__ "">"V •• THE MICHIGAN REVIE Volume 8, Number 7 March 1990 John Doe Tells All By Brian Jendryka and Carey Brian Meadors For nearly a year, Wesley Wynne has led a double life as a graduate stu- dent in psychology and as John Doe, the plaintiff in the case that ruled the University of Michigan's policy on discriminatory harrassment unconsti- tutional last August. Now, nearly eight months later, Wynne has shed his alias and speaks freely about his ex- periences. The case, which has ignited the campus and received national atten- tion, began for Wynne in March 1988 with a trip to the U-M campus as a potential graduate student. Wynne, a University of Texas undergraduate at the time, noticed a flyer saying, "Tell someone about discrimination against lesbians and gay men." What he found particularly interesting was the pas- sage "discriminatory harassment, ex- clusion ... abusive or intensive lan- guage ... will be treated as serious vio- lations of University Policy." "This seemed to be some sort of Big Brother saying, 'If you hear any- body saying something insensitive about gays and lesbians, such asa joke, you s hould contact this office.' That seemed almost Orwellian, and it gave me a chill," said Wynne. "11 kind of worried me, but I really didn't know what to think of it because the political climate at the University of Texas is much different." Seven months later, after graduat- ing with a degree in psychology from the University of Texas, Wynne en- rolled in the U- M's graduate school. His interest in the issue was rekindle-d r)l= __ _ about this crap," Wynne said. The last straw, however, was the pamphlet, "What students should know about discrimination and dis- criminatory harassment," that he re- ceived in the mail in October 1988. "I looked through it and was com- pletely shocked," said Wynne. "It was saying that if you were a student and you commit any of these particular acts, you will be subject to a punish- ment possibly as strong as expulsion." Although he thought that some of ;; the examples given did warrant 1'un- ishment, many did not. "1 vehemently j disagreed with the inclusion of some of oW!. .• ''- the examples. For instance, according to Wesley Wynne after reading Benjamin Hart's Poi- soned luy, an account of the leftist Dartmouth University administra- tic-no "That book really got me think- ingthat I might wanttodo something this pamphlet, discrirni.natory harass - ment would be manifested if a male stu- dent made a remark in class that women just aren't as good in a field as men, thus creating a hostile learning atmosphere for female classmates." "So just imagine sitting, for ex- ample, in an engineering class and class hasn't begun. You lean over to your buddy and say - and this is something that you happen to believe - 'you know, I don't think women areas good at this as men are.' Well, say somebody in back of you, maybe some radical feminist women's studies major,getsall ticked off and goes to the Affirmative Campus Security Wants Guns by Brian Jendryka Many University of Michigan stu- dents are aware that many of the V- M's professional schools and pro- grams are conSistently ranked among the nation's top 10. What many do not realize is that, according toa 1988 USA Today study of22 large universities, the U- M is also ncar the head of its class in violent crimes. What even fewer real- ize is that U-M safety officers, who respond to approximately 30,000 calls per year, have to respond to violent crimes in a way that their counterparts in the Ann Arbor Police Department would never dream of - without sidearms or the ability to arrest cam- pus criminals. U- M Security Director Leo Heatty believes that the solution to this problem is the incorporation of certified police officers within the Dcpartment of Public Safety and Se- curity who can be dispatched on the more dangeTOus calls. These officers would be trained separately from regular security officers and would have more responsibilities, such as being armed and having the ability to legally arrest criminals. Currently, the 16 officers who pa- trol the U-M campus wear U-M De- partment of Public Safety uniforms and drive marked security cars. This is very deceiving to visitors, criminals and even some U-M students who often confuse them with armed law enforce- ment officials, according to Heatly. This can lead to dangerous situations for both the security officers and innocent Continued on page 11 Action Office. Well, it says right here, by God, you're guilty of discrimina- tory harassment." ToWynne,thiswasablatantviola- tion of students' First Amendment rights. "I think the student's idea would be a dubious hypothesis, but one that should be allowed to be stated in an institution whose primary pur- pose is the open discussion of ideas," he said. The problem was not just the obvi- ous First Amendment violations, ac- cording to Wynne, but also the fear that students would be afraid to con- tribute to classroom discussion be- cause of the policy. "Every student at the U-M re- ceived this pamphlet. There was a good chance that many people, on the basis of this policy, would refuse to make certain comments for fear of being punished," he said. Shortly after receiving the pam- phlet, Wynne joined the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). He later came into contact with Robert Sedler, a Wayne State University faculty mem- ber and an attorney for the ACLU who was trying to get a plaintiff for a test case against the U- M's policy. At the time, Wynne, who will receive his master's degree in biological psychol- Continued on page 11 Inside Editorial: We want $35,00 0, too 4 Inte.rview with the Dude 8 Baseball Picks 12
Carey Brian Meadors For nearly a year, Wesley Wynne
has led a double life as a graduate student in psychology and as John Doe, the plaintiff in the case that ruled the University of Michigan's policy on discriminatory harrassment unconstitutional last August. Now, nearly eight months later, Wynne has shed his alias and speaks freely about his experiences.
The case, which has ignited the campus and received national attention, began for Wynne in March 1988 with a trip to the U-M campus as a potential graduate student. Wynne, a University of Texas undergraduate at the time, noticed a flyer saying, "Tell someone about discrimination against lesbians and gay men." What he found particularly interesting was the passage "discriminatory harassment, exclusion ... abusive or intensive language ... will be treated as serious violations of University Policy."
"This seemed to be some sort of Big Brother saying, 'If you hear anybody saying something insensitive about gays and lesbians, such asa joke, you should contact this office.' That seemed almost Orwellian, and it gave me a chill," said Wynne. "11 kind of worried me, but I really didn't know
what to think of it because the political climate at the University of Texas is much different."
Seven months later, after graduating with a degree in psychology from the University of Texas, Wynne enrolled in the U- M's graduate school. His interest in the issue was rekindle-d
~ t~ill~l:_J m~ ~ r)l= __ --'-_"~ _ ~~~
about this crap," Wynne said. The last straw, however, was the
pamphlet, "What students should know about discrimination and discriminatory harassment," that he received in the mail in October 1988. "I looked through it and was completely shocked," said Wynne. "It was saying that if you were a student and you commit any of these particular acts, you will be subject to a punishment possibly as strong as expulsion."
Although he thought that some of ;; the examples given did warrant 1'un~. ishment, many did not. "1 vehemently
~. j ~ disagreed with the inclusion of some of oW!. .• ''- the examples. For instance, according to
Wesley Wynne
after reading Benjamin Hart's Poisoned luy, an account of the leftist Dartmouth University administratic-no
"That book really go t me thinkingthat I might wanttodo something
this pamphlet, discrirni.natory harassment would be manifested if a male student made a remark in class that women just aren't as good in a field as men, thus creating a hostile learning atmosphere for female classmates."
"So just imagine sitting, for example, in an engineering class and class hasn't begun. You lean over to your buddy and say - and this is something that you happen to believe - 'you know, I don't think women areas good at this as men are.' Well, say somebody in back of you, maybe some radical feminist women's studies major,getsall ticked off and goes to the Affirmative
Campus Security Wants Guns by Brian Jendryka
Many University of Michigan students are aware that many of the V- M's professional schools and programs are conSistently ranked among the nation's top 10. What many do not realize is that, according toa 1988 USA Today study of22 large universities, the U- M is also ncar the head of its class in violent crimes. What even fewer realize is that U-M safety officers, who respond to approximately 30,000 calls per year, have to respond to violent crimes in a way that their counterparts
in the Ann Arbor Police Department would never dream of - without sidearms or the ability to arrest campus criminals.
U- M Security Director Leo Heatty believes that the solution to this problem is the incorporation of certified police officers within the Dcpartment of Public Safety and Security who can be dispatched on the more dangeTOus calls. These officers would be trained separately from regular security officers and would have more responsibilities, such as
being armed and having the ability to legally arrest criminals.
Currently, the 16 officers who patrol the U-M campus wear U-M Department of Public Safety uniforms and drive marked security cars. This is very deceiving to visitors, criminals and even some U-M students who often confuse them with armed law enforcement officials, according to Heatly. This can lead to dangerous situations for both the security officers and innocent
Continued on page 11
Action Office. Well, it says right here, by God, you're guilty of discriminatory harassment."
ToWynne,thiswasablatantviolation of students' First Amendment rights. "I think the student's idea would be a dubious hypothesis, but one that should be allowed to be stated in an institution whose primary purpose is the open discussion of ideas," he said.
The problem was not just the obvious First Amendment violations, according to Wynne, but also the fear that students would be afraid to contribute to classroom discussion because of the policy.
"Every student at the U-M received this pamphlet. There was a good chance that many people, on the basis of this policy, would refuse to make certain comments for fear of being punished," he said.
Shortly after receiving the pamphlet, Wynne joined the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). He later came into contact with Robert Sedler, a Wayne State University faculty member and an attorney for the ACLU who was trying to get a plaintiff for a test case against the U- M's policy. At the time, Wynne, who will receive his master's degree in biological psychol-
Serpent's Tooth Last month, an unknown culprit at the Daily surreptitiously inserted a pair of homosexual symbols on an ROTC advertisement. May we be so bold as to suggest that the offender attend a heterosexual sensitivity class?
During his much-publicized address at MSU last month, Louis Farrakhan said, "You white administrators are very deceptive if you offer a degree in Black Studies and you know the graduates will get a degree they can never use." We applaud Farrakhan for confirming our beliefs that Black Studies Programs are a device of the white, male hegemony to retain its corrupt power. We call on students everywhere to join Farrakhan in demanding and end to the worst of racist tools -the Black Studies Program.
U.S. Secretary of Education Lauro F. Cavazos recently called for an end to "all vestiges of racial and ethnic discrimination in our nation's campuses," according to a Department of Education news release. Perhaps Cavazos will end world hunger next. But first we'll have to figure out how to get "in" a campus.
Last term, Michagamua, a secret honor society got itself into trouble for using Native American costumes in its initiation ceremony, as many campus groups criticized the organization. But recent advertisements for a Native American ''Pow-Wow,'' held March 17-18, included pictures of headbands and feathers. Does this mean that each ethnic group has sole possession of its .. ;
own stereotypes?
Students at Grand Rapids Junior College are fashion trendsetters, having just "won the right to wear ... desecrated American flag(s)" on their clothing, according to the school's studentrun Collegiate. Hopefully these new designs won't be seen on our campus - they would clash with the shanties.
The U-M's Kelsey Museum of Archaeology recently distributed a press release concerning their new exhibit, "Crowning Glories: Persian Kingship and the Power ofCreative Continuity." According to the flyer, the exhibit displays ''Works of art, rare photographs, and drawings." Rare indeed! We had no idea the Persians had cameras!
Domino's Pizza reported a 16 percent drop in income in 1989 and attributed it, according to the Detroit News, to costs associated with new training programs and a computerized system for checking the motor vehicle registrations of its drivers. Sorry, boycotters, you weren't mentioned.
The Office of Affirmative Action has formed the Study Committee on the Status of Lesbians and Gay Men to learn about discrimination against homosexuals at the U-M, according to Ten Percent. That's the 12th committee the administration has created since we started counting in November. Of course, we're anxiously awaiting the 13th addition to the U-M's burgeon-
U.S. Rep, Carl Pursell, R-Ann Arbor, recently sent out newsletters that said they were ''Printed with soybean ink on recycled paper," Now that's environmental consciousness.
