4 - Friday, March 12, 2010 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com E-MAILCHIRISTINAAT CHilSUItaUMICH.EDU Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu CHRISTINA SUH JACOB SMILOVITZ EDITOR IN CHIEF RACHEL VAN GILDER EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR MATT AARONSON MANAGING EDITOR eALL 4AST z /a / ~ * \; 0 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. Show us the syllabi Profs should post course information online early W hile ratemyprofessor.com might not be the most credible source of information about courses and professors at the University, it's usually the only place students can go for information. But recently, the LSA Stu- dent Government passed a resolution requesting that instructors make course syllabi available to students online during regis- tration. This would provide students with a crucial resource to inform their expectations about the classes they sign up for and prepare them to face the semester. Professors should quickly embrace the practice of putting syllabi up early, and the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs - the faculty's lead- ing governing body - should make it official policy. Speak up, pro-choicers On Monday, the Daily reported on LSA- SG's efforts, previously undertaken by the Michigan Student Assembly, to urge University professors to post course syl- labi online at the time of class registration. According to Timothy McKay, director of the LSA Honors Program, most SACUA members are in support of this proposi- tion. But John Lin - the chair of MSA's Academic Affairs Commission and a mem- ber of SACUA's Academic Affairs Advisory Committee - noted that it will likely take a couple of semesters for the resolution to be implemented at the University. Posting syllabi online early would be extremely beneficial to University students who are planning course loads. Course descriptions tend to be vague and fail to provide a complete picture of the course's content, rigor and the time commitment required. Providing syllabiearlywillincrease students' understanding of the courses and allow them to choose ones they know they can manage. Being able to make more informed selections of courses will help stu- dents get the most out of their education by allowing them to focus on their studies and take courses that supplement their concen- tration. And when students enter a class fully prepared for its rigor, they will be less likely to drop the course. This would help stabilize the hectic early-semester lives of University students. The success of similarly modeled initiatives at universities around the coun- try, like Princeton University and Harvard University, shows that making syllabi more accessible can work at the University. Professors should view transparency in their courses as a duty to the students. With a minimal amount of time and effort, they can make progress in improving both student participation and academic per- formance by giving students additional information so they can choose the right courses. Even posting an old copy of a syl- labus if a current version isn't available would provide a more in depth description of what a course offers and entails. Minor changes could always be made to the syl- labus after registration. SACUA could also be a powerful force in advancing this proposal. With encourage- ment from the student body and its rep- resentative parties, it should urge faculty members to commit to its implementation. LSA-SG and MSA have been pushing pro- fessors toward this initiative, but SACUA should follow the LSA-SG resolution with an official policy. Making course syllabi available at the time of registration will allow students to make informed decisions about their course loads and get the most from their education - if SACUA takes action. Last week, just as I had settled into my spring break-induced state of sedation, a New York Times article jolted me into a panic that I thoughtIwouldn't see until finals. The article, 4 entitled "ToaCourt Blacks, Foes of Abortion Make Racial Case," explained that Georgia Right to LIBBY Life, Georgia's larg- est anti-abortion ASHTON organization, is undergoing a cam- paign across the state to attract black people to the anti-abortion movement and reduce the disproportionate number of black women who have abortions. The orga- nization has hired a black woman as their minority outreach staff member, whose responsibilities include trav- eling to black churches and colleges, spreading the message "that abortion is the primary tool in a decades-old conspiracy to kill off blacks." As a part of the campaign to increase support for their organization among the black community, the group has paid for 80 billboards throughout Atlanta that read "Black children are an endangered species," and feature the link to their website. The recruiting tactics of this organi- zation exemplify the absence of ratio- nality - and even morality - from the motivating forces behind the anti- abortion movement. This campaign in Georgia is rooted in a fundamentally religious conviction that a woman's reproductive capacity to bring poten- tial human life to fruition is more sacred than her rights as a person of moral agency to control whether or not she utilizes this capacity. In order to generate enough sup- port to make policy consistent with this religious conviction, anti-abortion activists (who are primarily white) are using to their advantage the excep- tional and inexcusable instances where abortion has been regarded as a means to achieve the racist ideal of a smaller black population. The impact these anti-abortionists have had on Markita Eddy, a Morris Brown College sophomore who was quoted in the Times article as saying she was pro-choice until she watched "Maafa 21"- adocumentary that sup- ports the idea that abortion is a rac- ist conspiracy - has instilled in me a sense of urgency to communicate the truth of the pro-choice argument. Those fighting for the criminaliza- tion of abortion seem tobe much more energized and vocal than those who believe the issue