4 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 8, 1995 (!be riiguuDav , I Bi~rrr McIivrosu MCINTOSH CLASSICS Shorter and sweeter The 420 Maynard Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan 1 .1 MICHAEL ROSENBERG Editor in Chief JULIE BECKER JAMES M. NASH Editorial Page Editors tale 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. Houscleaning ..Housing shortage must not be repeated place to lay their heads. A= , That's the minimum most students ask when it comes to University Housing. Lofts, Ethernet and cable TV are modern ameni- ties, but a place to sleep has been the dorms' responsibility since Martha Cook and Helen Newberry opened in 1915. Unfortunately, this year the University has failed to provide even that for many unlucky first-year stu- dents. And many of those who do have beds are crammed like sardines, three by three in rooms designed for two. 1995's unprecedented housing crunch is due to many factors, including an aggressive recruiting campaign last spring that - when added to the expected entering class - filled the residence halls nearly to capacity. But the numbers jumped over the top in June, when the University accepted 333 more in-state -residents in a gesture of goodwill to a state legislature frowning on high out-of-state en- rollment. More than 200 of the additional students enrolled - and are now sleeping in converted triples, lounges or rooms they will have to vacate in January. Much of the fault for the current crisis lies with the Office of Undergraduate Ad- missions rather than with University Hous- ing. Before accepting the additional students, admissions officers consulted with Housing administrators, who expressed concern that there would not be room for the new stu- dents. Yet the University went ahead with the admissions - without knowing whether there would be space to house them. Establishing goodwill with an increas- ingly hostile state legislature is important, and the University's intent was clearly good. But Admissions made a mistake in accepting students before determining whether there was space to house them. Guaranteeing rooms to students, and then admitting them despite warnings that rooms might not be available, is irresponsible. With the damage already done, the Uni- versity can only look toward the future. Its first priority must be the students currently living in Lloyd and Winchell houses of West Quad. Originally scheduled to open as resi- dent rooms in the fall of 1996, this space is currently slated for student organizations to move into when renovations force them out of the Union in January. It is inexcusable to uproot the West Quad residents in the middle of the year - after they have already ad- justed to roommates and surroundings, only to move in all likelihood to converted triple space in other residence halls. The Univer- sity must make every effort to find other space for the student organizations to oc- cupy. If this is impossible, it should at the very least offer the Lloyd/Winchell residents substantial partial refunds of their housing charges, as compensation for the inconve- nience of moving in the middle of the year. Furthermore, the University must take steps to ensure that this situation does not repeat itself in future years. One reason for this year's crisis was the high number of returning students living in residence halls. Housing should consider limiting the num- ber of spaces it gives to returning students, who would be selected by lottery. This would provide a set number of available spaces each year for first-year students, so Admissions would know what to expect. Other possible solutions include building a new residence hall and designing a building that could be easily converted from residence hall to office space depending on housing demands. One thing is certain: This year's crisis must not be repeated. Cramming students into converted triples, lounges and tempo- rary residence halls may seem like a good crisis solution, but as a permanent policy it is no solution at all. The powers-that-be at this university have of late hatched a dangerous and subversive plot on the students of this fine institution: They want us to call the building directly southeast of the Grad by the letters "UGL." I, for one, will never call the UGLi by any other name, and I call on you to resist this sneak attack on the basic abbreviating rights of the student body. Surely, an UGLi by any other name would smell as stale. Another name is simply unnecessary. Librarians of the world and regents of the University, please don't tell me that "ugly" is disparaging, that it detracts from this great university - I know it is. That's why I use it. New renovations, whatever: Ugly has less to do with the facade of the place than its relation to the Grad (which I will never call the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library as long as I do live, so help me God). The UGLi is the Grad's nasty little brother. The Grad has over 6 gazillion books, all of which you need for your 37-page research paper. It is a monolith that marks the physical and intellectual center of the University campus. The UGLi, on the other hand, has 12 books, and they're all on some subject en- 