Every year, the Daily feels the need to publish the same editorial ("What's the rush?" 9/12/97). The editorial, generally aimed toward first-year students, tries to convince students not to rush a fraternity or sorority in the fall. Obviously, the author did not take the time to speak with any member of the Greek community. Like always, the editorial was misleading in many ways.
The Daily states in the editorial that "because most incoming students have not yet adjusted to class schedules, new roommates or the broad offerings of college life," perhaps waiting another semester or year to rush is the best choice. In addition, the editorial claims that "joining a Greek house may prevent (a student) from exploring other activities and opportunities on campus."
Let us correct these statements by offering the complete picture of Greek life. In actuality, joining a Greek organization provides one of the best outlets to become involved in other campus activities. The diversity of membership in each chapter opens many doors in acquainting its members with a wide variety of campus organizations. Greeks are found in the Michigan Student Assembly, Project Serve, Student Alumni Council and much more. It is not surprising, then, that the man and woman who were awarded "The Most Outstanding Graduating Student From the University of Michigan of the Class of 1996" were both members of the Greek community.
That the Daily itself gives this advice to new students is rather hypocritical. In many ways, joining the staff of the Daily is similar to joining any Greek organization. Allow us to explain. As the senior staff of the Daily graduates, incoming students are continually recruited to fill in for the missing spots. Every fall, the Daily holds mass meetings and requires that their staff spend time at their "house," the Student Publications Building. Sound familiar?
Even the Daily, on the same page as the "What's the rush?" editorial, advertised their mass meeting. We doubt that the Daily would discourage an incoming student from attending this meeting so that he or she may absorb a more complete picture of University life, as the Daily states about rushing a Greek organization.
The rush process is an opportunity to meet many new friends, develop leadership skills and get involved in community service. This experience can be priceless for new students at such a large university. We applaud the Daily for covering Greeks assisting with Move-In, the Fraternity Forum on the Diag, and in its recent "Weekend" edition. Perhaps next year, when the "What's the rush?" editorial is reprinted yet again, the Daily could interview some members of the Greek community and get their opinion. The majority of them would explain that they were so happy to have rushed in the fall.
Mike Ingber
Interfraternity Council
Shelby Brown
Panhellenic Association
It seems that students often complain about the amount of construction taking place on campus, or how long the projects take, so I'd like to take a moment to thank the crews that worked to make the most identifiable part of campus a whole lot better.
The Diag restoration was a huge undertaking that involved all sorts of drainage improvement, sidewalk construction and light installation. While it might have been easy for the University to start the project as soon as everyone left and forget about Spring and Summer term students, that's not what happened. We didn't see one or two workers each day, didn't see idle equipment, didn't see a complete lack of progress until the Art Fair, at which point we saw a miraculous and renewed commitment to the project - no.
We saw a continuous and grueling effort all along, which meant the crews didn't have to scramble to finish everything in the last week before students returned.
So the next time you see one of our various construction sites and grumble about how long it's taking, I ask you to remember the Diag!
Erik Best
LSA senior
This is a response to Thomas Bress's letter, "Birth control insert was 'offensive'" (9/19/97).
I am sorry that he was dismayed and offended by a birth control pill advertisement inserted in the Daily. He is a practicing Catholic and believes that sex should be only for producing children within a marriage.
Married Catholics all over the world are using contraceptives and abortion to limit the size of their families. They realize that it is expensive and difficult to raise large families. A good thing for the planet, because the human population is growing too much as it is and causing a decimation of other species of life.
Catholic Italy, which already has a very high population density, has the lowest fertility rate in the world - less than two children per woman. They have not achieved this by relying on the rhythm method!
I hope he doesn't think that the Daily should forbid birth control ads, even if they are aimed mainly at unmarried students. Be aware that there are some Hindus here who believe that cows are holy and one should not eat beef. Some Orthodox Jews believe that men should not listen to women singing. Should the Daily stop advertising hamburgers and women singers? If everyone had to abide by everyone else's religious prohibitions, no one would be able to do much.
Yes, birth control pills increase the risk of some types of cancer. The fine print Bress referred to also indicated that they decrease the risk of some other types. For non-smokers under 35, there is probably no net health hazard in using the pill.
Birth control pills may sometimes prevent implantation of a fertilized egg. But a fertilized egg is not a person. As a biologist, I know that life does not begin at conception. Life continues at conception. Life only began once on Earth - billions of years ago, when an inanimate collection of molecules acquired the ability to replicate itself. Everything since has been part of one continuous process. We are connected in time to every other living thing.
A fertilized egg is no more in possession of a soul than one of your liver cells. There are no scientific data to suggest that it is. Nor does the Bible, if you accept its authority (I don't), say that life begins at conception. The Catholic church once held that the soul takes possession of the body at the time of quickening; that is, when the mother first perceives the movements of the fetus. The idea of the soul arriving at conception is a modern-day conjecture of some theologians, and is unfounded.
It takes more than nine months for a fertilized egg to develop into a person. The mental characteristics that distinguish humans from other animals appear only after birth.
Condoms have an advantage over pills, not because they act before fertilization, but because they protect against the transmission of HIV and some other STDs.
David Sirkin
Medical School
09-22-97
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