4A - Wednesday, November 15, 2006
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
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KIM LEUNG
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Edited and managed by students at
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413 E. Huron St.
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tothedaily@michigandaily.com
DONN M. FRESARD
EDITOR IN CHIEF
EMILY BEAM
CHRISTOPHER ZBROZEK
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
JEFFREY BLOOMER
MANAGING EDITOR
There is no
purely military
solution here."
- SEN. CARL LEVIN, supporting a plan
for phased withdrawal of troops from
Iraq, as reported today in
The New York Times.
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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 authors.
Wait and see
Regents should delay vote on stadium renovations
he student body knows this weekend marks the biggest
college football game in recent history. But how many
people know about the other big decision this weekend
that will affect Michigan sports for years to come? Not many.
Understandably overshadowed, the Big House renovation plans
come before the University Board of Regents for the second of
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A speech and a strategy
three votes this Friday.
Aside from bringing a divisive atmo-
sphere to campus hours before the big
game, there are other reasons, unrelated
to Saturday's game, why the board should
hold off on this controversial vote.
University Regent David Brandon, who
was defeated by Democrat Julia Donovan
Darlow in last week's election, is a lead-
ing supporter of the proposed skybox plan.
The plan, which would add swanky luxury
suites to the historic stadium, passed with
a narrow 5-3 margin during a preliminary
vote last May. However, with Darlow tak-
ing office in January, the proposed skybox
plan could deadlock 4-4 on the third and
final vote. Given that a tie vote is effectively
a failed vote, the new makeup of the board
could, in theory, save the University's sta-
dium from skyboxes. while Darlow has
not announced her opinion on the issue,
Brandon's absence from the board puts the
stadium renovation vote up for grabs.
However, the possibility of a skybox-
free stadium is not reason enough to hold
off the vote. If the new board is faced with
two votes in favor of skybox plan, it will be
difficult and costly to change the course of
action with the third and final vote. It will
undoubtedly put the new board in a dif-
ficult position, where it may be forced to
undo policy decisions the previous board
enacted only a few months before.
The reality is that the skybox issue is one
for January's Board of Regents to wrestle
with. If the renovation is approved, the
new board will oversee the project. More-
over, it is worth noting that Brandon came
in fourth behind Republican Susan Brown
during the election last week. It is not far-
fetched to suggest his outspoken position
in favor of skyboxes alienated voters. The
regents should not rush this monumental
decision simply so Brandon may voice his
vote as a lame duck.
One thing Darlow has stated she's in
favor of is a more transparent and fair pro-
cess. The first vote, to approve the skyboxes
and the hiring of architecture firm HNTB,
took place at the May meeting held in Dear-
born - when stadium renovations were
added to the agenda after the deadline to
register for the public comment period had
passed. While this week's vote will be Ann
Arbor, there are still other problems with
the process.
Construction projects are rarely so divi-
sive - before the skybox vote, the regents
had approved some 400 building projects
unanimously. Given that this one is so con-
tentious and that the Big House is so impor-
tant to the students, alumni and fans of the
University, the regents should postpone the
vote. Doingso will also putthe skybox issue
in the hands of the board, with potentially
different dynamics, that will actually over-
see the project during the upcoming years.
Here on campus, where about
three-fourths of voters in
campus precincts said no to
Proposal 2 last week, University Pres-
ident Mary Sue Coleman might seem
like a defiant hero. Her speech on the
Diag last Wednesday after Proposal 2
passed was the single most visible act
of leadership to date in a presidency
that hasn't been marked by much
more than her skill as a fundraiser.
Coleman's speech reassured campus
that the University would maintain
its commitment to diversity at a time
when an awful-
lot of people
needed reas-
suring.M
But across
the rest of this
state - which,
after all, voted _
58 percent in CHRISTOPHER
favor of the
Michigan Civil ZBROZEK
Rights Initia-
tive - Coleman's speech hasn't won
her many fans.
