4A - Friday, September 26, 2008 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 4 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu What this looked like to me was a rescue plan for John McCain." - Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn), commenting on what he saw as John McCain's destructive influence on bailout negotiations, as reported yesterday by The Washington Post. 0 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. A failed test Admissions requirements need to acknowledge tests' flaws E ach fall, University President Mary Sue Coleman sings the praises of the newest crop of students at New Student Con- vocation, telling freshmen that they are the University's smartest, most diverse and most talented incoming class "ever." But maybe Coleman should leave average SAT and ACT scores out of next year's speech. A new study shows that standardized testing is an inherently flawed system and urges colleges and universities to make the tests optional or drop them altogether. As an influential institution, the University of Michigan should help set the example by better adjusting its admissions system to acknowledge the prob- lems with standardized testing. MAX FABICK E-MAIL MAX AT FABICKM@UMICH.EDU oDAy IE D.C. SuiTS TEYRouGHT THE CEOs HREA B BLouT RoY. FouND A PAIR of TO THE CAPITOL. HOMELESS WAI STREET CEOs OAM ,/HEYI SEE WHYTEY KEtc.rC 6 Single-issue students According to the year-long study, led by the dean of admissions and financial aid at Harvard University, standardized tests like the SAT and ACT serve more negative than positive purposes. While they strive to be a fair, uniform gauge of ability, they tend to disadvantage students who can't afford expensive test preparation courses and encourage students to train for the test rather than learn. Having examined the report, a commission of influential college admissions officials recently recommended that schools place less emphasis on stan- dardized testing in admissions. This report comes at a time when the test prep industry is raking in billions of dol- lars, profiting from the anxieties of parents and students. And according to this study, these courses work, offering well-prepared students a modest point bump and penal- izing those who can't afford the training. This disproportionately disadvantages poor students who can't afford indepen- dent test prep courses and tend to come from struggling schools that don't prepare their students well for the college admis- sions process. Further, standardized testing encourages students to focus on "gaming" the system, not learning. Caring only about results, stu- dents often prepare better for taking the test than the test's content, studying the most effective pacing methods rather than. the material covered. This defeats the pur- pose of tests like the SAT and ACT, which are supposed to gauge how much students have learned and how prepared they are for college. Many schools like Smith College and Wake Forest University have already made the SAT and ACT an optional part of the, application process, preempting the com- mission's recommendation. Unfortunately, standardized testing is, in many ways, a necessary evil. The need for a standardized admissions component makes eliminating these tests from the equation problematic. Because grades are so easily inflated and high schools differ so greatly in quality, uni- versities still need a way - albeit a flawed one - to gauge the academic capabilities of prospective students. The solution is to change the way uni- versities weigh standardized test scores in the admissions process. Knowing that this system has its flaws, admissions officials need to reflect that by giving less credit to SAT and ACT scores, ensuring that they are assigned an appropriate level of importance - a relatively low one, that is., While shifting the focus away from test scores in the University of Michigan's admissions process could potentially harm its rankings in the U.S. News and World Report, for instance, it's more important that the University reflect its commitment to a fair system. And with a new study to substantiate suspicions about the standard- ized testing system's flaws, the University needs to keep up with progress. Ten p.m. may be an awkward time to be at a campus bar, but it is a ripe time for deep conversations. A few weeks ago I found myself in such a conversation with a close friend about the upcom- ing elections. What I noticed, though, is that a few drinks are just enough to ARI drop political cor- rectness and to say, PARRITZ with deep convic- tion and passion, exactly how you feel. "Ari," my friend said, "You know exactly what this election comes down to for me: Which candidate will let me keep the most money?" Though the answer to my friend's question was perfectly clear in his mind, it wasn't so clear in my own. At our core are we really single-is- sue voters? How can we be so selfish? After some more thought and research, I realized how repulsed I was by this voting style. It is our responsibility as both students and citizens to elect the most holistically outstanding candidate, and not just the candidate who best fattens our wallets. Though not all students share my friend's sentiment, I wonder if those who do have actually looked at the specific tax brackets and the mar- ginal increases (or decreases) of the candidates' policies? If you think John McCain will cut your taxes and Barack Obama will raise them based purely on partisan ideology, you're wrong. According to the Tax Policy Center, a joint project of the Urban Institute and the Brook- ings Institution, any family earn- ing less than $600,000 per year will receive tax cuts if either McCain or Obama is elected. To specifically address