4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 13, 1995 Ule 13bttdi&Iv , .A 420 Maynard Ann Arbor, Ml 48109 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan F- --- .1 MICHAEL ROSENBERG Editor in Chief JULIE BECKER JAMES M. NASH Editorial Page Editors Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of a majority of the Daily's editorial board.-.All other articles, letters, and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily. Fill in the blanks Code survey overly simp listic, biased 66 physically harming another person, including such acts as: killing, as- sault, threatening, stalking or hazing" - in this situation, should the University take action and if so, what action: expulsion, suspension, community service, restitution/ fine, formal reprimand or other (without ask- ing the respondent to specify "other"). Con- fused? Apparently, so were the writers of the survey that included this vague and illogical question. The five-question survey was writ- ten by a work group assigned to rewrite the Statement of Student Rights and Responsi- bilities and given to students this summer. Any information it yielded -- ostensibly to help the University rewrite the code - is questionnaire - what kind of sanction is unspecified "other"? Despite the handicap of the reduced sum- mer student population, and the looming October deadline, the group did admirable work in scrambling to reach as many students as possible. However, the survey confirms the concern that the work group will be unable to fulfill its duty: creating a student- friendly code of non-academic conduct. If the survey is any indication, the group will write not only a haphazard code, but a code L ast week it was announce Francisco's Candlestick Pa renamed 3Com Park. 3Com Corp fornia corporation that is paying a ofmoney forthe privilege ofhavir attached to the famous stadiunr Francisco needs money. This is n time this has happened - Chica United (Airlines) Center and, Wrigley (Chewing Gum) Field - to think this is a bad thing. It all goes back to the good ol debate about public broadcastin National Endowment for the Ar bear with me forjust a moment.) I right wants these organizations because there's nothing more eff American business and nothing versive than making Newt's "norn cans" pay for opera and multici The left wants to keep the art, accessible because there's no big tine than an American businessp The real issue is power. W name our stadiums? Who decid money goes to the Milwaukee1 for inner-city education program Milwaukee Polka Band to play a Beer Tent Jubilee? The public?) trained musicians? Or 3Com C isn't just about budget-cutting. It was bad enough when Calvii could confidently assert in his b JORDAN STANCN LLLsT-DrrcI A i Rep ubllcns, f/ie NEA and (firmer) Candlestick Park d that San Club style that, "The business of America is the-common-good, non-deceptive, h rk will be business." Now the culture of America is poor type stuff. Even if it were true . is a Cali- business. In a society where quality of film- institutions in this country would agreat deal making is determined by quantity of ticket without the NEA, the art they exhib ng its name sales and where the kickoff is sponsored by produced would not be the same. n and San Dockers, perhaps it makes sense that instead European monarchs supported art ot the first of the NEA, we can have corporate-spon- ornamentation oftheir own lifestyles go has the sored art exhibits. General Motors can propa- will be used to decorate the lobbyc of course, gate its own art (and social values) because smoked-glass office building. - but I tend we don't want to pay to propagate ours. The The worst part is that the debate c city of San Francisco is scrounging under funding and the increased commer fashioned the couch cushions so we'll screw our sense tion of everything signify a muc ag and the of civic pride and common ownership and problem: the unwillinginess of the p us. (Please name our stadiums 3Com. Whatever hap- do things together. Our cities used t n short, the pened to "Municipal Stadium"? semblance of social cohesion, the i privatized Municipal Stadium doesn't exist any- certain institutions and organizatio icient than more - except in Cleveland - because no owned by everybody. With this % more sub- one wants to pay for it. The NEA won't exist idea that it was possible to solve nal Ameri- in any significant form for the same reason. problems through concerted action:1 ultural art. So we'll get even lower taxes but our insti- could and should be fed, the you s free and tutions will be named after, and controlled cated, etc. ger Philis- by, big business. It's the Republicans' alter- Even though the efforts to sol erson. native to big government. I, for one, see no problems were never wholly success ho gets to benefit in privatizing institutions that should we don't even feel the need to try. N es whether be public. And