4 - Tuesday, February 10, 2009 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu GARY GRACA ROBERT SOAVE COURTNEY RATKOWIAK EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR 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. Beyond the spectrum Tolerant campus community essential for LGBT students Coming out in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgen- der community can be a difficult undertaking, but stu- dents now have a new tool to help navigate through the process. The University's Spectrum Center, which handles LGBT affairs, recently announced the creation of a new student pro- gram called Guidance, Perspective and Support. The GPS pro- gram was launched a couple weeks ago and will provide students with a more flexible support network for dealing with all the issues that can arise when coming out. This new addition to'the Spectrum Center's services sends a strong message of encour- agement to individuals who might otherwise not have enough support to come out. The Spectrum Center's efforts should be complemented by a student community that shows support and respect for students who come out. Politics can't be any dirtier of a job than the one I am already in." - Stormy Daniels, adult film star, commenting on her plans to challenge Sen. David Vitter (R - La.) for his U.S. Senate seat, as reported yesterday by CNN. ELAINE MORTON I E-MAIL ELAINE AT EMORT@UMICH.EDU. 0 te'why rare 14 1heia'ivriywe requaired hIat t o sadprrMsot toprint ShOtxildV'+ be 'tste~Avi.1Yi, extces~iveIf sdacero rlIa 'o.,nIormot ta$ v~e~r cotsrsepiackS? An ordinary day forMSA Through the GPS program, LGBT stu- dents can now receive mentorship ina more flexible environment. GPS pairs up stu- dents with other students who have already come out - these mentors understand the complex situations faced when it comes to sexual identity. The program's coordina- tors in the program match these mentors with students who have similar back- grounds and identities, helping to create a supportive environment for those looking to join the LGBT community. Unlike other support programs that typically meet on a weekly basis, this new program allows stu- dents to plan meetings anytime during the school year. The GPS program also allows students to meet with mentors at locations outside of the Spectrum Center so they can more easily maintain their privacy. And the Spectrum Center is the best equipped campus organization to fill this need. As an organization that serves the LGBT community by providing compan- ionship, comfort and advocating social justice, the Spectrum Center is most able to help students dealing with these issues of their sexuality and gender identity. The Center offers a multitude of services and support resources in addition to the GPS program, like the popular National Coming Out Week. And it also ensures that weekly support services are available to students who wish to take part in them. The GPS program was created to supple- ment the existing mentorship programs on campus, and it fills an important need. It's important for individuals struggling with their sexual or gender identity to be wel- comed in the campus community. And it is equally important that individuals know that they will be supported as they come out to their friends and family. But the success of such efforts still rests upon the entire campus population. Stu- dents must work to make the University atmosphere one of acceptance and toler- ance for LGBT individuals. This includes putting an endto discrimination,homopho- bia and other backward attitudes that can make being part of the LGBT community a difficult experience. It's up to everyone to ensure that campus is a welcoming environment for individu- als of all sexual and gender identities - and that when these individuals come out, they are greeted with approval and acceptance. M eeting Minutes of the Michi- PRESIDENT: Ugh, cheesesteaks. gan Student Assembly for DARRYL: Excuse me? Feb.10, 2009: VICE PRESIDENT: Hi, Darryl. So I. Call to Order. how is this relevant to other students? 7:42 p.m. Why should we care about this? II. Roll Call. DARRYL: Well, I was getting to 8:16 p.m. (Four that. Plenty of students have cele- members absent; " brated Groundhog Day all their lives. one chair missing). It's a memorable and fun experience Ill. Approval of which traces back to the 18th centu- Agenda. ry, possibly even before that. So why 9:34 p.m. should the custom receive such little PRESIDENT: I WILL publicity at the University? move that we draft WANDA (Provost): Okay, but what an agenda and GRUNDLER do you propose to do? And what does then, after doing "provost" mean? so, approve it. PRESIDENT: I believe when you VICE PRESIDENT: Objection. I "provost" a person, you essentially motion we use the agenda we pre- anger them. So it's an adjective. viously drafted (motions to piece of DARRYL: I'm glad you brought paper onfloor). that up. I was thinking the Univer- PRESIDENT: Oh, there it is. (Bends sity could hold a Groundhog Day cel- down) Does everyone approve it? All ebration every Feb. 2, perhaps on the right, let's move on. Diag. Mary Sue Coleman would bring IV. Approval of Previous Minutes. the groundhog out of a cage and see RECORDER: Last week's meeting if he goes back in or not, and there lasted 8 hours and 23 