4 - Friday, February 8, 2008 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 40 fyiligtan 3a4, Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu From my money - that's where I got the money." - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, commenting on the source of the $5 million donation her campaign recently received, as reported yesterday by the New York Post . S Standing up or our soldzers 0 ANDREW GROSSMAN EDITOR IN CHIEF GARY GRACA EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR GABE NELSON MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflect the official position oftthe Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. The Daily's publiceditor, Paul H. Johnson, acts as the readers' representative and takes a critical look at coverage and contentin every section ofthe paper. Readers are encouraged to contact the public editor with questions and comments. He can be reached at publiceditor@umich.edu. Ushering f in a new era 'U' should get tough with apparel contractors T he University logo is more than a brand. The Block M emblazoned on thousands of baseball hats represents an. institution that claims to value pride, integrity and toler- ance. Ironically, the New Era Cap Company, the producer of these iconic baseball hats, is battling allegations of unfair labor practices at its Mobile, Ala. distribution center. The University's administra- tion needs to take a stronger stance to defend labor rights, using its weight to force these companies to respect basic rights and upholding the University's values. News of the war on terrorism made front-page headlines last week, but it wasn't an update on the surge or reports from the brass that con- sumed the papers. It was a story about . America's soldiers.I A study released Sunday revealed that five soldiers try to kill themselves ASHLEA every day. Before the war on terror- SURLES ism began, the rate was only one each day. Other studies show that about 30 percent of soldiers have sought mental help upon returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Reports reveal that roughly 17 of every 100,000 men and women stationed overseas in the U.S. Army committed suicide last year - an all-time high - and twice as many took their own lives back home. And the government doesn't seem to care. It has never been easy for soldiers to return from battle to resume life as they knew it, but now - for veterans of the war in Iraq coming back to today's America - it seems like a Herculean task. Not only are soldiers returning from the Middle East more likely to have witnessed brutality and experi- enced combat than those returning from other recent wars, but when it comes to our valiant Purple Hearts, the Bush administration has revealed the heart-shaped hole in its chest. In the last six years, there have been myriad incidents and revela- tions exemplifying the Bush adminis- tration's substandard treatment of its war veterans. From last year's investi- gation exposing the inscrutable condi- tions and inefficiencies at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, to the half- baked Wounded Warriors Act that stops short of applying all of its ben- efits retroactively, to the president's recent $3.1 trillion budget proposal that would cut veterans' health cov- erage while pouring hundreds of bil- lions of dollars into military spending, out for the people who have endured the federal government has exhibited the brutalities of war - and the Uni- gross insensitivity. versity is preventing that. It is increasingly clear that this Roughly 130,000 troops are in Iraq White House, which seems to play and right now, with thousands more sta- discard soldiers as pawns on a board, tioned in Afghanistan and elsewhere doesn't accept veterans as a funda- in the Middle East. It is inevitable mental component of war. David Chu, that many of them will return home thePentagon'sundersecretaryforper- with serious disabilities and add to sonnel and readiness, wasn't bashful the 100,000 paralyzed veterans in the about saying so wlxen he scrupulously country. And the Bush administra- told The Wall Street Journal that vet- tion has ensured that re-integrating erans' costs "are taking away from into a reasonably normal life will be the nation's ability to defend itself." It an uphill battle. If the MPVA wins the seems that our administration missed lawsuit against the University, would what I consider to bea very moral and each of the 1,000 wheelchair-acces- basic concept: Waging a war means sible Big House seats mandated by the assuming the costs of the battle itself ADAbe filled? Probablynot. But would and shouldering responsibility for the aftermath - both overseas and on the home front. As a consequence, our From , the 'U' to the disabled veterans are returning home to be screwed right out of what their valor merits. W hite House, And, as the federal government shirksthis responsibility, I'mashamed veterans face battle to say, so does our university. If you haven't heard, the Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America have a young wheelchair-bound veteran brought a lawsuit against the Univer- ever be prevented from cheering for sity for failing to comply with, and the Maize and Blue ata football game altogether dodging, the Americans for lack of a place to use the bathroom with Disabilities Act of 1990, a federal or a place to sit? Definitely not. law mandating the accommodation of As one of the nation's leading pub- disabled individuals in public facili- lic institutions, and as a university ties built or renovated after 1990. I that claims to exemplify the highest am not suggesting that the University of moral standards and represent the satisfy the organization's demands consummate values and character of simply because they are veterans, and this country, this school has a duty to I don't believe the University Board of support those who have sacrificed for Regents should bow on that principle our nation. And thus, if the veterans alone. But the fact that former ser- triumph, and one day I attend a foot- vice members initially filed the suit ball game to find some of those 1,000 is undeniably relevant; it makes the seats empty, I will not be bitter. I will University's behavior in the case par- be