4A - Thursday, September 23, 2010 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com i #itidiigan 0aU Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 _ -" - _.,_, , ,.cothedaily@umich.edu 0 It's a great day for children. Children deserve a loving home." - Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, discussing Florida's recent decision to stop imposing a ban on adoption by members of the LGBT community, as reported yesterday by The Associated Press. 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 of their authors. O .... ..........e n Opening counc il doors Ann Arbor City Council must improve transparency an July of 2009, the Ann Arbor City Council was accused of violating the Michigan Open Meetings Act. Less than 15 months later, City Council is again being accused of violat- ing the act. On Friday, The Ann Arbor Chronicle filed suit against the City of Ann Arbor for having a closed-door meeting on the moratorium for medical marijuana. Though it remains to be seen if the meeting was actually a breach of the act, City Council's meeting violates the spirit of the law. City Council should be con- siderate of residents who want to stay informed on local issues and increase its efforts to be transparent. A silly study ANN ARBOR, Mich. - If you use your cell phone to talk about news of the day or to express opinions about issues, you are more likely to be civically and politi- cally engaged, a new study says," says a Sept. 13 Uni- versity News Ser- vice report. All names have been WILL withdrawn. GRUNDLER I'm wondering is this: What about those people who aren't using their phones to talk about issues and poli- tics and stuff? RESEARCHER 2: Hmmm. Probably worth investigating? RESEARCHER 1: Mind reader in the building. Do we still have that student cell phone data? RESEARCHER 2:I just saw it some- where... (Looks under Jenga tower.) Here it is - Aw, crap. RESEARCHER 1: Woooah, JENGA! Ha ha. We won't count that, though. Okay, let's see what we got here. Texts AND calls, very nice. Should we show them to readers? The suit was filed in Washtenaw County Circuit Court on Friday, according to a Sept. 20 article on annarbor.com. The suit focus- es specifically on a meeting allegedly held on Jul. 19 during which City Council mem- bers discussed the medical marijuana policy with the city attorney general. Dave Askins and Mary Morgan - owners of The Chron- icle - are claiming that council members are engaged in "secret decision-making." City Council says that the discussions were protected by attorney-client privilege, but Askins and Morgan disagree. This problem has been addressed before. In 2009, a group of local businesses sued City Council after it was revealed that some members had been sending private e-mails during public meetings. That lawsuit ended in a settlement and an amendment to the rules of the Council that prohibits the use of electronic communication to discuss city matters during meetings. But the debacle apparently didn't impress on City Council the importance of transparency. City Council still needs to be reminded that it has a responsibility to incorporate Ann Arbor residents' opinions into their decisions. Issues important to local resi- dents shouldn't be discussed without the input of the people they will affect. By leaving residents out of a meeting regard- ing the medical marijuana moratorium, City Council is denying them important information. The lawsuit should be a wake- up call to council members that they aren't independent agents. Though it's still unclear if the meeting to discuss the medical marijuana moratorium counted as a breach of the Open Meetings Act, city council members shouldn't feel comfortable with closed-door meetings of any kind. The Michigan Open Meetings Act is meant to protect residents' right to know what is going on in their local government. City Council is still violating the spirit of the law. By holding meetings - even if they are informal and don't technically break the law - City Council is perpetuating the sentiment that it is a restricted entity. This feeling of entitlement is dangerous in a dem- ocratic society because it lessens demands for public accountability. City Council should feel obligated to include the public in all of its discussions to show residents that it is working for them.r City Council must enact a policy 'd total transparency during meetings and they need to ,follow the spirit of the Michi- gan Open Meetings Act. The suit that The Chronicle has filed should stand as a reminder to City Council of its responsibil- ity to Ann Arbor residents. RESEARCHER RESEARCHER 2: Who's readingthis? 