4 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, February 15, 2000 e l[itl igttn i ttil 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109 daily. letters@umich.edu Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan Hammerhead's I've been to a lot of bars in my time. Maybe it's because I've moved around so much over the years, but I've managed to sample watering holes all over the world - from the bar and grill in Alamogordo, New Mexico, MIKE SPAHN Editor in Chief EMILY ACHENBAUM 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. where I took my first legal drink at 14 years old (they have some funny laws down there) to seaside cabanas in Florida. I've sampled Guinness at Irish pubs in California, quaffed hurricanes at world- famous Pat O'Briens in New Orleans and sipped Lonestar while watching the indoor bull-riding at Billy Bobs in Ft. Worth, Texas. So it was quite sur- prising to me to find Visible vouchers Branden Sanz ' t n. th xM mmer guide to myself to drop some know you looking for a newI women (or men), and son I spend a fair bit of ti haps because a lot of my i to Eastern. But, for wha managed to uncover quit during my time here. I (especially those wearing thinking, "But Ypsi is so never go there." Yeahr nightclub in Cancun wh bodyshots and freaking look-alike last spring brea tessence of chic. So here it is, the de very best of Ypsi and su and, as they say in New boun 'ton roulet. Aubreys. This quaint1 located in Ypsi's historica to what they call "Rest Night" on Sundays -- most of my Easternp "Church." What that mea in a bar or restaurant schooners of any beer on1 if you do work in a restau stub. If not, just lie. You'l if you get a heavyset bla brow ring named "T" as awesome, but she's alsoN problems letting you k please don't be too offer your ass is nice - she's j Theo's. This place ha an open frat party, espec Thursday nights. Low ce small, crowded dance fl ers, as well hundredsc Eastern students all contri good Greek function, you must be 21 to drink. A LGBT community leaps ahead with scholarships almost-local slumming wledge upon those of Greek function, that rule is almost never0 place to find wine, enforced. Think of it as Rick's with better ng. music and a friendly air, devoid of most of the me in Ypsilanti, per- highfalutin' posturing that plagues Rick's and friends from work go Skeeper's. tever reason, I have The Wooden Nickel. One of my personal,; te a few little gems favorites, but you have to go on a Tuesday- know a lot of you night. Why Tuesday night? Simple, gentle' brown lipstick) are reader: Karaoke. The only thing more fun,' ooo ghetto! I would than watching someone make a complete ass right. I'm sure that of themselves singing "American Pie" is ere you were doing downing a few $2 pints of Labatts and trying. the Ricky Martin it yourself. At the Nickel, you get to see peo- k was the very quin- pie attempting everything from Hootie to the Backstreet Boys to Limp Bizkit and revel in. finitive guide to the their humiliation. Much like Theo's, the 18/21 urrounds. Buckle up rule "applies." Orleans, laissez le The Diamondback Saloon. Okay, so you may not like country, but the 25-cent draffs on little bar and grill in Thursday nights at this Belleville honkeytonk al district is all home may change your mind. Besides, who doesn't aurant Appreciation like watching girls in too-tight jeans strut their perhaps that's why stuff on the dance floor? For those of you who* pals refer to it as own nothing but Structure shirts and cargo ns is that if you work pants, fear not. The local cowboys are mild t they offer S2.50 mannered and will generally not attempt to tap. So show up and stick a large, corn-fed foot up your ass simply urant, bring your pay because you look like the Abercrombie 1 be okay, especially posterboy. ck girl with an eye- Wicked Mickey's. Simply the hands-down your waitress. She's wildest, best, bass-thumpin', booty-shakin', very gay and has no get-your-ass-out-on-the-floor-and-dance, :now it. So ladies, meatmarket nightclub around. Thursday, nded if she tells you Friday and Saturday are the best nights to go.* just being friendly. Wear your hookup regalia and get there by 10 as the atmosphere of p.m., because that's when the line starts, and it cially on Monday or moves very slowly. ilings, pool tables, a So get on out there and walk on the wild oor and S1.25 pitch- side. Just don't expect to find me. I'm at home of swankily-dressed studying. 'ibute. Much like any - Branden San: is at home sampling u can get in at 18 but sobriety and can be reached via e-mail end, much like any at hamrhead@umich.edu. LEN GINDING:TT HF N B* Students at Michigan State University who have performed exceptional ser- vice to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans- gender community will now have the opportunity to be rewarded for their actions. Last week, MSU announced that it will institute a scholarship for LGBT students, administered by their office of financial aid and awarded by the Gay and Lesbian Faculty and Staff Association. But such an award is not unique to MSU: The University of Michigan has been offering an LGBT scholarship since Todav 1993. This is only a part of Visibility N what the University's Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and EXi1e Transgender Affairs has done iber, for the University community, and it is encouraging to see Poet, es that other universities are fol- activist Elie lowing uitrreaing froi r dlowingsuit.released Because this week is Queer Visibility Week, in which 7:( members of the University's Mvicti LGBT community celebrate their pride and encourage tol- lYjt at tic kd1 valuable service to the University. It offers support to students struggling to understand their sexuality, fights against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and seeks to educate the University as a whole about sexuality and gender issues through various workshops, discussion groups and other programs like those featured during Queer Visibility Week. This is a very important function