4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 20, 2000
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Hammerhead's guide to tipping don't be That Guy
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
daily. etters@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.
'U' should not coerce students to volunteer
Like many of you, I've worked in the food
service industry for the last couple of
years, both as a waiter and a bartender. In
many respects, the restaurant business is an
ideal one for students. After all, how many
jobs can you work
nights primarily (thus
avoiding schedule con-
flict with classes) and
still bring home a
decent living? Further-
more, the working
atmosphere in a restau-
rant is fantastic. When
it's 8 p.m. on a Satur-y
day night, you're on a
two-hour wait, then
kitchen has crashed
and is now running 35- Branden
minute ticket times, SanZ
and you just got dou-
ble-sat everything just "
sort of dissolves into ;rn?"
utter chaos. For an
adrenaline junkie like me, it's wonderful.
But make no mistake, tending bar or waiting
tables is hard work. It takes a certain kind of
person to be able to deal with all the different
pressures involved. You have to have one hellu-
va good memory, you have to be able to priori-
tize and act instantly and, most difficult of all,
you have to be able to anticipate your guests'
needs in advance.
But some people just don't seem to under-
stand or appreciate what we go through; the
person who is the bane of our existence - That
Guy. That Guy (who can also be a woman)
comes in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes he
sneaks up on us and sometimes we can spot
him as soon as he walks through the door.
Chances are, 99 percent of the time you have
ever been on the receiving end of bad service,
That Guy is at fault. This is why That Guy irri-
tates me so much. Granted, a lot of things irri-
tate me - synchronized swimming, 'N Sync,
cats and Regis Philbin make the short list - but
not many things on earth inspire the true sense
of loathing I feel around That Guy.
So. gentle reader, at the behest of friends
and colleagues, I have put together a list of
the most frequently encountered incarna-
tions of That Guy. This will help you to rec-
ognize him, avoid him and most
importantly, not he him.
The Runner. This is the person who seems
to feel that you are waiting on them and them
alone. Every time you walk by the table they
need something else, whether it's hot sauce, an
iced tea refill, more lemon for their water, an
extra plate or whatever. Folks. if your server is
worth a damn, chances are he (or she) is going
to ask, "Can I get you anything else?" or some-
thing similar whenever he leaves the table.
Don't blow him off. Think! Now is the time for
that laundry list of stuff you need to get through
dinner and enjoy yourself. Do not run your
server's ass all around the restaurant because
you suddenly remember something else you
need every time you see his face. Not only does
this piss him off, but it also takes away from the
dining experience of others. Why? Because
your waiter is spending so much time on your
selfish ass that he doesn't have the time to give
his other guests the proper service they deserve.
The Blamer. If your food is bad, you should
complain to a manager or simply not return to
the restaurant in question. Do not blame your
server. As long as he is attentive and sympathet-
ic to your problem (which he probably is, since
he depends on your tips to pay rent) don't lose
your head and act like an asshole because your
steak is overcooked or your pasta is bland and
tastes bad. He didn't cook your meal, so don't
take it out on him
The Finicky Eater. Are you a vegetarian?
Lactose intolerant? Don't eat pork? That's fine,
but you have to remember that you are in the
minority. If you have special dietary considera-
tions, inform your server beforehand to avoid
the embarrassing scenario of you breaking out
in hives or condemning yourself to Hell at the
dinner table. On that note, be aware of the type
of food at the place you are dining at. If you
can't eat butter, don't go to a French restaurant
and then bitch because the only thing available
on the menu is a chicken caesar salad. Once
again, don't blame your server. He didn't set the
menu.
As annoying as these versions of That Guy
are, they can still redeem themselves. All is for-
given with a good tip. And I don't mean 15 per-
cent. 15 percent is what you should give if you
get decent food and average service. If the ser-
vice is truly exceptional, you should tip at least
20 percent. This why the last incarnation of
That Guy is the very worst.
The Cheap Bastard. The Cheap Bastard is
usually pretty easy to spot. He asks if there are
free refills on pop. If the restaurant gives out
complimentary bread or rolls, he normally
wolfs them down and asks for seconds or thirds.
He orders one of the cheapest items on the
menu, then has you wrap it up for him, no mat-
ter how minuscule the portion remaining,
because he filled up on bread. He tells you how
wonderful the service was (which is why he's
sometimes known as The Verbal Tipper) and
then leaves you 12 percent.
Look, most waiters and bartenders make
$2.65 an hour in Michigan. That equals jack
shit. It's certainly not enough for a skilled work-
er - someone who knows every ingredient on
every menu item. who knows the exact formula
for hundreds of different beverages, who puts
on a happy face and makes you feel right at
home even though he (or she) is tired, has sore
feet and just failed a chemistry test that day. The
bottom line: If you can't afford to tip properly,
you can't afford to eat out. Know the rule,
observe it, and don't be That Guy.
--Branden San: can be reached via e-mail
at hamrhead a(umich.edu.
0
,6, Students come to Michigan with
extensive community service."
