MSA: Getting Progressively Worse? MSA Grapples with Code, Budget, Office Allocations by Doug Thiese During the past few months, the Michigan Student Assembly (MSA) has focused on two maJor issues: the Uni versity of Michigan's proposal for a revised student conduct code and the controversy surrounding the mandatory student funding of MSA as it has been affected by the recently adopted $6.27 fee limit.
The New and Improved Code On July 15, the U-M administration proposed a new code of conduct, seductively entitled, "Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities: Draft 10.2." The administration has repeatedly claimed that students played a role in drafting this policy, referring primarily to MSA' s Student Rights Commission (SRC), which originally proposed a replacement for the Interim Policy on Discrimination and Discriminatory Conduct during the Winter 1992 term. Current SRC Chairman Robert Van Houweling, who serv~ as Vice-Chair-
duct, from violations of academic protocol to noisy fraternity parties with underage drinking. Kight added that one must be especially wary of the Draft's ambiguous and inordinately expensive directive that students "show both within and without the University respect for order, law, personal integrity, and the rights of others." Budget Priorities Committee (BPC) Chair Sejal Mistry was equally bothered by the spectre of Draft 10.2. II It' s such a violation of student rights that it can't even be called 'Studer:'t Rights and Responsibilities,'" she said. Van Houweling emphasized that all stud~1,'\.l.Q£ganizations, including fraterRifles and publications, are sanctionable under this code. To combat the new conduct code, the SRC "will try to educate the students and faculty on the flaws in the code," and thus "build a consensus on this campus that the code is a bad idea," V an Houweling said. He also promised to "try to oppose [the code] effectively in any marmer that [the SRC] finds suitable ... [and] reasonable."
man under then-SRC Chairman Mi chael and its lack of due process protections David Warren, Jr., vigorously denies this (such as counsel, clear evidential stanassertion. According to Van Houweling, dards, forbiddance of hearsay, and unaniWarren proposed replaCing "an amazmous jury verdicts of guilt beyond a reaingly threatening speech code l the Insonable doubt). Van Houweling predicts t e rim that the adPo It I' c y J" "]' d like to leave a leuacy oloruanized mi n i st raWI h o ne " 'J" t' ' 11 tw 0h ua It d e I ft'IS t peop Ie w h0 COU ld. con ti' nue t0 pressure lOn WIac"s a n c t i on
work on all kinds of issues," - MSA President Ede Fox Ann Arbor News ' , Sep-flH1fber 8, 1992, ..
violence and intimidation but preserve people's free ' speech .. . [with) as maRY due process protections [as possible]." Due to "administrators' complaints," said Van Houweling, the U-M rejected the SRC's proposal. When the Supreme Court's R.A. V. v. St. Paul decision jeopardized the interim policy, the U-M then "completely mutilated Mike Warren's narrow, well-defined code" and drafted an "extraordinarily ... [and] amazingly broad code," explained Van Houweling. He additionally expressed "immense concern" over both Draft 10.2's broadness
cused stu-
dents with the choice of plea bargaining or being tried under a very broad code without due process protections. Even if an accused student is acquitted by a student hearing panel, the "victim" can appeal the decision to Vice President for Student Affairs Maureen Hartford. The Draft thus allows for double jeopardy, although such a practice is anathema to our criminal justice system. Brian Kight, Vice-Chairman of MSA's Rules and Elections Committee, believes that Draft 10.2's prohibitions would constrain a wide range of con-
Circumventing Fiscal Accountability?
Absentee Voting: How-To Guide by Eddie Arner As election day nears and disdain for both preSidential candidates grows, the deadline for registering to vote also draws near. The last day to register in Ann Arbor is October 5. Students can register at the City Clerk's Office on the second floor of Gty Hall (on the comer of Huron and Fifth), at the Ann Arbor public library (on the comer of William and Fifth) or any of its branches, or at the Secretary of State's office. If these locations prove difficult to reach, deputy registrars will be on campus as the deadline approaches, probably setting up shop in the Fishbowl or on the Diag. Registration in Ann Arbor must be completed in person and requires either a driver's license or social security card. For those who do not wish to reregister to vote in Ann Arbor, there remains the option of absentee voting. If you are not from a nearby city or are
has been processed. If some of this information is missing, only an application form, and not an actual ballot, can be sent. And be forewarned: absentee application forms are different for each state, so you carmot receive one in Michigan, for example, and send it to election officials in Ohio. If you register in Ann Arbor, voting locations are conveniently located around campus. Locations include the Union, Alice Lloyd, Markley, East Quad, South Quad, and Bursley. Depending on the ward in which you live, you will likely be assigned to one of these locations. If you have any questions about registering, absentee voting, or election procedures, please call the Ann Arbor City Clerk's Office at 994-2725.
unfarnil!iar with Ann Arbor or Michigan politics, absentee voting gives you the chance to cast your ballot for candidates in your home district and state. The official deadline to register to vote absentee is the Saturday before election day. The Ann Arbor City Clerk's Office, however, suggets that you request an absentee ballot early, or else your ballot may not be received and counted. until after the general election on November 3. The best means of registering for an absentee ballot is to send a letter to the Elections Division or City Clerk in the city in which you are registered. Include your name, the address at which you are registered to vote, school address, and reason for requesting an absentee ballot (simply being absent from the county in which you are registered on the day of elections is a reason enough). Be sure to sign your name, and you should receive your ballot in the mail after your request
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The second major issue confronting MSA was the so-called "fee cap." In a March referendum, the student body
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Serpent's Tooth 2 U-M Science 3 Federalist Paper 5 Greek Life Forum 6 Book Review 9 Football at U-M 10 Spent Poets 11 Crusty's Comer 12
Eddie Amer is a senior in English and political science and a staff writer for the Review.
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September 16, 1992
THE MICHIGAN REVIEW
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Serpent's Tooth From the Michigan Daily's top editorial on September 14, 1992, entitled "Conduct Code Survey Means Little": "fT]he survey was laughably biased .... And since the code was newly introduced in the letter, students were asked to respond having no information other than what the administration provided." Lo and behold, the Daily and the Review agree. Maureen Hartford: this should tell you something. While working for 'a business forms manufacturer over the summer, one of our staffers noticed an order by the City of Ann Arbor for nearly 500,000 parking tickets. Overkill? Maybe by another city's standards, but certainly not Ann Arbor's. Whoever said that meter maids built this town sure wasn't lying. "We need a system of health care that is private but where the government organizes the insurance markets so that you have managed competition." So says Bill Clinton in the September 17,1992 issue of Rolling Stone. Sorry, Billy boy. If it's
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MICIDGAN REVIEW
managed, it's not competition, and if the government is involved, it's not private. Picture Uncle Sam in Hades and you'd probably think of Sisyphus; no matter how much he rolls the boulder up the hill, it always falls back down. According to an August 17 Department of Justice press release, savings and loan prosecutions have netted the federal government over 11 million dollars. Sounds great until you check the total S&L loss: 8.4 billion dollars. That's approximately 0.00013 percent collected. Good to know Washington is doing its job, isn't it?
SPARK (a campus Trotskyist organization) proclaimed, "We don't have to be satisfied with a world filled with war, poverty, homelessness, starvation, unemployment and potential nulear destruction. We can build a different world ... a socialist world." Yeah, a world that adds backward incentive systems, gulags, purges, no civil liberties, and hyper-centralized totalitarian regimes to our woes. And who are communists to complain about mass starvation, anyway?
