U-
udited for Use of Funds
by Kishore Jayabalan
Is the University of Michigan milking the federal government and the nation's taxpayers for millions of dollars? That is what the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through its Office of the Inspector General (OlG) is trying to discover. While students were busy with final papers and exams in April, HHS-OIG launched an audit of the U-M's general and administrative cost allowances related to federal research and development funds. The results of this audit should be of great interest to the U-M administration, given what has occurred over the sum-
mer months. Last spring, scandalous news regarding Stanford University broke out when auditors discovered that funds designated for research and development were used to restore the president's house and purchase a yacht, among other things. Stanford was initially forced to return $700,000 in expenses after federal auditors released their findings. Later reports uncovered further wrongdoings, howe~r. Stanford President Donald Kennedy tried to deny all charges and cover up)he incident. By July 29, the scandal had spread SO far that Kennedy was forced to resign. In the wake of the Stanford scandal,
Tanter Considers Senate by Jeff MuIr
University of Michigan political science professor Raymond Tanter announced this summer that he is seriously considering running for the United States Senate in 1994. To succeed, Tanterwould have to dislodge incutnbent Sen. Donald Riegle (D-MI), who is currently embroiled in a host of savings and loan ind us try-related scandals. Tanter held Oliver North's seat on former President Ronald Reagan's National Security Council and gained statewide recognition this year while serving as a war analyst during the Gulf War for . WXYZ, channel 7 in Detroit. He has been a professor at the U-M since 1967. Many state and local political analysts have pegged Riegle as highly vulnerable to an electoral Challenge. Riegle is one of the infamous "Keating Five,n a group of Senators accused of ethics violations. He has chaired the Senate Banking Committee since 1986, including the period of time leading up to the 5&L debacle. Keith Molin, the U-M's Associate Vice President for Govemment Relations and former Secretary of Commerce and Labor during the Milliken administration, says that Riegle is "as vulnerable politically as he's ever been...he's not yet out of the 5&L scandal to the degree he would like to be." "But," Molin adds, "just like Engler,
don't sell him short. He's probably one of the best two or three campaigners that this state has ever seen." According to Molin, '1Tanter's1 name is dearly one of three or four that are on the list," of potential Republican challengers to Riegle. Asked about potential campaign issues other than his foreign policy experience, Tanter says that he is still in the "testing of the waters stage," with regard to a Senate candiqacy. "One concept that would organize a campaign is the idea of choice-in education, housing, economy, security, health, and other areas," Tanter said. '1ncreasing the freedom of choice for Americans is an idea whose time has come." Tanter supports for the idea of Enterprise Zones with respect to housing policy, which includes the elimination of capital gains taxes in depressed communities. He also supports the ~alled "Fast Track" authority to negotiate free trade agreements with countries such as Mexico. "Fast Track" authOrity, already approved by Congress, allows the president to negotiate a deal with Mexico to his liking and forces the Senate to accept or reject the package as is. According to Tanter, Riegle led the fight against "Fast
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Harvard University promptly conducted its own private audit. The Harvard Medical School eventually returned $500,000 to the government when it was found that funds were used to cover items unrelated to research and development, such as the maintenance of President Derek Bok's house. ~s a result, HHS-OIG has decided to
audit 17 schools for inappropriate use of federal funds. One of the schools is the U-M. According to Martin Stanton of the regional HHS-OIG office in Chicago, two auditors arrived in Ann Arbor on April 8, finished their field work in early August, and were scheduled to subrnitthe first
Please See Page 12
:Tuition Cap Debated ised fail to arrive. Tuition increases are not a new deMichigan's public universities would be prevented from raising tuition and ,.}:elopment. Since 1980, tuition at state fees above the rate of inflation under a ~ schools has increased by 112 percent plan recently muouuceo Dy House while sta tewide infla tion was a mere 58.6 Speaker Lewis N. Dodak (D-Birch Run). percent. At the U-M during the same time period, tuition rose 137 percent. The announcement came soon after state schools hiked tuition costs by an "Tuition rates are absolutely out of average of 7.5 percent for the 1991-92 hand," said Alaina Campbell, Legislaschool year; Tuition at the University of tive Director of the Michigan Collegiate Coalition (MCc), a group that lobbies in Michigan increased 9.7 percent, induding a new $50 per term maintenance fee. Lansing for student concerns. "Pretty Several U-M regents have suggested that soon only the wealthy will be able to get tuition might again increase as early as an education. MCC fully supports tunext January if state funds already promition caps." Governor John Engler opposes the plan. "[Governor Engler] does not favor handcuffing the universities," said John Truscott, the governor's Press Secretary. "Many of the universities raised their by Brian Jendryka School is back in session, and with Please See Page 12 new classes and and neighbors,everyone meets new people. Chances are, however, you will not meet anyone from South Dakota, at least not from the freshmandass. This is because in the dass of 1995, Defining Rape 6 there is at least one student from every state in the U.S. except South Dakota. Although President James Dakotaism? 8 Duderstadt refused to comment on the situation, University of Michigan Admissions Director Richard ~haw says mat Interview: the University does recruit in all 50 states, 10 John Engler at that the absence of a student from South Dakota is just an unfortunate coincidence due in part to limited recruitJ8 Lollapolloza ment resources. According to Shaw, part of the by John J. Miller
U-M Shuts Out South Dakota
-INSIDE
Crusty's Corner
PletlSe See Page 13
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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW
2
September 5, 1991
"
Serpent's Tooth Tired of Tetris? In tramural basketball too taxing? How about a game of affirmative action chess? It goes something like this: black moves first, then white can't move, then black pawns get promoted no matter what. When three members of the Review travelled to Lansing for an interview with the governor, they parked their car in a space limited to one hour. Over three hours la ter, they returned to discover no ticket. Clearly, Ann Arborites not only outperform Spartans on the gridiron, but also in the multi-billion dollar ticket industry.
A rat isa dog is a child. So says a herd of radical animal rights groupies, known collectively as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The organization recently placed a full-page ad in the Des Moines Register that equated common livestock slaughter to the torture and mu tilation murders of Milwaukee's Jeffrey Dahmer. We challenge PETA to confront two mothers: a pig whose offspring was sent to the butcher and a woman whose child was discovered in Mr. Dahmer's refrigerator. Tell them about the PETA philosophy, and tell us which one bursts into tears.
A PET A splinter group, People for the of All Life (PETAL), Ethical Treatment , has declared it morally repugnant to eat salads and other foods that demand the destructionofalife.PETALsuggeststhat carnivores, herbivores, and everything in between (which includes humans) begin to eat sand or learn to perform
THE
photosynthesis.
For all who think that taxing the rich helps the poor, we have a message from Insight magazine (Aug. 12): Despite the "soak the rich political symbolism in last fall's deficit reduction accord between Congress and the Bush administration," which "containeda 10 percent luxury tax on yachts, airplanes, high-priced automobiles, jewelry, and furs ... a new congressional study has determined that the tax ... is actually costing the Treasury $5 for every $1 that it brings in ... [P]otential buyers have simply kept their wallets in their pockets, idling the thousands of non-rich people who make and sell the' taxed items ... Yacht sales have plum} meted 85% since the tax took effect Jan. 1. As many av9,OOO workers will oo-laid off this year in yacht building alooe ... Rather than raising revenues, the luxury tax is reducif\g income and sales tax receipts and boosting outlays for unemployment insurance." So here's a new trickle-down theory: when you soak the rich, it drips all over the poor.
"The white boy can't be trusted ... These white folks, even the good ones, you can't trust," said City University of New York Professor Leonard Jeffries in a speech at the Empire Sta te Black Arts and Cultural Festival. He received a standing ovation. Meanwhile, the U-M's United Coalition Against Racism (UCAR) and the faculty members responsible for teaching University Course 299: Race, Racism and Ethnicity continue to deny that members of a racial minority can practice racism.
But Wait! September 5 is Jeff Muir's birthday! Show him how much you care I dislike his ~r:iting by sending him this card. Dear Jeff: Happy Birthday! I love your column. Go Review. I never read your column, but sending cards makes me feel all warm inside. Fascist! I can't believe you actually write ... 000 ... words can't ... Mail to: Muir Birthday Offer, 911 N. University, Suite 1. Sincerely,
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"We are the Establishment"
The Campus Affairs Journal of the University of Michigan Editor-in-Chief... ............ Brian Jendryka
Pattrice Maurer wears many hats. As far as we know, she is a member of the Drake's Five, ACT-UP, UeAR, and is a facilitator for the U-M's Diversity Seminar. Sometimes poor Patti gets confused, what with all of these important causes to activize for. In our Orientation Issue we reported on some of her white-heterosexual-male-bashing a t the Diversity Seminar. But on August 16, the Ann Arbor News reported that, in her role as the head of ACf-UP' Sf she protested the '{erY"" Diversity Seminar i1'\ which she is -a"driving force. Perhaps this month she'll protest herself.
In light of the failed Soviet coup attempt, we at the Review publicly pose the following questions to the Revolutionary Workers' League: 1. Seeing as how those folks with the most first-hand experience with hardline statist socialism recently resoundingly rejected it, how dare you work for the implementation of that horrid system here in America? 2. Why would a bureaucracy of statist, leftist Americans be any more effective than those hard-liners most responsible for the Soviet Disunion's present state of backwardness? 3. If free market competition is so disastrous and evil, why do the hardest of the hard-liners permit rampant black (read:jree) markets? Isitnotbecause without them, their economies would be in even more desperate shape? ~~~~ -;::":'''':''''...=-''',
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"Where is the cry for big public spending programs? Change the name to government investment, I would add, and start getting Americans to understand what a payoff the right kind of public spending could have," moans NBC business correspondent Jeff Madrick (New York Times, Aug. 14). Here we witness a typical liberal strategy: create a euphemism, tell people it's for their own good, and worsen the general situation.
MICHIGAN REVIEW
stores s~elves. barren, while prIvate l'tWrIul'i producers have commodities in abundance? We will print an RWL response of up to one page to any of these questions, if received before December.
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Executive Editor ................. Adam DeVore Executive Editor..........................Jeff Muir Contributing Editor ...Karen S.Brinkman Contributing Editor........ .DavidJ. Powell Contributing Editor...........Stacey Walker Publisher.. .......................... Mark O. Stern Assistant Editor............ Peter Daugavietis Assistant Editor........................ Corey Hill Assistant Editor........... Kishore Jayabalan Assistant Editor ......................Jay McNeill Music Editor...........................Chris Peters Literary Editor.................. Adam Gargiola MTS Editor............................Doug Thiese Staff Chris Bair, Mike Beidler, David Boettger, Mister Boffo, Spencer Carney, Joe Coletti, Brian Cook, Sam Copi, Mary Dzon, Athena Foley, John Gnodtke, Reg Goeke, Jon Hoekstra, Nicholas Hoffman, Omar Javaid, Heather Johnston, Bud Muncher, Crusty Muncher, Megan Nelles, Dirk Polis, Greg Roth, Michael Skinner, Jay Sprout, Al Tulkki, Anthony Woodlief.
Editol'-at-Large ..."_...........John J. Miller Editor Emeritus.................Marc Selinger
The MichigllTl Reoitw is an independent, nonprofit, student-run journal at the University . of Michigan. We are not affiliated with any political party. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board. Signed articles represent the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of the Review. We welcome letters and articles and encourage comments about the journal and issues discussed in it. Our address is:
Suite One 911 North University Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1265
(313) 662-1909 Copyright 1991
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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW:
September 5, 1991
3
Roving Photographer Various campus groups claim thatmin~rities cannot 'be racist. Do you agree? "
by Adam DeVore
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Nikki Singleton: I disagree: minorities can be racist. It seems like groups that say other groups can't be racist end up being racist themselves.
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Wum Koksiong, Lhp,. BUnkheng, Brendan Lai: We<col'l'e from a multicultural Jane Penrod: No, Because in American society everybody is racist. The question country, and because everyone lives so Closely tog~ther,. we learn to .get along. But it is possible for minorities to be ..~cist. For example, the ~i~tend$ t()portray blacks isno,.tl{you're racist, but rather how you as more violent, but our experience has been th~t they are a~a~ly 9\li~~ nice. ,~ .. <lea1 with your ri\l(:ism. . ,.' ,: . . . . ,'."
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The Michigan Review
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Amy Warman, Dana Kripke, Erica Lansky, Stacey Finger, Kelli Turner: Just because one is a minority does not mean one cannot feel antipathy toward someone of a different race.
With your tax-deductible donation of $20 or more, you'll receive a one-year subscription to the campus affairs journal of the University of Michigan. You'll read in-depth articles about the wasteful U-M bureaucracy, be the first to hear of First Amendment violations, and keep abreast of the forces .•. working to erode traditional Western education. YES! I WOULD UKE TO HELP! I'm sending my tax-deductible donation of: __$20
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4 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _THE MICHIGAN REVIEW.
