4A - The Michigan Daily - Monday, September 11, 2000
(71 tE r ttilg
Open your eyes W: It's all happened before
:
420AMaynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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Edited and managed by
students at theg
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 offThe Michigan Daily.
Active alumni benefit 'U'
H ere's the scene: Just months before a
presidential election, the two major cam-
paigns wrangle over debates. A southern gov-
ernor is looking to impose change on the
Washington estab-
lishment. The econo-
my shoots to the
fore front among
issues. The man seen
as the front runner f
for most of the sum-
mer now sees himself
trailing in many
polls. And a man
named George Bush,
is at the center of it.
all.
The only differ- Mike
ence is an initial. Spahn
George Herbert-
Walker Bush, the
41st President of the ain
United States, started
to sweat in September, 1992. With his cam-
paign facing a young upstart making head-
way amongst nearly all voters, the sitting
president balked at a debate schedule pro-
posed by the bipartisan Commission on Pres-
idential Debates and started flooding the
airwaves with new ads determined to change
the tone of the campaign.
Now, a seemingly short eight years later,
George W Bush and staff are starting to glis-
ten, just like Daddy's staff before them. They
hit the airwaves this week to change the tone
of his campaign, promoting W.'s new "Real
Plans for Real People" platform. At the same
time tried to quell the firestorm in negative
publicity they've received after trying to turn
their own avoidance of commission debates
into a positive.
And in the most serious of the troubles for
Junior's campaign, his double-digit lead is
gone, and his campaign is flailing.
Junior just hasn't learned.
The ads attacking Gore on his refusal to
debate Bush on Larry King's show and Tim
Russert's "Meet The Press" clearly failed, and
you won't be seeing them on the air anytime
soon. And now Junior finds himself in the
same position as the elder Bush, scrambling
to meet with the debate commission to rectify
the situation.
The meetings with the commission will
produce some debates, probably in a similar
form to those that have already been pro-
posed. It's the same story journalists saw dur-
ing Daddy's failed bid at re-election.
But this most-recent miscalculation is only
one in a slew of troubles that have beset the
campaign since the convention.
Gone is the laid-back talker who spoke
almost as much about baseball as he did
about domestic policy.
Gone too is the unquestioning support of
the entire Republican Party, the party that so
desperately wants the White House back that
they would let a blind man lead them through
the desert to water.
And gone, along with his lead in the pols,
is the invincibility W exuded for the majority
of the summer.
How did this once effortless campaigner,
the man who early in the summer had Democ-
rats scrambling to buy international plane
tickets for November 8th, lose his touch?
Perhaps Daddy has taken too large a role in
the campaign, his own ego bashed when
President Clinton rubbed salt in his wounds
during his son's moment in the sun in
Philadelphia.
Perhaps W. got over-confident and started
coasting, figuring wooden-man Al Gor*
couldn't energize his base, much less the plu-
rality he would need to win.
And perhaps, in the most sobering of rAal-
izations, young George just isn't that smart,
isn't that good a campaigner and isn't as
ready to be president as so many people
thought he was a few short months ago. -
If he can't learn from the man who raised
him, the man who got him into politics, the
man who's race he watched from the inside
then how smart could he be?
Calling a reporter a "major-league (vulgar-
ity)" in front of an open mic has to raise
questions about one's brainpower.
While the Bush aristocracy may believe
that then-Gov. Bill Clinton beat them with
dirty tricks and underhanded campaigning,
the least they can do is learn from it.
But apparently they are so caught up in the
inevitability of their victories, the ease with
which they should win, they haven't taken
time to see that each of the mistakes they'r@
making, each of the problems they're facing,
already happened.
What's more, it happened to the candidate's
father.
When he agreed to negotiate for more
meetings with Gore under the debate com-
mission's supervision, Bush the younger, try-
ing minimize recent problems and show that
he isn't worried, told reporters he is "fixing to
get into the heat of the contest."
Now, as if it weren't bad enough that a mai
that could be president actually uses the word
"fixing" when talking about things other than
his broken tractor, W. surely needs to look no
farther than himself for direction.