The Campus Affairs Journal "of the University of Michigan
We are the Establishment
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Karen S. Btinkman
Publisher
"Women whose fathers drank heavily are likely to choose husbands who drink lightly or abstain," states a study by UniOn a recent episode of Larry King Live, versity of Michigan researchers Lillian vice-presidential candidate Al Gore anGleiberman and Ernest Harburg. That's swered a call from a female listener ask- " interesting. Looks like Ted Kennedy'S ing him for a date. When Gore refused daughters' hubbies won't be spending too much time with Betty Ford. the invitation, the caller persisted, "N.0t even for your~wife?" She then identified herself as Tipper Gore. Can't even recogMore fodder from the MacKinnon quote collection: "Most women who seek abornize your own ~ife' s voice on the phone, AI? So much for "family values." tions become pregnant while having intercourse with men." That's deep, Cathy, .. ~.~' One snappy flyer recently posted by really deep. "' -'
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Adam DeVore
Editor-in-Chief
Executive Editors AndrewB.ockelman Toq.y Ghecea Contributing Editors
J~Coletti Jay D.'McNeill Tracy Robinson Staceyl:. Walker
Music Editor Literary Editor
Chris Peters Adam Garagiola
Assistant Editors
R.yan Boeskool ilethMartin Brian Schefke
Copy Editor MTS Meister Systems Analyst
Shannon Pfent DougJhiese Mitch Rohde
Business Assistants Pete'r Daugavietis ChetZarko
Roving Photographer
Staff
What Do You Think of MSA President Ede Fox's Failure to Fight the Tuition Hike? \
by Mitch Rohde
Eddie Arner, Christopher Bair, Michele Brogley, P.J. Danhoff, James E. Elek, Joe Epstein, Frank Grabowski, Nate Jamison, Ken Jolmston, Mary the Cat, Bud MWlcher, Crusty MWlcher, Drew Peters, Renee Ruditicki, Ed Sloan, TS Taylor, Perry Thompson, Jim Waldecker, Matt Wilk, Tony Woodlief.
Editors Emeriti
Brian Jendryka JohnJ. Miller
The MichigQlJ Rwil'W is an independent, stu· dent-run journal at the Uitiversity of Michi· gan. We neither solicit nor accept any dona· tions from the Uitiversity of M.ichigan. ContributiollB to the MichigatJReview are tax-<ieduct· ible under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Review is not,affiliated with any political party. UllBigned editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board. Signed articles represent the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of the Review. We welcome letters and articles and encourage comments about the journal and issues discussed in it
Sung-Ki Lim, Engineering sophomore: If there was serious intent <:>r genuine concern for students, then she would have spoken up for us.
Jennifer Strayer, LSA freshman: I think that if she is our representative, then she should attend regent meetings and represent students. I'm sure students don't believe in tuition increases.
Lisa Mullins, LSA junior: I support her point that there were very few people in the summer to demonstrate against the increase, and there is only a certain amount of control that students have.
SUITE ONE 911 NORTH UNIVERSITY AVENUE ANN ARBOR, MI 48109-1265
Madhu Sharma, LSA senior: She had an opportunity to be a voice for the students and she passed it up. I feel that this was a lack of leadership.
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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW
September 16, 1992
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Scientifically Speaking ...
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From Mastodons to· Tiny Sea Creatures by James Etek and Brian Schefke This summer, University of Michigan professor of geological and biologieal sciences Daniel C. Fisher discovered more than 20 footprints of an adult male mastodon. The prints, preserved for 11,000 years in ancient pond sediment, were made near what is now Saline, Michigan. "We are looking at the footprints of an animal that passed this way near the close of the last Great Ice Age," said Fisher, who is also the curator of the UM Museum of Paleontology. According to Fisher, this is the longest and most perfectly preserved set of mastodon prints ever reported. "By analyzing the prints and the original sediment on which the animal walked, we can detennine the animal's size and stride length, estimate the speed at which it walked through the pond, and possibly develop a more accurate estimate of body weight than is presently available," he said. For paleontologists worldwide the find is clearly promising.
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An international team of astrophysicists, including U-M professor of physics Carl W. Akerlof, recently detected extremely powerful gamma rays emanating from a distant galaxy called Markarian 421. Discovered at the Whipple Observatory in Arizona, the rays were observed to be striking the Earth's \ upper atmosphere. \ The discovery, based on data gathered from March through May this year, represents the first observation of gamma radiation at such a high energy from a distant galaxy. Production of gamma rays at the tera electron volt (feV, on the order of 1012 electron volts) level makes Makarian 421 the most energetic source of high-energy gamma rays discovered to date outside our own galaxy. Gamma rays of T eV energies can be
produced on Earth only by collisions of particles produced in the most powerful particle accelerators. Although each individual gamma ray carries a great deal of energy, gamma rays entering the Earth's atmosphere represent an insignificant fraction of the t<r tal amount of radiation from outer space. This discovery gives physicists added insight into the nature of our universe and its fundamental particles. It thereby allows for better models of the past, present, and future universe. U-M researcher Michael A. MarIetta has added a critical piece to the rapidly emerging picture of nitric oxide, a mysterious gas that appears to control blood vessel dilation, kill parasitic pathogens, and regulate the tran~ssion of nerve -, impulses to the brain. Marietta discovered a new and unusual s:haracteristic of the enzyme that triggerS or catalyzes the production of nitric oxide in mammalian cells. Until recently, scientists were unaware of nitric oxide's ability to regulate cell activity, because it exists for just a few seconds in the body before being chemically transformed into other substances. Nitric oxide is now being used to treat pulmonary hypertension in infants. New findings also show that nitric oxide is involved in male erections and may prove useful in treating impotence. While a little nitric oxide appears to be beneficial, too much can kill or damage cells. Recent research hasidentified nitric oxide as a pOSSible cause of brain cell damage from strokes, Alzheimer's disease, and Huntington's disease. Nitric oxide also has been associated with toxic shock syndrome and inflammation:related tissue damage, such as arthritis. Tiny sea creatures, whose skeletal
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remains make up the world's coral reefs, may control the crucial balance of carbon molecules between the Earth's atmosphere and oceans in a process that takes place over tens of thousands of years, according to U-M scientists. "The periodic growth and decline of corals appears to be the driving mechanism behind changing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and accumulations of carbon compounds in the deep ocean," said Bradley N. Opdyke, U-M research fellow in geological sciences. "This is a beautiful, quantifiable example, the best yet discovered, of global change caused by a non-human organism," frid James G. Walker, U-M pr<r fessor of geological sciences, and of atmospheriC, oceanic and space sciences. -. According to Walker and Opdyke, carbon dioxide molecules pass back and forth between the atmosphere and ocean continually as the global system works to maintain a natural equilibrium. When coral reefs expand or decline, this balance is disrupted.
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In addition to helping scientists understand the complex processes that control the global carbon cycle, Walker said that this research could help calibrate computer models of global climate change currently being developed and give scientists a way to calculate accurately that impact of oceans on the longterm growth of atmospheriC carbon dioxide produced from fossil fuel emissions. These new findings seem to demonstrate that corals can shift carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to the oceans. However, the process is too slow to effect any substantial changes in carbon dioxide levels from fossil fuel emissions.
James Elek is a junior in physics and a staff writer for the Review. Brian Schefke is a junior "in chemistry and cellular and molecular biology and an assisi!nt editor of the Review. "",,~,l'"
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ALUMNI are you tired of watching your donations to the University fatten the bureaucracy? Subscribe to the Michigan Review and find out where alumni donations really go. For a tax-deductible contribution of $25 or more, you'll receive a one-year subscription which includes 27 weekly issues and the 1993 Summer Orientation Issue. Your contribution will keep you informed of the University's irresponsible spending habits and social engineering projects, and the declining state of higher education at Michigan.
