vol_26_no_2 by Michigan Review

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The Journal of Campus Affairs at the University of Michigan www.michiganreview.com

VOLUME XXVI

September 18, 2007

ISSUE 2

Responding to Downtown Violence, City Targets Studio 4 With Nuisance Law By Adam Paul, ‘08

rash of high profile violence outside bars near campus this summer struck a chord with many in the city. After a stabbing outside of dance club Studio 4 in early August, the city attorney’s office presented a plan to the City Council to have the bar declared a public nuisance. The proposed action, presented to City Council by City Attorney Stephen Postema, could have resulted in the club being taken before local Circuit Court. After assessing public safety concerns, a judge could impose restrictions on a property, including closing it. The move represents an increased use of public nuisance laws to target local businesses, in particular, bars. The Ann Arbor Police Department has worked with the city attorney’s office, and with the support of City Council, to use the laws in an assertive way. “Traditional law enforcement is not always the answer, using the City Attorney’s office has been an effective tool,” said Deputy Police Chief Greg O’Dell, talking about Studio 4. O’Dell says working with the City Attorney’s office has given police another route besides criminal action. At the same time, O’Dell stressed that most bars do a good job of cooperating with police. “Our goal is to eliminate public safety concerns. If having something imposed ends the problem, then we are happy,” he said. Postema first used this type of litigation several years

Downtown’s Studio 4, plagued by summer violence, is being threatened by being shut down by public nuisance laws.

Adam Paul/The Michigan Review

Veterans Face Challenges at U-M Campus By Chris Stieber, ‘07

.S. Military veterans from all branches are finishing their tours of duty all over the world, and returning to domestic American society. With an overwhelmingly large portion of the active military between the ages of 17 and 24, many of these veterans are enrolling at colleges across the country, including the University of Michigan. U-M, as well as Ann Arbor, is full of

critical voices of the war in Iraq, and arguably presents a more difficult acclimation process for veterans in Ann Arbor, at least compared to other schools. “I told someone here that I had served in the military for the past few years, and she looked puzzled. ‘Why would you do that?’ she asked. I was like, “Umm, I don’t know, patriotism? She just shook her head,” said one sophomore National Guardsman, recounting an exchange on campus.

This anecdote reflects much of the general response that soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen have faced here at U-M. The liberal reputation of the school and town, however, has prepared those who chose to enroll to face such responses. “I didn’t really expect a lot here, cause Ann Arbor’s got a reputation and all that, so it doesn’t bug me a whole lot,” the Guardsman said. With the average

Arts & Culture

News

Features

What is MTV Without Music?

Professors Contribute Heavily to Dem Candidates

University Seeks to Replace Krislov as General Counsel

“Gray Rape” Dominates Discussion in Sexual Assault Law Enforcement

By Zack Zucker, ‘10

By Adam Pascarella, ‘10

By Jane Coaston, ‘09

By Rebecca Christy, ‘08

On August 1, 1981, American culture changed forever. On that day, MTV transformed the way young Americans experienced music. Over the next two decades, it would go even further. Without question, MTV significantly influenced American society as a whole. Ask anyone who grew up in the 1980s about defining cultural moments of their youth, and you can bet that they’ll include Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and “Beat It,” and Madonna going virginal.

According to recent, independent research done by The Michigan Review, far more professors at the University of Michigan have, to date, donated money to Democratic Presidential candidates than Republican candidates. According to Federal Elections Commission data released on the popular election finance website opensecrets.org, $15,400 was given to Democratic Presidential campaigns by twentyeight professors since June 4, 2007.

Marvin Krislov, the General Counsel for the University, stepped down this summer to assume the presidency of Oberlin College, leaving large shoes to fill in his stead. Krislov, during the nine years at the University, oversaw the investigation into the men’s basketball program. Most notably, he oversaw the University’s response to attacks on its affirmative action programs, in particular the 2003 lawsuits before the Supreme Court.

Acknowledging ambiguities in most political and social issues is often a sign of astuteness. However, a recent article in this month’s issue of Cosmopolitan magazine has introduced a ‘gray’ area into a subject matter where many feel the hue is non-existent. Journalist Laura Session Stepp, in her article, “A New Kind of Date Rape,” recently introduced the concept of “gray rape.”

www.michiganreview.com

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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW www.michiganreview.com

Editorial Board:

Michael O’Brien Editor-in-Chief Adam Paul Executive Editor Brian Biglin Managing Editor Rebecca Christy Senior Editor Lindsey Dodge Jonny Slemrod Associate Ediotrs

page two. the michigan review

■ Serpent’s Tooth Our national title hopes are sHOT sHOT sHOT! A federal court in New York recently held that a fraternity at the City University of New York must admit female members. In other news, the girl caught masturbating on a couch in PIKE last year has applied to join her favorite fraternity on campus. O.J. Simpson is wanted by Las Vegas police for alleged involvement in a casino robbery. O.J. has already inked a six-figure deal to explain how he would have robbed the casino, if he had done it—pending his acquittal, of course.

Chris Stieber Editor-at-Large Business Staff: Karen Boore Publisher Danny Harris Associate Publisher Staff Writers: Michael Balkin, Steven Bengal, David Brait, Erin Buchko, Kelly Cavanaugh, Jenni Chelenyak, Rebecca Christy, Jane Coaston, Marie Cour, Lindsey Dodge, Blake Emerson, Christine Hwang, Eun Lee, Anna Malecke, Brian McNally, Miquelle Milavec, John O’Brien, Kate O’Connor, Adam Pascarella, Eddie Perry, Danielle Putnam, Shanda Shooter, , Evan Wladis, Christina Zajicek, Zack Zucker

Letters and Viewpoints: The Michigan Review accepts and encourages letters to the editor and viewpoints. Letters to the editor should be under 300 words. Viewpoints can be arranged by contacting the editorial board. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Send all correspondence to mrev@umich.edu.

About Us: The Michigan Review provides a broad range of in-depth coverage of campus affairs and serves as the literary voice of conservatism and libertarianism at the University of Michigan. The Review is published bi-weekly September thru April.

Donate/Subscribe: The Michigan Review accepts no financial support from the University. Therefore, your support is critical and greatly appreciated. Donations above $35 are eligible for a 1-year (12 issues) subscription. Donations can be made on our website at www.michiganreview.com, or mailed to:

911 N. University, Suite One Ann Arbor, MI 48109 The Michigan Review is the independent, student-run journal of conservative and libertarian opinion at the University of Michigan. We neither solicit nor accept monetary donations from the University. Contributions to The Michigan Review are tax-deductible under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code. The Michigan Review is not affiliated with any political party or any university political group. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board. Ergo, they are unequivocally correct and just. Signed articles, letters, and cartoons represent the opinions of the author, and not necessarily those of The Review. The Serpent’s Tooth shall represent the opinion of individual, anonymous contributors to The Review, and should not necessarily be taken as representative of The Review’s editorial stance. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the advertisers or the University of Michigan. Copyright © 2007, The Michigan Review, Inc. All rights reserved. The Michigan Review is a member of the Collegiate Network.

09.18.07

Charlie Weis is a fat slob. Sorry, just wanted to slip that in there. Britney Spears attempted a comeback at this year’s Video Music Awards with a widely-panned performance. Asked to comment on her performance backstage after the VMAs, Spears said, “Oops, I did it again.” Next time you’re in an Angell Hall restroom stall, and someone in the next stall over starts playing footsie, be excited: YAF’s much-anticipated fall speaker, Sen. Larry Craig, is in town. Eighteen-year old High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens recently confirmed through her publicist that recently-surfaced nude photos of her online are, in fact, authentic. NO! STEP AWAY FROM THAT COMPUTER! DO NOT GOOGLE IT!

State Street’s Beta fraternity’s house sits dormant, looking for tenants after having been kicked off campus this past summer. Students can now rent their friends for $200 cheaper per month. U-M, Michigan State, and Wayne State recently produced a study arguing that they create close to 70,000 jobs for the state of Michigan. The universities are hoping this will encourage the state to increase their respective universities’ funding…so they can spend more time producing redundant studies saying how much they rock. Mary Sue Coleman recently met with Google employees at the company’s new office here in Ann Arbor. U-M’s president is hoping the Google employees will help her search for her dignity, which went missing sometime the day after the MCRI passed. After hearing that he had been compared to Lloyd Carr by MSNBC’s First Read blog, President Bush said during last Thursday’s speech to the nation, “Hey, at least my approval ratings are higher than Michigan’s score the last two games.” Former Ohio State standout Greg Oden is out for the season with a knee injury. Oden was admitted to a geriatric ward in Portland, which is good, because they have one of the best Medicare programs in the country. New England Patroits coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 for cheating during their game against the Jets. The Patroits staff videotaped the Jets’ defensive signals. In other news, Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti admitted that their team had intended to tape Ron English’s signals in their game against Michigan, but, in Bellotti’s words, “We realized that Ron wasn’t even on the sidelines. Turned out he was trashed at Rick’s the entire game.”

