Letters to the Editor

To the Daily:

I took great interest in reading Don’t Rush
Renaissance (03/09/04) concerning the proposed renovation of
the Michigan Central Station for use as the new Detroit Police
Department headquarters, but feel several important facets of the
issue have been omitted. Regardless of whether the city picks the
MCS or not for the project, a new DPD headquarters is needed. The
current location is outdated and far too small to give the DPD the
facilities it needs to serve the citizens of Detroit to its fullest
potential. Currently, the MCS is unused, vandalized and left open
to the elements. This is a blatant misuse of a prominent building
in the city’s history, not the proposed renovation and
revitalization of the structure. Renovation of the MCS is good for
the surrounding businesses and spurs further development of the
historic Corktown and southwest Detroit area, giving a much-needed
boost to an area on the verge of revitalization. The symbolic
importance of a newly renovated MCS cannot be quantified in
statistics, facts or figures.

The station today is a testament to the unfortunate downturn of
the city, but in the future can serve as an indicator of the new
Detroit that is slowly emerging through similar projects like the
current renovation of the Book-Cadillac Hotel. It takes large-scale
projects like these to encourage the future redevelopment of other
historic structures within the city. It is essential this
opportunity to rehabilitate an important link in Detroit’s
history not be overlooked. The time for renaissance is now, before
the bulldozers and demolition crews further destroy the
architectural heritage of Detroit’s past.

Aram Sarkisian

The letter writer will be a freshman in the fall

 

Anti-Arab advertisement is unfair propaganda

To the Daily:

I was appalled today when I turned to Page 11 of the March 10
Daily and found an entire page dedicated to anti-Arab propaganda.
Did you even bother to read it before you pasted it in 16-point
font? Not only is it ridiculously slanted and ultra-conservative,
but it suggests that all liberals are anti-Semites and
characterizes all Arabs as evil, bloodthirsty, fascist zealots.
I’m not going to get into the blatant mistruths in the
article, because I know it was not written by the Daily, only
published. But you should have more concern for what types of
advertisements you put in your paper. What’s on the menu for
tomorrow? Perhaps a two-page centerfold by Christian radicals
letting the world know that HIV is a disease sent by God to
eradicate homosexuals and Africans, and urging everyone to support
President Bush’s constitutional amendment to “protect the
sanctity” of their own beliefs? It is exactly this kind of
propaganda that inflames everyone and incites more hatred.

Adi Peshkess

Rackham

 

Real education not just about getting a job, but leading the
right life

To the Daily:

Wednesday’s letter to the editor about general studies was
quite disappointing (General Studies is too broad to be
marketable, 03/10/04). I am not a general studies major, but I
have looked at the requirements and realize that the program is no
joke. For every student who has not read these requirements, I
suggest you take some time and see for yourself that it can be
quite a challenging field.

Another thing that bothers me about many students whom I meet on
campus or attending other universities is that they all want that
big job, but don’t think about how it will affect people. We
have so many resources at this school that all students have
opportunities far greater than most people on this planet. It is my
opinion that if a person is at a university, especially of this
caliber, he should be interested in the means of his education and
not the ends. It is unfortunate that our society makes us want a
job with a large salary so we can pay off all of our college debts.
Maybe if we chose to live simpler lives — no car, no
satellite TV, no new clothes every week, eliminating useless
“stuff,” etc. — our debts would not be so
large.

I will not end my letter with a snappy or sarcastic line aimed
to hurt the people reading this. In closing, all I wish to say is
that you can make whatever course of studies challenging,
rewarding, and beneficial to society and yourself — if you
think, not just go through the motions.

Evan W. Thomas

LSA junior

 

 

LSA majors designed to teach people to think

To the Daily:

I was surprised to see Douglas Douma’s letter to the
editor concerning the general studies major and its marketability
(General Studies is too broad to be marketable, 03/10/04).
It is a great assumption that the coursework for all BGS. majors is
less then rigorous in comparison to the traditional Bachelors of
Arts or Bachelors of Science degrees offered through LSA. General
Studies requires that all its concentrators complete at least 60
credits of upper-level coursework where no more then 20 credits can
come from a single department. Since the title of the said major is
non-descript, we do not know if these credits are fulfilled with
courses such as modern dance and underwater basket weaving,
physics, chemistry and philosophy or even all of the above.

Degrees from LSA, unlike those obtained through the College of
Engineering or the School of Education, are not designed to prepare
students for a given profession. Instead, as stated in the LSA
bulletin for 2004, degrees from this institution are to signify to
employers that graduates have “develop(ed) their ability to
think, to respond to ideas and to test hypotheses.” These are
skills that all graduating seniors, despite college or school of
enrollment and degree granted, should have cultivated by the time
that they receive their diploma. It is unfortunate to see the large
numbers of future alumni seeing their skills and talents go
unrecognized in today’s economy. Those who are unlucky enough
to face an uncertain job outlook immediately following graduation
should not be told that their chosen degree alone is the reason why
they are not hired.

Amelia Austin Deschamps

LSA senior

 

Broad education provided by general studies equips students
well

To the Daily:

While I agree with Douglass Douma’s point (General studies is
too broad to be marketable, 03/10/04) that the student in the
recent job hunt story (Frustrated in the job hunt, 03/08/04)
has limited career options based on her general studies major, I do
not think that students in a more science-related major have
“worked harder” and deserve to “be more
frustrated in the job search” than those of other
concentrations. Every major here at the University requires a
significant amount of work and effort from each student. Just
because student are LSA majors does not mean that they have not
worked as hard or do not deserve a job as much as students in the
School of Engineering.

I agree that to find a certain job you must develop specific
skills, and those with a broad educational background do not have
specialized experience. However, that does not disqualify them from
having the necessary skills in order to perform tasks, or even the
ability to think for themselves. I resent Douma’s attitude
that if you’re not a science major, then you are an
“underwater basket weaver.” I have worked long and hard
as an LSA major, and I have had no trouble at all in my job search.
It is important to be aware of all the factors influencing a job
search, but just as important is to respect your peers who are in
the same situation as you are. This is an invaluable lesson I have
learned through LSA, while Douma apparently has not.

Amy Isaacson

LSA senior