4A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 21, 2000 ate w Sitbrggun il My Olympics rhymes with gimmicks 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 Nader visit reason to get involved 'd like to take an informal survey: Has any- body been watching the Olympics in the last week? Even a little? I used to love watching the games back in the day, but it seems to me that the whole Olympiad thing just doesn't have the same kind of excitement this time around. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that we're celebrating the "sum- mer" games right at the' time that the leaves are beginning to turn col- ors. Or maybe it's because the 15-hour time difference in Syd- Chris ney is about as disori- enting as a stroll Kula through the bowels of Unsung West Quad. But I think the a biggest reason for a lack of real interest is that, in getting older, we've realized that most Olympic events are - how should I say? - incredibly wack (I'm proud to announce that's the first time the phrases "Olympic events" and "incredibly wack" have been used in the same sentence). I'm serious, if you take a close (and cyni- cal) look at some of the competitions, you'll be blown away by their sheer irrelevance. Think about the javelin throw, for example: It's a contest to see how far you can throw a spear. Yes, a freaking spear. Certainly there's a great amount of prestige reserved for our nation's javelin champion, what with our soci- ety being so dependent upon good spear throwers. You might as well include all of the anti- quated, feats-of-strength events in the "Thanks, but no fucking way" category. The shot put, the hammer toss, the discus throw - they're about as applicable to our lives today as the Ford Model T, the rotary phone and Jason Bateman. (And on a side note, what's the appeal to rhythmic gymnastics? If I were ever interested in seeing a flexible young woman cavort around on-stage with some special props, I'd just go to the Vu.) Yeah, the Olympics are about as culturally relevant as an episode of "The Love Boat," where any and all lovers' quarrels can be solved with but a few glasses of banana daiquiri and a special appearance by KC and the Sunshine Band. I propose that, in time for the next summer games, a new set of events should be put into place. Instead of glorifying ye olde traditions, these new events would celebrate the champi- ons of everyday life and bring the Olympics up to speed with modern times. Hot pants pull: The site: Anywhere you can find young coeds in the middle of rush, Thursday through Saturday nights. The sport: You thought weightlifters grunt- ed and groaned? Wait 'til you witness the spec- tacle of a prospective sorority girl thrusting her hips through a tiny pair of red pleather pants. The goal: Attracting a young man willing to help her peel off those pants. The favorite: Tie - Sarah and Sara. Drunken Bottle Toss: The site: Any neighborhood porch, some- time between midnight and dawn. The sport: Heaving empty beer/liquor bot- tles into the street. The goal: Greatest distance + widest bro- ken-glass radius + actually staying on one's feet while throwing = the gold. The favorite: Former high school football players reliving their high-fivin' glory days. Shower singing: The site: Any steamed-up bathroom. The sport: Sort of like a world-class naked karaoke contest. The goal: Competitors are judged on their ability to bust out quality bath-time impres- sions of, among others, Aretha Franklin, Fred- die Mercury and Jim Morrison. The favorite: Me. I'm serious, you haven't really grooved until you've heard my soaped- up, Herbal Essence-aided falsetto on old Jack- son 5 hits. Loft jumping: The site: Any dorm room outfitted with an off-the-floor loft. The sport: Defying gravity (and the ladder) by soaring high jump-style into the loft. The goal: Land in bed without bringing that cheap plywood frame crashing down upon your roommate. Also offered: Tandem jumping - though I doubt many first-year guys would be eager to compete in a sport that has them literally jump- ing into bed with each other. Rockin': The site: In the free world. The sport: Competitors strive for the quick- est time in rocking the house, the mic, the boat and the vote, though not necessarily in that order. The goal: To get Bob Costas to utter the phrase, "Here I am, rock me like a hurricane" - -Chris Kula can be reached via e-mail at ckula@umich.edu, and he's goingfor the bronze. K arenna Gore Schiff, the eldest daughter of Al and Tipper Gore, recently began two-day tour of college campuses today on behalf of her father's campaign for the presidency. Rebecca Lieberman, daughter of Joe Lieberman who is campaigning for the vice-presi-. dency, joined Schiff. As part of the cru- sade, Schiff held an "At the Table" discussion at Michigan State University to a small audience. Only 300 or so brave souls ventured out of for what should have been a major event for the Gore campaign's reach to gather the student vote. This incident is yet another example of youth Apathy ar apathy across the nation. In fact, according to college st Voter News Service exit polls and Census Bureau particular estimates "Generation X" represented 33 percent of the eligible vot- ers but accounted for only 24 percent of voters in the 1996 presidential