minutes. would be fundraising and games and PRESIDENT: Everyone cool with all sorts of things. that? Okay. Hey - two for two! RICK (Alum/football fan, Audi- V. Guest Speaker. ence member): There won't be any DARRYL* (Guest Speaker): Let me GROUNDHOGS on a WOLVERINE start by thanking all of you at MSA campus! Go Blue!! for your interest in what I have to say PRESIDENT: Hey! You over there! tonight. I'll get right to the point: Last When I say, "Go," you say - Monday, as most of you know, was DARRYL: Come on, cut it out! I'm Groundhog Day. serious. PRESIDENT: Um, what? JACKSON (Security Advisor): DARRYL: It was last Monday. Look, son, I sympathize with you, I PRESIDENT: Harold, did he say really do. But we're not going to allow Groundhog Day? a groundhog anywhere NEAR Mary VICE PRESIDENT: Let me check. Sue. It's just not safe: Not to mention, Elaine, can you confirm that? * how could she demonstrate "diver- RECORDER: Yes he did. It sity" if she was holding an oversized occurred last Monday. rodent? PRESIDENT: I see. Harold, why is PRESIDENT: Can't argue with this on the agenda? that.Say,shouldn't this stufffallunder VICE PRESIDENT: Darryl was a new Roman numeral? Elaine? the only guest speaker applicant this RECORDER: Yes. week. VI. Concerns. PRESIDENT: Ah. Well, did he see GERTRUDE (PETA Activist/Vege- his shadow? . table violator): Has anyone considered VICE PRESIDENT: Who? Darryl? the trauma inflicted on these poor DARRYL: Er - well, if I could con- creatures? They're taken from their tinue with my proposal. As I was say- homes and forced to be part of a sick ing, last Mondaywas GroundhogDay, ritual they cannot understand. And but it didn't really feel like it on cam- for what? This is Michigan. There's pus. I mean, there were no posters, always six more weeks of winter. no one handing out flyers, no celebra- VICE PRESIDENT: I'm going to tions, no nothing. Now, I come from have to disagree with most of the con- Pennsylvania and - cerns expressed thus far. As many of you know, the groundhog is related to the squirrel in terms of evolutionary history. Now, as a proud member of the Squirrel Club, I think it would be an excellent idea if we showcased - PRESIDENT: You're a member of the Squirrel Club? The assembly that , won't recognize Groundhog Day. VICE PRESIDENT: Um, yeah. Anyway, I think - PRESIDENT: I motion the Vice President resigns. VICE PRESIDENT: Hey! DARRYL: Stop it! All of you! What are you going to do about my idea? PRESIDENT:. Chill, Punxsutaw- ney Phill Clearly myself aid Bushy Tail over here - VICE PRESIDENT: You say one more word - PRESIDENT:Andyou'llnibbleme? As I was saying, there seem to be ide- ological differences between the Vice President and myself and they should be resolved before we continue. VICE PRESIDENT:.Why don't we form two different parties? DARRYL: If things will start to change around here, I'm all for it. PRESIDENT: Sounds fine to me. Everyone approve? Hey, great! But whatshould the other party be called? Well, we'll get to it later. Anyway. Ho- hum .... Hey, why don't we just show a film that promotes GroundhogDay? That way, everyone's happy, right? VICE PRESIDENT: Oh, how about Groundhog Day, the one with Bill Murray! Darryl, is that okay? DARRYL: I'm leaving. PRESIDENT: Well, I guess that's that. Time? RECORDER: The time is 3:30 a.m. PRESIDENT: All right! Faster than last week. VII. Adjourn. *All names have been changed for privacy. - Will Grundler can be reached at sailgull@umich.edu. 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. Letters are edited for style, length, clarity and accuracy. All submissions become property of the Daily. We do not print anonymous letters. Send letters to tothedoily@umich.edu. LAURA VEITHI Paving for internships ._5 After the Internship Fair rolled through the University a few weeks ago, it seems that every student is in "job search frenzy" mode, pursu- ing that perfect internship for the upcoming summer. But with keen competition and strict requirements to obtain these increasingly elite positions, it's becoming almost impossible for many students to get them: Of course, you could turn your luck around by following the new internship trend: buying them. According to "Do You Want an Internship? It'll Cost You?" a Jan. 28 article published in The Wall Street Journal, more and more par- 1ents are.paying for guaranteed internships for their kids. One internship company, Univer- sity of Dreams, will charge a family between $5,000 to $9,500 for placement in an eight- week internship in fields like sports marketing and public relations. Other organizations, like Brill Street & Co., will place a student in a paid internship position in return for a percentage of the student's paycheck. If that isn't shock- ing enough, another company, Charitybuzz. com, allows parents and students to bid online on internships. Wonder how much they go for? Well, they auctioned off a one-week internship at a music production company for $12,000. These examples are just a handful of programs now available to students. What is most troubling about this new prac- tice is the possibility that it will widen the separation between socioeconomic classes. As stated in The Wall Street Journal article, this I method may increase "the divide between the haves and have-nots by giving students