The Michigan Review The Jour nal of Campus Af fairs at the University of Michigan 02.07.07 Volume xxv, Issue 8 Features Ex-Terrorist Event Talking Interview with pro- Meets Expectations, Terror With test organizers, and additional terrorist Sparks Controversy Three Ex- event coverage. By Lindsey Dodge, ‘10 protests. Yellow graffiti had been scrawled over the many advertisements around campus, and P. 3 fter weeks of public relations blitzes and as people walked into the auditorium, students Agrowing anticipation on campus, the in yellow handed out flyers as “information Terrorists speeches by three ex-terrorists at Rackham about the event.” The flyer read, in big block By Nick Cheolas, Editor-In-Chief What effect will race Auditorium on January 30 largely lived up to letters, “WALK OUT (in silence),” and seemed and gender politics the expected hype and controversy. A planned to oppose not the event itself, but YAF’s in- t is a memory few American children walk out, police-escorted exit for a heckler, and volvement. Ican relate to: carrying the body of a friend play in the next relatively enthusiastic audience response char- Despite this, there was no imposition to back from the battlefield. election? acterized the raucous evening. the commencement of the event. Kamal Sal- But it is a vivid memory for Kamal Sal- The campus chapter of Young Americans eem, Zachariah Anani, and Walid Shoebat eem. P. 12 for Freedom, often maligned for their confron- came to speak about their experiences and to Born to a large Sunni Muslim family, Sal- tational and controversial tactics, sponsored warn about the dangers of radical Islam to not eem was raised in the culture of Jihad. By age the event, filling the roughly 1,200-seat audi- only the Middle East, but to America as well. 7, he was out of school, and soon became in- News torium. The general audience had to arrive an Kamal Saleem spoke first, setting up an volved with the Muslim Brotherhood, where hour early to obtain seating. By the beginning idea repeated throughout the speeches; they he worked to recruit other young Palestinian of the ex-terrorists’ testimony, nearly every are speaking to American audiences to inform boys into the PLO. Non-profit, public- seat in the auditorium was filled. Americans, not just Middle-Easterners. In his Walid Shoebat and Zachariah Anani have private groups en- The audience was not solely comprised of similar memories from lives that were once abling Detroit river- supporters and the interested. Word had spread filled with hatred and vengeance. Shoebat See “Event” front development on campus in the past few days about planned spent time in a Jerusalem prison. Meanwhile, Page 3 Anani had racked up 223 “points” as a young speak on campus. militant – points awarded for successful kills. Decades later, the three men have long P. 6 abandoned their ideology of hate. On Tues- Asian Applicants May Have Most day night, they took to the stage at Rackham Auditorium in Ann Arbor to examine that ide- Trotter house to Gain in Post-MCRI Admissions ology. transformed into By David Brait, ‘10 California. Put simply, Asian students are sta- The men are reluctant to discuss their tistically overrepresented at Berkeley. backgrounds. Constant threats and attacks exhibits of intoler- hen the class of 2011 arrives on Is this scenario likely to take place at Mich- have plagued the three men and their fami- ance with “Boxes Wcampus this fall, many students may ex- igan? The admissions office would not engage and Walls” event. pect to see more Caucasian students than in in any admissions forecasting. “We don’t know prior years; however, they could be wrong. Pro- what Proposal 2’s impact is going to be vis-a- “We were racists when we were posal 2 is expected to bring dramatic changes vis the Asian community, and defiantly cannot terrorists. How is it when I kill P. 8 in admissions and in the cultural makeup of speculate at this point,” a University official the student body, but Asian students may stand said. Jews, I’m a freedom fighter, but to benefit the most. The numbers suggest the possibility. In now that I love [all faiths], I’m A recent article in the New York Times sug- Michigan, Asians only make up 2.57 percent a racist?” Opinion gests an interesting scenario which could po- of the state population compared to California tentially apply to Michigan. The story investi- where they make up 12.4 percent. Asian stu- -Walid Shoebat Why the University gated the effect of Proposition 209, which was dents make up some 11.5 percent of the stu- must invest in similar to Michigan’s Prop. 2, on admissions at dent body here at U-M. the University of California public university However, a study done by the Center lies. But they do not hesitate to speak candidly Detroit. system. The article focused on the top school for Equal Opportunity reported that Asian about what they perceive to be a grave threat in the system, the University of California at Americans were admitted at a rate of 54 per- to civilization and the western world: radical The inconvenient Berkeley. cent, much lower than Hispanic (79 percent) Islam. truth about the Ex- Since Prop 209, which was passed in 1996, and Black (74 percent) students, despite hav- They came “to define the problem – not the enrollment of Asian students at Berkeley ing an average SAT score that was 140 points just Al Qaeda, but the principles” behind radi- Terrorist event walk has skyrocketed at the expense of African higher than Hispanics and 240 points higher cal Islam, said Walid Shoebat. “We fight those out. Americans and Hispanics. Berkeley’s freshman than Blacks. who interpret the Koran in a literal fashion.” class this year is 46 percent Asian, 3.6 percent These admittance percentages are not Many Americans fail to understand the of African American, 11 percent Hispanic and principles behind radical Islam, the three con- P. 4 29 percent Caucasian. Caucasian, Hispanic and tend. This, in turn, hinders America’s ability to Black admittance percentages are all much low- See “Asians” confront radical Islam. er than their overall population proportions in Page 9 “The way Americans identify the problem Arts & is wrong,” Shoebat said, adding that Ameri- cans too often – and incorrectly – attribute Culture Asian Admittees to UC-Berkeley After Prop 209 the cause of terrorism to things like poverty Percentage of total admittees or foreign policy. His new book, bluntly titled The fair trade coffee Why We Want to Kill You, attempts to correct this misconception. It will hit stores in Febru- tradeoff ary 2007. Zachariah Anani agrees. “The Western P. 10 world occupied [the Middle East] in the 1950s and 60s, but look at the doctrine of Muslim schools in the 1800s,” he said. That doctrine, New book looks at he said, preaches an ideology of hatred and in- sports and American tolerance. Go back even further, Anani urged, society. and one will find that the ideology of the Ko- ran predates modern political problems. Despite the criticism, protest, and threats P. 11 See “Terror” Page 3 MR WWW.MICHIGANREVIEW.COM First two copies free, additional copies $3 each. Stealing is illegal and a sin. (Exodus 20:15) P. 2 Page Two 01.24.07

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW www.michiganreview.com page two. Editorial Board: the michigan review Nick Cheolas Editor-in-Chief 3 Good Weeks...... and 3 Bad Weeks Michael O’Brien 1. Troy, MI 1. Joe Biden Executive Editor Ironically lands on our “good week” list. After the A rough start for the Delaware Senator/Presidential Adam Paul city council tried to limit Hooters’ expansion in the candidate. In his defense, he didn’t seem to mean what Managing Editor city by not giving the he said. Now, not only are his 2008 hopes dashed, but popular restraint chain he has to live with the image of the Rev. Al Sharpton Amanda Nichols a liquor license, Hoot- in the bathtub. Content Editor ers has decided to keep two restaurants open 2. White Football Coaches Brian Biglin until the license comes Assistant Editor through. Troy officials Nick Saban to have acclimated well allege that Hooters doesn’t present the type of image to Alabama after calling a LSU fan Business Staff: the city would like to convey. All this from the city a “coon-ass.” In turn, Saban’s that boasts Big Beaver Rd., Exit 69. Karen Boore ass has found the hot seat rather Publisher quickly, as he faces harsh criticism 2. Black Football Coaches from ‘Bama’s Ethnic Studies de- Danny Harris partment. Roll tide! Jonny Slemrod Did you know that Lovie Smith Associate Publishers and Tony Dungy are black?! Did you know that they were 3. Barbaro Staff Writers: the first black coaches to reach Michael Balkin, Steven Bengal, David Brait, the Super Bowl?! Did you Our second “bad week” candidate who had a bit of Erin Buchko, Kelly Cavanaugh, know that Tony Dungy was the trouble getting out of the Jenni Chelenyak, Rebecca Christy, Tom first black coach to win a Super starting gate. At least Bar- Church, Jane Coaston, Marie Cour, Bowl?! baro won’t be around to Lindsey Dodge, Blake Emerson, Christine Hwang, Eun Lee, Anna Malecke, deal with the repercussions Brian McNally, Miquelle Milavec, John 3. Glue manufacturers of his bad week. After a O’Brien, Katie O’Connor, Eddie Perry, long battle, his condition Danielle Putnam, Shanda Shooter, Evan Wla- was permanently down- dis, Christina Zajicek, Zack Zucker This is the most celebrity attention Elmer’s has gotten since that damn goat died. graded from “critical” to “glue.” Contact Us:

The Michigan Review accepts and encourages letters to the editor and viewpoints. Letters to the The Michigan Review editor should be under 300 words. Viewpoints can be arranged by contacting the editorial board. Date Auction We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. In true PC spirit, a recent campus date auction - put on Send all correspondence to [email protected]. to raise money for chairty - has sparked controversy and comparisons to slave auctions and Nazism. About Us: Serpent’s Tooth The Michigan Review provides a broad range of Since we at the Review have often been called Nazis in-depth coverage of campus affairs and serves as and racists, we felt it fitting to put on our own little date The founder of Ramen Noodles died recently. Family the literary voice of conservatism and libertarian- auction. In fact, we’re giving you a sneak peek at our members were overjoyed to find the catering for the fu- ism at the University of Michigan. The Review is leading candidates. neral only cost sixty-eight cents. published bi-weekly September thru April. It was recently announced that KFC personality Colonel Donate/Subscribe: University President Mary Sue Coleman Sanders will be featured on postage stamps. Sadly, the (available to “diverse” students only) stamps will not feature the Colonel’s special home recipe, The Michigan Review accepts no financial support A whirlwind night of multicultural dining out. The evening from the University. Therefore, your support is nor will they be available as extra-crispy. Ironically, the critical and greatly appreciated. Donations above starts at Raja Rani, moves to San Fu, and then to Totoro. stamps will have more health value than KFC’s products. $35 are eligible for a 1-year (12 issues) subscrip- Then, you can retire to a couch in a multicultural lounge in tion. Donations can be made on our website at a dorm to watch a copy of Glory. A University official recently compared a charity date auc- www.michiganreview.com, or mailed to: tion on campus to slave auctions. We agree. Except for the 911 N. University, Suite One Football Coach Lloyd Carr fact that the auctionees volunteered, will be paid millions Ann Arbor, MI 48109 The first 45 minutes are extremely conservative, but Carr of dollars next year, and will be eating burritos. Yeah, ex- opens up in the last 15 minutes of the date, taking despa- actly the same. Yep, sounds like slavery to us. The Michigan Review is the independent, student-run journal of conservative and libertarian opinion at the University of Michi- rate shots downfield in an attempt to score. gan. We neither solicit nor accept monetary donations from the Florida announced plans to get rid of electronic ballot- University. Contributions to The Michigan Review are tax-deduct- ible under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code. Basketball Coach Tommy Amaker ing. After the most recent elections, state officials received The Michigan Reviewis not affiliated with any political party or any complaints from a majority of residents who said the light university political group. The opposite of Coach Carr, Amaker gets out to a great from the computer screens hurt their cataracts. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board. start in the first five minutes. He then proceeds to sit there Ergo, they are unequivocally correct and just. Signed articles, let- doing nothing, looking confused, and refusing to make any ters, and cartoons represent the opinions of the author, and not Rush Limbaugh was recently nominated for the Nobel necessarily those of The Review. The Serpent’s Tooth shall repre- attempts to score for the rest of the night. sent the opinion of individual, anonymous contributors to The Re- Peace Prize by a conservative legal group. The group’s view, and should not necessarily be taken as representative of The president praised Limbaugh by saying, “I’ve never seen Review’s editorial stance. The opinions expressed in this publica- YAF Vice President Ryan Fantuzzi tion do not necessarily reflect those of the advertisers or the Uni- someone so at peace than Mr. Limbaugh on pain meds.” versity of Michigan. Shows up to the date boasting of his American flag thong. Copyright © 2006, The Michigan Review, Inc. All rights reserved. Hillary Clinton might actually win the Presidency. We’re The Michigan Review is a member of the Collegiate Network. sure Bill is extremely excited about being first lady. Former Daily Editorial Page Editor Chris Zbrozek The Pentagon is the big winner in President Bush’s pro- Date is ruined by hours of crying due to crushing liberal posed budget for next year. “It’s great,” says one spokes- guilt and the use of pickup lines he stole from the man, “because we’ve been looking forward to the new Review. hexagon design for years.” P. 3 Features 02.07.07