His campaign needs fixing. Badly.
- Mike Spahn can be reached at
mspahn umich.edu.
ike him or not, this week the Univer-
sity will welcome back its arguably
most prestigious alumnus as former
President Gerald Ford returns to campus
for the official naming of the Gerald R.
Ford School of Public Policy. Few would
dispute that being the alma mater of a
U.S. president is a jewel in the crown of
any university; merely attaching Ford's
name to the School of Public Policy
lends it an air of distinction that it would
not otherwise possess.
This is not to sa that Ford's actual
policies while in office merit the laurels
that his name brings to the University.
During his short term, his proposals
failed to make much of a dent in the
inflation, unemployment and recession
that gripped the country. His Admins-
tration supported oppressive regimes in
Southeast Asia and elsewhere. He par-
doned Richard Nixon, an act which
prompted the Daily, on October 29,
1976, to remark that "Gerald Ford has
displayed a moral insensitivity so gap-
ing, so unforgivable that it alone war-
rants a resounding mandate from the
American electorate for his removal
from office." Although the University
did produce a President of the United
States, it did not produce a particularly
good one.
Still, it cannot be denied that Ford's
continued support of the University is
beneficial, as well as commendable.
Regardless of what happened while he
was in office, it speaks well of the Uni-
versity that prominent alumni such as
Ford and celebrated playwright Arthur
Miller (who will be honored later this
semester) continue to return to the cam-
pus. The chief benefit is the increased
status of the University in the eyes of the
general public.
Recently, U.S. News and World
Report released its list of the 50 best uni-
versities in the nation. In its explanation
of the rating system, the magazine
admits that academic reputation is the
biggest factor in ranking the schools, as
a degree from a university such as Har-
vard or Berkeley would be very helpful
to a recent graduate ap lying for ajob or
a graduate program. However, this sys-
tem - which also gives points for selec-
tivity and alumni donations, among
others - does not take into account
many of the intangibles that can make a
university great, such as the quality of
the teaching. It is unfortunate that ratings
such as these do carry a great deal of
weight. But it is to the University's
advantage to do well in them.
So when the University celebrates the
naming of the Ford School of Public Pol-
icy, it will be a great boost to its reputa-
tion. And it is worth noting that the
University is indeed deserving of a good
public image - but not merely because
of distinguished alumni. The face it puts
forward should be based on more than
big names and magazine rings.
"I dare you to challenge your tastebuds by eating sushi.
There is a whole art behind it. Besides, eating fish is
supposed to make you intelligent"
- MSA President Hideki Tsutsumi
during his Sept. 8th State of the Campus speech.
'U' wise to avoid Carnivore system
ts not every day that ethics prevail,
but the University deserves praise
for turning down an offer by the gov-
ernment to do research on an e-mail
surveillance system. The system,
given the threatening moniker "Car-
nivore," has been criticized by the
American Civil Liberties Union,
among others.
Carnivore would allow the FBI,
via the Internet service provider, to
view any e-mail messages passing
through the provider.
The researchers turned the project
down because the government stipu-
lated that it could edit their report as
as it saw fit, could prevent any find-
ings from being released and compel
the researchers to remain silent about
their work. These conditions prevent
any university's analysis of Carnivore
from being truly independent.
With these conditions in mind,
reputable universities such as MIT,
Dartmouth and the University, among
others, were wise to pass up an
opportunity to become test subjects
in the experiment. Other universities
would be wise to follow the Univer-
stiy's lead and say no to Carnivore.
The FBI defends its actions by
claiming careful court monitoring
would prevent abuse. However noble
their intentions may be though, the
organization once supervised by J.
Edgar Hoover has been overzealous
at times. Clearly, there would be little
to gain from being monitored.
On Sept. 25th, the FBI expects to
announce the "winner" of the bid to
be monitored. However, the real win-
ners are the universities that decided
that civil liberties and student privacy
were too important to surrender.
