4A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 4, 2003
OP/ED
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LouIE MEIZLISH
Editor in Chief
AUBREY HENRETTY
ZAC PESKOWITZ
Editorial Page Editors
Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of
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NOTABLE
QUOTABLE
There are a lot of
students who are growing
up with the Internet who
are convinced that
anything you find on the
Internet is public
knowledge and doesn't
need to be cited."
- Prof Donald L. McCabe, of Rutgers
University on a survey he conducted that
found 38 percent of college students had
engaged in plagiarism in the last year, as
quoted in yesterday's New York Times.
SAM BUTLER pTiw SOAI Bo X
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John Kerry is - gasp - running for president
ZAC PESKOWITZ THE LOWER FREQUENCIES
A fter riproaring the Democratic Party's most powerful inter- campaign has begun to realize, they are
and rollicking est groups, Dean transformed himself into a now playing catch up with the pugnacious
through South legitimate presidential contender with a Dean. Last week, Jordan argued to The Los
Carolina, Iowa, New massive war chest. Angeles Times that "no campaign has ever
Hampshire, The Ameri- One of the most enjoyable political put a lock on things in the summer. This
can Courage Tour activities of the summer has been watching thing will be settled somewhere in the
ended last evening in the Kerry camp's animus toward Dean snow." Kerry built his candidacy around
Boston. No, this isn't grow steadily nastier. Speaking to The the perception of presidential inevitability
one of those Lynyrd New York Times after the May 3 Democ- and with the Dean insurgency expanding
Skynyrd reunions. It's ratic debate in South Carolina, Kerry cam- daily and the likelihood of a Kerry nomina-
that hellraising, fire- paign manager Jim Jordan meekly said, tion shrinking, you'll be able to see the
breathing, Harley-riding junior senator from "There's no secret that we think Mr. Dean's painful process of Kerry's support eroding
the Bay State, John Kerry. Lock up your rhetoric has been hot and a little bit person- beneath him. Without that coveted trump
daughters, Brahmins of Boston, John Kerry al." But as Dean's star began its ascent card of electability, the campaign is now
is on the loose and he's running to be the during the languid summer months, forced to undergo the wrenching process of
Democratic nominee for president of the Kerry's team went on the attack. In July, retooling Kerry's image. Tonight's Democ-
United States. Jordan unleashed an assault on Dean, call- ratic debate in Albuquerque, N.M., which
The conventional wisdom of Washington ing him "an unemployed doctor with no will be aired on PBS at 8 p.m., will offer
politics is that the summer before the presi- responsibilities, and it was easy to sit there the first opportunity to see the new Kerry
dential primaries is irrelevant. Take it easy. and take political potshots from the out- unscripted.
Go to a few hog roasts in Iowa, vacation in side." And Jordan again to The New York Who does John Kerry want to be? Is he
Hilton Head, S.C., make the perfunctory Times in August: "He has sold himself as the man who can save the Democratic party
journey to the hamlets of New Hampshire. the straight-shooting candidate, the truth- from the liberals and restore the Democrat-
The race really starts after Labor Day. teller, the one who will say what's hard ic Leadership Council's unquestioned con-
That's when everyone joins the political and unpopular. In truth, he's a very crafty trol over the party's machinery. Is he the
animals and starts scouring the papers for politician, very calculating." Needless to man running out of a sense of obligation? A
the latest tidbits on presidential politics. say, Kerry is now terrified of a crippling man who has served his four terms in the
But a funny thing happened on the way New Hampshire loss at the hands of Dean. Senate, always watching the action from the
to that moment of destiny when the anoint- With an August Zogby poll giving Dean a back benches and now coveting the chance
ment of Kerry was supposed to take place at 21-percentage-point lead over Kerry in to set the policy agenda for the nation. Or is
the 2004 Democratic National Convention New Hampshire, the likelihood of a Dean he just a ward-heeling, back-slapping, baby-
in Boston. While John Kerry's media wiz- triumph on Jan. 27 shifted from a faint pos- kissing pol who will contort and gyrate his
ards were busy getting the atmospherics just sibility to a near certainty. positions every which way for that elusive
right, just as his pollsters were conducting From the beginning of the campaign, shot at the presidency? And as soon as John
focus groups to accentuate their candidate's Kerry and his advisers isolated his status as Kerry decides for himself, he can let the rest
positives and his wonks were crafting tax the frontrunner. That's all well and good, of us know.
policy, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean but as soon as the political landscape began
built a certifiable juggernaut. From a little- shifting, Kerry was in trouble. His support-
known New England governor with no ers aren't wedded to the man based on his Peskowitz can be reached
national following and few connections to policies or biography. And as the Kerry atzpeskowi@umich.edu.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Determination of students,
student government led to
positive changes to the Code
TO THE DAILY:
Two years ago, when I served as Michi-
gan Student Assembly president, we
worked tirelessly to amend the Student
Code of Conduct, one of our big points of
contention being the lack of a clear stan-
dard of proof of guilt present in the code.
