Wednesday, September 6, 2000 - The Michigan Daily - New Student Edition - 763
MIND IF I
By Josh Wickerham
Dtaly Editrialrsi tr
by outlawingy nature.
MariJuana is a Schedule One drug,
wehicth, by definition, means it Itas no
IBoh Dylan prosbatbly bad it ri ght nsedicinal use and carries the hsarshet
wh en It. satid, I"sveiylbody must get legal pensalties. Drugs in Schedulc Onl
stonted" And in collesec most ofi von are also supposed to carry a higl
probably w ill at Clons ie or anmther propensity for addiction, althsough, mari
intd time to (2xpetttoent. Althought you Juana is tot physically addictive att
etc told tttto)u 2lboui yourt lotrimative carries very low potential for abuse.
years by tetchers, thte D.A.R.EI pro- Thse Drug Etsforcemsent Agency Iha
gitts and ce cit ale s oet IV tha t all recenstly utndertaken an investigation o
din"s tie batd loimb x). it's fairly obvi- the medicinal claims of marijuana.
Otis to titeyine ss Io has iOtenthelieu feet which could hump the plant downtesvteav.li h<itebaktSceueTomang ria
prohsibitioin testeics e iall the "aris on cotuld be admsinistered atnd regulated the
lDt's" ire simply itieffeetive ane1 satme way cocaine and other illicit sub-
wvasteful of mistsy ande resostrces. stancees wvith medicinal use are curret-
It is tim~e somiteone tolid yousifssi you ly. ibis is a welcomie step, hut nore
ditdn't kin talelsy tit taiuanta thsats 60 years of ingraitned support fcl
i-toltibstissi is its isci estettieiietnt tmarijuatta prohibitiotn is difficult t
attie tha liidisiespectts iil liberties tratnscensd.
ad tselnin ideaus ofi this eounitry Righst now marijuatta is lumped i
-s amiely the rt sto ithle pursuit cif the same category as heroin, LSD atc
Isappittess. ]'be Witr isi Di is is a other hsarder- drugs, wvhich is dangerow
msoral isar set up to beep people troum because otnce a person discovers bu
expet tuseitits swithi plasts ansd chatei- safe atnd oftets beneficial cannabis is t
uos iiat arte niot soct ile tcceptable. tbe tsinsd and body, thtat person is motc
It's a sear leel be ignteranst lawrmtabers libely to cdiscoutnt thse rhsetoric about
whso eto tot iindeerstande the terrible ethler drugs. Wbat is otse to think of thoiinte'epaestesle n rs fte rg nteShdl n
G etti invol t ve on
campscoluald put
Jhe ''in you
ist
le
Is}
id
if
1a
:e
re
to
d
US
to
re
category? Commtoin settse ande experi-
etnce disprove thse drug schsedulittg sys-
tet natd thtis encourages furthser
experiimenttatioit by thse very fact that
thse govertnmetthas lied to Lts about
cannabis for so long.
Pot is not a gateway drug, hut
because it is kept underground, ansd thus
takes ott an aura of rebellion, it is
placed by its very illegality its a black
tmarket systetmswhsere other drugs ate
readily available. But such a Iharedy atnd
robust platnt can grow just about anty-
whsere by just about anyotte. It is a
weed, after all. Thtis mneants it requires
to corporate, governmenttal or ittdtstri-
at itnfrastructure, untlike prescriptiotn
drugs or cigarettes. If cigarettes attd
alcoolo were sot billiotn dollar lindus-
tries, they would probably not be legal.
Its fact, drug czar Barty MeCalfrey, the
top dog at thse Office of Natiottal Dru"
Cotntrol Policy, Ihas made repeated state-
mnts about his ititerest in resurrectitng
alcohsol prohibition. Bannittg cigarettes
is also a far-off goal of Iis. But lobby-
ists frotm alcohsol and tobacco comspa-
ties are very effective at keepitng
cotngresstmen slopping at thse soft
money trough. Advertisiung campaigns
keels tse populace coinceited of alco-
scs's anto le sonte degree. tosbacco's)
stocial value, evetsttisisghs these isrod-
ucets edirectly bill hundtrleds oif thsousantds
of" peoile every year. Thtere has never
beets a reiportedl deaths attributed to mar-
ijuanta use.
