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The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
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the University of Michigan since 1890.
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Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@umich.edu
I don't approve of Congress."
- Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi explaining that she too is frustrated at the lack of progress Congress has
made on Iraq and that she understands why Congress has such low approval ratings.
A Hail Mary for the Big House
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KARL STAMPFL
EDITOR IN CHIEF
IMRAN SYED
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR
JEFFREY BLOOMER
MANAGING EDITOR
Unsignededitorials reflect the official position oftthe Daily's editorialboard. All other signed articles
and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
The Daily's public editor, Paul H. Johnson, acts as the readers' representative and takes a criticallook at
coverage and content inevery section of the paper. Readers are encouraged to contact the public editor
with questions and comments. He canbe reached at publiceditor@umich.edu.
Prayer service
'U' must better accommodate students who want to pray
he Muslim Students' Association's recent call for a prayer
room on campus is understandable. In order to facilitate
students' prayer obligations, the association wants a more
convenient solution than having to move to random, ill-equipped
rooms. The group's desired prayer room would be in addition to the
four existing reflection rooms, which cannot meet the association's
purpose because they. are too small. While the University cannot
create a room designated exclusively for religious use by any denomi-
nation, the concerns expressed can be alleviated by providing larger
reflection rooms and making more large rentable rooms available
for campus groups to use for any purpose, including prayer.
T hree mysterious men hauled a
bizarre contraption onto the
field at last Saturday's home
football game
against Minnesota
and asked the fans o
in attendance to <.
make lots of noise.
The contraption
was a microphone
of sorts, and only
later did I dis-
cover why it was KEVIN
there: skyboxes. BUNKLEY
The $226 million
enclosed-seat-
ing behemoths threatening to per-
manently deface the Big House will
apparently help make the stadium
louder. The skyboxes haeve seemed
inevitable for a long time, but there
is still hope to stop Athletic Direc-
tor Bill Martin and the University's
plans: Get behind the veterans.
This week,the University received a
serious warning from the U.S. Depart-
ment of Education - it must make the
Big House more accessible to people
in wheelchairs or risk losing federal
funding. This is ultimately related to
the Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of
America and all that the group has
done to publicize the University's
shirking of standards set by the Amer-
icans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
The MPVA's credible lawsuit to block
the stadium renovation plan will be
heard in court, and it's up to the rest of
us to get the word out.
Before the 1956 football season,
then-Athletic Director Fritz Crisler
discovered some of the seats at the Big
House were larger than the regulation
width. He decided to shrink them all
to 18 inches, adding 1,790 more seats
in the process. In 1973, then-Athletic
Director Don Canham removed the
box seats from the first three rows
to add 600 more seats. The Athletic
Department's own track record indi-
cates that Michigan Stadium was
never intended to have luxuries like
skyboxes attached to it, and perhaps
the Education Department's ultima-
tum and the MPVA lawsuit will help
keep it that way.
The best way for the lawsuit to stop
the addition of skyboxes is contained in
the legal brief filed by the MPVA. The
ADA code states that any alteration
to a structure is a renovation. At that
point the law requires that the stadium
(which has so far been exempt because
it was built before the ADA was passed)
must be made compliant. The current
skybox plan that the University Board
of Regents approved does not make
for nearly enough handicap-accessible
seats and leaves the University no legal
groundinginits assertionthat the proj-
ect is ADA-compliant.
The Education Department cited
the entrances and platforms at the
stadium as also non-compliant, some-
thing that had not even been consid-
ered until now. Should the lawsuit
succeed in court, in order for the ren-
ovation plan to adhere to the ADA, the
University essentially must start over
with the renovation plan. The way the
current plan is designed does not fix
the slopes at the entrances or make
more room for disabled fans along
the sides, and no indication has been
mnade that the - concession counters
and bathrooms will be brought up to
code, either.
Let's face it, students, faculty and
alumni won't go as far as boycotting a
football game to make a point. But we
can all still play a role in getting the
renovation changed. We are not pow-
erless to call the University out on this
and demand a new plan
Head coach Lloyd Carr must be
more vocal on this very important
matter surrounding the team's sta-
dium. Sure, the Athletic Department
may frown on Carr speaking out
against the renovation plan, but isn't
that what leadership is all about?
Alumni can help, too. Withhold-
ing donations to the Athletic Depart-
ment until it decides to follow the law
is a worthy option. Many alumni have
expressed support for an alternate
renovation plan presented by a group
called Save the Big House. This is the
opportunityto push thatplan bywith-
holding donations unless the Athletic
Department accepts a more accommo-
dating plan than its current one.
Controversy over
handicap access will
save the stadium.
And finally there are the students.