from more affluent families an advantage." It may be that only a small portion of the student popula- tion participates in these programs. Neverthe- less, students who come from better economic backgrounds should not have the upperhand when they go out into the job market just because their families were willing and able to pay a large sum for an internship. With the economy in a slump and unemploy- ment rates increasing on a daily basis, it is clear that most families cannot afford this expense. When families are tightening up on expendi- tures, shelling out a large amount of money for a guaranteed internship would most likely be the first luxury to go. If this practice continues, employers will lose students who are extreme- ly qualified but cannot afford the payment. Internships should be based on outstanding credentials and academic success, not whether or not you are economically fortunate. Furthermore, if this method of employment becomes popular and successful for one compa- ny, this could increase the odds that other com- panies will adopt a similar hiring procedure. This would mean that additional students would be ignored because they cannot afford the pro- gram. Besides increasing the gap between socio- economic classes, this practice could harmthese companies because they become dependent upon internship companies to do their work for them. This could reduce the pool of talented individuals working at these firms, because the most capable and deserving candidates won't necessarily be able to apply anymore. Since when do companies insist on being paid for hiring interns? Shouldn't it be the other way around? Economic times are tough, but that shouldn't result in having to pay third- party companies for a job. Instead, expecting interns to work without pay should be enough. Clearly, there are many benefits to an intern- ship, but parents shouldn't have to pay a price for the lessons learned. Laura Veith is an LSA sophomore. SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU. Spending necessary to stimulate week that said alu Hale Bar prior to e in recession that the bar was 1 staying. We heard soon be coming do TO THE DAILY: About a hundr In Sam van Kleef's Letter to the Editor (Federalstimulus give the team the plan will only worsen the economy, 02/04/2009), he claims coaches came out that the laissez-faire capitalism practiced in the Reagan and more friendly Era prevented the 1981-1982 recession from worsening. the trip and show While Reagan did slash funding for social programs, he way down to thei increased spending on defense-industries so much that he and began shakini ran up one of the largest deficits of any president that pre- Beilein came dow ceded him. This led to the economic rise of the Sun Belt fusely thanking ev and also pulled America out of the recession. supporter, I can't Though Reagan claimed to hate government spending was for everybody and deficits, his practices and those of his successor (Bush would write at th Sr.), increased the national debt from $845 billion to $3.6 you go, Go Blue!"' trillion between 1980 and 1992. While I don't agree with how Reagan spent money throughout the 1980s, the bot- Michael Patton tom line is that during hard economic times, spending Alum stimulates the economy. Eric Kumbier Stimulus School ofEducation senior unnecessa Basketball team's appreciation TO THE DAILY: for traveling fans admirable Some items th forgot to mention i umni would try to gather at the Nathan he start of the game. Little did we know ocated in the hotel where the team was rumors that the players and staff would wnstairs to board the bus for the game. ed of us decided to form two lines and eir own "Victor's Walk." The assistant first, and they could not have been nicer . They repeatedly thanked us for making 'ing support. As the players made their lobby, all had big smiles on their faces g everyone's hand. Michigan coach John n and slapped everyone five while pro- veryone for coming. As an alum, fan and tell you what an awesome feeling this y there. I recall what my college adviser e end of each of his e-mails: "Wherever That certainly was the case here. proposal consists of* ry expenditures t Valerie Bieberich and Choonboon Tan n their support ofthe stimulus bill (A look 02/06/2009): $850 million for the never- $600 million to buy cars for government on for FBI salaries and an $87.7 billion no- ailout to states. I suggest a more accurate the Generational Theft Act of 2009. EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Nina Amilineni, Emad Ansar, Emily Barton, Elise Baun, Harun Buljina, Ben Caleca, Satyajeet Deshmukh, Brian Flaherty, Emmarie Huetteman, Emma Jeszke, Sutha Kanagasingam, Shannon Kellman, Edward McPhee, Matthew Shutler, Neil Tambe, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Van Gilder TO THE DAILY: I've decided to share something really exceptional that occurred in Storrs, Conn. on late Saturday afternoon. And no, it didn't even happen at the game. Because we live in New York City, my brother and I thought we would take a trip to Connecticut and show our support for the Michigan men's basketball team. We received an e-mail earlier in the at the stimulus bill, profitable Amtrak, workers, $75 millic strings-attached b name for H.R.1-, Jonathan Slemrod LSA junior