The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, April 20, 1999
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It's merely goodbye, goodnight, good morning
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
(This is for every graduating senior at
Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of the
Dailys editorial board. All other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect
the opinion of The Michigan Daily.
the University)
S o it's the last day
lectures, or final
discussions and our
last chance to nap
on someone else's
time. We have
finals, term papers,
presentations and
reports. Then, we're
done. But while
we've all had vary-
ing experiences,
myriad of majors,
oops, that's concen-
trations, and many
differing routes,
there are some
telling truths about
college life, espe-
cially here where
of classes. Our last
Secret no more
Sarah
Lockyer
Locked and
Loaded
party.
We cheered our Victors to a national
championship and shivered with our
hockey team straight into the record
books. We were sobered by the harsh
reminders of young life lost, quickly and
quietly. We have ex-boyfriends, ex-girl-
friends and maybe even both. Ex-room-
mates, ex-pledge brothers, ex-pledge sis-
ters, ex-housemates. Ex-lovers, ex-hook-
ups, ex-friends. Ex-teammates, ex-coach-
es, ex-fans. We all have watched too many
movies at three in the morning and have
slept through too many classes. We have
drank too much, done too many drugs and
definitely spent too much money.
We have paid so many bills and over-
drawn our account at least once. We have
ran a tab too high and skirted along on
someone else's paycheck.
We have that random road trip and the
all-too-prevalent boredom. We have cars
and bars, chicks and tricks, guys and lies.
We have graduated from cheesy baby
tees to chic BeBe tops, from forgettable
flannels to fashionable button-downs. We
have surpassed the seeming difficulty of a
five-page paper and we have managed to
never manage time management. We have
received honors in just getting by and a
spot on the Dean's list in last minute lies.
We've all worked hard but played hard too,
and that's the best thing about the U.
We all have our many friends, our
manic Massermans, our joking Joshs, our
cocky Cohens. Our zanny Zieglers and
our special Schweigers. We have our silly
Seths and our sarcastic Stolers. We all
have our meticulous Mikes and our bewil-
dered Bens. We have our caring and cun-
ning Karens and our enigmatic and excel-
lent Emmas. We all have our Lisas and
Leslies, our Meghans and Michelles. But .
these aren't the ones who we will miss.
Instead we'll miss those who we only see
once in awhile in Angell Hall and always
promise to call, those with whom we have
unfinished business and those who we
always wanted to welcome, but never did. 4
There will be other bars, longer lines
and more expensive drinks. But even for
those who won't admit it, let's face it,
there will never be another Rick's.
But this really isn't the end, nor is it the
beginning - it's simply a step, just like
all of the others. We walked in the Diag.
and stumbled down South U, crossed the
bridge to the Hill and hopped a bus to
North Campus, walked to the Big House
and ran at the Arb.
Now, we'll be walking down Fifth E
Avenue, Lake Shore Drive or M Street.
We'll be strolling down a path in
Zimbabwe, an unpaved road in Latin
America, a trail in Europe. We'll be skiing
the slopes of Aspen, flying across the
globe and swimming in the ocean. We'll
be chilling at home, helping others and
making money.
We will all graduate, we will all eventu-
ally go to bed and we will all wake up in
the morning. So I guess it's merely good-
bye, goodnight, good morning.
- This is Sarah Lockvers final
column. She can be reached over
e-mail at slockyer@umich.edu.
Secret societies not worthy of 'U' funding
After 97 years of gender discrimina-
tion, Michigamua, a selective secret
society for male University students, has
finally been forced to open its doors to
Women. Following a long-overdue deci-
sion by the University administration, two
secret tower societies, Michigamua and
Adara, were told the University will not
support gender-exclusive organizations.
But whether these secret tower societies
meet under one heading or two, their role
on campus still remains questionable.
Michigamua was created with the help
of former University President James
Angell in 1902. The secret society bought
a house on campus and utilized the limit-
ed contemporary knowledge of Native
American ritual for ceremonial purposes.
