4A - Wednesday, September 3, 2008

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

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Edited and managed by students at
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ANDREW GROSSMAN
EDITOR IN CHIEF

GARY GRACA
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR

GABE NELSON
MANAGING EDITOR

Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles
and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
D,
Drunken logic
Coleman needs to step up and sign drinking age petition
Get this: College students drink. Some of them drink even
though they aren't legally allowed to drink. Unfortunately,
others binge drink. It's a problem. But it's also something
that has only been made worse by our country's absurd requirement
that you be 21 years old to buy alcohol - a policy that has driven
excessive drinking underground. Now, after 24 years of this failed
policy, a group of 129 college presidents and chancellors have gotten
together to ask the federal government to reconsider. Not surpris-
ingly, University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman is absent
from that list. But she shouldn't be.

kK
The governor will not determine whether the
mayor has committed a crime. The sole issue
before her is removal."
-John Wernet, an attorney for Gov. Jennifer Granholm's office, arguing before the Michigan
Court of Appeals that the governor's removal hearing for Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick
should proceed. The court ruled in his favor, and the hearing is scheduled today at 9 a.m.
Almost homeless,
f you're like me, you spent some late July, international students plan- tion for many universities to overlook
portion of the past two weeks ningto live in the dorms this fall could policies like this one. When I spoke
"homeless." When my lease pay just $27 a night to stay in Betsey with a manager in the housing depart-
ended at noon on Barbour until move-in. Other dorm- ment at Michigan State University,
Aug.20, I was faced bound students wgling to pay $50 a he told me that MSU also has early
with up to nine day could apply to move in a few days move-in policies for students living
days of homeless- early. Considering my roommate paid in the dorms but no accommodations
ness before the almost $100 on top of a full month's for their off-campus peers. He was of
start of my next rent just to tack an extra 24 hours on the opinion that if you opt out of cam-
lease and nowhere our lease, that's quite a bargain. pus housing, you're on your own.
to store my copious Furthermore, the University also I'm all for personal responsibil-
amounts of junk. I houses students who participate in ity. However, there should be a point
solicited my (also marching band, members of the foot- at which we acknowledge that some
homeless) friends EMMARIE ball team and even orientation lead- things are tough for anyone in this sit-
for ideas and heard HUETTEMAN ers post-orientation during August, uation of limited means and resourc-
everything from among others. But beyond a consid- es. Students should never feel like
"go home" (not an eration for those who have already they're completely on their own, left
option if you don't enjoy a 750-mile paid into dorm living by check or tal-
commute to work) to "sleep in the ent, the University seems generally
library" (a tactic employed with sur- unconcerned about where students How to avoid
prisingly frequency, apparently). sleep in those last crucial prepara-
Unwilling to spend $40-plus a tory weeks leading up to classes. living in
night on a hotel room and $500 on a With this format already in place your car
moving pod, I opted to move into my for some students, I can't help but n x u m r
friends' subletter-less apartment in think that it wouldn't be that diffi- neXt summer.
the hopes that my apartment would cult for the University to broaden the
become available before that lease scope: Why not open up a dorm for
expired. It didn't, and I ended up the last few weeks before fall semes- to fend for themselves. That's why the
moving into yet another apartment ter starts and allow enrolled students University provides things like the
that wasn't mine before getting my to reserve a room at a nominal fee? health service and even legal services
key. But at least I didn't end up sleep- The University has the resources, for students in conflict with their off-
ing in the UGLi, I guess. so it would seem only natural to make campus landlords. That's why there's
Now, I am a Democrat, so in the them available to those for whom such a thing as campus housing.
midst of all that moving, I started they were intended, those who need Maybe I could have shelled out the
thinking about how "the Man" could them: the students. Based solely on money to store my belongings and put
help me, the little guy. There must be many upperclassmen's aversion to myself up in a hotel, but with one- to
some accommodations for students the dorms, I bet there's little risk of two-months' rent at stake, I reacted
trapped in leasing limbo and gener- overcrowding. And in addition to like a typical college student and
ally without the resources to subsist, going above and beyond expecta- decided to rough it instead. It's hard
let alone comfortably. That was about tions in fulfilling its responsibility to find a couch to sleep on when so
the time I learned about temporary to students and easing their transi- many of your friends are in the same
housing. tion pains, it could even be an extra boat as you. I'm sure the University
It turns out that the University source of revenue, albeit a very small has some couches to spare.
does offer limited opportunities for one. There's not much to lose.
"homeless" students - provided they Granted, a huge part of off-campus Emmarie Huetteman is a senior
are international or possess a signed living is learning personal responsi- editorial page editor. She can be
residence hall contract. Starting in bility, which seems to be the motiva- reached at huetteme@umich.edu.