1: Hey, hey, hey. COLUMNIST: No one. RESEARCHER 2: Aloha. RESEARCHER 1: Excellent point. But RESEARCHER 1: Is that a lei? we should do it for posterity's sake. RESEARCHER 2: (touching his lei): RESEARCHER 2: Ilove posterity! You like it? RESEARCHER 1: Hey-o, Mr. Stylish *****DATA***** over here, being all stylish. RESEARCHER 2: Hey-o, Mr. Nice TEXTER 1: let me tel u sometihng Guy over there, being all nice. about teh universe RESEARCHER 1 (sits down in bean TEXTER 2: what? bag chair): Weeell, they gave us two TEXTER 1: just a little sometingh abot million for another study. the univerrse RESEARCHER 2: The University? TEXTER 2: are you drinking? Didn't we just do one? TEXTER 1: LOL RESEARCHER 5: Three years ago. So TEXTER 2: dammit yeah. But it's two mil. We should prob- TEXTER 1: its biig ably do one. Are those gummy bears? RESEARCHER 2 (passing gummy ***** bears): Hmmm. Something with the media? And how it influences us? CALLER1: What do I think? What do RESEARCHER 1 (picking out red you think I think? ones): Thank you, Researcher Two. CALLER 2: Oh, don't be a whore, And that's a great idea. It's bold. It's (name removed). edgy. The media is all around us. Take CALLER 1: I'M the whore? Please. So cell phones. what frat was he in? RESEARCHER 2: Take cell phones. CALLER 2: Shady Phi. RESEARCHER 1: All around us. I've CALLER 1: Oh for the love of Jesus got 12. (expletive) (expletive), (name removed). RESEARCHER 2: Nice! CALLER 2: Oh, shut up. RESEARCHER1: They've got movies, CALLER 1: Hey, are you watching music, Tetris. They're a game-chang- "Glee" tonight? er. Bob andTom down the hall just did CALLER 2: 144lm. { a study abouti hw people wh ouse cell' CALLERiSCan I come? phones to talk about pglitics and news CALLER 2: See you thennn. Gotta go. andastuff are more likelytLbecivifallyCALLERSLaterr.5I ; and politically engaged. RESEARCHER 2 (playing Tetris on ***** phone): Oooh, so if you talk about poli- tics on your phone, you're more likely TEXTER 1: hey u wanna come over to be interested in politics and engage tonite yourself in them? TEXTER 2: wow.srsly? RESEARCHER 1: Basically. I think so. TEXTER 1: yea y not It might be a bit more complicated, but TEXTER 2: i cant believe u probably not. TEXTER 1: what RESEARCHER 2: Fascinating. TEXTER 2: 'what.' god such a moron RESEARCHER 1: Exactly. Now, what TEXTER 1: what TEXTER 2: y dont u take me on a date TEXTER2: ... r u going to answer me TEXTER2:... TEXTER 1: what TEXTER1: just come ovr TEXTER 2: god u piece of (expletive) (expletive) CALLER 1: BRAAAAAH. CAN YOU HEAR ME? CALLER 2: LOUD AND CLEAR, BROPALLO. CALLER 1: HA HA, LIKE APOLLO THE SPACESHIP, SOLID. CALLER 2: DUDE. TOUCH - (exple- tive) - DOWN. CALLERSl: D-NARD. CALLER 2: SHOELACE. CALLER 1: DOESN'T TIE HIS SHOES. CALLER 2: WE SHOULDN'T TIE OUR SHOES. CALLER 1: LET'S WALK AROUND WITH OUR SHOES UNTIED TOMORROW. CALLER 2: WE'LL INVITE ALL OUR FRIENDS. CALLERSl: SOLID. *****END DATA***** RESEARCHER 1: Good lord. This is...I think we've got something here. This was under Jenga the whole time? RESEARCHER 2 (frowning): So, um... students...who aren't talking about politics and issues...are less likely... RESEARCHER 1: Are you thinking what I'm thinking? RESEARCHER 2: ...To care about politics and issues? RESEARCHERS1: Bingo. RESEARCHER 2: Woah...this is...I feel like this is groundbreaking. RESEARCHER 1: This is ground- crushing. RESEARCHER 2: We just (experfvt6 owned the ground. RESEARCHER 1: Wait until Bob and , 'omheagAbout this. RESEARCHER 2: Researcher One? RESEARCHER 5: Yes, Researcher Two? RESEARCHER 2: What about the two million? RESEARCHER1: Oh. Yes.Well,we're out oftgummy bears, aren't we? - Will Grundler is an assistant editorial page editor. He can be reached at wgru@umich.edu 0 0 BRITTANY SMITH | Global experience 101 0 At the housewarming event at North Quad Residence Hall that took place last week, the University delivered a message that it is shift- ing its priorities. The University is presenting itself as an institution whose liberal arts edu- cation is focused on incorporating an interna- tional experience. Considering the large amount of reorgani- zation, funding and attention being given to resources and departments that are motivated by a social justice and global education model, I foresee the University shifting toward a cul- ture similar to colleges like Carleton College in Minnesota, Oberlin College in Ohio and Kal- amazoo College. These