For their assistance in building the
Michigan Union in the 1930s,
Michigamua received the top floor of the
Union's tower. In the late 1970s, the secret
organization came under harsh criticism
for its gender-discrimination, culminating
in a 1980 decision to create the separate-
but-equal group for women, Adara. After
1980, the Tower Society continued to
w claim that it stood for leadership on cam-
pus. But it wasn't until the University
administration threatened to stop funding
this year that Michigamua was integrated.
A
University sponsored secret societies
seem outdated for the 1990s. While
Michigamua claims to have rid itself of
Native American ritual and will be deseg-
regated next year, the existence of such an
elitist society under University auspices
should be brought under examination.
Unlike other University affiliated groups,
such as the Michigan Student Assembly
and social activist organizations,
Michigamua doesn't have much to offer
the University.
As an honor society, it's true that
Michigamua attracts exceptional students
to its ranks. There is nothing wrong with
student leaders of various organizations
meeting on their own accord to brainstorm
ideas. But such a private group should not
be affiliated with a public University, let
alone be allowed to monopolize such a
high-profile venue as the Union's Tower.
Michigamua has shown a remarkable
tendency to conservatively stick to tradi-
tion. For example, women weren't allowed
into the tower's top three floors until
1980. That concession, to create Adara for
women while keeping Michigamua for
men, came after a long legal struggle. A
decade later, infuriated with
Michigamua's stereotypical Native
American rituals, action was taken by
University students to end the honor soci-
ety's insensitivity. Once again,
Michigamua failed to act - until MSA's
Minority Affairs Commission filed a
charge against them. Today, the same
behavior persists.
Clearly, the era of University supported
secret societies is coming to an end. Had
Michigamua shown an ability to recognize
their problems and reform themselves, the
University might tolerate the loss of a few
floors in the Union. But by now students,
faculty and administrators should all be
fed up with regulating the elitists in the
top of the tower.
we're all the leaders and the best.
We've all danced to cheesy music and
secretly loved every second of it. We've
said things that we shouldn't have in the
presence of those who wouldn't have. And
we haven't said things we should have in
the presence of those who could have.
We've eaten at The Earle and The Gandy
Dancer. We've slobbered at Subway and
Burger King.
We've drank at Dominick's, revealed
too much at Rick's and tagged along to
Touchdown. We've gotten messy at
Mitch's, with Jerry of course, we've got-
ten silly at Scorekeepers. And then we
brought all of that to someone else's house
An open thank-you letter to my real educators
I decided to give my editors a rest this
week by writing something a little less
inflammatory. I figure that they do have to
study for finals and all, and it is pretty dif-
ficult to do that when you are receiving
hate-mail by the boat-
load. They work hard
enough as it is.
Besides, it is my last
column of the school
year and I figure I'm
allowed to wax senti-
mental.
I learned a lot my 6
first years out of high
school. I think a lot of'
that had to do with
where I was and who
I was with. I joined Branden
the Army in the sum- Sanz
mer of 1993 and vol- OW ping
unteered for duty t e
with the 1st Ranger Hamer
Battalion nin
Savannah, Georgia. The nature of Army
life, especially being in a combat unit, is so
foreign to the civilian world that it is impos-
sible to describe. But, in retrospect, in cer-
tain ways it can be likened to living in a
house with five roommates, which has been
my situation for the last year.
I was assigned to a squad with eight
other guys and we shared every moment of
each other's lives for over three years. Ours
was a motley crew, with guys from all kinds
of different backgrounds. You want diversi-
ty? We had an Irishman from Wisconsin
with a degree from UW that spent most of
his off-hours playing rugby or drinking
large amounts of Guinness; a star baseball
player from North Carolina who got drafted
by the Expos but thought it wasn't chal-
lenging enough; a pretty-boy lifeguard and
stud lacrosse player from Maryland who
got a full ride-ride scholarship to Syracuse
but came up positive for marijuana on a
drug test; a bull-riding Mexican-American
from Nevada who had a penchant for using
long words and two high school state
wrestling championships to his credit; a
slow-talking farm boy from southern
Illinois with the build of an NFL linebacker
-just to name a few.
