4 - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 7, 1995 Agoommo.0 It 4bFIsh. Ott atch tu W=P 420 Maynard MICHAEL ROSENBERG Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Editor in Chief Edited and managed by JULIE BECKER students at the JAMES M. NASH University of Michigan 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. DUNcard New debit card an unworthy successor he University of Michigan takes great values cannot be replaced - but potentially prideinprovidingstudents withaworld- all of the money on the debit stripe as well. class education, exposure to a diverse popu- While students' pictures do appear onMcards, lation, and most important, a new way to rid a student will be hard-pressed to recall the themselves of unwanted cash. last time a vendor checked his or her ID Mcard, the outgrowth of the now-defunct picture before completing an Entree Plus Entr6e Plus, offers students several services, sale. including the new debit stripe and cash chip. Many vendors themselves have admitted Despite the $80,000 advertising campaign that they don't know how to correctly operate launched by First of America to promote the machines. It is easy to mistakenly deduct Mcard, it's not as hassle-free as Theodore M. more money than intended from the debit Cardman-the fictional studenton all sample stripe or the cash chip, just as it is easy to Mcards - would have the student body deduct money from the wrong feature. Some believe. students who have attempted to make smaller Nor does it offer as many choices. While purchases with the debit stripe are told that legions of Mcard spokespeople entice stu- they will be charged 40 cents - a surcharge dents withpromisesofcalling-cardandwash- that was not publicized. Students may find ing-machine functions, the card limits stu- their checking accounts overdrawn a bit too dents' options when it comes to which bank soon, or their cash chip value slightly lower they may use. than expected. Via the debit stripe, students can access Entree Plus is obsolete, except for on- their First of America checking account to campus transactions, such as residence hall make purchases at participating stores and meals. If students want a debit card, they restaurants. They may also use the CashChip, have no choice but to open a First of America which holds a value of up to $50. The money checking account. Why, then, did the Uni- for Mcard is deposited at local Mcard ATMs. versity spend over $80,000 to convince stu- Sounds convenient-now. But what will dents that Mcard is a must-have? The bank happen in the future, as First of America and the University have spent exorbitant capitalizes on the monopoly the University amounts of money publicizing the Mcard; has granted it? The University signed a three- it's too bad they didn't expend as much effort year contract with First of America. During educating students on the less-flattering de- that time, the bank reserves the right to add tails of Mcard. fees orchange the card's options as it chooses, Because he Mcard summer pilot program without the University's approval. For ex- proceeded without incident, the Mcard office ample, there it little to prevent the bank from incorrectly assumed all of the glitches had instituting an exorbitant minimum balance been worked out. Students will have to live for students' checking accounts. with the Unviersity's errors in designing Mcard proponents assert that using the Mcard for the next three years. By 1998, a card is safer than carrying cash. What they more secure debit card must be designed. fail to recognize is that if a student loses his For now, students should just say no to the or her Mcard, he or she forgoes not only the Mcardandnotobeingmanipulatedbymoney- entire value on the cash chip - lost cash chip hungry institutions. A call from arms Airstrikes bring new hope in Bosnia conflict Junfr1 KAFKA S Lf bebfore Pulp Fdion? Sure, but irtzvasn -'tf/csame So, fall of '95 has arrived. Whether you spentthe last few months sweating out a summer job delivering pizza, barely surviving as an intern in the Guess-That's-Not-What-I-Want-To-Do- With-My-Life-Afterall Corporation, or just bumming around doing nothing pro- ductive whatsoever, you have officially made it through to another academic year here in good ol A-squared. These next eight months will most as- suredly be filled with joys and sorrows, surprises and the predictable, and lots and lots of rainy days. Instead of looking for- ward, however, I devote my first column to a brief review of the past. You see, my sojourn from this lovely campus of ongoing construction did not consist of the mere four-month summer to which we are accustomed. No, I, like many of my fellow classmates, spent my Junior Year Abroad. While gone, although greatly enriched in other ways, I was often de- prived of much of this nation's news, and almost all of Ann Arbor's. Thus my return to the U of M, and the U.S. of A., has been a return to both overwhelming changes and bewildering stagnation. For those who were gone as well, and for others who may have forgot- ten, here's a briefreview ofwhat's changed and what's stayed the same over the past 12 months. The week I left the States, the serious debates featured in the newspapers con- cerned entering Haiti, providing national health care, and showing any sense of decency in Bosnia (Done, not done, and still undone). Other headline questions dealt with whether or not Shannon Faulkner would be forced to shave her head "knob" style as a cadet entering the Citadel that fall (she wasn't - despite the local community's "Shave the Whale" campaign; nor was she actually permitted to enroll until late last month, after an entire year of additional court battles, only to find the stress and isolation of being a sole hated female on male terrain too much to bear. But really, that should be another column ...), and if Michael and Lisa Marie had, would ever, or even could "consummate" their mar- riage. (One year and one Diane Sawyer special later - the question apparently remains unanswered). When I left, people still wondered if O.J. did it.Nowthey just wonder ifenough jurors will remain for the trial to finish (a question which, rest assured, appeared in European media as well - without court- room TV). One year ago, Pulp Fiction had not yet been viewed in this country, Newt was not a household name, and many of us actu- ally believed Bob Packwood's career was over. We had a competent and qualified, albeit outspoken (the horror!), surgeon general, but she got the boot, as did the competent and qualified, albeit abortion- practicing (the horror!), candidate named to replace her. Did