vol_11_no_18 by Michigan Review

C;/ ;,.:' \

10..

': .', c·;o',·-f

Bentley Historical ubrary 1150 Beal Avenue Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2113

Putting by Beth Martin With foreign graduate students earning half or more of the graduate degrees in science from American universities today, most students have likely been instructed by at least one international teaching assistant (IT A). Often this situation creates a language barrier, for although ITAs may be brilliant in a particular subject area, they have not always mastered the technicalities of the English language before stepping into a classroom. The problem of ITAs with language barriers is certainly not foreign to the u~ M. According to Dr. Sarah Briggs of the U-M's English Language Institute (ELI), the p~dent's office of the U-M was flooded ten years ago with complaints concerning the language d iffi culties 0 .' '.' fO.'TJ\& 'Since then. the U-M holS set Engll~ proficiency and teaching standards to improve the quality of student instruction. "U-M was one of the first uhiversities to take this issue seriO~Sly," stated Briggs, and in fact, one Ell test brochure states that the "U-M Ell testing service is the oldest English proficiency testing ser-

lAS 10

tne Test

vice in the United States." Briggs further swers questions from an "audience" comstated that other colleges were not dealposed of evaluators from ELI and a reping with language problems in a systemresentative from the department with atic way when the U-M first drew up its which the candidate is associated. policy. Next, the testee is placed in a mock An assessment of an ITA' s English "office-hour" situation, where he must proficiency beginS with answer typical questions a series of exams. similar EST[ Rs £L ~./HfI<. PIA t£ Ci...A,S[... that, he might ~ncounter to the SAT, whIch can . dunng real offIce-hours. be taken in a graduate's C7Cro £L HUNDO H£ W7TBlf...? These include not only topic-related problems native country as well as the United States. For from the course, but also U-M students these exeveryday questions a stuams include either the dent might ask. Test of English as a ForThe last,part of the test is eign Language (fOE¥L) composed of a II question or the Michigan English handling" session, where Language Assessment J t1 the T A candidate videoBattery (MELAB). tv~ taped as he answers more From there, foreign typical questions from ruduate students ~ho d~~ire TA pOStbons must take the lnternation~ Teach-: "' ing Assistant English Evaluation (IT A test). This entirely oral communication exam attempts to imitate the actual job of .;:... a T A. The first part of the test consists of '. a background interview. Then the potential T A presents a "mini-lesson" similar to a class that he might teach, and an-

date will utilize a vastly different v<r cahulary than a physics candidate. Therefore, Briggs notes, there's "no way to say the range of two students' vocabulary are the same if both receive the same score." The ITA test is scored on a scale of one to five, with five being the highest possible score. Those who receive a score of four (full acceptability) or five (superior acceptability) are I/generally acceptable for a range of teaching ~gnments," states another Ell brochure. In fact, those who receive a score of five are automatically eligible to teach courses in any department, even those where English is the main subject. These candidates are also eligible to "have responsibilities relating to the LSA Upper-Level Writing Program." Stud~nts ..w;bo. re.;Qiv:~a.four minus (acceptability restricted) are limited to assignments like upper level courses or labsthatare."rel.atively structured with built-in support." A score of three (funited acceptability) lirrlits a candidate to foreign language teaching assignments. John Swales, director of Ell, stated that there are problems with the four

students. The ELI brochure states that ''[gJeoerally [candi~ates] rated as acceptable are able to un.derstand and respond appropriately to at least 75 percent of the questions." The nature of the oral test varies with each candidate, as the subject matter "taught" by each T A will be different. For instance, a political science candi-

I I I

) ..~'

Please See Page 9

AlA Speaks Against PS 111 Incident by Jason Camhi

The University of Michigan College Republicans brought Jamey Wheeler, executive director of Accuracy in Academia, Inc. (AlA), to campus as its keynote ~aker for its February 1 meeting. AlA, founded in 1985, seeks to alert the public and to protect students in university communities from the "liberal indoctrination" that occurs both in the classroom and in the university environment in general. In addition, the group works to protect the rights of students. Both Wheeler and his organization have cited many problems with the UM, as well as other university systems across the country. Most of these problems involve the so-called indoctrination of students, particularly in classrooms and orientation programs. This indoctrination, according to AlA, usually takes the form of programs designed specifically to make those who hold p<r litically unpopular viewpoints feel as if their thoughts and ideas are wrong and

therefore unacceptable. Wheeler cited several examples of attempts at indoctrination that have recently occurred across the country . Among them was a required ecology course at the University of California at Irvine, whose textbook, Save the Earth, contained pieces by such "noted" ecol<r gists as Ted Turner, Jesse Jackson, and the Dalai Lama, and a film shown at Cornell University during resident advisor orientation that depicted scenes of graphic homosexual acts. By publicly exposing these and siprilar acts, AlA has successfully combatted them. One of the methods currently employed by AlA in its fight against the forced indoctrination of students is the extension of its field of infIuer'lce to high schools. By expanding its scope, AlA hopes to in<;rease at an earlier age the awareness of students who will most likely be the primary targets of this type of treatment. This sort of advanced n<r lice should serve to lessen the shock of

celebrated conservatives. One of the most common targets of such academic reduction is former President Ronald Reagan.

college orientation programs which tend to espouse politically correct thought as the only legitimate type of thinking. Another major problem AlA has with universities is the widespread use of teaching assistants (fAs) as substitutes for professors in the classroom. Wheeler argues that if students are annually paying upwards of $20,000 for their education, then they deserve nothing less than the attention of a full professor. These examples seem to portray AlA as an ultra-conservative group which lacks sympathy for people with more liberal views. By Wheeler's own admission, however, the group also tries to help professors "that are in colleges and universities who are not conservative but who are willing to stand up for traditional values and Western culture." AlA's primary goal is to maintain the academic integrity of education. Also of interest to AlA are attempts by the liberal left to rewrite history in an effort to detract from the reputations of

Please See Page 9

INSIDE Serpent's Tooth Science Letters Editorial Book Reviews Sports Music

2 3 5 4

7-8 10-11 12 -~

.. "T" " " ,.·.· ._. _ ' '''_._ HH ''" ..

·'_ <_~", '

..·, _ _

.,, ~

.. _ ...

_ . -T

~"-->

• .'_'-..-.....'''''''_'"''''.,.''''._ _ " _ _ _ _ _''''''_ _

_ _ _ _ _. . . ._

.~'lC

_ _ _....... ' .IlS ........_ _ _...._

...........,...._ _ _ __

February 10, 1993

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

I III

\ 11 C II )( ; .\ '\

Serpent's Tooth

I{ E,

IE'"

The Campus Affairs Journal of the University of Michigan "We are the Establishment"

In the tradition of Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood, the Clinton administration proudly announces the casting call for Alien 3. From the February 4 issue of the Wall Street Jaurnal: "It's hard not to notice that the stock market has been doing rather well of late, adding 45 points to the Dow Jones industrials index yesterday. We've been trying to square this optimism with the goings-on in Washington. We've concluded that the Clinton administration can take full credit. The market has watched twQ weeks of nomination failure, g~ys in the military, threats of 40% tax rates, and talk of a health-care overhaul, a welfare overhaul and a shortterm stimulus package to create jobs while simultaneously trying to pass the Family Leave bill. In short, the market sees gridlock in Washington, meaning the economy may be left alone long enough to simply grow." The ]euTnalals<)rejx)rted thaf 5ecretary

made up.

of Housing and Urban Development Henry Cisneros has requested that the White House review lithe inadequate government response to last year's riots in South Central Los Angeles and to press for more help there." We can think of several billion reasons why the secretary might be mistaken.

Dan RosMnkowski (D-IL), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committe, declared on CNN's Evans and Novak, "I'm not particularly enthusiastic about dates or schedule&" Especially not April 15th.

In a letter to the Daily, the Ella BakerMandela Center for Anti-Racist Education identified UCAR as the "United Coalition of Racism." Freudian slip?

In yesterday'S Daily, graduate student Mechele de Avila whined that she was offended by the decision of two West Quad residents to display a "Pussie Rd." sign in their window. We were offended, too ... by the Daily's decision to use the word "nigga" in a headline on their oped page.

Seminars offered at New York University include: The Semiotics of Orgasm, the Orgasm of Semiotics; Holding Your Own: Masturbatory Threats in Low German Ecclesiastical Polemics of the 16th Century; Classical Homosexuals: The Ins and Outs of Socrates; Celtic Queers: The Per-Verse Dramas of W.B. Yeats; The Phallocentric Canon - Cutting it Down to Size; and Wusses, Wimps, Wonks, and Weirdos: The .AInerical\. A~demic Patriarchate in the 90S. Guess which one we

Golfer John Daly recently revealed that during his three-week alcohol rehabilitation program, he was forced to open a book for the first time since his junior year in high school. Daly graduated from the University of Arkarisas. Answer: the one abOutSocrates.