So said Barry Checkoway last week,
after the renaming of the Center for
Community Service and Learning in
honor of Edward Ginsberg. Although
there are a large number of students
who participate in high school com-
munity service out
of personal desire, ,,,the mora
many students are
also motivated by of this imps
admissions stan-
dards and graduation needs to be
requirements. U on
bein accepte d to by students
the Uversity, they
lose some motivation to volunteer
and once classes start and academics
become more important. Students
shouldn't let service slide.
Reading requirements, test prepa-
ration and research papers add to
hours spent in class and make being a
student a full-time job. Many stu-
dents like to spend the free time they
do have socializing.
In spite of the demands of their
lives - both academic and social -
almost every student ought to be able
to carve a few hours out of their
schedule to do some type of commu-
nity service. Still, the moral force of
this imperative needs to be gauged by
students individually according to
their personal sense of obligation.
i!
e
s
The University should never consider
any type of policy that coerces stu-
dents into community service.
The Edward Ginsberg Center for
Community Service and Learning
offers some activities, such as Alter-
native Spring Break and other short-
term volunteer work days, that bolster
the range of student
I force participation in ser-
vice. With the funds
erative provided by the Gins-
berg donation, the Cen-
gauged ter should be able to
offer . more similar
opportunities.
In an interview last
week, Checkoway said that one of the
uses for the Ginsberg donation would
be to encourage professors to teach
classes' with community service com-
ponents. This would be a positive
development since it would probably
increase student volunteerism with-
out direct coercion. Any type of
requirement that students do so many
hours of volunteer work to graduate
would be unacceptable.
Encouraging community service is
always admirable and students should
feel some sort of obligation to give
back to the community. But in recog-
nizing civic virtue, the University
should remember that it does not
have the moral authority to force stu-
dents to volunteer.
'All the girls they picked were very similar to each
other, in a Britney Spears kind of way. They need to
rethink the audience they are appealing to.'
- Ann Arbor resident Cicily McClintic, who was rejected by the
newly-opened Millennium Club in her bid to be a window dancer
s
0i
Banking on it
Blood donation needs transcend politics
lood, while high in demand, is
B low in supply. 8 million Ameri-
cans donate blood, which is only five
g ercent of those who are eligible. As
lood donations decrease by about
one ercent each year, the demand
for blood increases by one percent a
year.
In the 1980s, when the cause of
AIDS appeared to be linked primarily
to homosexual males, the Food and
Drug Administration placed a ban on
blood donated by gay males, or those
who had sex with another man, even
once, since 1977. The ban has since
been extended to other high-risk
groups including drug users, prosti-
tutes and those who may have been
exposed to "mad cow disease" or
malaria.
The policy against gay males
remains in effect and it should if the
American Red Cross is sure that the
group has a statistically higher
chance of carrying HIV/AIDS.
However, theAmerican Red Cross
should reexamineits
policies across the i stm
board to ensure that
potential donors areexmn
screened based solely
on statistical evidence for donat
and not on social bias-
es.
fir
t
ti'
potential donors about risks for HIV
and other diseases, refusing people at
high risk. But, frighteningly enough,
people lie.
Strict measures of prevention have
been the foundation of preventing
disease transmission to blood recipi-
ents. Questioning potential donors
identifies medical risks or behaviors
that might lead to HIV infection.
While evidence of infected blood
supports the need to continue inter-
viewing potential donors about their
behavior, it seems the criteria for per-
manently banning specific groups of
people from donating blood should
be re-examined. Such exclusionary
policies may serve to remove a num-
er of risks for transmitting infec-
tious diseases, but they also run the
risk of disqualifying many potential
donors of safe blood.
Last spring's human rights com-
mission ruling in South Africa that
gay men have a constitutional right to
donate blood should be considered by
__________the FDA and the
American Red Cross.
o rGay men are not the
hecrteiaonly high-risk
donors. No longer
can an entire group
w blod ofpeope be- deemed
ineligible to donate
leaor, blood based solely
on sexual orienta-
tion.
There are plenty of monogamous
homosexual men with safe blood who
are being denied access to donating,
while heterosexuals with high risk
factors are not being discriminated
against.
It is time for the FDA and the
American Red Cross to re-examine
the criteria for donating blood across
the board. There are two goals toward
which to work when it comes to blood
donation: Having safe blood and hav-
ing enough in supply to pull through
summer and holi ay shortages.
The standards of eligible donors
should not be lowered to accommo-
date the need for blood. But as the
rate of donation decreases, it
becomes imperative to tap into every
possible resource for safe blood, even
if that means re-examining and modi-
fying policies.
Daily article failed to
mention two student
regent candidates
TO THE DAILY:
I was appalled when I read Lisa Hoff-
man's news article ("Faculty forum sets
agenda; plans for regent debates,"
91 19i00).
In the article Hoffman states quite con-
fidently that six candidates for the Univer-
sity Board of Regents are expected to
attend the debate. The article mentions two
Democrats, two Republicans and two Lib-
ertarians. Hoffman failed to mention the
two student candidates one Nick Waun
(Reform Party), the other Scott Trudeau
(Green Party). I believe that makes 10 can-
didates to expect.
