4 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, June 13, 2005 420 MAYNARD STREET ANN ARBOR, MI 48109 STEPHANIE WRIGHT DONN M. FRESARD tothedaily@michigandaily.com Editor in Chief Editorial Page Editor 7Trt ft EDITED AND MANAGED BY U STUDENTS AT THE Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN the majority of the Daily's editorial board. All other pieces do not SINCE 1890 necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily. I nrollment deposit numbers recently released by the University indicate that minority enrollment will like- ly rebound this fall after a drop last year. The key factor responsible for this change appears to be the University's strengthened commitment to recruiting minority appli- cants after last year's drop. These encourag- ing results show that the University's current admissions process, combined with serious recruiting efforts, can be effective in promot- ing diversity. To maintain its commitment to a diverse campus, the University needs to not simply maintain but also intensify its work to maintain a diverse student body. While final enrollment data will not be available until the fall, the number of paid enrollment deposits has historically been a reliable predictor of fall-term enrollment. According to the figures released last week, deposits from black students jumped 20 percent this year, after suffering a 13-per- cent drop last year. Deposits from Hispanic students increased 15 percent and are on track to reach an all-time high for Hispan- ic enrollment at the University. Although deposits from Native American students An encouraging sign Recruitment efforts key to minority applications were down slightly, last year saw a large number of deposits from this group. Given the steep decline in minority enrollment last year, these numbers come as a welcome relief. This is the second year the University has implemented a new undergraduate application that was revised to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling. A trend of contin- ual drops in minority enrollment could have threatened the University's mission to foster diversity and required further revisions to the admissions process. University President Mary Sue Coleman should be commended for reaching out to minorities, and her efforts - such as her visits to three traditionally black churches last year - have certainly played a part in this increase in minority enrollment. The University has also recruited minority applicants through the creation of a Span- ish-language website and efforts by minor- ity alumni and current students to reach out to prospective students. The University must ensure that these efforts continue and are increased further so that this year's enrollment numbers become the norm, not an anomaly. The Spanish-language website provides a level of comfort for Spanish-speaking par- ents but currently provides fairly limited information about the University. Upon its launch, the University pledged that the site would continue to expand, but few improve- ments have been made since last fall. It should be expanded so that Spanish-speak- ing parents are comfortable and better able to learn about the University. Additionally, the University should increase the number of visits to Michigan high schools with large minority popula- tions. University students and alumni can play an important role in recruitment to make sure that all worthy applicants, not just those from affluent schools with well- connected guidance counselors, are familiar with the University. The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative could prevent the University from consid- ering race in its admissions policy. Should 4 MCRI appear on the state ballot and pass in 2006, minority enrollment would likely drop significantly. It is important the Uni- versity continue to refine the recruitment methods needed to attract minority appli- cants, especially with the threat that MCRI could eventually force the University to alter its admissions policy.4 The past year's drop in minority enroll- ment and the looming threat of MCRI indi- cate that the University must stretch itself to promote diversity on campus. This year's statistics serve as proof that recruitment efforts have been successful toward this aim, and the University must continue to further current practices and explore new strategies aimed at attracting minority students. Manufacturiwv oafuture Bond proposal needed t e economy Paging Dr. Reefer Congress can address flaws of medical pot ruling Michigan's economy, already suffer- ing from the second-highest unem- ployment rate in the nation, was dealt another blow last week with General Motors' announcement that it would lay off 25,000 factory workers over the next three years. Exactly which jobs will be cut has not yet been determined, but since Michigan supplies nearly half of GM's 110,000 fac- tory workers, it is assured that these cutoffs will be devastating to thousands of Michi- gan employees. Recognizing that Michigan's future with the manufacturing industry is bleak, Gov. Jennifer Granholm has encour- aged increased diversification of Michigan's economy, promoting a $2-billion bond initia- tive that would further development in the life sciences and other research and development sectors. But the reluctance of Republican state legislators to embrace the proposal threatens any progress that can be made toward revital- izing Michigan's economy. The announcement also reveals the increasing difficulties Detroit's automakers have been facing in recent years. Foreign competition and high gas prices, along with escalating "legacy" and health care costs, paint a grim picture for the future of the automotive industry. Increased efficiency, a shrinking market share and globalization have already played an important role in nearly halving GM's domestic payroll over the past 15 