Wednesday, May 21, 1997 - The Michigan Daily - 5
OTABLE QUOTABLE
"The University believes that faculty, staff and
*sstudent personnel records should be kept
confidential. They have a right to privacy."
- Associate Vice President for University Relations Lisa Baker; referring to the
Ann Arbor News 'lawsuit against the University for violating the Freedom of
Information Act by withholding a letter to basketball coach Steve Fisher
LETTERS TO TH E TR
mokers
olate others'
rights, safety
0 THE DAILY:
Now that the weather is
finally warm and the stale
inter air is moving out, are
students coming out of hiber-
nation to smell the fresh air?
N, to pollute it with cigarette
9ke. Now I have two prob-
lems with smokers. The first is
obvious - the disgusting
stench that stays in your
clothes and hair, not to men-
tion the eye-watering smoke
that is chock full of more than
100 carcinogens. Smell that
spring air! Yeah, secondhand
smoke! Now I don't want to
h r, "Oh we've given up
Uaurants and airplanes ...
We have rights!" Do I have the
right to spray people with an
aerosol can of "101
Carcinogens?" No. But appar-
ently smokers do.
My second problem is the
"flick." Where do smokers think
these butts are going? Out the
car window or over their shoul-
der? The flick is called littering!
I t about children? Little kids
pu things in their mouths.
Show me a public beach that
isn't full of cigarette butts!
Smokers want rights? Well,
the world is already their ash-
tray.
JASON RUNNELS
ENGINEERING SENIOR
Jeans Day
garnered false
support
TO THE DAILY:
In response to this year's
Jeans Day, many students either
did not know - or care -
enough about it to change their
attire to express their opinions.
Many students felt that the day
was somewhat of a joke. "Why
choose a symbol of support that
nearly everyone wears?" This
was a question I heard many
people ask and such a symbol
makes it difficult to distinguish
those who support the Queer
Unity Project and those whose
only clean clothing happened to
be denim. What's next, Shoe
Day? Anyone wearing shoes on
this particular day supports the
Greek System. We'll make sure
to have this sometime in mid-
January. No one"would go out
saying, "I really don't support
the Greek System, so I don't
think I'll wear any shoes today"
This symbol gives QUP a
false sense of security. Seeing
so many individuals wearing
jeans does not mean all support
their cause. In Douglas Barns'
letter to the editor ("QUP spon-
sors 'Jeans Day,"' 4/17/97), he
suggests that the reason for
Jeans Day is to "find out who isj
not wearing jeans" - meaning
those who don't support QUP..
Everyone who is not wearing
denim is not necessarily against
gay and lesbian rights.
The sentiments I have heard
on campus suggest that QUP
should choose some other sym-
bol that would truly identify
those who do support QUP and
those who didn't care enough
either way to change their daily
routine. Why not have some-
thing like Pink Shirt Day? With
a a unique piece of clothing like
this, QUP would separate the
men from the boys. Supporters
would easily be identified and
we could get a real count of
how many there are - not the
exaggerated number we are usu-
ally told.
On Jeans Day, I was wearing
jeans; not because it was Jeans
Day but because that is what I
like to wear. I support QUP's
efforts, not because they are gay
but because they are human and
shouldn't face discrimination.
JUSTIN RECKARD
LSA JUNIOR
Thirty dollar smocks do not a hippie make
T love the band Phish, yet as my boyfriend once Instead, you have to make your way through
leloquently stated, "I hate everything about mobs of twirling, tripping pseudo-hippies -
Phish except the music itself." who drove to the show in daddy's Jeep Grand
Call me closed-minded, but the past few Phish Cherokee - just to get to your seat. Yes, I do
shows I've attended made my stomach turn. The like having a seat at Phish shows. Last summer,
last two shows I've seen were in big-ass stadiums some pseudo-hippie friends of mine laughed at
inundated with a new breed of pseudo-hippies. me when I refused to get lawn tickets for a
And I might be mistaken, but it seems show. Sorry I don't want to spend three
they (and possibly Ann Arbor's squir- hours amidst a pot-smoke-filled crowd
rels - I'm certain they're up to some- of stinky hippies, but I'm here to see a
thing) are taking over the world. show, not to prove how die-hard a hip-
Generally I don't stereotype people, pie I truly am.
but every person fitting the genre of Speaking of die-hard hippies, what's
the barefooted, smock-wearing, hemp up with people into bootlegs of shows?
jewelry, vegetarian, granola hippie Granted. some tapes are actually well
never ceases to amaze me with their recorded and enjoyable to listen to. But
hypocrisy. You know they were crimp- many people acquire bootlegs because
ing their hair, tight-rolling their jeans, they were too wasted and don't remem-
and amassing a collection of jelly KRISTIN ber the shows they attended. Asking a
bracelets while jamming to Wham on AROLA hippie acquaintance of mine how a par-
their pastel purple boom box a few DANI NG I- ticular show was, she actually said to
years back. Yet now they've supposed- CEILING FANS me, "It was good ... I think." You think?
