4A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, December 1, 2005 OPINION ctbe A9lkbtiguu 3 i1dl JASON Z. PESICK Editor in Chief SUHAEL MOMIN SAM SINGER Editorial Page Editors ALISON GO Managing Editor EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SINCE 1890 420 MAYNARD STREET ANN ARBOR, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com NOTABLE QUOTABLE See, it's one thing to add agents, but if you look at hthe size of this border, you can't, add enough agents." - President Bush, explaining the need for a fleet of unmanned flying drones to patrol the US-Mexican border, as reported yesterday by Reuters. John and Jane Doe Two anonymous University of Pennsylva- nia students rock the boat in a dorm room - clearly worthy of praise. They did it with their window open. Now they're on the Internet and NBC. Sure you have to finish before the roomate returns, but take a second to draw the curtains. THE THUMBS HAVE IT 4 I John and Jane Doe (again) Sam Butler Four years and no near you, Sammy. boycotts. We miss Support this year's 'Vagina Monologues' JEFF CRAVENS JAYHAWK BLUES T he decision to focus this year's "Vagi- na Monologues" on women of color has upset a lot of people. They have said that this year's production is betraying the inten- tion of the play, that it is drawing a line in the sand, that it will segregate and divide women. Absent from this debate, how- ever, has been input from the directors of this year's show. After interviewing Molly Raynor, one of the directors, I gained some valuable insight that has solidified my sup- port for this year's production. First, Raynor told me that the main focus of the play is still ending violence against women; this year's production, however, is going to put a special spotlight on women of color. The goal is not to exclude white women, as many people have claimed. Raynor offered this definition of women of color: "any woman that feels she comes from a historically oppressed or underrep- resented community who feels that oppres- sion in a tangible way on a daily basis." Far from sticking to skin tone, this definition expands the traditional views of race, class and color. The casting process is still under- way, but Raynor told me that 59 women of color have auditioned for the play. One of the reasons for all the controversy surrounding the play is that the directors haven't made a public appearance yet, Raynor said. Some people think that the directors' decision was random or irrational, but in fact it was based on a background in feminist history and theory on women of color. I can back Raynor up on this. Last winter, I took a class with her on black women's captivity and sexuality. In the class, we learned about the unique challenges facing black women, largely stemming from a history of oppres- sion and exploitation. Other than this class, I don't know the background of the play's directors and producers, but I'm confident they have good reasons to spotlight women of color this year. In order to better inform people on these issues, the producers and the directors are teaming up with four University professors to stage a teach-in next week. They will pro- vide some background information, but there will also be an open dialogue for individu- als to express their opinions and concerns. The time and location has not been set, but Raynor said this information would be cir- culated on e-mail lists. Before learning about this teach-in, one of my classmates scheduled a similar group dialogue on Friday, Dec. 9 at 3 p.m. in Room 2239 A and B of Lane Hall. The plan- ning of this dialogue resulted from a class discussion in which students disagreed on whether this year's production will unite or divide women. What we seemed to agree on was that we had the opportunity to make this year's "Vagina Monologues" a unify- ing event. The event is not just about who's on stage - it's also about the people who put the show on and the people who come to support it. In short, it's a community effort. Even if we were not women of color - or even women - we could support the show and stand in solidarity with all women. The fact that half of the directors and producers of the play are white reaffirms this point. White women and men have a huge role in this year's event, as well as the underlying struggle to promote wom- en's rights and end violence against them, Raynor said. If individuals are angry about this year's production, they should try to understand that anger. If white women are feeling excluded, they should ask them- selves why they are feeling that way. If they truly believe in what "The Vagina Mono- logues" stands for, they should invest their anger in the movement. After speaking to Raynor, I became convinced that women and men of all backgrounds should support this year's pro- duction. Along with attending the show, everyone should come to the teach-in and the dialogue next week, especially those people who have written articles, columns and let- ters to the Daily. These people, including myself, have already taken a public stake in this issue, and may have inadvertently wid- ened the divisions we hope to bridge. In the end, the outcome of this year's productions will not rely on the creators of the show or the individuals on stage - it will rely on those of us who choose to stand in solidarity with them. a 40 Cravens can be reached at jjcrave@umich.edu. