4 - Friday,.November 2, 2007 6 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. 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 6 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. 6 6 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. 6 ARIELA STEIF 1 (\) \] l r '' >> iv 1j BLOGS Read more analysis at www.michigandoily.com/thepodium. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. Letters should be under 30.0 words and must include the writer's full name and University affili- ation. All submissions become property of the Daily. We do not,print anony- mous letters. Send letters to tothedaily@umich.edu. ii 4