0ofa'U' tirely unrelated to anything s one in the history of this univ the shadow of the Grad, the Ri university buildings. And we same reason that Bill's broth every talk show in the En, world. We do not observe the site at most libraries. We do n a library. We abuse it. Like w Clinton. And we love it for that. So our speech, playfully perhap You see, this is a war. Us The right to call our buildings to call them. It is the most bas have, protected by the First I call on you, brothers defend your privileges as st univeristy. Staff, professors,' in our fight against big gove Abbreviate anything andE vigilant in your shortening ofb be frugal in your expenditu syllables. Here are some suggestion warrior against the tyranny c tration, offer: Call the Fleming Admin ing (home to the name-chan the DOLT. That stands for E buildingname tudied by any- Two, where - as far as our intelligence can ersity. It sits in discern - our fine president has his offices. oger Clinton of We have learned that he is being used as a love it for the figurehead by the more radical name-length- er has been on ening faction, and is secretly rebelling against glish-speaking the scourge of violent librarians that threaten silence requi- to dominate our collective consciousness. iot respect it as That the name fits his captors is only a lucky ve abuse Roger coincidence. . Refer to the Angell Hall Computing we deride it in Center as the AlHICC, but pronounce it like s. that sound cats make when they're choking against them. up a large hairball. The administration hates s what we want it when you do that, and it will immediately sic freedom we identify you to your fellow abbreviators as Amendment. one who is no syllable spendthrift. and sisters, to U Talk about Haven Hall as HH. Use the udents of this same abbreviation for Hutchins Hall. Use TAs -join us HA for Hill Auditorium, AH for Angell Hall, rnment. HN for Helen Newberry, and NH for North everything. Be Hall. This should sufficiently confuse any- auilding names, one who opposes our cause. re of precious Don't let your guard down for a second. Don't ever refer to the "The South Quad- s that I, humble rangle" or the Edward Henry Kraus Natural f the adminis- Science Building. And don't forget to attend the rallies we hold weekly on the M. istration Build- Brent McIntosh is an LSA senior. ging enemies) He can be reached over e-mail at )ude On Level mctosh@umich.edu. I Jim LassE1R SHARP AS TOAST -- I HAYLB -171 r REiTROSPECTIVE~ VE-OTB NOTABLE QUOTARLE 'I don't make jokes, I just watch the government and report the facts.' -- Will Rogers t! I' %' .1\ I Reviewing the Contract Dangers loom in budget debates Looking back: the Black Action Movement Editors'note: 25 years ago thisfall, the University opened with a new commitment to increase minority enrollment and supportfor minority students. The promise followed a student strike called by the Black Action Movement in the spring of1970 protesting the University's lack of concernfor black enrollment and student success. In theface ofgrowing opposition to affirmative action at the University and across the nation, the Daily editorial page takes this opportunity to look back on what many view as the catalyst for affirmative action at the University. The following is a Feb. 24, 1970 editorial by then-Editorial Page Editor Alexa Canaday. ith the summer recess of Congress at its close, the next budget looms large on the agendas of both houses. Republicans have their sights set on hammering out the final versions of 13 appropriation bills out- lined in the Contract With America before the fiscal year ends Oct. 1. The bills the House and Senate have passed (no joint resolutions have yet gone through) have adhered closely to the Contract's slash- and-burn tactics and distaste for social ben- efit programs. Medicare alone stands to lose $280 million over the next seven years. Simi- lr cuts to other programs - welfare and Social Security, for example - are at the moment coming closer to reality. In a slash ofthe pen the Republicans hope to deliver a blow that would signal the death of programs that have endured since their emergence from F.D.R. 's alphabet soup. The GOP majority would like to balance the federal budget in seven years - an admi- rable goal - but in the process wipe out 60 years of federal programs. While many fed- eral entitlements are wasteful and should be liquidated, the Republicans have set their sights on worthy programs while sparing corporate subsidies. Reform of federal social benefit programs is a pressing problem (for instance, Medicare is expected to be totally insolvent by 2002), HOW TO CONTACT THEM but it needs to be addressed in the spirit ofj substantive change, not wholesale cuts. j The Republican fiscal agenda is in many ways self-defeating. In an era when educa- tion and worker training is increasingly cru- cial to a healthy economy, GOP plans would cut three times more out of education and training than out of other discretionary pro- grams. In a similar vein, federal science pro- grams would be gutted. Almost sacred dur- ing the Cold War science race, research and development programs remain vital compo- nents of national economic development. President Clinton can and