I 4A -Friday, February 22, 2008 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Edited and managed by students at the University ofMichigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 rarhedaily@umich.edu This sounds like a pointless exercise to me - speculating about reporting that may or may not result in an article." --Bill Keller, The New York Times executive editor, responding to a question about whether the Times would run a story appearing yesterday that hinted to an alleged John McCain scandal, as reported yesterday by The New Republic. Polling for approval I ANDREW GROSSMAN EDITOR IN CHIEF GARY GRACA EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR GABE NELSON MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflectthe oficialpositiun ofthe Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustratiuns represent solely the views ofttheir authors. The Daily's public editor, Paul H. Johnson, acts asthe readers' representative and takes a critical look at coverage and content in every section of the paper. Readers are encouraged to contact the public editor with questions anducomments. He can be reached at publiceditor@umich.edu. Taking out the trash City litter policy flawed, but students are part of problem f you litter, you will pay the price - and a steep one at that. Many students are finding that out the hard way, some of these students undeservingly. While Ann Arbor's current policy of issuing large fines for trash violations aims to keep our neighborhoods clean, the city's policy seemingly targets residents whose only crime is their status as college students. But unfair policy or not, if you are piling trash on your yard like you live in a dump, clean up after yourself - that way no one would have any- thing to complain about. lection day is nearly ayear away and I'm already sick of opinion polls. They're everywhere, all the time. If they're not headlining net- work news, they're scrolling on the crawlerbelow.Every notable news blog seems to be working its requisite politi- cal-analyst-turned- poll interpreter overtime to come ASHLEA up with a profound SURLES conclusion about why public opinion jerked up or down an itty-bitty bit. As Stephen Colbert would say, USA Today looks more like a Denny's placemat than ever as it stretches its artistic lim- its to create exciting new ways to lay out poll results; its pretty-colored pie chart creativity stopping short of going three-dimensional. And while most polls keep it simple by measuring fluctuationsain actual electoral behavior, others are getting innovative and pushing the limits of public fatuity by bizarrely linking things like zodiac signs to voting behavior. Apparently Virgos are back- ing Obama this year. All things con- sidered, predicting voter behavior is a burgeoning industry. And, while I find some solace in knowing that I'm creat- ing jobs in this elusive industry simply by existing, I can't help but wonder what the whole point of it is. It makes sense for candidates and private companies to commission opinion surveys in order to make cam- paigns more efficient, but I'm a little hazy about why poll after poll is mak- ing headlines. It could be lazy report- ing; it's easy to cover a story about a survey result. Then there's the idea that this is important information that needs to be diffused. But today's exten- sive poll coverage has arguably hurt election coverage by making it a horse race focused on numbers rather than issues. Or perhaps these polls are treat- ed as vital information because we, the populace, flock to newsstands and turn up the volume when we hear there's a new poll out. I'm going to go out on a limb and saythat that's probably not it. So that leaves us with the argument that the increasingly powerful (and thus increasingly suspect) news cor- porations have a political agenda. They must therefore make it a point to trum- pet survey results that reveal that what the company wants is what the people want - according to polls. And, in giv- ing Britney Spears-worthy prominence to favorable poll results, one could posit that these establishments are trying to affect our opinion. Thus, it's important that we con- sider the impact that popular opinion may have on us. Being the youngest and least-experienced brood ofvoters, theory alleges that we are perhaps the most tractable voting class, the most vulnerable to the influence of what other people think. Being exposed to the looming wave of popular opinion can have two effects: It can peer pres- sure us into voting with the pack, and it can make us feel as though we might as well make our vote countby betting on the winningmammal - beit donkey or elephant. Although we may not like to admit it, these pressures are unavoid- able human vices that can affect every- one, even us - the headstrong youth of the "me" generation. With popular opinion constant- ly thrown in our faces, it is getting tougher to fight the little voice, or the many voices as the case may be, that argue that Candidate X is "not gonna win anyways." We all have an inher- ent desire to want our vote to count, and so we can be swayed in favor of the one the polls show actually has a shot. Evidence of the impact that this men- tality has had on this season's votes so far can be found in the rhetoric of those who vote for Hillary, proclaiming that Obama is "unelectable," as a young, debatably inexperienced, progressive, black man. Or in those who reason that McCain is too decrepit to take it all the way or Huckabee thumps his Bible a little too hard to be legitimate. These aren't viable reasons to swing one way or the other. We must choose our candidate based on issues rather than electability, whateverthat is. On the other hand, peer pressure can push even the strongest into the pit of poor decisions. Bill Keller, executive editor of The New York Times, basical- ly apologized publiclyto Americans for his part in fatefully allowing his paper to half-ass its investigative coverage of the administration in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and into Beware of the mighty power of the poll the war in Iraq. His decisions after he took over in 2003 accommodated the administration's unfounded headlong dive into the now controversial and indisputably devastating war against terrorism without apparent hitch or hesitation. We are all susceptible to the bandwagon. After all, being one in a crowd can stave off embarrassment, reassure those who waiver and, let's be honest, the majority is often right. We are ayoung, intelligent, effective class ofvoters. But, in