State Rep. Perry Bullard, D-Ann Arbor, also mailed newsletters (which were printed on recycled paper, but presumably without soybean ink) that included a list of Lansing's toll free "hotlines," among them the "Meat and Poultry" hotline and the "Rest Area Hotline." Thanks, Perry.
Move over Agenda, the Ann Arbor Metro Times, a left-wing weekly, has come to town, and former Daily opinion page editors Cale Southworth and Amy Harmon are editor and contributor, respectively. How can Agenda compete with that kind of talent?
Why do the MSA radicals keep changing the names of their political parties? This year's Action party seems to be an incarnation of the long-dead Choice, Student's Choice, and Student Power parties. Do they have to change their name each term to avoid student recognition?
We recently played volleyball with the Daily at the CCRB, and, despite the valiant efforts of Reviewers Chris "SpikeDeath-Crunch" Terry, Matt "The Widow maker" Lund, and Mark "The Incredible Tulk" Tulkki, the Review went down in defeat. The games were close, and we nearly won, but the forces of evil were just too strong. After the game ended and the Daily staffers left, however, we were approached by a number of independent observers who claimed the Daily cheated. Apparently Weekend Editor Miguel "Jendryka" Cruz smeared pine tar all over his hands and Opinion Page Editor David "David" Schwartz took steroids before the game. Normally, we would concede defeat and congratulate the victors, but in this case, it would be morally wrong. We can only demand a rematch, and promise our readers that justic~ will soon be done.
Review Trivia Quesion: Who was the first person to climb Mt. Arafongo in Mongolia? ~e pa~ 17 for the answer.
THE MICHIGAN REVIEW
The Campus Affairs Journal of the
University of Michigan
Editor-in-Chief John J. Miller
Publishers Matthew Lund
Carey Brian Meadors
Executive Editors Adam DeVore Brian Jendryka Mark Molesky
Assistant Editors Rahul Banta, Clifton Gault, Bob
Juneja, Joseph Klein, Mark Tulkki
Production Managers Ruth Armstrong Karen Brinkman
Personnel Manager Vince Wilk
Circulation Director Chris Terry
Editor Emeritus Marc Selinger
Staff Deepak Bapna, Thomas Binkow, Michael Bonanno, Jim Borninski,
Bryan Case, Vincent DeSantis, Brian Gambs, Peter Harbage, Jeff
Hartgen, Nicholas Hoffman, Michelle Janoschka, Phil
Johnston, Mark Kalinowski, Michael Murray, Latha Palaniap
pan, Josh Shackman, John Transue, Chau-Ye Wu
The Michigan Review is an independent, non-profit, student-run journal at the
University of Michigan. We are not affiliated with any political party. We wel
come letters and articles and encourage comments about the journal and issues
Roving Photographer What do you think of the $5 pot law'?
" filii :.""
Moon Kim, LSA freshman: "Basically, it's a joke. People will just pay it and do it again probably. It's not muchofa·deterrent."
Melina Gamer, LSA freshman: "It fits the campus. A lot of students are doing it, and it's not a big fine, so I think it's goodJorHwstudents who are doing it."
t-----~-~--~~~--------~~~-1 Yes! I want to support the Michigan Review! I
I Here's my'tax-deductible contribution to help sustain the University : of Michigan's independent campus affairs journal. I understand that I w.ith my contribution of $15 or more, I will receive a one year's sub- I scription tb the Review. I
I am enclosing:
_$15 _$25 _$50 _$100
_$250 _$500 _$1,000 _Other ,
Make checks payable to ''The Michigan Review"
I Send to: .
I I I I I I I I I I I r
Andrea Campbell, LSA junior: "It's fine. It doesn't need to be changed. Even if they increased the fines, it
. wouldn't change anybody's behavior."
Ashara Shepard,LSA senior: "I think smoking pot is unnecessary, but I'm glad to see that Ann Arbor has an open mind about it-"
I The MiChigan Review . lSuiteOne . I 911 North University .
. ' I Jesse Walker; R(;j~ior: "Five Peter. HU5S,LSA seni~r: U}' m stoned 1 dollars is too muCh; There should be . . ngh~nOw/'
I ' demeanors. Eventually, we could l'his month's roving photographer 1 Jllilfe it a $5 fine not to pay y<?ur$5 · :.' .' ... lV.asKar~,I,\Brinkman, a Re~identi;il I .. ·· fine. Theil we will have attained a: . . ' Colle-ge junior in cOJnmunication
IAddIess: ' I liberta.rian society without any and'the School of Art and a produc-
L ' . . J" bloodshed." lion manager oithe Review.
~------------------------. " . . ' ; ~ y ,J ~ ~ ft ... ~ i .; . ~'~ ~ ~ ' . · L ' •• ~ .. t ..: • \ . ,' . ) .
Rich Radicals, Poor Conservatives There are literally hundreds of student groups on the University of Michigan
campus, including groups for hobbyists, sports enthusiasts, socialites, and activists for every conceivably virtuous and noble cause. Wouldn't it be nice jf all of these groups had $35,000 land on their doorsteps each year? Wouldn't it be nice if every student group didn't have to have bucket drives, doughnut sales, and allocation requests? Unfortunately, the case is that many organizations must painstakingly finance themselves each year. Each of its members must contribute time and effort to fund its cause.
Racist and anti-Semitic speakers like Abdul Alim Muhammed and Steven Cokely have recently graced our campus.
One exception, though, is the Black Student Union (BSU). Student tuition funds this organization; BSU receives $35,000 per year from U-M funds. While other groups work in legal, non-inflammatory ways to raise funds, this ill-earned bribe was BSU's booty from the "11 demands" the Black Action Movement presented to the administration in March 1987.
In an interview in this issue of the Review (please see page 8), President James Duderstadt said that he did not believe that university funds should be spent for extremist speakers, such as MiriisterLouis FarraKhl:m of the Nation of Islam, a
documented anti-Semite. Yet racist and anti-Semitic speakers like Abdul Alim Muhammad and Steven Cokely have both recently graced our campus, courtesy of the BSU. According to Muhammad, "There is only one devil walking on this earth, and he has been identified by God as the Caucasian whiteman." According to Cokely, Jews are a "violent people" and "the Jew hopes to one day reign forever." Imagine the uproar if David Duke were paid with public funds to espouse white supremacy. The BSU's recent actions should be judged no less harshly.
Although racist speakers sponsored by BSU certainly have every right to express their ideas, the U-M has no right to create a situation in which extremists are favored. Groups like the Students of Objectivism, College Republicans, College Democrats, Tagar, and the Coalition for Democracy in Latin America, among many others, do not receive monster grants from the administration.
This financial favoritism goes to the heart of the problem. Groups that are disproportionately well funded relative to other groups can easily attract larger numbers of big name speakers. Other, less favored groups, such as politically moderate and conservative organizations, do not have the benefit of such munificent funding; their views are almost completely unrepresented.
Should the Review also "demand" $35,000 per year? This money could be used to hire speakers like Robert Bork, Jeane Kirkpatrick, Thomas Sowell, George Will, and William F.Buckley, Jr. It would present, for the first time at the U-M, a politically balanced set of speakers on campus.
The U-M's public funds should either be allocated equally to all groups regardless of their viewpoints; or to none at alL We hope that President Duderstad,t will keep his word and end this injustice.
Students Against Free Speech When the University of Michigan administration asked for student input
concerning a permanentdisctiminatory harassment policy, the Michigan Student Assembly (MSA) established a committee to CDnstruct its own proposed policy. Unfortunately, the committee, chaired by MSA presidential candidate Jennifer Van Valey, has prepared a policy that potentiaUy threatens free speech on the UM campus.
The committee's policy is much like the originalU-M policy that was ruled unconstitutional last August by U.S. District Judge Avem Cohn: nearly everything is forbidden. The original policy, deemed too broad in its restrictions on free speech, contained ridiculous examples of harassment, such as the student who "display(s) a (C)o nfederate flag on the door of (his) room in the residence hall." An interim policy, implemented soon after the original polity was struck down, was much narrower in scope, stipulating that a harasser need have "the purpose of affecting a student'sperfortnance."
Apparently this was far too confining for the student committee, whose policy broadly defines discriminatory harassment as having either the "intent or effect" of interfering with another "individual's or group's educational and/or work performance." The vague definition of "intent or effect" makes nearly any activity involving different genders and racial groups difficult, for fear of prosecution. At a recent committee meeting, Mike Schechter, president of the American Civil Liberties Union's U-M chapter and a member of Van Valey's committee, illustrated the shortcomings of this definition with an excellent example. Say a group of students, nine men and one woman, lJ1eet to play basketball everyday. New teams are chosen each time, but the woman, because of her lousy hook shot, is consistently the last player to join a team. She could easily file a complaint against her fellow players because, although this act of "harassment" was unintentional, it might have the "effect of ... interfering with (her) educational andlor work performance." Even Van Valey conceded the possibility of this example arising, but
These editorials repres;d"t thedpiitions of the Revi~ ~~i~orial board.
criticized Schechter for being "worried about the mostextreme·of possible cases." The committee's proposed policy also forbids the creation of "an intimidating
... environment on or off campus." While such behavior is certainly deplorable, the U-M should not try to dictate students' off-campus activities.
Furthermore, the mechanisms for determining the outcome of a complaint, regardlessof how littIemerit the case holds, are biased. Accordingto the proposed
This vague definition of "intent or effect" makes nearly any activity involving different genders and racial groups difficult, for· fear of prosecution.
policy, the composition of a hearing panel to judge a case of harassment would be determined, in part, by MSA's Minority Affairs Commission (MAO, which would supposedly act as an "impartial coordinating body." But to be truly impartial, members of the hearing panel should not have to receive MAC's stamp of approval. This unwisely assumes MAC is the final authority on racism. Furthermore, MAC isnot the best group to determine the makeup of a hearing panel that might be listening to a case involving discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation.
Fortunately, the committee has not yet ratified the proposed policy, and willbe listening to the suggestions of U-M student groups at its next meeting, on March 30, at a place yet to be determined. Although Van Valey personally supports the proposed policy, she says she will vote against it if enough students voice their dissent. We therefore urge students and student groups to attend this next
LGMPO Editorial Unfair I was shocked and angered by the
Review's February editorial "Oppose Gay Lounge." The editors seriously misrepresented the Lesbian and Gay Male Programs Office (LGMPO) and demonstrated complete ignorance of bisexuality, gay social life, and the oppression that lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals (LGMBO must confront daily.
If the editors had read the flier available at the LGMPO describing the functions of the office, they would have realized that the office is deeply involved in more than just programs "that serve a purely social function."
It's funny how the writer of the article neglected to mention that also listed are meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous, Alanon, Adult Daughters of Alcohol, groups for survivors of incest, and non-alcoholic social groups. Sure, they list the bars -those are some of the very few well-attended public gay spaces we have. By focusing on the publicity that the LGMPO does for privately organized activities in our community, the editorial minimizes the significance of all the other programs the office coordinates. This does a great disservice to the LGMPO and to the U-M community.
