4 - Friday, February 12, 2010
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
E-MAIL ELAINE AT EMORT@UMICH.EDU
Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan since 1890.
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@umich.edu
ELAINE MORTON
V A L E N T I 1 I & S D M j : 1 0 O P N E S_ , G i 5 T \ O N ~t U e
tAD/ Ao~ (ie .chjas ± ? $lL a'nlacc
f u1 s AS
i r b coll
VIVCKS p t~l'
0219C5-0 t3Y \LdD$E100?J
JACOB SMILOVITZ
EDITOR INCHIEF
RACHEL VAN GILDER
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR
MATT AARONSON
MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position ofthe Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles
and illustrations represent solely the views ofttheir authors.
Big man at the Big House
Why Obama is the right choice for commencement speaker
The list of recent University commencement speakers
includes the likes of award-winning journalists Bob
Woodruff in spring 2008 and Christiane Amanpour in
spring 2006, Human Genome Project Director Francis Collins
in winter 2007 and who could forget former President Bill Clin-
ton in spring 2007. But this year's spring commencement speaker
probably couldn't be topped. This year, the field of Michigan Sta-
dium will play host to President Barack Obama as he delivers the
keynote address at spring commencement ceremonies. Obama is
the perfect figure to send University graduates off as they depart
from the University to pursue their careers. Obama's history in
academia and ability to demonstrate the ideals that an institution
of higher learning should embody make him the ideal candidate
to speak at the University's spring commencement.
Bronzed dangers
*I
There are few times I love Ann
Arbor more than when it is
covered with a fresh blanket
of snow. While this
idyllic winter won-
derland entices me
to crawl into bed
with a cup of hot P
chocolate and mini
marshmallows,
others find comfort
in different types
of beds, blanketed
with UV rays: tan- LEAH
ning beds. With
gray skies and a POTKIN
forecast akin to the
arctic, there seems
to be little reprieve
for the so-called "tanorexics" endur-
ing a long Michigan winter.
A good tan makes anyone look a few
pounds thinner and gives that much-
desired glowing appearance (and with
spring break fast approaching, who
wouldn't want that?) But students
should be aware of the risks associated
with tanning beds before seeking one
for warmth and color on a cold Ann
Arbor day and educate themselves on
the pros and cons of indoor tanning.
I understand that college students
regularly engage in other larger-scale
risky activities such as binge drinking,
but this issue should be taken just as
seriously, because its effects can be
just as deadly.
Let's start on a positive note -
everyone looks good with a tan, and
at 20 years old, many of us are more
concerned with physical appearance
than health matters. A little bit of
color makes teeth look whiter, skin
clearer and, let's face it, bodies hotter.
Not toimenftion, tle UV and UVB rays'
simulated by tanning beds trigger the
synthesis of vitamin D in the skin (the
new rage inoanyhealth publications).
But don't be fooled: Many salons
cheat by making use of UVA rays
which, while producing a desirable
color, reduce the potential production
of vitamin D. And let's not forget a tan-
ner's most coveted fallacy - the claim
that the beds provide a valuable base
tan. The logic goes something like
this: I'm going to be in the sun and I
burn easily, so I should get a base tan
so I don't burn, because burning is
worse for me than a tanning bed. That
sounds logical enough, right? Wrong.
According to some studies, the risk
of melanoma, a dangerous skin can-
cer, can increase by about 75 percent
for indoor tanners younger than 30
years old. Most students here fall into
that age group, and with two tanning
salons within a one-mile radius of the
Diag(and manymore in theAnnArbor
area), there's certainly reason for con-
cern. And with papers to review and
contracts to sign before entering the
tanning contraption (bed), newly-
legal college students are prime-aged
candidates. Not to mention that the
salons know how to target students
- we're all suckers for a good deal.
Salons like Big House Tanning offer
free tanning to customers who bring
a guest and money off to students in
the Greek community. Tanners, you
may love how you look now, but when
you're wrinkly and sun-spotted by age
30, you'll be longing to take back those
12- to 15-minute sessions that seemed
so harmless at the time.
