Page 4 -The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, April 16,1991 WIg 3iCigan &ailQ 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 Edited and Managed by Students at the University of Michigan ANDREW GOTTESMAN Editor in Chief STEPHEN HENDERSON DANIEL POUX Opinion Editors Unsigned editorials represent a majority of the Daily's Editorial Board. All other cartoons, signed articles, and letters do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily. ""{::r":,; , v. v r. __ __ .. . .... ._...{{{{ .% flVt. t n . . { Va..V '.. ' . .::S^:" :":":t . a a ;%;j c? cj -t:i~2 2 J "Sr:,,r . .A" r, n{ p ., ..&~~. . . . . . . . . ____ r V C.r . ......." New .h plic Ca pu.adcas(? us ntdirutstd" eviomet t has come to the attention of the Daily recently j that a rather disturbing group of radicals have been upsetting the very delicate study environ- ments of the University's libraries. No where has this pattern been more evident than in the bastion of undergraduate intellectualism, the Undergradu- ate Library (UGLi). " Apparently, this extremely small and select group of rabble-rousers are either ignorant, or determined to disrupt this comfortable setting for reflection and learning. It is imperative that these upstarts be isolated and dealt with. The unwritten law of the UGLi must be maintained. Since these uncouth students have no respect for established library tradition, the Daily will formalize these study policies that, until now, have been silently honored by most UGLi-goers. When studying at the UGLi, anyone affiliated with the Greek system and all Jewish students must proceed directly to the basement. If the basement is too crowded, some additional seating is also provided near the back of the second floor. Any persons of African descent must go to the second floor. But remember: Black students must stay on the right side of the building! The left side of the second floor is reserved for white persons. All Asian students, of course, must march up to the third floor. Due to the limited number of MIRLYN terminals and microcomputers, how- ever, all racial and ethnic groups are allowed to use the first and fourth floors - provided they don't talk to each other. Students caught violating these simple rules should be reported to the authorities, to be severely censured. Naturally, these UGLi seating policies will apply around campus as well. Different ethnic groups should walk around campus in large homo- geneous blocks. Any contact outside strict racial and ethnic boundaries is strictly prohibited. Most students have dutifully followed these rules, and should be commended. But there is always a small group of unsatisfied rebels that must be disciplined. Many students have probably seen a white person sitting at a lunch table obviously reserved for African Americans! Not only is this unnatural, but it is unhealthy, as it contributes to general disharmony in our academic environment. Hopefully, now that the Daily has formally stated these policies, the few students who do not know their place and have dared to disobey these rules will cease their disruptive actions. Then, we can all get back to our coursework, with no outside sources of distraction. V.4YN .14".1'A".4 4':.41: V.VA4Y.1Y.1YX ".^. J. r.:" : ".".1 :{: { t.{ ... ... ":%.1 :J %:{V "I:V: f "..:.. .:. ............ .S{.......... J\.}!:,J1! i.!.Y v.": "4Y.Y......r. i.........:..Y:Y::.1V:. :.::"::. '::::.:V ' ".:.4V:::": ::.:V::::: r: J.:.::.:. ."t:ti":':ti".":':'::ti :::':":"f: "1:{".:ti: l::"::": :": .': :":":":':"::"i:::"::":"::':::': ':':::::" ':: i :'::":::ti"."."::.Yi: :':' MsSA reform CC's streamlining efforts should cut across entire assembly -After countless empty pledges in the past, the Conservative Coalition (CC) is, at last, ready -to make good on some of its promnises. Among .CC'smost prominent campaign platform planks were the promises to implement an automatic recognition policy and eliminate most of MSA's commissions. In stark contrast to past attempts, the Green administration seems intent upon making the CC reforms reality. Both proposals have al- ready been clearly drawn out and were introduced during the assembly's first meeting last week. Past controversies surrounding the recognition of the Cornerstone Christian Fellowship and -Michigamua have proven the necessity of auto- matic recognition. If several students decide to organize, then they are a student group and should be recognized as such, whetherMSA likes it ornot. Recognition or lack thereof does not affect the existence of a student group and for MSA to believe otherwise is unrealistic and unfair. MSA recognition enables student groups to apply for University financial accounts and reserve meeting rooms in the Union and the Diag for their func- tions. There is no justification for a student gov- ernment to deny these privileges to any group of students - no matter what their beliefs. Recognition does not guarantee funding or of- fice space, and such allocations would rest solely with the discretion of the assembly. Recognition by MSA merely acknowledges the unalienable rights of student groups to assemble, to speak and to have equal access to the distribution