4A - The Michigan Daily - Monday, March 13, 2000
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Students observe campus governance only from afar
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
daily. letters@umich.edu
Edited and managed by
students at the
University of Michigan
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. Allother articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily
reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily.
Football ticket situation is improving.
A s John McCain's candidacy came to an
end last week, so did any true hope of
campaign finance reform. It's not an exciting
issue like gun control, tobacco or abortion,
so campaign finance was likely a flash in the
pan.
That's unfortunate, because campaign
finance reform
would have helped;
eliminate the cor-
ruption that taints
the hot issues. If
the National Rifle
Association wasn't
lobbying oodles of
money into their
campaign coffers,
Congress mem-
bers actually might
regulate guns.
Without cam- Jeffrey
paign finance Kosseff
reform, most
issues won't t
receive fair con- Style
sideration from"
Congress. But
campaign finance isn't exciting enough for
the public to make it a top priority.
We face the same problem at a local
level. For more than 30 years, students have
fought to set aside a voting seat on the Uni-
versity Board of Regents for a student. But
the issue has fallen by the wayside for more
exciting topics. Like campaign finance, the
student regent cause is not nearly as exciting
as other campus issues, such as affirmative
action. sweatshop labor or the Code of Stu-
dent Conduct. Also like campaign finance
reform, a student regent would enhance the
debate on all of these "hot" issues by adding
a student perspective in every phase of
regental decisions.
Some recent administrative actions have
sparked great controversy on campus. Stu-
dents simply feel distant from the decisions.
University President Lee Bollinger and the
regents haven't changed the Code, although
the Michigan Student Assembly compiled a
lengthy report filled with suggestions. If a
student were on the board, the issue could
have stayed on the table longer rather than
being swept under the carpet.
The University is a multi-billion dollar
business and we have successful executives
and lawyers on the board. Their business
experience is invaluable. But it's been a
while since they've been in college. They
might understand students' needs 20 years
ago, but only students understand current
concerns. Regents vote on tuition increases,
and nobody is more affected by tuition hikes
than students.
While the regents' meetings are so for-
mal that they seem like the House of Lords,
they have the most important job on cam-
pus. They hire'and fire the president. The
president must satisfy a majority of the
board to keep his job. If a student seat were
added to the board, then a student would
shape part of the president's decisions.
Opponents of a student regent seat argue
that any student could run in the statewide
elections for regent. That's not realistic.
Most students have neither the financial
resources nor the contacts to launch a
statewide campaign.
I've also heard opponents say one stu-
dent cannot represent the diverse views of
37,000 peers. Guess what? That's how the
S tarting next year, Michigan Stadi-
um will be a little louder, the wave
will start a little quicker and 2,500
more fans will be on their feet from
kickoff to the last seconds of the fourth
quarter. The University Ticket Office
agreed last Wednesday to change 2,500
extra game tickets into student seating.
Thanks in large part to the efforts of
the Vice President's Round Table - a
non-secret organization of student lead-
ers - the Athletic Department is final-
ly taking steps towards alleviating the
problem of student seating.
Although Michigan Stadium has
space for more than 100,000 fans, less
than a fifth of those went to students
last year. In recent years, this distribu-
tion caused many students to weather
split-ticket seasons or not acquire tick-
ets at all. The addition of these seats,
which increases the number of student
tickets to 22,000, will undoubtedly cut
the Athletic Department's revenues but
should be seen as a necessary invest-
ment towards the students. Every stu-
dent deserves a chance to attend home
games and hopefully the addition of
student seating this year will help make
that a reality.
Along with the increase of student
season tickets, the Athletic Department
should consider other student concerns
before endorsing next year's policies
for football home games. Currently,
University officials are contemplating
an officious policy that would require
students to present their M-Card upon
entering the stadium grounds. Such a
program accomplishes little and would
become a serious detriment to the
democratic system works. Students would
vote for a student regent in the student gov-
ernment elections and the person who best
represents the interests of the majority wins.
The fight to get a student on the board
received a boost two years ago, when stu-
dents approved a $4 semesterly MSA fee to
collect signatures for a petition to get the
issue on the statewide ballot. But Secretary
of State Candice Miller said MSA cannot
collect the fees because it is for a political
cause.
There's still hope. We could convince
the regents to amend their bylaws to
include a non-voting student member on
the board. At least the student could have
access to executive session. E-mail them
at regentsaumich.edu and tell them why
you don't feel they properly represent
you.
Once the non-voting member demon-
strates competency and efficacy, studentsO
could begin to convince the state legislature
to put the issue of a voting member on the
ballot.
Most importantly, we must keep this
issue in the public forum. Over the past two
years, I've seen it virtually disappear from
campus debate.
This issue must not fade away, like cam-
paign finance reform. MSA has made strides
over the past year in updating the board on.
student concerns, and that's a great first step.
But we must go further. We are the only Big
Ten school without student representation at
its governing board. Students pay too much
tuition to not have a direct voice in Universi-
ty policy.