The concern surrounding indoor
tanning has even caught the atten-
tion of the political world. It has been
proposed that an indoor-tanning tax
be enacted to discourage the use of
beds and ultimately reduce the num-
ber of cases of skin cancer. Though it's
unlikely this would have much'of an
effect, it's certainly a promising first
step, because a tight budget is always
a concern for students,_ ,
For now, I encourage students to
consider some alternatives to fake
baking, as it is doubtful mere warn-
ings will convince people to forgo
post-class pit stops at Campus Tan.
Yes, that's right - I'm talking spray
tans. While I know everyone fears
the orange palms that are the tell-
tale sign of a bad fake tan, I assure
you not every sunless tanning expe-
rience rivals Ross's spray tan disaster
in "Friends" (though it would be quite
Fake tanning can
have dangerous
health risks.
funny). Salons like Tanfastic even offer
sunless tanning deals during football
season (because if the University can't
beat any other team, we might as well
look better than they do), and the cou-
pon books passed out occasionally on
the Diag (the ones with the dollar-bill
covers) have special Mystic Tan offers.
Airbrush tans are another, though
sometimes pricey, alternative, with
perks such as hand-painted abs and
custom color choice. While these alter-
natives may not provide the so-called
base tan arguably achieved by tanning
beds, they do provide the confidence
associated with a tan body.
So for all the loyal Wolverine tan-
ners out there, the winter will soon be
over, the snow will soon melt and tan-
ning the less-harmful, old-fashioned
way will soon be possible. As for me,
I'll safely enjoy the sun while I can
until then, but once I'm back in Ann
Arbor' afterspring break it's batk'to
my real bed and hot chocolate.
- Leah Potkin can bere chd
at lpotkin@umich.edu.
As reported in the Daily's article yester-
day evening, University President Mary
Sue Coleman announced yesterday that
the keynote speaker at this year's spring
commencement will be President Barack
Obama. Obama is the third sitting U.S.
president to speak at a University com-.
mencement ceremony, following George
H.W. Bush in 1991 and Lyndon B. John-
ston in 1963. On May 1, Obama is slated to
address roughly 3,500 graduating students
and 40,000 family members and friends
in the Big House, according to the Daily
report. Campus response to Coleman's
announcement has been instantaneous
and uproarious.
It's difficult to think of a more appropriate
keynote speaker for the University's com-
mencement ceremony, even if one considers
only Obama's unrivaled ability to encourage
students. Most students will never forget
the rally on the Diag that ensued after the
announcement that Obama had been elect-
ed as the president of the United States in
November 2008. During Obama's campaign
for the White House, his message of hope
and change, along with his infectious cha-
risma, resonated with voters nationwide,
and especially with students. Regardless
of one's political opinions, it's undeniable
that Obama generated more enthusiasm
and excitement among students than any
other political figure in recent memory.
And Obama motivated many students to not
only think, but to act - successfully mobi-
lizing students in an unheard-of movement
and getting them to the polls in force. It's
unlikely that anyone could be better quali-
fied to inspire University graduates to take
action to respond to the problems they see
in society.
Obama's charisma aside, he also demon-
strates a strong commitment to the values
that the University shares. Intellectually
tenacious, committed to public service and
a beacon of multiculturalism, Obama pos-
sesses leadership qualities that graduates
should emulate.
Obama's biography and life experienc-
es allow him to speak with authority to a
wide range of people as diverse as the Uni-
versity's 2010 graduating class. Obama,
who made history when he was elected the
nation's first black president, has lived a
life that provides him with the perspective
and experience to speak with authority to
students from traditionally marginalized
groups and less privileged backgrounds.
His multiracial heritage and childhood in
a single-parent family are perhaps more
relevant to many students than the privi-
leged backgrounds that often accompany
distinguished leaders.
