4 - Friday, September 19, 2008 mMihigan .aily Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com This has been the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. There is no question about it." - Mark Gertler, an economist at New York University, explaining the urgency of the U.S. financial crisis, as reported yesterday by The Wall Street Journal. ANDREW GROSSMAN EDITOR IN CHIEF GARY GRACA EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR GABE NELSON MANAGING EDITOR MAX FABICK I E-MAIL MAX AT FABICKM@UMICH.EDU Unsigned editorials reflect the official position oftthe Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views ofttheir authors. FROM TEDALYr An online upgrade Moving evaluations online saves paper, opens opportunity R educe, reuse, recycle - that's basic, kindergartener envi- ronmentalism. Lately, the University has been pouncing on the first, and most important, part of that mantra by reducing its energy consumption with initiatives like Planet Blue. It seems inevitable then that the University would end up cut- ting out a few more of its not-so-eco-friendly habits. One of those habits is its enormous paper use. So the University is convert- ing course evaluations to an online format. Besides being a great saver of paper, this switch could help make course evaluations a more valuable tool for students. To PAY WAS A Bush',A THEY lDiScsjSSED I:SSUE S AND ViSiTED A(G.O. p Fa R THE D6C. 5v TS'. R T FDEmoaR#Tic W 7y 1THlIK TAW (Too. 0 Defending the five-year plan Traditionally, the University has admin- istered course evaluations on paper at the end of each semester. That process used more than 500,000 paper scantrons and an uncounted amount of supplemental sur- veys. The University has decided to move these surveys online. The evaluations will now be instantaneous, no scanning or man- ual entry of written comments necessary. Welcome to the Internet Age. Moving course evaluations online is an obvious improvement, especially in terms of envi- ronmental friendliness. Filling out a sur- vey on paper has no real advantage over filling out a survey online, and it has the great downfall of unnecessarily using a ton of paper. As many people have noted, though,.the biggest concern about online course eval- uations is participation. Many students already don't give these evaluations much thought - quickly bubbling a row of fours - simply to get the thing done just so they can leave class five minutes earlier. Pro- fessors, who use these surveys to improve their course, are worried that once these surveys go online, people just simply won't fill them out. Or the only participants will be extremely happy and extremely upset students, which defeats the purpose. These concerns about participation are warranted. But instead of using this argument as an excuse not to move these evaluations online, this should become an argument to make the results of these eval- uations better known and more reliable. But first, students need to know that they-are participating in something valu- able. That starts with knowing that the results of these evaluations are readily available. Though students may not know it, these evaluations' results are posted on the Michigan Student Assembly's website as a tool for students to get information before deciding to take a course. Perhaps some of the money that is saved by not using mass quantities of paper can be put toward advertising this great resource. . Equally as important, the information availably here should be reliable. Students use web resources like RateMyProfessors. com voluntarily, so it isn't that there is a lack of desire for resources such as these. One main difference between the course information on MSA's website and other places like RateMyProfessors.com, though, is that MSA's website only has numerical data. None of the written comments are available. Switching to an electronic for- mat might allow for the inclusion of these comments, which was more difficult when they were on paper. In the end, trading paper course evalu- ations for electronic surveys is no doubt a smart move, but the University has to address the possibility of decreased partici- pation. If it takes advantage of the fact that students are always looking for knowledge on the courses they are thinking about tak- ing, then switching to online surveys will make yet another resource more accurate and accessible to everyone. have been having nightmares about audits, concentration release forms, career fairs and G.R.E. test prep books for the past two months. Even though I've finally reached the end of the road, I feel like I've just started to get the hang of this college thing. Now that I've gotten over SHAKIRA the initial nuisances of finding my niche, SMILER I'm ready to actually- enjoy the Univer- sity and all that it has to offer. The only problem is that it's too late. Everyday, students feel pressured to finish their degree in four years, regardless of whether or not they've exhausted all the opportunities and possibilities the University has to offer. With the exception of engineering undergraduates, the' rest of us com- mon liberal arts people are criticized for taking longer than four years to complete our degrees. There is a stig- ma placed on these "super seniors," as if they are less motivated or have less potential for success than their peers. They are stereotyped as being lazy and unfocused. But the truth is that, regardless of how hard we work, most of us don't know what we want to do in our careers. Even people with careers don't always know what they want to do with their careers. Rather than put so much focus on the amountof time it takes for students to graduate, our emphasis should be placed on the quality of students' edu- cation and retention of these students. Chastising people for taking a little longer to graduate causes some to lose motivation and drop out completely. These students should be given more