Waun plans to attend and sent his
acceptance on Sept. 19th. It should be
alarming to all fair minded students that a
respectful paper like the Daily would
report on third party Libertarian candi-
dates but ignore the third party Reform
and Green party candidates.
Both the Reform Party and the Green
Party are polling well above the Libertari-
an Party in national polls.
JAMIE BROWN
WAUN CAMPAIGN SECRETARY
Democracy requires
idealistic voters
TO THE DAILY:
In his letter to the Daily "A Vote for
Nader is not Pragmatic" (9/18/00) Chris
Miller urges students to vote for Al Gore,
even if they support Ralph Nader's candi-
dacy for president.
This argument is inherently flawed: A
presidential election should be about who
you want to be president, not who you
don't want. Pragmatism taints free elec-
tions - if we select between the two polit-
ical parties' nominees, we are essentially
relinquishing the direction and control of
our democracy to two corporately-funded
political monoliths.
If you are disillusioned by the two
dominate parties and neither candidate
looks particularly appealing; do not com-
promise your standards - instead vote for
someone who you believe the superior
candidate. no matter how obscure. This is
the only way democracy can function.
I challenge every voter uninspired by
Bush or Gore to investigate other candi-
dates for president. Just because your can-
didate probably won't win doesn't mean
you shouldn't vote for them.
The Vote Smart Website (www. vote-
smrt.or-g) lists over 100 candidates for
president: independents, Libertarians,
Socialists, and everything in between.
Choosing a lesser of two evils is not
democracy. voting for someone who you
believe in is.
If you choose to compromise your
beliefs and support a candidate so another
cannot win-so be it: but remember that for
democracy to remain vital we must select
candidates who reflect our beliefs. Finally,
whomever you decide to vote for and for
whatever, reasons, vote!
CHIP CULLEN ° p 1" 7 IN CTHE NIB
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ROB GOODSPEED
LSA FIRST-YEAR STUDENT
Picture of homeless
man was 'intrusive'
TO THE DAILY:
I am responding to your picture of .
Jimmy Rogers in the September 15 issue
of the Daily titled,"Going to Carolina in
my Mind." I would like you to know that
David Katz's photo of that poor, old man
was unnecessary and intrusive. I happen to
know Rogers and I find your depiction of
him to be offensive. Before you decide to
sensationalize the living circumstances of
a person less fortunate than yourself, try to
empathize with him, because I am sure
you would not like to have your misfor-
tunes emblazoned upon the pages of a
newspaper.
RAPHAEL PRICE
MUSIC SENIOR
A proposal to ease OVJU5[I
the ban was rejected by
government scientists last week due
to a lack of evidence assuring the
protection of blood supply from
HIV/AIDS. In a seven-to-six vote,
The FDA's scientific advisors reject-
ed a proposal to only ban men who
had sex with another man in the last
five years. Half of blood banks are
pushing to ease the policy to one
year. The American Red Cross is
opposed to modifying the policy at
a 1.
rr
0
According to the Red Cross, in the
United States, male to male sexual
contact remains a leading risk for
HIV infection. A study of 19 large
United States blood centers, conduct-
ed by American Red Cross, revealed
that 43 percent of all discarded dona-
tions due to the HIV infection came
from men who reported a history of
male to male sexual contact. The
FDA requires blood banks to ask
ye Greeks a home before
YOUV HAVE 20 OAFS.,EF~T TO REGISTER TO VOTE!
---emer Iuser new state Iegoskyouoe-y1ucmust he registered to
vote in the same dstrict that the adress~ on yur driv~er's tkense
is in. Don't eve~ up yurmt fu~ndamental right.?-
By Cortney Konner
and Seth Fisher
Dailv Editorial Board writers
Fall Greek rush is an integral part of
the University, and moving it to winter
term, as suggested recently by the Daily
("Wait to go Greek," 9/15/00), would be
detrimental to all rushees, Greek Houses
and the campus as a whole.
Every year incoming students use the
Greek System as a medium to acclimate
themselves to the University.
Entering such a large campus is intimi-
dating to many first-year students. Rushing
proportions.
Theifact that so many students chose
the fall term to join a Greek house shows
that this is the preferred choice.
Joining the Greek System during the
fall term is advantageous to first-year stu-
dents and the houses they choose. The
competitive real estate market in Ann
Arbor forces students to sign a lease by
winter break or have severe difficulty.find-
ing a residence for the following year.
Students who decide after fall rush that
the Greek System is not for them still have
plenty of time to find housing. Winter rush
does not offer this benefit. Students who
campus, there is no other single forum
where one student may find them all. Con-
trary to beliefs that rushing conflicts with
studies, the Office of Greek Life has
reported that the overall first-year GPA for
Greeks is continually higher than the cam-
pus average.
Abolishing fall rush would handicap
the entire Greek community. Membership
is essential to the survival and improve-
ment of every house.
Due to the proportionally lower turnout
during winter rush, many houses will have
trouble recruiting enough new members to
fill the hole left by graduating seniors.
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