edu. S everal University organizations are the force behind a group of events commem- orating National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, which began this past Monday. Eating disorders are a taboo topic in society, and this is why it is so important to make information and resources widely available, especially since eating disorders are such a significant problem on college campuses. Organizers have held events all week to help students examine issues of body image. Through tomorrow, students can obtain a free private eating issues assessment from the University Psychological Clinic by calling 764-3471. Events earlier in the week included a poetry reading and a film screening. Society and media images - found every- where from fashion magazines, movies and MTV, not to mention standards created by cul- tural and social norms, make it quite clear how young adults are "supposed" to look. Developing and maintaining a positive self- image can be hard work. College students seem to be particularly vulnerable to poor body image that can lead to depression and anxiety - or a full-blown eating disorder. During college, students hold themselves up to scrutiny, and some apply these skills to their appearance and self esteem. According to Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc., 86 percent of people with an eating disorder develop it before the age of 20. Recognizing an eating disorder in one's self or in others can be difficult. They are stereotypically seen as a white, heterosexual, upper middle-class women's issue. While 90 percent of people with anorexia or bulimia are women, people of both sexes and every race and economic background can potential- ly develop eating problems. Looking thin does not make one anorexic. Having a "healthy" or "normal" body does not mean someone could not develop an eating disor- der. The line dividing "normal" eating pat- terns and eating disorders is often blurry. Many people, although not suffering from clinically defined eating disorders, have unhealthy eating and exercise patterns. These damaging eating patterns can grow into a full time obsession that leaks into all parts of the individual's life - eating disorders wreck self-confidence in areas unrelated to one's body, such as academic performance. The sooner an eating disorder is identified and treated, the easier and faster the recovery - and the smaller the potential for physical and emotional damage. Treatment addresses behavioral issues such as learning how to regam healthy eating habits and how to feel and respond to hunger again - along with psychological issues such as understanding and coping with the eating disorder. Letting go of an eating disorder can be a scary prospect; people may feel it is ingrained in their day-to-day life and a unique part of their identity. It takes a lot of hard work to transform self-destructive behaviors into healthy, self-affirming ones. National Eating Disorder Awareness Week's events offer the opportunity to not only edu- cate, but to spark discussions and develop the ongoing awareness campaign. Michigan is still This is an open letter to all those out there who have wondered, silently or aloud, whether the University has lost its hold as one of the finest and most powerful institutions in this land. Those who think we're closer to UCLA than to Stanford, those who wonder if maybe they should have attended Wisconsin instead and those who feel even slightly envi- ous of the "students" in East Lansing, pay attention. The University is still the strongest combination of academics and athletics in the country. Period. First, let's hit academics. The "U.S. News and World Report College Guide" is the unof- ficial Bible of school rankings. It is the oldest and the most recognized. But before you get dismayed at the University's borderline top 25 ranking, look at the most important statistic: academic reputation. Even U.S. News agrees that it is the most important aspect, and your future employers or grad schools won't argue. Every other part of the ranking formula is meaningless in terms of the value of a col- lege's degree, and the formula favors private schools over public ones, which are always subject to higher acceptance rates and class sizes. Berkeley's academic reputation is the sixth best in the country, yet it is ranked 22nd overall as the highest ranked public school. In terms of academic reputation, only 12 schools have a higher reputation than the University, and only Berkeley's is higher among public the leader in academics, athletics schools. So where it truly matters, the University is bonerline top 10, not top 25. When U.S. News ranks graduate and undergraduate programs individually, the University's strength is even more apparent. Almost every single program or department is ranked in the top 15, with many in the top five. In the past 10 years, Michigan has national championships in football, basketball, hockey and swimming, with a ton of top five finishes in nearly every other sport. We are ranked in almost every varsity sport this year, with the notable exception of basketball, which is an oft-heard complaint these days. But remem- ber this: in the past 10 years, our basketball program has had seven 20-win seasons, 10 postseason invitations, four Great Eight appearances, three Final Fours, three champi- onship games and one national champi- onship. We aren't even really a basketball school, and yet schools like UMass, UConn and Cincinnati that have only basketball can't even rival our success. Football and hockey are Michigan institutions, and with good rea- son. We have won more football games than any other school, and our recent national championship validates our long-held stand- ing as the best. It won't be our last. Our hock- ey program has more national championships than any other program, and two in the last three years only strengthens that domination. THOMAS KULJURGIS As if all our athletic successes aren't enough, we have been first and foremost in other areas as well: more research money flows through here than any other school; we are consistently tops in college apparel sales; we have the largest alumni group. As you head out for spring break, whether to the slopes or the beach, keep this in mind: You attend the finest academic and athletic school in the country. You'll run into Tar Heels, Bruins, Cavaliers and Badgers who may all claim the same, but the simple fact is this: We own them. No university does as many things and does them as superbly as ours, and that's a fact. Pick up a college guide and remind yourself of why you chose Michigan. If you see your friends from the Ivy League, remind them that you are getting an equal education - minus some rampant grade inflation and for less money. Michigan is truly home to the leaders