■ Letter from the Editor

elcome back to campus, and welcome to the first issue during the school year of The Michigan Review. We’ve got a strong issue on deck for you, filled with fun and interesting content. Our lead story is incredibly important to students. Adam Paul (Page 1) investigates how the City Attorney’s office has been using public nuisance laws to target area bars, in particular, Studio 4. Councilwoman Joan Lowenstein, ever a favorite character of ours, has made indications that she supports extending the use of such laws to target campus establishments. Our main feature, by Chris Stieber (Page 1), explores the life of a veteran on campus. The story reveals the many (too many) hardships former fighting men and women encounter when they come to the University of Michigan, in particular. Our editorial (Page 4) on the same topic calls for greater accommodation for our vets. On campus, Adam Pascarella (Page 9) investigates how professors donate five times more to Democratic presidential candidates than Republican presidential candidates. On a similar note, Danielle Putnam (Page 7) profiles the nascent campus presidential candidates on campus. Jonny Slemrod (Page 6) writes about the University’s use of earmarks in federal spending legislation to secure funding for research. One important story is Rebecca Christy’s story (Page 8) on a new concept in sexual assault therapy, “gray rape.” The story is a good primer in preventing oneself from getting into personal or legal problems. On a lighter note, we’ve got previews of two new bars on campus, Bar Louie and the BTB Cantina (Page 10). Zack Zucker has a hilarious critique of MTV in a new recurring feature, our “Campus Corner.” This column will be written by different writers throughout the year, taking a look at some of the quirkier aspects of the college culture. On our opinion pages, we editorialize (Page 4) on being back on campus, the anti-democratic maneuvers by Dartmouth College’s administration, and, as aforementioned, veterans on campus. Our columnists (Page 5), Adam Paul contrasts Eastern Michigan University’s “Education First” program with our scant career-placement services here at U-M. Rebecca Christy talks about having healthy relationships on campus. Also, Blake Emerson takes it to Stanford Coach Jim “You’re Dead to Me” Harbaugh. Lastly, Brian Biglin (Page 12) reports on developments in the Ann Arbor housing market, and, in particular, some students’ housing, which were condemned due to their squalid conditions. All in a couple week’s work for The Michigan Review. Keep reading, I’ll see you on campus. Sincerely, Michael P. O’Brien Editor-in-Chief

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features. the michigan review

“Studio 4” From Page 1

“Veterans” From Page 1

ago in an action against a landlord at 512 Packard. The house had become a nest of drug activity and police often had to respond. In that case, litigation resulted in the judge appointing a receiving company to take over management of the property. “It was enough of a warning that some of these bars are starting to work with us,” said Councilwoman Joan Lowenstein, who supported the measure against Studio 4. The Councilwoman worked strenuously this past spring to prevent downtown bar The Arena from obtaining a permit to have an outdoor tent this past St. Patrick’s Day. “If people are getting out at 2 a.m. and stabbing each other, that did not just happen; there was something going on in the bar,” she said, referring to the street fight of about 40 people in mid-July [outside Studio 4] that resulted in a stabbing and roused action by the City Attorney’s office. Postema first used this type of litigation several years ago in an action against a landlord at 512 Packard. The house had become a nest of drug activity and police often had to respond. In that case, litigation resulted in the judge Councilwoman appointing a receiving Joan Lowenstein company to take over man(Courtesy Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss, P.C.) agement of the property. The police collaborated with the Attorney’s office in other similar ways during recent years. The AAPD keeps a computerized log of all police calls to local drinking establishments. O’Dell said that Café Oz topped the list last summer. Postema said that the Café Oz’s attempts to attract crowds from outside Ann Arbor, mostly from Detroit, to their venue resulted in violent activity. The Attorney’s office made a proposal to council similar to the one against Studio 4 that resulted in meetings between police and bar management. “It’s another tool,” said O’Dell. “Management becomes aware that the city is prepared to take formal civil action.” After meeting with police and the city attorney, Café Oz make improvements and no formal action was taken. Café Oz closed later that year for reasons unrelated to the public nuisance claim. “I do not know why other cities do not use [nuisance litigation]. We have been successful. Other cities are reactive. I want to go beyond that,” said Postema. This approach includes an ongoing action against the long-closed Michigan Inn on Jackson Road. As the Ann Arbor News reported, a local judge appointed a receiving firm to take over the property earlier this month. The current proposal seems to be headed the same way. Lowenstein described the response from bar owners as “immediate” following the city’s consideration of the public nuisance designation. Management from Studio 4 has met with police and agreed to make changes to its policies. Speaking of these meetings, O’Dell said that, “At this point we have had no return problems at that location.” A recent story in the Ann Arbor News named four other campus bars as possible targets of future public nuisance claims. Postema told The Review that the inclusion of other bars came from comments made by City Council—alluding to Councilwoman Lowenstein—relating to the incident at Studio 4 but that the city attorney’s office has no plans to pursue legal action against other campus bars; however, the Attorney’s office is still pursing public nuisance claims in other areas. MR

length of service ranging between five and seven years for many veterans, this year has seen an increase in the number of veterans on college campuses. With this time spent in the service, though, enrolling veteran freshmen are often quite older than their classmates. Not only are they much older, but many veterans have also experienced sights, sounds, and emotions that any non-serving student cannot comprehend. While the servicemen and women interviewed were reticent to explain any specific moments, some admitted that the change from war zones to idyllic campuses was an added difficulty to the process of acclimation. The University administration has had to learn how to welcome veterans to campus. Although there is no exact number of veterans enrolled at U-M available, estimates range from 25 to over 100. There is already an organized group of veterans in the Ross School of Business Brian Biglin/The Michigan Review MBA program with about 20 active North Hall is the hub of military and ROTC activity on the U-M campus. members, and several returning veterans in the Law School. Derek Blumke, a veteran Guards- cessing, a difficulty that is not ame- knew I wanted to get out, though, man, founded the Student Veterans As- liorated at U-M. For many veterans, so I just put up with it.” sociation at The University of Michigan it can be several months before they For his part, Blumke hopes that (SVUAM). He founded the group in con- begin receiving any money towards the Student Veterans Association at junction with other chapters at Columbia their tuition, months that can be fi- a national level will “make it easier University, Florida State University, and nancially difficult for those who to get out to go to school.” the University of Wisconsin at Madison. have just left their military jobs. Sherman Powell, the head of The purpose of SVUAM, Blumke WMU will also give in-state the Student Veterans Association said, is “to unite student veterans on tuition to any veteran regard- at the School of Business, explained campus and to provide them with con- less of their hometown’s location. to many of his fellow veterans that nections to other related organiza- These policies are also found at there were many veterans in the tions on and off campus.” According to many Michigan colleges, including MBA program who were eager to Blumke, the average veteran is “about 26 Wayne State University, Eastern help undergraduate veterans in years old, and has been through experi- Michigan University, and Oakland any way possible with their career. ences which would be hard to explain to University. For many veterans, the connection non-veterans. This can lead to an alienatAccording to Blumke, “Some forged through service will contining experience. The [SVUAM] is here for [members] of the administration at ue on long after the time in active veterans, to give them a place to social Michigan feel that these kinds of duty is over. Although they might network, and just hang out.” policies aren’t needed here, since be several years older than their Other goals for SVUAM are to it’s a top school in the country, that classmates, veterans often compen“educate the student body on military they don’t need to attract more peo- sate for the time delay with greater life to share our experiences,” to “work ple.” leadership skills and proficiency in on changing policies on campus and to Stanford University, however, their future jobs, as they apply the create further opportunities for service is one school that accepts trans- discipline and attitude developed members,” and to provide opportunities fer credits from veterans, another during military service. for volunteer service around For many leaving the community. the military, the easiest At the first SVUAM meet- “Some [members] of the administration at way to adjust is to find ing, some of the veterans with fellow Michigan feel that these kinds of policies friendship expressed an interest in arveterans. At most first ranging a panel to address aren’t needed here, since it’s a top school in “mass meetings” on the student body and to field the country, that they don’t need to attract campus, the groups of questions on military service students usually dismore people.” in Iraq and around the world. perse on their own to Blumke also relayed along Dereck Blumke, Chair of Student Veterans their lives, waiting to that he had “run into a lot of Association at the University of Michigan develop friendship at snags while working with the later dates. For the vetadministration. They were erans of SVAUM, howall very helpful and nice, but ever, many of the atDean [Ted] Spencer said there wasn’t go- policy that veterans at U-M are re- tendees were eager to spend more ing to be a lot of a push to help create a fused. time together, and a large portion program.” Another issue facing those of the group headed off to a bar to For volunteering, Blumke hopes to serving in our military is difficulty talk about their experiences and just work with the local Veterans Affairs Hos- in leaving the armed forces to go to “hang out,” despite having just met pital near North campus. The veterans at college. For Guardsmen who serve less than an hour ago. U-M will be able to better accommodate on weekends during their reserve While many college students the hospitalized men and women at the periods, it is an easier task to enroll have filled their resumes with countVA than some civilian volunteers, and at college and continue to serve, but less volunteer opportunities and the experiences shared between the two the regular forces face greater ob- travel experiences, few can match groups will hopefully aid in rehabilita- stacles. tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, tion programs. “I know that when I served, Korea, or Europe in the military. Veterans at other schools around it was a lot easier for some in my In the University’s never-ending Michigan and around the country have group to just stay in the Army, spend search to add “diversity of experihad easier experiences with their respec- some more time there, than to try ence” to the student body, many of tive schools’ administrations. and go through all the red tape and them plan to become active memAt Western Michigan University, vet- stuff with colleges and leaving the bers of U-M and hope to welcome erans’ first tuition bill is waived in order Army,” said an anonymous fresh- even more of their brothers and sisto accommodate delays in G.I. Bill pro- man retired U.S. Army corporal. “I ters in arms to Ann Arbor. MR

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editorials. the michigan review

The Review welcomes letters to the editor. Send letters to:

The Michigan Review T

he Michigan Review is the independent, student-run journal of conservative and libertarian opinion at the University of Michigan. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Editorial Board. Ergo, they are unequivocally correct and just. Signed articles, letters, and cartoons represent the opinions of the author, and not necessarily those of the Review.