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Event From Page 1 Wearing words, “Millions died for the Constitution of Yellow, America. We love this country…If we don’t like her, then we should leave her land.” He was interrupted again by an “If we Walking Out don’t like her, we should change her” from By Adam Paul, ‘08 the back. His only response to most inter- ruptions was to laugh, but to this particular ast week, the student group one he replied, “The airport is not far from LYoung Americans for Freedom (YAF) here.” hosted three speakers to talk about their ex- He described, as did all the speakers, periences as “ex-terrorists.” The event drew the virulent anti-Judeo-Christian sentiment protest from around campus. saturating the Middle East, himself raised “The walk out is not a protest, we use in the Islamic Resistance Movement. Their demonstration [to describe it]. We want a recruiting was mostly done in mosques, peaceful walkout,” said walk out coalition and “the Koran was their constitution.” Al- member Andrew Gutting. Gutting, a sec- though constantly hissed and heckled, Sal- ond year engineering student, became in- eem received applause as well. The biggest volved with the demonstration through the eruption occurred after he asked, “Why are Arab Unity Movement. This group was the Muslims in America not protesting the Zachariah Anani speaks with audience members following the event formed from the Arab Student Association’s extremists of their faith?” commitment to being a “purely cultural and Zachariah Anani, the second speaker, re- Shoebat’s speech seemed to ignite the to which he replied, “Because you’re chicken purely social organization.” He and others ceived more tepid applause due to overtones most rancor from the remaining protestors. shit!” wanted an outlet for Arab students to speak of Christian proselytizing in his speech. After inviting the loudest heckler up to Eventually, after the woman continued, out on political issues and formed the new During his youth, he said, he accumulated the stage, he told her, “You try to carry a Fantuzzi took to the stage to read the Uni- group. over 223 kills, and stated that life meant very sign in Saudi Arabia that says ‘Suicide bomb- versity’s statement on the University’s free Gutting explained that since register- little to him. When he was 16, he converted ing is wrong.’” He was adamantly pro-Israel, speech policy. After the woman persisted, a ing the Arab Unity Movement as a student to Christianity, and he was tried, convicted, which provoked heckles about his being a follow-up statement, also apparently sanc- group in January, the ex-terrorist event had and beaten in his mosque, according to Is- Zionist. To one persistent heckler, he re- tioned by the University, allowed the woman been a big concern. In forming the walk out lamic doctrine. plied, “I would love to debate you and squish to be removed. DPS escorted the woman coalition, groups such as the Expect Respect It was at this point that nearly 200 pro- you like a worm up here.” from the auditorium, as she yelled, “This campaign, the Black Student Union, and testors walked out, rather peacefully. Anani While the speakers were generally af- is the University of Michigan’s free speech the South Asian Awareness Network were shrugged it off, joking that, “American Idol forded a right to speak, the three men were policy!” all contacted. While Gutting explained that starts in 20 minutes anyways.” interrupted by various staged protests and Keith Davies, a spokesman for the some of these groups were unable to offi- The third speaker, Walid Shoebat, fo- impromptu heckles. YAF vice-president speakers, said that he was excited by the “full cially sponsor the coalition due to time con- cused the group’s speeches to American au- Ryan Fantuzzi introduced the speakers, say- crowd” and the “warm reception” from straints, he said the response has been “quite diences, describing how he was paid by Mid- ing the event was designed for “people who those who did support the speakers’ mes- impressive.” dle Eastern governments to recruit members support peace and freedom.” Audience sage. He explained that the real job was to Gutting believed that the speakers had to their cause during college, advertising members in yellow stood and applauded. deliver the message and educate students. been advertised as representatives of a themselves as a Middle-Eastern culture club. Sirene, a spokesperson for the demon- Their next stop is UC-Davis, where they ex- larger community. “These three ex-terror- He argued that poverty and frustration were strators, stated the reasoning behind the pro- pect an even bigger turnout. ists do not represent Muslim community poor explanations for Islamic troubles. India test. “YAF promotes discrimination against Professor Robert Packer, who teaches and do not represent the Arab community is poor, he said, and they do not have suicide Arabs and Muslims,” she said, “The event on the Arab-Israeli conflict at the University both in the United States and abroad, Gut- bombers. Jews get frustrated, he continued, is not educational.” She was impressed with of Michigan, also stated that “people had to ting explained. Yet he felt that the event yet they do not blow themselves up in Is- the turnout, saying “All of campus has ral- be careful not to conflate fundamentalist Is- had been advertised to make it look as if the lamic holy places in Jerusalem. lied in support.” Forty-two minutes into the lam with the entire religion.” He also defined speakers represented the larger community. presentation, during Anani’s speech, about Islamic fundamentalism as “a political move- He feared that the event would only serve 200 students in yellow rather silently exited ment that arose from frustration where other to further “tokenize” the Arab and Muslim the auditorium. The exit had been anticipat- politics failed.” He agreed that it is a threat, communities. ed by YAF and event coordinators, and the in particular to Egypt, and poses a legitimate Gutting argued that the event too close- police presence was pronounced. concern worthy of “proper debate.” ly linked terrorism with religious and cultural One particularly noisy heckler in the The ex-terrorists spoke mostly of their identity. “They [YAF] likes to put people in back announced her presence by yelling personal experiences and beliefs, and gener- a box and then label the box,” Gutting ex- “fascist” before a word had been spoken. ally avoided hot-button issues such as the plained. He believes the event’s approach is She heckled the speakers loudly throughout Iraq war and American affairs in the Middle- too simple and instead explained that “ter- the evening, staying after the exit of the yel- East. Shoebat concluded his speech with a rorism is much more than you can attribute low-shirted protestors. line characteristic of the evening, saying, “We to a holy book.” He elaborated that other Her heckles culminated during Shoe- will have peace when the Arabs love their religions, such as Christianity, have scriptural bat’s speech, when after calling him a Zion- children more than we love peace.” MR YAF Vice President Ryan Fantuzzi ist, he challenged the woman to a debate. reads a warning to hecklers as a DPS See “Protest” She paused, then said “I won’t debate you,” officer looks on. Page 9

Terror said Saleem. what the book said,” he said. “It’s the doc- The three men are no strangers to con- From Page 1 Islam’s incompatibility with secular trine, not Muslims.” troversy, and Tuesday’s event was no differ- Western governments has been displayed Thus, the three argued, the problem ent. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimina- that follow the three men, they insist their around the globe. Even in the US, Saleem cannot be confronted solely through mili- tion pressured U-M officials to reconsider words are meant to help foster an under- said, Muslims tend to live in clusters. tary means. hosting the event, and at least one of the standing of Islam. But Islam’s incompatibility with secular “We have to know where we’re going three men faced death threats in recent “The number one thing to know: Who cultures has also led to a dichotomy within [with a military solution],” Saleem said. “We weeks. are the Muslim People?” said Saleem. And Islam. There are, as Anani said, “Two Ko- can’t do Iraq on and on.” YAF - the student group sponsoring the just as Americans struggle to understand rans” – one peaceful, and one violent. The Anani agreed. “The military solution event - faced criticism as well, YAF organizer Muslims, Muslims in the Middle East strug- problem, Anani explained, comes from con- did not go all the way…we have to encour- Ryan Fantuzzi said. Posters advertising the gle to understand the West. tradictions within the Koran. age the young generation not to be taught event were defaced and torn down across “All [Muslims] know is how to be a “The Koran said ‘there is no compul- hatred.” campus, and group members faced the usual Muslim,” he said. sion to religion,’” but then goes on to say While the three men say understand- accusations of racism and xenophobia. Part of the misunderstanding has to “’seize them [non-believers] and kill them ing radical Islam is the key to combating it, “I was really careful about getting these do with the characterization of radical Is- wherever you find them,’” Anani noted. they propose less militaristic means of con- guys, because I know there are guys out there lam. The threat cannot be characterized as Islam teaches believers “you have your fronting the ideology of hatred. Working to who are racist and hateful, and that wasn’t primarily religious or primarily political be- religion, and I have mine,” Anani explained. educate Muslims, Anani claims, will be more our intention,” said Fantuzzi. cause, as the three men stressed, there is no He struggles to reconcile this phrase with successful and more peaceful. Shoebat responded sharply to the charg- difference between the two in Islam. the death threats he receives for converting “[Radical] Islam thrives on people with es of racism. “You can’t separate politics from reli- to Christianity. a lack of understanding and knowledge,” he “We were racists when we were terror- gion [in Islam],” Shoebat said. But Anani is also clear when placing the said. ists. How is it when I kill Jews, I’m a free- “Islam is a government. Wherever Is- blame for acts of terror. “We have to weed out radical Islam,” dom fighter, but now that I love [all faiths], lam dwells, it has to be the supreme power,” “Radical Muslims attack because of Shoebat added. “Radical Islam is a cancer.” I’m a racist?” MR P. 4 Opinion 02.07.07

editorials.the michigan review The Review welcomes letters to the The Michigan Review editor. Send letters to: he Michigan Review is the independent, student- Trun journal of conservative and libertarian opinion at the University of Michigan. Unsigned editorials represent the opin- [email protected] ion of the Editorial Board. Ergo, they are unequivocally correct and just. Signed articles, letters, and cartoons represent the opin- The Review reserves the right to edit ions of the author, and not necessarily those of the Review. letters to the editor for length and clarity.