The editorial only got worse, as it perpetuated the ludicrous and dangerous stereotype that bisexually identified individuals are inherently promiscuous, require more than one partner, and do not participate in safer sex practices. If the editors had checked for facts instead of relying on twisted logic and old stereotypes, they might have avoided libeling all those people whose sexual orientation is not gender-specific
The Michigan Review, March 1990, p. 5
Letters to the Editor . of the social, economic, and emotional violence we face when we are honest about our sexual orientation. To imply that any service that helps LGMBi people accept themselves for who they really are and deal with survival in a hostile environment "would inhibit homosexuals from participating in the outside world" is insulting and patronizing.
The editors obviously ignored, overlooked, or misinterpreted all accurate information regarding this topic. One can only hope that they have learned from this and will refrain from printing such damaging misinformation in the future.
David V. Horste Residential College senior
Gays Need a Refuge I am appalled and sickened by the
Review's February editorial "Oppose Gay Lounge." It is now absolutely obvious that the U-M's homosexual! bisexual population desperately needs a U-M meeting place/ refuge in light of the severely homophobic atmosphere that exists among the conservatives on the campus, as evidenced by your editorial. It is disgusting that, in 1990, any member of the U-M, whether student, faculty, staff or administration would even slightly object to the desire and need for people with similar inclinations to meet. Further, your claim that bisexuality equals promiscuity (bisexuals do not necessarily have multiple partners) and the LGMPO's S<H:alled encouragement of drug and alcohol abuse when they advertise meeting places frequented by the homosexual and bisexual population are so far fetched as to be laughable.
It is shameful that within a learning institution dedicated to opening minds that such close-minded attitudes would find their way onto paper. Although I doubt that such an intensely homophobic publication
will print this,· I can promise that at least I will never again make the mistake of picking up this publication.
Karen Hanson Art School graduate student
Question Lounge Funds The central issue raised in the
Review's "Oppose Gay Lounge" editorial is an important one: whether the U-M is responsible for providing individual interest groups on campus with funding to do things that only include those who subscribe to that group's special interest. If you are talking about organizations in which the only requirement for admittance is something like sexual orientation or race, the usage of U-M funds, and specifically funds extracted from all students, is not necessarily good. For instance, should every student pay for the activities that the BSU or Hillel sponsors? As was pointed out, these groups are very exclusive. And if they do get this funding, then what, if any, are the limitations that should be put on the usage of that money? For example, should the BSU have been able to pay Steven Cokely with the money it receives from the U-M? I think that this article helps to raise several questions that need addressing concerning the responsibility of the U-M to provide money for racially and sexually (fill in any I left out) exclusive groups.
Stephen J::lenderson LSA sophomore
Hooray for the Review! A friend of mine recently intro
duced me to the Review, and I was very glad to find that there was a conservative newspaper on campus. I read almost every article in the January and February issues and have agreed with virtually all of the opinions and points
Editor's Note In last month's "Oppose Gay Lounge" editorial, the Review did not intend to imply that bisexuals are, by nature, promiscuous. We simply intended to call into question the spending of U-M funds for the promotion of social events for any group, whatever ,.its sexual orientation. Since our editorial concerned the Lesbian and Gay Male
made in the paper. It is good to learn that there are other people at this very liberal university who share the same views as I do. I had been picking up the Michigan Daily before, but I never really read it. I just wanted to see the sports section, which wasn't very good anyway. Now after reading some of the articles in the Review, I can't stand the Daily. When I arrived at this school, I didn't really think much about liberals and conservatives or Democrats and Republicans, but my first term here has made me very aware of that point of view now.
Phil Shore LSA freshman
Shanties are Important In last month's editOrial, "Man
dela, de Klerk and the Shanties," you manage to completely skirtthe issue at hand by your clever quips about de Klerk being scared by those idiotic ranting radicals at the U-M. However, It goes a Ii ttle deeper than this amazing misanalysis of their purpose that you propose. The shanties do provide a disquieting presence on our lovely concrete forum, thereby making people aware of the issues that have been simply scrawled on their sides. Perhaps they have outlived their original purpose, and hopefully they will become permanent additions. Of course, I am worried that the regents, who constantly populate our Diag, find them disturbing. I am also disturbed that the squirrels will not have the ecolOgically balanced wildlife refuge that was the Diag before the shanties arrived. As for the S<H:alled "juvenile" slogans printed upon them, I find them no more prophetic than ''No taxation without representation." Freedom isn't as childish a concept as you would have us believe. Perhaps we should reserve unappealing concepts and juvenile slogans to where they have traditionally resided: in editorials. Aesthetics is in the eye of the beholder. Are a few wooden buildings so damaging to your sense of decorum that you can't ~tomach a nonviolent protest for a change?
Gay people are constantly harassed and intimidated, not only on this campus, but all over the world. When the Review says, "If homosexuals are to become genuinely open about their orientation, then they have to integrate themselves with the public at large" and "Olle cannot get used to adverse conditions by hiding from them," it infuriates me. The Review has shown a total lack of understanding of the oppression and discrimination LGMBi people face in our society. LGMBi pe<;>ple are the most completely integrated minority in the world today. We are, and always have been, everywher~: 'Many of us~ 'unfortunately, hide our orientation due to the realfear' ..
Program Office, we were forced to restrict our criticisms to that community alone. We I Sean Donovan apologiufor any misunderstanding: . ., > ••• oil < ,. ; , ' \ ' , • ~~il fr~h[tl.al'! •• ,. • , • , ' " , j '. t: , , r: :c ~ I 0- j I .. " ,- ~ ... , f " , " 'I ,,'~ .. ,I ~' ~ I ~ ,
Greek Life Offers More Than Stereotypes by Jonathan W. Fink
During the past three years at the University of Michigan, 1 have heard or read very few positive things about the Greek system. Most journals on campus would have us believe that "Greeks" are members of fraternities and sororities who do not care about anyone but themselves and foster a "rape culture" and an alcoholic lifestyle with their mindless partying. Despite these stereotypes, I joined the Greek system at this time last year.
I have learned that the Greek system is quite different from the image that people commonly hold. Many members of the system care about the problems within the system and the effects of those problems on the rest of of the U-M community. These people have been active in dealing with problems from sexual' assault to substance abuse to homelessness. Many problems perceived to exist only within the system are actually societal problems that are more easily identified among Greeks because they live in an institutional setting.
1 first discovered that leaders in the Greek community were dealing with these problems during last October's Sexual Assault Awareness Week. Before then, 1 knew that daterape had been a major issue for women on campus, especially within the Greek system, but I did not understand the gravity of the actual situation.
This year, Eric Reicin, vice president of the Interfraternity Council (IFC) and member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, worked with the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center (SA PAC) to organize a workshop on sexual assault. At this workshop, representatives from all the fraternities and sororities on campus talked about the prevalence of sexual assault and the climates that could foster it.
I did not attend the session because I was skeptical about what could be accomplished, and I did not believe that people would seriously address the issue of sexual assault. I thought that the only reason people would go would be to socialize. Contrary to my expectations, people lett that day with a better understanding of how the Greek system's gender exclusivity
The opinions expressed in the Review Forum are not necessarily ~o$e.Qf.tlre Review • • . • .. , •• ;~ · .... t ".4' C ~
propagates situations where sexual assault is likely to occur.
Later, after speaking with Reicin, I realized that many people felt the program had been beneficial and thatmany others regretted not participating. As Reicin said, "I hope that people
gan Student Assembly. Recently, when 1 asked the campus coordinator of the event and Zeta Tau Alpha member Michelle Thompson about the success of the event, she told me, "I think that people were widely receptive to the Alcohol Awareness Week and that
Students Against Drunk Driving music mobile to campus to raise campus awa:reness and money for the SADD chapter at the U-M.
Many problems perceived to exist only within the Greek system are actually societal problems that are more easily identified among Greeks.
It has also become clear to me that members of the Greek system can remain active members of the community. No issue has helped to fix this view in my mind more than the Greek Week Steering Committee's recent projects with the homeless during Greek Week.
Amy Davies, c<H:hair of the SteeringCommittee and a member of Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority, believes that the most effective activities are on a local level. Last year Davies set up an event where representatives from all the houses in the Greek System helped repair the Women in Transition Shelter in downtown Ann Arbor. I spent the afternoon of this event sanding, cleaning, and painting the shelter and left with a feeling of appreciation for the enthusiasm they brought with them. According to Davies, the event was so successful that it will certainly be repeated this year and hopefully expanded in the years to come.
understand what we were trying to accomplish with this event. We knew that , the first workshop couldn't change the world, but we wanted to begin focusing people's attention on the problems that we're going to have to deal with if the Greek system is to remain reputable."
Throughout the fall semester, I encountered people in the system who wanted to deal with other problems, such as drinking, on a grass-roots level to restore credibility to the Greek system. I began to see that an individual could be in the Greek system and still not advocate a life of all-out hedonism. It was for these reasons that I joined UM President James Duderstadt's Task Force on Alcoholism and Other Drugs and ran for the position of public relations chair on the IFC.
When 1 joined the task force, I wondered how Duderstadt would address these issues. I assumed that because alcohol was so prevalent in society and was a central focus of many fraternity parties, the "powers that be" liked it that way.
In the past month and a half, I have seen that this is not the case. I did not know that Greeks have been involved in addressing the issue of alcohol abuse for the past several years. Three years ago, Greeks began to participate in the National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week. Programs in that week have .included an alternative beverage day, a non-alcohol party on the Diag, and speakers who addressed how alcohol abuse has hurt students both socially and academically. The week's activities are administered by a representative from the Panhellenic Association (the governing body of sororities), a representative from the lFC, a representative from Health
, , , ~rvi€es, and ,a, Ip~l)1ber of the Mi~$~
an expansion of programming would be welcomed by everyone in the U-M community."
The best evidence of this propensity is the dry rush that last semester's IFC imposed on itself. This was the first widespread effort by all fraternities to curb alcohol abuse and tell the U-Mand thecityof Ann Arborthatthe Greek system did not need alcohol to thrive. Although a variety of factors went into the decision for dry rush, including pressure from insurance companies, members of the system ratified the proposal because they realized that alcohol use had to be addressed to give credibility to the entire system.
Even more proof that the Greek system is interested in the problems of substance abuse are the additional programming efforts that it is making for this spring and next fall with Health Services. Teresa Herzog, substance abuse education coordinator of Health Services and member of the task force, with the help of Thompson and Lon Barrow, a member of Theta Delta Chi Fraternity, is bringing the
Davies' actions and those of the people mentioned in this article help to illustrate an important choice. That is, the-choice between living only to benefit ourselves or the choice to make a change in our community that will benefit everybody people in it. The Greek system provides the opportunity to acton both thesepossibiIities, so that they can enjoy themselves and help others.
Jonathan W. Fink is a junior in philosophy and the public relations chair of the IFC.
MeAT • LSAr ' OAT • GMAT • GRE' For Exam Preparation, Choose to EXCEL
• Learn to Anticipate the Exam • Improve Your Test-Taking Skills • Use Your Study Time More Effectively • Achieve Your Maximum Potential Score
The future of Ann Arbor's "$5 Pot Law" will be determined at the polls on April 2, as one amendment on this year's city ballot proposes to increase the fines for marijuana use. However, group~oncampus, as well asat the city and state levels have questioned whether such hikes are needed.
Rich Birkett, a representative of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), feels that the proposed amendment is not necessary. "There was no public outcry against the current law," said Birkett. "Very few people are interested in raising the fine."