I've never heard of a corpo- era of downsizing, streamlining and Symphony ration that was willing to shell out big bucks out for yourself. How can we addre 1s or to the without control over the money ... and a pling social problems if we can't eve at the GOP return of 14 percent. to name sports arenas?If3Com and] A panel of This is fine for the Republicans, who represent the new polis, maybe they4 orp? This would like my morning shower to have cor- house the homeless. Don't count on porate sponsorship. But it's not fine for n Coolidge anyone who's interested in not-for-profit, - Stancil is an LSA senior. He est Rotary culturally enriching, mind-broadening, for- reached over e-mail at rialto@umi r elp-the- that arts'' surviVe ited avr4 Just a for the s, our art of some over arts; wcializad ,h larger: iublic0 o have a dea that ns wereY went tle : e sociaf Thepoof ng edu- ve these ful, now owisthe_ looking ess crp- n afford Dockers can also n it. can be ch.edu. i' based on misinforma- tion from misled stu- dents. Any group of stu- dents could have writ- ten a better question- naire with little effort. The work group's t S Jim A SSER SiARP AS TOASTI all but worthless.h When the Board of Regents directed the office of Student Affairs to rewrite the docu- ment, the University promised to incorporate student input into the writing process. But as usual the University is proving unable - or unwilling - to keep its promises. The format of the survey smells of Uni- versity interference. Five questions cannot possibly cover the issues surrounding the code. And the survey neglects to mention why it is in circulation at all - a glaring omission, considering that many students on campus are unfamiliar with the code debate. Perhaps the most insidious aspect of the survey is that both the questions and the response choices are loaded. The aforemen- tioned situation lumps killing into the same categoiy as hazing, in addition to assuming that any of the sanctions are relevant or appropriate. "Misuse of computer software or other University equipment" is narrow enough to include pirating shareware yet broad enough to include Jake Baker. The question on discrimination is equally am- biguous. Loose is the pervading theme in the The code survey, shown here at 83 percent as chance has passed, how- ever. To undo the dam- age, the Office of Stu- dent Affairs and the work group must consult professionals to write a comprehensive, un- biased survey - one that truly explores stu- dent needs in terms of conduct regulations. Given the flimsy survey, the short notice, the sketchy origin of the work group - the Office of Student Affairs - and potential meddling from University officials, the work group also appears to be yet another flag to wave. It gives the impression of student in- volvement, when in reality such involvement is minimal and misdirected. Ifthe administration understands anything, it should be this: Students care about their academic environment. Students are com- pletely capable of thinking for themselves. Students are the reason the University exists. And students are willing to work with the administration in a real capacity. Instead of raising the flag of appeasement, the Univer- sity must prove it is willing to work with students as well by taking the time and effort to include them - and their opinions - in writing the code. of actual size. Comprehensive? Not quite. confession0fatherflannigan . rel . from:Tom Smith Father - forgive me , I have sinned. ft.' ~I Confession in the 90's NOTALE QuOTABLE '(The Rhodes Scholarship is) pure prestige, a goody-two-shoes award.' - LSA Honors Program Director Ruth Scodel VE1WPOINT The 19th Amendment:. Keep up the fight., Please evaluate the following situations in regards to: * Should the University take action Yes/ No " 1. 2. If Yes what sanctions should be taken expulsion 3. community service suspension 4. restitution / fine by 5. 6. the university? formal reprimand .other Misuse of computer software or other university equipment. Univ. action YIN Sanction #: Physically harming another person, including such acts as: killing, assaulting, threatening, stalking, or hazing. Univ. action Y/N Sanction #: Destruction of commercial property in Ann Arbor. Univ. action Y/N Sanction #: Discrimination against another person because of: her/his race, ethnicity, sex, religion, creed, national origin, socio-economic background, sexual orientation, age, disability, or Vietnam-era veteran status. Univ. action Y/N Sanction #: __ By Ann Markey It was probably one of the most prolonged political fights in the history of the U.S. Congress never to erupt in a war. The con- troversial campaign spanned 72 years before its proponents earned their well-deserved victory. Along the way, the action spilled out to the actual voters through 56 referenda and even to 47 cam- paigns to state constitutional con- ventions. Whatwas the hotly contested