4A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 23, 2006 OPINION ai St ijpu &dlgd DoNN M. FRESARD Editor in Chief EMILY BEAM CHRISTOPHER ZBROZEK Editorial Page Editors ASHLEY DINGES 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 44 It is deeply troubling that a country we helped liberate would hold a person to account because he chose a different religion over another." - President Bush, speaking yesterday in defense of Abdul Rahman, an Afghan man who may face the death penalty for converting to Christianity, as reported yesterday on CNN.com. i STEPHEN BUSCH LANDsCRAPER "pop AS VW Pt Cvt RVt ISI . " . t i s Ise[" OT Ar 'W i4L tip f,. . .. , n 1 Y f 0 6 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. Could it happen here? CHRISTOPHER ZBROZEK BORN IN TiIE U.SA Jordan Nott did what he was sup- posed to do. Hav- ing become depressed after a friend's sui- cide, the sophomore at George Washington University checked himself into the uni- versity's hospital one night when he was contemplating suicide. As a result, Nott received a letter a day and a half later from George Washington's admin- istrators: Either withdraw from school, or face disciplinary proceedings for violating the school's code of student conduct. His "endan- gering behavior" - being suicidal - could result in suspension or expulsion if he chose not to withdraw. Nott withdrew from school, and his case has received national attention and criticism that universities, often out of fear over potential lawsuits, have sought to distance themselves from students who need help. The Washington Post, which covered Nott's story, reported that in recent years, an increasing number of col- leges and universities have added involuntary- leave policies for mentally ill students. One of them, it appears, is this institution. On a website listing University policies affecting students, there's a policy titled "Emergency Mental Health Withdrawal and Readmission." It lays out a mechanism by which a student with mental health concerns can seek to withdraw from the University. It also contains provisions for the administration to seek an involuntary withdrawal. Associate Dean of Students Stephanie Pinder-Amaker confirmed that this is a relatively new policy, which went into effect on Jan. 6, 2004. I was shocked when I found out about this policy. On the surface, it appears to allow what happened to Jordan Nott to happen to any student here. Though speaking to Uni- versity administrators has allayed my worst fears, I still find some aspects of the policy deeply troubling. I spoke with Sam Goodin, the director of services for students with disabilities and one of the policy's original authors. Goodin pointed out that no students have been with- drawn under the policy. Fears that the Univer- sity is quietly ridding itself of any student who becomes depressed are unfounded. And, according to Goodin, the University certainly did not draw up the policy as a means of avoiding liability in any lawsuits that might result from a student's suicide. "That never came up with the group that wrote it or the group that implemented it," he said. Goodin presented the mental health with- drawal policy as a means of avoiding a rash deci- sion. "If (the policy is) followed, we shouldn't do what George Washington did," he said. Under the policy, students would have some input into the decision of whether they will be allowed to stay at the University. "The point of it," Goodin explained, "is to have enough due process that we don't violate a student's rights." Written guidelines for making a withdrawal_ decision that Goodin provided support this benign interpretation of the policy. In addition to considering whether a student is compliant with treatments for his disorder, those making a withdrawal decision would be instructed to consider factors such as which potential solu- tion would be least disruptive, or how a change in where the students lives would affect her. The policy on mental-health withdrawal is written, however, in such a manner that it could lead to a situation similar to Nott's in its effect, if not in its callousness. Particularly troubling is a provision for emergency interim with- drawal. Although this part of the policy urges that "every attempt" be made to meet with the student, it appears possible under the wording that a hospitalized student could be temporar- ily withdrawn without being consulted. That, admittedly, is a far-fetched concern for a policy that has not been used so far. But there's a much broader problem here: Why should the University be able to suspend a student against his will on account of his mental illness? Certainly, there are situations where a stu- dent will respond better to treatment in the company of his family, away from academic pressures. It seems equally clear, though, that there are cases where leaving one's friends and classes behind in Ann Arbor would do more harm than good. To suggest that the University would know a student's interest better than the student himself is more than just a return to the in loco parentis doctrine of decades past; it's an unproductive assertion of power more likely to breed resentment than recovery. Besides, there are already enough barriers facing students seeking help for a mental ill- ness, ranging from the long wait times for an appointment at Counseling and Psychological Services to broad, harmful societal stigmas - that people with mental illnesses are "weak," that depressed people can just "snap out of it." Do we really need to add the possibility, how- ever remote, that the University might seek an involuntary withdrawal to the list of concerns facing a student who is trying to build the cour- age to seek treatment? Events this semester have shown, tragically, that not every student at the University with a mental illness receives the help he needs. All of us, students and administrators alike, should be doing what we can to make it easier for those who need treatment to seek it. I fail to see how the University's involuntary withdrawal policy contributes to that goal. Zbrozek can be reached at zbrozek@michigandaily.