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From Suite One: Editorials
September 16, 1992
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Alumni Should Ins.ist Upon U-M Reform having gained a basic understanding of history, math, science, literature and the arts, On Friday, the University of Michigan will kick-off the five year-long public phase of its Campaign for Michigan. Proudly touted as "the largest fund-raising effort ever and the sources of the Western culture in which they live, yet they regularly do. undertaken by a public university," it is designed to raise a total of one billion dollars, - All undergraduate students matriculating as of Fall 1991 must complete a <;ourse an undisclosed portion of which has already been collected during the "nucleus fund" fulfilling a diversity requirement. The motivation for this requirement was political, phase, which includes donations received since 1990. For the next five years, the U-M not scholarly, in nature, and rather than presenting all sides of an issue and encouragwill be contacting alumni, non-alumni donors, graduating students, and parents of ing students to explore the subject matter on their own, such courses often tell students students to solicit donations. how certain controversial issues should be viewed. A virtually unprecedented opportunity to reform the University therefore lies in -In 1988, the administration enacted a policy on speech which was taken to court the hands of all who will be targeted by the Campaign. Due to the Campaign's and ruled unconstitutionally broad and vague. In 1989, the administration impleduration, potential donors have time to demand that the U-M substantively reform mented a second policy which was later determined to violate students' First Amenditself before they contribute. A brief catalogue of concerns that potential donors can ment rights. Despite continued student protest, the University is currently working on cite when U-M representatives contact them follows. yet another policy which is amorphous and threateningly ambiguous and which - According to the University Recar4, a Target of Opportunity Program exists to threatens the accused, in effect, with double jeopardy. hire minority faculty "whose qualifications are outstanding but whose fields of -In this year of "shared sacrifice," the U-M hired President James Duderstadt's specialization do not fit an existing faculty opening." It is not obvious that the U-M wife for a $35,OOO-a-year part-time position. Although she has since refused to accept should be creating new positions at all when it is in such dire need of revenue. But even any salary or benefits from the University, her decision was by no means an immediate assuming that it is wise and justifiable for the University to be creating inessential new one: She initially pledged her salary to the Center for the Education of Women. positions, one might find it less prejudicial to have a single fund for recruiting Although Duderstadt deserves praise for her choice, the fact remains that the U-M outstanding faculty regardless of race. , essentially created a position for her and was prepared to reward her hancisomely. It - A program listed under" critical academic needs" in the U-M's 1992-93 budget f is the bureuacratic mentality behind such decisions which must be challenged. seeks to increase the University's number of senior women faculty. Although the - Vice President for Stud.ent Affairs Maureen Hartford has repeatedly expressed University officially estimates that the program will c~t between $200,000 and interest in reducing the University bureaucracy. Nevertheless, she seldommjsses an $500,000 per year, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Mary Ann Swain has called SI4Ch opportunity to create a new position in the administration. Not only has she added a estimates "picking numbers out of the air." More recently, Provost Gilbert Whitaker dean (with the intention of reducing the amount of red tape through which students has acknowledged that such practices may promote costly bidding wars. already have to wade), but she also plans to replace a retiring high-level administrator â&#x20AC;˘ Plans are currently underway for the "Gateway Center," a $45 million building with two mid-level bureaucrats. project that the University thinks will significantly improve the undergraduate -The Black Student Union continuas--to receive $35,000 per annum from the experience. A new building, however, will not fix the ills of undergraduate education; University's General Fund vis a vistKe Agency Fund. What is evident about many of these concerns is that they are intimately linked to the most serious problems pertain to content, not setting, and must be addressed through curricular, not architectural, renovation. the University's spending. When potential donors are contacted by U-M representatives, they should consider why the University needs to raise one billion dollars, and - A properly designed core curriculum would guarantee that all undergraduate they should ask themselves whether the U-M can offer convincing evidence that students leave the University with a solid education, but the U-M has neglected to institute this fundamental reform. Students should not be able to graduate without donations will be spent wisely and efficiently, not frivolously or politically.
Student Initiative Can Stimulate Change ,
"Question authority." This admonition once a~ Vietnam war protestors that institutional racism - but little is heard from the bulk of students. There are various speaking out, sitting in, and despising the thirty-and-older crowd would cause the reasons for this phenomenon: many students have better things to do than attend marches, others are just politically apathetic. In the classroom, students have their downfall of the hated "Establishment." Thirty years, a family, and a BMW later, many children of the counterculture have become - despite the Review's masthead braggaGPAs to protect, and teachers often disapprove of conservative dissent. docio stating otherwise - that establishment. The cultural revolution they began, The odds weigh heavily against students of all political stripes who share the however, has by no means succumbed to the lull of suburban bliss; to the contrary, desire to purge politics from the classroom; that is, unless we speak up, tum the tables, their liberallega,cy is currently institutionalized in the leadership of many of America's and claim the phrase that started this mess as our own. Question authority - all colleges. So long as that authority is commanded by securely ensconsed liberals, the authority. Oppose the encroachment of politicization from any political sector; make usual flocks of protestors will often curb their questioning. your presence known. Students' widespread, but tacit acquiescence to the liberal establish- Reforming the Tell people the other side of the story. When your teacher says that we ment arises from its political nature; liberal students tend to agree with should quit the lumber industry to save the spotted owl, ask him how most of the establishment's cultural and political initiatives. When left- UNIVERSITY many jobs that would cost. When your dorm's diversity facilitators wing students protest a leadership which is sympathetic to their cause, A Review Special Series lecture your hall about institutional racism, ask them whether they they're not questioning authority - they're simply asking for their include affirmative action uI1der that rubric. Confront theitcontention allowance and a pat on the back. that justice is transgenerational; scrutinize their allegation that equal opportunity But if no one questions the goals of the liberal establishment, then that establishmeans special programs for certain groups. When they decry our culture as horribly ment moves forward, unimpeded by the collective weight of students' convictions, racist, sexist and homophobiC, compare it to China's or the Middle East's. Ask them into an idealistic but ill-conceived liberal future. And whereas liberals use vocal, if those regions are more diverse." highly-visible protests to make their wishes known, conservatives and others tend to When liberal speakers come to town, attend their lectures. Usten to what they say, advocate far less obtrusive means; if liberals are not protesting the left-wing juggerand make your own decisions. When and if the opportunity comes, stand up and tell naut, the rest of us may be in trouble. them what you think. When some campus source, from the Daily to the Dude, offers But "the rest of us" is no Small group. Despite the halcyon memories of University. its usual liberal fare, grab a pen, dash off a letter to the offender, and let the untold side of Michigan bureaucrats, the U-M is liberal in name and administration only. The of the story be heard. rernainiilg mix of conservative, moderate and apolitical students compose a majority. Don't let the campus liberals speak for you, be they protestors, professors, or The problem is that that majority is a silent one. Most years at the U-M sees a few provosts. The opportunities to solidify your own stands by arguing in their favor and gay marches, some "Take Back the Night" shenanigans, and severe accusations of to convince others in the process are chances you should not pass up. ," , II
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September 16, 1992
THE MICHIGAN REVIEW
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The Fortnightly Federalist: Paper No.4
Court Rediscovers Property Rights by Kurt Schmautz John Locke, in his Second Treatise on Civil Government, found the protection of property to be the central task of government. "The great and chief end ... of men's uniting into commonwealths, and putting themselves under government, is the preservation of their property," he wrote. As Locke explained, this end necessarily limits the power of government under natural law: The supreme power cannot take from any man any part of his property without his own consent. For the preservation of property being the end of government, and that for which men enter into society, it necessarily supposes and requires that the people should have property, without which they must be supposed to lose that by entering into society, which was the end for which they entered into it, too gross an absurdity for any man to own. The delegates to the Federal Convention of 1787, who were deeply influenced by the natural law philosophers, believed
that property rights were among the most important civil rights. These beliefs have left their mark on the Constitution. The contracts clausein one of the few prohibitions which the Constitution imposes directly upon the states - prevents states from "impairing the Obligation of Contracts." Other protections for property appear in the Fifth Amendment, which states that "[n]o person shall ... be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation." Property rights96ve deteriorated, however, in modem constitutional law. Although it ultimately.Jailed, Franklin Roosevelt's effort to pack the Supreme Court in 1937 induced the Court to change its thinking in order to accommodate the poliCies of the New Deal. The Court angered Roosevelt with its steadfast, almost overzealous protection of economic
Review's Challenge Answered I am delighted to respond to your invitation to.dear up the misconceptions in your story covering J:nne Duderstadt's appointment as institvtional advancement officer for the University. First, I apologize to Karen Brinkman. She did, as she reported, call me several times over Labor Day weekend. I had decided to take the long weekend as a break before the academic year began. When I called her back Tuesday, I had missed her deadline. Now' to the point at hand. Anne Duderstadt has accepted an appointment as an institutional advancement officer and refused all pay and benefits, meaning that the cost of this appointment to the University is absolutely nothing. At no point in this process were either of the Duderstadts interested in benefiting monetarily from this position. This week we will launch the most ambitious fundraising campaign in our University's history, the largest such campaign ever undertaken by a public university. It seeks to raise from private support funding to keep the University excellent and affordable at the same time. This will require a great deal of effort from many of us within the University community. It also requires a much larger num-
ber of events hosted by the President, since we will be trying to interest many new potential donors in supporting the University. This is quite normal for a campaign, and usually uruversities add staff for this purpose. We have taken a different tact. We have actually reduced staff, and streamlined the staffing of facilities used to host important visitors to campus - Inglis House and the President's House. Anne's responSibility will be to supervise these remaining people and facilities, a position that was formerly a full-time job. 1 for one am delighted that Anne Duderstadt will be helping us face the difficult challenge we have set for ourselves. Her public-spirited refusal to benefit monetarily is beyond what we ask of any employee of the University. With her help - and of course the help of thousands of others -1 am confident we will reach our campaign goal. 1ÂŁ we do, thousands of present and future students of the university will benefit.