Back to School, Back Veterans Too Often to School...To Prove to Overlooked on Dad We’re Not a Fool Campus

ere we are. After summers at home, abroad, or work in a city other than our own, we have all come back to campus to coalesce into this amorphous “student body” of ours. We hope you spent that time learning—about life, about responsibility, about love, and about whatever else. That’s valuable time, after all, for learning. Who knows how little you’ll learn this year. As ever, Ann Arbor is a fun little bubble away from reality—the reality of the state’s depression, the reality of rational politics, and the reality of a world where responsibilities and deadlines actually matter. We’re here at Michigan, for better or for worse, which leaves us largely oblivious to those numerous truths that surround us in the world. Here in Ann Arbor, especially if you’re from outof-state, you might think that the local economy is rosy and robust. After all, there are all sorts of thriving restaurants, bars, and shops here in town; the state’s economy can’t be that bad, can it? Yes, it can—and is. Students should not be ignorant of the economic hardships in this state. There is an unprecedented budget deficit that the state legislature can’t figure out how to solve. Foreclosures are at record highs as the housing market goes to hell. And some businesses are fleeing the state, thanks to oppressive regulations. Students should inform themselves. Ann Arbor is also the type of place that can skew one’s political outlook after spending too much time here. Our humble college town, after all, is the type of place where a fine establishment, the “People’s Food Co-Op” (no, really, that’s its name) is weighing whether or not to stop selling Israeli goods. There goes that organic Matzo. “Impeach Bush” bumper stickers here are as common as Subaru station wagons, and the biggest beneficiary of professors’ political donations is EMILY’s List, the radical pro-abortion group. The Daily’s first professor column last week lamented the decline of Karl Marx in the reading canon here at the University’s classes, an allegation that can be flatly rejected by multiple Review staffers currently grappling with Marx in their political science courses. This all leaves us skeptical of how much one can actually learn here. Furthermore, students need to understand that there’s life beyond college. In a world where many think their biggest responsibility is making sure they get passable grades, while maintaining enough time to party Thursday through Sunday, it’s easy to complain about studying for exams and having to do homework, as if that were the apogee of difficulty in our lives. Most classes just force you to parrot what the professor’s been saying the past semester. Classes, in general, are more about rote memorization than actual learning, which is unfortunate, because we’re here to learn, not memorize. Unfortunately, the culture on campus coddles students. We’re made to want to hang onto our lifestyle here for as long as possible, instead of seamlessly transitioning into the real world. But that’s not shocking: college is anything BUT the real world. Ignorance is bliss, after all, which explains why so many students are happy to be back here. MR

he University of Michigan prides itself (or, at least, says so) on encouraging the matriculation of students with a variety of experiences. We welcome students from every state and countries as diverse as Thailand and Cameroon. We want students from the ghettos of South Africa and the international schools of Honk Kong and Indonesia. Why, then, are we reticent in welcoming students who have traveled from the Persian Gulf to Rammstein, Germany, from Seoul, Korea to Baghdad? We’re speaking, of course, about military veterans. They have seen things that other students could not possibly imagine, and have gained leadership training skills that the School of Organizational Studies would kill for. Many universities open their doors and arms to those with military service. Columbia University’s School of General Studies, for example, was created for returning war veterans after World War Two and to this day operates by providing a top-notch education to those with “non-traditional” backgrounds. Closer to home, Eastern Michigan University, Wayne State University, Western Michigan University, and Oakland University all offer in-state tuition to servicemen and women regardless of their actual state of residency. But Michigan does not. There is no waiving of tuition, or reduction to in-state levels. Returning veterans at Michigan are treated just as any other student, and sometimes worse, despite their vastly different experiences that may complicate or hinder their success at the University. There is a small but vital population of veterans at the University of Michigan. Some come after serving at bases all around the globe. Others have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many are older than the general undergraduate population, beginning as freshmen or sophomores at twenty or twenty one. Others are doing graduate work at the School of Business or at Rackham. They are making an almost unimaginable shift, going from military bases and battlefields across the globe to the insular and isolated world of a college campus. Some of them have been back for a few years, taking classes at community colleges in order to get transfer credit. Others began their career at the University, left to fulfill their military duties, and are now returning to classes. Despite offering an array of programs to help new students transition from high school to college, the University is generally cold to returning veterans, and has proven to be unwilling to work with the armed services to make the transition from military life to student life easier. The University, of course, is not alone in this. Veterans returning to such schools as the University of California, Berkeley and Stanford have experienced the same reception, causing many to transfer to colleges more willing to welcome them. Military service is something that should not be scoffed at or seen as a bizarre decision, and it should in no way prevent any veteran or military serviceman from being successful at the University. Rather, their wealth of experience and divergent viewpoints should help to inform the student body and make the campus experience richer. Who better to discuss the War in Iraq than one who has fought it? The University should not let its reputation as a bastion of liberalism prevent it from making returning military veterans feel welcome in Ann Arbor—opposition to war and opposition to those who fight them are very different. It has no right to judge anyone’s choice to volunteer to serve our country—“Expect Respect” should go for everyone. MR

mrev@umich.edu The Review reserves the right to edit letters to the editor for length and clarity.

Dartmouth Attacks Democracy for Alumni

ere at Michigan, there is no shortage of grounding to criticize the University administration. But for all their foibles in recent years, their missteps seem like mere trifles compared to the recent goings-on at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. For those who have not been following the situation, here is a primer on the whole situation. Dartmouth has had a unique form of governance. They have a Board of Trustees that governs the College, half of which are elected by the alumni of Dartmouth. The other half are appointed by the President of the College. Until 2004, this was of no concern to Dartmouth’s administration—after all, they handpicked the several candidates for the alumni trustees, and took great care to ensure they were loyal to the administration’s priorities and outlook. But in 2004, one alumnus, T.J. Rodgers, used an overlooked provision allowing “petition” candidates. Rodgers, a libertarian, gathered the necessary signatures to place his name on the ballot. Rodgers, eschewing a traditional left-versus-right debate, ran on a platform of restoring free speech rights for students, and refocusing the emphasis on undergraduate education, abating the administration’s plan to transform Dartmouth into a large research institution. Rodgers was elected, and was followed by former Reagan speechwriter Peter Robinson and law professors Todd Zywicki and Stephen Smith in their petition candidacies. So frustrated were the administration by the encroachment of these petition candidates, who did not toe the line, that they tried to change the rules of the game. The administration amended the constitution to make the criteria for petition candidates nearly prohibitive. But when the amended constitution was put to a vote, however it was roundly defeated. Now, the Dartmouth College administration has made the ultimate maneuver to thwart alumni democracy. This summer, University President, James Wright convened a “Governance Committee” along with Chairman of the Board William Haldeman to re-examine the methodology of elections at Dartmouth. Last week, the administration announced that it would unilaterally expand the size of the Board of Trustees, adding one-third more administration-appointed trustees to the Board. This renders the votes of the alumni trustees effectively irrelevant, giving Dartmouth administration lackeys a supermajority on the board. This anti-democratic move is unconscionable. What the administration of Dartmouth could not legitimately win via voting, they simply change the rules to get what they want. Even after the majority alumni of Dartmouth made clear that that they stood firmly against any abrogation of their democratic input, the administration of Dartmouth ignored their will. This action by Dartmouth’s administration is so brash it would even make Alberto Gonzales blush. Dartmouth’s students and alumni are left out in the cold while a tyrannical administration runs rampant, with no apparent checks on their power. We will grant that, yes, Dartmouth is a private college that has no external compulsion to govern itself openly. But after more than a century of openness and democracy, a tradition of participatory democracy at Dartmouth was something that made the college unique. Some alumni and dissidents within the administration are considering a lawsuit to challenge what has happened. We support all the efforts by those in Hanover, New Hampshire to maintain liberty and enfranchisement. The Dartmouth administration’s antidemocratic streak must be challenged. MR

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■ Strict Scrutiny

A University that Focuses on Education? What a Novel Idea

he University of Michigan gets a lot of respect. The block M is easily recognized and worn by many who have never even set foot on campus. Advances in medicine made at our hospital save lives every year, our football team remains (the early season stumbles notwithstanding) a perennial National Championship contender, and as President Coleman often reminds us, we are leaders in creating a diverse campus community. I just cannot help but think that in the long list I have forgotten something. Didn’t I start, and continue to pay for, my time at U-M with the intent of getting something besides athletic pride and “intercultural competence.” Oh yeah, I came for an education. Despite the countless Adam numbers of times I enter Angell Hall each year, I rarely take Paul the time to read the inscription that reminds the reader that the building was erected as one of the “schools and means of education [that] shall forever be encouraged.” Even though it is in plain sight, it is a message that is often out of mind both for students and for University administrators. Instead of pointing students to professional development or post-graduate opportunities many fuzzy

terms dot our campus landscape. From learning about “social justice” to creating a “global community,” the buzz-words that stand in for education obscure students’ real purpose in college. Just a few miles down Packard, our close Ypsilanti neighbor, Eastern Michigan University, has embraced education with its straight-forward Education First campaign. You will soon be hearing radio ads and seeing placards on AATA buses adverting practical benefits like “1 of the nation’s 10 best Entrepreneur Programs.” While the campaign comes in response to the well-deserved bad press EMU got after concealing a student’s murder on campus last fall, this desperate incentive may not undermine the benefits of the campaign. The preliminary report by the campaign’s drafters’ states, “EMU’s focus on education provides students and faculty with a caring and practical environment for personal and professional achievement.” This mind-set reminds that the university has a measurable goal behind it: making students ready for career success. Instead, open conversation about what comes after college remain abstract and leave many seniors whimsically musing about going to grad in late November each year. Sure, U-M doesn’t have to advertise the greatness of it academics for the same reasons EMU does. If a potential student does not already think U-M is a great option, a cheesy marketing campaign is not going to win them over. Nor are these types of ads likely to

reach a large number of the top-tier candidates we want coming into U-M admissions. But the advertisement of Education First reminds students that they are making a huge investment-one that most of us hope will pay off not just in four years of cultural exchange but in a life time of personal success. Sure, I want college to remain an interactive experience. I don’t want to buy my education with the type of impersonality and thoughtlessness that one uses to buy a dirty thirty. I do, however, want to remember that I am engaged in an exchange from which I hope to extract some practical benefits. Of course, students coming to U-M seeking the best academic benefits are sure to be the type who desire to extract and give benefits from their community as well and that comes out in the speech of university administrators. The problem occurs when engaging the campus community obscures the need to remember that after four years here students have to enter some form of the “real world.” So while EMU really just wants to maintain enrollment after a scandal, the idea that students are making a huge investment, should be an important reminder to U-M. If we listen, the next time you have to tell someone why you love Michigan instead of mentioning your love for drunk pizza you may be able to tell them about the great job your education landed you. MR

