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VOlume 7, Number 2
October 1988
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wi-th . Lan·a Pollack and Carl Pursell-Candidate ··'Pref.erence ,. PollAls'o: The U.iM ,M'useum of Art . Arriazin~ "BI,ue' Hits ~the, Note •
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According to the Daily, MSA Veep Susan Overdorf, in reference to the "executive protection" power deputized Department of Public Safety officers now have, said, "Assisting the Secret Service would be protecting people like George Bush and Ed Meese." Draw your own conclusions.
Overdorf, fed up with the Dai/y's "unethical" and "Unbalanced" reporting, has asked the assembly to issue a fonnal declaration of war and call up the militia.
During a recent MSA debate over whether to give 55,000 of your money to a Jamaican relief agency, President !vlike Phillips
"I JUST DON'T TEST WELL:'
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and Rep. William Holmes clashed and apparentl y discovered how to use a certain four-letter word. What's the word? Well, you can always fmd it in the Daily.
The Review's Sanity o(the Monih Award goes to MSA Communications Committee Chair Rob Bell, who somehow developed a compromise resolution over the Jamaican issue.
Eleanor Smeal, the fonner president of NOW, charged MSA over$4,OOO-that's $4,000 of your money - to speak on campus about how women must get ahead in this world, which, she sai~, is dominated by the greed of men!
Next week, the Review will be building a giant douche in the Diag in order to express solidarity with women oppressed by this horrible product of capitalistic imperialism.
The Review is proud to announce that it will begin printing stories which come off the Diddly Wire Service. *** Editor's Note: All profanity in the Diddly stories will be edited out to conform with professional APstyle.***
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Recently, the Daily announced its new staff policy:
Anyone can write for any part of the Daily even if ~y are involved in political or anti-racist groups on campus in any capacity . News reporters may not write about events in: which they are actively participating or organizing. Daily News can include quotes from people whO work for the Daily and are members of other organizations.
Judge this new policy for yourseIn
In a recent copy of their newsletter, "The Republican Force," the College Republicans eloquently declare in bold print, "Let's go kick some 3-." George Bush would be proud.
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The Rackham Student Government recently accused fonner President Harlan Hatcher of having been a McCarthy anticommunist and called for the renaming of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library. RSG is also calling for the renaming of all building an4 streets bearing the name of former President Henry Tappan, who RSG accuses of having made a "limerick about homosexuals" in the fall of 1853.
Here's a Review prediction: East or West Engineering will be renamed Shapiro Hall in the near future. Or else the soon-to-beremodeled Ugli will bear this former president's name.
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Call 662 - 3149 today.
203 E. Hoover - Ann Arbor
For Exam Preparation, Choose to EXCEL • • • •
"THE MICHIGAN REVIEW The Campus Affairs Journal of the University of Michigan
f..ditor-in-Chief Marc Selinger Executive Editor Mark Molesky Arts Editor" Jennifer Worick Publisher David Katz
Associate Publisher Vicky Frodel Personnel Manager Ryan Schreiber Editor Emeritus Seth Klukoff
Here's the fust story from the Diddly Wire Service:
All Students May Be Eligible for $1,000 Scholarships ... . The ... which ... a~ .. entry fonn. A ... $1,000 ... only ... you. [STOP]
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And may the force be with you?!?
hAPTfST 1('( K:lpl[)n plt'pilll ' ~{)1I for ttl(, LSAT. GMAT, GRl . NO!: \, 8AR or CPA exams Cill!' Dt'('p (jnW'.II , VOli hno'h VOII
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The Michigan Review 2
MSA rw;ntly exerted its control over world events by expressing solidarity with University ofEI Salvador students against the Salvadorian government. Watch out Honduras, you're next!
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Learn ~o Anticipate the Exam Improve Your Test-Taking Skills Usc Your Study Time More Effectively Achieve Your Maximum Potential Score
E~~~!:paration
Staff Maria Ansari, FraJ1(;ois-Marie Arouet, Mark Binclli, Paul Branoff', Karen Brinkman, Judy Cheng, Ri(;k Dyer, Susan Ellis, Stacey Farb, Brian Gambs, Stephen George, Joshua Green, Maria Greene. Ann-Nora Hirami, Ash Jain, Jose Juarez, Jeffrey Leiman, MauLund, Dana Miller,John Miller, Carol Nahra, Rannie O'Halloran, Jim Ottevaere, Anjali Prasad, Mali Purkayaslha, Nkholas Schmelzer, Paul Sellman, Dan Shonkwiler, Perry Shorris, Michael Stanish., John Transue, Sleven Weiss, Bob Wierenga, Brian Woerner, ChauYeWu
The Michigan Review is an independent, non-profit student magvine at the University of Michigan. We welcome letters and articles and encourage comments about the magazine and issues discussed in iL WearenotaffiliaLed with any political party. Our ad. dress is: Suite One
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(313) 662-1909 Copyright 1988
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October 1988
3
From the Editor
Addressing Apathy LastJuly4, I asked a friend ofmine ifshe planned to read the Declaration of Independence to commemorate that important day in American history. "No," she replied, "why should I? We have our independence." This response, although tinged with sarcasm, reflected her basic lack of interest in politics. Although I did not ask anyone else the same question, I am sure that I would have heard, in many cases, similar expressions of apathy. Apathy is not one of those glamorous issues, such as abortion or aid to the Nicaraguan contras, which can incite even the most politically indifferent people. Nevertheless, many journalists and political scientists tend to talk about apathy, particu arly voter apathy, as an election approaches. For example, as this year's campaign has proceeded, there have been
an increasing number of predictions oflow voter turnout - it was only 53 percent in the 1984 general election - for the election on November 8. In addition, political pundits have also been reexamining what may be tl!e cause or causes of low voter turnout. Some have suggested that many people fail to vote not because of apathy, but because of institutional barriers, such an overly bureaucratic registration system. Others suggest that an increase in apathy has resulted from a decline in "trust and efficacy" in government, as well as the paucity of inspiring political leaders. Still others blame a lack of burning national issues or discernible policy differences between political opponents, such as Vice President George Bush and Gov. Michael Dukakis (D-Mass.). In this issue, the Review addresses what I believe is the misper-
ception that no important issues dominate the campaign or distinguish the candidates. In the "Election '88" section, the Review presents some of the candidates and issues in the upcoming election. The Review features exclusive interviews (see pages 8 and 9) with state Sen. Lana Pollack (D-Ann Arbor) and U.S. Rep. Carl Pursell (R-Plymouth), two candidates who clearly have divergent opinions on many critical national aRd local issues. TheReview's political preference poll (see page 6) indicates for whom students plan to vote as well as their reasons for supporting presidential candidates. "Locals Debate Ann Arbor Gun Laws" (see page 10) discusses, on the local level, gun laws, which are once again somewhat of an issue in the national campaign. In an editorial, "A VoteforElection Reform" (see page4), the Review suggests
whatkindsofelectoral refonnscouldbe instituted in Ann Arbor. Indeed, there are many important issues in this campaign, and the various candidates are offering different proposals to deal with them. As a result, the voters in this election have real choices to make and an important reason to go to the polls. So read "Election '88" and other stories in the Review, and remember to vote on November 8.
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Marc Selinger is a junior in political science and the editor路in-chiet or the Michigan Review.
