0 4A - Monday, October 29, 2007 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com c Mid t n Baly V Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu NOTABLE QUOTIA He's sick - he's got an addiction. He needs treatment." - Former President Gerald Ford on former President Bill Clinton in a recently revealed interview with New York Daily News Washington Bureau Chief Thomas DeFrank. 0 KARL STAMPFL EDITOR IN CHIEF IMRAN SYED EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR JEFFREY BLOOMER MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflectthe officialposition nf the Daily's editorialboard.All othersigned articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. The Daily's public editor, Paul H. Johnson, acts as the readers' representative andtakes a critical look at coverage and contentinevery section of the paper. Readers are encouraged to contact the public editor with questions and comments. He can be reached at publiceditor@umich.edu. Dream on Immigration reform bill had right idea but flawed method T he U.S. Senate voted down the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act last week. The Dream Act, first introduced by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) in 2005, would offer permanent resident status to children of undocument- ed immigrants provided they graduate from high school and com- plete two years in college or the military. Despite the fact that the act's passage would be a positive symbolic gesture, it was not the ideal solution and could have easily turned into simply a backdoor draft of immigrants into the military. Even aside from that issue, Congress's decision to vote down the Dream Act for the third time since 2005 raises serious concerns that the government is still not ready to deal with the full issue of illegal immigration.' A Fox in the Big House hen I was a youngster liv- ing in the suburbs of Wash- ington, rivalry weekend did not mean the Michigan-Michi- gan State rivalry, but Florida-Florida State. I could watch Bobby Bowden's Seminoles punish the Gators without purchasing a spe- cial cable TV pack- MIKE age. Such access not only taught me EBER to hate the Gators but also connected me to the greater Seminole nation. Eventually, similar weekly access to Maize and Blue foot- ball turned me into a Wolverine fan and a Michigander. In light of the Big Ten Network's de facto blackouts in Ann Arbor and other parts of the country this season, I wonder if our team's sig- nificant community cultivating power is in jeopardy. Before I speculate if BTN will bring Armageddon for Wolverine nation, we must first address the reason millions of Wolverine loyalists are blacked out in the first place. Athletic Director Bill Martin and Rupert Murdoch, the man who unleashed Bill O'Reilly on the world, can be blamed for putting an invisibility cloak on Michigan's prestige. Although BTN is billed as the network of all 11 Big Ten schools, Mur- doch's News Corp, the parent company of Fox, owns 49 percent of it. I concede that News Corp's stake in BTN is a shrewd business decision, and you cannot really blame Fox for taking advantage of a lucrative opportunity. However, Fox's willingness to use BTN to boost its own hnarket share comes at the expense of nationwide Michigan football pride. Let me explain what the Athletic Department won't. We know Comcast - the largest cable provider in the country and the only one in Ann Arbor - does not carry BTN. Neither, howev- er, do other cable titans like Time War- ner, Charter and Mediacom. Who does carry BTN? Among others, DirecTV, also owned by News Corp. It's no coincidence that BTN could not come to an agreement with the likes of Comcast. BTN will tell football starved Wolverine, Buckeye and Bad- ger fans that all it wants is $1.10 per subscriber on expanded basic cable. Comcast's objections may sound irra- tional because $1.10 seems like beans, but to put it into perspective, the NFL Network charges only 70 cents. When was the last time two compa- nies drummed such a direct publicity campaign to justify their "expanded basic cable" coverage policy? Martin himself recently sent out a 2,151-word e-mail to the University community about'the perils of Comcast and why we should all support BTN. Seem- ingly oblivious to the outrage among Michigan fans in Ann Arbor and else- where, Martin took his lobbying one step ftrther by trying to mobilize the Michigan Student Assembly against Comcast. In the most egregious dis- play of his lack of respect for Michigan students and fans, at a recent Michigan Student Assembly meeting, Martin openly appealed to MSA to motivate students to switch their cable service from Comcast. The University clearly has a vested interest in the success of BTN, but as it is Michigan fans stand to lose the most. Being trapped in the crossfire of multi- media brinksmanship may even threat- en our program's recruiting power in parts of the country where Comcast or other non-BTN cable providers are dominant. Does Martin understand the vital role constant coverage played in building a Wolverine nation? Not everyone can attend a game at the Big House, but anyone with access to a TV can become a fan by watching a game. Political philosopher Benedict Anderson describes this homogenizing How News Corp is destroying Wolverine nation effectasthesame phenomenonthatstirs nationalistic feelings. The shared act of watching Mike Hart on Saturdays con- tributes to a "collective consciousness of Wolverines fans. We may not be able to meet the millions of other citizens of Wolverine Nation, but the "complete confidence" in their simultaneous act of watching the game unites the janitor and the MBA in a single cause. Recruits and prospective students can feel this aura, and it often plays a role in their choosing Michigan. Firstluxuryboxes andnowthe BTN. Martin's decisions to ignore tradition and run Michigan like a telecom giant truly tarnish the University's legacy. Worse yet, they could jeopardize the unquestioned national prominence of our athletic programs. Mike Eber can be reached at mieber@umich.edu. I .4 Because talk of increasing security at American borders and removing undocu- mented residents from workplaces and schools has heightened in recent years, there have periodically been moves coun- tering this talk to ensure the freedoms and opportunities of undocumented immigrants