4 - Tuesday, April 13, 2010 90 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com c 1 4e fitlchiQan4:3a*lm JACOB SMILOVITZ RAC EDITOR IN CHIEF EDIT Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu The percentage of the public that believes that the U.S. will be attacked with nuclear weapons by terrorists in the next 10 years. - According to a poll by CNN/Opinion Research Corporation published yesterday. BELLA SHAH E-MAIL BELLA AT BELLZ@UMICH.EDU 0 HEL VAN GILDER ORIAL 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 of their authors. Smart funding Mich. must use smart grids to diversify its economy T he state government is getting energized about electric- ity. Michigan was recently awarded $5 million in federal stimulus funds to train workers in the electrical power industry. In addition to creating much-needed jobs, the program has given the state the opportunity - and the resources - to arm workers with the skills needed to modernize and update its out- dated power system. These funds will allow Michigan to maxi- mize its energy efficiency and will encourage the growth of new environmentally friendly industries. The state should use the fed- eral funds and the creation of the smart grid to kick-start its tran- sition to a greener, more diversified economy. hat iare ~a VakW Y4. 2.j'k, cu 51na d G4nJ~sn s r d vmear *t44 . ? V & e (Lv~~s blot 'inhretele , ..I'w d i- i 'p eoa ? * ntIars (Ityt tsaht'#' Making the most ofMichigan Last week, the Obama administration announced the $5 million award, which is part of the 2009 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, more commonly known as the stimulus plan. The grant is part of a larger, $4 billion federal initiative to spur the growth of "smart grids" across the country, which refers to a broad set of improvements to the electrical system. The program hopes to eventually train 30,000 workers for 54 smart grid projects nationwide. These initiatives will modernize Michi- gan's electrical grid and improve its reliabil- ity and efficiency. Home electrical systems will be retrofitted to communicate with energy suppliers, which will allow house- holds to buy only the energy they need when they need it. This will help homeowners save money by avoiding using electricity during the hours where energy use is at its peak. And the smart grid will be able to determine which appliances consume the most power and automatically stop the flow of energy to them when they aren't being used. Smartgrids also encouragethe use of alter- native energy. Consumers who equip their homes with solar panels or, in more rural areas, wind turbines will be able to power their own homes and sell excess power back to electrical companies through the smart grid. These advancements will incentivize consumers to both use energy efficiently as well as contribute to the electrical grid in a clean, environmentally friendly way. But most importantly, this program should help Michigan pull itself out of eco- nomic crisis. With an unemployment rate above 14 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Michigan badly needs this opportunity. The program will directly create jobs and retrain workers. And it will also lay a framework for long- term growth in the electrical sector that will call for more jobs in the future. And the effects of the program won't be limited to the jobs it hopes to directly cre- ate. Consumer's involvement in generating energy will make them more aware of the impact of their energy choices. Electrical grid modernizations and improvements will encourage the proliferation of other energy-efficient innovations and catalyze demand for solar panels and other means of alternative energy generation. This will draw alternative energy companies to Michigan, creating even more jobs and starting the growth of a new economic sec- tor in the state. It is clear that the smart grid will trans- form the way people use and consume energy. But the state shouldn't overlook the opportunity to use such innovations to shape a sustainable, diversified and green economy. SEND LET'rTERS To: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU grounded in solid evidence, best practices and diverse student input and respect for the whole community. The second aspect is historical. It's important to remember that the decision to create a smoke- free campus is another step along a path of simi- lar decisions made at this university dating back to the mid-1980s. The University first adopted a ban on smoking in buildings (with exceptions for some residence halls) and Universityvehicles in 1987. In 1998, the University Health System prohibited smoking on its grounds and in public spaces. Then in 2003, the Residence Halls Association, a student-repre- sentative organization, eliminated smoking from all residence halls. Through these initiatives, stu- dents, faculty and staff have asked for smoking to be eliminated from more areas of the campus. This, too, is an important form of input. The University of Iowa and Indiana University implemented smoke-free campus initiatives on Jan. 1, 2008. Even campuses in states with sub- stantial tobacco production, like the University of Kentucky, have enacted similar policies. I am completely confident we will have the best-possible plan in place for this campus by July 1, 2011. It will be an implementation plan reflecting some of the best work of students, fac- ulty and staff from across the entire University. Simone Himbeault Taylor Associate Vice President for Student Affairs E -MAIL SIMON AT SIMKAL 0 UMICIL.EDJ 'm terrified to graduate. It's