4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, February 23, 2000
GZbe £itigwu Sailg
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
daily.letters@umich.edu
Edited and managed by
students at the
University of Michigan
Pp quiz, hotshot!
In honor of the presidential primary's con-
vergence with midterms yesterday, I com-
bined the two for a little pop quiz today. Hey,
you've already got a chemistry test, a history
test and a TB test scheduled this week, so
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.
what's one more?
Have fun.
1. The coolest thing
aboutAl Gore is ...
a)rhe roomed with
actor Tommy L e
Jones at Harvard.
b) he would be the
first president born in
the District of
Columbia.
c) (Trick question.)
There is nothing cool
about Al Gore.
2. The Straight-talk
Express is ..., '
a) up for an
Academy Award this
year.
I'S Freeig
Frieze Building conditions are unacceptable
David
Wallace
Its prinay season: What do you do?
for 29 points. to play a role in Anerican politics, albeit
b) will because nowadays everyone lights small one, after ..
up Michigan for 29 points. a) the country found out the party's leader
c) will because Bradley stiffed Duke ship is insane.
University at the last minute to attend b) the country firnd out the party's just
Princeton. few rifles short of a militia.
6. Voters should be waryof George WBush c) the party sbspended campaigning o
because ... Mondays to watch "WWF Raw is War."
a) he insists on the middle initial. 11. The "MiraYe on Ice " is ...
b) according to rumor he likes coke, not a)a hockey game played 20 years ago yes
the drink. terday.
c) something's obviously wrong when his b) Walt Disrry's cryogenically preserve
father jumps out of a plane every few months. corpse.
7. Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan c) the billing for the next televised Gor
will be best remembered for ... Bradley debate.
a) being a speechwriter in the Nixon White 12. Spike Lee supports Bill Bradle
House. because ..
b) supporting new Austrian leader Jeorg a) he likes Bradley's stances on key issue
Haider, who feels the Nazis had some good b) Bradley strongly criticized Regg
ideas. Miller in his keynote address at the '9
c) picking winners. Democratic National Convention.
8. At a recent campaign stop at a Saginaw c) Bradleyy was a Knick.
high school, John McCain, in what can only 13. Jello Biafra is ...
be construed as an attempt to look hip for the a) the mot unpopular flavor of Jello, eve
kids (Note: theyprobably can't votevet) com- b) the fRmer frontman of the punk ban
pared himselfto ... the Dead Kiennedys.
a) Indiana Jones trying to escape the c) seekiig the Green Party nomination fc
Temple of Doom. president.
b) Luke Skywalker trying to get out of the 14. Biaka's chief competitionfor the Gree
Death Star. Party nomination is
c) Really, the answer is "b." Look it up at a) sorry hippie farmer.
dailvnews.vahoo.com/h/nm/20000221/ts/c b) a different hippie farmer.
ampaignleadall_141.html. c) coisumer rights curmudgeon Ralp
9. There are a number of signs around Nader.
town touting the Democratic candidates. 15. T he Bull Moose Party .
Selling Democrats to Ann Arbor is easier a) came into existence in 1912.
than ... b) on~ce ran Teddy Roosevelt for presider
a) selling life jackets to drowning men. c) vill not be seen in this election.
b) selling footage of police chases and pet Pretty easy, huh? A zero or more passe
attacks to FOX. just lie real politics. Maybe our professo
c) Selling Republicans to the Hillsdale could institute a similar grading policy.
College community. - David Wallace can be reached v
10. Amazingly, the Reform Party continues e-mail at davidmw~wumich.ed
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W alking up State Street toward
Huron, a striking building comes
into sight. The Frieze Building is notice-
able not for its architectural beauty but
because it is considered by many to be
one of the two ugliest buildings on cam-
pus.
A tour of the Frieze reveals that its
dreariness is not limited to the outside.
"Bland," "antiquated," and "outdated" are
all appropriate adjectives for the inside of
the building. Safety concerns have also
been raised: Film and Video Studies Prof.
Frank Beaver complained recently that a
window shattered when it was opened.
As anyone who has been required to
teach or take a class in the building will
tell you, Frieze needs to be either razed or
extensively renovated for faculty and stu-
dents to get the most out of their classes.
The Frieze was not constructed for the
University. It was originally part of Ann
Arbor High School, until the University
purchased it in 1956.
The building itself is nearly 100 years
old. If we were to force athletes to prac-
tice in an ill-equipped, century-old build-
ing, then their performance would proba-
bly suffer.
The situation with the Frieze is analo-
gous to this scenario - the building's
poor shape likely degrades what would
otherwise be a good educational experi-
ence. The building hosts both
Communications and Film and Video
Studies, but has no cable access, making
it an unacceptable facility for education.
