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4A - Thursday, October 7, 2010
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan since 1890.
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@umich.edu
If I hear one more Republican
tell me about balancing the budget,
I am going to strangle them."
- Vice President Joe Biden, at a fundraiser in Minnesota, as reported yesterday by Time magazine.
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.
Stop cyberbullying
State must implement preventative legislation
n late September, a student at Rutgers University took his
own life after he was a victim of a dangerous trend: cyberbul-
lying. A concept that has quickly spun out of control as Inter-
net technology has advanced and more students are connected,
cyberbullying has been the cause of multiple suicides in the last
month. Cyberbullying has even happened on campus - Andrew
Shirvell's recent Internet attacks on Michigan Student Assembly
President Chris Armstrong could certainly qualify as cyberbully-
ing. But this threat is rarely combated at the legal level. The state
must address the seriousness of this threat and create legislation
to protect the victims of cyberbullying.
On Sept. 22, Rutgers University fresh- likely to be suicidal than straight students.
man Tyler Clementi took his own life after And while members of the LGBT commu-
his roommate secretly live-streamed foot- nity are statistically bullied more often than
age on the web of him engaging in a sexual others, anyone is susceptible.
encounter with another male. His room- Though Michigan already has legisla-
mate and another classmate were arrested tion to promote cyber-safety and has a law
on invasion of privacy charges but have against bullying, there is nothing being
since been released on bail. done to stop or prevent cyberbullying. This
Cyberbullying is increasingly common needs to change. The state needs to cre-
and vicious because there is no easy way ate ways to detect cyberbullying and con-
to monitor and stop it. The Internet is huge trol what is being said on the Internet in
and allows for far more anonymity than order to protect victims and enforce con-
any other medium through which bully- sequences for perpetrators.
ing occurs. As a result, it's more difficult to Currently, only seven states have legisla-
police. When a student is bullied in a con- tion to stop cyberbullying. Michigan needs
trolled environment like school, teachers to join the movement to stop online attacks.
and administrators are often able to take Ironically, Attorney General Mike Cox has
immediate action. On the web, on the other enacted a huge campaign - The Michigan
handbullie&can.,oftaeremain unde. the,,,yberc.Safety initiative - to educate K12
radar until something shocking happens. children about cyber safety. But we have
The bullying of Clementi and Shirvell's seen as a result of Shirvell's actions that
attacks against rst pg share a common the campaign can't be completely effective
trait:7i e obects ot'attack are members f"'because there is no law to deter potential
the LGBT community. And though Arm- bullies. If Cox's own staff isn't promoting
stronghas received impressive support from this initiative, there is no reason why the
campus, many victims of cyberbullying don't rest of the community would. Cox needs to
have such an encouraging environment. push for firmer laws that can't be ignored.
Nine out of ten LGBT students are bullied, Cyberbullying is a growing threat, espe-
according to a recent study conducted by the cially to students and members of the
New York-based Gay, Lesbian and Straight LGBT community. To protect vulnerable
Education Network. Because of this, these students, Michigan must create legislation
students are considered four times more to help stop cyberbulling.
ORDER OF ANGELL |
United for understanding
Examine THIS
0
As college students these days,
we don't have to bother with
a lot of things like we did in
the past, like polio.
So why should
we bother with
exams? It's a trou-
bling question.,
It's not a ques-
tion that will get
you in trouble,
like, "Are you sure
a knife is armed
robbery?" No, it's a WILL
troubling question GRUNDLER
because I'm wor-
ried it doesn't make -
much sense and
my editors will yell at me like usual.
Also, Ive been up all night studying
for exams and my brain has liquefied
and my eyeballs have all dried up and
I wish my body would just go back to
normal because it's getting really hard
to stay coherent and ask tougher ques-
tions like, "How do I explain to the
studentbody how to fix the economy in
under 800 words?"
Now, at this point you may be say-
ing, "Gosh, I'd sure like to know how
to fix the economy! Betcha I'd make a
bundle of money ifI fixed the econo-
my!" Please quiet down; you're mak-
ing my headache worse.
Where was I? Let's see, according
to my column outline - which I make
every time a column is due so I don't
just write nonsense - the fourth
paragraph is where I introduce my
thesis with a joke. (Note to English
majors: A delayed thesis or even no
point at all can be powerful in litera-
ture, such as "The Scarlet Letter" by
Nathaniel Hawthorne.)
Thesis: Maybe we could stop tak-
ing exams...?
Joke: Why was the belt thrown in
jail?
Punch line: Because he held up a
pair of pants!
