vol_13_no_6 by Michigan Review

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW Volume 13! Number 6

November 22 1994

The Campus Affairs Journal of the University of Michigan

Civil Liberty Watchdog Arrives BY NATE JAMJ80N

URING THE PAST FEW yean, the admjnistration of the University of Michigan baa approved several policies that undermine the civil liberties and free speech rights of atudents. The student body has shown little oppoaition to the Diag Policy, the Code, and the Alcohol Policy,largely because there is no student group dedicated to protecting student rights. This will soon change, however, with the fonnation oCtile Student Civil Liberties Watch

(SCLW).

Ethan Kirechner, a sophomore in the College ofLiterature, Science, and the ArtB, recently founded the organization as a response to the National Women'. Rights Organizing Coalition (NWROC) and their activities, which are fundamentally opposed to free speech. -Anyone with half a brain at

with the administration on such is~ sues as the Code, the Diag Policy, and funding for the Ann Arbor Tenants Union (AATU). "'!bey are not rec;leptive to student input. We hope to change that," Kirschner said oonceming the administration. He also hopes to publish a newsletter to keep students informed about civil liberties. 'Ibe Student Rights Commission ofMSA was active previously to. fighting for students' rights, but has ~ . jneffectoal in recent years. "MSA has been fairly silent about things that they should be vocal about," s~d . Kirschner. "'!hey seem incapable of taking a strong position on issues." In order to do this, the SCLW must first attract a large number of . students from both ends ofthe political spectrum. Kirchner stated, "This . will be a diverse, non-ideological group dedicated to protecting civil . liberties." )R

campus. "There is a chapter of the '!he SCLW is just in the forming stage right now. Kirschner estimates American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in the Law School, but people that about 20 people have expressed just join so they can put it on their interest in the group, whidl is not yet officially recognized by the Michigan resum~s," Kirschner said. Other groups on campus address free speech and civil liberties, but do not focus on those issues. "Both the College Democrats and the College Republicans have an inte:rest in free speech, but they are too busy doing other things to have much impact. " Kirsdmer fonees the SCLW becoming a group devoted solely to protecting ci.villiberties. The third reason is that there The Code wli bum. Oh, yea. It wi! tun. is a definite need for a student group Student Assembly (MBA). 'Ibe group devoted to protecting the rights of will have a mass meeting after students. According to Kirschner, Thanksgiving. "'There has been a tendency toward After establishing the group, limiting speech., and there needs to be Kirschner hopes to attract enough a stUdent group with an active voice members to actually have some sort to ensure that doesn't happen. " of impact. He hopes to have in..PJ1t

::~~~I Russian Prof Bashes PC-dom Kirachner aaid. 1be SCLW is not simply an antiNWROC group, though. "'NWROC prov.idee a starting point for a discussion about free apeech, but this group is much, much more than just being againet the NWROC," said Kirsclmer. "NWROC is 80 obnoxious and nasty, that to limply be against them wouldn't be much at all." 'Ibere are three primary reasons why Kiracb.ner decided to form the SCLW. Fint, he was outraged by groupe such as NWROC that are trying to abridge free speech rights. '1 don't have a problem with them when they deal wit;h women's issues, but that 18 cmly part of what they do." He thinb that NWROC uses women's iaauea a8 a recruiting tool, but adds that NWROC also bas an agenda. that attacks free speech. The second reason is that are no active civil liberties groups on

there

N'IHURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, Dr. Boris Gontarev appeared at the University of Michigan to speak about the CUITent political, economic and spiritual condition of Rus-na. In the early '80s, Gontarev, president and academic dean of the Academy of World Civilizations in Moscow, was the first Russian to rate American universities. Gontarev said that he was going to deviate from his routine lecture because ofa November 14,1994 Univenity Record article, entitled "Minority enrollment hits all time high... He said that issues like minority recruitment represent yet another face of political correctness, and that universities should base admissions only on merit. In Russia, quotas resembling affirmative action were enacted

3 Ita Best

4 From Suite One

7 Fun While CRISPing

Phi8h phwls flounder in an antkonformiat failure ; hop on the vw Bandwagon.

u-M needs a serious curriculum, one that teaches students to think..

Including The Wizard of Oz and a new "1-9OO-CRISPME" hotline.

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the Ru.eai.an environment is in grave danger. Gontarevattributes this to thf;t fact that since the Russian state tried to hide all mistakes, like the Chernobyl disaster, the public never really learned of the dangers of certain environmental actions. According to Gontarev, religion was also a p'Ob1em in the Soviet Unim, as the state forced people to be atheists. To Gan1arev, religion is the source ofbaaic mores and ethial, and without this a republic is doomed to f8il While Gontarev despises state-nm religion, he nevertheless thinks that basic religious mores are necessary in a successful society.路 Gontarev attacked all forma of s0cialism, and quite candidly pointed out that the only places in the world where socia1iBD) is really accepted are American universities. How fitting, especially here at the U-M. )ft

as a facet of communism; it is ironic that they are also being pursued here. Gontarev said that political c0rrectness took itB ultimate form in communist Russia. As a professor dmiDg the Cold War, he had to censor his lectures and. devote total allegiance to the state. When Gontarev rated American universities (placing the University of Michigan 5th), he had to add disclaimers to his work. published in Russia, stating that while American universities are good, they are still a product of capitalism. Gmtarev thinks that political c0rrectness is ODe ofthe primary reasons Russia is in its current state. '!he government told citizens what to. think, and now, when Russians are able to think and speak their minds much more freely, they do not know what to do. 1lris sunaces in many CUITent Russian issues. For example,

BY GREG PARKER

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O pen Letter to Pattrice Maurer

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Multitudes of Music

u-M atum Chip Davis goes to RussIa; echobeIty, Scarce and Big Audio dont

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THE MICIflGAN REVIEW

November 22, 1994

o SERPENT'S TOOThl.,

., I H: l\ 11 C H J( JAN

I~J: V I L \V

The Campus Affairs Journal of the Unlverstty of Michigan

Tortured artist and heartthrob Jolumy Depp quoted in US magazine about the Hollywood rumor mill: "Don't 8ay a word to nobody about nothing anytime ever." Don't take no grammar cla88 anytime never either, right Johnny?

Star Trek: GeneratioM hit theaters last Friday. In a related story, the Engineering Department reported mysterioU8 non-attendance in all of its classe8. '!he University Board of Regents approved a raise of $26,348 last Thursday for U-M president James Duderstadt. Shortly afterward, Duderstadt stunned University offidale by requesting a trade to the Washington Bullets. According to U.S. News and World Report, Georgia GOP House Candidate Bob BlUT baaed his campaign on fiunily values. Recently, be's been sued by his ex-wife for not paying child

"Thanks for sex, drugs, and AK-47s."

support or his children'8 medical bills.

TOP TEN UNKNOWN AMENDMENTS TO THE STUDENTS CODE:

A woman in Cameroon recently was stunned when a cow fell through her roof. Reportedly, the woman believes the cow was an omen of black magic and has moved out of her house saying, "I am sure this cow was a warning. I can't live here any longer." In other news, anonymoU8 sources report seeing Newt Gingrich and Jesse Helms hoisting a cow onto the White House roof.

