The Michigan Review The Jour nal of Campus Af fairs at the University of Michigan 04.03.07 Volume xxv, Issue 11 Foreclosures Features MSA Meetings Lack Students increas- MSA Members Plague Metro ingly narsiccistic Detroit as P. 3

Detroit tax policy Economy learning from theory Slows P. 12 By Anna Malecke ‘10

ichigan’s slow housing mar- Mket is no secret; however, few know of the extent of one particular problem in De- troit and some surrounding suburbs: foreclo- News sures. This all changed when worldwide news provider Reuters reported that the number of U-M sets up $3 foreclosures in Detroit, Dearborn, and other meet a quorum with a conservative majority if Detroit-area suburbs has increased dramatically million fund for One quarter of 2006- there are enough representatives missing,” said in recent months. displaced Pfizer 2007 representatives Baker when he explained the effect of absenc- The high rate of foreclosures is closely workers es on the assembly’s ability to operate. connected with increased sales of sub-prime were removed due to Attendance at general assembly meetings mortgages to marginal borrowers with lower during the fall and winter terms has been es- incomes or poorer credit ratings. Professor of P. 7 poor attendance pecially scant, most notably by members of Economics and Public Policy Alan Deardorff the Defend Affirmative Action Party (DAAP). said that he sees the foreclosures as directly re- By Adam Pascarella, ‘10 Baker stated that DAAP representatives were sulting from the mortgages which are now be- Comerica’s removed from the assembly because they failed ing subjected to higher interest rates. departure from De- he Michigan Student Assembly to meet their attendance requirements; usu- troit does not phase T(MSA), the elected body that represents all ally DAAP representatives chose to appear at Granholm’s office the schools and colleges at U-M, meets every meetings only when the general assembly was week; however, if a student wanted to find a debating affirmative action resolutions. representative, these meetings may not be the Representatives from DAAP were not the “The housing bubble P. 6 best place to look. only members of MSA who were consistently caused lenders to make By the end of the 2006-2007 MSA ad- missing general assembly meetings. Ally Ja- ministration under President Nicole Stallings, cobs, the former MSA Chief of Staff, said that loans to homebuyers twelve representatives out of a total of forty- a significant number of graduate students did who were not very well eight elected members were removed because not bother to attend meetings. of attendance problems, according to Kenny “Attendance has been difficult among the qualified in terms of their Baker, former Vice Chair of the Rules and graduate students this year. They have many incomes and credit histo- Opinion Elections Committee. other important things to attend to, such as Because representatives are elected by in- their schoolwork. Although they have been ries. The foreclosures are dividual constituencies, a member’s absence absent from some meetings, it is important to therefore to some extent A vote of “No could leave a constituency unrepresented, Confidence,” and especially for programs like Business or Law the natural result of such the state’s failing which have few representatives. See “MSA” questionable borrowing economy “Presumably, twelve Republicans could Page 9 and lending.” Editorials, P. 4 Speaker and Cuban Refugee Attacks -Alan Deardorff, Professor of Economics Carr as his own court of law, and the Che’s “Guerilla” Image ineffectiveness of being held at La Cabana fortress in Havana, “The housing bubble caused lenders to By Jonny Slemrod, ‘10 a holding-ground for many Cubans that the make loans to homebuyers who were not very DP Day volunteers communist government deemed as anti-revo- well qualified in terms of their incomes and or some, the famous image of Ernes- lutionary. credit histories. The foreclosures are therefore Columns P. 5 Fto “Che” Guevara plastered on everything Although Fontova’s father was released, to some extent the natural result of such ques- from t-shirts to tattoos represents revolution, many were not as fortunate. Executions were tionable borrowing and lending,” said Dear- resistance, and liberation. For others, such as rampant in La Cabana, which was run by Cas- dorff. Cuban exile and author Humberto Fontova, tro’s right-hand-man, Che Guevara. While the sub-prime mortgages originally Arts & the image stands for hypocrisy, murder, and Fontova’s views on Che Guevara are no increased spending on homes and boosted dictatorship. secret. Through his books, online columns, consumption, the slowing economy has re- Culture Fontova, the author of Fidel: Hollywood’s and appearances on national television shows, versed this effect. Favorite Tyrant and the upcoming Exposing the Fontova has made it clear that he is no fan of “As this market turns sour, it causes these Indoctrinate U exam- Real Che Guevara and the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, or communism. low-income borrowers to lose what little assets ines “The Establish- Him spoke last Monday at the Union in a YAF- “I got tired of the blizzard of BS in the they had, and this presumably has a negative ef- ment” sponsored event entitled, “Exposing the Real mainstream media,” Fontova said via telephone fect on their consumption,” said Deardorff. Truth Behind Communist Cuba.” from his home in New Orleans. “Advertising a Besides the special finance mortgages, oth- P. 11 In 1962, when Fontova was seven-years- mass murderer is easy,” he remarked. er factors have led to an increase in the number old, his family fled Cuba to seek a new life in “Imbecile” is the word which comes to of foreclosures. The rate of unemployment in A new documentary the United States. In the airport, his father was mind when Fontova thinks of Che Guevara. Detroit has reached 14 percent, and statewide forcefully detained by Fidel Castro’s military reveals Hitler’s quest police right in front of his family. Labeled a for art “political prisoner,” Fontova’s family feared for See “Fontova” See “Foreclosures” P. 10 the worst when they received word that he was Page 9 Page 9 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 04.03.07

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW www.michiganreview.com page two. Editorial Board: the michigan review Nick Cheolas Editor-in-Chief ■ Video of the Week

Michael O’Brien Appalachian State - Michigan’s Executive Editor opponent in 2007’s home opener - released a promotional commercial Adam Paul several years ago with a jingle claim- Managing Editor ing that, among other things, “Ap- palachian is HOT HOT HOT!” Amanda Nichols We’re not averse to Michigan Content Editor scheduling mismatched home ope- neres, but it’s a little hard to take this Brian Biglin school seriously after watching this Assistant Managing Editor video. Unfortunately, our newspa- Business Staff: per doesn’t play videos. But for humor’s sake, please go to You- Karen Boore Tube, and search for this video: Publisher http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=pVENWl8uBeg Danny Harris Jonny Slemrod Associate Publishers ■ From the Editor Staff Writers: n this issue, we present an eclectic mix of campus Brian Biglin takes a look at the famed Laffer Curve Michael Balkin, Steven Bengal, David Brait, Ipolitics, national speech rights issues, and local econom- (Page 12) with the aid of a stunning graphic. Interestingly Erin Buchko, Kelly Cavanaugh, ic concerns. enough, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick seems to have Jenni Chelenyak, Rebecca Christy, Our cover story, MSA Meetings lack MSA mem- taken a hint from the island-nation of Iceland in his quest Jane Coaston, Marie Cour, Lindsey Dodge, bers, highlights the chronic attendance problems that have to reduce tax rates. Blake Emerson, Christine Hwang, Eun Lee, plagued the student governing body in the past year. In the On our opinion pages, the Review opines on the state’s Anna Malecke, Brian McNally, Miquelle previous term, a full quarter of MSA Representatives were , and Milavec, John O’Brien, Kate O’Connor, Adam tax climate in the wake of Comerica’s departure Pascarella, Eddie Perry, Danielle Putnam, removed from the organization due to poor attendance. highlights recent efforts by the Mackinac Center for Pub- Shanda Shooter, Chris Stieber, Evan Wladis, We also take a look at the interesting tale of Humber- lic Policy to find ways to reduce state spending. Amanda Christina Zajicek, Zack Zucker to Fontova (Page 1), a Cuban native who came to campus Nichols takes a look at DP Day itself (Page 5) in her recently to assail Fidel Castro. Fontova also blasted every- column, and wonders where the liberal commitment to Letters and Viewpoints: body’s favorite revolutionary Che Guevara – a man whose “social justice” went. face adorns the t-shirts of many a campus ignoramus. On page 6, Journalism Professor Mark McDon- The Michigan Review accepts and encourages The Review also takes a look at free speech issues around ald talks about his experiences as an embedded reporter letters to the editor and viewpoints. Letters to the editor should be under 300 words. Viewpoints the country. A school suspension in Alaska in 2002 sparked in Iraq, and provides an eye-opening view of the role of can be arranged by contacting the editorial board. a legal battle that made its way to the Supreme Court last journalists in the War on Terror. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. month. The Court will soon decide whether a Juneau, In our Arts and Culture section this week, the sex- Alaska school was justified in suspending student Joseph ist and misogynist Michigan Review (and its majority-female Send all correspondence to [email protected]. Frederick after he displayed a sign which read “Bong Hits staff) takes a look at two books highlighting the experi- 4 Jesus” (Page 7) outside his school. In Arizona, Profes- ences of women in college (Pages 10 and 11). Then, About Us: sors may soon face fines for taking political stands in our conservative, Bible-beating, Bush-loving, right wing The Michigan Review provides a broad range of the classroom (Page 3). But the bill has drawn the ire publication takes a few swipes at President Bush (Page in-depth coverage of campus affairs and serves as of many conservative pundits around the country. To that 4), who is becoming more and more of a liability to true the literary voice of conservatism and libertarian- end, the Review editorializes on such speech restrictions, conservatives. ism at the University of Michigan. The Review is pointing out that a little liberal hostility isn’t all bad for published bi-weekly September thru April. conservative college students (Page 4). -Editor-in-Chief, Nick Cheolas In the wake of DP Day here on campus – a day that Donate/Subscribe: saw hundreds of University students spend a day in De- Note: In our previous issue, we did not include the The Michigan Review accepts no financial support troit volunteering – we examine a few aspects of Detroit’s byline on one of our feature stories, Ann Arbor Drug from the University. Therefore, your support is economic struggles. On our front page, Anna Malecke Culture Remains Shrouded in Smoke. The author was critical and greatly appreciated. Donations above talks with Econ. Professor Alan Deardorff about fore- Kelly Cavanaugh, ‘10. $35 are eligible for a 1-year (12 issues) subscrip- closure problems that plague the city. In another feature, tion. Donations can be made on our website at www.michiganreview.com, or mailed to:

911 N. University, Suite One ■ Serpent’s Tooth Ann Arbor, MI 48109 radical organizations. In a related sto- subjects. The move has led to a rapid

The Michigan Review is the independent, student-run journal of ry, the organization formerly known increase in ignorant high school grad- conservative and libertarian opinion at the University of Michi- as Michigamua will be holding meet- uates and Michigan Daily columnists gan. We neither solicit nor accept monetary donations from the University. Contributions to The Michigan Review are tax-deduct- ings across the border from now on. named Toby Mitchell. ible under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code. The Michigan Reviewis not affiliated with any political party or any university political group. The University recently announced The Supreme Court recently ruled that

Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board. that students will be able to choose the EPA must regulate greenhouse Ergo, they are unequivocally correct and just. Signed articles, let- their “preferred” name to be used on gases including carbon dioxide – a gas ters, and cartoons represent the opinions of the author, and not MCards, in directories, and on offi- naturally emitted by human breathing. necessarily those of The Review. The Serpent’s Tooth shall repre- Minneapolis officials were shocked sent the opinion of individual, anonymous contributors to The Re- cial University documents. President So for those of you keeping track at view, and should not necessarily be taken as representative of The when blood spurted out of a sew- Review’s editorial stance. The opinions expressed in this publica- Mary Diversity Coleman is hoping to home, you’re probably better off get- er and got on a city worker. More tion do not necessarily reflect those of the advertisers or the use the plan to her advantage by forc- ting an abortion than breathing. University of Michigan. shocking is the fact that there must ing white students to adopt black and be an underground tunnel connecting Copyright © 2007, The Michigan Review, Inc. All rights reserved. Latino sounding names. Georgia State Representatives are The Michigan Review is a member of the Collegiate Network. Detroit and Minneapolis. contemplating removing former US The London Times recently reported Representative Cynthia McKinney’s The Canadian Army’s counterinsur- that teachers are increasingly choos- name from an Atlanta area roadway. gency manual will not include refer- ing to ignore the holocaust, crusades, You know, Rep. McKinney might not ences to “radical Native American or- and other controversial and difficult be the best person to anger. ganizations” to avoid offending such P. 3 Features 04.03.07

features.the michigan review New Study Claims College Students Arizona Are More Narcissistic Than Ever Professors May Face Fines for New Study indicts the self-esteem extremely detrimental to this generation. “College students assume that they can be exceptional, movement that they should receive special treatment,” Twenge says, Political “when hard work will probably do a lot more for you than By Lindsey Dodge, ‘10 believing in yourself.” Posturing She laments the loss of the virtues of humility and By Christine Hwang, ‘10 ollege students are more narcissistic than equality in the wake of a growing tide of self-absorbed youth Cever before, according to a recent study spearheaded by singing the songs they were taught in elementary school, he Arizona State legislature is currently debat- Professor Jean Twenge of San Diego State University. such as, “I am special, I am special, look at me! Look at me!” Ting the amendment of a bill that would fine professors Dr. Twenge, a University of Michigan graduate, started sung to the tune of Frere Jacques. up to $500 for “politicizing” the classroom by “[advocating] researching this phenomenon with four other psychologists Although no one knows exactly what makes a narcis- one side of a social, political, or cultural issue that is a mat- last summer. She and her colleagues examined the responses sist, Twenge points to the undue emphasis on self-esteem in ter of partisan controversy.” The amendment, sponsored of 16,475 college students nationwide who had completed schools, where teachers do not correct student’s mistakes for by Arizona Senate Majority Leader, Thayer Verschoor (R), the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, a psychological test fear of upsetting their emotional equilibrium. has stirred its own controversy, facing opposition from both evaluating the exam-taker’s level of narcissism. Others point toward the development of personal tech- sides of the aisle, along with school boards and professors. According to their findings, all individualist traits have nology. Sites such as YouTube and MySpace place their em- The bill previously restricted only the “use of school risen dramatically since 1982, when the exam was first ad- phasis on the individual and, over the last couple of years, district or charter school resources or employees to influence ministered. While self-esteem of students has risen, so has have become two of the most popular sites on the internet. elections.” If the amendment passes, professors will be fined The portable iPod may have an isolating effect, as well, as up to $500 if they take any position in the classroom. students literally shut out their surroundings with their mu- In addition to adherence to these rules, professors at sic. public institutions would be forced to receive special training “College students assume that Not all have accepted the study, though, with the most regarding these rules for three hours every year. dissention coming from college students themselves. Verschoor, who earned his undergraduate degree from they can be exceptional, that they In one article from the University of Washington’s inde- pendent student newspaper The Daily, a student responded should receive special treatment, angrily to the findings of Twenge and her colleagues. The “If Arizona wants to drive good when hard work will probably do student criticized a question asking whether or not a student professors to other states, it could thought the world would be a better place if he or she ruled hardly come up with a better plan.” it. a lot more for you than believing “Current and past world leaders that come to mind in- in yourself.” clude George W. Bush, Saddam Hussein, Joseph Stalin, Beni- –National Review Political Reporter to Mussolini and Adolf Hitler,” the student wrote. “Yes, the John J. Miller world would definitely be a better place if I were in charge.” –Jean Twenge, Professor, San Diego Other analysts have pointed out that studies demon- Arizona State University, feels that his professors attempted strate increased commitment to volunteer work among col- to indoctrinate students. State University lege students, which hardly characterizes narcissists. “In our institutions of higher education, students should However, Twenge notes that many high schools now re- be learning how to think, not what to think,” he told the on- quire community service. Moreso, students may feel pressure line education journal, Inside Higher Education. to list volunteer work on their college applications, which Although the bill appears to have benefits, Serena Un- narcissism. Some conditions that denote narcissism are dys- certainly is characteristic of the narcissists’ tendency to look rein, Executive Director of the Arizona Students’ Associa- functional relationships and a lack of empathy. According out for themselves first. tion, argues that it limits what students can learn in the class- to Twenge, narcissists’ relationships often end because of When asked what college students can do to counteract room. Even though professors cannot indoctrinate students, infidelity or a lack of commitment. the tide of self-importance sweeping campuses nationwide, they also cannot discuss issues and concerns about current These characteristics help explain the dramatic rise of Twenge recommended questioning clichés of self-esteem, policies. hook-ups in colleges and universities around the United media messages, and yes, even what your parents have told “College students are adults and all these injunctions States. According to one study published in August of 2006 you. Her book, Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans would effectively prevent university instructors from carry- in The Journal of Sex Research, casual sex of all kinds is now Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled…and More Miserable than ing out their professional tasks,” argued conservative writer the norm for college students. Ever Before, discussing this study, comes out in paperback and activist David Horowitz. Looking closer at the data, they show that narcissism soon. MR The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education may affect men and women differently, including their sex (FIRE), a group that aims to protect “individual rights at lives. The NPI responses revealed that surprisingly more America’s increasingly repressive and partisan colleges and men than women are narcissistic, although the difference is universities,” has come out against the amendment from a negligible. If the legislation passes, professors will be legal perspective. It argues that this bill violates freedom The Journal of Sex Research, though, cautions that more of speech for professors who are opposed to freedom of women demonstrate signs of depression after just one ca- fined up to $500 if they take any position speech for students. sual hook-up, as opposed to men, who are generally pleased in the classroom toward: FIRE argues that it is a double standard for there to be with the sexual environment on their campuses. so much controversy over limitations on professors’ right to In an interview, Twenge said that she thinks this bodes • “any candidate or nominee for local, state, or free speech while students have been subject to speech codes poorly for the development of relationship skills among col- federal public office or any elected or appointed limiting expressions for decades. lege students. “It’s always ok to put yourself first [for narcis- “America’s colleges and universities are, in theory, indis- sists],” she says, “So these individual, self-esteem trends cre- local, state, or federal official” pensable institutions in the development of critical minds ate very high expectations which may or may not be realistic and the furthering of individual rights, honest inquiry, and for everybody.” • “any pending, proposed, or enacted local, state, the core values of liberty, legal equality, and dignity. Instead, This goes for careers, too. With a heightened sense of or federal legislation, regulation or rule.” they often are the enemies of those qualities and pursuits, self, more students expect to pursue higher education. Ac- denying students and faculty their voices, their fundamental cording to Twenge’s recent studies, fifty percent of high rights, and even their individual humanity,” claimed FIRE. school students expected to receive a graduate degree, which • “any pending or proposed litigation in a local, The group also argues that it must increase freedom of is worrisome when compared to the nine percent who will state, or federal court” speech for both students and professors, saying, “It is essen- achieve this goal. tial that our nation’s future leaders be educated as members Negative results for disappointed narcissists include • “a social, political, or cultural issue that is a of a free society, learning to debate and to resolve differenc- anxiety and depression, which result from the greater pre- matter of partisan controversy.” es peacefully, without resorting to administrative coercion.” dicament in the event that people do not find the best fit for Professors and groups of educators such as the Ameri- themselves. Twenge explains, “People assume that they have can Association of University Professors are also opposed to go to college to make a good living, but not everybody • “any activities that hamper or impede the to the bill and willing to take action. does need to go to college…College was the right choice for lawful access of military recruits to campus.” “If Arizona wants to drive good professors to other me, but I can’t fix my own toilet.” states, it could hardly come up with a better plan,” wrote These heightened expectations and self-esteem come • “any activities that hamper or impede National Review’s John J. Miller. from what researchers dub the “self-esteem” movement, Although it is not certain whether the amendment will which began in the late 70s and early 80s. They argue that the actions of local, state, or federal law be passed, it was approved by the Senate Government Com- the multitudinous self-esteem programs that have popped enforcement.” mittee by a 4 to 3 vote. If passed, the law will come into up in schools, the media, and in parenting techniques are effect in January 2008. MR P. 4 Opinion 04.03.07

