LSA's Road to Insanity

LSA's Road to Insanity

~",,,.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,_~_~",,...... ,, ,.., .............._~ 'tto'ii-"'_""~>"'~' _': " -':' Volume 9, Number 4 December 1990 LSA's Road to Insanity by David J. Powell When Edie Goldenberg became and to design proposals for its im­ tern." ciencies in analytic thinking and writ­ Dean of the College of Uterature, Sci­ provement. The committee's report, "A Michi­ ing, everyone's concern lest the U-M ence, and the Arts (LSA), she had an As Dean Goldenberg explains in gan Education: The Challenges of fall too far behind such "peer" institu­ agenda. the interview: "I see this as a multi­ Undergraduate Education at the Uni­ tions as Harvard and Dartmouth. In an October 1989 interview with year, long-term process to take a look versity of Michigan," identifies three The committee made several pro­ the Reuitw, conducted one month after at undergraduate education and build areas of concern: the d windUng enroll­ posals to address these shortCOmings. she took her job as dean, Goldenberg ronsensus around changes that may be ment in the sciences and mathematics, The first of these is the formation of a already had big plans to investigate recommended. This includes not just the chief concern of those who worry pre-concentration undergraduate col­ what she called the "undergraduate what goes on in the classroom, but also that the U.S. will not be technolOgically lege, the Atheneum, to increase fac­ experience." So she fonned a commit­ the intellectual aspects of residence competitive in the roming century; ulty-5tudent interaction both in the tee. hall life, the intellectual activities out- students' lack of understanding and classroom and out. "TItis committee represents, to my "The Atheneum is a simple idea knowledge, the most comprehensive capable of accommodating any num­ review of the undergraduate experi­ According to the report, one science ber of educational goals," writes ence that has ever taken place," she committee chairman Robert Weisbuch said. professor commented, "Every minute I in a memo issued to student commi ttee ConSisting of nine members se­ members. "Its simplicity, its encom­ lected last fall, the Planning Commit­ spend in an undergraduate classroom passing totality, and its attractiveness tee on the Undergraduate Experience is costing me money and prestige." to students and faculty alike are its and its support staff, who represent the great strengths. It can serve most im­ student body and each of the CoOege's mediately as a symbol that this is one divisions, were commissioned to re­ side the classroom, lectures, and sensitivity towards non-Western student body, one College, divisible view the state of undergraduate edu­ other things that go on campus, such peoples, their cultures, and with mi­ but united in the act of learning." cation at the University of Michigan as the advising and counselling sys- norities in our own society; and defi- Cozy symbolism aside, there are serious doubts among both faculty and students as to whether it will be possible to attract faculty members to the new program's lower paying posi­ Ann Arbor Rent Control Freaks tions. According to the report, one sci- by Jeff Muir Please See Page 11 When most people think of stu­ that according to experts, the potency homeless or more units of low- income dent activism, certain images and of the marijuana available today has housing. ideas probably come to mind: the increased nearly twenty- fold since Rent control measures have come 19605, protesting war, and fighting for that of the early 1970s. before the voters of Ann Arbor three righteous causes. There is no doubt Thus, the student activism that times. The Human Rights Party (HRP), Inside that student activism has at times helped de-criminalize marijuana in a short-lived party dominated by U-M brought attention to worthy causes. Ann Arbor actually hanned many of students, gained two seats on the city Gender Inclusive But there are instances, right here in the city's residents. A similarly stu­ council in the 1972 election. In 1974 the Language Pro/Con 6 Ann Arbor, where student activism dent-inspired controversy sur­ HRP placed on the ballot a proposal to does much more harm than good. rounds rent control. This issue has regulate Ann Arbor's rents. The meas­ In my last article ('The Pot Law entered into public debate several ure lost 18,208 to 12,878. Resurrected in Interview with and Students," November 1990) I times, and is often associated with 1975, it again lost overwhelmingly, showed that were it not for student homelessness and the Downtown 19,346 to 10,348.ln 1988, the issue arose Russell Kirk 8 influence, the de-criminalization of Development Authority's (DDA, a once more, only to lose 16,652 to 8,015. marijuana would never have taken quasi-govemmental agency) alloca­ Altruistic student groups and pub­ Vandermeer: The place in Ann Arbor. I also showed that tion of funds for "beautification" lications have attempted to overcome marijuana use has increased by area projects and parking structures, in­ Old Grey One 10 youths since de-criminalization, and stead of building shelters for the P/~e See Page 12 > ~~ ,~.,_,,,«~~ ..... ,.,,_~~ , .",,..,-, __,,_,,,,~ .. _.