Now then: Exams - do we really
need them? Through careful analy-
sis, 've concluded that many students
strongly dislike studying and it would
be beneficial for the University to
abandon them. My full results (which
I've forwarded to University Presi-
dent Mary Sue Coleman) are slightly
technical, of course, filled with graphs
and statistics and allegories, so I'll just
present some basic points in this col-.
umn, starting with:
The University is a business. We've
all heard this before. Sometimes it's
expressed as, "That University is
just a (bleep)ing business you little
(bleep)" by our legal guardians, but
the idea remains the same. And if the
University wants to remain competi-
tive in the business of attracting the
best undergraduates, attracting the
leaders among undergraduates - in
short, attracting the best AND the
leaders - -then eliminating exams
from the curriculum is a brilliant
marketing ploy.
Who doesn't want to have exams?
Everyone. Statistically, then, the Uni-
versity would attract the majority of
really intelligent students. At least
I think so. Honestly, I have doubts
about writing this and making the
strategy public. I'm imagining the
slogan, "The University of Michigan:
Harvard without the exams!"
There's also student health. I care
deeply about the health of my fellow
students and exams make them go
absolutely crazy. Take my experience
a couple days ago, when some idiot
nearly assaulted me at a drinking
fountain. The fountain in question
was outside a lecture hall where my
anthropology exam was to take place.
There was plenty of time before the
start of the exam, mind you, when I
began to fill my water bottle.
The student in question, who had
to wait, completely ignored the cus-
toms of our country and stood to
the SIDE of me (rather closely, too),
presumably so he could glare at me
and remind me that he, too, would
like some water, and fast, because
the exam was about to start in ten
minutes. To stress this point even
further, the young man ad ed
closer and leaned against the wall
in an intimidating manner as if he
wanted to meet at the flagpole after
the exam to settle things like men.
Needless to say, I calmly finished fill-
ing my water bottle before returning
his glare with a look that said, more
or less, "Even though the discipline
of anthropology stresses the diversi-
ty and equality of all human life, you,
sir, are a (bleep)head."
Of course, he was probably just
stressed out or on drugs because of
exams. How much longer will the
University continue to subject stu-
dents to such anxiety?
Thesis.
Joke.
Punchline.
Lastly, there is plenty of technology
available these days, making the pro-
cess of memorization obsolete. Why
does the University think exams arose
in the first place? Because we didn't
have computers and the Internet to
Look Stuff Up. Nowadays the practice
of cramming loads of information into
our heads is unnecessary.
All in all, in a perfect world we
would learn things - rather than sim-
ply memorize them for exams - and
then afterward, assuming this world
is perfect, we would not be tested on
the learning, wouldn't even get grades,
because letters don't count for knowl-
edge, and at the after-class party the
professor would be cool and make
funny jokes that were offensive, but
in a good way, and the alcohol would
be free, and everyone would have an
extremely attractive significant other,
and people would not be obnoxious at
drinking fountains, and -
But I'm late for my exam. It's
Introduction to'Logic, so I'in'basical-
ly screwed, according to my editors.
- Will Grundler is an assistant
editorial page editor. He can be
reached at wgru@umich.edu.
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.
As campus has witnessed over the past
week, the problems inherent in creating equal
civil rights in our country have yet to be fully
resolved. Today, difficult issues of bullying,
sexual identity and privacy are interwoven
into a portrait of reality that America would
rather not confront. But this silence has a cost:
In the past year alone, at least 10 gay teenagers
across the nation have taken their own lives as
a result of bullying and harassment.
The most recent of these tragedies occurred
at Rutgers University, where freshman Tyler
Clementi took his own life last week after two
of his hall mates filmed him having a sexual
encounter with another male student. After
the encounter was broadcast online, Tyler
jumped off the George Washington Bridge into
the Hudson River.
But amid the fog of this sadness, there are
glimmers of light and hope. From University
President Mary Sue Coleman to the dozens of
student groups that signed onto the "Expect
Respect" petition, this campus has been an
example of acceptance, openness and expres-
sion of self while grappling with our own case
of intolerance.
Both local and national news outlets have
covered the story of Andrew Shirvell, a Michi-
gan assistant attorney general, who has cre-
ated and maintained a blog that criticizes our
Michigan Student Assembly president primar-
ily because of his sexual identity.
