4A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 4, 2003 OP/ED Ule Athtt Ftigq 420 MAYNARD STREET ANN ARBOR, MI 48109 letters@michigandaily.com EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SINCE 1890 LouIE MEIZLISH Editor in Chief AUBREY HENRETTY ZAC PESKOWITZ Editorial Page Editors 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 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 At, 1 r l f i0. ..""- . c' EE ice sia FYaC. '("! ",SE-; 1a.VOP /nd/ t 1 0 Z, r 1-t ~~t 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 STUDENTi GftOUPS PASS OUW QU5ARTERSHEET$. WE PAS UT NEWSPAPS$ ANYv QUE$snoNs? WRIT FOR A OPINION@MCHGANDAILY.COM FOR MORE IKPFO LETTERS POLICY The Michigan Daily welcomes letters from all of its readers. Letters from University students, faculty, staff and administrators will be given priority over others. Letters should include the writer's name, college and school year or other University affiliation. The Daily will not print any . . ., . 0 1: gTOUR T v-Iw 4 I n, viC....~ .. . . . 0