individualized attention that specifi- cally strengthens their weak areas.. Additionally, if students graduate with few applicable skills, what benefit does their four-year diploma or degree serve? Sure, little Timmy might have graduated, but if he can't get a job, his degree is a useless piece of paper. The decrease in available entry-level jobs has made finding employment much more competitive. Employers look for students not only with the best grades, but also.the best internships, jobs, volunteer opportunities and leadership positions. How come the standards and expectations of recent college graduates have changed, but the time allotted to meet all of these expectations has not? Rushing stu- dents to complete their degrees doesn't help create well-rounded individuals; it just burns them out. There may be a handful of omni- scient students who came into the University with an exact plan of action that actually worked. But most of us have switched our majors at least once. Withdrawing, failing or just the inability to find an open seat in required courses can seta student's academic plans back. So what? Con- trary to popular belief, the moon will not explode and destroy mankind as we know it if we spend an extra semes- ter at the University. If the University really values pro- ducing exceptional leaders and intel- lects, it should give more support to students that stay beyond four years, especially financial support. Probably the biggest factor forcing students to graduate in four years is money: The current state of the economy has forced more and more high school and college students to pick up part-time jobs to support themselves and their families. Many grants and private scholarships expire after four years, and some par- ents tell their children that they will only fund four years of their education. The LSA Honors program has taken a good approach by offering the Ken- neth Buckfire Scholarship to students who stay for a fifth year. The scholar- ship is worth up to $20,000. This can help students stretch out their course- work over a five-year period, decreas- Taking five years to graduate doesn't mean you're lazy. ing burnout and allowing them to maximize the opportunities available to them. There are non-traditional students who have families and extenuating circumstances that prevent them from graduatinginfouryears,buttraditional students should look into extendingthe shelf life of their undergraduate career as well. The University has so much to offer, includingstudy abroad programs and unique courses in many colleges and departments that people don't take advantage of because of time con- straints. By scratching the mentality that all students have to complete their undergraduate degree in four years or less, we allowourselves totrulyexperi- ence the Michigan Difference. Shakira Smiler can be reached at stsmileroumich.edu. EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Harun Buljina, Emmarie Huetteman, Emily Michels, Kate Peabody, Robert Soave, Imran Syed CHRIS HAUGHEE|VIEWPOINT D should trust students KEVIN BUNKLEY | VIW0NT The green revolution starts with 'U' It seems like every year at this time the Daily feels compelled to publish an article critical of the recruitment efforts of fraternities and soror- ities. The articles raise a number of legitimate issues, but the central theme is that recruitment should be held later in the year. The editorial Monday continued this tradition (Feeling less rushed, 09/15/2008). I believe the Daily's articles display a lack of faith and trust in our students. Michigan students are asked to make many choices. They've chosen the University, a major course of study and a class schedule. Much of welcome week and Orientation is designed to help them choose amongthe many options avail- able at the University to get involved. Whether it is Dance Marathon, Best Buddies, Relay for Life, Hispanic and Latino Business Students Organization, K-Grams, Students Against Can- cer or the Indian American Student Associa- tion, our students are encouraged to engage in student life and activities and become part of our community. Why should the decision about whether to join a sorority or fraternity be restricted or lim- ited? Are students unable to decide for them- selves whether the benefits of Greek life are right for them? Why is this decision different from choosing to join other student organiza- tions? Must we shelter or protect students from certain decisions? No one is forced to go through recruitment or join a chapter. About 15 percent of students join a fraternity or sorority, so clear- ly, many students choose other options. Some choose to join a fraternity or sorority after their first semester. Deferring recruitment to the win- ter semester only means one new member class per year, limiting students' options. The goal is to create more options, not less. The editorial cited the stress and anxiety of rushing during the first few weeks of the fall semester while freshmen are settling in as one of the main reasons to delay recruitment. What is overlooked is that delaying recruitment sim- ply prolongs the "informal" recruitment pro- cess, adding to stress and anxiety. Such a delay in recruitment couldnegatively impact academ- ic performance, one of the concerns expressed in the editorial. According to a study of Uni- versity of Michigan students conducted by the Gamma Sigma Alpha National Greek Academic Honor Society, students who join a fraternity or sorority during their first semester actually performed better academically than students who didn't join. One explanation for this could be the support and encouragement that is pro- vided by chapters to its members, especially new members. The Daily also seemed concerned that some students will make a decision they will later regret. While unfortunate, why is that a reason to restrict all students from making their own . choice? We all make decisions that we