For three years, we did everything
together - running, swimming, shooting,
jumping out of perfectly good airplanes and
other crazy stuff. Bar-brawling. Skirt-chas-
ing (on four continents, no less). You name
it. If we had anything in common, it was
that we were all confident, aggressive, goal
oriented individuals, but that was pretty
much it. We all had different ethnic, family
and economic backgrounds. I learned a lot
about people from my squadmates, as well
as a lot about myself. The same thing has
happened this year, as Ihave had the privi-
lege of living with some dynamite people. I
only knew one of my housemates before the
school year began, and although I have
some things in common with them, the dif-
ferences far outweigh the similarities..
Most of my housemates grew up in fair-
ly affluent, suburban white neighborhoods.
I did not. Most of my housemates are quiet,
studious types. I am not. Most of my house-
mates dress like they stepped straight out of
Abercrombie and Fitch or The Gap. I wear
anything from sweats to Dr. Martens to
cowboy boots. Most of my housemates are
placid, non-confrontational guys. I am not
above putting my hands on someone if I
think it is the best way to get their attention
or cure their chronic assaholia. But I have
learned from them.
A couple of my housemates are
involved with activism groups, namely
Peace Action. From John. and Andy I have
learned about the nuances of social and
political activism, as well as the fact that
you don't have to storm the Diag or scream
THOMAS KULJURGIS
out your cause to get things accomplished.
One of my housemates is Jewish. Before
moving to Michigan, I had never had any
day-in, day-out contact with someone of
that religion. From Clarence, I have learned
more about Judaism and what it really
means to be a Jew than I ever could have in
Religion 201 (with all due respect to Jedi-t
Master Ralph Williams). One of my house- 7
mates is a film major. From Matt I have
learned to at least understand, if not appre-
ciate, how someone can get so worked up
about camera angles, lighting and back- ,s
ground imagery.
One of my housemates is a self-pro-
fessed nerd. He will admit to it. He revels in
it. He even wants to be a librarian after he
graduates. James is the kind of guy who I
probably would have beaten up for sport in
high school, but now he is one of my best
friends. From James, I have learned that
nerds can be cool, too.
All this and much, much more they have
taught me. So if you are ready to graduate and
about to leave memories of your housemates
behind, or if you plan on sharing a house with
a group of people next year, remember this:
do not dwell on the time when someone stole
your milk, didn't clean the bathroom, was late
with rent money or borrowed your car without
asking. This is trivial bullshit. Instead, remem-
ber what you learned from them and how it
made you a better person.
-I would like to take this chance to
especially thank a man who is my total oppo-
site in so many ways, but I would not have
traded knowing him for anything. To my
housemate, my friend and my inspiration,
James "Miller on Tap, The Reverend, Rev.,
Seamus O'Miller' Jimmy the Saint,
Miller on Crap, Conan the Librarian,
The Hitman" Miller:I'll miss you buddy
Take care and have fun in Virginia.
Branden Sanz can be reached over e-mail
at hammerhead@umich.edu.
TENT-ATI~VEIY SPEA__N
Off the marc
Gun-permit legislation should not be enacted
E very year, close to 40,000 Americans
die from gunfire. The natural reaction
to such a horrible statistic is to look for
solutions. What can be done to change
this? How can we prevent gun-related
tragedies? Unfortunately, the state Senate
is taking steps to do the opposite. Last
week, legislation was introduced in the
Senate to ease gun permit rules and make it
easier to carry a concealed weapon.
Despite the arguments of pro-gun activists,
there is no justification for legislation of
this type. To ensure the safety of
Americans, legislation must be enacted to
restrict guns, not supply them.
