LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Michigan Daily - Monday, July 21, 2003 - 5 New York: city of contradictions AYMAR JEAN No RHYME, JUT REASON Diversity of thought is crucial to 'U' TO THE DAILY: After years of reading the Daily's ideologically doctrinaire editorials, it is refreshing to finally stumble across one that affirms the right of individuals with differ- ent perspectives to disagree peace- ably (Affirmative overreaction, 7/14/03). Too often in the past the Daily has given tacit endorsements to those, who in the name of toler- ance and diversity, show a callous disregard - in some cases, out- right hostility - for anyone else's right to make their views heard. That Ward Connerly's affir- mative action initiative provokes expressions of strong emotions from supporters and opponents } makes flaring tempers an inevitable part of such a campus visit. However, it does not excuse the actions of the hypo- critical zealots that tried to incite unrest. For those that ostensibly support a more diverse campus and the free interchange of ideas ,here is some food for thought: Diversity comes in more forms than just skin color, it also comes from a broad palette of ideas. Resolving issues as incen- diary as affirmative action just don't happen when one side defines a dialogue as drowning out the voice of one's opponent. RANDALL ROTH Alsmnuss Coleman right to open 1house after Victor TO THE DAILY: Dan Adams is "a (man) delu- sional enough to believe what (he) wants to believe" in assailing University President Mary Sue Coleman's invitation to celebrate the victory of the principle of affirmative action at herresi- dence. In April, the University sponsored bus trips to Washington to witness an event central to its culture, and the nation, much like the University, has sponsored road trips to less politically significant, but still University-centric, athlet- ic contests like bowl games. Although everyone does not agree with the University's athletic poli- cies, the last official wide-scale invitation to the President's House came on a Football Saturday in the fall of 1997, a victory over Penn State along Michigan's road to the National Championship. Certainly there were those who disdained then President Lee Bollinger's invitation by citing problems with Athletic Depart- ment practices like student athlete treatment and merchandising operations, but the party's intent was to celebrate a victory for the } University as a whole. When the University takes a side in public affairs, whether political or athlet- ic, it's important to remember the namesake of the institution repre- sents the campus community, dis- senters and all. The University defending itself against Gatz and Grutter at the U.S. Supreme Court is no different than challenging Penn State and Purdue at Michi- gan Stadium. Since the entire campus community is marked by the name of the University, cele- brating a victory of its official public opinion (ruled a "com- pelling state interest" in this case) is permissible. Mr. Adams can hold a pity party at his apartment to express his belief, but Dr. Cole- man can also open the doors of her house to represent the Univer- sity's official opinion. TOM CAMPION LSA junior 'U not spending money wisely TO THE DAILY: After all the belly-aching from the University administration about the cuts from the state budget, I thought our beloved University was on the brink of starvation. I could 'imagine bureaucrats in Flemming contemplating cutting heat to the Hill dorms, President Coleman renting out the President's house as a bed and breakfast and Canadian lumberjacks coming to campus to clear-cut the Arb. The only solution to this dire siruation was to spike tuition and ask, no, beg the state government for enough money to heat the poor freshmen on the hill. It was the University's only hope to avoid a hundred years of Ohio State domi- nance (oh, perish the thought). But, apparently I don't need to worry though because I noticed brand new PCs strewn about in the Fishbowl like coins in the Trevi Fountain. Phew, I guess the government has decided to wisely spend my tuition and buy flat screen monitors and new key- boards in this time of government shortfalls. I can only imagine the other ways that the University is "wisely" spending my tuition around the University. Government is after all an efficient vehicle. They never need to cinch up their belt rather than beg another meal from Lansing. So I guess the crisis is averted. The bureaucrats in Flemming have decided to heat the hill dorms yet another winter and President Coleman has quit taking reservations for the fall. But as soon as anyone starts talking about the necessity of cut- ting remember: Our University is highly efficient, and it wisely spends its dollars on new flat screen monitors and keyboards. Either way,.I am going to keep an eye out for those Canadian lumberjacks. DOUG TIETZ State chairman, YoungAmericans for Freedom LSA senior NEW YORK - ew York City, though agri- barren, blossoms with literary inspira- tion. In my harvest for column ideas, I have reaped a few, but one stands out: New York is a city of contradictions. This may be a bit obvious, butI believe my observations have a more salient mean- ing, both for me and all New Yorkers. This summer, I am interning at two organizations: a trade association for mar- keters and the New York Press. As profes- sional as each internship sounds, neither is paid, and such is the case for many of the interns in the city. The employment of free or cheap labor, commonly associated with underpaid immigrants and lower class workers, has an odd connotation in New York: wealth. In New York, interning is a sign of wealth; those who are paid the least have parents who earn the most. Beyond my occupational oddity, there are the regional oddities. Neighborhoods in the city are loosely arranged by zip code. In my area code, 10021, decadence meets elegance on the Upper East Side. Women clad in Armani tread urban side- walks in Manolo Blahniks, walking dogs clad in Louis Vuitton. Quaint cafes serve overpriced creme caramel as patrons blithely chatter away. A few blocks uptown, zip code 10029, a comparative dystopia exists: East Harlem. Boasting an average annual household income of $17,000, the area is certainly better than most of the world's ghettos, but it pales in comparison to its downtown neighbor. Further downtown, the clashes multiply. Area code 10012 meets 10002 meets 10005. Soho meets the Lower East Side meets the Financial District. The once bohemian now post-modern, neo-yuppie playland of Soho borders the newly- crowned bohemian, starving-artist playland of the LES. And still, a few blocks down is the famed financial district, lying awkward- ly next to the not-so-pristine Chinatown. Throughout the city, the