Anyone else think George StephanOpoul08 has looked very, very drunk lately? Due to the recent shift in political power on Captial Hill, The Economist reports that: "The mournful hum of laser printers churning out job applications is deafening." 1hi.s week is Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Thursday is 'Ibanksgiving. Irony can be bitter, can't it?

10. Students get no legal representation unless they're a Kennedy. 9. Sexual harassment of squirrels punishable by death. 8. Fail your R.O.E. course, lose a finger. 7. If accused of breaking the Code, you may forego the trial by the Student Judiciary Board and have your dispute settled here, in our forum, The People's Court. 6. Civil Liberties, Shmivil shmiberties. 5. Opium is okay. 4. If you get the DPS to kick your 888 on videotape, no charges will be fi1ed. 3. First time offenders get 30 hours community service and must lis1ml to Skid Row's "Eighteen and Life" until they get the message. 2. Open containers of alcohol permitted provided you're "sippin on gin 'n' juice." 1. 'The Diag is a "pants optional" zone.

ISSUE EDITOR: R.chII c.rdone EDrr~IEF:

Nata Jimison

PUBlISHER: Eric I.aIIon MANAQING EDITOR: Jan. A. RobertI, II FUlUAES EDITOR: Greg PIrkIr CAMPUS AFFAIRS EDITOR: DIan Blkopoulol

IIJSIC EDrTOA: Drew Peen ASSISTANT EDITORS: GeM Kr.a. MoIIIn KrilhnIn aACULAllON DIRECTOR: EltkSchnurain FUNDRAISING DIRECTOR: MIll RectICIIn UUSlRA TOR: Brian O'K"" COIFtIT£R CONSULTANT: WI! NeIeon PHOTOGRAPHER: u.. WII_ STAFF: Jonathan Canedo, Kevin Coctello, lin GoIdenbefa. B. . . . . Kepple, .Ien.n. . LIn_, Ann ........... AIIIIIIr, fIIIghM ....... SluSlndllr,

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Cathy Arend JUIUor, LSA «The chickens, because I don't like frog legs,»

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WED LIKE 10 REMIND YOU THAT THE UNCENSORED CONTENT OF THIS NEWSPAPER IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE CONSTITlITION OF THE UNITED STATES. THE CONSTITlITION 'The words we live ~

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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

November 22t 1994

o EsSAY

Deadheads: Get a Life "% ,p

DEAN BAKOPOULOS

OMETHING PlUSHY WAS going on last Wednesday outside ofHill Auditorium: painted busses, s11'ay dogs, and dancing drum circles overwhelmed CentnU Campus. Indeed, something phishy was going on. The neo-hippie band Phish made its way through Ann Arbor and brought with it its usual caravan of "phans," as well as drawing a sell-out crowd which included numerous University students. 'lhe legendary status oftbe Grateful Dead seems to have trickled. down to Phish, and many college-age students are becoming engulfed in the wave ofneo-hippieism that is rushing across the nation's campuses. Supposedly, these phishheads and deadheads are non-<x>nformists, spiritual individuals who have brought themselves to a higher plane through love, kindnese, music, and drugs. But this newfuund attitude expressed. by many deadheads in our generation is nothing more than a sham. The fans of Phish and the Grateful Dead that claim to have found a better way of life are fooling no one but themselves. Perhaps no philosophy in our generation is full of such fiUsen.ess and selfcontradiction as the lifestyle of the deadheads. To many, the words I have just written are blasphemous. I am an outsider, someone who can't understand the aura the phans and deadheads feel. But I am not criticizing without understanding; I have been to well over twenty Phish and Grateful Dead concerts. I introduced. these bands to many ofmy friends who are still following them today. But that's all they are, they're just bands. And anyone who thinks otherWise is fooling themselves. I am not condemning a lifestyle; the concerts are fim, and at times the music borders on perfection. I have nothing against grubby clothes, long hair, and beards (anyone who has ever seen me can verifY this). But I feel that our generation is latching on to yet another lifestyle of falsehood and conformity. And frankly, I find that sau-y. If you were at the concert last week, or if you watched the concertgoers for a while, you can understand my attitude. Some of the contradictions that "deadheads" preach are unbelieveable. Many of them are vegans, people who swear off' all animal products because of

Dean BaAopou108 recently sold his psychedelic VW Microbus but still doesn't shower.

health and ethical reasons. But many of these vegans can be seen sucking in nitrous gas, ingesting mushrooms, and doing shots of Jaegermeister. An individual is free to do as he wishes, and drug use is a personal matter, but pretending to be so health-conscious and then wrecking your mind, your lungs, and your liver is nonsensical. AB for their pro-animal rights stance, I wish they would apply their stance to their own pets. Many dogs seen at such concerts are dirty, thirsty, and malnourished. I've seen dogs whimpering for water in one hundred degree heat at a concert in Ohio, and I've seen three dogs hit by cars at another concert. This doesn't include the ever-present dog fights that pervade most parking lot scenes at these concerts. In light of instances like these, I can't take deadheads seriously anymore. If they were to admit that they are simply following the bands to have fun and to enjoy the music, I would respect them. But from my experi-

phy, they at least believed. in something noble, and had a purpose to their existence other than following a rock band. But today's hippified college students are doing nothing more than capitalizing on a trend, jumping on the bandwagon of VW busses, and spewing forth a lot ofdeadhead metoric. Too many deadheads and phans are shifting their lifestyle on the basis of this g en e r at ion al trend. Outside of concerts, deadheads beg for money in order to buy gas to get them to the next show. These kids are the same ones who left college (where Mommy and Daddy were paying tuition) to follow a rock band. These same kids who complain about the harsh road life of sleeping on the floor and eating whatever they can afford, also have a warm ho~.in.-

Suburbia where Mom and Dad are awaiting them with open arms and open wallets. Many of the "hippies" gathered in VW busses outside of Hill auditorium last Wednesday night are the same frat boys and sorority girls we see around campus, wearing $150 outfits from. Urban Outfitters and tooling around in Jeep Cherokees. A few weeks ago, I wrote a piece on the myth of Generation X Many of the deadheads would probably have nodded. in approval at the comments I made about superficiality and confonnity. Unfortunately, they are guilty of the same thing. Each individual has his own life, with which he may do whatever he wishes. But there is samething wrong with a group that simply follows a trend set by other college students. There is something more to life than fitting in, something beyond finding a trend and sticking with it. This neo-hippieism is just another one of the trends our generation is subscribing to, and they're doing it under the guise of noble non-conformity. So go out and eI\ioy yourselves if you wish, but remember it's just a band kids, it's just a band. Mt

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other segments of society, as if somehow,theyknowsomethingwhilethe rest of us don't have a clue. There is a sense of overwhelming niceness that lingers in the air at these shows, this pseudo-hippie ideal ofloving everyone. But, looking critically at this millieu, one can determine that the niceness is forced. In fact, many elements of the subculture are false: they all dress alike, dance alike, eat alike. They all possess the same false pretense ofpeace and love. Dare to stray from the deadhead uniform, dare to eat meat at a concert, dare to show a hint of unkindness or conservatism, and you are labeled a "pseudohead," one whose ideas disqualify him from being a deadhead. In the 1960s, when the phenomenon began, this was a world of s0ciopolitical unrest, and the hippie counterculture was a way of escaping the tensions of American life. Racial tension and a bitterly disputed Vietnam War were among the reasons that the youth of America developed anew, alternative lifestyle that became a haven from the mess called. "1960s America." While the sixties counterculture had many flaws in its philoso-