- - - - Roving Photographer - - - - -

EDlTOR-IN-CHIEF: Tony Ghecea PUBLISHER: Aoorew Bockelman EXECUTIVE EDITORS: Joe Coletti, Jay D. t.A:NeMl, Tract Robinson, Stacey Walker CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Beth Marti! ASSISTANT EDITORS: Ryan Boeskoo~ Nate Jarrlson, Brian Schefke MUSIC EDITOR: Chris Peters UTERARY EDITOR: Adam Garagiola GRAPHICS EDITOR: Win Ryan EDITORIAL STAFF: Matt Anderson, Eddie Amer, Eric Berg, McheIe Brogley, Jason CarriII, Andrea Cousino, KIm Conley, Joe Epstein, Frank Grabowski, Crxey HiI, Aaron Kanter, Gene Krass, Eric Larson, Eric Lepard, Erin M::EIIigott, Crusty MIncher, Tom Paska, Dave Perczak, Drew Peters, Shamon Pfer4, Dave PoweY, Jay Rarros, James Roberts, Charles Rousseaux, Renee Rudnicki, TS Taylor, Doug Thiese, Peny"Tl1ort1lSOn. Martin VIoet, Gloria Vulcano, Jeff Weinrmnn, Mchelle Wietek, Martin Will<, Matt WII<, Tony Woodlief, Andy Wu

MTS COORDINATOR: James Elek SYSTEMS ANALYST: Mtch Rohde ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: Jonathan Lajiness CIRCULATION DIRECTOR: Aaron Steeman FUNDRAISING DIRECTOR: Erica De Santis BUSINESS STAFF: Jacob Boorne, Arnold Chang, Peter Daugavietis, Tori DlrOO1.laldo, ArTPf East, Chris Fruendi, John GustIIson, Jeny Kowal,Qany Stem,Chet ladul EDITOR-AT-LARGE: Adam DeVore •.,,~~ PUBLISHER EMERITA: Karen S. Brinkman ... (.;.,.' EDITORS EMERITI: Brian Jendryka, John J. MIer

The Mchigan Review Is an IndepeOOent, weekty studentrun journal at the University mMchigan. We neither soIictt nor accept rronetary donations from the Unrversly of Mchigan. ContrWIons to the MclNgan Review are taxdeductible under Une SOt (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Review Is ~ affiliated with any political party.

What are you dOing over Spring Break? by AndyWu

Unsigned ed~orials represent the opinion mthe edHorial board. Signed articles represent the opinions of the author and not necessarity' those of the Review. We welcome letters and articles and encourage corrrnents about the journal and Issues discussed in it. Please address aU subscription inquiries to: Circulation Director c/o the Mchigan Review. AI ac;,.ertising inquiries should be drected to: Awertising Director c/o the Afchigan Review.

Sam Norling. Engineering freshman:

"I'll be spending my vacation at a nudist camp in Alaska." "

Mike Corlett, LSA senior: "I'm going to the Big Apple to find a job ... unfortunately."

Ross Mcfarland, Engineering senior: "I'm going parachuting with Japanese aborigines in Hawaii."

EDITORIAL AND BUSINESS OFFICES: SUITE ONE 911 N. UNIVERSITY AVENUE ANN ARBOR, MI 48109-1265

TEL (3t3) 662-1909 FAX (313) 936-2505

" i-'

Brian Arnholt, Engineering sophomore: "I'm going to Mardi Gras and I'm going to try to avoid being shot in the French Quarter. I'll also be throwing beads at people."

Nicole Homer, Engineering freshman: '1'm going to Jamaica to bungee jump off cliffs."

Hilary Wilson, Engineering freshman: "I'm travelling across the U.s. in a Yugo in search of the funk. I wanna find ou who stole the funk!" ..,

.... " ...

- ". - .

" . -~---~"

,, •

"Capital is a collective product, and only by the united action of many members, nay, in the last resort, only by the united action of all members of society, can it be set in motion." - Karl Marx "[1] wish that Karl would accumulate capital instead of just writing about it." -Marx's mom

(

'~"" ..."",~"~,,,,~-'''}''''''''~'''-._.~"" "'"'''''·''''''''''''_'''''tI)'''''''''''''·'W'';:'''''N'''''''''''''I''WI~'Wi>'''H~@_ _ _ _""'_""_""""_"""""""""""""'_ _ _" " _ " " _

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

February 10, 1993

Scientifically Speaking

Chaos and Galaxies by James Elek and Brian Schefke "Chaos engineering." It sounds like an oxymoron. Engineering is usually associated with precision and certainty, while chaos calls randomness and confusion to mind. Chaos engineering, however, is responsible for computers that allow appliances to work automatically, as if a human were using them. Scientists and electric appliance makers alike believe that chaos engineering will become a key phrase in 1993, according to an article in the January 25-31 issue of The Japan Times Weekly International Edition titled, '''Chaos Engineering' coming in 1993." What exactly is chaos engineering? Chaos engineering analyzes patterns of fluctuations in natural phenomena, such as water flows and wind streams, and applies the patterns to control the operation of electrical appliances. Kazuyuki Aihara, an associate professor at the FacuJty of Engineering of Tokyo Denki UniverSity, gave this desc;.tiption of chaos, "lfyou puttriilk

into a cup of hot coffee and stir, the white mixes with the black to look like stars in the galaxy. "Despite the massive size of the world, coffee in a cup and stars in space are both controlled by the same rule." Aihara, an expert in and original advocate of chaos engineering, went on to explain that similar patterns exist in relationships between water currents in a washing machine and air streams in the atmosphere; waves In an electric wire network and brain pulses in a neural network; and the rise and fall of share prices and increases and decreases in populations. While many people believe that the human heart beats regularly like a machine, the fact is that the pulse of a healthy heart fluctuates in a chaotic manner. Bearing this knowledge in mind, Computer Convenience Company, a Fukuoka-based data processing company, has developed 'The Pulse Chaos Analysis System. According to the company, this system senses changes in the blood circulation at the tip of a user's finger, analyzes the patterns, and gives a reading of the user's current state of health, ability to concentrate, and psychological condition. Already there are several other chaos-engineered products on the market. Matsushita Electric Industrial Company is due to market an automatic cleaning robot. 'The robot, once placed in aroom, will automatically clean the floor

until it is finished. Sanyo Electric Company began marketing what it calls "chaos logic-controlled oil fan heaters" last June. The heaters act like miniature wind machines by blowing out air in changing patterns and strengths, much unlike mechanical air conditioners. Several computer software companies are also offering services that use chaos engineering to help predict weather forecasts and stock prices. Despite its potential, Aihara warns of chaos engineering's limitations. lilt is true that chaos engineering is , capable of predicting the weather more accurately than any previous system But this doesn't mean that it can predict the future precisely all the time. "No matter how high technology develops, there are many things we will never understand. We should recognize this but at the same time we should promote possible uses of high technology ." From analyses of X-ray emissions from NGC 891, a spiral galaxy similar to the Milky Way, University of Michigan astronomers have found the first direct evidence of giant galactic storms, or active "weather" patterns. According to Joel N. Bregman, U-M associate professor of astronomy, ~he storms take place in the galactic halo, a diffuse cloud of gas molecules and interstellar matter that surrounds the disk of a galaxy like a bun around a hamburger patty. The storms appear to be triggered when huge bubbles of superheated gas burst open, shooting gaseous plumes 20,000 light-years out from the galaxy's disk (one light-year equals about 5.8 trillion miles). As the gas cools, it loses buoyancy and crashes back onto the galaxy itself at speeds of over 100,000 miles per hour. Bregman and U-M astronomer Rachel A. Pildis, in cooperation with James M. Schombert of the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center at Pasadena's California Institute of Technology, detected evidence for galactic storms in NGC 891, located 30 million light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Andromeda "NGC 891 is speciaL because we view its galactic disk edge-on, which lets us see gaseous material ejected from the disk," said Pildis, a graduate student at U-M. Bregman added, "Astronomers believed hot gas was being expelled from the disks of many galaxies, including the

Milky Way, but this is the first direct evidence confirming the 'galactic fountain theory.'" Bregman went on to explain that the force of shock waves from these stellar explosions creates bubbles of gas with temperatures as high as 10 million degrees Celsius. The larger the bubble, the greater the likelihood that it will reach the edge of the galaxy's disk and burst open, thereby triggering the galactiC storm cycle. Using the 94-inch Hiltner telescope at the Michigan-Dartmouth-MIT Observatory on Kitt Peak near Tucson, Arizona, the astronomers found a cooler skin surrounding the hot bubbles detected in NGC 891. The images gathered from the telescope show numerous bubbles 1,000 to 5,000 light-years across that are on the verge of breaking out or have already broken out. Pildis commented, "We've seen bubbles of hot gas in the Milky Way galaxy, but here we see evidence for bubbles and bubble breakout in other

galaxies." The researchers believe that galactic storms may serve as a "pressure release valve" for galaxies, limiting the degree of new star formation and playing a fundamental role in a galaxy's evolution. "Stars form when very cold gas, dust and other material get denser and denser until it finally collapses to produce a star," Bregman explained. "Massive stars live briefly, but generate a great deal of heat and pressure. The galactic storms may relieve built-up pressure and heat by re-distributing mass and energy throughout the galaxy arid limiting the level of star formation in anyone area." James Elek is a senior in physics and MTS coordinator of the Review. Brian Schefke is a junior in chemistry and cellular and molecular biology and an assistant editor of the Review. They consider their lives to be excellent examples of chaos engineering.

Ulrich's is your Official Spring Break Headquarters for Maize and Blue shirts & shorts, tees &tanks, caps & coats, flags & mugs and much more.