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. Hostile College Tax Climate Fuels A Vote of “No Campuses Not Flight of Businesses Confidence” for the All Bad For from State President Conservatives rom Bong Hits 4 Jesus to the Vagina Monologues, t comes as no surprise that Comerica, the financial everal years ago, in the aftermath of the 2004 Fthe speech rights of students have been back in the Iservices giant currently based in Detroit, is relocating to Selection, our staff was elated that, if nothing else, John news recently. Dallas. While Comerica and the Governor’s office claim Kerry was defeated in his bid for the presidency. The Nowhere are such rights more important than on the move simply follows population shifts, the economic election and its contention made us given to celebration college campuses nationwide – areas where the free ex- climate of Michigan is pitiful. Statewide unemployment that the misguided intentions of Kerry and his support- change of information, ideas, and viewpoints are critical hovers around seven percent. Only the Katrina-ravaged ers would be abated. This, in turn, meant the reelection of to the educational mission. The presence of such diverse Mississippi has a higher unemployment rate, albeit higher George W. Bush. And for that, we were happy. viewpoints (not simply skin tones) – even unpopular or by one-tenth of a percent. Logical thought about any dire In retrospect, our elation should have been more mut- offensive ones – vital to producing students that can think situation, especially one such as the economy upon which ed. Our candidate had policies which, on their faces, we critically and argue persuasively. millions rely, says that when there is a problem, it should could seemingly line ourselves up behind. And we most Among conservatives, complaints are commonly tar- be fixed. certainly did not support the policies of Senator Kerry. In- geted at liberal professors and establishments that, the ar- However, Governor Jennifer Granholm and her eco- deed, we still support the bulk of the ostensible goals of gument follows, stifle conservatism and perpetuate liberal nomic advisors see it differently, proposing the Michigan the Bush Administration. groupthink on campus. These views have some merit, as Business Tax as a viable solution to the anti-business cli- Yet it is hard to argue, at this point, that the Bush Ad- the majority of college professors do indeed lean to the mate that our state government helps strengthen. Gov- ministration has executed its stated goals by any metric of left. ernor Granholm has proposed the Michigan Business competence. But this is not a death knell for college conservatives. Tax as a replacement for the now-expired Single Business For starters, the mammoth burden of Iraq indelibly lies In fact, professor bias may actually benefit conservative Tax, which brought in an estimated $1.9 billion in govern- on the shoulders of George W. Bush. Our editorial board students. ment revenue. supported the war, and has generally insisted on support In an economy that increasingly relies upon intellectu- The Michigan Business Tax consists of a 0.125% of that cause. But the President has managed to squander ally active and articulate graduates, social science students tax on gross receipts, which, plainly put, means that busi- any political competence by gross mismanagement of the who spend four years constantly defending and refining nesses will begin to pay a noticable amount of taxes based goals of the war. Take, for instance, his obstinate support their views are more able to think critically and argue per- on how much they spend on goods and services. Other of Donald Rumsfeld for dozens of months longer than suasively than students who spend four years swimming proposed taxes include a tax on assets, a tax on business he should have. Furthermore, the reflexive reaction of the with the current. Just as athletes endure the pain and mis- income, and increased taxes on insurers. Next time you White House has been to more-or-less ignore criticism, ery of training to improve their performance, conservative get a haircut, get your dog groomed, or go to the bowling constructive or politically critical. students tempered by liberal institutions can actually bene- alley, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise when a The Bush Administration has evinced its lack of com- fit from better argumentative and creative skills in the end. two-percent excise tax is added on. Estate taxes are back petence in more areas of policy than just the prosecution This is not to say that conservative students should be and will be increased, along with cigarettes, tobacco, and of the War. The Harriet Miers fiasco and the recent confla- shouted down in class, or put on show trial, as the College liquor. gration over the firing of several U.S. Attorneys exemplify Republicans of San Francisco State University were after On the positive side, the new legislation does pro- the style of governance that has plagued the Bush Admin- they defaced the flags of Hamas and Hezbollah. But by vide minute tax relief on certain things such as personal istration, only to their detriment. The modus operandi of and large, universities are not openly persecuting and pun- property and new car purchases. Unfortunately, the dam- the administration has been to supplant a system of meri- ishing conservative students because of their beliefs. age has been done, and new legislation mandating enor- tocracy or accountability with one based on personal rela- To this end, bills that have recently surfaced in states mous tax increases will only make it worse. The Michigan tionships with the president. Miers, Gonzales, Rumsfeld, et like Virginia and Arizona threaten many of the speech Chamber of Commerce, which represents over 7,000 al., were all selected and protected in their posts because, rights they are designed to protect, and actually run counter Michigan businesses, attributes the new legislation to an after all, they were good people to the President, so they to other conservative beliefs and principles. Bills meant to even more hostile environment for businesses and invest- must be good executive officials. balance professor bias and campus liberalism aim to pun- ment. In a press release examining Granholm’s plan, the Loyalty has been so highly prized that the President ish professors for politically charged classroom speech, as Chamber states that “[the assets tax] sends a message to has become an emperor wearing no clothes, so-to-speak. is the case in Arizona, or mandate “intellectual diversity” in new and existing businesses that they do not want to hold While virtually all outsiders have been able to clearly real- curriculums, as in Virginia. property or other assets in the state because they will be ize the realities of this administration, President Bush has Such legislative efforts are ineffective at best and dan- taxed multiple times.” Major businesses, such as Comeri- become increasingly oblivious, with a cadre of friendly gerous at worst. Michigan – a prestigious public Univer- ca, understand these risks and flee to an area such as Dal- advisors who have become increasingly insular from the sity that already battles private institutions for top-notch las, where state government does not strive to ruin their political realities of Washington. professors – would find the struggle far more difficult if prospects for success through harmful tax laws. The recent admissions of Matthew Dowd, the presi- professors feared fines for classroom speech. And we’re Increasing taxes with the goal of supporting the state dent’s former chief political advisor, are telling. His disen- baffled as to how conservatives could not see the irony in infrastructure is one way to protect and maintain vital chantment with the unfortunate realities of life inside the supporting bills that mandate “diversity.” public services that serve millions of Michigan residents. administration was detailed in a recent article in the New President Coleman is right to espouse the benefits of But tax increases that unnecessarily punish businesses York Times. His confessions paint the picture of a presi- diversity, although her administration is sorely misguided will not do the trick alone. If government spending was dent who, unable to govern, is aimless in purpose and who in believing that diversity begins and ends with skin col- substantially curbed, tax increases could be smaller and seems content to “run out the clock” on his presidency. or. The mere fact that the current “diversity crisis” was more pragmatic. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy, We rarely, as a matter of editorial policy, write in this sparked by an amendment that banned racial preferences is a Michigan-based free-market think-tank, has identified space about national affairs. But for too long, being a good indicative of this fact. Despite Coleman’s adherence to the several areas where government can be substantially conservative has meant fealty to the Bush Administration. theology of the Diversicrats, the administration has taken downsized, amounting to a saving of $1.9 billion. Reduc- Finally, that bow is breaking. It is important to seize the op- no efforts to recruit members of, say, “underrepresented” ing spending with the goal of improving the state can portunity to differentiate the nuances of our opinion from religious or political groups. come in many logical ways, including reducing corporate our ideological brethren. We, for instance, think it is impor- But institutions that value true diversity do so to the welfare to technology companies in the “21st Century tant to emphasize the importance of winning the War in benefit of conservative students nationwide. The simple Jobs Fund,” or through privatizing certain aspects of Iraq, reducing the size of the government, and protecting laws of supply and demand follow that the relative dearth public education such as food and custodial services. individual liberties. of college conservatives makes such students valuable Nobody expects Michigan’s economy to change for But the most effective way to express our position commodities at the next level. the better overnight. But what people do expect is a rea- might be to adapt a metaphor from another form of gov- So fear not, young conservatives, and stick to your sonable approach to the situation which does not include ernment. If our government were a parliamentary system, principles. Government legislation won’t ease our struggle, harmful legislation that may have disparate effects on our and President Bush were a prime minister, one might be but a brighter future awaits. MR business climate, including unnecessary taxes. Indeed, able to expect us to level a vote of “no confidence.” MR Governor Granholm and Michigan lawmakers must stop the idea that the state government’s woes will be solved by taking more from businesses. If they don’t, who will be the next to follow Comerica? MR P. 5 Columns 04.03.07

columns.the michigan review ■ Strict Scrutiny Carr Out to Protect Team, Not Play Justice oach Lloyd Carr is often criticized by students Adrian Arrington is simply not practicing while others are of marijuana, a charge that in Ann Arbor is often regarded Cfor being too conservative on the field. That coaching being removed from the team? True, Arrington faced do- with little contempt. Yet finding fault in using playing ability trait seems to have followed Carr off the field as he recently mestic abuse allegations, which were eventually dismissed. to evaluate suspensions still clings to the belief that teams dismissed three players from the team. Eugene Germany, This eventual dismissal coupled with the fact that Arrington should grant a legal skepticism to guilt, for the sake of fair- who was recently ticketed for marijuana possession, along had no previous record with team discipline or the law may ness. with Carson Butler and Christian have made Carr view his continued presence as a benefit This assumption forgets the “no I in team” adage. If Richards, who are facing legal rather than a detriment to the team. Even if Butler and a player experiences legal punishment as a result of some charges for assaulting a student Richards receive no sentences, their actions could represent action that’s sad but if their teammates are made to suffer in West Quad, have all been unacceptable damage to the team’s reputation that would now that’s unfair. Teams are not designed around equity removed. not be accounted for in a legal context. principles. Players always receive unequal playing time and Just like with 3rd and short, Again, a football club is not a court of justice; nor prestige. Carr does not appear to be would I want it to be. But Carr’s goal comes in winning Yet rather than get drawn into speculation about play- risking anything here. Regarding games, so he has every right to weigh the risks associated ers’ guilt, Carr, in his own austere way, has signaled that Butler and Richards, little infor- with retaining players facing off-the-field troubles. he will make his own decisions. I wouldn’t want coaches mation has been released about Yet if one were to take the NCAA at face value, you to provide disingenuous justifications about players’ in- the incident and it is yet unclear would be led to believe that in college sports integrity, not nocence or guilt to a crime; doing so gives them arbitrary if the defendants will receive any Adam competition, is the primary goal. In their core values, the power and could bias jury pools against defendants. Jurors sentences. NCAA describes the role of college athletes in “the higher may well think that if a coach, who would arguably know Yet Carr is a coach, not a Paul education mission and in enhancing the sense of communi- a player well, makes a certain choice then it says something judge, and there is no reason ty.” While it’s well and good to promote sportsmanship and about the guilt of a player. Therefore it’s best that coaches to expect him to uphold an in- community, the role of the NCAA and coaching staffs are publicly describe their decisions about players with legal nocent-until-proven-guilty standard. With pre-trial hearings not to implement punishments for player behavior; that’s a troubles as decisions in the best interest of the team, which not slated until mid-April, if the case does go to trial it role that can be carried out in court. seems to be what Carr is doing here. will surely continue during summer training and possibly Instead, coaches have a duty to access the impact of So congratulations to Coach Carr. Surely his differenti- into the regular season. Carr needs to be assured that every players for their teams’ performance and the extent that le- ated decisions will get some criticism on fairness grounds member of his team will be committed. If a trial or proba- gal troubles will have on commitment or press frenzy when but Carr will continue to make the decisions that suit his tion gets in the way of that schedule, then it may be time making decisions about suspensions or removals. team best and leave the haggling over guilt to the court for a player to go. Sure, star power effects a coaching staff ’s decision; system: where it belongs. MR But wait, you’re thinking, why is it that wide receiver Germany has been removed from the team for possession

■ The Feminine Mystique Social Change? Hardly. etroit is a mess. could do something in a city for which I feel such strong but all I can speak from what I saw and experienced. And I D Now, I will be the first to admit that I have very, pride. I felt that, finally, I could be more than just a white watched—and worked—while many stood by, doing noth- very little firsthand knowledge of the real Detroit. I know girl from “the real O.C.” who says she’s from “Detroit” but ing. Alas, the perpetual plight of Detroit: too many hands my way into, out of, and somewhat around the city—most- then subsequently qualifies that statement. I thought that doing not quite enough. ly, I can get to the stadiums, the bridge and tunnel, and I’d be working with people who shared my vested inter- But in their defense, perhaps there wasn’t enough for Greektown. I am a metro-De- est in a community from which so much of the state of all forty-odd volunteers at our site; if that is the case, the troiter in the loosest possible Michigan—the population, the economy, and of course, fault lies with the planning of DP Day. However, when sense; that is, I live in the north- the transportation—sprung from. we left, I looked around the site and saw much still to be ernmost city in Oakland County, I was wrong. done—much that the handful of volunteers who worked the farthest possible fringe of Now, did our group make a difference at our site? I’m hard could not finish on their own, and much that the many the “metro” designation. sure we did. Our group of Review staffers and editorial idle hands at our site could have helped complete. However, I have always felt board members, along with at least 25 others, certainly Interestingly, many (but certainly not all) of those vol- drawn to the city. Is it because helped clean up both one of the city’s revitalized buildings unteers who seemed most eager to work were the espoused my beloved Red Wings live in and an abandoned lot. But could we have done more? I’m “conservatives” of the site. This makes me seriously the big gray arena on the River? certain of that. Of course, there is always more that can be question the so-called “liberal” culture of social change at Maybe. But perhaps my almost done in Detroit; there is always work to be done in any city. this University. And what’s worse is that many of those romanticized ardor for the city But that wasn’t it. standing around are considered leaders on this campus. If Amanda is really because, for all of my Instead, my biggest misassumption proved to be they can’t look around a dilapidated city and find something life, I’ve been so far outside Nichols the how much actual work most of the volunteers were they can do to make it better, well, then I fear for what the of it—outside the danger, the interested in doing. Of course, we all started out strong, future brings with our “leaders and best” at its helm. abandoned shells of buildings, the free Starbucks still coursing through our veins. But as Now really, I don’t care if people volunteer for the free the blight and poverty of its residents. Still, as a resident I carried a table through a set of narrow doorways and a food or the cool t-shirt, but I wish they’d just be honest of Southeast Michigan and a child of automotive industry volunteer, wearing a sweatshirt from one of metro Detroit’s about it. That way, they wouldn’t have to pretend to be employees, I am compelled to claim it as my own, at least in most elite private schools, tried to tell me what to do interested in social change or making a difference. That some small way. instead of offering any actual assistance, I could tell the day way, they’ll be out of the way of those actually working So when I volunteered to work with the Detroit Proj- was going downhill fast. to make a difference in the city—the real agents of social ect with other Review staff members, I felt that, finally, I Perhaps things went better elsewhere around the city, change. MR