"I believe there are serious ques-
tions as to whether this initiative is
lawful, particularly as it pertains to
higher education," Coleman said last
week as she announced the Universi-
ty's intention to look into legal action
against the initiative. In letters to the
editor and on blogs, angry Michigan
residents have begged the University
Board of Regents to fire Coleman,
voicing their contempt for a public
university president who just won't
accept that her school's policies lost
at the ballot box. Underlying all the
criticism, I suspect, is fear that those
liberal activist judges, everyone's
favorite bogeymen-jurists, are eager-
ly waiting to give Coleman the green
light to ignore the sanctified Will of
the People.
I can't imagine, though, that in
announcing the University would
look into legal action, Coleman thinks
she can retroactively strike Proposal
2 from the ballot. I suspect she used
such defiant language more for rhe-
torical effect than anything else, and
I'll call her bluff right here: There
aren't serious questions about wheth-
er Proposal 2 prohibits the University
from using a race-conscious admis-
sions policy. It just does.
There might be some very smart
lawyers racking their brains right
now to think up a successful court-
room strategy against applying Pro-
posal 2 to admissions. They'll have
to think hard, because none of the
obvious strategies will work. The
University's default position against
any interference by state government
- arguing that the autonomy the
state Constitution grants it makes it
immune - seems hopeless against a
state constitutional amendment that
singles out the University of Michigan
by name.
The Michigan Supreme Court,
which has a 5-2 supermajority of
Republican justices, already denied a
challenge earlier this year seeking to
keep MCRI off the ballot amid alle-
gations that petition signatures were
fraudulently obtained. There's little
reason to think it would be recep-
tive to some challenge in state courts
seeking to overturn Proposal 2.
That leaves the federal courts. In
fact, everyone's least favorite activist
group, the Coalition to Cause Havoc,
Label Opponents as Racists and Make
Everyone Cringe By Any Means Nec-
essary, has already filed a lawsuit in
federal court challenging Proposal 2.
Its basic argument is that prohibiting
affirmative action somehow violates
the equal protection clause of the 14th
Amendment. That's the same argu-
ment BAMN used in California after a
similar proposal passed there in 1996;
it's the same argument that the 9th U.S
Circuit Court of Appeals - you know,
the guys who took "under God" out of
the Pledge of Allegiance - shot down.
A BAMN lawyer interviewed by
the Detroit Free Press seemed to
think that the U.S. Supreme Court
ruling in Grutter v. Bollinger would
somehow lead to a different outcome
this time around. But Grutter merely
allowed the University to use affirma-
tive action to foster diversity; it didn't
require affirmative action.
I don't have a friendly anony-
mous source in the Office of Gen-
eral Counsel to let me know exactly
what the University's legal strategy
is. My guess, though, is that rhetoric
aside, Coleman and her administra-
tion are smart enough to focus their
legal efforts where they have a chance
- protecting outreach efforts and
programs on campus that will face
challenges over the coming months
and years.
The language that was on the bal-
lot makes it clear that voters' intent
was to prohibit affirmative action as
we knew it, but the exact words in
the constitutional amendment Michi-
Lawsuits won't
make Proposal 2
disappear.
gan voters supported - "preferential
treatment" - are open to interpreta-
tion. In passing Proposal 2, did vot-
ers want to ban outreach efforts to
minority communities? Programs to
get junior high girls interested in sci-
ence? Paying Coleman's salary? Only
time, and litigation, will tell for sure.
Maybe the demise of affirma-
tive action will spur our state into
addressing its unconscionable educa-
tion inequalities, though something
tells me that the folks who brought
us Proposal 2 aren't going to retool
the MCRI organization into a massive
effort to ensure every student receives -
a quality K-12 education. Given those
inequalities, the simple fact is that the
University's goal of building a diverse
student body just got a lot harder. If
observers on campus are hoping Cole-
man's speech means she has a secret
plan to free the University from Pro-
posal 2, they're going to be disap-
pointed.
Christopher Zbrozek is a Daily
editorial page editor. He can be reached
at zbrozek@michigandaily.com.
Don't let fear of bodily Instant runoff voting isn't
harm deter wearing maize just goodfor the little guys
TO THE DAILY:
I am writing a desperate appeal in response
to an e-mail about this weekend's football game
that was sent out to the student body Monday
night. Its writers meant well in trying to keep
our fans safe, but the suggestion to "(keep our)
Michigan gear to a minimum" is absolutely
ludicrous.
