4A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, November 18, 1999
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Conservatism, liberalism and Scully
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
daily.Ietters@umich.edu
Edited and managed by
students at the
University of Michigan
HEATHER KAMINS
Editor in Chief
JEFFREY KOSSEFF
DAVID WALLACE
Editorial Page Editors
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.
A presidentialegacy
Ford honor will benefit campus
This column is a response to recent
public outcry over the liberal nature
of the Daily's editorials. Let me dispel the
notion that everyone who works at the
Daily is liberal. I'm not sure if there are
any others, but I for
one am not liberal.
Most people might
refer to me as one of
those "conservative"
types.
Personally, I con-
sider myself a liberal
Catholic. I'm no"
crazy zealot, but I
have studied and fol-
low the reason
behind the teachings Mike
of the Church. In
fact, I'd probably be Lopez
a Democrat if the,
party wasn't so dis-
respectful to life. g
Although I may side
with Democrats on most social aspects,
my positions on abortion and euthanasia
would probably label me as a "closed-
minded, anti-choice heathen." I might be
offended if I wasn't right. Oh well. The
GOP isn't for me either. The Republican
Party has always struck me as quite unac-
commodating to the socio-economically
disadvantaged. Oh wait, they're supposed
to be compassionate now. Well, whatever
they are, I am not part of either party's
secular agendas.
Exactly what is the ratio of liberals to
conservatives in the University? This was
the question I sought to answer for you,
my dear readers. I searched around, but
couldn't find any statistical data for the
University. What I found was pretty
enlightening though. I found the Website
for National Election Studies at
http://www.umich. edu/-nes. The NES pro-
duces statistical data for use by teachers,
politicians and social scientists. A good
search of their site revealed they had a lot
of information about the nation in gener-
al.
According to the data, the United
States isn't as liberal as the media would
like us to believe. The 1998 survey data
states that 51 percent of the respondents
were Democrats and 37 percent were
Republicans. When asked whether they
identified themselves as liberal or conser-
vative, only 18 percent identified them-
selves as liberal. In contrast, a full 30 per-
cent of the respondents called themselves
conservative. Moderates numbered 28
percent. This data made me very happy
because it suggested that reason may still
prevail over personal preference. The
world may not be going to hell in a hand
basket. Well, one can always hope.
Of course, being a certain public insti-
tution in Ann Arbor, we've got to figure
that the percentage of liberals on campus
is probably a lot higher than 18 percent.
Still, I'm happy to see that quite a few of
us "conservatives" exist out there. To cel-
ebrate, I thought I'd share some of my
conservative opinions about recent events
that have been in the news.
The KKK is bad. Everyone knows it.
I don't think that we should outright
refuse them the right to speak, but we
shouldn't make it easy for them. If there
was a group of racist African-American's
calling for the destruction of all races that
weren't African-American, I'd bet that the
city bureaucracy would have come out in
full force. The group's request for use of
the city hall area would have been placed
under a large boulder with the word "red
kissing Mulder
tape" scrawled across it. By the time the
African-American group received permis-
sion, they'd probably be told that every
day except the coldest day of winter was
"reserved" for the next 30 years. Make the
KKK use M-Pathways to get approval for
one of their riot-inciting presentations.
That would slow them down.
This Supreme Court case about stu-
dent fees has really got me excited. I'd like
to see our student fee abolished. Not
because I'm hard up for cash or anything.
I can spare five bucks and change. I just
want to be able to give it to my choice of
groups. On my income tax form, I have
the ability to choose whether or not to
give money to the presidential election
campaign. Why can't all students desig-
nate where we want our money to go? It
could be added to CRISP. "Please select
the group or groups that you would like as
recipients of your student fee." I'm seri-
ous. I think this idea could really fly if
enough people got behind it. Take the
money out of the hands of the MSA and
put it into the hands of we, the people. The
only people who would think this is unfair
are those who might unfairly benefit from
a sympathetic MSA. You remove the pos-
sibility of corruption if you remove the
source of power.
