Monday, July 20, 1998 - The Michigan Dailv - 5
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
It's amazing to me how 30 seconds can change your life."
- Former Michigan hockey player Chris Fox,
after his sentencing for assault last Wednesday.
Fox received three years probation, 200 hours of community service
and $1,200 in court costs and fines.
0
T
Ipha Kappa
lpha info
was wrong
TO THE DAILY:
In a 1996 edition of The
Michigan Daily, an article titled
"Joining Together As One" was
written including the following:
"Like its brother fraternity,
ha Kappa Alpha was also
nded at Cornell University
because of the discriminatory
practices of white sororities."
I am a member of Alpha
Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.,
and this information is com-
pletely untrue. I can guess that
many responses have been-sent
regarding this bit if misinfor-
mation. I do not understand,
ever, that if I am correct,
why the information is still
posted incorrectly. It would be
appreciated if this information
could be corrected or removed
from the article on the internet,
thus ending this spread of false
information to those interested
in Alpha Kappa Alpha or The
Michigan Daily or anyone else.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority,
. was founded January 15,
8, on the campus of Howard
University, in Washington, D.C.
The sorority was founded as a
means of uniting African
American women in college and
giving them a bond amongst
themselves as they continued
through college. The founders
and future members of the
sorority strove for high scholas-
chievement, gave service to
the surrounding community, and
had an interest in uplifting the
African American community as
a whole. The purpose of found-
ing the organization was not to
provide an alternative route for
African American women to
engage in sorority life.
DARLENA M. GUNN
ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA
Student
regent raises
questions
To THE DAILY:
I'm just writing to express
my interest in a student regent. I
know that this is a topic that is
presently receiving a substantial
amount of discussion, and I have
a few questions I'd like to have
addressed. So this is an open let-
ter to those who support a stu-
dent regent. My first question
regards the selection of a student
regent. MSA is divided into
schools, but one student regent
will have to be picked from all
of them. I assume it will be a
general vote, similar to that of
MSA. However, many students
on campus are already fed up
with MSA elections and their
advertising campaigns. And this
is for MSA, not an exulted posi-
tion like student regent. Will stu-
dent regent candidates be able to
get backing from a student
party? Will there be a limit on
the campaign costs? How many
forums and debates is the public
going to be allowed to get to
know the candidates?
My second question is
about eligibility. Who can run?
This University is state-run
and that is why all registered
state voters elect a regent. This
hints to the fact that only in-
state students will be allowed a
spot on this esteemed board.
My third question is about
biased students. Each student at
this University is biased to cer-
tain programs. When it comes
to decisions, are we going to
trust that he or she does right
for the University and not
themselves? This is a lot of
pressure for someone under 25.
Which leads to another ques-
tion: Can grad students run?
My last question is perhaps
the most important. How much
power will the student regent
actually have? Even on a pure-
ly one-vote basis, the most
power a student regent could
have is one vote out of nine.
Are things so close to deadlock
now that one more vote our
way will change the whole
University? The truth of the
matter is that a student regent
is going to affect the vote only
slightly. I don't think that one
vote is going to get a tuition
increase lock as supporters are
claiming.
If someone can answer this
question to my satisfaction,
you'll have gotten at least one
more vote.
PATRICK ELKINS
SCHOOL OF Music
'Ally McBeal ' does not spell the end offeminism
F orgive me if I tread where no man should. program to single-handedly promote the politics
Forgive me, women, if I piss you off. But I of her gender.
sense a conspiracy against your freedom of I will agree that all too often, feminism is
choice. integrated as a component of a PR campaign to
The June 29 issue of Time touched on an promote female-led bands, TV shows and prod-
interesting subject, the demise of feminism. On ucts. The Spice Girls, with their "Girl Power,"
the cover stood a rough timeline of notables in are pseudo-feminists, though I doubt they could
the feminist movement, including even spell that word. The Lilith Fair,
Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. At which I had the pleasure of taking in a
the end of this floating head line-up week ago, is hyped as celebrating
was Calista Flockhart, better known women in music. But aside from a few
as the title character of the FOX show ^kjokes about vaginas, it was really just
"Ally McBeal," with the rhetorical about good music.
question, "Is feminism dead?" l'And I will agree with Bellafante's
beneath her. assertion that women are still woefully
Inside the magazine is a multi-page underrepresented in positions of
diatribe by Ginia Bellafante detailing power.
how commercialism and popular cul- But her expectation that every
ture have overrun the idealism that JACK woman who makes it into the public
feminism used to embrace and SCHILLACI eye must serve to better the plight of all
replaced it with a sugar coating. The 'I.AM IT TO women is dull and historically incon-
article - not-so-subtly entitled "Who TIF LEFT sistent. While the '60s and '70s
put the 'me' in feminism?" - lays the brought the rise of the feminist move-
blame at numerous notable women's feet, among ment, it also brought us Gidget, Goldie Hawn,
them Courtney Love, Flockhart, Steinem, Marcia Brady and Olivia Newton-John. It
Winona Ryder, Whoopi Goldberg ... the list goes seems that the ditz patrol has always followed
on and on. in the wake of Bellafante's vaunted idealism.