- Jeffrey Kosseff can be reached via
e-mail atjkosseflCumich.edu.
much-loved homegame experience.
This measure could conceivably cut
down on the illegal resale of student
tickets. But the benefit of hindering
scalpers does not outweigh the serious
annoyances such a practice would cre-
ate for students.
Although it is important for students
to have the opportunity to attend their
team's home games, requiring a Uni-
versity identification card would make
sure that students could not sit near
their guests. Fans, be they current
members of the University community
or other, often wish to enjoy the experi-
ence of football games with friends and
siblings. Furthermore, as most illegal
resales occur between card-carrying
members of the University community,
only a minute portion of scalped tickets
could be detected in this system. It
isn't worth the enormous effort of
checking every student's ID to prevent
such a small segment of scalpers.
As football is, by many accounts,
the University's preferred sport, the
Athletic Department would ideally
offer free student admission. Duke
University offers complimentary stu-
dent tickets for their premier athletic
venue, basketball. Although idealistic
and improbable, free admission would
give every University student the
opportunity they deserve to attend
home games regardless of whether or
not they can afford to do so.
While that is the eventual dream, the
University must continue to increase
student seating and refrain from any
policies that hinder the experience of
Big House football.
THOMAS KULJURGIS
- 1
Women in danger
Cultural violence requires a swift response
n many areas of the world men are
literally getting away with murder. In
countries such as Palestine, Lebanon,
Jordan and Pakistan, men are allowed to
commit horrible acts of violence
against their female relatives without
any fear of punishment from their
respective governments. In a speech
commemorating International Women's
Day last week, the executive director of
UNICEF spoke out against these acts of
cultural violence against women. It is
important that her speech doesn't fall
on deaf ears. As fellow members of the
human race, we need to ensure that
these atrocities do not occur in the
future.
Cultural violence against women
takes many forms. Men kill their female
relatives for suspected or forced sexual
activity outside marriage, even in the
case of rape. Other men burn their new
wives to death because they did not
receive large enough dowries. Small
girls are often murdered after birth sim-
ply because they happen to be female.
Still other women are disfigured with
acid for such petty reasons as delaying
a meal.
While these practices are technically
outlawed in almost every country, they
are still perpetuated by the cultures in
which they occur. Perpetrators of cul-
tural violence against women often
receive only token prosecution and
rarely receive significant punishment.
Not only do some individuals within
these cultures allow these horrible acts
to occur - they actually encourage
them. These men often are treated as
celebrities after the fact.
These practices are horrid and clear-
ly need to be stopped. We cannot allow
men who commit crimes against women
to hide behind the notion of "culture."
While it is important to respect
diversity, no amount of appealing to
heritage or tradition is enough to war-
rant burning a person alive or throwing
acid on their face. These practices vio-
late universal human rights and such
should be treated at least as severely as
similar acts of torture and murder. Fur-
ther, these traditions are not an integral
part of any society or religion. This vio-
lence is no more a necessary or accept-
able part of culture than lynching was
to the American South.
SAlthough some may argue that
UNICEF's campaign against cultural
violence amounts to imperialism, this is
clearly not the case. UNICEF, as an
international organization under the
United Nations, has the opportunity to
hear from all member nations, includ-
ing those countries where cultural vio-
lence runs rampant. If they would like
to try and defend these archaic customs
they are free too. But it is highly
unlikely that they would do so, as these
governments formally acknowledge that
these practices should be outlawed.
UNICEF is only asking that such laws
be enforced. Finally, we must ask our-
selves just how important we value
these morally abhorrent aspects of cul-
ture. Are such traditions really worthier
of saving than the thousands of women
who are murdered annually?
It is important that we first acknowl-
edge that these crimes are being com-
mitted. In the relatively safe community
of Ann Arbor, it is often easy to forget
that women still face this kind of tor-
ture and abuse in parts of our world. By
bringing our attention to this cause,
UNICEF has made the first step in
putting a stop to this violence against
women. Now it is our turn to do some-
thing about it.
'Mission to Mars'
reviewer should
have given film F-
TO THE DAILY:
In this age where personal accountability
is very much up for debate, actions still have
reactions. The action of the Daily not giving
the movie "Mission to Mars" an 'F-' with a
simple review such as "don't see this movie"
caused four of my friends, seemingly turned
off by Ann Arbor's bar scene after spring
break, to see this supposedly fine flick
("Abort 'Mission': Mars' fails at even minor
objectives" 3/1 0100).
Well thanks a lot. As a spoiled boy, I can
say you blew it. I challenge you to refund our
discounted tickets issued by the Quality 16. 1
challenge the, Daily to buy back my tape of
Shawshank Redemption. I speak for my
group of movie-going lemmings that we can
never look at this great movie again in the
same light. I challenge you to revamp your
staff to one that realizes that movie reviews
are not the time to be cute and money is on
the line here. What is truly amusing about the
review is the reason for denying this movie a
universally failing grade: The pretty scenes of
Mars. Well, maybe if this critic reviewed
something else with his eyes, he would real-
ize that these shots were nothing more than
shots of the director DePalma's kid playing
with his new toy in Bryce Canyon last sum-
mer. Just say: "Don't see this movie" and
don't write anything else. Nothing.