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November 22, 1994

THE MIcmGAN REVIEW

o FROM SUITE ONE U-M Fails Academically

~U~EL,( 1'\.l~ MUC7i ~l-\ WOANG~EO C;?ec.les

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DEGREE FROM A PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERSITY SUPPOSEDLY marks the maturity of the mind. After suffering through four years of classes and university politics, students embarking in the s~ed real world should feel aseured that they will be able to swvive and succeed. Unfortunately, under current policies, students are able to graduate without a strong foundation of general knowledge; rather, they leave with a knowledge of their field of concentration, plus a few selected introductory courses that meet the distribution requirement. A graduate entering the work force should have a strong sense of Western civilization and American history, in addition to a broad knowledge of science, math, and English, which allow a person to function in the marketplace. One must be able to make decisions and take responsibility for their actions, a quality derived from a strong background in these subjects. One must be able to dissect an argument for its worth, and not simply value everything as truth. A university-ÂŤiucated student must be able to logically interpret information, write effectively, and be well-rounded academically. Without these skills, one may find it a burden to adapt to the real world. While the University of Michigan's College of Literature , Science, and Arts (LSA) has set requirements that aim to fulfill these goal, it is failing to provide its graduates with the education they pay for and therefore deserve. In 1991, the U-M enacted the Race or Ethnicity Requirement (ROE), which seeks to "address issues arising from racial or ethnic intolerance." To qualify, a ROE class "must provide discussion, consistent with disciplinary approaches of the meaning of race, ethnicity, and racism.; racial and ethnic intolerance and resulting inequality as it occurs in the United States or elsewhere." This assumes that th08e who take the class are racially intolerant and must be disciplined by the U-M. Furthermore, the administration fails to explain how a single class will change one's view of other races and cultures. Such classes often espouse leftist politics, and consequently, they do not effectively promote thought and discussion. Instead many present the idea that one should view everything as a form of truth, which confuses the mind that mes to dissect an argument and formulate a steadfast opinion. A student who has fulfilled the ROE requirement has not learned how to think; more often than not he or she is subjected to taking a class which attempts to teach them what to think. They merely have fulfilled a requirement, which defeats the purpose of the class in the first place. ' The most recent requirement, the Quantitative Reasoning Requirement (QRR) was enacted. this past year for the freshmen class. According to the University Bulletin, the QRR strives to "ensure that every graduate of the College adrieves a certain level of proficiency in using and analyzing quantitative information. " As quantative reasoning is important, the QRR definitely falls within the boundaries of producing a well-rounded student. Yet computer classes are not included in the body of classes which satisfy this criteria, despite their obvious relation to the topic. Given this, one must question to what standards do the makers of these requirements adhere. Besides the distribution requirements and the ROE and QRR, the only other requirements a student must fulfill for are one semester of introductory composition, a junior/senior writing requirement, and a fourth term proficiency in a foreign language. The U-M must address the shortcomings of these requiremenbl. While studies show that the quality of writing of college students is declining, the U-M has made no substantial effort to resolve the problem. While four semesters of a foreign language may indeed be required. to gain proficiency, proper uee of the English language must be stressed even more, as English is largely the language of this country and of the business world. This is not to disa'edit the impartance ofleaming how to think. in another language,but the priorities of the U-M are skewed if they continue to disregard serious study of the English language as a prerequisite to success in the modem world. Living in a Western country, one would assume that the U-M would require a course in the history of the west or in western thought, especially in light of these other requirements. The lack of a requirement in American history, Western civilization, or Western philosophy suggests that the U-M does not aim to graduate well-rounded individuals into the world. One who graduates with. a general. knowledge of a foreign language, one class about an oppressed. group, and one class in reasoning does not know the basics ofhigher education. They do not have a foundation from which they can think for themselves. The U-M has an obligation to provide an education for its students. It must reevaluate the current requirements in the interests of the students and the future; Ml ', ,' " . . ' ,"" . ,' '. '.. . ',: ,.' ;-. . .'.', ' ...,' . . . ' . . . .; .

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o COMMENTARY Prop. 187 Legitimizes the Welfare State p'~

NE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL RESULTS OF THE 1994 elections concerns Proposition 187, a California proposal that strictly limits the aooess ofillegal immigrants to public education and assistance. The proposition, which passed rather easily, assumes that illegal immigration is the source of state budget shortfalls; it asserts that California taxpayers should not bear the cost of financiaJJy supporting those who are residing in the state illegally. Immigration, however, is a scapegoat for many frustrated voters; the fundamental problem is the welfare state itself. The recent political landscape in California has given the issue ofimmigration a prominent role. Under CUITent law, all immigrants - both legal and illegal - may enroll in public schools and are eligible for state welfare programs. A great deal of popular opinion believes that immigrants, especially illegal ones, have become a burden on the state budget. Furthermore, this opinion holds that illegal immigrants - given then- illegal status - have no right to the public assistance funded by legally residing taxpayers. By denying public money to illegal immigrants, Proposition 187 seeks to solve this problem. Given that it reduces state funds to illegal immigrants, Proposition 187 may appear to reduce the size of government. This initiative, in reality, reaffirms a precedent that is dangerous to any free society. By targeting merely illegal immigrants for welfare reductions, proponents of this proposal condone public assistance, provided it benefibl only legal residents. That is, Proposition 187legi.timizes the welfiu-e state by citing illegal immigration as the fimdamental problem, rather than the welfare state itself The true problem facing not only California but all of America is the very existence of the welfare state. With public assistance, an individual's right to private property is abridged, for the state has the authority to confiscate property and redistribute it throughout society. Such a scenario is not consistent with the principle of liberty, and is not compatible with the Founding Fathers' philosophy of limited, constitutional government. The fact that illegal immigrants are on the welfare doles - expanding the state's budget and increasing the level of taxation - is not what ails California. In fact, this is completely irrelevant, for the we11ilre system. that has led to this situation is itself illegitimate. Had. the state supported only legal residents with welfare dollars, it still would have violated the rights of the individual. Proposition 187 presents a fallacious argument, for it begs the question concerning the wel18re state. A more beneficial initiative would cite the welfare state - not immigration - as a bmden to residents and liberty. Proposition 187 simply addresses a consequence of this larger, more serious problem and, furthennore, ,senrea to legitimize t'tm probk;il:i'ftSelf 'Ml ' ':''''James'A. 'ROberl:lI, II