of abortion should stay as it is - a matter of choice. I, as some- one who identifies with the latter group, fear that if we don't begin to engage the opposition, our silence will imply alack of argument or a lack of certainty. The argument is this: the female bio- logical capacity to reproduce does not legally (nor, in my opinion, morally) commit any woman to reproducing. The killing of an innocent person is wrong. However, abortion is not the killing of an innocent person because, although an embryo does mark the beginning of biological human life, it is not yet a person. Mary Anne Warren, a philosopher most noted for her work on the ques- tion of abortion, created a rough list of criteria to determine personhood - or what about "human life" consti- tutes its belonging to the moral com- munity. She said that a person must have at least some of these five crite- ria: consciousness and the capacity to feel pain, reasoning, voluntary activ- ity, the capacity to communicate (in any way) and self-awareness. A fetus, in the first trimester, has none of these. One might argue that a first-trimes- ter fetus would eventually become a person, in the moral sense, if left alone. However, in order to develop, that fetus cannot be left alone - it must receive support and nourishment from the woman carrying it. Until a fetus develops to a point of personhood, it only represents poten- tial - the same potential that exists virtually everywhere and only some- times results in the emergence of a person. Abortion, contraception, and my failure to have sex with every virile man Iencounter are all the same denial of potetntial personhood. A woman is more than her capacity to reproduce. All women, from puberty to meno- pause, have the potential for the devel- opment of personhood. However, our worth and our rights, as people, extend beyond our reproductive function. A woman is more than her uterus and deserves to be regarded by the govern- ment as more. I fear that if supporters of the pro- choice movement remain reluctant to challenge anti-abortionists for fear of offending their religious beliefs or failing to change their minds, cam- paigns like the one in Georgia will successfully distort the reality of the abortion debate and make the imper- missible seem permissible. I urge the majority of the country, which is made up of people who believe abortion should be legal in all, some or a few cases, to make its voice heard - begin- ning here in Ann Arbor. If my framing of the pro-choice argument (as Iunderstand it) has reso- nated with you, talk to your friends about it. As University students liv- ing and learning in a community that values the pursuit of truth, we have a responsibility to engage in sometimes uncomfortable dialogue - even if it interrupts your vacation. - Libby Ashton can be reached at eashton@umich.edu. JEREMY LEVY I Substance over symbolism In 1925, an affluent black man, Dr. Ossian Sweet, moved with his family into a white neighborhood in Detroit, and their house was subsequently mobbed. By the end of the night, a white man had been shot and the entire Sweet family was arrested. Thanks to the help of the NAACP and the renowned lawyer, Clarence Darrow, the Sweets were acquitted in a trium- phant victory for civil rights. The history of the Sweet case is well documented in Kevin Boyle's "Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age". At the end of the book, the author notes that the fight for desegregated neighborhoods has been put on hold since the Civil Rights era, and that asa result, Detroit is currently the most seg- regated city in the country. However, this point was likely lost on many readers because of the grandiose nature of the Sweets' story. In conversations relating to civil rights and racial equality, certain milestones are frequently referenced to show the advancements our coun- try has made. The Sweet case might not be a very well-known example, but Brownv. Board of Edu- cation is another example. The election of Barack Obama as our first black president is one as well. While these events are all important, their sym- bolic significance in the minds of many Ameri- cans tends to outweigh their practical effects. As a result, their legacies overshadow current civil rights problems that often go unmentioned. Take Brown, for instance. The case often sym- bolizes the end of de jure segregation in public schools, even though racial segregation result- ing from resource inequality between school districts remains a huge problem. In her column this Wednesday, Brittany Smith voiced her frus- tration with the racial disparities in American schools and with the policy makers who are not addressing the problem (Education shouldn't be a crapshoot, 03/10/2010). I'm somewhat hopeful that this lack of atten- tion will change.- Obama stated in his State of the Union address that education reform will become a major project for his administration. But I largely agree with Smith. It seems very possible that education policy will be over- shadowed by talks about the economy and the environment in the near future. And even if education becomes the next health care debate, I have no reason to believe that the Demo- crats won't side step the race issue, as they've been doing since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. Regardless, Brown will always be held on a pedestal to symbolize progress in racial equal- ity in schools. In his book "Silent Covenants: Brown v. Board of Education and the Unfulfilled Hopes for Racial Reform," Derrick Bell refers to the Yale University Commencement 2002 when lawyer Robert L. Carter received an hon- orary degree, largely for his work on the Brown case. As the primarily white audience burst into applause, Bell hesitated to join, thinking about the modern state of our education system and how little it seems like Brown actually contrib- uted towards significant progress. Additionally, the way Brown is taught in pri- mary and secondary education seriously over- emphasizes the significance of the case. Students are frequently taught that Brown