regret (choice of university; choice of partner; choice of major or career; choice of what to eat, what to wear, where to go, etc.). Hopefully, we learn from that experience and become a little wiser. .There is no way to predict whether our choices will be good or bad. Timing does not guarantee success. But what about those students who feel ready to choose Greek Life? Why should we limit their ability to make a good decision for themselves? Fraternities and sororities help new members get acclimated and feel comfortable at our large, de-centralized university. Most members of sororities and fraternities feel their decision to join was one of the best decisions of their lives. Several recent studies have found that students who join a fraternity or sorority are more likely to stay in school, be more involved in co-curricular activities, graduate and have a closer connection with their university than those who don't. That is precisely the goal the University has for all its students - engagement with their community. Greek Life isn't perfect, and it isn't for every- one. But it is right for some, and the decision, including the timing, should be left up to each student. The Daily should have more faith and trust in our students., Chris Haughee is the assistant director of the Office of Greek Life. As I sat in my idling SUV waiting in traffic to exit East- ern Michigan University's Convocation Center Wednesday, I took note of the types of cars around me. At least half the cars I counted in this traffic jam were fellow SUVs. When I finally got out of traffic and a mile down the road, I drove by a gas station with its looming neon green sign display- ing $4.19 gasoline. Sitting in traffic reminded me: Thomas Friedman is so right. The New York Times columnist and author of the new book, "Hot, Flat, and Crowded" addressed the Washtenaw Economic Club Wednesday, making the case - a plea really - for the United States finally do something about its short- comings in the search for alternative energy. In short, Friedman's claim is that the world is hotter, flatter and more crowded, of which all three conditions will make alternative energy a more valuable resource. The planet's temperature has risen 0.8 degrees above the levels recordedbefore the Industrial Revolution because of carbon dioxide emissions, and will become dangerously hot in the next 100 years. Combine that with the following two facts: The United Nations estimates that by 2053 the world's pop- ulation will reach 9 billion, and all of those people will have access to the global economy, requiring a lot of energy for everyone's iPods, cars and better standards of living. After Friedman laid out his vision of the emerging world, he asked one simple question: Why shouldn't the United States take the lead on solving these problems? Why shouldn't the United States take ownership of these con- cerns and led the green energy technology revolution, the successor to the information technology revolution earlier this decade? As Friedman said, "If you name an issue, you own it." The United States used to enjoy being the best at every- thing. But around 2001, it only wanted to be the best at fighting terrorism. The underlying government-sponsored innovation that propelled the United States ahead of the Soviet Union duringthe Cold War is gone. But what our gov- ernment forgets is that we're competing with China, Russia, India, Japan and Latin America in this new fight to lead the green revolution. Luckily, with the challenge identified, the answers aren't far behind. In this case, there are two parties that need to step up: our government and our universities. Although people began filing out of the lecture when Freidman started explaining the economics behind his argument, he offered a simple explanation: America can't expect to own the rights to the energy technology revolu- tion if it can't even scale its prices. And the Bush adminis- tration is responsible for this gap. Bush claims to believe in the market, as he says every time the stock market dips. But where on our markets is there affordable commodities like solar cells, wind turbines and electric car batteries? Government is the enabler of competition when it re-for- mats the market to handle a new industry, justas it did when it re-formatted regulations on e-commerce before the dot com boom. This is no different: Encouraging research and development of technology that's green doesn't start with an end-product. It doesn't start with Republicans shout- ing, "Drill, baby, drill!" at their convention. It starts with a market that can handle 20 different producers of a bittery as opposed to one foreign producer. . Our universities are essential to making this happen. University President Mary Sue Coleman said at the close of Friedman's speech that if the state invested in education, students would come up with the next great green tech- nology, using their creativity to "Invent, baby, invent!" The two-year old University Research Corridor- made up of the University of Michigan, Wayne State University and Michi- gan State University - could be working so much more intensely on this issue, if it only had the necessary fund- ing to do so. More students would be getting engineering degrees if Gov. Jennifer Granholm would simply say, "OK, if you want to get a science degree, the state will pay for it." Our university can make this our issue, and with some help can do what so many have not wanted to do: lead. I hope every person leaving the arena was thinking about how to do that as they hopped into their SUVs and sat in that same traffic jam that made me remember just how right Tom Friedman is, and how wrong our government has been. Kevin Bunkley is a University alum. KEVIN DEKIMPE E-MAIL KEVIN AT DEKEVIN@UMICH.EDU. " EcCain's ya Wo havslsmaIiilp L .Iisyear LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. 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