Page 4-Wednesday, August 13, 1980-The Michigan Daily
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'U' wins as
gridders lose
IT LOOKS as i the Wolverines have lost
one even before the football season has
begun. But thegridders' loss is the University's
gain.
Last week it was learned the Athletic Depar-
tment had abandoned consideration of an
"academic support" plan that would have
provided remedial reading, -remedial writing,
"power" learning, and time management in-
struction for the football team. Freshmen would
have been required to participate while upper-
classmen would have been included on a self-
referral basis.
Presumably the football players who would
have derived benefits from the remedial
program are disappointed. And it is too bad that
students who need remedial help may not now
receive it.
But before too many tears are shed for the
football players, consider that athletes who
require such intensive remedial help may not
belong at this university in the first place.
It has long been a popular conception within
the University's academic community that the
Athletic Department recruits, enrolls, and gran-
ts exorbitant scholarships to good athletes, with
little regard for their academic prowess. That
the department should even consider implemen-
ting a remedial program for the football team
only reinforces that conception.
Why should talented athletes receive special
treatment? A cynic might answer that a good
football team is essential to keep the Athletic
Department's money machine well-greased.
But no other students who devote their time in
high school to extra-curricular activities to the
detriment of their academic studies (as we must
assume most football players do, else they would
not need a remedial program) receive special
treatment from the University.
Indeed, no special remedial programs have
been established for high school marching band
members, or actors, or newspaper editors whose
grades were poor - principally because those
poor students usually don't get into the Univer-
sity to begin with.
Supporters of the gridders' academic plan
may argue that some minority students receive
special academic help and are admitted to the
University under lenient standards.
Those students, however, are admitted
because they are often economically and
educationally disadvantaged. They, unlike the
football players, did not make a conscious choice
to ignore academics in favor of other activities.
This University will be the fine academic in-
stitution that it is only so long as it maintains
suitably rigorous admissions standards. Foot-
ball players should not be exempt from those
standards.
r
a
LETTERS TO THE DAILY:
Libertarian clarifies stance
To The Daily: rights of owners, but should
Ronald Suarez' letter (Daily, protect the rights of people to
Aug. 7) on pollution ignores the hold property and self free from
fact that Ed Clark addressed the violation and aggression, in-
problem in the debate that Suarez cluding pollution.
says he attended. As Clark made The Libertarian Party's 1980
clear, pollution is aggression Platform takes this position: We
against an owner's property support the development of an
rights. So the Audubon Society's objective system defining in-
ownership of the beach Suarez dividual property rights to air
speaks of should allow them to and water. We hold that am-
operate a "nude beach" if they biguities in the area of these
please, and to prohibit any rights (e.g. the concept of "public
pollution of the property. No cor- property") are a primary cause
poration or government has the of our deteriorating environment
right to destroy or corrupt or Present legal principles which
even use without permission allow the violation of individual
other persons' property. This is rights by polluters must be
already recognized, often in the
case of small privately-owned 'Survival Sun
lakes.
The purpose of government To The Daily:
regulation of pollution is not to A citizens movement has been
outlaw pollution, but to deter- underway in Ann Arbor for ten
mine how much, when, where, weeks. This movement is called
and by whom pollution will be Survival Summer and is part of a
allowed (note-the word is national effort to encourage
regulate, not prohibit). Gover- awareness and action for a saner,
nment regulation of industrial safer future. The proposals of this
pollution has, historically, ad-hoc group are no war, stop the
negated the rights of farmers to nuclear arms race, develop a
have clean, healthy, and unbur- constructive energy policy, and
ned crops; it has allowed in- reordernationalpriorities.y
dustries to dump in the rivers and In every neighborhood there
the air; it has prohibited class ac- are fears and concerns about the
tion suits against polluters-all in economy and U.S. military,
the name of "the common good" policy; however, there is little
and political favoritism, discussion and sharing of views.
The rivers are polluted Many people feel the situation is.
mainly by municipally-owned out of their hands and there is
sewage disposal systems, the air gthrands h
by gvermen-monpolzednothing they can do.
by government-monopolized It is our hope in Survival Sum-
.utilities-for the common good. mer to talk to'people about war,
This is made easier by con- peace, unemployment, nuclear
sidering rivers, air, and most
land to be "public power, solar energy, etc., and en-
domain-owned and carelessly courage house meetings in
kept by local, state, and federal
governments, the environment's Storm helper
worst enemy.
Since regulation assumes that To The Daily:
property rights can be vitiated, July 16, 1980-The Storm-Red
regulation, with its state- Cross Disaster Services ac-
arrogated task of weighing cost tivated and responded im-
vs. benefit, will always (even mediately. Initially, more than
with Barry Commoner as thirty volunteers respon-
president) be subject to bargains, ded-foregoing their own
deals, the calculus of utility, damage-and prepared food,
compromise, and most of all beverages for over 300, opened
political manipulation and pull. two shelters for fifty people, and
only a strict adherence to un- assisted with all emergency
compromisable property rights needs requests.
can approach a guarantee that no Later, when power was
corporation or government will deayed, an additional twenty-
wantonly trample the environ- five volunteers opened a feeding
ment. Governments, when in- station, preparing and serving
stituted, must not violate the two meals a day to well over 500
reversed. The laws of nuisance
and- negligence should be
modified to cover damage done
by air, water, and noise pollution.
The Audubon Society, on Liber-
tarian principles, would have
legal recourse to protect its
property from industrial
pollution, whether its source is a
tenant of the Society's land, or it
is carried by air regularly from
afar. And it would be free to allow
nude bathers, like Mr. Suarez, to
use its beach, unmolested by
pollutants or Puritans.
-S. D. Marcus
August8
n m ernotes
neighborhoods to continue these
discussions. Once people start
talking they might be surprised
and find a consensus for peace,
safe energy and cooperation.
If Survival Summer volunteers
stop by your house, we hope you
can extend a warm welcome.
Remember, these volunteers are
simply local residents of Ann Ar-
bor and Ypsilanti from different
organizations, different religions,
with varied backgrounds, but
holding common concerns about
our nation and this world. If you
want to become involved in this
movement, you can call 996-3542
or come to our weekly meetings
Sunday 7-9 p.m., at the Wesley
Lounge at 604 E. Huron. Let's join
together in this grassroots effort
to builda better world.
-Anne Dievler
August 7
As lauded
people.
It is comforting to know that in
time of disaster, Washtenaw
County is in such capable and
willing hands. We would like to
publicly thank each and every
one of those volunteers who
assisted in making this troubled
time pleasant and almost en-
joyable.
-Carroll Thomson,
Chairman of
volunteers
Pat Klinger,
Coordinator,
Disaster Services
August 6
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