Go Bluel Go Ulrich's! Main Bookstore: 549 East University ArtJEnglneertng Store and Electronics Showroom: 1117 South University Ann Arbor. MI 48104 313-662-3201 MOf)oFrt 9~:OO Sat 9:30-5:00 Sunday Noon to 4:00

41 A __ HIII,''!; V~RE

THAN A BOOKSTORE

.... 'n '. '. _ ., '.,."'路,,.,.,""""''''','_,=.''.>'M,'''''< ':'''''''''''' '~.'''''''''''''''n.',~"""""" ""'~\""",''''''''''''''-w<>!>o.''."""",,m_'''\''''''m'':''\'t路~~~~WI.{'j:'~V'"'''~''''''~i"'~A~MAW

February 10, 1993

THE MICHIGAf'iREvIEW

From Suite One: Editorial

Offices, Schmoffices, 8 O'Clocks Reek student who has ever attended class in the building could readily list a profusion of 'tomplaints ranging from lack of heat to poor insulation between classrooms and uncomfortable chairs. But a larger issue is at stake. These same students will also complain about overcrowded classrooms throughout the University and the fact that office time in which to approach professors is already profoundly limited. The difficulty is compounded when one considers the number of professors who have two or more offices. These eve important questions that the East Engineering renovation in no way answers. Indeed, it only adds to them. One must certainly doubt the Administration's expressed concern about improving the quality of undergraduate education at U-M in light of the East Engineering renovation. The decision seems to directly contradict the administration's purported goals. It is easy to dismiss this as yet another example of bureaucratic doublespeak; at the very least it reflects, once again, poor planning on the part of the U-M. It is time for students to demand what they pay for. Animal tuition hikes and an infrastructure maintenance fee that doubles one year after its introduction ought to ensure that necessary nuisances such as East Engineering renovations do not directly inconvenience students. Unfortunately, we will be affected. Currently crowded classrooms will become even worse, not to mention the subsequent displacement of current office holders. The nebulous benefits of such renovations become alarmingly suspect when office space is prioritized over classroom space. Should the proposed Gateway Center come to fruition, the current problem of classroom space might be alleviated. The administration should consider creating the new Gateway Center out of the remains of East Engineering. Or, more simply, the University could limit the number of offices available to professors. Whatever the UM's decision, it is cdmost guaranteed to complicate students' lives further, and, no . doubt, to cause even more traffic jams in the areas surrounding East Engineering.

At a recent Michigan Student Assembly (MSA) meeting, Vice President for Student Affairs, Maureen Hartford announced that the Administration will cut 77 of approximately 250 LSA classrooms in the next year. Forty-four of these classrooms will be eliminated over the summer, with most of the loss occurring in the East Engineering Building. No one within the Administration with whom the Review spoke was quite sure where this directi ve Originated. Yesterday's Daily made reference to a $275 million bond approved by the Regents, but this information was not supplied to Review reporters. Hartford's office is concerned only "with the repercussions of this decision." Apparently these repercussions include the fact that the classrooms are to become faculty offices for LSA instructors, specifically within the math and psychology departments. This information was stated at the MSA meeting. However, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Mary Ann Swain could not say one way or the other what would happen to the classrooms. According to Swain, the rooms, specifically those in East Engineering, are to be "renovated," and "of course, we will be minus those classrooms during this period, which will extend beyond the summer allocation time." Contrary to the Daily report, Swain would not say whether the renovated classrooms are to remain such or if they would become faculty offices, stating only that "there are no full plans for East Engineering after the renovation." Several academic departments could be severely constrained by this measure. Many political science and economics courses are regularly scheduled in East Engineering. This loss is, according to Swain, to be absorbed through cJassrooms in the c.c. Little Science Building, the ChemiStry BUilding, and others. "We also plan to schedule more classes throughout the week and later in the day.If In other words, expect class from 8 a.m. until early evening, five days a week. . There is no doubt'that l!'astEngineering is iri desperate need of restoration. My

'\ i

Do you know what Ues behind the self-embeUishing rhetoric of the UniversUy of Michigan? If not, then you need

oF 7HeR.£C£NT COiJC£RN A5()IJr J1Y NOMINATfO).fS FOR 117itJRJ.JEY IN UGHT

G-[)./fi!.AL ..

... rr HAS COM£'7() MY ,IlTTDJTTON

IIIF

7HlfTf:I)IJTH M£R!CIIN 1LL£(fA'ALIENS ME LflI'6£L¥ lJ./f)£!2...-

\IWIIIGY'RE'OIEW

REfA£S£NTED IN MV C/tBIN£{ AS p, WHO/-E.

ANIJ SXlar

1HEJt£FC:PE, I'~tflJDa> 70 E}I/)

"Says here that they're spending your tuition dollars on a film about militant lesbian anarchists who try to convert nuns. "

/)IOA-rE 1Wl> M.f)ULt:> fJ)W U!4& 10 /~ you 10 1NE. M

With your tax-deductible donation of $25 or more, youll receive a one-year subscription (28 issues) tQ the Michigan Review. You'll read insightful articles about the wasteful U-M bureaucracy, be the first to hear of First Amendment violations, and keep abreast of the forcea working to erode traditional Western education.

flY SfHJa.( AA Atu:wAN CAN -

Am RAJ£. Y(j-£)JDl.IIt- . ..

YES! I WANT TO BE INFORMED! I'm sending my tax-deductible contribution of _$25 _$50 _$75 _$100 _$250 _$500

Other

Name Address City/StatelZip Telephone (

•

Send to: The Michigan Review, Suite One, 91.1 N. Universi~ Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48~O~-1265 l

.•-."""" _ _ •______

. --~<~ """,..,

930210

.""..

,,,

,,,~

,,~_,...,,

______

..,,,,,,,,,..,"__ •

,..~_

f" _ _

__' ___..,.____...._____________..

~_""''''\llll''

February 10, 1993

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

',,,

Journal Editorial Brings Public Outr~ge by Karen S. Brinkman and Adam DeVore On January 5, 1993, the Wall Street Journal printed an editorial on University of Michigan sophomore Shawn Brown's experience in Political Science 111. Brown, as readers are now aware, employed a hypothetical example involving "Dave Stud" in an essay for the course and was subsequently reprimanded by his teaching assistant, Deborah Meizlish, who noted that the course's professor, Steven Rosenstone, had encouraged her to interpret his example as sexual harassment. Meizlish took no formal action, but she instructed Brown to consider himself "forewarned." After the Journal editorial, a flurry of letters from outraged readers descended upon the U-M. By January 13, nearly 50 letters made their way to Rosenstone, Meizlish, U-M President James Duderstadt, or Department of Political Science Chair Arlene 5axonhouse. The follOWing excerpts are taken from those letters, which were obtained under the

Freedom ofWorrnatlon Att This degree of emphasis on political correctness is ridiculous and, in my estimation, makes the University look foolish. I am not alone in this opinion." - Brevard, North Carolina II

Total number of letters * Supportive letters Critical letters W J8 editorials enclosed "Lighten up!" Donations lamented or cut Brown was harassed

Allusions: Hitler's Germany 6 Stalin's Russia 4 General totalitarianism 5 Voltaire/Rush limbaugh 3/3 Obscene invitations 2 Reprimand or resignation** 7

0 46 13

3 8 4

*Letters received by U-M personnel as of 13 January 1993 from non-University sources. Figures are minimal. as ambiguous comments were not coUnted. **Letters calling for at least one of these.

to get me for saying such nasty J}lings." - Farmington, Michigan

declined irrevocably into a black intellectual pit not even I foresaw." - Wellfleet, Maine

"It seems like only a week since I sat down in the rosy glow of pleasant memories and wrote a check for $1,500 for your Partners in Leadership fund drive. In fact, it was only a week. But what a difference a week can make. Had the ... editorial from the Journal appeared a week earlier, who knows .' )V~en I would ever stop boiling enough to wlite a ch~ for $15, Jet alone $1,5007 Right now I feel only shame - 1wish to crawl into a comer and hope my friends will have the grace not to bring up this situation to me. There is no way that I can defend or justify it. ..."

"My husband and I are both graduates of the University . ... We are finally at a financial position in our lives where we can afford to make meaningful contributions to worthwhile institutions and organizations. Actions such as these cause many of us to question whether the U-M should be on our don..Uon·list."

~lfltds~fbhio

• • •

" ... Speaking from the political left, I of course share many of the aims of those who would circumscribe First Amendment rights on campus, but as a civil libertarian I 'find their means troubling in principle and counterproductive in practice." - Ann Arbor, Michigan "My life as a feminist and writer makes me perhaps too socially seMtive at times, especially when I read the editorial page of the Journal, but notl)ing bugs me so much as when otherwise wellintentioned people go over the top . ... Like our friends at Ms., I hope to see the day when PC stands for "plain courtesy", however, if you had addressed me with your self-righteous hysteria, I most certainly would have told you to piss off." - Washington, DC Are you on drugs? What a farce. You make it harder for all women. Get a life." - Newton, Massachusetts

" ... As one who taught at the U-M (19551970) and quit at what I considered the moment of ultimate cowardice and stupidity by the administratioo, I concede error. The University has subsequently

"Last week it was the Political Science Department ignoring the First Amendment; this week a group within the Law School. One begins to wonder whether a fifth column within the University has set about producing horror stories for Dinesh D'Souza.... " - Ann Arbor, Michigan

- Grand Rapids, Michigan

" ... One definition of sexual harassment is, loosely stated, the use of sex or one's gender in a threatening manner; is it possible that Mr. Shawn Brown rather than Ms. Meizlish is the one who has been harassed in this case?" - Kansas City, Missouri " ... If you are going to limit speech, why not bum all the books that are offensive to the school, or question all incoming students before registration? How does a manifesto of correct speech or thought sound? Golly, it sounds a lot like communism. Oops, I gave myself away. You can now throw this letter in the garbage knowing I am a right wing wacko, or maybe I am a left wing wacko? Lets see, now liberals are on the left and liberals favor individual freedoms. Yeah, I am a left wing wacko. ... I am a graduate of the U-M and I refuse to give money to fa scist Universities (look it up, it fits). So please remove me from your alumni contribution list. .. . p.s. I hope I don't get tortured too long when the men in black shoes ceme "~"' ~ " ' '''~'''''''''''''

"Since 1936 I have traveled the over the world and been proud of my association with the U-M as a student and alumnus. But when I read the editorial in the Journal, for the first time I was ashamed of what one of the world's great universities had become.... I had been led to expect such stifling and unscholarly actions from Dartmouth, Stanford and Wisconsin. A billion dollar endowment is a tragic waste of resources if administered and implemented by faculty with the mind set displayed in this instance." -Southgate, Michigan " .. . How long is this nonsense going to be pursued? Please get back to teaching and learning at an early date." - Alturas, California "I am an ardent supporter of the U-M ... I have considered setting up an academic scholarship in the future .... When I was"a freshman at your University, I read Voltaire's statement that 'I disagree with what you say sir, but I will defend with my life your right to say it.' It seemed to me to typify the University's attitude of intellectual . freedom and openness. And it was that