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Send all letters to the editor to tot hedaily@michigandaily. corn. Students deserve better than lease ordinance, Greden TO THE DAILY: The notion that the housing ordinance passed Monday by the Ann Arbor City Coun- cil will do anything to alleviate the various problems faced by students during the leas- ing process is absurd. Stripped of a provision that would mandate staggered viewing and leasing dates - allowing students to more carefully consider their options before being rushed into a lease - the ordinance is entire- ly toothless. It only postpones the still-inevi- table housing rush until December, when students are trying to focus on studying for finals, not on haggling with ethically-chal- lenged landlords. Further, that Council- man Leigh Greden (D-Ward 3) would be involved in such a farce is as cynical as it is characteristic. Greden, a true antagonist of the student population (certainly Daily read- ers will recall his central role in the couch- ban fiasco of 2004), is rather transparently attempting to salvage his deservedly awful reputation amongst students in advance of his campaign for state Legislature. Univer- sity students ought to call him on this sort of nonsense and demand a housing ordinance that will make a difference. Luke Entelis Alum, RC '05 Superficial descriptions not helpful to student voters TO THE DAILY: Although I was glad to see that the Daily is attempting to help student voters make informed decisions regarding the Michigan Student Assembly and LSA Student Govern- ment elections, Monday's article profiling two of the presidential candidates for MSA (MSA elections 2006: presidential candidate profiles, 03/20/2006), was disappointing to read. As a former (female) vice-president of LSA-SG, I was highly offended at this to really compare the candidates, their par- ties and their platforms. Not until I flipped to the remainder of each article on page 7A did I find any information that might inform readers about which candidate would best serve students if elected. Even there, the information appeared closer to campus gos- sip than informational journalism. Please continue to cover important events like the elections this week but also be cognizant of the potentially detrimental messages you send your readers. Alexis Bates LSA junior Poor coverage contributes to MSA election apathy TO THE DAILY: To preface this letter, I am not affiliated with any of the parties running for MSA this week - I am simply a student who was utterly disappointed when I picked up the front page of Monday's Daily (MSA elec- tions 2006: presidential candidate profiles, 03/20/2006). Once again, the Daily seems to have forgotten its responsibility to the University's student body and instead has chosen to revert to blatant sexism (and bad journalism, at that). How awesome is it that at one of our coun- try's most prominent public universities, two women are the most high-profile contend- ers for student body president? Instead of highlighting this fact and helping students to make informed voting decisions, the Daily resorts to comparisons to Barbie dolls and pop princesses. I, for one, could care less about plastic. I am interested in what these two candidates have to say about their abili- ties to move our student body in a more posi- tive direction and how they intend to do that. Unfortunately, the Daily has not provided me with that information. Instead, I can now tell you the color of Nicole Stallings's eyes and about Rese Fox's "bubbly" personality. If I recall correctly, no one wrote a front- page article about Jesse Levine's luscious seriously. It is an indication that groups like the Daily need to treat the elections more seriously - and that means providing solid information about the candidates, not what they're wearing in their Facebook pictures and how they look like "the perfect pack- age." Becca Rueble LSA junior The letter writer is co-chair of the MSA Women's Issues Commission. Student apathy does nothing to solve society's problems TO THE DAILY: The comments of RC senior Tara Smith in the article Protestors mark three years of Iraq war (03/20/2006) reflect a cliched sentiment among many students. Her assertions that protesting in Ann Arbor is "sad" and merely "preaching to the choir" are the same tired apathy that results in, among other things, America's pathetically low voter turnout rates. In addition, by stating that the rally's message was a simplistic "Impeach Bush," she showed a complete ignorance of the actual demands issued at the rally. Woody Allen said: "Eighty percent of success is showing up." I agree with Smith that there are no easy solutions to the quagmire in Iraq. However, we will not suc- ceed in finding those solutions until students like Smith, who profess opposition to the war, decide to show up. That is what's sad. Joseph Kuilema School of Social Work Ann Arborites don't really care about underprivileged TO THE DAILY: The fact that the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority wants to cut service to Ypsilanti proves that the "socially conscious" residents of Ann Arbor, and students and faculty of the University, are pretentious snobs who only do just enough public service to the poor to make II I I LIVE ON YOUR FEET 'I i>;(I)Quis: TE SMl eW W FWSaiMWW0oms1%30 LOOK HERE, THE UNIVERSTY O MICIGN HASA NOJUSTIFICATON FOR JUST BECAUSE OF THE WANTON SLAUGHTER OF HUNDREDS OFALREADY CONSUMING A PRODUCT SHOULD BE THE STUDENTS' CHOICE, I SAYI r* =ii 2006 I VOW TO RETURN COKE TO CAMPUS. AND BY CAMPUS, I DON'T MEAN THE DOZENS OF PRIVATE ESTABLISHMENTS LITERALLY ON CAMPUS WHICH OFFER COKE, I MEAN UNIVERSITY BUILDINGS, BECAUSE STUDENTS CANT BE '' BOTHERED TO WALK A FEW FEET TO SHOW THAT WE DON'T SUPPORT MURDERITHIRD WORLD NATIONS. GO U.S. HEGEMONYI ,4~M~DER1N I AM 11 i I