and their children. For immigrant children who want to serve in the military, the Dream Act is a win-win situation. But for others, it could be something more sinister. Financing a college education is a major hurdle for anyone, but especially so for undocumentedimmigrants,because some of the usual sources of financial aid are not an option. Thus when the reward of legalstatus is dangled before illegal immigrants, most of them will see the military as the default option. It should be no surprise that several officials at the Department of Defense have spoken in favor of the Dream Act. The most important potential benefit of the Dream Act - providing undocument- ed immigrants a path to education, self- improvement and integration - may be lost because it does not include a way to finance a college education for those who choose that option. To avoid simply becoming a recruitment tool for the military, the act must entail ways to make college as viable an option for these students as the military. College should not be out of reach for any- one because of financial barriers, the chil- dren of illegal immigrants included. Undocumented immigrants who have graduated high school and wish to go on to college have met every requirement of the ideal of American immigration. Many of these immigrants came to this country to escape strife as young children with their families and worked their way through the system, learned the language and culture and got an education. The contribution that such students can make to our society if given the chance is significant. Consid- er, for example, Dan-el Padilla Peralta, an undocumented immigrant who excelled at Princeton University and became a Sachs Scholar. Peralta then went through a year- long battle to obtain legal status when he realized that his research trip to Oxford University would mean that he would be barred from re-entry into America. Undocumented immigrants' contribu- tion our society is not limited to the low- skill labor industry, as is often stereotyped. Can we really afford to turn people like Peralta away and have them take their sig- nificant intellectual potential with them? Giving immigrants and their children more resources and opportunities would open up new avenues for them and only serve to enhance our country. Even an improved version of the Dream Act, however, wouldn't be a complete solu- tion. The act would cater to only a small per- centage of illegal immigrants in the country, because only an estimated 65,000 people would be eligible. Broader moves that do not restrict the people covered under the law need tobe passed in Congress. The Compre- hensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007, for instance, could have provided legal sta- tus to the approximately 12 million undocu- mented immigrants in the country if it had not failed in the Senate. The government's antipathetic atti- tude toward undocumented immigrants is unhealthy for our country because that' group is undeniably an integral part of the American society. They cannot be ignored any longer. RACHEL WAGNER , A A A new breed of activism New York Times columnist Thom- as Friedman calls us "Generation Q" - the "Quiet Americans." Facing important issues like global warm- ing and the war This viewpoint in Iraq, isthefirstina we rarely protest, series about the rarely present state of marchand we gener- student activism. ally don't make enough noise. Instead, we con- tent ourselves with passive, symbolic efforts like joining political Facebook groups and wearing ribbons to raise awareness about breast cancer. Or at least that is the common perception. Friedman was right to point out our generation's idealism. Accord-, ing to an online study conducted by Cone Inc and AMP Insights pub- lished in USA Today, 61 percent of young adults ages 13 to 25 "feel per- sonally responsible for making a dif- ference in the world," and 81 percent have volunteered in the previous year alone. A 2005 report published by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of Cali- fornia at Los Angeles cites that about 66 percent of college freshmen "believe it's essential or very impor- tant to help others in difficulty," and among incoming freshmen, feelings of civic duty and social conscious- ness are higher than they've been at any time in the past 25 years. This generation of college students may not organize mass marches or stage sit-ins reminiscent of the 1960s, yet these poll numbers show that stu- dents have not fallen prey to apathy. We are not lazy, but the traditional methods of student activism have changed. Student activism has not disappeared - it is being redefined. Clearly, protests and marches are not working for this generation. The organizers have good intentions, but protests usually fall victim to the same recurring problems. In many cases the numbers are disappoint- ing, such as the recent student rally for increased funding to higher edu- cation at the Michigan statehouse in Lansing. Between all of Michigan's state universities, only 300 students showed up. Other times the protesters are uninformed about the issue at hand. Take, for example, the hundreds of middle school and high school stu- dents bused to the Diag last year by By Any Means Necessary to show opposition to Proposal 2. By most accounts, the protest was more cha- otic than productive. Finally, sometimes the protest simply doesn't have enough stu- dent support to succeed, as with the University's temporary ban on Coca- Cola products in2005. Students have become jaded with these methods and instead have started to channel their efforts into different actions. The newstudent activism is based on knowledge and -small change enacted from the bottom up. Our generation finds it more effective to be informed on an issue and then go out into the world to try and change it rather than protesting en masse. It's no less activist for The Roosevelt Institution to publish a paper cri- tiquing a facet of educational policy than it is for Students Organizing for Labor and Economic Equality to stage a sit-in at University President Mary Sue Coleman's office. Both groups are demonstrating two valu- able types of activism; the only dif- ference is the use of traditional and non-traditional methods. Teach For America is perhaps the perfect embodiment of our gener- ation's new definition of effecting