Walter Harrison Executive Director U-M Office of Public Relations The Review thanks Executive Director Harrison for his timely response - Ed.
rights, which at first served as ground for the blockage of many New Deal programs. Under intense political pressure, the Justices made the "switch in time that saved nine," preserving their places on the bench but simultaneously sparking a precipitous decline in the importance of economic rights in constitutional interpretation. This doctrinal shift has facili. tated the enormous expansion of governmental regulation and control of the economy over the last 55 years. A recentSupreme Court case - Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Commission - of~rs hope that economic and property rights can regain some of their former prominence. The plaintiff, David Lucas, bought two beachfront residential lots on the Isle of Palms in South Carolina for
$975,000. Soon after his purchase, South Carolina enacted environmental regulations designed to prevent beach erosion, in tum preventing Mr. Lucas from building on his lots. As a result of this legislation, Mr. Lucas' lots lost all economic value. Faced with a complete loss on his investment, Mr. Lucas sued South Carolina under the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment, which requires the government to compensate owners when it takes property for public purposes. The South Carolina Supreme Court - employing the post-New Deal era reasoning that has gutted property rights - ruled against Mr. Lucas despite his total loss. The South Carolina court concluded that no compensation was due because the state had not actually taken physical pos-session of Lucas property, and the legislation in question sought to prevent "noxious" uses of property - in Lucas' case, the building of beach houses. In a landmark decision written by Justice Antonin Scalia, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the South Carolina Supreme Court's analYSis and concluded that "when the owner of real property has bee-n called upon to sacrifice all econOmically beneficial uses in the name of the common good, that is, to leave his property economically idle, he has suffered a taking." Scalia offered two explanations for this conclusion. First, from the perspective of the property owner, the total loss of a property's economic value is equivalent to its seizure. It may, in fact, be worse
than a physical taking because Mr. Lucas retained his tax liabilities on the property. Second, the right to issue such destructive regulation constitutes an intolerable temptation for government decisionmakers. Scalia wrote that such regulations "carry with them a heightened risk that private property [will be] pressed into some form of public service under the guise of mitigating serious public harm." Adhering to earlier law, the Court noted that the government could continue to regulate the "noxious" use of property. A state legislature, however, cannot simply declare certain conduct to be noxious or harmful - as the South Carolina legislature had done in this case. If a state legislature could justify any regulation - and avoid compensation - by simply declaring a use to be noxious, no regulation would ever be a taking. Instead, Scalia directed the courts to look to common law principles of nui_~sance1o determine whether a land use qualifies as noxious. Lu cas will put a kink into many of the environmental laws currently on the books. While these laws may pursue laudable goals, many of them operate in a confiscatory fashion. They prohibit the development or use of land in the often futile hope of protecting the environment; consider wetlands protection and pollution cleanups under Superfund. In many cases, property owners could neither anticipate the regulation nor avoid the regulatory seizure. For these people, the environmental laws operate as sort of a perverse purutive lottery - you lose if your number is called. The reemergence of property rights -like the rebirth of other civil rights should serve to make Americans more free. If we take the "pursuit of happiness" seriously as an ideal, we must recognize the demoralizing effect of the government's unthinking, capricious seizure of property. While governments at times require concessions from individuals as the cost for their participation in society, arbitrarily purutive regulations calion certain individuals to make unreasonable and disproportionate sacrifices. Lucas stands for the proposition that collective benefits should be paid collectively through taxation and compensation. Nothing less can be justified.
Kurt Schmautz is a third-year law student and a member of the U-M Federalist Society.
THE MICHIGAN REVIEW
6
September 16, 1992
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Review Forum: Greek Life
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Seven Days in the Life of a Greek by Oavld M. Garcia Many think the Greek system today is close to joining the endangered species list. Most headlines in the media concerning the Greek system report incidents of sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and sexism. There is some unfortunate truth in these headlines. Because of these images, many outside of the Greek system ask us, "Why are you a part of such a system?" Certainly we do not respond, "Because being Greek allows me to be the drunk, sexist pig I yearn to be." Why then are we part of Greek organizations? There is an answer most Greeks offer: "Don't look at that bad stuff; look at our higher G.P.A.s; look at our philanthropy; look at our brother and sisterhood." My defense, however, is this: the seven days of the week. Most incidents of sexual assault and alcohol abuse occur at weekend social functions, but Greek life is not confined to the weekend. I do not mean to avoid the social issues, though, and I will address them. I first want to focus on what we typically do during the week. I will use my own fraternity as an example. I am an active member of the Greek system and I have learned that most other fraternities and sororities have many of the same characteristics that my fraternity does. I do not mean to say that my fraternity is better or worse than any other, only that I know this one better than the others, for it is my own. Mondays are the dreaded beginning of the week Most of us are tired from the weekend and from Sunday night studying to cram for the week's classes. Getting up can be a chore, but other brothers will make sure you do not oversleep. During the day we all go to our different classes, and everybody assembles for dinner later in, the evening. This is our chance to sit, eat, and talk with a number of people in the house. After dinner, people crowd around the television, play foosball, or just hang out. At 6:30 on Mondays we hold our chapter meeting. Like most other fraternities and s0rorities, the brotherhood meets once a week to discuss the business of the fraternity. The year's first chapter meeting is always rough for some because it is the night that dues are paid. Fraternity and sorority dues are often costly. Many people have asked me, "Why do you have to pay them money, if they want to be your friends?" I am not paying to be their friend. I am paying to help support our local and national brotherhood. My dues also do not go to buying beer, as some would believe. A large
reason we are here is for the friendship. know this, and we are trying to change it. portion of them go toward insurance against lawsuits, some go to intramural All the philanthropy, academic success, Last term, in conjunction with SAPAC, athletics, and some help to maintain the and parties would not matter if 1 did not Panhellenic and Interfraternity Council house I live in. Other incidental and adfeel close to my brothers. This is assurrepresentatives participated in a dialogue session which explored these issues and ministrative fees are covered as well: part edly the same for most Greeks. of the incidentals, for example, went to a Our first four days of the week are how to go about making positive changes. pig roast for the Notre Dame game. similar to those of most students, but This year more such dialogues are schedAfter the meeting, our Monday different as well. Most students don't uled, not just ~etween the represent anights are just like everyone else's. Some have a specific "study night," or get totives, but between entire houses. watch Monday gether with fifty Sundays are usually peaceful days; Night Football, some other people for a we normally dean. up the house. A bunch go to the bar, but chapter meeting. of us will go out for dinner. But this most of us study. What the Greek sy&Sunday is different, because it is the first Tuesday is just tem effectively proday of fraternity rush. Fraternity and like Monday, except vides is a base and a sorority rush is one of the most criticized that instead of a structure for people facets of the Greek system. While fraterchapter meeting, trying to make it nity and sorority rush are run quite difmost of us meet "forthrough a large uniferently, the goal is the same - to place mally" to study toversity like the Upeople in the fraternity or sorority with gether. On most M. In my opinion, which they will be most satisfied. Many the system is doing people outside the system charge that nights thc,bf«hers USut, my dear>~adam, I assure you study on the second I am a kind'er, gentler frat man." a very good job of this process is racist, discriminatory, and floor of the JJGLI proViding that. elitist. To answer this I will again refer to my own experiences. anyway, but tonight we just designate it But it is Friday and Saturday night so people will set aside some extra time. which usually get Greeks in trouble. It is When I was about to rush, someone Tuesday's study nights are more for during these nights that fraternities tbr.oW" -·~'on my hall told me that he heard I might our associate members. These members raucous parties and sororities host their have trouble getting into a house because are usually freshmen or sophomores functions. These are the nights when tragI am of Hispanic heritage. I almost did seeking membership in our brotherhood, edies may occur. No one has to remind us not rush as a result. But never, at any of of this, because when someone dies from the fraternities I rushed, was I made to so study nights are good exercises in learning to plan for study time. Fraternialcohol poisoning or someone gets raped, feel different because of my heritage. ties in fact have a higher G.P.A. than the there is a good chance that the person is Others have said that the whole prinoverall male average. This is not because a member of a fraternity or sorority. We ciple of a single sex organization is wrong. we are more intelligent, but rather berealize that there are problems - we do They have said that an all-male fratercause many Greek organizations have not deny that. But, as a system, we are nity or all-female sorority is discriminaminimum grade requirements. trying to elirninate them. tory. I argue that this is not so, because Wednesday night for us this week is On Friday night we are having a both men and women have the option of special. Wednesday is the beginning of "friends party." Five years