and the best, and don't treat that as hype. Note: To those of you who let Michigan State have the home court advantage at Crisler: be ashamed. The fact that State "stu- dents" have more pride and support for their team is disgusting. We have owned State in every way for decades, and we should never let our little sister forget it; - This viewpoint was written by LSA senior Matt Pizzedaz, who can be reached over e-mailatpizz@umich.edu. TE ,NTATIVEIY SPEAKING 0 Tech support Year 2000 problem must be fixed mlthough the big date is just 10 months away, experts still have mixed opinions as to how well the federal agencies have been dealing with the now infamous year 2000 computer bug. Monday, Rep. Steven Horn (R-Calif.) who heads the House subcommit- tee on government management, informa- tion and technology issued the federal agen- cies he had been monitoring a "C+" on their handling of the so-called Y2K problem. Horn issues reports on the agencies' Y2K prevention every quarter - last November he gave them a "D." Primarily older computers and software could malfunction on Jan. 1, 2000 because programmers only entered two numbers to indicate years in order to save time and disk space - the year 1994 would have been entered in as "94" for example. The result will be that when the year 2000 begins, some computers may think that it is actually 1900. Such a mistake could produce anything from annoying miscalculations to complete sys- tem crashes. President Clinton has given most federal agencies until March 31 to become year 2000 compliant. Horn agreed with John Koskinen, chair of the president's Year 2000 Council, who said that about 90 percent of the federal computer systems should be able to meet the deadline but remained concerned that some critical agencies, such as trans- portation and defense will not be prepared by Jan. 1. Experts' conflicting assessments of the federal government's preparedness for a problem as large and immediate as the Y2K bug is disconcerting. At this point, any gov- ernment or institution that stands to suffer Y2K related problems should be sparing no expense to correct its problems. Many orga- nizations only began to think about how to prevent millennial woes recently, although -..s~s tearaw... ...i.,. a ,lmn in .."..numn n nt* the problem. The procrastination of several state and local governments is even more upsetting. The administration of California Gov. Gray Davis can give no clear picture of the state's readiness against Y2K and only began addressing the Y2K problem last week. A report issued last week by state auditor Kurt Sjoberg stated that only four of the 20 most important computer systems for the state were completely protected against Y2K. Sjoberg's report also found that the California Department of Water Resources had no plans to even test the computer that schedules water delivery, citing financial and time constraints. Sens. Robert F. Bennett (R-Utah) and Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) warned that the Y2K problem could be "one of the most serious and potentially devastating events this nation has ever encountered," in a report scheduled for release this week. The doom- sayers may be wrong, but the amount of uncertainty surrounding the situation has spawned other problems. The federal reserve intends to print more cash in the event that people will withdraw their savings en-masse from banks in fear that financial records will be lost on account of the problem. The federal government's assurances of Y2K compliance are far from comforting. With so many qualified experts voicing such strong concern over the problem, it is no time for governments to worry about costs. Governments at the federal, state and local levels must work diligently to correct the problem until the fears of a vast majority of alarmists have been allayed. Even if opti- mists are right, both the public and politi- cians must be satisfied with Y2K prepared- ness in order to avoid potential disasters like millions rushing to close their bank accounts. The government cannot afford to a .nmhl,.+ nn the.ua n~nnh-ma STUDY TIP: ALWAYS G T MmET OF REST $EFORE AN EXgM... MSA should not ignore parliamentary procedures To THE DAILY: I still don't understand why everyone is so scared of a group that calls itself "By Any Means Necessary." Last Tuesday's MSA meeting exemplifies several facets of this concept. As I understand it, certain conservative elements of MSA ignored established rules of parliamentary procedure in order to carry out their agenda. Dave Burden proposed to reconsider the resolution to support yester- day's National Day of Action. If the resolu- tion were to be reconsidered, the motion should have been made the day of the vote on the resolution, before it had been acted upon, and by one of its original proponents (not Burden). MSA President Trent Thompson overrode objections to these obvious violations by fiat. The motion barely passed by simple majority, only to have these same conserva- tive elements decide retroactively that the motion had actually been to rescind the res- olution of support. This should have required a two-thirds vote, which the motion did not have. The result is a decision that nobody is taking seriously. The conservatives' actions and the suc- cess of the motion may have been a reaction to DAAP's recent success with certain reso- lutions. The will of the student body was co-opted, as if Burden and Thompson and others had temporarily formed the Coalition to Shaft the Defend Affirmative Action Party Renresentatives tv Any Means l --- the liberal, and both are necessary in order als in the recent past regarding even to show those of us in the mainstream what Washington. During the most recent p it means to act on our convictions. dential scandal - where it was rev nts in presi- ealed GEOFFREY REAM LSA SENIOR Public officials should be held to ethical standards To THE DAILY: I want to applaud the editorial of Feb. 23 calling for an ethics code for government officials ("An ethical plan"). I wholeheart- edly agree that an ethics code that requires officials to be responsible and ethical in that the president lied at least to the nation, if not to a federal grand jury - the Daily continuously praised the president for fight- ing off those who would hold him account- able for his lack of integrity and character. While the impeachment trial is over, the issue of ethics and integrity in gov- ernment pervades. I hope that this editor- ial is an instance where the Daily has maintained its integrity, instead of giving in to the partisan politics of hypocrisy. Ethics and integrity are universal princi- ples, and if we do not require them of our government officials - or our media - how can we possibly require them among ourselves? Unethical officials may compromise our I