an erawhen pub- lic approval is evermore paramount, we must be brave, bold, discerning and steadfast in our convictions in order to stand up for our choices and realize our power. Ashlea Surles can be reached at ajsurles@umich.edu. I I The city's policy, the Clean Communi- ties program, was adopted in 2002 as a way to clean up Ann Arbor, especially the red cups that plague the city like locusts on weekends. Tickets start at $100 and work their way up to as much as $1,000 for repeat offenders. However, in order for the city police to issue garbage violations, it must receive a complaint from a resident about trash on a neighbor's lawn. While grouchy neighbors love the pol- icy, students are feeling the pain. Some students have complained that a few cups have been enough trash to constitute a penalty. Others have bemoaned that they received second or third offense tickets because previous occupants at their house couldn't pick up their trash either. Final- ly, some have just said they would have appreciated a little warning first. These students are exactly right. With its spotty enforcement, the city looks like it's just out to make a quick buck at the expense of students. A fair warning and some consideration for the quick turn- over of tenants are essential to improving the policy. Further, the policy's intent is to clean up the city, so Ann Arbor should put its money where its mouth is. Put the money collected from these trash viola- tions into recycling and environmental education programs. None of this lets students off the hook, though. Students aren't the victims - the environment is. For every student unfairly issued a trash violation, there is probably another student who should be given one. From house parties to recycling, students are shameless consumption machines and responsible for a lot of Ann Arbor's litter. We don't need bitter townies calling the cops on us to coerce us into taking respon- sibility. We should be sensible enough to clean up, our yards after parties before a fine is issued. While the city's action towards students can be unfair, there is no excuse for trash to be on front lawns. This is college: Your parents might still buy your groceries but they aren't here to clean up after your keg- ger. Once students start cleaning up, the city will have no reason - either real or fabricated - to issue fines brought on by frustrated neighbors. I I Boredom's scary side EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Emad Ansari, Harun Buljina, Anindya Bhadra, Kevin Bunkley, Ben Caleca, Satyajeet Deshmukh, Milly Dick, Mike Eber, Emmarie Huetteman, Theresa Kennelly, Emily Michels, Arikia Millikan, Kate Peabody, Robert Soave, lmran Syed, Neil Tambe, Matt Trecha, Kate Truesdell, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Van Gilder, Rachel Wagner, Patrick Zabawa. EMAD ANSARI VIEW N T Exporting -education E tP * Y Globalization has a popular new face - the export of college education. Looking to increase prestige, institutions like New York University and Michigan State University are setting up campuses abroad. At first glance, these outreach programs seem like a great idea, offering local students a cheaper Ameri- can education. Where the problem arises is the extent of these programs' involvement in the local education system. By encouraging Americanuniversities to setup campuses and even financing the move - however grand it might sound - these local governments com- promise the development of their own local education systems. Much like Cornell University's campus in Qatar, NYU's aim is to set up an external cam- pus, and the focus is on the Middle East. Butby doing so, these universities unceremoniously impose themselves upon the local education scene. This imperialist approach seems to be antithetical to the academic values of liberal American institutions. An affiliated campus would provide competition to local universi- ties, limiting and hindering the development of domestic programs, as highly qualified stu- dents opt out of domestic programs in favor of a "superior" American degree. The alternative is to offer courses within local institutions. Thatis part of the approach the University of London has adopted, offer- ing external degree programs with an option of a third-year transfer to any one of its affili- ated institutions in the English capital. These joint programs seem to be the ideal approach - an exchange of professors between the affiliated institutions would help increase both the quality of the local universities and, simultaneously, the prestige of their Ameri- can counterparts. But merely offering certain courses in local universities is not a realistic approach. What attracts students in the Middle East and South Asia, in particular, is the name of the institution on the degree. A foreign degree goes a long way in the recruiting process for jobs, setting the candidate apart from local graduates, and students are even willing to compromise the whole college experience to get that qualification To award a foreign degree to students for just taking foreign university courses at local universities, however, is a problem in itself. Experience aside, students in foreign programs would be paying less for the same qualification that those enrolled in the more expensive American campuses would be paying. The University of London's seemingly supreme model isn't without flaws either. The practice of issuing University of London degrees to students in the external degree programs undermines the value of a local degree by inevitably creating a competition between the two. And the desired transfer of qualified professors isn't happening. So while the students get their coveted British degree, it is the local education system that loses out and fails to develop. For the well-intentioned proposal to suc- ceed, a compromise needs to be reached. Somewhere on the degree, the foreign seal has to be featured if local students are to be attracted. But it is the local universities that have to play the primary role and precipi- tate the much-needed development of local institutions. If, in the future, the University of Michigan looks to broaden its horizons, it needs to address these problems and learn from the mistakes of other universities' pre- vious endeavors. Emad Ansari is an LSA freshman and a member of the Daily's editorial board. fteryears oftoilandhardwork, freedom is finally around the corner. For many students, it's a special time in their lives when their futures are most likely set, and they have the lux- i ury of partying