4A - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, January 21, 2003 OP/ED c e + CirttYgttn ttilg 420 MAYNARD STREET ANN ARBOR, MI 48109 letters@michigandaily.com EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SINCE 1890 JON SCHWARTZ Editor in Chief JOHANNA HANINK 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. NOTABLE QUOTABLE Ind a nudist environment, everyone is the same.. Jim Bailey, co-owner of Castaways Travels, which offers nude flightsfrom Miami to Cancun in celebration of Nude Week in May, as quoted by the Associated Press. KARL KRESSBACH & BEN CARRICO UNTIED NATION FAFFIIATIV[ ACUODN EV(RY ANERIL2AI\ IsIvON6..SH/OU/LD BE 1-/AW IT MOT S EQUALLY.. THIS IOAEb AGAINST (5 A! N ASILY MIAORITZ AhAIfABLE GOAL MY ,I, / i /dV44;l/r(7913b a dao(4 SI V- r '; nt Bu : acc 10 PE poses percent plan fails to address key issues sh has given "affir- side of the classroom. Any good uni- ess" a number: 10. versity admissions officer should know ercent Plan," with that a student is far more than a raw s to replace affirma- numerical score. Think MLK Day solves anything? Dream on AUBREY HENRETTY NEUROTICA action, was part of two amicus Fs the White House filed with the Supreme Court last week. The Fs attacked the University's admis- s policies as unconstitutional. he plan, as detailed in the briefs, Id guarantee admission to a state ersity for the top 10 percent of stu- s n every public high school. Simi- ystems have been implemented in s and Florida in the past five years minimal success. a Florida, where the "talented 20" ent system has been in place for years, the percentage of under-rep- ited minorities has declined notice- at the University of Florida at iesville, the state's most selective >us. In Bush's home state of Texas, e he implemented the 10 percent minority student enrollment in universities has been stagnant the program's introduction. he 10 percent plan is flawed for a mum of two reasons. First, the plan considers test scores and grades as ssions criteria. This rigid system not allow universities to consider aspects of a candidate's character cannot be easily quantified. Nei- an SAT score nor a grade point age can adequately reflect a stu- s strong commitment to communi- rvice, leadership skills, political vement or other achievements out- Second, the 10 percent plan relies on segregation in public high schools to be effective. In taking the top 10 percent of students from each school, the plan ostensibly ensures that all geographical areas are adequately represented. But to suggest that this same system can be used to guarantee specific racial and ethnic representation in universities is to accept that public high schools are and should continue to be segregated. The Grutter v. Bollinger brief sug- gests that universities try to achieve diversity by "easing admissions requirements for all students." This would hardly achieve the educational rigor that the White House, and the Supreme Court, has argued must be the ultimate goal of higher education. The Bush administration cannot have it both ways. There cannot simul- taneously exist a situation in which there is no need for affirmative action and one in which a plan that relies on public school segregation will be effec- tive. It is disturbing that Bush should be so eager to accept unambiguous segre- gation in public high schools for the purpose of eliminating his squeamish- ness with the methods of affirmative action. Bush's "affirmative access" can- not even satisfy the administration's own demands for "race-neutral" admis- sions criteria if its effectiveness pivots upon segregation in schools. hate to be a killjoy, but I don't think Mar- tin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday Observed is a very important holiday. King was a very impor- tant man with great ideas that we should celebrate and discuss whenever possible, but - and maybe I'm just getting cynical in my old age - the holiday itself seems a rather hollow gesture. Civil rights, easing human suffering, peaceful collective action - we should talk about this stuff every day, weave it into the fabric of our society. If we need a day off from school to do. so, perhaps that says more about the failings of our education system than about our commit- ment to everything King stood for. I could never say this too loudly on the streets of this hypersensitive college town with- out getting verbally body-slammed by the near- est group of hypersensitive student activists; some of these people are unhealthily obsessed with appearances. Usually the ones who think Women's History Month is also a stellar idea, though they object to the word "history" because it begins with the same three letters as the male possessive pronoun, so they often pointedly say "herstory" instead. (Sidebar: There are two ways to handle the "herstory" police. The first and more responsi- ble is to inform them that the English words "his" and "history" respectively have Germanic and Italic roots, meaning anyone who thinks the etymology of "history" has anything to do with gender is wrong. The second - less responsi- ble, but infinitely more satisfying - is to point out that "woman" and "wombat" also both start with the same three letters or that "racist" and "feminist" end with the same three. Then laugh jubilantly and try to get away before their heads explode all over you.) As individuals, organizers mean well. The speeches during MLK Day, Women's History Month, Black History Month and other such feel-good calendar designations are generally very inspiring. We hear about heroes past and present, people who single-handedly defined movements or brought them to life, people who spoke up for the little guy (or girl). It's all quite positive. But implicit in all of these public awareness campaigns and bank holidays is that society somehow needs them - that no one bothers to talk about Dr. King any other day of the year, that every