4 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, May 26, 1998 Edited and managed by CHRIS FARAH DAVID WALLACE students at the Editor in Chief Editorial Page Editor University of Michigan Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the (110)01 oad. llotfta riaI lttr ,n 420 Maynard Street majority of the Dailiseditorial boaal.^Al other articles. letters'and Ann Aorbor, M 48109 do not necessaric rclcct the opinion of The lichi gan Iaile. The Ann Arbor community is looking into the possibility of designing an innovative community facility geared towards teenagers. This facility would be an ideal place for teens to congregate during their free time. But in order for this facility to become a reality, organiz- ers of the project are hoping that the city will contribute $20,000 in addition to the $50,000 they have previously accu- mulated through grants and fund-rais- ing. If the center becomes a reality, teens would be able to enjoy such attractions as music, big screen televisions, pool tables and study sessions. The goal is to provide teens with a healthy and sup- portive environment. So far, Ann Arbor teens have shown a great deal of interest in the project. Teens have gathered and organized much of the support for the center. Also, a recent survey of Ann Arbor teens confirmed the popular desire for the construction of the center. The initial request for funding from the Point of interest Ann Arbor should support proposed teen center city came last week, when several of the teens involved in organizing this project voiced their support at a city council meeting. A number of Ann Arbor businesses and organizations back the student efforts, including the University and the YMCA. And the $50,000 already raised shows that the commitment of students, parents and local supporters is paying dividends. The support of the city itself would energize the organizers' efforts and lend the credi- bility of another impressive supporter to the cause - a move that would encourage even more community support. Furthermore, such a contribution would show that the city is striving to create a safe environment for children and young adults. In addition to recreational attractions, those planning the teen center should look to establish other useful resources. The center should include an office to help students looking for work find part- time or full-time jobs. Students wishing to perform community service should be able to find the proper outlets through the center, and those approaching their colle- giate years would be well served if the center offered advisors and hosted pre- sentations from different colleges. While many of the aforementioned functions are already a part of high schools, the center can pick up where schools leave off. High schools should remain the focus for providing students with advising, service projects and job placement. But most high schools close by late afternoon. Students need a place to go once the doors lock, and the center is the ideal site to provide resources similar to the schools. In a day and age when parents mu1 worry where their children are, the goal of building a recreational and educational facility for teens will bring comfort to con- cerned parents. Opening a place that caters to teen interests and provides activities would head off problems before they could start. And in addition to entertaining them, the center possesses a great deal of poten- tial to improve students academically and make them more attractive to prospective employers. The establishment of a teen center would enable young adults to positively explore the community around them, gain educational experiences and present an opportunity for them to foria iewf riend- ships. Young adults in high school often feel overlooked by authority figures, and this is an opportunity to reach oUt that the city should not let go to waste. Blmded wolth science Results of genetic testing should be private Tast week, the Michigan Commission of know the proper premiums to charge rela- Genetic Privacy and Progress held a tive to the risk the companies incur. public forum to discuss ethical issues sur- Insurance companies do exist to turn a rounding the field of genetics. Of great profit, and knowing the indications inher- concern to the public is the desire of insur- ent in a person's genetic code could cer- ance companies to have access to genetic tainly help them increase their revenue. test results. The commission must support a Many people fear that if insurance com- person's right to keep his or her genetic panies are able to know the results of genet- information private. ic testing, their premiums will unfairly sky- As the science of genetics advances, rocket. At this stage, genetics are an inexact researchers continue to discover the func- science and many tests only reveal the like- tions of individual genes and the ways they lihood that a person may develop a partict- affect the body. Many serious diseases are lar affliction - not the certainty that such a hereditary, and science is trying to develop problem will result. techniques for manipulating genes to The commission and the government improve a person's health. Already should support that a person's genetic test researchers are able to identify many genes results are his or her own personal informa- that cause a serious illness or at least indicate tion and that they do not fall in