The amendment was, in fact, placed on the ballot by a vote of the Ann Arbor city council, instead of a petition drive by the people. Ann Arbor Mayor Gerald Jernigan, however, defended the council's actions. "We were asked by a variety of groups to add the amendment to the ballot. These groups could simply not get a petition drive organized," he said.
Governor James Blanchard failed in an attempt to remove the proposal from the ballot. The city council overturned Blanchard's gubernatorial veto with a 9-2 vote last week.
If the amendment is passed, the possession of marijuana will be changed from a misdemeanor to a civil infraction and carry a fine of $25 on the first offense, $50 on the second offense, and a minimum of $100 on the third and subsequent offenses. The fines, however, will be waived if the violator attends a substance abuse program. Under state law, possession of marijuana carries a maximum fine of $1000 and a jail sentence of up to one year.
One of NORML's major concerns over the propoSPI, if it passes, is that records will have to be kept-of violators to assure they are charged with the proper fine. Currently, no records are kept O( ~i9Iiltors, as ~heJi,ne i!l th~ same n~,gardles.s.o!~9~.~anytimes~ ~rson
has been ticketed. Jernigan, however, feels these
concerns are less important than sending an anti-drug message to the city's youth. He would like the city to treat marijuana as a drug at least as dangerous as alcohol. 'We would like to think that the possession of marijuana is
cause for a little bit more than a parking ticket," he said. "The current law is an embarrassment to the city of Ann Arbor."
Jernigan originally did not expect a great student turnout at the polls, but he now does because of the addition of the ''Reproductive Freedom Zone" to the ballot, a proposal that would make abortions in Ann Arbor punishable only by a fine, should the Michigan state legislature outlaw them. Jernigan expects this addition will probably ''bring out a lot more people who, otherwise, would not be voting at all. I was fairly confident that the pot law proposal would pass, but I'm a little more apprehensive now that the Reproductive Freedom Zone proposal is on the ballot."
The University of Michigan chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has taken a position against the amendment, having voted on the issue last fall. Former U-M chapter ACLU President Jim Johnson said, "The ACLU has long been opposed to criminal sanctions for drug use. We do not view it as a criminal problem."
According to Johnson, the historical reason for the ACLU's opposition to drug. laws is that such laws were once only enforced upon minorities and dissidents to "suppress the dissent, as was done during the Vietnam war." The ACLU believes that most police violations of civil rights occur during drug arrests.
Another reason the ACLU is opposed to the amendment is because it defines the penalty for the possession
of marijuana as a civil infraction, raising concerns about proper enforcement. "There is no justice in a civil infraction. You are convicted and there is no appeal," said Johnson. In addition, he feels that the substance abuse program option, which waives the fine upon proof of attendance, discriminates against violators with lower incomes, as only those persons who can afford a rehabilitation program can exercise that option.
The Detroit News has also criticized the proposed amendll,1ent on its editorial pages, accusing the city of "the politics of symbolism" and suggesting "the increase would merely adjust the (original pot law, passed in 1974) for inflation."
The current ballot proposal is not the first challenge to Ann Arbor's pot law; a previous attempt failed in 1983. Even if the current proposal passes, marijuana usage in the city will probably be affected very little, if at all. The
ANN ARBOR'S SOURCE FOR MICHIAGN MEMORABILIA
Sweatshirts Teeshirts Hats Prints & Posters License Plates Stickers Sweatpants Flags Jackets Mugs & Glasses Neck Ties Bumper Stickers NCAA Shirts Football Jerseys Crazy Shirts And Much More!
new fines maybe steeper, but they will probably not be a more effective deterrent than the current $5 fine, as, with the exception of "Hash Bash," Ann Arbor seems to be no more plagued by a marijuana problem than other cities with more typical laws. Perhaps these are, indeed, "the politics of symbolism." On April 2, the people of Ann Arbor must decide which symbols are important and which are simply rhetoric.
Bob Juneja is a sophomore in economics and mathematics and an assistant editor for the Review.
uA ..... ;JlIA'S
MORE THAN A BOOKSTORE
Main Store: 549 E. University Electronics: 1110 S. University Annex: 1117 S. University Phone: 313-662·3201 Store Hours: M·F 8:30-5:30 Saturday 9:30-5:00
The Dude's Been Called Worse On February 14, Adam DeVore and dom of speech. Carey Brian Meadors of the Review interviewed University of Michigan REVIEW: The original U-M harass-President James Duderstadt. Duderstadt became president of the university in 1988 after graduating from the U-M's College of Engineering and holding various positions since 1969.
REVIEW: Do you mind being called liThe Dude"?
DUDERSTADT: I have been called worse ...
REVIEW: Have you ever been in the tunnels?
DUDERSTADT: No.
REVIEW: Who did you vote forin'68 and'72 ?
DUDERSTADT: It is important that the president be clearly perceived as politically independent. Throughout most of my life, I've been a political independent.
REVIEW: So you're not going to tell us who you vtJted for in'68 or '72?
DUDERST ADT: I'm not going to tell you who I voted for in any election. Once I'm a civilian again, I'll tell you.
REVIEW: What's your favorite card game?
DUDERSTADT: Poker, I guess.
REVIEW: What's your favorite drink?
DUDERSTADT: Oh gosh - probably a Chalone Chardonnay. Chalone is a vineyard in California.
REVIEW: What are your thoughts about Salman Rushdie?
DUDERSTADT: (Chuckling) He's someone who got caught in some very difficult political struggles.
REVIEW: Is what he did right?
DUDERSTADT: What did he do?
REVIEW: He wrote a book that was very objectionable to many people.
DUDERST ADT: I believe in the free-
ment policy, which you supported, was shot down as a violation of the First Amendment. How do you feel about that?
DUDERSTADT: I believe that the policy, as it was originally written, would have eventually been found constitutionally valid. There were some difficulties with its implementation. The narrower policy has avoided many of those difficulties, but there continue to be somedifficul ties. We're waiting for the review process involving students,faculty, and staff to come forward with recommendations from those committees to see whether there's a way we can fine tune the policy even further.
REVIEW: Would the interim harassment policy have punished Salman Rushdie for publishing The Satanic Verses on the U-M campus?
DUDERSTADT: It is my belief that it would not have punished him.
REVIEW: You have repeatedly asked for student input on the code and any such policies, yet many students insisted there be no restrictions. Why do you persist?
DUDERST ADT: Because in my consultation with students, there has been a very broad range of student opinion.
There are a number of students on this campus that believe that their rights would be protected by the existence of some kind of broad rights-responsibility policy such as exists on every other campus in the United States.
REVIEW: Which student groups have come forward in favor of this?
DUDERSTADT: This is an issue that has been expressed by individual students that I
met with them in dormitories, classes, and various organizations around campus. It is interesting that many of the graduate students who have had their undergraduate education at other institutions are puzzled by the
. absence of such a policy on this campus and by what they perceive as an unwillingness to consider this on the part of student groups.
REVIEW: If any sort of anti-harrassment policy or a code were put into effect, would ...
DUDERST ADT: There already is a harassment policy ...
REVIEW: Yes, but you are working on revising and narrowing it, isn't that so?
DUDERSTADT: Well, it's in place, but we're looking for input on ways to improve it. .
REVIEW: Would the Central Student Judiciary (CSJ), MSA's judiciary, administer the new and improved policy? If so, would it be the highest authority, or would there be a higher appeal for that? Would it be mainly student self-governing or would the
administration be lurking in the background?
DUDERSTADT: You're essentially asking me to design the code and I have not done that nor will I do that. If you look a t sample codes from any of a number of institutions you'll see a broad range of ways to approach it; in some cases it's centralized; in some cases it's a joint student/faculty committee; in other cases it's decentralized in individual schools and colleges. I have quite an open mind about which of those be appropriate for this campus. The College of Engineering has had an honor code for some time.
REVIEW: Isn't that of a different nature?
DUDERST ADT: Not necessarily. I think that it could be extended to apply to non-academic behavior.
REVIEW: When you say that it could be extended, it seems there is potentially quite a bit of room for interpretation. Do you think that it ought to be more specific?
DUDERSTADT: I say "could be extended" because in that case honor code, like most honor codes, is really governed and implemented entirely by students. Students determine and judge those violations and determine sanctions. There is an appeal route. It gets into the administration, but it is rarely necessary to do so. It is my understanding that engineering is not alone; there are two or three other schools with honor codes.
REVIEW: The topic of minority lounges frequently comes up in this context. What do you think about them? Do you support their existence or do you find that they are less desirable?
DUDERST ADT: It's important to provide all members of the university community with areas where they won't feel uncomfortable. Noareas should be exclUSionary, but there will be some areas of the campus designed to provide more familiarity and support for certain types of students. That means in my mind that there may well be reason for minority lounges, but those should not be exclusionary or just for minorities. Arninority lounge that is open to all members of the uni-
versity community is not segregated. What I'm saying is that, if it's exclusionary, if it excludes individuals of any race, that, by definition, is segregation.
REVIEW: Would you be opposed to a minority lounge such as East Quad's ABENG lounge? Only members of ABENG may sign out the key to unlock the lounge, but once it is open, any student can be there.
DUDERST ADT: What you have to understand is that when I say I am opposed, what I mean is that I don't think it is in the best interest of diversity to have any part of the university exclude members of the university community. That does not mean that that belief propagates into the individual practice of our various units, because they are quite decentralized. My own reaction is that the way to build any multicultural institution is to pull people together rather than pull them apart. But I also recognize that we should reflect the heritage and culture of the different groups on this campus in various locations on this campus. That's how I perceive multicultural lounges. But I think it's for all peoples.
REVIEW: Does the U-M use a quota system for admissions?
DUDERSTADT: There is no quota system at the U-M. Admissions is an effort to assemble, as a class, the finest class that the U-M can put together. That means that, of necessity, we evaluate the whole individual. We try to build a class characterized by diversity. Some will be great artists, others will be scholars, musicians, or athletes. Some will come from the Upper Peninsula, others from the Lower, some from this group, some from that group. When you put it all together, hopefully you achieve the highest quality class you can.
REVIEW: But doesn't intentionally taking race into consideration amount to a quota system?
DUDERST ADT: We seek to achieve a student body composition that is reflective of the national composition. As I said, our admissions process looks at both the whole individual and the classasa whole. Wedon'thaveadmissions based on GP A and SAT alone.
REVIEW: What do you think of the Christian Cornerstone Fellowship (CCF)? Specifically, how do you feel about MSA's attempt to derecognize
The Michigan Review, March 1990, p. 9
CCF after it hired a musician that sang a song called "God Hates Queer" on the diag?
DUDERSTADT: I don't have enough detailed information to have a definite opinion. I recognize there are issues of
DUDERSTADT: I have not seen them indetaiI. We've never had quotas. The university made no commitment to achieving 10 percent African American enrollment inthe early 19705. I can assure you, because I was around the table, that President Shapiro did not
There may well be reason for minority lounges but those should not be exclusionary, or just for minorities.
religious freedom that have to be expressed, but on the other side, I also recognize that there are issues of concern about racial and ethnic sensitivity, and homophobia. But I think the issue is one that should be worked out by students, as it has been. One composition of MSA ruled one way last year, and another composition ruled another way this year. So there must be some process of dialogue, some evolution of learning.
