01 4A - Thursday, February 4, 2010 . 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 JACOB SMILOVITZ EDITOR IN CHIEF RACHEL VAN GILDER EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR MATT AARONSON MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views ofttheir authors. Counting on students Students have a responsibilty to complete 2010 census With the new decade upon us, it will soon be time for students to take 10 minutes to participate in the U.S. census. The census counts the number of people liv- ing in the country and in each state and is used to determine the amount of federal funding each state will receive. Results from the 2000 census showed that students living in college towns had a lower response rate than any other demographic. But since census forms determine how much federal funding Ann Arbor will be given, student response is vital. When students receive their census forms in March, they should do the city a favor and fill them out. This plan - diversifying our economy, educating our people, protecting them along the way - this is the path forward. - Gov. Jennifer Granholm, speaking in her final State of the State address, as reported yesterday by the Detroit News. CHRIS KOSLOWSKI |A E-MAIL CHRIS AT CSKOSLOW@UMICH.EDU You would eat McDoubles? 1< So the national debt is if we dividedtatup every isn't ttlikecanni b um? almost $10 trillion .American could buy 30,00 Mcoubles-enough food Dude, if they lled me and Yep d for sixteen years. made me into a McDoubsle.t1& o c Q0. , s d eatmuelf;. i. ° e # 0or' 0 * 6 / "0 In with the old, in with the new 0 As reported by the Daily on Monday, the 2000 census showed a low turnout rate for college students. The national average for responses hovered around 67 percent. In contrast, one area of Ann Arbor - com- prised mostly of student housing - had a response rate of 38 percent. To combat this trend among students, the University has taken measures to encourage students to participate in the upcoming 2010 census, which will occur in March. The University plans to launch a video campaign contest in an effort to reach out to students. The videos are meant to clear up any confusion about where to register and increase stu- dent participation. The best video submis- sions will even receive a monetary prize. It's good that the University is working to increase student participation in the census because every individual matters. For every person who doesn't complete the census, the community loses $1,200 in fed- eral funding each year. Because students didn't take the time to fill out the census in 2000, Ann Arbor has been missing out on funding that it could have invested in proj- ects like fixing Ann Arbor's dismal roads and infrastructure. Students who don't complete the forms are doing Ann Arbor a disservice. Some students' confusion regarding census rules is understandable. Students aren't permanent city residents and may think they should be counted in their home town. But the census should be filled out where individuals are living the majority of the year as of April 1. So for students who attend the University eight months out of the year, Ann Arbor is the place to register. Even students who aren't U.S. citizens must still fill out the census form. And don't worry about obtaining a census form - they are delivered to every resi- dence in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. It would be helpful if the Census Bureau made the survey available online. The bureau's website claims that Internet forms will be available in the future, but won't be offered this cycle. On top of being more user-friendly, the online forms would be more environmentally-friendly. The bureau should make online forms available for the 2020 census. For now, students will have to cope with filling out the forms the old-fashioned way in hardcopy and returning them via snail mail. Filling out the census only takes about 10 minutes - most people will only have to answer 10 questions - so there's no excuse for not doing it. It's up to students to get Ann Arbor proper funding. So get your pens ready. The night before I left home for my first year of college, Ihad heart-to-heart with a lifelong friend at our favor- ite coffeeshop. Within hours, we would be embark- ing on journeys to separate schools, putting 600 miles between us. And that night, in addi- tion to saying our farewells, we MATTHEW mused on our anx-G ieties about going GREEN to college, fitting in and meeting people in our new environments. She was leavingsoon for New York, where she would be attending school with only one girl whom she already knew. And though she was sure she'd quickly find friends, her story was decidedly more unpredictable than mine. I, in contrast, had made the decision to join 40 or so other kids from my high school en route to Ann Arbor. That number included many of my closest friends, in addition to the majority of people from my high school that I didn't detest. I was optimistic and pleased about com- ing to college with a sizeable cush- ion of friends. But as I continue my second year at the University, there have been times when I've envied my friend in New York for going solo, so to speak, after high school. On the one hand, it's rare and delightful that I can hang out with my childhood friends, even in this pseudo-adult stage of my life. Some- times just seeing them casually, even in passing, brings warm memories to my mind. And in the first weeks of school, it was certainly comforting to see a familiar face walking toward me on the Diag. But as time went on, a number of questions arose