4A - Thursday, October 30, 2008 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 4 L74c Mtchiaan,43a*lly Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu ANDREW GROSSMAN EDITOR IN CHIEF GARY GRACA EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR GABE NELSON MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflect the official position oftthe Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. Deitch, Ihitch for regent LaFond, qualified with a fatal flaw; Brown, unqualified T hough many students may know little about the Board of Regents, it is the body that oversees the University's most important decisions, including the cost of attending this university. With two open seats on the board this election, students can only hope that two progressive, pro-affordability, pro-transpar- ency candidates will fill these seats. But while the four main can- didates running have made these issues their top priority, most of them haven't left this page convinced of their capacity to deliver on, these promises. We are the only state in the nation where you'll hear, 'Wet mop at Voting Booth 4" - Bob Walsh, spokesman for the Nevada secretary of state, commenting on his state's early voting at local grocery stores, as reported yesterday by The New York Times. CHRIS KOSLOWSKI II T T A E-MAIL CHRIS AT CSKOSLOW@UMICH.EDU Why are people so inspired Because "Change" is just a Wow, That washonest to "Vote for Change" in the slotganinvented to capitalie Presidential election but then on the negative image of HahaJust wait until everyone support lifelong politicians George Bush. We really just finds out what Obama tinks like Carl Levi? want to promote iberalism a "tax cut" is " 6* U a c 6 r Understanding the Israeli alliance That doesn't mean there aren't strong candidates. As substantiated by 16 years of responsible service on the board, Demo- cratic incumbent Laurence Deitch is still the most qualified candidate on the ballot. During his two terms,'Deitch has been on the right side of most issues. In 1993, he led a successful effort to include "sexual orientation" in the University's non-dis- crimination statement. He has also been a vocal advocate of protecting diversity on campus. When necessary, Deitch has been a productive voice of dissent on the board, opposing the construction of luxury boxes in Michigan Stadium and encouraging compromise. Perhaps Deitch's greatest asset - and greatest liability - is his experience. Six- teen years is a long period of service, and it isn't conducive to fresh thinking. While Deitch clearly cares about student involve- ment and transparency, he doesn't seem to have any new ideas about how to improve these weaknesses. However, that doesn't negate the fact that for years he has been one of the most committed and valuable regents. The Daily endorses LAURENCE DEITCH for University regent. At the other end of the spectrum is Susan Brown, a Republican from Kalamazoo who is launching her second (and, as she insists, final) bid for regent. A fourth-generation Wolverine, Brown has been an active member of the University community as a fundraiser and member of three boards. But while we applaud her commitment to the Univer- sity, her qualifications end there. Aside fromstickingto her2006campaign promise not to raise tuition - a vow this page would support were it accompanied by a convincing grasp of the University's financial situation - Brown offers nothing that her opponents can't do better. Her fellow RepublicanJohnLaFond is a strong candidate, largely due to his deep understanding of how the University functions and how commu- nities across the state view it. This has led him to an especially good understanding of students' concerns and how to address them. For instance, the former Ford Motor Co. executive would like to hold regu- lar forums that students, parents or any- one else interested can attend to keep the regents accountable. Drawing on his experience as the direc- tor of a program between Ford and the University and the chair of an industry advisory committee, LaFond believes that the University should create business part- nerships so private industry can invest in students. In theory, it could be quite ben- eficial to students. Of course, there are real ethical dangers in allowing private industry to have such a strong presence in a public university - which didn't seem to concern LaFond. But LaFond has a fatal flaw: his stances on social issues. LaFond opposes embry- onic stem cell research and goes as far as to say that he would discourage this research at the University if it becomes legal next week. Further, he believes the University shouldn't provide health ben- efits to the same-sex partners of Univer- sity employees. He partially justifies this stance by explaining that the University