4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, March 10, 1999
Q7le Birbiggn & lg
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
Abusing power fo
have problems. My girlfriend lives four
states away, I don't really know exactly
what's going to happen to me after I gradu-
ate, I walk funny and my voice still cracks
unexpectedly sometimes.
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.
Consequently I try
and conduct my life
such that I avoid
picking up new prob-
lems.
One of these prob-
lems that I have man-
aged to avoid for the
last few years is the
problem of subletting
my house or apart-
ment. In past years I
found work in the
area and that was
that.
This year, however,
I am not so lucky. I
found pretty good
work in another state
and have to blow out
mencement.
personal gain: I make me sick
I AmbL I
Domestic violence comes in many forms
Miller
tn ap
of town after corm-
already so much dishonesty in the sublet
game, I almost feel like a plaid-jacketed
used car salesman just for playing. There
are certain, time-honored lies:
"Close to campus." Interesting. "Close"
is a relative term. Earth is close to Jupiter,
depending on how you look at it. Beware of
ads that just say "close to campus."
Technically, the Blind Pig is close to cam-
pus, but you probably don't want to walk
from there to your 9 a.m. class at the Frieze
building. You want specifics; buildings and
walking times are good. "Five minutes from
Angell Hall." That's a statement you can
hang your hat on.
Even worse is "great location." "Four
bedroom house, great location ... near the
sun. Perfect amount of heat and radiation.
Photosynthesis on premises."
"Great location ... upstairs from
Mongolian Barbecue. Great location for
people who like to smell like the wallpaper
of a Chinese restaurant."
A lot of lies are pulled off this way. That
is to say, by leaving out the implied state-
ment that follows.
"Parking available ... on the street. Like
everyone else, you bozo. Happy hunting."
"Great view ... of the freeway."
"Utilities included ... in the house. I
mean it has electricity and water in the
house. But you still have to pay for it sepa-
rately."
The one thing that is always a lie is any-
time an ad tries to push some architectural
or decorative feature of the house. I've been
in lots of campus houses and some of them
do have things like skylights, hardwood
floors, yards, etc. But be leery of ads that
sound too much like the for sale ads in the
back of The New York Times Magazine.
Any houses or apartments that are
"charming," "quaint," "cozy," "gorgeous"
or anything like that are not available for
sublet because real people live in them and
real people don't have to sublet their homes
for a summer. They have real, regular lives.
Watch out for the adjectives. If it sounds
like you can't afford it, they probably could-
n't either and are delusional or fibbing.
There are certain types of people that you
want to avoid renting to, as well. Anyone
who mutters "This is perfect. They'll never
find me here" while you show them the
place, is not a good risk. Further, anyone
with a "Coed Naked (blank)" T-shirt and a
baseball hat probably has a propensity for
lighting furniture on fire and leaving half-
filled beer cans behind the toilet. You want
meek, quiet renters, preferably grad student
types; people who don't look Tike they have
enough spare time to be a nuisance.
On the other side of the equation, to all
you seekers, there are the certain desirable
people to rent from as well.
Somebody famous, sort of, like some
kind of college writer, or something.
Somebody known and loved by the whole
campus. Somebody with a large two-room
suite in a house behind West Quad and the
Union, and five minutes from Angell Hall
and the Grad. Somebody who knows what
"reasonably priced" really means.
Somebody who's not afraid to cheapen him-
self and his professional standards for his
own ends. So e-mail this someone, his
address is below.
He's ideal and NOT KIDDING. Please.
-James Miller can be reached over e-
mail at jamespm(a,)umich.edu.
anned, happy students returned to
denied -- by society. But it is a reality -
1 campus last weekend after a wel- in society, in all types of communities and
corned break from the daily chores of on campus. Almost one-third of all
classes and homework. But a shocking, female homicide victims are killed by
harsh reality greeted many upon their their husbands or boyfriends. But only a
return. Not only does domestic violence handful of domestic violence cases result
potentially plague the lives of students in death - countless men and women are
like themselves, but it claimed the lives of victims of harassment, intimidation, rape,
LSA senior Natasha Qureshi and her threats and physical abuse by a domestic
I'm not sure if everyone else finds sub-
letting their living space such an onerous
task as I do. Most people probably don't.
After all, one of the most prominent fea-
tures of our particular demographic is that
we move around all the time, house to
house, city to city, country to country and
life to life. Given that in a way college
undergrads are hobos with flashier clothes
and expensive educations, it seems totally
logical that this is no big deal. Folks vacate.
Folks arrive. Seems like we could come to
an arrangement, doesn't it?
Part of my loathing for this is that there is
boyfriend, recent
University graduate
Christopher Groesbeck.
The couple's deaths were
classified as a murder-sui-
cide by Qureshi's hand.