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Safety threats warrant attention, more security To THE DAILY: I never thought I'd feel compelled to walk home clutching my laptop so close to my chest, but then again, I never imagined that one of my friends would be mugged outside my house. Ann Arbor has always struck me as a safe college town. How- ever, I am frequently hearing about more dan- gerous incidents. I've always heard stories about people who were robbed or assaulted, but they never quite hit home. In recent months, I've heard multiple stories from friends about dangerous incidents on campus. One friend ran from a man trying to assault her on Oxford Road, another fled after being mugged on Washtenaw Avenue. This year I notice myself walking a bit faster in the evenings down South University Avenue. Jokingly, we've incorporated a buddy system for late-night library goers, but the issue remains a serious one. Just last night, a homeless man grabbed two guys walking home in front of me, demanding money. The incidents are moving closer to home. My point is not to rant about the dangers of the city, but to provide some sort of warning. Many of the people I've talked with have not reported their incidents to the Department of Public Safety or the Ann Arbor Police Department. If these incidents are occurring, it is important the police are aware so that they can be attentive to the problem. There are two main streets surrounding campus. If I walk home from the library, I'd like to see some sort of protection. I've walked past men looking into cars in my house parking lot, people shouting profanities and I'm worried things may get worse. For those of you who haven't browsed through the 38-page brochure on campus security, there are several ways to make the walk home safer. Realistically, I'm unsure of how many people take advantage of the opportunities the campus offers. However, it may be time to take a closer look into security options. Campus Security offers S.A.FE Walk, a campus accompaniment service designed so students do not have to walk alone at night. It also offers Emergency Ride Home, a free ride home 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, you may only use this ride six times a year. Ride Home, a service where students can share a free taxi home, is offered from the Shapiro Library and the Duderstadt Center. The brochure fails to mention that Ride Home does not begin until 2 a.m. There are blue light phones at several building locations, though few on the two principle cam- pus roads; on State Street, there is only one at the Union, and on South University, once you walk past the School of Social Work, you're on your own. Unfortunately, the problems my friends and I have run into are further along South University Avenue. The number of forced rapes and aggravated assaults on campus have increased during the past couple years. It is important to take proper safety measures to prevent such crimes. People are buy- ing mace and locking their doors more frequently for good reason. Safety in Ann Arbor is not guar- anteed. Laurie Segall LSA sophomore 0 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 Uni- versity affiliation. The Daily will not print any letter containing statements that can- not be verified. Letters should be kept to approxi- mately 300 words. The Michigan Daily reserves the right to edit for length, clarity and accuracy. Longer "viewpoints" may be arranged with an editor. Letters will be run according to order received and the amount of space available. Letters should be sent over e-mail to tothedaily@michigandaily.com or mailed to the Daily at 420 Maynard St. Editors can be reached via e-mail at edit page .editors umich.edu. Letters e-mailed to the Daily will be given priority over those dropped off in person or sent via the U.S. Postal Service. 0 0 CARTOON TO THE EDITOR Cartoon misinformed, new cartoon more accurate To THE DAILY: I could write about how the cartoon on Nov. 28 (The Bean Archives) was from an uneducated and misinformed viewpoint about affirmative action. I could write about how because I am black and female, I will still earn less than the average white male who only has an high school degree after I graduate from this prestigious institution. I could write about how in a class full of people who look nothing like me when I ask a question I have to worry about being seen as the dumb black girl who doesn't deserve to be here r t , r ;;' rx .:tcin : tI hs4 'Gr - 4~4k ov,.;:- w t a3"; / No otIt~j2 Editorial Board Members: Amy Anspach, Reggie Brown, Gabrielle D'Angelo, John Davis, Whitney Dibo, Milly Dick, Sara Eber, Jesse Forester, Mara Gay, Jared Goldberg, Ashwin Jagannathan, Theresa Kennelly, Mark Kuehn, Will Kerridge, Frank Manley, Kirsty McNa- mara, Rajiv Prabhakar, Matt Rose, David Russell, Katherine Seid, Brian Slade, John Stiglich, . : . :,z.-.._..w::.:::. I