to fulfill: Although the LGBT community has made great strides in the last quarter-century, discrimina- Qneer tion is still very prevalent in :ek event: today's society. There have been many high-profile instances of rd pride: hate crimes against homosexu- ter-ness and ion" als, and no doubt many that are not as well-known. Ignorance ayist, and about the LGBT community fare will be continues to persist. The best her newly book way to combat this is with edu- cation and hence tolerance. Dprn University students of all sexual oo Room preferences should take the time to learn about LGBT issues. The inception of the LGBT scholarship at MSU is a promising sign that universities are doing more to support the LGBT community. The University's Office of LGBT Affairs has been doing excellent work for quite a few years, and will no doubt continue to do so in the future. More universities should follow the example of the University, MSU, and other schools, and continue to improve their facilities for LGBT students. relatively few places to get my drink on in grand fashion after arriving in Ann Arbor. I mean really surprising. After all, we have nearly 40,000 college kids here - you would think there would be a veritable bevy of tav- erns lined up to support the burgeoning alco- holism of tomorrow's Leaders and Best. But such is not the case. Oh, I know about all the campus favorites. I've been to Mitch's, had dollar-pitchers at TD's, enjoyed half-off night at Rick's, sam- pled scotch at the One-Eyed Moose and the watered-down excuse for Long Island Iced Tea they try to pass off at Skeeper's. Michigan being the prestigious school that it is, I initially chalked the whole thing up to the triumph of academia over alcohol. But many of my friends have complained about this dearth as well, so I have taken it upon CHIP CUL erance in others, it is a fitting time to acknowledge the LGBT Office's contribu- tions. Though the office in its present form has only existed since 1994, the University has had an official support network for LGBT students since the establishment of the Gay Liberation Front in 1970. Through the years, that organization evolved into the program that exists today. The Office of LGBT Affairs provides a Too much information Employers should not factor genetics Mock Trial team deserves recognition TO THE DAILY: Once again, the Daily has ignored a successful finish by the 'U' Mock Trial Team. Two squads from Michigan placed second and eighth at the Great Lakes Regional Tournament last week, earning a bid to the National Championships. For two consecutive years Michigan has placed fifth at Nationals, and for two con- secutive years the Daily has neglected to print anything about it. We are frustrated by the Daily's indif- ference to a group of students that works extremely hard to bring recognition and success on a national level to the University. We are insulted by the stories the Daily staff deems more press worthy. In the Feb. 9 paper there was an article about "a group of California Polytechnical State University students (who) show- cased their grapevine pruning skills last week." Grapevine pruning. Last week. In California. Our belief that activities that have some relevance to Michigan students (last we checked, vinting isn't a major here) would get cove rage in the Daily is obviously mistaken. Apparently, so is our notion that the Daily would pay attention to events that actually concern this University. We on the Mock Trial team are used to being neglected and ignored by University administrators. While they are eager to promote Michigan as a school with strong academic programs and excellent pre-law opportunities, we have never received a dime of University funding. Unlike all of the other top programs in the country, we do not have a faculty administrator or advisor. The administration willanot even give us a display case to house all of the !1 0 f Y t- 3n . -,,. t"*'." " 4 4, A " 4 "C 3 1' 7 ). > K' tF -7,'- r H 0107 BUY ME AW9 Ti& Y5STERDAY- DOSS THAT MEWA HE DOESN'T CARE MO'"ME ; .; . . -. } ; .. ; ., . .._ w..,.,., .., . . t 0 he ongoing quest to unravel the human genetic code will undoubted- ly be one of the defining experiences of human history. This endeavor holds the promise of ridding us of inherited disor- ders, innumerable other afflictions and giving all people healthier and longer lives. The likelihood that genetic infor- mation can reveal afflictions such as can- cer or Alzheimer's decades before they develop will give people the benefit to treating them at extremely early stages. But there is also danger in this venture. The possibility exists that genetic information will be used to discriminate against those with predispositions to dis- eases. Employers may be hesitant to hire someone whose medical problems may cost them a great deal of money in the future and insurance companies may deny coverage to those they know will need it. People could be refused decent and healthy lives because of characteristics they were born with, making a mockery of the promise of genetic research. Already, many people fear taking one of the few genetic tests available because they are worried about what that informa- tion will cost them. People with family histories of health problems such as can- cer or heart disease may be especially reluctant to take these tests for fear of los- ing insurance they will likely need in the future. Instead providing the opportunity to diagnose and treat diseases, genetic discrimination may keep people from tak- ing possibly life-saving tests. President Clinton took a step towards preventing genetic discrimination last week by issuing an executive order ban- ning federal agencies from engaging in the practice. Insurance companies that issue large group policies are already pro- hibited from using genetic information to deny or increase prices for coverage. It is imperative that Congress extend this pro- tection to people with any type of insur- ance. By failing to act, the health of many people will be put in jeopardy by reluc- tance