4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, March 10, 2004 OPINION 420 MAYNARD STREET ANN ARBOR, MI 48109 opinion. michigandaily.com tothedaily@michigandaily . com EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SINCE 1890 JORDAN SCHRADER Editor in Chief JASON Z. PESICK Editorial Page Editor NOTABLE QUOTABLE t(Diet is not restricted after removal of the gallbladder, although some people suffer some recurring diarrhea." 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. SAM BUTLER THE SOAPBOX ~r I~4J fW .)\I o r ..r,4 AUO zos 00 I - The New York Times, in reference to possible complications of the gallbladder removal that Attorney General John Ashcroft underwent yesterday. I think, therefore IB D.C. LEE 2L COOL J think, therefore I be. That's what we used to say in 11th grade English class. Ms. Hard- ing would stand at the blackboard and laugh before reminding us that the streets in E. M. Forster's "A Passage to India" were crisscrossed like a net over India, representing British colonialism. It's a good thing Thomas Sowell, the well-known conservative columnist, wasn't there that day. He proba- bly would have missed the joke and con- demned that day's lesson for promoting the hidden left-wing agenda of the Interna- tional Baccalaureate Program. Two weeks ago, in a column for town- hall.com, Sowell congratulated a group of citizens in Fairfax, Va. for standing up against "one of the endless series of fad programs that distract American public schools from real education in real sub- jects." The citizens there were successful in eliminating the IB program from their local school. Sowell commented that pro- grams such as the IB program have been "substituting back-door indoctrination in place of education." This, of course, is news to me. The IB program is a broad-based, comprehensive college preparatory education. One IB school lists as its mission the developing of "inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect." I find it hard to believe that this type of mission state- ment promotes socialism and undermines traditional Christian values - as some of the program's critics assert - but assum- ing arguendo that it does, it does not nec- essarily follow that an education of this sort will produce thousands of Ted Kennedys. I myself used to write for The Michigan Review. A friend of mine who attended an IB school in New Mexico interned one summer for the Center for Individual Rights, the law firm responsible for challenging the University's affirma- tive action policies. Sowell's argument against the IB pro- gram is three-pronged, and I address each of these criticisms in turn. First, the IB program is not a "fad" program that "dis- tracts ... from real education in real sub- jects." Among the classes taught at IB schools are English, American History, Calculus I and II, Physics, Art, Biology, Chemistry, Theory of Knowledge and French VI. Moreover, colleges and universities across the country respect IB classes. Much like Advanced Placement students, IB stu- dents are required to take exams at the end of the year, and these exams can be convert- ed into college credits. For example, a score of at least five (out of seven) on the IB Biology exam will earn a student coming , into the University four credit hours. As a bonus, IB credits count for a student's LSA distribution requirement, while AP credits do not. These four credit hours are just as "real" as if a student had taken the class in 1800 Chem. Second, Sowell claims that one of the reasons the citizens of Fairfax eliminated the IB program was because they thought "that their children would have trouble get- ting into quality colleges." I don't keep in touch with many people from high school, but here's a list of the schools where peo- ple I graduated with currently attend: Yale Law School, the University of Michigan Law School, Columbia University Medical School, Washington University in St. Louis Medical School and Duke Universi- ty School of Public Policy. Furthermore, two freshmen here at the University went to my high school and completed the IB program - one is on scholarship in the School of Art and Design and the other is in the LSA Honors Program. Finally, Sowell claims that the IB pro- gram "has a left-wing hidden agenda." This claim is similar to the "back-door indoctrination" claim mentioned earlier and if true would warrant serious consider- ation. Unfortunately, the immutable laws of logic proscribe this conclusion. One of the central tenets of the IB program is to challenge everything. When put into prac- tice, this alone is sufficient to defeat an argument of liberal "indoctrination." How can one indoctrinate if one is constantly being challenged? In short, I take issue with Sowell's col- umn, and though the IB program "encour- ages students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right," I just happen to think he's wrong. Very wrong. Lee can be reached at leedc@umich.edu. Awash with like colors SRAVYA CHIRUMAMILLA WEAVING THE HANDBASKET hen I received different activities and couldn't agree on who is the lack of discourse on the subject: Every- i n fo r m at i o n was better, Shah Rukh Khan or Hrithik Roshan. one notices it, but no one wants to address it. about my fresh- Slowly, I became involved in other minority Caught up in the year-long season of cultural man roommates, I was groups' cultural shows and events by helping shows, students do not have the time or the ecstatic, as they were peo- out with Power Moves and by attending the interest to add such discussions to the daily ple unlike me in so many Black Student Union's town hall meetings. juggle of dance practice, school, work and ways. We met all the As the year progressed, it became more and social interactions. stereotypes of a diverse more visible that the concept