Ex-Terrorist Protest Lessons to ‘U’ Would be Wise Exposes an Learn from to Invest in Detroit Inconvenient Truth Pfizer Pullout vents analyzing the Israeli-Palestinian con- he past decade has not been economically ith the passage of Proposal 2, the University Eflict have long provoked strong outbursts of emo- Tkind for citizens of the Motor City and surround- Wof Michigan must achieve diversity without minority tion on campus. Last week’s “3-Ex Terrorist” event was ing towns. Whether it has been the woeful performances preferences. This means that the university must now focus no different, as hundreds of protestors, adorned in yellow, of the “Big Three” automotive companies, massive job its efforts on expanding the pool of qualified minority ap- walked out of Rackham Auditorium in unison. losses, or the growing exodus of middle-class workers plicants in order to keep the student body diverse. The conflict surrounding such events is common on to greener pastures in other states, one would be hard- The university’s main focus should be drawing stu- a campus so polarized on the Israel-Palestine issue. While pressed to consider the economic health of the region dents from Detroit, which has the greatest concentration the walkout was rather peaceful and silent, a few heck- anything else than “critical.” of African-Americans among major cities, in addition to lers remained, doing their best to interrupt the event with The tough times continued for southeastern Michi- thriving Hispanic and Middle Eastern populations. Detroit screams disparaging the “Zionist conspiracy.” gan with the January 22 announcement from pharmaceu- also has a failing public school system and underperform- But the entire scene was indicative of the hypocrisy tical giant Pfizer that it was closing its Ann Arbor research ing economy; it is not a stretch to say that these two facts surrounding the purported desire for “dialogue” on this facility. The Pfizer closing has directly hit the area, taking are connected. campus. The debate on this particular issue has descended away one of its prized possessions, and the city’s largest A greater investment of money and human capitalby into little more than a “Zionist” vs. “Terrorist” name-call- taxpayer. There are some lessons from this closing, how- the university into Detroit will help the city while the uni- ing contest. ever, that are important to point out if we are to expect versity helps itself by maintaining diversity. In any event, it seems as if the groups supporting the any recovery from this significant blow. In 1998, the National Institute for Literacy deemed 47 walk out were grasping for straws when detailing their criti- While the effects of the closing have been well-ex- percent of Detroiters “functionally illiterate.” The ranks cism of the event. Little yellow sheets of paper handed amined, the reasons for the closing have hardly been of college-educated people in Detroit are low, especially out at the Ex-Terrorist event detailed the actions of the discussed at all. Pfizer has projected losses from patent compared to the levels in most of the area’s suburbs. Fur- event-sponsoring group Young Americans for Freedom expiration as $14 billion between 2005 and 2007. Addi- thermore, the cash-strapped Detroit Public School System – at Michigan State. The Arab-American Anti Discrimina- tionally, their patent for Lipitor, the world’s best-selling loses thousands of students to charter schools and subur- tion Committee doubted that the three speakers were ever drug, expires in 2010. Pfizer fought a bitter battle in 2006 ban schools of choice every year. terrorists. In an interview with the Review, Andrew Gut- with India-based Ranbaxy Laboratories over the validity The University of Michigan could be just the party to ting, a student who helped organize the walkout, criticized of their Lipitor patent, and ultimately won. offer a solution for inner-city students. the three speakers for failing to make distinctions between This case, which was decided in the Supreme Court, Ohio State, for example, created a magnet high school peaceful and militant Mulsims. reveals a huge problem for companies such as Pfizer. in Columbus to prepare potential applicants by bringing up But that distinction was made. In an interview with the Generic drug companies like Ranbaxy simply wait for science and math skills. A New York Times piece reported Review last week, all three speakers spoke of a dichotomy patents to expire, and jump on them when they are free. on this program, and also on how OSU also placed edu- within Islam, specifically mentioning “two Korans” based Pfizer then must alter their entire business plan so that cators in under-performing primary schools to encourage on interpretation. And if the protesters had stayed long profits do not rely heavily on drugs like Lipitor, which students and their families to start planning for college. enough to hear the three speakers, they would have heard bring in billions in profits. Our rival school to the south has a shown commit- Walid Shoebat specifically indicate that “we have to differ- Pharmaceutical giants such as Pfizer are already ment to the inner city that U-M should imitate. There is entiate between peaceful and radical Islam,” and repeatedly faced with the extremely damaging and burdensome nothing stopping U-M, with its abundant financial and hu- implore liberal Muslims to take action against extremism. drug-approval process of the FDA. But Pfizer itself bears man resources, from investing in Detroit in a similar man- But the protestors did walk out, confident that the a large chunk of responsibility for their troubles. Testing ner. School of Education teaching candidates interested speakers were spouting virulent anti-Muslim views, and of Torcetrapib, a cholesterol and heart disease drug, was in urban education could be mobilized in such an effort. confident that a YAF-sponsored event could only profess halted after a 60% increase in deaths of test subjects. The Connectivity between Detroit and Ann Arbor, always a hatred. In doing so, they subjected the speakers and YAF highly publicized affair hurt profits and sales after Pfizer limiting step regarding this topic, could soon improve with to the same prejudice and intolerance that these groups so recommended that patients stop taking the drug “im- a commuter rail line between the two cities close to becom- often protest. mediately.” The pharmaceutical industry in general was ing a reality. Not to be lost in all this is the University’s responsibility strongly affected by the recall of Vioxx, an anti-inflam- The university must go beyond small, token moves if for such conflicts. The University of Michigan – through matory drug produced by Merck, after it was found that it is to raise the bar among Detroit students and put more its overwhelming focus on race as the be-all-end-all of ev- patients were susceptible to heart attacks. students on track for college by changing the culture of erything that ever existed – has, in and of itself, served to Unfortunately, these pressures are compounded education in the inner city. Meanwhile, it must make a com- generalize groups. The increasingly Balkanized racial scene by the populist cries of politicians to create a universal mensurate, and equally creative, effort to enable more inner here at Michigan breeds the sort of racial solidarity – and, health care system. Senator and 2008-Presidental hopeful city students to actually attend this institution. in many cases, animosity – that characterize controversial Barack Obama, has weighed in on the state of the health Mary Sue Coleman, in the New York Times article, events. care industry. Discussing the utopian idea of universal hedged at the idea of guaranteeing admission to a partic- It should also be noted that this focus has done noth- health care, Obama notes: “For too long, this debate has ular percentage of top high school graduates across the ing to improve the University’s culture of “diversity,” nor been stunted by what I call the smallness of our politics – state, because the majority of these would be white. If the has it done much to further the free and open debate that the idea that there isn’t much we can agree on or do about university only guaranteed admission to top graduates from so many groups seemingly desire. These groups may sin- the major challenges facing our country…Another, more Detroit and other inner city high schools, minorities would cerely want to begin a dialogue on controversial issues controversial area we need to look at is how much of our be the primary beneficiaries. – so long as that dialogue is conducted on their terms and health care spending is going toward the record-breaking Detroit already has multiple high-achieving high reaches their preferred conclusion. profits earned by the drug and health care industry.” schools, such as Cass Tech and Renaissance, and while In the end, the opposition to the event seemed like Obama treads in dangerous waters when attacking many are admitted for their merit, there are no guarantees much ado about nothing. The speakers spoke largely about companies’ profits and boasting his support for universal that they can afford U-M tuition. While the university can- their own experiences, and only the most ignorant of lis- health care, which is an enormously burdensome practice not specify race as a criteria, it can establish a scholarship teners could have viewed the experiences of the speakers for large industries. fund for high-achieving Detroit Public School graduates; as representative of all Muslims. Those who walked out It is unfortunate that both the recent troubles of this would create a tremendous incentive (i.e. receiving dis- of the event essentially guaranteed that no dialogue would both the Big Three automakers and Pfizer disproportion- counted tuition for a topic public school) for Detroit high occur, instead dusting off the old charges of “racism” and ately hurt Michigan, and more specifically, the economy schools students to stay focused and get good grades. “xenophobia.” of Ann Arbor. For years, Michigan has relied on these In making inroads in Detroit, the university has the ul- Walid Shoebat, Kamal Saleem, and Zachariah Anani companies’ for tax revenues and thousands of jobs. It is timate chance to get creative, and back up its ‘diversity’ and came with a simple message: that Americans must under- neither unfair nor irrational to place some of the blame ‘urban commitments’ rhetoric with something other than a stand radical Islam in order to combat radical Islam. The on institutions such as the incredibly-restrictive approval small, symbolic facility on Woodward Avenue in the city’s controversy surrounding the largely-benign event was in- process of the FDA, the complex patent laws which of- midtown. Detroit is experiencing a resurgence, but a full ductive of the fact that these men have their work cut out ten hurt drug companies, or health-care costs required by rebirth will require higher standards in educating its youth. for them. College students today have such overzealous automakers. And while a solution is certainly needed fast, U-M has a special calling in enabling this; let’s hope it rises racism-detectors that even the truth evokes the standard the cries by politicians campaigning for universal health to the challenge. MR charges of “racism.” But events such as the Ex-Terrorist care and more legislation to decrease profits will only are part of the search for that truth – even if that truth may complicate the matter. MR be inconvenient. MR P. 5 Columns 02.07.07 ■ The Deep End The New Era of Gender Relations he days of the so-called “MRS” degree for college- empire, with its libertine ethics, prized class and charm by Men are no less mistaken about their position in soci- Taged women are long-passed. men over the kind of hyper-testosterone lifestyle promoted ety. The Atlantic’s article hits the nail on the head in many Over the past half-century, there have been extraordi- by publications like Maxim and FHM. Men today, writes ways. Too many men have shied away from having to match nary changes in the American social fabric, particularly in Zobenica, ”take control of defeat by forfeiting the game the argument put forth by feminists a generation ago, and regards to issues of sex and gender. But a debate lingers rather than risk another losing effort [to feminists].” have instead reacted with an ‘I’ll show you!’ mentality, among various contrarians and social critics, who question The point is that instead of ‘manning up’ to engage in proving their masculinity by showing how much they can whether the sweeping changes some sort of broad cultural awareness and debate over the objectify women. of the past, done in the name of shift men have retreated into a ‘Neverland’ of masculinity, In short, men and women have retreated to their re- “freedom” or “liberation,” have ogling caricatures of women, mistaking their actions as a spective corners, more-or-less convinced of the superiority had a net-positive effect. rebellion against common convention. of their independence. Say what you will about the genera- The New York Times recently Truth is, men and women have leaped a lot of the tra- tions of tradition predating the mid-20th century, at least published a story on how, for ditional hurdles. Most men are unthreatened by the career their gender schemes were cohesive and consistent. the first time in the modern era, women, and if they are, they’re usually marginalized, not The subtle assumption of our culture that men and a majority of women are living celebrated (except by the Maxim crowd). And women aren’t women can live perfectly happy independently, without without a spouse. I’m betting conspiring to stick it to men, after millennia of patriarchy. having to engage the other, is a threat to our social fabric. that number only climbs. Yes, second-wave feminism screwed up a lot of how we’re It’s our differences (yes, men and women are different) Women are a slight major- acculturated these days, but the social environment isn’t that we should celebrate, not the extreme equality (read: ity on campus, constituting exactly inhospitable to men. androgyny) we’ve pursued. 50.5 percent of students here Michael The fact is, we’re both wrong, men and women, alike. As college students, these thoughts aren’t far from our at Michigan. Nationally, women O’Brien Our parents (or at least their older siblings) thought minds. Women fret over whether their college education are a much stronger majority of the traditions upheld by generations, all the way through will be for naught when the home pregnancy test reads degree-earning students. Indeed, our grandparents, were no longer venerable. And in some positive. And most men on campus come close to hyper- some schools have undertaken efforts to make male ap- degrees, maybe they were. But those reformers swung the ventilation when we hear a friend of ours is getting engaged plicants eligible for affirmative action in college admissions. pendulum too far in the other direction. You can’t create or (even worse!) married. The thought that it is relations Say what you will about a disputed seventy-six cents to the social change overnight without expecting some sort of between the sexes that ultimately ends our fun strikes with dollar statistic, but there’s a good deal of parity about which backlash that is, sometimes, overwhelming. bitter irony. we can be satisfied. If the glass ceiling still exists, it must be More of an effort has been made to accommodate But instead of responding by acting embattled and an awfully thin pane. this generation’s women than any other before us. Just look retreating to our respective corners, we can reconstruct a In an article in the current issue of the Atlantic Monthly, around at the University; there’s no lack of programs and social fabric that emphasizes self-interest first and self-sac- Jon Zobenica shows how this vast social change has af- set-asides that particularly target women. Culture celebrates rifice last. fected men in a profound way, too. Zobenica points out professional women. Accordingly, that more women are The pendulum might have swung, but it need not the paradigm shift that has even affected men’s magazines living solo is a continuation of the, “I am woman. Hear me swing back to another extreme. MR like Playboy and Maxim. He points that even Hugh Hefner’s roar,” ethic.