election, making them the only age group to fall below its voting-age population in the election. The trend of apathy among college age students is particularly alarming since many issues that directly affect stu- dents on this campus will be decided by elected officials. Democratic participa- tion - namely exercising the right to vote - is crucial. And given the social activism of the student body at the Uni- versity, it is sad that students are part of the most politically apathetic age group. Almost all of the causes and organiza- tions that flood the University need polit- ical backing in order to make any progress. University students need to keep with their tradition of community involvement and take a greater role in the f political process. While it is understand- able that not everyone has the time or energy to join a campaign, everyone can go a little out of their way to educate themselves on candidates. A perfect way to get more involved in the political process would be to see Ralph Nader, the Presidential candidate of the Green Party, who is in Ann Arbor today. Nader is scheduled to make his appearance along with Michael Moore the Michigan Theatre. The doors open at 11:30. Nader is a accomplished academic and has been a notable public figure for over a quarter of a century. He has been one the foremost authorities in the area of consumer rights law. tudents IS Nader's run for the presidency is driven by central issues, such as the breakup of exces- sive corporate and governmental, which he feels is concentrated in the hands of an opulent few. His platform includes strong policies on labor, the environment and economics. Third party candidates, especially those on the ticket of a major party, can be extremely influential in setting a polit- ical agenda for American society. When votes are lost from either the left or the right, the two dominant parties must pay attention to the political winds and change their platform and policies. Regardless of which candidate your political sympathies lie, Nader's visit to the University is an easy way to learn more about a serious Presidential candi- date, become more involved in political system and show your interest. Let's give Nader a better welcome at the University than Karenna Gore Schiff' received at Michigan State. tdown 'The tequila shortage Is an important problem for college students because learning the evils of tequila is a passage of life. - LSA Junior Nate Kline Nader deserved front page coverage TO THE DAILY: Wednesday's Daily featured a picture and article about the Gore campaign's presence at Michigan State University but relegated Ralph Nader's trip to our own campus to page 3. I know that when I pick up the Daily, I'm going to be subjected to blind-leading-blind liberal bias, but it lends the paper more credibility when it stays in the editorial page instead of infiltrating page 1. Please don't let your love of the Democrats shift the focus of the Daily from timely (and worthwhile) campus events. ROBERT SHEREDA LSA SENIOR CRISP wasn't meant to last 30 years TO THE DAILY: Now that CRISP is gone, readers may be interested in a little history. CRISP was created in 1970, as a class project in my System Pro- gramming course, Computer & Communica- tion Sciences 673. (We called the system "Computer Registration In Spite of Problems." Later, when it was officially put into use, it was called "Computer Registration Involving Stu- dent Participation") Using quite early terminals, the CRISP sys- tem envisioned a few clusters of terminals where students could enroll, just as they have been doing for 30 years since then. Once we got it working, we tried to get the Administration's Data Systems Center to adopt it, but some peo- ple argued that "Students like the social experi- ence of standing in line." Fortunately, the Vice-President for Academic Affairs disagreed and ordered them to give it a try. We took a complete semester's enrollment data and ran it through our prototype CRISP system and demonstrated that the results were exactly the same, so they undertook to redo the CRISP system, integrating it with the existing student database. The result is the system that has just been deactivated. I don't think anyone thought it would last 30 years! BERNARD GALLER PROFESSOR EMERITUS Homelessness a visible issue TO THE DAILY: I disagree with Raphael Price's letter, ("Picture of homeless man 'intrusive"' 9/20/00) regarding the photo of Jimmy Rodgers in the September 15th issue of the Daily. I believe that David Katz deserves merit for his photo. Homeless people are a very visible part of our campus commu- nity and I believe that many students are confused by or misunderstand this phe- nomenon. The Daily is fulfilling its oblig- ation to report on life in Ann Arbor. The picture and accompanying caption were ethical, as Rogers evidently granted his permission to be interviewed by a reporter. Homelessness is a timely issue in this city and one on which the city council is currently working. This photo, along with last year's photo-story on alcoholics living in tent villages outside of town, are excellent bits of journalism. JONAH VICTOR LSA JUNIOR 01 Tl Flag has nothing to do with 'heritage' N ear the end of the American Civil War, Confederate ground troops often