other month is White Men's History Month. And in that vein, these holidays are about assigning responsibility. To what degree do we hold ourselves responsible for the bad things people did before we were born? For the bad things people still do? Some argue that setting aside a day or month to illuminate a few of our forebears' more obvious mistakes is essential, that there's always something we could be doing now to make things better. It's our duty, they say, as human beings to make the world fair for the formerly oppressed and the currently disadvantaged. Ah, but there's a statute of limitation, isn't there? As long as the injustice was great enough and the requisite number of centuries has gone by, it's perfectly PC to sweep the issue under the podium. Just ask the descen- dents of the people who lived in what is now the United States when Christopher Columbus and his fleet of heavily-armed, disease-infested buddies showed up. Or better yet, ask propo- nents of slave reparations; their take on the European engulfment of the land is sure to be more entertaining: "We believe in equal opportunities for all! The righting of past wrongs! The - I'm sorry, who? Well, we can't be expected to just hand the whole coun- try back over, can we? That's ridiculous! Now run along, smartass - I'm busy. Ahem. We must rectify the sins of ..." and so forth. It's a tough call to make. While I have pro- found respect for King and his political prede- cessors (e.g. Gandhi) and anyone who strives to change the world in a similar manner, I fear that MLK Day itself contributes to a percep- tion that King and his ideas are somehow sepa- rate from what we ought to be thinking and doing all the time. Extra-educational. "Sug- gested" reading. A symposium to attend if you're not sleeping off a hangover or playing video games or catching up on homework or whatever else it is that most (yes, most) Uni- versity students were doing yesterday. Which brings me back to my original point: The man and the movement were great; the ideas and accomplishments for which he paved the way are great; but the holiday is all about appearances. Look how far we've come. F. Aubrey Henretty can be reached at ahenrett@umich.edu. Anew ]Lott in life :kering rises again in Republican Senate fter ridding themselves of the embarrassment and political liability that was Sen. Trent Mississippi, it appeared that publican Party had finally its lesson; in a society of racial y and justice there is no place try. But with President Bush's enomination of U.S. District harles Pickering Sr. to the U.S. rcuit Court of Appeals, it that it's back to politics as r the Grand Old Party. main concerns regarding this tion arises from Pickering's I legal past. In his time as a ervant, Pickering has been a pponent of racial, civil and ctive rights. In 1976, as chair luman Rights and Responsi- Subcommittee for the Repub- ational Convention, Pickering d a platform that challenged /ade and called for a Consti- amendment to ban abortion. a Mississippi state senator, tg voted against legislation to suffrage opportunities for Americans after the Voting ket in 1965. :ring's most controversial act idiciary was his inappropriate of a 1994 cross burning case. of complying with federal law, ng took unusual lengths in ng to reduce the sentence of a tvicted of burning an eight-foot the yard of an interracial cou- firing shots at their house. g, who called the incident "a prank," threatened to order a new trial in the case, made phone calls to the home of one prosecutor and even attempted to bring his concerns to then Attorney General Janet Reno. His underhanded dealings and corrupt tac- tics were a misappropriation of his judicial power. The GOP is willing to move on issues that garner lots of media atten- tion, but on issues that slip under- neath the radar, they are more likely to be racially provocative. Moves such as renominating Pickering for a Court of Appeals judgeship prove that Bush and the GOP will continue to support questionable political fig- ures unless challenged in the media. Pickering's name does not carry with it the notoriety that Lott's does. His attitude toward race and his leg- islative and judicial actions, however, make him just as inflammatory as Lott. Pickering's renomination is as much an affront to justice as Lott's for- mer position as Senate majority leader. The Republican Party has for many years been plagued by negative percep- tions about its handling of race matters. After Lott stepped down, the party was afforded an opportunity to begin to change those perceptions by continuing to distance themselves from leaders like Lott and connecting with minority groups. By renominating Pickering, the GOP has shown that the sensitivity and commitment to racial justice they pro- fessed during the Lott fiasco were merely hollow overtures to minorities, transparent attempts to forge an inclu- sive image for a party tarnished with the stain of racial intolerance. Admissions woes lie in execution not ideals JON SCHWARTZ TWO SIDES TO EVE RY SCH\WARTZ ith the devel- I reminded him that I had about three pages community. But that never would have hap- opments of the of extracurriculars. So he pulled out my appli- pened if I hadn't taken advantage of a chance past week, and cation and explained that every one of the to get interviewed. And that is the greatest those sure to come in the activities on my list was on the local level. problem with our admissions system. next few months, the Michigan only awards points to activities out- My situation can't be the only one of its ilk. admissions system at our side one's own school. And what I've learned from it is that even university is going to get But as he went down the list, he asked if though our administration nobly looks to com- the time in the spotlight my basketball team, which I marked down pose the most diverse student body possible for that it sorely