■ Big Talk Walkout Participants Can’t Handle the Truth hey spoke too strongly. They spoke too frankly. Activist liberals on this campus learn from the best. First be sure. Zachariah Anani characterized Islam as a reli- TThey spoke from experience. Their words confirmed among them is the University President, who displayed all gion of aggression which has had a 1400 year history of that Islamic fundamentalism is more widespread than we are of these traits in her smug response to the results of Pro- violence. Shoebat wondered out loud why only Muslim led to believe, and that Islamo-facism is a rebirth of Nazism. posal 2 in November. Palestinians commit suicide bombings, and not any of the They urged liberal Muslims to rise up against extremism; they The topic at hand, though, remains the fiasco of last many Christian Palestinians; this observation dispels the defended the existence of Israel; and they preached peace. Tuesday night. I thought it was the most educational event idea that economics and poverty drive the terrorism, he With such words coming from three men who had I attended while at U-M. I, along with the interested and said. All of the speakers condemned the backwardness of once been entangled in violence honest students and visitors that stayed through the two- fundamentalist communities, especially as it pertains to the and hate, who could not find the hour event, learned about the culture of fundamentalism in treatment of women. stories of the three former ter- the Middle East. With particular vociferousness, Shoebat maintained rorists who spoke on campus last The Palestinian and Lebanese speakers spoke frankly that Islamic fascism is a new version of Nazism, and sug- week compelling? Who would about their upbringing; they translated the sayings about gested that its worst effects could still be ahead. Such state- not want to hear their first-hand the Jews and Americans that their teachers and fathers ments were countered by cries of “just like Zionism” from accounts? had taught them, and they also quoted the verses from the heckler who was eventually removed. Plenty of people. Some of the Quran that are important to fundamentalists preach- All of these strong statements made by the former the people who walked out of ing the destruction of the Jews and Christians. They were terrorists seem to debunk the rosier outlooks of Islam and the event or heckled the speakers taught that Jews were “children of monkeys and pigs.” Arab states that many in academia are led to support. It probably wanted to remain bliss- This animalistic portrayal, which minimizes the human- became clear that someone who grew up amid fundamen- fully ignorant of the fact that not ity of an entire race, was highlighted by an anecdote from talism has license to call Islam an oft-warlike religion, but all of Islam is peaceful; others Brian Walid Shoebat, who witnessed an Israeli soldier be lynched, a ‘learned’ professor at a school like ours cannot, because may have been against Israel and with his organs and body parts strewn about by supportive of political correctness. Likewise, a former terrorist can all it stands for, as exhibited by Biglin townspeople in celebration. tell us that more Muslims than we think are fundamentalist the anti-Semitic heckler who was One of the speakers first went into a battle, carry- and support the destruction of Jews and Christians, but a removed by the police. Most of ing ammunition, at age seven. Another killed a man at 14. professor can not. those opposed to the event probably just wanted to spite Yet all three of them abandoned the cause, and now they This is exactly why the event was an educational one. the conservative group which organized this landmark harshly criticize the people they used to work alongside, in It clarified the vague, politically correct descriptions of the event. Regardless, they all displayed intolerance. addition to now defending the cause of Israel, and ques- Middle East taught in class, and it painted in vivid colors Unfortunately, this intolerance has been the hallmark tioning the idea of a Palestinian state. the picture of hate and racism which are at the root of of this campus lately. The sort of intolerance generally seen The students who walked out did so before the halfway fundamentalism. This is precisely why the protestors left here grows out of the self-righteousness and holier-than- point of the presentation, and they missed a lot of state- halfway through. The truth was too harsh— so harsh that it thou attitudes of some students and Ann Arbor residents. ments that would have made them just a bit squeamish, to could not be tolerated. MR

MRS Degree: Alive and Well By Lindsey Dodge, ‘10 ed 75 cents to a dollar in terms of earning Women appear to be making strides in when the rules between the sexes are clear power. The glass ceiling certainly still exists, education. There are more female than male and made sense. Most women want simple hate to say it, but the feminists have but now we don’t have the luxury of accus- college graduates. Yet wait until the female relationships. But some of them are actu- Ia point. Looking around at the Michigan ing sexist male executives. It’s not glass; it’s college graduate marries and wants to raise a ally willing to put aside their careers for this campus, there is still a decent contingency of white satin that keeps women from reaching child. What are the chances that the man will philosophical security. U-M is not immune women who are pursuing the MRS degree the top in their respective careers. put aside his career to stay at home? Would from this problem. These are the MRS-de- quite intently. Rabid femi- In theory, marriage and a career are not you? gree girls, and as grating as it is, who is to say nists like to point the finger mutually exclusive. But some of the argu- This purely feminine conflict is the crux that they are wrong? Staff at men, but it’s not men ments made in the 1950s have surprising behind the recent increase in single women, The feminist movement was, and is, Opinion continuing this academic resonance today. “Who will stay home and who now outnumber married couples. Mar- about choice. It seeks to give women the tradition. The answer lies raise the kids” was as valid a question then riage was intended for the procreation of same freedom as men have to make decisions within women themselves. as it is now. Marriage without kids is very un- children, and we are living in a culture where and control the future. It seems that women, Traditionally, women had a lot of catch- usual, as is a top women executive, because no one wants to do diaper-duty. not men, need to come to terms with the ing up to do. Even with the successes of the that position generally requires that a woman In contrast, there is a reactive movement decisions of other women- whichever side civil rights movement, there is the oft-quot- stick around through the “baby years.” of women seeking traditional relationships, of the spectrum they fall under. MR P. 6 News 02.07.07

nethe michigan ws. review Detroit Groups Work to Exceed Expectations for City

By Jonny Slemrod, ‘10 government seizure of private land for the “public good.” Determining who actually ver the past two centuries, the owned much of the land in the construction ODetroit River was one of the busiest area presented many problems. in the world; home to prominent manufac- “In many cases, we had to figure out turing and shipping industries. Thousands who owned lots of land as big as this desk of factories, warehouses, and parking lots in front of me,” Dempsey noted, as he mo- were erected along the water to accommo- tioned towards a small rectangular desk. date Detroit’s booming economy. The riverfront revitalization effort has But the waterfront economy’s prosper- taken serious steps since its conception. ity steadily declined during the 20th century, Using enormous grants, the east RiverWay leaving industrial sites abandoned. Little by is nearing completion—and the redevelop- little, this property decayed, leaving Detroi- ment plans do not stop there. The DRFC ters with little more than a junkyard of in- has similar plans for the west side of the dustrial waste to look at, all along the water. river, from Joe Louis Arena all the way to the Residents had no access to the waterfront, Ambassador Bridge. and the once-beautiful landscape was seem- Said Marszalek, “There are many chal- ingly forgotten. lenges, but the biggest challenge we face is Last week, campus group The Detroit to demonstrate that this RiverWay belongs Project brought representatives from the De- to the people of Detroit and the region— troit RiverFront Conservancy (DRFC) and something the people of Detroit have never the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation had open access to.” The work of the DRFC (DEGC) for a discussion of the riverfront’s and DEGC are making this challenge a real- development, entitled, Detroit Progess: De- ity. MR velopment Beyond Expectations.