in the waiting room of life: second semes- ter senior year. I realize that only about a quarter of DAVE students are going MEKELBURG through this right now, but it at least happened to all of us in high school. Yet, something doesn't feel quite right. I'm bored. As a huge supporter and lover of freedom, I've always grappled with freedom's doppelganger and arch- nemesis, boredom. But now, seven semesters of endless work, late nights and an unyielding sense of anxiety have given way to nothingness. I find myself getting stressed out about two-page response papers because it's all I have. If you're an underclassman, I know what you're thinking: "Oh no, thispoor kid doesn't have any work to do, how sad." But one day, you'll be here, too. The strange second-semester senior malaise is like the enemy you can't see. Everything should be right in the world, yet something feels a little off. Maybe it's the impending graduation and the heightened sense of a colle- giate expiration date, but I can't quite get comfortable in my new empty life. Perhaps I'm exaggerating a bit. In reality, I've been quite busy. Those late stress-filled nights have been my reality for most of the semester. In fact, I turned in my 10-page midterm an hour ago, before I wrote this, and this column was sent in a day late. Somehow in my head, though, I feel like I've been doing nothing. Maybe it's the people around me. I live with a few guys in the Ross School of Business who have had jobs since last summer, or at least since last semester. I'm not blessed with the comfort of knowing where I'm going to land when the University spits me out in April. But there I am, finding myself going out with them, wonder- ing what to do with my life. My little diatribe here is probably more for my friends than it is for me. One of my friends spent the first eight weeks of the semester doing nothing. He has his job and his big consultant's bonus. He has played a lot of online poker and spent countless hours try- ingto convince metogotothe bar with him six nights a week. I don't feel bad for him. But, watching him condense nine weeks of learning into three days of cramming made me wonder why. He has no need to perform well in class - all he needs is a C-minus in atmospheric science to graduate. Hell, he has a job anyway, so I don't know if he even needs to graduate. The type of people who are blessed with the luxury of absolute freedom now aren't your average slight under- achievers (like myself), they're the superstars. These are the smartest and hardest working - or possibly the luckiest - kids in your classes. This is the first free time they've had in 22 years, and it will probably be the last for another 22. Do you pack it in? Or do you let your overachiever sneak out and get an A in your class? Do you have an obligation to the University - or even yourself - to get the most out of every second of education while you're here? Maybe, unless you think the University's only function is to get you a job. But if you think that, then the University has apparently failed me and the others who don't have jobs or haven't gotten into graduate school yet. At the same time,no faculty member can honestly expect the same commit- mentoutofus students - we're staring oblivion in the face. That is a bit cyni- cal, but let'sbe realistic. I know I'mnot the only person going out, all the time, because when I go out I see a bunch of other kids with future drinking prob- lems. There is no real direction for this part of your life. You could be locked in on the dream job you've worked for your whole life. or you could be wondering if that Borders near your parents' house is still hiring (for the record, I'm pretty sure it is). Wait a second. I think I figured it out. I'm not bored at all. I'm fucking scared. Everyone else is, too. When you hear us complain about having noth- ing to do, we're not actually complain- ing about having nothing to do. We're terrified. Freedom isn't boredom; freedom is chaos. After graduation, I Extra free time + looming future - scared seniors go off into the great unknown, which is just as scary the 100-hour-a-week job into which many of your friends are locked. There's no turning back anymore, there's only going forward. In two months, everyone around me disappears. Iwill be alone, and so will they. You won't matter to me and I won't matter to you because I won't be here. My life will have to go on, and so will yours. You know what? Fuck it. This is the only time I've got here, and I'm going to stop pretending I'm bored. If you need me, I'll be at the bar. David Mekelburg was a Daily fall/ winter associate news editor in 2007. He can be reached at dmek@umich.edu. 4 I 0 Remember who is paying the bill, GEO TO THE DAILY: When I was walking through Angell Hall the other day, gradu- ate student instructors were pass- ing out fliers showing that their stipends covered tuition and living expenses by just more than $700. I simply cannot sympathize with them, especially considering that I pay $20,000 for tuition and living expenses each year as an in-state undergraduate student. I understand that graduate stu- dents require extra benefits that SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU most undergraduates don't need. think about where the money Many undergraduates are on their required for "pay raises" would parents' health care plans. They come from. It could either come are also less likely to have families from the state (that's a joke) or from of their own. In this regard, the tuition increases. I found it par- University must do all that it can ticularly offensive when the Daily's to ensure that GSIs receive basic article on the topic referred to "the childcare and health care benefits. plight of GSIs" because many poor What disturbs me, however, is students cannot afford an under- the Graduate Employees' Organi- graduate degree at all (GEO votes to zation's call for "pay raises." It is postpone deadline for new contract, my understanding that graduate 02/21/2008). As GEO negotiates students who teach one class per a new contract I hope that it can semester get their tuition and living understand and appreciate from expenses covered by the Univer- whose pockets these benefits and sity. That seems like a fair deal to wages come. me, given the value of a University graduate degree. Eric Kumbier This may sound heartless, but School ofEducation 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 submissions become property of the Daily. We do not print anonymous letters. Send letters to tothedaily@umich.edu.