And though the prestige of being a sit-
ting president is overwhelming, it's impor-
tant to remember that Obama is also a
distinguished academic. He graduated
from Columbia University with a bach-
elor's degree in political science before
attending Harvard Law School, where he
served as president of the Harvard Law
"Review. He later held positions at the Uni-
versity of Chicago Law School, one of the
most intellectually rigorous law schools in
the country, first as a fellow and then as.a
professor. His demonstrated commitment
to knowledge and intellectual courage
make him uniquely qualified to address the
University's graduating class.
Obama is the right person to speak to
students who intend to lead in thought
and action. The University has a history
of producing leaders in a wide range of
fields, from former President Gerald Ford
to great American playwright Arthur Mill-
er to the entire crew of astronauts of the
Apollo 15 mission. This kind of leadership
could hardly be better exemplified than
in Obama. As a community organizer in
Chicago's South Side, Obama applied his
mind to the challenges facing the area. He
carried his commitment to his values into
the Illinois legislature and the U.S. Senate.
Now, he represents the United States in
confronting major global conflicts. There
is no leader better qualified to provide stu-
dents with advice on leadership.
The University's 2010 graduates face
daunting challenges as they enter the job
market, considering the crippling economic
climate. But Obama's career success makes
him the perfect speaker for this group
of students. As an academic, community
activist and successful politician, he can
provide University graduates with valuable
insight on leadership in the real world. The
University could have faired no better in
the commencement speaker.
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.
ALEX HARTLEY|
Makingedc n costs fair for all
*I
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Nina Amilineni, Emad Ansari, Jordan Birnholtz, William Butler, Nicholas Clift, Michelle DeWitt,
Brian Flaherty, Jeremy Levy, Erika Mayer, Edward McPhee, Emily Orley, Harsha Panduranga, Alex
Schiff, Asa Smith, Brittany Smith, Robert Soave, Radhika Upadhyaya, Laura Veith
SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU
There have been many suggestions for what the Uni-
versity should do to counter shrinking state support.
The University must strike a delicate balance between
remaining competitive with its peers and making sure
it serves the people it is supposed to serve. I believe that.
Michigan should take as its financial model... itself. More
specifically, it should look at its graduate and professional
schools. It should adopt the tuition model of the gradu-
ate school for the undergraduate program, in which the
difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition is not
nearly as disparate as the undergraduate tuition model.
If tuition for in-state students were increased to $23,000
from the current $11,659 (for lower division students) and
out-of-state tuition were decreased from $34,937 (for lower
division students) to $29,000, tuition revenue would actu-
ally increase dramatically. Out-of-state students pay one
and a half times the actual cost of their education, thus sub-
sidizing in-state students, who underpay their costs. But
there are more in-state than out-of-state students attending
the University, so out-of state-students don't pay enough to
offset the cost difference.
The idea of lower in-state tuition comes fromthe state's
assumption that residents pay enough taxes to cover the
difference in cost. But if this was ever true, it certainly
isn't any longer. If both sets of students were roughly cov-
ering the costs of their education, tuition revenue would
increase dramatically.
An argument that could be made against this proposal
is that it would price out in-state students, who tend to
not be as wealthy as their out-of-state counterparts, or
.give the wealthier in-state students incentive to go else-
where. However, the University recently adopted a plan
to meet the full demonstrated need of in-state students,
so no matter what the tuition is, in-state students will pay
only what they can afford. The in-state tuition increase
would affect only those who can afford to pay more. And
tuition for in-state students would still be much less than
what it is at any comparable private school. For example,
Northwestern charges approximately $38,000 a year in
tuition, and Stanford charges approximately $37,000.