ago this would joining Greek organizations. our annual"Scaffold Sit." We set up a have been open parties, and people could Even more people have said that rush scaffold on the Diag to raise money and walk up to a keg and drink as much beer is very elitist. I used to feel that way, too. awareness for our national philanthropic as their bodies could handle. Today we My attitude changed while I was rushdrive, People Understanding the Severely realize that alcohol abuse is the root of ing. While haVing a conversation with a Handicapped (P.U.s.H .). Other Greek many of our ills. That is why the brother at another fraternity, I said that I organizations sponsor events for Mott's P anhellenic Association and felt as if my self-worth was being deterChildren's Hospital, the United Way, the Interfraternity Council passed an aIcornined by a few men. He responded by Ronald McDonald House, and other philhoi policy, which ended the days of keg saying that I was choosing a fraternity as parties. Today's policy makes all parties much as they were choosing me. He also anthropic organizations. Last year, we raised over eight thousand dollars for B.Y.O.B. This policy has not ended all told me that a fraternity is only better P.U.S.H. We do this because we feel it is underage drinking and alcohol abuse, than me if I let myself think that way. important to put something back into the but it is a start and it is working. The Greek system still has a place in community. Most Greek organizations Saturday night we are having a soour university community. It provides a have this ideal, because as a system, we rority mixer. These parties usually have caring environment that would be very feel that promoting empathy will help a theme ranging from miniature golf to difficult for the University of Michigan make more responsible citizens. marriage/ divorce. All fraternities and to give to its thousands of students. And sororities have these exchanges, and they yes, the Greek system does have its probThursday night this week is the second night of our scaffold sit, yet we also are good opportunities to meet new lems, but we acknowledge them and are have another house tradition: movie people. Many people have said that these trying to overcome them. night. A bunch of us get together around parties are just meat markets where frat guys "prey" on inebriated sorority nine and watch a movie. Even if we have David M. Garcia is a sophomore in poalready seen the movie, the real purpose women. If that were true, then why would litical science and a guest columnist for any women come to these parties? Why of "movie night" is to enjoy each other's the Review. He is the Public Relations company. Other houses have cookouts, would men want to be seen that way? Chair for the Interfraternity Council, Sexist comments and sexist theme and a brother of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. bowling nights, or campinb trips to give people a chance to congregate. The main parties have occurred in the past. We
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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW
September 16, 1992
7
Review Forum: Greek Life :111""
Greeks Sacrifice Integrity for Superficiality by Tracy Robinson
Students join the Greek system for numerous reasons, but perhaps the most common motives are the desire to be a valued member of a group and the wish to make new friends. Some students who choose to rush a fraternity or sorority have positive experiences and graduate with fond memories of their Greek years. Others, however, have less fortunate encounters with the Greek system - experiences that they will never forget. Rush - the process of visiting various Greek houses, selecting a house one wants to join, and reciprocally beil1g selected by a house - could be a great opportunity to meet new friends and gain new experiences, if it were structured correctly and properly run. For women at the University of Michigan, however, rush is organized in a manner that is less than ideal. Female students must first pay to have the privilege of marching from house to house, superficially meeting nameless face upon nameless face, all while trying to make the right impression. Though women in college are generally mature enough to handle important decisions, they are not initially permitted to choose which houses they would like to visit. Instead, on the first night of rush they must attend short "parties" given by each of the 20 sororities on campus. One would be hard-pressed to call these gatherings parties, simply because of the large number of houses ilfId short amount of time rushees spend at each one; potential pledges visit each house for only a few minutes- certainly not enough time to make a meaningful impression or gain much valuable information about the s0rority. After a few minutes at one gathering, the pledges must parade as a group (complete with a guide) to the next party. Rushees are not allowed'to make any choices until after attending one party at each house. At that point, the houses begin the difficult process of narrowing their lists of whom they want to invite back, and the students compose lists of which houses they would like to visit again. Only then does the race to impress begin in earnest. This year sorority rush began two days before classes and is scheduled to last for two and a half weeks, which is down from last year's length of over one month. Although rush has been shortened this year, women who rush still shoulder a great deal of pressure. Rushing leaves little time for school-related work, despite the consideration that the
first few weeks of college are a critical time of adjustment for new students. It also diminishes the time students have to meet people outside of the Greek system. Ironically, this self-segregation may create animosity, since rushees are often seen by others as conceited and antisocial because they have neither the time nor the energy to associate with people in their dorms who are not rushing. It has been suggested that sorority rush is run in this manner so women have a chance to examine houses they may not have heard much about or might
learning the advantages and disadvantages of each one in greater detail but less time. Unlike women, fraternity members have more time to meet the prospective pledges and talk with them at greater length. This increase in individual attention and the presence of choice makes rush much more enjoyable and less stressful for men than for women at the U-M. ObViously, the Greek system is not all bad. Fraternities and sororities like to point out the advantages of their way of life. Many people say that they join the Greek system to meet new people, especially older students whom they can use as role models and who can guide them through their first iTt years at school. The high cost of joining the Greek system, however, precludes some students from enjoying these benefits. According to the U-M's Office of Greek Life, the first year of life in a Greek organization is the most expensive, averaging out for women to about $750. For the following years the cost is between $350 and $400. To some, $750 is a lot of money to spend on brother or sisterhood, particularly when many students can and do make friends in their dorms for free. For those students who can afford to join, there remain some disadvantages to the Greek system. Rushing does not always assure one of gaining "good friends who will last a lifetime," especially "That's alright I didn't want to join a if one considers hazing. sorority anyway." Hazing, the ill-treatment of pledges by their "brothers" or sisters" in order to make them never have considered. If that is the case, bond together, has been outlawed by then the system itself needs to consider national Greek organizations because it the double standard it presents. If visiting every house makes for a more incan be quite dangerous. formed decision, then it is unclear why a Despite such official bans on hazing, different standard is held for women and many pledges are still required to do silly men. things like display their pledge pins at all Instead of the present procedure, times or face severe penalties. During the next few weeks at U-M, students will sorority rush should be restructured to most likely see pledges attending classes resemble fraternity rush. Men's rush lasts while wearing ridiculous costumes. Ofless than a week, and rushees can pursue whichever houses they want. Since evten unseen by non-Greeks are the menial eryone is not required to visit every house, tasks that pledges are forced to perform rushees can spend a greater amount of for members, including thoroughly cleantime at houses that interest them, thereby ing the group's house during the pledge /I
period. These activities are said to strengthen brotherhood, but one finds it difficult to see how subservient behavior serves this purpose. One may also question the value of being tortured by one's "positive role models./I The only compensation that belittled pledges receive is that they will be able to return the favor to new pledges when they themselves are full members. One frequently mentioned reason for joining the Greek system is that it can prOvide an alternative to living in a dorm or expensive off-campus housing. Greek houses provide a more flexible meal arrangement and are more like homes than are residence halls. Fraternities, however, often fail to mention the condition of some of their houses. One need only attend some weekend parties to see that many fraternity houses are in need of extensive repair and some widespread use of disinfectant. These houses are at their best only when the members are trying to impress rushe~or when pledges are required to .c~afi them. Several fraternity houses have even earned the scorn and contempt of their neighbors because of the noise of their parties, the terrible condition of their houses, and the generally excessive amount of traffic surrounding them. In the past few years, community members have gone so far as to speak out publicly against the zoning regulations which allow large houses to be leased, bought, or altered by Greek organizations. In an effort to improve community relations, the Greek system likes to point out its large number of community-service activities and charity work. Though these services can be beneficial to charities and fulfilling to sorority or fraternity members, one wonders whether Greeks would provide these services if their community relations were more distinguished or if they were not required to do so by their national organizations. Ultimately, individuals must decide for themselves whether they would like to rush. While the decision of whether to grovel, to sacrifice one's honor by obeying the directives of others, and to assist the community with false motives may be a choice that some are prepared to accept, others, have more integrity and more respect for themselves. Tracy Robinson is a junior in political science and a contributing editor of the Review.
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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW
8.
September 16, 1992
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Progressively Worse?