Dear Celebrities: Shut Up! By Zack Zucker ‘10 English teacher and stand-up comedian, a Survivor cast-mate And it’s not just The View. Was it just me, or did the probably chosen as the token Republican because in her “24 hour” news networks deliver more airtime about Anna osie O’Donnell dropped out of Boston case the blonde jokes are true, and a comic/actor whose Nicole Smith’s death than they did about 9/11? Maybe RUniversity. She is a comedian, not a foreign affairs most poignant dramatic role came in Harriet the Spy. To that’s a government conspiracy too, Rosie. expert. I was a little shocked, then, when I logged on to be fair, the show did have a distinguished journalist (not When Sean Penn (dropped out of Santa Monica col- AOL and saw that Rosie O’Donnell’s insane comments on counting Barbara Walters 30 years ago), but she left for The lege after studying auto mechanics) or Charlton Heston The View about 9/11 and the new Iranian hostage situation Today Show. (studied drama at Northwestern; played Moses) talk, we were front page news. Naturally, I found The View averages roughly the same number of viewers listen. If you’re a Republican and want to hold political of- this hilarious and watched the clip. While as NBC’s Meet the Press, but appears five times more often. fice in California, start off in Hollywood. Being an athlete Staff watching, however, a disturbing thought How are these women determined to be credible enough to sure helps getting elected to Congress. Opinion kept huddling in the back corner of my be opinion leaders for the masses? The answer stems from Are these people qualified to inform or represent us mind: these idiots are influencing the col- the fact that they all had good auditions. because they are famous? We are a celebrity culture, but lective opinion of our nation. I used to think that the term “TV wasteland” referred come on! The next time Rosie O’Donnell goes on a rant For those of you who are not regular viewers, The View to such educational programming as Beavis and Butthead. about George Bush invading Iran for money, just change is a weekday talk show featuring a once-credible journalist Now, however, I have come to a frightening realization: to- the channel—though not to the news—they’re still report- whose most famous question is perhaps asking Katha- day, even the informative news and talk shows are virtually ing on the contents of Anna Nicole’s “death fridge”. MR rine Hepburn which kind of tree she would be, a former devoid of worthwhile informative content. P. 6 News 04.03.07

nethe michigan ws. review First Annual Economic Professor Speaks on Forum Examines Future Journalism in the War of State Economy Michigan Economics Society sponsors first in planned on Terror annual series of panels By Eddie Perry, ‘09 John Austin from the Brookings Institu- By Mike Balkin, ‘09 tion was slated next. He spoke exclusively he 1st Annual Michigan Econom- about Michigan and how the state should ith changing ground condi- Tic Forum was held at the Biological Sci- be able to adapt and thrive with global eco- Wtions in Iraq and the dynamics of the ence Research Building Auditorium last Fri- nomic thinking. media marketplace, the mainstream media day. This event was put on by the Michigan “We [the Midwest and Ontario] would has had to adapt and practice a new kind of Economics Society and Michigan Interactive be the third biggest country in the world in “asymmetric journalism,” according to Pro- Investments. The theme of the afternoon terms of pooled GDP and some might com- fessor Mark McDonald, a Howard R. Marsh was how the state of Michigan will regain its plain about out-sourcing, but being engaged Visiting Professor of Journalism, who spoke competitive advantage. in the global marketplace is a great thing as last week at the U-M Alumni Center. The gathering was headlined by promi- long as the top stays here. Nowadays, manu- McDonald, who has been the Marsh nent business, political, and intellectual facturing output and employment in Michi- Professor for the past two years, spoke in leaders committed to improving Michigan’s gan is far more productive but employs far particular about the dangers and realities economic conditions. The speakers were far fewer people. We won’t be better off of covering the War in Iraq, drawing on his Dr. Peter Hooper, Chief US Economist; with big, dysfunctional entities providing own experiences. His statements come with Dr. Charles Evans, director of research and anyone who asks with a job, but with a lot of certain credibility: He is a four-time Pulitzer senior vice president at the Federal Reserve smaller, productive entities,” said Austin. Prize nominee and was awarded the prize in Bank of Chicago; John Austin, Vice Presi- Joel Vander Kooi spoke about how 1994, with his team, for a series called “Vio- dent of the Michigan State Board of Educa- Michigan does not need to cut taxes all the lence Against Women.” He has also worked tion and Nonresident Senior Fellow at the way around to attract future business, but for the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Brookings Institution; Joel Vander Kooi, that it needs to have an established, predict- and the International Herald Tribune. assistant treasurer or risk management for able system. McDonald first arrived in Iraq in 2003. Professor Mark McDonald spoke recently the Kellogg Company; and Steven Szakaly, “If you want people to invest in this Instead of entering Iraq directly, McDonald on the coverage of the War on Terror economist with the Center for Automotive state, they need to actually know what they’re had to infiltrate Kurdish regions, because to Research; and John McElroy, auto analyst getting into,” said Vander Kooi. gain entry Iraqi customs agents and border to make instantaneous decisions every day. and host of Autoline Detroit. Steven Szakaly dealt with economic security officials would only accept extreme- He noted that on one occasion, American Hooper opened the event tackling vari- forecasting of regional and global automo- ly large sums of money as bribes. On the forces were fired upon by a group of insur- ous macroeconomic issues facing the coun- tive trends, as well as financial analysis of the other hand, the Kurds asked for little and he gents with a circle of children around them. try as a whole. automotive industry and international auto- was able to enter Kurdish regions with ease. Given the situation, reporters in the “The economy is likely to run below motive trade. He took a somewhat contrar- According to McDonald, once the inva- field need to be embedded or must enter trend for a good while…the housing market ian approach saying that while the Big 3 are sion was complete, the Iraqis became des- Iraq with fresh American troops via Kuwait. adjustment still has a good ways to go and in a agony right now, the world still views perate and took everything they could physi- In McDonald’s eyes, the process of embed- this current drag of growth could be felt well Detroit as the “quarterback of the car indus- cally grasp. Huge stacks of food and water ding reporters is extremely curious (and ef- into 2008,” said Hooper. try.” With Detroit still leading as the auto- were stolen from U.N. aid depositories and fective). He believes that the Pentagon views “While the Fed is concerned about in- motive research and development capital of the small number of U.S. troops could liter- the press as an enemy. Therefore, the Penta- flation risks given the tightness of the labor the world, as soon as Ford, GM, and DCX market, slow growth should eventually elicit rebound from having to pay huge payout rate cuts later this year.” packages, they will be in the black again, but This broad approach set the stage for for different reasons. MR “You would never see a dead American soldier in a major the next presenter, Evans, who refined this data down to how it impacts Michigan. newspaper. They need to be offensive and offending. If we “The housing market in Michigan is not lose half the newspapers in America, and the other half is doing very well because of the bigger jobs picture. The prices of houses have down- great, that’s fine. We can live with that.” right declined. In Michigan it has been very poor and until the rest of the country picks it up, I don’t see it changing in any way,” said –Mark McDonald, Visiting Professor of Journalism Evans.

ally do nothing to prevent the looting that gon created the “embed program” to keep ensued. American reporters close to their country- Interested in joining the Review, Days after the initial hostilities ceased, men. McDonald saw an Iraqi man carrying two As a result of the intense, asymmetric toilets, one on each shoulder, from one of war raging in Iraq, reporting has gone asym- but lacking the time? Saddam Hussein’s former palaces. When metric as well. According to McDonald, asked about his intentions the man report- reporters sit in the Green Zone—an area edly replied, “I want to sit where Saddam deemed to be safe—and are rarely seen leav- used to sit.” ing. To get the necessary footage, reporters While looting by common Iraqis was hand out hundreds of small cameras to Iraqi Join our staff this fall! widely reported, theft by journalists was not. citizens. These Iraqis must then acquire foot- McDonald said he saw foreign news teams age and bring it back to the correspondents taking vases, chandeliers, and other objects waiting in the Green Zone. from palaces and museums. While McDonald believes the “embed We need people interested in: McDonald went into great detail about program” and “asymmetric journalism” his experiences in Iraq and elsewhere. For been successful, he does not believe that -Writing the first part of the lecture, he focused his America has succeeded in Iraq. According to -Reporting comments on the direct aftermath of the the professor, Americans do not know how U.S.-led invasion, particularly in relation to bad the situation really is, and for that, Mc- -Business the practice of journalism. Donald blames the mainstream media and During the second half of the event, their profit motives. -Photography/Graphics McDonald spoke more specifically about the “You would never see a dead American email: challenges reporters face in Iraq (and what soldier in a major newspaper. They need to it all means for the media members). He al- be offensive and offending. If we lose half luded to the fact that the situation in Iraq the newspapers in America,” McDonald is becoming increasingly chaotic and that said. “And the other half is great, that’s fine. [email protected] American troops, as well as reporters, have We can live with that.” MR P. 7 News 04.03.07