CONTENTS Serpent's Tooth
2
From the Editor
3
From Suite One: Editorials
4
Meeting the Challenge of Tomorrow. by Stephen George
Letters to the Editor
6
Am
Review Forum MSA: The Problem Is Fundamental, by George Davis
5
Profiles The U-M Museum of Art, by Jennifer Worick Amazin' Blue Hits the Note, by Maria Ansari
Coyer Story - Election '88 Campus Poll: It's Dukakis, Riegle, and Pollack, by Marc Selinger Interview: State Senator Lana Pollack Interview: Congressman Carl Pursell
7 8 9
!J.tl Locals Debate Ann Arbor Guns Laws, by Bob Wierenga
10
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Cover Photo by Jose Juarez
11
12
13
Campus AfIajrs What's Happening on Campus
14
News from Nowhere, by Fran90is-Marie Arouet
15
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MSA Can· Redeem Itself At the October 4, 1988 meeting of the Michigan Student Assembly, President Michael Phillips, an LSA senior, criticized the Michigan Daily in his president's report for failing to meet the bare standards of journalistic professionalism. He accused the Daily of, amohgothertbings, offending women and "people ofcolor." Phillips and MSA Vice President Susan Overdorf, an LSA junior. also cited unsubstantiated attacks against Phillips' character in articles written about him in the Daily. Although it may appear that Phillips is using his power as MSA president to take vengeance on the Daily because he was offended by its criticisms, the Daily should be held accountable for what it prints, and MSA, led by Phillips, is just the organization to do it In the market of daily student news publications, the Daily is a monopoly. Like all monopolies, the Daily in recent years has shown signs of becoming bureaucratic and inefficient Most of these inefficiencies have been manifested in typographical errors and the reporting of unconfirmed and sometimes erroneous information. The growing bureaucracy is the worst of the two problems, however. With over 20 editors and a virtual inability to dismiss staffers who are unprofessional, unethical, or both, the conduct of a very small minority of Daily staffers and editors has destroyed the credibility of the paper. For example, several members of the Daily organized and participated in demonstrations that were reported in the paper, thereby violating the principle that journalists should report or comment on the news and not make the news. The bureaucracy has made it impossible for the majority of the responsible people on the paper to remove these troublemakers. Ironically, while the Daily has been an active participant in the growing movement on campus to increase the accountability of MSA, the Daily continues to be accountable to no one. There is the Board of Student Publications, but it appears that its authority over the Daily is limited to fiscal and budgetary matters. Such problems present a perfect opportunity for Phillips and MSA to gain credibility as well as popularity on campus. MSA is always being criticized for addressing too many non-campus issues. Well, here is an issue that is campus-specific, and one with which MSA probably shares the
concerns of the university administration and the Board of Regents. How many administrators or regents feel that they have atone time or another been slandered or had their opinions misrepresented in the Daily? In the October 10 issue of the Ann Arbor News, Regent Philip Powers (D-Ann Arbor) criticized the members of the Daily who participated in the demonstration h~ld outside Hill Auditorium during President James Duderstadt's inauguration, charging that they crossed the line between reporting or commenting on the news and making the news. By addressing the issue of the Daily's accountability, MSA would gain the respect and support of the university administration as well as the student body. Unfortunately, it appears as if Phillips may once again be wasting a golden opportunity to redeem himself in the eyes of the campus. Instead of presen~ng this issue as Phillips and MSA rallying to the defense of the student body in an attempt to make the Daily accountable for its mistakes, he is portraying MSA as using its authority to slam the Daily for having criticized him. Phillips should quickly change tactics, He should form an ad hoc MSA committee with a mandate to document cases against the Daily for abusing its journalistic trust. He should then take the documentation to the regents, the administration, the Board of Student Publications, the local media, and whoever else is willing to listen and demand that the Daily be held accountable. If asked to justify his actions, Phillips should reply that the Daily is a monopoly, and monopolies should be held under careful scrutiny by the public. Even though the Daily is protected by the First Amendment, and, therefore, is exempted from regulation, it should not be used by a minority of its staff as a personal ideological playground. Phillips may also wish to remind students that the Daily has argued against the proposed Joint Operating Agreement between the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press because it fears having a local press monopoly. If Phillips can do all this, he will have created an example of how MSA can have a positive influence on this campus, and in doing so, he will have earned the respect of the student body, the administration, the regents, and the members of this publication.
A Vote for Election Reform Low voter turnout is prevalent throughout the entire nation, and Ann Arbor is certainly no exception. During the last three elections - city elections in April, Board of Education elections in June, and primary elections in August -only 32.8 percent, 6.6 percent, and 14.8 pei'cent, iespectively, of eligible voters went to the polls. Several persistent, but correctable, factors have contributed to these very low turnout rates. In the first place place,locaI elections simply do not receive enough publicity. The local media has provided scant coverage of these elections, and election officials have done little to notify the public as to when elections are held. As a result, most eligible voters do not know the candid8tes or the issues~ and many probably do not know when the elections take place. The media and election officials, as well as the candidates, must do a much beUerjob in Ihe ~ of iqfQl1llingthepu~.:v' ' ~" " In addi~ e1ectiOOS'iD~1\M Arbor:. spread out o~cr too""~ ~ city, Boardof~ . MdNoYem,*,..decIionsalloa:ut lfi"'days •'C d ,... pruhl(yt ' ""~"""'''_'7' ",H.,""".
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enough to vote four times in one year. As a result, elections should be coordinated to reduce the number of times that people have to go to the polls. Foc example. the city, Board of Education, and primary elections could all take place on the same day. But regardless, elections should not occur during the summer, when most students are DOt in town to vote and are, therefore, underrepresented. Voter registration is anotherobstacle to voter participation. The cunentregistration drive that has taken place on campus during the past few months has successfully registered thousands of new voters. However, this registration drive must be supplemented with an institutionalized. year-round effort to register eligible voters. Registration should be provided at post offices, libraries, and other public places SO that residents cmtrCgi. at any time of the year. . All olthese election reforms, ifimplemented. would not, ofcourse, gwnntee a 100 perceQt \Ucr turnout rate. but they would help to improvecwrent lUmOUtratt.saad mike election more represcnlalive Iftiln.y are now•
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October 1988 S
Review Forum
MSA: The Problem Is Fundamental
by George Davis
Representatives for the Michigan Student Assembly are elected from each school (LSA, Engineering, Music, etc.) in elections held every November and March. The number of representatives for each school is based on enrollment of the college. However, MSA does not adequately represent the student population at this university. This is caused by two fundamental problem.,: 1) The constituencies of representatives being poorly defined, and 2) MSA issues being irrelevant to sehools asa body. The poorly defined constituency is the major problem. The representatives represent a certain specified number of students from each school. The identities of these students, however, are not attainable for there is no method to define these students. Thus, the representative cannot truly say what his constituents actually feel about issues that arise. As a comparison, local elections for government are done by precincts, where all the residents of area A are represented by a representative from area A. Here the constituency is defined. If a resident of area A feels strongly about an issue, then he can approach the representative to let his opinion be known. This is not soon MSA. LSA representatives represent approximately 802 students. The exact 802 students, however, are not defined. Therefore, an LSA student cannot explicitly say which representative is his or know which representative to whom he should express his opinion. This problem with
defmed constituencies causes problems in decision-making for representatives. In terms of voting, representatives are tom between voting their individual feelings and what they believe their constituency (school) feels. This, however, cannot truly be solved because the constituency is poorly defined. Upon reaching this point, the feelings of the constitutency are negated (since it is not able to be known), leaving only the representative's individual feelings. Thus, the breakdown of student representation on the assembly occurs. MSA issues do not affect students by schools. As stated previously, the assembly is made up of representatives from the different schools. Thus, the elected representatives are supposed to be articulating the viewpoints of the majority of students ill a given school, making them advocates by school. However. the issyes that MSA deals with have no direct bearing on schools as an entity. Most issues arise from the committees in MSA, which are generally social or political in nature and more oriented to the individual student as opposed to his school of enrollment. This makes groupings by school irrelevant to therepresentative process. These two problems, existing simultaneously, lead to the breakdown of a truly representative studerit government, and give way to almost total voting by political leaning. As an example, last year the assembly debated over the funding of the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan, which sought to receive a portion' of the MSA 'fee to fund its activities. A resolution was drafted and presented to the assembly for a vote. This issue did not affect students as members of schools, for all students pay the MSA fee. This made representation by school irrelevant Thus, it became an issue of how individual students felt. An assembly representative, then, had to ask the
Correction The editorial "Reorient Orientation" (September 1988) erroneously stated that AsianAmericans were not represented at last summer's revised orientation workship on racism. In fact. Asian-Americans were represented in two out of five nights at the panel
discussions.
question: "How do my constituents feel about the issue?" But seeing that the issue had no direct bearing on schools, the question of representation became vague. People were not sure of wh~m they really represented. An LSA representative had to answer the question, "Which students in LSA do I represent?" This was hard to answer for there is no clear way to define which students in LSA are represented by a representative. This lead representatives to vote their own views with no accountability to any particular section of the student population. Thus representation was lost. The resolution passed by a slim margin; yet when the general student population was allowed to vote on the issue, it was defeated by a large margin. This exemplifies the J::lck of true student representation on MSA. To eliminate these problems, a system of student precincts should be implemented. This would group students according to where they reside. Representatives would be elected from these precincts to sit on the assembly. This would provide a better
mechanism for representation since representatives would reside in the precincts, providing much more accessibility to their constituents. This would also give more of a grass roots appearance to the assembly, with direct links to students by residential area. This would increase voter turnout, which has been less than desirable for many years, and increase participation in our student government process. The problems at MSA are nol political; they are fundamental. The nmionI of direct accountability is essential to representative government There may have been a time when electing representation by school was practical, but it is now obsolete and needs to be changed. Precincts may not be a panacea for all the problems in MSA, but at the very Je<lst a true reprcsen路 tllive body would be CSlllblished.
George Davis is a senior in sociology and former chair of the MSA Campus Government Committee.
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Letters to the Editor Typho Is Right! lowe Joe Typho my profoundest apologies. Last winter term, be wrote an article, ''Ted 3:19-'You've Gotta Have Guns'" (Review, January-February 1988), about popular music and cartoons. In the course of the article, he suggested that perhaps George Michael is a spayed Dino (of Flintstones fame). I wrote to you, objecting to Typho's conjecture on the grounds that Dino was male and therefore unspayable. Now, after spending a summer in New York and reviewing my collection of Flintstones tapes, I realize that perhaps there are grounds for Typho's claim. Specifically, I noticed that the show was very inconsistent in dealing with many matters. Sometimes Barney lives next door to Fred-sometimes not Sometimes B¥IIey works with Fred-sometimes not. In the Granny Dynamite episode, Fred's car has the steering wheel on the right side, which would imply that Bedrock is in Britainbut nobody spoke with British accentseven though there is plenty of evidence from other episodes that Bedrock is in the United States or Canada. The list of inconsistencies goes on. All this considered, it is very possible that Dino, despite being male, was female. I'm sorry, Joe.