From Suite One: Editorials
September 5, 1991
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Proposed Tuition Cap: Imprudent Solution tuitions. Governor John Engler submitted his proposed budget on March 7, but the Tuition has skyrocketed to nearly unacceptable levels in the last ten years: at the House has been slow to move on his budget proposal. Six months is an inordinately University of Michigan, tuition has soared 137 percent. This summer, all 15 of Michigan's public universities increased their tuition by percentages exceeding inflalong period of time to have to work with a budget, and university boards were tion, despite an economic recession which has disproportionately affected our state. understandably concerned when they had to set tuition rates for the upcoming school Tuition and mandatory fee hikes will cost students at Lake Superior State University year without knowing how much state aid to expect. Michigan's universities had to at an extra 20.4 percent; while students at Michigan Technological University will pay an least assure that one source of reliable revenue would be available. The House Democrats should spend less time complaining about costs which they can affect additional 14.8 percent. Not to be completely outdone, the U-M raised tuition 9.7 percent, including a new $50 per term maintenance fee. through state appropriations,-and more time working on a budget. Had the budget Enter the Democrats who control Michigan's House of Representatives. Led by been passed within a reasonable amount of time, universities would probably have House Speaker Lewis N. Dodak (D-Birch Run), they have recommended the state saved their students some money. forbid public universities from increasing tuition above the rate of inflation. This, they Not all the blame can lie with politicians in Lansing, of course. The U-M itself feel, will bring tuition increases back to reasonable, more affordable levels. should recognize that tuition costs are quickly approaching unacceptable levels. The Their proposal, however, is unwise. First, it would require a constitutional Task Force on Costs in Higher Education, chaired by Gilbert Whitaker, provost and amendment. Michigan's constitution, developed in the early 1960s, grants autonomy Vice President for Academic Affairs, said as much in the Task Force's 1990 report, to Michigan's public universities. The intent was to prevent the legislature from "Enhancing Quality in an Era of Resource Constraints." The once substantial gap injecting a politicized agenda into the schools' operations, which ought to remain . between tuition costs for non-Michigan residents attending the U-M and the costs of immune to such pressures. Hurdling this provision would set a dangerous precedent If attending one ofthe U-M's peerinstitutions has shrunk to virtually nothing in the last and invite further meddling, perhaps even with the curriculum, which of all things decade. The report suggested that the U-M can no longer raise tuition and expect to should remain most distant from the decisions made in Lansing. remain competitive with these other schools. A more important and immediateobje<:tion, howevel",fs that a tuition increase ~p Several things can be done on the U-M campus to alleviate tuition expenses. would place a freeze on one of the universities' most dependable sources of income, Whitakers task force could be reconstituted with the mission of reconvening and while making no guarantee that other sources would reatt to the likely financial creating a "hit list" of fat in the U-M'sbudget. The task force avoided providing such shortfalls. The House Democrats would gladly tell the public uni,-,:ersities how ,t o suggestions in its report on cost management, bu t perhaps such recommendations are , , - <' now needed. spend their money, while placing no restrictions upon themselves to maintainor increa~ the amount of public support earmarked for higher education. The deCade's The U-M, furthermore, should 'publicly oppose Dodak's piaI'. to limit tuition increases, which he will formally introduce this month. The Michigan Student rise in tuition costs corresponds to a decline in the percentage of total revenue Assembly, (MSA), too, should become active in the debate. The Michigan Collegiate contributed from the state. At the U-M, state support has fallen from 59 percentofthe Coalition, which ostenSibly lobbies Lansing for student concerns, has endorsed the general fund to 44 percent. The House Democrats should either pledge additional aid, or allow the pu blic universities to use tuition rates as a factor in the competition with cap, but MSA'sExternal Relations Committee should make it clear to lawmakers that pri vate and out-{)f-state schools to attract Michigan's brightest young minds. such a limit is in nobodys best interests, not even students at the U-M, who pay more Finally, many of Michigan's public universities, fearing a shortfall in revenue tuition than students at any of the other 14 public schools in Michigan. specifically because the state legislature has not yet passed a budget, have raised their
Proposed Drug Policy Costly, Ineffective In the Spring of 1989, the U-M established a Task Force on Alcohol and Other The Task Force also recommends that the Michigan Daily's 'Board of Control' "amend policy to prohibit advertising by the alcoholic beverage industry, given a Drugs, which was charged with a two-phase mission: phase one saw a 60 member task force, made up of students, faculty and staff, "assessing the current level of policies predominantly undergraduate and underage readership." This proposal epitomizes and problems related to the use of alcohol and other drugs at the University of the naivete which permeates the report. Does the Task Force seriously think that Michigan; recommending a set of comprehensive and coordinated University-Wide interfering with the First Amendment will stop students from drinking? policies and programs that promote a healthy and productive environment as well as The Task Force additionally suggests beefing up the Student Accidents and meeting external requirements; and examining and recommending effectiv~ identifi~ Health Insurance Plan to include coverage for "5 days of detoxification in an acute or cation and intervention strategies for those members of the University COtnIl\unity subacute facility, one residential treatment program of 21 days, 30 outpatient subwho have problems with alcohol and other drugs," according to the Task Force'sphase stance abuse visits, and no more than a 20% co-payment, with an option to extend one report, released on May 1, 1991. Phase two, which began in Winter 1991, seeks to outpatient care in severe cases." According to James Balmer, executive director: of "institutionalize a University-wide approach to alcohol and other drugs for all three Dawn Farms, a residential substance abuse treatment center in Ypsilanti, these components of the University's missions - education, curriculum, research 'and services could easily cost between $10,000 and $20,000 per patient when combined. public service." , When assessing the Task Force's recommendations, students ought to ask two The Task Force recommends, as any good bureaucracy will, an exponential questions. First, what are the Task Force's goals? If the Task Force is really interested increase in its own staffin& powers and budget. In fact, the Task Force recommends , in helping students who have problems with alcohol and drugs, their "throw money the creation of an entire new bureaucracy at the U-M. It calls for the aeation of an at a problem" approach is doomed to fail. Second, are the Task Force's proposals symbolic, or will they effect real change? We cannot imagine restricting the Daily's "Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy Council," the immediate hiring of.a "P9J~cy, ~nd Program Coordinator," plus up to nine "Implementing and ProgrammingGrqu,p~.~ , advertising policies having any effect whatsoever on student drinking patterns. Nor This, of course, is called for along with increased funding for the U;.MSubs~~ ' iffiagine the creation of a new bureaucracy accomplishing anything but a Abuse Center and its various counseling offices. With budgets tightenin$ ~ ptition" , ~ful outflow of cash. When free alternatives like Alchoholics Anonymous and fees rising, it is absurd to establish another costly, intrusive bureaucracy hereSi) ", @ound,()nemust wonder if this is not one locus in which our loving administrative ' "''",' i ,,', : ;' parenS ,o ughtnot meddle. campus.
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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW
5
But Wait, There's Muir
Student Speaks Out On Seminar
Orientation Corrupts "Diversity" by Jeff Muir Perhaps the most misused word at the University of Michigan is "Diversity." Since a couple of black activist groups accused the university of "institutional racism" a few years ago, the U-M administration has been throwing this word around wildly hoping to placate campus radicals and convince everyone that the U-M is a place of racial harmony and loving brotherhood. As near as anybody can tell, the administration uses" diversity" in the sense of uniformity and lack of dissent, as opposed to Webster'S dictionary, which defines it as "difference; variety." In a column from the Review's "Special Orientation Issue," published this July, I focused on one of the U-M's most blatantabusesoftheword "diversity"the "Diversity Seminar," which is a mandatory part of every new student's orientation program. In the column, I reported on a pattern of harassment taking place against white, heterosexual male studen ts ;-articipating in this program. Needless to say, Office of Orientation Director Pam Home wasn't too pleased with the article. Instead of writing a letter to the Review to defend the program, however, Home concocted a document to give to each student who went through orientation after we published. This letter, sent to our office by a
disgruntled student (see the accompanying letter to the editor) goes beyond a mere defense of the Diversity Seminar. Rather, it accuses me of using methods "generally not considered good journalistic practice." The basis of this claim lies in three main allegations. First, Home bemoans the fact that my article was based "on the experiences of two students." There are several disturbing implications in this statement. In reporting on the experiences of two students, I was documenting two separate cases in which white, heterosexual males had been harassed and discriminated against by U-M employees while at the Diversity Seminar. Is Home trying to say that as tong as only two people are discriminated against that it is acceptable? Or maybe she is saying that as long~ the two people being discriminated" against are white, heterosexual males, it i~)icceptable? Perhaps Home has forgotten that the sole reason for the Diversity Seminar's existence is the unsubstantiated claims of a handful of minority activists. When five black women claimed that a racist flyer was slipped under their door, the administration went into a panic. One by one, radical activists came forward with horrifying examples of "institutional racism" at the U-M. Among the "evidence" cited to back up these claims were racist graffiti in bathroom stalls and, trotted
.out during the Diversity Seminar, people ("assumed to be students,") shouting racist comments after football games. But it seems that if you are a white, heterosexual male, the U-M doesn't care whether or not you are discriminated against. Rather than taking the cases documented in my story seriously, Horne spent U-M funds to badmouth the Review, never once conceding that a problem might exist. The next example of poor "journalistic practice" cited by Home is an accusation that I used "hearsay" to substantiate a story and that I misquoted a Diversity Seminar facilitator. In the original column, I told of one gentlepum who, growing tired of the facilitator's constant smears against "white men," attempted to let the facilitafor know that she herself was bordering on outright racism and sexism. This is how I described the exchange: "[The facilitator] told him, in effect, to sit down and shut up. According to another student present, one of [the facilitator's] accomplices chimed in that this was good; the group could learn something from it. 'You see, white men have a tendency to interrupt women ...'" Here is Home's version:
"] was in attendance at at that program and know that the facilitator actually told
Please See Page 13
- - - - - , - - - - Letters to the Editor
Readers Respond to Summer Orientation Issue Reader to Vomit Please do not send me anything else to my home address. My liberal, Democrat, UA W-family will vomit on your paper and mail it back to you, as will I. I agree with the author of the editorial letter - stick to music!
Donna M. Bryan Trenton, Michigan
Review "Comforting" As a parent of a first year student, I was delighted to read the orientation issue of the Michigan Review. I find it comforting to know that my daughter will be exposed to mainstream thinkers of her own generation, who have the guts to call it like they see it! Good Luck.
Mike Hall
A ful 路 Semlnars were W Both of the articles on "Diversity" in your Orientation Issue were great! They ""';O"'("t.
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expressed what I as well as everyone else in my orientation felt - the "Diversity" seminars were a wiul, one-sided lectures. They told me that my beliefs were wrong and the "Diversity leaders" were, of course, right. These people have a lot to learn-like people don't appreciate ideas being forced on them. Thanks for the great articles,
AntioneHe Javin Incoming Freshman
Review is Slanted I laughed out loud when I read your assessments of the universities new student orientation workshop on diversity and the videos shown before the workshop. Aside from noticing dozens of inaccuracies in your articles, I was especially interested in your concerns that the program "fall far short of allowing a dissenting viewpoint" to ballance lithe U-M/s diversity dogma," and that the student video only mentions the word uconservative" once and "in a negative "!JO'.tt'"'tl
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sense" but the word '1iberal" was used twice "in a positive sense." Itis fascinating that Muir and DeVore will whine about this perceived injustice while acusing the program's facillitators of whining about what is real oppression and underprivilege.lf the Review really cared about all sides of an issue being represented, why is the diversity article based solely on the experience of two students who didn't like the program? Many more students have a favorable opinion of it than not. And if DeVore has nothing better to do than count words, why not count how many times his own paper uses the word "liberal" in a positive sense? If there's anything at this university slanted to one side, its the "journalism" of the Review.