Canitabis has never killed anyotte. It's
ittpossible tio iverdose ott it and despite
thse claitis of thse governsmet, reseaircb
liss shotei h iat canniabis does tot cause
braitnclausag(e. The study citeed in gov-
erinent repoerts ott isarijuana's bratin
dlamtane-causuing propserties teas cots-
dcuted decades agot ott monkbeys. [be
itoiskeys were pumsped lull of pot
smsoke foir five miustites or more atsd tot
allowed to breathseitormsal sir vhile
htooked tsp toes se ppslaratus. The
smoeked-oiu moiskeys thtetssad their
htestds cracked opetsatnd thtetnuttber of
dead btattn eell svwis cottpared to the
percetage of dead tmsotkey brain cells
itt the coistrol sroups. Not surprisintgly,
thse mtonkeys denetiedt oxygen ansd receiv-
insg teat-lethsal edoses cif earbotttooxo-
ide tact sigitittly Ihighter proportions
of defuncet cells.
Nit study its the tunterims has con-
firmsed the idea tha t pot causes braitt
damtage. Itt fact, recettt studies done aeddictive titan hteroins), sugar (hsave you
outside the h.S. sot ottly disprove use ever tried to stop eatitn sugar ---- it's
governmiet'ts claitss, bitt actusalle hot- practically impsiossible --- atnd yet it is as
ster thse pro-pot argumetnt wiht evideisce processed atnd addictive as cocaine) and
thtat THC, the active chsemsical in muarl- elecirottic stitnulation like television
Juatna, serves to protect braius cells. (braits waves flat litne whets watchitig
Much of this is exposed its a fuseecu- TV. so you tsay as welt be asleep, yet
sader'sIhatndbook by Jauck IHeter, calle thte average Attericats watches three
"The Emperor Wears so Cloths" a and a half hours a day!.). Alt of these
bemp prohibition expose of sorts. tbings coitribute to poor health and a
A recent study on rats tn Masdrid, lack of examinaitiots of societal struc--
Spain also found that TIHCitse settee tures. Atnd even thought over 70 msilliotn
cemisical in catnnabisetceitly reduiced Atnericans save admitted to tryitng mar-
or destroyed cancerous tumotrs tn a si"- ijuauta, it is still illegal becasuse greater
nificanst numsber of cases.I ts t eseults ot society sas taikets satisfactiots in demo-
this study received litttle ptess in the tniintthis benigis substansce.
States, as thse stigtma agattnst pot is as Thtis tprocess of turning starijuatna
sigh as it sas been in teceusi dccades. iuo a chasrged word is a lotig atnd corts-
Outser studies douse on Rastafatrtan plicated story. Many resources exist ott
elders shsow extraordinary low inci- the Internet as well as in books, like
deusce of cancer, despite claisms by somse Jack Berer's "The Emsperor Wears no
medical professionals that smari juansa is Clothes.' But let's exansine Marijuana
carcinogeusic. froms the perspective of law enforce-
But eachs society chooses to valoune usent, racism ni d corporate greed.
some drugs and charge others as ste In The Beginning
seeds of evil. In thsis society, we hase
chuosets to accept caffeinte(go Protstanit Canniabis was first msade illegal after
work ethic!), alcohol (forget about your tlse repeal of the 1 8th Amnidmsent. In
boring job, your awful life, your bum- outser words, the buildup of law
druns personality), cigarettes humore See MARIJUANA, Pageu8B
Continued from Page 2B
valet, bellboy. busboty 'r jansitor'.'No '
Thens you'll probably sever knsow what it's like to be
- black.
You donth ave to live msy life to become sty frietnd.
We'll take our sinsilarities atnd build frousstihere. You
Eshsouldus't expect to know whsat it is to be black, as I
swouldnst knsow beinsg white. Whsat swe cats do is. uitder-
,wsiatnd what it's like to be friendes -- ansd sot dwell out
m iisconicepstionis based otn our respective races or class-
s
I
E
5
l
t
l
I
V
A fesw ussuuutls ass I suet a retireed
teachsert who lust isetee isrsut
thse Univsit y its 194'; I tuld luist I
"usrduaited tis itst 'push -sKitnd tof
nteat, I said Tch I u s itu i it tliii
sihile studencuts sa its higas n ustiin a
usnatia citamspionssip in tsuubahi.