Marc Winston
Oppose Collectivism There is a very disturbing trend in the conservative movement, one which would seem to contradict the ideals of such people as Thomas Jefferson and former Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-Ariz.). That trend is collectivism. A certain element bas taken over with the agenda that does not include the reduction of government, but instead increases its power. The agenda does not
include individual liberty, but the concentration of a kind of overlordship in the hands of an elite group. During the present campaign, if one digs through all the trivia one finds that several items keep cropping up. These are religion, particularly prayer in school, abortion, and the pledge to the flag. While these items, or at least some of them, might have some merit as issues, they must take a backseat to others more important like the economy, the continued support of the Soviet Union, and the military-industrial complex as outlined by former President Dwight Eisenhower. Why is the focus on less important issues and not on the critical ones? The answer may lie in the fact that inflation, a baseless currency, and grinding taxation are of no interest to or part of an agenda seeking power. A strong and even flourishing Soviet Union, on the other hand, is needed to justify such an agenda. Cuuing off economic ai.d would destroy the enemy, ergo the goal, the raison d' eire of an allpowerful state. A scary thought, but the facts speak for themselves. A survey of recent conservative literature-books, magazines, and articles by prominent columnists-and the contents of a myriad of talk shows on both radio and television all point in the direction that the conservative movement is beading. What, however, is even scarier is what one sees written in publications and bears on programs produced by the so-called Religious Right The economy or the continued support of the Soviets is seldom brought up; only the religionization, specifIcally the Christianization of America. The large number of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs now enriching our population and its culture, not to mention the Jewish population which traces itself back to the European discovery of the New World, must be rather uneasy as to how they fit into
this scheme. In these publications, on these radio and television programs, the emphasis vis-a-vis a candidate is not on his (specifically .bW views concerning the money issue or the reduction of runaway government, but whether the candidate is a Christian, more to the point, a undamentalill. Christian. A candidate who does not have this criteria or at least cannot be manipulated, is dismissed even though the candidate's economic views are a textbook in classical liberalism, the philosophy that produced a Goldwater, a Frederick Hayek, and a Milton Friedman. President Ronald Reagan with his bigger government, and Vice President George Bush who will continue that policy are to be preferred over,
say, Ron Paul. The ideals that shaped a Jefferson, that shaped the Sharon Statement of the Young Americans for Freedom are part and parcel of individuals like Ayn Rand, Thomas Sowell, of movements lik~ libertarianism are light years from the agenda ofcollectivism. But this agenda seems precisely what is being advocated. Those of us of a different creed or no creed at all, but who are foursquare against collectivism, need to take a stand now. for the right to hold an opposing point of view is most definitely not a part of their piatfonn. Jim
Greenshields
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The Mi~Ngan Revi~~
October 1988 7
Election '88
It's Dukakis,Ri~gl'e,and Pollack! by Marc Selinger If students at the University of Michigan have their way, Gov. Michael Dukakis (DMass.) will be the next president, Sen. Donald Riegle (D-Mich.) will serve another tenn, and state Sen. Lana Pollack (DAnn Arbor) will represent Michigan's 2nd Congressional District in 1989. These are the findings of the Michigan Review's candidate preference poll conducted on September 16. During Festifall, the Review randomly surveyed 233 students, asking them, "If the general election were held today, for whom would you vote for president?" Of the total sample, 53 percent said they would vote for Dukakis while 30 percent indicated they would vote for Vice President George Bush. Another 4 percent supported other candidates and 13 percent were undecided. The Review also asked students who indic:llcd they were resilknl') of the state or \1ichig:1!1, "Jf the U.S. SCn:ltc r:lI:c wcrc held today, for whom would you vote?" Of the 137 students questioned, 42 pereent said they would vote for Riegle while 12 percent supported fonner Rep. Jim Dunn (R-Micij~) None of the students said they would sUpport any other candidate, but 45 percent 'UJdicated that they were unuecided. Of the 70 students who indicated they wetc residents of the 2nd District in Michigan, the Review asked, "If the U.S. congres¥onal race were held today, for whom ~duld you vote?" 39 percent said they wOltld vote for Pollack while 16 percent said they supported Rep. Carl Pursell (R -Plymouth). Another 1 percent said they would vote for different candidates while 44 percent said they were undecided. The poll was conducted in the Diag and was not meant to be scientific. For example, Engineering students, who are often regarded as more conservative than LSA students, may have been underrepresented in the survey, thereby producing results that reflect a much more liberal bias. However, the poll still gives a rough measure of students' leanings. In fact, there were really no surprises in this survey. Democrats defeated Republicans in,all three categories, which one could expect on a campus known for its relatively liberal political inclinations. Perhaps, the most significant result of the survey was the high undecided vote in the senatorial and congressional races, which was mO~ythan three times higher than the
undecided vote in the presidential contest. The high number of undecided students can probably be attributed to the low publicity the two races have received relative to the presidential race or simply to the secondary importance to which the senatorial and congressional races are assigned. Students had a range of reasons for supporting presidential candidates. Some students said they support candidates for their associations or connections with other political leaders. Janine Scott, an Engineering senior, supports Dukakis "because [the Rev.] Jesse [Jackson] is with him. Jesse's my man." Amy McGrether, an LSA sophomore decided to support Bush after asking herself, "Why mess up a good eight years?" Others said they support one candidate due, alleast in part, to a strong distaste for lhe opposing candidate. One reason Robert Wcs1cy, an Engineering senior, supports Bush is because, "Dukakis is wishy-washy on defense." Dukakis supporter Michael Gold, a graduate student in Business, said, "[Dukakis has] common sense, something Bush has shown remarkably little of ~n his eight years as vice president." Still others support their candidates for issue-oriented reasons. Bush supporter Eric Knudson, an LSA sophomore, said, "He's pro-gun, for one reason. I like to hunt." Dukakis supporter Bob Sage, an LSAjunior,said, "I agree with [Dukakis's] economic policies fonhe poor." A few students also have unique reasons for liking certain candidates. Kimberly Smith, an LSA junior, supports Dukakis "because the man has broad shoulders and he's so sexy. He's so wholesome," Another student, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "I'm not sure who I want to vote for, but Bush is probably the lesser of the two evils." . Some students are not happy with Bush or Dukakis. William Boettcher, an LSA sophomore, said he supports fonner President Richard Nixon. "I think we need better foreign policy and Nixon proved through China that he was a foreign policy master." However, the overwhelming majority bf students seem willing to let Bush or Dukakis handle foreign policy, as well as other policy matters, for the next four years.
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Personnel Manager Ryan Schreiber and staff writer Maria Ansari contributed to this article.
Marc Selinger is a j'~riior in politica'l science and the editor-in-chief of the Rel'iew.
Candidate Preference Poll - September 16. 1988 If the general election were held today, for whom would you vote for president? George Bush Michael Dukakis Other Undecided
30% 53%
4%
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n=233
*If the U.S. Senate race were held today. for whom would you vote? Jim Dunn Donald Riegle Other Undecided
12% 42% 0%
45%
99%** n=137 ***If the U.S. congressional race were held today, for whom would you vote? Lana Pollack Carl Pursell Other Undecided
39%
16% 1% .~
100%
n=70
* Students who indicated they were residents of the state of Michigan were asked this question. ** Pe!,:Gfntages were rounded to the nearest whole number. ***Students-who indicated they were residents of the 2nd Congressic:Jnal District in Michigan were asked this question. . '.'"<f:''' .
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October 19R8
The Michigan Review 8
Election '88
State Senator Lana Pollack On Friday,September9, the Review interviewed state Sen. Lana Pollack (D-Ann Arbor), who is running against Rep. Carl PumU (R-Plymouth) for the congressional seat of Michigan's 2nd District. Pollack is currently serving her second four-year term in the Michigan Senate, and is a member of the Criminal Justice, Urban Affairs, and Economic Development, Finance, and Joint Administrative Rules Committees. She has also served as chair of the Ann Arbor Democratic Party (1975-76) and a trustee of the Ann Arbor Board of Education (1979-82).
Review: If elected, which issues would you give the highest priority? Pollack: Issues of the highest priority should be jobs, as it relates to trade, as it relates to eduC:llion, and as it reJntes lO opportunity. Second, is an issue of great concern: environment. The third issue of real concern is senior citizen issues, but particularly health care issues, which also have impact for people of all ages. Review: What have you done for stu路 dents at the University of Michigan con路 cerning fmancial aid?
ference on the part of the legislature in the governance of the U-M. I consistently resist the incursions of the legislature into the governance of the university even if I disagree with what the university is doing in the short term on a policy. I tell people it is not in the interests of education that the politicians in Lansing should be running the U-M. We have a Board of Regents for that, and that's where it should be ....