Christopher Powers WhiteMizle
I would like to thank you very much for writing "Orientation's OneSided Diversity." Pam Home obviously feels somewhat differently. In addressing the Review's critique of your article, Home states ''The author of one article based his critique on the experiences two students, both of whom attended a pre-term orientation program, as opposed to one during the summer months." Is she trying to insinuate that the quality of the program got better as it went on? I would like you to know that your article described my experience at the Diversity Seminar, and my opinion of the seminar, to a 'To' I'd like to relate to you my experience with the Diversity Seminar as it happened on August 6 at 8:30 a.m. They began the seminar by distributing Ms. Home's letter about the Review. My first question was ''Why do I care?" Actually, handing out the letter was a pretty bad move on their part. I definitely wouldn't have read your article had they not alerted me to ..the fact that it was supposedly so "inaccurate." One activity that particularly angered me was called ''Take a Stand." An imaginary line was drawn down the center of the room. One side is the "comfortable" side, the other is the "uncomfortable" side. When the facilitator made a statement, we were to stand on whichever side of the room corresponded to our opinion of the statement. The farther away from the center one stood, the more comfortable or uncomfortable he was. The first statement was "Dating someone from another race." I walked over to the uncomfortable side, and when I turned around, I found myself alone. I was simultaneously confused and embarrassed. ''You mean all of those people are comfortable with with dating people of another race?" I asked the facilitator. ''Yes,'' he replied. I proceeded to sit on the table which was against the wall on the far side of the "uncomfortable" portion of the room. ''Would anyone like to comment on why they're standing where they're standing?" asked the facilitator. Not surprisingly, everybody's eyes were on me. "Since you asked," I said, "one of the many reasons is that my parents would probably boot me right out of
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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW
6
Essay: Defining Date Rape
September 5,1991
'<
Dubious Statistics Convolute Rape Debate by John J. Miller
chooses to proceed against her will, that is a criminal act of rape." Well, almost. "'Man's discovery that his genitalia The man must do more than proceed, he could serve as a weapon to generate fear [in women) must rank as one of the most must succeed. Attempted rape is not rape, important discoveries of prehistoric just as attempted murder is not murder. times," wrote Susan arownmiller in her It may seem that we could use 1975 bestselling feminist manifesto, Brownmiller as a model, however, and c:_ Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape. arrive at a single '" Moreover, she wrote, rape is "a consdous and non-conprocess by which all men keep all women troversial defi· in a state of fear." (italics hers). nition of rape: Brownmiller obviously overstated "If a woman her case by suggesting that all men are chooses not to conscious rapists. Statements like these, have interhowever, drew attention to her book, course with a which in turn drew attention to a topic specific man that in 1975 demanded increased public and the man consideration. succeeds to For many years, rape law, which is have intermainly created and enforced on the state course despite . .~ level, subscribed to rather backwards her will a.JKfpro. thinking. For example, it refused to rec· tests, that is a criminal act of rape," ognize that a husband could rape his Unfortunately, there is a tremendous wife. Only in 1987 did Michigan amend difficulty in arriving at a single, nonits rape law to make this variety ofbehav- controversial definition of rape. Surprisior illegal. Rape law had previously reing as this may seem, this difficulty required that the married couple be living veals itself in the wide disparity of rape apart and that one member have already statistics. According to a survey of 3,187 filed for divorce. Oddly enough, only college women conducted. in 1985 by Ms. half of the states in the union have magazine researcher Mary Koss, with adopted similar laws. the help of a grant from the National The troubling state of rape law lies Institute of Mental Health, one in seven within a historical context of property women had been raped. One in four had rights that allowed a man to "own" his experienced either rape or attempted daughter or wife. For instance, a rape rape. thatviola~a virgin daughter's chastity The Bureau of Justice Statistics, in diminished her matrimonial prospects, contrast, which annually surveys 59,000 and was therefore treated as an act of households, reports that approximately property destruction against the poor one-tenth of one percent of women will woman's father. After marriage, a husexperience rape or attempted rape. The band could make similar property. FBI's 1990 Uniform Crime Report claims upon his wile. Today these ~ .". listed 100,433 rapes nationally, a questions of property rights and c~ figure which also seems to uneconomics appear a bit dated, ;' '. ~} dermine the Koss survey and its startlingly high results. but the crime pf rape, and how • our ~ety ought to define i t , . c' ... " '.' ." ~ persIStS. ,'" L Obviously, not all of these figAs a result of increased public ures can be correct. Probably none attention, many now classify rape in a are right, and the actual number lies somenumber of different ways: date rape, acwhere in between. These figures, howquaintance rape, and even psychological ever, do not receive equal attention on rape. This all seems strange in a sense, campus and in the press. Rape awarebecause the criminal legality of rape ness groups have almost exclusively reshould depend very little upon particu- lied upon the Koss survey, which has in lar circumstances, for in principle, the act . tum created something of a paranoia. of violation remains an act of violation. Exposing the Koss survey to critical We must therefore seek to define rape in examination reveals that the paranoia is precise and objective language. largely unfounded. According to the surBrownmiller attempted to do this, vey, less than 15 percent of the women but achieved only partial success. A surveyed were actually raped. Of these, female definition of rape can be con- 73 percent did not know they had been tained in a single sentence," she wrote. raped, and 42 percent said they had sex "If a woman chooses not to have interagain with the men who had assaulted course'with aspecific·man and the man them.Onewondershowsomanywomen
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could become so confused about what exactly happened to them. When we hear that one in four women will experience rape or attempted rape, we do not hear these details. As Neil Gilbert, a professor of social welfare at the University of California at Be r k e ley, wrote this summer in Wall the Street Journal, liThe figures are rarely reported because advocates reeognize that there is a limit to which Congress and the public will suspend disbelief, even in the face of purportedly expert opinion." In light of these facts, the Koss sur: vey quickly loses credibility, its cortdu· sions become merely imaginary figures that do more to create unnecessary tensions than to alleviate real threats. Some people voluntarily contribute to the Koss-inspired fantasy. In a recent interview with Time magazine, Catherine Comins, an assistant dean of student life at Vassar, claims that false accusations of rape are not completely unjustifi' ·tiate "a pro· able because they could 1m · th cess 0 f seIf-expIoration among e acII
cused. Men, for their own good, should live in fear of false accuSations. At Swarthmore College, students have also experienced a campaign ofblatant misinformation. An outline for date rape workshop leaders reads "acquaintance rape as will be discussed spans a spectrum of incidents and behaviors ranging from crimes legally defined as rape to verbal harassment and inappropriate innuendo./I Setting aside the question of who determines what sort of innuendosare inappropriate, itis clear that we live in a sick, prude world if bad manners are thought to deserve the same moral and legal response as violent rape, rather than a slap on the face. We will never determine the exact percentage of women that will experience rape. Part of the problem lies in the fact that many rapes go unreported, and that the crime itself is difficult to prosecote. Yet we cannot afford to fall back upon convenient statistics that create shock rather than convey truth. Granted, much work on rape law remains uncompleted, especially in states wherp a man can force himself upon his estranged wife and suffer no legal consequences. Manufactured statistics, however, invoke unneeessary suspicion more than anything else, and create a dubious mythology wherein rape really is a tool all men employ in subjecting all women to a state of perpetualfear. .. .. . John J. Miller IS a semor m •EnglIsh .c.--.'. . and editor-at-large of the RevIew.
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September 5, 1991 __________________~THEMICHIGANREWE~
Essay: The New Discrimination
A Plague
7
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orse than enereal Disease?
by Dirk Polls
epitome of America the Beautiful'S "amber can see what a tragedy this has become. try of states with different sizes, shapes, and populations. In these regards, it is There is a social infestation plaguing Geographically, the DakotasaccQunt waves of grain," produces 10 percent of this campus, a malady more threatening for 4 percent of America. Puny little sta tes the nation's food, and for what? We can't just like racism. If we add up all the skin than any computer virus or venereal dislike New Jersey, which account for less even get regional representation in the pigments in the world and divide by five than .25 of one percent of America, have ease. It genninates on the fertile soils of billion, a kind of tannish-beige skin color Residential College. All we get is stupid college campuses, where it then burrows 148 freshmen entering theU-M. With a would result. If every person were the looks when people find out our social deep into the souls of students, who in security numbers, begin with a "4;" I'm same shade of tannish-beige, no one race total area of 7,468 sq. miles, that's one not bitter, I am just showing one of the tum infect the rest of the nation. I'm could claim superiority, because it would student for every 50 sq. miles of New talking about Dakotaism. many ways in which Dakotaism rears its become impossible to know someone's Jersey. The Dakotas, however, with A statistical analysis of the 1991 inethnicity by their appearance. It's rather ugly head across the country. 146,617 square miles, get only onestu~ coming freshman class reveals what , dentfor every 73,308 sq. miles. That's riot As with other classes of oppression, like reverse-diversity, but it would work. Anyway, back to Dakotaism. As is many have known for years: Dakotaism people from one oppressed statecanidenonly inconsistent, that's shameful. shown by the accompanying map, we lives and prospers at the University of It gets worse. If we divide representify' with their sisters and brothers in could easily fit 50 Iowas in the U.5. Sure, tation up by senators, the Dakotas have Michigan. While the complete exclusion oppressec5ta~ across the nation. From it would be inefficient and we would Idaho (with a scant three incoming stuof South Dakotans from the incoming only 1/2 student for every senator, have to get rid of Hawaii, Michigan, class is the most extreme atrocity comwhereas New York gets 206.5 students , dents), the potatO capital of the world,to Maine and Florida, but this is a minor mitted by the U-M administration, it is per senator. I ask you, is this fair? Del~ware, which is right between opsacrifice considering the importance and hardly the only one. With only two inNow some will say, "But if the U-M pres,iOrs New Jersey (148) and Maryland urgency of the cause, Come to think of it, (95), but for some reason, is allowed only coming freshmen, North Dakotans were were to pursue enrollment based on , if we eliminate Michigan, there would no also largely ignored. The combination of two incoming freshmen. population, it couldn't very well satisfY longer be a University of Michigan. I In order to successfully crush these two under-represented states gives land distribution eq~ably. And pursuit guess thiscould be solved by renaming it of either of these systems would not con- l)akotaism, we obviously need,simultaus the name behind this haunting specter the ''University of Iowa - Ann Arbor neous equitable distribution of students called Dakotaism. form with equal repr~ntation by senacampus." by population, area,and govemmentreptors." The problem is quite aregional, howijaving created 50 equally sized resentation. The only way to accomplish ever - it is not only the Plains Sta tes tha t Well, that's true - under the status this is to radically re-organize the Uruted , ' 'States, we next must redistribu te the U.s. suffer. From the Southeast (Arkansas, quo. What these inconsistencies really which has but one incoining student), to States geographically. It is inconvenient, population. This would involve "encourshow is how Dakotaism has become inthe East (DeJeware, two) to the far West aging" population shifts until each state stitutionalized. I must stress again that but we must be willing to pay the price. (Nevada, two), states throughhas approximately five million people. If when I say We must first redraw the state lines out the Union are suffering necessary, we could "encourage" people "Dakotaism," so that all states are the same size and from this awful scourge. the same way we "encouraged" Indians I am using it shape. The area of the United States is The problem is most evias an all~n to "relocate" out west. approximately 3,623,462 sq. miles. If we dent in the Dakotas, however. These reforms would in tum make divide this by 50, we get an average state compassing Just as there are few incoming the senator to student ratio the same in size of 72,469 sq. miles, which is, coinciterm for evfreshman now, alumni have each state. This would necessitate getdentally, roughly the size of North Da--, • ery ophistorically avoided the Dakoting rid of the House of Representatives, pressed state. kota. Because of the akward shapes of but that shouldn't be a problem. The tas after graduation. AccordPersonour individual states, the only way to Senate would probably vote them out in ing to Helen Peters, Associate ally, I am practically fit all fifty states in the U.s., is Director of the Alumni Assoa second if we told them they could have to make them the size of Iowa. from Iowa, their salaries. Because the Consti tution is ciation, only 1610f the U-M's The reason for making all states the another op350,000 alumni live in South fundamentally Dakotaist, questions of same size and shape is to prevent the pressed state. constitutionality must, of course, be disDakota, 160 in North Dakota. -", Iowa - the . discrimination that is inherent in a counregarded. As with other types of disAll of these gra ndiose pIa ns crimination, there can be no will be for naught, however, if losers without winners. For we cannot convince the masses example, Ohio, which accounts that a change is needed. The for 5 percent of the nation's only way to crush non-Michigan population (all Dakotaphobia is to begin by population figures are from quashing it right here at the U1980, the last time the governM. For this we need the ment didn't screw up the cenadministration's help. We need sus), has 11 percent of the nona lounge where people of Daresident students. The Dakokotan persuasion can congretas, on the other hand, account gate. We need a mandatory for .6 percent of the U.s. popuclass on Dakotaism. And, of lation, but only .1 percent of course, we have to have a vicethe U-M's non-resident freshprovost of Dakota affairs. man class. If the freshman class is based on population, Ohio's Dirk Polis is a senior at majorcontingent would be 94, but in ing in population studies at actuality, there are 202. The Dathe South Dakota School of kotas, on the other hand, would Mines and Technology. His get 11 students; but have only , middle name,is "rugged.'" . two.! think that you; the reader,
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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW
8
September 5, 1991
Administrationspeak: Fr~n (I mean, First Year Students)
A Supplementary Lexicon for Confused by Adam DeVore
OosmgyourSATexamination booklet, you sigh with relief: it's over. No more silly lists of obscure, esoteric subsentential expressions to memorize ...or so you thought. Helping you overcome this ingrained tidbit of naivete has become the University's latest mission under the misguidance ... er, thatis, visionary leadership, of President James DuderstadtandhisMichiganMandate. Unfortunately, despite the prima [acienobilityof this Duderplan,a second's scrutiny reveals the dubious method behind Michigan's madness: the sacrifice of veritas to diversitas. Rule of Thumb: everyone is oppressed, tormented, alienated, exploited, andmisunderstood, except conservative, white, heterosexual males, who are of course behind every conceivable conspiracy (and even a few rather inconceivable ones). Right:Adj. Although you may ordinarily think of this as the antonym of wrong, you will soon be taught ... 1mean, freely discover, that subjectivism rules here. There is no right and wrong, no good nor evil - merely multitudes of equally worthy taStes and opinions of individuals who are nothing more than the socially constructed products of their respective childhood milieus. Objectivity is impossible, even in science, and the laws of logic are but the laws of thought that the hurhan mind happens to fancy (presumably for some psychological or physiological reason). The notion that such laws somehow constitute the inescapable metaphysical constraints of reality is, of course, absurd. First Amendment: Rumor has it that President Duderstadt uses an enlarged mimeograph of6aid Constitutional fragment for a door mat. Right II: Noun You may think of rights as essentially the right to life, liberty and property, or perhaps along the Miranda lines of not having to incriminate yourself. Campus activists, however, think people have a right to housing, education, government subsidized national heaIthcare, and a plethora of other desiderata, all at taxpayer (read: your) expense. We at the Review have long felt that the Lesbian and Gay Rights OrganizingCommittee(LaGROO, the Homeless Action Committee (HAC), the Revolutionary Workers League (RWt), and the Ann Arbor Tenants' Union (AATU) simply have not gone far enough.