The Detroit RiverFront Conservancy Jonny Slemrod/ The Michigan Review (DRFC) was founded by recommendation Leonard Marszalek, Chief Operating Officer of the non-profit Detroit River- of Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick in late 2002, front Conservancy, discusses the progress of the Riverwalk project. when the waterfront lay virtually decrepit. The Conservancy, a nonprofit group dedi- cated to the “establishment, improvement, operation, maintenance, security and pro- gramming of the Detroit Riverfront,” devel- University Programs, Organizations Enable oped a revitalization plan for the waterfront which spans a ten-year period. The first phase of the redevelopment Students to Take Active Role in Detroit plan focuses on developing a pedestrian walkway along the east riverfront area, which By Jenni Chelenyak, ‘10 important to their service, such as the his- Center After-School Program. Through tu- spans from Hart Plaza to Gabriel Richard tory of Detroit and ways to promote change. toring youth, as well as participating in other Park. hrough various classes and Post-service, they also can mull over their activities, University students help children Leonard Marszalek, the DRFC’s Chief Tservice groups, the University of Michi- time spent in Detroit. Johnson believes that develop “healthy decision making and vio- Operating Officer, outlined the goals of gan has shown a strong interest in the city of “reflection facilitates self-discovery, encour- lence prevention” skills. the redevelopment plans in a speech at last Detroit. The new educational opportunities ages thoughtful questions, and challenges Section 105 works with Detroit’s Vetal Monday’s event. According to Marszalek, seem to benefit both Detroiters and U-M patterns of thinking.” K-8 school. Students are expected to help the riverfront will be more than simply a students alike. The Department of Sociology at U- create a leadership program for the children. walkway. The Detroit Project (DP) has been very M, through various sections of Sociology According to the course description, “U-M “It will create pride, confidence and self- concerned with fostering a relationship be- 389: Practicum in Sociology, provides U-M students’ responsibilities and roles include esteem,” he said, “It will create a sense of tween U-M and Detroit. This service-learn- helping plan activities, helping lead the dis- place. It will create opportunities.” Linking ing group focuses its efforts on Brightmoor, cussions/debriefing, and most importantly, pavilions, gardens, bicycle paths, and attrac- a district in Northwest Detroit and another being a role model (especially as a successful tions from local businesses, the RiverWay community in Southwest Detroit college student) for the children.” would provide a link between different parts According to Cristina Johnson, Execu- “If you’re going to have Indicating that the University plans to of the city. tive Director of the Detroit Project, U-M sustained change, the stay involved with the City of Detroit, they The DRFC has worked in close coor- students are welcome in the City of Detroit. have established the Detroit Center near dination for the Detroit Economic Growth Johnson comments, “In all the situations I academic institutions also Woodward Avenue. The location of the cen- Corporation in order to make the project a have encountered community members and ter may convince some that the University reality. Mike Dempsey, a project manager Detroit residents really do work together. have to be here as anchors has maintained a neutral attitude—commit- for the DEGC and U-M graduate, joined There is never that feeling ‘we are providing in the community.” ted to helping Detroit as a whole rather than Marszalek to outline his organization’s role a service to you, and you should be grate- serving the East or West side. Hopefully, this in redeveloping the waterfront area. ful.” center will not only encourage students to The DEGC is not, Dempsey said, The Detroit Project has established thir- help Detroit but will also help to bring to- strictly a governmental organization. In- teen programs that run seven days a week. -Rod Gillum, Vice gether different students at the University stead, it acts as a middle-man between the The DP has established a journalism club at of Michigan who may not have worked to- government and private developers to help Murphy Middle School, and plans to paint President of Corporate gether otherwise. make the RiverWay a reality. The DEGC’s lockers at Harding Elementary. Notably, Responsibility and As Rod Gillum, Vice President of Cor- main function is helping to attract investors members participate in tutoring at Cesar porate Responsibility and Diversity at Gen- to Detroit, which is a very difficult thing to Chavez Middle School and Neinas Elemen- Diversity at GM eral Motors said in a podcast on the Univer- do in light of its crime rate and lackluster tary. Different from most tutoring programs, sity of Michigan website, “If you’re going to economy. the Detroit Project utilizes the language have sustained change…the academic insti- But according to Dempsey, this obstacle skills of U-M students to provide bilingual tutions also have to be here as anchors in the has been overcome. Several real estate devel- tutors—a much needed service in the heav- students a chance to work in Detroit. U-M community…So to have the involvement of opers have made enormous financial invest- ily Hispanic Southwest Detroit. students willing to step outside the bounds the University of Michigan speaks volumes ments in the area. Dempsey noted that busi- “We do not focus on the physical of Ann Arbor may also be able to receive about what they view to be their role in mak- nesses like Staples and Days Inn have also change we make in Brightmoor and South- college credit through several different sec- ing certain that this region is one that we are increased investment near the waterfront. west Detroit through our programs, [but] tions of Sociology 389. Of the 35 sections all proud of.” MR The revitalization of the waterfront area on the growth and learning process both of the course, four begin their names with has not been all fun and games. Some land U-M students, and community members re- “Detroit.” acquisition necessitated the use of eminent ceive by working together,” stated Johnson. Section 109 pairs University of Michi- domain, a controversial tactic involving the Members are educated on issues that may be gan students with members of the Guidance P. 7 News 02.07.07

nethe michigan ws. review Co-Ed Dorm Rooms Pop Up at East Coast Universities Schools report co-ed housing units cater to transgender students

By Kate O’Connor. ‘10

ver the last five years, some American universities have gradually begun to al- Olow co-ed dorm rooms. While many university dorms are already co-ed by floor or by room, only about 20 offer the option of opposite gender roommates. The majority of these are small, East Coast, liberal arts schools such as Brown University, Bennington College, and Wesleyan College. Gender blind/neutral housing is said to better accommodate gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students who would either be more comfortable with an opposite sex roommate or who are concerned that they would not be accepted by a same sex roommate. Co-Ed dorm rooms are a far cry from the all-female Martha Cook Dorm The most recent school to offer gender neutral housing on its campus is Clark Universi- ty in Worcester, Massachusetts. The proposal was submitted by two undergraduate students in the spring of 2006 and was officially accepted by the university the following December. The new policy allows different sex roommates to choose to live together in double rooms, but they are never randomly assigned. Like other roommate requests, both students must Universities Struggle to agree to the arrangement. However, this option is not available to freshman. While the University of Michigan does not currently allow students to elect for opposite gender roommates, the school does have its own policy on gender neutral housing, which is Combat Grade Inflation available on the undergraduate housing website. According to the university housing policy By Blake Emerson, ‘09

round this time of year, admissions officers around the country are operating Aat peak capacity, delving through a record amount of applications. In recent years, not only have record numbers of applications created headaches, but also the task of distin- Any student can apply for gender-neutral guishing stellar applications from one another, as the phenomenon known as “grade infla- tion” comes to the forefront. Has America’s video game generation really become smarter, housing, but accommodations are limited or is high school becoming easier? According to a recent government survey, the average high school GPA increased from and, unlike Clark University, U-M students 2.68 to 2.94 between 1990 and 2000. Therefore, the GPA range of applications has subse- quently tightened at the high end of the scale. This becomes a problem when schools declare cannot apply to live in all residence halls upwards of twenty valedictorians, since a selective university such as Michigan may either not with opposite gender friends. have the capacity to accommodate them, or students with 3.9 GPAs may be crowded out. The statistics of incoming Michigan students are astounding. In 2006, 28% of incom- ing freshmen had an unweighted grade-point average of 4.0. Chris Lucier, Director of Re- cruitment and Operations at the Department of Admissions, admits that there most likely is grade inflation, as grades increase “because of increased parental pressure.” As schools on gender neutral housing, “housing assignments are made on a case by case basis that such as Michigan get more competitive, parents feel pressure to act as cheerleaders for their recognizes the variability of individual needs and preferences and the fact that appropriate students, pushing up mean grades in classrooms. Competitive high schools also need their accommodations may be limited in number.” students admitted and enrolled in selective universities to attract other students looking for Any student can apply for gender-neutral housing, but accommodations are limited and, unlike Clark University, U-M students cannot apply to live in all residence halls with opposite gender friends. According to Alan Levy, Director of Communications for University Housing, the idea of allowing opposite gender roommates has never been seriously discussed at U-M. He said that the purpose of the current gender neutral housing policy is to make sure that transgen- der students know how to apply for housing and to make sure that they feel comfortable in a “welcoming, accommodating environment.” Levy said that thus far there has been little to no student interest in allowing co-ed rooms and that student interest would be the first step in changing the housing policy. He also said that changing the policy would be difficult due to the “older traditional housing facilities” on campus. Jacqueline Simpson, Director of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Affairs Office, said that a few students have expressed interest in a housing policy that would allow oppo- site sex roommates in residence halls. “In off campus housing, students often live in co-ed environments already. Even in the co-ops, there are members of the opposite sex living in the same room,” Simpson said. She agreed that a change in the housing policy would need to be initiated by students. that leg up in the college enrollment process. At schools like Clark University, where this policy has been adopted, there have been With the help of many established methods, Lucier is hesitant to admit that grade infla- some concerns expressed by parents and students. Under this policy, opposite sex couples tion is affecting the admissions process at Michigan. “We take into consideration any indica- could choose to room together, although housing officials at these schools believe that this tion that a certain school is skewing high,” Lucier states, and also explains that counselors is rarely the motivation for choosing opposite sex roommates. are assigned to geographic regions to familiarize themselves with high schools. Furthermore, While U-M does have some gender neutral housing accommodations already, it does not all schools are required to fill out general statistics about their students’ GPAs, allowing the appear that the option of co-ed roommates will be available any time soon. MR admissions department to spot inflationary signs in problem schools. Perhaps most interest- ing is Michigan’s use of statistics from the freshman students. Counselors pair freshmen with their respective high schools and look for correlations that would suggest schools that Love us? artificially inflate the worth of their students. According to a recent CNN.com article about grade inflation, many are worried that test scores, which have been under scrutiny lately, are going to become more important in Hate us? the admissions process. However, Lucier maintains that “grades and rigor of curriculum will remain the number one thing we’re going to focus on during the 15-20 minutes we have to review each application,” with the ultimate goal of spotting students who display “consis- Want to write for us? tency, character, and commitment.” Sharing class rank data with other schools and creating a standard weight for AP scores would make GPAs more representative. This combination would save admission depart- ments time and statistically elevate motivated students who take the toughest curricula. Yet, motivated students should not change their focus, according to Lucier, who advises students [email protected] to “challenge [themselves] by taking tough courses and doing well in them.” MR P. 8 News 02.07.07