Four years ago, the University planned
to renovate it, along with the LSA
Building, West Hall and other buildings.
Unfortunately for students and faculty,
the plans for Frieze were placed on hold
and haven't been addressed since.
Frequently, those who must work in
the building complain about the tempera-
ture. Too cold in winter, too hot in sum-
mer, conditions simply are not appropri-
ate to produce the best work. In extreme
cases, professors and GSIs move classes
out of the building.
This may help explain why the build-
ing's utilization rate is a pitiful 48 per-
cent. When teachers go out of their way to
avoid teaching in the building, the admin-
istration needs to take notice.
Another point to address is why so
many unrelated programs are based in the
building. A list of those programs
includes Communications, Film and
Video Studies, Linguistics, Women in
Engineering, Religion, Asian Languages
and Cultures, and Theatre.
This, combined with the Frieze's state
of disrepair is cause to question whether
the University is neglecting some or all of
these departments in other ways besides
housing them in sub-par facilities.
The Frieze building is insufficient for
classes. Perhaps then, it is best that the
building has a utilization rate of 48 per-
cent. Why make any other students or fac-
ulty members suffer by requiring them to
spend time in such a dilapidated build-
ing? University administers and the board
of regents would be wise to consider
modernizing the Frieze or building a
state-of-the-art facility in its place.
The ironic thing about the whole
Frieze situation is that while it literally
rots and the departments it houses suffer,
the University is considering renovations
to Mason Hall and building the multi-mil-
lion dollar Life Sciences Institute. This is
not to suggest that those projects should
be abandoned, only that the neglect of the
University's neglect of the Frieze building
is questionable at best.
Perhaps the University should follow
the example SOLE set during their occu-
pation of LSA Dean Shirley Neuman's
office and place the Frieze Building on
eBay.
b) an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.
c) the most frightening bus ride since
"Speed."
3. Alan Keves is ...
a) a presidential candidate.
b) the actor who played the Skipper on
"Gilligan's Island."
c) the guy who wrote the lyrics to "The
Star Spangled Banner."
4. By being mentioned in the previous
question, Alan Keyes' scampaign got the most
media coverage it has received ..,
a) this week.
b) this month.
c) ever.
5. Maize Ragers considering lending sup-
port to Bill Bradleys campaign ...
a) won't because while playing for
Princeton in 1965, Bradley lit up Michigan
nt.
es,
rs
ia
U.
TLS T~'iLLYSPAKING
.I
THOMAS KULJURGIS
Cyber ripoff
MSU should not require computer ownership
A new rule made by Michigan State
University requires all incoming
first year students for 2000 to have their
own computer.
This new requirement will add $1000
to the cost of tuition, which is already
around $12,000 for two semesters. It is an
attempt by MSU to become a paper-free
university and establish TI connections
off campus.
MSU is implementing an unnecessary
method to solve the network problem on
campus. Other tactics could be employed
by MSU that wouldn't add more cost to
the already unaffordable price of higher
education.
MSU should use the University as an
example of how to properly equip an entire
student body with computers. The
University has set up many computing sites
on campus that network the students to pro-
vide fast and efficient internet service.
There are still many imperfections
within the system, but at least there aren't
additional regulations that force the stu-
dents to put their money towards this
technological privilege.
Requiring a computer -and thus rais-
ing the cost of tuition -makes higher
education more financially exclusive than
it already is.
modate their students. Companies such as
Apple or Dell would be happy to strike a
deal and have their name spread through-
out Lansing.
The fact that all the computer sites at
our University are riddled with candy col-
ored i-Macs is not a coincidence. The
University got a piece of the Microsoft
action a long time ago. This type of
agreement would give MSU a chance to
add computers to their campus and keep
their price of tuition down.
Students should have the freedom to
choose what kind of computer they want
to invest in. The wide range of computers
available, from lap tops to massive PC
units, gives students the option of finding
the unit that suits them.
Different types of students have differ-
ent needs. MSU's new computer require-
ment would remove the option of choice
from their students. Computers may be
complicated, but they can also be very
personalized. In some ways, searching for
the right computer can be compared with
finding the right mate.
MSU has good intentions towards
moving their student body into the next
millennium. But the additional cost is
extraneous and unneeded. They should
look at other large universities as an
Israeli occupation
has nothing to do
with Zionism
TO THE DAILY:
I would like to set everyone, especially
Salih Mahameed ("Oslick's letter 'distorts
and falsifies'," 22100) straight about a
couple of things.
First, Israel's occupation of southern
Lebanon has nothing to do with Zionist
Expansion at all. Israel only occupied that ter-
ritory after a 1967 attack from Lebanon. Mind
you, Israel was attacked. The attack failed
however, and the Lebanese invaders were
actually pushed back behind their original
boundary line. In an effort to maintain a
secure buffer zone, the IDF retained military
occupation of the lost territory.