REVIP'!: How do you feel about LASC (the Latin American Solidarity. Committee) in general, and specifically with respect to its attempts to bring foreign matters into the university - for example, its call for a letter to be sentto our sisterschoolin El Salvador?
DUDERSTADT: The request - the only request I received - was from a number of faculty and staff members. It is occasionally appropriate for American universities to respond to certain important issues, which I do. To my knowledge, I never received any sort of written request from L-A-S ... what is it, LASCS? Whatever you called it. There was a demonstration while I was out of town, but my inclination is not to respond to demonstrations- I regard them as basically theater-but Ido try to be responsive to legitimate concerns. I received what I thought were genuine concerns from the faculty and staff, so I did what I thought was appropriate. There are times when it is appropriate for the university to respond on major issues, and I will do that from time to time.
REVIEW: The United Coalition Against Racism (UeAR) is demanding 15 percent quotas for black students,and that $2 million be set aside for scholarships for students of color who need financial aid. What is your reaction to these demands? Have you seen them?
make a commitment to 12 percent and I don't see any particular relevance in 15 percent. President Fleming made a commitment to financial aid, but there was never a commitment made to a particular number. I recommend you have that dialogue with him directly, but that is in fact the case. It is evident if you look at the text of the document known as the "Six Point Plan," which states that we should be striving to achieve a student body that is reflective of the population at large. That's still our goal. As to whether we should put $2 million more into financial aid, all I can say is that we've put in two or three times that amount over the past few years. I'm always interested in suggestions or requests, but I think one of the confusions in student language isthattheword "demand"isoverused. When I see it, I cross it out and substitute the word "recommend."
REVIEW: So the Black Action Movement flyers that say "BAM debt 20 years past due" try to remind us of a commitment that was never made?
DUDERST ADT: If you look back at the record, you will find President Fleming made a commitment to achieving financial aid adequate to support 10 percent black enrollment, but there was never a commitment to achieving 10 percent black enrollment.
REVIEW: What are your feelings about the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLu), in light of it's action against the U-M's attempt to limit expression?
DUDERSTADT: All I know is that there's probably as much controversy and division within the ACLU as there is between the ACLU and the rest of our society, as evidenced by the case we had a year ago, when the national ACLU did not want to dispute the harassment policy but the Michigan ACLUdid.
REVIEW: What do you think about the Black Student Union?
DUDERST ADT: There is a need for different groups of students to form different organizations, in some cases, characterized along interests, culture, or nationality. BSU is one of those groups. To be honest, I do not know what particular direction or agenda they have at this point.
REVIEW: The Michigan Student Assembly (MSA) recently funded expensive "fact-finding" trips to El Salvador and the West Bank with student money. How do you feel about that?
DUDERSTADT: What MSA does is a resul t of who the students elect as their representatives. My suggestion would be that if the students don't like it, then do something about it.
REVIEW: They tried, and the opposition cheated.
DUDERSTADT: Well, you have to be tougher and smarter than they are.
REVIEW: Do you read Consider magazine?
DUD ERST ADT: I haven't seen it. We're not on their mailing list. I read everything that comes through here.
REVIEW: Do you read the Michigan Daily?
DUDERSTADT: As little as possible. The problem is tha t ever since they lost Bloom County, there's been nothing that pulls me to the Daily.
REVIEW: Do you read the Michigan Review?
DUDERST ADT: I usually do because it comes out less frequently.
REVIEW: What do you think of the Michigan Daily and the Michigan Review?
DUDERSTADT: Student publications are important, and they have a long tradition on this campus. But the difficulty is that from time to time groups with other agendas take over. That obviously happened recently with the Daily opinion page. And that happens. My concern is that I would like to promote student publications of the highest possible quality. They certainly will take various political viewpoints, but I would hope to see diversity on this campus. I'd like to see
much more of a balance expressed through the Daily.
REVIEW: What do you think about the Daily opinion page's grand finale? Betsy Esch and Amy Harmon upset quite a few people with their farewell article.
DUDERSTADT: I'm glad I was on their list (of villains), otherwise I would have felt a little neglected.
REVIEW: What do you think about the shanties?
DUDERST ADT: I think they should be regarded as an expression of certain views, and that is the reason why I am generally in support of their remaining on campus. They have raised awareness of very important issues. In the same sense that we have to tolerate expression of other types, we should tolerate the shanties.
REVIEW: On April 2, after the Hash Bash, there will be a vote on Ann Arbor's pot law and whether the fine will be increased. How do you feel about the Hash Bash and the $5 pot law?
DUDERSTADT: They're both a disgrace. They convey a very poor image of the community at a time when substance abuse is one of the great problems American society faces. I support
.... "''' ..... ,." ..,.,...,.
The Michigan Review, March 1990, p. 10
repeal of the $5 pot law, and there should be a stronger penalty. I don't know what I can do legally to keep the Hash Bash from happening, but I'll do anything I can to prevent it.
REVIEW: In this time of soaring tuitions, what are you doing to limit or pare down the U-M's bureaucracy?
DUDERSTADT: We are always challenging oursel ves to find places where we can cut back. In fact, we have a major task force, which is being lead by the dean of the School of Business Administration. A report will be coming out shortly, but he has already informed me that we're working at the margins.
REVIEW: Controversies {ecently arose at Michigan State and Northern Illinois University concerning student funds being spent for Louis Farrakhan to give a speech. If he came here, where would you stand?
DUDERSTADT: University funds, technically called "public funds," from a general fund, should not be spent on activities like that. I don't think the regents would support that either. We should not forbid groups to bring individuals like Farrakhan to campus, but "public funds" should not be used to support extremists.
REVIEW: For a while, the adlllinistra-
tion was considering a mandatory course on racism. Where do you stand on this issue?
DUDERSTADT: The last mandatory class we had, to my knowledge, was pysical education, which we discontinued in the mid-1960s. I find it very difficult to believe that the faculty at large or the students would stand for any kind of mandatory courses. The debate about having a mandatory course is an important debate, and I still think that multicultural education
. is important because we live in a multicultural world.
REVIEW: If you had to look back over the year, what is the worst decision the administration has collectively made? If you could erase one thing, what would it be?
DUDERSTADT: Well, we lost the Rose Bowl. There have been a lot of small screw-ups, but nothing terribly dangerous. There are a lot of things I wish we could have done better. My general sense is that immediate ,concerns were handled correctly. I think we're on the right track. I sense a real mood of optimism around campus.
A little of your time
v may mean more time for someone else. •
Give Plasma! Plasma Donors Are "People Helping People"
t!1 c~r Plasma Collection
Facility New Donors Receive '$20 On Your First Donation
ogy in August, wascontemplating two potentially controversial subjects for future research: human mate choice and gender differences. Wynne shared his reservations about the policy with Sedler, including his concern that his potential research ideas might violate the policy on the grounds of sexism. Sedler proposed that Wynne be the sole plaintiff for the test case.
"The more I started to think about the policy, the more I thought about how many ideas would be stifled by it. I was so pissed off I finally decided to be the plaintiff," Wynne said. "1 was fearful of retribution, so 1 said 'I'll just call myself John Doe and hope we can get this damn thing ruled unconstitutional.'"
So, as of April 1989, Wesley Wynne has also been John Doe. Throughout the entire ordeal, Wynne was fairly certain that the policy would be ruled unconstitutional.
"We were pretty sure we were going to win. The U-M put on a really
Security Continued from page 1
bystanders. "If we get a report of a man with a
gun, we have to send in our officers armed basically with a flashlight and a radio. Criminals are going to assume heisa police officer," said Heatly. 'We are pretending to be police officers, and I don't like to do that. We have been very lucky so far."
Although the Department of Public Safety can call the AAPD for assistance, there are only nine police officers assigned tocover the U-M campus, according to Sgt. Donald Terry of the AAPD. And since these officers are responsible for working 21 hours per day, there are often times when only two officers are on or near the campus. Because of this, Heatly says, there are "a lot of times when the police just aren't available."
Heatly would retain the unarmed security officers as well. "1 have never suggested that security officers be arn1ed," said Heatly.
The armed police officers would only be used as a resource and not for every day patrolling, according to Sgt. Vernon Baisden. "We would have trained, educated, certified peace officers available when one is needed," said Baisden.
This ability toemploy resources from the Department of Public Safety for dangerous calls would be a great advantage, according to Heatly, as the
•
The Michigan Review, March 1990, p. 11
good play the week before the hearing by suspending part of the policy," said Wynne. "That was practically an admission. It wasn't going to stand and they knew it. They wanted to salvage what they could. After our challenge it was just a matter of damage control."
In the end, the whole thing just turned out to be an expensive "black eye" for the U-M, according to Wynne.
"They shouldn't have even fought it. It just made them look bad and cost them a couple of hundred thousand dollars in legal fees. That is, it cost U-M students a couple of hundred thousand dollars."
Wynne was less worried that the policy would be overturned than he . was with the possible negative reaction the ruling might receive on campus. "I was really worried about how minorities on campus were going to .take it. There seems to be a very, very unhealthy situation between the races and ethnic groups on this campus, and 1 was worried that this decision ~ould somehow exacerbate it. I was very glad to find out that many people were
U-M Department of Public Safety -not the AAPD - is responsible for the 36,000 students and 20,000 university employees, as well as 700 campus alarms and all 911 calls made on campus.
Although it is possible to set up such a department through the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department, both Heatly and Baisden would rather have these officers as a part of
their own department and held accountable to Heatly, instead of the sheriff. Currently, only Heatly and Assistant Security Director Bob Pifer are deputized through the Sheriff's Department and they are only allowed to carry guns in three cases: to assistthe U.s. Secret Service, to assist outside la w enfor~li\CJ,1t officials in making iIl\ arrest on campus; 'and to transport
elated wi th the decision. Even some of the members of the United Coalition Against Racism didn't oppose it too much. They thought ' it was a lousy policy."
Still, Wynne had reservations about being the plaintiff. "1 didn't know what to expect. Things like this can be blown out of proportion. What I was really afraid of, more than anything else, was retribution from the administration and professors. I'mnotas worried about that now. That's the main reason I can come out in the open with it."
Although Wynne does favor a policy that would punish students for expressions inconsistent with the First Amendment, he feels that any antiharrassment policy must acknowledge that the First Amendment does protect most offensive speech. This is a distinctidh he feels the policy's creators failed to recognize.
'The administration originally wanted a policy that would prevent people from saying offensive things. But at a public university, you can't
large sums of money. These instances occur very rarely, according to Heatly. ·
Even if the Department of Public Safety were to have a core of deputized sheriff's officers, there would still be at least one significant problem, according to Heatly: the sheriff's office is an elected position, which means the Department of Public Safety's relationship with local law enforcement agencies could change with each elec-
tion. Heatly said that although the U-M's relationship is currently very good, that could easily change. '
One solution to this problem, according to Heatly, is House Bill 5165, currently under consideration in the State Legislature. This bill would allow the U-M and other Michigan fouryear insti tutions of higher ed vea tion to form their . own "police forces." It
prevent people from saying offensive things," said Wynne.
''It may be offensive for people to talk about abortion if you hold an opposing viewpoint, but you can' t prevent them from saying something about abortion because you think it's offensive."