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

November 22, 1994

o EsSAY

Intellectual Graffiti BY GREG

P A.RKER

PPROXIMATELY 36,000 students venture in and out of University buildings every day, but many never see the writing on the wall. There are a myriad of quotations engraved on the walls of many prominent University ofMicbigan buildings, often invisible to the passere-by who do not pay any attention to the insightful sayings. Axiomatic and sometimes controversial, these pa88age& figuratively and literally represent the U-M. "Tradition fades but the written record remaina ever fresh." This gem appears on the Clements Library, locah:ld behind the Graduate Library. It is very appropriate for a library, but it sounds like a deodorant ad. Maybe William Clements was a strong advocate for.. book hygiene. '!his quote says more than that, however. It comments on the abandonment of Westem culture for a more PC alternative. "In darb_ dwells people who know ita anna. not." This appetU'B on the other side of the Clements Library. But, alas, getting to know

darkness' annals is not my cup of tea. couraged." This is taken from the Actually, it is ironic for this building Northwest Ordinance, and is carved above the entrance to Angell Hall. to preach about learning history, because the University's historical reviLooks like someone forgot about that sionist curriculum seems to underlittle clause in the Constitution that mine everything it stands for. seperates cllUrch. and state. '!his quote "Angell Hall Renovation: Funded sounds more like it came from Onvell's 1984 rather than the Northwest Orby the people of the state of Michldinance. And it is ironic that the iJan." '!his appears on a construction sign near the corner of North Univer- · ., .. sity and State Street. Well, I am a "person of the state ofMicbigan," and no one asked me if I wanted to take part in funding the Angell Hall renovation. In fact, I am sure that no one asked any individual in the state of ARCHITECT CONTRACTOR ALFlU'.T ~ A660tIATt6 Michigan if they wanted to partici~~~ ~ ..1It.U\&A)I t'ET®lT~ pate in funding this renovation. Besides, in-state students are essen- • • tially paying twice for the renovation, Northwest Ordinance speaks of"mothrough state taxes and increased rality ... and the happiness of mantuition. Yes, Angell Hall needs to be kind" while it gave the government fixed-up, but I still find it odd that the an excuse to mow down Native Ameristate thanks me for money it coerced cans by the score in order to settle the (read: stole) frmn me in the first place. frontier. And the contradiction in the "Religion, morality and knowlphrase "good government" appalls me. edge being essential to good gov"Go to nature, take the facts into your own handa, look and see for ernment and the happiness of mankind, schools and the me8D8 yourself." Look at the top of the of education shall forever be enNatural Science museum an~ you'll

o FROM OUR READERS

see this wonderful saying from naturalist Louis Agassiz. There isn't much. wrong with this one, but I am sure environmentalists could find something to bitch about - they always do. Maybe "going to nature" will contribute to erosion, exploitation of the environment, or some other envirolingo. I think the environmentalists should take Agassiz's advice and go to nature and put the facts in their own hands. Maybe then they would discover their erroneous ways. "Learned and cultured lawyers are the safeguard of the republic." I laugh. These words thatappear at the entrance of the Law Library are the understatement of the century. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that lawyers are the safeguard of the republic; hell, they make . up the republic. Look at Congress but I wouldn't exactly call most of these people "learned." "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here." Actually, this doesn't appear anywhere on campus, but rather on the gate to hell in Dante's Infenw. It should appear above every entrance to the university. Mt

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Kraft Case Moot Dear Editor, Before you comment on legJll issues again, try to run your stuff past someone who knows a bit more about the law, a ·first year law student for example. I refer, of course, to your attack on the '"reprehensible" and "deplorable" decision in the racial harassment case in Chicago. You completely overlook the fact that the court's order was based on a settlement, which changes everything. First, there will be no trial, and no one bas to prove anything. Why should they? The Krafts admitted doing everything they were accused of. They may have told the media they didn't do it, but they admitted it - or at least agreed not to dispute it - in the only place that counts, in court. Second, there are very few limits on what kind of order the court can make. If the Krafts had gone to trial and been found liable, the only relief would have been a money judgement - which might have cost them their home anyway - and an order not to do it again. But in a settlement, thingB are wide ~ 'Ihn are certain kinds ofre1ief that no court can order even

sure, partnership dissolution. This was nothing unusual. Third, there is no appeal. How could there be? The Krafts came into court and asked the judge to order their house sold. How could they then tell an appeals court that the judge was wrong for granting their request? The decision will therefore stand. It is poesible that Y9u have a problem with people proceeding in the courts against racial discrimination and. harassment? Trying to "defend" a neighborhood and to drive "those people" out is a serious matter. It got the Krafts in a great deal of trouble, and frankly, they deserve what they got. Sincerely, EricA Ebel Attorney at Law

as part of a eettlement, such. as having people whipped, but courts order property aold every day in a number o~~Yil :~~~ . -::-, . di~,J:~~1 .~,.-;': ,

No Gimmicks No Come-ons

The Review welcomes letters to the editor, complaints, praise, and comments. Please mal oorrespondence to: The Michigan Review Suite One 911 N. Uriversity Avenue Ann Arbor MI 48109-1265

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November 22, 1994

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

o SATIRE CRISPy, ~egistration If you have the luck ofbeing assingle class in the engineering core nonsense is about. Repeat this with requirements. After doing this, come signed a time at Angell Hall, and you different universities until someone T IS 'JliATWONDERFUL 'llME back ten minutes later and tell the still want to avoid phone CRISP, here shoots you. For extra pointa, use a of year again. Bright, colorful counselor that you need to drop 50 lousy accent and claim to be a foreign are a few things you could do that will leaves cnmch under your feet 88 make the prooesa more annoying and credits, because you hit the wrong student. you walk around campus (ifit hasn't button on your HP-48GX confusing. Grumble continuously the entire rained recently), the mornings are Pick. your favorite song from a Here is something you can do betime about why McDonald's is inside chilly, and the air is crisp. Wait. I said fore CRISPing, which is equally fun. musical. - for instance, the Wizard of Angell Hall now and why you have to Oz . Start singing as ,.--_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _-, CRISP. That was pretty oool. Yea, Go to the English department office. unfortunately, 'Ihanksgiv:ing weekBOOn as you get in line, Tell them that you are a mechanical end will be aurrounded by wailing engineering student, and that you are and recruit other stuand gnashing of teeth a8 atudenta interested in doubl&-lD.9joring in Endents in line to be other onre again try to get at least a third. of glish literature. Proceed to show them. characters in the musithe clasaes they want. a list of ME courses you think should cal. See if you can get to get you credit in various English One new thing around this year is the Emerald City before courses. Insist that 'lb.ermodynamics you get to the front of phone CRISP. For extra el\ioyment, is really a study ofBradburYs Fahretudenta can opt to regi..8b:r fur courses the line . For extra by taJking to a stupid machine for an enheit 451 . When the secretary reamusement, come to fuses to give you the credita, look hour and a half Registering by teleCRISP wearing ruby ~ indignant and say that you're going to phone, however, is jU8t another one of red slippers. the Communications department, the waya in which the U-M is trying Wait patiently in where your work. is appreciated. to make regi.atration easier. I, on the line Wltil you get to the Finally, I have a couple of suggesother hand, believe that registration front. At this point, I "' ~ tions for souls crazy enough to CRISP should be a8 painful a8 possible. It show the counselors a by telephone. builds character. It puts hair on your form with a ~ of classes not offered wait so long to get a hamburger. Request an operator. When one chest. Besidea, it's a lot more ftm. that at U- M. Proceed to tell them that When the infamous computers answers, try to order some pizza. If way. you're very angry that Weetem Mimibeep and the counselor tells you your the counselor argues with you, tell gan i8 having ita registration so far courses are full, hint that you are them. that you've gotten the midnight Mohan KrUhnan eat. CRISPy critfrom campus and that you don't unwilling to make a bribe for ovenides. special at this number before and ten, a good wh.olaom.e bunch. derstand what all of this "crunch" When the oounse1or agrees, insist that ,.."tkt you will be very angry ifit doesn't they accept Entree Plus. Here are some tidbits for engiarrive in 25 minutes. When you are put on hold, memoneers, who really don't have it that bad, but still seem to be in a huny to rize the music they play to you. Sing go to a meeting for some weird acathis song to the machine if you are 11"1'111 1\1"11\\ 11 11I:~ 1路,lIlllh asked to speak. Improvising on the demic fraternity. When you're in the middle of the theme or finding a back-up band is room, shuffle through a newspaper also worth bonus points. Tell the operator that you are and say, "I can't believe itt They're showing Star Trek: Generations for SOITY, and that you really hate it when UMtel m.i.sdirects your aills to 1-900free at Angell Hall, and William Shatner is giving away autographed GOOD-SEX.. Ask if you will still be copies of his new science-fiction charged the $4.95 per minute. novell" This serves a number of purHere is one final idea that will poses, and you get extra points for make the actual CRISP session more further messing up Central Campus interesting. Watch the computer screen. As soon as your courses are CRISP. Doing this at the bus stop on verified, start singing "Hail to the Central Campus is also a good way to insure getting a seat. Victors." Make sure to do the hand Insist on signing up for every motions. Ml

