4A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, January 26, 2006
OPINION
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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
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ANN ARBOR, MI 48109
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
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QUOTABLE
The only thing
that should come
between Detroit
and Michigan is a
comma. Period."
- Gov. Jennifer Granholm, speaking
during last night's State of the State address.
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Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All
other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their author.
The poison keg death flu
AusoN Go WSi io A(1TCHES THE W'ATCHMEN?
T he whole thing key), but I was there nonetheless - paying gan keg party gone horribly wrong. After
played out like respects to my sick friend and feeling a bit being shuffled around from clinical nurse
a bad remake guilty. to secretary to another secretary and then
of "Outbreak." It was But I was also there for more selfish rea- to the medical director of UHS, I got my
a new viral-themed sons - I wanted to find out what the hell chance to talk. I told him everything I knew,
thriller reimagined was going on. I wanted a gazillion tests to was scolded for sharing cups and overall
by the likes of the be administered and epidemiological chart dirty behavior during flu season, and was
"Scream" series' Wes to be made. I wanted the doctors to tell me then forwarded along to the next relevant
Craven. The unlucky that it was the beer or the bathroom or the organization.
cast was comprised flip cup or some horrible keg stand that made Later, I talked to a representative from
of at least 28 of my everyone sick. the University's Occupational Safety and
friends, my friends' friends and a host of My inner-Nancy Drew had me calling every Environmental Health Department, which
complete strangers, all punished for their person at the party I remembered (and also is supposed to investigate foodborne (or
drinking and debauchery. And instead of the ones I didn't remember), seeing if they beerborne) illnesses and/or health disasters
Dustin Hoffman and a cute (but deadly) were sick or if their friends were. As Monday in the making (think the Norwalk epidemic
monkey, there was me. I played detective and Tuesday wore on, the list of victims grew from two years ago). I sang the same tune
to Hoffman's Army colonel, and I played longer and longer. I started feeling sick (call for her, was scolded again and then was told
patient zero to the monkey's disease-carry- it hypochondria) and also started asking any to sit tight. The rep seemed just as baffled
ing carcass. question that would help solve the mystery: over the cause of all the sickness as I was.
Now all that isn't exactly true, but the real What time did you get here? Did you drink As of now, no one really has pinpointed
story is just as strange. This past Saturday, a keg one, two or three? Where exactly did you the source of this mysterious and virulent
party at my house was the springboard for a stand at the flip cup table? malady. Whether it's food poisoning, regu-
good amount of pain and suffering. Besides Needless to say, my untrained question- lar ol' poisoning or a freak strain of stomach
my unexplained stab wound and the mound ing came up with basically nothing - so I flu, I'm at least relieved that everyone seems
of poop that appeared on the bathroom floor turned to the experts. to be recovering and no one else is getting
in the morning (don't ask), a quarter of the After coming home from the ER, even sick.
guests left with a little surprise waiting for before the numbers started getting astronom- I can already tell the ending of my low-bud-
them two days later - a nasty bout of stom- ically high, I plopped down at the computer get thriller sucks: There's no magic antidote,
ach flu-like symptoms. The ailment, which and searched for agencies like the ones that no hero or heroine and certainly no conclu-
had one victim "puking like a fire hose" and get a lot of airtime in "Outbreak"-like movies. sive answers to what, why or how. Tomorrow,
another feel as if he had "hamsters crawling Michigan Department of Community Health. I'll probably visit my local unfriendly liquor-
out (his) ass," sent a handful of students to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. store owner to warn him of potentially haz-
the University Health Service and the Uni- Department of Health and Human Services. ardous kegs and wait for a phone call telling
versity Hospital's emergency room. Even the World Health Organization. I want- me nothing new. Tomorrow, I'll also feel a
In the wee hours of Tuesday morning, I ed my own personal Dustin Hoffman. little bit of the Nancy Drew inside me die.
spent a good chunk of time in the ER waiting I eventually decided that my first call
room. I actually wasn't ill (remember, I'm would be to the UHS. WHO probably Go can be reached
playing the part of the disease-proof mon- wouldn't care about a southeastern Michi- at aligo@umich.edu.
VIEWPOINT
Michigamua speaks out
By THE MICHIGAMUA CLASS OF 2006 a racial hierarchy and the sole purpose is to the Native American Students Association.
perpetuate those prejudices. Michigamua The only path to healing is if we can both
For over a century, the Michigamua senior has never come close to embracing such an come to the table and we are genuine in our
society has strived to serve the University of ideology, and has in fact pursued the oppo- intentions to understand one another.