'' ''Y<''' '''-''--' ' ' _ __ _ _ _ _"",,*, _l1»'l><'~*''I''

'9;1''_""""""*'

freedom and openness that made me so loyal to the University. If the University should lose that tradition, I am afraid that all that would be left would be a lot of brick and mortar - and oh yes, a very good football team. I for one think the U-M should stand for more than that." - California " ... Chop your logic as fine as you like, speak with Jesuistical subtlety, the fact is your institution and its sisters are engaged in the suppression of free speech. ... " -Flushing, New York " ... As a graduate with two Master's degrees from your University, I find myself very ashamed that aUniversity both I and my wife have attended l)as stooped so low ... - Mahopac, New York If

"In 1965, when I graduated from ... the [U-M, it] was world~wn for its liberal approach to ideas and the spoken word.... How things have changed during your regi me and that of your recent predecessors.... .•. . ... 1 finally feel that I am financially able in a small way to support the University .... Obviously, I have very little influence on University policy .. . however, I must register a protest. ... I will be unable to support the U-M financially or in any other way until the 'thought control' policies of the University are stopped ...." - Ann Arbor, Michigan " ... [O]nly a small mind could construe that innocuous paragraph as 'sexual harassment' and only a small person could plumb a personal affront out of it. That you employ a few teaching assistants of that caliber is unfortunate. That you apparently employ a professor of the same caliber is deplorable. That a Department Head endorses their pettiness is appalling .... " -MarqueHe, Michigan " ... I regret that I [a high school academic counselor] will no longer be able to recommend the Political Science Department at the U-M as a possible school choice to any of my high school students until I see evidence that the students' education takes precedence over an instructor's obsession." -Chicago Heights, Illinais " ... Where will it all end?" -Houston, Texas

; ;~ ~Jmf4fl'4"''''''''''''''''''

__''''''''_'''''''''''''''_"''''__''''_''''_____-

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

Revelations of a Fifth-Year Senior

February 10, 1993

.',.;"

. .-

Of Schlitz, Shanties, 'andSchembechler by Brten Jendrykll There are, it seems to me, two types of people at the University of Michigan. Those who, like my roommate and most of the rest of my friends, go to Florida or Cancun for spring break, and the rest of us. The rest of us enjoy spring break right here in Ann Arbor, with perhaps the occasional jaunt to Ypsilanti or Dexter. The reasons why roost of these people travel so far during vacation are 1) Michigan is the world's leading exporter of salty-brown slush and 2) They don't want to see their parents. Why do they not want to see their parents.? BecauS4> .01iege has turned them into cold, uncaring ingrates. Not that these world travelers are any better than the rest of us. The rest of us would be there right along with them if we had the money. This, however, is not the point. The point is that 18 year-old kids are being turned into arrogant "adults" in the space of just one or two years at the University of Michigan. Th_"~ulbr ~.home. to visit their parents with newly-developed social and political ideologies as well as a new vocabulary, using polysyllabic words such as Uonomatopoeia" and "vituperative" that their parents don't understand. They learn these words by reading · Hegel and Kafka, and hanging out in coffee shops and bars. Eventually they begin using SAT jokes to taunt opposing goalies at hockey games. This is wrong_ Not just the taunting at hockey games - although that is certainly an ugly manifestation of the larger problem (a more suitable cheer for a hockey game would be "punch him in the neck.") No, the whole thing reeks of a loss of nostalgia - U-M students have, as a whole, gotten away from their roots. As a state schoo~ 70 percent of our students come from i.rHfate, and as such we are - for better or worse - a bunch of very smart hicks. I am one of these hicks, and I'm proud of it. I grew up wearing Toughskins, eating at Denny's, and watching Lions football. As a chiJd I learned to understand humility and the intricacies of losing by watching the Lions lose to the Green Bay Packers every Thanksgiving. The Tigers lost 90 games a season and we didn't think twice about it My high school sports teams (the politically incorrect "Redskins") excelled at being mediocre - we had a good season if we beat the more politicaIly correct but more goofysounding "Beavers" or "I'rojans." The only hope for an aspiring young hick was Michigan football. Every year

the team would get our hopes up, amassing a 1~1 or 9-2 record. Every year, Michigan would go to the Rose Bowl and Bo Schembechler would try his ingenious "run it up the middle" play 60 or 70 times. And every year, we would lose to UCLA or USC by three or four touchdowns. If you grew up in rural Michigan, you grew up rooting for losers, but you didn't mind, because four Lions wins were better than none, and besides, when they did win, the victory was that much sweeter. That was before you actually attended the U-M. Once you got to the

6CNNIt &£:r HE

SOIi£ SQU/RR£L!I

,... 'Z-t. ~z.

self it big, juicy, Diag-squirrel sandwich. 'No mo~ "decaf double-<aps." Have a cold can of Schlitz (or Btatz). Hunting is not only fun, it's easy. My grandfather has perfected the art of deer hunting, and his basic guidelines can be used to hunt almost anything, including Diag squirrels. The first thing you need to do is construct a "blind." A blind is a smaU shack in which the hunter sits and waits for deer or other game to come to him. Just like a shanty (or off-campus student housing), a blind is usually a cold, leaky structure made <?ut of plywood.

GLUG1 &LUG#

( ~~

U-M, you got everything handed to you

on a platter. An NCAA basketball championship. Two Rose Bowl victories in the last five years. After a while, you start to lose sight of what's important -losing. WelL it's not really losing that's important. But neither is winning. No, what's important is shooting things. Surprisingly enough, a lot of Michigan residents lose touch with this simple tenet once they're here. Nobody cared about losing to Green Bay because November wasn't for football, it was for hunting. November was the month for stomping around the woods and shooting randomly, where an ideal "getaway weekend" involved two guys, their guns, a pickup, and a 12-pack of Schlitz. A Lions victory on Sunday or returning to work sober on Monday was of secondary concern. That is what I suggest for those of you stuck in Michigan over spring break. Get back to your roots. Shoot things. Cast away your tofu sandwiches. Make your.

Some of the more luxurious blinds have three or four walls and perhaps a stool or log to sit on. But my grandfather, who is nearly 75 years-old, surpassed even the highest blind standards for comfort long ago. Not only does his shanty have a chair and four walls, the fro!lt wall has a large opening out of which to shoot, as well as two openings on the sides, in case the deer tries a sneak attack from one of the flanks. That, of course, was his old blind. His new blind, though similar in design, features four Wind-tight walls, a smaIl door, and two chairs, including ,a large rocking chair. At this point, you are asking yourself, "How do you get a rocking chair through the small blind doorr' The answer is, you can't My grandfather built the blind around the rocking chair - that is, the chair is impossible to remove Without taking the blind apart. That's only the, · beginning. In addition to the wooden "allweatl)~: security flaps that fold over the .,."m_ _ _~_..___

open areas to protect the inside of his blind during the off-season. my grandfather has also discovered the John Deere diesel engine of blinds: Plexiglass. The front opening and two side openings now have sliding Plexiglass windows which enable him to see what's going on outside without having to actually be outside. Since they are of the sliding variety, he can simply slide one side open for the 30 seconds or so each season that he actually gets the deer into his sights and shoots it. Which isn't to say that he has to wait a long time; for some reason, there are often deer in the freshly mowed area 50 yards in front of the blind, where the salt lick and apples have been all season. Hunting in this fashion becomes so easy it almost rivals fishing, which, by necessity, involves a long weekend and many naps. This plan can easily be adapted for . . coUege campuS use. WhiJe "shanties" are no longer legal under the new Diag policy, "blinds" are not specifically forbidden,.lf you lack the design expertise, there. are numerous ex-shanty-builders who would be glad to help you construct your new blind, so long as you paint "Duderstadt is like Hitler, but meaner" or "Boycott right-wing string beans" on the side. Such slogans will also help your blind blend in with the surrounding graffiti-laden environment. As for game, Ann Arbor abounds with slow, fat, overly-trustworthy squirrels.. If you need bait, scatter some marijuana seeds or Bran Chex out in front of the Graduate Library. Be carefu~ though, such bait often attracts Residential College students and ro-op residents as well. Not that I'm condoning shooting squirrels (or RC students) out of season inside the city limits. I would never condone such an illegal activity in print, since my law-school-student roommate could use it as evidence when he sues me after getting arrested for bringing a gun and Bran Chex to the law school. I'm just saying it sounds like fun. At least more so than going to Cancun, where a "George Bush supports paper cuts for unwed west Virginian mothers" shanty would stick out like a sore thumb.

Brian Jendryka is a fifth year senior in English and economics and an editor emeritus of the Review. He was in the RC for two years. He wants to know why frog legs, octopus, and rattlesnake steaks all taste ·just like chicken."