BY MOHAN KRISHNAN

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Noveiii.l:>er 22, 1994

THE MIcmGAN REVIEW

DEsSAY

Negative Act~9n for Minorities BY RoDEEN RAImAR

FFIRMATIVE ACTION . Institutioos an over the United States use this mechanism to attain what is truppoeed to be a representative sample of a multicultural and diverse society. Now that universities are aseerti.ng that sexual orientation is cause for aftirmative action, there is cause fur ooncem. What really needs to be looked at is why minorities are being undenepresented. Why is this a problem? Today it is sexual orientation, and yestmday it was aamething else. What kinde of quirks will swface tomOlTOw? In fairnes8, aftirmative action is rooted in good intentions. There are some undeniable problems facing society. African Americana have been systematicallyabuaed and miStz'ea.ted in the United States' past. Other minorities have endured decades ofracial discri.mination. To say that equal opportunity existB in the United States today when so many have been oppressed in the recent past is a rather cruel joke. I will not question this fact. Few people are questioning the fact that affirmative action is justifiable (except fur some "intellectUAls" who claim that affirmative action is reverseracism, discriminating against the majority in favor of the minority). What is being questioned is whether affirmative action really works, at least as well as it should. And the truth is that it only appears to work. By going straight to the representation and ignoriJig the mechanism by which it is enacted, affinnative action only superficially fixes the problem. Consider the following analogy. An English student gets an E on his first paper. His profe88or would not say, "This student should really be performing at the A-level," and then justgive the student an A This would be foolish. This is, ,in effect, saying, "my student is qualified," when in . reality he is not Will this help students in the long run? Will they be able to compete in the next level? The professor really n.eeda to look at how to help students get the A, not just give it to them. Affirmative action treats minorities in the same fashion 88 the professor that just hand. out A's to students. Is thia firlr? Is this helpful? No, but it i8 easy. Society justifies affirmative action by claiming that minorities CGnnot achieve representa-

Rodeen Rahbar u, a .ophomore in biology and .tofT writer for the Review .

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tion on their own. 'Ib patch things up, it seeks out minorities to fill positions even when others may be more qualified. Unfortunately, this fails to examine the problem. Why are minorities not achieving representation on their own? Is society discriminatory? Is it institutionally racist? If so, thue are what need to be addre88ed. Society needs to fix the very things that are creating racial inequalities. If the causes of the problem are not addressed, the problem itself will never go away. Then affirmative action Will exist forever, adjusting for a lack ofrepresentation while the basic racial inequalities remain. This would be a sad case for

RESERVE

society. The irony here is that affirmative action propagates the very problem it seeks to address. It is not elevating minorities to a level that allows them to compete BUCCe88fully with the more advantaged groups. . Affirmative action should not give representation where representation is not due. Society needs to help minorities achieve representation, but not by handing it to them. It needs such programs 88 educational reform that would provide adequate schooling, especially in inner-city schools where higher minority populations are prevalent. Institutional racism needs to be abolished not by affirmative action but by implementing

OFFICERS'

changes in how candidates are evaluated. If minorities are scoring lower on college entraJÂĽle examinations then we need to look at why this is so and make changes. The questions that need to be addressed are why are there racial inequalities. and what can be done about these imbalances? Affirmative action should 1>& ecratdled as a viable option. Rather, more positive solutions that help minorities help themselves should be favored. It is only then that minorities can feel proud that they can successfully compete with their peen and the skills they need to perpetuate representation on their own. Ml

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THE MIcmGAN REVIEW

o EsSAY

November 22,1994

Weighing the Odds BY LISA WAGNER

UST OPEN ANY F ASmON magazine and notice the grim, depressed, starved look of the models. 'lhe American perception of what is ideal has changed as onate, and not for the better. According to the November 1994 issue of Vogue, 1Tlhe look of the body we want hae changed, it has been getting thinner since the 19508." Mise Americas tend to be much slimmer than they used to be. In 1954, the five foot eight inch winner weighed in at a statuesque 132 pounds. The 1990 winner, also 5 foot 8 inches , weighed only 118. Whatever happened to the Greta Garboe and the Marilyn Monroes who represented the healthy, classic beauty of the past? Now Kate Moss is dancing naked acro88 American media. Modele will forever be the epitome of the ideal; that ie, they will always be more youthful, thinner and prettier than the average woman. But, in a sense, models are also role models. Their perfection intrigues us and many try to adapt. Hence, in pursuit of this ideal we have become a society that focuses entirely too much attention on body shape. Americans have essentially become diet experts. Notice how many women are on a diet. 'This is normal. But obsessing over food can turn deadly. And it does. LiMl Wagner i8 a junior in political science and REES and tM photogropMr of the Review.

An unnatural obsession with food can result in the development of an eating disorder. It is tzue that society perpetuates this, but if one examines this phenomenon on a slightly more analytical view, one would find that society promotes the insecurity of a woman 'Ibis "insecurity" is a result of an essential element of stab i I it Y that she lacks in her life. She feels a loss of control. A woman, as vulnerable as she is to societal influence, will seek to control and "fit into" society as best she can. One way of doing this is to control her weight. 'This control is acted out in varying ways, resulting in an eating disorder. One of them, bulimia nervosa, is characterized by' the binge-purge cycle; excessive eating then vomiting, using laxatives, diuretics and/or extreme amounts of exercise. Another disease is anorexia nervosa, which is se1Hmposed starvation A woman obsessed by her weight may have varying characteristics from both diseases. All this is done to better fit into society's constraints. An eating disorder consumes the mind and body and makes one feel an intense gratification with one's sense of control. As the disease progresses, a body will begin to show detrimental effects and outward signs of deterioration A list compiled by the Univer-

Tired of the Government telling you what to do 'th uour mind, body, and property? If so, join the College Libertarian League Call Shawn ~ ,.Wt· ..~ il;,,J.~~'. Brown at