should exercise his veto power to block the GOP's draconian measures. At the same time, the two parties must quickly move toward a compromise. If a new budget is not in place by Oct. 1, federal agencies could find themselves without funds to operate. In the past, continuing resolutions have prevented the government from screech- ing to a halt. However, Republicans have irresponsibly threatened to let the govern- ment go defunct unless Clinton signs off on their budget. With social programs, education and worker training at stake, Clinton must not be cowed by Republican threats. The opportu- nity still exists to fashion a budget that bal- ances federal finances without bludgeoning essential social programs. The demands of the Black Action Movement (BAM) for in- creased minority admissions cer- tainly merit the support of the University community. Although the black student community at the University has increased dramatically during the last few years, the overriding impression of the University is still one of a school for rich white students as the Green report char- acterized it in 1965. The BAM proposal for chang- ing this condition is reasonable if not a bit conservative. In a Uni- versity of more than 30,000 stu- dents, it demands that only 900 black students be admitted next fall - 450 freshmen, 150 trans- fer students and 300 graduate stu- dents. The demands also give the University three years to increase the proportion of blacks in the University to 10 percent -more than enough time. The demands also take into consideration the desirability of supportive services to ensure that the admitted students graduate. Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the administration and the Univer- sity community at large are un- willing to give enthusiastic sup- port to the program. The adminis- tration argues that although the proposals are theoretically desir- able, the necessary financing is not available. It is noteworthy that the same administration has proposed that students be assessed $15 per term for 30 years to finance the con- struction of two IM buildings. They considered that this request would be reasonable, yet they are unwilling to consider seriously a similar proposal to finance mi- nority admission submitted by Students for Effective Action (SEA). The administration's lack of support could be expected but the failure of the so-called "lib- eral" University community to provide significant support is disturbing. One ofthe major objections to the proposal is that they also feel that financing is simply not avail- able. Several methods for finding adequate financing have been pro- posed. A simple reversal of Uni- versity priorities would help the situation a great deal, and a good start would be giving admissions ahigherpriority than the IMbuild- ing. The BAM proposal for pro- viding tuition waivers also is a possible solution to financing dif- ficulties. But the final proposal by SEA is one that would show how willing the community re- ally is to support minority admis- sions. It proposes that students and faculty assess themselves $15 and $25 respectively. Self-assess- ment is not a new idea, students will almost surely vote for such a proposal in order to finance a student bookstore. Arguments that minority ad- missions is unfair to the poor whites, or that the real problem is the secondary and elementary level miss the point entirely. They are perfectly lucid arguments for saying that minority admissions is not enough itself to solve the problem, but they do not justify defeating the minority admissions proposal. Other poor should be helped to get into the University, but although the minority admissions proposal does not do that, it does help some of the poor and that is desirable. And while the problem lies at least in part with the lower educational system, it is unac- ceptable to ignore the people who are already victims of that infe- rior system. Instead, people should push for education reform while also trying to help the vic- tims of the system as much as possible. Two other arguments, that the quality of the University will suf- fer and that it is unfair to lower admissions standards are merely examples of academic elitism. The only real question in ad- missions should be whether or not the student can succeed at the University, not what type of cre- dentials he has to get in. The innate ability of the students that would be admitted under the mi- nority admissions program is no less than that of the majority of students already here. With the help of supportive services to fill in the gaps that were caused by poor academic backgrounds, not lack of intelligence, the majority of the students should be able to succeed. The quality of a university should be measured only by its ability to provide people who are going to make significantcontri- butions that will somehow change the society for the better. If this is the standard against which the University is measured, its qual- ity certainly will not suffer, and perhaps it will be improved. Sen. Carl Levin (D) 459 Russell Senate Office Building Sen. Spence Abraham (R) B40 Dirksen Senate Office Building F M .. . :... titi t1, .: .. . . .,,. , ,.. .?. ..,... ...,. !il:,.