"At our law school we've got some of the most renowned First Amendment scholars in the country. And not once, in the entire policy making process, were any of the those lawyers consulted about the First Amendment implications of this policy. In the exact word of Judge A vern Cohn, who ruled on the case, 'lhaveahunchtheydidn't want to ask the questions because they didn't want to hear the answers.'"
Brian Jendryka is a sophomore in English and economics and an executive editor of the Review. Carey Brian Meadors is a junior in nuclear engineering and a publisher of the Review.
would hold the universities (and ultimately the regents), rather than the county sheriff accountable for the actions of police officers within the Department of Public Safety. Currently the U-M is the only four-year public university without deputized officers as a part of its security departments.
Director of Housing Security Joel Allan also supports the bill. Although housing security is an independent department, officers from the Department of Public Safety are often called upon for backup in dangerous situations. Because of this, Allan wants the most efficient, competent department possible, and he sees campus police officers as a part of this. "It'll take some time to work the bugs out, but .eventually it will be a much better system for all of us."
The bill is not going favored by all lawmakers, however. Rep. Perry Bullard, D- AnnArbor, is one representative who not only feels that the bill is not needed but that if passed, it would create problems for both the city of Ann Arbor and the U-M. One of the problems with a U-M police force, according to Bullard, is the revenue the city of Ann Arbor would lose from the U-M for the nine AAPD officers used by the U-M. Currently the U-M pays the City of Ann Arbor aproximately $500,000 per year for these services, which includes extra help during
~on,tin~ed on pa~~ ~5 . .. . .
The Michigan Review, March 1990, p. 12
Sports
Picks for a Belated Baseball Season by Thomas Blnkow
January, in the Midwest. The air was bitter cold outside, and my mind was numb. As I sat watching ESPN Sportcenter, all I had to look forward to for the next few months were snow, slush, and tests. Then anchorperson Chris Bennan began a new report: "In a few weeks, we will all hear the four most welcome words of the winter, 'Pitchers and catchers report.'"
The blood rushed to my head, a fire burned in my heart and pitching arm. "Oh, joy! Oh, bliss!" raced through my mind. "Baseball is going to start spring training! Soon the game will come north, and spring will begin!"
It is now two months later, and because of the lockout, I have been denied the joys of spring training, and even worse, I'll have to wait an extra week for the season to begin. I cannot deny it: I'm a baseball junkie and these last couple months have been hell. The counseling didn't help, so all I could do
was to fiU my empty days with speculation:
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST There is a general atmosphere of
parity in baseball this year, with some divisions, such as the AL East, lacking even one dominant team.
Toronto and Boston are the two most likely contenders in this division. They both have talent and weaknesses in the same areas: excellent offenses with a few great hitters, depth in the bullpen, and a lack of dependable starting pitchers. The Boston Red Sox have the advantage, however. They are the only team in the division without any holes in the starting line-up, and the bullpen also has more potential than any other in the division, which should partially compensate for their lack of starting pitchers.
The Toronto Blue Jays dependon aging stars and unproven talent to provide pitching depth, and to compensate for weak positions in the starting line-up, such as catcher. Because of a more talented bench, Toronto can compensate for injuries more easily than the Red Sox. However, if too many of the Blue Jays' questionably talented players do not perfonn, it will .. not matter.
A division title is unlikely for the Baltimore Orioles, but their second place finish in;S9 was not as far above theiF haadsas many people, including th'cir fans, seem to believe. The )'{>uth
of last season's stars means that some players will fail to repeat their success, but, except for starting pitchers, there seems to be enough young talent on the bench to fill any newly created holes.
Sharing the second tier with Baltimore and headed for fourth place, or third with some luck, are the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brew Crew seemingly has no hope for a pennant, with only two bona fide starting pitchers-one of them injury prone, the other
wi th only one good year behind him. They have pretty good hitting, and a good bullpen, but I do not understand how the management expects to win anything with such a dearth of probable starters.
The denizens of the last, i.e. pretty-much-hopeless, tier of the AL East (though anything is possible with this competition) are Detroit, New York, and Cleveland. Expect the Detroit Tigers to finish the first month with the worst record in baseball as r09Jdes·· become accustomed to the major leagues, the near retirees try to reverse the atrophy of a long winter and long careers, and the multitude of new players try to fonn a cohesive_ team. Once these nuisances go away, the Tigers should finish strongly enough to beat out New York and t""'T' ·,E:W: i> _ .. ::a.-. !.-
Cleveland. The New York Yankees have no
catcher, no shortstop or third baseman, and very little starting pitching. They do have an excellent bullpen, but the team is also run by George Steinbrenner and therefore they have no chance. My advice to Yankee fans: keep watching Dennis Miller's "George Steinbrenner Update" every week on "Saturday Night Live" and hope for the best.
The Cleveland Indians had the best pitching in the division last year (ERA 3.65) and might again in 1990. They also produced the least offense in the league last season (604 runs), and it has only gotten worse with the trade of the Tribe's best hitter, Joe Carter. You can't win if you don't score. Last place.
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST There is no parity in this division.
The three best teams in the league are here, as are the three worst.
The Oakland Athletics are the only dominant team in baseball. Among American League teams, they have possibly the best hitting, best starting pitching, second best relief pitching, one of the top benches, and perhaps the best manager in Tony LaRussa. They have the most effective lead-off hitter ever in Rickey Hender-
Jim ,Abb,ott, \1,:M',S formeq?itc!UngwunderkJt1d I\O~ p~ing !~4 th~ .¥gel~1 hopes to transfer his coll~g~ate success into a big-league bonanza, 1990 style.
son, and they also have Dennis Eckersley, who was among the best relief pitchers last year even after his injury (1.56 ERA, 57.2 IP, 55 SO, 3 BB). Only two things can stop the A's this season: Injuries to their two best players-no wait, that happened last yearhmmmm, a bad attitude, and, ·uh, maybe an earthquake.
The California Angels and the Kansas City Royals are obvious choices for second and third; they can't touch Oakland, and nobody else can touch them. Which team has a better year, however, mostly depends on unpredictable factors, such as injuries, . or peak performances by players. I choose California over the Royals because K.c. has more potential problems: Bob Boone could finally become too old, Bo Jackson could falter after only one good year, etc., etc. Of course, Kansas City's bullpen is the best in baseball with Davis, Montgomery, and Farr. But then again, California has much better starting pitching. The other deciding factor is California's offense. The Angels did not fulfill their potential last year because they failed to get people on base (.3100B%). They ought to improve at least a little this year, and that could propel them past the Royals.
After years of mediocrity, the Ijj Texas Rangers are finally contenders, ~. or at least they would be in the AL East. ::s
It would not be a surprise if this team finished the season performing above average in every facet of the game,
...... with no obvious deficiencies. Or they ~ could continue last season's problems ~. with ca tcning, starting pitching (due to
the ages of Hough, 41, and Ryan, 43), and the left side of their infield.
The Minnesota Twins can expect to switch places with the Rangers if the Texans are plagued by all of these problems at once or if the five young pitchers for whom the Twins traded Frank Viola to the Mets fulfill their potential next year. Both events are unlikely, but the Twins still perform among the best in the league offensivelyand defenSively. All they need are good pitchers, who should be emerging over the next few years.
As of six months ago, the Seattle Mariners were finally rid of the most detrimental member of the organization, owner George Argyros. Now the Mariners will no longer be everyone
",' 1 {J, I 1 ~; :: ~, :), ,,~ (, i-I ,:) -\ . J' 1 j. '\
else's minor league team; the Mariner's will actually keep the talent they develop. Remember Phil Bradley, Ivan Calderon, Danny Tartabull, Mark Langston, and Mike Moore? None are Mariners anymore, but Ken Griffey Jr;, Greg Briley, Erik Hanson, Brian Holman, Randy Johnson, Mike Schooler, and a productive farm system will be a part of the Mariners of the 1990s. Someof this potential will never produce actual runs or outs, and most of it will probably not contribute to th~ team in 1990, relegating them to sixth place. Nevertheless, the Mariners have a winning future.
More likely than the A's finishing first is the probability of the Chicago White Sox finishing last. They are the only franchise in the AL West that is neither a winner now, nor has potential for success in the near future. The Sox are the worst team in the league.
NA TlONAL LEAGUE EAST Only one top-class and no
absolutely awful teams play in this division. This is not to say that Philadelphia has a chance to win, but they
are not as hopeless as the Tigers, Braves, White Sox, or the Phil lies themselves were last year.
The St. Louis Cardinals are close to being a complete team. They have hitting, starting pitching, and the bullpen is talented. However, they lack an ace reliever (unless when Todd Worrell returns in July, he is completely recovered from his elbow surgery, sans ·rustiness). This is no problem for Manager Whitey Herzog, though; his forte is getting the most production possible from a bullpen with no stars. Injuries will becompensated for by an excellent bench, and, once again, Whitey's talent for handl ing personnel. The one question for the Cardinals is at catcher. Herzog has confidently put the position in the hands of rookie Todd Zielle, a risky move considering the unpredictability of rookies. Whitey is not a rash manager, however, so he must have his reasons.
How many teams can you remember winning a division with liabilities at catcher, first base, shortstop, possibly second base, and a rightfielder going through emotional turmoil and coming off a sub-par year? The strength of the New York Mets' pitching is attested to by the fact that they are Jikelytofinish second despite these offensive woes.
The Mets ought to wony more about the Chicago Cubs finishing ahead of them than about catching the
Cardinals. However, it is still unlikely that Harry Carey's "Holy Cow's" will rain down on another division title or even a second place team. One reason: Regardless of the Manager of the Year award he received at the end of last year, Don Zimmer is among the worst skippers in baseball. He did perform the leadership role well, maintaining a positive atmosphere throughout the misfortunes that plagued the Cubs in 1989. But he also made unnecessary decisions that jeopardized his team's chances of winning. Until the playoffs, Zimmer was lucky. Many of these foolish moves worked (hindsight, however, does not make them any less foolish), and most of his players performed better than what can be expected fromthem every season. Do not
either Zimmer or his olavers to 'W' "!..ft ..:..~...,,~?:. ;;;~;~ ~
they would improve and might even contend. As of now, they have none and appear unlikely to find any soon. The club fills the rest of the roster with talent, enough so that they could challenge the Expos if they could find just two starters.