tional person would buy into the false such uses of racism to combat racism: Diversity advocates' twisted logic is ofpremises and ridiculous assumptions that ten more fundamentally flawed. You see, plague trendy leftist dogma, the radicals in order to be Diverse-but-not-judgmenhave decided to provide the hollow intal, many diversity freaks paint themcentive of allowing its adherents to act in selves as cultural or ethical relativists. a manner thatisat least called correct. Yet They claim that no culture is better than a mere label cannot fill the intellectual void that is PC, for even many quite Homophobic: One of PC's notorious any other culture and that no particular liberal folks cringe at the mention of the misnomers, this term is employed to laethical code is superior to anyothervalue bel and stigmatize all thought and senti- system because such mattets are entirely speech codes and repression of uninhibsubjective. No knowledge of objective ment that is critical of homosexuality ited scholarly inquiry that constitute the (whether rational or irrational) by diagtruth is attainable, so you must not judge essence of this left-wing fascism. One cannot publicly ask, for instance, In virnosing the holder of these wrong opin:- others, especially by your standards. Yet ions as havirtg a phobia. Anything the the PCers routinely assert that Diversity tue a/what fact can we confidently assert that all men (oops .. .1 mean, people) are created Lesbian and Gay Rights Organizing Com- is superior to meritocracy, theyroutinely condemn Western culture and traditional equal and deserve equal rights? Such inmittee (LaGROC)/ the Aids Coalition To Unleash Power (ACT....UP) or the Lesbian America values, and they are certainly ' quisitiveness is quickly shunned as racist, sexist or homophObic and dismissed -Gay Male Programs Office (LGMPO -" ready and eager to judge those heretics did you know the University funds this· whodaretodissent ... and guessbywhose as the crude faux pas of a sociopolitical one with your tuition dollars?) wish to standards! Perplexed yet? Philistine. Having deemed such inquiry unworthy of serious contemplation (in construe as allP;-gay, whetherreligionor philosopll.y;iSbydefinitionhomoph<*ic. OrientationProgram: Better called Freshthe name of tolerance, diversity, and Those committing crimes against homoman Proselytization, the goal is to melt equality), the PC herd need not address sexuals areatltomatically branded as your brain and convert you all into junior it. Cui Bono? Not the oppressed! homophobic, whether or not their motiDuderlings and Hornesters (see page 5). vation had anything to do With fearing They do this by seeking to incuIca~ a.·-"AdamDeVoreisajuniorinphilosophy gays. The mere suggestion thattheremay dangerous brand of intellectually stupe- and Spanish and an executive editor of be deeper ethical issues at stake leaves tying hypersensitivity. the Review. He's glad the Review is an one similarly branded. Once you are diequal opportunity, affirmative action agnosed as homophobic, you are prePolitically Correct (PC): Because no racritic: all things silly fall prey. sumedguiltyuntil proven innocent. With the exception of trial by ordeal, the only known cure is to swallow PC whole.
Volkswagen vans, Birkenstock sandals, Guatemalan Ponchos, tie-dyed Grateful Dead T-shirts, Rolex watches and Mont Blanc pens are also rights, not privileges. Indeed, my comrades, luxury is a right, not a privilege.
THE MICHIGAN REVIEW .". Neeos New Staffers for All Positions! ,
No: 1. No 2. Maybe 3.Yes Yes: Yes, unless SAPAC (Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center) convinces me that I really meant "No." Diversity: Oosely related to PC, diversity is now defined as uniformity of thought despite variety of race and background. But here's the rub: because such variety requires saintly tolerance to avoid turmoil, intellectual diversity is discouraged. Thoughts, expressions, and gestures deemed offensive by the administration are repressed with speech codes, regardless of the earnest debate they can inspire. And if that rub doesn't rub you the wrong way, here's the real corker: Diversity forsakes merit-based student selection in favor of affirmative action (another truth-obscuring euphemism). This is no surprise: it merely reveals the ostensibly true and correct value judgement implicit in Diversity proponents' thinking. Having a Diverse student body, they assert, is more imporhmt (i.e. better) than the alternative, namelyrecruitirtg the incoming class meritocratically, regardless of race, sex, shoe size, and nair color. The hypocrisy is not limited to
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Henderson Room, Michigan League (Third Floor) Questions? Call the Review at 662-1909
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September 5, 1991
THE MICHIGAN REVIEW<--_
9
Academic Affairs " ,~ ';'
"The Nastiest Kind of Politics" in Academia by John J. Miller You've probably never heard of Carol Iannone before, but she has become the latest casualty in the war of academic politics. President George Bush nominated Iannone last spring for a seat on the National Council on the Humanities, but she was rejected several weeks ago by the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee. The confirmation process for a position on the National Council, which serves as an advisory board to the National Endowment for the Humanities, is usually a non-controversial, rubberstamp procedure. Iannone, however, isa controversial figure. She has had the audacity to criticize the academic left wing. Iannone teaches English at the Gallatin Division of New York University and has written on the politicization of higher education in such publications as Academic Questions, Commentary, and the National Review. Her suggestion that certain black prize-winning authors received their awards because of their race and not their merit raised the anger of one academic enclave, and her harsh stance against the excesses of the feminist intelligentsia has earned the ire of another. The Modem Language Association, which represents professors of literature and language, vehemently protested her nominiation. Iannone's enemies ostensibly objected to her lack of tenure (conveniently forgetting that NYU's Gallatin Division grants tenure to nobody) and that her written work more closely resembles journalism than scholarship (as if Academic Questions, published by the National Association of Scholars, sells many copies at the comer newspaper stand). What they refused to admit, however, was that Iannone's critical mind failed their litmus test. P~rhaps Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), chairman of the committtee that denied confirmation to Iannone, put it best: academic politics are lithe nastiest kind of politics." And the honorable Sen. Kennedy is certainly not
above political nastiness - he lobbied hard against Iannone's nomination. Thus, we witness yet another example of powerful forces combining to
silence individuals with viewpoints outside of what now unfortunately counts for the academic mainstream. Carol Iannone may soon be forgotten, but she
should not be. John J. Miller is a senior in English and editor-at-Iarge of the Review.
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THE MICHIGAN REVIE",-
10
September 5, 1991
Interview ,~r
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Governor Engler Defends Budget Cuts On July 25,1991, John Gnodtke, Brian Jendryka. and John J. Miller of the Review interviewed Michigan Governor John Engler. Elected in November, 1990, Engler graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. in agricultural economics and went on to eam a J.D. from Cooley Law School. Among his numerous awards, Engler was voted Legislator of the Year by the Police Officers Association of Michigan in 1981. In 1988 he received the Guardian of Free Enterprise awa,rd from the National Federation of Independent Business. He served in the House of Representativesfrom 197(}-78. He was then elected to the Michigan Senate for three consecutive terms, where he eventually served as Senate Majority Leader.
cutting state funding for the arts, and as a result, some of your most ardent critics are members of the arts community. Doyou think cuts in the arts might hurt tourism in Michigan? ENGLER: You have to separate arts fUnding from the arts and support for the arts.
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operations to a more self-sustaining basis. The point that they've stressed is that they can't do this overnight. We include the arts in the budget discussions simply because we felt it was unfair to leave any sector or interest out of that discussion. I think that with the arts funding there are separate philoSophical Ques-
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REVIEW: You inherited a large budget deficit from your predecessor, James Blanchard. To combat this, you have opted to cut state spending rather than raise taxes. Still, your current budget seems to push much of this year's deficit into next year. Will you be able to trim next year's budget to proper levels? ENGLER: We did a couple of things that were real important. We've balanced the 1991 budget with a combination of cuts, deferrals, and one-time measures. I was confronted as governor with a budget that was 25 -percent already spent and with an econDmy where revenues were off and demands were up. So we had a serious problem and the recommendations I made helped to stem overexpenditures in many areas and we were able to realize actual savings in several others. The 1992 budget, which is currently before the legislature, if you exclude the education fundiJ\g, represents more than a seven percent decline in general funding expenditures. The legislature is having a hard time under the interest groups tha t are lobbying it to come to closure on the 1992 budget. But at least with this budget, I have the opportunity to veto what I don't like. J've made it clear that the line-item veto is partof the governor's executive powers, and !intend to use itto make sure we do not spend more money than we have available in the next fiscal year. I think a combination of spending restraint and modest revenue gro wth will again give us a balanced budget in fiscal 1992. REVIEW: You have gone very far in
very hard to tax everyone for the enjoyment of a very, very select few. REVIEW: Did these cuts come too quickly? ENGLER: You have to understand that the debate is vigorous because if there is 0:1 one segment that is skilled at communi~. ca tion, I would say it's in the arts community. The hysteria that broke out in January was fueled in part by lack \)f awareness of how the process works. There was an unwillingness of many in the arts community to accept that their problem was not the most critical problem that Michigan was facing. I think that when we've taken care of our social services population, our institutional population, our prisons, where you have direct responsibilities imposed upon the state, we had to deal with those first. In a billion ' dollar problem, the arts amounted to approximately 30 million dollars. It would be illogical to have that drive the , .~holebudgetdebateand be the first item " ." resolved. Butthere was certainly a lack of patience on the part of many of the spokespersons of the arts community and perhaps a touch of ego that allowed them to suggest that we didn't have to have a resolution on all the other issues first. REVIEW: Despite all of the budget cutting you've done, you insist on continuing and even raising the levels of state support for education. What makes this area untouchable? ENGLER: Education is critically important to Michigan's future. The role that education is going to play in the K-12 system, higher education, and community colleges is one of preparing the next generation of leaders and workers and the retraining of people already in the workforce who have skills that are no longer up-to-date for the work that needs to be done. By protecting the education budget, I'm reaffirming that we recognize the importance of education and that investment. I'm also sensitive to the fact that it's been the decline in support for education which has dramatically and adversely affected tuition rates at the university level and property taxes at the K-12 level. So in effect, if we don't fund education sufficiently, there is a certain amount of support that be necessary and it's going to be attained through alternative routes - tuitions and property taxes have risen drama tically during the same decade when support had declined.
We're spending far too much at the university level for remedial programs that should not even be part of the university curriculum I believe strongly and deeply in the arts as an important part of the state's cultural heritage. I think that our museums and perfonmng arts are both part of the legacy that has made this state attractive for tourism. We've seen a great deal of innovation around the state as communi ties ha ve responded to pickup the slack. The major institutes in Michigan, like the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, have also begun to make changes in the ways they operate and look at how they can bring their
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tions about the role the state. I think the role of the state will continue to be strong. For example, no one has suggested that the tax-exempt status of art institutions and facilities be revoked. That represents a substantial taxpayer subsidy to the arts. In addition, I have said that we were willing to work out long-term arrangements and different approaches to stabilize funding for the arts. If there is no support from the public and no interest in attending the performance of, say, a given orchestra or symphony, then it is
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We don't take the view that every dollar spent in the K-12 system or higher education is well spent. I think there are significant opportunities for improved performance at all levels and that represents a challenge for us. I've tried to deal with that by recruiting very talented people to serve on university boards. The other three boards are elected, and I have a role to play come nomination time. REVIEW: If you continue to promise support for higher i • education, what motivation do university administrations have to cut their own budgets? ENGLER: The motivation has to be one of successfully competing in the national education market, and increasingly the international market. The schools themselveshavetodeIiver quality education to students. The University of Michigan has an outstanding reputation, but that's
responsibility of the board of control at each university. We've got oneof~ strongest local control structures in the nation, and that's a constitutional guarantee in our state. What I've said is that we've got to find the board members that can force those hard decisions. Hopefully they will recruit presidents and administrative teams that will also share this belief. The previous (gubernatorial) administration talked about tuitions but at the same time was probably
11
completely by private dollars, claims that an education at Hillsdale costs less than one from Michigan's public universities once tax dollars are considered. Would this possibly indicate that the government should remove itself from publicly financing higher education? EN GLER: I don't envision that occurring in the future. It is simply not feasible to "'_0 _'_ the same benefactors i
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Governor Engler spoke to new University
something that can be lost ifquaJity isnot maintained. Universities with good boards and good administrative staffs will be asking how they can better perform their jobs. If that's the case, then there's plenty of incentive for refonn. We've seen some modifications. I'm of the belief we can have the university community step up to its challenges. REVIEW: Despite your support, tuition levels at Michigan's J'Ublic colleges and universities continue to skyrocket. Why is that?
that fees were okay, so we saw a proHferation of fees imposed that had they simply been added to tuition, would have resulted in very substantial tuition rate increases. I'd like to get back to more honest budgeting both from the state standpoint and from the universities. REVIEW: The U-M regents have voiced some concern about actually receiving the funding you have pledged. As a result they are considering raising tuition for the second time in the same school year. Is this a real danger?
REVIEW: Have you ever considered setting a cap on tuition increases? Even one that would account for inflation only?
ENGLER: I don't know if it's a real danger, but Ican understand why the danger arises when the budget isn't passed. I'm convinced in a couple of cases we had decisions made by university boards to set tuitions at one level where if the legislature had done its job and passed the budget I had recommended on time, we might have saved the students some of that tuition increase. There's no excuse for not having the some of the budget done. The recommendations on higher education have been in front of the legislature since March. They are negotiating on the amount of the budget, but still it's just absurd to me that it takes as long as it does. I was a critic Qf that when I was in the Senate because we were way ahead of the House. And now as Governor, it's still a problem motivating the House.