nethe michigan ws. review Bongs, Jesus, and Free Speech administrator’s perception of what is and is not a ‘school-ap- How these strange proved activity’.” bedfellows have coalesced into a On the side of the school principal, Kenneth Starr, the independent council who brought impeachment charges conservative issue against Bill Clinton, argued that political speech must “not be disruptive” and that the sign promoted drug use, which By Jane Coaston, ‘09 is “utterly inconsistent with the educational mission of the school.” Edwin Needler spoke for the United States govern- Bong Hits 4 Jesus” is a surprising statement to get ment, saying that public schools are not required to allow “attention from conservative legal defense funds and the students in their care to “promote or encourage the illegal federal government, but the free speech issues associated use of drugs.” with it and recent controversies stemming from a produc- The same free speech issues are being debated in the Soon, students may have more of an incentive to return tion of scenes from The Vagina Monologues at a school in “vagina” controversy. During a talent show at John Jay empty kegs. New York are receiving a considerable amount of notice. High School, three high school students at were suspended In the first instance, the case stems from an incident in for reading “My Short Skirt,” an excerpt from The Vagina Juneau, Alaska in 2002. An eighteen-year-old student, Joseph Monologues. The line in question reads, “My short skirt is Frederick, displayed a large banner with the words “Bong a liberation flag in the women’s army. I declare these streets, Liquor Control Hits 4 Jesus” on it across from his high school, although off any streets, my vagina’s school property, during the Winter Olympics Torch Relay. country.” The prob- His principal, Deborah Morse, seized the sign, and Freder- lem arose because Commission ick received a ten-day suspension when he refused to name their principal, Rich others involved in the banner prank. He quoted Thomas Leprine, forbade them Jefferson in his defense. from saying the word The case made its way to the United States Supreme “vagina” after approv- Mulls Keg Court. Interestingly, the case has become a matter of the ing the rest of their rights of students versus the rights of schools and the gov- reading. ernment. Numerous organizations including Students for The three de- Deposit Increase Sensible Drug Policy and several conservative organizations cided to say the word such as the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) and anyway. “We had no By Michael O’Brien, ‘08 the Rutherford Institute have become involved in Frederick’s doubt in our minds defense, and they have filed amicus curiae briefs in his de- that we were willing to hen students go to liquor stores on campus fense. be ‘insubordinate’ to Wto purchase kegs for parties, they may be shocked by In a press briefing, Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel for the do the right thing and recent price increases. ACLJ said, “We strongly disagree with the student’s message get this word out there The State’s Liquor Control Commission is in the pro- in the case but believe there is a much broader constitutional and we were willing to cess of raising the amount customers have to pay for keg principle at stake here—protecting the First Amendment take whatever conse- deposits from ten dollars to thirty dollars. The change would rights of students to express themselves—especially if the quence” said Hannah take place this month, according to one article in the Ann school district considers the message offensive…A decision Levinson, one of the Arbor News. to ban the student’s controversial speech would set a dan- students involved at a The decision comes in the wake of complaints from gerous precedent and open the door for school districts to press conference. They were suspended, the school claims, some companies, particularly Anheuser-Busch and Bell’s Isle prohibit student speech that it considers offensive—speech not for saying the word but for disobeying their principal’s distilleries. The companies claim that because the cost of a in the future that could advocate a pro-family or pro-life mandate, which was made because of the possible presence keg has gone up to roughly $120 in the last year, it is becom- message.” of younger students in the audience. ing increasingly costly when kegs are not returned. These In its amicus curiae brief, the Rutherford Institute stat- Regardless, the incident has generated a considerable kegs are sometimes sold as scrap metal, which can retrieve as ed that its purpose was to “work to preserve the maximum amount of press. Both cases ask interesting questions re- much as thirty dollars. freedom for citizens… to express opinions in public fo- garding the role of free speech in public schools—in one The rule is currently in the public hearing stage, and will rums without fear of repression or discrimination…student instance, the Supreme Court will decide; in the other, the soon move to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules speech occurring away from school property should not be ultimate decision may be long in coming. MR in the legislature. The Committee can intervene in the Liquor made subject to rote application of school rules based on an Control Commission’s decision if they choose, and have the power to prevent the deposit increase from taking effect. Ken Wozniak, the Director of Executive Service for the Liquor Control Commission, said in an interview that he has U-M Frees $3 Million to employ no reason to suspect that the legislature will intervene. The Commission’s decision, he said, “mainly was because of the value of the keg.” displaced Pfizer employees “We settled on $30 because we didn’t want a big con- By Blake Emerson, ‘09 said. The University plans to provide a mentoring program sumer outcry on this,” he said. “If the deposit is around the that will transition the worker into an “independent research redemption value, then it should prevent theft.” ince the announcement of Pfizer’s departure track scientist at U-M by the end of the support period,” said He said there was some debate over how much the in- Sfrom Ann Arbor, pundits have been speculating about Cunningham. crease in deposit should be, but the Commission ultimately the consequences of losing upwards of 2,000 jobs in Ann Paul Courant, Economics and Public Policy Professor, did not want to upset those buying kegs. Arbor. Pfizer is the largest private employer in Ann Arbor. shares the positive view about the initiative, because of the Not everyone, however, is happy with the increase in The University, however, has joined in the SPARK program, publicized impact of the Pfizer plant closing. He supports the deposit. a joint project aimed at keeping displaced Pfizer workers in the University’s decision to help, because the University al- Guss Batwo, the owner of Campus Corner at State and the state of Michigan. ready spends countless time recruiting the best talent in the Packard, worried that keg sales will decrease. According to the SPARK website, over 500 resumes research industry. Much of that talent is right here within “I don’t like this increase,” said Batwo. “I don’t think have been collected from employees who wish to receive the bounds of Ann Arbor, many of whom are “very good thee are a lot of stolen kegs, and now, if people lose the keg, help moving to another job in the state of Michigan. SPARK scientists, who prefer to stay in Ann Arbor,” said Courant. they’re going to lose the deposit.” He speculated that sales reports that a team is working with 15 different colleague Courant said he has noticed effects in the local housing on campus may shift away from kegs, and towards cans and groups interested in starting a business within the state of market, and believes students may find it easier to park in bottles of beer. Michigan. This initiative has garnered much support because the vicinity until an employer with similar scope moves into He also worried that the deposit increase will encourage of the already-problematic “brain drain” that is so familiar to the area. Furthermore, he added, Pfizer has been a large a black market for kegs. people in the University of Michigan community. supporter of the arts on campus, such as the U-M Museum “They already pay close to thirty dollars for the tap,” he In addition to participating heavily in SPARK, the Uni- of Art. said. “[Students] aren’t stupid. There’s going to be a lot of versity recently announced a 3-year, $3 Million initiative to As far as long-term prospects in Michigan, Courant black market activity; kids going down to Ohio to get their hire upwards of twenty employees from the closed Pfizer dismissed the idea that taxes contributed to Pfizer’s move, kegs.” plant to work in research positions on campus. Kelly Cun- noting that Michigan does not have a corporate tax rate. De- Wozniak said that the Liquor Commission has not for- ningham, Senior Public Affairs Specialist for the University, spite that fact, Michigan’s former Single Business Tax (SBT) mally discussed the effect of the deposit increase on beer said the use of $3 million in University gift funds is justified made it the only state levying a “de facto value added tax on consumption. by the tremendous need for scientists with the skills pos- its businesses,” according to The Wall Street Journal. “The people who buy by the keg are obviously using it sessed by Pfizer employees, citing that the University saw The Tax Foundation finds that the SBT has contributed for parties,” he said. “It’s still a lot cheaper to buy keg beer an opportunity to capture their talent for the benefit of the to making Michigan “the highest corporate tax burden in rather than cans or bottles.” MR University. the nation.” Whether this hurts prospects for companies to Beyond simply helping U-M, keeping high quality re- move into the region remains to be seen. MR searchers is in Ann Arbor is an added benefit, Cunningham P. 8 News 04.03.07

nethe michigan ws. review Harvard’s Curriculum New Models for Schools Show Undergoes a Rare Promise for Urban Areas By Eddie Perry, ‘09 this far-reaching gap. It has, however, an even longer history Reform of failure. The NAEP found that, internationally in math- tudents at the Washington Jesuit Academy (WJA) ematics, American 15-year-olds were outdone by 23 of 38 Exploring the details of curriculum changes at U-M Sin Northeast Washington arrive at 7:30 a.m. and leave other countries. In science, the U.S. was surpassed by 18 of school after a requisite study hall at 7:30 p.m. The school day 38 countries. The American educational system may need a By Marie Cour, ‘08 includes recess, announcements, several breaks, a regular day new innovative engine instead of a tune-up. of school, and a 2-hour study hall. It has been wildly success- While the Nativity-Miguel model has only proven itself arly this February, the faculty from Harvard’s ful and the students, mostly low-income African Americans, on a small level, it possesses characteristics that may help re- ETask Force on Education completed a three-year re- have shown immense progress. vamp the current educational structure. Bob Wassman, a fac- view of its curriculum, and they released a report suggesting The Nativity-Miguel Model, popularized by the Wash- ulty member at WJA said, “With 12-hour days, class sizes of changes to the general education requirements at the school. ington Jesuit, is a new model for schools that may provide no more than 12 students, and 11 months of school per year, In the opening pages of the “Report of the Task Force on solutions to the ubiquitous we provide an optimal learn- General Education,” they articulated their desire to broaden educational achievement gap ing environment. There is ex- the scope of their core by making it more relevant to the in public schools throughout “In urban areas, this model thrives cellent classroom instruction future lives and careers of its students. They emphasized the Detroit and America. because it provides kids the proper skills and with a mix of experienced university as an essential force in civic life because it has the Brian Ray, WJA’s Director attitude to be excellent students and to take and new ‘mission-driven’ power to expose its students to cultural, scientific, and politi- of Operations and Communi- teachers; a strong emphasis cal knowledge that is essential for well-rounded individuals. cations, explains, “The majori- on the next level. Our kids are being told on positive reinforcement… To some extent, the report rearticulated the classic de- ty of entering WJA sixth grad- that, ‘they can do this and they will do this.’” and an equally strong empha- fense of a liberal education. The report argued that universi- ers read at a third grade level sis on discipline.” ties are some of the few institutions that can challenge the and 95 percent graduate at or -Brian Ray, WJA Director of Operations and In the last calendar year, assumptions of their students. They can make the familiar above eighth grade level.” He Detroit Public Schools have unfamiliar, and they can raise questions about the most basic also notes, “If you fall behind Communications endured serious administra- principles of human nature. The report notes that a liberal in reading early on, it is very tive and student flight. The education, such as the one that is offered at Harvard, “is vital difficult to keep up to speed in various other subjects.” Nativity-Miguel Model may help DPS restructure, increase because professional schools do not teach these things, em- To boost students’ reading levels and overall aptitude, performance, become more competitive, and focus on fun- ployers do not teach them, and even most academic graduate WJA requires that all students take a Reading class and a damentals. programs do not teach them.” In other words, universities Language Arts class. Students two or more grade levels be- Brian Ray, WJA Director of Operations and Communi- have an opportunity to expose students to a quantity and hind enroll in a Reading Supplement class. cations, argues, “In urban areas, this model thrives because breadth of knowledge they could not receive anywhere else. The National Assessment of Educational Progress it provides kids the proper skills and attitude to be excellent Despite their insistence that Harvard encourage its (NEAP) 2005 Report shows that for American eighth grad- students and to take on the next level. Our kids are being students to take a variety of courses, they want the courses ers, only 51 percent of low income students achieved basic told that, ‘they can do this and they will do this.’” to contain practical knowledge. Indeed, the report insists scores on the math portion of the NAEP, contrasted to 79 The Washington Jesuit Academy will be featured in the that it is essential that the school work to give its students percent of middle and high income students. By race, 42 per- Washington Posts’ “30 Outstanding Middle School Models,” the knowledge essential to participating actively in society. cent of black students, 52 percent of Latino students, and 80 published on April 15. WJA has made a convincing argu- percent of white students earned at least basic scores. ment that their system prepares students for the next level The United States has a long history of trying to tackle and can make immediate progress. MR The addition of a culture and belief requirement, for example, which requires students to examine religious Comerica Exit Not to Affect Policy Direction beliefs and practices, is a response to a prominent criticism that the school is a By Adam Paul, ‘08 Since the announce- bastion of secular liberalism. ment, Comerica has everal weeks ago, Comerica Bank announced continued to invest in Sthat it would move its headquarters from Detroit to Dal- Michigan. It has recently To this end, the report proposed eight general education las, Texas. The move is slated to finalize itself six months opened a bank in Roch- requirements: ethical reasoning, aesthetic and interpretive from now, on October 1st of this year. ester Hills and has just understanding, culture and belief, societies of the world, “The growth in Texas is just so much higher,” said Sara committed $250,000 to United States in the world, science of living systems, physi- Snyder, a Vice President of Corporate Communications Oakland University’s cal sciences, and empirical reasoning. with Comerica Bank. Snyder stressed that the move does not School of Business Ad- This was the largest curriculum reform at Harvard in represent any defect with Michigan. “There is a benefit to ministration over the nearly 30 years, and the changes are almost certain to have moving our headquarters to be closer to growing markets,” next 5 years. ramifications for higher education throughout the country. she explained. Yet Michigan remains an important market Governor Gran- As one of the most prominent universities in the country, it for the bank, with almost 50 percent of its revenue coming holm’s office provided is possible that the new curriculum at Harvard will prompt a from this state. similar impressions re- wave of reforms at universities throughout the country. The The move, which will see 200 executive-level jobs leave garding the headquar- addition of a culture and belief requirement, for example, the state, has drawn criticism from some politicians, such as ters move. requiring students to examine religious beliefs and practices, Michigan House Speaker Andy Dillon (D). Dillon went as “Comerica was very is a response to a prominent criticism that the school is a far as suggesting that the state of Michigan buyout the bank. clear that their decision Comerica Tower in downtown bastion of secular liberalism. “I don’t just want to roll over and let this happen,” Dillon was a market driven Detroit will soon be emptied of It is possible that the curriculum at the University of told The Detroit News. As reported by the Associated Press, decision that had to do over 200 white-collar workers. Michigan may change to include a formal examination of re- Dillon worked as a turn around specialist with GE Capital’s with population trends,” ligion or America, but it would probably be much harder to Commercial Finance Group before joining the legislature. stated Governor Gran- implement. Departmental curricula at U-M, but not neces- Comerica, however, did not make its current move because holm’s Press Secretary, Liz Boyd. She stressed that Comerica sarily college-wide distribution requirements, undergo con- of trouble but with hope to achieve greater growth. Dillon’s did not cite any concerns over Michigan’s business climate stant reexamination. Robert Megginson, Associate Dean for office was unavailable for comment. in their desire to move and that the Governor will continue Undergraduate and Graduate Education at Michigan, said “None,” responded Snyder, when asked what kind of to work to cultivate those businesses that are in Michigan as that individual departments at the University are able to pro- impact Dillon’s statements had on Comerica. She indicated well as attracting new businesses to the state. pose changes to their own curriculum on an ongoing basis. that to her knowledge Dillon had entered no direct talks with “We respect Comerica’s decision,” said Boyd. She ex- They then submit these proposals to the LSA Curriculum Comerica about the move and made his statements after the plained that Comerica did not choose to include Governor Committee (LSACC), a committee that includes LSA faculty, bank had announced the move. Granholm or other state leaders in their decision-making students, and staff that has an interest in the curriculum. Snyder stressed that the move will not impact the ser- process and that the Governor was informed only after the Like Harvard, which has had the same requirements for vices that bank customers in Michigan receive and that the decision to move had already been made. “Their decision 30 years, Michigan only periodically reviews its curriculum. 7,500 banking jobs in the state will all remain here. does not impact our focus on growing jobs and the econ- Unlike Harvard, however, the LSA curriculum can only be “Remember that Michigan has its own specific leader- omy.” reformed by the faculty of U-M. There are a variety of ways ship team, with some people who have over 30 years experi- “Since the decision, we have seen renewed interest on to propose changes, and in the past the LSACC, Office of ence with the company,” said Snyder. the part of other financial institutions,” stated Boyd, stress- Undergraduate and Graduate Education, and the Dean’s Of- The bank will continue to have a public presence as well, ing that Comerica was one of many businesses in the state. fice have all played important roles in reconsidering require- and Snyder stated that “Comerica Park is going to remain MR ment. Nevertheless, the decision ultimately resides with the Comerica Park.” Comerica also plans to retain the $9 million LSA faculty, and any proposed changes must be introduced in annual charitable contributions that it distributes across by and seconded at LSA faculty meetings. MR the state. P. 9 News 04.03.07 ne ws. the michigan review