During an 11-0 season where even Lloyd Carr
called us (the fans) pathetic, this is the biggest
game of the year and the one where we need to
show our strongest support. I can remember
looking across the field during our last loss to
Ohio State and seeing a strip of red like a disease
in the Big House.
We need this same presence in Columbus this
weekend, and we need to keep our Michigan
gear to a maximum. I would like to see a Maize
Out call to all Michigan fans heading to OSU
this weekend, both in the stadium and in the
city. Sure, there are a bunch of bums in Colum-
bus looking to taunt us, but we need to prove
ourselves as national champion fans and not shy
away from supporting our team.
Kellen Smetana
LSA senior
University 'big-wigs'
deprive student of his
Wolverine identity
TO THE DAILY:
I would like to raise an issue brought up in an
e-mail sent to the student body Monday after-
noon by Dean of Students Sue Eklund, Alumni
Association President Steve Grafton and MSA
President Nicole Stallings. In case you haven't
checked your inbox recently, Eklund sent stu-
dents an invitation to the Alumni Association
tailgate and provided fans with some safety tips
to consider while in Columbus this weekend.
While I do appreciate the invitation and sug-
gestions to obey the law and not take the "bait"
of verbal harassment by Ohio State fans, I do not
appreciate that a high-ranking administrator,
the president of the Alumni Association and the
MSA president are suggesting that we devoted
Michigan fans "keep (our) Michigan gear to a
minimum." As a second-generation Wolverine, I
know the meaning of the Michigan spirit and the
'love we all have for our University and team.
Part of showing our spirit and unity as a Uni-
versity is to be proud and don our maize and
blue shirts, jerseys and hats. It's appalling that
three big-wigs of the University community are
encouraging fans to keep their gear at home, and
it sends a terrible message that fans should not
be proud of who they are and what school they
come from.
Being true Maize and Blue is a part of my per-
sonal identity - as it is with many students - and
it is a shame for Eklund to suggest we leave a part
of our Wolverine zeal in Ann Arbor instead of
wearing it with pride in Columbus.
Eric Mandell Victorson
LSA junior
TO THE DAILY:
In the Associated Press article Did Green
Party help GOP win state? (11/13/2006), the
Green Party was blamed for helping the GOP
remain in power in the state senate. Ironically,
there was a notable absence of any commentary
questioning why we have a system in which the
Green Party - more left-wing than the Demo-
crats by any standard - could have helped the
diametrically opposed Republicans.
Certainly this problem would be solved by
Instant Runoff Voting, whereby voters may
rank their choices instead of choosing just one.
If no candidate wins a majority of the vote, the
least popular candidate is eliminated and those
who voted for him or her first have their second
choices count instead. There is even a group
working to implement IRV in Ann Arbor elec-
tions, the Ann Arbor Fair Vote Coalition. Hav-
ing been a supporter of this cause for years, I
can say that most of the activists are Greens and
Libertarians. Hopefully, the Democrats' experi-
ence in the last election has shown them IRV is
in their interest as well.
Mayor John Hieftje recently told us he would
put implementing IRV on the ballot during
the next election if he could be convinced that
enough people understood and supported it. So
to all the Democrats who are bummed that the
Greens prevented their sweep: Consider finding
out more about IRV and sending the mayor a
note of encouragement for putting it on the bal-
lot next year.
Adam de Angeli
Alum
Independent candidate to
bring real reform to MSA
TO THE DAILY:
What do you think of when you hear about our
student government? Scandals? Political state-
ments? Partisan bickering? Where do average
students fit into the Michigan Student Assembly?
The answer: They don't. MSA needs change. And
that's why I'm running for MSA as an indepen-
dent, one with a record of real results.
In my time on MSA, I've led efforts to make
student government more accountable by
recording the votes of individual members - a
simple move that was long overdue. Remember
last spring's election debacle? I've been helping
with the effort to reform the election code and
institute tougher penalties for those who break
the rules of campaigning. Think MSA isn't doing
enough to outreach in new areas? I helped create
the Students with Disabilities Committee this
fall and am currently chairing it.
While I may be only one person, I know I can
help bring about real reform. Interested in learn-
ing more? Visit my website at TimHull.org. You
get nine votes for MSA representative on Thurs-
day and Friday. Give something new a try and
use one vote to rank independence and results as
your number one choice.