The addition of the "clear and convincing"
standard to the statement should be seen as
a large victory for students and a testament
both to the determination of the Michigan
Student Assembly from before my time
through Sarah Boot's administration last
year as well as to University President
Mary Sue Coleman's good judgment in
accepting the revisions.
Change can come through student gov-
ernment at the University if enough people
bring the proper level of determination and
resolve. This case goes in my memory
bank along with our Central Campus
Recreational Building hours extension and
Fall Break victories as a moment that
proves the occasional usefulness of student
government.
Thanks to Coleman, Office of Student
Conflict Resolution Director Keith Elkin
and all who work thanklessly for positive
change every day. You know who you are.
MATT NOLAN
Law School
Former MSA president
Coleman nixed real change,
marginalized students voices
in fight for revisions to Code
TO THE DAILY:
Yesterday's article on the changes that have
been made to the Student Code of Conduct,
Revised student code clarifies rights (09/03103),
contains an important misstatement regarding a
student's right to a fair hearing. Contrary to
what was reported, students do not have the
right to legal representation. A statement was
added to the Code clarifying that students may
be assisted by an advisor who is also an attor-
ney, but under no circumstances may that attor-
nev renresent the student.
during such proceedings.
With the exception of an important amend-
ment that adds gender identity to the non-dis-
crimination section of the Code, all
amendments that would have further secured
student rights in any meaningful way were
rejected by President Mary Sue Coleman. All
other amendments proposed by the Students'
Rights Commission that the President approved
were simple clarifications that merely codified
established practices.
The Students' Rights Commission was
actively involved in the amendment process and
is grateful that we were given multiple opportu-
nities to meet with the members of the Univer-
sity community responsible for deciding which
changes to approve or reject. The final version
of the Code is, however, a testament to the
extent to which student voices have been mar-
ginalized. We lag far behind our peer institu-
tions in affording students facing disciplinary
actions the rights they deserve. The Code, in its
current state, continues to be a sad reminder that
the University is not the progressive institution
it makes itself out to be.
I look forward to working with everyone
involved in this year's amendment cycle to
make changes to the system that would ensure
student concerns are more directly and substan-
tively addressed in the future.
ANDREW BLOCK
LSA junior
Former Students'Rights Commission co-chair
Ari Paus 'University fed
trash' reveals why people
'loathe flaming liberals'
TO THE DAILY:
I'm glad that Ari Paul cares so much as
to preach to freshmen about "how the
world works" (What the hell is a neocon,
09/03/03). He actually did a great job of
that; he showed exactly why people loathe
flaming liberals for their University-fed
trash. What I find so amusing
about his article is that it was
essentially copied from this website,
www.antiwar.com/justin/j061303.html.
Apparently, the "real world" doesn't
consist of voicing your own opinions. I
understand that Paul has some sort of
agenda, but pinning the world's problems
on America's support for Israel is kind of
like blaming your neighbor for not lending
-, , . - - - - -
Students on campus do not
support divestment from
Israel or other nations
To THE DAILY:
In response to yesterday's letter by Fadi
Kiblawi, Alumnus supports divestment from Israel
(09/03/03), I have but one thing to say: Students
actually on campus don't support divesting from
Israel. Kiblawi, supporters of Israel on this cam-
pus had almost missed you, but sure enough, as I
opened yesterday's Daily, there you were on
page 4.
As most educated professors and academics
on this campus and others would agree, divest-
ing from a sovereign country is not the correct
path to take. I would like to add that this is true
especially concerning one that set up this inquiry
and investigation for the particular reason of
treating everyone under its government fairly.
It seems to me that the Israeli government
is doing more for the plight of the Palestinian
people than the corrupt Palestinian Authority is
itself.
DANIEL AGHION
LSA senior
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