Time is running out
Students should register to vote
Welcome Week is
the right length
TO THE DAILY:
I am disappointed that the Daily thinks Wel-
come Week needs to be shortened ("Idle
Minds," 9'800). Although in past years, Wel-
come Week has seemed a bit long (I can remem-
ber sitting in my dorm room my first year and
thinking that there was nothing to do, etc.), it has
been steadily improving with time. This year's
Welcome Week included many new programs,
and the first-year students I encountered seemed
to be having fun (without "Jim, Jack, and the
Captain") and enjoying their experience here.
Maybe it is "not necessary for first-year stu-
dents to have six days to familiarize themselves
with campus," but this is not the only reason for
Welcome Week. During this time, students
meet their hallmates, figure out where the dif-
ferent book stores are and get adjusted to life in
Ann Arbor. For most, college is the first time
they have not been living at home and going to
school. If first-year students moved in only a
day or two before classes st'arted, they would
have to move in all of their stuff, meet room-
mates, buy books, find classrooms and a mil-
lion other things in just one or two days. Having
an entire week to do these things, students can
spread out their "to do" list and take the time
they need to assure themselves that they are
comfortable. If first-year students only had a
day or two to find and buy their books before
classes started, the bookstores would be
absolutely impossible to get into.
Perhaps there are first-year students who
gravitate towards drinking during Welcome
Week. Chances are, however, that these students
would have found alcohol whether they were in
Ann Arbor for one day, one week or one month
before classes started. The length of Welcome
Week doesn't have much to do with the link
between first-year students and drinking.
EMILY CLOYD
LSA SENIOR
Students should not
heed Sanz's advice
TO THE DAILY:
Bravo to the letter from Elise Erickson
("First-year women: Ignore Sanz and stay
healthy," 9/8/00) regarding Branden Sanz's col-
umn ("An open letter to all incoming first-year
students," 9/6/00). As a member of the Eating
Disorders Task Force, I share these very same
sentiments. Is Sanz saying that someone who
would be interesting and attractive on arrival
would somehow be less so if she gained a few
pounds? But, of course, I'm sure Sanz also
holds the double standard that if your girth
increases from the alcohol consumption that he
suggests one hides from the police (which we
will see on his waistline), he nevertheless will
consider himself to be the same studly guy with
or without the roll.
In addition to Ericksen's insightful respons-
es, I have a few thoughts of my own regarding
Sanz's letter. One of them is "What dark dun-
geon of cynicism does this guy come from?" I
University Health Service who provides prima-
ry care to many professors and thus gets to
know them very well, not to mention whose
significant other teaches in one of the colleges
he took it upon himself to slam, I hear a lot on a
daily basis about the efforts invested by these
individuals to provide the high quality educa-
tion he came here for. Did Sanz ever stop to
think that there might actually be a professor
who would lose a bit of sleep worried that per-
haps he or she has not fine-tuned a course
enough so as to be able to convey to you the
most important information you need to know
in the most easily understandable fashion? Or
that perhaps another will experience frustration
because a particular semester he did not get to
teach the class he wanted to teach because he
genuinely likes it and is interested in teaching
the material? Wise up. Professors Williams and
Fine are not the only talented professors on
campus who have a passion for what they do. I
suspect Sanz may be one of those people who
hasn't gotten much out of his courses because
he simply hasn't put much into them.
Lastly, with regard to Sanz's comments on
alcohol, I'd say this: What a scary situation
when the supposed best and the brightest of this
generation basically are saying is, "Hey, if you
can beat the system by going where you won't
be noticed, bad behavior isn't really such a big
deal." Incoming first-year students, please do
not assume that those who have been here
longer than you have are necessarily any wiser
than you. Read Sanz's letter carefully and you
might discover that the opposite is true.
SHERYL KURZE, M.D.
UNIVERSITY HEALTH SERVICES
A vote for Nader is a
vote for Nader
TO THE DAILY:
For the past few months, I've heard it said
many times that "a vote for Ralph Nader is a
vote for George Bush." Mandy Patterson
expressed such an opinion in her Sept. 7th letter
("A vote for Nader is a vote for Bush"). The
crux of the argument being that Nader takes
votes away from Gore. This is a very, very dan-
gerous and wrong-headed myth.