colleges - according to the Open Doors 2009 Survey on study abroad participation - sent more than 80 percent of their students to study abroad at least once dur- ing their undergraduate career. The University is on a path to create an atmosphere like these schools in which it is commonplace for more than half of LSA's undergraduate students to study abroad at least once before graduation. But unlike other institutions, the way that the University is integrating a global immersive experience into the curriculum of the College of Literature Science, and the Arts is unique. LSA is making efforts to shape its cur- riculum to become increasingly global. For instance, the Department of Intergroup Rela- tions has created the Global Scholars Pro- gram residential learning community, which is housed in North Quad. The GSP is distinct from other residential communities on cam- pus. It exposes undergraduate students whose intentional interests are to have an interna- tional experience within a domestic locale. Courses like University Courses 178 - Global Understanding - show that LSA is committing itself to shaping a global experience. When I was a GSP student in Global Understanding, I took classes with students from Seoul University in Korea and the University of British Columbia in Canada via video-conference. Students from both Seoul and UBC were included in the twice- a-week classroom instruction I was in. Another instance in which the University is distinguishing IGR as a leader in global edu- cation is through its dialogue courses. These courses give students the opportunity to have a dialogue with their peers about imagery, social class, race, prejudices and religion. The common thread between courses like Global Understanding, IGR dialogue courses, North Quad's Global Scholars Program and LSA's encouragement for undergraduates to study abroad is the potential for change. The com- mon theme is hope and a commitment that demands responsibility. By encouraging students to go beyond their comfort zone in IGR courses or study abroad programs, the University is providing a space for students to learn from and engage in the global community in a meaningful way. By tak- ing strides to internationalize LSA's curricu- lum, the University is displaying the value that they place on a liberal arts education. Globalizing the liberal arts curriculum of the University gives LSA students the platform to understand different kinds of people and vari- ous traditions held around the world. Recently, when I asked a few of my peers to describe their study abroad experience, many explained their experience in a way that described increased understanding and global consideration. They remarked that their positioning in the world had expanded. They have adapted to other schools of thought and communities of people in a way that no textbook could have ever taught them. It's a new kind of learning. The transition to include more global com- ponents in education is a positive move for LSA. With higher value placed on receiving a global education outside the walls of the University, school officials will open students up to the pos- sibility of establishing cultural and social sensi- tivity that surpasses their own limitations. The implication of this shift carries great weight. Perhaps if more students take an active interest, the cultural dynamic of the campus will change. The University has taken on the responsibil- ity to create globally-minded citizens whose future decisions might affect the entire world by prioritizing a global education. I applaud the University for restructuring their focus. It's about time that some academics under- stand that the best learning comes from doing. Brittany Smith is an LSA junior. - -- the Call it like you see it. Will Grundler thinks people in libraries are annoying. *um Asa Smith wonders what the point of re-naming gender-neutral housing Up U "open housing" is. Go to michigandaily.com/blogs/The Podium. AMERICAN MOVEMENT FOR ISRAEL |. The crucial Middle East ally 0 Over 60 years ago, the State of Israel was created as a refuge for a persecuted people yearning for reunification with Zion after two thousand years. This state allowed Jews disjointed by national boundaries to finally real- ize that the unifying principles of freedom and equality could empower them to thrive against seemingly insur- mountable odds. Indeed, it is no coincidence that Israel was founded on the same enduring democratic principles as its greatest ally, the United States. As a