■ Minnesota Nice

n an interview for an article, a SAPAC (Sexual Assault Awareness and Protection Center) representative told me that during the “Consent is Sexy” presentation some students seemed uncomfortable with the idea of asking for verbal consent prior to sex. Apparently, for these students, it is more embarrassing to ask someone to have sex than it is to be naked in front of another person. This is reminiscent of the Seinfeld joke Rebecca about death and public speakChristy ing, “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking…This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”

An Advocate for the Relationship Unfortunately, this is a common dilemma at the University of Michigan. Call me old-fashioned, but if you are not comfortable asking someone to sleep with you in the heat of the moment, I really doubt having sex with that person is going to be satisfying. Well, emotionally anyway. Despite the many doubts about the fulfillment of one-night stands, they are extremely common among college students. Some people even believe that the days of the collegiate boyfriend and girlfriend relationship are dead. I disagree. I can wholeheartedly say most people I know want a significant other, and surprisingly or not, a lot of these people are men. One of the biggest reasons why people do not have the relationship they want is because they have trouble finding the environment where they can comfortably communicate with people through the sexual script of “a date.” The viable alternative becomes the onenight stand where almost no communication is required, which perpetuates

the system where people cannot have a romantic dialogue. Countless times I have heard my friends make a comment about not wanting to meet their future boyfriend or girlfriend at the bar. The same seems to go for house parties. So with a majority of people spending the weekend socializing solely at bars and parties, no wonder no one is meeting anyone. This situation extends beyond the undergraduate community too, manifesting itself through the rise of Internet dating and speed-dating services. Despite appearances, there are plenty of opportunities to meet new people in an environment suitable to dating. One of the easiest outlets is an extra-curricular activity. Organizations effectively gather a group of people who have similar interests as well as create a variety of events in which oneon-one communication is promoted. Our generation tends to be regarded as a Generation of, for, and all about “me.” With so much focus placed on academic and professional achieve-

ment, including for most women today, all of our time is spent making these self-rewarding goals come to fruition. In contrast, time spent pursuing a mate appears frivolous. This mode of thinking ignores the potential personal growth that accompanies a serious relationship. Although having a significant other is largely viewed as a personal matter, the emotional and social skills that develop throughout the course of a relationship easily translate to the public sphere. Learning to effectively communicate, listen to someone else’s concerns, and compromise are pertinent to any professional interaction. The social intelligence that accompanies this experience contributes to a person’s maturity and growth. Universities stress the importance of a college student being academically diverse, but there are other ways for college students to become well-rounded individuals that extend beyond the classroom, and beyond a typical Friday night at the bar. MR

Granted, Harbaugh’s current Stanford program graduates football players at a stunning 94 percent, one of the highest rates in the country. But is it fair to compare the players of the two programs? According to Rivals. com, Stanford hasn’t had a recruiting class ranked above 40th in the country for 4 full years. Contrast that with Michigan, which hasn’t had a recruiting class below 15th in the country over the same timeframe. With stats like that, it is clear that the average football player at each school has different priorities. And why blame them? Most of Michigan’s players have aspirations of going professional, and many do so by graduating early, or focusing strictly on improving their draft status. Millions of dollars are on the line.

The point is that Michigan football players are pre-professional athletes. But the aberration that the General Studies major “does not give you the skill set to compete,” as Harbaugh claimed, is just not universally true. A profile of the 1997 national championship team shows that Wide Receiver Kevin Bryant, a General Studies major, now owns his own electric company. Center Steve Frazier, another General Studies major, is a commercial airline pilot. While the verbal exchanges have been over for awhile, this subject needs to be put to rest so it never resurfaces. Michigan Football creates Michigan Men for life, regardless of their major. MR

Out of the ‘Blue’: Was Harbaugh Right? By Blake Emerson, ‘09

uring his unprompted rant against the Michigan Football team in May, ex-Michigan quarterback and current Stanford football coach Jim Harbaugh stated that he wished Michigan set the same academic standards as Stanford. He berated Michigan for accepting “borderline guys,” and easing them into the General Studies program. Feedback from football alumni should be taken seriously, especially about the coach’s ability to prepare players for big games; however, the University should not tolerate someone like Harbaugh who spouts out hogwash without merit, with the effect of berating a program. If you look at Michigan by itself, some of the statistics would indeed

look alarming. Football players graduate at a rate of 71 percent, and that is not necessarily in 4 years. Of course, much of this can be blamed by the fact that Michigan lowers its standards for football players, as do most schools. For example, incoming Texas running back Sam McGuffie reports an ACT of 22, a score you wouldn’t find otherwise for an out-of-state student at Michigan. Comparing graduation rates for football players from comparable schools, one finds that Michigan ranks 3rd in the Big Ten in graduating football players. This is damning to Harbaugh’s argument, as is the fact that Michigan’s 71 percent graduation clip— at a difficult university with above average football success— beats the NCAA average by five percentage points.

P. 6

news.

09.18.07

the michigan review

Catching Up on the Summer’s Goings On What you missed on campus while you were gone this summer By Anna Malecke, ‘10

any believe that the city of Ann Arbor is nonexistent without the University of Michigan, that city life revolves around campus life, and that the entire town dies every summer when students return home. Fortunately, for those of us left here during the warmer months, that impression is false. During the summer months, the unique culture and liveliness of Ann Arbor continues. This summer, the city stayed active by sponsoring three festivals: one new, one seasoned, and one world-renowned. This summer marked the first appearance of the Ann Arbor Book Festival. Taking place from May 1st to 21st, the first 18 days included a book scavenger hunt hosted by local libraries and bookstores. Bookstores such as Barnes and Noble had special sales benefiting the art fair. Authors visited local schools, and Mayor John Heiftje declared the week of May 14th-18th, “Ann Arbor Kids Love to Read.” The Festival culminated with a writer’s conference, a street fair featuring national authors, and a silent auction. Participating authors included Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Francine Prose, Joseph Coulson, Denny McClain, Raymond Arroyo, Nancy Pearl, Timothy Egan, DJ MacHale, and Tim Dorsey. The Ann Arbor Summer Festival, or Top of the Park, lasted for three weeks in June and July and featured movies, live music, dance performances, and food. Located at the Ingalls Mall (in front of Rackham between the MLB U-M alumnus Sanjay and The League), the Gupta appeared at festivities entertained the Ann Arbor Book residents with bands Festival. specializing in reggae to jazz, street performers such as Melbournebased performing arts company, Strange Fruit, and classic movies like Singing in the Rain. Local restaurants such as Stucci’s, Sweetwater’s, and Rendez-vous Café were on-site providing refreshments. The largest festival in Ann Arbor is also the largest of its kind in the nation. Dating back to 1960, the Ann Arbor Art Fair is the original of four art fairs that take place across the nation every year. About 500,000 people flocked from around the world to visit booths from 180 artists. This summer, the art fair took place the third week of July and spanned from Main Street to State Street. The art fair also included crafts for children, entertainment, and outdoor eating pavilions. The Ann Arbor Art Fair has won numerous awards, including #1 Art Fair in The Nation in 2005, Best Art Fair, from Hour Detroit, and a nod on AmericanStyle Magazine’s 2005 list of Top 10 Art Fairs. Although Ann Arbor certainly misses the students, it does not mourn their loss. Instead, the city celebrates the summer months with a variety of distinctive festivities that characterize the uniqueness of the city. MR

Earmarks: Not (Really) for the University The ‘U’ Doesn’t Get in on this Controversial Federal Spending By Jonny Slemrod, ‘10

Senate come back to the institution. Although U-M has received small amounts of ears Congress returns from its August recess, mark funding in the past, it is not the preferred method the battle over how federal funds are allocated is of receiving funding. A press release from November of sure to be a hot topic. Indeed, President Bush and several 2006 declared that the University supports competitive prominent Republican politicians are fighting to reduce peer review as the primary and best mechanism to allothe number of expensive pet projects that Congress inserts cate Federal research funds, but that the Office of the Vice into major funding bills, known as “earmarks.” President for Research does not “seek or accept governThe battle over earmarks has intensified in the wake ment earmarks in support of faculty research.” of several corruption scandals. Presidential hopeful John At the center of the earmarking debate is Senator Tom McCain called earmarks a “gateway to corruption.” Coburn, a Republican from Oklahoma. In July 2006, CoEarmarks give universities the chance to bypass the burn requested that 110 U.S. universities that had received peer-review process when looking for funds. A quick look money through earmarks describe how the money was through any major federal funding bill will show that uni- used. Not surprisingly, the response that Coburn received versities receive millions through the earmark process, was lackluster. According to Science Magazine, “only 14 including U-M. schools met Coburn’s deadline, alThe 2007 Labor, Health and Huthough a few told him they needed Federal Earmarks in more time.” man Services bill included a $400,000 earmark for the U-M Depression CenSome question the positive effects the 2007 Labor and ter and a $375,000 earmark for the of academic earmarking. Education Bill: “University of Michigan Health Sys“We know that there is no direct tem for infectious disease laboratory relationship between a university’s facilities and equipment.” level of earmarking and its research The 2008 version of the bill incompetitiveness. Some universities cludes 1,016 earmarks worth $392 milthat have received hundreds of million, according to the free-market orlions of dollars in earmarks have acganization Americans for Prosperity. tually experienced a decline in their Many of these earmarks are for public NSF [National Science Foundation] universities. ranking of overall federal research Universities secure earmarks by funding, a major indicator of scientific hiring lobbyists, who make the case competitiveness,” said John Casteen, for more funding to politicians and the President of the University of Virpolicy makers on Capitol Hill. ginia. According to the Michigan Daily, Regardless, universities that thrive U-M spent $420,000 on lobbying fees in 2006. off earmarks have a lot to look forward to: academic earAlthough high, U-M’s lobbying fees pale in compari- marks now represent 10% of government funding for reson to schools such as the University of California, which search, and show no signs of slowing. MR spent $1.24 million in 2003. Brian Silverman of the University of Toronto and John Figueiredo of MIT estimate that for each dollar the average university spends on lobbying, $49-$55 of funding from the House and $18-$29 from the

$392 Million

(1,016 different earmarks)

Want to write stories about how students study more during fall break? Write for the Daily! Want to write stories about the plight of albino Costa Rican guava farmers? Write for the Independent! Want to write hard-hitting stories about the University, state politics, national college culture, and the world around you??