ly "found themselves." I fail to see Put the joint down, girl, and take a step
how finding yourself consists of becoming like back into reality.
everyone else whom you deem cool. Another thing that gets me is my assumption
A new local store sells items to these wander- that people looking like free-loving spirits are
ing souls. I took a peek one day at their stickers, friendly. Maybe they are, but only to their own.
clothing and smoking accessories. My visit solid- At most Phish shows you will find the zombie
ified my bad attitude. Old jeans with patches will hippies smiling and laughing amidst one another;
run you between $30 and $40. A smock made out but if you try to break into their world they won't
of two pieces of material costs $35. Come on, give you the time of day. Okay, so they don't wear
people! Real hippies make their own clothes. watches, but besides that these people are down-
Even I can sew patches on my jeans (well, I usu- right stuck-up. I'm sorry I'm not wearing a $30
ally do it for necessity, not to look cool so I can smock, I'm sorry I'm not tripping balls and
score some dank nugs). twirling around the parking lot, I'm sorry I'm
I admit some people are bona fide hippies. wearing shoes, but dammit, I'm being myself and
They are not adhering to some mysterious stan- isn't that what the whole hippie attitude should
dard of cool in the world of granola, they simply embrace? Love everyone, including a cynical
are who they are. Yet when I go to Phish shows bastard such as myself.
(yes, back to the topic long forgotten), true hip- - Kristin Arola can be phound and
pies are few and far between. e-mailed at arolak@umich.edu.
Trips abroad can be more than students bargainfor
T his summer it seems like more of my friends scheme of a criminal genius who just needed an
will be treading on foreign soil than will be engineering intern to monitor the purity levels
strolling down South U. Off they go to chase of the nose candy headed to the East Coast. He
their dreams, find a little adventure or just get a will also be responsible for making sure Motley
really boss vacation while Ma and Pops are still Crue's shipments arrive on time.
footing the bill. One bonus: There might be additional travel -
Several people I know are screaming "Rule overthrow a neighboring dictator on the week-
Britannia" - heading to Oxford and end, pay off a few customs officials,
Cambridge to enlighten themselves last summer's intern even appeared on
with the best Western Civilization has "C.O.P.s."
to offer. One thing to remember before I wonder what happened to that last
running off to the sceptered isle, folks intern? He probably disappeared after
- it may be home to several great uni- accidentally" wandering into rival ter-
versities, but the average glass of ritory or after an unsuccessful, but
London tap water has more taste than "strongly encouraged" attempt at cliff
the food or Benny Hill. Not to mention diving. I think the only plastic at this
that in 1658, St. Clive ofYorkshire per- firm is in the form of kilo-sized
formed the questionable miracle of Ziplocs.
rounding up all the dentists and chas- PAUL Despite my own irrational fears, it is
ing them into the sea. To this day you $ERILLA true that a lot of people get valuable
will not find one tooth-care profession- SERILLA experiences from these programs.
al in the home of the Union Jack. So WARFARE There is certainly value in first-hand
pack some extra Crest and maybe bring knowledge of another culture or Lan-
a sandwich. guage; maybe some will gain insight into the
Another friend is off to Egypt and Israel to increasingly global marketplace. But lets face it
dig through the sands covering the lost knowl- - one of my friends went to Italy and lived in a
edge of ancient civilizations. Maybe he'll find villa in Florence - most of these programs
an answer to how the pyramids were built, a lost aren't exactly the Peace Corps.
fragment of the Temple of David or a really big Study abroad for most college students is a
potsherd. I am not sure, but I still think he way to build college-bound delusions to a glob-
might believe that he is going to run into Nazi al scale. A way to extend the comforting
battalions and snake pits out there. Two cocoon of university life beyond the borders of
reminders to for my friend and the rest of you campus.
archeology majors - avoid anyone who sounds College is a safe gig and most of us want to
like they are wearing a really loud watch and, keep it going. We are most scared of boring, low-
most important, says "we named the dog paying jobs with no future or even worse, not
Indiana." being able to find one of those boring jobs.
The most questionable venture I have encoun- Come to think of it, I need to call my travel
tered is my friend who is convinced he is work- agent.
ing a quality-control job for a plastics firm. - Paul Serilla is still in Michigan. You
Personally, I think the he fell for the clever can e-mail him at pserilla@umich.edu.
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Wanna write for Daily Opinion?
Call Jack at 764-0552 or e-mail him atl schilla@umich.edu.