4 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 15, 2006 OPINION clI1E Stdiau~d DONN M. FRESARD Editor in Chief EMILY BEAM J CHRISTOPHER ZBROZEK JEFFREY BLOOMER Editorial Page Editors Managing Editor EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SINCE 1890 413 E. HURON ANN ARBOR, MI 48104 tothedaily@michigandaily.com NOTABLE QUOTABLE 4 ,Win, lose or draw, millions of whites will start to remember that they are part of a tribe ... It's a win-win for us." -A posting on a white supremacist website praising the new season of CBS's "Survivor," which has generated controversy by dividing contestants into teams based on ethnicity, as reported Sept. 4 by tvweek.com. Picking up the slack THERESA KENNELLY 4 Education first Stingy state may see more teacher strikes Classes are finally back in session in Ypsilanti and Detroit, where deals this week ended bitter teacher strikes. The root causes that led instructors at East- ern Michigan University and in the Detroit Public Schools to walk out, however, remain unresolved. The state's dysfunctional means of funding its K-12 schools and its public uni- versities will inevitably lead to more conflicts unless the state remedies its chronic underin- vestment in education. The specific issues that led to strikes at Eastern and in Detroit vary. Teachers in Detroit, who frequently have to use their own money to purchase school supplies in the underfunded and mismanaged district, were already paid less than teachers in most suburban districts and refused to accept fur- ther pay cuts. Professors at Eastern, mean- while, were upset by salaries well below the median for public universities in Michigan; the school's newspaper, the Eastern Echo, reports that many young faculty have found they can make more teaching at Washtenaw Community College. The underlying cause in both cases, how- ever, is the same - the tension that is all but inevitable between instructors and admin- istrators trying to run a school system with hardly sufficient resources. The passage of Proposal A in 1994, which shifted much K-12 funding to a state per- pupil grant, has failed to level out fully the inequalities in school funding between dis- tricts in richer and poorer areas. It did, how- ever, restrict districts from raising many funds locally, leading even many affluent districts to experience fiscal crises in recent years. Public universities, meanwhile, have seen nervous legislators cope with declining state revenues by slicing away at state appro- priations for higher education. School strikes are always unfortunate; children and young adults seeking an educa- tion shouldn't have to suffer for the public's unwillingness to support schools, or for the inability of administrators and teach- er's unions to divide amicably the crumbs the taxpayers toss them. Should the state's neglect of public education continue, howev- er, more strikes are all but inevitable: Faculty at Oakland Community College requested state mediation after their contract expired Aug. 31, and more than 65 percent of teach- ers in the Trenton Public Schools called in sick Wednesday after working without a contract since 2005. With the recent announcement of even more job cuts by the Ford Motor Com- pany, it's painfully clear that manufactur- ing is unlikely to ever lead Michigan back to prosperity. A healthier state economy will rely largely on jobs generated in the so-called "knowledge economy" - and attracting those positions will require an educated workforce. It's difficult to see, however, how the state can even begin to change its image as an aging Rust Belt relic until it gets more serious about supporting its public schools. A uof last Tues- day, the University's applicant pool may have just become a lot bigger. Given Harvard Uni- versity's decision to cancel its early admissions program, schools with rolling admissions, such as the Uni- versity, are likely to see a tremen- dous increase in the number of early applicants - especially as other prestigious schools that use "early action" are expected to follow Har- vard's lead. And while Harvard's decision (supposedly) comes in the name of equality, its effects paired with the probable enactment of the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative this fall could soon make things a lot more unequal at the University. Early action - which allows stu- dents to apply to college in the first few months of their senior year of high school and know their admis- sion status by early December - not only allows students to make their decision early on in the admissions season, but also gives colleges a peek at their prospective student pool. But as Harvard's interim presi- dent Derek Bok commented on the school's website: "Early admission programs tend to advantage the advantaged." This theory couldn't be more true. Students who are familiar with the ruthless admis- sions process and who come from families that strongly encourage and support their college appli- cation process are more likely to apply early, thus improving their chances of winning a spot at the institution of their dreams. But Bok's theory crumbles when the University of Michigan comes into play. There is no question that VIEWPOINT high school seniors feel pressure to get into a college - any college - early in their senior year. Even the University's website for pro- spective students reads: "Freshman applicants are urged to apply as early as possible in the fall of their senior year." Thus students, espe- cially the type who would apply to Harvard early, are not going to wait until March or April to know what the next four years of their lives will look like. The result will be an influx of applications at the University and other schools