Write for The Michigan Review! We’re looking for talented individuals to help out in the following areas: Writing Photography Graphic Design Advertising Accounting and much more!! email:

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09.18.07

P. 7

LSA-SG Leads Charge for Answers, Newspapers, Movies and More By Alex Prasad, ‘11

n high school, your student council was in charge of homecoming and prom. Beyond that, who knows what it actually did. At Michigan, LSA students can be sure that their student government, called LSASG, is making some more significant decisions. Under the leadership of first-year President Keith Reiseinger ’09, LSA-SG has taken Reiseinger’s own calling, “to help and improve campus,” in his own words, and applied it to its list of priorities. They have started by making internal improvements to their own way of doing business, Reiseinger said. The most successful of these campaigns was started last year with the thissucks@umich.edu program. The email address actually exists and is read by a representative of LSA-SG daily. The representative then passes the information along to the appropriate committee head who works to rectify the problem. The program has been so successful that the other student

representation organization on campus, the Michigan Student Assembly (MSA), started its own email address program with the slogan “what to fix.” LSA-SG is also working on creating a database of frequently asked questions, that would help students find the answers to questions as specific as, “how can I rent the State Theatre” to broad questions such as, “how does Mcard Entrée Plus work?” For the first time this year, LSASG will work with the LGBT office, co-sponsoring either National Coming Out Week or World Aids Week. Externally, there is also much on the docket for LSA-SG. The

Student Groups Gear Up to Support Presidential Candidates By Danielle Putnam, ‘08

ith the 2008 Presidential primaries right around the corner, students at the University of Michigan are already rallying around their favorite candidate in hopes that he—or in the case of the 2008 elections, she—will have the opportunity to become the next President of the United States. With the numerous candidates each party has to offer, the decision is not a particularly easy one. The “Students for (insert candidate name here)” groups on campus have taken it upon themselves to help some less knowledgeable students make that decision easier. Justin Schon, Chair of University of Michigan Students for Biden, said that the development of the BidenGelb plan for Iraq sets Biden apart. The plan goes beyond basic reconstruction to include recognition of the Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis individual needs, as well as emphasizing the importance of the cooperation among these groups in regards to national interests. Joe Biden’s three decades of service, and now Chairman position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Schon says, proves that he has the necessary foreign relations expertise required of the President. Although there are no scheduled events yet, the group is enthusiastic about getting Biden elected. “John McCain is the voice of common sense conservatism,” Allison Schneider, Chair of Students for McCain said about her candidate of choice. McCain has served four terms as a U.S. Senator and for 22 years in the Navy, which gives him extensive experience and leadership Schneider says is “necessary to implement his ideas and lead this country.” His commitment to victory in Iraq and the War on Terror, as well as the elimination of wasteful government spending may make him the most appealing candidate to Republican students on campus. The group will be attending the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference in September, Drumm said, and is “excited for the Senator’s upcoming visits to Michigan and our opportunity to speak with people all over the state about

Senator McCain, both by phone and in person.” Travis Radina, Chair of Students for Edwards, supports the senator because of his “commitment to ending poverty, his plan to create a Universal Health Care system, his support of trade policies, and his commitment to ending the war in Iraq.” The group plans to have Congressman Stupak, who has endorsed former Senator Edwards, speak at their mass meeting in early October. They will also be holding voter registration events, informational events, as well as attending a forum which the College Democrats are considering hosting. Students for Romney have high hopes for Romney as he is “Michigan’s candidate.” His ability to balance the budget, lower the unemployment rate, and create nearly 60,000 jobs in Massachusetts all of which, Amy Drumm, Chair of Students for Romney, says makes him the most qualified candidate. Students for Romney will be holding informational sessions, phone banks, attending local events, and attending the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference. Tom Duvall, Chair of Students for Obama, was quite enthusiastic about Senator Obama’s ability to win in Michigan. “The point is, it’s a different campaign,” Duvall said, “and there’s a hunger for change.” Although Senator Obama has pledged not to campaign in Michigan, the group is still highly committed to gaining support through a competition with Michigan State University to register 1,000 students to vote before the UM-MSU football game, getting 1,000 people to pledge to vote for Obama, and participating in door-to-door campaigning in Iowa during Fall Break. Duvall believes that Obama stands apart because of his real world experience and judgment. The Review also obtained contacts for student groups supporting Republicans Sam Brownback, Rudy Guliani, and Ron Paul, as well as Democrat Hillary Clinton. Requests for comment from these groups were not returned. MR

Popular ‘08 Candidates

Republican candidate John McCain

Democratic candidate Barack Obama

Republican candidate Rudy Guliani

Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton

priorities include creating a special event busing system that would directly serve dorms for an entire night and take students to basketball games or even movie premieres. Perhaps the most ambitious goal of the Reiseinger Administration is a joint project with MSA called the College Readership program. The program would allow students to use their Mcard’s entrée plus feature to purchase the Detroit Free Press, USA Today and the New York Times at newsstands across campus. While the program was originally scheduled to come online in February, the new target date is sometime next fall. Recognizing that students are here for more than just sporting

events and reading newspapers, LSA-SG has a few other priorities. Reiseinger said that reforming the study abroad program, making transferring credits easier, and making sure the right classes count for the Race and Ethnicity requirement are a top priority. While the school year is just underway, LSA-SG and Reiseinger are already making progress on their wish list of reforms for U-M. Despite having a budget much smaller than MSA, LSA-SG has still had no shortage of ideas and planned action. MR

University Conducts Search For New Top Lawyer

By Jane Coaston, ‘09

arvin Krislov, the General Counsel for the University, stepped down this summer to assume the presidency of Oberlin College, leaving large shoes to fill in his stead. Krislov, during the nine years at the University, oversaw the investigation into the men’s basketball program. Most notably, he oversaw the University’s response to attacks on its affirmative action programs, in particular the 2003 lawsuits before the Supreme Court. The University has now formed a committee, The Vice President and General Counsel Search Advisory Committee, to conduct the search for Krislov’s replacement. The commission publicized the criteria for the position, which includes prior experience with higher education, directing the work of other attorneys, and experience in litigation processes. According to one staff member for the committee, the search will be national. The University has placed advertisements in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Hispanic Outlook, and Diverse Education. The University has additionally advertised in periodicals such as the National Bar Association, the Association of American Law Schools, and Women in Higher Education. Christina Whitman, the Francis A. Allen Collegiate Professor of Law at the Law School, is chair of the hiring commission. The office of the Vice President and General Counsel is one of the most vital to the University. The Vice President acts as “chief legal officer for the University, and works closely with the President, Board of Regents, the University executive officers, all other University units, and sometimes students on various legal issues affecting the University.” “I personally am looking for someone who is both flexible and confident enough to hear others, who can appreciate all sides of a question,” she said, “And who has poise and a sense of humor.” She additionally stressed the importance of “integrity and compassion” in the next General Counsel.

Whitman said that there are no criteria for a candidate’s previous experience—Krislov was an official in the Department of Labor during the Clinton administration. Professor Whitman did however acknowledge that “certain sorts of law firm experience could also be very helpful. At the same time, Whitman said, the University is looking for a candidate with experience in higher education. “It’s also very important to me that the candidate appreciate academic values and understands how academic institutions work,” she said, “Someone who has excellent judgment and appropriately inspires trust.” Krislov, contacted at his Oberlin email address, declined comment for the interview, saying the

Former University General Counsel and Oberlin President Marvin Krislov

University should be free to conduct its search. Krislov’s departure marks the completion of almost a wholesale turnover of high-ranking University officials at the end of President Mary Sue Coleman’s fifth anniversary in office. In addition to Krislov’s departure, former Vice President of Communications Julie Petersen took the top public relations job at the University of Chicago. There had also been a great deal of fluidity in the Provost’s and Deans’ positions before last year. The search for Marvin Krislov’s replacement is expected to take an entire year, concluding in September 2008. MR

P. 8

09.18.07

news.