A vote for Nader is a vote for Nader, period.
It does not "take a vote away from Gore." There
is a perception in this country that there are on1-
two parties and any vote for someone else is a
wasted vote. This attitude is absolutely incorrect.
There are always other choices - that is what
democracy is about. There is no such thing as
wasted vote, other than a vote that is unused qr
used on a candidate "who is the lesser of two
evils." The Democrats and Republicans (and thi
media) have convinced the whole the country
that anyone who votes for another candidate is a
kook, even though most people in this country
hate both parties. Secure in their power, the@
keep nominating the same stuffed shirts who
have no thoughts of their own, and simply carry
out the whims of the moneyed interests and qo,-
porate backers that own them.
The only way to get this to change is to stop
buying their lies and vote for the candidate you
truly believe in. If you truly believe that Gore %s
the best candidate, or if Bush is the best candl-
date, go ahead and vote for them. But if you
truly believe that Pat Buchanan would be th3
best choice, vote for him (and immediately seek
the nearest mental health professional). If you
truly believe that Ralph Nader would be the
best choice, vote for him. If you truly believe
Elizabeth Dole or John McCain or Bill Bradley
would make the best president, write them in.
That's what that box is there for.
Voting is more than a right. It is a respons-
bility - a responsibility we owe to every moo
and woman who have died for this country, a
responsibility we owe to each other as citizens
of the greatest, most important country in tho
world, a responsibility to do the right thing, to
cast a vote for someone you believe in, net
against someone you dislike. I implore Patter-
son, and anyone else who may have been scared
out of voting for Ralph Nader, to reconsider.
The lesser of two evils is still evil. There ate
more than two choices - the choices are
unlimited. If, with our awesome responsibility
of voting, we can be so easily lied to and
swayed, resulting in a president few of us trul
believe in, "the lesser of two evils," then we wj1
have gotten evil - and it will be the gover-
ment we deserve for not taking our responsibili-
ty seriously.
JASON MAILLOUX
MEDICAL SCHOOL
W ith school back in session and the
first full week of class underway,
University students are deciding how to
spend their time on campus this fall. Top
priorities include trying out for Universi-
ty groups and clubs and studying .But
not all students are so individually
focused. Some students are already hard
at work attempting to get others involved
in important issues on campus - one of
the most important being getting
students registered to vote. YOU
As the November election
approaches, groups like the Col-
lege Democrats, ollege Repub-
licans and Voice Your Vote are
working to et students interest-
ed in the political process.
Since the first day of classes g
students have been able to find v
tables where they can register to
vote. Voice Your Vote has
scheduled the musical group Guster to
come and perform Sept. 20, hoping to
bring out a large group of students who
might not have otherwise taken the time
to register. And fliers throughout the
University campus encourage students to
become active in the campaign process,
informing them of both how to get
involved and where political speeches
will be taking place on campus. These
efforts to enhance political activism on
campus deserve applause.
Registering to vote is something that
every University student needs to do
t1
immediately. Students who have not
already registered cannot register in their
hometown but they can register in Ann
Arbor. It takes a few minutes time and
students will not have to leave campus to
register, but deciding to vote in Novem-
ber could make a difference. In what is
predicted to be one of the closest presi-
dential elections in recent memory, every
vote counts and what students decide
will have an impact. The first
have step in making a decision is
registering to vote.
Although many people are
unaware, registering to vote is
not something that can be done
[eft t at the polls or in the weeks pre-
ceding an election in Michi-
:er to gan. The cut-off date for
te registering to vote is Oct. 10 in
Michigan and those not regis-
tered by then will not be able
to vote in November. While this law is
unnecessary and a sneaky way of keep-
ing less educated voters away from the
polls come Election Day, for now, it is
the law in this state.
Students need to register to vote.
Certain groups on campus are doing
their part. The efforts of College Repub-
licans, College Democrats, Rock the
Vote and others should be applauded.
And they should not go to waste. Regis-
ter to vote and take advantage of the
democratic rights afforded to American
citizens.
DANE BARNES D2IURBED) SLEEP
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