with rolling admis- sions from students who may never have considered attending the school, but who apply so they can sleep at night knowing that at least they got in somewhere already. This rise in quality applications at the University can only mean one thing - a disad- vantage for more students. The reason for this is that Univer- sity applicants who are actually set on going to this school now have to compete early on with anxious Har- vard hopefuls. And as these appli- cants claim spots - just to pacify their borderline-psychotic worries (and parents) - those who apply later may not be offered a spot. Unfortunately, schools the size of the University cannot opt to delay their application process in order to create a more fair system like Harvard's. The University's rolling admissions process - which reviews applicants in large spurts beginning in the fall and continuing through spring, with all final decisions made by late April - is based on the reasoning that the admissions office simply cannot handle all 25,000-plus applications it receives in a single round. So the University is stuck admitting people early on, without knowing how many are really just waiting for their Ivy League decision. But while this is ultimately a heavy burden on the University, Har- vard has sent a message to the col- lege world that admissions programs at most schools need to be reformed. Unfair and downright scary appli- cation procedures - such as early decision, which binds admitted applicants to a university - are just cruel to high school students who may not be receiving the help they need to decode applications. Really,allthat Harvard - and any other forward-thinking institution - wants is to create as diverse and qualified an incoming class as possi- ble. To administrators at that college, achieving this means setting a single application deadline; to administra- tors at this University, it should mean sticking with an applicant-evaluation system that puts people of all races, genders and backgrounds on level ground. And this practical method of giving leverage to applicants who are not fortunate enough to go to the best high school, or to be born into an affluent family, or who belong to a disadvantaged ethnicity or social class, is exactly what MCRI hopes to destroy come November. In the world of fair and equal col- lege application processes, schools wouldn't be burdened by other schools' application deadlines and every student would enter the college race on equal footing. But until such a world comes about, schools must work together to unify and make fair the admissions processes for the sake of providing the best education to the greatest number of students possible. So for now, the University is going to have to pick up some slack as Har- vard and others rid themselves of the early application processes. But if Harvard ever decides to take Uni- versity President Mary Sue Coleman away from us, then we might just have to go to the mats. Kennelly can be reached at thenelly@umich.edu. A I LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Send all letters to the editor to tothedaily@michigandaily.com. Moderate Republicans corrupt state and soul of Michigan TO THE DAILY: As someone who has seen moderate Republicans corrupt the state and soul of Michigan, I would like to proclaim my support for Morgan Wilkins, a young conservative who recently was viciously attacked by Republican scumbags like Kenneth Mehlman. Morgan's views are more in line with the people of Michigan than the party hacks in Wash- ington. Perhaps if more grassroots activists had the courage to raise awareness on the issues that matter to Americans - like illegal immigration and affir- mative action - we as a people could encourage our national "leaders" to rethink their positions. Anthony Mantova Alumnus Shaman Drum should keep bread, hand out value TO THE DAILY: In a recent letter to the editor, University alumnus Cristina Mezuk blasts the Daily for its recent trend of "bashing" the Shaman Drum bookstore (Daily unfair in comparing used book prices to new book prices, 09/14/2006). As a former Daily columnist who wrote arguably the most scathing review of Shaman Drum ever published in the paper (Why I am a capitalist: Sha- man Drum Bookshop, 01/09/2005), I want to respond to Mezuk's claims that the Daily's coverage of the store has been unreasonable. When I was a student, I felt that Shaman Drum was, far and away, the most difficult textbook store to shop at on campus. During the first week of class- es, students often had to wait in long lines just to get into the store. Once inside, they had to navigate the cramped upstairs to get their books. To his credit, the owner of Shaman Drum, Karl Pohrt, readily acknowledges these issues. Those stu- dents who wait in line are often provided snacks and drinks. Pohrt has offered to discuss turning the store into a co-op. And Shaman Drum does offer students the option of preordering their books online. But it isn't the store itself that I find so problematic. It's that by ordering through Shaman Drum and only through his store, University professors eliminate the ability of students to decide for themselves whether shopping at a locally owned store is worth waiting in a long line or whether piece of Zingerman's bread is fair compensation for dealing with the cramped inte- rior. Personally, I don't want a snack any more than I want to start a co-op, and if I'm going to pre-order my books online, I'm going to order through Amazon or another vendor that will ship the books right to me, often at no charge. I want to be able to take my $500 to a local store, not wait in line, not pre-order my books, go inside, browse, buy and leave. How is this an