the michigan review

More Time Needed For Big Ten Network to Work its Magic

All Girls Charter School a Possible Violation of Title IX

By Shanda Shooter, ‘10

By Christine Hwang, ‘10

t the time of its launch, the Big Ten Network had 20 millions subscribers, more than any other basic cable channel has had at its launch. Through a complex set of circumstances, though, most cable subscribers were left unable to watch Michigan football take on Appalachian State on September 1st. Many students have expressed frustration over the new network and its lack of availability. Much is going on behind the scenes, however. Currently, the Big Ten Network has negotiated deals with their DIRECTV, DISH Network, AT&T and 120 smaller operators to carry the channel as part of basic channel line up, but they are still working with other cable companies. Although Comcast has rejected Big Ten Network from their basic lineup, the channel is available in University of Michigan dorms, who have Comcast service. The Big Ten Network would like to make the channel widely available in the eight states that make up the “Big Ten Footprint” since their programming specifically caters to those interested in Big Ten universities. In addition to the channel carrying Big Ten sports, it is also giving the schools a chance to showcase their academic achievements through various campus programming opportunities. Bruce Madej, the Associate Athletic Director of Media Relations, believes it will take months for people to see that the launch of the Big Ten Network was a success and a benefit to the University and its fans. The athletic department feels that the network’s concept will be successful and the University will benefit financially from the revenue the network generates. The revenue made by the network is being split equally among the Big Ten universities. According

to Athletic Department statements, the money will be “important for the long-term financial stability of our athletic programs” and will help update many athletic facilities. The Athletic Department has also given $1.5 million from the new revenue to the University’s General Scholarship Fund. The network plans on broadcasting three Michigan football games and about half of Michigan’s basketball games. This may be an improvement over last year, when most nonheadlining games were televised on the limited-availability ESPNU. All of Michigan football’s “big ticket” games will still be aired on network television. The Big Ten Network is picking up those games not being broadcast by big networks and putting them on a channel which they hope will someday be on everyone’s basic cable. According to Madej, Michigan events are increasingly being put on special channels such as ESPNU without the university really having control or a choice in the decision. The Big Ten Network will allow for more precise control of the televising of games. If the Big Ten Network meets its goal of having cable companies only offer it as a basic channel, Big Ten fans will have much greater access to a wider variety of games and sports. Although it may be frustrating now if you don’t have one of the cable companies currently offering the Big Ten Network, the University has signed long-term contracts and the network isn’t going anywhere. Both the Big Ten Network and Athletic Department encourage you to call your cable company and request they carry the network as a basic channel. Until enough voices are heard, eager fans will simply have to wait or find a place that has the network to watch the game. MR

olitics, once again, are getting in the way of hundreds of childrens’ education. Among the most recent debates is whether government funding for singlesex charter schools complies with Title IX. The issue emerged when Nina Gilbert of Gwinnett County, Georgia wanted to open an all-girls college prep school for disadvantaged students. The local school board argued against the school’s model, saying that it violated Title IX, which outlawed exclusion based on gender. The school also worried that along with the worry civil rights groups like the ACLU would file lawsuits against Gilbert’s school. In response to the proposal, the NAACP stated that it supported the school, but feared that the local school board would justify their votes. The story made enough of a splash to be covered in the Wall Street Journal. One of the arguments regarding the legality of single-sex charter schools stimulates over whether single-sex schools truly benefit students, and thus should be made an alternative choice. Jennifer Bayorek ’10 says that she attended an all-girls high school because it was the best school in the area. She did not choose the school on the basis of it being single-sex, although after going to an all-girls school, she realized that the environment was helpful because she didn’t feel pressured if she wanted a leadership role in the classroom. “I think sometimes in a co-ed school, boys are the ones expected to talk,” said Bayorek. Social research has demonstrated that girls who went to all-girls schools tended to succeed at a greater rate than girls who attended co-ed schools. In An Introduction to Models in the Social Sciences, Charles A. Lave and James G. March found that “men seem to confuse masculinity and intelligence; a smart woman is threatening to them. So when a woman shows her intelligence, she gets criticized or ignored. After a while, women who want male approval learn to act dumb as to not offend men.”At all-girls schools, they argue women have not been conditioned to be quiet in class and play

dumb. Thus, they get more opportunity to develop their potential. Lave and March, however, argue that women from all-girls schools who go on to coed colleges are often influenced by the same standards, especially if they are attractive or not particularly careerdriven. The lack of women in many upper level classes, especially in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering, at U-M could be evidence of this. Opponents, however, question whether allocating money to an all-girls school complies with Title IX. Is it the same thing as having all-girls dorms, gender-separated athletic teams, and female groups like Adelia Cheever and WISE at government-funded universities? Or maybe there should be an all-boys alternative for every all-girls alternative.

“Social research has demonstrated that girls who went to all-girls tended to succeed at a greater rate than girls who attended co-ed schools.” The question is where the government should cut the line in gender equality. “Instead of saying that we’re only going to fund for co-ed schools, what if there’s a school with more boys than girls? Then, there are funding for more boys to go to a school than girls. They should fund all schools, to be fair,” said Bayorek. MR

Black and White With Shades of ‘Gray’ By Rebecca Christy, ‘08

cknowledging ambiguities in most political and social issues is often a sign of astuteness. However, a recent article in this month’s issue of Cosmopolitan magazine has introduced a ‘gray’ area into a subject matter where many feel the hue is non-existent. Journalist Laura Session Stepp, in her article, “A New Kind of Date Rape,” recently introduced the concept of “gray rape.” The article defines gray rape as “sex that falls somewhere between consent and denial and is even more confusing than date rape because often both parties are unsure of who wanted what.” The article features a number of examples of what the author considers a gray rape incident. One woman, identified by the pseudonym Alicia, describes the night after attending a college sorority formal. She states that after telling her date she did not want anything to proceed to sex he pushed her down on the couch. Following a second verbal refusal (during which the victim believes was spoken too softly) he began having sex with her. In another incident a woman describes how another man “pinned her onto the bed” and sexually assaulted her.

These cases appear to some as unquestionable rape with no room for gray areas. Amy Gordon, the Peer Education Co- Coordinator of Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center (SAPAC) said, “We don’t think these examples are confusing at all.” She also stated that the term “gray rape” is not an expression that is used in the organization. The Cosmopolitan article deems that an individual must get a clear verbal or nonverbal yes from someone in order to engage in sexual intercourse. Under these guidelines, Alicia’s story clearly fits the definition of rape, according to SAPAC. The term “gray rape” may be a contradiction within itself. The use of the word “gray” implies that an aspect of the situation is inconclusive, while at the same time it plainly labels the incident as rape. While there is a level of ambiguity in these cases, both Session and Gordon seem to agree that there are a variety of reasons why women may be uncertain as to whether they have been a victim of rape. Session states that gray rape is often a consequence of “lots of partying and flirting, plenty of alcohol, and ironically, the idea that women can be just as bold and adventurous about sex as men are.” She observes that the collegiate hook-up culture allows women to be

more aggressive in the search for sexual encounters and that this new assertiveness may result in misread signals from men. The fact that acquaintance rape far outweighs the number of rapes which occur between strangers also adds additional confusion. As a result, many women may feel that their experience is not something that should be dealt with in the public sphere. Gordon acknowledges that the most reported reason that rape survivors do not report their assault to police is that they believe it is a personal issue. One thing is for certain—many college students are confused about the specifics of rape. Issues from what constitutes consent (a verbal agreement is best), the role of alcohol, and even the exact definition of rape has many students asking questions. “A lot of this can be confusing but it doesn’t have to be,” said Gordon. If you have questions regarding sexual assault or have experienced any type of abuse, assault, or harassment please contact the SAPAC Office at (734) 998-9368 or call the 24 hour Crisis Line at (734) 936-3333. MR

09.18.07

P. 9

news.

the michigan review

9/11 Remembered

Ford School Attracts Critic of U.S. Human Rights Policy, While Students Mourn Those Who Died By Adam Paul, ‘08

hen thinking of organizations to memorialize September 11th, Amnesty International may not be the first to come to mind. In fact, the group has opposed much of the administration’s response to the attacks. Yet this September 11th, the Ford School of Public Policy welcomed the Executive Director of Amnesty International USA, Larry Cox, to Rackham Auditorium to deliver their annual lecture commemorating the catastrophe. “There are no words to adequately describe the horror of the events of six years ago,” began Cox. While acknowledging the attacks as an affront to human rights, Cox focused his speech, entitled “Human Rights in the Post-September 11th World,” on the failures of the U.S.’s response. Cox elaborated on the position

long held by Amnesty that many U.S. actions, such as the Patriot Act and the establishment of the Guantanemo Bay detention facility, break international law and jeopardize the standing of the U.S. around the world. “The pain of that day has become the rational for the expansion of executive power,” said Cox. While Cox mentioned missteps on human rights in America’s past, he feels these violations are markedly different. Now abuses are “not denied but openly defended” by U.S. officials, including President Bush. Cox finds open disregard for habeas corpus or the Geneva Conventions by the U.S. particularly troubling. Cox argues that the U.S. treats AlQaeda too much like a nation-state by calling them “Islamofascists.” Al-Qaeda are even more disrespectful of rights, but Cox argues that U.S. failures matter because “there is no country whose example is more powerful.”

Cox called on members of the audience to take action. “There are signs that the use of fear to bludgeon us into the loss of our values no longer works well,” concluded Cox. During a Q&A session, one audience member noted the lack of students in the crowd and asked how to attract more young people. While most students seemed to let 9/11 pass them by, about a dozen students gathered on the Diag latter that night to commemorate the day in a different way. A group of students led by Andrew Boyd and Justin Zackoff of the Michigan Federation of College Republicans put up a series of American flags, each one representing someone killed on 9/11. “We want to remind people of those who died and show support for their families,” said Boyd. The students also lit candles and read several poems in memory of those who died. MR

Adam Paul/The Michigan Review

Campus conservative groups staked numerous American flags in a display on the Diag on 9/11. The flags represented the thousands of victims in the attacks of 2001.