ENGLER: It's really hard to cap tuitions because under the constitution it's the
REVIEW: Hillsdale College President George Roche, whose school is funded
ENGLER: Looking at some of the campuses, I see very significant program changes underway. Even with tuition levels where they are today, tuition at the U-M represents a very gQOd investment. Some of the university boards have not been as aggressive as they might have been in reducing the academic empire building that might have taken place. I don't review individual budgets at the universities other than to say that we look at the level of support, which we've increased. We're still quite dramatically behind the rest of the country, at least on average.
that are there for Hillsdale, which allows them to keep their tuition rates as low as they do, could be there for every public university in the state. There's an overriding public interest in higher education because the state and its citizens benefit from a quality education system. We don't benefit from an education system that doesn't prod uce or turns out inferior graduates. One way to help the higher education system is to be a lot more successful in the K-12 system. We're spending far too much attheuniversity level for remedial programs that should not even be part of the university curriculum. We're now seeing amove that I welcome on the part of the 15 university presidents of the state's four-year public schools to say that they want certain minimum requirements achieved by applicants to university admission in the future. That sends a signal throughout the K-12 system to start delivering. REVIEW: Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IllJ recently suggested legislation to help combat "political correctness" on campus. His idea has been endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union, and it would allow students at private universities to take legal action against university administrations over such things as speech codes that ban epithets and bad behavior. Have you ever considered similar legislation at the state level to alleviate some of the political pressures university students now face?
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ENGLER: I was not aware of Congressman Hyde's suggestion, but the fact that he has gotten together with the ACLU sounds like he has the basis for a compromise. At the state level, it's not something we've looked at. The First Amendment right to speech is one that I certainly believe in. The campus ought to be a place for diversity of thought and opinion. The idea that everybody has to fit 0:1 into administratively ~. authorized guidelines .:. is repugnant and ~ horrid. I thought ~ President Bush ~ touched upon that in ~ his commencement ~. speechattheU- Mand ~ I certainly agree with the comments that he has made. I've not had a chance to read Dinesh D'Souza's book, Illiberal Education, but I understand he devotes a chapter of it to the U-M. I remember being on campus in the 19605 atMichigan State and a lot of people speaking out on very unpoputlir topics, but nobody denied them their right to say it. REVIEW: You recently accepted a $20 million donation on behalf of MSU. In your acceptance comments, you said to the donor, uYour gift will truly make Michigan State University the University of Michigan." In what sense did you mean this? ENGLER: Michigan State University is very proud of what this gift means to it. It has a lot to look forward to in terms of growth. I think that the competition between MSU, the U-M, and other schools in the state is healthy. It also needs to be kept in perspective. Certainly the phrase "the University of Michigan" makes for a great debate. We've got two world-<:lass institutions and a lot of states would die to have that kind of caliber and quality of a resource. I support both the schools and want to see them be the University of Michigan. REVIEW: How badly do you think the Spartans will lose this year's football game? ENGLER: I have no idea. Everybody told me they were going to lose last year, so I went to see how bad it would be and I was very surprised at the outcome. I think the Wolverines and the Spartans are well-advised to do just what John Engler did in his 1990 campaign - never assume you can't win.
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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW~_
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Federal Fund Audit Con1inutd From Page 1 draft of their report to the U-M in late August. The University would then have one month to review the report before a final draft is made public in early October. Since the news of the audit came so late in the school year, not much has been made of the possible findings and its implications. But now that the scandal has claimed one administrator at a prestigious institution and students are back for the fall, the stakes here at the U-M have been raised. Generally, HHS-OIG looks at indirect cost allowances at major research universities. Inspector General Richard P. Kusserow testified before theSubcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on May 9 regarding such al· lowances. Indirect costs include "those costs that have been incurred for common or joint obje<:tives of the universities including the research effort housed at
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Tuition Cap Debated tuition rates this year because the legislature still has not passed a budget. They want to make sure they have enough funds to operate." Keith Molin, the U-M's Associate Vice President of Government Relations, accused the movement's supporters of failing to examine the issue. lilt's alalV'ing to learn the magnitude of non-understanding that sometimes takes place," he said. Tuition prices have inflated because state support has dwindled over the last decade, said Molin. State support once represented 59 percent of the U-M's general fund. It currently accounts for about 44 percent. In the last 20 years, Michigan has fallen from sixth in the nation to 37th for state support public universities. Molin also cited the high costs of advancing technologies and library materials as one reason why competitive universities cannot be expected to adhere to a tuition increase cap set at the rate of inflation. Due tot these and other problems that face universities, there is the Higher Education Price index (HEP!), a special inflation rate determined specifically for universities. This figure is usually set at approximately seven percent, which is two to three percentage points above inflation. "We were buying computers before they were the tools of the trade, when they cost top dollar," said Molin. NSince
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audits. Walter Harrison, Executive Director of University Relations, said that at a large research institution like the U-M, auditors almost always find something that does not measure up to their standards, even though he believes that the audits will have "no material effect" on the university. Harrison also commented on further differences between the Stanford scandal and what goes on at the U-M, mentioning that Kennedy mishandled the situation. Kennedy initially denied all wrongdoings and any sort of cover-up. Stanford also had negotiated its cost allowances with the Department of Defense Office of Naval Research, not with HHS-OIG, as the U-M does. According to Harrison, Stanford had a "cozy" relationship with the negotiators, who often let many questionable allowances pass as allowable and appropriate, while the HHS tends to be "more vigilant" in the funds it awards. Harrison also noted that because of the Stanford incident, all major research institutions w:ill be more receptive to auditors and will be more willing to admit responsibility at the onset. What is the worst case scenario for the U-M, if a large portion of indirect a Democrat, used to demand that publtc costs are deemed unallowable and inapuniversities keep their tuition increases propriate? There are three options the Uat a reasonable level. Last year, he set this M could pursue, says Harrison. The rate at 7.3 percent. When Ferris State school could repay the funds to the govUniversity and Michigan State Univerernment, which is what Harvard did. Or, sity defied his decree, Blanchard vetoed the U-M could adjust the indirect cost the research excellence funds approprirate and appropriate less money for these ated to each school. The money still went expenses. In a milder case, the University to the schools, but it was earmarked for could postpone any action until the next different programs. fiscal year, and promise to shape up by Engler will not consider similar meathen. What the U-M decides to do will sures, however. ultimately depend on the findings of the "Blanchard unfairly manipulated the auditors. universities," said Truscott. "This was a According to OIG policy, major rescary first step, and set a bad precedent search institutions are to be audited evfor Lansing to control how universities ery two years. Harrison, however, said go about their business." that no formal audit has taken place at Truscott also suggested that the state the U-M since 1985. Now that schools government could use similar means to such as Stanford and Harvard have been meddle with university curricula, and cited for misuse of federal funds, HHSwarned against such action. Campbell OIG has decided to audit schOQls in evdoubted this would happen. ery region of the nation in the upcoming Little has been done since Dodak months. TIle University of Chicago is the first proposed the constitutional amendment, but the House Speaker will foronly other midwestern school being audited, with its final report also due in mallyintroducethe amendment later this month. At that time, U-M students can October. expect the U-M administration to anRegardless of the outcome, it now appears that large research universities nounce its opposition to the plan. The like the U-M, with its vast bureaucracy Michigan Student Assembly will also probably enter the debate, provided that and potential for wastefulness, are going its External Relations Committee, which to be held more accountable for what lobbies Lansing on behalf of U-M stuthey do with taxpayer dollars than it has been in the past. dents, takes a stand on the issue.
17 not to review its own cost pool for such their facilities." Examples include utiliexpenses. Why this is has not yet been ties, common space, and library expenses. shown. Kusserow also cited "numerous In the 1989 fiscal year, the U-M charges which we believe to be inapproranked sixth nationally for total research priate." A list of examples of unallowable and development awards with $168 miland inappropriate expenses was given at lion, 59 percent of which was allocated to the testimony. These include receptions indirect costs. This is above the 56.77 and catered dinners, legal expenses for lawsuits unrelated to research, univerpercent average for the top 20 research and development institutions. Why the sity presidents' travel for matters unreU-M' sindirectcostsare higher than most lated to research, "special merchandise" is not known. Stanford had indirect costs such as liquor, private club memberships, engraved crystal decanters, sculptures of over 60 percent of total costs in fiscal year 1989 when the wrongdoings were already paid for by a contributor to the school, and expenses related to presifirst cited. There have been mixed reactions dents' houses. Other examples include from U-M administrators to the audit depreciation for equipment no longer in use, as well as athletic equipment and its possible findings. Since the U-M is a public institution, Kusserow also gave a list of schools that had already made a review to reduce all of its cost allowances are openly actheir indirect cost pools. For example, counted, and the U-M runs its own reRutgers University determined that . views of cost pools periodically, said one $4,894,845 of its cost pool was inappro- 1 source, whorequestedanonynity."We're not afraid any of [the auditors] finding priate. Noticeably absent from the list was any 'smoking guns.''' Others are less confident about the the U-M, w~ IS the only school of tlJe ,,'"
Continued From Page 1
September 5, 1991
universities must pursue the newest frontiers of knowledge, they wind up paying for materials at levels much higher than the standard rate of inflation would suggest they should be paying." The plan to limit tuition increases faces another important obstacle - the state universities' constitutionally protected autonomy. In order to establish a cap on tuition increases, Dodak must pass an amendment to Michigan's constitution. This would require either a twothirds majority in both the House and Senate and then majority passage by the electorate or a petition drive that collects a number of signatures equaling 10% of the total votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election, followed by the electorate's majority passage. Dodak will attempt to pass the amendment through legislative means. His plan may succeed in the House, which is controlled by Democrats, but will likely face stiff opposition in the Republicancontrolled Senate. Should the legislative approach fail, Dodak plans to call for a petition drive. "I doubt the movement will succeed," said Truscott. "It's an insincere effort set up to look like populist politics." Campbell also hinted that the effort might fail, and said her group would consider suggesting a compromise that limits tuition increases to HEPI. Engler, however, would probably oppose this move as well, since structurally it does not differ from the present pIan. Former Governor James Blanchard,
John J. Miller is a senior in English and editor-at-Iarge of the Review. .
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Kishore Jayabalan is a senior in economics and political science and an assistan~ editor of the Review, ,;f',;~:,.
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THE MICHIGAN REVIE~
Corrupt Diversity Continued From Page 5
summer's program which recently appeared in the Detroit Free Press."
him that it was not OK for him to interrupt her. In addition, it was her male colleague who commented that men frequently do in~ terrupt women, a statement supported by many psychological and sociological stud· ies."
After all of her whining about my supposedly relying on the experiences of "just" two students for the Review piece, I was shocked to find that the Free Press article, which of course gives Home's programs a glowing review, is based on the experiences of only three students. Setting aside the issue of whether the "two students in the Review"are or are not in the minority, one notices a glaring mistake in Home's letter. At the begin~ ning. Home sets forth this ghastly thesis:
University's recruiting is done through alumni, and part is with letters that the University mails out to 90,000 students across the U.S., including South Dakota. "It's too bad you can't spread yourself across the country. It's a matter of resources, and the coffers aren't endless" According to Shaw, one of the U-M's goals is to have geographic distribution of out-of-state students. The University does recruiting in all states, not just traditional non-resident states like New York, says Shaw. "We're much more aggressive in under-represented areas. We don't just sit back and take out kids from Maryland and Illinois. You have to build tradition. We're seeing potential markets were their weren't in the past." Recruitment in under-represented states such as South Dakota also suffers because of insufficient alumni and alumni clubs in some states, according to Shaw. "If I can get a good alumni in Rapid City, then I can be a winner in South Dakota. "We certainly do care about the student from South Dakota and take into consideration that they are from an under-represented sate," he said. ''It's very unusual. I'm sick about it."
nity to learn from each other, your Diversity facilitators, and orientation leaders. We encourage you to be open to change, to question your own and others' assumptions, and to ... critically evaluate new information and evidence as you approach these and many other complex issues." That is, unless this "new infonnation" is reported in the pages of the Review. Feel free to question your own assumptions and t!10se of others, but not those of Pam Home or the Diversity facilitators. If you dare do that, you might get told to sit down and shut up. Or worse, you might get a nasty letter written about you on U-M stationery and have it copied (paid for with tuition dollars) and distributed to your fellow students. Don't you just love "Diversity"? Jeff Muir is a senior in general studies ."a.rr<f"an executive editor of the Review.
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Brian Jendtyka is a senior in English and economics and edHor-in-chie£ of the Review.
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believe that they are very much in the minority. You may be interested in reading about the experiences of other student who have participated in'the pfogram.Drt the:retJerse side of this letter is an article about this
journalism." Get it? This makes about as much sense as calling Home's indoctrination sessions a "Diversity" seminar. Home closes her letter by telling students to "[tJake advantage of the opportu-
You Don't Need a Keg to Throw a Great Party ...