to take genetic tests or the loss of insurance coverage. Congress also needs to pass a recently introduced bill to prevent discrimination by private companies that mirrors the President's order covering government workers. Those who are predisposed to certain illnesses should not be denied employment or access to employer health benefits because of genetic traits they obviously have no control over. We can already see today how health information can be used to discriminate. Numerous cases of people carrying HIV/AIDS, heart disease and other ail- ments being denied employment on that basis exist. Like people whose genes may cause disorders in the future, those who can work now, but are in these unfortu- nate health situations should not be pre- vented from having jobs or being treated the same as other employees in terms of benefits. The incredible advances taking place in genetic research must not be used to force people into secrecy about their health or prevent them from having jobs and insurance. Allowing genetic informa- tion to take away people's willingness to diagnose diseases or be denied the securi- ty of employment robs the study of genet- ics of everything it was meant to accom- plish. trophies we have won over the years. We depend entirely on support from student groups (MSA, RHA. LSA-SG and dorm councils) who have always been extremely generous. The Daily continues to hold out, consistently ignoring the press releases we regularly send them. The students of this University deserve to know about the existence and success of the Mock Trial team. For pre-law stu- dents, Mock Trial is the only undergradu- ate opportunity for a hands-on education in trial advocacy. Moreover, the team members who spend hundreds of hours in preparation for each tournament deserve to be recognized for their talent and dedi- cation. We have earned the respect of the national mock trial community, but for some reason our own student newspaper eludes us. For anyone interested in learning more about the Undergraduate Mock Trial team (since the Daily won't tell you) our Web site is huv: www urn i ch.edu/-mock. If you want to learn more about the JOELLE RENSTROM MICHAEL LOMBARDO MOCK TRIAL TEAM CAPTAIN* LSA SENIORS i grapevine pruning competition, check out http://iwww.isted.ink.com. t I Corruption abound in athletic dept. TO THE DAILY: Whomever Tom Goss is in trouble with, maybe he could have Brian Ellerbe talk t him so we could keep the authorities out o0 it. That way he could keep his job and wouldn't have to endure any of the conse- quences of unlawful or unethical behavior ... ask our basketball team, it works. MATTHEW WILLAMS LSA JUNIOR Eating Disorder Awareness Week -pay attentiorn E ating disorders. Everybody's heard of them. Everywhere you turn in the last few months, every magazine you pick up, you see headlines questioning the weight of actresses such as Calista Flockhardt or Sarah Michelle Gellar or Courtney Cox. Are they too skinny? Do they have eating disorders? Unfortunately, after the excitement of the scoop died down, so did the stories and questions about actresses being too thin. The media will eventually lose inter-; est, but millions of young women in the United States, includ- ing some of these actresses, will contin- ue to struggle with serious eating disor- ders and body image Michelle concerns. It's ironic Bolek that most of thesea magazines have sto- ries on how sickly thin Shift these actresses look and then have models on the next page who ar Mt ;ac th in if nest thinner n is thin "gaccd" look too thin?" or "Pass me some more ice cream. I need to gain some more weight on my thighs!" It's rare, indeed, and unfortunate that there is such a common body hatred among us. Pay attention to what people say this week. Take a critical look at magazines ads, com- mercials on television, as well as radio com- mercials. How many use words like "sinful" or guilty" or "secret" or "obsession"? How many magazines have an ad for a decadent chocolate cake and then have an ad for a diet to lose 10 pounds in one week right next to it? We are taught to think that "fat" is synony- mous with lazy, unhealthy, ugly, unmotivated, unsuccessful, etc. Americans spend more than $40 billion on dieting and diet related products each year. This week, you owe it to yourself to question the motives of these industries that play such a large role in fueling women's inse- curities about their bodies. After you question their motives, stop buying their products. As a recovered anorexic and bulimic and a student activist on this campus for the last few years, I have seen the problems that a lack of education and understanding about eating dis- orders can cause the women (and men, although fewer in number) dealing with these isses. Fatino disnrders are not ahout vanitvi This week is your opportunity to scrutinize your own beliefs. Dieting has been so ingrained in our culture as a typical theme in women's lives that we fail to recognize how destructive an unhealthy a pattern it can be. Women, how many times have you been with a group of female friends when someone does nor mention that she thinks she's fat, or that she feels guilty for eating something, or that she just has to exercise? It has become a warped bonding experience. Men, how may times have you been with yo girlfriend/female friends/sisters/mother when they didn't mention some insecurity about their bodies? It's easy to get used to since We hear it all the time. Thinking about these issues and learning more about them is a good start. What can you do this week to start thinking more critically, to help yourself or someone you love? Go to some of the programs being offered by student groups and offices on campus. Learn as mu as you can about eating disorders and what you can do to prevent them or help yourself or others who are currently coping with them. Surround yourself with people who are sup- portive and aren't critical of your body or theirs. Don't assume this is only a women's issue - even though only 10 percent of neo- x.: 1