not for fear of the unknown or for worry about the future. After all, I've known since August what I'm3 doing after gradu- ation, which has - made this year a lot less stressful. It's because I can't stand good- byes. And in addi- tion to all the "last COURTNEY times" that are RATKOAK inevitable over the next couple of weeks, one of the most depressing things about prepar- ing to leave Ann Arbor is realizingthat I've done almost everything on my University of Michigan bucket list. Many of the items on the list are predictable University traditions, ones that almost all students will have experienced by the time they gradu- ate. But others are more like goals - set freshman year - that took a couple of years to achieve. And even though they may have been more difficult to check off, they ended up being some of my best memories at Michigan - and should be on every student's list. Run through the Michigan Stadium tunnel. I stood on the Big House side- lines for 15 home games in the past two years and watched the end of the game unfold a few feet away from me. On our way back to the press box after postgame interviews during each of those Saturdays, my fellow Daily football beat reporters and I walked through the Michigan Stadium tun- nel. But after this year's Delaware State game, we decided to run. Granted, I was in business casual and high heels, not shoulder pads and cleats. The stadium had maybe 500 people in it, not 110,000. And instead of touching the GO BLUE banner and storming into a maize-and-blue hud- dle, we collapsed to the turf and stared up at the sky. Despite the obvious dif- ferences, running through the tunnel that day was still the ultimate Michi- gan experience. Perform at Hill Auditorium. Of course, "see a show at Hill Auditori- um" is on everyone's bucket list - the tradition of the acoustically perfect concert hall is matched only by Burton Tower, Yost Ice Arena and Michigan Stadium. But no student should leave Ann Arbor without being the one on the stage, staring out at an audience. .I was lucky enough to perform at Hill three times in college while playing the French horn in the Cam- pus Band. Playing on the same stage where talented artists like the New York Philharmonic, B.B. King and Bob Marley once stood is more than a little humbling. Although I was in an ensemble with non-music majors, Hill Auditorium somehow makes everyone feel like professionals. Even for those who aren't music, theatre or dance- inclined, it's worth it to walk into the auditorium, stand on stage alone and test the acoustics of the hall. Celebrate St. Patrick's Day, Ann Arbor style. I feel a little ridiculous including this in the same column as my first two items. But St. Patrick's Day is truly Ann Arbor's Mardi Gras, and no student should leave the University without shirking all responsibilities for one day to observe the holiday. After three years of hearing about people in green headbands, shirts, socks and beads lining the streets outside Ashley's starting at 4 a.m., my friends and I finally decided to go all out this year. We assembled a 30-per- son group, went shopping for glittery green St. Patrick's Day hats and sham- rock socks, organized an itinerary and started the marathon. By the end of the day, two of the people in our group - one from Chica- go and the other from Kentucky, who were both experiencing their first St. Patrick's Day in Ann Arbor - said they had never seen or heard about any- thing like it in any other town. Stand- ing outside the South University bars before sunrise and finishing the day 17 hours later at an outdoor State Street party was something we'd never be able to do if we weren't 21- and 22-year-old college students - and that's exactly why we wanted to do it. Make your 'U' experiences as diverse as possible. There are still a few more things I'd like to do before the class of 2010's May 1 deadline, like exploring the Uni- versity's underground tunnel system and ringingthe bells in Burton Tower. (Considering that the underground tunnels are rigged with motion sen- sors and students have been arrested for unlawful entry, I'm not sure if I'll be able to pull that one off -unless the University offers guided tunnel tours that I haven't yet heard about.) Though it's definitely satisfying to check things off the list, the real reason I've stayed so loyal to it is that it's forced my friends and I to stop thinking about those inevitable "last times." Instead, we've been focused on finding experiences that will keep pushing us out of our comfort zones. Because that, if anything, is what going to college in Ann Arbor has been - and should be - all about. - Courtney Ratkowiak was the Daily's managing editor in 2009. She can be reached at cratkowi@umich.edu. 0 The smokinq ban initiative includes student body's input TO THE DAILY: I'd like to address two important aspects of the Smoke-Free University Initiative. The first is student involvement. Since the ini- tiative was announced one year ago, more than 1,500 students have told us what they think of this effort. Many support the plan to take all three University campuses smoke-free by July 1, 2011. Others have expressed concern about knowing the boundaries of campus or how the University will enforce the smoking ban. This student feedback has been invaluable to the Student Life Subcommittee (of which I am chair), which is charged with exploring how the smoke-free effort will affect students. The group is now in the process of formulating its recom- mendations for policy implementation. These recommendations will be reviewed by