already spends too much on health care. Apparently, equality is too expensive. The regents' stances on issues like these help set the tone on campus. This page strongly believes that tone should be one of acceptance. While his experience and fresh ideas make him a strong candidate, LaFond's desire to treat the University like a business at the expense of the people who make it great is concerning. We can't take a chance on a regent whose values might interfere with his ability to govern accord- ing to the University's. For Democrat Denise Ilitch, her candidacy is about "the four As": affordability, accessibility, alliances and ability. While she wants to cap tuition, she's realistic about what it will take to do that - fundraising. She, like her oppo- nents, also expressed her concern about keeping graduates in the state. However, she substantiated her commitment to this goal, proposing that the University use its extensive alumni network to help gradu- ates get in-state jobs. Ilitch also made it clear that she shares the University's progressive values. Hav- ing served on the boards of such groups as the Detroit Branch NAACP, she would be an asset in the University's attempts to maintain diversity. Disappointingly, Ilitch did not offer us a presentation quite worthy of a woman who has been the president of a billion- dollar company and has served on almost too many boards to list. While certainly committed and qualified, she's unable to offer many specifics on her plans and, thus, seems a little unprepared. We hope that Ilitch, if elected, will make an effort to learn even more about the demands of being a regent and detail her own ideas. Perhaps she and Deitch could even borrow a few new ones, like forums, from LaFond. But because of her depth of experience in many different areas, we endorse DENISE ILITCH because she can be the breath of fresh air we need on the Board of Regents. What is the role of Iran in the Middle East? In a view- point Tuesday, the Ameri- can Movement for Israelansweredthat question, claiming that Iran "jeopar- dized what little political stability exists in the Middle East" (Understand- . ing the Iranian threat, 10/28/2008). IBRAHIM This is interesting, given that last war KAKWAN Iran directly fought was in 1988 - the last war Israel fought against one of its neighbors was in 2006, against Lebanon. In a broader sense, however, the instigative nature of the viewpoint made me wonder, why should Ameri- cans support Israel in the first place? According to a July 2006 article in The Washington Post, the Ameri- can-Israeli alliance costs the United States around $3 billion each year. But what do we get in return? There are no Israeli troops in Iraq, and none in Afghanistan. Even the tiny nation of El Salvador has sent more troops to Iraq than Israel, and it doesn't get nearly as much aid. Given the possible problems associated with sending Israeli troops sent to an Arab country this would make sense - but why isn't Israel top- ping the list of countries sending sup- port staff or funding? Saudi Arabia footed a large bill during the first Gulf War, and even Japan sent staff to assist in the second. We don'tevenhave militarybases on Israeli soil (apart form a single missile facility with a small crew). For those, we turn to the Saudis and Turks. Our bases in these countries are a major. point of contention among the local populations, and their presence breeds resentment. Osama bin Laden himself has cited American basesin Saudi Ara- bia as one of the key reasons behind terrorist acts. Israel is our ally, so why do we have to turn to other countries, when it only creates future problems for us? More to the point, why even send Israel money in the first place? It's not exactly apoor country. For one thing Israel has a powerful lobby. That's right: Just like corn farm- ers andbigoil companies, supporters of Israel spend massive amounts ofmoney trying to influence American politi- cians. In fact, in 2006, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee had an annual budget of $47 million. In 2005, two high-ranking AIPAC employees were indicted for involve- ment in espionage committed against the United States. The two employees had met with Lawrence Franklin, a former Defense Department employee, and received classified military infor- mation from him. In turn, the two AIPAC officers passed the information on to an Israeli diplomat. Although AIPAC and Israel both denied the alle- gations, Franklin was found guilty on multiple counts of espionage-related conspiracy after admitting to leaking the information, while the trial of the two lobbyists has yetto be concluded. Given that the United States and Israel are already allies, why did Israel attempt to spy on us? Sure, Israel is the only democracyinthe Middle