Continued From Page 1
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Home concludes her accusations of poor journalism with the following: "While the two students in the Review are entitled to their own perspectives ' .. I do
able. WhatisreallybotheringPamHome? It is not that I based my story on "hearsay" or "misquotes." It is not that I elected to pass on her "statistics." And it is cer~ tainly not the fact that I documented the cases of "just" two students in my article. Rather, Home is simply shocked ~ yond coherence that the Review had the audacity to criticize her program. She probably assumed, like many at the U-M, that as long as it had the word "diversity" attached to it that it was ~ yond reproach. Home confuses "poor journalism" with journalism that doesn't say nice things about the Diversity Seminar. A Free Press article written by a person who has never lived in Ann Arbor or attended a si,gledass at U-M, and which bases its conclusions on the stories of three people ,,}S obviously "good journalism." But an .article written by a U-M senior and 15 "'yearre$ident of Ann Arbor who under, stands the context in which the Diversity Seminar operates, and that documents cases of harassment based on the stories of "ju5t" two people is obviously "poor ,
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letter to the editor to learn how Horne acquires her "statistics").
The two articles she was speaking of, of course, were the one by myself and executive editor Adam DeVore's movie review of the Diversity Seminar videos. Home goes on in her letter to to criticize my piece at lengt):¥but she curiously refrains from commenting further on DeVore's. I wonder !)ow elaborating on but half of one's thesis would float in English 125? That is, unless the second half of the thesis is utterly unsupport-
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I completed the Orientation program in May of 1990, and my wife completed it in May of this year. I interviewed Home about her program at length in preparation for the article. Apparently, this isn't enough "experience" for her. In addition, she conveniently "forgot" the circumstances under which she "offered" me those "evaluation quotes" and the methods used to acquire them. A day or two before the Review was to go to the printer, I found an envelope laying at the door to our office. The envelope contained ano~ymous evaluations of the Diversity Seminar, the overwhelming majority of which were positive. Theevaluation packet was produced by the administrators of the Diversity Seminar themselves and appeared to have been handpicked, and - not exactly a stellar example of accurate data gathering techniques. In addition, the Review article never clai med that all or even most of the Di versity Seminar participants hada bad experience. Rather, it claimed that at least two white, heterosexual males had been ha~ rassed by U-M employees; Home's tailor-made "statistics" did nothingtochallenge the facts of the two cases on which I was reporting. (See the accompanying
articles deal with the Diversity [Seminar],"
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rience with the Diversity program was limited, I offered him anonymous evaluation quotes from several hundred students about their experiences, but he chose not to use them,"
#[TJhere are several inaccuracies in [the Review's Orientation Issuel ... Both of these
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Nothing in Home's version contra~ dictsanything reported byrne. This story was relayed to me by the person to whom it happened, and was confinned by another Diversity Seminar participant who witnessed the event. Home's third example of my poor journalism stems from the fact that my article did not include some of the "statistics" she provided for me. Says Home: "Because I knew the Review reporter's expe-
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THE MICHIGAN REVIE~
14
September 5, 1991
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Football Preview
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Wolverines Looking to Run for the Roses by Corey Hili Another season of college football is upon us, and once again, the Big Ten conference should provide the nation with several outstanding tearns. Michigan and Iowa will be contenders for not •only the conference crown, but also for the national championship. Michigan State, due to their schedule, could possibly be a dark horse for the Big Ten title. Chances are, however, that it will be a battle between the Wolverines and Hawkeyes, the Big Ten's last two Rose Bowl representatives, for this year's title. Michigan The University of Michigan has won at least a share of the Big Ten title for the last three years in a row; look for them to win it outright this year and earn a trip to the Rose BowL The Wolverines are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. With a year of starting experience under his belt, long-throwing Elvis Grbac will be more dangerous than ever calling the signals. He directs a potent offensive attack that features one of last year's surprises, true-freshman RB Rickey Powers. WRs Desmond ("Magic") Howard (who doubles as a flanker/return specialist) and Derrick Alexander will once again give the U-M bragging rights to the premier receiving corps in the nation. The defense also figures to be strong despite the secondary' s loss of All-Americ~n Tripp Wellbome,as well as All-Big Ten players Vada Murray and David Key. Senior Lance Dottin will be relied on heavily to lead the secondary in the absence of these three. LB Erick Anderson will attempt to become the first player in U-M history to lead the team in tackles for four consecutive seasons. Special teams remain solid with kickers J.D. Carlson and Eddie Azcona, and don't fo~ about "Magic." If the U-M can defeat Notre Dame and Florda State (the consensus pre-season #1),both horne games, Mo just might bring home a national championship with a Rose Bowl victory. Iowa Iowa, the Big Ten's representative in last year's Rose Bowl, will be Michigan's toughest challenge for the conference crown. The offense lost All-Big Ten RB Nick Bell, but All-Big Ten QB Matt R,odgers will be returning for the Hawkeyes. Rodgers should have no problem passing to a deep corps of receivers behind an offensive line featuring Mike Delvin and Rob Baxley. Although the d~f~!,~ )<.>~t four
putting athletics ahead of academics Mark Hagen. Jim Summeral should help (suprise!) This, in addition to the loss of to maintain a consistent, if not excepQB Greg Frey and WRs Bobby Olive arid tional, secondary, despite the loss of Jeff Graham, spells doom for the BuckAll-Big Ten safety Mike Dumas. eyes., ' The kicking tandem looks to be exThe return of offensive linemen Mick cellent, with Scott Bonner and Jim Diguilo. Shoaf and Roy Nichols should allow RB RB Vaughn Dunbar doubles as return Scottie Graham plenty of room to run. specialist, and provides Indiaqa with a The pressure will be on QBs Kent Grascoring threat from both positions. Overham and Joe ''l'm No Graham" Pickens all, Indiana has an average team, a few to keep the offense running smoothly. players short of MSU and OSU. Even so, The Buckeye defense features All-Big they area sho-in for an appearance in this Ten LB Steve year's Copper Bowl. Tovar, NT Illinois Greg Smith, The Fighting lllini will once again have and DT Rich AlI-BigTenQBJason Verduzco directing Frime1.OSU's their offense. Verduzco will have the sec 0 n dar y luxury of calling the signals behind four three returning linemen, including lost starters, so All-American candidate Tim Simpson at expect oppoguard. The loss of WR Shawn Wax places nents to exa tremendous burden on WRs John ti e. / ploit this WrightandStevenMueller,bothofwoom Michigan weakness ofneed to have outstanding seasons for the State ,'" ten. mini's air attack to remain credible. RB The Spartan Tim Wil:, ,·,,·'Steve Feagin is adequate, but like the rest offense is Iiams is areliof the offense, needs to have a solid year highlighted by able kicker, -if any part of this offense doesn't prothe retum of howe v e r duce, the rest will probably falter. All-American • f res h man The defense will miss NT Moe RB Tico lDne50 Mike Crissey Gardner and DT Mel Agee. Joe Wall will Duckett and could bring be expected to stabilize an otherwise inAll-Big Ten instability to , experienced line. The LBs are adequate WR Courtney ~orth)vestem the kicking with Mike Polesky and Julyon Brown, Hawkins. The squad. but this is not a dominating defense. The offensive line H e a d Illini's premier defender, Marlon features tackle Coach CooPrimous, will lead a better than average Jim Johnson, per is on thehot-seatthisyear-OSUhas secondary. Both Chris Richardson and who anchors a line that can block equally not beaten Michigan for three straight Forry Wells are untested at kicking. well for both the run and the pass. The years and they are winless in their last If they are lucky, this squad will get major offensive concern is new QB Bret three bowl appearances. Coupled with a Liberty Bowl berth. Johnson, who is slated to replace All-Big the loss of Robert Smith, this spells Ten QB Dan Enos. Minnesota trouble. lfOSU fails to break these trends, The Golden Gophers will have QB On defense, Bill Johnson and Chuck Bulluogh should offer stability to the front he may get the old heave-ho. Marquel Fleetwood directing their ofIndiana fense, which includes All-Big Ten candiline. The loss of LBs Carlos Jenkins and Dixon Edwards, however, leaves the unit Despite the Hoosiers' reputation as a date RB Mark Smith. Their success, howbasketball powerhouse, Coach Bill ever, depends on the quick development somewhat depleted. Safety Alan Haller Mallory has quietly built a respectable of the offensive line. The'offensive squad should make up for the loss of standout football program. This year, the offense as a whole is relatively untested, so look Mike Iaquaniello in the secondary. will live or die based on the performance for plenty of mistakes to plague the team The kicking game may suffer due to of QB Trent Green. At RB, Vaughn throughout the year. the graduation of kicker John Langlough, Dunbar is making fans forget about The Gophers' defense will be solid but Josh Butland returnS as the punter. former All-American Anthony ThompCourtney Hawkins doubles as the return once again, but not spectacular. Ben Wilspecialist, and proved last year to be son. Dunbar and Green have excellent Iiams and Gary Isakson are capable linecapable of producing a touchdown nearly men, but LBs Joel Staats, Andre Davis, blocking ahead of thern, including Rander every time he gets the ball. Even though Schneider, Jason Mark, ' and Shawn and Russ Heath must consistently presHarper. Green has capable receivers in MSU has a relatively weak schedule, don't sure opposing QBs to keep the pressure expect them to finish higher than third off of the secondary. Eddie Thomas and Scott McGowan. this year. Both speed and quickness are plentiPunter Dean Kaufman and kicker Ohio State fulondefense. NT Paul Williams and DT Aaron Piepkom both need to improve The Buckeyes offense recently lost Chris McCoy can ' create problems for from last year's dismal kicking game. All-Big Ten freshman of the Year RB opposing offensive lines.The real Minnesota might have a winning Robert Smith, who quit the ,team after strength, however, ~es with the Hoosier seasollf. q~t ~y.Playa very topgh,schec:1.~cc~i~g .Head Coa~ J9!m Cooper of Uriebackers, who are led by stand-out ul~:~~~~~t?~~~~~,2~~!h~~"y,~Ni. ,
All-Big Ten players, this loss Should not hinder the Hawkeyes signifiCantly. Ron Geater and Ron Davis' are more than adequate players on the defensive line, and the linebackers are solid with John Darby returning as the team's number two tackler. The kicking tandem of Jeff Skillet "Head" and Jim Hujsak return, but retum-specialist Danan Hughes is what really makes the special tearns exiting. Hayden Fry will have his Hawkeyes ready for .another run at the Roses, but 'in the end, Iowa will fall a little bit short of our beloved Wolverines for the conference .t1 .,,; ,
8. Purdue 9.
10. Wisconsin
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THE MICHIGAN REVIE",-
September 5, 1991
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them when it comes time to hand out the bowl berths. Purdue Purdue has a new coach, Jim Colletto, who brings with him a new offense. QB Eric Hunter will direct a "pro-set" offense that will focus on promising RBs Jeff Hill and Jerome Sparkman. Senior Bob Dressel is the strong link in a relatively weak offensive line. WR Ernest Calloway is expected to have another outstanding year opposite WR Rodney
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Dennis. The Boilermakers employ the 5-2 defense which is led by Jeff Zgonina and Frank Kmet. Jim Schwartz will be the most consistent linebacker, however the real problem on defense is the secondary. Thomas "Tank" Adams will have to minimize the loss of three starters, or opponents will exploit this void often. Special teams needs to find a consistent kicker, however Eric Bruun and Ernest Calloway will have another good
Tanter Continued From Page 1 Track," which he equated with trying to "micro-manage" the President. In the area of foreign policy and defense issues, Tanter supports continued funding for the Strategic Defense Initiative, noting that it gives the president "flexibility and choice" for responding to accidental or limited nuclear attacks without having to resort to a counter-attack. Tanter opposes government intervention in health-care issues. "Ch~ice in health care would empower women to take control over their own bodies, free from governmental interference. This is
the conservative position in the field of health," according to Tanter. The 1994 election is quite a ways off, and most attention win soon be focussed on the 1992 electoral contests. According to Molin, however, potential c~ndidates must, out of necessity, begin to formulate campaign and fund-raiSing strategies now if they are to be adequately prepared to take on an incumbent such as
Riegle.
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Madison won't be filled with many highlights. QB Tony Lowery will direct an offense that features several untested players, induding the RB, WR and offensive line positions. The Badgers are hoping for some of these players to contribute early and on a consistent basis. The Badgers' strength lies with their defense. LBs Brendan Lynch and Gary Casper are expected to be a force against the run, and All-Big Ten DB Troy Vincent should stabilize and average secondary. Rich Thompson and Dave Hallway handle the kicking duties, and Roy Leed and Troy Vincent do a good job as return specialists. The Badgers might improve over last record, but they continue to fight it out with Northwestern over who gets to be the laughing stock of the Big Ten. ·
year as the return tandem. Purdue lost too many players to replace, but at least .' they will finish ahead of Northwestern. Northwestern The Wildcats' offense is led by QB Len Williams, who will have three seniors ahead of him on the offensive line. TE David Cross and WR Mark Benson are capable, if not exceptional receivers. The major question is at RB. The defense is average, at best. LBs Steve Ostrowski and Ed Sutter need to tum in standout performances this season if this unit is to remain respectable. The Wildcats hope 55 Dwight Jones can dominate the secondary, or high scoring games will be the norm - for the other team. Sutter doubles as punter, and Brian Leahy will handle the kicking duties. The Wildcats should improve on last season's recor4, but Northwestern is too used to losin& Wisconsin Barry Alvarez's second season in
Corey Hill is a junior in political science and an assistant editor for the Review.
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Jeff Muir is a senior is general studies and an executive editor of the Review.