issue? Would you believe women's suffrage? Today, be- cause it is taken so for granted, the struggle for women to claim universal voting rights remains an untaught lesson in the annals of history. The end of this summer marked the 75th anniversary of the 19th Amendment - which finally gave women the right to vote. The occasion passed last month virtually unnoticed. To honor this anniversary, I want to salute a few of the women who continue the fight for an even better tomorrow. Sen Barbara Boxer (D-Ca- lif.) deserves a commendation for her tenacious battle to open up fellow Sen. Bob Packwood's (R- Ore.) ethics hearings to the pub- Markey is an LSA senior and a member of the Daily editorial page staff lic. Her tireless campaign kept a spotlight firmly in place on the findings ofthe committee. Thanks to her, the investigation into nu- merous charges brought against the now-resigned Packwood for sexual harassment received the media's rapt attention. Boxer let Wassong will pay dearly for his horrific behavior, and will serve as a lesson to others, thanks to the tenacity ofthese women. Beware: sexual harassment is a crime and it will be punished. Lashonda D., a fifth-grader in Georgia, rocked her school dis- Beware: Sexual harassment is a crime and it will be punished. Congress and the American people know that women haven't forgotten the Clarence Thomas/ Anita Hill hearings. Give them hell, Boxer. A. secretarial pool brought charges against their boss, Dan Wassong, after enduring years of lewd and abusive behavior. Busi- ness as usual for Wassong meant grabbing an employee's breast, refusing to zip his fly, using his office bathroom without ever closing the door, as well as rou- tinely making demeaning and vulgar comments about appear- ances of his employees. Earlier this summer, the women won their case and were awarded damages exceeding $1 million. Officials regard the case as the largest monetary settlement the Equal Employment Opportunity Com- mission has ever garnered. trict when she and her mother sued for sex discrimination. It seems no one took Lashonda se- riously when she routinely com- plained to the teacher that a fel- low student was constantly both- ering her by using vulgar lan- guage, rubbing up against her and trying to touch her breasts and vaginal area. School officials have no choice but to take a sincere interest in the matter now that a huge lawsuit is at stake. Lashonda used Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972 - which prohibits sex discrimination in schools that receive federal money - to sue for damages. Thanks to Lashonda, teachers will have to face the reality that offen- sive behavior begins at a young age and it should not be tolerated. Lashonda may have already kept another would-be Bob Packwood early age. Go Lashonda! Callie Khourie, the writer/ genius behind the classic "Thelma and Louise" has scored again with "Something to Talk About." I'm proud that she's among the few successful female screenwriters in Hollywood today. Her new film skillfully shows the double stan- dards that still proliferate in soci- ety. She enlivens the screen with her witty and distinctly female writing style. The trials of these women re- mind us that, sadly, the fight for equality did not end in late Au- gust of 1920 with the adoption of the 19th Amendment. It is my hope, however, that one day in the not-so-distant future, the con- troversies that these women are stirring up now will seem as righ- teous to us as does the 19th Amendment. or Dan Wassong from ever harm- ing anyone again. Because she spoke up, she has created a better learning environment for all schoolchildren. She refused to be a victim of sexism. The next gen- eration can only benefit by root- ing out harassment at such an Theft between two Univ. action Y/N students in . a residence hall. Sanction #: please put additional feedback on other side HOW TO CONTACT THEM Code Workgroup Office of Student Affairs 6015 Fleming Building 7y~ 2) ca LETTERS Football fans should show more respect for those on the field To the Daily: Every football Saturday, the Michigan student section gets fired up to cheer on the team, partake in the festivities, and join in on the many traditions that, over the vears. have been associ- themselves to whiten the north endzone, fearing maybe that the winter snowfall just won't arrive in time. Egg-white-and-sugar dodgeball in the stands may be hilarious, but a certain group of people also find it amusing to pelt school. I know of no other stu- dent section at a university that is more discourteous to its own people than the University stu- dents. The worst of it is that this game of flying marshmallows has progressed beyond creampuffs to have $10-$20 dents put in instru- ments, simply because some people can't findabetterbaseball diamond. Students, have a bit of pride for your school and for those who show up in that stadium to enter- f