I mention the elections? On a calmer note, on to the changes here on our freshly brick-enhanced campus. The key elements of my first two years of col- lege - MTS, CRISP, and Entree Plus - are all being phased out, rendering me grandmother-like in my repeated "I just don't understand all this modern technol. ogy" quips. The Ugli isn't ugly anymore, and shock- ingly, students actually refer to it as "Shapiro." Two regents out, replaced by two new ones to the "right." (Speaking of regents on the outs, I recall that last year Deane Baker commented on the attractiveness of our new student president, who was at the time -wouldn't you know -a woman. Did he equally compliment current Michigan Stu- dent Assembly President and acknowledged studmuffin Flint Wainess, I wonder, or is the white male still overly oppressed here in a land racked with double standards?) New football coach, new soccer field, new IDs, but same long lines to buy books - whose prices, incidentally, are even higher. Same move-in traffic, bigger welcome week, and a new bagel place off the Diag. So there you have it, a year-in-review. Welcome back, welcome here, and Go Blue! MATT WIMSATT MooiE's D1U1MvIA J ) I 5'0 'it is a violation of human rights when babies are denied food, or drowned, or suffo- cated, or their spines broken, simply because they are born girls, when women and girls are sold into slavery or prostitution for human greed.' -- Hillary Rodham Clinton in China t 1 ''t '° I , A.., N , X -. k I mmmmwm I OV K B.EST -'o CHA N~ cE FRS ugVI VAL 1is1T0 STICK( -rk6 EDGES OF-THE PAE I After a summer full of hollow threats to Bosnian Serbs, a new round of NATO airstrikes provided an encouraging sign of the Western powers' resolve. Long-awaited Western response to the war in Bosnia could not come at a better time. Last month's Croatian offensive in Krajina helped turn back the seemingly unstoppable Bosnian Serbs - a turn that might make Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic more open to negotiations than ever before. This two- pronged show of force is bringing concilia- tory gestures from Serbian leaders - and renewed hopes for a comprehensive settle- ment. Over the past four years the response of the international community to the atrocities in the former Yugoslavia has been practi- cally nonexistent. Although President Clinton campaigned in 1992 for strong U.S.-led in- ternational involvement in Bosnia, his posi- tion has changed many times since. Both the Vietnam syndrome -fear of long involve- ment in a war with no exit - and poor coordination with NATO allies have cowed the Clinton administration into inaction and confusion. The international community as a whole -represented by the United Nations - and the United States, as the world's sole super- power, have failed miserably in formulating a coherent policy for Bosnia. This failure has manifested itself most recently in the contin- ued problems protecting safe areas desig- HOW TO CONTACT THEM Vice President for Student nated by the United Nations during the past year. Srebrenica, Bihac, Gorazde, Zepa, and Tuzla were designated safe enclaves for in- nocent citizens caught in the middle of a bloody civil war. Yet this summer, in the face of U.N. inaction, the Bosnian Serbs overran both Srebrenica and Zepa. Having failed to protect these areas, the Western powers must stand firm in preserving Bihac, Gorazde and Sarejevo as safe havens. This coming Friday the Bosnian Serbs, Croats and Muslims will convene in Geneva as the United States attempts to orchestrate a peace plan. While all of the many previous peace plans have ultimately collapsed, the Bosnian Serbs enter these negotiations bat- tered by Croatian advances and newfound Western resolve. These factors should help set the stage for this renewed diplomatic effort, which would retain a sovereign yet partitioned Bosnia. The United States is push- ing a plan that would give 51 percent of Bosnia to the Croats and Muslims while giving the remaining 49 percent to the Bosnian Serbs. While many condemn this plan as rewarding Serb warlords for their aggres- sion, it would give the Bosnian Serbs much less than the 70 percent of Bosnia that they now possess. The latest military moves, coupled with a reinvigorated diplomatic effort, should force the Serbs to bargain reasonably. With a peace plan that should satisfy all parties, an end to the violence may finally be in sight. FoRVm CofeeClash Former employees, manager of Espresso Royale coffeehouse disagree over dress code, non-discrimination policy ... We left due to the intent and sentiment behind a dress code, and not due to the spe- cifics.' - Former Espresso Royale employees In response to the allegation that Espresso Royale discriminates on any basis; this is untrue.' - Marcus Goller, President, Espresso Royale - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - --- - By former Espresso Royale employees We, the former employees of State Street Espresso Royale would like to apologize to our customers for any inconvenience they have encountered due to our actions. We are aware of the rumors and accusations that we have overreacted to a corporate dress code. The former employees would like to make it clear that we left due to the intent and sentiment behind a dress code, and not due to the specifics. The original dress code was intended to select an elite clientele and eliminate specific types of employees, as well as customers, from the Espresso Royale envoronment. Althoough the corporate office claims that the dress code was in a process of revision and that the exclusion of sexual orientation from the equal rights clause was a mistake, we feel that this mistake is irresponsible and unforgivable. Even though they have agreed to make amemdments to the policy, it is obvious that the heliefc of the comnoration willremain. It is for this reason that we By Marcus Goller A new dress code was given to the staff at the State Street Espresso Royale which was written in a harsh way. I am very sorry for this and take responsibility for it. It is being rewritten. In response to the allegation that Espresso Royale discriminates on any basis; this is untrue. On the contrary, we stand for the highest levels of conduct. To the right is a copy of our statement concerning discrimination from the crew handbook in use since 1993. Included in the dress code was a statement of non-discrimina- tion. My mistake was using the federal EOE copy as opposed to our company's thorough statement. Ideally we wouldn't need a list at all. We don't discriminate! No one should. Affairs Maureen A. Hartford s ,OAr V- a______ i _I.--!__--.i_.-1'_-.- R.. I J!v. ..