_ _~,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _...._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

February 10, 1993

Book Review

'~.~

--1'

God, Nuclear Power and Revenge ShIIdow PIIIY Ch.... Baxter W.W. Norton' Co. Hardcov... 388 pegea $21.95

By Adam Garaglola There is, one can reasonably assert, no such thing as a wholly ordinary or typical life. Each person's existence presents its own particular challenges, and each individual fonnulates his own set of principles for dealing with the world. Shadow Plizy, Ann Arbor resident Charles Baxter's second novel, works from this premise, presenting the reader with the outwardly conventional life of Wyatt Palmer. After graduating from college and getting married, Wyatt returns to the small central Michigan town of Five Oaks, where he grew up, and takes a job in the local government. Committed to building his career and establishing a household, Wyatt is t;eSCU.~ .fr9m bland domesticity by a colorful ~ of relatives. Wyatt's mother, who suffered a nervous breakdown soon after her husband's death in Wyatt's youth, is an archetypally crazy-yet-wise old woman, who speaks in a language all her own a mixture of metaphor and made-up words, not easily comprehended by anyone else, but nonetheless rich in obscure insight. Cyril, Wyatt's beer-dmnking, hellraising cousin, is his temperamental opposite; despit their differences, there is a great affinity between them. Wyatt's Aunt Ellen, who raised him after his mother checked out on her permanent cruise, also plays a central role in this novel. Ellen is convinced that everything written about God so far is wrong, and occupies her time, amassing "evidence" for a new Bible, one which will explain God's apparent indifference to the world. She is gifted with an awareness and sense of understanding that Wyatt lacks, and as the story develops, her informed perspective functions as a counterpoint to his often confused perceptions. Complications begin to develop in Wyatt's quiet life when he meets Jerry Schwartzwalder, an erstwhile high school classmate who has become a successful businessman. Schwartzwalder wants to build a chemical plant in the area, which would bring jobs and prosperity back to the economically depressed town. The nature of the business, however, makes dilemma inherent to it: Schwartzwalder wants Wyatt to use his influence as a

functionary in the city government to ensure that the local authorities don't get upset when" a little hooh-.h," as he calls it, gets spilled or released into the air. Wyatt is initially apprehensive about the risks. Although he professionally inhabits a world of bureaucratic considerations, it is not unemployment statistics, development costs or property value figures that convince Wyatt to help Schwartzwalder; rather, it is the image of his formerly idle and dissipated cousin Cyril holding a respectable, wellpaying job, leaving his self-destructive, delinq uent past behind , The conversation during · which Wyatt agrees to help Schwartzwalder is a masterful example of narrative foreshadOWing; even Wyatt suspects that the choice he has made is destined to have terrible consequences, as his apprehension makes apparent:

rum ... ;." ..

:. ~!.

Wyatt had the sensation '" that he was in the foreground of a scene, behind which large gears were about to mesh and tum, bodies rise and fall, souls given and exchanged, and that he was in the presence of someone who was both businesslike and whimsical ... This effect is heightened by Wyatt's impressions of the enigmatic character of Schwartzwalder, a Mephistophelean figure with inscrutable motivations, who ominously speaks of his success as a form of revenge. After the two men make their pact, all seems well for a time. In exchange for the favors Wyatt has done him, Schwartzwalder gives Cyril a job at the plant. Cyril, in the meantime, has apparently turned his life around: he has gotten married, bought a house, and found religion in the form of R/Q Dynamics, founded by R. Stan Drabble. Seeing him assume the mantle of middle class respectability, however, Wyatt is troubled by the sense that he has lost the disreputable, fun-loving cousin he knew and loved. !hi!> vague sense of los.s fOJ,'etellsthe

'<-- ~~ ' -" - - - " "~ -- .'-~

...

~, ~~~.,...,- ""~ ",-"""".., .,.

.-.~"",,,~

tragic consequence of Wyatt's Though the distance, both physical and collaboration with Schwartzwalder. metaphOriC, puts an end to the conflict between the two men, it is a conclusion Cyril, after working at the plant for a that leaves much unresolved. There is no while, falls ill from exposure to dangerous sense that Wyatt has triumphed, or that chemicals. Wyatt comes to realize that the price of the .Cyril has been avenged. The moral ambiguity which surrounded the prosperity which the agreement between Schwartzwalder and chemical plant bringS Wyatt permeates the denouement as well, to the town is the and no one can claim righteousness in health of the people the face of it. who live in it; more In the end, it seems that Aunt Ellen's immediately, he must understanding of the world is not only cope with the guilt of justified, but also possessed of profound knowing that, in truth: the notion of a divinely inspired prOviding his cousin sense of justice seems, after the resolution with the ticket to model citizenship, he · of this story, a quaint and obsolescent notion. Her notion of an unconcerned, is at least indirectly but curious God, a spectator of the h~ responsible for condition, quite unmoved by the problem Cyril's terminal illof evil in the world, is vindicated by this ness. story's conclusion. After Cyril's Shadow Play is an intelligent novel death. Wyatt underwhich raises serious questions about the goes a transformnegative side of contemporary affluence, ation. Tiring of the value of so-called civic virtue as decency and its inadequacy/' he vows practiced by someone l i ke to avenge his cousin and make life hell SchwartzwaJder, and the chaJlenge of for Schwartzwalder. Resolving t~ bum acting ethically in a world which values down the businessman's house, Wyatt's expediency. But more importantly, perception is dominated by a Shadaw Play tells an interesting and highly romanticized notion of retributive justice; engaging story as it raises these issues. he sees himself as something of a populist Baxter's rendering of his characters makes vigilante: it easy to accept them as individuals deserving of our empathy and It was one of those nights for understanding; without being gasoline and disaster, one of those melodramatic, he portrays the dramatic nights when things get done in this potential of an ostenSibly ordinary life. c~untry: good-time violence, a show of hands, then flames and broken Adam Garagiola is senior in creative glass. writing and comparative literature and staff writer for the Review. Wyatt, swept up in his own revenge fantasy, very nearly carries the reader along with him, but Baxter is too sophisticated to allow such a simplistic resolution. The arson attempt is botched, and has unintended consequences. While the conventional triumph of good over evil may be the staple of the heroic adventure story, Baxter recognizes that life is far more complicated than that, and the moral question raised may have no clear answers. · Revenge is a questionable motive upon which to base one's actions, and the complications it creates undermine Wyatt's attempt to right the wrongs done to his community. Instead of driving Schwartzwalder out of Five Oaks, Wyatt's actions, and his resultantguiltyconscienc~impelhimto

leave the town. Schwartzwalder, and presumably, his factory, remain. At the end of the novel, Wyatt and his f~ly leave the Midwest entirely.

........-,-,,,,'___"'n' .........

~ ._~

_ _~ ...·""_

,,_

.... . ,,_

""_~

1<_

Coming to a Review near yOU: The latest installment of the Fortnightly Federalist, by Laurel Schippers. (It's a week off schedule, but it's just as good as before). Look for it on March 3.

£Ii

!'II

Ji!!!iilIIIIIt

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

February 10, 1993

Book Review

Economics and the Environment The Ecological Vision

Peter F. Drucker Traneactlon Preas Hardcover,457 pages $34.96

by Joe ColettI One of the most pressing concerns facing large, bureaucratic organizations like the University of Michigan is a lack of communication among relevant members throughout the organization. The U-M and others have adopted the Total Quality Management System in an attempt to alleviate this problem by changing the organization's structure and culture. The realization which led to this attempt was an understanding that universities are like corporations in that their survival depends upon successful management. Peter F. Drucker has been writing on the problems of management in all institutions since the 1940s. The Ecological Vision is a collection of essays SP~ his career which includes pieces from the Harvard Business Review, the Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. Many of his recommendations are targeted at management and could be effectively utilized by the University administration. The need for internal communication is one of the recurring themes of Drucker's essays in The Ecological Vision. By this phrase Drucker does not mean informatiQp-sharing, but the actual pr~ cess of providing knowledge to others within the organization. In a chapter entitled, "Information, Communications, and Understanding," which was originally a speech delivered in 1969, Drucker states, "Communication is the act of the recipient." Communication establishes the meaning of information by establishing a shared basis of understanding. Without effective communication, all available information is simply data - unusable and meaningless. But Drucker is not primarily concerned about business or even management, as he makes abundantly dear throughout the text. The former philosophy, religion and ethics professor is most concerned with "social ecology," his term for the study of the man-made environment that constitutes society. Drucker's interest, he explains, is not in '~usiness as 'business,'" but rather in '~usiness as one of society's institutions." He further states that he originally studied business management "simply because no other institution [in the early 1940s} was either as visible or as accessible."

When he examines business pracgovernment, and the influence of private tices, therefore, Drucker does so with a .foundations that provide a true market knowledge of what other institutions for ideas - has been lost as the governneed; a knowledge he has gained through ment gained more control of the economy many years of working with hospitals, and society. universities, and other non-business orDrucker recognizes this attempt in ganizations. Because of "Keynes: Economics as a this knowledge, he is able Magical System," written to discern general manageshortly after John Maynard pfterF~ ment trends that apply to Keynes' death in 1946. many types of organizaDrucker states that tions and to society at large. "Keynes's economic poliAmong these are the incies do not follow from his creasing specialization and basic theories; indeed they accompanying need for ccr are hardly compatible with ordination within organithem:' It w~ only after the zations, the evolving conspell was broken by cept of manufacturing, and Roosevelfs New Deal afthe revaluing of education. ter 1935 that the theory Reflections Drucker was among found its policies under the on thr the first, inJ954, to see the t Ne<>-Keynesians. ~ml'ril31l shift in demand from k In his refutation of Condil :'\I~ manual labor to knowl- ,fS~I'Keynes, Drucker goes to ... ._ edge work. In his 1991 esthe core, the static mod~l say,.'The New PrpductivityCluillenge," underlying neo-classicaJ, Keynesian. and Milton Friedman's economics. He even he contends that technology and capital are the tools of production in knowledge questions the Austrian school's strongest voice, Friedrich von Hayek, for never and service work, and that to make all attacking the economic validity of socialmembers of the company more productive it must become a learning and teachism but merely its social consequence until the later 1980s when socialism's ing organization. failure was already evident. Fundamental to this transformation of organizations is the recognition that Joseph Schumpeter, according to Drucker, is a much better guide to the technological change demands innovation and creates its own" objective realproblems of economics, since he views capitalism as a dynamic system which ity" against which progress can be comthrives on "creative destruction." As pared. Drucker explains this in 'The First Technological Revolution and its LesDrucker notes in his 1983 essay sons," but he emphasizes that technol"Schumpeter and Keynes," Schumpeter ogy only outlines broad parameters realized that the power of government within which policy is confined. He notes "to control the distribution of the nathat the particulars - for example geogtional product ... was an invitation to raphy or societal structure - change and political irresponsibility." Schumpeter's that it IS in the various responses to these key was that innovation led to economic particulars that cross-<ultural differences arise. Here again, the emphasis is not simply on how organizations respond, but how societies do. In this chapter, for example, his topic is the rise of irrigation and its subsequent implications for the ordering of society and expansion into empire. Drucker's emphasis on the larger entity in which institutions - including businesses - operate is evident in two sections, one devoted entirely to Am~ri足 can society and another to an analysis of Japanese society. His analysis of America dates from the 1940s and 1950s and has not been updated. A re-evaluation would have been interesting since much of what he views as America's strengths - community self-reliance, little reliance upon the

