Letters to the Editor
September 22nd, 2003
'Double standards' favoring minorities unfair to majority To the Daily: I would like to commend Johanna Hanink for shedding some light on the plight of the majority in a "diverse" student body ('Members-only' diversity, 09/22/03). The fact that minorities have the carte blanche to exclude whomever they choose is not new to me. I was, however, shocked to hear this practice got down to the gutter-level of blatantly excluding whites from a meeting. I can't believe such racism could be condoned at a supposedly diverse university. Truth be told, tweaking your admissions numbers to get a good ratio of minorities might look good on paper, but in reality I believe it does nothing. In my years at the University, the underlying message I repeatedly received was, "You are not allowed to have racial pride, because you are white. You are not allowed to have sexual pride, because you are male. You are not allowed to have pride in your sexual orientation because you are straight. Now, love what we do and leave us alone." If the people running an all-white meeting similar to the meeting Hanink derides in her column, said "no colored people allowed" and the residence hall actually allowed it, I guarantee you every single person involved in putting on that meeting would no longer be affiliated with this university. I'm sick of the double standards. Adam Wilson Alum Racial and ethnic diversity do not exist on 'U' campus To the Daily: I was impressed by Johanna Hanink's piece on the diversity issue at the University. I quite vividly recall my first visit to campus after my son (class of '94) enrolled. We strolled thru his dorm and came to a large, nicely decorated room labeled "African-American Lounge." I asked my son if anyone else was welcome there. He told me that the lounge was only for African Americans, thus the sign. When I asked where the "European-American Lounge" was, he told me that no room was so labeled, but it was assumed that all of the rest of the dorm lounges were open to "Europeans." I also discovered that all of the other lounges were open to all residents, including "African Americans." How absurd that a state-funded university still allows such nonsense, especially one that had a past president state that " ... the number one job of the University of Michigan is diversity," and all the while I thought that I had sent my son to one of the best educational institutions in the country to get a superb education in the field of pharmacology. Will we soon see drinking fountains labeled for the individual use of each of the diverse groups on campus? Jim Trout Reader Despite loss, fans must show support for Michigan football To the Daily: I stand as one of the many people disappointed with this weekend's football game. I can't hide the frustration I felt when I saw our boys in blue lose. They looked uncomfortable, to say the least. However, I'll be the first to say never give up. Our team may have lost one game, but it's only that; one game. I am disgusted by what I've seen after that. Students are losing faith in the team to the point of selling their remaining tickets because "it doesn't matter anymore." It's only one game. This is the time that our football team needs us more than ever before. They don't need the typical "bandwagon" fans giving up hope and making them feel deserted. All the maize and blue faithful need to unite and stand up in support for our guys, showing them that one game doesn't ruin a season - that it's only one of 12, and there's still plenty more to go. The first three quarters of the Oregon game are behind us. The final quarter is a stepping stone. They played like champions that quarter, bringing the score back from a tremendous deficit. Now they need our continued support to extend that champion attitude all the way to New Year's Day and beyond. So this weekend, don't let the Big House be empty. Don't let the stadium be even quieter than usual. Let your anger and disappointment fuel the fire inside you for the remainder of this season. Wear your colors with pride and sing it loud and proud! Hail to the Victors! Mary Pinter LSA junior Reader apologizes for not supporting the team To the Daily: I would just like to apologize to the University community. I was not behind the Wolverines 100 percent last weekend, and that's why they lost to Oregon. If I had once screamed, "Go Blue!" it would have made a difference. Having just moved here from Iowa, I believe I still bleed black and gold (Mary Sue Coleman knows what I'm talking about). To tell the truth, I kind of expected Michigan to win. But that's neither my fault not theirs. I promise to be more focused on Michigan this weekend. Franek Hasiuk Rackham Students should learn to pay attention to their professors To the Daily: As a projectionist who has spent nearly twelve years providing crucial media support for higher education, I was appalled by your article headed New technology tries to spice up outdated lectures (09/22/03). This preposterous headline was accompanied by a photograph of a dozing student sprawled in an auditorium seat, unable to stay awake over a crossword puzzle. The inference seems to be that highly trained lecturers are somehow at fault for failing to hold the attention of so many bright young things. But boredom occurs in the brain of the beholder. Boredom is the result of a decision, made by certain students, to disengage and resist the efforts being made to help them educate themselves. The fact that this is the most over-stimulated generation in history makes this a prickly problem. It would be best resolved by the students themselves, who need to exercise more than a nominal amount of self-discipline. There is nothing boring about the subjects being lectured upon. This is not a boring world. Wake up. I never had the money to go to college, nor did I choose to borrow enormous sums of money in order to be able to afford tuition and expenses. But if I were enrolled at this prestigious university, I sure as hell wouldn't wait for somebody to make lectures more like video games before I'd pay attention. Don't you realize how privileged you are? The attitudes expressed in this article are insulting to those of us who have been forced by economic necessity to educate ourselves, using self-motivation to learn what we can outside of the established curriculum. You, my dears, are using up a lot of resources. You've got it made, and your desire for further shortcuts is pathetic. As most professors will tell you, trying to pull your education off of the Internet is an unstable and often erroneous path. If you are lucky enough to have a living, breathing teacher who wants to talk to you in person about a topic they have spent years researching, then show them the courtesy due anyone who works hard to help you grow up intelligently. Authentic interaction involves something more than sluggish action - or gross inaction - on the part of the students. Technology is provided to help you learn, not to keep you from falling asleep. Stop looking for interactive joysticks. Sit up and take good notes. The lectures aren't outdated. What's outmoded is your lack of self-discipline; it is a very costly embarrassment, and frankly the world no longer has time for it. Theodore Grenier LSA staff
Printed from www.michigandaily.com on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:33:33 -0500