Nut msanss ca usa taItus the
easy costsesatison strier. I birsught
sptatles 'u' dsonlt aned lie remtem55-
berec h ue great Bobsl k salsius. I sle
chuat dhied oudt a it, suit then sty fel-
low aluissuss saId so tssseluu sur--
Bie saud Is
ntever feIt sty
treast aftectuions
fort the Ciuse
sity intcht i
hec hai t (_udie
tsschl elitis
hump th ~it- Y_
century later to David
thse Cls his
2000h. Not sissg Wallacfe:
agoe I askeda
friensd of tise
Iso asos gruel-
4atued isis pas
Spring huer
shte felt abisut ________
Iser Unusiversity experiencee. tHer
response seas ubes'asruts site sdidn't
wish shte shud gones somsewhlere else,
but she didn't esxicily talk uitnit
eithser. I filed coms mosussun amousung
graduatses sandu cuts rint studensts thse
bIsiver-sity uhssesss aruosuse ssucts
feel intg. lor tsdm5 5 tde snitsisty
~ust 'is." This Is a sitatme: A chutes-
Voni siat essenstial ly asks, Iflists
were feour yeas of iii r tintise "
shouldns't ges tse samse responuse as
'hlow wsas ste chseese sanudiei?"
YI'ou msight simpisy conctlnude thast
toso itsany seosple tiecat the 1iisersi-
ty assa passise expisenette Hhsweser,
yosu it Vlore atccuraetely suy use
Uiniver sity teats is ts sity peole ts
a passive experisette
I*As ste rtestdu te cites alluee. ste
sliesiz5e sit thte lisvi site "Upsnsuehs
sof 35,0 1111peosple" weorks aisisi usy
noetieons itt petrsonals Iclisis' Nitt, lustI
suit aruuus" te Ustivsiu Shotuhld
sec let fe es s ssd sethle Isace its
Psulllust''osgetiser sti itslty talenstedt
ansd creative pteople Its isse pslace
stakes ste Unsiversity as wosrldh-
rentownted Inst itution. Ness stuuents
Shsoculdthe iware: Oncee you've cost-
sleted Orientations std scraped
together your first schedule, you're out
ystur cuttn.Vcsu trill sardly ever sear
flutist he University unless you seek is
Ouut.
Thtis is what seeds to chuange: Thte
Unisersity as ansitsiutuions should
aduopts a nmore hasnds-osn apisroachs to
fosteritig a connsections heweens it ansd
esachs sf its stuenets. It's easier thans
youi muig'ht hbieve.
Ask me what I think of she Untiver-
sity anud I'll probably give you the
famsiliar football cadenuce, '-It's 'reat
tos be a Michigan Wolverinse." Whuat
separates use flouts sy colleagues? Ii's
te degrceeof nmy intersactions withsshe
Untiversity'.
I asuohurts obsessed. sitour forusi-
dtable teas casesughts smy atsisusfonsande
bsrosughste Issck gsamsesfter gamue. I
sited te Daily andewtrrue uscolumnsu
fits us yeasr. Istslowed mst o talk
eirectly so thue Usiversisy and reader
feedback let she University talk back.
(nitsop uofitsese, I spesnt a los of tisse
sit smualler Usniversity events, taking its
conucerts, speakers anud filmss. These
sre she sesonsuings siltshue academsic
uan course; together they're maemto-
rablle.
Sotoushesad off countisnuisng feelisngs
sof apathy toseard te Usniversity, I pro-
Isose two actionus.
First, Residenst Advisers need to
play a greater role for she students ott
their salls so te point of actively
orgauizinug a few evensts. Too oftensass
RA simuply staples a few flyers to te
bulletins board asnd disappears for
motst of the year I knsow snany go out
cif their way so alert their charges so
events of particular interest and try so
selp ucclimase first-year studeists.
However, it's my experience thsat
she quality of RAs varies frost floor
so floor within she residence halls and
here are plenstysvhso are never
aresusnsd.
Startinsg withs RAs is te simuplest
step. All it really takes is usl individ-
uasl decisidon so do a little more four
onse's tall. Hey, teaching she stew stu-
dents so get out oif their rooms cats
onlhysmsske an RA's job easier.