Continued From Page 1 adopted, by a two-to-one margin, an MSA constitutional amendment placing a maximum limit on the mandatory MSA fee. Despite the amendment's popularity, members of the Progressive Party have made two attempts to circumvent the fee cap. The first occurred during the referendum process, when Rackam MSA Representative Roger De Roo (now serving as MSA's Student General Counsel and Chairman of the Rules and Elections Committee) filed a suit challenging the legality of the fee cap. De Roo's contention rested not on the propriety of the fee cap itself, but rather on a technical claim that the amendment was inserted into the wrong place in the MSA Constitution. The Central Student Judiciary upheld the fee cap since De Roo's claim was based on MSA'sCompiled Code, which is subordinate to (and therefore cannot
overrule) the MSA Constitution. The Progressive Party's second attempt to circumvent the fee cap came at this June's meeting of the U-M Board of Regents, when MSA Vice-President Hunter Van Valkenburgh proposed a fee of $7.05 per term for the 1992-93 school year. By an 8-0 vote, the Regents rejected this request and maintained the fee at
$6.27. Had Van Valkenburgh' s proposed $7.05 fee succeeded, it would have included a $.35 component to cover the Michigan Collegiate Coalition fee that the regents rejected. The remaining $.70 for MSA itself would have undone the $.50 fee reduction achieved by the CQPservative Cc;laIirion last year. Fox, who told the Ali;' Arbor News that she woUld "like to use student government to eventually get more student power on campus," was apparently disappointed that her party was unable to circumvent the student-approved fee cap.
Ulrich's carries name brand clothing from -
MSA's Prospects for the Coming Year For the current academic year, Brent House, a Conservative Coalition MSA Representative from the • College of EntS
this task is an iIl-<iefined sentence in the MSA's Compiled Code. Kight proposes to define specifically the office allocation committee membership criteria and basic procedures. 5 u ch •• procedures would man-
Draft 10.2 such a vtoZatton of student rights that it can't even • be called Student Rtghts and Re. - SeJa' Z M'tstry, spOnSt'b t'z'ttteS MSA BPC Chair
. gi nee rin.g, ~ate notifyforesees a Slg109 all stun i fi ca nt dent groups change from that face ex-President changes in , James Green's their office • smooth and space status orderly apabout developments in the allocation process one proach to running MSA. House predicts a disorderly, out-of-control, leftist apweek prior to the final MSA vote. Mistry noted that th~ office allocations proposal proach from inexperienced President Ede Fox. is scheduled for a first read Tuesday Mistry was less worried about Fox. September 15, and a final vote a week Although she is concerned that Fox has~ ...... later. If the assembly adopts the proposal "little experience," she expects that-the on September 22, then a committee (connew president will do" a relatively good sisting of the BPC chair, the MSA vice job" once she familiarizes herself with preSident, MSA office coordinator and how MSA works. two students which MSA will select) will convene, consider office space applicaFox told the September 8 Ann Arbor News that she hopes otherwise. "I'm hoptions, and post by October 2 a listing of all ing I can keep things running smoothly. groups scheduled for changes in office I'd like to leave a legacy of organized status. The Assembly will vote on the leftist people who could continue to work committee's recommendation on Octoon all kinds of issues." ber 6, thus leaving time for concerned House believes that "someone is goparties to plead their cases. No such noing to have to step forward and take a tification is presently required: stand" when the University administraKight's second chief undertaking tion tries to impose a conduct code, but deals with MSA election reform. Kight he lacks faith in Fox's commihnent. hopes to create a Single "special coord iAnother major MSA initiative (being nating panel" to organize the entire elecheaded by Kight on behalf of the Rules tion process by bringing together repreand Elections Committee) is thereformasentatives from several distinct bodies, tion of the student group office allocation Please See Page 11 process. Currently, the only guidance for
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September 16, 1992
Book Review
THE MICHIGAN REVreW
9
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Aldridge Attacks Literary Mediocrity John Aldridge Claalca" Contemporaries Univeralty of Missouri Preas
Hardcover, 240 pga. $24.95 TalentIJ and Technicians Charlea Scribner. Sona Hardcover, 182 pg8. $18.00 by Joe Coletti
John Aldridge is a literary critic who cares about literature. His two recently published books, Classics and Con temporariesand Talents and Teclmicians, present a painfully accurate portrait of American literature in the twentieth century. Aldridge, an emeritus professor of English at the University of Michigan, is an all-too-uncommon critic, a thoughtful reader of literature who does not approach works from any predetermined theoretical. perspective. He does not deconstruct books, he devours them. If a book does not satisfy Aldridge fully, its author can seldom endure the blistering attack that surely follows. Aldridge's criticism is not limited simply to authors, but includes literary movements and, in Talents and Technicians, creative writing programs at universities, which he blames for the predominance of today's "assembly-line fiction." claSsics and Contemporaries is a collection of previously published essays and reviews in which Al<:iridge chronicles American writers, beg~ with Henry James, continuing through the Lost Generation of Hemingway and Fitzgerald, and ending .with the Black Humor authors (including Pynchon and Vonnegut), who came of age during World War II and attempted to show the absurdities of bureaucratic organization. Joseph Heller's Catch-22 exemplifies the Black Humor of which Aldridge writes. Aldridge acknowledges the strengths of many authors, but he does not readily praise work, even that of acknowledged masters. He notes the inability of Hemingway and his contemporaries to keep their image from becoming conflated with their being, and he laments that the Black Humorists, with the exception of Heller, lacked a balanced central character like Orwell's Winston Smith in their stories, which typically transpire in a psychedelically skewed, bureaucratically-<ontrolled society. Similarly, in Talents and Technicians, Aldridge'S main criticism of the current generation of writers is that they lack a sentient voice in their stories of vapid materialism. In some cases, such as Bret
Easton Ellis' Less Than Zero and American Psycho, Aldridge finds a critique of society as bitter as those of the Black Humorists and perhaps more damning, although they suffer from the same defect: the stories all lack a character who has not . succumbed to the environment's sickness. He notes that a significant length of time without judgements can numb a reader's reaction and transform a condemnation of material values into a statement as blank as the culture being attacked, adding that in Less than Zero, the worst reaction from the main character is a slightly queasy feeling. When Aldridge finds a work or author lacking, he is not gentle in hisat~ tack. In Classics and Contemporaries, he labels William Styron' s nov~.1" Sophie's Choice, "a phony book, as imaginatively inauthentic as it t~ intellectually without content." Aldridge's critiques are so eloquent and presented with such a deep understanding of what makes literature great that one can scarcely help agreeing with his exegesis and criticisms. Aldridge consistently demonstrates a knowledge of each author and the s0cial settings about which the author writes tha.t deepen the reader's understanding of those who have possessed; or have been possessed by, greatness. He finds such profound knowledge and greatness in only a few of the authors upon whom he comments. likewise, he finds the lack of knowledge of the past to be a hindrance that many authors must overcome. Faulkner is one of the few of his generation to possess a knowledge of literature that allowed him to transcend the limitations imposed by a lack of connection to tradition, Aldridge contends. It is only in being connected to the past and helping readers find the essence of this connection that authors become artists. Authors are conservers of culture, whatever their political views. Aldridge berates those who forget this for failing to perform their task in life. Aldridge Similarly faults T S. Eliot for finding contentment during his later years in Catholicism. The "possible magnitude" of Eliot's talent, had he not chosen lito sacrifice his high investment in it and place himself and his work at the mercy of God," was lost, Aldridge maintains, because of Eliot's wish to escape the pain of his life - the pain which had been the essence of his art. In the same way that great authors, through their work, make life bearable if
not comprehensible, Aldridge through his criticism makesthe artistic spirit appreciable if not achievable. The essays in Classics and Contemporanes reflect the views of a man who truly believes in Henry James' aphorism that, "Art makes life, makes interest, makes importance." In Aldridge'S view, great aut~ors should sacrifice all to their art and through their sacrifice illuminate some aspect of . human existence. Saul Bellow examined the basic contradictions between his optimistic .. view of life and the starkness.of reality in his fiction. Joseph Heller and the other authors af· fected by World War II focused on the "generalized malevolence of spirit, a sickness that was somehow implicit in all organizations and governments possessing absolute power." In his depiction of contemporary SO: ciety, Wright Morris cQlltinued the:vj- . sion of the Black Humorists. The culture's descent into violence, claims Aldridge, "is the symptom of the frustration of our creativity." Morris captured this frustration in Ceremony Lone Tree, in which one character lashes out verbally in explaining why a person murdered ten people: "You want to know why? It's because nobody wants to know why .... It's because nobody wants to know anything! Everybody hates everybody, but nobody knows why anybody gets shot You want to know somethin'? I'd like to shoot a few dozen people myselfIH Aldridge critiques minimalist writers like Ann Beattie and Frederick Barthelme for not giving motives to their characters, who simply experience events or perform actions. There is no contemplation by the author or the characters . . As Aldridge observes, not only is the unexamined life not worth living, it is not worth reading. All characters act like Camus' stranger, for whom any action was possible since none was necessary. A weakness arises, however, since Mersault - unlike the characters in most minimalist fiction - was shown divorced from human connections while others in the book operated according to society's rules, and he was ultimately held accountable for his soulless actions by a still largely intact social structure. In the work of most contemporary writers, Aldridge claims, there is no reason for the characters' detachment and mute acquiescence to the course of events; it is accepted as the inherent condition of modem America that causality does not
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Joe Coletti is a senior in Asian studies and a contributing editor of the Review.
