4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, April 5, 2000
Zt E lCir gttn ttil
Great reasons to break your own heart
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. All other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily
reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily.
And the winners are...
School rankings are fundamentally flawed
This column is not about an international
crisis. It is not about any social or
political issues either. The only subject that
this column covers is what I have learned
about emotional investments in my life, so
feel free to stop if you don't want to read
about me.
I am probably too
young to be making
generalizations like
the ones I'm about to T
spew, but I will pro-,
ceed regardless. '
From my point of
view, life tends to be
composed of trade-
offs; nothing comes
without a cost (direct
or otherwise), and no .
one person gets_
everything he or she Ethan Shalom
wants. Maybe, if you Johnson
are really special, you
have conditioned
yourself to be happy Mind
with every detail of
your life. Unfortu-
nately, in our society, this is rather unlikely.
Some individuals try hard to make them-
selves fully content with each aspect of
their lives, and while such an effort is
valiant, many times it only leads to apathy.
If nothing bothers you, then you probably
don't care deeply about anything. And that
is where a very important trade-off becomes
apparent: The balance between emotional
investment and personal contentment.
The greatest feelings of happiness that I
have experienced in my life have all
occurred because I made a total emotional
commitment to a given situation, and this
applies to just about everything I have ever
been involved in.
Last year, when my team won Michigan's
first Big Ten men's gymnastics champi-
onship in 24 years and its first NCAA title
in 29 years, the jubilation was like nothing I
had ever felt before. All those years spent
conquering one obstacle after another had
culminated in triumph, and no one can ever
take that away.
The problem, of course, stems from the
risk that when you put your heart out on the
table, someone can always mash it with a
baseball bat. The worst feelings of pain I
have ever experienced have also occurred
because I made a total emotional investment
in certain aspects of my life,
Last weekend, when my team fell .125
points short of repeating as national cham-
pions, the pain we all felt was many times
worse than back in the days when we were
finishing list in the Big Ten. It might seem
rather odd that placing second in the coun-
try would lead anyone to feel poorly, but
when you make a 100 percent emotional
investment in a specific goal, anything short
of that feels like total failure. Needless to
say, it was very difficult to smile as we
stood on the podium on Friday night to
accept the runner-up trophy.
' Is this emotional roller coaster worth the
extreme motion sickness that comes with
the ride? Absolutely, and there are at least
two good reasons for it. First, life without
emotional risks is very dull and rather
meaningless. If I don't care about some-
thing in my life, then there is no point in
getting involved in the first place.
Second, the risks we take are worthwhile
THOMAS KULJURGIS
in themselves. This one is kind of tough t
explain, but I'll try. Let's say you play in an
intramural basketball league, and on the day
of your most important game the other team
doesn't show up, so your team wins by
default. Sure, you won, but the victory is
not nearly as fulfilling as winning by play-
ing the game. The challenge constitutes half
the fun.
Likewise, it was exhilarating for me to
compete in front of the largest crowd in my
gymnastics career, in one of the closest
NCAA finals of all time, mounting a come-
back on the last two events from a steep
deficit to challenge for the title. Naturally,
that by no means made the end result any
better from my team's standpoint. It was
crushing to finish second and this pain is not
one that will subside quickly. But we com-
peted to win, and for that we can be proud.
I have a difficult time expressing the les-
son here without sounding awfully trite, but
it's possible that no clear-cut answer can be
found anyway. In order to be happy, yoi.
cannot have endless wants, because then
you do not appreciate life for its intrinsic
value. On the other hand, passionless exis-
tence seems empty.
Maybe the lesson, then, is that even
though pain is never pleasant, this experi-
ence was nevertheless a positive one
because we as team worked hard for some-
thing that meant enough to all of us to hurt
a lot when things didn't turn out as plannedO
Moreover, we know what it feels like to suc-
ceed after having literally given our blood,
sweat and tears to Michigan athletics. I
know it's a feeling I will never forget.
- Ethan Shalom Johnson can be reached
via e-mail at ethanj(4umich.edu.
T ENTA TI VELY SPEAIN
T ast week, U.S. News and World Report
released its list of graduate school
rankings. It is not altogether surprising that
the University made a very strong showing
in these rankings - the School of Social
Work was rated first nationally and the
School of Public Health was ranked fourth.
Many University graduate schools - such
as Nursing, Engineering, Education, Busi-
ness and Law rated in the top ten and the
Medical School tied for 12th. But despite
these impressive ratings, the system U.S.
News and World Report uses to compile
them cannot truly determine the quality of
a program.
The primary factor in determining the
.rankings is academic reputation; research
'xpenditures are also important for most
graduate schools. But these are not the only
things that determine a program's quality.
For instance, the survey does not take
things like quality of teaching into account,
even though teaching quality is one of the
most important parts of the educational
experience. Using research expenditures as
a factor means that schools with smaller
budgets or that are not as research-oriented
may get short shrift in the ratings.