years. Automotive jobs are not the only victim of I transitioning economy; manufacturing employees statewide are fac- ing the same job losses. Michigan's economic situation has always been closely tied to automotive manufactur- ing. Although it may no longer be in its best interest to continue clinging to a dying manu- facturing industry, the state does not need to lose its century-long ties to the automobile industry. Automotive engineering and devel- opment of alternative-energy vehicles may be a new source of growth for the state, provided Michigan adequately invests in higher educa- tion to develop the highly-skilled workforce it needs. While GM talks of closing its manu- facturing plants, it recently announced the construction of a rollover crash test facility in Milford. A Toyota research facility planned for nearby York Township is additional evi- dence of growing opportunities in automo- tive research and development. Granholm's bond initiative, if success- ful, would put a referendum on the Novem- ber ballot for the state to issue $2 billion in bonds. Pending voter approval, the state would use bond revenue to invest in high- tech businesses, creating 72,000 much-need- ed jobs. Support in the state Legislature is lagging, however, and an alternate $1-billion bond proposal has emerged from Republican legislators. The other proposal, which has already passed in the state Senate, fails go to the lengths needed to jump-start econom- ic recovery and encourage development in Michigan's high-tech sector. Michigan vot- ers have already expressed reluctance toward Granholm's bond proposal, but they should recognize that the combination of direct investment, grants and loans that her plan offers for high-tech businesses are important components of fostering economic growth. The state Legislature must recognize that providing a stable economic future for Michi- gan will meanreducing the state's dependence on the automotive industry. The recessions of the past decades and the increasing number of layoffs reveal that Michigan must branch out in order to escape the increasingly painful loss of manufacturing jobs. As debate over bond initiatives rages on, Michigan must focus on long-term economic development, which will require a significant diversifica- tion of its economy. Despite laws in some states allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes, the Supreme Court ruled last Monday that federal authorities have the right to prosecute individuals who grow, dis- tribute or use medicinal marijuana in every state. Although the court sidestepped the issue of marijuana's legitimacy as a treatment for pain and nausea, the decision overruled many successful state ballot initiatives and is a major setback for medicinal pot support- ers. By making the case an issue of states' rights, however, the court's decision wisely preserves the federal government's authority to protect workers and consumers by regu- lating interstate commerce. Furthermore, the ruling does not lay the issue to rest; Congress can and should still move to pass a law altering marijuana's legal status. In a 6-3 decision, the court ruled to over- ride medicinal marijuana laws in 11 differ- ent states that allowed doctors to prescribe marijuana to ease the pain of patients suf- fering from serious illness. The case was originally brought to court by a California resident, Diane Monson, who was found guilty of growing marijuana in her home to control the back pain caused by her degen- erative spine disease. Though the court expressed sympathy for medicinal marijuana users, it avoided the issue of whether medicinal marijuana should be legalized. Justice John Paul Ste- vens said federal drug laws clearly encom- pass the use of marijuana and that allowing states to form their own laws on this issue would undermine the federal government's ability to regulate interstate commerce. "The reasoning behind the ruling has more to do with the balance of power between the state and federal government than with drug regulation. Though the plaintiffs claimed that marijuana produced and used in Cali- fornia should not be subject to the interstate commerce clause, the court held that fed- eral laws apply to commerce within a state that could affect the interstate market. It may be difficult to see a real differ- ence between interstate and intrastate com- merce in the modern era. Ideally, the court would have found a way to reconcile states' referenda on medicinal marijuana within the context of states' rights. Its failure to do so is not a total loss, however, as the ruling affirms the federal government's right to legislate on labor regulation, environmental protection and even racial discrimination. Through the interstate commerce clause, the federal government must maintain its ability to assert authority in these areas, or states could act to limit workers' rights laws and environmental protection measures. The next step for advocates of medici- nal marijuana is to pressure Congress to change federal laws concerning the drug. Currently, a measure co-sponsored by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) would prevent federal funding from being used to prosecute medicinal marijuana users in states that permit its use. Although sup- port for the measure crosses party lines, even this watered-down proposal may not pass. Ultimately, Congress needs to recon- 4 sider marijuana's current classification as a Schedule 1 drug with no acknowledg- ment of its medical uses in lieu of a more lenient designation. Overall support for medical marijuana is building up. A 2002 Time Magazine/ CNN poll found 80 percent of Americans support the use of marijuana for medicinal 4 purposes. Congress should acknowledge the overwhelming will of its constituents: If supporters agressively push legislators, the legalization of medicinal marijuana can become a reality.