"W""-'"~,,,~_,_~

Drucker

THE ECOLOGICAL VISION

________

~~_,

disequilibrium. In his Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, Schumpeter states that the inherent danger of this disequilibrium in a democracy is that politicians would attempt, as Bill Clinton is, to soften the impact of structural dislocations and the system would fall into socialism. Drucker contends that the belief in governmenfs ability and responsibility to "do something" about the economy was a result of an arrogance among economists bred by the success of debt financing in World War I. Government, he states repeatedly, is ineffective at solving societal and economic problems. America's strength in the past was its reliance upon the private sector, and that is where the initiative for future social change will be located. As a result, social innovation has become the top priority of management, again, this is not simply business management, but the management of all institutions.

In the ~.erlVord'i written specifically' for this coUection of essays, Drucker catalogs some of his ideas and the ways in which his thought has evolved. He also details his vision of the "field" of "social ecology" and its origins. Because he "see[s} as central to society and to civilization the tension between the need for continuity and the need for innovation and change," Drucker sees himself as both conservative and liberal simultaneously, but not as either exclUSively. His work is on society, but his background in religion and philosophy adds a depth to his writing that is missing from that of most business and social commentators. Joe Coletti is a senior in Asian studies and an executive editor of the Review.

:Februap' 10, 1993

THEMICHIGAN REVIEW

TA Testing Continued from Page 1 minus score and that there is talk about blocking the blackboarQ." Hofer stated of engineering do not require new IT As which serve as reinforcement for TAs. phasing out this "half-way" category and When complaints do arise, the ELI investhat this is the favorite part of the workto attend the 3-week workshop at CRLT establishing a scor? of four as the reshop for the candidates, since it allows that new LSA ITAs must attend. tigates them, said Briggs. ''Things aren't so serious as they were before." quired score to enter the classroom. them to interact with students. The instruction of TAs, however, According to Cindy Romer, an EngiIn some cases, TAs on the lower range does not stop there. When ITAs enter Professor Ramanujan echoed these neering sophomore who served as a paid findings. He said that in looking at the their first classrooms, evaluators from of the acceptability scale are required to enroll in specific ELI courses concurrent statistics of complaints of T A language observer at the CRLT workshop last ELI attend their classes to observe their difficulties over the past three years, the with their teaching dutie!;. In addition, August, most of the candidates make a performance and advise further language numbers have "appreciably fallen special effort to be effective teachers. In work in ELI. some candidates not qualified for assigndown." Complaints in the math departfact, they are much better than some of ITAs who aren't ready to begin teachments are required to enroll in Ell ment are handled at the faculty mentor courses, after which they can be re-tested. the T As she has encountered in regular ing are placed within their respective departments in research positions or level, and Ramanujan stated that the comclasses. Their performance in the workA candidate can take the ITA test a maxiplaints he has received beyond the menshop, however, may not provide a real isother places where they can enhance their mum of three times per yeart and according to another ELI brochure, uexceptions tor level have been "practically rull" since tic representation of their future classlanguage capabilities. Putting IT As in "he took his post in the fall. He stated that room performance, as these candidates non-teaching environments provides are made only in unusual circumstances." when complaints do arise, the problem is Briggs stated that the tests are pretty are in a "try-out" situation which gives them with the funding they need to reusually resolved. Sometimes it is just a demanding, but that "there is no presthem an extra incentive to do their best. main at the university. matter of a student not being "attuned" sure to pass someone when they are not In ma~y cases their performance, along Complaints about T A language difwith the results of the ITA test, decides· ficulties have declined over the years, ready." Between 1989 and 1992, 26 perto an ITAs accent, he added. ., • Swales stated that from the "anecwhether or not these candidates will be according to Briggs. They are not as nucent of candidates taking the exam for able to remain at the U-M. the first time were not approved. This merous as they o~ce were, she states, . dotal" evidence he has received, the com.plaints often concern the IIquantity" of "They seemed to feel a lot·of presbecause if they were, Ifa copy [of the figure includes a wide range of candiforeign teaching assistants encountered sure," said Romer. If I heard one of the complaints) would be forwarded here dates, some of whom have been in the and not the quality of their teaching. He T As saying if he did not pass the worku.s. much longer than others. and we aren't seeing them." also stated that there is a "twenty year shop he would have to go b.(:lck home." Wlien Swales was asked about cur~ After completing the IT A test, T A history of this problem." and that foreign Hofer said that in recent workshops/berent complaints, he also said that they candidates must also attend a three- week T A horror stories tend to circulate excestween one third and one half of the canhave Qeciined, but noted that "there are ITA workshop c<>-Sponsored by ELI and Sively among students. What underdidates were not cleared for teaching. , still some." Swales stated that when he the Center for Research on Learning and graduates need to do, he feels, is look at Most departments offer some form came to the university in 1986, the IT A Teaching (CRLT). As stated by Barbara each IT A objectively and not "jump to Hofer, Coordinator of IT/:... q.;~nin~,t .nf c9I1P~}1¢ ~~~,i~}a~~,i~?QJ~t~~~",\ is~~~}v ~~.,.~U~;, ~~g.,gU~,~~~e~e~.· I1~. received at ELl and CRLT.. Theriulth,"aad~d, j7h~mart'sbffi~mlystf$$tillit CRLT, in a November 30,1990 letter to /·"i" ematics department, for instance, holds a problem, butnot the top problem. " . the Daily: ''The workshop offers oppordownswing, it would be a boon for en4-5 day training period at the beginning Hofer stated that the Dean's office is tunities for practicing a variety of teachhanced undergraduate education. The of the term for all new T As, foreign and actively meeting on this issue, and that it ing skills (before a video camera) with current testing and training standards otherwise. According to the associate doesn't feel that the problem has been feedback from staff and peets as well as can only enhance the quality of educachairman of the graduate math program, completely solved. Currently, the U-M Michigan undergraduates who are hired tion for America's undergraduate stuProfessor M.s. Ramanujan, the success has some of the strictest standards for to assist with the program. The workdents. The challenge is to lure underITAs of any university in the country, she rate of this training period is high. shop includes exposure to the culture of graduates back to graduate schools now The School of Engineering also has said, adding that the "sentiment is that the American undergraduate classroom that the baby boomers are ending their its own orientation, as well as individual the standards should be stricter yet." plus sessions on diversity, gender issues, reign and leaving many open spaces in departmental training within the school. 'There's a lot of work going on to nonverbal communication, etc." The programs around the country. With the For instance, the Department of Naval continue to improve the quality of unworkshop is offered in May and August, current job market as bleak as it is, perArchitecture holds practice classes that dergraduate instruction," she said. In her for students already on campus or ones haps college graduates will once again are videotaped to provide feedback for letter to the Daily, Hofer spoke of recent arriving before fall term, respectively. set their sights on a tweed coat and reenresearch conducted by herself and Briggs new TAs. The Department of mechanical CRLT hires undergraduates for five ter the haven of academia. engineering conducts its own seminars that "indicates a Significant increase in days to observe TA candidates during in a similar vein. undergraduate perceptions of ITA effecthe three week workshop. The students Beth Martin is a senior in English and tiveness, as measured by student ratIn addition, engineering T As are reprovide feedback on the teaching techcontributing editor of the Review. quired to attend a two-day T A orientaings." This is partly due to the emphasis niques of candidates, comments such as tion at CRLT in September. Interestingly placed on continued training for ITAs in "You need to speak more clearly," "You enough, some departments in the college English skills and teaching methods, aren't looking us in the eye," or,"You're t

AlA Continued from page 1 In schools across the country there has been a drive to portray the Reagan years as bad times for the nation. AlA feels that this is partially a result of the current liberal dominance in academics. The AlA is a strong pro-Reagan force, distributing posters depicting the former president in a scene from one of his movies with his head in a noose and a caption which reads: "Stop the liberal/ media

lynch mob.l'd1.~ tNth about the,a~(:ll)

legacy." One of the key purposes of Wheeler's visit, and of particular interest to U-M students in attendance, was a discussion of AlA's plans to become directly involved in the Shawn Brown incident. Brown, an LSA sophomore, first gained notoriety when a portion of his Political Science 111 paper was branded as sexual harassment by his teaching assistant, Deborah Meizlesh last semester. The incident was initially reported in the October 28, 1992 issue of the Michigan Review, but has since been brought into the national spotlight by both conservative talksho~ .~~ ~\I~h, Liplbauglt ,ap~ .t\l~ Wall

Street Journal. AlA feels that the treatment Brown has received for his now infamous "Dave Stud" reference is ludicrous and constitutes a perfect example of the thoughtpolicing that occurs at liberal universities everywhere. Both Wheeler and AlA are determined to take actions against U-M. Said Wheeler, "Shawn is owed an apology, and he will get an apology by the time we are done. I guarantee that." Wheeler went on to say that upon returning to Washington, he will contact AlA's attorneys to discuss possible legal ac_tions that can be taken against the Uni-

- _ _~'_)""_~""<'.I"."i'·'<.'<Ri"'.~

t'\i

'~®~Ti~~;!dini~ii~~~~::~ri;:~'

versity on Brown's behalf. .AlA feels that both thought-policing activities and lying to students have gone on for long enough at the U-M and other universities across the country. In the fight, AlA hopes to expose the truth about cases like Brown's. As Wheeler himself said, "the truth is more powerful than its opposite." Jason Camhi is a sophomore in political science and a staff writer for the Re-

view.