Orientation Letter Continued From Page 13 the house." I didn't feel bad about saying this. One member of \he group said ''That's how your pare~ts feel, but how do you feel?" I feel that I was ostracized from the group because of my beliefs. Ms. Home sta tes in her letter: "While the two students described in the Review are entitled to their own perspectives, based on the evaluations of over 10,000 students who have partiCipated in this program over the last three years, I do believe that their views are very much in the minority." I have a few comments about this "survey." Throughout the orientation we were told how important the evaluation was. You're telling me. We had to complete this evaluation in order to obtain the form for ordering football tickets. Either Ms. Home gets her pretty little numbers to spit out or I can't go see U-M vs. Notre Dame. The evaluation is a computer program that took me 10 minutes to complete working as fast as I could. Most of the program consists of rating parts of the program on a scale of 1 to 5. Ther~ ar~ occasioMl' "a'dditional comtl1~t1" !;eC-
tions, but keep in mind, this is the third day of a grueling orientation. Most students are completely stressed-out from trying to get into what few scraps of classes there were left, and pretty-much brain-fried from the whole experience. "Do you have any comments?" Yeah right, next question; just give me my football ticket form so I can go home. This is the blessed evaluation to which Ms. Horne refers. I'm no computer, but all the kids I talked to said that the Diversity Seminar sucked. Ms. Home attached to her letter an article about her program from the Detroit Free Press, of which I assume she approves. This article highlights the experiences of three students. I suppose if the Review had included one additional negative viewpoint about the Diversity Seminar that would have constituted the "majority opinion" spoken of by Ms. Home. Now whose article is inaccurate? The point is that there are some students that are completely disgusted by this seminar. The fact that I had to pay to be disgusted only makes it worse. Thanks again for finding all of this out and having the guts to publish your findings.
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THE MICHIGAN REVIEw..
16
Book Review
September 5, 1991
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Electoral Whoring Rampant in Washington party of government activism, the party that says government can make you richer, smaller, taller and get the chickweed out of your lawn. Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work, and then they get elected and prove it." Surprisingly, O'Rourke is somewhat sympathetic toward congressmen. He cites the hundreds of issues with which they must contend everyday, and even followed one congressman around all day just to see what he goes through. O'Rourke writes, All this for $125,100
Parliament of Whores P.J. O'Rourke Atla,"lc Monthly Press Hardcover, $19.95 233pgs.
by Kishore Jayabalan
P.}. O'Rourke takes that huge behemoth known as the United States government and irreverently slams it to the ground in his latest book. Parliament of 'Whores is based on O'Rourke's two year excursion through the culture of Washington, D.C. and providesamuch needed, hilarious, and very insightful look at how the government works (or, more accurately, fails to work). In what he calls a "Devil's Civics Text," O'Rourke arrives in Washington shortly after the inauguration of President Bush and plans on staying for two months. Two months quickly becomes two years, and O'Rourke writes, "I'm not sure I learned anything except that giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys." From here, O'Rourke takes the reader on a tour of the institutions that constitute our political system. Admittedly a conservative, the author exemplifies a truly American idea - an inherent distrust of politics and politicians, and astrongadvocacyofgovernmental restraint. Furthermore, O'Rourke theorizes that God is a Republican and SaPta Oaus is a Democrat. "God is an elderly male, a stem fellow, patriarchal difficult [and} unsentimental," while "Santa Oaus is ... cute, nonthreatening, and always cheerful. He gives everyone everything they want without the thought of a quid pro quo. Santa Oaus is preferable to God in every way but one: There is no such thing as Santa Gaus.'" Although O'Rourke favors Republicans to Democrats, he is equally harsh towards all government institutions and officials. "The real problem is that government is boring," he writes. In a section titled the "DictatorshipofBoredom," he describes how government survives and even expands by putting the rest of us to sleep, while lithe last person left awake gets to spend all the tax money." Exhibiting libertarian ideals, O'Rourke states "the mystery of government is not how Washington works, but how to make it stop." The author then takes time to explain the American electoral process to his readerst first by describing the two parties in two sentences. "Democrats,are also the I f f '* * .,. "
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Grizzled Frumps: Frumps of Grizzled Persuasion?
O'Rourke is very fond of a strong national defense, writing that anything else that is publiclyfundedhasa P.I. O'Rourke has never been one to mince words. Below is negative connotation, a list ofP.J.' s "euphemisms" for senior citizens, few of which such as public schools will appear in your dictionary of politically correct terms. and public bathrooms. chuckleheads geezers In the last section duffers grizzled frumps of Parliament of fossils biddies Whores, the author old goats fusspots studies the nature of wizened-deadbeats codgers Washington's special frost-tops blue-rinse wide loads interest lobbying dodderers fogies groups. He is very hoar-heads coots vague when dealing old bats fuddy-duddies ~ with the Savingsback numbers mossbacks ~ and-Loan crisis, but gray-dittos rusty customers is notably tough on derelict frumps mortuary bait the senior citizens' fusty cusses old doll lobby. He minces no golden-oldies words when he writes run-to-seed specimens age 65 or more that the"old geezers" blowed-in-the-glass generation of dry holes and are strangling promullett heads".,,," ductive America through that sacred Lest ye judge P.]. with nai've haste, consider this bit of cow, Social Security. geriatric pontification: In the end, O'Rourke notices "If all that weren't frightening enough, there's one more two sets of whores terrifying fact about old people: I'm going to be one soon. All in the American p0- the signs are present - I've got the gray hairs, the paunch, litical scene. The and as you may have noticed, I'm grouchy as hell. I'm more first group consists worried about gum disease than STDs, and all the music of the politicians in recorded since 1980 - except Unda Ronstadt's big-band Washington. The albums - sounds like somebody tipped over the china second and more cabinet." important group is composed of the voters and taxpayers of a regularly left-leaning magazine like America, for they determine who forms Rolling Stone. the first group. Parliament of Whores ranks with P.J. O'Rourke will never be accused Holidays in Hell as one of O'Rourke's of populism. Throughout the book, he finest works. By taking a subject as bland slams institutions and policies that redisand uninteresting as the U.s. government tribute wealth, especially from those who and turning it into a hilarious but somehave jobs to unwed, crack-dealingmothtimes serious study, O'Rourke hasproven ers of twelve. One amazing aspect about himself to be one of America's best and O'Rourke is how he is able to mix serious funniest writers. Perhaps high schools policy analysis with very sharp humor. If and colleges ought to start making Pardone without humor, many in the media liament of Whores required reading in would accuse him of being a heartless, civics classes! right-wing war monger. But by mixing Kishore Jayabalan is a senior in ecohonest, open criticism with his own style nomics and political science and an asof cynical journalism, O'Rourke is able to sistant editor of the Review. serve as White House correspondent for "
per year, which, for all the public's caterwaulingovertheCongressional payraise, is less than what a shortstop hitting .197 makes." O'Rourke mentions that congressmen get little thanks for representing many constituents (all of whom want more "pork" shoveled their way) and they have only a nine person staff for help. Later in the book, O'Rourke shows how easy it would be to balance the federal budget. Admitting that he has no political pressures put on him and that this makes his task a lot easier, he establishes the "O'Rourke Circumcision Precept," whereby he can "cutlO percent off the top of anything." He does not blame the president or Congress for the defici t, citing America's over-dependence on government entitlements as the main problem: After investigating the institutions, O'Rourke examines U.S. policy regarding drugs, poverty, agriculture, foreign relations, and defense. Once again, he mentions libertarian solutions, outlining a compelling case for drug legalization, or for at least seriously considering the idea. He is particularly critical of farm subsidies, using Congressman Dick Armey's term "Moscow on the Missis,
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Give the Writers of the Michigan Review a Piece of Your Mind ••. On the Michigan Review MTS Forum Type "Source MREV:Forum" at the "#" prompt. ,
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... September 5, 1991 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~THE MICHIGAN REVIE~
17
Book Review ~ ....
Havel: Disturbing the Communists Disturbing the Peace
Vaclav Havel Vintage Books Soft cover, $11.00 228 pgs. by Adam Garaglola
Disturbing the Peuce is an insightful self-portrait of a man who seems bound to be a leading figure in East European politics for years to come. Whether discussing the poetics behind his genre of absurd theater or reflecting upon the political impact of the Prague Spring, Czechoslovakian President Vaclav Havel reveals himself as a man of firm convictions and a citizen governed overwhelmingly by the force of his own conscience, with the courage to endure the consequences of upholding his belief in the righteousness of liberty. In a series of essay-length replies to questions put forward by Karel Hvizdala, a Czech-born writer living in West Germany when the book was written, Havel presents a candid recollection of his personal history as well as his views on issues pertinent to his career as a writer and his emergence as a political leader. When recalling his childhood experiences, Havel reveals a budding sense of humanity. Talking about the ways in which the 1948 communist "victory" in Czechoslovakia affected his life, he emphasizes the sense of alienation and iso1alion he experienced as a target of the ongoing class struggle. Such experiences provide the inspira'tion for the key themes running through his plays. Havel asks rhetOrically: 'What else but a profound feeling of being excluded can enable a person better to see the absurdity of the world and his own existence?" The communist revolution also affected Havel in more concrete terms: as a class enemy (he comes from a decidedly bourgeois family) Havel wasdenied educational opportunities and forced to take various menial jobs. With anecdotes taken from his own personal experiences, Havel details the oppressive character of dayt<Ki<:.y existence under the tyranny of Soviet-inspired Communism. After being "assigned" by the government to apprentice as a carpenter, he relates, "lMly family was worried: I get dizzy easily and they were justifiably afraid that I might fall off a rooL" Havel also relates how the class struggle shaped his education. His opportunities were sharply limited by the proletariat as punishment for his "privileged" birth, but he managed to complete his education by attending school dll~ng the evening. FOI:wantof any oilier \ -. ~:.. :.;....,w . .~ ; ."' .:' ; -.' ~ ,~ .~ ;.._~.;_;.i~,: ~~ .~ ..
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opportunities, he then enrolled in the Czech University of Technology's department of Public Transport - an unusual course of study for a man of letters. True to the wisdom of William F. Buckley,Jr., Havel found his life's calling during his time of "national service" in the army, though his participation was less due to gratitude than compulsion. It was then that he first began writing for the stage, and co-founded, with the help of one of his fellow soldiers, a regimental theater company. The first play he wrote for the company was quite popular, but was eventually condemned as anti-army
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beginning of his career this was not the case. The chapter is virtually a textbook on civil disobedience, detailing Havel's frequent battles with Czechoslovakia'S communist government. As Havel recounts the struggle to save an obscue literary magazine from government censorship, one can see in this small-scale skirmish to preserve the freedom of a few artists the beginning of a larger battle. As Havel goes on to explain his involvement in the resistance against the Soviet occupation of 1968, and later his role in formingCharter77,a hutnan rights monitoring group, one sees a common thread running through all of these conflicts. It was not a desire to protest that helped Havel persevere, but rather his upwavering belief in what is right, and his willingness to suffer for his beliefs. In "Public Enemy," Havellooksback at his time as an outla w, a dissident, and finally, a political prisoner. His picture of prison life in the Eastern Bloc is a grim and hopeless one; often, Havel had to talk fellow inmates out of committing suicide: "I once spent two weeks 'in the'"
hole' for attempting to stop someone from killing himself; our half-crazed warden yelled at me that I wasn't to interfere in the running of hi s camp," he recalls. While able to vividly describe his surroundings, Havel is reticent about how his time in prison affected him personally. The last section of the book, entitled liThe Politics of Hope," gives the reader an exposition of his political beliefs and vision of the future for Czechoslovakia. Focusing on the individual's potential for self-fulfillment within society, Havel is deeply critical of statism in any form. His humanist approach to the problems of various political ideologies seeks to eliminate the bureaucratic establishment and its dehumanizing interaction with the citizenry it purportedly serves. Disturbing the Peace reveals Havel in all his complexity: not simply as a political figure or as a dissident, but also as a humanitarian, artist, and man full of very real uncertaintieS and fears. Adam Garagiola is a junior in compara~lvj}.Iiterature and creative writing, and 'literary editor of the Review.
HE PEACE when the political high command finally "came, guite properly, to the conclusion that we were making fun of them." Havel continues the story of his developing involvement with the theater in the second chapter, entitled "Writing for the Stage." While writing plays of his own, he worked as a stagehand and lighting technician in what might be called Czech theater's "private sector" - underground groups whose material did not meet the approval of the communist state. For those primarily interested in Havel as a literary man, he gives a personally annotated bibliography of his plays, essays and articles. In addition, he discusses the ideas behind some of his major plays, such as The Garden Party and The Memorandum. (Ann Arbor theater goers may recall the Performance Network's staging ofthe latter last year.) To conclude this chapter, Havel gives an honest assessment of the impact of his work on society. He is in the enviable position of being the voice of his nation - but it is also a burdensome responsibility. "I occasionally have the desire to cry out: I'm tired of playing the builder's role, I just want to do what every writer should do, to tell the truth!" While Havel's fondest wish may be> simply to be left to his WO~, it i~ evident from the third chapter, "F.dng the Es- . tabli$ment," that.ev~p. frol1:\ the .very. ::'0. .:... ; ... ~ ... ; ••;;",': ..!,4. ... ~ . ~ .:~"'-:. ,;;.