Pro-gun activists and politicians think
they have the best interest of the public in
mind when they draft legislation easing
restrictions on gun availability. If politicians
and gun lobbyists were truly concerned
with the safety of their fellow citizens, they
would be pushing for stricter gun laws
instead of more relaxed ones. Japan, a
country possessing some of the world's
strictest gun laws, reported 60 deaths from
homicides involving guns in 1992. In the
same year, the United States reported
17,971 total gun homicides. It is not hard to
draw a conclusion. Fewer guns equals fewer
deaths.
Relaxed gun regulations not only
increase the likelihood of homicides, but
the likelihood of suicides and accidental
gun-related deaths as well. In 1991,
firearms were used in 60 percent of all sui-
cides. Numerous deaths occur each year as
a result of accidental shootings. In drafting
legislation that eases restrictions on guns,
lawmakers need to consider the fact that
guns are used less often to defend oneself
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In addition to the nearly 40,000 deaths
that occur annually in gun-related incidents,
about 90,000 Americans are treated for
non-fatal gun-related injuries each year.
Legislation that increases the availability of
guns not only accounts for numerous
deaths, but numerous injuries as well.
Many pro-gun activists argue that gun
control tramples on the second amend-
ment. There is no question that the U.S.
Constitution guarantees the right of
Americans to own guns. But when it
comes to the availability of semi-auto-
matic weapons, the intent of the founding
fathers comes into question. When the
framers of the Constitution decided to
include the second amendment, they did
so to ensure the safety of Americans from
rebel armies, invasion or the dangers of
the wilderness. But the current interpreta-
tion of the second amendment does not
guarantee protection, only increased dan-
ger. Guns should not be completely
restricted, but there is no need to increase
the availability of semi-automatic
weapons.
With legislation recently introduced in
the Senate and already under debate in the
House of Representatives, it looks likely
that a bill will be passed to ease regulations
on gun control and make it easier to carry a
concealed weapon. But no matter how hard
the politicians and pro-gun lobbyists insist,
no good comes out of bills like this. In
defending the bill, state Sen. David Jaye (R-
Macomb) suggested that all other constitu-
tional rights pale by comparison when com-
pared to the right to protect one's self from
a violent criminal. But this bill simply
makes it more likely that the violent crimi-
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Men's crew is
dedicated and
successful
To THE DAILY:
The most recent nationwide poll of row-
ing coaches ranks the Michigan Men's
Rowing Team 18th in the nation. This is a
spectacular feat if you consider that men's
crew is a club sport at the University. The
ranking comes on the heels of Michigan's
defeat of Stanford and narrow loss to row-
ing powerhouse Wisconsin (crew is a varsi-
ty sport at both schools.)
Michigan is the only non-varsity pro-
gram ranked in the top 20 in the nation.
While the ranking system is relatively new,
I can say that in the 12 years that I have
been a fan of collegiate rowing, I have
never seen a club team rise to the level of
achievement of this Michigan team.
The team's success can largely be attrib-
uted to their ferocious work ethic. They
begin practice in the first week of fall class-
es and conclude their season nearly a month
after everyone else has gone home for the
summer. They practice six days a week
year-round, including indoor winter work-
outs and a spring break of double-sessions
in Florida. Many Sunday afternoons I've
walked my dog along the Huron River and
seen team members out in singles doing
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Kudos to the whole team and to
Michigan men's coach Greg Hartsuff, and
good luck to both men's and women's teams
as they head into the end of the season and
the National Collegiate Rowing
Championships.
BRIAN JAMIESON
RACKHAM
Degeneres's
speech did not hurt
knows that there is no way 10 to 20 thou-
sand people would have showed up at
Crisler Arena. For the lecture to be "effec-
tive," the audience simply had to be willing
to listen to Degeneres's message and share
with those who weren't able to make it.
Second, the term "too gay" is as dumb
as the terms "too white" or "too black:'
They don't exist except in the minds of
those who use them. We all know that this
world is far from being a utopia. However,
using phrases such as "too gay" sets us
back even further.
Third, being a celebrity does not auto-
m.ticanlluaesnnlr- -inan nfl nn An.. n. ti 4.