"'~·'·'·'l·,,\'~

sity of Michigan's Eating Disord~rs specialists. Dr. Sheryl Kurce, a conProgram includes the following: an suIting psychiatrist to the University intense preoccupation with food , Athletic Department, has a. special spending an abnormal amount ofti.me interest in eating disorders. She exeating, consuming large amounts of plains the lack of a program by statfluids, increased gum chewing, nail ing that the issues behind the develbiting or smoking, episodes of opment of this disorder are so comovereating (bingeing), obsessive plex, a healing program must be indithinking and behavior, indecisiveness, vidualized. She says that anywhere reduced ability to concentrate, reducfrom 10 to 60 percent of female athtion in self-discipline, ambition and letes have an eating disorder, with alertness, narrowing of interests, 80the highest percentage being gymcial withdrawal and apathy, mood nasta. Athletes are not the only group, swings, depression, sexual apathy, however, to develop an obsession with sleep disturbance, and the increased weight. inability to differentiate satiation afAccording to a study done periter consuming a large meal. odically since 1986, the statistics of How can we as a society band females on campus who admit to havtogether in an attempt to draw the ing an eating disorder have remained needed attention to this epidemic? relatively the same. 'lhis research In the April 1994 issue of AUure, was conducted by Dr. Adam a magazine published for women, the Drewnowsld, director of the Human editor wrote an editorial apologizing Nutrition Program, and by Candice to her readership. She felt as though Kurth, who is a research associate in her magazine had played a part in the Behavioral Medicine at the School of undue portrayal ofbone-thin models. Public Health. It is comprised of freshShe wrote, "In a recent memo to our man women; two percent of whom are fashion department, I vowed to abolbulimic, and 19 percent who exhibit ish any pictures in which the models in bulimic tendencies. looked anorexic, clinically depressed.;... ·~' For students who recognize their or headed for a mental institution ... own need for help can either call or go the bone-thin, haunted look seems to the University of Michigan Counselantitethical to ing Services at health and well3100 Michigan being." 'lhis is a Union #1349, the small measure to P sy ch 0 10 g ic al help abolish the Clinic located at portrayal of the 1027 East Huron waifish Kate #1688, or the UniMosses. More is versity Health still needed. Services at 207 Several deFletcher #1050. partments within Also available are the U-M are desupport groups veloping prowhich meet perigrams in an atodically; howtempt to curb the ever, support eating disorders. groups are geared Recently the more toward reNCAA passed covering eating "Title 9" regarddisorder patients. ing gender equity Kate Mole: Silhouette These meetings issues in athletics. It seeks to develop are not a substitute for the professional programs specific to women's probmedical and/or psychological treatment lems. Since eating disorders primarequired in most cases. rily affect females, this problem is An eating disorder is a "developed" seen as a gender issue. Although the behavior perpetuated by society. ForU-M has not designated a specific tunately for women, the devastating program for female athletes with an effect:B of eating disorders have become eating disorder, those auspected of an issue worth dealing with in the eyes having one are refened to outside of America. Ml

Billy Ocean: You don't write, you don't call - we made you, dammit! Please call the Review at 662-1909. ----------- - - - - ------------_._--------------- - - - - - -- -- ---------- --------------_._-------- ---_ ....

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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

November 22. 1994

DEsSAY

An Open Letter to Pattrice Maurer Dear Pattrice:

AM A STUDENT AT THE University ofMichiga.n and I am having some problems with my landlord. Or. should I say, landlords. You see, in chooaing my C1ll"J:'eIlt place of residence. I unwittingly stumbled on some IOrt of "landlord cartel" that engages in propaganda and intimidation to make sure it is they who provide students with housing. Their apartments and rooms are piss-poor, and once a lease has been. signed, it is almost impossible to break. as is the case with most housing in Ann Arbor. At this point. I have no choice but to request the assistance ofthe AATU to help me resolve this most unfortunate matter. Here's my situation. I live in a 19 foot by 11 foot closet ofa room. The lighting is inadequate to the point of being dangerous to my now-perfect eyesight. I hear my neighbors' noisy flirting every night through the pape!4bin walls. In the winter, myentire building is OYelheated to the point of suffocation, wasting valuable energy and water (used to wash off the

sweat). I live with 19 other guys. and guess how many bathrooms we have to share? That's right: one. Sucks, doesn't it? Moreover, the daily maintenance my landlord promised the residents consists of nothing but a vacuuming of the irreversibly-etained floor and a h08ing-dOwn of the bathroom, usually at the most inopportune times, such as when I need to shower in a hurry and get to class. And I am lucky. I have one of the "better» of these "cartel landlords." Can you imagine what some of the others are like? And now comes the best part. Can you guess how much I am paying for all of this? A buck and a quarter a month? I wish. An eight-month lease - the only option available - costs a whopping $3,5001 But what could I have done about it? 'Ihe cheaper and better-quality housing was taken long before I had a chance to go apartment-hunting. This overpriced cartel was all that was available. The most insidious part of the deal is that the $3,500 is not all that I am being forced to pay. My landlord

offers meals as well. I bet you can make a point to the AATU. I chose to guess their quality. And how much do live in a residence hall for a number of reasons, convenience being the most I have to pay for that? Oh, an addiimportant of them. My point has two tional $2,000 for the eight-month peparts. First, students who choose to riod. And if I do not want this meal live off-campus have their reasons, plan? Tough. If I choose not to eat at my residence, I still pay for the meals. and know what they are getting them· selves into. What right do you, Patfrice So, Pattrice, can you see where Maurer, have to regulate how landmy attempt at an ironic plot twist is lords lease their houses? Do you also getting, and who my "landlord" really tell car dealers, bakers, and candleis? But this letter is no joke. I am stick makers how to run their busisincerely requesting your help in dealing with this matter. Your organizanesses? That brings me to the second part tion claims to stand up for the masses of my point: how an organization as of oppressed students against their ineffective as the AATU is getting evil landlords. Well, I am oppressed beacoup buclu1 from the Michigan Stuby the most evil of them all: the Unident Assembly (read: unwitting, or versity of Michigan. unwilling students). Your survival Come on, Pattrice. Stand up for depends on the University, so I'm me. Didn't I mention that I am up pretty sure that you won't accept my against an organization that engages challenge: help me "sue the un to get in propaganda and intimidation? 'Ihe them to lower my board costs. Isn't propaganda consists of phony, heartfelt pleas put out every year claiming that what you claim to do for other residents, even non-students? Ifyou that the residence hall staffs really won't help me. stop pretending to help care for the residents. And if the manothers, and get off of this campusl datory meal plan does not pass for ~timidation, I don't know what does. My point here is not as much to Gene Kross trash the dorms as much as it is. to..~.~~

o BOOK REVIEW

Updike's Literary Eloquence BY

DEAN BAKOPOULOS

ANY CRITICS LOVE TO speculate on which oftoday's writers will be read by tomorrow's students and readers. Upon reading John Updike's eleventh collection of short stories, The Afterlife, one speculates that he may be in the presence of one such writer.

