4A - Wednesday, April 1, 2009 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu GARY GRACA ROBERT SOAVE COURTNEY RATKOWIAK EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR 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. F1 JTE AILY Secondary education Flint and Dearborn campuses deserve equal attention When there's a minute left in the fourth quarter and the football team is down by a single touchdown, all the students in the Big House cheer wildly, regardless of which of the University's campuses they attend. So when a policy was created last football season that gave priority football seating to students from Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint students were right- fully outraged. The policy has been changed for the next football season, but the dispute brought to the surface the importance of the University's smaller campuses. To keep up with recent efforts to improve the Flint and Dearborn campuses, the University should invest more time and attention in them. ,.. ,, *1 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom NOTABLE Q TL A government that cannot deliver for its people is a terrorist's best recruiting tool:' - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, commenting on the need for an Afghan government free from corruption in the presidential election later this year, as reported yesterday by CNN. Diversity daze Last year, the Athletic Department insti- tuted a policy that gave priority seating at football games to Ann Arbor students over Flint and Dearborn students. This year, 220 fewer tickets were sold to Dearborn students than in previous years, quite pos- sibly because of this policy. But after stu- dents from all three campuses confronted the Athletic Department arguing that this policy was blatantly unfair, the policy was repealed. Many students at the Ann Arbor cam- pus may be upset at losing priority seating because they feel that they are entitled to it. It's true that Ann Arbor students pay sig- nificantly higher tuition fees than students in Dearborn or Flint. But denying Flint and Dearborn students an equal opportunity to attend football games sends the mes- sage that they aren't part of the University. Football games at Michigan Stadium are a defining characteristic of the culture that draws students to the University, and all students deserve the chance to take part in this important Michigan tradition. This policy was also emblematic of the discrepancies between the Ann Arbor- campus and the Flint and Dearborn cam- puses, and ending it should serve as anoth- er move toward granting these campuses the proper recognition. The University has recognized in recent years that Flint and Dearborn can be valuable assets, but only if the University is willing to invest in them. The Flint campus, for example, opened its first residence hall last year. Improvements like this demonstrate that the University's other campuses have much to offer students. But there's still more to do. The Univer- sity has a responsibility to its students, and not just those in Ann Arbor. It must ramp up support of these other campuses' needs in order to provide an education and a col- lege experience that is just as worthwhile as Ann Arbor's. The University of California is a prime example for the University to emulate. There are six University of California cam- puses that operate at respected academic levels and each have their own unique but centralized identity. Considering that the University of California was originally modeled after the University, it's a little embarrassing that it now showcases a bet- ter working system of sister campuses. Granting equal access to football games doesn't signal a sudden increase in interest in Flint and Dearborn, butit was the right decision to make. Now the University must move forward to utilize the Dearborn and Flint campuses to their full potential. And that means investing time and, yes, money, in them. pening remarks of the Obama Rally at the Univer- sity of Michigan: MARY SUE COLEMAN (Addressing massive crowd on the Diag): On this day I will " not stand before you and say 'Welcome everyone.' (Pauses.) On this day Iwill stand before you WILL and say 'Welcome diversity.' For at the GRUNDLER University of Mich- igan, 'diversity' is not just an abstract noun - it is also a pronoun. To everyone here today, you are diversity. I welcome you. I wel- come diversity. Let us consider what this means.)(Closes eyes. Considers.) (Opens eyes.) As you are aware, some months ago it was rumored that Presi- dent Barack Obama- would visit campus todayApr.1,todiscuss his stimulus plan and its effects on educa- tion. The enthusiasm, expressed by Uni- versity of Michigan students, faculty, pro- vosts, regents, assis- tant provost regents of diversity and myself was immeasurable. I am certain the irony of today's date was not lost on those of you in attendance. Yet all of you have come. Will President Obama come? (Pauses. Looks up. A helicopter is heard.) MARY SUE COLE- MAN: Look! (The - helicopter swoops into view and approaches the Diag. It hovers above the crowd before descending in front of the steps of the Gradu- ate Library. Several men emerge dressed in black, followed by President Obama.) MARY SUE COLEMAN (Awe- struck.): Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States of America! PRESIDENT:(Waving, shaking hands, making way topodium) MARY SUE COLEMAN (Foregoing prepared speech): Of the United States of America! PRESIDENT: Thank you very mu MARY SUE COLEMAN: Barack Obama! PRESIDENT (Amused): Let me thank all of - MARY SUE COLEMAN: Mr. Presi- dent, you have reached your ultimate goal. You are the first African-Ameri- can President