regarding the new social world I was constructing for myself. I debated the extent to which I should see my old friends, whom I wouldn't otherwise see in classes or my dorm. I wondered if I should try to incorporate my high school friends with those whom I had met in col- lege. And I even considered whether or not I ought to consciously sever ties with certain friends for the sake of "moving on." I framed these questions on terms of what I "should" or "ought to" be doing, using these auxiliary verbs to imply some sort of obligation. Indeed, whether or not I was obligated to maintain my old relationships has ultimately been the key question of my adjustment to college life. And I suppose I'm still not sure I've figured it out completely. If my friends were at other schools and I didn't see them every day, I wouldn't feel bad about it. There would be no superficial imperative to assert my love and affection for them. But on campus, if I didn't see my friends from home on a regular basis, I often felt guilty. Since we were in the same city, I thought, I really had no excuse not to see them. And I'd often get that feeling thatIgetwhen Iwait longer than usual to call my parents. At our school in particular, per- haps as at any large public university, there are presumably many pockets of friends who have continued on togeth- er since high school or even earlier. And this can surely be terrific. For all of my angst over continued high school relationships, I, too, am still very close with a handful of childhood friends in Ann Arbor. But I think people in this position really need to consider their social decisions wisely. I get by with a little help from . my friends. It's important to understand that none of us are duty-bound to main- tain our relationships from high school. Old friends make terrific confidants and will unequivocally support you when you need it. But if the relationship isn't fitting in with the life you've created in college, it's essential to recognize this and figure out the perhaps less central role you'd like them to play. Also realize that no longer seeing your old friends fre- quently does not equate with no lon- ger loving them. It just means you're organically evolving with the ebb and flow of college and not adhering-to the confines of adolescence. I'm still a little jealous of my friend in New York. Not only did she create many new friendships, but she could also reinvent herself completely. Had she wanted, she could've shaved her hair or renamed herself Coco with- out anyone from high school rolling his or her eyes. But since I've gotten past the awkward questions - and gotten rid of the "shoulds" I had been hearing - I've been able to restore balance to my social life. And I know I'm much happier, too, with a perfect blend of old and new in college. - Matthew Green can be reached at greenmat@umich.edu. EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Nina Amilineni, William Butler, Nicholas Clift, Michelle DeWitt, Brian Flaherty, Jeremy Levy,Erika Mayer, Edward McPhee, Emily Orley, Harsha Panduranga, Alex Schiff, Asa Smith, Brittany Smith, Radhika Upadhyaya, Laura Veith LAURA VEITH I Ann Arbor and 'U' Most students have only four years to expe- rience the University and the Ann Arbor com- munity. And although academics are extremely important, students - including myself - need to take a step out of the library and seize all of the opportunities and attractions offered in Ann Arbor. This town provides so many cul- tural, artistic, and dining resources that many students fail to take full advantage of. But in return for student patronage, the city of Ann Arbor needs to put more of an effort into cam- pus promotion of featured city events. It is extremely difficult for students to expe- rience attractions and events if there are limited or even no advisements displayed to students on campus. Though students need to start seizing upon the countless opportunities offered by Ann Arbor, the city must work at promoting events more within the campus community. Take, for instance, Ann Arbor Restaurant Week, an event that included discounted lunch and dinner meals at 28 participating local res- taurants. The event was held Jan. 17 through Jan. 22. One would think a significant event like this would be featured in countless adver- tisements in campus buildings and on the streets enclosing the University area. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The first time I heard about the event was ina Daily arti- cle that ran on Jan. 25, after it was already over (Second Ann Arbor Restaurant Week stimulates local economy, 01/25/10). The event came and went before I had the opportunity to make it down to Main St. With discounted specials at reasonable prices, many students would have loved to take advantage of the offer. But by failing to properly advertise around campus, restaurants downtown lost the business of potential student customers. It's a shame that students and the participating restaurants couldn't both benefit. Similarly, the Michigan Theater failed to suf- ficiently promote on campus the recent view- ing of a Sundance film. The program, entitled Sundance USA, allowed select theaters around the country to view a film typically only avail- able during the Sundance Film Festival. Though the Michigan Theater did do a fair share of advertisement around and within the city, the advertisements were not prominently displayed throughout campus. For instance, the theater rented a billboard on I-94. But I am one of the unlucky students who doesn't have a car and thus am nottravelingdown the highway too