ThB Alter/He and Other Stories John Updike Knopf Hardcover, 1994, 316 pgs. $24.00 Updike's thick pl"08e is full of confidence and eloquence. giving it the quality that only a grizzled veteran of fiction could provide. Updike dearly has taken the leasons of the masten, Faulkner and Hemingway, and developed a writing style that students offiction will benefit from studying. Few writers poesetft.J;Tp:tilsetnllu~ci.d.wtiptlOll.·

His use of adjectives and projection of detail often border on the sublime. Take for example this opening passage ofWlldlife": ~e town was sexy, or so it had always seemed to Ferris. He had lived there for years, and his former wife still lived there. It was a town by the sea, with marshes and a broad beach; summer had been a fete of sunburn and short skirts and cookouts and insect bites ... An air of siege persisted in the other seasons - fall pinching in with an eveI'-earli.er darkness, winter when crooked slick road slid into one another with a dreamlike slow motion. spring with its raw east wind and bouts offlu and considerable human irritability." Updike's mastery is also evident in his original metaphors and similes. He aills a row of "skeletal power Jines" a "band of angels," (from "'Ihe Afterlife") and in "Grand-parenting" he writes, "It was like living in a pop-up book". When he is at his best, which he is for many of these stories, figures of speech like these make Updike's prose dance and sparkle. Perhaps the strongest story in

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takes a humorous but somber look at the eccentric changes of middle age. The story involves two middle-aged couples and. concludes with a poignant thought, one sentence that wraps up the story tightly: "And Carter, too, was surprised and amused that Frank didn't know they were beyond all that now." Updike is now into his sixties, and one cannot help but believe that many of his insights on aging that riddle this book are personal observations he has made along with his characters. Some of the thoughts his cbaracters have are extremely melancholic, like those in "Aperto, Chiuso" and "Bluebeard in Ireland." These two stories take the reader into the minds of George and Vivian, two unhappily married people whose emotional restraint keeps them together. Here, Updike does a good job of portraying a marriage that is walking on egg shells. 'Ihis distance between humans that Updike explores is brought out in "Conjunction," another tale of a marriage on the wayside. Updike brilliantly paNllels'theemoaonal sepa__••

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ration of the couple, with the planetary coJVunction of Man and Jupiter that the husband views with his telescope. Relationships between humans, particularly those who are growing older, walking hopelessly through middle age, is a key theme that Updike explores in these works. And Updike's experience and skill allow him to make statements of authority on love, statements that are simple but :resoundingly true. In "'Ihe Journey to the Dead" Updike writes, "But Americans are oversold on freedom, Fredericks thought, and availability does not equal attractiveness." 'Ihls collection of twenty-two st0ries which includes the 1991 O. Henry Award winner, "A Sandstone Farmhouse," is a brilliant collection ofcharacters grappling with universal themes. Though many ofthem are fBr past their youth, Updike's characters grapple With the universal elements of love, failure, and death, concepts that transcend age in their poignancy. For this :reason, The Afterlife should appeal to short story lovers, 10ung lUld old alike: MI.- ..•.• '•.••. ". ; ••. '

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November 22, 1994

THE MICInGAN REVIEW

o MUSIC

Scarce and echobelly Really Groove BY DREW PETERB

"YEAH, 1 BUILT A LOG cabin for Jimmy Buffet," he dismally admits. "I needed the work." Did you get to meet him? "Get to? I did meet him, but he didn't really want to speak to the help." Fortunately, Chick Graning, guitarist/ vocalist for Providence's Scarce, was not musically influenced by his tem- Scuce porary job for country Red music's favorite dork.. Tumble Gear Even better, Scarce conjures up some of the most exquisite, twisted pop since the Pixies. "I just say it's rods: and roll" Chick simply explains. But it is a lot more than that Scarce provides music that rebels against pretty pop songs and glossy production, music that is as tangible and alive as your friends garage band. "Almost all of the songs were first takes, at least for the basic tracks. 'Th.en 1 throw down some quick guitar tracks and the vocals. Although we want more time (in the future), I like the realness of it." When Chick was sweating away for Buffet, it was to make money for Anastasia Screamed, his band at that time. "Anastasia Screamed was a little bit crazier and a lot more complex than Scarce. We put out two albums, two EP's and a couple of singles, but we were getting no support from any direction. Quite literally, we had nothing going on. Our aeamd record didn't even come out here. There really wasn't much of a reason to keep on doing it." So Chick went on to form Scarce with Jud Ehrbar on the drums. In punruit of a bassist, Chick finmd Jo~ Raskin singing ~d playing bass for Drew Peters ia a roolly, reo.lly nice guy. ReaUy.

another Providence band called Mr. 1000. "We got together and played for eight hours or something" explains Joyce, "I learned about 10 songs that day. Right away, I thought that 1 could really learn something from him. I had always been the leader of the bands that I had been in, I wrote and sang most of the songs. When I met Chick,I thought it would be great to be in the background since I was really at a point where I had 'gone as far as I could go in teaching myself. I really wanted to learn from someone who was way better than me. I wanted a situation that wouldn't be so easy, one where I would have to work hard and Chick wanted a serious commitment. 'Illree days later we had our first show, and we've been going ever since." "We are lucky that Providence has such a good scene," Joyce continues, "although every band is completely different, everyone is friends. We've got Small Factory, Velvet Crush, Six Finger Satellite... a lot of good bands. When I was in Washington, D.C. it was the exact opposite; although. there was a lot of cool music, it is all within a certain sound." And now Scarce has launched a tour in support of their Red EP, a collection of three 7'" singles previously released in the US. From the stzained guitar and ultra-hooked chorus of "All Sideways" to the more melancholy "'Dozen," Scarce shows their honestly sincere approach to rock and roll.

"GETTING the name echobelly for a band Everyone's is harder than any- Got One thing else," explains Girlie Action Sonya Aurora 11-_ _ _ _- - - ' Madan, the soft spoken vocalist for UK's echobelly. "I didn't want a word

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hooked up with Glenn to produce music for the first time. "1 had been writing poetry and playing with words for wail, but I was initially pretty shy about singing. I didn't have anyexperience doing it. But after I wrote the songs with Glenn we were very excited about what we had done. It seemed like a waste to just leave it at that." They went on to collect the other members and, soon after that, they were a British success. The band's first two UK releases, BeUyaclu! and Insomniac, hit the top 10 and landed them on the covers ofboth Melody Maker and 1.0 . Morissey even """-~_ made a surprise visit to Sonya and Glenn's apartment to give them his praise. Although Sonya only said that the visit "was nice," it seems apparent that echobelly has a strong admiration for Morissey and the Smiths. Sonya denies this with familiar British pride. "I can't say Here', ScIrce: Extreme cIoee-upl .,...... that I have any major musical feeling. Anybody that is creative i-;; influences since I never grew up being going to be hungry for something, and a pop fanatic. I never even went to the word echobelly seems synonymous shows until I was a lot older. As a with that. Speaking for echobelly the result I feel that I am more honest, band, we are hungry for creativity, -more personal in my music. There are achievement and satisfaction.'" certain things that need to be talked They have all of this in abunabout, but I don't go out of my way to dance with their first full-length make echobelly a political platform American release Everyone's Got One. for me to voice my opinions. I think With Sonya's incredible, floating melothat writing about groupies and pardies over good clean rock provided by tying.is sort of limited. It has been ex-Curve guitarist Debbie Smith. guidone so many times. It's interesting tarist Glenn Johansson, bassist Alex to write songs that don't ram opinions Keyser and drummer Andy down people's throats but offer them Henderson (fonnerly in a band with subjects that they can sink. their teeth Polly Harvey) the British press has into." jumped all over this Britpop band. Lyrically, musically, and vocally Stnmgelyenough, Sonya grew up echobelly makes inoffensive British fairly devoid of music. Born in Delhi, pop that even us stubborn Americans she and her family went to England would like. m when she was three years old, giving eehobelly and Scarce perform her a Cl'Oss-cu.lture experience until at Industry in Pontiac on Sunher college years. It only then that she day, November 27th.