Review: The state is only providing a 2.8 percent increase to the U路M when a much higher increase appears to be needed. As a state senator, did you try to enlarge this increase, and if so, why don't you think you succeeded? Pollack: I think we in the legislature did ralher well in moving the governor's original 1 percent increase up to 2.R percent. The rea<;on we didn't do bener is that there was overall a 1.4 percent increa<;e in the budget, so that meant some took less so that the universities could take more. The state didn't allow for much growth. It was a question of what kind of changes you would make in the apportionment of the revenue available. Review: Where can the university get other sources or revenue?
Pollilck: ... My major focus has been moving the budget upward. If you assist, in Pollilck: ..; Sources of funding are threeterms of funds, in any part of the budget, fold. They are the federal government, the you're really assisting student aid. I supstate government, and student tuition and pose my most successful and significant fees. I certainly don't want to see tuition assistance carne when I was able to restore rise. I feel it's important to keep it down as more than $3 million that had been cut much as possible. The federal government from the U-M in the funding cycle two has not done its share. Clearly, in the last years ago. It was important that we get that years, we've put more and more money in back in, not only that we get it in, but that the federal budget into non-educational we get in into the base, because, of course, functions, and I think the federal governeach subsequent year is a percentage inment needs to do a great deal more. I also crease over the past. I would also like to think the state government could do more, say that at the federal level, themostimporand I've been a voice for that. tant issue regarding student aid is the tax issue. The fact that students have to count Review: You offended members of Laas income, particularly graduate students, GROC, the Lesbian and Gay Rights Orthe tuition waivers is bad tax policy and it's ganizing Committee, during a July 16 certainly a blow to students and education. meeting with CLOHRO, the Coalition It's a real high priority of mine .... . of Loosely Organized Human Rights Organizations, by stating that you Review: How about on other issues of would not make gay and lesbian rights a higher education? priority in your cam paign. How can you defeat Pursell if you alienate the left Pollilck: ... There's a lot ofUM-bashing in wing or the electorate in this manner? Lansing and I have more often than not spoken out. For instance, I think it hurts Pollilck: ... I'm not sure how many gays everyone when there is unnecessary interand lesbians are left wing. I know certainly
gays and lesbians who are Republican and slill are very commilled [0 anti-discrimination legislation. I'm not sure you can link the two. I expect to defeat Pursell by appealing to more voters than he appeals to .... I certainly in no way am leading a crusade from the left
Review: Dean Baker challenged you to honor a $10,000 spending limit in the Democratic primary. Why didn't you accept his challenge? Pollack: Because I didn't want to give Pursell an advantage. Baker should have been challenging Pursell to also be included in those many months leading up to the primary to an equal spending limitation, and then account for the fact that he has a franking privilege in access to the press and a whole staff that works on this campaign. The campaign against Pursell did not start on August 2 or 3. It started for me back in October. Baker, I would have thought, would have realized that any time we put restrictions on ourselves, we're only helping Pursell .... Review: You have spoken in favor of Medicaid-funded abortions. Why should Citizen A have to pay for Citizen B's abortion, especially if Citizen A objects to abortion on moral grounds? Pollack: In a representative democracy, we pay.for plenty of things that we don't useordon'titke. There are a lotoftaxpayers whostkids could never get into the UM who are paying for students' education at the U-M, and a lot of taxpayers don't even like the U-M and yet are being taxed
to pay for that function. The examples of that are endless. In a democracy. we rule by majority and the rest simply have to accede to that. I think that a woman has a right to determine whether she'll have a baby. I think that that right should not be abridged by an inability to pay. I further think that access to equal and quality medical care is a right of all Americans. Finally, it seems to me that my position is certainly the ultimate, in at least one interpretation, of a conservative. I really do believe in limited governmel1l .... It is the necessity to limit government's ability to interfere with its citizens' private lives that leads me to support the right to choose. It is a belief that financial means should not be a determiner to health care that leads me to believe that this tax expenditure is a fair and reasonable one.
ReI'iew: You have indicated JOu would cut defense by $30 billion. What specifi. cally would you cut? Pollack: The first thing to cut is the incredible waste and fraud in the procurement systems. And I think to do that, we need to pass legislation ending the revolving door thal does allow people who work for the administration. I would also add former legislators who go into the private sector a~ consultants in this field for a number of years. And, in fact, I would also be pleased to pass that for legislators at the stale and federal levels. That would help significantly. There are a whole series of other things that [Reps.] Barbara Boxer [DCalif.J and John Dingell [D-Trenton], and I think some Republicans certainly, have proffered. I think the degree of waste there is monumental. That's one thing. The other thing is the need to be a skeptic not just part of the time but all of the time .... Also we spend $150 billion a year on European defense. I'm not saying it's only their defense. I'm not saying it's not also partially our defense. But I'm certainly saying it's not all of our responsibility. Those countries have a standard of living that in many cases is higher than our standard ofliving. The way they can afford that is that we pay their bills. And I think that's wrong. I think the $30 billion is modest, it's extremely conservative. Actual! y, with burden-sharing, a great deal more is there. I also think the Strategic Defense Initiative is not workable. You can't find seven credIble scientists to say that it is ....
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The Michigan Review
October 19RR 9
Election '88
Cong ressmanCarl Pursell On MondlJy, September 19, the Review interviewed U.s. Rep. Carl PurseU (RPIY11J()uth), who is seeking reelection to his seventh term in Congress. Pursell currently serves on the Appropri4tions Committee, and is a deputy whip and cochairman ofthe Congressional SSC Task Force and the Conference of Great Lakes Congressman. He has also served as a Wayne Country commissioner (1969-70) and state senator (1971-76) Review: If reelected, what is-<;ues would you focus on in the next two years?
Pursell: I think balancing the budget is the number one challenge on the domestic side, and number two probably creating a bipartisan foreign policy for President [George] Bush - I would be so presumpLUOUS.
Rericw: What halt: you dOtH' fur students at the University of Michigan concerning financial aid?
Pursell: ... In terms of funding, we do both the educational component, which is my subcommittee, and I'm the number two ranking member in the country on the Appropriations Committee on my side of the aisle - I hope to be number one shortly. Student financial aid and the educational pieces of research have gone up in appropriations in the congressional budget Student aid has been both the Pell Grants and the Guaranteed Student Loans, and the Work-Study Programs have been rather strong and stable over the years irrespective of presidential recommendations to cut spending in that particular area. So it's been a high priority with me and the Congress to establish a fair percentage in student aid because increases in tuition and cost-of-living have put burdens on students, particularly in the professional schools - they come out with enormous obligations.
Review: How about on other issues of higher education?
Pursell: I think probably the biggest area which we have is we provide an awful lot of research money. I'm awful proud to say that the University of Michigan is ranked 11 th in the nation in terms of research dollars coming from predominantly my committee. We fund the two big money rcsearch components of the fctieml budg~ts, the National Institutes of
Health, and then the National Science Foundation is also heavy and from another committee which (Rep.] Bob Traxler [DBay City] is on from Michigan. Between Traxler and I, those are the two predominatly high research-oriented components of the federal budget in which the U-M does very well in funds. We just announced last week here a $7.5 million grant in the field of both gerentology and alcohol .. .. We spend an enormous part of our congressional effort personally and with staff to work with the deans of the schools and with individual people who write the applications to try to see that ... once those budget figures are set in place, then it's competition among other universities through peer review, which I don't have impact on, but I can encourage the university to apply for certain funds. And I can do follow up work through letters, by phone calls, and personal cOlltacts to see that :-lichi~:l0 g~l~ into the <;piril of competing ror rcsearch dollars .... I'm 011 the engineering committee ... and I provide the scholarship money for engineering, including nuclear engineering, nuclear medicine, and nuclear research. I do the work for the whole country to provide those scholarships for graduate students. We also have another new field. The last couple of years, I've been providing the national leadership for the graduate fellowships. We had 11 at the U-M last year .... [Former] President (Robben] Fleming and [President James] Duderstadt have recognized that leadership that I've provided for the whole country of which the U-M always comes out pretty good.
Review: Do you think the federal government should play a larger role in funding higher education?
Pursell: That's what's happening. Realistically, because the state funding has gone down, we've sort of picked it up in terms of more research dollars. ButI wouldn't want to see the federal government controlling the university. I believe principall y in local control and academic freedom. I think the institution has the skills and capacity to select their subject matter and content and their applications for research. I think our job is to provide a climate, nationally and internationally, for research and those skilled professionals in the field, like the U-M [people], to be on the ball and qualify for those scholarships. So I think we have a major role to play. But I still have to remind myself and everybody else that we're also taxpayers and we have a deficit,
much lower cost?
Pursell: [With] research being a very high
Review: Do you think we should reform the campaign finance system so that Pollack has as much money to spend on her campaign as you do?
priority nationally. it's still oot very much part of the budget when you l()Qk at the entitlements and the defense budget. That research component is a very small part of the gross national product. You have to look at the supercollider as a complex, scientific research campus to attract students from all over the world here. We'd have the preeminent leadership of the world. When you look at the Soviet Union, Japan, Germany, and France competi'pg to build a supercollider or sharing one, I think it behooves us to consider it a national priority in the field of science, mathematics, engineering and physics to give research a high priority in this particular projcct. I'm not so sure that Ferm i Lab and other existing facilities would lend themselves to trying to save some dollars. It may be penny-wise and pound-foolish to do that because they have other commis- ' sions that are already spelled out by the Department of Energy and the National Academy of Science ....