frequent- ly. This failure in advertising within University buildings and along campus streets limited stu- dent involvement in the event. The disconnect between the University com- munity and the city businesses needs to change. Students could provide local businesses with a significant amount of patronage if they were informed of special events that would appeal to them, like Restaurant Week and the Sun- dance film at the Michigan Theater. There are 40,000 students on campus that local busi- nesses haven't been targeting - but they should be. Students are a large population that the city hasn't been focusing on that could potentially spend a lot of money at local businesses. Though Ann Arbor hasn't been as severly affected by the recession, it could still benefit from increased student patronage. And students would benefit from increased attendance to local events, too. I came to the University for more than just its academic and athletics - I came for the city of Ann Arbor as well. Ann Arbor is viewed nationwide as one of the best college towns. But I spend most of my time in University buildings and facilities. And despite the occasional meal on State St., I rarely venture out of my home at dinnertime, especial- ly during these harsh Michigan winters. With only a year and a half left here, I hope that the city will increase advertisements on campus, so that I will be able to fully take advantage of all that is offered in Ann Arbor. Laura Veith is a senior editorial page editor. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. Letters should be fewer 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 tothedaily@umich.edu. 0 EMILY ORLEY| Do, ask, do tell Terrorism is not the only topic currently under attack in Iraq and Afghanistan. On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, brought a proposal before Congress to overturn "Don't ask, Don't tell," a much-discussed regula- tion that prohibits gay people from serving in the United States military. The policy, ironically enacted for the bet- terment of the gay community, has afflicted countless men and women, along with their families and troops. We live in a time during which racial or religious dis- crimination is intolerable. And we live in a country that was founded on the ideal of freedom of speech. So howis it acceptable for people to be forced to hide their beliefs or be subjected to such judgmental punishment if they refuse to do so? Former President Bill Clinton used this policy as a scapegoat instead of overturning the ban against gay men and women entirely. And while it was an improvement, it was still a far stretch from the most moral option. Since it was created in 1993, the policy has discharged over 12,000 people, whether they were actually gay or simply suspected to be. U.S. Army Lieutenant Dan Choi, a graduate of the West Point Military Academy, was an Arabic translator specialist for the United States Army before he was dismissed in June 2009. Choi, who was referred to by many members of Con- gress as an "exceptional" soldier, represents a large group of people who are key figures in our military but are punished for telling the truth. Discharging an Arabic translator - a position that is already difficult to fill - is a hazardous deci- sion. Without proficient Arabic speakers, there is inevitable chaos amongst civilians, leaders and soldiers. This past November, ABC News reported that over 52 percent of the population disapproves of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our country is stuck in a commitment that puts thousands of our troops in harms way. The men and women that enlist understand they are knowingly and willingly stepping into potentially dire situations. In circumstances such as these, the military is inno position to turn away anyone willing to fight. And in doing so they are thinning a population that is already too thin. According to a Gallup poll conducted last May, over 69 percent of American adults - including liberals, con- servatives and independents - were in favor of allowing openly gay people in the military. And while some argue that the policy is in place to protect the gay community, whom they believe would face uncontrollable backlash from other soldiers, many military men are standing up against this claim. General Colin Powell, the nation's top military officer in the 1990s and a supporter of the regula- tion under President Clinton, is now speaking out that it should be overturned. In a country as strong and advanced as ours, military authorities should be able to find a way to allow men and women to publicly express their views without retaliation from their peers. Around the globe, there are over 30 coun- tries that currently allow openly gay men and women in their military service, including the United Kingdom - a country that fights with us abroad. This number has in fact increased by about 30 percent in the past three years, with seven more countries lifting the ban since 2007. Congress is in a position to finally bury this topic. There is no fair way to compromise. All people, regard- less of their sexual orientation, are qualified and capable of serving in the military. And in "the land of the free," it's about time we start letting our soldiers live freely. Emily Orley is a senior editorial page editor. The Daily is looking for diverse, passionate, strong student writers to join the Editorial Board. Editorial Board members are responsible for discussing and writing the editorials that appear on the left side of the opinion page. E-MAIL RACHEL VAN GILDER AT RACHELVG@UMICH.EDU FOR MORE INFORMATION.