4 VIEWPOINT A student's primer on Code conversion BY ANDREW BLOCK Students at the University are recognized across the country for their commitment to protecting civil liberties. On the level of nation- al politics, University students are the first to organize against what they view as an infringement on their rights or the rights of others. Now is the time for students to stand up and be heard in the debate over their rights as members of the University community by sup- porting the Michigan Student Assembly's proposed amendments to the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities, for- merly known as "The Code."By simply logging on to www.stu- dentpolicies.dsa.umich.edu/review/, students can lend their voices to the cause. Despite a general lack of awareness of the existence of the Code, this document directly affects every single student at the University. The Code governs all behavior that is: r primarily non-academic, stating which types of behavior the University considers a violation of its policies and laying out the disciplinary process required to address such violations. While the Code can be used to promote a safer, more responsible cam- pus community, certain portions of the policy permit an unnecessary extension of the University's power or fail to secure rights that should be basic to the disciplinary process. While the stated purpose of the State- ment is to educate the student body, the reality is that students facing the disciplinary procedure are subject to punishments ranging from simple probation or community service to suspension or expulsion. The Student Rights Commission of MSA has been working hard over the past months to bring desperately-needed changes to the Code. Once every two years, MSA has the opportunity to propose amend- ments, which are then reviewed by a faculty committee before being forwarded to the President. While several of our seven suggested changes have been received positively by the faculty and the adminis- tration, there is some disagreement over certain amendments that would afford much-needed protection to students' civil liberties. With respect to the disciplinary process, two parts of the Code stand out as particularly disturbing: The denial of the accused's right to legal representation during an arbitration hearing and the inability of accused students to open their hearing to the public unless consent of the complainant is also given. Although many other Big Ten uni- versities (including President Mary Sue Coleman's old home) make provisions for legal representation at the student's expense and allow the accused student to open a hearing unilaterally, the University lags behind in affording similar protections to its students. Our amend- ment would correct this imbalance by making these options available to students under certain circumstances. It is unfortunate that an 1 institution famed for its progressivism has thus far been unable to adopt procedures that ensure that students' basic rights are pro- tected. The potential also exists for the University to overreach the limits of its power. Currently, behavior that occurs in Ann Arbor but off University property may be considered a violation of the Code. Through our amendments, the Student Rights Commission is attempting to restrict the Universi- ty's authority within its natural boundaries: University- owned property, public property immediately adjacent to that property and University events and programs. The University should not have the power to punish students for behavior that occurs away from the campus area unless that behavior provides a serious threat to the University community, a condition that is explic- itly contained in the amendment. Student input is critical to the amendment process. The faculty are reviewing the proposals at this very moment and will soon be decid- ing whether to recommend that the amendments be accepted or reject- ed by Coleman. Go to wwwstudentpolicies.dsa.umich.edu/review/ and let the facul- ty know how you feel about MSA's proposals by scrolling down to the feedback form at the bottom of the page. A complete version of the proposals and a quick-review summary are available to facilitate the feedback process. You owe it to yourself as a student at the University to be a part of this monumental process. Let your voices be heard now, before it's too late. Block is the chair of the Students' Rights Commission of MSA. 4 4 4 My deity can defeat your deity HUSSAIN RAHIM NARCouivT.c INSOMNIA Did you know that God was on trial? Not the one he's been on for years in my head but the one that occurred in a more corpo- real realm on February 10-12 from 7-9 p.m. in Rackham Auditorium. The time was within my schedule, the price of free was within my range and the topic is always relevant so I made the adventurous trek. The first night's discussion dealt with the existence of God and why that question is important. The speaker, while very eloquent, gave the philosophical arguments heard by those who have ever partaken in the good- ness that is a philosophy course. Then the really sexy part of the discussion came - the question and answer. The questions ranged from obscure Steven Hawking nega- tive universe theories, to pertinent questions of everyday existence. The closest question to the one I didn't get to ask from the line was about the purpose of life and the entire paradox of God. The lecturer agreed with the basic givens of God. If there was a God, he would be all knowing, all-powerful and perhaps all-good. He also said God would have created life for the creations to enjoy it. So why would or how could an all-know- ing God punish someone for sins they com- mit when their path is immutable? With the acceptance of God, as he is defined one also accepts the view that their life is all but determined. Maybe statements of "That's the way God wanted it to be" have incensed you as much as they have me. Although I may not know the plan would have, if there were one it leaves little reason to be alive. There is little purpose to live a fatalistic life. If one juxtaposes fate with the quaint notion of free will then you believe that one can act in a way that will surprise