Once again, it has taken a
fatal tragedy - just a year
and a half after University
student Tamara Williams
was killed in her campus
apartment by an ex-
boyfriend - to push the
topic back into the media
spotlight. These murders
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partner.
This abuse often esca-
lates and perpetuates itself
over time. A single inci-
dent of assault counts as
abuse, and it is one too
many. Victims of abuse
are never at fault,
although that is what their
abuser sometimes - would
like them to believe. Some
people are puzzled why
victims stay in a relation-
ship with their abusers.
There are no simple
some may have low-self
have evoked horror and disbelief from
both friends and family of the victims and
the University community as a whole.
The recent murder-suic. 'e serves as a
reminder not only of the existence of
domestic violence, but that men can also
be victims. Although more than 90 per-
cent of domestic violence victims are
female, domestic abuse permeates all lev-
ela of society, rich and poor. It does not
discriminate against race, religion, het-
erosexual or homosexual relationships.
Domestic violence is a taboo topic; its
existence is often ignored - or even
answers, but
esteem and feel they deserve the abuse.
The abuser may have control over other
factors such as money or children. Others
may have a family history of abuse and
believe that it is normal or acceptable.
Violence in relationships is intolerable
and inexcusable. Organizations such as
the Sexual Assault Prevention and
Awareness Center and Ann Arbor's
SAFEhouse, offer several resources to
help educate, increase awareness and aid
survivors in freeing themselves from
domestic violence's dangerous cycle.
Tragedy teaches many important lessons
I appreciated Michael Grass's March / have learned to live with myself since then, but I wish
8 story reflecting on the murder of my
next-door neighbor, the lateTamara l didn't have to wonder.
Williams. Since that horrible September
day in 1997, I have learned several
lessons I think bear repeating. our courtyard and took over our parking Lesson 4: When in doubt, call 9-I-/.
The day Tamara moved into her lot, getting in our faces, obstructing our Even though Tamara's killer is solely
Northwood V 'apartment, I helped her sidewalks and, in some cases, pointing responsible for his actions, if police had
carry in a few pieces of furniture. We their camera lenses through our apart- intervened on some of those other noisy
then talked for about half an hour ment windows. nights, Tamara might be alive today. If
regarding her future plans to go to law Lesson 2: If you must talk to the you hear your neighbors fighting, espe-
school. She said she wanted to help bat- press after a tragedy, talk only to the cially if they scream or throw things or it
tered women. I had no idea then that she local print press. I finally gave in to sounds like one of them is being hurt,
had been in an abusive relationship. media harassment and spoke to a Detroit don't wait. For the rest of my life, I'll
Even on the one occasion when I TV reporter. We had a good, frank con- wonder if my inaction cost Tamara
questioned her about bruises on her versation, but because I didn't say what Williams her life. I have learned to live
face, Tamara gave no hint that her ex- he wanted me to, his people did a hatch- with myself since then, but I wish I did-
boyfriend had beaten her. Nor did she et editing job. This removal of context n't have to wonder.
ever mention having had to get a distorted my comments and made me Lesson 5: There is no excuse for vio-
restraining order against him. Although look foolish. lence against women. Even though the
several of her neighbors heard loud Lesson 3: The University must make murderer shouted at Tamara as she lay
noises from her apartment late at night, serious efforts to prevent the kind of dying, "Now look what you made me
none of us pushed her to say what was media orgy that took place the day fol- do," he chose his course of action of his
really going on or called the police lowing the murder. I and numerous own free will. Homicide is the greatest
before it was too late. neighbors vainly called numerous obscenity imaginable, and now it has
Lesson 1: People trying to deal with offices on campus to try to get relief. struck close to us again. We must work
trauma should not have to hide in their Until 4 p.m. that afternoon, when I to change the attitudes that allow its
houses with the shades drawn. The only finally demanded that University existence.
members of the press not to behave President Lee Bollinger be interrupted There is no excuse for violence.
boorishly in this situation were those in a meeting, they did little but defend Period.
from The Michigan Daily, whose sensi- the reporters' right to be there and - This viewpoint was written by
tivity to the neighborhood's trauma and refused to ticket the numerous news University Academic Adviser Joseph
whose coverage of the tragedy were trucks that took over our parking lot. Henderson, who can be reached over
exemplary. All the others camped out in This must never happen again. e-mail at jrhend@umich.edu.
Bad sportsmanship
Olympics Committee must begin reform
"I look at the (Olympic) Games as a
higher form of the human spirit. Its about the
athletes, always about the athletes."
- Bud Greenspan, filmmaker, as
quoted in The New York Times.