Finally, a word about the X-Files.
Mulder and Scully, you've got to stop
kissing! You're practically brother and sis-
ter. What will happen when you two get
romantically involved? Will it be like Fred
and Daphne? "Where did Mulder and
Scully go? Oh. they must have run off to
solve the case." Yeah right. No love on the
X-Files! More Aliens. More Conspiracy.
No Kissing.
-_Mike Lopez can be reached via
e-mail at manatlargeq<umich.edu.
GR1NDNG 7T1HE NIB
As William Shakespeare wrote in
"Romeo and Juliet," "What's in a
name?" When it comes to academia, name
lecognition can go a long way.
The University Board of Regents are
expected to approve a plan to rename the
School of Public Policy in honor of former
President Gerald Ford. By calling it the
Gerald Ford School of Public Policy, the
University will acknowledge the tremen-
dous success Ford had as a student here
and later as the chief executive of our
nation. By naming the school after one of
the University's most visible living alumni,
the school is vying for higher levels of
-prestige to compete with the pinnacle
hools of public policy in the nation.
This will honor his major contributions
nade during the past 70 years. Ford was an
>utstanding student and participant in life
outside the classroom. In addition to a
'olid academic background, he was cap-
ilain of the football team.
yFord is the only U.S. president to grad-
ate from the University. Naming the
chool after him creates a role model for
mbitious policy students.
By naming the school of his field after
iim, the University is honoring one of its
ost distinguished alumni and preserving
he history of this institution. As all
olverines past and present know well,
Jew schools in the world can compete with
lrlichigan's academic eminence.
But an even smaller number of schools
oast a U.S. president among their alumni.
4aming the School of Public Policy after
'frd thanks him for giving us this distin-
guished honor. And it in turn reflects on
the School of Public Policy, which was
founded in 1995. Among scholars, it is
redundant to say the Woodrow Wilson
School at Princeton and the Kennedy
School at Harvard. These schools are rec-
ognized by the names of presidents.
Ford's presidency was by most measures
a success, especially considering the cir-
cumstances he faced when he began. The
most common knocks on Ford's presidential
term are that he inherited office from the
impeached Richard Nixon, pardoned him
and he had strained relations with the
Democratic congress. Also, Ford's satirists
created a memorable image of buffoonery
that obscures his accomplishments.
Indeed he vetoed 61 proposals during
his 2.5 years in office. Considering the dif-
ficult economic slump he inherited, popu-
lar opinion of Ford was high.
According to polls conducted during
his presidency at the University of
Connecticut's Roper Center for Public
Research Opinion, his approval ratings
ranged from 73 percent in August1974 to
53 percent in December 1976.
Everyone should be proud of Gerald
Ford's political accomplishments, but fore-.
most we should recognize his dedication to
the University.
From his days on the gridiron and in
the classrooms to his many campus
speaking appearances as an alumnus,
Ford determined to be a Wolverine for
life. By naming a great school in his
honor, the University will ensure his lega-
cy lives forever.
CHIP CULLEN
The Michigan Daily welcomes letters from
all of its readers. Letters from University stu-
dents, faculty, staff and administrators will be
given priority over others. All letters must
include the writer's name, phone number, and
school year or University affiliation. The Daily
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Letters should be kept to approximately
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right to edit for length, clarity and accuracy.
Longer "viewpoints" may be arranged with an
editor. Letters will be run according to order
received and the amount of space available.
Letters should be sent over e-mail to
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dropped off'in person or sent via the U.S.
Postal Service.
.
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tk9.0 State, .H o o ka a the?
-Let vme. r-ct.nt the 9ways.
Ho ouoare a seconratv~e s-ol.
1 despise thee..
Wow .You.r gootLbali Learn .sLSFers ..
- r ocJ(ieAC.