East, but that doesn't excuse espionage. Sadly, it doesn't end there. In 1999, and perhaps even earlier, the United States learned that Israel was attempt- ing to sell military aircraft to China. In 2007, the Israeli arms industry record- ed more than $4.3 billion in sales, making it the world's fourth-largest exporter. Weapons are, by definition, not intended for peaceful purposes. In the 1980s, Israeli weapons were being shipped to apartheid South Africa, and to death squads in Guatemala and Nicaragua. Are such sales, some of them contrary to U.S. interests, not destabilizing? Andthencomethenuclearweapons. When we speak of Iran, we've been taught to fear nuclear weapons. But for those of you who don't know, Israel has had them for decades. To begin with, Iran has stated itwants nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Whether or not this is the case is debatable, but let's assume that Iran is seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. Is it really such an unreasonable goal? Iran is virtually surrounded by U.S. troops - to the east in Afghanistan, and to the west in Iraq. What country wouldn't want such a deterrent? Besides, lets use common sense. Iran's leaders are not stupid - given that Israel and the United States both havenuclearweapons, itwouldbe fool- ish to even consider usingthem. Sure, Iranian President Mahnoud Ahmadinejad likes to make outra- geous statements. At the end of the day, however, he is a politician and has Is our support for Israel worth its high cost? to appeal to his base. When he makes an offensive statement, the world reacted predictably: with a resounding condemnation. Such a response has a way of isolating Iranians, and could very well play into his hands. The bottom line is, many of the orga- nizations that dislike the United States take issue with our exceptional treat- ment of Israel. This exceptional treat- ment couldn't be clearer than on the issue of nuclear weapons in the Middle East. By spying on us and selling weap- ons in ways that undermine our inter- ests, it is clear that Israel doesn't hold the United States in the same esteem - so is this costly relationship really worth it? Ibrahim Kakwan can be reached at ijameel@umich.edu. The complex male body EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Nina Amilineni, Emad Ansari, Elise Baun, Harun Buljina, Ben Caleca, Satyajeet Deshmukh, Brian Flaherty, Matthew Green, Emmarie Huetteman, Emma Jeszke, Shannon Kellman, Edward McPhee, Emily Michels, Kate Peabody, Matthew Shutler, Robert Soave, Eileen Stahl, Jennifer Sussex, Imran Syed, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Van Gilder, Margaret Young SE{ TER T EE T O SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU. ale sexual pleasure is a complex, multidimensional affair. For far too long we have relied on nar- ratives that posi- tion male sexuality firmly in the perfor- mance capabilities of the one-organ show known as the penis. This notion can lead those who engage in sexual ROSE relations with men to believe the farce AFRIYIE that men require little to no work to be aroused and even Speaking with less to climax. Tongues Butthere is much more to the male orgasm and its relationship to plea- sure. And yes, it is true that the penis is central to this analysis, but if you were to map the erogenous zones of the male body, you would find more than one site of sensitivity. Men also face performance pres- sures when seeking sexual pleasure. Understanding these pressures is key to seeking true fulfillment from one's sexual interactions. As promised, let's delve this week into these themes that begin to deconstruct the often taken for granted topic of male sexual plea- sure. Let's first talk about orgasm. Last time, we hailed the finding that 75 percent of men "always" or "almost always" achieve orgasm (and lamented the comparatively low female orgasm rate). Yet there is more to the story when it comes to gauging whether a. male partner is satisfied. There are two main components to the male orgasm. There is ejaculation - the actual expelling of fluid from the penis. And then there are the pleasure peaks experienced during penile stim- ulation. The catch isthat thetwo aren't necessarily correlated all the time. The late Dr. Bernie Zilbergeld, author and sex therapist, in the newly revised edition of "The New Male Sexuality" wrote, "Some men don't have a lot of feeling when they ejaculate and some men have lots of peak feelings with and without ejaculations." Appear- ances can be deceiving, and partners who seek to satisfy men must heighten their sense of awareness when reading pleasure in their partners. Thatbringsmetothenexttopic: sen- sitivity sites. Zilbergeld noted that the head of the penis is the most sensitive area of the phallus. The scrotum