processes of MSA and nothing else. In addition, Green and the new Coalition major- ity are following through on another of their campaign promises, and have moved to allow the student body to decide the future of MSA's com- missions on next November's ballot. Many on campus question the CC's motives - indeed, Green seems to be going after the last remnants of the Van Valey administration - but these efforts are consistent with the Coalition's campaign plat- form, which was overwhelmingly approved by student voters. The Students Rights, Peace and Justice, Environmental and Women's Issues Commissions have traditionally taken progressive stances on campus and international issues, and the CC leadership has decided that these efforts could be better pursued outside MSA chambers. The CC's efforts to streamline MSA should be encouraged, but their reforms should go across the board, sparing only those commissions vital to the efficient operation of the assembly. The elimina- tion of the commissions would free up almost $10,000 in revenue and, more importantly, remove a layer of the MSA bureaucracy. In order to ensure future diversions of funds any addition funds should be diverted to the Budget Priorities Committee, so that students and student groups may reap the. financial benefits. Both initiatives are steps in the right direction, despite the reactionary motivations of the Con- servative Coalition. Both moves will help make MSA more representative of its constituency. The assembly has a genuine opportunity in the coming weeks to enact proposals constituting true reform in the assembly; to pass up this opportunity would be only perpetuate MSA's failures. 'U' Residence halls are a rip off To the Daily: It seems whenever I visit other universities, I always come back to Ann Arbor mad as hell. It appears that the more tuition a student pays in the state of Michigan, the smaller the rooms get. For example, Central Michi- gan University's dorm rooms are enormous compared to what I see here. They have a living room and two large sized bedrooms! And currently their room and board is barely half of what Wolverines pay. Michigan State is another example. They pay more than CMU, and their rooms are a bit smaller, but on the average they consist of two bedrooms and a living room. Then we come to the most expensive public school in Michigan, and we get the smallest rooms. Of course it is possible to request a suite, but they are scarce and also add to the tab. I have also seen MSU and CMU dorm rooms equipped with computers, cable and double phone lines with no extra charge. Michigan has none of this. It makes one wonder why are we paying so much more money without more to show for it - it is definitely not going towards the cafeteria food! Or is it true that while these other University students are paying tution for all these extras, Wolverines are only paying for the name? JoAnne Vicari LSA first-year student Daily guilty of sensationalism To the Daily: I am writing to express my sincere apologies to the Daily. I, standing with other community members and University students, have failed. We have failed to generate a substantial amount of intelligent and stimulating campus news deemed worthy of the Daily's investigative talent. We have left the Daily grasping at straws or for nameless "Big Ten" body parts. We have forced the Daily into a world of sensational- ized reporting. The Daily can be expected to avoid the tempting and voluminous copy, written to perpetuate the philosophy of female servitude and objectifica- tion only so long. I commend the Daily on its ability to maintain its liberal prowess thus far. After reading such an article, I cannot deny that I am better informed. I now feel confident to openly embrace the role of female subservience and bring it in close to my "well-proportioned" chest. If only I wasn't so damned intelligent, I might be able to fulfill the widespread female fantasy, and get my egg-shaped head the centerfold it deserves. If it weren't for the Daily's dedi- cated coverage of Playboy's trip to town, I certainly world have missed the fact that "being in Playboy is the ultimate affirmation of the fact that [girls] are attractive," as Elizabeth Norris says. And here I was thinking that it was when a man whistles or- calls from behind. I thought for sure that meant I was a "girl of the Big Ten!" Jennifer Hetherington LSA sophomore Women, society add to sexism too To the Daily: We couldn't help but notice the basic ignorance of reality present in the letter to the Daily ("On co-education...,"4/10/91). Metres seems to imply that men's schools deprive men of an adequate exposure to women's views, leaving their views of women "to be shaped by what they infer from Playboy." While a lack of co-education might deprive these men of an adequate representation of women's academic views, blaming the treatment of women as objects on Playboy is ridicu- lous. Every day, one can witness countless women asking to be seen as objects. Make up says nothing about personality or intelligence, but rather enhances the appearance of a women in an effort to attract, and impress men. At the same