As for thse University bureaucracy
itself. is need only make a small
invsestmsent toisstars taking us sore
personassble role its students' lives. I
thinik te admnistsratiosh touldtire a
Ipersonss srsteo t comtpile a list each
week ts send via e-maild to she entire
University nsetwork. Thse ist would
See WALLACE, Page 8B
V4IND)OW TICKERS O F
-T ANN AM~S A~ouvP t 4
CA0FAJ fN S T, SAC itA'NEI
Lc W .
flue big, black andst angry-ltook isg guy sitsisng behinse
youn wehile yeou're resacisng this isns't alweays thuastesty.
Thte Jewish, New Yor-kJersey,alwvays-stressed-int-black-
psints, soresrity girl text doosr ilsuo hass lenitismsate cost-
cernts.
Itie khaki-weasrintg, Abercromstie & Fitch msodel
tesnsnabe doswnute sallstay be homsesick or djust plaits
sick. Youur fHispantic rosommaute cosuld oute day findeths~e
cure for Psarbinsons's iseasse or evens AIDS. Is seesssto
sie a hit fuolish so relinsquish te opportunity so knsow
thsese people flout the start.
Usless you're Psychic, yous won's ges so knsoweyour
roomatssae withuout talkinsg with hits It's suitpi sing
tos'ersnightsenuing ass earnest I 5-minsute consversationu
east be.
-Dut/ the hsd/iatus so/dihe sitcomsisMlcuolst usu/
Edd/ie,"t1al/ni-Jamal Manneiuir poses cits sis aitlu's si
ist/i .-hk/uusuu here s/sciets' t asstDust/i Ott/itu eudu-
siu/tor ouuiuuisinullu/-aunuuud'eidnit it/5555/u"i-
exesrt. ,Vtalco/tlm (/tuiuis'Isis w stTts ii) ctutuhi
reaclw ia estsi-nmsu/is oi siftsususst /set/s.
Six stepWAMs to success at the University
By Ethan Shalom Johnson
WIItiue Ftriasl Writer
Tisse is si funnytyhlinig. Somsuetimues
youi feel ike is ;goes by slowtly anud
quickly sll sit uonce. H~avintg gradtuateud
from te University itsAisril, I csn'ti
believe fbur years has alreadey issssed.
Even so, whsest I think (if everythuing
that happesned so sie its college, I cats
hasrdly fathsomssthlatis was osnly fsour
years.
As, I pr-pare so esiter te--- gulp
- real world, I feel like te ensserisng
freshmsans class msighus bentefit frosts
his of advice out how to sueceed astste
Usniversity while havinug a great sine,
too. Not tht I save anythsing particu-
larly special so say; nevertheless,
nivens a csoice betweent learnsing
lessonss she easy wsay or the hasrdt say,
weouldn't you rathler lesarns at least a,
fete of themsthe easy iway''
Lesson #1; Go t class. Msaybe Ihis
lessons seemsslike a comuplete no-
brainser, bus believemte i's store ediffi-
cuilt-and more imsportants-thans youu
mtights imagine. Once schoeolstsarts,
you will begin so amsaze yourself swith
totw'many sites you esisshit te
snsooze buttonsoilusyosur alasrmssclsocb
each msornsing. f'or souse(if yeses Iis
falill Ibe te first tisse ins isse
muakes sure you get out of best.
Goinsg so class ensusres that yu
wonst nmiss importanst informassion ssfor
tests ansd-at worst-it will remsinid yost
ofi sssi nsensisthsats sre luse. Secret
tis: I gs'Uassssuee utatif You sighuspi fOr
sit carly clauss I(before 10l:h0hs.sus.)h, by
hue msiddefthsie semsester, tallfsof the
peopileht inte clssssill he sleeping
thsrsughs lectures (unless thsere are reg-
ulsar itt-class quizzses)h. Sinuce mssany
cosurses are graded ott a curse, cots-
sistenst attenudsance sit early classes will
iUusirove your grades.
Lesson #2: Do somthling else.
bUdoubedly, oune of te msost attrac-
thee aspects of the University is she
muassive array of organsizationus ansd
activities available so you on csimpuss.
iTsis usually useasis that, somuewhiere
its Ants Arbor, every studenti witlhsave
ass outlet los bus or tsrruiuterests.