Now, as far as I know - and I may be wrong The feminist movement was supposed to be
about this - Ally McBeal is not considered the about women being whatever the hell they want-
icon of current feminist thought. I have yet to ed to be, as I recall. It was about broadening
hear anyone - man or woman - state, "Damn, choices, not dogmatic politicking. If Ally
she's a powerful woman. She represents the true McBeal wants to obsess about her ex-
voice of the female gender." Yes, she is a ditz boyfriend/co-worker, then more power to her.
obsessed with her own well-being, occasionally Having kids, pursuing a career, performing
haunted by fantasies. of dancing babies and domesticities, becoming an activist - all are
"human sundials." And of course, one of her choices that should be respected.
characteristic lines, "I want to help save the And no person - be it a man or Ginia
world, I just want to get married first," does Bellafante - should say differently.
smack in the face of the liberation that the femi- - Jack Schillaci, with his X and
nist movement embodies. But I think it's just a Y chromosomes, can be reached
little bit much to ask a fictional character on a TV over e-mail atjschilla@umich.edu.
MR~. PRESIDENT, TAE~
SEaCRET SER~VICE AGENTS
WILL BE TESTIEYINi4QIN
CROUPS of TiAREE.
'Fin
Sick of relationships? Take my advice just give up
S ure, it may be a little difficult at first. I suppose yesterday's garbage, blah, blah, yada, yada.
it will be tough for a while - I might even Say it's the other way around. Say there's a gid
experience some withdrawal symptoms. who would do anything for me. Maybe even ... you
But it's final. I've made up my mind, and there's get the idea. I can't respect her. I can't really like her.
no turning back now. It's over. Done with. Finished. Fortunately, I'm much more kind-hearted than most
I don't care what anyone says - I've had it.w women (who are, as everyone knows, cruel and
I'm giving up on women. manipulative by nature), so I don't do any using or
Now, don't get me wrong - at heart, toying with. Or at least not much ... come
I'll always be a healthy heterosexual on, no one is perfect!
male. I'm not going over to the other side But the result is ultimately the same -
here. (Not that there's anything wrong no one winds up happy.
with that, I'vejust never, uh ... Well, let's I've tried to get around this little sand
put it this way: I'm not a big fan of the k tap of self esteem, but to no avail. The
Village People, and I've never had aspi- same symptoms seem to plague most of
rations to be a fashion designer.) the people I know, guys and girls. It's
But despite whatever my, er ... heart, either scenario one or scenario two, over
will always tell me, I've decided to stop " and over
listening. I've had enough of all the Amazingly enough, I actually know
headaches, all the emotional roller coast- CHRIS one or two couples who seem to have
er rides, all the confusion and all the FARAH overcome this phenomena. These
wondering. FAI II A AS "healthy" individuals are either married or
I've had enough of women, once and FA UCET planning on it. Don't ask me how they did
for all, damnit! it, although I have some suspicions ... I
You see, I've figured it out. Relationships with think it has something to do with genuine feelings
women are simply vicious cycles that feed off them- of friendship and caring for each other. But those
selves, never ending. I just can't win. are just nasty, unsubstantiated rumors.
I've come across two different relationship sce- I think I've got the only real answer: Give it up.
narios which have become virtual motifs in my life, Call it quits. Throw in the towel, before it's too late:
each ultimately just as unsatisfying and unfulfilling Before anyone else is unnecessarily hurt or any
as the other. Allow me to elaborate: more real friendships are sacrificed!
Scenario one: I like woman. She doesn't like me. After all, what's really so great about the oppo-
Scenario two: Woman likes me. I don't like her. site sex, anyway? I mean, women have breasts, but
OK, so maybe I simplified things just a little, that's really about it. And what are breasts but just
but once you work through all the details, that's real- flabby little lumps of flesh?
ly what it comes down to. OK, so maybe women can give birth. But mod-
As the all-wise Ferris Bueller said, "You can't ern technology has created its own new and
respect a person who kisses your ass." When I like improved breasts, so maybe childbirth isn't a long
a woman, I really like her. I go all out. I'd do any- way away ...
thing for her. I'd probably even kiss her ass, if she Whatever the case, I'll never like the Village
really wanted me to. So, naturally, she doesn't People. For me, it's Queen and nothing else.
respect me. I get used, toyed with, tossed out with - Reach Chris Farah at cjfarah@umich.edt.