matter of fact, Freedom House - an independent watchdog organization that examines the state of freedom in all nations - gave Israel its highest and second-highest respective marks in the categories of political rights and civil liberties. In an incredibly volatile region marked by unpredictable and hostile authoritative regimes, Israel stands as the one crucial American ally in the Middle East prepared to uphold the mutually fundamental values of democracy and make rational, carefully calculated decisions in the foreign policy realm. Not only does Israel serve as a reliable asset by making measurable decisions in an otherwise unstable region, it provides the United States with vast economic, techno- logical and security-oriented benefits. The U.S. is Israel's largest state trading partner and conducts billions of dol- lars worth of business with its Middle East ally each year, importing a slew of high-tech products developed exclu- sively in Israel that are applicable to a variety of American economic sectors. Last year, Israel and the United States verified over $28 billion in trade transactions. Some argue that moral obligation and trade relations don't sufficiently justify a relationship with Israel, a coun- try that has strained diplomatic ties with Arab neighbors the U.S. seeks to befriend. These detractors, however, fail to realize the depth of U.S.-Israel cooperation, a shared interaction whose strength and comprehensiveness vast- ly outweighs the unfounded perceptions of certain states. In addition to sharing essential values and trading goods with the United States, Israel provides extensive knowl- edge regarding unconventional warfare with Islamic extremists and homeland security operations to its American counterparts. Intelligence exchanges between the two countries are essential, especially to American personnel waging two similar wars in foreign countries marked by unfamiliar geography, culture and political structure. Furthermore, Israel provides the U.S. with operational guidance about security measures, ensuring that the American government is able to simultaneously maintain an open, democratic society while protecting its citizens from domestic threats across the country. Though the content of such high-level security meet- ings are kept private, U.S. officials don't hesitate to empha- size their crucial importance. Andrew Shapiro, Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs and former senior adviser to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, refer- enced these talks in July when he stated, "our regular and well-established meetings have recently been supplemented by an unprecedented number of intimate consultations at senior levels ofour governments [..which] provide an oppor- tunity for our governments to share perspectives on poli- cies, address mutual concerns, explain threat perceptions, and identify new areas for cooperation." Arguably the most important aspect of the U.S.-Israel relationship is the strong connection shared by citizens of both nations for lasting peace in the region. The American people have consistently applauded Israel's attempts to indi- cate a serious desire for peace, whether they are offering over 90 percent of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to Arafat for a future Palestinian state in 2000 or executing a unilat- eral withdrawal of troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005 to encourage Palestinian independence and development. More than an alliance based on shared values, trade and a desire for peace, the U.S.-Israel relationship is at its foun- dation a bond that aims to extend human advancement. By supporting innovation and growth in secure and free societ- ies, the United States and Israel serve as models to all oth- ers, embodying the comprehensive success associated with democratic cooperation. The current peace talks show this vital relationship remains strong: while the U.S. helps Israel address its unique security concerns, Israel continues to reach out to the United States and the Palestinians as essen- tial partners in a questfor peace sorely needed by all. This viewpoint was written by Max Friedman on behalf of the American Movement for Israel. 6 0 6 EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Aida Ali, Jordan Birnholtz, Adrianna Bojrab, Will Butler, Eaghan Davis, Michelle DeWitt, Ashley Griesshammer, Will Grundler, Jeremy Levy, Erika Mayer, Emily Orley, Harsha Panduranga, Tommaso Pavone, Leah Potkin, Asa Smith, Brittany Smith, Laura Veith