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exist. There is no arbiter to redeem the value of life, mujch less its sanctity. Jay McInerney'S Bright Lights, Big City is unlike The Stranger in that McInerney's protagonist seems to enjoy life. He does not bemoan his loss of identity, nor do any of those around him since they exist in the same vapid neverland that he does. McInerney's character never has to face. the wrath of society; the nevel instead ends with him musing that now he must "learn everything allover again." The life which cooternpO(ary authors like McInerney illuminate is one devoid of challenge. Everything is acceptable, no one has knowledge of the truth nor can one so claim. Aldridge laments, "At the heart of it all, let us say, is challenge and mystery and the challenge of mystery, and we have witnessed the failure of that challenge in the dissolution of mystery." In this one sentence he summarizes the difficult task confronting the generation of authors represented in Talents and Techificians. To find meaning in Chaos, to illuminate some asp~ of mod~m life as Y.,~UefttObe examined fully, and to do so with the firm hand of one who knows the truth, are daunting challenges for any author. For the authors of this generation it is particularly so, since university professors at times do not recognize the ability of any individual or society to ascertain the truth, if they even admit such a thing as truth exists. Among current authors, Aldridge finds promise only in T. Corraghesan Boyle and Lorrie Moore. Unfortunately, notes Aldridge, this extremely short list may not grow in the near future due to an abundance of creative writing programs that do not stress writing, but rather the membership of those in such programs in a fraternity of "good writers." The members of this informal fraternity have the technical skills to become great writers, but they lack the flame of inspiration. The possession of technique without spirit is a critique Aldridge makes of virtually all contemporary writers. Nothing is exceptionally bad, but nothing is extremely noteworthy. The system has leveled writers and their work to a persistent mediocrity. Because of this process, Aldridge'S criticism performs the function that he claims great literature should but does not - he illuminates the modern condition for his readers.
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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW
10
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Essay
September16, 1992
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Michigan Football: More Than Just a Game by Jay O. McNeill A few days from now, Michigan football wiU finally come home. More than nine months have passed since our beloved team took the field and whipped Ohio State on a cold, blustery afternoon last November. Nine months. That's a long time to go without the Wolverine pastime. It's no secret that the entire state of Michigan and our University in particular takes their football veeemry seriously, and some students and faculty (we all know at least one or two of them) wonder why this is the case. They do not understand our craziness, nor do we understand their passivity. Case in point: While watching the Notre Dame game and sweating through the entire fourth quarter, one of the guys at our party looked out the window and observed three girls leisurely leaving their apartment. Almost on reflex, he leCij>ed to the window and hollered, "What's the matter with youl!! It's Notre Dame-Michigan and it's the fourth quarter!!"
Even though the girls refused to acknowledge our fellow looney football fanatic, it would be fair to assume that they were thinking, "Nothing is the matter with us! What's your problem? After all, w@ don't make such a big fuss over 11 guys trying to move a leather-bound ball across a chalked line while 11 guys try to . stop them!" This is true, but we at Michigan look upon our entire football tradition as more than just a bunch of games; that's not rhetoric, it's the truth. When our team takes the field against "schools" like Michigan State, it's not a battle between individual players or their coaches, but rather a battle between what their re- . spective universities stand for. J. Take State, for example. When one examines the source of the rivalryapd intense ant~dnism between the two schools, ohe finds that it is based on1he . U-M proclaiming its superiority over MSU in every aspect (i.e. school colors, fight song, stadium, student body, academics, campus beauty, marching band,
Delta Kappa Epsilon DOONeSBURY
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etc.), and MSU attempting to say, "No,
formations and plays and taking static we're just as good as you are." In other from no one. Although some of his spewords, the annual gridiron clash is escific decisions have been questionable, senti ally a battle between the "Michino one doubts his ability to run a major gan way" of doing things and the "State college program effectively. Moeller also way" of doing things. Football is often represents the University well on his the only viable meansof deciding once Sunday morning television show, Michiand for all which school is "sup~or" on gan Repltr!J, as he is able to comment on a given day. The catch is, the loser must his team's progress with authority and live with the outcome for an entire twelve insight. One thing is certain: he provides months. a stark contrast to the idiocy of MSU's We are proud of our "Michigan way," George Perles. too. We wear "Harvard: The Michigan of And what of our marching band? It's the east" T-shirts and the like, and it is undoubtedly the best band in the counthis basic mentality which results in. such try. No sane person could pOSSibly oban intense interest in our football team. serve our band pour out of the eastern We believe there is no other school in the sideline tunnel, high-stepping in perfect .world which can compare to the U-M in unison, then watch the drum major touch terms of offering a delicious combination his plume to the ground and not say, "My God, that's the most incredible band of academics, athletics, social opportuniI've ever seen." ties and zany politics. It is through our team that we are best able to. expose But per~aps the facet of Michigan Americans outside of the immediate football which best exemplifies the spirit University community to exactly how of the University and its students is the we have in our schoolan<! . _~ng which the band plays most often, much pride how much we value "our way" oftlm1k~ ''The Victors," which John Philip Sousa rightfully acclaimed as the greatest coling and doing things. Because, When you think about it, doesn't our team exemlege fight song ever written. Students plify everything our school stands for? here are in love with their fight song, as Consider our stadium, which, as evwell they should be. It characterizes what eryone knows, is the largest college footall of us stand for as individuals - a ball stadium in the country. Though the stance which says that if you're going to do something, you might as well do it official seating capacity is 101,701, with the lone extra seat permanently reserved right. for Fielding H. Yost, the monster can The song was authored by Louie Elbel comfortably seat over 106,000 customers after Michigan engineered a stirring, without a single viewing obstruction. com~om-behind victory over Chicago Already, two points about the Michigan to earn its first conference championcommunity have been demonstrated ship. Perhaps its most moving and tellthrough the football program: nothing ing line is "Hail! to the victors valiant." less than the best will be acceptable, and Even then there seemed to be an innate having respect for tradition and the past spirit which permeated the entire Uniis infinitely important. versity and was concentrated in its athAlso consider the manner in which letes; a spirit of glory, victory, and inevitable success. our football players carry themselves on the field. They confindently trot onto the Hail to the victors. field underneath the "M Club" banner, Hail to us. with their maize and blue uniforms, winged helmets, and old-fashioned black shoes which have seemingly gone unJayD. McNeill really, really likes Michi· changed forever and are recognized nagan football. He is a junior in business tionwide. There is no hot-dogging, jeeradministration. ing, trash-talking, or showboating among the Wolverines. Our players let their performances and win-loss records speak for themselves, .and they maintain a constant air of class, respect, and magnanim• ity. For the most part, these are young • men who realize all of Michigan's offer• ings, not just its place as a stepping: 911 N. University Ave., Suite One : stone to the NFL. • Ann Arbor, Ml 48109-1265 • Our head coach, Gary Moeller, is the • or definition of competence and intelligence : . via MrS to "The Michigan Review" : on the sidelines, constantly yelling in the •••••••••••••••••••••
•••••••••••••••••••••
Rush a REAL Fraternity. RUSHl1KE 1004 Olivia " ' -'~"0 hi
:Agree? Disagree?: Let us know! •• •
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,. THE MICHIGAN REVIEW
September 16, 1992
11
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Music
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Skaters Swallowing Poets in Minks by Chris and Drew Peters
Skatenigs Stupid People Shouldn't Breed Megaforce Entertainment The Skatenigs could be described as a lighter, funkier Ministry. Altered vocals, repetitive riffs and samples abound, but funk-,metal riffs replace Ministry's thrash. While the overall effect is less harsh, most lyrics reek of Ministry's rebellion, but with a jocular twist. A poem that introduces "Chemical Imbalance" offers a description of the band's nature: "You buy their, records and they'll piss on your moo:u.na's best collectibles."