Donations By University Presidents Heavily Favor Dem Candidates

New Study Explores Differences Between Men & Women on Campus

By Adam Pascarella, ‘10

By Marie Cour, ‘08

Dems running for president receive 5 times more than GOP-ers

ccording to recent, independent research done by The Michigan Review, far more professors at the University of Michigan have, to date, donated money to Democratic Presidential candidates than Republican candidates. According to Federal Elections Commission data released on the popular election finance website opensecrets.org, $15,400 was given to Democratic Presidential campaigns by twenty-eight professors since June 4, 2007. The Republicans fared far worse in Ann Arbor: only two professors throughout the entire University donated a meager $2,850 to G.O.P. Presidential hopefuls. In order to be officially counted in FEC statistics, a campaign contribution had to result in at least a $200 donation to one candidate. Senator Hillary Clinton’s Presidential campaign received a grand total of $10,200 in donations, by far the highest amount given to any Democratic candidate. Senator Barack Obama, former Senator John Edwards, and Governor Bill Richardson followed Clinton with gift totals of $3,450, $1,500, and $250 respectively. As for the Republicans, Mitt Romney received the maximum $2,300 allowed in the Presidential primary season from business school professor Kim Cameron. Besides being a close friend of Romney’s, Cameron believes that the former Massachusetts Governor will be able to efficiently confront the numerous tests that the next President will have to overcome. When asked about donations by faculty at the University, Cameron was not surprised at the uneven distribution. “It is very typical of U-M and Ann Arbor to donate to Democratic candidates. However, I am perfectly comfortable with it. Most of my colleagues are in a different place politically than I am,”

Cameron said. The other Republican donation of $550 was given to Senator John McCain by Professor Emeritus Kenneth Ludema of the Applied Mechanics department. Neither G.O.P. frontrunner Mayor Rudy Giuliani nor the much ballyhooed Senator Fred Thompson received any contributions from professors or other UM employees. One of the largest professor donors throughout the first half of the year was public interest fellow Sally Katzen of the UM Law School. She donated $4,600 to Hillary Clinton’s campaign, giving $2,300 to the Senator’s primary and general election efforts meaning that under campaign finance laws, she cannot donate any more money to the Senator for the 2008 general election. In addition to the lopsided contributions to Democratic candidates, professors’ donations to liberal political action committees outnumbered contributions to conservative political organizations. Not one dollar was given to a Republican or conservative PAC. EMILY’s List, the PAC whose objective is “building a progressive America by electing pro-choice Democratic women to federal, state, and local office,” earned $6,300, the top amount total. Ann Larimore, a Professor Emeritus of women’s studies who declined to be interviewed by the Michigan Review, was a major contributor, donating $5,000 to the pro-choice PAC in addition to giving $4,600 to the Clinton Presidential campaign. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) also fared fairly well. Four professors contributed a combined $1,300 to the DNC and an additional four gave $1,232 to the DCCC. The numbers are fairly on par with the 2006 election cycle, in which $1,500 was given to the DNC and $500 to the DCCC by June 4, 2005. MR

f someone were to walk around campus on Saturday for the past few weeks, he would have found the entire campus participating in the pre- and postfootball game rituals that have come to define the University of Michigan. According to “Sports Culture among Undergraduates,” a study recently published by Andrei Markovits, professor of German Studies and Political Science, and David T. Smith, a doctoral student at Michigan, men and women at Michigan experience sports in different ways. Despite the numerical parity in sports participation created by Title IX in 1977, sports is not gender blind. In fact, it is one of the few public activities where it is assumed that men and women cannot compete with each other. “Sports, ultimately, is the only realm in which gender segregation is totally accepted. I’ve never heard, even from the most radical feminist, that the quarterback of the Michigan football team should be a woman,” said Markovits, in a recent interview with the Michigan Review. In the study, the authors note that men and women seem to have developed different cultures around sports. For example, women may attend games in equal numbers, but they are less likely to become rowdy, watch as many hours of televised sports, or spend as many hours discussing profes-

sional sports teams. Even women who have a genuine interest in sports are viewed as outsiders by most men. For example, women who have an extensive knowledge of team are belittled as being “studied,” and many turn to wearing clothing with the team’s logos while watching games to prove their commitment to the team. Part of this division undoubtedly emerges from the importance of sports in male communication. Markovits argues that sports is a universal language among men, and it is possibly the only socially acceptable form of intimacy among heterosexual males. He commented that sports allowed “an over-educated, upper class university professor to have a conversation with a Boston cab driver for two-and-a-half hours and have it seem like 15 minutes.” When Markovits left the cab, he felt as if he had made real connection with the driver, even though he knew nothing about the man’s personal life. The importance of sports among males does not explain why football seems to be as popular among men as women. Markovits believes that football at Michigan is an institution, adding that exactly which sport becomes an “institution” at a given school is either coincidental or based on which has the most success. Here at Michigan, Football Saturdays have long been a part of college life that must be experienced in order to be a “Wolverine.” MR

P. 10

09.18.07

arts & culture. the michigan review

What is MTV, Without Music?

BTB Cantina Promises to be a New Campus Favorite

By Zack Zucker, ‘10

By Erika Gonzalez, ‘09

Campus Corner

n August 1, 1981, American culture changed forever. On that day, MTV transformed the way young Americans experienced music. Over the next two decades, it would go even further. Without question, MTV significantly influenced American society as a whole. Ask anyone who grew up in the 1980s about defining cultural moments of their youth, and you can bet that they’ll include Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and “Beat It,” and Madonna going virginal. In the 1990s, it was Nirvana going Unplugged and Carson Daly making pre-teen girls scream with in-studio guests N*Sync and The Backstreet Boys. Towards the end of the 1980s, MTV figured out that they could attract viewers with original programming. From this revelation came one of the most influential shows in American television history, The Real World. Suddenly, teenagers were learning about current events from MTV News and frying their brains with Beavis and Butthead. It’s hard to imagine now, but MTV even captivated us with movies— “U+Me=Us,” anyone? At some point, MTV stopped playing music altogether (and 4 a.m. doesn’t count). I challenge you to pinpoint exactly when this happened. I can’t. Today, almost every show on MTV is a cheaply made reality program. Even the most successful of the music video shows, TRL, is rumored to be on the chopping block. Or has it already been cancelled? So here’s the question on my mind: does MTV still matter? I think the answer lies on comparing MTV’s cultural significance today to its impact of yester-year. Even today, play Thriller at a party and you’ll see the dance that first aired on MTV 24 years ago. Walk up to any random group of college students and ask them to name their favorite Real World character, and a heated debate will assuredly ensue. People still tear up when recalling Pedro losing his battle with AIDS. Fifteen years from now, will people tear up as they recall Jessica Simpson’s battle with literacy? Will anyone be doing any dances from today? Without the benefit of endless airtime on MTV, I don’t think very many people will know how to “Do the Heisman on that ‘ho” (but should they really?). MTV still produces popular shows, but they are just fads. I’ll give MTV credit where credit is due—they know how to reach the teenage demographic with creative, new reality shows. But do we really care how “pimp” someone’s ride is, who’s the hottest girl in “The Hills”, or whether that guy will get “nexted”? What is MTV without music? It’s just TV…just like the other 300 channels. MR

Adam Paul/The Michigan Review

This new bar brings class, but little substance, to the campus bar scene.

Bar Louie Taps Into Campus, Downtown By Michael O’Brien, ‘08

ompared to a number of other college campuses, one would think Ann Arbor had reached its saturation point of bars. But with the addition of Google to the off-campus community, one more bar and restaurant— Bar Louie—has been added to the panoply of drink and dining options available to students. The new establishment, on the corner of Division and Liberty, caters to city residents and students alike. Bar Louie is a national chain of upscale bars and eateries, contrasting with many downtown establishments, which, while upscale, are local and original. Nonetheless, Bar Louie has been moderately successful, with its busiest days coming on weekends. But is the bar worth a visit for students? If you’re looking for traditional bar fare as food, then Bar Louie might be worth a look. Pizzas, burgers, and other sandwiches are the menu items du jour, though salads and other finger foods are available. Unfortunately, the food prices are more along the lines of Red Hawk, than Ashley’s of the Brown Jug. The food—I had the chicken nachos—isn’t quite outstanding, or even above average, considering what you pay. The nachos certainly weren’t anything memorable; the cheese was more queso than actual, fresh cheese. My dining companion had a grilled chicken sandwich served with buffalo sauce that yielded a healthy amount of tang. Speaking of Ashley’s,

though, it may have the most in common with Bar Louie, at least by way of beer selection. Louie’s has a number of beers on draft, though not as many as its State Street counterpart. The main difference between the two bars is the price. I had a Sam Adams Lager at Louie’s, which clocked in at a hefty five dollars (hefty at least in comparison to Ashley’s more modest price). In fairness to Bar Louie, though, its menu is much more diverse than many other bars and taverns on campus. And its vibe is certainly more upscale; if you’re trying to avoid the Rick’s crowd, Louie’s is probably a safe bet. The suite of big screen TV’s make it possible to catch a game without the horde of Jets fans that annex Buffalo Wild Wings each Sunday. And that certainly makes it worth something. It’s a good place for a casual date, or to catch up with a friend over a tall glass. It has class, and that’s something wanting too often on a college campus. But that said, there’s not much to make it stand out from most other breweries or taverns in town. And this chain lacks the charm and Ann Arbor specificity that colors the experience at many of the other bars on campus, be they on Main Street or South University. Bar Louie was brought to town to cater to the moneyed, corporate Google crowd. One would hope this isn’t the sort of local “charm” that drew them to our humble college town. MR

ith football season well underway and no start to construction, it is hard to imagine the cluttered space above Good Time Charley’s is anything more than an ambitious vision with a set of floor plans. The anticipated opening of the Big Ten Burrito (BTB) Cantina was originally set for late August. However, due to delays in getting food and building permits, the construction was pushed back to mid-October. Justin Herrick, co-owner and co-creator of BTB, is not concerned with the delay. After opening the first BTB in March of 2004, Herrick and partner Adam Lowenstein decided their vision for good Mexican food should not end there. Putting a new spin on the familiar BTB taste, Lowenstein and Herrick have designed a Cantina that will boast thirty different kinds of tequila in addition to mojitos, piña coladas, Mexican beer, and (what Herrick hopes, at least) the best margarita in town. Spacious seating for up to one hundred people in addition to shuffleboard, video games, and darts, will occupy the now vacant space above Good Time Charley’s. While no specific demographic will be targeted, Herrick hopes that the restaurant will “cement the college niche” already established by the many bars present in the area. He emphasizes that although the Cantina will serve alcohol, it will not promote “a bar atmosphere.” The alcohol will stop flowing at two a.m., but the restaurant will not close its doors until four a.m. The Cantina will also provide the efficient counter service that is a BTB trademark. In this respect, Herrick confesses some doubts about the Cantina’s ability to compete with the smaller stores. Lending BTB a more relaxed restaurant atmosphere may slow down the rapid customer turnover and constant influx of orders it receives late into the night. Yet his confidence in the Cantina’s overall success remains firm, largely stemming from the good reputation that this rapid efficiency has produced. Herrick admits that there can never be any real certainty in the success of a new business,

