4A - The Michigan Daily - Monday, March 13, 2000 abe £k{biguu Dil 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 WEEK LEAS THE GUY WO DD9 UIN T O THE WEATI4R REPORT 04 PRI'M'.../ N VVPA - -5c wuf(4RD4(,y- 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 ; ' I / ~su 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