Gut to wtutuiuc/s (i/ut aind browse
throughs the listinsgs of differenss clubs
stitc or( ausuz souss so 1usd out twhat
appeauls ts you. Make a call, go to a
mseetinsg and prestosut'ure insvolvedh.
WA/itshsonly I15 touts of class each
semsesterussost college stuenhes ave
tns osf timse ou thleir hansds. I's
extremselyeae sy so slup int0 a daily
rouutine of takinsg msieday naps ansd
wteschuus ing 0 I)210 e-tests. Ask gradui-
stes wtristeir biggest renret front
colege itassand I bet tleyll tell youu
thast teeishs thiey Isad takens msore
advantaguue sit all te copporunities te
Civrsity afforded uthems.
Lesson #3: Get requiremsensts done
early. Betswenthie writinug, language,
q~uantsitative treasonuin, raice ansd eths-
suscisy stud distr ibutiesnsrseuiremnts,
stesre's aItcty loath uf cuurseteerb
you musus comssilete its audditions to
your conucenstrations.ILuckily, yeoususie
a nude rtnge of courses floutsshichs
so select, and if you chsoose carefully
you scull "see your self msuch moscre
flexibility come junior year.
If thssue ass s eeral differenut paths
sf study thuat snterest you, take te
prerequisite classes for theis as soons
as possible to find out if underwater
basket-weavinsg is all you thought is
was cracked up so be. Pay attenstions to
ste noaions in she course guide
informing you whether a class it list-
ed as humsanities, social scicence, nat-
ural sciesnce, etc. Atternatively, youi
cast search under specific headings
leg., courses sasisfyinug the quantita-
ite reasonsing requiremsent) so finud
classes that mseet your steeds store
easily.
Lesson #4: Comuntity service=
perspective. During fall sCiuesier of
sty junior year, I spent two houurs per
week volusueering as Time for Toss, a
day care centser for children of home-
less families. Thuose tivo sours cost-
hesehy chansged te way I looked as
ste rest of stly week. There sre counts-
less wasys so Iselp people its need, and
so msansy whso could use youur help. It's
very eassy so becomse shieltered its col-
lege life, anud performsinsg comusnsity
service dill give you a chsance so step
hack for a nmomsent and restsember she
bier iscturue
ILesson. #5: Calenudar of EFets.
Ysou ca indhutchusounline. or nithie Daily.
1Tse castenchaus sell give you te hseast
up out wht'sgoinug out around camupus
ever y daiy;hostsususical perfor-
msansecs so speeches by masuior political
tigures (speakers in te past couple
years included Billary Clinton, Ralph
Nader and Jesse Jackson). This les-
son us simple, because if you see
sonmething you luke, you just shodw up.
Lesson #6: Register so vote. Right
stow. Okay, so this onue doesn't actu-
ally relte to succeedinsg at the Uni-
versity, or so having a great tisse for
that muatter. I needed so find a place so
say thuat this fall's presidential ee-
shout is shapinsg up so be a chose onse,
whichs smeanssthsat your vote wilt
count nmore than ever. As worst, thinsk
about te casndidate whuoms you would
really sate so see win, ansd you' for
someone else.
I hope you finud this advice Ihelpfui.
Naturallhy, there are many other fac-
tors in fornming a successful career as
Michigass. Bowever, one thing 1
found out during sty stay in Ann
Arbor is that there are somse lessos
yuu absolutely musss learn te hard
teay, and so istseouldns'stsmasser if I
told you about thuemtsainyway. Good
luckb, and go blue.
--EthansShtu/otis Jo/htsonscn eu/e
i-eue/sd'li/asie-sruui/at
es/su/otss/iryu/oo.coin.
---.... ................... I
Tired of looking for a more
meaningful career?
Priesthood is more than a career. Is is a
way of life. If you feet catted to the
priesthood, contact your parish priest or
call Fr. J. Munhey, Director of
Seminarians Diocese of Lanuing
517-342-2507.
A loving hear and a willingness to hearn
is 'dII ,costs
* ts',
5 I-fSODLIFE
Consider a more
meaningful life.
Check out our Web Site @ 2beapriest4christ.com
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