that directly meant anything, I get bored with that sort of thing. I looked more for sounds that encompassed a

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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

November 22t 1994

DMuSIC

Big AudJo - Big Fun BY MOHAN KRISHNAN

ICK JONES IS BACK, AND he has changed the name of his band once again. Big Audio, which describes itself as "anti-fascist, pro-creative," is simply the next evolutionary step ofhis solo career. After leaving The Clash, Jones created Big Audio Dynamite, intended to be a band where . . - - - - - - , musicians are ro- Big Audio tatBd in and out from Higher Power album to album. Columbia However, Jones and L..-_ _ _..--J his original musicians went on to make several albums together. Then, Jones made Big Audio Dynamite II, which produced only one album, The Globe. It pushed forward Jones' strong point, the humor and wit ofbis lyrics. Now, we have Big Audio, and HiBher Power, the best sound ever to back M.ick Jones. 'llle rough, live sound ci TM Globe has been replaced by a clean, pro-

Mohan Krishnan rued to licl it old achool with Big Audio when he was just a wee lad.

duced one. Songs are held together by sound bites and samples from other works, which are often related to the theme of the song. '!he first track, "Wake Up," begins with a dreamy rendition of Morgenstimmung from the Peer Gynt Suite, while "Moon," which questions the meaning of space travel, begins with the speech of astronauta. Another song creates its beat and melody around a child singing an oddly melodic, unintelligible song. The singing appears and disappears throughout the song, and the guitar and keyboards match it penect1y. Where Higher Power shines is .· its integration of techno-pop sounds with a guitarlbass/drums foundation. '!he album is impossible to classify either as one or the other and Big Audio manages to meld the two together to create anew style. Lyrics are still the strongest part of Big Audio, though. Jones continues his tradition of quirky humor and self-deprecation. In "Harrow Road," he describes a conversa-

18th Century Rock and Roll BY GREG PARKER

HIP DAVIS HAS DONE IT again. Davis, since graduating from the U-M school of music in 1969,.has sold over 10 million albums with his group, Mannheim Steamroller. Including his latest album, To RU88ia with Love, Davis' MaJ:mbmn . -_ _ _ _ _--, S team ~ CUp Davis/ roller dis- Mannheim Stumroller cography To Russia With Love feat u res American Gramaphone s e v en L -_ _ _ _ _ _ ____ Fresh Aire album" as well as two essential Christmas albums, all of which are best described as "18th century rock and roll." Davis, composer and drummer for Mannheim Steamroller, wrote To RU88ia with Low as broadcast music and fanfare for the 1994 Goodwill Games. 'The first track, "'The Goodwill Games," is a combination of American and Russian melodies Davis com~ piled or composed other tunes that fit the Russian theme as well. 'The outcome is essentially a Russian music primer, with folk and classical music from composers ranging from the Steam.roller'a own Davis to Prokofieff, Rachmaninoff and Mus80rpky. When Davis started independent

thing." While many of the songs are maniacally happy, some are depressing and introspective, such as "Moon." This is the sort of album that must be listened to as a whole, because it paints a picture of the odd way this band thinks. Just like the music segues from song to song, the ideas modulate smoothly between extremes of mood. Further, the structure of the album seems to resemble those diamante poems we used to write in middle school; the same fiun~ ily of ideas slowly transfers between two poles of meaning, starting out upbeat, becoming sad and introspective, and resolves with a song called "Hope." Every established group seems to make just one album that has a total, finished coherence, that is unknown in rock music. .After that, they beoome ioonoclastic, dress like fools, and start listening to music from Seattle. Needless to say, they never make another album like that one. 1ft Audio bringB their potent brand of Europop to 8t. Andrew'.

tion between ElviS' and himself, in which Elvis wants to join his band. In "Looking for a Song," he highlights his own ideal song saying, "It's not as

MIck Janel: Get. better accent easy as it looks/coming up with all those hookslremember that it has to swing/it don't need no complicated

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Hall in Detroit on Monday November 28th.

John Scofield Happily Frets meshed with a string bass, juxtapose new and old styles of jazz. In fact, reviewer Mike Zwerin compared Scofield to a combination of John Coltrane and Jimi Hendrix. While Scofield never directly copies either, that description would probably paint the best picture to someone that had never heard him before. Eddie Harris complements Scofield wonderfully. While this is a John Scofield solo album, Hams steals enough of the show to make the production much more interesting. In the 60s Hanis helped create the souljazz sound Scofield exhibits in Hand Jive . In recognition, Scofield wrote "Do Like Eddie," where the guitarist's masterful playing pays ample homage to Hanis' contribution to jazz. Scofield's other bandmates - per~ cussionist Don Alias, drummer Bill Stewart, keyboardist Larry Goldings and bassist Dennis Irwin - do not disappoint. The added percussion diversifies the album, and the aforementioned Hammond style organ of Goldings adds a intimate, bluesy flair to the music. From progressive tunes in 7/4 time to funked SOld-jazz, Scofield has taken the lead in fusion guitar. Look out Pat Metheny and Mike Stem, the RtmiAld era has begun. HI. ' . "' , ~ '.. . .:,; ~ :' : : ... .... .... . . .. . .. ....'--.. . :. .. . ~ .. ' ..... : . '

record company American BY GREG PARKER Gramaphone in 1975, the label became known for its audiophile quality OHN SCOFIELD, MIKE recordings. From deep, synthesized Stem, and Pat Metheny are chords in Davis' compositions to the perhaps the thundering symphony in "The Great most influential fu- John Scofield Gate ciKiev," take this advice to heart: sion guitarists of the Hand live listen to t;he album loud. 'Ibis masterpast decade. These Blue Note ful recording, produced at the Ameriguitarists set new can Gramaphone headquarters, was frontiers for jazz fusion, and their partly recorded on location in Russia amazing talents will guide jazz into with regional musicians. the next century. Never to be out"18th. century rpck and roll" comes done, and since a little fi.iendly comfrom Davis' ability to petition never hurt anycombine classical eleone, each musician'slatments with modem est release seems to bettechniques. Not to be ter the others. Testaconfused with cheezy ment to this is Scofield's elevator music or simlatest album, H and ply "Mozart + drums," Jive, which puta him on Mannheim Steamthe forefront of fusion. roller is much more. If Hand Jive had a Some might criticize theme, it would be Davis for using clas"soul" Along with tenor sical themes in his saxophonist Eddie Harcompositions, or inris, Scofield hits the Chip om. went to HI cluding Mannheim groove of funk and Steamroller's peIformances ofunalswing without losing traditional jazz's tered classical pieces in their albums, improvisational concepts. While but Davis has no intentions of ripping Scofield's techniques are certainly artists off for his own gain. He simply modem, the album has a 60s flair. wishes to unite traditional and modHammond-style organs prevail in em style8 of music - apd he does it some tunes, and the guitar sound is quite well. Ml raw and bluesy; these instruments,

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