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Started last year, the Amethyst Initia-
tive - as the petition drive is called - is
taking aim at the 1984 National Minimum
Drinking Age Act. That law effectively
raised the minimum drinking age from
18 to 21 years by penalizing states with a
10-percent cut in federal highway funding
if they didn't set their drinking age at 21
or above. When it comes up for renewal in
the U.S. Congress next year, the 129 signa-
tories on the initiative are asking Congress
to do something it doesn't often do: its job.
They want Congress to truly weigh the
costs and benefits of keeping the drinking
age at 21 and make a decision accordingly.
A debate - that's all the Amethyst Initia-
tive is asking for. It isn't asking Congress to
make the drinking age 18 again. It isn't say-
ing that the current drinking age doesn't
have its benefits, including reduced drunk
driving. It is saying that something isn't
working right now, so let's take a look at it.
Yet many college presidents, includ-
ing our own, haven't joined the Amethyst
Initiative. Undoubtedly, some are worried
that signing will brand their university as
a binge-drinking party school. And cer-
tainly there are some of those schools on
the list. (We're looking at you, Ohio State.)
But there are many more places, like But-
ler University and Oglethorpe University,
where binge drinking hasn't been particu-
larly troublesome.
Why else, then, would some college
presidents shy away from this petition?
Because some want to continue to address

underage drinking with prohibition and
paternalistic education efforts. That's the
University of Michigan's strategy. And for
many students, it works - ask someone
on campus what "Stay in the blue" means,
and that person can probably spew the
University's responsible alcohol use rheto-
ric back at you.
But Coleman is doing University stu-
dents a disservice by pretending that there
aren't other options to explore. Reduc-
ing the minimum drinking age and rais-
ing awareness about alcohol abuse aren't
mutually exclusive strategies. It's not
Coleman's job to protect an antiquated law
from changing social norms. It is her job to
find the best way to protect students - this
might be one way to do that.
Frankly, if the current minimum drink-
ing age is debated on its merits, it will likely
be seen for what it is: illogical and coun-
terproductive. It drives dangerous drink-
ing habits beneath the surface where they
can't be addressed. It discourages underage
drinkers from helping their dangerously
intoxicated friends by threatening minor-
in-possession charges. It assumes that 18-
year-olds, who are responsible enough to
vote and serve inthe military, aren't respon-
sible enough to drink in moderation.
But we need to have that debate first.
And that's why Coleman should take the
advice of the alcohol abuse guide she co-
authored while president of the University
of Iowa: "Be Vocal, Be Visible, Be Vision-
ary." Sign on.

0

College presidents shouldn't
encourage alcohol lawlessness

SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU
Rhetoric like McCardell's reinforces the notion that
you're not doing anything wrong by drinking and that
it's OK to break this one law. But then why not others?
Loweringthe drinking age is a perfectlyfine thingto do,
if also stupid. But the fact that the law is so frequently

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Harun Buljina, Emmarie Huetteman, Emily Michels, Kate Peabody, Robert Soave, lmran Syed
The Daily is looking for smart people with an interest in campus issues
and excellent writing skills to be members of its editorial board.
E-MAIL GARY GRACA AT GRACA@MICHIGANDAILY.COM
FOR MORE INFORMATION
BRANDON CONRADIS
Tallyingthe undecided