To suggest this is in the expansionist spir-
it of "The Big State of Israel' would be like
calling the use bug spray an attempt to elimi-
nate the mosquito species. Now to address this
issue of improper name calling. While it is
true that the Nazis considered the French
resistance 'terrorists," so too did the French
call their German invaders the same word.
Regardless of who calls who what name,
Israel won the Golan area in a defensive bat-
tle. Obviously both sides will spread propa-
ganda against the other, but the sticks and
stones left Lebanon on the losing team.
JESSE MILLER
LSA SOPHOMORE
VM'flag should
return to tower
TO THE DAILY:
Whoever removed the Michigan flag
from the top of the Union should put it back
up immediately. There may be controversy
over who should have access to certain
rooms in the tower but there is no denying
that the Union belongs to us, the students.
The one symbol that we can all agree
upon, that doesn't cause controversy or hurt
feelings, is the simple 'M' flag. It is a symbol
for the entire University, not just the adminis-
tration or just one ethnic group or just one spe-
cial interest. If we are to solve the many prob-
lems presently plaguing our institution, we
must solve them as a whole. If we abandon the
'M' flag,aour last symbol of unity, we might as
well replace it with a white flag and surrender.
GRAHAM LANZ
LSA JUNIOR
SOLE member
supports SCC
TO THE DAILY:
As Students Organizing for Labor and
Economic Equality begins the process of
working with the Unversitv administration
througoh the \Workers Rights Consortium, to
over others. More specifically, we believe that
the University is more receptive to the con-
cerns of white students over those expreossed
by students of color. The fact that our "s'ieat-
in" participatnts, the majority of whom were
white, began negotiations with the admiraistra-
tion almost immediately after we began our
occupation while the SCC has been vAxiting
for two weeks to participate in the same
process is shameful and unacceptable.
SOLE wholeheartedly supports the strug-
gle of the SCC against Michigamua and all
other tower societies. These groups cointribute
to an atmosphere of racism an elitism, that has
no place on our campus or in our administra-
tion. SOLE demands that the University make
a commitment to not only listening to, but act-
ing upon the concerns of all students. More
specifically, we demand that the University
and Bollinger meet all of the demands of the
Student of Color Coalition immediately. In
addition to our belief that the demands of the
SCC are righteous and just, we feel that a uni-
versity that is affiliated with racist organiza-
tions like Michigamua cannot possibly make a
sincere commitment to fighting for human
rights and eliminating sweatshops.
Venceremos!
JULIE FRY
LSA JUNIOR
Front page picture
was 'gross'
TO THE DAILY:
I was appalled to see the picture of Ann
Arbor resident Mike Bycrofit getting "his first
tattoo" on the front page of Friday's Daily
(2/18./00). I did not see the relevance of this
picture nor did I understand the reason for it.
There are so many newsworthy stories at the
University and for you to give almost a quar-
ter of the front page to this gross, random pic-
ture disappointed me greatly. If you are that
desperate for something;o put on the cover
how about a picture of the snow ... that would
be more interesting to me.
STACEY GISH
LSA SENIOR
common closing time of 6:30. The same also
goes for breakfast and lunch.
Second, while you can't use your meal
credit at off-campus eateries, you can use your
meal credit in any of the snack bars which are
located in Bursley, Markley, East Quad and
South Quad and are open until 11 p.m. or 12
a.m. If a resident doesn't like their meal plan,
they can change it. There are other options
which provide in addition to meal credits,
Entree Plus, which can be used in the Union,
the League and the Pierpont Commons. And
don't blame Housing if you can't use your
Entree Plus at Burger King. Blame the
University Administration and their precious
little "Cash Chip."
And just because a college student stays
up until 2 a.m. doesn't mean we need a full-
service meal at that time. That's what vending
machines and pizza delivery are for.
So next time, try getting your facts straight
instead of just throwing an editorial together
to vent your frnstrations and fill up space.
MARISA THOMAS
LSA SENIOR&
Dining Services is
dedicated to the
environment
TO THE DAILY:
We are responding to the Daily's editorial
"Food Fights," (2/17/00) as a means oft
endorsing our support of Dining Services and
their dedication to progress in food quality,
nutrition and environmental sustainability.
As members of student groups involved in
the Proposal for a Sustainable University of
Michigan, we have collaborated with adminis-
trators, faculty, staff and students to draft
numerous action items aimed at improving the
quality and environmental sustainability of
many aspects of campus life. One of the most
positive and proactive participants in this
ongoing process has been Dining Services
(along with Student Housing), who have
made it clear that they welcome student
involvement in improving the state of the din-
ing halls and have been disappointed by the
lack of collaboration in this effort. While we
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