shortcomings of the old system. Incentives put in place by the state were often met fairly easily by the University, allow- Funding Structure for State ing for the maximum amount of fundraising but providing little incentive for the university to maintain the high level at which it operates. Universities Comes Under Fire The University argues that separate funding will help eliminate problems like the incentives. University spokes- woman Kelly Cunningham says that “separate appropriation for the three research-intensive universities will allow the state to more accurately measure its return on the invest- ment in higher education.” Cunningham goes on to say that each of the state’s “15 public universities have a unique and important mission” and that “the strength and diversity of Michigan’s public universities is a point of pride for all Michigan citizens.” “It is these fundamental differences which make a single fund- ing formula untenable,” she says. Cunningham says the new funding structure would ben- efit the state as a whole as “a separate appropriation will allow the state to better assess our three institutions’ produc- tivity and economic impact.” In response to the new evaluation system, nine out of the twelve remaining public universities in the state have formed an alliance called The Education Alliance for Michi- gan (TEAM). The goal of alliance is to maintain a level playing field for its members. The alliance includes Western Michigan, Central Michi- gan, Eastern Michigan, Grand Valley State, Saginaw Valley “Big Three” Universities face off smaller scale and have lower operating costs. They also have State, Ferris State, Oakland University, Lake Superior State smaller professional and graduate programs. In some cases and Michigan Tech. The three public universities who have against the rest of the state in bat- they do not have these programs at all. They do not pro- not joined the alliance are Northern Michigan, UM-Flint, duce research of the same quality as the research institutions and UM-Dearborn. tle for greater funding do. The three research universities account for 95% of the Members of the alliance fear that evaluating universi- state’s R&D and the majority of the state’s patents and tech ties under separate criteria will cause funding for the state’s By David Brait, ‘10 transfer. It was for these reasons that U-M, MSU, and WSU research institutions to increase at the expense of all of the overnor Granholm’s recent budget pro- argued for increased funding. states other public universities. Gposal has sparked controversy among those employed The three research universities, which currently account The members of TEAM worry that creating separate in Michigan’s postsecondary education. for 57% of the state’s university funding budget and 40% of initiatives and fundraising appropriations between research University of Michigan, Michigan State University and the state’s students enrolled in public universities, argue that institutions and the rest of the state’s institutions will in- Wayne State University have argued against the old funding it is nearly impossible for the state to measure the progress crease the fiscal divide between Michigan’s universities, cre- structure, claiming that it unfairly evaluated research univer- of the three public research universities under the traditional ating separate tiers of education within the state. sities under the same criteria as the state’s twelve other public allocation system. This is because of the fundamental dif- TEAM argues that increased inequality between the universities. They won this argument, and the new budget ferences between how the state’s research schools and the haves and have-nots in the state’s public university system reflects the advice of the state’s three research universities. other public universities operate. will put the state of Michigan at an educational, and eventu- The state’s non-research universities operate on a much U-M provides the example of incentives to illustrate the ally, an economic disadvantage. MR

“Fontova” “Foreclosures” “MSA” From Page 1 From Page 1 From Page 1

Indeed, Fontova’s lecture was filled with an opinion-shaped unemployment is currently just under seven percent; Michi- note that MSA is an undergraduate centered organization,” look at the true nature of Guevara and the military dicta- gan’s unemployment trend has been the opposite of the rest explained Jacobs. torship under which Cubans lived under during the Revolu- of the country’s. Elected MSA representatives have to meet certain atten- tion, and still live under today. Fontova blames Guevara with Layoffs in the auto-industry are at the core the problem. dance requirements in order to retain their position on the ordering the executions of thousands of Cubans, some as For decades Detroit had lost population to outward sprawl, general assembly. They must be present at the beginning and young as fourteen years old, without trial. “Castro never did but the region as a whole was still growing; now, southeast end of every general assembly meeting and attend one com- like the guy,” said Fontova, referring to Che. “He found him Michigan is losing population, which is not good for housing mittee meeting per week. Additionally, they must be available useful as an executioner.” prices in an area which just experienced a building boom. to hold office hours for one hour every week so constituents Fontova also discussed his disgust toward the main- “It is also true that the economy of Michigan, and es- can raise problems and questions. A representative can be stream media over its portrayal of Che and communist pecially Detroit, is doing worse than the rest of the country. removed from the assembly if they accumulate twelve unex- Cuba. Targeting Carlos Santana’s proud display of a shirt That too would cause lower incomes and therefore more cused absences throughout their term. emblazoned with an image of Che on the red carpet of the credit delinquencies here than elsewhere, resulting in more While the attendance rules seem straightforward and 2004 Oscars, Fontova discussed the consequences of lis- foreclosures,” said Deardorff. clear-cut, there are sections of the MSA constitution that tening to rock music in Cuba. “If government authorities The high rate of foreclosures and the lack of demand grant the general assembly the power to annul a representa- caught you listening to rock music, you were a sympathizer for properties have lowered the auction price of foreclosed tive’s absence for any reason. A unanimous vote of the As- with ‘imperialism.’ Fontova has touched on the topic before homes considerably. With houses selling for prices lower sembly is required to actually exercise this procedure which in columns posted on lewrockwell.com, a popular libertarian than cars in some cases in Detroit, the low demand and high usually occurs once a month. online newspaper: “Yes, Mr Santana, here you were grinning supply is evident. A decrease in home values could in fact “The procedure doesn’t occur often. The representative widely – and OH-SO-hiply! – while proudly displaying the hinder the revival of economic growth in Michigan, since must have a legitimate excuse to remove the absence,” said symbol of a regime that: Made it a criminal offense to listen homeowners can use home equity to finance consumption. Jacobs. “For example, if a member has to go home because to Carlos Santana music!” The crowd laughed and cheered Low home prices “make it harder or impossible for of a family emergency, that absence is usually excused.” at Fontova’s rant on hypocritical celebrities who idolize the home-owners to borrow against the value of their houses Even though it is understandable to annul an absence image of Che. in order to finance consumption, and therefore it is likely to when a representative is facing a family crisis, the real deal- When asked his thoughts on the future of Cuba af- further depress aggregate demand in the region. That will cutting in eliminating absences from the record is generally ter the death of Fidel Castro, Fontova expressed concern. make it that much harder for the local economy to recover,” not publicized. Baker stated that the granting of exemptions “Meet the new boss, the same as the old boss,” he quipped, said Deardorff. for absences usually involves some form of de facto recipro- quoting The Who. Already, Fontova contends, the Cuban This does not leave much hope for the housing market cation between members of the general assembly. government has begun to boot out foreign journalists in an in the Detroit area. Deardorff says there might be a light at “Although one person could object to an absence which apparent government lock-down on dissent in the months the end of the tunnel. would defeat the representative’s request, the vote is almost before Castro dies. “After the Michigan economy manages to extricate itself always unanimous. Representatives are afraid to object even Humberto Fontova’s interesting and energetic lecture from its dependence on the auto industry and new industries if they have a problem with a claim. If someone said that and character proved to be entertaining and informational take its place, the economy will recover and so will house they missed a meeting because they were attending a review for those in attendance. Although the event did not gener- prices,” said Deardorff. “Of course, that could take years.” session for a class, we would be fine with that,” Baker said. ate as much controversy and publicity as past YAF events, MR The Michigan Review was denied a request to obtain a Fontova’s personal experience was a refreshing viewpoint spreadsheet showing the frequency of absences for every which is not usually represented on campus. MR MSA member because of concerns from MSA officials about inaccuracies in the record. MR P. 10 Arts & Culture 04.03.07