needs. But that I played for, was any good. I told him the benefit of everyone around, it can't possibly not only because racial that even though we were a small Jewish pri- succeed in this goal without finding a way to preference in admissions is a topic desperately vate school, we made it to the New Jersey interview every student. If racially preferenced in need of evaluation; it's also imperative that semis for our league. admissions exist to repair past wrongs, I can't our own administration use this opportunity to "State?" he asked. "Oh, I can give you a argue. It's neither here nor there. But regardless examine other flaws in the department. point for that." of what the administration hopes to compose, a As a focus of its defense in the admissions Though certainly generous, this infuriated piece of paper saying what an applicant has or lawsuits, our administration says that, beyond me, much more so than being told I'd flown a hasn't done and a formula to add up the test scores and grades, each applicant offers good way for no reason. After telling me that achievements is not enough to figure out who valuable assets to the classroom experience that three pages of substantive extracurriculars were can add what to the greater community. can benefit the education of everyone else. meaningless, he gave me recognition because I Surely it's a heady request to ask for about Thus, diversity presents countless points of happened to join a team in high school. He 25,000 interviews, but it's not impossible, not view that can prove paramount to providing the never asked if I played. He never asked if I was with the largest active alumni base in the coun- most complete education possible. any good. He didn't ask if I'd try to play any try. Who knows how many people have been This is an impressive ideal that I would sports at Michigan. He never asked if I had in turned away, not because of anything they did have no trouble supporting if I believed that it any way contributed to my team's success. But or didn't do, but because it didn't look right on was anything more than a defense for a system the mere fact that I had written on my applica- paper. Is the system working if a high school under fire. But my experiences as an applicant tion that I played basketball apparently meant basketball jersey is worth more than the cre- make me know otherwise. more than the countless ways that I had con- ation of a task force to curb consumption of In early January 1999, my application was tributed to my school. illegal substances? deferred by the University. Nevertheless, I pro- I lived a half hour from my school, about This is not a plea for or against affirmative ceeded with my planned visit to the campus a 75 minutes on the bus. On most days, I got action. That question is for nine people in black few weeks later, and followed my guidance home by 5:30 or 6 p.m., about 9 p.m. when I robes to answer. What I do want, though, is for counselor's advice that I meet with an admis- had practice. When was I supposed to get a people to realize that the problem is in the exe- sions counselor. There, I learned the intricacies job? When was I supposed to do community cution, not the ideal. of Michigan's point system and was told that service? Realizing that my schedule didn't Our admissions system has flaws, and those my prospects for admission were not good. I allow time to improve my community, I did opposing what they see as some of them will had scored an 86 and the bar for early admis- everything I could to improve my school. soon get their day in the highest court. My only sion, which would go up as the year pro- But I was a number in an admissions formu- hope is that the evaluation doesn't end there. gressed, was 90. He told me that my grades and la, and I didn't compute. test scores were fine but that I didn't have any Somehow I got accepted, and I'd say that I Jon Schwartz can be reached extracurriculars. have made a substantial contribution to the atjlsz@umich.edu. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 0 Horn jumped the gun on NRA's culpability for violence To THE DAILY: I was reading David Horn's Lock, stock and two panicked nations (01/17/03) the other day and I was upset to see the usual false bias within his article. Horn implied that the National Rifle Association is a cause of poor decisions on the sake of gun owners (ie. gun crime). I wonder if he has ever attended an NRA event, or attended a course of theirs. I for one am taking a Personal Protection/Basic Pistol Course taught by NRA instructors and the most important message conveyed is gun safety. They recommend gun locks, gun safes and all the pos- own those guns. Hopefully, next time before Horn tries to bash an organization he'll take the time to experience the organization face- to-face before making poor assumptions. GARY KLEIN LSA senior Co-op's flier does not convey ICC minority experience To THE DAILY: I caught wind of the party flier (Joint Coop- erative House unfairly pressured to call off MLK Day party, 01/17/03) over e-mail days ago by people who saw it and had a problem with the incidents like this are what gave the ICC that reputation. And while it may have seemed funny to Caron and others, the consequences aren't. Call it lighthearted, call it a mistake, call it insensitive or racist. It doesn't matter. The con- sequence is that this doesn't help the ICC's image nor does it address the underlying issue. Certainly Caron, the flier's creators or I might be nonplused by the way King was portrayed on it. But what of those who thought the ICC might be a viable option for saving money while in school (while also learning about themselves and others and making lifelong friends - a very valuable experience). Is it as viable if its mem- bers don't really see the consequences of their actions? I say let Joint have their party and if you _ _ _ __ __ _ _ THE BOONDOCKS -. ~ ' 0 . x I