In response to scandalous and shameful
nbehavior surrounding the Salt Lake City
2002 Winter Olympic Games, an indepen-
dent U.S. Olympic Committee recommend-
ed a catalogue of reform ranging from sug-
gestions to democratize the election of the
International Olympic Committee members
to public disclosure of its finances. Such
reforms would prevent the corruption that
threatens the principles on which the
Olympics were founded.
George Mitchell, the former U.S. Senale
majority leader and chair of the panel, rec-
ommended that President Clinton declare the
International Olympic Committee a "public
international organization," thereby making,
the bribery of officials a punishable crime
under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The
panel also suggested instituting strict rules
governing the responsibilities of the private
bodied American committee so as to avoid a
repeat of the ignorance demonstrated by the
U.S. Olympic Committee in regard to over-
seeing the Salt Lake City bid.
The speculation that bribery helped guar-
antee a host position to the 2002 Salt Lake
City Winter Games, undermines what all
Olympic Games should represent - fairness
and open competition. Hosting the Olympics
has become a competitive sport in and of
itself with large monetary sums influencing
official decisions. According to USA Today,
more than 30 years ago Salt Lake City made
its first attempt to "win" the Games. When
drawing international attention to the then-
backwater town.
Juan Antonio Samaranch took over as
IOC president in 1980 and managed to fur-
ther transform the Olympics into a prosper-
ous business. History associates the
Olympics with the ideal of amateurism -
unpaid athletes competing for the love of the
sport rather than for the money involved.
Such abuse in capturing the honor of being
the host city makes the Olympic idealism
look forced. In the wake of the corruption of
the once idealistic Olympics, the entire oper-
ation has been critically degraded.
The commission must now be reformed.
Such behavior is embarrassing not only for
the world of athletics but for the United
States' general integrity. The United States
was only one of 197 National Olympic
Committees in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics
- the centennial Games. That year, the
United States had the largest delegation of
athletes - about 700.
The reform proposals are strong in their
intent to prevent such atrocities in the future.
Suggestions include opening meetings to the
public, broadening the membership of the
committee and prohibiting bribery by candi-
date cities. But it is unfortunate that such
drastic measures must be taken to amend the
poor conduct that has been accepted in the
recent past.
The original ideal of the Olympic
Games may be long forgotten, but the
spirit and sport remains alive and should
not be subject to such humiliation.
Olympians serve as heroes for their
countries. During the two weeks of tele-
vised action that comes around only
ScoTr RoTHMAN
SOME KNUCKLEHEADS
Cross-country
bicyclists hope to
raise funds
To THE DAILY:
Thank you to Adam Zuwerink for his
article ( "Bike trip to raise money for lung
cancer," 2/26/99). I will be representing
the Michigan chapter of the American
Lung Association in the 1999 Big Ride
Across America. We will be riding from
Seattle, Wash. to Washington, D.C. over 48
days. It is going to be an amazing experi-
ence. My fund raising goal is $10,000.
Donations will go to help fund research on
lung disease. Please contact me via elec-
tronic mail at erosier@dirnidr.nih.gov if
you are interested in making a donation.
Thank you!
EUSA ROSIER
UNIVERSITY ALUMNA
Computer upgrades
will include floppy
disk drives
TO THE DAILY
I would like to take this opportunity
to respond to the March 9, 1999 article
titled, "Some students unhappy with
computer upgrades." Nick Bunkley did a
fine job presenting an objective view of
the lack of Macintosh disk drives in the
new machines at the Angell Hall
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drive for every three Macintoshes in the
Campus Computing Sites. They will be
installed when they arrive.
For those unfamiliar with the Institutional
Files System (IFS), we will ensure documen-
tation is available on how to access the sys-
tem. In response to the statement regarding
IFS reliability, note that we haverecently
upgraded our equipment and software signif-
icantly to improve IFS performance.
Sites staff will continue to work with
students to determine their needs and
requirements. We will monitor usage of the
external disk drives to see if the number we
have in place is reasonable. If it is not fill-
ing the need, we will order more. It is our
objective to provide equipment and ser-
vices that help students do their work.
JOSE MARIE GRIFFITHS
CHWIFF INFORMATION O FFICERP
intramural team for the past five years
(that's right, fifth-year seniors.) We were
called the Crazy Cooters and were better
known for our beer drinking after games
than our victories on the field. That is not
to say that we did not have our moments,
such as a head-on bloody collision in IM
football that required 40 stitches, a fellow
cooter throwing a football at an opponent's
head as he ran for a score or once having a
player foul out in basketball in a record
time of 37 seconds.
The team was not about winning,
mostly due to the fact that we were
unable to do so.
This year, however, we had our most
winning season in franchise history,
actually winning a playoff game in foot-
ball and going to the quarterfinals in
basketball. Despite those wins, the
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