artsthe michigan & review culture. Documentary Brings to Light a New Book Examines Women and Different Type of Nazi Atrocity Their Role in Higher Education crimination might play a influence their sta- By Christine Hwang, ‘10 tus in the field. In the end f you skim through all 354 pages of of the book, Peril ILynn Peril’s College Girls, you will find misrepresents a few facts about the education, dress, restric- statement issued tions, and dating scenes of college girls from by the Independent took painstaking measures to protect pieces. their first appearance at the turn of the twen- Women’s Forum’s. By Rebecca Christy, ‘08 The film shows photographs from the Lou- tieth century to the present. In some parts One of their stud- vre where The Winged Victory of Samo- of her book, Peril seems to question the ef- ies found that col- racing the Nazis’ looting and thrace was delicately rolled down staircases fects of the women’s movement on college lege-aged women Tdestruction of European art and archi- while museum workers held their breath. education. rarely “explore the tecture during World War II and the efforts Staff at the Hermitage Museum in Lenin- In the beginning of her book, she notes marriage worthi- by many to restore the works to their origi- grad became trapped during their efforts to that “the history recounted here should ness of a variety of nal owners, The Rape of Europa is a brand preserve Russian works, and many met their remind us all not to take women’s right to men before settling new documentary revealing many untold deaths in the basement of the museum. higher education for granted.” into a long-term commitment with one of stories of World War II’s hidden impacts. The Rape of Europa also follows the It’s hard to say things haven’t changed: them.” Oddly, she wrote that women “didn’t The film, based on the research of author roles of American soldiers in the salvaging drinking, smoking, and sex are far more ac- go on dates, so they couldn’t get their MRS. Lynn H. Nicholas and her award-winning of artworks after the war. In 1943 President ceptable for college girls than they were fifty Degree.” book by the same name, appeared at the Franklin Roosevelt approved the “American years ago. Classrooms are split approximately Although there are certainly problems Detroit Film Theatre March 15-17. Commision for the Protection and Salvage equally between the genders, with the excep- with some of the arguments in College Girls It is relatively well-known that the 20th of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War tion of those of higher mathematics, phys- the book does highlight enduring cycles century would have been drastically differ- Areas.” These soldiers and museum direc- ics, computer science, and engineering, and of “silly things that girls do.” Whether one ent had Adolf Hitler succeeded in his dream tors became known as Monuments Men suitors are no longer kicked out of dormito- agrees with its political message, the book to become an artist. Unfortunately, he was and traveled Europe looking for caches ries at midnight, apart from the few Martha does raise some important such as, “Wow, twice rejected from the Academy of Fine where Nazis had hidden vast amounts of Cook-esque dorms that remain on college so that’s the story behind that tradition,” Arts in Vienna. The Rape of Europa observes art. Johannes Vermeer’s The Astronomer was campuses. and the occasional, “Why did I date that jerk how Hitler’s passion for art, and his dream one of many priceless pieces these men However, although most colleges no from the income-generating business school to hoard thousands of famous works played were responsible for preserving. longer have rules about skirts lengths or at- again?” a significant role in his leadership of the One of the prominent messages of The tending church, many of their concerns are Peril also makes some interesting points National Socialist German Workers’ Party. Rape of Europa is the role of art in Euro- the same. In addition to the typical gender- on the ways that expectations have changed. One of Hitler’s early actions was the pean culture. This connection between art neutral college concerns of academics and She includes the picture of Lynne Ford, a removal of over 16,000 pieces of artwork and culture appears to be more limited in extracurricular activities required to be suc- sorority girl and the former night editor of which he deemed ‘degenerate’ because they the United States. cessful, college girls are still concerned with the Michigan Daily, who attended Michigan at did not reflect Nazi ideology. Another ma- “Public art museums existed in Europe their appearances, reputations, and men. the beginning of the 20th century. She has a jor plan which has been interpreted as a since the late eighteenth century and were College girls have almost always been viewed head of nicely groomed hair and an armload response to his rejection in the art world seen as the heritage of the people. In Amer- as liberated and even rebellious, but in the of books, which graces a 1946 shampoo ad. was the planned construction of a Fürher ica, art began in private collections then end Peril seems to argue that MRS. degree is The caption reads, “It takes a good head to Museum in Linz, Austria. This would have evolved into museums which displayed Eu- what really matters to girls these days. make the grade,” reflecting what every coed been his response to Austrian ‘high society.’ ropean pieces. It was only at the beginning Peril touches very little on the modern was expected to strive for in the mid-twen- Hitler used his expansionist tactics to steal of the twentieth century that the American day politics of college campuses. She makes tieth century: polished beauty and a sharp art works and destroy monuments in coun- art museum featured works by American no explicit feminist argument in the body of mind, implicitly arguing that the former tries such as Italy, Poland, and Austria. The artists,” explained Kerstin Barndt, Assistant College Girls, a book that concentrates mostly was much more important than the latter. Nazi party took special interest in targeting Professor of Germanic Languages and Lit- on the pre-1960s era, but the implicit under- At the end of the chapter titled “The Col- the art collections of prominent Jews across erature at U-M. tone is there. Two places in the book touch legiate Look,” Peril includes a description of Europe. As recently as 2006, the Dutch govern- upon the “conservative” voice in modern nineteen ambassadors, mostly coeds major- Throughout the war thousands of ment returned 202 paintings to the heir of a day politics. Peril criticizes former Har- ing in marketing and fashion merchandising, priceless art works were moved as a result Jewish art dealer who was forced to sell his vard President Lawrence H. Summers for who were sent to college campuses, dressed of accumulation on the part of the Third paintings to the Nazi party. the controversial remarks that he said about to display sexuality and wealth, to advertise Reich, or, in anticipation of an invasion, for It is this and the value of many other women in science and math. She primarily one of the biggest college trend phenomena safekeeping by the museum workers in their priceless works that The Rape of Europa, now focused on Summers’s comment that there of recent history: Victoria’s Secret’s “Pink.” country of ownership. The Rape of Europa on tour across the country, conveys to audi- are fewer successful women in science and MR tells the story of countless individuals who ences. MR math, while ignoring his comments that dis- New Jersey Teacher Involved in Dispute Over Creationism By Christina Zajicek, ‘10 and State, thinks Paszkiewicz has surpassed his academic poisoning students.” Matthew has taken legal action against freedom to compare the beliefs associated with Creationism the school district and wants Paszkiewicz to correct all false ver since September 13, 2006, Matthew LaClair and evolutionary theory. statements made during class, the most outrageous accusa- Ehas been taping his history teacher’s classes. The 11th “This is extremely rare for a teacher to get this blatantly tion concerning how a Muslim student in the history class grader claims he felt uncomfortable when history teacher evangelical. He’s really out there proselytizing, trying to con- would go to Hell. David Paszkiewicz told his sixth period class that dinosaurs vert students to his faith.” Matthew’s father, lawyer Paul LaClair, supports his son’s boarded Noah’s Ark, the Big Bang theory had no basis in sci- It is yet to be determined whether Paszkiewicz has decision. “In a few short weeks, this teacher has displayed entific reasoning, and that non-Christians would go to Hell. abused his discretion, but citizens of Kearny are not afraid bigotry, hypocrisy, arrogance and an appalling ignorance of He began taping the classes, fearing that school officials to voice their opinions. Though New Jersey is hundreds of science. The school’s administrators seem not to appreciate would not believe his claim. “The first couple of days I had the damage this man is doing to young minds. He has some him, he had already begun discussing his religious point of “If you reject Jesus’ gift of salvation, then you know real abilities as a teacher, but this conduct is the intellectual view,” the sixteen-year-old explained to The New York Times. where you belong. He did everything in his power to equivalent of the school cafeteria serving sawdust.” “It wasn’t even just his point of view, it went beyond that to The case has highlighted the controversy over using re- make sure that you could go to heaven, so much so that say this is the right way, this is the only way. The way he said ligious texts, such as the Bible, in the classroom to explain it, I wasn’t sure how far he was going to go,” he said. he took your sins on his own body, suffered your pains phenomena that sometimes cannot be explained by science. The shocking recordings expose Paszkiewicz, who is for you, and he’s saying, ‘Please, accept me, believe.’ If Rose Tian, a freshman at the University of Michigan, who is also a youth pastor at a local church in Kearny, New Jersey, you reject that, you belong in hell.” also a member of the Christian youth group Young Life, ex- making claims that challenge the line between the separation plains that “ideally, in an academic setting, teachers shouldn’t of church and state. “If you reject Jesus’ gift of salvation, -NJ Teacher David Paszkiewicz incorporate their own beliefs into what they’re teaching.” then you know where you belong. He did everything in his Some will argue that the purpose of education is to expand power to make sure that you could go to heaven, so much so miles from the Bible Belt, ironically, most of the people who one’s beliefs through exposure to new theories, no matter that he took your sins on his own body, suffered your pains live in Kearny side with the history teacher. Much of the ve- how controversial. for you, and he’s saying, ‘Please, accept me, believe.’ If you hemence has been directed toward LaClair, who has received Matthew LaClair could never foresee how much pub- reject that, you belong in hell,” he reportedly told students. several death threats after handing over the recordings to lic debate the Creation-versus-Evolution controversy would Legal organizations have expressed their views on this school officials. stir. He jokes, “I should be worrying about who I’m going to controversial case. Reverend Barry W. Lynn, Executive Di- LaClair explains, “I care about the future generation and take to the prom.” MR rector of the Americans United for the Separation of Church I do not want Mr. Paszkiewicz to continue preaching to and P. 11 Arts & Culture 04.03.07