1'1'''(1 ,.."JoIIIO);l<

~"'.

iii

j:jij ~

t:,.

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

February 10, 1993

Sports ';'

Martyring Marge Schott by Corey Hili Race, sports and the First Amendment make for an undesirable mix. The latest failed attempt at merging the three into some sort of stable union occurred on February 3 in Chicago, when Major League Baseball's Executive Council, under pressure from their silent but present liberal conscience, voted unani- ~ mously to suspend Cin- ~ cinnati Reds owner Marge Schott f<X' one year. The reason? Schott had previously admitted to using racially and ethnically insensitive language. ThetermsofSchotfs ... suspension include limilations on her conlact with the team, a 25,000 dollar fine, and completion of a multicultural tra4ting program. Be::. . . sides the incident itself, Several troubling circumstances surround Schott's suspension, including the comments and underlying agendas of numerous prominent people, many of whom are not directly involved in baseball. Let's examine the real reason behind this suspension. First is the issue of publie relations. Public relations playa fundamentaJ role in the survival of professional baseball. Baseball thrives on numerous ~eals which guarantee its exposure on national and lcr cal television and radio. rl Team owners annually I,

concern is to keep their economic leverdid not have sizeable support among age in negotiations with the owners. As a -blacks because the Dodgers refused to result, players with their own concerns sign marquee black players. Shortly thereover public relations don't usually like to after the Dodgers make a big deal out of incidents like signed Darryl StrawQ Schott's. Managers, moreover, must keep berry and Eric Davis both their players and the public happy, (two black players, and suspending Schott was an integral formerly of the new parl of that publicrelaYork Mets and Cintions puzzle. cinnati Reds, respecPerhaps the most tively). The criticism prominent spokesman suddenly disapfor the pro-Schott suspeared. pension crowd was the The last portion Rev. Jeg;e Jackson. Jackof Schott's suspension is composed of son, a known antiSemitic, once referred to the multicultural Jews and New York training. MultiCity as "Hymies" and culturalismisappar"Hymie Town," respecently no longer a figtively. "Let he who is ment of conservative without sin cast the first imaginations or a stone," said Jesus transient phenomChrist, and Jackson, enon confined to academia. No one diswho was quickly.a~ putes that Schott's cOJl111lerttswere stusolved of any blame for his remarks, pid and insensitive, but she did not comcertainly cast it. That he should fault commit a crime and she is well within her Schott for making similar remarks is blarights to express herself without being tantly hypocritical. Moreover, if we forced to pay for her comments by deshould forgive Jackson because he promvouring a meal of multicultural hogwash. ised never again to utfer insensitive Schott's biggest blunder was making her words, why shouldn't we extend the same remarks in the presence of other people. courtesy to Schott? The U-M is notorious for its attempts Although baseball and sports in gento muzzle the First Amendmenl Though eral attempt to portray themselves as it has instituted numerous policies to noble through actions such as Schott's facilitate racial harmony, none of these suspension, there is much evidence which initiatives have worked; in fact, racial slurs and profan. . . ity were heard dUl'ing a national Memilk as much as one bilcastoftheU-Mvs. lion dollars from net••• • ' . MSU game on Febworks like CBS for ruary 2, 1993. The .1 t S slurs prompted ubroadcasting rights. tocal markets push the SO U tOns 0, -at MPresidentJames st.~even~gher,outDuderstadt and btddmg eaCh other to MSU President or stns Gordon Guyer to broadcastgamesplayed by the local team. rel~ a joint stateIt is difficult to &ympathize with pIaysuggests otherwise. A case in point is AI ment labelling some fan behavior as "bIaers, some of whom have contracts worth Campanis, former vice-president of the tantly hurtful and malicious." Will Los Angeles Dodgers. Campanis had the Duderstadt and Guyer mandate that fans more than many people can expect to earn in their lifetimes. Many players semisfortune of telling Ted Koppel of ABC attend decorum training classes before cure commercial endorsements for prodNews that many "blacks may not have they are issued tickets next season? If the ucts ranging from athletic equipment to the necessities, let's say, to be a field Schott suspension is any indication of cars, from which they reap astronomical manager or perhaps a general manager." proper procedure, they probably should. sums. Campanis was well within his rights to All of this raises a most important Yet it is the players who need to express his opinion, but he was fired question: Have we degenerated from a express their opinions about managebecause his continued presence in mansociety which respects and protects the menl Unfortunately, the players' conagement had the potential to become a First Amendment to one which only secems with management seldom extend public relations nightmare for the Dodglectively remembers inalienable rights? beyond the next contract negotiation. ers. If we have, then we must question who Surely some players may want to beAfterCampanisleft, therewasgrumperforms the selection and what they come coaches <X' managers, but their main bling in Los Angeles that the Dodgers choose to protect. Is there a difference

the owners and Jackson were senous about eitmtnatingradsmfrom baseball they would not seek to 11.1mt FfTst Amendment nghts or tmplement other It' th e ban d'd vane . y. uspen dtng . Schott amounts to nothing more than a smokefi covenng .the . of other owners. screen

between the First Amendment rights of Andre Cerrano, Ice-T and Marge Schott? Yes, if you believe political and social beliefs should determine the extent of a person's rights. Ce.rrano is best known for placing a crucifix in a jar filed with urine and calling it art, while Ice-T advocates the _ murdering of po~ \ '" lice officers in his ~;2' song "Cop Killer," . •~ yet neither one is required to attend classesoncomrnon decency. Schott, however, is. The most im__~ _. portant qualities missing from baseball owners are conviction and principle. More distutbing than radahIurs is the deceit these owners are practicing by suspending Schott The owners and other supporters of the suspension are embracing symbolism instead of substance. They have no intention of eliminating racism. If they did, they would examine their own souls and practices. Instead they prefer damage control; they have, in essence, offered Marge Schott as a sacrificial lamb so Jesse Jackson will move on to his next assignment and leave Major League Baseball alone. Jackson eagerly obliges because he is viewed as the slayer of white oppression, whether it manifests itself in baseball or Haiti. If the owners and Jackson were senous about eliminating racism from baseball, they would not seek to limit First Amendment rights or implement other solutions ofthe band-aid variety. Susj'

pendingSchottamountsto~more than a smoke-screen for covenng the sins of other owners. Will Schott'sdeparture change racial attitudes in baseball? Not any more than the departure of Campanis did. Why should we buy the same fraudulent arguments twice?

Corey Hill is a junior in political science and a staff writer of the Review.

'>"· "~~~~'~""-=~""""""'I'l"'~":~""'''~~'''A

:;;

Pffiw;;::;;:;;u;m3MW

,-.

February 10, 1993

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

Sports

~(Âť ;"

Hiring Minority Management by Aaron Steelman On January 12, the Rev. Jesse Jackson met with the owners of Major League Baseball (MLB) to present his 14-point plan concerning minority affairs in baseball. Jackson's presentation came on the heels of his announcement regarding the formation of the Rainbow Commission for Fairness in Athletics. Accord ing to Jackson, the commission will be an independent group comprised of people selected by himself. The commission will have branches in cities with major sports franchises, where it will monitor the hiring processes. Three Detroiters have been invited to join Jackson's organization: the Rev. Jim Holley of the Uttle Rock Baptist Church, Lonnie Bates, a former member of the Detroit School Board, and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Executive Director Joann Watson. It is Jackson's intention to bring what he sees as raci~ fairness to the hiring of . blacks and other minorities throughout sports. He has targeted professional baseball first because of its timeliness; the baseball owners held their annual meeting in January. Jackson said that the formation of the committee and 14-point plan are designed to curb "institutionalized racism" in sports. In his remarks at the meeting, Jackson called for the establishment of affirmative ~ction hiring programs in baseball management. "We want to have an affirmative action plan by AprilS of this year or [the MLB will) face selective boycotts," said Jackson. He called on Bill Clinton to support such boycotts by refusing to throw out the first ball during opening-day ceremonies. He also went on to say that Detrojt will be one of the cities whose professional sports teams will be monitored for the implementation of his suggested policies. The response from the owners was quite predictable and relatively mundane. George W. Bush, general partner of the Texas Rangers, said that the "situation will not be solved in one night or one season, but I think he [Jackson] was interested in arousing the consciousness of those hiring, and I think he accomplished that." Tom Wilson, president of the DetroitPistons, had this to say: "From our standpoint, we've always decided to take the very best people that we could and if we have a black general manager or a white general manager or a black coach or a ~.hit~. coach it real~y' pidn't ,

. ... ~

, .,

matter. It was an effort to find the best." "We've had black coaches, we've had black general managers, and we've had black scouts. I am not sure you can ever regulate something like that," said Wilson. Wilson's remarks were excruciating-

whole. Who would want to see a basketball game involving mediocre, albeit racially diverse, players when he or she could just as easily watch the best? A similar parallel can be drawn to management and coaching positions in sports. It would be highly unfair to fire

JACKSON'S 14-POINT AGENDA 1. Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott must be "removed" or "suspended."

2. Bill White, current National League President, should be the next commissioner. 3. Affirmative action programs should be established for all baseball front offices. 4. Affirmative action programs should be established for major league umpires.