proud to know that my university ticularly appalling. upheld American integrity when this The ruling in this case will become country could not do it for itself. precedent for ADA claims filed there- But for now I am embarrassed after. In filing the suit, MPVA is because itappears our regents and our attempting to make the lives of dis- president are goingto great lengths to abled Americans across the country make sure that this does not happen. more manageable. Inresistingthe suit, the University is preventing that. Fur- Ashlea Surles can be reached thermore, these veterans are looking at ajsurles@umich.edu. l t r i 0 The University first received reports of prejudiced practices at New Era's Alabama distribution center from the Worker Rights Consortium, an independent labor-moni- toring organization. The WRC, which the University and other universities pay to monitor their apparel contracts, reported that the company is discriminating against black and female workers. Last month, the NAACP confirmed these accusations after conducting its own investigation. Unlike the University of Wisconsin, which immediately terminated its contract with New Era after receiving reports of these abuses, the University of Michigan hit New Era where it really hurts - the mailbox. The University wrote a letter to the company, weakly reprimanding it for its actions. The University refused to fully acknowledge the severity of the situation, asking New Era to fix the problem whether it had been done "intentionally or not." .In light of New Era's trouble in the past, the University needed to take a more hard- line approach. The University cut its con- tract with New Era six years ago when one of its New York factories was revealed to have unsafe working conditions. Although New Era corrected the problem and the University reinstated the contract, the company has to be held to a higher stan- dard now. Repeat offenders like New Era can't just be slapped on the wrist. While cutting the contract again might not have been necessary, the threat of terminating the contract could have been dangled in front of New Era. The problem is that University has no incentive to police the companies with whom it has contracts. The administration often turns a blind eye to its more lucra- tive contractors because there is so much money at stake. That doesn't mean it's not hypocritical or embarrassing. The Univer- sity must uphold institutional morality by recognizing and regulating the types of labor practices condoned in the University Athletic Department's apparel contracts - it cannot allow big businesses to dictate the values associated with the University brand. To fight against unfair labor practices and enforce the University's Vendor Code of Conduct, the administration's first plan of action should be to hold itself account- able for its poor contractual choices. By having the Board of Regents, rather than the University Athletic Department, review large merchandising contracts like the eight-year, $60 million deal with Adidas that was negotiated this summer, there would be more transparency and public discussion. The whole community could then decide if these contracts, which reflect on the entire University, uphold this institution's values. The University should also commit to have its apparel produced at factories approved by the Designated Suppliers Pro- gram, a program that screens companies for their use of fair-labor practices. Finally, when possible, the University should find a local vendqr to produce its merchan- dise. By keeping apparel contracts local, it would be easier to monitor the company's labor practices as well as contribute to the area's economy. Instead of remaining dormant on anoth- er potential scandal, the University needs to stand up for its morals. If the adminis- tration doesn't take quick and effective action, the Block M will be forever tainted with images of sweatshops, exploitation and racism. i t i l r (i l It's better than drinking alone EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Emad Ansari, Anindya Bhadra, Kevin Bunkley, Ben Caleca, Satyajeet Deshmukh, Milly Dick, Mike Eber, Emmarie Huetteman, Theresa Kennelly, Emily Michels, Arikia Millikan, Kate Peabody, Robert Soave, Imran Syed, Neil Tambe, Matt Trecha, Kate Truesdell, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Van Gilder, Rachel Wagner, Patrick Zabawa. SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU "Sweet Valley High" series cites in her reviews. is still one to be jealous of Thomas Kelly LSA sophomore Please stop going to The Brown Jug. That's right, I'm talking to you. I'm tired of waiting in line behind a group of pink-shirted, col- lar-popping, spiky- haired dudes only to watch them take alla'. the good tables and then leave for Rick's at about 1:20 a.m. It hasn't always beenthisway.When DAVID I turned 21 years old last March, I MEKELBURG was escorted to the ---- Jug to celebrate. I was in alcoholic heaven. Somehow, it seemed like I knew everyone in the bar. The tables were plentiful, the music was great and the drinks were cheaper than I could have imagined. Sometime last -semester, though, this began to change. I started to notice a new contingent of Rick's pre-ganers and a longer line. But one thing about the crowd didn't change: Almost everyone was white. Watching the dynamic of my favor- ite bar change made me realize how homogenous it had been in the first place. I told myself that this was a coincidence. The Jug and Charley's are the two bars nearest to my house, so it's no surprise I go there. I don't know anyone at Touchdown Cafe. Mitch's is filled with grad students. and has a weird office vibe. And I say the same thing about Rick's that everyone else does: I hate it, but I always get dragged there anyway. Those are excuses. I was just lying to myself. The reason that I find myself at the same bars is because that's where I feel most comfortable. In an awkward paradox, this makes me really uncomfortable. I like to think that I care about diversity. I've always sought out new experiences outside my normal comfort zone. I grew up in a suburb of Baltimore, one of the most racially integrated places in the country and I think I under- stand the world a little better for it. And frankly, I just like other people. It's the way I am. One of the biggest reasons I came to the University was its reputation for being diverse. But diversity isn't easy. Everyone says they want it, but nobody is willing to work for it. It's easy to sign up for a committee, go to a meeting or complain about the ban on race- and gender-based affirmative action in Michigan,. but diversity is more than just sittingnext to someone in class who looks different from you. Segregation on this campus exists everywhere, but nowhere does it manifest itself as strongly as it does on the bar scene. Bars aren't just seg- regated along racial lines, but along social and age lines too. Everyone knows the stereotypes: Scorekeepers is filled with students from the Greek system with a strong contingent from the New York/New Jersey area. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I got an e-mail from a friend. Apparently, some asshole posted a racist rant on Craigslist about how black people were invading Scorekeepers. Having gone there just a few days ago, I can assure you that this is not the case. I'll spare you the text of the disgusting tirade, but it showed me how deep the segregation spirit runs. The poster on the website was rac- ist, pure and simple. How many of you have even heard about this? Where's the campus outrage? Maybe people heard about it, but then something really scary happened: They under- stood where the poster was coming from. I'm not saying they agreed with all the racial slurs, but maybe people - all types of people - thought: I wouldn't want my bar invaded with people who aren't like me, either. That scares me. I have no idea how to fix some- thing like this. Perhaps we the people who value diversity could convince some local establishment to throw an "Everyone get the hell together" party every Friday as a comfortable place for those looking to get outside of their own social trappings. Alas, that would still be a safe haven. Here's what I can do - go to.a dif- ferent bar. It may not be easy, and I'll probably have to bring a friend. But Want to promote diversity? Start at your local bar. I'm going to try it out before I gradu- ate. I'm going to go somewhere that isn't my scene. There's something else I can do, too. All this brings me back to what I wrote at the beginning of this column aboutthe pink-shirted kidswith spiky hair who started coming to the Jug. You know what? Ignore that. Come to the Jug, please. You can probably find me there tonight. I don't care who you are, just come and have a good time. And maybe, just maybe, we can take a baby step closer to that great intaf- gible - diversity. David Mekelburg was a Daily fall/ winter associate news editor in 2007. He can be reached at dmek@umich.edu. 0 TO THE DAILY: I recently read Kimberly Chou's review of the book series "Gossip Girl" (Sweet Valley, but better, 01/31/2008). I must take issue with some of her contentions. For one, Chou stated that there is "a whole lot more money being thrown around" in the "Gossip Girl" books than in the "Sweet Val- ley High" novels. It is unlikely, however, that even "Gossip Girl" character Serena van der Woodsen could come from a richer family than Lila Fowler, who stars in the "Sweet Val- ley High" series. Fowler's father is repeatedly described as one of the richest men in South- ern California. In "Sweet Valley High Super Star: Lila's Story," it is established that there is an original Picasso in her living room. In "The Charm School Mystery" (Sweet Valley Twins #64) readers learn that there is also a Faberge egg in her living room. As if these lavish items are not enough, Fowler gets wealthier the summer after graduation when the Italian count, Tisiano, leaves his fortune to her after dying in a Jet Ski explosion. Further, I disagree with Chou's statement that "Sweet Valley High" is a tamer series. "Gossip Girl" characters might have more sex than characters in "Sweet Valley High" novels, but instances of sexual' assault or false allegations of sexual assault in "Sweet Valley High" are more prevalent, includ- ed in at least six books. The "Sweet Valley High" series also deals with homosexuality in "Amy's True Love #75," which was quite daring for a young adult book for 1991. Final- ly, it's hard to call a book series tame when it features multiple murders and kidnappings in at least 28 books. Perhaps in the future Chou will consider becoming more familiar with the books she Graduating to bigger causes TO THE DAILY: I wasgladto seeAaronJohnson'slettertothe editor supporting the administration's efforts to fix the graduation situation (U has done well fixing graduation mistake, 02/05/2008). While I am disappointed that graduation won't be at Michigan Stadium, I am glad that the com- mencement will be on campus. While some considered the situation ridicu- lous and others criticized students for not pro- testing about larger, more important issues, I think this problem did a great deal of good. The forums created for students tovoice their opinions gave me an opportunity to see genu- ine empathy from University administrators and my first chance to speak with them one- on-one. The issue also led administrators to seek student input and fired up the long dor- mant emotions of the student body. In my four years at the University, I'm not sure I've seen passions aroused so strongly. I think these passions can now be directed toward bigger issues, like the upcoming elec- tions, which might satisfy the aforementioned critics. For those critics, it's important to remember to tackle the problems that we know we can change. Students can influence smaller issues, like a commencement ceremony, and larger ones too, like a war or global warming. I echo Johnson's thanks to University administrators. I'm not 100 percent content with the outcome of the commencement loca- tion, but I'm glad to know the University's administration is listening to my thoughts. Catherine Herzog LSA senior JASON MAHAKIAN 4, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. Letters should be less than 300 words and must include the writer's full name and Uni- versity affiliation. All submis- sions become property of the Daily. We do not print anony- mous letters. Send letters to tothedoily@'lmich.edu. A A I ii I,