While I am pleased to see the Daily addressing the always-important issue of student fees ("Dangerous Delegate," 11/11/96), I'd like to (speak) about the comment attributed to me concerning my stance on three spending referenda to be voted on by students in this month's MSA election.
You report me as saying I have misgivings regarding these three spending referenda. This is true. I would like to see MSA work towards comprehensive restructuring of the student fee, rather than adding three new piecemeal portions to the fee.
But you didn't report that I went on to say that I take seriously my duty to represent the will of the students, and as such, I will present to the proper administrators any fee questions approved by the voters. At that point, we shall work together to consider what it is the student voters request.
You are correct in noting that the office of MSA President must uphold, and not undermine, students' wishes. For this precise reason, I have always been, am and shall continue to be committed to encouraging collaborative and mutually respectful relations between students, staff and faculty.
Fiona Rose
MSA President
In a Nov. 7 article, "Students angered by increase in ITD charges for printing" it was stated that documents won't print in the Campus Computing Sites if students run out of funds. While it is true that printing will be denied if one's computing allocation runs out during the month, I'd like to explain some ways to avoid any interruption of service.
The cost of basic computing services for the majority of students is covered by the computing allocation. For example, the cost of the basic computing package (e-mail, file storage on IFS and Login Service) is $1.95 per month. That leaves $8.05 of the $10 monthly computing allocation available for printing up to 100 pages/month. A subscription to dial-in service would add $4.40 per month, leaving $3.65 for 45 pages per month.
And you can accumulate up to $20 in your UMCE University of Michigan Computing Environment) Individual Account which can serve as a buffer for printing more pages toward the end of the term. Here are three suggestions to help students avoid running out of funds:
Check your subscriptions. If you are spending all of your computing allocation each month and are running out of funds, check your subscriptions to make sure you are subscribed only to services which you need. Instructions for doing this are available on the ITD web. Connect to the URL http://www.itd.umich.edu and search for "check subscriptions" or call the ITD Accounts Office at 764-8000 for help.
Use your own funds. You can set up a UMCE Self-Funded Account with a $25 minimum deposit of your own money. The ITD Accounts Office can set this account up for you so that when your UMCE Individual Account runs out of money, the UMCE Self-Funded Account can be used to pay for printing and other UMCE services.
You can withdraw any unused money when you close the account. The ITD Accounts Office is located on the lower level of the Michigan Union.
Departmental funding may be available. You may want to check with your department about other funding sources. ITD distributes allocations for departments to use at their discretion. Many of them provide funding for UMCE services to their graduate students, faculty, and staff. If you are approved by your department to use departmental allocation funds, you can have your accounts set up so that if your Individual Account runs out of money during the month, your Departmental Account is used; if the Departmental Account runs out of money, then your Self-Funded Account is used.
Kitty Bridges
Director, Product Development and Deployment at ITD
Donating blood is an act of community service that not all individuals have the right to do. There is a long list of "types" of people who cannot donate blood. Sexually active gay men are one of the groups. Even though the practice may be completely safe, we still cannot donate blood. It is true that I have lied so that I could donate, however, why should I have to lie? Why aren't other people who practice safe sex denied this community service? I want to donate blood. Hopefully, someday the Red Cross will stop discriminating and allow all people to donate. I understand that if I have a temperature or high blood pressure that I can't donate, those are proven facts about one's physical well-being.
However, when people assume because I have sex with men that my blood is tainted, that is wrong and discriminatory. Please remember that some people want to help in the blood drive but we can't.
Ryan LaLonde
School of Art and Design Senior
It was very nice to read that the Greek system on campus is genuinely interested in community service ("Greeks hit the streets to clean up for winter seasons," 11/11/96).
As I stand wet and shivering at the bus stop on Washtenaw and South University, I wonder if they would be generous enough to allow a very small part of their property to be used for a bus shelter. Although it is a major stop used by the University community, Ann Arbor Transit Authority claims it cannot build a shelter to replace the one on southbound Washtenaw which was recently run down by a truck. Apparently the width of the right-of-way between the sidewalk and the street is not sufficient to build a shelter meeting the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act. By relocating the sidewalk by only a foot or two onto "Greek property," a shelter could be built for the 100 or more members of the community who use that stop throughout each day. Though giving such a right-of-way is not technically giving up property, it would be a very noble philanthropic act.
Deano Smith
Rackham
Edit photos!
It might be wise for the Daily's editors to be more careful in the photographs they reproduce. In Monday's sports section (11/11/96), you can see an individual in the crowd proudly displaying their extended middle finger.
While not personally offensive to me (nor probably to anyone after that game), it would be prudent for the editors to be more careful reviewing everything they publish and not just the articles.
Jed Christiansen
Engineering junior
You are sadly misinformed about Proposition 209 here in California ("Hanging from the tower," 11/11/97). Did you know that the demonstration at the clock tower in Berkeley was not at all peaceful, as you reported, but a violent temper tantrum exhibited by an elitist few? The majority of voters in California demanded a return to individual rights and placement by merit in the state public sector. You do not live in California and obviously do not understand the government mandated discrimination against Asians, as a group, and achievement- oriented people in general. We voted for 209 to eliminate government social engineering. Your editorial reeks of misinformed and misplaced guilt! Is that what you really want? Disgustedly Yours,
Tom Kelley
California resident