5. Encourage the hiring of black baseball managers; , 6. Affirmative action programs should be established for all levels of management positions

in baseball to end "institutionalized racism." 7. Summer internship programs should be established.for minorities. 8. Hire black stars of th~ pa$t including, Willie Mays, Joe Morgan, and Bob Gibson. 9~ Sponsor Little League baseball teams in the-inner cities. 10. Urge Bill Clinton not to tlli'ow out the first pitch on Opening Day unless every team has affirmative action programs in place. . 11. Minority and female vendors must be given equal consideration in merchandising. 12. Reprimand the players' union for its silence on-the Marge Schott comments. 13. Hire more minority journalists to announcing positions. 14. The "degrading" nicknames Braves and Indians must be changed. ,',,'.:

businessmen. Right now there are no black-owned National Basketball Association (NBA) franchises, and only a few in baseball and football. This situation could change without the use of affirmative action. Rather than telling blacks that they cannot get ahead without the help of white owners, Jackson should be pushing for more minorities to look into purchasing franchises. Ownership is truly a means to empowerment. With ownership comes greater financial reward as well as risk, and, more importantly, the ability to hire and fire. The last decade saw the rise of many large, black-owned businesSes in this country, and there is no reason that something similar could not occur in sports. If Jackson's plan of boycotting professional baseball were to go into effect, the people most hurt by it would be the players - both black and whiteand not the owners and management. Without revenue, owners could not afford to pay their players.

Iy accurate. It is the responsibility of any PafRHeY,he.ad c6achof the New Y6rlt ,. ..aY'ndjr~qJy ~~~<lJt$~ri~~ .â&#x20AC;˘ . ~~~. salaries of black athletes, Jackson could ' Knicks, or Jack McCloskey, General organization to find the best and most take away the capital to create businesses Manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves, capable personnel. It is not, however, an and jobs. Black athletes such as Mark or not to hire them in the first place just organization's responsibility to fill Anthony and Walter Payton have created because they were white. This, however, quotas. This is something Clinton and managed successful businesses in is what would happen under Jackson's evidently failed to keep in mind when he the inner-city that have provided jobs plan. was he chose his cabinet, as witnessed by for black Americans. Without the money If one is truly interested in promoting the Zoe Baird debacle and the Kimba they made from professional sports, they "fairness" and "equality," then one Wood fiasco which followed it. would not have been able to do such should not support jackson's plan. It is A professional sports team is just things. A boycott would have a grossly inadequate in its present form. like any other professional organization tremendous spiralling effect that could The plan, much like most affirmative or corporation, in that it is in business to hurt black athletes and the black action programs, is not at all inclusive, as make money. Sports organizations do community in general. its supporters would like the public to this by providing a product for the public As it currently stands, blacks make believe. Instead, it promotes hatred and their sports teams. If the team they bring up nine percent, eight percent, and 14 divisiveness. Similar plans serve as copto the playing field is not very good, then percent of front office management in outs through which white racists can the corporation will feel the effects of low MLB, the National Football League (NFL), espouse their hatred, and excuses by attendance and small television contracts. and the NBA, respectively. Compared to which blacks and other minorities can To prevent this, the organizations try to sign the very best players they can. justify their feelings of helplessness and the national population, of which blacks make up only 12 percent, the numbers victimization. These are crutches that we In professional basketball and football are not strikingly different, although there cannot support. the majority of the players are black; the is room for improvement. The means of There is undeniably some systemic general managers, however, did not hire improvement is not affirmative ~ction, racism in this country, and it is likely the players because of their race, and the but rather free-market operation rooted prevalent in professional sports. But the owners do not pay them because of their in ownership. Affirmative action is way to combat this problem is not to skin color. These players are selected inherently unfair and unjust; it only institute programs that will only provide be<;ause they are the best at what they do. provides short-term solutions to longa quick fix. The field of professional sports Few people, particularly Jackson, would term problems. Affirmative action is at is quite turbulent. A manager, coach, or argue otherwise. the center of Jesse Jackson's program for general manager can be hired in one year One should not resent these athletes professional sports, a program which is and fired the next. This was true for and the tremendous salaries they make. flawed and should be dropped. minority coaches and managers such as They have worked very hard at what they do and have not obtained their . Frank Robinson, Pat Corrales, and Bernie Bickerstaff. It will not change, no matter positions by accident. To fire them and Aaron Steelman is a freshman in LSA what race a coach or manager is. hire more white players to fill a quota and Circulation Director for the Review. A more rational and long-term would not only be unfair to those players solution would be to promote the who lose their jobs as a result, but it would be Ullfair to fans and to sports as a .owner;;hip .of fra~chises by black ""y""-",~";;;;;;;;;;;:;::;:;:;;::;;;;;:;;;:;;;;':~;,;::;::;;,;;=;;,-..":",,,,..,.,,,,,~

=<--~";

â&#x20AC;˘ '"

~~'-~",C>

~,>( 'f:~

' <'~':'/"'f

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

February 10, 1993

Music

Biohazard: Too Tough to Contain could be about any city, " he explains. "When you see somebody you know die, you realize life is too short for us to look around for reasons to hate people. The

by Joe Epatefn "Biohazard is everywhere, it's all around us. It is the shit we sing about. We're not Biohazard, we're just four guys from Brooklyn," said Biohazard founderguitarist Bobby Hambel. "Our music is basically folk music." With bassist and singer Evan Seinfeld, guitarist Billy Graziadei and drummer Danny Schuler, Hambel and company ferociously deliver their works with primal, urban intensity exclusive to New York's hard core scene. The band's music can be called folk only because the songs are angry and often preachy tales from America's dark side. Biohazard are honest and straightforward, but more like a steel-toed boot or a pair of bra~uckles than John Denver. "We're not just some heavy metal band singing about Satan, fast cars, fast girls and drugs. All that shit is as real to me as Mickey Mouse and Woody Woodpecker," said Hambel. ... .. "It's not just Brooklyn, the songs

problems are always the same: drugs, -racism, crime, violence. " Hambel feels that many kids can relate to Biohazard's brand of in-your-face,

take-no-shit music. For one, the guys aren't faking it. Biohazard have been down the road, and feel that their honesty separates them from most. "Some of us had problems with drugs, some of us had problems with violence, says Hambel. 'j3ut being in the band gave us a sense of direction because we learned how to focus our energy in a positive way. Instead of going out and getting fucked up over something that bothers me, we get out on stage and we fucking slam it out and it feels good." With their latest album Urban Discipline out on Roadrunner records, the boys from Brooklyn have played with the best in hardcore and thrash: the Cro-Mags, the Exploited, Slayer, and Obituary. After a short European tour with Kreator in January, Biohazard will tour the States for three weeks. They make a stop atSt. Andrew's Hall in Detroit on Friday, February 19. Fellow hardcore giants Sick Of It All share the bill il.!ong. with Sheer Terror. . ."

Latest Beethoven

Offers To Warm You Up

Concerto Flunks by Frank GrabowskI

Ludwig van Beethoven Concerto for Violin in D Nigel Kennedy, violin Klaus Tennstedt, cond., NDR Orch.

I I

: $5.95

:(I I ?5~ I

A medium deep dish or round pizza with cheese and one topping only

. Sinc:l19C8

(plusbx).

A large deep dish or round pizza with cheese and one topping only

$8.95 II (I

Valid only at Pack.ardlHill illJd Broodway locations. Not valid with other offers. ~. One coupon per pIZZa. r~ Umited delivery area. Expires F.b. Zll, 1993.

II ~IIC":. . II Sia l!U8 rlZl.(l .J L

lIt,...._ ••,

(pi",,,,,).

Valid only at PackardlHill and Broadway locations. Not valid with other o(fers·1 One coupon per plZZll. Umited delivery area. Expire. F.b. 31, 1993.

----------- ---------1At _ _ _ .Io'

I I

I .J

Central Campus--546 PackardIHill

Since 1948 ,

'HZ2ci

~pUurmn.ntwbt·

769-5555 North Campus--927 Maiden lB ..

995-9101 - ~- - ."

..'-

- - "-.'.'"__

'~''''~' ' '''

_N'''~

__'''_''''_

. ~_._.

EMIdassics This reCording of the Beethoven Violin Concerto is a severe disappOintment, to say the least. The team of Kennedy and Tennstedt have combined in recent years for some memorable recordings, most notably the Brahms Violin Concerto released about a year ago, but their latest effort falls far short of expectations. Kennedy has always been known for his 'artistic' tendencies - the fusion of classical and jazz music with contemporary themes. The liberties Kennedy 9ften takes most apparent in the final movement cadenza composed by the violinist himself. This is not to say that Kennedy's technical performance on this disc is inadequate, but it may be said with some certainty that his interpretive skills have little appeal to 'traditionalist' ears. As for Tennstedt, he conducts an NDR Symphony in top form. I have always felt the NDR exhibited more integ.. rity and emotion than some of the more commercial Philharmonics. Considering

__..... ...___

._~

its superior lineup of talent and the success of its prior recordings, one would assume that the Beethoven Concerto would only follow suit, but alas, this is not the case. The tempos are painfully slow, almost to the point of rendering the work of listening too depressing. Although the symphony's performance is solid, the fire and urgency are lacking, as is especially evident in the somnambulistic first movement. I have treasured the RCA Jascha Heifetz stereo recording of the Beethoven Concerto for years, and it may be unfair of me to judge the Kennedy recording by the standards of the Heifetz, but the disparity between the two is obvious. Where Kennedy lazily shuffles through the piece, Heifetz instills it with the Beethovian eroticism which has earned him his title as one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century. The Kennedy and Tennstedt recording is not bad per se, but it certainly does not come dose to the recordings of Heifetz or even Friedrich Kreisler. With"other superior recordings already on the shelves, I can hardly recommend this one.

.., .._.....___ ._.._...._ _ ....___._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _""" _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _""'............._ _ _ _ _ __