4A - Friday, September 24, 2010
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
E-MAIL CAMERON AT CNEVEU@UMICH.EDU
ie 1Jii ilan 0aitlj
Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan since 1890.
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@umich.edu
CAMERON NEVEU I
JACOB SMILOVITZ
EDITOR IN CHIEF
RACHEL VAN GILDER
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR
MATT AARONSON
MANAGING EDITOR
HYPE MACHINE.
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.
Made in Michigan
State tax incentives for film should be continued
M ichigan has seen more than its fair share of movie
stars recently. The state's tax rebates for the film
industry have brought television and movie produc-
ers to Michigan. But a recent report from the state Senate Fiscal
Agency questions the benefits of the program. The report claims
that the industry doesn't provide the financial stability needed to
revitalize Michigan's economy. It also suggests that the majority
of the money spent by the film industry doesn't stay in Michigan.
Though the film industry isn't a sustainable source of revenue,
the tax incentive should be continued to give Michigan's econo-
my whatever help it can get in a time of need.
Shoelace is a student
01
Michigan's film industry tax rebate is
the highest in America at 42 percent. If the
project doesn't use Michigan resources
and workers, the rebate drops to 30 per-
cent. Since 2009, the incentive has brought
several producers to the state. The movie
"Gran Torino" and the new show "Detroit
1-8-7" are only a few of the recent proj-
ects filmed in Michigan. But the Michigan
legislature isn't convinced that the pro-
gram is helping bridge the deficit, citing
the nomadic nature of the film industry.
With the gubernatorial election approach-
ing, candidates and voters are scrutiniz-
ing the tax rebate. Rick Snyder sides with
the legislature with his plan to phase out
the incentive while Virg Bernero plans to
keep them as long as they continue to cre-
ate jobs.
The tax rebate has attracted a new and
lucrative industry to our state in its time
of economic struggle. The film industry's
presence creates new jobs and helps coun-
ter the state's dismal unemployment rate.
While the actors, directors and producers
are filming they need food and a place to
stay. Michigan's restaurants, hotels and
local businesses profit from the thousands
of people who work on production sets.
This ripple effect helps the economy at
all levels, increasing the overall positive
effect of the incentives.
The industry also provides a necessary
transformation from dependence on the
automotive industry. Abandoned warehous-
es and plants are put to use as film studios.
Workers laid off from the auto industry are
retrained in film positions. The industry is
helping Michigan achieve an important eco-
nomic goal - diversification.
But the SFA's report was correct in say-
ing that the industry isn't going to stay in
Michigan permanently. Once production
is wrapped, the jobs it created will once
again leave and there needs to be some-
thing to fill the void. It's important that
the legislature realizes this and doesn't
expect profits from the film industry to
single-handedly solve Michigan's econom-
ic issues. The film industry may not besus-
tainable, but it will help maintain the state
while our economy changes and recovers.
The state should continue the incentive to
entice the film industry to work in Michi-
gan as a stop-gap measure. But Michigan
must continue to pursue other plans to
improve and diversify the economy.
Profits .from the film industry aren't
going to fix Michigan's economy in the
long run, but for now they are a nice source
of revenue and support for local business-
es. The state legislature needs to maintain
the existence of tax incentives while still
exploring other avenues for job creation.
With every football Satur-
day that has gone by since
the start of this season, I
have seen at least
two new t-shirts
dedicated to fellow
student-athlete,
Denard Robinson.
These creative -
t-shirts have sport- y
ed phrases such as
"Nard Dog," "Shoe-
lace," "Let's Get -
Denarded" and are COURTNEY
worn by students
all over campus. FLETCHER
While these t-shirts
are great in the
fact that they recognize outstanding
performance and reflect positively on
Robinson, they pose a problem to the
Athletic Department and the NCAA.
The Athletic Department recently
issued cease and desist letters to local
businesses, which ordered a discon-
tinuation of the production and sale
of individualized t-shirts glorifying
current Michigan student-athletes
due to NCAA rules, according to a
Sept. 21 article in the Daily. The rule
states that no NCAA student-athlete
or business can make money off of
current players. The reasoning is that
getting money in exchange for play is
meant for professionals.
This doesn't just mean getting paid
to play. Athletes also have to be care-
ful about autographed apparel, public
appearances, personal promotion and
private lessons. Student-athletes have
to be very careful to not violate these
rules or their loss of amateur status
and eligibility to play in college could
be compromised. And when busi-
nesses capitalize on the fame, they are
also breaking this rule. Even though
student-athletes are not involved in
making these t-shirts, it's considered
self-promotion and could endanger an
athlete's amateur status.