Pursell: Every challenger is going to have
Re~'iew:
so it has to be in perspective. We have to make sure that our requests our reasonable, well-intentioned, good grants which I'm prepared to fight for if they're within the budgct constrainL).
more difficulty raising money than an incumbent because I've been in the business long before she's been around. I've built my bridges not from political action committee support as much as I have from constituents who have known me in my work as a state senatOr, country commissioner, and my 12 years in Congress. The older you get in seniority, it just follows logically that you're probably going to build a larger support network in the financial community and the business community .... She's raising money all over the country. She's raised money in New York and California, which I'm not doing. I prefer to raise my money locally by my local constituents .... I was a challenger one time and I admit I didn't raise much money. I beat an incumbent in 1970, and certainly he had more funds than I did, but I think I worked harder than he did. So it isn't just money that wins elections. It helps certainly, but she's raised a pretty good amount of money so she shouldn't be too upset about that.
Review: You ~@,:e come out strongly in favor of building a multi-billion dollar supercollider. H,w can you justify such an expenditure in light of the federal budget deficit and given that a Gene,'abased collider, which the United States could buy into, could be upgraded at a
You were rated by Em'ironmental Action,an environmental group, as being one of the 12 worst people in Congress on environmental issues. How do you expect to overcome this categorization?
Pursell: That group has no credibility. There's no legitimacy in that organization. They were asking whether I co-signed or co-sponsored a particular bilL I'm very proud to have one of the best environmental records in the country. I'm cochairman of the Great Lakes congressional delegation. Previous to that, I wrote the Resource-Recovery Act in which I won the national Environmental Protection Agency award in 1974. I've done a lot work in cleaning up lakes in the 2nd District and building bicycle paths and fi$ing dock.s. We have a record of supporting the Michigan Wilderness Bill, which'I testified and helped lead on the House floor. We've got a long record. including runding of the Great Lakes Lab here in Ann Arbor and Gross lie. When you look at that record, it's one of production and record, it's not one of rhetoric. My opponent has got a lot of rhetoric but doesn't have any legislative accomplishments of major nature in six years in the Senate. I spent six years in the Senate and had six major legislative bills, including the ReSourceRecovery Act ....
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OctQQer,19~8
The Mic:hi~RtWiew \ 10
City: Regulations
Local~sDe~bate ,A:nn .,Arb,or' 'G,uns, Laws by Bob Wierenga
Gun control has been one of the most controversial topics of recent times. As handgun-related crimes have risen, so too have efforts to regulate the guns, resulting in a debate that has risen at times to a fevered pitch. One result of this dialogue has been an obscuring of the facts. While many people can tell you what gun laws should be changed, it is probably safe to say that relatively few of those people could tell you exactly what those laws are. lt is the intention of this article to clarify those laws, and to give the perspectives of two of the participants - some would say antagonists - in the debate: the police and the independent gun store owner. In almost all respects, gun laws are a state matter; therefore, to understand the gun control laws affecting those who live in Ann Arbor, one must understand the specific Michigan state gun laws. They can be found in Sections 28.419-28.434 of the Michigan criminal code,and have been placed, for convenience, in the chart on this page. The only major provision of Michigan gun control laws not covered in the chart is the procedure one must follow to obtain a handgun permit. For Ann Arbor residents, it is as follows: first, the prospective buyer must apply at the Ann Arbor police headquarters, where he fills out an application and is interviewed by a police officer. A felony check is then run on the applicant, and if any convictions or recorded history of mental illness are discovered, the request is denied. If the check shows no such record, then the application is approved and ten days later a permit is issued. This permit is good for only ten days after its issue, and can only be used once, so as to prevent anyone from gaining the unlimited ability to purchase a gun. One must be 18 years old to get a permit, but 21 years old before he can purchase a handgun overthe-counter. Presumably, this allows an I8-year-old to possess a gun, while making it slightly more difficul for him to obtain one. National gun control groups and the National Rifle Association tend to draw most of the attention in the gun control debate. And therefore one of the more overlooked viewpoints in this debate is that of the small, independent gun store owner. It is for this reason that the Review went to Ann Arbor Rod and Gun, a local gun store, and talked with owner Dan Compeau and manager Bill McKee. Compeau and McKee are, perhaps
somewhat surprisingly, relatively centrist on most gun control issues. McKee said, "I don't see any reason for a person to own a fully automatic weapon." He also said, though, that the store sells many semiautomatic weapons for use in hunting. Both disapprove of the mail-order sale of ammunition, which is still legal, but is currently under fire in Congress. They said, however, that all major American
like a man or something. I asked him if he liked to play frisbee . He said yes. I said that just like he likes to go in his backyard and throw a frisbee around, I like to go in my backyard, set up a few cans, and shoot at them with a handgun. As long as I'm a lawabiding adult and I follow all the laws, who is he to tell me that I can't do that?" McKee also cited self-defense as a legitimate use. ''I'm not saying it would help in all cases,
Michi2an Gun Laws ·Any person who sells a pistol without complying with state procedures is guilty of a misdemeanor (Section 28.42). -The sale or possession of fully automatic weapons, silencers, or short-barrelled shotguns and riOes is prohibited (Section 28.421). -Any person carrying a firearm with "unlawful intent" is guilty of a felony (Section 28.423). -Any person carrying a concealed weapon without a license is guilty of a felony (Section 24.424(1». -Any person carrying a firearm at the time he commits a felony is subject to
the following, automatic, punishment first offense, two years imprisonment; second offense, five years imprisonment; third and subsequent offenses, ten years imprisonment (Section 28.424(2». -A pawnbroker may not offer or accept a pistol in pawn (Section 28.426). -All purchases of handguns must be registered by the store where the gun is purchased, and this register is open at all times to inspection from all law enforcement officials (Section 28.429). -Any person who purchases a pistol without a license is guilty of a misdemeanor (Section 28.429(1».
ammunition manufacturers refuse to sell to wholesalers who operate through the mail, and so the only ammunition that may be purchased through the mail is either very exotic, very foreign, or very cheap. In reference to gun control legislation, McKee said, "I don't think there's really anything more you can do with the laws; the enforcement is where the problem is. The two years for a felony with a handgun isn't being enforced at all. It's the first thing they plea-bargain away." He also is skeptical about total gun control. "You have to realize that there's always going to be enough guns in the underground for those who want them to get them. I mean, look at New York. They have some of the strictest laws in the country, and their handgun crime is still way up there." The question of whether there are legitimate reasons to own a handgun stirred a surprisingly emotional response from both Compeau and McKee. Compeau said, "A legitimate use is just the enjoyment of the people shooting them. A few years back when we moved in here they picketed us. One day a guy came in here and asked me why I shot guns, if it made me feel more
but I think that a lot of the time, a lot of these crimes could have been avoided if the victim had had some way of protecting himself." The Ann Arbor police, on the other hand, are not so sure. The Review talked with William Corbett, Ann Arbor chief of police, about his views on gun control. In reference to the civilian ownership of handguns, he said, "Not everyone should have guns. You've got 60-year-old women going out and buying .357 magnums. Now, those are difficult for trained officers to handle. You give that gun to a totally untrained civilian and you're just asking for trouble." He also said he that felt many situations which started out as minor arguments ended up in tragedy because someone in the heat of passion used a gun, often times one they legally owned. He also expressed concern for his ofticers' wellbeing. "We worry ," he said, "about our officers outon the street. They never know when tHey're dealing with someone with a gun until it's too late." Corbett also blamed aspects of American society for the epidemic of handgu/l,relntr.d killings. "We have this lIadition of
the Wild West and everyone having the right to carry a gun," he said. "Well, that right's turned into a problem, and the problem is compounded by the easy availability of the Saturday Night Special and other handguns," He also bemoaned the lack of enforcement of the standing hand gun laws, but expressed skepticism in the ultimate effectiveness of more stringent hand gun regulations, again citing thal the ease of purchase (legal or illegal) of handguns makes true enforcement almost impos~ble. . Furthermore, he believes that much stricter measures should be adopted at the federal level. He cited the example of Canada, where the possession of a handgun is an automatic felony, and where a much lower incidence of handgun-related crime exists than in thc United SUlles. He doubb, however, whether such measures would ever be adoptcd. What is the future for gun control in Ann Arbor? Currently, it is very bleak. The Ann Arbor City Council, which in the past has attempted to pass much stricter gun control measures, lost its gun control majority in the elcctions this past April, leaving only Councilmen Jeff Upton (D-3rd Ward) and Larry Hunter (D-lst Ward) remaining to further the gun comol cause. Furthermore, there is a bill in the state house that will, if passed, make it illegal for any city to pa,>s a gun control measure stricter than the state's. Whether this so-called "preemp· tion bill" will be passed remains to be seen. It is currently buried in a committee chaired by state Rep. Perry Bullard (DAnn Arbor), a vocal gun control advocate. So, for the time being anyway, things will continue as always. People will buy handguns, legally and illegally, people will shoot handguns, legally and illegally, and peop\ewill be shot to death with handguns, legally and illegally. The gun control groups and the NRA will do battle on Capitol Hill and on television, each trying desperately to win the hearts and minds of both Congress and the American people, Bills will be introduced on both sides; some will pass, most will fail, but it seems very clear that the debate will be heated in all cases.