H'owj Your k11d talk so stayly
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-'a u9 Iuh -at tAee.
Age1tcarnnot be
put- ' +Ja,...
m~ore eloquenrtl y
You suck.
Focusing on community
FOCUS: Hope builds equal opportunity
Am
Constitution does not guarantee'easy voting' *
As unique as the University is, it is
still a part of something greater than
itself. As a member of a community, it is
responsible for aiding the surrounding
area. One of the ways the University ful-
fills its obligation is through participation
in Focus: HOPE, a Detroit based commu-
nity assistance program..
Founded in 1968 in the wake of the
previous year's riots, Focus: HOPE seeks
to overcome racism, poverty and injustice
through an award-winning program of
education and community outreach. The
goal of the program is to train impover-
ished and poorly educated people so they
can get decent jobs, facilitating a healing
between people of different socio-eco-
nomic backgrounds.
A high school diploma or G.E.D.
makes a person eligible to join the pro-
gram. Potential candidates need not pay
for the high quality education available
- an important fact considering the low
economic status of many citizens in the
Detroit area.
Candidates with low placement scores
can enroll in First Step, an intensive four
week program to raise their math and
reading skills. After this, they may enroll
in Fast Track, a further seven weeks of
basic training. Upon graduation, or place-
ment if they already possess the needed
reading and math skills, they may enroll
in the Machinist Training Institute or
Information Technologies Center. While
training, these students create actual parts
for manufacturing corporations, who pay
the program's students for their work with
an hourly wage.
Fnr.. H. Pnn nffr e etl[';-t +th.
Bachelors degree in manufacturing, engi-
neering and technology. It is here the
University, and several other local
schools take an active role. The Center for
Advanced Technologies has a partnership
with these schools and several corporate
partners, for whom many of the program's
graduates will one day work.
By providing degrees, personnel and
other assets, the University and its part-
ners help Focus: HOPE achieve its mis-
sion of creating a strong metropolitan
community.
Education is one of the key tools in
combating the gaps between rich and
poor, minority and majority. Participants
in Focus: HOPE receive one of the best
opportunities possible, one that will not
only expand their knowledge, but also
nearly guarantee a successful career after
graduation.
Focus: HOPE has a 100 percent job
placement record. Although not every
student enrolled graduates, manufactur-
ing corporations eagerly recruit those that
do. Graduates go on to receive high
wages and benefits.
The University does the surrounding
community a great service through its
participation in Focus: HOPE. Programs
like these do not merely demand positive
change; they actively succeed in creating
it. Offering free, high quality education to
those that would otherwise not have
access is a solution to some of the
nation's problems. The program's name
itself is appropriate. In a time when the
country's social dilemmas often seem
unsolvable, Focus: HOPE shows prob-
]ec 'an hp fi'YMand that ther r irs
Again, the student body has been led to
believe that Big Brother has once again bla-
tantly encroached upon student rights in an
effort to keep the people down. How has he
done it this time?
Inconspicuously enough, claims the
Daily, by requiring that Michigan voters vote
according to the address on their driver
licenses ("Hindering the process," 1/16/99).
The Daily claims that this is- a veiled
attempt to squash student rights, primarily
because the only people affected will be col-
lege students who vote in areas other than
those indicated on their drivers' licenses.
First of all is the notion of voting "rights"
- I'm not sure which ones the Daily
believes will be reduced. It surely will not be
the right to vote - this right has been guar-
anteed by the Fourteenth, Nineteenth,
Twenty-fourth and Twenty-sixth
Amendments to the Constitution. Students
will be able to follow the time-honored tradi-
tions of absentee voting, or if distance per-
mits, driving home to vote. Students all over
the country have no problem with this nor do
soldiers (a.k.a. adults of similar age to stu-
dents) serving their country stationed all over
the United States.
