4 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, April 9, 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 I don't remember the al-Qaida cells being something that we were told we needed to do something about." 7' y . . GG--. SAM BUTLER THE SOAPBOX 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. JK //o /r - --. N of% - National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, responding to allegations that the Bush administration ignored warnings about al-Qaida cells in the United States, as reported yesterday by CNN. i / //. /y . Do what it takes, Mr. Commissioner LouIE MEIZLISH As MEIZLISH SEES IT n one of his most infa- mous opinions, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. wrote for the U.S. x Supreme Court that base- ball is not subject to antitrust laws because it is a game and not a business. That principle is invoked to this day, as is evident in Bud Selig's title - commissioner of baseball, not commissioner of Major League Baseball (he is the chief executive of a game, not a company). Of course, it is not without substantial naivet6 that we think of baseball solely as a game. It is, of course, a game, but not to think of it also as a business with Selig as its CEO is just crazy. A couple clicks on mlb.com or a quick look at Alex Rodriguez's salary will confirm that in an instant. The role of the baseball commissioner has changed over the years. In the past, the Ameri- can and National leagues had their own presi- dents with substantial regulatory duties. But the buck has always stopped with the commissioner. It's been his job to do whatever it takes to uphold the integrity of The Game. The first commissioner of baseball was Kenesaw Mountain Landis, a respected federal judge hired by the owners to clean up the game after the 1919 World Series. When eight members of the Chicago White Sox, or the "Black Sox," were acquitted of fixing the games in an Illinois state court, Landis kicked them out of baseball ... for life. Another tough commissioner was A. Bartlett "Bart" Giamatti. Giamatti had the unenviable task of doing the same with Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose, baseball's all-time hits leader, after finding that Rose bet on baseball. Giamatti died soon after his 1989 decision, hav- ing been commissioner only five months. For the next 15 years, Rose denied ever having bet on baseball and demanded his reinstatement, which would make him eligible for entry to the Hall of Fame. Charlie Hustle, as Rose was known, had legions of fans, half of which he lost when he was kicked out, the other half he lost in 2003 when he admitted he had lied about bet- ting. Giamatti has been vindicated. These commissioners upheld the integrity of the game. The Detroit Tigers' 4-0 start brought back memories of the 1984 team. I can't tell you how many times I've watched the videotape of Game 6 of the 1984 World Series when Kirk Gibson hit two home runs and Aurelio Lopez pitched perfectly in leading the Tigers to the champi- onship. Gibson, like 1984 teammates Alan Trammell and Lance Parrish, has remained a hero in the Detroit area and was cheered when he signed up to coach the current Tigers. As for Lopez, "Senor Smoke," he returned to Mexico a hero and served as mayor of his hometown before tragically dying in a 1992 car accident. It would crush me to find out years later that their achievements were caused by any- thing other than strength, determination, pride and skills. The "Roar of '84" would be a silent nothing. The 1994 strike that canceled that year's World Series revealed the ugly corporate underbelly of the game, which we thankfully have not seen since. But if anything in particular rescued baseball from that fiasco, it was the home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in 1998, followed three years later by Barry Bonds's new single-season record of 73. I'd like to think that Bonds achieved what he did because he's a great baseball player and the same for McGwire and Sosa. I want to think that it was men, not performance-enhancing drugs, who shattered the records. That's why it's important that Commis-. sioner Bud Selig take a tough line in negotia- tions with the players union. He should insist on mandatory random drug testing for all players. It's the right thing to do. If that means the team owners may have to give a little in other areas of negotiations, that's fine. Selig has to uphold the integrity of base- ball. Because it's a game, right? A s this is my last column, I find it appro- priate that I thank some people who made the Daily a very special place dur- ing my eight semesters here: Mike Spahn and Jewel Gopwani, who got me hooked on the Daily and showed me how exciting working at a newspaper can be. Dan Williams. I never knew you too well, but you scared the shit out of me my freshman year when I showed up at the annu- al Michigan Daily-State News football game wearing jeans. "GET OFF THE FIELD, JEANS BOY!" Michael Grass, an excellent news and opinion editor, a great mentor and one of the most honest people I've ever met. J. Brady McCollough, a brilliant sports editor. It's because of your dedication that I grew to love sports again. Todd Weiser and Shabina Khatri, my trusted consiglieres. Aubrey Henretty and Zac Peskowitz. You never minced words. Thank you. Tony Ding. What can I say? You're awe- some. (DING!) Jon Schwartz. An excellent tutor. Some- times you have to break some eggs to make an omelet. And sometimes you just let things sim- mer. You're an expert at both. John Lowe. I don't know how you do it, but you're the best baseball writer and the best advisor I could have hoped for. Karen Brender, Ava Richard and Sam Offen. Thank you for keeping things