Many of the criteria used in college
rankings are also biased towards private
universities. This is especially true of the
undergraduate rankings, where selectivity
and alumni donations figure heavily into
the selection. It is difficult for public uni-
versities to compete with Ivy League
schools in the field of alumni contribution,
because these schools frequently have more
wealthy donors. Being less selective is not
necessarily a flaw - it allows for a more
diverse student body and having students
from all different backgrounds adds to the
quality of a school rather than detracting
from it.
College rankings are not completely
worthless, of course - many prospective
students find them helpful in selecting a
school. But they would be far more helpful
if they took into account more of what
actually goes on in the classroom, rather
than looking primarily at things like reputa-
tion and alumni contributions. Considering
the aspects of education that benefit stu-
dents the most would lead to a better way
of determining a school's quality.
G U11 JS ! sA Q us ITh U u. '1ZQUt v E s ro
E $OLb ' S % e'r"Y WA~4'1&G5
Greek ain't w
Greek Week shows value of Greek system
he Greek system has not garnered
much positive publicity on campus
over the last few years. Mired in hazing
controversies, negative press has over-
shadowed the good things that fraterni-
ties and sororities are involved in. But as
Greek Week winds to a close, students
have been reminded that the Greek sys-
tem does contribute to the University
and its surrounding community.
While the fraternities and sororities
participating in Greek Week compete in
a number of events. And the good news
is, the proceeds go to charity.
This year, Camp Heartland -- a
camp for children infected with the HIV
virus - will again be the primary
recipient of Greek Week proceeds. Other
campus charities, including the Court-
ney Cantor Scholarship, the Jeff Reese
scholarship, the Alzheimer's Foundation
and SAFEhouse will also receive dona-
tions. If results are anything like last
year when Camp Heartland received
$40,000 and $25,000 more was given to
local charities, Greek Week will once
again be considered a success.
Greek Week also provides an oppor-
tunity for the Greek system to exercise
the ideals of brotherhood and sisterhood
upon which it was founded. Members of
the Greek system are quick to point out
the comraderie that is felt around cam-
pus during Greek Week, not only
between large chapters or members of
the same team, but between all houses
on campus. The community service
aspect of Greek Week is its greatest
attribute, but the demonstration of team-
work and friendship it provides is posi-
tive as well.
Bad publicity seems to stick more
than good publicity. Granted, the Greek
system at the University has experienced
its share of troubles over the past few
years. But Greek Week reminds us that
overall, the fraternities and sororities
contribute positively to the University.
With a solid showing of community ser-
vice and teamwork, Greek Week
reminds all students of what the Greek
system can be.
Wheeler's column
was 'not very funny'
To THE DAILY:
Considering that the University of Michi-
gan has its own history of riots when the
school's basketball team loses a game in the
mens final four, you would think that Daily
columnists would be a bit hesitant to continu-
ally make jokes about what happened at
Michigan State University last year.
Apparently Maize and Blue arrogance is
just too all consuming for that. Witness Jacob
Wheeler's not very funny April 4 column
("East Lansing fans take to streets out of hap-
piness"). Wheeler bases the entire column on
the exaggeration that there is nothing left in
East Lansing. He doesn't throw it in as a jab
or a snide side comment. It is the premise of
the piece!
To pad the column, Wheeler throws in a
bunch of references to the amount of alcohol
being consumed at victory celebrations.
What is his point? Since the implicit argu-
ment of the entire piece is that the University
is still a better school full of better people
than MSU, is he trying to say that this would
not happen in Ann Arbor? Wheeler can't be
so stupid as to think that University students
don't drink ? Bet he is apparently smug
enough to imply it in his column.
MICAH HOLMQUIST
LSA SENIOR
Trees should not
have been cut down
TO THE DAILY:
What was the university thinking when
they decided to chop down the pine trees at
the corner of Fuller Rd. and Bonisteel Blvd.
(on the way to North Campus)? North cam-
pus is known for its beautiful, natural envi-
ronment; and now, part of that environment is-
gone. What could possibly be more beneficial
to the university (and the Earth for that mat-
ter) than a forest of oxygen-producing trees
that are so characteristic of North Campus'
beauty and Ann Arbor's charm ?
LINDSAY SHIPPS
DAVE LAMSE
SCHOOL OF MUSIC.
:1.
iV
, L GRAP, !
f; s cs
v tt, aus !!
, ,
+4
i
'
Mbat Lt S wtc . 5p~ur b...
'U' needs to offer
better services for
LP 1
women
TO THE DAILY:
In the editorial entitled "U should offer
co-ed dorm housing" (4/3/00), the Daily
commented that "the University is usually
on the leading edge of breaking issues and
opportunities. In 1870 the University was
the first large American institution of high-
er education to admit women.
Although the editorial was a great
argument for the need for students to
voice their opinions and to create a Uni-
versity that desires to be the "leaders and
the best," I would have to say there are
much more pressing issues that this Uni-
versity needs to address instead of co-ed
dorm housing. Especially if the Universi-
ty wants to maintain its stature as an insti-
tution "on the leading edge of breaking
issues and opportunities." Many students
do not realize they have peers who do not
have the opportunity to live safe and
affordable housing. This is especially true
for students with children and dependent
responsibilities. Since most of us are liv-
ing off financial aid and part-time jobs
what we can afford is often below stan-
dard and outside of Ann Arbor.