-wtY" __"'''''''''''',,,",~_,''T"''''''~_~)l''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''H'''<MI*,,>""~"""'''''''''''''''''''~'>''''j-.,,~,,>,,~..,.~. , .. _ The Michigan Review, December 1990, p. 2 THE Serpent's Tooth MICHIGAN /II think we have to start discussing for reportedly bringing food to the sit­ back to Junior High. Are you still upset REVIEW other tactics, which include assassina­ in buffoons in the Dude's office. But that we refused your application for tion, property destruction, things such then again, wha~ can you expect from a Review Mascot? as breaking windows," says Michael man who dates "Hanoi Jane?" We just Petrelis of ACf-UP' s Washington, DC hope they served Domino's pizzas and The Cam pus Affairs chapter, according to the Detroit News. Folgerscoffee, with perhaps a side dish Thanks to a secret benefacror from Journal of the Since Review staffers are renowned of California table grapes. somewhere deep within the U-M University of Michigan homophobes, dedicated to the spread administration, the Review recently of anti-gay hysteria, we have taken a received an "Interoffice Memoran­ Editor-in-Chief number of precautionary measures to In retrospect, even if the MSA-spon­ dum" concerning "Communications protect ourselves from this peaceful, sored deputization craze turns out to Related to Sexual Orientation." In this John J. Miller fun-loving advocacy group's Ann be wholly inefficacious, remember, it's enlightening document, we learn that Arbor chapter. First, we always wear the thought that counts. Did someone " 'Sexual Orientation' is the preferred Publisher bullet-proof vests. Second, we have say thought? term when referring to homosexuality, Carey Brian Meadors reinforced the windows in our MSA­ bisexuality, or heterosexuality. The allocated office space. Third, we have term 'sexual preference' implies Executive Editors appeared to split into two ranting and During a discussion on race and dis­ choice, which is incorrect." Further­ Adam DeVore' raving factions like a bunch of eight­ crimination, biology professor John more, "Many lesbians and gay men Brian Jendryka Mark Tulkki year-olds, each claiming to be the teal Vandermeer made the following odi­ have children, either from previous Michigan Review. ous statemen t: "To say that discrimina­ marriages or within sam~sex rela­ tion works both ways is like saying that tionships." Lovely, except that if Assistant Editors a slave who hates his white master is a homosexuals have children from pre­ Rahul Banta, Oifton Gault, Joseph Klein While researching the U-M's en­ racist!" During the same d~atribe he vious marriages, then don't some of rollment percentages for this also said that the U-M was categori­ them actively exercise sexual prefer­ semester, we uncovered a startling cally and undeniably "a racist institu­ ence? Also worthy of note, regarding French Correspondent Karen Brinkman example of institutionalized preju­ tion!/I And you thought that only con­ children and sam~sex relationships: dice: Eden-Americans compose only fused, disturbed students could say unless our mothers lied to us, we Production Manager 28% of the student body, while Pan­ such ridiculous and block-headed weren't aware of that possibility exist­ Ruth Armstrong gaean-Americans mak~up 72%. Con­ things! For shame. ing. sidering that most students neither Personnel Manager believe in silly, outdated Judeo-Chris­ Vince Wilk tian superstitions nor are able to locate The Office of Minority Affairs wants During a recent MSA meeting, Presi­ Pangaea on a world map, this is an to change its name, reports the Daily, dent Jennifer Van Valey chastized a Staff outrage! All students should be ex­ and is considering terms like "multi­ student for saying that a previous job of Mike Beidler, Thomas Binkow, pelled and proper quotas maintained. cultural" and "multi-ethnic" to re­ his had entailed "supervising six men," David Boettger, Jim Bominski, Next month we will continue our quest place the word "minority," which instead of saying "six workers," or "six Joe Coletti, Brian Cook, Pete to discover the proper ingredients for some people feel contains negative people." Shocked at Miss Van Valey's Daugavietis, Vincent DeSantis, True Diversity and report on how the connotations. Regardless of its name, pr~sumptuousness for assuming him to Mark Dundon, Athena Foley, various descendents of the 12 tribes of however, we imagine the office will be one of those terrible sexist types, he Adam Garagiola, Reg Goeke, Israel fare in this environment of seeth­ continue to serve only those students explained that all six workers were, in Monica Hanson, Jon Hoekstra, ing, bloodcurdlin&~n,~ns,jtivity. of acceptable culture and correct eth­ fact, men. "We will discuss this after the Nicholas Hoffman, Heather nicity.

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