Bob Wierenga is a sophomore in LSA and a staff writer for the Reyjew.
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The MicflighnReview
Essay: Engineering
Meeting the Challenge of Tomorrow by Stephen George With any luck, come May 1, I will be a college graduate with a bachelor of science in Engineering. Although I will possess knowledge sufficient to be an engineer, I wonder if I will have actually learned enough in my four years at the University of Michigan. I wonder if the scientific knowledge I have will be adequate to meet the challenges of the next decade. I also wonder if the skills I have learned will be sharp enough to tackle the problems that industry will send my way. Most of all, I wonder if the education I have received will allow me to interact in society as well as in my profession. As a student, I have placed a lot of trust in my academic department, believing thm the program I have chosen reflects the future needs oi industry. In order to continue to prodl1ce able engilleers, colkgcs must look into these issues of information, industrial needs, and social development and focus on continual progress to keep engineers' minds sharp. Undeniably, the volume of engineering knowledge is expanding with great speed. For example, today we are closing in on a practical superconducting material when just a few years ago this area was largely uninvestigated. Alvin Toffler documents this development in his master work FUlure Shock. He emphasizes the rate at which the body of all understanding doubles, showing how this period has shrunk from centuries to just years in the lauer part of this century. The engineering curriculum of today must be sensitized to this knowledge explosion so it is not stuck with the "shock" of a widening gap between education and the leading edge of technology. Another key to the future of engineering education is the interaction between college and industry. The changing face of industry places new demands upon recent graduates, requiring that they be capable of performing a wide variety of tasks wi thin a discipline that was once more narrowly defined. This expansiveness must be continually examined by curriculum planners in order to guarantee students will be fully equipped to enter industry and apply their training successfully upon graduation. The engineering curriculum must be developed so as to mold the best products of scholarly research into practical applicalion by graduates. Industry invests a great deal of money in research, and in
return it ought to receive engineers who are capable of applying innovative solutions to industrial problems. This balance of college and industry must be constantly updated in order to preserve the two-sided exchange of resources responsible for the current level of technological advancement. Yet another issue, that of creating socially conscious humans rather than number-crunching machines, is in my mind the most important. Engineers are responsible
grow individually. Our world has become smaller through the progress of engineering, yet in many cases it is the engineer who is unable to utilize his creations due to lamguage and cultural bamers. A person not exposed to a foreign language, for example, is unable to appreciate the widening variety of entertainment made available by satellite television. Additional exposure to the arts and humanities is also imponant because it helps to relax dogmatic thought processes, encourages individuals to inter-
JOSE JUAREZ/Review
for many of the marvels of modem convenience, such as the large-scale availability of computers, inexpensive electricity, and a massive, efficient infrastructure, but they must be held somewhat accountable for some deleterious side effects like acid rain, nuclear waste, and disasters like the poisonous gas leak in Bhopal, India. By humanizing the engineering profession, many beneficial rewards could be reaped. The question of ethics in engineering has only recently been raised on a large scale. Now, issues like waste management, human safety, and environmental impact have been incorporated into a field where the principle of highest yield at lowest cost was dominant In order for an engineer to truly understand the importance of ethics, he must be made aware, from the time he first learns his trade in college, of the world around him and the balance that exists between his profession, nature, and mankind. Clearly, ethical decision-making and accountability must be further incorporated from the beginning to keep our world safe and clean. Another consideration in the development of a skilled engineer is a wider base of knowledge. No mauer how many design classes and labs a student may have. he must additionally be given extra room to
prel new concepts in different ways, and provides a background in rich and varied subjects which can be drawn upon for innovative insight Ultimately, the focus must be placed on expanding thought rather than restricting it to purely formulaic methods. At the University of Michigan, a body of faculty and students known as the Commission on Undergraduate Engineering Education was responsible for outlining the goals of the College of Engineering in the near future. In their findings, recently published as Michigan Undergraduate Engineering to the 21 st Century, they layout a strategy for insuring that engineering education remains innovati ve. They produced a set of six goals which they hope will be incorporated into program development. The goals include encouraging innovative thinking among students, involving more faculty in undergraduate instruction, encouraging wider studentfaculty interaction, providing opportunities for undergraduate research, and developing an intellectually diverse college with adaptive academiC prqFs. The college administration, too, has a strategy which meshes nicely with the commission plan, stressing sponsored research. intcrdepanmenlal intenlCtion, infOl1TUltion network plans, physical plant
updates and expansions, as well as strengthening support to the college's most innovative and influential programs. The College of Engineering strategy is designed to keep the U-M near the top of the list of engineering schools. By increasing industrial and university funding nearly 300 percent during the 19805, the college has set itself well on its course. Admittedly, there is some downside to this programming. Modem engineering requires such a base of scientific and mathematical knowledge that very little room is left for exploring the humanities. Most engineering programs require 128 credits for graduation, yet leave fewer than 20 credits for humanities and social science, some of which are prespecified by theacademicdepartmems. This imbalance is often necessary for the program 10 retain iL~ accredil:ltion. No engineering program has a foreign language requirement, and there is not really enough room in the major to take language classes without adding an additional semester 1.0 an individual's education. Perhaps the engineering programs need to increase the number of credits it requires for graduation in order to increase time spent in both technical and nontechnical pursuits. Although this would probably be unpopular, especially with tuition rising so rapidly, it would leave a lot more room for a studentto grow individually, as well as to take better advantage of the vast resources Ann Arbor has to offer. While the U~M College of Engineering has yet to meet all of the goals it has set for itself, it does realize the need to do so. Its recent expansion and modernization on North Campus has provided both the room and the facilities to insure its continued dynamic progress. The administration and faculty are aware of the pace of change and the awesome responsibility they have for the future. The students are exposed to new technology and ideas, and are continually developing to meet the challenge of industry as well as the increasingly complex demands of society. In aU, the College of Engineering is near the head of its class.
Stephen George is a senior in chemical engineering and a statT writer for the
Review.
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October 1988
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Arts: Museum Profile
The "U-M by Jennifer Worlck Wby do school buses seem to be perma-
nent fIXtures in froot of that large square building opposite the Michigan .Union? Perhaps over 0000 students visit this 78year-old building each year because it is the University of Michigan's M~ of Art. "The Museum of Art was made a unit of the university in 1946 by the Board of Regents," said Mary Jane Watson, associate coordinator of publicity and membership. 'The university's art collection was housed in various locations on campus and it wasn't until the 1960s that the university's art was coUected and assembled in its current location, the former alumni building." The small collection that Professor Henry S. Frieze, who later became president of the university, began in 1855 for U~ in his lectures has grown \0 include over 16,000 objels d' af/. According to Watson, the Friends of the Museum of Art, an auxiliary organization of private donors, has been an influential force in the growth of the collection. With a fund that obtains 12 to 15 art objects yearly, Friends, with a membership ofapproximately 1200, accounts for a significant percentage of the museum's recent acquisitions. In fact, 50 percent of the Friends' membership fees are used for acquisitions. But, the permanent coiJection is not only large; it is artistically and historically strong, with works by many outstanding artists from significant periods in African, Asian, and Western art. Although Watson feels art is a subjective medium, she singled out an Alexander Calder stabile entitled "Black Boomerang and Polygons" (1963), and a Camille Pissarrooil painting, "Young Girl Knitting" (1876), as important recent additions to the collection. Adorning the walls of the South Gallery are more works by Pissarro and fellow impressionist Claude Monet. Other European masters represented include JtMBaptiste Camille Corot, August Rodin, and Gustav CourbeL An especially striking watercolor by Romantic artist James MacNeill Whistler, entitled "Sea and Rain" (1865), is a favorite attraction in this Gallery. The hazy brown and blue composition depicts a lone figure on a beacb facing the sea, perhaps contemplating the immensity of the workl , ·_" '·, '1-' The Central Gallery is a spacious showcase for the museum's large sculptures and landscape oil paintings. Among the most striking of these works are two marble
Muse~um . of·
sculptures by Randolph Rogers. "Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii" (1861), is a full-figured classical study of a young, blind girl, while Rogers' depiction of the noble visage of George Wasbington takes the form of a marble bust Asian art can be found on the balcony and second-floor galleries. A favorite of children and adults alike is a complete 14piece Japanese armor suit, dating from the 19th century. The Asian collection also consists of carefully illustrated scroUs,
Art
exhibits throughout the year. As Good as Gold: A Celebration by the Friends of the Museum of Art will occupy the West Gallery until November 20. Hilarie Faberman, curator of Western art and a history of art professor, outlined the show: "Basically, it is in honor of the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Friends. The show highlights objects that were acquired with funds from the Friends of the Museum of Art. The exhibition is diverse and qualitatively high, with works dating
jects from the museum 's collection will be featured during the weekend events. During the fall and winter semesters, the Museum of Art is presenting the Museum Chamber Concert Series. Underwritten by the Office of Minority Affairs and other groups, six concerts will be given by various musicians and musical ensembles, including the Ann Arbor Chamber Orchestra.