artsthe michigan & review culture. Unhooking the College Relationship Culture By Rebecca Christy, ‘08 loving well is a learned behavior. Who and where are our In an interview, one woman reiterates this claim, saying, young women’s teachers?” Stepp also questions how young “I don’t have the time or energy to worry about a ‘we’.” aura Session Stepp’s latest book takes an in- women are being prepared for strong, loving, committed re- Stepp believes our society has focused on defining hap- Ldepth look at our generation’s attitudes towards sex, lationships when they only know the hook-up culture, which piness in terms of tangible quantities such as degrees and relationships, and love. In Unhooked: How Young Women Pur- rewards women for remaining emotionally unattached. careers, and as a result people have neglected to define how sue Sex, Delay Love and Lose at Both, Stepp interviews young Stepp has two theories which she discusses in her book happiness can be obtained in the intangibles such as love. women in high school and regarding the cultural attitudes that provoke the hook-up The steady increase in the average age of one’s first mar- college about their feelings phenomenon. “From the time they could walk, they’ve been riage has contributed to the hook-up culture. One of the towards the hook-up culture. told by parents and other adults… not only that they can go most thought-provoking sections of the book discusses the Stepp describes how hook- for whatever they want, but that they should. This mental- idea of “prolonged adolescence” and how it may be perpet- ing up can range from a va- ity seems to encourage women to view sex as something to uating the hook up culture. Stepp discusses how, in previous riety of actions from kissing be obtained from using men simply for sexual gratification. generations, young people were expected to get married and to sex, but more importantly While men have been accused of these actions for decades, start a family relatively soon after earning a college degree. states, “Hooking up’s defining the narrative assumes that at some point a man finds the Today, many men and women continue to graduate school, characteristic is the ability to right woman who is worth the commitment. However, this move back in with their parents, or continue to receive some unhook from a partner at any story is contingent upon the belief that women are seeking sort of assistance which inhibits complete independence. time, just as they might delete a devoted relationship. Now that young women seem to be Stepp questions how this prolonged quest for identity an old song on their iPod or displaying the same attitudes, one wonders whether the dat- and happiness affects the development of the individual an out-of-date ‘away’ message ing and steady relationship is a thing of the past.” into adulthood. “Do young people need to be able to take on their computer.” Stepp also argues that the high expectations of women that much time to experiment in their search for what ―and This book is not another in today’s culture makes hooking up more realistic than a who― will make them happy?” she asks. sermon about the dangers of committed relationship. It does not take a psychologist to understand that mul- multiple meaningless partners “In order to accomplish the goals that their parents ― tiple hook-ups can result in damaged self-esteem, but Stepp in an age of AIDS and other unwanted medical outcomes. and by this time in their lives, them― want, they believe they has gone beyond the surface consequences of promiscuous Instead, Stepp focuses on the emotional consequences of can’t afford to invest time, energy and emotion in a deep behavior. Steady relationships can be trial runs for the com- the hook-up culture. relationship. Hooking up appears to be the practical alterna- mitment of marriage, but more than that, they provide an Stepp argues, “Loving may be as basic as breathing, but tive,” she writes. opportunity to care for someone besides oneself. MR MLB’s New Satellite Television Upcoming Documentary Deal Not So Fan-tastic Tackles University By Evan Wladis, ‘10 sion. For this reason, baseball’s deals with t was 1921 when Supreme Court Chief ESPN and DirecTV could both be poten- Indoctrination IJustice and former Yale third baseman tially challenged on antitrust grounds. By Brian McNally, ‘08 “No matter how much of the case we William Howard Taft penned the majority The free market alternative would be for presented, the viewer would never know opinion to Federal Baseball Club v. National individual teams or groups of teams to sell his spring, a documentary is com- who was telling the truth,” Maloney said. League. Asserting that baseball games were their games independently to national tele- Ting out that will shake “The Establish- Instead, he relies mainly on the codes of the “purely state affairs,” independent of inter- vision. The outcome would be enhanced ment.” The director asks hard questions, university itself, specifically those forbidding state commerce, the court ruled that Major competition, greater availability of games, demands answers, and accepts the presence harassment. League Baseball was not subject to the na- and lower prices. These were the exact con- of policemen when showing up for inter- “Harassment has been redefined from tional Sherman and Clayton Acts, the two sequences seen in college football after the views. Yet this documentary is not about stalking, from making veiled threats... [into] main anti-trust legislation. Though subse- Supreme Court ruled in National Collegiate global warming, nor is it directed by Michael if someone is offended by [your actions], quent decisions on “interstate commerce” Moore. Indoctrinate U is the new documen- that is implicitly harassment,” he says. With- changed significantly in the past 85 years, the tary directed by freshman director Evan in such an atmosphere, Maloney feels that decision has not. Baseball continues today to Coyne Maloney whom the New York Sun free speech across the political spectrum is operate as a monopoly, immune to U.S. an- has dubbed “the conservative answer to Mi- in danger. titrust laws. chael Moore.” The University of Michigan even makes It is this unique status as a 30-team car- In an interview with the Review, Maloney an appearance in Indoctrinate U, albeit with tel that allowed the MLB to finalize its new described himself more as a “libertarian, or stock footage. Maloney explained that there seven-year, $700 million contract with Di- a classical liberal, or a classical conservative,” is a story in the film regarding a girl that goes recTV, now the sole provider of the league’s he said. “The problem on campuses knows to MSU who wrote a letter to the campus pa- out-of-market games. no ideological bounds.” Indoctrinate U tackles per relating her experiences and the fact that The deal raises many questions con- the current culture of political correctness her Guatemalan-born brother will get prefer- cerning the legitimacy of baseball’s antitrust that pervades college campuses across the ential treatment in admissions, even though exemption. The satellite package will not At least Kerry will be spared the humili- country, from Duke to MSU to Bucknell. he was adopted at the age of 3 months by be available to residents in certain areas of ation of throwing like a girl on national “Everyone can get behind the idea of free her parents. A professor, not knowing that the country, and even where it is possible to television. thought.” the author was in his class, berated the let- hook up a dish, the onerous $900 price tag In filming this documentary, Maloney ter and its ideas, calling the writer a “racist” for a 12-month subscription seems less than Athletic Association v. Board of Regents of visited two dozen schools across the United and “bigot.” In order to present a better “competitive.” the University of Oklahoma et al, that the States, and was surprised to see that they had picture of the stance of universities and the Although the MLB gave several cable NCAA’s network football contract violated a roughly uniform environment, from the students on Proposal 2, footage from Ward companies the chance to match the offer for national antitrust laws. Ivy Leagues to the community colleges. At Connelly’s visit to U-M, accompanied by se- “Extra Innings,” InDemand president Rob- Since then, Massachusetts democratic each school, he attempted to interview ad- curity, was included in the film. ert Jacobson said the deal contained “con- senator John Kerry has asked the Federal ministrators in an effort to get all sides of Indoctrinate U is currently without a dis- ditions for carriage that MLB and DirecTV Communications Commission to investigate the story. tributor. Unfortunately no companies in designed to be impossible for cable and the deal, stating that he wants to make sure “We made over 200 phone calls, and we Hollywood believe that such a film could DISH to meet.” According to Jacobson, the contract benefits consumers. never received even one reply,” he said. That make enough money to justify support. In the agreement will “disenfranchise baseball “It may be necessary,” Kerry said, “for did not stop Maloney, who simply showed order to build up support, www.indoctri- fans in the 75 million multi-channel house- the Senate Judiciary Committee to have fur- up outside of administrators’ offices, ask- nate-u.com has created a petition drive so holds who do not subscribe to DirecTV” ther hearings on the antitrust implications of ing if they had any free time for interviews. that people across the country can sign-up and “represents the height of disrespect and MLB TV programming and whether it is in Even then, he faced serious barriers to get- in support of showing the film in their lo- disregard for [baseball’s] loyal fans.” the public interest to allow the antitrust ex- ting an interview. cale. If 500 people in the same area sign up In recent years, the migration of profes- emptions of [… ] MLB to continue.” While “I was threatened with arrest at my alma in support, the producers have said that they sional baseball games from network broad- Senator Kerry’s public posturing will most mater, Bucknell... One time, I was told that I will have a local screening. Hopefully, such casting to satellite and cable has meant the likely not be enough to salvage this season would be allowed to film, but only after get- a grassroots effort will quickly move the film diminishing availability of games on free for displaced fans throughout the nation, it ting $1 million indemnity insurance on the from high school auditoriums to major the- television and higher prices for those that may be the first step to ending baseball’s mo- film equipment.” Such indemnity insurance aters across the country. In the meantime, appear on cable. Although the 1961 Sports nopoly, ensuring that the free market is not would have cost roughly four times the film’s more of Maloney’s short documentaries, Broadcasting Act allows professional sports only the general organizing principle of the budget. including one in which he interviews Mi- leagues to package national television rights U.S. economy, but also that of our national Indoctrinate U does not rely on unsup- chael Moore, can be found on his website at for over-the-air broadcasting, the act does pastime. MR ported anecdotal evidence to support the http://brain-terminal.com. MR not permit packaging rights for pay televi- arguments being made. P. 12 Features 04.03.07

features.the michigan review A Fresh Look at Laffer: How and When Tax Cuts Can Increase Revenue By Brian Biglin, ‘08 the optimal rate, then from a Laffer curve point of view, a tax cut would be advanta- he once laughed-at Laffer curve, an geous. Teconomic model which states that it is Regardless, both the state and the city possible to increase tax revenue by lowering of Detroit could use tax cuts simply as eco- tax rates, has had its predications borne out nomic incentives, such that, regardless of in results in Iceland. The Wall Street Journal revenue effects, both economies can grow recently reported on by engaging in tax Iceland’s rapid growth competition. and increased govern- Amid a statewide recession, House warned ment revenues, calling politicians across Michigan have against reading too the pattern an “almost looked to tax reform as a means much into how tax perfect demonstration of reviving the local economy. policy could affect of the Laffer curve.” Michigan recently removed the future growth in the Between 1991 to Single Business Tax, but Gover- region. 2001, Iceland’s corpo- nor Jennifer Granholm is now “Not surprisingly, rate tax rate fell from supporting various tax increases. most of the problems 45 percent to 18 per- that are facing Michi- In Detroit, Mayor Kwame Kilpat- cent (by contrast, the gan are structural and United States’ corpo- rick has championed various tax not tax related,” said rate tax rate is 35 per- cuts. House. MR cent), yet revenue tri- pled. According to the Journal, these tax rev- The famed Laffer curve shows how decreasing the tax rate can increase tax revenue, if enues tripled once again from 2001 through the tax rate was set higher than an optimal level of taxation. last year. “Revenue can rise with a tax cut if the tax rates are fairly high to begin with and/or if elasticities of labor supply, labor demand, capital supply and capital demand are high,” said Assistant Professor of Economics Christopher House. The Laffer curve is bell-shaped, and at its highest point, tax revenue in maximized, and this correlates with an optimal tax rate. If the tax rate is higher than the optimal tax rate, then that means decreasing tax rates will move an economy back towards the top of the Laffer curve and maximized revenue. Elasticity refers to how much supply or demand will change based on changes in price, or in the case of this analysis, prices including taxes. High elasticity means that demand, for example, will increase substan- tially if prices including taxes decrease. While The Wall Street Journal was fairly convinced that Iceland was showing Laffer curve characteristics, House said that cyclical tendencies, an economic boom-time in this case, may have coincided with the period in which taxes were cut, and that this might ex- plain the higher revenues. “I suspect that most of the real story is just cyclical and probably not due to the tax changes,” said House. Iceland’s economy has averaged annual economic growth rates of four percent since the mid 1990s. House said that one should look to the idea of “tax competition” for clues explain- ing Iceland’s growth. Iceland’s lower tax rates may have provided enough incentive to lure firms from other European states with higher taxes, creating more taxable income within the boundaries. “It [tax competition] sometimes results in behavior that can look like a Laffer curve,” said House. Amid a statewide recession, politicians across Michigan have looked to tax reform as a means of reviving the local economy. Michigan recently removed the Single Busi- ness Tax, but Governor Jennifer Granholm is now supporting various tax increases. In Detroit, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has cham- pioned various tax cuts. House said that he does know enough about policies in the state of Michigan or city of Detroit to know the effects of the various proposals as it pertains to revenue and possible Laffer curve tendencies. Many outsiders, though, criticize Detroit’s tax bur- den, and if its tax rates are indeed set beyond