was a unani- mous decision. While this is true, the implication is that there were no feelings of dissent among the justices. In "From Jim Crow to Civil Rights : The Supreme Court and the Struggle for Racial Equality," historian Michael Klarman shows that this is not true, as the justices who contem- plated dissent were convinced otherwise to min- imize public resistance to the decision. Students are also rarely taught about Brown II, the follow- up case that severely impeded the ability of state governments to enforce the decision. Arguments that rely on the symbolic impor- tance of an event are not limited to race issues - a few weeks ago the Daily argued that the university should adopt a policy of gender- neutral language because it would be symboli- cally important (He/she/ze, 02/17/2010). But the subject is particularly relevant to racial issues because it has become customary in politics to talk about the milestones, and nothing else. It's a mistake for us to only recognize the mile- stones, because they usually divert our atten- tion away from ongoing problems. But talking about issues related to race is contentious, so politicians simply don't. Jeremy Levy is an LSA sophomore. 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. All submissions become property of the Daily. We do not print anonymous letters. Send letters to tothedaily@umich.edu. Award-winning letdown So, how was your break? Mine was good too. I went to Mexico. Why I chose to go to Mexico, I don't know. I have the complexion of a leprechaun and can only sit in the sun for five min- utes before I start wheezing and turn- ing into a bright- - red, blistered, version of the Hulk. This may be why LINCOLN I'm probably the BOEHM only person who went to Mexico for spring break and recounted "watching the Oscars" as the highlight of the trip. I don't know why I get so excited for the Academy Awards each year because I always leave each viewing disappointed. But despite my peren- nial disappointment with the Oscars, I'm always excited to watch them. For one reason or another, the Oscars have some social importance, and for the life of me, I don't know why that is. It was this burning question that led me to watch this year's telecast with a critical eye. My favorite parts of the Oscars are the performance art aspects of the show. When someone wins an award, all eyes turn to them, and being actors they instinctively start playing a role. For example: Roberto Benigni stand- ing on the chair after winning his award for "Life Is Beautiful" was per- formance art. Angelina Jolie making out with her brother after winning her Oscar was weirdly arousing, but more importantly, performance art. These are the moments I love to see, and sadly there was only one win- ner who lived up to the bill: Mo'Nique. Mo'Nique took about seven minutes to get from her seat in the front row to the stage. One thing I didn't understand was why everyone gave her a standing ovation like she was Martin Scorsese. I mean, sure, I thought she was great as Jamiqua in "Soul Plane" and there's no question the Academy snubbed her landmark performance as Jazmin Bilt- more in "Phat Girlz" but did she really deserve the standing ovation? And the first thing that came out of her mouth was a darting insult to everyone who had been nominated in her category, and every prior Oscar winner: "I would like to thank the Academy, for showing that it can be about the performance, and not the politics." She was essentially saying that she is the first person to win an Academy Award that actually deserved it. Ballsy, Mo'Nique. Next came the John Hughes memo- riam. I loved this because they brought out some of the legendary and incred- ibly creepy child-actors that John Hughes made famous. Macauley Culkin looked like a meth addict (no shock there) but more importantly Judd Nelson looked like astoned Teddy Roosevelt. I loved it. Then came the incredibly weird montage of people who had died dur- ing the past year; or, as I call it, the Debbie Downer Lifetime Achievement Award. Right after seeing Star Trek's makeup artist cry out ofhappiness, and about 25 unnecessary cuts to George Clooney (who was sporting a mullet) we have the montage of dead people to thwart whatever momentum had been built. And by the way, Academy, you forgot Farrah Fawcett! Farrah Faw- cett, whose slow death garnered hun- dreds of hours of media coverage, was snubbed. Not only did she get screwed over when Michael Jackson died on the same day as her, now she's getting snubbed by the Academy. On a separate note, I was reallyhopingthat JeffGold- blum would make it into the montage; and then we'd have a great cut to him sitting in the audience with a look of confusion on his face. Ugh. If only. Despite the Oscars' pointlessness, I just can't look away. 0 Lastly, why it was necessary for Kathryn Bigelow, the director of "The Hurt Locker" to be seated right in front of her ex-husband James Cameron and his new wife, I don't know. Whenever they'd cut to Kath- ryn Bigelow we'd see the tiny head of James Cameron's new wife, glaring at her. Awkward. And when Bigelow won the award for Best Director, I was frankly a little upset that she didn't thank her husband, Deuce Bigelow Male Gigolo. For those of you keeping score at home, the Oscar snubs now include Farrah Fawcett, Jeff Gold- blum and, most importantly, the ever- so-sensitive Rob Schneider. At first I was thinking that maybe people just love the Oscars because they love movies. That makes sense. But having just wasted four hours watching them, I can tell you that I know more about George Clooney's complexion than I do any of the films that were up for awards. The Oscars have just as much to do with great filmmaking as Mo'Nique does. But, will someone please tell me why I can't wait for next year's Academy Awards? Is this what it's like being addicted to drugs? I should have asked Macauley Culkin. - Lincoln Boehm can be reached at lsboehm@umich.edu. EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Nina Amilineni, 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