Some students are working on a
Maize-Out for the Ohio State game
on Nov. 17, complete with complimen-
tary T-shirts, but a sponsor is needed
to pay for them. I can't think of a bet-
ter advertising space than the backs
of 110,000 fans who don't want to see
college football's biggest house turned
into an illegal and ugly one. The phrase
"Don't trash the Big House, Bill Mar-
tin" gets the message across.
The lawsuit by the MPVA has made
the illegality of the University's sta-
dium renovation plan undeniable, and
the group has given fans the opportu-
nity to stop what we all thoughtiwas
a foregone conclusion. When enough
people see that the Athletic Depart-
ment is in violation of the law, Martin
will have no choice but to back down
on the skyboxes.
Kevin Bunkley can be reached
kevrbunk@umichedu.
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While there are several churches within
walking distance, the nearest mosque is a
short bus ride away from Central Campus,
which often makes things difficult for stu-
dents who want to pray quickly between
classes. The existing reflection rooms in
campus buildings - intended for quiet medi-
ation, reflection or prayer - are too small to
help most students: The reflection room in
Angell Hall, for example, would pass for an
undersized walk-in closet in most homes.
Because the University fosters an open
and diverse climate in other capacities,
accommodation for all 'eligious groups
through provision of non-denominational
and neutral prayer space serves the Uni-
versity's best interests. Because the exist-
ing reflection rooms cannot accommodate
more than one person at a time in some
cases, larger ones are required. The U.S.
Supreme Court has deemed prayer at pub-
lic institutions constitutional as long as it
is done privately, so these larger reflection
rooms themselves are perfectly accept-
able. They must be built with the same
non-denominational intentions as current
reflection rooms and mustnot clearly favor
a religious use over secular use.
Even those larger reflection rooms,
however, cannot accommodate group
prayers because that would be a violation
of their neutral purpose. For such prayers,
campus groups must rent out other rooms.
This process is sometimes a hassle for all
student groups because they have to move
from room to room for their regularly
scheduled meetings. A solution is for the
University to compile and widely post a
list of rooms that are available at certain
times each semester. Groups could then
book the same room for several weeks and
thus have a set place to meet.
In cases of accommodating various reli-
gious practices, the University must be as
accepting as possible without overstep-
ping boundaries. The special meal times
provided for Muslims during Ramadan
and the special meals provided for Jew-
ish students during Passover are examples
of perfectly acceptable accommodation.
Another good example is the University of
Michigan at Dearborn's recent decision to
install footbaths, low sinks used to wash
feet. Though the footbaths will mostly
be used by Muslim students, they can be
equally used by anyone and therefore
do not constitute a violation. Expanding
reflection rooms and making the process
of booking rooms for private group prayer
would follow in this same vein.
9
ANINDYA BHADRA E
A lack of scientific responsibility
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Emad Ansari, Anindya Bhadra, Kevin Bunkley, Ben Caleca, Jon Cohen, Milly Dick,
Mike Eber, Gary Graca, Emmarie Huetteman, Theresa Kennelly, Emily Michels,
Robert Soave, Jennifer Sussex, Neil Tambe, Matt Trecha, Radhika Upadhyaya,
Rachel Wagner, Patrick Zabawa
MARY SWEETERS
Hold Dingfell accountable
James Watson, the co-discov-
erer of the double-helical structure
of DNA, which won him the Nobel
Prize in 1962 was asked about the
future of Africa in a recent inter-
view with The Sunday Times. He
responded by saying they were
"inherently gloomy," because "all
our social policies are based on the
fact that (African people's) intelli-
gence is the same as ours - whereas
all the testing says not really."
Apart from offering offensive
opinions on deep social questions
he cannot possibly understand,
Watson may know how to spice up
your love life as well: "That's why
you have Latin lovers," he said,
explaining the connection between
skin color and libido.
While these and other unsubstan-
tiated claims have made Watson a
laughingstockofthescientificworld,
there is also a serious problem here.
Scientific investigation warrants a
set of formal procedures; in particu-
lar, it must be reproducible. In other
words, if Watson had found a differ-
ence between the intelligence levels
of Africans and Europeans, other
scientists working independently
should be able to find similar results
under similar conditions. This has
not been the case so far. It's not a
problem if Watson investigates the
question scientifically. But it sure is
a problem if he puts a scientific wrap
around his personal biases and pres-
ents his premature conviction as
scientific fact.
So what makes Watson any dif-
ferent from a common hatemonger
like the ones who spew venom on
the Diag every now and then? The
answer is that he has the aura of a
renowned scientist and the power
of trust that ordinary mortals vest
in them.
As demonstrated by Stanley Mil-
gram in his famous electro-shock
experiments, common and other-
wise harmless people can inflict
lethal injury on another person if
a "scientist" - an authority figure
who tells them there is no real harm
being done - goads them on. Any
pretender in alab coat would do as a
scientist. People inherentlythinkthe
coat knows better and therefore can
make wiser decisions. Here we are
talking about a real Nobel laureate.