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST The three top teams in the Nt
West are all serious contenders, which should give West Coast fans the most competitive pennant race in baseball.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have the best chance for first place. Their offense is slightly worse than San Francisco's and San Diego's, but Los Angeles' pitchers are far superior. There is no weakness to be found, except maybe the possible absence of a world-class relief ace, and Jim Gott
jj lL (
be as lucky again. might fill that hole. Offensively, they It is almost impossible toplace the will have four players that were not
Pittsburgh Pirates ahead of or behind contributors in their dismal perform-the Cubs. The biggest problems for the ance of 1989: Kirk Gibson, Kal Daniels, Pirates are that one injury could de- Juan Samuel, and Hubie Brooks. Cluite stroy them, since they have few quality an addition if they all stay hea1thy. backups, and that manager <Jim With the~ four outfielders, Brooks Leyland is not much better than Zim- could play third base, givingtheDodg-mer. They coulda'l5o use a closer in the ers the worst defensive team inyears. bullpen to preventthe further abuseof Listen for opposing managers advis-their two phenomenal starters, Smiley ing their players" ... Just hit it fair. .. " and Drabek. The San Francisco Giants have
Montreal Expos General Manager possibly the best hitting in the league Dave Dombrowski complained as free but many potential problems. What if agent signing began, "Some people in Matt Williams' surge of home .runs this league are demonstrating fiscal was just a fluke? What if Brett Butler irresponsibility." Three pitchers from and Robby Thompson continue to last year's incredible staff have been decline? No one expects Kevin Mitch-guaranteed a total of over $25 million ell to hit as well as last year, butthey by other· teams. In addition, Montreal did add Kevin Bass, who can take lost rightfielder Hubie Brooks to Los Butler or Thompson's place in the bat-Angeles for $6 million, and still had to ting order. Whether they hit deter-pay Reliever Tim Burke $6.3 million. mines whether they finish in setondor The remaining team is strong only at third place. The Giants cannot win 1 B, 3B, LF, two or three spots in the unless they find some way to improve starting pitching rotation, and one in their pitching. The San Diego Padres the bullpen. The rest is shaky. are close behind the Giants, with
If the PhiladelphiaPhillies were slightly worse hitting and pitching to find ' four gooo' startmg pitchers; ' · ·thal'issimilar(a{ewgood pitchers; and
c:-" '" \ ~ ~ ' . l • '. '.' ~ '\ i ~ ." > .. '':' 1 '* ' ~ . , ,, ,~ , • I , \ '? f ., •• .; I t ~ 'l , • .
a few grasps at limited possibilities). But if San Francisco's offense declines, which is possible, and San Diego performs as expected, the positions of these two teams could easily switch.
Considering how far the Houston Astros are behind San Diego and how slight the prospects are for the two teams behind them, the Astros can be confident about fourth place. With no glaring ineptitude, what keeps Houston behind the leaders is just a general lack of championship-<juality talent.
The Cincinnati Reds organization is in danger of falling into last place, despite the immense talent of a few individuals. They made no attempt to improve the club in the off-season, except to trade one relief ace for another and acquire a prospect. The team has obvious problems at catcher and second base, but the front office has done nothing to deal with this situation.
The Atlanta Braves made some effort to improve during the winter but not enough to finish higher than dead last. Except for Nick Esasky at first base, the infield is hopeless. Expect good ERA's but poor records from emerging young pitchers, as. they receive the worst offensive support in the league. Potentially good starting pitchers are Atlanta's only strength.
And the World Champions ... Whooores. To twist the words of
Montreal General Manager Dave Dombrowski, "Everybody in this league isdemonstiating some fiscal irresponsibility." Every day that they ha ve lost from the regular season must cost Major League baseball more than the petty sum that the owners and players have been bickering over. Even if the effect is not immediate, the fans are alienated in the long run. If .both sides continue to disregard tAe fans in favor of profits, then the fans will begin to disregard baseball. However, attendance and television ratings are now so high that this is not an immediate concern of the owners or players; they have enough security to give their. pride higher priority than the customer.
So, who is going to win the World Series? Due to baseball's overwhelming popularity, there seems to be little correlation between winning and profits; the money will flow in no matter what. A team which is more profitable for the owners and players will not necessarily be a winning team, which is unfortunate for the fans, who bankroll thier inflated incomes.
Thomas Binkow is a junior in English and a staff writer for the Review.
'My Turn' to Beg for Sympathy My Turn Nancy Reagan Random House Hardcover, $21.95 384 pp.
by Matthew Lund Perhaps no presidency has been
filled with so much mystery, gossip, and unrest as that of Ronald Reagan. The Iran-contra affair, an assassination attempt, and widely covered intracabinet battles have all produced questions addressed in scathin~ excoriating, and revealing novel-like biographies by such insiders as Don Regan, Larry Speakes, and David Stockman. The latest expose of Reagan's White House years is My Turn, the memoirs of former first lady Nancy Reagan.
My Turn can be summed up in one word: retaliatory. Whether she is telling her side of a controversial issue or just relating an event, Nancy Reagan never fails to pass judgment on anything she mentions. Perhaps .this
shol,tldbe expected, and maybe not eve~A~ticized, as thebookbegihSwith the apPropriate disclaimer: "Ouring our White House yeaps 1 said almost nothing about how I felt regarding the controversies that swirled around me ... But now those years are over, and it's my tum to describe what happened."
During her White House years, Nancy Reagan certainly did not typify the role of the traditi~nal first lady. Legislators, presidential advisors, and members of the press have accused her of trying to take control of the presiden~ agenda. As can be expected, she ardently denies all su<:h atcusations. However, even one who is unfamiliar with other published
Another blatant error comes when the first lady discusses her relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev's wife, Raisa. In describing their relationship, Mrs. Reagan explains how it was not really as cold and hostile as the press portrayed it to be. Yet she spends the remainder of the chapter relating experiences which make Mrs. Gorbachev seem ill-mannered and inconsiderate.
In the end, Mrs. Reagan's exhaustingly defensive writing style leads to the loss of her credibility. For example, in herfirst year atthe White House, she is criticized by the press for wearing extravagant clothing. In response, Mrs. Reagan offers some sound arguments like the fact that they were not purchased with government money, or that she needed an expensive wardrobe in order to be on par with the wives of other national leaders. But then she goes one step too far: "One reason (for the criticism) may be that some women aren't all that crazy about a woman who wears a size four,
and wl)Q. ~ms to have no trouble . staying Slim."
And then there is, of course, the topic of astrology . Regan asserts in his memoir,For the Record, that the country was being run by an astrologer in California. Nimcy Reagan refutes this accusation by claiming that the
one." Mrs. Reagan's response to the
question of astrology is indicative of her purpose in writing the book. "What it boils down to is that each person has his or her own ways of coping with trauma and grief, with the pain of life, and astrology was one of mine. Don't criticize me until you have stood in my place. This helped me. Nobody was hurt by it - except, possibly,me."
Such "Don't criticize me unless you've stood in my place" phrases can be found in her depiction of almost every issue. This laundary list of excuses, rather then explanations, quickly grows tiresome.
With Regan's book being equally full of gossip, it is often difficult to decide who is telling the truth. In fact, Regan and Nancy Reagan give completely different accounts of several events, each contending that the other is evading the truth. But regardless of who was right or wrong, the former
first lady holds,q.P9sitiQn that should not allow her tostooptO mudslinging. , To be fair, certain parts of the book are qmte intereSting. Nancy Reagan is able to relate certain nuances and inside stories that no one but a first lady could give. Finding out about life in the White House is the one endearing
1I0on't criticize me unless you've stood in my place" remarks abound in My Turn. This litany of excuses, rather than explanations, quickly grows tiresome.
accounts of the first lady can discern astrologer's advice was confined only aspect of this book. the real reasons why Nancy Reagan to the president's scheduling. Such For example, if the Reagan' s were wrote My Turn. She gets so tied up in supernatural advice seems harmless invited to have dinner at the horne of a defending herself that the facts often and limited at first glance, but both friend, the secret service would begin get cluttered - cluttered to the point Regan and Mike Deaver disagree. In preparation for that evening two where'the real Nancy Reaganreveals his book, Regan describes Mrs. weeks in advance. Surveillance equip-the facade she created and subse- Re(i&an'sbeliefinastroiogyassoinflu- rnent,cQmmunication equipment, and quently loses her credibility. entialthat the chief of staff had to keep other essentials would have to be in-
TO begin with, she denies trying to a'oolQrcoded calendar on his desk to stalled for one evening's dinner. 'Also, advise the president on crucial na- indtcate which days were fortuitous the food would nave to, bepur~hased ,ti9P~: issues. She mentions .thatshe ,fPif/thepresident to travel or make. -by White House, per,S9M~ to ensure
,,,~··,t: he d' _ .. ;.1"",:'1> .. " ,'.\d.}:.. ... " ' """ton,· ' .. ".;,··.:A'f.·;,,: '. If, r a VIce to person':;I~i;:~,~;i')0lij~~':(lp~aral'\ces. '. ,,". ~~'}:', ",;",:Js'rk'\',';;,';.:::,0',;", '" 'she did not "know much'at;Om"~'(""'"'\~~1!Mrs:Reagangoesontosaythatthe ' Mrs.'Reagan's{i'rsttrlp'6nAirForce
~pomics or military affairs." But astt610gical controversy was rnagni- Oneisalsointer~ting. "Oneofthepi-,J!lt¢i:'slle suggests that the West Wing, ,'~e<!by, Don Regan for personal rea- lots welcomed ,us;alJ(>ard,~ she writes
,w' :of;OteWhite House (executive branch} 'sOns( and that Deaver had no problems"and the stewards'shtiwoo, us around. ShOUld recognize the EastWing (resi- With ' .• it. Regan, however, quotes It was a wonderful surprise to find that denee area and first lady's office) and Deaver as saying that the chief of staff the president and the first lady have a aUowit to play an important adVisory should "Humor her ... at least this little two-room suite with a private. role on national issues. ' ,'., (astrologer) isn't as ·kooky as tile last bathroom. !:also discovered that you
~
can order virtually any food you like on Air Force One, as the kitchen staff can cook up practically anything. (For security reasons, food is bought randomly and never from the same place twice in a row)."
Another little known fact about White House life is the mystery of the Lincoln Bedroom. Legend has it that the ghost of Abraham Lincoln visits his old bedroom on a somewhat regular basis. Mrs. Reagan's daughter Maureen reports that she woke up one night to see a "shadowy, transparent figure standing by the window." When she looked to see who it was, it disappeared.
Apparently, members of the White House staff say that such events are not uncommon. One of the butlers attests to hearing the bedroom's piano played one evening. When he approached to see the performer, the music mysteriously stopped and no one was there. And on many occasions the Reagan's dog, Rex, was heard
barking incessantly at an apparently empty Lincoln bedroom. '
Former President Dwight Eisenhower reported that Abevisiteq the room in the 1950s, and when Winston Churchill stayed in the room on a state visit, he too confirmed the presence of the ghost. Curiously, none of the Democratic presidents report the experience. (Maybe it's a partisan thing-after all, Lincoln was the first Rebublican president).
Such moments are the highlights of My Turn. If you are willing to plow through her rhetoric and self-serving innuendoes, then the book really does not seem so bad. Co-author William Novak (also co-author of Tip O'Neill and Lee Iacocca's autobiographies) does a good job of making the text readable and professionally presented. Unfortunately; Mrs. Reagan's content does not always match that professionalism.
Mrs. Reagan deserves to be lauded for her efforts, but scolded for her motives. However,.My Turnisjustone part of a larger story"f;I~~ acrount, .'
despite its ~ea~~~:s~~~l(tnq.tbe
~~';!'!~lkJ!f.ifW;~'i:~··'· job with his memoirs.
Matthew Lund is a senior in polith~a1 science and a publisher of the Review.
Silber Misses The Mark Straight Shooting John Silber Hardcover, $22.50 Harper & Row 336 pp.
by Marc Selinger Boston University President John
Silber claims in his new book that the United States is experiencing a serious but reversible decline. In Straight Shooting, Silber explains whatis wrong with our educational system, our p0-
litical system, and our society in general, as well as how he would fix them. Although Silber is right in saying that the United States has its share of problems, he offers few original. ideas on how to correct them.
Silber, who has been the president of Boston University since 1970, begins by telling us, "Our society is in trouble and we all know it." A bad public school system, the drug epidemic, and a decline in our economic competitiveness are three major problems he cites.