of lunch-table Discussions organized by minority groups, and cohabiting Universi- segregation is clear and apparent in the cafete- useful in examining the many perspectives on ty: I, being brown and rias of the Bur-lodge, Markley and all the campus, are not met with a substantial from Bloomfield Hills restaurants on campus. This voluntary segre- response, as few members attend. When IASA was far removed from my roommates, a gation isn't limited to minorities and food ven- invited members to an open dialogue about race black Engineering student from Southfield ues: Political science majors opt not to take issues, I was the only person not on the board and an out-of-state Jewish girl who became a Prof. Mark Tessler's- class because people who attended. Similarly, when the South Asian member of a sorority. engrossed in the Arab-Israeli discussion domi- Awareness Network organized an event with Unfortunately, I made a fatal mistake the first nate the class and non-Greek students avoid widely regarded professors and media personal- day I moved into the dorm. Instead of joining Greeks' haven in the Washtenaw Avenue and ities, fewer than 10 people attended. Naturally, my hall mates in a game of Mafia, I went to a Hill Street area. these discouraging turnouts hinder the groups' house party with some friends I met during my Minority student organizations, while willingness to organize such events. previous visits to the University. Soon, I only sometimes active in community service proj- It was after a year of suffocating in minori- hung out with these people, and because I con- ects, are mainly social groups. They function ty-exclusive situations that I found respite at stantly turned down invitations, my roommates under the premise of promoting culture the Daily. Yes, the same organization that hun- stopped asking me to do things with them. throughout the University, but mainly act as a dreds of minorities, who had never stepped It wasn't until a few months into the school means for people of the same race to maintain inside the building and who often don't read year that I looked around and noticed that none one collection of acquaintances. the paper, had the audacity to claim was of my close friends were white, black or of any In fact, people do not expect to find nonmi- racist, offers students the most opportunities other race besides South Asian. I was shocked norities at these events: A white volunteer at a to experience diversity. Simply throwing a that throughout my many interactions during dance show I helped organize was hassled by a bunch of students of different colors together the semester, I had failed to become friends minority security guard, while a Desi volunteer does not create diversity. Necessitating them with anyone who was not of my race. walked right past him without a badge or identi- to interact - and in the Daily's case, often Tracing back my course into homogeneity, I fication of any kind besides the color of her skin under stressful circumstances - brings about realized that the people I met before coming to and the traditional outfit she was wearing. meaningful relations. the University were all Indian. I met these peo- The few white students who are immersed All of my parents' close friends are South ple when I visited the campus for the Indian in these events are recurring at all the minority Indian, usually live in the same area and are of American Student Association's cultural shows events. One can expect to find Pete Woiwode the same white-collar professions. My fear is and attended the numerous after-parties, house and Rob Goodspeed at these events, but few that even with the variety of people at the Uni- parties and social events. The people with other white students venture to these predomi- versity, most students will observe a lifestyle whom I interacted all participated in the IASA nantly minority-centric shows and confer- similar to our parents' - one in which we have show, went to the same mixers and even lived in ences. In fact, racking my brain for examples little to no interactions with people that differ close proximity to one another. of nonminorites who attend these events, I from our own lifestyle. I convinced myself that my group of friends could only come up with a list of the above- was diverse - sure, everyone was the same mentioned two. Chirumamilla can be reached at race, but we all had different majors, enjoyed The most alarming result of this segregation schiruma@umich.edu. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Renovation of the MCD is good for city of Detroit TO THE DAILY: I completely disagree with the editorial concerning concerning the Michigan Central Depot (Don't rush renaissance, 03/09/04). Whether we want to admit it or not, we base a lot of our iiidements on first imnressions and puware, the casinos, the new downtown resi- dences, the Riverfront boardwalk and Campus Martius. By restoring the MCD, Kilpatrick is helping to save Detroit's past and one of its most beautiful and unique buildings. There will be public space for shops, restaurants and community meeting rooms. The added busi- ness will also help the Corktown and Mexi- cantown neighborhoods continue to develop. mention a very important point: Her degree is in general studies. Although the article relays the concerns and frustrations of recent college graduates in search of a job, it fails to mention an important point in one of its examples: A quick check on the University directory will reveal that the student earned her degree in General Studies. Unless she studied to be a general (and I know for a fact fi t ... .. >:. .11.. ,.:... .. -.L :. t , .:t.: :... , Y ..: IL.JY. _.1.,.._:_ ... . z,._. _:. _. .. . :_..:. .. . . .r ..... i. v aY.L _.s.. ... ..........:.::i:.t. .:: .t ... ... ... .... .. ... .:... ..::