clash between old and new is palpable. Downtown, a 2003 Porsche Cayenne S is parked on a 1903 cobblestone road. Times Square, christened in 1905 with the erection of Times Tower, conjures images from Orwell's 1984, a futuristic conglomeration of mass media, uber-corporations and restaurant chains. Showing nostalgia for an older, simpler time, last year the New Yorker decried the design of the Westin New York on 42nd St, calling it tastelessly modern, "vulgar." Even Central Park - turning 150 this summer - is an odd addition to the sprawling high-rises and Fifth Avenue apartments. In a city where commuters consciously inhale exhaust fumes, sit on plastic furniture and work in man- made, architectural wonders, the ver- dant park is a curious companion. The city's skyscrapers grow upward and defy gravity, the unwieldy weight of reason. For those who have yet to feel the city's energy, it spurs wonder and ignites curiosity. Somehow, however ill at ease, it works. The city lives on with the proverbial heartbeat of its stressed-out workers. All of this leads to one conclusion: In New York, beauty often comes with flaws. On Lexington Avenue outside Blooming- dale's, it isn't shocking to see a homeless person lying destitutely, collapsed from drunkenness or hunger. Below Canal St, it is not uncommon to see a dilapidated apart- ment worth well over $1,500 in rent. In light of all these perplexities, sea- soned New Yorkers grow cynical and criti- cal. They become cynical and try to find the seamy, hidden layer beneath every supposed virtue. New Yorkers will read social critique into a work of art created simply for aesthet- ics and will make a travesty of every just law. And those who are not quite cynical are, at the very least, critical, which accounts for the city's large media sector. Everyday, dozens of newspapers and news networks question both policies and people, trying to resolve this metropolitan quandary. , Here, nothing is simple; every story has two facets. And so, it is hard to not overan- alyze such a complex environment. It is hard not to see New York in a national and global perspective. It is hard, especially with politics on the mind, not to see every image in light of economic and social poli- cy, to eye its complexities at face value. For a young intern and aspiring journalist, a pilgrimage to New York offers a chance to -pardon the platitude - grow. Jean can be reachedat acjean@umich.edu. Granhoim should read dead German economist JASON PESICK ONE SM ItLVOICE used to walk to school when I was in elementary school. The older kids in the neighborhood would watch the younger kids and make sure we got there okay. My first couple of years, there was a group of girls in the neighborhood who filled that role. They also used to baby-sit for my brother and me on the weekends. Since that time,' they've all graduated from college and have started their first real jobs. They're nice and smart, and they'll add a lot to any community in which they decide to live. But from my perspective as someone who was born and raised in Michigan and has most of his family and friends in the state, there's a problem: Almost all of those girls have left the state. They've taken their educations, their knowl- edge and their talents with them. Many of Michigan's young residents are doing the same. Why live in Michi- gan when you can move to Chicago, the East Coast or someplace with better weather? There's not really much here for people who have just graduated from college. Detroit, the biggest city, is a mess; it has lost more people than any other major city in the country over the past two years. In the state in general, there's not much of a nightlife, not much to do in general and most importantly, there's not that many jobs. It's something that many policymakers say they are aware of, but not much of any- thing has happened. Enter Michigan's bright, energetic, attractive and progressive new governor, Jennifer Granhoim, who has spent time in vibrant areas such as San Francisco and Boston. She replaces an older, duller, seemingly more out-of-touch, conservative white male, John Engler. It seemed to me as if she understood Michi- gan's brain drain crisis and how the state could not continue to rely on the auto indus- try. To me, she seemed likea national star in a world of second-rate state politicians. Granholm recently gave a speech on Mackinac Island wearing sunglasses, where she discussed the importance of making Michigan a more "hip" state. The conservative businessmen who were in her audience ate it up. Maybe I would be able to stay put in my home state after all. But thus far, Granholm has not backed up this talk with substance. A good exam- ple of this is her failure to appreciate the significance of the Michigan Life Sci- ences Corridor. The idea of the corridor is to combine the efforts of the state's top universities and attract new private sector businesses in the field to create a vibrant region that would gain national promi- nence. Understanding the connection between Granholm's stated desire to cre- ate a more "hip" state and the corridor's aim of creating a more vibrant state does not take that much brainpower. Last week, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan told Congressional com- mittees that manufacturing will not be vital to the U.S. economy in the future. While this angered some members of Con- gress and may rightfully frighten workers in states such as union-heavy Michigan, it was a positive economic statement - it's true. I've taken enough economics at the University to know that the integrating system known as globalization will add jobs to the U.S. economy, but they will not be in manufacturing. They will be in areas such as the life sciences. In order to main- tain a healthy economy, it is important that new types of businesses be free to pop up, and that means that older industries such as the auto industry cannot be allowed to suffocate these saplings. The state promised the corridor $50 million a year for 20 years. At first, it was delivering, but recently, the amount of funding has become so small that it is almost irrelevant. The reason that the state of Michigan became such a powerful and exciting place in the first half of the 20th century is that it led in the sectors, such as automobile man- ufacturing, that were cutting-edge at the time, but they are no longer. The state needs a replacement, and the best option is to take this corridor and run with it. Granholm should listen to University Pres- ident Mary Sue Coleman and pour money into the corridor, while working to attract new, innovative businesses. That, not wear- ing sunglasses on an island that still hasn't experienced the auto boom, is how to start revitalizing Michigan. Pesick can be reached at jzpesick@umich.edu.