nethe michigan ws. review Mock Discrimination Seeks to Teach Students About the Real Thing as the tour guide described, being forced to “Boxes and Walls” exhibit identify with only one race, if one is biracial, teaches students the pain of is like “asking whether you love your mom or dad more.” discrimination One of the more interesting rooms was a replication of a South Quad lobby covered By Christina Zajicek, ‘10 with trash. The participants were asked to be janitors and to quickly clean up the mess ushing Kolby Johnson, U- before students came. As vacuums whirred PM junior, off his crutches in a room and papers flew into trash bags, “students” marked “Disabled Persons” at the Trotter walked through the mess and exclaimed, “I Multicultural Center may not seem educa- pay twenty thousand a year to go here and tional. Yet the organizer of Boxes and Walls you’d think the janitors could at least do hope the image will educate students about their job.” The South Quad room was meant daily acts of discrimination. to demonstrate the casual disrespect directed The Trotter Multicultural Center held at University workers. its annual Boxes and Walls event in order Perhaps the most controversial room to promote cultural and minority awareness. would be the one where, upon entering, it Christina Zajicek/ The Michigan Review The Center accomplished this through cre- was assumed that homosexuals constituted All too many handicapped students know the pain of getting shoved down ating an “interactive museum” in which visi- the majority of the population. The room from behind by Michigan students. Now, we all know the pain. tors could gain perspective into the minds was set up as a Psychology 111 lecture and of the discriminated. three visitors were randomly selected to The Inter- represent a panel national Room of the “progres- provided quite sive” heterosexual Teaching Dialogue and Diversity the introduc- Participants were asked, experts, an ironic tion. Participants “If you slept with someone of twist on the Les- Intergroup Dialogue volves writing weekly papers as well as a final were asked to the same sex, how do you know bian Gay Bisexual paper. wear a bandana Transsexual Bu- classes teach diversity Rather than encouraging discussion or and list their fa- you wouldn’t like it?” reau Panel. debate, this course trains students to uti- vorite foods and Among the beyond race lize a different method of communication: customs. Upon questions asked By Anna Malecke, ‘10 dialogue. Students’ first task is to study the entering the room, the “natives” forced the were, “If you slept with someone of the techniques of dialogue before they even put visitors to assimilate into their culture by rip- same sex, how do you know you wouldn’t he advertisements on the them into use. ping up the sheets of paper that described like it?” These provocative questions intend- Tcafeteria tables attract attention by of- “Most people don’t know how to dia- holidays such as Christmas and favorite ed to mirror the questions that homosexu- fering students a chance to discuss their fa- logue. It’s a very different kind of commu- foods such as pizza. “We don’t eat that shit als receive, and promote the idea of respect vorite controversial topics in a small group nication than we experience on a daily basis,” in our country!” were among the many ex- when asking these kinds of questions. setting…and earn two credits in the mean- said Aaron Traxler-Ballew, who has experi- clamations heard as the visitors quickly tried “We’re breaking it down at this level so time. The Program on Intergroup Relations ence facilitating the Intergroup Dialogues. to fashion their bandanas to the “native’s” that it can help future generations,” is how (IGR) distributed brightly colored 3-D fliers The focus on dialogue makes Psych/ style in order to avoid being yelled at. junior Tanya Nikam explains the intention to campus cafeterias during class registration Soc 122 stand out significantly from other The shouting quieted and the group was of the interactive museum. Sophomore to recruit students for Sociology/Psychol- conventional ideas of education. split into men and women, and they sat in Railee Johnson felt that the purpose of the ogy 122, the program’s sponsored course. Traxler-Ballew claims that “Intergroup what was meant to be a workplace. Upon museum was not only to spread awareness, “We hope to enroll students of widely Dialogues provide experience as well as in- completing the same tasks, the men would but to make people more willing to speak up diverse interests, experiences, and opinions,” formation, and this creates more interesting, be paid in king-size candy bars, whereas the when they see someone is being unfairly dis- said Charles Behling and Monita Thompson, useful, and effective learning.” women were given Tootsie Rolls. The tour criminated against. Still, she feels “sad” that the co-directors of the IGR. Traditionally, universities have left it up guide explained that in Michigan, the 49th there’s “only so much I can do as a person.” Nicholas Sorensen, a doctoral student to students to figure out their own method lowest-paying state for women, for every Mixed emotions were felt after under- in social psychology, facilitated the dialogues for reacting to diverse opinions and back- one dollar a man earns, a women earns the going the Trotter exhibit, but Nikam articu- and worked as a graduate student for the grounds. Now, it seems, a class exists to equivalent of sixty-seven cents. lated the one thing that most participants program. train students how to deal with diversity. Next was the Testing Room. Upon en- could agree feeling. “It’s true that there’s “I believe the presence of diversity in an “Guided interaction… allows students tering, visitors were asked if they loved their only so much one person can do, but maybe, Intergroup Dialogue is a necessary condition to develop the communications skills which mother or father more, and then were seat- even if one person does something, it will for the success of the course,” he said. “Ad- are essential in a society that is becoming in- ed. In front of each individual was a stan- trickle down and ultimately help hundreds vertising Intergroup Dialogues on cafeteria creasingly diverse,” said Sorensen. dardized test in which the person could only of others.” MR tables and elsewhere around campus allows Is such a class necessary in today’s fill out one bubble to describe their race, and the program to reach a broader population world? Is diversity so prominent in today’s of students and consequently a more diverse society that universities have an obligation to student body.” coach their students to react to it positively? The Intergroup Dialogues are struc- The IGR thinks so. tured differently than traditional university Studies conducted in the 1980s led to courses. Students are placed in a group fo- the conclusion that a method of handling cusing on a certain topic; topics range from conflict could be taught to reduce destruc- gender to socioeconomic status. Groups tive behavior. The Intergroup Dialogues usually consist of 14 students, divided equal- were designed to teach this method and also ly with students representing each side of test the results of it. the social topic. Said Sorensen, “Intergroup Dialogue ex- “For example, if the dialogue were on perience has also contributed immensely to gender, there would be seven men and seven the quality of my relationships with friends women,” said Behling and Thompson. and family by providing me effective tools Two trained students, one from each for confronting and resolving interpersonal social category, facilitate the group, and a conflict and understanding and respecting faculty member from either the sociology or differences between my perspective and the psychology department designs the weekly perspective of others.” MR meetings and grades the coursework. Stu- dents searching for a quick and easy two credits will be disappointed to learn that Christina Zajicek/ The Michigan Review taking the Intergroup Dialogues course in- Students pick up trash to simulate the experience of janitors, who are now ap- parently a minority group. Also, future job training for U-M graduates. P. 9 News 02.07.07 ne ws the michigan review 9/11 Conspiracy Theorists Visit Campus Amidst Protest

By Jonny Slemrod, ‘10

ccording to Kevin Ryan, Rob- Aert Bowman, and Kevin Barrett, every- thing we know about the events of Septem- ber 11th is wrong. The three men came to the Michigan Union ballroom last Sunday to present their hypotheses on how, and, more importantly, why the government performed a controlled demolition to topple the World Trade Center Towers on September 11, 2001. The presen- tation, titled “9/11 and Our Civil Rights”, was sponsored by Ann Arbor 9/11 Truth, an organization dedicated to exposing the “truth” surrounding the terrorist attacks. The first speaker was Kevin Ryan, a former Site Manager for Environmental Health Laboratories, a division of Under- writers Laboratories Inc. (UL), a well-known nonprofit laboratory which develops safety testing procedures for many consumer and industrial projects. Ryan claims that he was fired from his position at UL after writing a letter to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) which publicly questioned a 2004 government report detail- ing the collapse of the World Trade Center. Although Ryan admitted “I don’t nearly have the credentials,” of Bowman and Bar- rett, he gave an hour-long speech in which he attempted to discounted several gov- ernment reports’ on the towers’ collapses. Throughout Ryan’s speech, he contrasted official government reports from the NIST Jonny Slemrod/ The Michigan Review with reports from UL, claiming that the gov- Young Americans for Freedom mock the members of a panel discussion on 9/11 conspiracy theories. The protestors ernment reports were part of an enormous held signs that read “Bush Eats Babies” and “Bush Causes Cancer.” cover-up of the events. The Bush Administration was “under- Dr. Robert Bowman, President of the Bowman did not delve into scientific expla- hitting the buildings and scraps of metal mining” science, according to Ryan, a pro- Institute for Space and Security Studies, was nations supporting a controlled demolition, from Ground Zero, points to a fabricated cess he dubbed “Bush Science.” Bush Sci- the next speaker at the event. Bowman was however, because he believed that the attacks government conspiracy, Barrett claimed, to ence came in many forms, such as the claim the Director of Advanced Space Programs on 9/11 may have been caused by what he keep America “top dog.” that jet fuel fire actually burns at 1,500 de- under President Carter, and according to called a “complicit” Federal government. Other controversial campus events, such grees Fahrenheit, not 2,900 as cited in NIST Ann Arbor 9/11 Truth is “one of the coun- Last to speak was Kevin Barrett, an as- as YAF’s “Three-Ex Terrorists Speak Out,” reports. Ryan also faulted the government try’s foremost authorities of national securi- sociate lecturer of Islamic and Arab Studies and former National Security Council mem- for using only a small group of engineers to ty.” A self-described “progressive populist,” at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A ber Raymond Tanter’s speech concerning conduct 9/11 research, when there are 1.5 Bowman argued that the official version of controversial figure, several state politicians Iran in December both drew hundreds of million registered engineers in the Ameri- the 9/11 events given to the American peo- unsuccessfully moved to have Barrett fired protestors. These hecklers ruined the “free can Society of Civil Engineers. Bush and ple was “impossible.” when his views on 9/11 were discovered. In speech” atmosphere by purposely disrupting other elites in his administration benefited Bowman’s speech also focused on the his speech, Barrett claimed that the govern- these events. Strangely, the same was not so from the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Ryan said, alleged motives of 9/11, repeating Ryan’s ment used demolitions to collapse the towers last Sunday, as most in the audience seemed by reaping profits from defense and civilian claim that the Bush Administration profited in order to garner public support for military entirely complicit with the panel’s heavily- contracts and oil acquisition from the War heavily from oil and natural gas contracts expansion. The seizure of evidence, includ- criticized and frequently debunked theories in Iraq. received following the invasion of Iraq. ing video tapes of the collision of the planes of 9/11. MR

Protest ing the speakers’ conversion to Christianity. Asians applications? From Page 3 He elaborated that their change in religious From Page 1 Negative stereotyping of Asians may ac- views is a tactic to give credibility to their count for some of this, including traits such passages that advocate, and in the past have shifted political beliefs. as a lack of academic creativity, an unwill- lead to, violence. When asked about YAF’s sponsorship, limited to just Michigan. Throughout the ingness to challenge the ideas of classmates When asked why a walk out was cho- Gutting cited the group’s “penchant for country many of the top public and private and professors, and a lack of contribution to sen, Gutting replied that “we do not want publicity” as a strong factor. He referenced institutions are criticized for holding Asian social, political or academic extracurricular things to escalate. Arabs and Muslim people an event this past week where the group was students to a higher standard. Elite colleges activities. are very vocal” and a walk out was the “best covered for protesting a speech about 9/11. are accused of putting Professor David Hol- thing to do.” The group hoped their demon- Holding up a copy of the Michigan Daily, he quotas on the number of linger, Chairman of the stration would be seen as a peaceful demon- stated, “look again, front page of the Daily Asians admitted, in order Hollinger also added History Department at stration. Furthermore, by vacating seats after back-to-back.” He wished he could believe for the school to maintain that criticism of Asian UC-Berkeley, says that the event started the coalition was “filtering that YAF’s “intention was to open up dia- a certain image. these stereotypes are the number of people who hear this mes- logue” but asserted that their tactics were Princeton University students and their simply not true, and that sage.” simply “not constructive. has been the main target reluctance to partici- Asian students are “just “[The speakers] absolutely do not make As far as the monochrome fashion of such criticism recently. as engaged and active in distinctions between various interpretations for the night, school pride drove the color. Jian Li, a freshman at Yale pate in extracurricular discussion as others” and of Islam” Gutting explained, adding that the “Yellow stands out and most U-M students University, has filed a law- activities is unfounded they “are real individuals.” speakers often “compare Islam to Nazism” own a yellow shirt.” The group hoped that suit against Princeton, and unfair Hollinger also added by calling it Islamofascism. The coalition by using the universal U-M maize that the claiming he was rejected that criticism of Asian stu- pointed out that only a minority in the Mus- demonstration would be more accessible to because of his Asian eth- dents and their reluctance lim community take violent action. students. nicity. The lawsuit’s exposure escalated re- to participate in extracurricular activities is However, last week, in an interview with The coalition hoped that their walk out cently because of a story published in The unfounded and unfair, that the extracurricu- the Review, the speakers spoke of a dichoto- would serve as an alternative message to the Daily Princetonian, which mocked Asian stu- lar atmosphere at Berkeley “has not really my within Islam. Zachariah Anani, one of one sponsored by YAF. After the walk out, dents and their complaints with current ad- changed in the last 10 years.” the speakers at the event, specifically spoke the coalition sponsored a panel discussion in mission standards. In the wake of the MCRI, Asian appli- of “two Korans,” one of which was violent, the Modern Languages Building. MR So why are many elite colleges, who cants may stand to benefit from new, racial- the other peaceful. are worried about their image, turning away ly-neutral guidelines, though only time will Gutting also voiced suspicions regard- Asian applicants despite the strength of their tell. MR P. 10 Arts & Culture 02.07.07