is the runner-up. The scrotum, hidden and seldom mentioned in sexual discourse, is highly receptive to many kinds of stimulation. "Many men also like their scrotums stimulated - touched, rubbed, held, licked or squeezed (though not too firmly) - during sex." Then there is the prostate,' also known as the male G-spot. One way to access the prostate is through anal stimulation. But it isn't the only way to stimulate the prostate. Another alter- native involves massaging the perine- um. Located between the scrotum and anus, puttingpressure onthe perineum during intercourse or manual stimula- tion can yield favorable results, like reaching an orgasm. It also should be noted that a great deal of weight is misleadingly put on the pleasure potential of the erect penis as a sexual organ. The truth is the penis is always a sexual organ, erect or not. Flaccidity should not be a deterrent when engaging with the penis because stimulation also produces pleasure. Men must negotiate their quest for pleasure in the context of society's portrayal of them as hyper-virile, emotionless, bedpost-notch-counting Neanderthals. In the absence of feder- ally mandated comprehensive sex edu- cation and an overall societal sentiment that men are born all-knowing about sex, men can fall prey to the images presented in pornography that mis- represent normative male sexuality. In this imagined world where sexual intercourse is often the main attrac- tion, penis size and stamina are overly exaggerated. Often the artful video editing implies long-standing, instan- taneous erections and re-erections as standard fare. Combine this with the relentless spam e-mails and late-night commer- cials that increasingly target younger men to buy enhancement drugs. The expectations game can be too much to bear as these messages give both mhen and women skewed impressions about what to expect when engaging in intercourse. Yet, the irony is if both men and women - particularly heterosexuals - committed themselves to diversify- ing their approach to sexually engag- ing with the pleasure potential of the opposite sex outside of just sexual intercourse, we would be better able to meet each other's sexual needs. If we are able to overcome these engrained sexual stereotypes it would allow for room to also critique the harmful nature of enforced gender roles that often converge on sexual interactions. Now for three general tips: " Male sexual arousal can also be conditional. While men may often be depicted as ravenous sexual beings who would engage with a hot ham sandwich, their sexual arousal is locat- I I Male pleasure is about more than the penis. Embryonicstemcellresearch proponents mince words TO THEDAILY: In the ongoing debate over Proposal 2, its advocates, especially University President Mary Sue Coleman, seem to be leaning heav- ily on fronting their arguments with "the truth about stem cell research." The problems begin right there. These proponents all too oftenfor- get the critical word, "embryonic." To quote a recent television ad from "Vote YES on Prop 2" ad, "Doctors, scientists and nurses all agree that stem cell research is the future of medicine." Sure, they agree stem cell research is, but the line is conveniently miss- ing the buzzword of this debate. The truth is, more and more scientists see adult stem cell research as the future of medicine. As long as a year ago, research had shown us that scien- tists could do with adult stem cells everything they thought they could only do with embry- onic ones. Coleman is fond of reminding us that she is a scientist, but a quick look at every major scien- tific debate will show you that not all scientists get it right all the time. Michael Howley Engineering freshman ed in their senses, erotic stimulus and overall mental and psychological state. So be forthcoming with your partner about how your definition of manhood frames your sexual interactions. * Your masturbation can be anoth- er's pleasure lesson. Your partner can learn a lot about how to please you if you show them how. Take some time to show them what you like in this demonstrative way. * Lastly, reciprocity is the key. The best way to receive the pleasure you seek is to give it away. Just remember to be as reciprocal about your sexual practice as you are about contracep- tion, and communication and true pleasure will surely follow. Rose Afriyie is the Daily's sex and relationships columnist. She can be reached at sariyie@umich.edu. i LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. Letters should be less than 300 words and must include the writer's full name and University affiliation. Letters are edited for style, length, clarity and accuracy. All submissions become property of the Daily. We do not print anonymous letters. Send letters to tothedaily@umich.edu.