Silber devotes much attention to the crisis in public education. According to Silber, this crisis is due in large part to the breakdown of the nuclear family, a loss of respect for teachers, and a decline in morality. It has been exacerbated by the many schools that no longer require their students to read works like Homer's Iliad, which teaches such valuable lessons as "the importance of learning from life ... , the meaning of excellence, the nature of friendship, the necessity of loyalty and courage, the tragic 'solitude of our condition, and the inevitability of death." Silber would like to see educators reintroduce these values into the curriculum.
Television, which has become the primary educator of today's students, has so far failed to playa role in teaching values, according to Silber. Violence on TV encourages viewers to act violently, or it at least desensitizes them to violence. Sex on TV is also a problem. "Can there be any doubt,"
Security Continued from page 11
sporting events and other major functions.
Another problem ci ted by bullardwould be the lack of local accountability of police officers within the U-M Security Department. Under the new la w, . the~ .police .officers- would ~ be. -accountable to the U-M regents, in-
Silber asks, "that the preoccupation sifies his results. Yet Silber appears to with instant sex along with thesugges- be hypocritical. He writes that,in 1968, tion that sex is a readily available when he was the dean of liberal arts at commodity rather than one of the most the University of Texas at Austin, he
I A argued against dismissing a member ~ of the philosophy department who ~ lied to a large group of students when s· he told them there were five concentra-3' tion camps in the state. ~ Silber has several ideas about how ;; universities should allocate money. ~. For example, he says deans need to !:l place more emphasis on teaching,
John Silber
consequential aspects of human life is to an appreciable degree responsible for the growing number of unmarried teenage mothers and fathers in the United States?" TV must change if we are to survive, according to Silber. It must stop teaching hedonism and begin encouraging self-restraint. Silber may be right about TV's negative effects, and he wisely rules out censorship as a way to change it. But this proposal, like most of his other ideas, is flawed. He fails altogether to explain how to get TV to reform itself.
Silber has much to say about higher education. He criticizes the Vietnam War protesters and their descendants - today's left-wing activists - for trying to squelch dissent and impose their own version of political orthodoxy on college campuses.
Furthermore, Silber criticizes the tenure system for failing to punish "well poisoning," which occurs when a scholar is so anxious to prove his point that he works carelessly or fal-
stead of local officials. This is a big mistake, according to Jon Hansen, Bullard's Administrative Assistant. "If there is a police force employed by the university on campus, it should have close ties to either the chief of police or the mayor," said Hansen. ''That way, there would be more local accountability,j.rq~~~.pr P9ll~e a.b~!, ~,SoYijtem they've got right now is the best
",
"
which has suffered because a great deal of attention has been given to research. But this proposal is an old idea, and Silber does not explain how to achieve this objective or even how to ascertain the proper balance between teaching and research.
Silber does offer some interesting proposals for coping with the skyrocketing costs of higher education. He suggests the creation of tuition vouchers to ensure that private schools surVIVe financially. But he does not say how much this program would cost. To replace the federal financial aid system, which he says is insufficient because of rising tuition costs, he proposes the creation of a federal "Tuition Advance Fund." After graduating, students would repay their college loans through an IRS-administered payroll withholding tax that would be set at 2 to 6 percent, depending on a student's gross income. The program would increase federal spending on higher education by only $6 billion annually, and it would eventually become a self-sustaining endowment like Social Security. But this idea, while deserving some consideration, says nothing about students seeking graduate or professional degrees, which are often more expensive than an undergraduate education.
When Straight Shooting addresses issues besides education, it also runs into problems. Silber describes the current day-care system as inadequate, but he does not explain how his
one." Rep. Margaret O'Connor, R-Ann
Arbor, however, is not worried about police abuses. "I don't worry about gun control. If they are trained as police officers, this shouldn't be a problem," said O'Connor. ''The question we should be asking ourselves is 'Are thillgs. SQ. bad· .that, t"~ J?i!l~ ~>~n.ec;~ sary?'"
proposed alternative - a national ed ucational day-care system - would be any better, nor does he estimate what it would cost.
Silber does make an interesting observation about how the United States has become awash in government regulations, and he presents startling statistics to prove his point. For example, the Code of Federal Regulations grew from 18,000 pages in 1938 to 110,600 pages in 1987. This development, which he blames on the fact that government has become dominated by lawyers, has, among other things, made it more difficult for U.s. companies to compete with foreign firms. To correct this problem, however, he proposes a series of reforms, most of which he admits will never be adopted. He even enters the realm of the ridiculous when he proposes a constitutional amendment to prohibit lawyers from becoming legislators or directors of regulatory agencies.
The rest of Straight Shooting is of minimal value. Silber spends an entire chapter simply explaining that people who serve in the armed forces must be willing' to sacrifice their lives. Appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983 to the National Bipartisan Commission on Central America, Silber devotes two chapters to foreign policy, both of which are lacking in great insight and are outdated because of recent events'in Eastern Europe and elsewhere.
At press time, Silber was campaigning to be the Democratic nominee for governor of Massachusetts. If he hopes to correct that state's problems, he had better come up with a more developed plan than the one he has outlined for the nation in Straight Shooting.
Marc Selinger is a senior in political science and the editor emeritus of the Review.
Yet with the results of a U-M task force showing that 62 percent of students and faculty are afraid to go alone to certain places on or near campus after dark, things just may be that bad.
Brian Jendryka is a sophomore in English and Economics and an executive editor of t1:te.~~!~~ ....
The Church Convert the Masses The Church Gold Afternoon Fix Arlsta Records
by John J. Miller Just when you were probably
thinking the Church could not get any better, they record a wonderful album called Gold Afternoon Fix. The new effort, although lacking a song as powerfully haunting as Starfish's "Under the Milky Way," is the band'smostrefined work and could very possibly raise the Church from cult status to mass appeal.
"Pharaoh" begins Gold Afternoon Fix in much the same way "Destination" began 1988's Starfish-a distant sound, slowly approaching, gaining momentum, and then erupting into the rhythms that propel the song. Eerie, wind-like noises add a unique flavor, assisting in the creation of an updated, if more restrained, version of Pink Floyd's "One of These Days."
Although "Pharaoh" is a fine lead track, perhaps the album's third song, "Terra Nova Cain," would, for the
unconverted, make the most fitting introduction to the Church's often
~ ~ g:' 5' ?;"'
3 III ::s '-
~ !i;' !:!
surreal, dreamy music. Beginning with the lines "Tum down the gravity /This is all too heavy," bassist and lead vocalist Steven Kilbey leads the listener on a tour of an exotic environment. The entire band joins him in the first chorus to offer an ambiguously perfect epithet for the Church's music: "Deep space jam on an alien terrain."
Gold Afternoon Fix's most obvious single, "You're Still Beautiful," is a wonderfully crafted, radio-ready pop-rock song about a beautiful woman's decadence and downfall. The straightforward chorus is addictive and the verses both descriptive and witty. Before launching into the chorus that concludes the song, Kilbey sarcastically sings "You're the walking picture of Dorian Gray/At least it's artistic, I guess."
Guitarists Marty Willson-Piper and Peter Koppes sing lead vocals on ''Russian Autumn Heart" and ''Transient," respectively. Each offers a refreshing break from Kilbey's monotone. Willson-Piper's grainy, nearyell style works well with his upbeat
song. Koppes takes a more relaxed approach to his singing, which is the best he has done with the Church.
Amazingly, the Church have remained together asa band fornearly 10 years, despite a number of solo efforts from Kilbey, Koppes, and WillsonPiper, and a habit of bickering over who gets top billing on individual song credits (one song is credited to Kilbey /Willson-Piper /Koppes, another to Koppes/Kilbey /WillsonPiper). There seem to be a number of egos at work here, but this friction probably enhances the band's chemistry and quality. Over the years, the Church have released several fantastic albums-The Blurred Crusade and Starfish are masterpieces-but Gold Afternoon Fix might very well be their best yet.
John J. Miller is a sophomore in English and editor-in-chief of the Review.
Midnight Oil Burns Out Midnight 011 Blue Sky Mining Columbia Records
by John J. Miller Blue Sky Mining has all the ingredi
ents necessary for success: a strong lead single, a generally listenable sound, and, with its cries of global unity and environmental welfare, a politically correct stance. Normally this would be a decent album for Midnight Oil.
What Blue Sky Mining lacks, however, is the direction and intensity of its immediate predecessor, Diesel and Dust, with the latter's pervasive theme of rights for Australian Aborigines and its hard-hitting music. By the inevitable comparison, Blue Sky Mining seems to have neither focus nor anything nearly as powerful as the first three chords of "Beds are Burning."
The first song and single, "Blue Sky Mine," stands out among a crop of inferior material. Appealing guitars, a captivating harmonica, and frequent tempo changes make the listener want to jump on the Oils' musical bandwagon, making this the album's strongest eut.
} t ~ {, 'l' '. I , ;. , (i>. f,\ h {- " .. Il i i :;;
The final song, "Antarctica," is also worthwhile, as it is probably the best song about environmental plight the Oils have written (and there have been many). The problems of pollution suddenly seem very real when Peter Garrett sadly sings, ''There must be one place left in the world/Where the water's real and clean." This place is, of course, the earth's seventh continent, and Garrett is quick to condemn those who would spoil that which is unspoiled. The song ends to the faint sounds of an explosion and Garrett singing, "There must be one place left in this world/Where we can be."
The rest of the album, however, is less spectacular. The only memorable moment in "Stars of Warburton" comes when Garrett accidentally mispronounces the word "Michigan." "Bedlam Bridge" and "Mountains of Burma" are unique in that they both flirt with a psychedelic sound that seems somehow out of place with the Oils' Australian Outback flavor. "King of the Mountain" is a good tune that manages to hold much musical virtue until it sinks into the pitiful commercial realm of handclap- percussion choruses.
, ,~ ' ~ ~ i ij- i. .'- t, o!J .;:
One has to be sympathetic with a' band facing the monumental task of recording a follow-up to an album as great as Diesel and Dust. But this does not mean expectations ought to belowered, and Blue Sky Mining fails to meet the standards Midnight Oil set
for itself in 1988. The new album is acceptable in its own right, but I can't wait for a return to the good old days.
John J. Miller is a sophomore in English and the editor-in-chief of the Review.
Other Oil Albums by John J. Miller
Blue Sky Mining might be disappointing, but Midnight Oil is still a great band and has three other albums available in the U.S. to prove it. Here's a quick run-down:
Diesel and Dust (1988): The power of "Beds are Buming," the intensity of ''Put Down That Weapon," and the fury of "Dreamworld" are unforgettable. And those are just the first three songs. Diesel and Dust is easily one of the decade's best and is not to be missed.
Red Sails in the Sunset (1985): Another Oil album with a great start, this one unfortunately becomes less interesting and less relevant to American listeners, as slow songs
with names like "Shipyards of New Zealand" tend to predominate towards the end. Still, "Best of Both Worlds" and "Kosciusko" are both "tum this one up to 11" rockers and they are the album's driving force.
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (1983): Punk rock influences that hark back to the Oils' Australian surf-band days make this album unique in the collection. The production is not great, but songs like ''Power and the Passion," which helped the group gain a cult following in the U.S., and "Read About It" show that the members of INXS are not the only Aussies capable of writing catchy, clever, and danceable songs.