artsthe michigan & review culture. Jack Bauer and 24 Make Triumphant Return to Airwaves on Terror. The organization at the center of Exploring the political the show is CTU—Counter-Terrorist Unit. nature of FOX’s hit show Jack routinely pushes the limits in pursu- ing his goals in ways that make lawyers for By Michael O’Brien, ‘08 the ACLU squeamish. And speaking of the ACLU, there are numerous debates that sim- t’s about that time of year again. mer on the show about what the bounds are I On Mondays at 9pm, millions of in pursuing an enemy of America. Americans—many of them college stu- But the show skewers both sides equally. dents—crowd around their televisions for Last year, a megalomaniacal president made the Bauer Hour; that is, the latest episode of sweeping assertions of unchecked power. the smash FOX show, 24. He turned out to be the perpetrator of ter- But as Jack Bauer, the show’s central rorist attacks on the homeland and of the character, continues to somehow defy death assassination of his predecessor. just like James Bond and MacGyver before But it’s no wonder that 24 is a darling to Local coffee shops have been on the front lines of the fair-trade movement him, it seems as though he’s wrapped a par- conservatives. Its main character and his val- ticular demographic around his trigger fin- ues appeal in a very serious way to true-blue, ger: the American conservatives. or, rather, true-red, Americans. Jack Bauer, Even this may be somewhat of an un- on more than one occasion, has shown a The Fair Trade Tradeoff derstatement. Last June, just a month after willingness to sacrifice himself for his coun- By Blake Emerson, ‘09 ironically the same companies that they of- the fifth season of24 had finished airing, the try. Appeals to patriotism and service inspire ten target. He believes that there is a sub- conservative think-tank the Heritage Foun- Jack Bauer, and fall squarely in line with the raditional economics stantial profit motive for companies like dation hosted an event on the show, examin- sensibilities of conservatives. Tstates that consumers will attempt Starbucks, which take advantage of good- ing whether 24 is fact or fiction. Secretary Plus, the show’s characters prosecute the to purchase the good they desire at the low- conscious consumers. He estimates that of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff War on Terror in entirely hawkish ways. Sen- est possible price. But this hasn’t always been only 10% of fair trade profits trickle down kicked off the event with a question-and-an- sitivity towards the nation’s enemies takes a the case when dealing with coffee. to the coffee growers, implying that much of swer session. Rush Limbaugh moderated a backseat to securing victory. Additionally, the In Ann Arbor, consumers often dig the gains stay within the companies or the panel discussion with actors from the show. world of 24 isn’t one of delicate nuance and deeper into their wallets in hope of a bet- middlemen. (Limbaugh planted a kiss on Mary Lynn Ra- cultural sensibility. Rather, it’s one with stark, ter quality of life for poor coffee growers Fair trade coffee has also sparked a larg- jskub, who plays Chloe, before beginning). black-and-white decisions to be made, often around the world. Even the University has er debate within the economic community And among the dignitaries in the sold-out determined by harsh utilitarian analysis. joined in, providing “fair trade” coffee in its about the viability of free trade when dealing crowd was Supreme Court Justice Clarence 24, for many American liberals, would cafeterias. But these noble actions may be with third-world countries. Alex Nicholls, a Thomas. be somewhat of a nightmare scenario if it contributing to the long-run failure of the professor at Oxford University, argues that Greg Corombos, the host of a nightly were fact and not fantasy. An all-out war coffee industry. free trade is only efficient when all producers syndicated news show for the conservative against America’s foes, where detainees are In the free market coffee trade in coun- obtain “perfect market information.” Since Radio America network, is an avid fan of routinely beaten or tortured, where the civil tries like Colombia, middlemen buy arabica poor farmers have little knowledge of mar- the show. “Jack has a very clear cut distinc- rights of American Muslims are jeopardized, coffee beans from suppliers, and then dis- ket forces, they have no idea how to negoti- tion between what’s right and what’s wrong. and enemies are treated just as such, not as tribute the crops ate properly with He always understands the big picture and “different,” is one that plays not-so-gently to large buyers middlemen. is ruthless within the rules,” Corombos on the fault lines of the liberal versus con- throughout the Tim Harford, author of The Traditional said, adding, “and sometimes outside of the servative divide. world. Until re- Undercover Economist, estimates that economists, such rules.” Fantasy or fact, by 24’s art imitating life, cently, the world as Tim Harford, 24 is largely germane to politics today, we can learn a great deal about how we live market price for only 10% of fair trade profits trickle see the issue in especially in regards to prosecuting the War today. MR Arabica beans down to the coffee growers, implying a much different hovered around that muchof the gains stay within the light. Since prices historic lows of have been de- $.50/pound, well companies or go to middlemen pressed, he argues, below what activ- it implies that a ist fair-trade organizations, such as TransFair surplus of coffee is sifting through the econ- USA, believed was a sustainable price for omy. Providing a minimum price for coffee coffee growers. growers encourages current producers to TransFair USA establishes agreements work harder, and encourages new enterpris- with these farmers and remove the middle- ing growers to enter the market. Eventually, men who allegedly depress wages. Exclu- as classic economic thought teaches, prices sive relationships also guarantee a minimum of coffee may stagnate. price of $1.26 per pound. According to their Over the last two years, though, prices website, poor farmers earn “over $60 million of arabica beans have substantially increased, more than they would have earned selling confusing many traditional economists. Cof- their harvests to local intermediaries.” fee now sells for well over $1.00/pound on While still in its early stages, this luxury the open market exchange. Current reports wage benefits only a few farmers in these re- blame a supply crunch in Brazil, along with gions, according to The Economist. Current increasing demand from the rapidly com- restrictions exclude coffee plantations and mercializing countries like China and India. large family farms from receiving fair trade This, in turn, has helped all farmers. The recognitions. This, in turn systematically ex- question is: how long will the prices remain cludes the largest segments of coffee grow- at a level suitable for the protection of farm- ers in third-world countries. ers? Regardless of the economic conse- So how does this issue affect many uni- quences, fair trade coffee has been a hot sell. versity students? After the Coca-Cola crisis In 2005 alone, the industry saw sales grow last winter, all dorm cafeterias exclusively 37 percent worldwide, growing to a $1.4 bil- serve fair trade coffee. Students pay more lion industry. Much of this growth has been to supply fair trade coffee. Michigan State sparked by movements from both Starbucks made the switch to fair trade months before and Proctor and Gamble (Folgers, Nestle) Michigan did. The intentions are noble for towards fair trade coffee. all fair trade supporters, but only time will Tim Harford, author of The Undercover tell who wins the battle of activists and Economist, believes that fair trade buyers are economists. MR contributing heavily to large corporations, Jack’s back! P. 11 Arts & Culture 02.07.07