Special events are designed to infonn as well as entertain for edu~tion is an integral part of the museum's programming. Because of this commitment 10 education, docents (museum guides) are selected every three years and undergo a rigorous one-year training program before they are able to give tours to children or aduIL~. They are rcquired to volunteer one day each week for a period of two yC~lrs. DoCI.' nLs arc constantl y updm<:d on information c()n('e rn i n~ the 1ll1ls..~ UIll
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JOSE JUAREZ/Review
from the 13th century through 1988. It is lacquered and inlaid boxes, and carved African, Asian, European, and American." jade from China and Japan, Chinese metal Diversity is an important feature of the and pottery artifacts, some as old as 1122 to Museum of Art's exhibitions. Beginning 771 B.C., are preserved and prominently on October 28 and continuing through displayed in the gallery. Tucked away on the second floor is an . January 8, the museum will display many of its small oil paintings in Unseen Amerarray of contemporary art. Works by artists ica: Small Oils from the Permanent Colat the forefront of 20th-century art, such as lection.The show, organized by FaberAndy Warhol, Frank Stella, Franz Kline, man, will consist primarily of American and Edward Hopper, form an intregral part landscapes. of the contemporary gallery. The number 'The museum is very strong in 19th of contemporary small-scale sculptures by century landscapes," said Faberman. artists such as Henry Moore and Jean Arp "Henry C. Lewis, an early donor, had a bas also grown in recent years, according strong interest in landscapes and our colto Watson. lection has grown over the years. The show Several women artists are represented in features 13 small 10 medium 19th century the museum's contemporary coUection. A landscapes, and we planned the exhibition work by Helen Frankenthaler, noted for in conjunction with the museum's publicaher innovative "stain painting," occupies a large section of the gallery. "Sunset Cortion of a catalogue on over 600 paintings ner" (1969), a study in brown and orange, and SCUlptures." is a peaceful composition that inspires conIn addition to art, the museum also spontemplation. By conttast, the dynamic sors weekend programs and special events. works ·of Joan Mitchell, such as "White ~Or;tober23, the museum will host a film Territory" (I97~71), are formed from- and diSeussion conceflling the Sherpa severe strokes oCbJack and white, which people of Nepal and Tibet Sunday procreate aSll:Ollgand <\isturbing composition. grams scheduled for November andD.s:In addition to its permanent collection, ·cember will foctl'l on Indonesian culture the Museum of An schedules a variety of and pantomime, respectively. Variousob-
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issues. In tum, they are asked to evaluate each tour they give in order to inform the museum's staff of visitors' concerns and suggestions. "Directors tend to have a specialized interest," said Watson. "For example, [interim Director] Omhm Smith is interested in photography anti 16th century drawings, and therefore our holdings and exhibitions in those areas have increased." The museum's two curators also have a large influence over what hangs in the galleries, "Because of their individual preferences, the curalOr of Western art chooses to change works regularly so that frequent visitors are offered variety in the permanent collection," said Watson. "By contrast, the curator of Asian art prefers to change entire galleries two to three times a year." The university's Museum of Art brings a new interpretation and understanding of art 10 the residents of Ann Arbor. It can introduce its visitors to many facets of art through its broad permanent collection. its numerous and varied exhibitions, and its innovative programming. Perhaps this explains why there are always school buses parked on State Streel
Jennifer Workk is a junior in English and communications and arts editor of the RevulII.
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-October"t9&8''''13-
Arts: Music Profile
Amazin'Blue 'H its the 'Note by Marla Ansari If you take a group of singing students
and orchestrate them to work hard toward a common goal, the effects produced are invariably melodious. This step was certainly instrumental in the success of Amazin' Blue, a coed, a cappella (without instrumental accompaniment) musical ensemble which features everything from Manhattan Transfer to Motown. This 12member group's repertoire includes "Fascinatin' Rhythm," "One Fine Day," "Some Kind of Wonderful," and "Kiss' em Goodbye." Amazin' Blue is unique because it is the only vocal jazz ensemble on campus that is not associated with the School of Music and that any student can join. Since the group formed one and a half years ago, it has performed on the Diag several times, as well as at a Bursley semi-formal, Michigras, and numerous other university activities including last year's Starbound, a variety show which Amazin' Blue hosted.
notice for their activities, we are an asset to UAC." Last fall after having managed the first semester solo, Amazin' Blue began a two year probationary period as a part of UAC. "Before becoming a part ofUAC," said tenor Karl Kasischkean, an LSAjunior, "it was hard to practice every week without any performances to look forward to. Sometimes it got frustrating to just sing for ourselves." With UAC's support, the group has the money needed for publicity and voice lessons as well as the opportunities for more performances through the university. "UAC has opened a lot of doors for us that were shut before," said Engineeringjunior Sarah Jackson, a soprano and founding member. Pri vate voice lessons are valuable assets, according to soprano Rosalie Toubes, an LSA senior. "It helps to have someone
"My goal is to make the group even more well
known. I want people to know what types of music we sing and that we are unique." - Rosalie Toubes, Amazin' Blue soprano The fust few months in winter 1987 listen to your voice individually. It is a great thing, especially since the same were somewhat difficult for Amazin' Blue. Michael Wang, who was completing his people work with everyone in the group and they can help blend us together." master's degree in electrical engmeenng, tried to establish a group here similar to the In addition to voice lessons, members of the group offer constructive criticisms and one he was a part of as an undergraduate at Yale University. He was prompted to form introduce new ideas to help improve their a coed group when the only a cappella singing. The music is picked as a group and groups he could find were the aU-female is arranged by the members. "We all have HarmoOettes and the all-male Friars. equal voices in the group and we try to Amazin' Blue had a few performances the combine our talents," said tenor Mike first semester, but the money for publicity Baker, an LSA senior. and sheet music came from members' own Having no single person in charge is anpockets. For its performances on the Diag, other unique aspect oCttte group that has Amazin' Blue could not even afford a helped it to dev~ unity. "Different microphone. people are. in charge of different things," According to one founding member, said Freysinger. 1bisway,p(ioneends up tenor Richard Freysinger, anLSA senior, dominaliftg the rjusical aspects of the "( didn't know what to expect at first or groop.B'Yf:!I'yone isf~ lc?expresstheir where we were going. We had no setgigs. ,musical icIcas; If.y~ve~group.of But now we have become an organized . people whose main goal is lOachicve supegroup under (Ibe University Activities rior music:al quality, an incredible IIftOUIIt of coopc:aIioellld· willinpess 1O.c:ept CelMer]. SilccweRlheonly groupofour kiIMI_ we _1VIi1ablc OR short " " . ideas is n:quin:d."
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KAREN BRINKMAN/Review
This kind of interaction has been a key factor in unifying the group's members, and for some it provides a valuable lesson. Toubes said, "I've learned team work: is something you have to work hard at Because we are our own leaders, we need to work together well. It is easy to just fall back on a leader. We are challenged, but I think: it makes the group more unified. Those moments when we are working together and everything clicks, it feels great because we are doing what we really want to do, which is to make music." In the past, Amazin' Blue has participated in two weekend retreats to help achieve this cohesiveness. "It. is acbance for everyone ,to get to know. each other better, to improve communication, and to learn how to offer constructive criticism," said Jackson who hosted the retreats at her Parma, Mich. farm. The weekends spent there were also musically productivethey spent eight hours a day just rehearsing. If you listen to the group's members perform, their music resonates with their enthusiasm. Members come from all academic backgrounds but share a desire to make music. Students from the College of Engineering and LSA, almost all nonmusic majors. ~prise Amazin' Blue. According to Bak~ "I love being up on . stage. It is a gtea\iway to relieve streSS." "I've wanted lO sing since I was five years oid," saidKasischke~ "I've bOOnwanling 10 sinJ fortomelhing like dHs for·, long time· _I was rally surprised there was ftOIIt.. iIII of its kiM when I rd QIDC.IO c.w
pus." The members' expectations and plans for the future are upbeat Amazin' Blue will perform at the homecoming pep rally on the Diag on October 20. It also plans to have its rust tour next semester and its own concert December 2at the Michigan Union Ballroom. 'This concert will be a milestone for us because we've never had our own formal concert where we charge admissioo,.. said Jackson. The group hopes to continue having its own concert each semester. "My goal is to make the group even more well known. I want people to know what types of music we sing and that we are unique," said Toubes. Generating more student support and developing a fmn ground for future groups are also important to them. In addition, Freysingersaid, "I hope that everyone will be able to walk away with a positive musical experience; that bolb as an ensemble and individuaUy. we will have grown musically." If Amazin' Blue's hard work: and enthusiasm follows through on the same note, its future appears to be sound.