Currently, the University receives about two-thirds
of its operating costs from tuition, so if it could increase
its tuition revenue, it could also increase the amount of
money it has to give out in aid. Right now, lower division
LSA out-of-state undergrads pay about $34,000 a year,
and in-state pay lower division undergrads pay about
$11,000 a year. Taking that as the average tuition, with
about 9,000 out-of-state students and 17,000 in-state stu-
dents max., tuition money is roughly $493 million. Under
this new plan, all other things being equal, tuition rev-
enue would jump to $598 million. To put that into per-
spective, with the money the school would make from
implementing this plan, it would have enough money to
pay the entire tuition of over 6,000 in-state students and
still break even. While only some of this money would be
used for financial aid, the rest could be used to make up
the money that the state is thinking of cutting from our
budget.
If both sets of students paid roughly the full cost of
their education, there also wouldn't be tension between
in-state students and out-of-state students. Many out-
of-state students feel uncomfortable about paying three
times the amount for the same education. And they have
much less prospect of financial aid, because most aid
goes to in-state students. In-state students feel that out-
of-state students are much wealthier than them and also
feel odd about paying so much less for the same educa-
tion, knowing that other students are paying much more.
Also, with the state giving less support, the University
may have a tendency to accept higher paying out-of-state
students, which would be bad for in-state students and
could hurt them in terms of acceptance. The University
is trying to cope with falling state support, and one of the
most effective ways it can do that is by accepting higher
paying out-of-state students. However, this isn't fair to
qualified in-state students, who might deserve a spot here
but might not get it because their spot can be filled with a
high-paying out-of-state student. Achieving rough parity
in tuition will largely nullify that issue.
While this proposal may seem radical, and on the sur-
face it might seem to hurt in-state students, in fact it will
help them. While some who can afford to pay more will
pay more, those who can't afford to pay more will receive
more aid. The school will have much more money to give
out in aid and use for operating costs, and any bias toward
accepting high-paying out-of-state students will be miti-
gated, while out-of-state students will actually be paying
less. This is a fair solution for everyone.
Alex Hartley is an LSA freshman.
U.S. Supreme Court ruling
is about freedom of speech
force. Additionally,s
played a role in the fi
misguided governme
consumer greed. A 19
by Steven Holmes poi
TO THE DAILY: of Housing and Urba
Some of the recent letters to the editor regard- Fannie Mae and Frs
ing the Supreme Court ruling on Citizens United number of loans give
v. Federal Election Commission could have used hoping to help low- a:
a bit more thought. buy homes. Many cor
One letter did well in outlining the deleterious of purchasing a house
effect that both unrestricted corporate or union The author goes o
campaign financing and Senatorial dithering can Court's ruling on C
have on the nation (Republicans will likely stall Election Committee,
action on Citizens United v. Federal Election Com- speech can be limit'
mission case, 02/10/2010). However, the author it induces a violent:
failed to connect these phenomena to the core provides is an acut
issue in the case - free speech. The Supreme there is a direct chaf
Court didn't rule on whether or not the effects of ing "fire" to people g
corporate political actions are good or bad; they Additionally, no one
ruled that free speech is a right extended to cor- the trampling. On th
porations, with the implication that campaign corporate campaign
contributions are a form of free speech, a direct manner wou
Another letter starts by portraying corpora- more, unlike his exa
tions as evil entities that attack "our" financial is likely to be benefi
markets (Supreme Court gives special interest ety or the economy,
groups undue power, 02/11/2010). For the most financing unequivoc:
part, corporations created and sustained the
financial markets that fund our economy, so it's Matthew Brunner
dishonest to portray them solely as a destructive Staff
although corporate greed
nancial collapse, so too did
mtal altruism and mundane
999 New York Times article
nts out that the Department
an Development pressured
eddie Mac to increase the
en to subprime borrowers,
nd moderate-income people
nsumers made the mistake
above their means.
an to critique the Supreme
itizens United v. Federal
citing precedent that free
ed, like in cases in which
situation. The example he
te instance of limitation:
in of causality from shout-
getting trampled to death.
derives any benefit from
e other hand, proving that
financing harms society in
ld be impossible. Further-
ample, corporate financing
cial to some parts of soci-
so one cannot label such
ally bad.
The Daily is looking for a diverse group of 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.
,*