Michigan. At the urging of University Presi- site by valuing the unique identities of each The assertion that many students have
dent James Burrell Angell, the organization member who comes to our table. Although refused the invitation to join Michigamua
was created to bring together leaders across Native American symbolism was once used is simply untrue. Michigamua continues to
Michigan's ever-growing campus in pursuit as a way to embody Michigamua's core val- remain a vibrant and diverse organization,
of a single goal: to leave Michigan a better ues, we must all be cognizant of the dangers evident in the quality of its student leaders
place than they found it. of judging our collective histories through and their commitment to serving the Univer-
Much time has passed since 1902. And a modern lens. Indeed, if we were to per- sity. Membership is an honor and students
much has changed at Michigan. Traditions manently judge every organization for the only join the organization after having dem-
have evolved, Michigamua still exists for a entirety of its history based on current stan- onstrated leadership and integrity as well as
single reason: to serve the University above dards, a simple examination of American a love for the University of Michigan.
all else. history would reveal that even such institu- Some students have traditionally used
The need for such an organization is tions as our nation's own Democratic Party Rob Goodspeed's humbly titled "Goodspeed
self-evident. The diversity of Michigan's once endorsed slavery. Update" blog as their primary source of
campus continues to grow - whereas early- It is also important to mention that through- information regarding Michigamua. Many
twentieth century Michigan, like most col- out our history, Michigamua alumni have of his postings include misconceptions that
lege campuses, was dominated by white repeatedly taken action against injustice. For- are part of an intentional effort to discredit
males sharing similar upbringings, today's mer Supreme Court Justice Frank Murphy, a the organization with self-serving motives.
Michigan reflects the diversity of the state, member of Michigamua in 1912, offers a pow- For those interested in more accurate infor-
the nation and the world. This diversity is erful example of such actions. Murphy spoke mation on Michigamua, feel free to browse
demographic, but it is also academic, ath- out strongly against racial discrimination in our official site at www.michigamua.org.
letic and ideological. Human nature often his dissenting view of the Supreme Court's Finally, to understand the spirit of Mich-
leads us to associate with those with whom 1944 decision on WWII detention camps for igamua, we leave you with the words of the
we are most similar. Michigamua seeks to Japanese-Americans in Korematsu v. United late Fielding Yost, whose sentiment reso-
break that trend by bringing together stu- States: "Racial discrimination in any form nates throughout our membership: "...let me
dent leaders who may share very little other and in any degree has no justifiable part what- reiterate the spirit of Michigan. It is based
than a genuine enthusiasm and dedication to ever in our democratic way of life. It is unat- upon the deathless loyalty to Michigan and
Michigan. tractive in any setting but is utterly revolting all her ways; an enthusiasm that makes it
Today, Michigamua continues to pursue among a free people who have embraced the second nature for Michigan men to spread
its mission by seeking to incorporate more principles set forth in the Constitution of the the gospel of their university to the world's
campus perspectives into its dialogues, thus United States." distant outposts; a conviction that nowhere
making the Michigan experience full and Among our many points of concern from is there better university, in any way, than
relevant to its student leaders. Any claims yesterday's Daily article, we would like to this Michigan of ours."
that Michigamua has a history of "rac- touch on the few we can in limited space:
ism" are fundamentally misguided. The Most importantly, we feel it is neces- Brian Hull submitted this state-
term "racist" implies that an organization's sary to reiterate our desire to have open and ment, which represents the view of the
founding principles are based essentially on honest dialogue with students involved with Michigamua Class of 2006.
Send all letters to the editor to
L ET T ER T O T HE EDIT OR tot hedaily@michigandaily. corn.
Editorial Board Members: Amy Anspach, Andrew Bielak, Reggie Brown, Kevin Bunkley,
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 McNamara, Rajiv Prabhakar, Matt Rose, David Russell, Katherine Seid,
Brian Slade, John Stiglich, Imran Syed, Ben Taylor, Jessica Teng.
Sympathy for the ousted
Michigamua members
To THE DAILY:
Reading through Wednesday's Daily, I was
not at all surprised to learn that activists Sam
Pro-gres-sive: Politics advocating social,
economic or political reform. Condemned
as un-progressive, Woll, Pancholi and Hull's
decision to join and reform Michigamua is in
fact the very definition of progressive action.
Tol-er-ance: The acceptance of the differ-
ty advanced by expulsion and abolition? Now
there's one less member of SAAN. One less
voice in the Coke coalition. One less person
actively supporting affirmative action.
Michigamua exists. Wishing it gone,
purging its sympathizers or deriding Woll,