TO THE DAILY: broken does not m
In response to the Daily's article yesterday about the
petition to reconsider the drinking age in the United Adam Ajouni
States (Coleman hasn't joined push to return drinkingage LSA senior
to 18, 09/02/2008), I would like to make several points.
First, the article implied that the drinking age in
every state is 21, which is not so. Many states have From a Ut
exceptions permitting alcohol consumption for young-
er people under specific circumstances, like drinking at hospitality+
home and with parents.
Second, the drinking age was lowered below 21 in
many states during the 1970s due in large part to com- TO THE DAILY:
plaints of young people who could be drafted to fight I'm from Salt L
in Vietnam but not legally drink. This was a valid and band and I came
poignant complaint then, with absolutely no relevance Wolverines play t
now. None of the college kids complaining today have to express what a
to worry about being conscripted to fight in Iraq. If they stadium.
did, maybe their argument would be more legitimate. We were warml
In the article, John McCardell, president emeritus of When we walked a
Middlebury College in Vermont, was quoted as asking, thanked us for ma
"Are we truly a nation of lawbreakers or is this just a our picture by the
bad law?" Yes, we are a nation of lawbreakers, and these the game, a few far
university leaders are partly to blame. Normlessness Thank you for 2
and open non-enforcement policies have created an ence. And the rest
environment where kids can choose to break the law Wolverines along'
(by drinking) without havingto worry about being pun-
ished. This is no act of protest. These people just don't Katie Strong
have to worry about the consequences of their actions. Salt Lake City, Utah

ean it's wrong.
e: Thanks for the
at the Big House
ake City, and this weekend, my hus-
with a group of people to watch the
he Utes in the Big House. I'm writing
wonderful experience we had at your
ly welcomed by many Michigan fans.
round before the game, several people
king the trip and even offered to take
Block M in front of the stadium. After
ns congratulated us on a good game.
making our trip such a great experi-
t of the year we'll be cheering for the
with you.

0

Earlier this summer I was walking past
Bivouac on State Street and noticed T-shirts
for both John McCain and Barack Obama in
the display window. Beside them was a chalk-
board keeping tally of how many of each had
been sold - needless to say, Obama shirts
were in the lead.
Obama, in fact, is everywhere inAnnArbor.
As one T-shirt slogan puts it, "Obama is the
new black."
It would be tempting to think this is a not-
so-subtle sign of the direction our country is
heading. Sure, Ann Arbor is blazingly liberal
- everyone knows that - but Obama is prac-
tically a name brand by this point, appearing
on everything from clothes to Rolling Stone
magazine covers. But even if it were McCain's
humorless mug on the covers of all those pop-
culture periodicals, it still wouldn't go far in
measuring the national tolerance for either
candidate.
Because, no matter how much we love to
look at polls or watch politicos give us the dish
on the latest reading of the political climate in
the United States, it's ultimately the people in
the middle of the two prominent warring fac-
tions who matter. Republicans and Democrats
let you know how they feel and who they're
voting for. Meanwhile, the moderates seem to
get lost in the shuffle.
So where are their T-shirts?
While Republican and Democratic strate-
gists duke it out on television, there is still a
good portion of America trying to sort out the
truths from the lies, the guarantees from the
empty promises. Moderate voters are more
thoughtful than most, in that they vote on the
issues they know will directly affect them.
That's why, in an election as explosive as this,
politicians and commentators alike should
look to the middle.
Although those same Republican and Dem-
ocratic strategists ensure the outcome of this
battle will be in their favor, the election con-
tinues to take unpredictable turns.
I mean, what happened? After the spectacle
that was Obama's acceptance speech Thurs-
day, Republicans should have been looking
up from their puddles. But the very next day,