Swallow Blow 4AD When the band's two members m~t, Mason lie4 and claimed he could play guitar, while Trehy lied about her singing ability. They got together and soon fonned Swallow.
stant tone from beginning to end. In short, it fails to climax. Blow is a sleepy, relaxing ride, typical of many noisy mood music bands; just don't expect any genius from the two.
Combine the feedback and supersonic tremelo twang of My Bloody Valentine, the soft, whispery vocals of Lush, and an occasional sharp, eerie, bass-like piano part reminiscent of the Cranes, and vou have the 4AD duo Swallow.
The Spent Poets The Spent Poets Geffen Records The Spent Poets open their debut with th~ thundering Faith No More-esque keyboard/ guitar riff of "Mr. Einstein," yet the first song is very misleading. The rest of the record is a mixture of .intellectual and experimental pop similar to that of XTC. V0calist Adam Gates sounds at times like the singer for Material Issue or the guys in Tears For Fears, but behind him is an . eclectic collage of trippy and • •~._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _...J! poppy sounds. A Beatles influDespite its pleasant melodies and melence pokes through on many a tune, low rhythms, the album maintains a conwhile "You Can't Kill Michael Malloy"
Walt Mink Miss Happiness Caroline Records Everything from the drum sounds, vocal melodies, and guitar tones on Miss Happiness resemble what the Smashing Pumpkins achieved on their successful Gish album, but Walt Mink does have something new to offer. Bluesy twists uniquely accentuate churning, psychedelic, fuzzy guitar riffs as guitarist/ vocalist John Flansburg adds a quirky element with his They Might Be Giants-like vocals. Walt Mink perfonn at the Blind Pig on Thursday, September 24.
Chris and Drew Peters together are know as the world's most dangerous mjlsie'cntics. ~""",.
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DELTA UPSILON FRATERNITY
Progressively ,Worse? Continued From Page 8 including the Election staff, the Rules and Elections Committee, the Communication Committee, the Election Court and others. If this is accomplished, Kight ~elieves that lithe [electio~l timeline will run more smoothly." Numerous complications, ranging from flawed balloting to chronic disorganization, have plagued MSA elections in recent years. The Rules and Elections Committee is also rewriting the election code so that MSA can use Scantron cards for ballot-
and parts of other numbers sound like Mr. Bungle making the music of classic silent films.
ing, thus assuring more prompt and reliable results. Kight cautions, however, that the implementation of this initiative may depend on its cost, because new estimates indicate that Scantron balloting may be more expensive than previously expected.
Doug Thiese is a senior in political science and an MTS Editor of the Review.
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Join
University of Michigan
College Republicans Talk with us at Festifall - Friday, September 18, on tile Diag Join us at our first monthly meeting
Tuesday, September 22 Henderson Room, Michigan League
TRADITION • PRIDE • EXCELLENCE
6:30pm
Rush one of Michigan's oldest and finest fr.atemities. September 20-24 1331 Hill Street
HCelebrating 100 Years of Republican Leadership
RUSHL\Y
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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW
12
September 16, 1992
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Crusty's Corner
Il[""'"
obsters With a
isleading Appearance
Neil Young. The band has previously by Crusty Muncher that has one looking down the barrel of a thanks to the production of group leader recorded with the Twin Tone label... hand gun - thus their rugged hip-hop Dallas Austin, who has been responsible For years producers have been Medicine, also on Def American, make bluring the lines between hip-hop and marketability. But on 1746DCGA30035, for a growing list of hits from Another music not unlike My Bloody Valentine. contemporary R&B, aiming to win owr the Mobsters do a lot of love-funk Bad Creation, Boyz II Men and TLC. Lots of guitar noise, semi-free time sigboth fans of street wise, big-beat rap and balladeering and not enough hard-edged Unlike his more preppy clients, Austin natures, and a Jesus & Mary Chain-like and his group try to come the post-Barry White, firedance beat now and then. side cuddling softies. Rapoff as hard core tough guys pers like Big Daddy Kane, while making too much raNew record s from Nine Inch Nails, Public Enemy, and Marky Mark will hit Heavy D, and Kwame have dio-ready R&B and not the scored hits sporting sharp music that fits their image... stores this week. The week of the 21st will see new material from Blind Melon suits and dabbling in the This week there is quite and a collection of 24 songs from Marlene slick mushiness of R&B, .",".' a bit of cool live music goDietrich entitled TIle Essential Marlene while Bell Biv DeVoe and ing on in the area. Tonight, Dietrich. Bobby Brown are making guitar maestro A Han Composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, who accessible R&B by borrowHoldsworth performs two most recently composed and conducted ing the beats and tougher shows at the Ark. On Thurslyrics from hard core rap. A day Public Enemy perthe music for the opening ceremonies of new genre, new jack swing, forms at the Phoenix Place the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, has has emerged from this fu~ Amphitheatre in Pontiac, a new record of house I dance music en,.J'. whileEricB.&Rakimdoa sion and includes Guy, R . . 11- Pu ' bl' Ann The Htghland Place M~psrers are (left to nght)J3oo Boo, Dallas h t th G d Quart Ke11y\)l. IC ounce- Aus n'n, M ' andEI" s. owa er antac .oce. D . e Dran . , men t, an d count1 ess 0 thers. ~ 10 etrOlt. etrOlt sown No group runs the entire gamut of thumping. The group's image is very godfather of funk, George Clinton, will the two fonns like the the Highland Place misleading. do a show Friday night at the Ritz in Mobsters. They claim to make "revoluWhen the Mobsters do get around to Roseville. Also on Friday night: Detj:oifs" '''tionary street music" and display a logo making big-groove funk, they do it well, most popular ska band, Gangster Fun, at the Blind Pig and My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and the Final Cut at the Industry ... Amember of Big Chief once said that there is no such thing as a funky Brit and, with the exception of the Brand New Heavies, I could not agree more. Recently trendy groups like EMF, BAD il, and Jesus Jones are perfect examples. Now we get the Uverpool-based rapl rock group the 25th of May and their new album Lenin and McCarthy. Things haven't changed, Lead rapper Steve Swindelli is third-rate and naive, and the beats are Euro-thin... Suzanne Rhatigan's record, To Hell with Love, is a bluesy pop record reminisSuzanne Rhatigan cent of recent works from Melissa titled Heartbeat. The release includes apEtheridge or Bonnie Raitt, only better. pearances by Ingrid Chavez, David Matthew Sweet played bass and Bemie Sylvia",Youssou N'Dour, and members Worrell, former member of P-Funk, tickof Deee-Lite. led the ivorys, so things are always Are you making cool music or know groove-heavy. Elements of country and someone who is? Let us know. We'd love old style rhythm and blues run ramto cover local bands, so send tapes andl pant... or tell us about your upcoming show. Ignorar.ce are probably the first Send to Crusty Muncher, 911 North Unithrash metal band in history to go danceversity, Suite One, Ann Mor, MI,48109pop. On their second LP, Positively 1265 . • Shocking, they sound like EMF-meetsBlur, quite a change from their MetallicaCrusty Muncher teaches one or more of meets-Chili Peppers deb.ut. your courses. Def American releases the major laI Get a medium round or deep dish pizza I bel debut from The Jayhawks this week • I entitled Hollywood Town Hall. The record, I with one topping for only $5.95 (plus tax). produced by George Drakoulias (Black I ~~~ ~~~1Ul Valid only at Packard and BroadwaylMaiden Lane stores. I Crowes), is a superb collection of songs 911 N. University Ave., Suite One I S.lnu It~. ~. Not valid will' any other offers . Not valid at William Stree.l rlZZd 'I that meshes the Minneapolis grit of Soul location or Conage Inn Cafe. Expires December 31 , 1992 .• Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1265 L Asylum with the passion and tone of
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