time, skin-tight jeans aren't worn for comfort; nor is cologne worn to repel insects. lt is easy to see that countless examples exist in everyday life. The crusade against advertising is often misplaced. This advertising * exists because it is sexual in nature. The whole purpose of such ads is to convince the viewer that he or she can become as desirable as the model merely by purchasing the product. Advertisers give their audi- ences what they want to see. The presence of such ads in women's magazines indicates that the problem is multidimensional. Mass Media merely reflects the views of society. We must look upon our actions as individu- als before we can attack institu- tions. Robert Vire LSA first-year student Robert Green RC first-year student David Dalu LSA senior i Sticking around this summer? Want to write for the Opinion Page? Call Mary Beth or Jay at 764-0552 The Daily -- It's not just a job, it's an adventure! 0 Sports and Smoking * .. Support boycott on tobacco company-sponsored sporting events Health and Human Services Secretary Louis tournament and the Winston Cup racing competi- Sullivan recently called for a public boycott of tion. sporting events sponsored by tobacco companies. The tens of millions of dollars spent on adver- Sullivan originally asked tobacco company execs tising each year to glorify and encourage smoking to withdraw such advertising on their own accord, have no place on television or radio, and these but no action was taken. The Secretary of Health companies are only skirting the rules by sponsor- has harshly criticized the industry in the past for ing these televised sporting events. Advertising targeting specific sectors of the public, and has campaigns successfully pair smoking - which now brought an important issue to light: attending harms one's health - with an image of youth, sports events funded by tobacco companies sup- fitness and health. In this way, tobacco advertising ports an industry that profits from and encourages encourages smoking and misleadingly portrays its addictive and destructive habits. product. The move to limit cigarette advertising at sport- Sullivan's efforts to correct this hypocrisy should ing events is a reaction to the increasing amount of be commended, and sporting fans should think money tobacco companies have spent on sports twice as they pay to see Steffi Graf crush an events since 1971, when cigarette advertising was opponent on the court or cheer the Marlboro For- banned from television and radio. mula One car to another victory. Refusing to add to Tobacco companies spend tens of millions of these companies' unhealthy profits will send a dollars each year to promote sporting events. The strong message to cigarette makers to stop promot- RJR Nabisco company sponsors almost 2,500 ing their products under the guise of physical events each year, including the Virgina Slims tennis fitness. Graduates owe Bush at least their ears... by Kristine LaLonde When I first heard that President Bush would be speaking at my graduation, I expected to be revolted and angry. Instead, I was afraid. Afraid about the reception he would receive from our student body. Afraid that I would feel the same embarrassment many felt at his reception in 1985 when students egged him. He hasn't been back to campus since. I feared I would feel the same embarrassment I felt when students booed the 1988 com- mencement speaker Marshall Shulman until he left the stage. I am not a Bush fan; in fact, both his domestic policy - if he actually has one - and foreign affairs conduct disgust me. But this is not an article about Bush's politics. It is about the reception he will receive, which history tells us, will be an embarrassing one. This year has been a time for those of us on the political left to niaetion our tactic. our nosition listening. The nation's citizens were busy tying yellow ribbons to mailboxes and trees, flying the American flag and calling their local radio station to request the national anthem. At the end of the war - which was over as quickly as its support- ers predicted - Bush's popularity edged toward 90 percent. The nation's liberals shook their heads in disgust at the ignorance of the American public. Maybe it's time we stopped from former generals and defense department officials, not anti-war activists. So the fight was taken to the streets, the campus and the classroom. But no matter how much the activists yelled, the nation didn't seem to hear or to care. One soldier, returning with his division after six months in the Gulf, summed up the attitude of a nation when he thanked the public for its support, and then added, Most likely, the campus activists will not want to listen to Bush and I can't blame them. I can blame them, however, if they try to stop him from speaking, or if they try to prevent others from hearing. Nuts and Bolts by Judd Winick [-- 1Nr J K S ENE shaking our heads and writing off the opposition as ignorant, and started listening. Most likely, the campus activists will not want to listen to "and to you people who protested, we weren't listening anyway." And he was right, they weren't. So, it's time for the nation's I... r F. 0