God? Pretty vain thought. So I asked Dr. William Lane Craig this. He explained with a pretty good analogy that God is a perfect barome- ter, he or she can tell you the weather but God doesn't directly affect the weather, whereas the sun, clouds, rain and such actu- ally determine the weather. Good analogy, or so I thought until that pesky free thought started to seep in. Cut to Tuesday's lecture where the topic was secularism and pluralistic truth or reli- gion's role in society. His lecture was quali- ty and all but the question and answer is what I paid the big money for. The questions were fairly intelligent with the highlight being the Muslim student who tried to point out the divisiveness that is inherent in Chris- tianity. Hmmm, is that a fight you really want to get into? There are so many incon- sistencies within any religion that the only time they can unite is to fight another reli- gion. The speaker easily dismantled the stu- dent's argument. During their discourse the tension of Muslim v. Christian became pal- pable. One mental giant proceeded to yell "Amen!" in conjunction with a retort from the speaker. And that's when I remembered that religious people scare me. I was at an event sponsored by a myriad of Ann Arbor churches and University Christian groups. Visions of excommunica- tion and fatwas passed through my head. I realized the error in holding a philosophical trial of God where the judge and jury are all Christian. God will get off with apologies from the court. I realized the question and answer session, while very scholarly, was tantamount to asking your heathen question, get your holy answer and move on. Without question, I appreciate the organization, effort and progressive thinking that went into this event and this was one of the most intellectual ways I have seen religion dis- cussed. However, I did not attend the forum to be proselytized, and without a strong counter presence the mood inevitably shifts to this direction. At the end of the second night I asked this speaker my question from the previous night. Why be punished for a path I can't alter? I told him the barometer analogy but this time I said that God is the perfect barometer that can predict and control the weather. So if he can't be surprised, why give life? He said it comes down to two things: Either man is something totally dif- ferently or God is not all-knowing. A power- ful being with that is not all-knowing: I know him - he's the president, and that thought was even more disturbing. Maybe the only answer is that there is none and that the purpose is to enjoy it and live. I skipped Wednesday's lecture. Too much thinking, I should go pray. Rahim can bereachedathrahim@umich.edu. I 4 ErVIEWPOINT .~Carr 'officially on the clock' BY JOSEPH LITMAN Born and bred in New York, I never had a natural allegiance to any local college foot- ball team because most of them were mar- ginal at best against mid-level teams. Neither my NYU-graduate mother nor my Brooklyn College-alum father had any reason to indoc- trinate me with a preference for either of their alma maters. Thus, my attachment to college football was forged by what was on television - lots of Notre Dame and Michi- gan games. The Fighting Irish quickly became my least favorite team. I detested that the media loved them and I had no patience for the deification of Ron Pawluses. (And, while this is non-foot- ball related, I need to get this off my chest while lambasting Notre Dame: No coach was less deserving to end UCLA's basketball winning streak than the English-language-butchering, totally-moronic, worst-college-basketball-ana- lyst-alive Richard "Digger" Phelps. Now back to your regularly scheduled "Why-Notre- Dame's-the-Worst" broadcast.) Thus, I was killed when they would beat "cool" teams like Michigan and hurt even more when a program I so thoroughly abhorred was so widely adored by seemingly everyone else. This deeply felt discontent with the Irish led me to embrace Michigan. The school's beautiful colors, ubiquity on the boob tube and amazing fortunes, both good and bad, made it easy, any- way. I danced around my living room when Desmond Howard struck the Heisman pose in the end zone; I cried when Kordell Stewart threw that ball 70 yards to Michael Westbrook by way of the Michigan secondary. In fact, by the age of 15, I had already decided that I'd like to attend the University University. (Vomiting. Lots of vomiting.) Due to my passion for the Maize and Blue, I quickly came to resent every Ohio State victory, viewing them as personal insults. Who was I rooting for each week? Michigan, and whichever teams were playing Notre Dame and OSU. Last Friday night, I sat at home sickened because Ohio State defeated Miami to claim the National Championship. Forget a punch; I felt as though someone had smacked me in the stom- ach with a lead pipe. I quickly called some friends to try and commiserate, but one of them completely punked me. Instead of lamenting the Buckeyes' victory, he waxed about Big Ten supremacy - evidenced by the conference's 5-2 bowl record and title-winning champion - and the solace Michigan could find for having all but beaten OSU in the Horseshoe. Initially, I supposed that finding a silver lin- ing in that gray cloud seemed, if nothing else, poetically appropriate having watched the Scar- let and Silver euphorically run around Sun Devil Stadium. Quickly, though, I returned from the illusion and realized that all the Buckeye victory proved was how far our team is from where it should be - a distance akin to the one between Tampa and Tempe. Michigan was not in the title game matching Miami's speed; Michigan was not showing championship resolve by finding ways to win each week; most importantly, Michigan was not galvanized by its,coach's confidence and discipline. Instead, we were left to the mercy of Ron Zook's idiocy; we were left with yet another disappointing season. Something, therefore, has to change. Out with Schembechler and in with Spurrier; run it up, don't grind it out; speed beats speed, brawn does not. Augusts should hear players and coaches talking about winning the national title; ..Y: j :;::3:4 'E:$ ti b:rs::lx ' :y'+: " :'t:jF isy