change. In the program, college grad- uates are placed in different urban and rural areas across the country to teach in low-income, under-privi- leged school districts for two years. While Teach For America doesn't fall under the traditional activist framework of protests and marches, it does encapsulate our unique brand of activismby combining our genera- tion's desire to change the world with our tendency to strive for progress by making small changes at ground level. Teach For America is not a perfect program, and neither does it present a magical cure-all of prob- lems of educational inequality, but it allows young adults to take a stand in their communities in more engag- ing, meaningful ways than, holding another disappointing protest. Those who say that student activ- ism is dead are not looking in the right places. Students may not be marching on Washington or protest- ing in the Diag as much, but we are working for the causes we care about in clubs and volunteer organizations at both a local and national level. We may not gather together to yell and picket, but we do gather together to inform ourselves and make a differ- ence in our communities. . Future viewpoints in this series by campus activists will help show that although the old form of student activism may be dead, student activ- ism'itself is most certainly still alive. Whether or not our efforts are as effective as those of previous genera- tions, though, is the real question. Rachel Wagner is an assistant editorial page editor. She can be reached at rachwag@umich.edu. CHRIS KOSLOWSKI I Inmeanusing t r te YOU do Know thati's the What does making a1 otnasw ee obel Ae Prz right? Powerpoint presenwadon John Edwards the Nobe bout GobalWarming have Prize for Chemisarybed on aetodowithpeace? ishairsprayusealone 4fis * EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Emad Ansari Kevin Bunkley. Ben Caleca, Milly Dick Mike Eber, Gary Graca, Emmarie Huetteman, Theresa Kennelly, Emily Michels, Robert Soave, Gavin Stern, Jennifer Sussex, Neil Tambe, Matt Trecha, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Wagner, Patrick Zabawa I I SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU U' must better protect studentsfrom RIAA the RIAA to obtain identifying data without the subject ever knowing about it or being able to question the RIAA's tactics in court. The University of Wisconsin real- TO THE DAILY: izes this problem: The new BAYU, or Be-Aware-You're- the pressure. Why Uploading, automated system ('U' to sity of Michigan ta warn uploaders, 10/26/2007) is a smart receives these subp idea that makes students aware of the dangerous and illegal activities they may Michael Roberto be participating in. I applaud the Univer- LSA junior sity's recent efforts to keep the Record- ing Industry Association of America's subpoenas at bay for students. Cornerback However, our peers at the University of Wisconsin at Madison have taken ofso muchc a different approach to the bullying of the RIAA. Wisconsin administrators TO THE DAILY: informed the record labels that they I couldn't helpt will not pass on individual settlement up inside me whip letters without a subpoena. The RIAA's article about M bullying tactic of using John Doe sub- Morgan Trent (SI poenas, an attempt to short-circuit the 10/26/2007). I don legal system by relying on universities was watching the to do their dirty work by identifying as I was last year, users, is under much scrutiny. It allows struggle in every and does not bow to 'doesn't the Univer- ke this stance when it oenas? undeserving coverage the laughter building le reading the recent ichigan cornerback lipping the Spotlight, 't know if the writer same Michigan team because I saw Trent game, not just the Ohio State and USC games. His season respectively in passing yards per game. was riddled with blown coverage and I won't even mention his play against missed tackles. It may not have been as Appalachian State. noticeable because last year's veteran I support Trent and the Michigan defense was better able to cover up his football team. I just think that two pages mistakes. of newspaper space should have gone to I watched Trent play high school foot- one of many other deserving Wolverine ball at Orchard Lake St. Mary's Prep, and players. I could tell that he was a decent receiver but not good enough to achieve stardom Ian Murray in the collegiate ranks. He is obviously LSA freshman playing out of position at cornerback, and his transition will never be effec- tive at the collegiate level. His instincts United Way not worthy are not adjusted for the defensive side of . u p r football. of University support He is better suited to play like the very receivers that constantly torch him TO THE DAILY: t in coverage. The article tries to justify I am writing about the United Way Trent's play by speaking of his improve- campaign that is being forced upon the ment this season. Sure, Trent played University community once again this well against Penn State, Eastern Michi- year. The United Way has had one scan- gan, Notre Dame and Illinois, but these dal after another for the past 15 to 20 teams are ranked 78, 99, 113 and 115 years locally, not to mention the trouble respectively in passing yards per-game. the agency has caused nationally. The Trent struggled against Oregon, Purdue long list of violations includes double- and Northwestern, ranked 45, 15 and 8 counting money, double-dipping pay- ments and overpaying employees. Last year, the state of Michigan closed down an agency funded by the United Way in Detroit for its connec- tion to the murder of a foster child. The state granted immunity to at least one employee of the center in exchange for testifying against the foster mother who went to prison for beating a toddler to death. These people watched as a 2- year-old boy with black eyes, bruises and burns met with social workers over the course of several months. Why does such an agency still receive United Way funding? It greatly offends me that University President Mary Sue Coleman tries to manipulate the University community into giving money to the United Way. This is a common practice among many institutions and corporations, but who is profiting? Certainly not the needy. Christine Moellering The letter writer is a student adminidtra- Five assistant in the Chemical Engineer- ingDepartment. 6 I u ,{