students to gather diverse feedback and perspectives. Our 24-member subcommittee includes 12 students. Most of those students are connected to other students through the organizations they represent and reflect the varied opinions on the initiative. Additionally, the subcommit- tee has used focus groups and surveys to gather additional feedback from students. Our group is committed to making recommendations that are SIMON BORST HARSHA PANDURANGA I Why we need Spitzer Many of us know the story of Eliot's Spitzer's fall from the top of the political ladder.After being linked to a high-priced prostitution ring in 2008, he was forced to resign as the gov- ernor of New York. Regardless of the hypocrisy unveiled by the breaking of the news - as New York attorney general, Spitzer led a task force in a prostitution ring bust - the sala- cious scandal was a purely personal failing. He now works at his father's real estate firm and making appearances on television from time to time. But Spitzer's flaws don't challenge his credibility as an effective politician nor do they represent a misuse of pub- lic office. His immense knowledge of the financial system is essential to policy makers at this critical juncture for regu- latory reform in the industry. Spitzer's personal mistakes shouldn't hinder the protection of the average American taxpayer from the excesses of Wall Street. Spitzer's reputation as "The Sheriff of Wall Street" is well deserved. During his tenure as the attorney general of New York, he utilized an obscure 1921 New York statute - The Martin Act - to expose conflicts of interest within the workings of ten of the top investment firms in the United States. The companies agreed to pay fines in excess of one billion dollars, representing a victory for the state against the abuses of the financial industry. Since he stepped down as governor, Spitzer has been an outspoken critic of banks like Goldman Sachs "dou- ble-dipping" into bailout money. In 2008, he questioned the rescue of AIG not because of its profligate yet largely irrelevant bonuses that occupied the public's attention, but because it had been the insurer for financial institutions that were already assisted by the government. Spitzer's work made him a feared character on Wall Street and dis- tinguishes him as the type of official currently needed to help rein in the industry. In addition to his track record as a successful financial prosecutor, Spitzer's persona also makes him well suited to have a role in the reform of the financial industry. He's arro- gant, ambitious and shows no mercy as a prosecutor. His arrogance has been apparent: in a private conversation with a New York assemblyman who opposed his choices for state comptroller, Spitzer said, "I am a fucking steamroller and I'll roll over you or anybody else." He also quite harshly called New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg "wrong on every level" because of Bloomberg's opposition to his plan to issue driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. Though these state- ments may frame Spitzer as bigheaded and hot tempered, they also allude to his toughness and imposing stature, which are necessary to police the cutthroat business world. Bearing in mind the recalcitrant tone the investment banks have taken when it comes to atoning for their mis- takes, these qualities are exactly what are needed for a policymaker and regulator. Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein issued a vague apology for the crisis but refused to take the blame for questionable business practices. One such practice was the bank's unloading and subsequent shorting of subprime mortgage securities - or betting on the secu- rities' devaluation - to limit their exposure to the crisis and create profits. Blankfein's apology surely requires a "situational" sense of morality to understand, as banks were simultaneously selling these securities to their clients. Per- haps Spitzer could be a guns blazing sidekick for the meek U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to help him hold Wall Street in check. Spitzer also has a good work ethic. According to a Feb. 18 article in The New York Times, he "installed appointees with substantial credentials and took a deep interest in their work, peppering them with e-mailed policy questions in the early-morning hours." Several state officials are quoted in the article attesting to his responsiveness and engagement. So while Spitzer was caught - in a personally and morally reprehensible situation, no doubt - with a prostitute, he never allegedly abused his authority to coerce a woman to not press sexual assault charges on an aide like current New York Governor David Paterson or left his state without an executive for an Argentinean fling like South Carolina Gov- ernor Mark Sanford. Spitzer's personal character flaws may not make him a good role model, but they don't reflect on his capacity as an effective policy maker or adviser. The new regulatory legislation being discussed should impose strict and logical regulations on the institutions that contributed to the worldwide financial crisis and enforce * them. Politicians should utilize all possible resources to ensure the best outcome for the American economy. Now is not the time for Spitzer to sit on the sidelines when he is clearly qualified to be a top adviser to Congress or the U.S. Treasury Department on matters of financial regulation. et. s osmso::::' -/ Harsha Panduranga is an LSA sophomore. 0 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, adhika Upadhyaya, Laura Veith