Maria Ansari is • jiUIiOr ia biology aad
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The Michigan Review. 14
October 19RR
Campus Affairs: Activities
What's Happening on Campus :
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lic sorority dedicated to improving the welfare of others. On Nov.4, 1988, weare having our annual scholarship ball at 9:00 p.m. at the Ann Arbor Inn. Also, on Nov. 12, 1988, we are having a Red and White
-at Ohio State University (toumament}Saturday/Sunday, Ocl29-30 Home games are played at Mitchell Field.
Party.
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WHE-AC SWING
ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
I
The Annenian Assembly of America will
be having an on-campus presentation of a Washington, D.C. internship program in the Michigan Union at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct 28. The room is to be announced.
ASIAN~AMERICAN
ART SHOW "The Essence of the Spirit," is a personal exploration into the world of a few AsianAmericans. From Nov. 1 to Nov. 22, the show will be displayed at the Michigan Union Art Lounge. A reception featuring speaker Cynthia Yao, founder and executive director of the Hands-On Museum, will be held on Friday, Nov., from 4 to 6 p.m. in the lounge. The exhibition will move to the University of Michigan Amphitheater Lobby from Dec. 5 to Jan. 20, and then to the third floor Rackham Galleries from Jan. 21 to Feb. 14. For further information, contact Natasha Raymond at 662-2087.
DELTA SIGMA THETA Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., is a pub-
in 4202 Michigan \Jnion. All are welcome! For additional information, call Niki or Deb at 930-6944 or Bob at 761-2590.
WIIE-AC, World Hunger Education Ac-
The Student Women's Initiative Group will hold their annual conference on Saturday, Ocl29 from noon to 5:00p.m. in East Quad. At the conference we wiD work on organizing task forces to improve the way the university addresses women's concerns, increasing awareness of women's issues in the university 'community, and compiling a women's outreach dir~tory. To become involved in the planning or for more information, call Susan Knoppow at 994-3577.
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satellite isn't exactly news. "But when it's headlines and stories and ~olor photos going to printing plants in 33dties,that is news; it's
U-M GERMAN CLUB
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The German Club will hold meetings on Oct. lR, Nov. 1, Nov. 15, and Nov. 29 at 2011 MLB a16:15 p.m. Upcoming happy hours will take place on Oct. 21, Oct 28, Nov. 4, and Nov. 11. The club will meet at 5 p.m. at the U-Club. For futher details, contact Heidi Lampi, public relations director, at 747-3295.
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U-M WOMEN'S SOCCER CLUB The University of Michigan Women's Soccer Club will finish the season with the following matches: oat Schoolcraft College-Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 4:30 p.m. ¡Western Michigan University-Friday, Oct. 21 at 5:00 p.m. -Indiana University-Sunday, Oct. 23 at 10:30 a.m. oat Michigan State University-Thursday, Oct. 27 at 4:30 p.m.
Patronize Our Advertisers. Tell them you read their ads in the Michigan'Review.
tion Commiuee, is a campus-based organization whose focus is the education of the community 00 the causes of and solutions to world bunger. We will have weekly meetings on Monday evenings at 6:00 p.m.
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N~ws by Fran~ols-Marie Arouet Once upon a time in a universe far, far, away there was a magical world called Olinda. What made this world so special was that it actually contained two worlds. The fIrst world was one of reality, where matter reacted to physical laws, where the four suns rose in the north and set in the south, where objects fell to earth and balloons rose upward, where some creatures felt pain as well as joy, and all eventually died. The other world was one of imagination. It existed in the minds of some the inhabitants of Olinda who were called Malandrians. In Malandria, as the Malandrians so modestly referred to it, everything worked· in a smooth and sublime manner. Simplicity abounded, as the answers to the most complex social problems were self-evident to the Malandrians; if they only yelled and screamed loud enough, the Evil would go away. For the Malandrians possessed what inhabitants of olher worlds could only hope to acquire: right('oune~s. Wilh this righleousnc~s Lhey could imagine a world enveloped in an enormous black-andwhite struggle, the march of the enlightened Malandrian ideas against the outdated, oppressive ideas of the Oggs, which
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was what the Malandrians ealled those unfortunate creatures who could not see their world, and who only seemed to want to live in dreaded reality. Yet once in a while, when a Malandrian would take time to study the mauer, he would fInd to his amazement that the two worlds of Olinda were not one in the same. Rocks did not always fly upwards, and yelling and screaming not only failed to work in solving problems, but in some cases only made for confusion and violence. Yet if this Malandrian brought the matter to the attention of his comrades, they would be far from receptive. At fIrst they would probably laugh nervously, questioning Ihe motives of the unbeliever, and then, if he continued with his protestations, which he seldom did, he would receive the ultimate Malandrian punishment: He would be branded an Ogg. You see, nolhing was worse for a Malandrinn than to be called an Ogg, because even though he could still conjure up his lX'loved ivlalaO{lria by himself, ~1alandri ails loved nUlhing ocller Ihan to enJuy lheir world in groups, where righteousness scemed in greater abundance. Even the true Oggs at times would cringe when the Malandrians used the dreaded O-word. It was not that they were ashamed at their identity as much as they loathed all the screaming and shouting. The most fervid Malandrians, and they were very fervid, had a great stake in preserving Malandria from those who wished to dispel it as mere illusion. For Malandria was a very comforting place indeed. And Ihough the evil of the Oggs could be found under every mushroom and at the end of every rainbow, the enlightened gospel of the Malandrians always proved invincible. Where the Oggs had once made of Olinda a world of misery, inequality, and superstition, the Malandrians had created a new world where they could fInally get satisfaction. It did not matter that some refused to see the intense be"auty of Malandria's strawberry fIelds, or the purple haze of her skies, for it felt so good to bea part of all the screaming and yelling. One only had to lie down under a Joshua tree to soak in all the righteouness he needed. A favorite pastime of the Malandrians was to construct a giant monument to a popular cause. The idea was to make it so unbearably ugly that far across the seas the evil Oggs, to which the protest was directed, would become so nauseated by its presence and so humbled by the din of righteouness that they would experience a conversion and begin to faintly make out the skyline of Malandria. And within a fortnight, intoxicated by the vision of earth
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October 1988 15
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Revolutions always turn out for the better. And anyone who believes otherwise has fallen victim to that most evil of Oggish weapons: histor.y. tones and free love, they would promptly rearrange the entire social structure of their country, bemoaning the years that they had ever driven anything but a Volvo. "But such monuments do not always seem to generate the desired effect, and only seem to make the Oggs less receptive to our vision," a wayward Malandrian would complain. "How dare you question our methods, you closet Ogg. You even have the gall to question the existence of our world," the fervid Malandrians would chime, their pleasure rising in proportion to Iheir indignity. Another popular tactic of Ihe Malandrians was to get together Jn Iheir youth and
armed with Malandrian righteousness? "Criminy!" the fervid Malandrians would bellow in reply, "Won't you ever understand? Can't you simply accept the fact that our world exists, without having to resort to blasphemy? It doesn't take a weathennan to know what's blow in ' il1 the wind. Revolutions always tum out for Ihe beuer. And anyone who believes otherwise has fallen victim to that most evil of Oggish weapons: history. Besides, if a Reign of Terror resulted, it was probably necessary to achieve success." The Malandrians also liked to create holidays for certain upholders of the \lalandrian way. And when various clements refused LO honor such days wILh
Goose-stepping around, cursing the Oggs and their distorted view of the world-it was enough to send one's mood ring into conniptions. be elected to pseudo-governmental bodies at Iheir schools. With Ihis newly won "power," they would send cards of best wishes and pass resolutions in support of Malandrians fighting far away against Ihose who refused to see Ihe psychedelic light. The plan was that such powerful support would send the enemies of Malandria screaming for mercy as they relinquished the reigns of power, fleeing helterskelter into the hills with their iron crosses and stuffed elephants. And in their wake, boistered by Ihe support of the students, would march the Malandrian Utopia Builders ready to carve out a land of milk and honey from the skeletal remains of the old world, and ready to teach the populace how to perceive Malandria through the application of reason and a good imagination. And if the ignorant refused to prescribe to such a world, well, a few years in a prison camp or mandatory auendance at a folk concert'fte've~did anyone any harm. "But," an errant Malandrian would cry, "what about tho§€: who have violated our principles when fonning a new country? What about those who forgot the sweet Norweigan woods of Malandria and simply extended the injustice of the Oggs
proper Malandrian disrespect for the pow. ers thatbe, righteousness grew in the hearts of the Malandrians untillhe shouting and screaming erupted into a great chaos. Ah, the bliss one could reach on such a day, goose-stepping around, cursing the Oggs and their distorted viewoflhe world. It was enough to send one's mood ring into conniptions. But whenever one would question such a march with the argument that Ihe great Malandrian they were honoring would never have agreed to such an Oggish diplay, they would be shouted down. "How can you make such a claim," they would yell, "when it feels so good to march and scream?" And so the Malandrians continued their endless proselytizing, ever intent on transporting the poor hapless Oggs into their own special world, where objects fell toward the sky, where wishes became reality, and where they lived happily ever after.
Fran~ois·Marie Arouet, a graduate student studying 18tb century Europe, is an Ogg and a staff writer for the Review.
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