If I were giventhe option of watch-
ing a professional team or watching
a college team, I would choose col-
lege almost every time. That goes
for football, basketball, tennis, base-
ball, hockey - everything. There is
something special about being and
watching an amateur athlete. When
you watch a college team, you know
their motives. Student-athletes are
playing the game because they love it
and it's a part of their education. It's
about the team, the University and
the game, not the self-gratification. A
vast majority of college athletes will
not play professionally, so they real-
ize that this is their time to shine,
that they should leave it all on the
court and to give it everything they
have. There's no reason to hold back
because it will be over in four short
years. I'm not saying that profession-
al athletes don't love what they do or
that they don't have immense passion
for the games they play, but after the
wins and losses there's still a pay-
check. And that changes the waythey
play and the atmosphere of the team.
There is also more community sup-
port coming from everyone includ-
ing everyone from students, alumni,
teachers, faculty and fans for col-
lege teams. For example, if you're a
Lions fan, and you happen to be in
New Orleans when the Saints win a
Super Bowl, you will most likely go
out and celebrate the Saints's win.
But let's say you're a Michigan fan
and Florida wins a national cham-
pionship. I highly doubt you will be
doing the Gator chomp or wearing
that hideous shade of orange (though
I do know there are crazy pro sports
fans that will disagree). But that's
because there is more behind college
programs. There are some 15 other
sports, tradition, an entire university
and more people invested ina college
than a professional sports team.
There is also something to be said
for the loyalty in college sports. By
the time a professional athlete is done
playing, they could have a laundry list
of teams they've played for, but their
college will still be listed as one.
Keep the
celebrity out of
college athletics.
.0
Which brings me back to the
t-shirts. There are always going to be
outstandingplayers thatget more glory
and press than others. And with all the
hard work they put in, this credit is
absolutely deserved. But let's not let
this recognition take college athletics
into a professional arena. Profession-
als have toworry aboutpaparazzi, tab-
loids, public image and trust, but let's
leave that for them. Letcollege athletes
be college athletes and learn to grow
up and succeed along with everyone
else. Keep the celebrity of professional
athletics in professional athletics.
Personalized t-shirts, autograph
signings, money and celebrity are all
.perks of making it to the next level.
Though it is no doubt a smart busi-
ness move to make money off of out-
standing performance, it's taking
away from the atmosphere of college
sports. Let the wins and outstand-
ing performances be about Michigan
football - not individuals.
- Courtney Fletcher can be
reached at fletchco@umich.edu.
-- t he In Erika's experience, it's best to layer up.
Erika Mayer gives some advice on how to dress
podium for success in unpredictable Michigan weather.
Go to michigandaily.com/blogs/The Podium.
ZACH GRANT I
Support A2 businesses
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
clarity, length and factual accuracy. All submissions become property of the Daily.
We do not print anonymous letters. Send letters to tothedaily@umich.edu.
41,000+ helping hands
Ann Arbor comes with a certain organic,
community-oriented reputation. But as I
walked up State Street, the sign posted outside
the space previously occupied by independent
bookseller Shaman Drum screamed quite the
opposite. This October, a Five Guys Burgers
and Fries chain will open up where the book-
store resided for 29 years and will contribute
the demise of local business in Ann Arbor.
Is it completely idealistic to hope that Ann
Arbor will stay unique? Is it a lost cause to
believe that citizens and students alike can
resist a corporate takeover? The loss of Sha-
man Drum is just one example of the declin-
ing city support for locally owned businesses.
In the area visible from where Five Guys will
open, I can see a Starbucks, Chipotle, Buffalo
Wild Wings and Urban Outfitters. The trend is
most definitely not Ann Arbor's friend.
Perhaps I'm being a bit harsh. Ann Arbor has
managed to maintain some of its ingrained local
culture. Between a string of independent record
stores, coffee shops and the famous Fleetwood
Diner, Ann Arbor is far from generic. Unfortu-
nately, however, in the areas most accessible to
students, evidence that Ann Arbor was once a
locally supported city is becoming sparse.
In my opinion, Michigan students have
played a prominent role in the downfall of
local business. We seem to struggle with the
notion that we have a certain responsibility
to the community of Ann Arbor. Far too many
students treat Ann Arbor as if they are simply
passing through while they are enrolled at the
University. Given the massive presence the
University has in Ann Arbor, it's possible that
students lose sight of the reality that this is also
the permanent home of over 100,000 residents,
many of whom rely on the local economy to
make a living. But ignorance is by no means an
excuse for the lack of consideration the student
body has for the city of Ann Arbor.
As far as I can see, the student body as a
whole makes very little effort to foster the
growth of local business in Ann Arbor. But the
encouraging news is that it will take very little
initiative for the student body to actually make
a difference. Instead of settling for the conve-
nience of Jimmy Johns, Dominos and a variety
of other large, recognizable chains, students
should frequent Maize and Blue, Pizza Bob's
and a variety of other locally run establish-
ments. Instead of buying their books from the
massive Barnes and Noble, students should
purchase their books and supplies from Ann
Arbor's own Ulrich's. The list of simple ways
in which students can support local businesses
can go on and on. As a university of more than
40,000, the slightest effort on behalf of the stu-
dent body can undoubtedly make a difference
in the composition of Ann Arbor's economy.