Perhaps the Daily believes that the right to
easy voting will be abridged. After looking
over the Constitution, I didn't quite find the
phrase that says "The government shall pass no
law that requires effort on the part of the voter
to participate in elections." God forbid that to
vote, students take some time out of their busy
schedules by driving home or going to the Post
Office to get an absentee voter form.
As Thomas Paine said, "What we obtain
too cheap, we esteem too lightly ... it would
be strange indeed if so celestial an article as
freedom should not be highly rated." Perhaps
while filling out the absentee voter form, or
driving home, the average college student
can think about the gravity of his or her vot-
ing decision and remember that in the past,
U.S. citizens gave their life to ensure that
future citizens would have the right to vote.
But there is another slant to this decision
that the Daily ignores. Most students think.
that Ann Arbor's borders extend only to State
Street, Washtenaw Avenue and E. Stadium
Boulevard.
Those with cars may consider most of
Ann Arbor to extend out to Briarwood Mall
and Meijer on Saline Road. In fact, Ann
Arbor extends much further than that (could
you believe such a thing?). The places where
most students don't venture are the places
where most of Ann Arbor's permanent resi-
dents live - those who have a vested inter-
est in the well-being of the city and who do
not come and go every four years or so,
Nobody stops to think how the residents of
Ann Arbor feel when every year their con-
cerns are subordinated to the whims of 18-22
year olds who want to change the world.
This is not io say that those students who
change their driver licenses to Ann Arbor
addresses have any more of an interest than a
permanent resident, but at least it shows
some dedication and effort to vote where
they are registered.
Perhaps Rogers is more concerned for the
actual residents of Lansing, rather than the tem-
porary residents who pass through every four
years.
If students want to vote, vote where they
are registered. If that means driving 40 min-
utes to Bloomfield Hills, or walking 10 min-
utes to a Post Office to get an absentee voter
form, then so be it.
Nobody ever said voting had to be easy, it
merely must be available to all who are qual-
ified.
If filling out an absentee voter form is as
tedious to you as filling out a rebate slip for
your mobile phone, then perhaps voting just
isn't for you.
- This viewpoint was written by LSA
senior Chris Georgandellis.
Students must fight for a freeze on tuition
s
Tuition costs in higher education have
been rising much faster than wages and
income over the last few decades. If this trend
is not stopped, it will force many working
class and poor students out of higher educa-
tion altogether and force a growing propor-
tion of the rest of students into even weighti-
er debt to the government and big banks.
The increasing cost of tuition has a dis-
proportionate impact on black, Latino and.
other minority students and working class
and poor students of all races. Money is the
single biggest factor in attrition from higher
education; student government must take a
prp-active stand on the issue.
Jeffrey Kosseff's column criticizing the
resolution for a tuition freeze ("A Veruca
tionary tuition increases.
Kosseff makes many of the same self-con-
tradictory arguments as the MSA members
who spoke against DAAP's resolution.
Underlying the contradictory arguments, the
reason for the 23 Assembly members voting
against a resolution plainly in the interest of the
students whom they are charged to represent is
anxiety over administrative opposition to the
Assembly coming out for a tuition freeze.
MSA members foretold a catastrophic
decline of facilities in the face of a tuition freeze,
side by side with the mathematically erroneous
"It would only save me about $100 next year."
Simultaneously a tuition freeze is said to be
financially decisive and of no consequence -
decisive to the University, and of no conse-
tions; nor is Kosseff's callus, sexist
metaphor about the supposed powerlessness
of MSA accurate.
The Assembly is, of course, neither all-
powerful nor powerless; its power is in large
part determined by its will to seek the power
it can have. The Assembly gets its power, both
the modest power it has now, and the quite
substantial power it could have - but that the
majority of its current members fear to use - 4
from the students. To'acquire the power it can,
MSA would have to organize and represent
students. This is precisely the question raised
by DAAP's resolution for a tuition freeze.
Will MSA represent and fight for student
interests - if it will, it can have the power
necessary to influence core governmental