Tim Hull
LSA senior
AMANDA BURNS
Out of one bubble, into another
Rockford High School, my alma mater, is known
throughout the state as a sports juggernaut, but to me it
always seemed more like the movie "Saved!" translated to
a public school.
I'm originally from the liberal Detroit suburb of Hun-
tington Woods, and I never quite adjusted to the lack of
diversity - intellectual, racial, cultural or religious - that
defines Grand Rapids. Starting in the fifth grade, when
I foolishly asked if the Jewish students were offended
by the Christmas party, I often felt my objections to the
constant presence of religion were met with confusion
and surprise. (Just to answer the question - of course the
Jewish students didn't mind. There weren't any.)
The lack of religious diversity led to an environment
where churches competed for members and students kept
lists of people they "saved" in their wallets. As a Catho-
lic, I was a prime target for Baptist conversion, and I often
found myself speechless when students politely informed
me that, although I was a son of Christian, I was still going
to hell.
It was not until my senior year that I started to won-
der if I had ended up in some alternative universe. During
a school-sponsored assembly, the motivational speaker
announced, "I don't need to know your boyfriend to know
that all he wants to do is have sex with you, but don't you
dare give it up until he is down on one knee with a ring
and a weekly paycheck." Not surprisingly, we received
a copy of the New Testament as a bonus for our atten-
dance, which was mandatory. At that moment, I ironically
thanked God I would soon be attending the University of
Michigan, which was a whole two hours away from absti-
nence-only education.
For the last three years, I have flourished in the Univer-
sity's liberal environment. As a member of the Daily's edi-
torial board, I reinforced my liberal views and learned to
argue progressive viewpoints with conviction. I rejoiced
at the possibility of no longer being the most liberal person
in every room.
Not surprisingly, the more time I spent with people
whose views reflected mine, the more cynical I became
about the conservative town where I was raised. I pitied
JOHN OQUIST |
those still living in the cultural bubble of Rockford, and
I felt lucky to have escaped. Little did I know that a run
through Ann Arbor last Thursday would rob me of my
smugness.
As I set out through the residential district between
South Forest and Washtenaw, I noticed almost every house
sported campaign yard signs. It was not until I came across
a house with five signs - for Granholm, Brater, Stabenow,
Hieftje and voting no on Proposal 2 - that it really hit
me. In covering almost the entire neighborhood, I didn't
see one sign for a Republican candidate. As I slowed to a
walk, the question crept into my mind: Had I really traded
up when I came to the University, or had I just relocated
myself from one ideological bubble to another?
This question reminded me of a conversation I had with
a roommate only days earlier. She was concerned after
hearing that Proposal 2, or the Michigan Civil Rights Ini-
tiative, might actually pass. I had to tell her that according
to the polls it was not only possible, it was probable. With
all the information students have access to, why was it still
surprising to so many that Proposal 2 passed on Election
Day?
The answer is in the bubble. Had it not been part of my
job at the Daily to track MCRI's progress, nothing in Ann
Arbor would have led me to believe it had a chance of pass-
ing. Liberal students from all over the country choose the
University for its ideological reputation, but the end ben-
efit is unclear.
Is the University environment really furthering liberal
values, or is it simply radicalizing students who already
lean left? Issues like MCRI whipped Ann Arbor into a
fury, but the cyclone remained stationary, simply reinforc-
ing the beliefs of those who already support diversity. The
unwillingness of liberals to seriously consider the conser-
vative arguments supporting MCRI made them unable to
fight it effectively. Ann Arbor liberals are searching for
ways to show conservatives just how wrong they are, but
first we must admit that we too are living in a bubble.
Amanda Burns is an LSA senior and a
member of the Daily's editorial board.
*1
*1
HEY, THE FDA SAID THAT THE FLU DRUG HEY, ARE YOU LISTENING? I SAID IT
TAMIFLU MIGHT CAUSE DELIRIUM AND MIGHT CAUSE HALLUCINATIONS!
HALLUCINATIONS. I THOUGHT I'D TELL CAN YOU EVEN HEAR ME?!
YOU SINCE YOU TOOK IT.