That's. the reason why Watson's
comments shouldn't simply be
ignored and why they demand the
harshest condemnation. The con-
cept of genetic superiority has been
used time and again to justify acts
of blatant aggression. The day when
some scientists trumpeted the
supremacy of the Aryan race was
not that long ago.
The person who discovered the
structure of the DNA and changed
the field of genetic research has an
immense responsibility to measure
his words carefully. He has let the
whole scientific community down.
Other scientists must step in to
make sure that Watson's mindless
remarks are not used as a scientific
pretext for racial bias and hatred.
It would be easy here to conclude
this viewpoint with some more
Watson-bashing, but there is anoth-
er important angle to this issue. Is
the question "Does race have any-
thing to do with intelligence?" one
that must be asked? Many scientists
will probably agree that it is.
They will tell us that so far noth-
ing has been found that suggests
a significant correlation between
the two. At the same time there is
still a small minority of influential
scientists that believes race can be
an important factor in explaining
intelligence and behavioral pat-
terns, among other things. Both
parties agree that further genetic
investigation is needed before any-
one comes up with a final verdict,
like Watson did. Indeed, more
research leading to a consensus
among biologists will settle such
questions for good.
Scientific research often has a
tendency to be overshadowed by
political correctness. Today it's
not proper to ask if race can affect
intelligence as, just like a little more
than a century ago, it was not OK
to imply huians and chimpan-
zees could share a common ances-
tral line. Basic science, however,
goes beyond the wishful thinking
of individuals, and ultimately the
truth prevails. In that sense, try-
ing to reach unanimity on whether
or not race affects intelligence is a
worthy scientific pursuit.
On the other hand, making irre-
sponsible claims tainted with per-
sonal prejudice like Watson did is
totally degrading to the whole field
of science.
Anindya Bhadra is a graduate
student in statistics and a member
of the Daily's editorial board.
Our country is at a turning point. We are
at a place where the history books will look
back and remind the world how America took
on one of the greatest challenges humanity
has ever faced: climate change. It's a prob-
lpm spanning ecology, economics and public
health and will undoubtedly affect huge por-
tions of the global population. -
The Nobel Peace Prize was recently
shared by the Intragovernmental Panel on
Climate Change and former Vice President
Al Gore's for their work to educate the public
about global warming and advocate immedi-
ate action. Now we need our leaders in Con-
gress to take action. The rest of the world is
recognizing that we must act now to reverse
the worst effects of global warming, but
President Bush remains in denial and in the
pocket of industry. That is why we need Con-
gress to act now and not wait for presidential
leadership that may never come.
What many people from Southeast Michi-
gan do not realize is that the leadership can
be wielded by Ann Arbor's congressman, Rep.
John Dingell (D). As the longest serving mem-
ber in the history of the U.S. House of Repre-
sentatives and chairmao of the Energy and
Commerce Committee, Dingell has a critical
and powerful role in shaping legislation on
global warming. His environmental record is
noteworthy: He has either authored or cham-
pioned such legislation as the Endangered
Species Act, the Clean Air Act and the Marine
Mammals Protection Act.
On the issue of global warming, however,
Dingell, has failed us dismally. He is propos-
ing a tax on gasoline and carbon emissions,
but this falls far short of a comprehensive
solution to meet his goal of reducing emis-
sions 80 percent by 2050. He has in fact voted
against renewable energy, offered nuclear
power and liquid coal as clean energy solu-
tions and opposed strong increases to auto-
mobile fuel economy standards. Dingell's
commitment and sincerity to global warm-
ing solutions is questionable.
This Saturday, thousands of people in hun-
dreds of communities around the country will
take part in rallies urging Congress to rise to
the challenge of fighting global warming. The
nationwide effort, called Step It Up, is the sec-
ond of its kind. The first event in April raised
the level of awareness and pressure on legis-
lators, resulting in several presidential candi-
dates and members of Congress starting the
dialogue on a plan to fight global warming.
This Saturday's event will surely show our leg-
islators that the time for talk is over and that
the public expects action. Of all members of
Congress, we expect leadership from Dingell.
Here in Ann Arbor, right on the University
campus, residents in Dingell's district can
voice their concerns tomorrow. The local
Step It Up rally, held at the base of Burton
Bell Tower, will be held from noon to 2 p.m.
There will be live music, speeches from cli-
mate leaders and a chance for attendees to
participate at political action stations that
include letter writing, phone calls and video
postcards. This is the opportunity to make
our voices heard about global warming to
the most critical elected official who can and
should dosomething about it. It's Dingell's
responsibility to take action, and it's our
responsibility to make sure he does it.
Mary Sweeters is a field organizer for
Project Hot Seat, Greenpeace USA.
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ARIELA STEIF
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