0 a 0 A SOLE and the Coke campaign, is new to the activist scene: "There are some people in SOLE who talk about how they've been going to union protests since they were five. I haven't done that sort of thing." Yet she became aware of social justice issues at home, listening to her parents. "My mom is from Warren. Her dad worked in a nonunion factory," she said "My dad ... is a Jewish attorney who went to school here." As a result, she continued, "It's interesting to hear them discuss things ... there's always been so much discussion in my house. Dinner tables were always really intense. So it's always been a lot of energy and awareness." Clara Hardie's parents also raised her to be socially aware. "My parents were always writing letters to the editor of the local paper and going to school board meetings," she wrote in an e-mail. "They took me and my sisters on medical mis- sions to Belize and Haiti. My mom and dad were probably a bigger influence on me than I thought:" But for a long time, she iust didn't fit in; growing up in Michigan's conservative Upper Peninsula, she found herself politi- cally isolated. When she finally came to Ann Arbor, though, she found her place. She explained how, for the first time, she had friends who appreciated Amnesty International, friends she could "tell how I felt without them thinking I was dra- matic or crazy." It was only then that she began to see herself as an activist: "Being in this new supportive environment really allowed me to become more ambitious in what I thought could be accomplished through action and raising awareness." An engineering junior, Saamir Rah- man has a completely different story. He traces his interest in social justice issues back to his high school, St. John's Jesuit in Toledo, Ohio. Recounting his experience, Rahman said: "There was a definite social justice focus in the high school itself, because Jesuits are usually social justice advocates themselves." He says the tale of Oscar Romero, the Catholic Archbishop of El Salvador who was assassinated in 1980 while ffihtini for the noor and to MIKE HULSEBUS/Daily Ryan Bates leads a protest against Coca-Cola. U 5a 1a va r5OO csh bou Special offer for college and trade school students, recent grads and graduate students May be combined with most other publicly available Ford Motor Company national incentives a purchase or lease on the model you select. Limit one offer per customer, See your local Ford Mercury Dealer for details. Visit our Web site for official Program rules. end a bloody civil war, was particularly important to his education. Unlike most University students, Rah- man had the opportunity to explore social activism while still in high school. "We had a 'Sanctions Day' when we shut down all the vending machines in our cafeteria' he told me. "All the students were like 'Oh my God!' We had to explain the parallel to them." It was that hands-on experience, he says, that convinced him to pursue social justice activism in college. "It just showed me the power of doing something pretty cool, really fun and really innovative to shock people into awareness of how it is on the other side" ...With A Shared Ethos hen all of us first arrived at the University, we were greeted with a bewilder- ing array of clubs, activities and interest groups. In time, we found our niches - we found what makes our time at the University meaningful. In a way, the social justice activists have created their own niche, centered on organizations like SOLE and defined by a certain set of values and beliefs. What really unites the social justice community - what has brought its members to the same table, to many of the same issues - is a common sense of purpose. That common purpose, contrary to popular belief, is not the overthrow of global capitalism. Instead, student activ- ists feel their purpose is to use student power to correct situations in which they see the free market failing: sweatshops, third-world agriculture, developing indus- tries. "I think that the market has shown, again and again ... that it does come out with beneficial scenarios, that it does help most people," Brandvain admits, but "sometimes it doesn't; sometimes it leaves people screwed, and that if you left it to markets, these people would just keep getting screwed. In those cases, there is a responsibility for intervention" In many ways, the argument isn't against markets - it's against "market efficiency" as the ultimate goal. Sweat- shops, their defenders argue, are alright because sweatshop pay is what the mar- ket will bear; not only is it above subsis- tence, it's good enough to keep attracting new workers. Social and economic justice advocates maintain a higher standard is needed. Ryan Bates, a SOLE senior who has worked against sweatshops, explains this well: "No sweatshop activist you will ever talk to will tell you those women in Ban- gladesh shouldn't have jobs. No one's going to ever say that to you because, for a whole number of reasons, they desperately need the jobs. And the wages in the factories are just a little bit higher than subsistence agri- culture ... so no one says it's bad for the fac- tory to be in Bangladesh. What they say is that just because those people need the job doesn't mean you should be able to sexu- ally harass women on the job floor, doesn't mean you should be able to rape people, doesn't mean you should