Many individuals do not realize that
for those of us who are unable to work
fulltime because of answerabilities such
as school and children, we find it impos-
sible to have decent health insurance for
our children and ourselves. Unfortunately
MSA health care does not cover depen-
dents or most expenses. In addition the
University has a limited number of day-
cares whichsare above average in cost
(between $650-S800 a month). Thus day-
care at the University is not accessible to
many students with children.
Before we address freedoms of choice
such as living in co-ed dorm rooms we
need to discuss greater issues on hand.
The issues being that the University does
not protect the necessary rights of hous-
ing, health care and daycare for its stu-
dents. If the University wants to carry on
its legacy as being on the leading edge of
women's rights, breaking issues and
opportunities, there will have to be some
serious changes. For as of now it is a dis-
grace as to how student parents and their
children are considered on this campus.
But, if there are to be changes to be made
it has to start now and here. For those
interested in learning more and supporting
ideas on how to make this a more child
and parent-friendly University, check out
the Feminist Fair on April 6. It will be
held on the Diag from 11-4 p.m. There
will be information and a petition for;
those to sign if they believe this Universi-
ty can better itself through expanding
rights for women, parents and children.
JENNIFER MONAHAN
LSA SENIOR
Movin' on up
U'/WCC agreement is good for both sides
n an historic agreement with the Uni-
versity, students enrolled in a two-year
program at Washtenaw Community Col-
lege could be guaranteed immediate
admission into the College of Literature,
Science and the Arts. If WCC's Board of
Trustees approves the agreement at the
end of this month, hundreds of students
could reap financial and educational bene-
fits.
For students who take time off from
school, students denied admission to the
University in high school and students
with limited funds, this proposal makes
sense. Besides being fiscally sensible,
WCC is an excellent institution for learn-
ing -with extensive resources, small
classes and even several professors who
have taught at the University; it is a solid
stepping-stone for reaching the University.
Fifty students will reap the benefits of
the program in its first year of implemen-
tation; the number may increase to 150
over several years. Provided the WCC stu-
dents maintain a 3.25 grade point average
and fulfill certain course requirements,
such as race and ethnicity, they will be
have guaranteed admission into LSA. This
program is identical to an agreement
between WCC and the School of Nursing.
Other schools, such as the Engineering
and Architecture schools, have similar
programs, minus guaranteed admission.
Guaranteed admission into a presti-
gious undergraduate liberal arts college
should spur WCC students to succeed in
both their WCC and University classes.
Inspired students try harder in class and
are an asset to the University. By getting
their requirements out of the way ahead of
time, WCC students should also have a
smoother transition to the University,
making their education that much'
stronger.
It is encouraging that the University is
welcoming transfer students with open
arms. To replace the 500 students who
transfer out of LSA each year, students are
admitted from other colleges. It makes
sense to admit students who have fulfilled
their basic requirements and are used to a
regiment similar to LSA's program. The
I'm sure plenty of students are pleased to
hear about Sen. Alma Wheeler-Smith's (D-
Salem Twp.) proposal to create a free tuition
proposal (also known as HELP), more than
likely an unprecedented attempt at education
reform in the state of Michigan. I agree
wholeheartedly that college tuition is an
extremely difficult obstacle to overcome for
students wishing to obtain a strong education
at a public university.
My concern with HELP is how Sen.
Wheeler-Smith expects to create a free tuition
system without a fairly broad quid pro quo
stance on the issue. If we take tuition money
from the University's hands, how can admin-
istration expect to maintain the strong acade-
mic reputation at state universities if we're
bending," the extra funding would have to
come from some other resource. Unfortu-
nately, the only other sources of income
would be private donations from alumni or
from the already-drained pockets of non-
Michigan residents attending state-supported
institutions.'
Okay, I'm going to go out on a limb and
be selfish for a second: My parents and I
currently pay upwards of $27,000 per year
to keep me at a college 2,000 miles away
from home; this is by no means a simple
task. Now, let's think reasonably here. If a
Michigan resident is attending the Universi-
ty free of charge, should I be expected to
foot the bill for his/her free education?
Absolutely not.
(students that don't pay taxes to the state of V
Michigan, mind you) for this "free" tuition
policy. I'm sure several in-state students
would agree as well, since the proposal may
affect them as well.
According to Smith's November 29th
statement to Gov John Engler's commission,
"Individual tax payers with an adjusted gross
income of $50,000 or less are eligible for
HELP, joint tax filers with an adjusted gross
income of S100,000 or less also qualify for
HELP." In other words, the in-state students
whose families don't fit into these categories
would probably expect a tuition hike too.
Smith's constituents simply will not support a
proposal as such, for it will most likely send
more Michigan residents to out of state
schools and clos.e the doors on international
c
® f-i aTs -i3 ie d3-ii- T
II
'U.1 VL~~ Y1l33MMit 11'