running so smoothly. You deserve more props than you get. C. Price Jones. You kept me sane. Jordan Schrader, Tomislav Ladika, Jeremy Berkowitz, Jen Misthal, Jason Pesick, Rebecca Ramsey, Charles Paradis, Gennaro Filice, Jess Piskor, Bob Hunt, Sravya Chirumamilla, Carmen Johnson, Joel Hoard, Andrew Kaplan, Danny Brem- mer and Jim Weber. When I see your names in print, I know everything's swell. I Meizlish can be reached at meizlish@umich.edu. Promises should add up SOWMYA KRISHNAMURTHY AUDI AlTERAM PARTEM was fortunate enough to attend the 2004 Dance for Mother Earth Pow Wow a few weeks ago at Crisler Arena. As a first-time spectator, the heritage, regalia and competition were breathtaking. Per- haps the most poignant aspect of the ceremony was the inclusive- ness: Veterans, the elderly and yes, even the so-called "White Man" were all welcomed with a rare warmth. Contrast this with the actions of the Univer- sity, a major partner in the event. From the Grand Entry speech given by the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Lester Monts (President Mary Sue Coleman was noticeably out of town), in which the University expressed its appreciation for Native American students in the same breath that it plugged admissions, to the campus booth prominently situated among local vendors, the air reeked of self-interest. What is more, the University slashed funding for the Pow Wow by 25 percent and raised the venue price of Crisler, which contributed great- ly to limiting the event from three days to two. In a campus with less than 1 percent Native American representation as it is, cuts to a sig- nificant cultural experience send a very contra- dictory message about the University's commitment to diversity. This coincides nicely with the multitude of recent budget cuts to student services, many of which specialize in minority issues: maintenance for the William Monroe Trotter House multicultural center, which had to wait 10 years to obtain roof repair, decreased staffing in the Office of MultiEthnic Student Affairs, changes to the Sexual Assault Pre- vention and Awareness Center and funding and staffing cuts at the Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs. Coupled with city issues like the inadequate treatment of hate crimes and racial profiling (the 2004 Ann Arbor Police Department study requires further investigation), these policies may detract future students from the University. Recent numbers are not settling. Compared to last year, undergraduate applications by students of color have dropped by 23 percent and admit- tance has decreased by 30 percent, bringing the percentage of underrepresented minorities to a whopping 6 percent. The University's actions negate much of the allegiance to diversity defended last summer during the affirmative action arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court. As is, many students feel detached from the campus experience; the proverbial "minority cafeteria table" comes to mind. Decreased funding and support will only fuel problems of alienation and self-segregation. Realizing the error of its ways, the adminis- tration is changing its tune - albeit slowly. In an open letter on April 1, Coleman announced the creation of a Standing Student Advisory Committee, which will include representatives from student organizations and enable student input in campus issues and budgeting. She states her dedication to student dialogue and the afore- mentioned issues; MESA, for instance, will for- mally rehire a Latino coordinator. Even the Department of Public Safety is revamping cer- tain policies. Hate crimes are to be targeted more thoroughly via increased officer training and expansion of hate crime definitions in the Campus Safety Handbook. The proposed changes are refreshing and, if anything, show the power of student activism. But now is not time to rest; no battles have been won. Students must utilize Coleman's letter as a catalyst and re-engage themselves in the campus community, continuing to assert demands and maintain vigilance. Empty rhetoric in the name of political correctness is meaningless; if the University is serious about its commitment to diversity and student opinion, we have to ensure that it "walks the walk," unlike the inconsistency of Pow Wow 2004. Groups such as Students Voices in Action and the Michigan Student Assembly need to exert pressure and work toward building a constructive discourse that benefits all students. There should not be a relapse into a lack of student participation and unnecessary aggression against the University. The student vote and voice are crucial. The ball is literally in our court; we must be the change we want to see. A Krishnamurthy can be reached at sowymak@umich.edu. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 01 Greek Week highlights the positive potential of the Greek system To THE DAILY: We are writing to you in response to your editorial entitled Leave the greeks alone (04/06/04). As co-directors of Greek Week 2004, proud members of our individual chapters an impact on many individuals. We understand that the actions of the few can often speak for the many. It is difficult to deal with the backlash that ensues as a result of issues as horrible as rape, alcohol abuse and hazing. But such issues, while often isolated, do not necessarily reflect the actions of the Greek system as a whole. If you look a little deeper, you will find intelligent leaders, entre- preneurs, athletes, classmates, organizers and caring citizens of a large, interactive, philan- DAILY 0w410t4 HAS BEEN OFFEWNG IBITS OF ISOOM : Fm 11 acs. JUST BECAUSE THE SEMESTER'S OVER IOSN'T MEAN WE STOP, rI.t:a.+ :t 4 y.ft r n 1iitiini rdK~ i.ti ,t e'rwx. ad