be able to time how long they're in the bathroom, doesn't mean you should be able to beat them with a shoe, doesn't mean you should prevent them from forming a union, doesn't mean you should shoot people for standing up for their rights. Giving people a wage slightly higher than subsistence doesn't entitle you to do whatever you want to do to them. I N MY OWN WORDS Leading the Maize and Blue Band member shares his gameday experience By Dennis Lee / Marching Band Drum Major or the past 2 years, I have had the 14i honor oif serving as drum major of the Michigan Marching Band. It has been, without a doubt, the most amaz- ing and humbling experience of my col- lege WTe. From the doing the back-bend to the roar of the crowd, catching the goal post toss, or strutting down the field to "The Victors," I have memories that will stay with me long after I have graduated. Even now, I find it hard to believe that I've been part of such a storied tradition. I always love hearing non-band mem- bers say, "I love the band", or "I get tingles every time they explode out of the tunnel," because this is exactly what fuels the band. I'm not talking about the comments themselves. I'm referring to the feeling that is behind these com- ments. I'm talking about that intensity, or that overpowering emotion, that feeling of pride in Michigan, in everything that "The Victors" represents ... this is what fuels the Michigan Marching Band. Most of us have seen a band performance. But to really understand what it's like, you need to imagine yourself as a member ... It's a hot and sunny September Satur- day. Say, high 70s. You are standing at attention outside the mouth of the sta- dium tunnel, clad in a thick, navy-blue, wool uniform that covers everything from neck to toe. You've got on a tall hat, so any heat that escapes your head is directed right back at you. It's hot, it's sticky, and you can feel your uniform getting heavier as you start sweating. At this point, you load the tunnel. It's rather dark, and an orange light basks every- body in a strange glow. This is when the adrenaline starts pumping. Every band member is stretching, jumping up and down, staying loose. High fives, chest bumps, push-ups - any "pump-up" ritu- al you can think of is done by the Michi- gan Marching Band in that tunnel before pregame. And then we get the two-min- ute warning. Now, everybody is focused. Some yell, others remain quiet. Either way, it's electric, it's intense - you're ready to go. And then it starts ... "Ladies and Gentlemen," (you can feel the anticipation of the crowd grow), "Pre- senting the 235-member Michigan March- ing Band ... Baaaand, take the field!" and as soon as you hear the report of the snare drum, you're a machine. You have no thought process. Your sole purpose is to be the most intense and precise marcher. In an explosion of maize and blue, you storm the field, knees above 90 degrees, arms up, yelling, radiating every ounce of energy you can. And as you emerge from the tunnel onto the field, the world literally opens up before you and you lose yourself to the moment. The green turf, the sun lit crowd and that sky - so blue and pure - you lose yourself. And the best part is, you have more than 235 other people feeling the exact same way; ready to pour their heart and soul into the performance, and leave every drop of sweat on the field. So at this point, the band has folded out into the famous "Block M" forma- tion. You're standing still, but you're out of breath, gasping for air because for the past couple minutes, you've sprinted across the field while keeping your knees above your waist. You can't rest now, because you have to play your instrument, spin your flag, or twirl your baton for "M Fanfare." Regard- less of what you're doing, your energy is fading fast. Finally, the song ends. But instead of a break, you go right into "The Victors". And you better use all your ener- gy to play this song loud, proudand in tune because everybody knows this one. While doing this, you're high-stepping toward the north endzone. Once you get there, you don't stop, you flank to face the south endzone and keep going all the way down the field. At this point, your legs are lead, your lungs are burning and maybe that hot dog from the tailgate wasn't such a good idea. But you can't stop. Alright, good job, you're halfway done with pregame. It doesn't matter how tired you are, because you love every second of it. You love being a part of the band. You love the football team. You love Michigan. You are a part of that Michigan tradition. Once pregame is done, you're drenched in sweat, and wearily make your way back to where the band sits. You're drained, but you still manage to notice how your perfor- mance has affected the crowd. You see the fire in the alumni's eyes, the smile of the lit- tle kids, the cheers of your friends in the first row, or the subtle nod of approval from the event staffer in the yellow vest, and you're reminded again of why this has meant so much to you for the past four years. Lee leaps through the air at Elbel Field, Lee has become known for his dexterous moves. 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Visit YourTicket2Drive.com. the doors F SATURDAY, MARCH 25 @ MIDNIGHT FOR MORE INFO VISIT WWW.MICHTHEATER.ORG/STATE.PHP __ 88 - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 23, 2006 The Michigan Dail