dis- played a square banner modeled after their navy's standard. As most of the South's mili- tary force was infantry, that flag soon became the accepted symbol of the Confederacy. Over time, however, the banner's symbolism was extended beyond that of a defeated rebellion. Today, the Confederate flag represents toler- ance of bigotry, slavery and injustice. While the First Amendment allows citizens to display even an overtly racist symbol on their own property, the standard of the Confederacy does not belong on public buildings. State governments in the tie flag has been used to portray a commitment to racial inequality. For example, the State of Georgia added the Confederate standard to its State flag in 1956 in direct defiance of the emerging Civil Rights Movement. Hopefully such bigotry is not acceptable in Southern leadership anymore. A state flag should represent all of its citi- zens, and including a racist symbol as part of the banner alienates a good portion of those people. Many Southerners, for varying pur- ported reasons, display the Confederate stan- dard on their persons and private properties. More often than not, the allusion to racism is the intended purpose of A V THOMAS KULJURGIS ~ \ VL SPEAKING / ~ ..,-... ~t~A4$Y~~vALSS~N, 1~~ y } . . South have only recently An overtly raist symbol such a display. They have begun to address this prob- b lem. Last May, the State of does not belong on South Carolina finally public passed a bill that removed the Confederate flag from the State Capitol. Recently, Mississippi formed in the rigl a commission to research the possibility of symbol fr redesigning its State Flag. completed The current banner features the offending and openi Confederate standard in the top left corner. dents will Headed by former Governor of Mississippi ernment a William Winter, the commission will also lis- racism is ten to the opinions of high school students. states that Because of its racist connotations, the Confed- alight itsl erate flag should not be displayed in any form ments sho over public buildings, especially the State action aga Capitol. Although some people have claimed ate stands that the flag represents a Southern heritage, equality fc politically and culturally, the Confederate bat- the prideo every right to do so, right or wrong. But no state government should be exhibiting such a message. Mississippi is working ht direction but the effort to rid this om their government still needs to be d. Holding hearings around the state ing the debates to high school stu- hopefully increase interest in gov- nd yield an overwhelming statement unacceptable in any form. Other still allow this symbol of slavery to public and governmental establish- ould start taking similar or stronger ainst the exhibition of the Confeder- ard. Espousing an environment of or all of its citizens can only add to of the American South. 0 By Josh Wickerham Daily Associate Editorial Editor W hile George W. Bush is refocusing his campaign to. reach out to the middle class with a healthy serving of vanilla pleas- antries, Ralph Nader, the Green Party presiden- tial nominee, is scooping up the disenfranchised American non-voter. Nader is making a stop in town at the Michigan Theater today on his "non-voter tour" with veteran rabble-rouser and brilliant satirist, Michael Moore. They're promising a good time, but they're also focusing on some long-ignored issues, such as real environmen- tal reform, sustainable energy implementation, regulation of genetically modified foods, breaking corporate control of information sys- tems and the media as well as addressing fair t - number of other long overdue policies. But I know what you're all thinking. A vote for Nader is a votefor Bush. We've all heard the rhetoric before. It goes something like this: Because Nader's support- ers generally come from the far left and siphon off Gore's liberal constituency, Gore would lose electoral votes and we'd have four years of "Dubya's" garbled mess to clean up. Frankly, these debates are becoming ran- corous. Papers across the nation have been filled with the dialogue of this controversy, yet we've made no progress. There has been no cathartic moment when people who want to vote for Nader say, "yes, a vote for Nader is a vote for Bush." Dialogue such as this is a tactic used by the fearful to stop people from voting for the best candidate. So let's sidestep the issue altogether. alone. So how can a vote for Nader be a vote for Bush when most of us have no allegiances? Too many of us are fed up with the corpo- rate control of our democratic institutions. The two party duopoly of donkey and elephant retains its stranglehold on the American elec- torate with the simple assumption that we have no alternative but to elect one of their appoint- ed heirs to the thrown. (Has anyone else noticed how the national conventions looked more like coronation ceremonies than the end result of months of political contention?) We have the right to vote for who we agree with, not to flip a coin based on which candi- date has the more personable head on the hydra we call the two party system. While the major candidates are planning their campaign juggernauts with the greatest PR people and checking the polls with the best Nala "- Plu rt ~~ ~., Y" I