ever to step foot on the University of Michigan. Tell us about that inconceivably diverse journey. PRESIDENT: Thank you once again, but today I- MARY SUE COLEMAN (Addressing crowd): Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to a Caucasian mother and an African father, Barack Obama received most of his primary education in Indonesia. Mr. President, you echo diversity like ... like a great underground cavern echoes the sound of bats and water! PRESIDENT: (Confused.) MARY SUE COLEMAN (Glances that Brobdingnagian experience and how it changed your global view. What might happen if Obama met Coleman. PRESIDENT: I appreciate your interest in my background, but today I would like to talk about the future, particularly how the proposed stimu- lus package will impact universities like - MARY SUE COLEMAN: The Uni- versity of Michigan. PRESIDENT: Exactly, which - k Grundler MARY SUE COLE- MAN: - is the future, true. But I think,.and I believe the same logic governs the belief in multiple universes, that there is the definite pos- sibility that more than one future exists, if you follow me. And I think I am looking at one right ly now. Mr. President, you are the future. PRESIDENT: Look, I'm quite flattered, but what I would - MARY SUE COLE- MAN: What I would like to do is extend the Uni- versity's sincerest recog- nition of your efforts by offering you an honorary degree. (Produces diplo- ma.) PRESIDENT: A B.S. in "Diversity Studies"? w MARY SUE" COLE- MAN: Congratulations! PRESIDENT: I don't know if I - MARY SUE COLE- MAN: Of course, of course, I forgot; here you are! PRESIDENT: No! I don't want a robe either! MARY SUE COLEMAN: Now, here is a photo of me, and if you could just make it out to "Mary," that would be more than... PRESIDENT: (Walks to helicopter.) MARY SUE COLEMAN: No! (The helicopter takes ofJf MARY SUE COLEMAN: Shoot! Provost, I need a provost! Yes, you! Come up here. What? No, I'm leav- ing. I don't know, talk about foot- ball or something. Now somebody get me the hospital helicopter! - Will Grundler can be reached at sailgull@umich.edu. 0 EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Nina Amilineni, Emad Ansari, Emily Barton, Elise Baun, Harun Buljina, Ben Caleca, Satyajeet Deshmukh, Brian Flaherty, Emmarie Huetteman, Emma Jeszke, Sutha K Kanagasingam, Shannon Kellman, Jeremy Levy, Erika Mayer, Edward McPhee, Matthew Shutler, Neil Tambe, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Van Gilder, Laura Veith LET TT T E SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU Ethic alread a nart of hard decisions about financial, environmental, at prepared speech.): Er, I mean, you echo diversity like the University of Michigan echoes diversity. Proudly. Strongly. Passionately. Born in Hono- lulu, Hawaii, to a Caucasian mother and an African father, Barack Obama received most of his primary educa- tion in - oh, I already said that. PRESIDENT: Er, thank you. Thank you very much. I - MARY SUE COLEMAN: Oh, here we go! Barack Obama then returned to the United States to pursue higher education, and with hard work and scholarships,he attained degrees from ColumbiaUniversity and Harvard Law School. Mr. President, share with us 0 School ofBusiness classes TO THE DAILY: I read with interest Tuesday's editorial urg- ing the University to renew its commitment to ethics (Bringing ethics back, 03/31/2009). There's no question that one of the responsi- bilities of higher education is to equip students to enter "the professional world prepared to handle the difficult ethical decisions they will inevitably face." As your editorial notes, business schools are being increasingly - and properly - questioned about how they address ethics. But I think your editorial fails to accurately capture the current state of affairs as far as the Ross School of Busi- ness is concerned when it says, "The Business School must mount a concerted effort to make the discussion of ethics a substantial part of its curriculum." The piece implies that ethics training is not currently a substantial part of the Ross curriculum, when in fact it is. We have received some impartial recogni- tion on this point. The Aspen Institute's Beyond Grey Pinstripes survey, which ranks MBA pro- grams according to how well they integrate ethics - as well as socially and environmen- tally responsible business practices - into the curriculum, ranks Ross No. 2 in the world. The survey is a rigorous examination of our MBA curriculum and it judges us on both core classes and electives. Nor do we limit our efforts only to curricu- lar activities. All Business School students are required to sign a statement of community. values, which addresses the responsibilities of students to one another and their academic community. And, in the past two years, we have expanded our co-curricular leadership develop- ment program from an event centered around orientation to a more robust set of activities that runs throughout the two-year MBA program with a substantial focus on ethics in real-life decision making. These activities, by the way, involve much more than "incorporating ethi- cal situations into everyday lectures," as your editorial recommends. They involve elaborate simulations that require participants to make or social risk. This is not to argue that we shouldn't contin- ue to think hard about how best to incorporate issues of ethics, leadership, and judgment into our work. We should, and we will. But it is to say that, at Ross and at other schools in the Univer- sity, we are not starting from zero. ctive habits are not something to celebrate. Robert J. Dolan Dean, Stephen M. Ross School ofBusiness Recent assault attempt shows women can, fight back TO THE DAILY: I'm writing to express my hope that if the Daily covers the attempted sexual assault that took place on Mar. 27, it will provide details about how the intended victim successfully fought off the man who attacked her. Unfortunately, a lot of reporting on sexual assault ignores or obscures women's resistance to violence. When our communities are repeat- edly exposed only to stories that emphasize vulnerability in women and violence in men, we internalize false, sexist messages leading to apathy and despair. I celebrate that this young woman success- fully stopped a violent attack even though she was pinned to the ground by the perpetrator. As a self-defense instructor, I know it's a myththat there's "nothing you can do" from the ground. In reality, kicking from the ground can be an extremely strong position for a defender. For example, most women's legs are stronger than most men's arms. Young women can defend themselves. Daily readers should know that University community members have taken self-defense classes through the Rackham Graduate School, the U-M Dearborn Women's Center, MFIT, U-Move and at some on-campus sororities despite the fact that there is no campus-wide program offering training for students. Katy Mattingly Staff REBECCA ROBERTS-WOLFE ' ',N A hunger strike for human rights Three political prisoners of Western Saharan (Sahrawi) origin, Khallihanna Aboulhassan, Ali Salem Ablagh and Brahim Baryaz, have been on a hunger strike since Feb. 12. They are striking from a Boulhemharez prison in Mar- rakech, Morroco, in protest of the miserable conditions of the prison and in an appeal to be treated as prisoners of conscience. On Mar. 24, the Collective of the Sahrawi Human Rights Defenders (CODESA) called on interna- tional human rights associations to intervene in order to save the lives of these three Sahrawi prisoners. The region known as Western Sahara has been occu- pied by Morocco since 1975 despite a decision by the International Court of Justice in that year which upheld the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination. Violence between the Moroccan military and the Polisa- rio Front - the independence movement of the Sahrawi people - broke out the same year and continued for many years. Throughout the 1980s, Morocco constructed a series of walls to keep the Polisario military forces out of the occupied territory. The war between the two sides ended in 1991 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United Nations. The ceasefire was contingent upon a referendum being held the following year to decide the future of Western Sahara by popular vote. This referendum has still not taken place and the United States government has done little to pres- sure Morocco, a close ally, to fulfill its agreement to con- duct the referendum. Eighteen years later, the Sahrawi people are still waiting for justice. The conflict between the people and the Moroccan government, though largely forgotten by most of the rest of the world, continues to severely disrupt their lives and society. The walls built by the Moroccan government in the 1980s separate the occupied majority of Western Sahara from a small territory along its eastern and southern bor- der that is controlled by the Polisario. The walls continue to be heavily monitored by Moroccan troops who severely limit the movement of civilians between the occupied ter- ritories, Western Sahara and the outside world. Most Sahrawis in exile live in refugee camps near Tindouf in western Algeria, just on the other side of its border with Western Sahara. For decades, Sahrawis in the camps have been divided from their families in the occupied territory. The level of expense and bureaucratic negotiation that would be required for these families to visit each other makes most such visits impossible. The refugee camps are located in one of the most inhospitable regions of the world, with temperatures reaching over 120 degrees in the shade during the summer. Despite concen- trated efforts by the Polisario and the refugees to improve the standard of living in the camps, conditions there are extremely difficult. Sahrawis living within the occupied territory have very little freedom of expression. Journalists and politi- cal activists are routinely beaten, detained and made to disappear by the Moroccan police. Political prisoners like Aboulhassan, Ablagh and Baryaz suffer terrible condi- tions in prison. Although the health situation of the three men - who have now been on hunger strike for well over a month - is reported to be critical, the prison adminis- tration continues to ignore their demands. The United States government has a long and regretta- ble history of supporting repressive regimes for economic and political reasons. It has strategic interests in main- taining its longstanding friendship with the Moroccan government. This is largely because Morocco currently controls the world's largest phosphate reserves, which are located in Western Sahara. But the practice ofputtingitsshort-termstrategic inter- ests before the defense of international law and its moral obligations tarnishes the U.S. government's international image, damages its credibility and risks creating enmity among foreign populations - things that have occurred all too frequently over the last several years. This practice should be put to an end. The U.S. government must use its diplomatic weight to influence the Moroccan government to conduct the U.N.-mandated referendum under fair and reasonable terms. In the meantime, the U.S. should per- suade the Moroccan government to mitigate the condi- tions of the hunger strikers and their fellow prisoners. Rebecca Roberts-Wolfe is an LSA junior.