Main Bookstore : 549 East Universil Art/Engineering Store and Electronics Showroom: 11 17 South University Phone : 313·662·3201 Monday-Friday 9:00-6 :00 Saturday 9 :3().S:00 Sunday Noon to 4:00
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THE Mlc'HIGANREVIEW
18
September 5,1991
-:1.1
Essay: The Hypocrisy of the
CommoQ~$
Posers Flock to Le.UapoUoza, Set Fires dozen or so fires that were lit and threatthe Emancipation Prociomation), during bands playiJ)g the Lollapolloza Festival ened to put an early end to the day's their hour-long set. Cynicism and were afraid to employ the powertulallifestivities? Without the infirmary to treat sloganeering, all that remains when one ance of music and emotion in order to further their own political agenda . . A quick glance at the liner notes ac- >.. I companying the latest Jane's Addiction compact disc reveals that they fancy themselves ed uca tors and legislators of a new politicized youth culture, one they hope to liberate from what they consider the repressive conventions of American society at large. "We have more influence over your children than you do," the notes begin. .. hasabandonedthoughtforemotion,were the expected flow of drug overdoses? "Oh, mother, father, your blindness to . the unofficial themes of the Lollapalloza Without automobiles that brought them our most blessed gift, NATURE, leaves Festival. there in the first place? Or without the us with the overwhelming task of corAs erroneous 'facts' about the reeent multi-national beer corporations that reeting your utter mess. It also'ptoves~ Gulf War danced across a giant tickermade such an enormous Dionysan revel that you are no judgeofart,norofbeauty." tape (courtesy of science and technolpossible? And what do they consider ':art"and ogy)erected above the stage, Glover was For people so accustomed to biting "beauty," if Pot the science and,techn'ol~ preparing another laughable soundbite: the hands that feed them, it is perhaps ogy that,tt\ey lampoon, the very tfting "Science and technology, the new mynot disturbing to be caught reaching for which provid~ them with the electronic thology." Since mythology is by its very the cookie jar while bemoaning the evils sound reproauction that has made them definition false, it is no small rniraclethat of sugar. They vigorously denounce scimillionaires? Sex, drugs, and rOck 'n roll the gods did not drop that giant ticker- . ence and technology, but then stage a is their answer. What exactly isthe"utter . tape on the hubristic Glover rightJ~rf'"""'" multi-media extravaganza on the backs mess" they feel so compelled to correct?' . and there, just to make a point. of - you guessed it - science and Western civilization, it would seem,.ju~g· Perhaps history and technology, the technonolgy.They decry the government ing by the bands' lyrics and. actiVi$W targets of much Lollapolloza scorn, are that unselfishly protects their freedom to propaganda. • .... . too painful a reminder that many oftheir act foolishly, and they talk a great deal There was every indication that the . own lives are irrational and disorderly. . . about saving the planet, but most will concert~rs were in complete agree-. . ',Aiter all, the victory over Saddam not give up their sports sedans that pol~ ment with such malarky. "1 used lobe a Hussein was a victory for science, for lute the atmosphere. (How else would . white American but I gave it up f.orhu" technology, for principles, and for freeone get to Clarkston in under an hour?) manity" stickers, courtesy of the Refuse dom - for everything reason has given The people I saw are not half the and Resist group, abounded in what, for us.Couldthefeelings,wishes,urges,apd rebels they think they are - and the all the Festival's nods to diversity, instincts-the emotions-of a few selfmusicians on stage know it.Infact, Perry amounted to an overwhelmingly white righteous, former "white Arnericansn , Farrell, in Rolling Stone magazine, reaudience. Never mind thatJNU.\.yofthese, have saved a tiny country from tyranny? cently confessed his belief, " ...like these former "white Americans" had refused .No. Would they have even of tried? kids could give a s- (about youth revoor neglected to abandon thek Styrofoam · .~Clearly not. I wonder what the Kuwaitis lution). They're much too happy with - makethatozone-depleting-coolers. . would think of "NATURE" as prescirbed life." Such a combination of arrogance, igno- .by Jane's. Which is to say that they are a lot like rance, and hypocrisy would have been Meanwhile, at the political activist their parents. They want everything and tables they were bemoaning a president they think everyone should have some who allegedly pursues a policy of "yeItoo. But they are also somewhat different. They are profoundly una ware of the low ribbon fascism," which on the dovocal~ mesticleveItheyclaimtranslatesto"bansource of everything they have, and the ningrecords,'~ "arrestingmusicians," and consequent hypocrisy in which they be0 forcing everyone to "peeinajar"inorder come embroiled upon denouncing sciE" P 1 0. :. ) . to make us all "white, male Republicans ence and technology. Maybe it is all just 0 listening to elevator music." Such deluan act. Perhaps they do recognize s~ons were only reinforc~ by the.musi~ll~polloza for ~hat it really is: mate~. Clans on stage who are hvmg testimony ahstic adults making money off a matento the glamour of trained ignorance. alistic youth culture that dings stead• Ultimately, one must ask: if all these fastly to the notion they are not materialbands and their followers have is their istic. Wishful thinking? I hope not. instincts, urges, and intuitions - what primitive speech. As a result, there is a comical had their ridiculous beliefs not acquired the devotion of a religious con- Jane's calls 'Nature" - how would they conflict between music, which is pure viction. .. . ever grasp what is needed to satisfy their. . David J. Powell is a sophomore in poemotion, and reason, because reason relitical science and a contributing editor quires suppression of raw passion in The songs told the rest. ''HistorY's a . , wishes, like arranging a 21-city of the Review. deference to something greater than the lie that they teach you in school/'med ~ Lollapalloza Festival? mere satisfaction of man's crudest imCorey Glover, lead vocalist of living For instance, where would they be pulses. Not surprisingly, none of the , Colour (and please note: beneficiary of without the authorities who put out the
by David J. Powell On Sunday, August 4, 1991, some 14,000 people, most of them college-age and younger, converged on the Pine Knob Music Theater in Clarkston, Michigan, about one hour north of Ann Arbor. The eventwaspartof the 21-city Lollapalloza Festival. The local installment of "the travelling Woodstock of the 90s," ('so dubbed by Perry Farrell, the brainchild behind Lollapolloza and lead singer of headlining band Jane's Addiction), afforded one the opportunity to hear some great bands and fraternize with the leather-jacketand-oose-ring crowd. For many people, attending the daylong festival, which included art tents, exotic food booths and politically correct information tables, was a chance to demonstrate one's liberal credentials, ,supposedly by doing drugs, digging African veggie plates, and lamenting what they called the "distinctly fascist aura" of American policy. Obviously, what was taking place on thiS particular Sunday was much more thanan ."altemative" music festival-it was something we do not always recognize at first glance: a concrete exp~on of a philosophy. A philosophy, in this case, which embodies a worldview hostile to achievement, common sense, and. technology - and their source: reason. Their ha tred, like that of the tie-dye reality-haters o"f the 60s, is predicated on an alleged dichotomy of reason versus eIriQtion, a dichotomy that, like many other things, had its first expression in the great Greek tragedies. Plato was the first to devote serious effort to the discussion of reason and emotion, as well as their peculiar relation to music, which he concluded to be man's
The people saw are not half the rebels they think they are - and the musicians on stage know it. They are profoundly unaware of the hypocrisy in which they are embroiled.
r----------------------------., JJHistory's a lie that they teach you in school," warned Corey Glover, lead . f" . .. 1St LIVIng Colour (and please note: benf th · · ef ICIary emancIpation roc amation. Cynicism and sloganering were the unoffi. cial themes of the Lollapalloza Festival
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THE MICHIGAN REVIE~
September 5, 1991
19
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Kid Rock Scratches His Way to the Top by Crusty Muncher "When I was about12 or 13 years old [saw someone scratchin' recordson TV," explains Detroit native Bob Ritchie, known to most as rapper Kid Rock. Out of the comer of his eye Ritchie is watching a video by A Tribe Called Quest on "Yo! MTV Raps." Hetakesa few seconds to rhyme along with the Tribe's Q-Tip and then continues. "I thought to myself 'huh, that looks cool.' Pretty soon I had ruined all the record players in my house." At the age of 19 Kid Rock recorded . his debut Grits Sandwiches For Breakfast on the gigantic hip-hop label Jive/RCA, also home to heavyweights Boogie Down Productions, Too Short, and D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. Since the release of Grits, Kid Rock has toured the United States with many of the names at the forefront of his genre: Ice Cube, the Geto Boys, and lee-T, to name a few. For the past few days, Ritchie, now 20, has been finishing the first single for his follow-up release, a radio-ready song
called "Back From the Dead." The single should hit the stores sometime in September while Ritchie finishes up his sophomore effort. "When I started out I was picking apples for money. I saved enough cash to buy good turntables and before long I was doing parties, school dances in junior high, and my brother's high school dances." Ritchie met up with a 'few black kids from Mt. Clemens who brought him out to the Detroit suburb to perform at huge neighborhood parties. "I scratched different from anyone they'd ever seen 'cause no one tought me how to do it," he explains. "1 figured out my own way that used to trip out the kids at those parties. People used to say 'you gotta see this white kid rock on the turntables.' That's how I got my name." It was not long before Kid Rock had landed a deal with Jive/RCA. Labelmates D-Nice and Too Short produced tracks on the LP, but many of the album's strongest tunes were produced without
the help of his big-name buddies. The single "Yo-Da-Lin in the Valley" and the thump-funk jam "Abdul Jabbar Cut" demonstrate that Ritchie can stand on his own when it comes to working the knobs in the studio. He plans to produce the upcoming album almost entirely on his own.
Detriot DJsare still blaringthe smutty rhymes and smooth bass-line of 'Wax the Booty" in the dance clubs and the Grits tape is still selling without radio play or a video. "I've gotta build everything slowly. I've got a big cult following in the States and many fans in London. The next album will have some clean commercial cuts and I11 be making some videos," Ritchie says. Expect to see a video for the second single"You Don't Kn<? ...... te1'e" on ''Yo! TV Raps" in the late fall. .1. ,11;
Crusty Muncher spent the summer underwater holding his breath.
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Rapper Kid Rock took some time off after a tour With-Too Short and Ice Cube and is currently recording material for his n~falbum.
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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW
20
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Arts: Music Review
September 5, 1991
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Crusty's Corner
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Nymphs Set to Break this Fall i
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by Chris Peters Vocalist Inger Lorretalksa little about her past and how rock n' roll has become such an important part of her life: "I was thrown out of five schools. I was beaten every day until I was eighteen. I was told, 'Why can't you be more like Susan?' I turned theampupto lO.Ihad five friends commit suicide. When I was 11 I felt rock n' roll was my destiny SO I told my parents that I didn't have to go to school anymore. They put me in reform schools and then mental hospitals." Inger is the leader of her own Los Angeles-based rock and roll outfit, Nymphs, who plan to release their twelve-song debut i.ri late September. Nymphs tunes have both the gloom and tortured,always-pushing-annoyingvocal melodies of old Siouxie & the Banshees material with the blunt sexual ag-
gressiveness of Jane's Addiction or}ggy Pop (lggy c~kes a guest appearance on a tune caned "Supersonic").... Ironically, the strongest songs on the album, "JuSt One Happy Day" and "Sad and Damned" feature the most forceful and memorable melodies and are a tad subdued compared to the other tracks.
Most of the riffs on the album are of the slow, low-ended heavy guitar type that has been hip with the alternative crowd for the last few years. Chris Peters is a sophomore in LSA and" ... music editor for the Review. " .",
A Campus Tradition \{oted #1 by readers of the:
Michigan Daily Ann Arbor News ', Eastern EC]10 Ann,Arbor Metro Times.
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by Crusty Mucher Fudge Tunnel, a trio outof Nottingham, England, has released their American debut on Earache! Relativity Records(Godflesh, Napalm Death) entitled Hate Songs in E Minor. If you are into the grungy works of bands like Nirvana, Soungarden, or Prong then this band is right up your alley. Fudge Tunel songs are slow, buzzy-fuzzy, guitarheavy tunes that fans of the Seattle S9und can't seem to get enough of,but, like many a grunge record, there is no .variety in the sounds and songwri tin~ . on Hate Songs. The best songs on the album are the covers: a slow ind ustrial version of Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love" and a hardcore rendition of Ted Nugent's "CatScratch Fever." In fact, the lads even dedicated the album to Mr. Nugent, the pride of the Motor City ... Lots of area shows in the weeks ahead. ChapterhoU5e, from Reading, England, will play the Industry in Pontiac in support of their debut LP, Whirlpool, on September 16. Bluesman Lonnie Mack will perform at Sully's in Dearborn on Friday, September 27. Toot' Petty will be at the Palace of Auburn Hills on September 12. Crowded House and songwritinggod Richard Thompson are scheduled to perform on September 20 at Oubland ... HR, former vocalist for one of hardcore' sgreatest bands, Bad Brains, will rip it up at the Blind Pig on September 18. This show is a must for all reggae!hardcore fans ... There are many more upcoming shows SO pick up a copy of The Metro Times for complete concert listings ... If jazz or dance music is your thing then look into the Candy Dulfer album entitled Saxuality. Candy, a Dutch sax player, blends the genres on her eleven song instrumental ale bum chuck full of funky beats and smooth melodies... Geffen Records finally released the debut from the Galactic Cowboys, a Texas-based band that incorporates powerful Beatlesque vocal harmonies with Anthrax-style guitar riffs. The album is one of the years best and should stretch the boundaries of the thrash genre. It is cool to see that labels are signing heavy bands with real singers. Melody-less yelling is getting old.
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Crusty Muncher is a staff writer for the Review and hates the phrase "facUlty, staff, and students." . '. .. ...
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