Austyn Foster/The Michigan Review

Charley’s, under new ownership, seeks BTB’s business success.

but “if you walk down the street and ask ten people if they’ve heard of [BTB], eight of those ten will say they have.” Samir Sandhu, current BTB employee and manager at GTC, agrees that the success of the Cantina will largely derive from BTB’s current reputation. Sadhu is confident in the Cantina’s ability to attract customers outside of the student population. He states that in his experience as a BTB employee, he observed that the restaurant has “a surprising following outside the student 0community.” He went on to relate some of the conversations he has had with University Personnel who are excited for the Cantina to open in a location so close to campus. Although it is still just a discussion topic on the lips of loyal BTB fans, it can be expected that the Cantina will soon become a reality that will cater to all realms of the Ann Arbor community. MR

09.18.07

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arts & culture. the michigan review

The Ultimate Campaigners: Reagan, Yeltsin Studied by Sec. Rice, Others By Lindsey Dodge, ‘10

ecently published by The University of Michigan Press, “The Strategy of Campaigning” examines the campaigns of two of the most prominent politicians of the late twentieth century: Ronald Reagan and Boris Yeltsin. The book includes current Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice among its authors. This should not come as a surprise, as Ms. Rice is on leave of absence from her professor of political science position at Stanford University, where her area of expertise is the former Soviet Union. The excellent credentials of Rice and her co-authors, however, do not necessarily translate into a book that reaches beyond the intended audience of political scientists. “The Strategy of Campaigning” delves into the political campaigns of former presidents Reagan and Yeltsin, defining and discussing their development of heresthetical strategies that won them the highest office. Borrowing from the proposed thesis of William Riker, they explain that rhetoric--the art of persuasion--is essential for any candidate, whereas heresthetic, the art of manipulation, is what restructures the situation being argued, yielding a political edge. Through a lengthy introduction, followed by an indepth examinations of each individual campaign, including the unsuccessful ones, the book puts forth the idea that Reagan and Yeltsin were examples of heresthetic campaigning. Reagan managed to capture a previously untapped coalition by uniting the issues of a growth-oriented economic policy with huge increases in defense spending in the hope of putting an end to the Cold War. He reframed the discussion about the Cold War by arguing that “peaceful coexistence” was not addressing the real issue, thereby making his opponents respond within his new framework of thinking. “The Strategy of CamThe same goes for Yeltsin, but paigning” (Bruce within a far more limited structural Bueno de Mesquita, Kiron Skinner, Serhiy context. In Yeltsin’s case, he connected the ideas that the Russian Kudelia, and Condoleezza Rice) economy could only be reformed through greater Russian independence, constructing a more representative coalition that could overturn the favored few who dictated political policy at that time. This won him the election, but eventually led to his signing for the peaceful dissolution of the Soviet Union. Each step of each campaign is carefully reconstructed, providing a convincing argument explaining the development of rhetorical and political ideas for Reagan and Yeltsin, and their eventual heresthetical achievements. However, in Yeltsin’s case there is much Russian jargon and political background that is assumed, which not every reader will be able to follow. The authors assume that every reader will understand in full the meaning and connotation of the politburo policy adopted by Gorbachev, which will not always be the case. Furthermore, Reagan’s campaigns are described with much greater detail than Yeltsin’s. Whether this is the result of Reagan’s having more campaigns, the writers being American commentators in general, or the simple presence of more available information about these campaigns, the result is that Yeltsin is less understood through the reading of this book than Reagan. In addition, it is unclear how much Yeltsin contributed to the reformation of the Soviet political system (and the development of a president) through his speeches and campaigning. Here the comparison becomes a little shaky, due to the polarity of the democratic and communistic systems. In short, the book projects and amply defends the ultimate strategy for winning an election: the heresthetic campaign. Although not always achievable due to the creativity, radicalism, and pure timing required by its nature, it is hard to disagree with this book’s assertions on that topic. However, the presentation of the book, as well as the lack of background on Soviet Russia, make this book far more appealing to those already interested in political science, as opposed to reaching beyond the obvious constituents the way both Reagan and Yeltsin succeeded in doing. MR

SI Writer Chronicles the Drama of College Football

By Michael O’Brien, ‘08

ootball season has descended upon Ann Arbor once again this year, with the tantalizing notions of what this year’s team could still yet accomplish: victory over Ohio State, and a bowl game win for the first time in years. Like most other UM students, there comes a point during the lull of summer when it dawns on you that kickoff is mere months away, and the scouring of the internet for every morsel of Wolverine football news begins. One of the more consistently good reads is Sports Illustrated’s Stewart Mandel, who publishes a weekly mailbag and other

contributions on SI’s website. Mandel has rolled out a new book, Bowls, Polls, and Tattered Souls (Wiley, $17.13), just in time for this year’s season, cataloguing all the drama in the game that millions of fans flock to every year in any case. The book, which Mandel describes as his attempt at a “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” for college football, is a fun refresher coarse in all the controversies fans are sure to encounter by the end of this season, and every season after it. The book benefits from its timeliness. The book had portions edited and rewritten after the 2006 season, and is fresh and up-to-date with the latest

developments in the sport. (Of course, Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney announcing the conference’s desire to expand after the book went to print was a tough break for Mandel, who argues why the Big Ten would never want to

www.michiganreview.com

expand.) Nonetheless, the book is rife with wry wit, and does its best to offer a lay of the land without trampling on certain programs too much. U-M gets a fair number of mentions, but USC and That School Down South—bane of our existence, as of late—get even more attention. Mandel, though, ever a journalist, gives them, as well as other schools, fair treatment. The book suffers and benefits from Mandel’s staunchly journalistic approach. He can put together an objectively compelling chapter on Notre Dame, explaining its tradition and legacy, without drawing the ire of his readers. His dedication to taking his job seriously is apparent throughout the book, and in his approach towards the sport. But the book also, at times, suffers from a disjointed flow that encumbers a narrative, and reprises certain subjects several times over. Many of college football’s controversies are interrelated, and a book that reflects that in its prose would have been better. Nonetheless, Mandel’s book, much like his work for SI, navigates the many demons— tattered souls, if you will— plaguing the sport with ease, while sparing time for its fair share of laughs, too. What better way to satiate a Michigan fan’s search for those morsels? MR

P. 12

09.18.07

features. the michigan review

City Takes Action, Closes Student Apartments By Brian Biglin, ‘08

igh demand for downtown and campus-area rentals in Ann Arbor has long allowed the city’s landlords to rent housing at a high market rate while providing only minimum levels of amenities and upkeep. One set of landlords has recently pushed the envelope, though, spurring the City of Ann Arbor to step in and order tenants out of some buildings due to poor living conditions. The Ann Arbor News first broke the news when five apartment houses were deemed inhospitable by City officials due to a lack of electricity and natural gas during Welcome Week. All five of the properties are managed by Dale Newman of Ann Arbor, according to the News, and three of five properties are owned by Lansing-area resident and Michigan State University Professor John Schwartz and his wife. The difference between ownership and management in the cases of those three properties, all in the Old Fourth Ward District on North State and Lawrence Streets, is a bone of contention in deciding who is assigned responsibility for paying the bills, and now, for reimbursing tenants. Stephanie Chang, an attorney at the University’s Student Legal Services office, said that every situation is different and that speculating on hypothetical landlord-manager scenarios would not be improper. Determining responsibility depends on the type of management agreement that was made, the presence of a contract governing this, and, in these cases, laws governing utilities companies and their clients. “My property manager (Newman) was supposed to pay the utilities and I assumed wrongly that they had been paid. Ultimately I am still responsible as the owner of the property,” said Schwartz. He said that the utilities are now in his name, that he is paying the bills, and that the tenants in his three houses are deducting the rent payment based on the number of days they have been without utilities. Chang said that if a living space is not habitable, then the landlord should not be able to collect rent. Withholding rent is a possibility for tenants, but normally situations come up quickly, and with rent paid once a month at the beginning of a month, if the power were to be cut in the middle of the month, there would be no rent to withhold until the start of the next month. For basic safety reasons, especially due to the damage and danger that could arise from a power or gas outage in the winter months, remedies need to be sought as soon as possible. Tenants in such situations should contact their landlord and legal resources such as Student Legal Services, whose first concern will be student safety, with the issue of reclaiming rental payments coming later, Chang said. Resolving the situation afterwards is much easier if a landlord is upfront and willing to pay back rent, as Schwartz said he will be doing. If this is not the case, and the situation is one where the city closes a building or tenants simply have to leave due to inhabitable conditions, then attorneys will work within the framework of “constructive eviction” laws in providing tenants with proper compensation. The way that such proceedings unfold depends on the landlord, Chang said. A scenario where a landlord cannot

give tenants assurances as to when utilities will come back (likely due to their inability to pay) will be treated differently than one where a landlord deals with the problem as soon as it arises. The human impact of the City’s decision following the utility shutoff at these apartment houses cannot be downplayed. The decision displaced tenants into an almost entirely-leased market; student tenants, starting classes, had the opportunity to receive temporary housing through the University as they waited for utilities, and city permission to return. “It was a very unfortunate situation with the loss of gas and electricity at my rental houses. The power and gas was [sic] restored as fast as I could get DTE to do so,” said Schwartz. “The city was wonderful in trying to do what was in the best interest of my tenants.” Schwartz said that general disrepair at his houses is not an issue; the reason for the city action was the utilities situation, and all repairs being made at the request of city inspectors are minor. The city inspector was unavailable for comment on the matter. MR

Brian Biglin/The Michigan Review

This house at 419 N. State Street was one of five closed by city inspectors due to unpaid utilities.