Finally, I challenge the advertising indus-
try to return truth to their vocabulary. Let's
face it. this is one time where deceit, dillusion
and overall dishonesty do not begin to
describe this sham of a blitzkrieg.
DAVID LEVY
SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY
Holocaust analogy
was irresponsible
TO THE DAILY:
I wish that people would stop comparing
trivial things to the grand atrocities of the
Nazi regime. By even mentioning waist size
and genocide in the same paragraph letter
writer Sara Aton embarrassed herself and the
LSA education she has received ("Body
shape and success have nothing in common,"
3/9/00). By one's senior year of college it
should be apparent that hurting people's feel-
ings and systematically annihilating millions
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are not comparable. I am disgusted by com-
parisons like this because they belittle what
the Nazis did, and the lives lost during the
Holocaust. Surely millions roll over in their
graves because of these type of ignorant and
thoughtless statements. Please think twice
before comparing any action to that of the
Nazis.
GABE SPERBER
ENGINEERING FIRST-YEAR STUDENT
Tourists like Berka
are 'shameful'
TO THE DAILY:
T.J. Berka's sorry attempt at humor,
"Mexican sports: Redefining bizarre,"
(3/6/00) should have been titled "Spring
Break idiocy: Redefining ignorance." Berka's
recollections of his Spring Break antics in
Mexico attempt to contrast the hilarious high-
jinx of vacationers from the University with
the "bizarre," "Third World" backdrop that is
Acapulco.
In his column, Berka spews numerous
stereotypes about Mexico and Mexicans in
order to make his point, poking fun at faulty
elevators, wild drivers, gun-toting police and
streetwalkers. Berka seems especially dis-
gusted (read: fascinated) with the "chicas,"
particularly "the hired 18-year-old Mexican
variety," and makes sure to inform his readers
that Acapulco is a place where "you can buy,
18-year-old girls by the kilogram off the
street." On the surface, Berka's comments
about the hectic taxi rides and heavily-armed
officers appear to be funny (and accurate),
but they also play into the commonly-held
American belief that Mexico-- indeed, all of
Latin America - is a lawless, dangerous
place. Berka attempts to tap into the notion
that Spring Break in Mexico is a risk-taking
venture where all bets are off and the conven-
tions of civilized behavior are thrown out the
window. According to Berka, Acapulco is a
place where "the rules are left up to you."
Perhaps the most offensive thing about
Berka's observations is that he is totally obliv-
ious to the fact that it is he and his compan-
ions who come off looking like barbarians.
Just how did our Wolverine ambassadors
account for themselves while on vacation?
Well, Berka provides a laundry list of some
of their more constructive achievements: Cel-
ebrating a successful bungee jump "with a
Tequila Slammer and a two-story dive into a
dolphin tank," chicken fighting in the hotel
pool, laughing at "the kid who bonged nine
beers" and hanging out at Hooters watching
NBA games with (duh!) Spanish-speaking
announcers. Berka is too ignorant to under-
stand that it is shameful tourists like himself
who have contributed to the disorder they see
in Acapulco. I've spoken with friends from
the city and they hate what American tourists
have done to their once thriving port. And I'll
let Berka in on a little secret: Mexicans des-
perately seek vacation spots undiscovered by
American students specifically because of
their disgusting behavior.
Should you ever decide to show your face
in Acapulco again, Berka, do the next teen
prostitute you see a favor. Hand her $20 and
walk away. Maybe you'll be able to save her
at least one day from having to degrade her-
self to the American vacationers who no
doubt make up the majority of her clientele.
TOMAs HuC-BAiZA
OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS
;
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I feel particularly compelled to respond
to one particularly disappointing kernel of
opinion in last Thursday's edition of the
Daily. The editorial "The Real Deal," under
the subheading of 'Abolishing the Code,'
stated that "last year MSA passed a mean-
ingless resolution condemning the sanctions
against Iraq."
Student governments at such schools as
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
University of Texas at Austin, University of
concerns and disallow democratic and open
discussion on the subject?
If yes, the next Daily editorial should
advocate a coup d'etat sponsored by ROTC
officers who could cancel the upcoming
elections and "correctly" re-orient MSA's
focus to include only issues the Daily con-
siders meaningful, such as "Dining Hall
Food." It is dangerous and anti-democratic
to dictate what is and what is not acceptable
for representative bodies to address. This is
make that claim.
Scott Ritter, former head of UNSCOM
wrote in The Boston Globe (3/9/00), "There
can be no honor in a policy that has resulted
in the doubling of the infant mortality rate in
Iraq and that leads to the death, through mal-
nutrition and untreated disease, of 5,000 chil-
dren under the age of 5 every month." Was
this resolution then really "meaningless?"
Since your immediate response is proba-
bly the State Department's official line that