artsthe michigan & review culture. University Professor Examines American Exceptionalism in Sports By Rebecca Christy, 08 do not speak the language of soccer.” He ac- like soccer. Secondly, soccer was viewed as ica, Markovits explained that “an American knowledged the popularity of soccer among a non-American sport when nativism and athlete can have a rewarding and highly re- ike any other book on the topic the youth of America, but concluded that nationalism were important for establishing spected career without ever playing for the Lof American exceptionalism, Andrei soccer is not part of mainstream sports cul- a unique American identity outside of Eu- United States.” Markovits’ latest book begins with a discus- ture. rope. Thirdly, a lack of organization led to In a discussion about the future of soc- sion on the main theories behind America’s “What people read, discuss, analyze, the demise of soccer’s original implementa- cer in America, David Beckham’s new con- qualitative differences from other nations. compare, and historicize” are sports that tion. tract with the Los Angeles Galaxy was the The lack of a defining socialist move- are defined by Markovits as part of culture. One of the most interesting topics in focus. ment over the course of its history, and the These are the things that people discuss Offside is the discussion of the American “David Beckham is necessary, but not a abundance of land which around the water cooler, things that they fol- Dream in the molding of America’s sports sufficient condition for soccer in America,” allowed individuals to focus low and not just participate in. culture. The celebration of the individual said Markovits. When asked whether or not Book on personal achievement For Americans, this applies to what over the collective has been reflected in Beckham’s celebrity status outside of soc- Review rather than identify with Markovits calls the “Big Three and one America’s attitudes towards sports such cer reflected negatively on American soccer collective goals, were both half:” American football, basketball, and as soccer, which focuses largely on a team Markovits explained that Beckham will bring significant in creating what baseball, with hockey as the half. Markovits’ mentality, and competes fiercely at the inter- what the MLS needs: publicity. He makes the we believe to be the ‘American dream.’ book considers whether Americans have the national level. point that Jay Leno would not talk about the Markovits, who is Professor of Com- “sports space” to allocate as much dedica- One need only look at the hesitancy of best soccer player in the world coming to the parative Politics and German Studies at U- tion to soccer as it does other sports, and professional athletes to join the 2004 Men’s MLS if no one could recognize his name. M, applies these theories in Offside: Soccer and what American soccer needs to achieve to Olympic basketball team to understand Sports may be seen as a frivolous sub- American Exceptionalism to explain why soc- garner national support. how unimportant international competition ject in the world of academia, but Markov- cer, while the premier sport in the rest of Markovits claims soccer was unsuccess- seems. Not until after an embarrassing 6th its makes a strong and fascinating argument the world, holds relatively little interest in ful in America during the 19th century for place finish did American professional bas- about its role in what may be seen as heavier American culture. three main reasons. Firstly, it became crowd- ketball express a willingness to play for the topics such as national identity, culture and As Markovits explained in an interview, ed out by the popularity of baseball which US team. When asked about this unenthu- ideology. MR “Sports are like languages, and Americans is played in the spring and summer months, siastic attitude towards representing Amer- University Professor Scott Page Illinois Professor Outlines Deals with Michigan’s ‘Difference’ The ‘Trouble With Diversity’ Key contributor to the University’s pre-Proposal 2 educational programs speaks to the Review about in New Book By Marie Cour, ‘08 economic disparity. The children of wealthy his newest book parents are given a racially and ethnically fter the success of the MCRI diverse college system, skewing their under- Alast November, the University issued a standing of American society. By Christine Hwang, ‘10 spirit of the book, “I think that that is very series of statements declaring its support of For all of the strengths and insightful much open to interpretation. I think that dif- diversity on this campus and formed groups comments of this book, Michaels descends n his new book, The Difference: How ferent people will see different things and, to ensure that the campus would be welcom- into territory familiar to college professors, Ithe Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, in fact, if they didn’t, the book wouldn’t be ing to the various ethnic and racial commu- writing as a Marxist who abhors private Firms, Schools, and Societies, Professor Scott E. true.” He grants, “There could be an argu- nities that remained. property. The only solution to the economic Page argues that “diversity trumps ability.” ment to say that we need more minorities on In his new book, The Trouble with Diver- disparities Michaels sees is through a series Before you roll your eyes, though, know campus…On the other hand, there could be sity: How We Learned to Love Identity and Ignored of redistributive programs administered by that this isn’t the overly-politicized “diversi- an argument that we need more conserva- Inequality, Walter Benn Michaels, the head of the government. He views private schools as ty” extolled by University administrators like tives on campus.” the English Department at perpetuators of inequality, and that blacks Mary Sue Coleman. Forget Beyond politics, Page highlights the im- the University of Illinois- are owed reparations because of some no- politics, BAMN demon- portance of the University’s emphasis on Book Chicago, argues that affir- tion of communal guilt. Book strators, Proposal 2, and interdisciplinary scholarship: “…I think that Review mative action exacerbates Michael’s book should resonate with ev- Review all those nitpicky cafeteria almost any reading of the book comes down existing social problems eryone at Michigan because he shows that debates about fairness, dis- on the side in favor of interdisciplinary re- and fails to correct those it the arguments of the Civil Rights Era of crimination, and individuality. search.” He also states, “By combining good was designed to remedy. equality fall on deaf ears. The racial discrimi- Think, rather, about how the many types departments, an average institution becomes Michaels argues affirmative action com- nation of Jim Crow is no longer legally and of coffee you can buy at one of the numer- a stellar university. It is left to readers and bined with multiculturalism creates a soci- socially acceptable, making diversity speech- ous coffee shops in Ann Arbor improves students at the University on the best ways ety where nothing can ever be denounced. es like President Mary Sue Colemans’s as your life. Think again, on a bigger scale; for an interdisciplinary learning community can Contemporary society, which insists on re- courageous as a speech praising police of- instance, consider how the many types of be achieved. specting the “Other,” extends to economic ficers or firemen. schools within the University of Michigan When speaking of the book’s reception, differences as well as racial and social is- The gospel of diversity and accep- can improve an education. Page said, “I think that many people read the sues. Multiculturalists believe all cultures Page, writing in a casual tone and sneak- book and say that it provides overwhelming are intrinsically valuable, meaning that the ing in tidbits about philosophy, celebrities, evidence, it provides against theoretical evi- lifestyles of those living in poverty simply and the creation of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, dence, as to why one would want diversity in reflect a cultural—rather than real—differ- takes a non-political stance on diversity. the classroom, the laboratory…at the Uni- ence. This means that the poor in America Page himself sees his book “not as much versity of Michigan. Other people are going simply live differently from the rich; their of a political statement as a mathematical to read the book…and say what the book material needs simply reflect their different proof.” But don’t worry if you barely made really says is that you want people who are culture, rather than a social issue that needs it past the quantitative reasoning require- talkative and talkative means that the ques- to be addressed. ment; Page’s explanations make mathemati- tion of whether two people think differently Possibly the most interesting point that cal theory seem as easy as ordering a list of based on their gender, race, or identity is an Michaels makes about affirmative action is priorities. empirical question.” that it undermines any attempts to address Page defines diversity as “differences in After all, U-M would not be U-M with- the lack of meritocracy in the country. Af- how people see the world and how people out its opposing viewpoints, its bitter con- firmative action admits minority students to think.” He leaves how diversity is attained servatives, whiny liberals, in-betweens, and places they might not otherwise be able to tance has permeated all section of society. up to the reader, but we can see that it is totally out-theres. As Page says, “The nice attend, while multiculturalism gives them a Michaels comments that when Republicans diversity in the broadest sense. Page wants thing is that you can get people who wouldn’t visible place on their campus. By admitting such as Gale Norton, former Secretary of to tell readers that “just as we think ability speak, yelling at each other…intellectual dis- minority students, however, Michaels be- the Interior, come out in favor of inclusion, is important, we should think that diversity cussion.” lieves that it dilutes their ability to criticize “anti-discrimination isn’t just for liberals is important.” He writes of the phenom- The Difference assumes this inevitable di- the rest of society. anymore.” This view has moved from the enon that when you present a problem to a versity, encourages it, and realizes that even Likewise, the presence of minority stu- fringe of American politics to the center. group of diverse individuals, their solution is if everyone cannot agree, at least we can get dents at prestigious colleges allows wealthy Michaels understands that the problem of almost always correct. people to think about big issues. MR students to ignore larger social problems. inequality in 2007 is vastly different than it When asked about how the University The people who attend these schools will was in 1965, and recommends that policies of Michigan should apply his ideas of diver- be hesitant to discuss the ways in which the should change to reflect this. MR sity, Page answers appropriately in the true current educational system is fraught with P. 12 Features 02.07.07

features.the michigan review Constitutional Conservative Race, Gender, Religion Takes Shot at Presidency and the Race for 2008 By Adam Paul, ‘08 exas Congressman Ron Paul (R) filed pa- Tpers in January to form a Presidential Exploratory Committee. Paul, long known as a staunchly principled congress- men, will now collect campaign funding and gauge his support for a 2008 run. “There was no true conservative in the field of an- nounced candidates,” explained Ken Schneider, Chair- man of Paul’s Exploratory Committee. Paul’s politics differ from those of any candidate of either party. His Congressional website proclaims that he, “never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution.” This ideo- logical stance has caused him to reject so many bills that he has earned the title “Dr. No” in the House. Paul has attempted a presidential run before. Back in 1988, Paul ran for the office on the Libertarian Party With the 2008 Election on the horizon, Political Science ticket. “2008 is a different time than 1988. The previous campaign will not be much of a benefit or a distraction,” Professor Vincent Hutchings talks about the future for Schneider explained. Since ’88, Paul has left the Libertarian Party and has “minority” candidates joined the Republican Party. He is currently in his ninth term representing Texas’ 14th district, in the US Con- By Danielle Putnam, ‘08 Clinton’s candidacy. gress. Despite the change of party, Paul’s politics remain Hutchings also said, “We have to be careful. It doesn’t very much the same. ith the race for the White House heating up, mean that all women will do well just because Clinton is.” Paul has stood out for his willingness to depart from Wsome of the leading candidates are bringing unprec- Hutchings believes Americans will be receptive to an Af- his party on key legislation. He was one of only three edented elements to the table. rican American candidate. He reminds voters to keep in mind Republicans to vote against the No Child Left Behind The Democratic frontrunners for the 2008 elections are that Jesse Jackson came in third in 1984 and came in second in act, and has been an outspoken critic of the Iraq War, a woman, Hillary Clinton, and an African American, Barak 1988 when vying for the Democratic nomination. continuing to compare the effort to Vietnam. Obama. For the Republicans, Mitt Romney, a Mormon, could His success largely depends on his ability to raise funds “The turmoil in Iraq is worse than ever and most very well gain the nomination. Although Americans may not and garner as much popular support as Clinton. If he is able to Americans are willing to tolerate the cost, both human muster support from outside the African American commu- and economical” Paul has stated on the House floor. nity, his chances will increase greatly. This is because minority “Voters finally have a candidate consistently for candidates often give the impression during the campaign that shrinking the power of government,” staid Macomb “There are two issues at they are simply running to further the interests of their com- County Commission Leon Drolet (R), who is heading hand here: One, how will munities. Hutchings said if Obama is able to show that he is Paul’s exploratory committee in Michigan. interested in advancing the general welfare, he could catch up Drolet hopes that those Republican primary voters they do? And two, how to Clinton before the primaries. who are “sick of candidates who switch views” will be will their minority status As for Mitt Romney, his biggest obstacle does not deal attracted to Paul’s clear policy stances. with gathering support or raising funds; rather, it focuses on While Paul represents an opportunity for voters, his affect them? his competitors. entrance may challenge the others vying for the Republi- “Romney has name recognition issues,” explained Hutch- can nomination. Paul is proud of every vote he has ever made and it will be difficult to make him admit mistakes. -Political Science Professor “Other candidates have to patch together a network Although Americans may of excuses and fibs. Paul won’t have to do that,” said Vincent Hutchings Drolet, adding that candidates will do their best to ignore not be prepared for a Paul in the upcoming primary. be prepared for a person of minority status to lead the coun- Looking the other way may fail if Paul’s commit- try, these candidates have all fared well in pre-election polls. person of minority status ted national base comes out strong. Schneider observed In fact, their status as minority citizens may work to their ad- to lead the country, these that despite Paul’s lack of advertising for the Exploratory vantage. Committee that the response has been overwhelming; According to University political science professor Vin- candidates have all faired “Just from the story announcing the committee, we cent Hutchings, it is difficult to determine which of the two well in pre-election polls. have been overloaded with minority candidates will take the nomination for the Demo- phone calls and e-mails,” he cratic Party. said. “There are two issues at hand here. One, how will they do? ings. In order to become one of the front runners for the Furthermore, Drolet And two, how will their minority status affect them? Everyone Republican Party nomination, he must establish himself. He pointed, “Paul does not have agrees, based on the polling data, Clinton is the frontrunner is running against some very well known Republicans such as to buy his supporters, he can [for the Democratic Party]. And generally, voters don’t have a Rudy Giuliani and John McCain. focus money on advertising negative reaction to female candidates,” Hutchings said. Moreover, if Romney is able to keep the oft-controversial and buy recognition instead Hutchings seems to be- Mormonism under the table, he could have a good shot at the of staffers and votes.” lieve that women are seen as Republican nomination. Drolet compared Paul’s more capable at resolving In terms of voting patterns, Clinton may have clearest current situation to his origi- certain issues because they path to the presidency, considering the large number of fe- nal bid for his current Texas are more emotional. male representatives, senators, and governors, not to mention Congressional seat. He re- However, this strength the ascension of Nancy Pelosi as the first female speaker of counted that Paul’s primary may also hurt women since the House. opponent had well-known Congressman Ron most Americans prefer a But for now, it is still too soon to determine whether or supporters but that Paul won Paul (R-TX) strong backbone when it not the history of the United States will remain viable come because “people were not comes to national security, November 2008. In addition to attempting to decipher the fooled by big name party leaders.” Schneider echoed this defense, and foreign rela- outcome, it is unclear how voters will react to the wide range statement, reporting that “Paul is not an establishment tions. of minorities represented by the candidates. favorite, look; this campaign is a long shot. We know that Hutchings reasons that, For now, Americans should pay close attention to pol- but we think it’s worth it.” because the main issue fac- icy and motives of the candidates, especially to help decide Yet Paul continues to receive popularity with some ing the presidency right whether or not the candidates are simply interested in further- voters nationwide. Paul has built his support base mainly now is the war in Iraq, and ing their own “communities” initiatives. MR because of his predictable strict Constitutionalist posi- since the war is not widely tions and as Drolet notes, “that is not easy to find.” MR Professor Hutchings is an favored, it could very well expert on election studies have little or no effect on