Borders, the international bookstore chain,
was founded in our city of Ann Arbor, right
around the corner from where Five Guys will
open. The support of local business is not some
idealistic pet project. Rather, local business
in Ann Arbor has the capacity to flourish to
heights far beyond the city limits. I urge the
student body to step up, harbor the spirit of
our city and sustain the tradition of local busi-
ness in Ann Arbor. It would truly be a shame
for future generations of Wolverines to have
no proof of the unique culture of local business
that is integral to the history of Ann Arbor.
Zach Grant is an LSA sophomore.
To the man that assaulted
me last week at the Hatcher
Graduate Library: Thank
you. Now, don't get
me wrong - I'm
still slightly irked
that you threw me
down a flight of
stairs. The bruises
and bumps still
hurt, and trying
to get through the
Diag on a Tues-
day afternoon on MELANIE
crutches is about KRUVELIS
as easy as organic
chemistry. But
despite the inju-
ries, I must thank you, because if
it hadn't been for that fateful push
down the staircase, I might have
never felt like I belonged here. You've
given me something more permanent
than a couple of scars - a glimpse at
what it means to be part of the Michi-
gan community.
Before I get caught up in too many
"we bleed blue" metaphors, allow me
to backtrack to Welcome Week 2010.
For us freshman, it's the first bite of
college, seasoned with innumerable
handshakes, countless names lost in
an instant and a plethora of inebriated
moments forever remembered through
tagged photos on Facebook.
As I wandered through the alphabet
soup of frat houses, I was left with a
bitter aftertaste - and it wasn't just the
jungle juice at work. After four years of
kind of working hard in high school, I
had arrived. These were my "Animal
House"years - Icould be Otter, I could
be Bluto (every teenage girl's dream).
But somewhere between being
crushed in a mob of intoxicated
men and stepping in vomit, I began
to question whether or not I could
ever fit into the party scene. Though
my thick-rimmed glasses and dowdy
sweaters might suggest otherwise,
perhaps I wasn't meant to spend the
next four years as an anonymous face
with a red plastic cup in tow. Sudden-
ly I found myself preparing a funeral
for my social life, pondering how
many UMixes I could attend before I
would spontaneously combust at the
sight of pizza and hemp bracelets.
In no time, classes started up, forc-
ing me to leave my social insecurities
on the backburner. And unlike my
foray into Greek life, I was prepared
this time. I was convinced that I could
make a voice for myself and emerge as
a leader of provocative discussions. It
wasn't until I attended my first lecture
that I found a significant roadblock
in my plan to become the professor's
pet: The kids here are kind of smart.
And unless you shell out cash for an
i>clicker, it can be next to impossible
togetyourvoiceheard in those imper-
sonal auditoriums. I didn't know
anyone's name and they didn't know
mine. I felt about as much at home as I
do in the gym.
But as fate would have it, my appre-
hensions, my concerns and, yes, my
whiny attitude were put to rest last
Monday evening. After about an hour
on Stumble Upon and a good 20 min-
utes on a philosophy paper, I headed
out of the third floor cubicles. Then I
noticed Lenny Kravitz's doppleganger
approaching the stairs. I turned to hold
the door open for him, when suddenly
I felt him grab the back of my shirt and
hurl me down a flight of stairs. Luckily,
my screams resonated throughout the
second floor and my knight in shining
armor - a studious lookingyoung man
with a calculus book in hand - entered
the stairwell. The attacker grabbed my
cell phone and ran off.
When I hobbled onto the second
floor, the entire computer lab rushed
to me, offering water or a phone
- anything to help. I was shaken,
no doubt, and in quite a bit of pain,
but never once did I feel as if I were
alone. The librarians, the police offi-
cers, the students themselves - they *
all rushed to my side. I couldn't recall
a time where I felt more at home with
a group of complete strangers.
Despite large
numbers, the 'U' is
still a community.
The support didn't end at the steps
of Hatcher. Upon returning to the
dorms, I was greeted with endless
support. Strangers asked to carry my
books, provided an open ear, offered
anythingin hopes to make me feellike
I was home. And maybe it was slight-
ly unorthodox to feel such a sense of *
belonging after being assaulted, but
then again, so was being attacked in
a library.
So thank you, Mr. 61", 160-lb,
dark-skinned male. Thank you for
showing me that despite the large
numbers, the University is indeed a
close-knit community. Thank you for *
making me feel likeI belong. Oh, and
if it's not too much trouble, could I get
my iPhone back?
- Melanie Kruvelis can be
reached at melkruv@umich.edu.
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
4 4