unrea- sonable request when, nine times out of ten, I was able to do exactly that at all three of the other Central Cam- pus bookstores? Dan Adams Alumnus The letter writer is aformer Daily associate editorial page editor. Deporting illegal aliens does not amount to xenophobia TO THE DAILY: Christopher Zbrozek's argument that taking a firm stance against illegal immigrants amounts to a display of xenophobia (A tale of two mistakes, 09/14/2006) holds about as much weight as wet toilet paper. After all, they are illegal immigrants. Even if the United States were to enact some sort of massive "round-up and deport" mission, it would be within our legal right to take such mea- sures. While I am opposed to such a plan, I would not be so pretentious as to brand those who favor it xenophobic or spout off such ill-considered state- ments as, "the Republicans cornered the market on racism." I would be especially careful not to make those erroneous logical leaps if the paper I worked for had just reported falsely on the very constitu- ency I was attempting to lambaste. Joshua Birk LSA senior What about New York? BY BEN CALECA This anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks was my first glimpse of how Americans outside of New York remember the events of that day. I spent my whole life until college living in the city, and I had not seen firsthand the way Americans around the country recalled those events. This week has given me a valuable new perspective on how the nation remembers the attacks, as well as how this affects the realities facing New York today. The country remembered Sept. 11 with this past Monday's ceremo- nies, but its collective memory is far different from the memories of New Yorkers. The understanding is that no one will ever be the same. This event's importance is felt as strongly here at the University as in any other part of the country, and the sympathies of those who expe- rienced Sept. 11 in Michigan can be seen in their expressions. But some- how the experience cannot be fully understood by people so far away from my beloved city. Many here remember the fire- fighters and police who gave their lives helping to save others, but few are aware of the sacrifices made by those working for other agencies. The Port Authority of New York, as well as emergency medical techni- cians, also lost lives in the attacks. Some cannot remember how many died, and others do not understand just how important the World Trade RYAN JABER JUS' MAKS MUD Center was to New York residents. We are asked by the president, among others, to promote freedom by going about our lives normally, and for many who do not have to see an altered cityscape off in the dis- tance, that is much easier to do. The Twin Towers used to be the landmark of choice to show off the city, along with the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. Every news show and morning show on televi- sion would proudly flash images of lower Manhattan and the Twin Tow- ers, the symbol of our economic and technological prowess. Since then, lower Manhattan is rarely shown, and the focus has been moved to midtown, where the Empire State Building and Chrysler building stand. Lower Manhattan is a shadow of its former self. Businesses once dependent on those who lived and worked in the Towers are unable to recover. Every time we look out at the skyline of Manhattan, we are reminded of what has happened by what is no longer there. Some work- ers who helped clear the rubble of Ground Zero have contracted asthma or more serious pulmonary damage. I lived next door to a police officer who suffered the effects of the toxic fumes of Ground Zero, and this too is acon- stant reminder of what happened. Now more than ever, New York needs the help and support of the nation. Because of the new method of allocating homeland security funds, New York City has seen a 40-per- cent cut in federal allocations. The Department of Homeland Security doles out funds based on the number of "landmarks" listed as vulnerable to terrorist attacks. Indiana has thou- sands, including something called "the Mule Day Parade." New York City, apparently, has none. In rebuilding the area, construc- tion has been delayed by layer upon layer of bureaucracy and poor plan- ning. The fight over balancing secu- rity, aesthetics and business interests seemingly has no end in sight. In the meantime, all that will be at Ground Zero are two hollow footprints of what once stood there and the cor- nerstone to a building that may never be constructed, which has already sat there for more than a year. The feeling nationwide is that ter- rorist attacks can happen anywhere, but the truth is that New York City is most vulnerable, especially now. If we are to remember the tragedy of Sept. 11, we mustcorrect the mis- takes of the past. The nation needs to reconnect the events of that day with the city in which they took place. Only then would we refuse to tolerate mistakes such as the rerout- ing of homeland security funds. As long as public policy is made with memories of Sept. 11 taken into consideration, we must make sure that what transpired does not become distorted in our minds as Americans and remember that New York is still feeling the effects of the attacks five years ago. Caleca is an LSA freshman. WANT TO WRITE FOR THE DAILY? COME TO OUR FINAL MASS MEETING THIS SUNDAY AT 8 PM. WE ARE LOCATED AT 413. E. HURON ST. IT'S NOT THAT FAR. JOHN OQUIST Fr GIVE JESUS /AkA"rj YOUR SOUL! I GOID JIB GUYS, THANKS A LOT NO, NO, DON'T EVEN BOTHER DOING COMMUNITY SERVICE OR HELPING a PEOPLE..JUST KEEP SHOUTING AT RANDOM PASSERSBY..YUP, YOU SURE TOOK MY TEACHINGS TO / HEART, THANKS A LOT...JERKOFF. E w .N N..r-. ...__ _.- tO o\e~,A I I I _i!_ - I Wff A