with the announcement that McCain's run-
ning mate would be Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin,
they came out swinging like a rejuvenated
boxer ready for the next round. They upped
the ante, and in doing so they brought this
election to a stand-still.
The simple truth is that the candidates are
in a dead heat. This election - which by all
accounts should be smack dab in the palms
of Democrats, but, amazingly (and somewhat
tellingly), isn't - is one of the most electrify-
ing in years. It's that way not only because so
much is at stake, but also because, either way,
history will be made - and it's notyet clear on
which side.
So we know what Republicans think. And
Lord knows we know what Democrats think.
But what about everyone else? People seem to
assume that you automatically fall into one of
those two camps. But the political process is
more than just whose T-shirt you're wearing.
That's why so much is being said about the
moderates in this election, and why so much
is being made on the part of both parties to
dispel the notions that their opponents' can-
didates are in the center. The Democrats and
Republicans can scream, shout and slap clever
bumper stickers on their cars all they want,
but the choice is in the hands of those myste-
rious people in the middle, the ones who have
not selected their candidate T-shirt yet. Near-
ly 40 years ago, Richard Nixon branded these
people the "silentmajority," and that label still
holds sway.
For me, it's also one of the reasons why this
election is so exciting: because it will remain
unpredictable. I can wear my political T-shirt.
You can wear your political button. But our
country's fate is in the hands of the people
whose opinions are still undercover and
will remain so until they step into the voting
booths in November.
It would be an interesting experiment,
then, for Bivouac to.display an "Undecided" T-
shirt between their McCain and Obama ones.
I think people here would be surprised by just
how many tally marks that would get.
Brandon Conradis is an LSA junior.

NEIL TAMBE
Building leadership and 'teamership'

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When I sing "The Victors" or read
the University's mission statement,
I always think about how we might
be missing the point. Both those
pieces of Michigan rhetoric affirm
the need for leadership, making it
seem like leadership development
is the major focus of the University.
Leadership is obviously important,
but our University is doing us a dis-
service by promoting leadership as
a pancea without fully articulating
the importance of teamwork. Why
isn't teamwork held up right next to
leadership?
Even though the problems faced
by our parents' generation were
complicated, they weren't as chal-
lenging as contemporary issues.
For example, a major venture of the
1960's was the Apollo space pro-
gram. Putting people on the moon
was an unprecedented challenge at
the time. But it was also a challenge
with a clearer beginning, middle and
end. The challenges of yester-year
were easier to think about because
they were more concretely defined.
Today we face problems with
many layers of complexity, like ter-
rorism and epidemics. Solving these
problems requires high-capac-
ity, high-functioning teams to solve.
Individual leaders or groups of indi-
vidual leaders aren't equipped with
the perspectives or problem-solving
capabilities to tackle problems that
don't fit nicely into divisible catego-
ries and pieces. Strong tearms are

entities tailored to complex prob-
lem solving, because they rely on
the expertise of more than one per-
son. Teams can be as complex as the
problems they are trying to tackle;
individual leaders cannot.
In addition to viewing leader-
ship traditionally (as a property that
individuals possess and use), our
institution should emphasize the
importance of adaptive, engaged
and talented teams. Since the Uni-
versity aims to develop citizens that
"challenge the present and enrich
the future" - as written in the mis-
sion statement - helping cultivate
team dynamics is desirable because
it takes teams to improve societal
ills, even though leaders are usually
necessary as well.
The University seems to rec-
ognize this to some degree, if the
continuing effort to expand interdis-
ciplinary research or the creation of
the University Research Corridor is
any indication. The effort to empha-
size team development should also
be adopted in student life initiatives.
But there's more to a team-based
approach than gathering up a bunch
of talented individuals and throwing
them into the fire together. Teams
have internal interactions. Teams
play off one another when they
brainstorm and strategize. Teams
balance the strengths, weakness
and perspectives of their members.
The beauty of teams is that magical
word, "synergy" - when the value

of the whole is greater than the sum
of its parts. At the University, we
should emphasize the great syner-
gizing of teams just as we appreciate
stellar leadership.
In other words, let's make lead-
ership as important as teamership,
because both skills are important to
cultivate.
It makes sense to think of teamer-
ship alongside leadership. Take foot-
ball for example. There are many
measures of individual performance
in football. But determining the out-
come of a football game by compil-
ing quarterback ratings, tackles per
player and 40-yard dash times would
be absurd. It makes more sense to
declare a winner by isolating a met-
ric that accounts for the complexity
of team dynamics: the final score.
We should apply similar thinking to
organizational life - it doesn't make
senseto implicitly declare leadership
as the Holy Grail of competency. We
solve our problems in teams, not as
individuals.
Sure, measures of individual
capacity and developing leadership
are important. But teamwork is at
least as important but not empha-
sized as much. Leadership has long
been paramount on our campus.
Teamership deserves some of the
limelight and resources too.
NeilTambe is an LSA senior
and the vice president of the
Interfraternity Council.
Y