the insurance a higher than average potential for one company's domain. Already, some people developing as a person's life progresses. choose not to undergo genetic tests in the Tests for hereditary diseases such as colon fear of increasing their premiums or losing cancer exist, and these tests can help save their coverage. The government must step in lives. With the knowledge that they are at to alleviate such fears so that people do not risk for severe illness, people may start tak- preclude themselves from receiving preven- ing preventative measures early in life that tative treatments that could save their lives. decrease the chances of sickness. Also, the government and insurance Genetic tests reveal very personal infor- companies must realize that genetics only nration; after all, genes are the foundation play a limited part in a person's health. that provide people with their distinctive People's lifestyles impact their health just as traits. Because the field is so new, the ethical much as their genes. Charging a person issues inherent in dealing with people's more because of a gene that indicates a high- genes have not been entirely fleshed out yet. er risk of cancer would not be all that differ- The commission's objective is to compile a ent from charging a person more because report that legislators can use when design- they eat high-fat cheeseburgers often. ing laws that define a person's rights con- Allowing insurance companies to use cerning his or her genetic information. Here genetic tests gives them as unreliable mea- is where the conflict between insurance suring stick for setting premiums and hurts companies and private citizens begins. people who may hesitate to get tests in the Insurance companies feel that they face of rising insurance costs. The govern- must have access to any and all genetic ment must step in to prevent profit from tests their customers undergo. Without eclipsing people's ability to afford insurance such access, they argue that they will not and seek proper care. Ast of otder As technology develops, so must security T he - nation received two stunning reminders last week that the modern technology so many people depend on operates in a very fragile state. The mar- velous new ways in which people commu- nicate with each other the 1990s have made people take things such as pagers and the Internet for granted. But as tech- nology races along at an exponential rate, the security far such developments lags behind. Those that use and develop new technology must also take steps to ensure that new conveniences remain reliable and secure. The most noticeable upset last week occurred when the Galaxy 4 satellite spun out of its orbit, leaving countless pagers out of order. For the better part of a day, the majority of the country's pager users lost their ability to stay in constant com- munication. Many professionals scram- bled to set up other 'means of being reached. Perhaps most scary of all, numer- ous doctors and EMS personnel lost a tool they depend on for quick responses to emergencies. While they made other arrangements - some doctors simply remained at the hospital - the results could have been tragic. The other shot to the nation's confidence came in the form of a think-tank of hackers which testified before Congress as to the vulnerability of the government's computer systems. The hackers made it clear that they could shut down the Internet in a short peri- od of time, perhaps even a half hour. In addition, hackers may already possess the ability to breach such important areas as the Department of Defense and the Federal Reserve. There is no telling the amount of damage a misanthropic hacker could do with access to these sensitive areas. As technological innovators continue to develop better mousetraps, society as a whole gains a false feeling of invulnerabil- ity. In the excitement of these new inven- tions, people forget about possible secu ty issues. Pagers are wonderful devices that allow people to respond quickly when an emer- gency arises, saving valuable time. But if the companies that provide subscribers with pager service are unable to immediately react when a satellite malfunctions, all that time and more is lost. Companies should look into ways that would allow them to quickly switch to another satellite in t event of a malfunction. Too many lives n rely on pagers for problems such as last week's to occur. Computers stand at the forefront of media. With the advent of the Internet, they are centers of information, commerce and communication. The Internet is fast becoming the equivalent of television in terms of its potential to revolutionize peo- ple's lives. A crippled Internet would send thousands of businesses, researchers and students into a panic. Considering the po sible vulnerability of the government's computers, no end of technological war- fare could ensue. The government has the ability to develop the most sophisticated security measures on earth and must move to erect proper defenses against those who would tamper with its information. Many people put an unwarranted faith in the technology they use everyday. There is no question that the developments of last 10 years continue to make lives easier, but the advances are not completely reliable yet. Users and developers must find ways to secure this delicate technology so that the trust people have in them is not betrayed.