my friend's question, let's think about where we, as students, might be after gradua- tion. Right now our economy is bleed- ing, and there are two ways to clean it up: Either with strong, tangible gov- ernment intervention or with Adam Smith's invisible hand. Whichever method works, and ideally one will soon, we still aren't likely to earn more than $600,000 per year after graduation. It looks like my friend was wrong. Now, some students argue that they aren't necessarily voting for themselves; rather, they are vot- ing on ,behalf of their families. And it's true: Families who make more than $600,000 per year will pay sig- nificantly higher taxes under Obama than they would under McCain. It may be the least that a good son or daughter could do to thank their par- ents - especially parents who pay for tuition, food and housing. But is it right? I would venture to say that most, though not all of these par- ents are maybe, possibly, (hopefully) thinking about the future of our country as a whole and not just their checkbooks. But even 'wealthy families are struggling because of the current financial and housing crises. For them, voting on behalf of America's welfare is clearly ideal, but it is an impractical solution. I understand that. And I respect that. But sure enough, American citizens have a responsibility to help the incoming administration restore America's prowess in diplomacy, finance and many other important arenas. Fund- ing for these goals must come from somewhere, and it probably won't come from low-income families. So my friend may have been mis- taken about his financial future rela- tive to this election, but he did have an interesting point about the future. "The beauty of the American Dream," he said, "is that if I make the right decisions, and I enter the right field, and I work harder than my coworkers and even my boss, then I will be rewarded." If Obama wins the presidency and passes his policy to exorbitantly tax the wealthiest 1 percent of Ameri- cans, what does that say about the government's incentive for its citi- zens to earn? Do young minds then withhold patent registrations for brilliant ideas, simply because if they make too much money, it will dispro- portionately go to the government? Or maybe they would even leave the United States and move to a country with more favorable high-income tax laws. That would be disastrous. Why you shouldn't just vote for lower taxes. It'sclear,then,thatthoughObama's tax policy might bolster the economy rightnow, it has little chance forlong- term survival. If the United States destroys its tax system with inequita- ble tax brackets, we shouldn't expect to emerge from our financial crises any time soon. Patience here is cru- cial. We must first solve (and fund) this crisis, and then figure out how to equally share its responsibility. As a first step, let's take the initia- tive in voting for the candidate who willbest restore America's reputation and economy. Whether you vote for McCain, Obama or even Ralph Nader (yikes), make sure you do so for the right reasons. Ari Parritz can be reached at aparritz@umich.edu. EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Harun Buljina, Emmarie Huetteman, Emily Michels, Kate Peabody, Robert Soave, Imran Syed SEND LETTERS TO: TOTH EDAILY@UMICH.EDU Students wrong to treat minister with disrespect TO THE DAILY: When I read Wednesday's paper (Minister draws critical crowd to Diag, 09/24/2008), I was shocked at the.inability of some students to approach Jed Smock in an academic and tol- erant way. In fact, I was embarrassed for our campus. From day one of Orientation, Wolverines are taught that cultural differences are to be accept- ed and that the discussion of controversial top- ics should be respectful and academic in nature. Those students highlighted in Wednesday's arti- cle far from achieved these ideals. Intentionally screaming out the opposite of Smock's ideas to drown him out and prevent others from listen- ing to him is reminiscent of elementary school bullying. Referring to his message'as nothing but a funny joke is not only disrespectful but also an undeveloped argument. . I'm not suggesting that Smock's beliefs are right or wrong. I'm simply saying that students should have handled their disagreements with intelligence and respect. In the end, the real representatives of the University are those briefly mentioned students who stood quietly around Smock, discussing and debating their viewpoints. Jacqueline Zillioux LSA sophomore IDEA's choice to bring Eldad to campus offensive TO THE DAILY: I feel insulted that a student organization at the University would invite a hatemonger like Aryeh Eldad solely because he's a member of the Knesset. I question Israel Initiating Dialogue, Education and Advocacy's commitment to pro- moting a dialogue of peace between Arab and Jewish students when it allows racist comments to be thrown around and then later admits that Eldad had "convincing arguments." How can Eldad, as an Israeli, describe all Arabs as seek- ing sanctity in death? Who made him a scholar on Islam, or Arabic culture for that matter? As an Arab, I believe that the Jews deserve a state, considering all the suffering that they have endured over the years. However, the Pal- estinians should not have to pay the price. Just as President George W. Bush has done in Iraq, the Israeli government has used terrorism as an excuse to bulldoze more than 18,000 Palestinian homes since 1967, according to the Israeli Com- mittee Against House Demolitions, and arrest more than 10,000 Palestinians, according to Israel's Prison Authority. Just look at the facts. According to the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, nearly 5,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces since 2000. Compare that to the roughly 1,000 Israeli civilians and security forces killed by Palestin- ians in the same time. There is no reason to point fingers, because both sides share the blame. I just hope that stu- dents on this campus, as future leaders of the United States, seek solutions to this 60-year- old conflict. I can only look optimistically to the future in the hope that the Middle East can have peace. Ican only ask IDEA to stop inviting speakers who support a war in Iran or a "clash of civilizations" and instead bring speakers who are optimistic about the Middle East as well. Malik Mossa-Basha LSA senior Satellite campuses receive much-deserved attention TO THE DAILY: I was very excited to read the Daily's recent article finally acknowledging the changes tak- ing place on the University's satellite campuses (Enrollment at U-M Flint, Dearborn at all-time high, 09/16/2008). I spend half of my week in Ann Arbor and the other half attending classes in Flint, and Iam always surprised how little talk there is in Ann Arbor about the satellite campuses. I understand that Ann Arbor offers many things that the others don't, but it is also lack- ing in certain disciplines. I am a criminal jus- tice major in Flint, which is not offered here, so I would simply like to remind people that there are other reasons to attend the University's cam- puses in Flint or Dearborn. Overall, I'm just pleased that Flint's large strides made the frontpage of the Daily. In the last year, the campus has been changing quick- ly, and it is certainly noticeable. I see that the newspaper has taken notice, but maybe the Ath- letic Department should do the same and give priority seating at the football games back to the students at the Flint and Dearborn campuses. Andrea Garber University of Michigan-Flint junior 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 University affiliation. All submissions become property of the Daily. We do not print anonymous letters. Send letters to tothedoily@umich.edu. SEHER CHOWHAN|IEWP iN A different kind of discipline a I was only worried about one thing the day before school started. It wasn't the fact that I would be living with someone I didn't know for the first time ever, or that I would have to start making friends all over again or that I didn't know what to expect from college classes. OK, maybe I worried a little bit about these issues. But mainly, my mind was occupied by the fact that I would have to fast for Ramadan during the first month of school. Previously, I had expected the first month would mean settling down and getting my bearings on college life. I wasn't really sure how putting the two together would work out. In preparation for what was to come, I brought food for the morning (Sahoor), dates (the fruit) to break my fast and tea (my anti-drug). I also warned my roommate so she knew what to expect. Though I was fully equipped for the start of Ramadan, nothing could have primed me for the thirst factor. With no air conditioning to save me and the sun beating down during the football games, I was less than enthused. Beyond that, more everyday tasks became a little more difficult. Studying after class became a futile venture, since it was too hard to concentrate. Having a social life was hard to maintain because every activity involved eat- ing. That is not to say that I didn't go out, but it wasn't as often or as fun as I would have liked. Mid-day naps became my new habit. I complained to my brother about this point, and he jokingly told me how his college friends used to sleep all day (through class, mind you) until Iftaar (the evening meal), doing homework only at night. Simi- larly, I was envious of those who went home every week- end because they lived close by. I did eventually figure out a system. One of my hall- mates who lives two doors away from me was also fasting 15 hours each day, so we decided to eat together in the hallway during Sahoor. By joining the Muslim Students' Association I surrounded myself with others who were fasting and going to the Iftaars (yes, free food). For exam- ple, today's 5 a.m. breakfast at Denny's was a highlight of the month. Though I missed fasting at home - having pakoras with chutney and chaat right by my side - this support made all the difference. All these hardships have a more important purpose behind them. During this month, the Angel Gabriel deliv- ered the Quran to Prophet Muhammad. This month is a month to be more spiritual, to be the best person you can be and to practice self-discipline. This is the time to pray for yourself, forgiveness and the future. The purpose of fasting isn't just about abstaining from eating. It is also about refraining from bad and sinful habits. These aspects of Ramadan can be easily ignoreA espe- cially in college. But there are ways to incorporate them. For instance, I brought a Quran to college with me, and I've been tryingto read a few lines some mornings. On my iPod, I have recitations of the Quran by Abdul Rahman Al Sudais and Saud Al Shuraim that I sometimes listen to on my way to class. Even simple acts of kindness, like help- ing someone out, giving charity or forgiving someone, are enough. With Ramadan coming to a close on Oct. 1, perhaps I will be able to actually study during the day and have a little bit more fun in college. I will always keep in mind, though, the importance of religion, self-discipline and the kindness of heart. That is how I started out the year, and that is how I will end it. Seher Chowhan is an LSA freshman. The Daily is looking for smart people with an interest in campus issues and excellent writing skills to be members of its editorial board. 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