Shirvell's attacks on Chris Armstrong, his
family, friends and campus affiliations are
unwarranted, unnecessary and wrong. We
stand up against Shirvell's personal attacks
on Armstrong in addition to the misrepre-
sentation and misuse of Order of Angell, a
senior leadership society, as a way to propa-
gate his hate agenda. As individuals through
our respective organizations and as a collec-
tive, we continue to fight for the respect of
all, regardless of background. The strength to
fight comes from within, as we are an organi-
zation that reflects today's society: we are gay
and straight; of color and white; conservative
and progressive; and religious and secular.
And we are committed to standing for the
individuals that make up our university. Using
Order of Angell as a scapegoat and shroud for
discrimination only circumvents confronting
actual issues.
Shirvell's attacks against all parties are
ignorant, ill-informed and, above all, unfound-
ed. They detract from the real point: As acam-
pus community, there is a need among all of us
for more constructive dialogue that leads to
positive understanding and action.
Let our campus culture continue to evolve as
we stand up to intolerance and hate wherever
it may rear its head. Let the grumbles denounc-
ing Shirvell and his actions grow louder and
broader as we stand up against bigotry, wheth-
er it be in Ann Arbor or anywhere else. And let
the members of this campus community feel
even more proud for being their diverse selves,
regardless of religious belief, race, sexual ori-
entation or any other metric.
As our student body president, Armstrong
purposefully chose to surround himself with
diverse students, leaders, and opinions. As we
build abetter tomorrow, we should all embrace
Armstrong's action to accept everyone, regard-
less of background or identity. As one step out
of many, we invite you to attend the Campus
GlowLight Vigil on Monday, Oct. 11 at 8:15 p.m.
near the Cube. This vigil is one of many events
the Spectrum Center is planning next week,
and is a way to send a message that bullying,
hate and bias are not acceptable.
May all students proudly attend next week's
events to show that, regardless of one's per-
sonal point of view, intolerant demagogues
and hatred have no place at our university. The
attacks against Armstrong have shown that we
can't let our guard down. We must continually
show our unyielding devotion to that which
makes us who we are - the diverse and toler-
ant students of the University of Michigan.
'This viewpoint was written by James Stinson Ill
and Alexander Wood on behalf of Order of Angell.
Say ves ' to C VS
ccording to a Sept. 28 Daily
article, it won't be much lon-
er until construction is fin-
ished on a new CVS
Pharmacy on State
Street. While this
may be exciting
news to some, oth-
ers are complaining
that the proverbial
virginity of down-
town Ann Arbor
is at stake and are -
upset over the has- ALEX
sles of construc-
tion (Officials: CVS BILES
slated to open near
campus early next
year, 09/28/2010). IShave two words for
those of you up in arms about the new
CVS construction: Stop whining.
First, there may exist concerns
among individuals about the demo-
lition of a building constructed in
1899 and deemed part of the city's
historic district. Yet, a look at the old
structure - which will be replaced
by the CVS - reveals a gray, grimy
and uninspiring exterior. It's not like
we're talking about the demolition
of part of the Law Quad here. In my
opinion, the dullness of the current
structure is conceivably a reason why
the city allowed CVS to move in.
Then there's the neighboring busi-
ness - Mr. Greek's Coney Island -
that blames a loss of business due to
the CVS construction. This argument
doesn't do much for me. If somebody
possesses enough desire to eat at the
Coney Island, the individual can find
his or her way into the unobstructed
building without much difficulty. Yes,
the construction is currently reducing
the availability of a couple of parking
spots, but I have trouble imagining a
time when parking spots on the most
business-packed strip of State Street
weren't a premium. Also, I would hope
that Mr. Greek's would be well-aware
of the risk of neighboring construction
incurred by leasing the State Street
property. Case in point: North Quad.
Some students dislike the idea of
the CVS pharmacy because of their
allegiance to the closest - and only
- campus drug store, The Village
Apothecary. I'm sure many students
prefer the intimacy and potentially
superior customer service provided
by the family-owned enterprise. And
that's fine. But one's personal pref-
erence is generally not suited to the
taste of everyone else. Also, I find it
wrong to manifest one's prejudices
toward a business into a maxim for
others to follow. This type of think-
ing - when put into action - has
the potential to severely hinder the
choices of individuals in a market-
place, effectively telling them how to
spend their money.
Perhaps the greatest pet-peeve I
have about anti-CVS sentiment is the
romanticizing of "mom and pop"-era
State Street. Within a close vicinity
to CVS stands Potbelly's Sandwiches,
Ben and Jerry's, Buffalo Wild Wings,
Starbucks Coffee, Urban Outfitters
and Chipotle. These are all national
chains. And frankly, I find it hard to
believe that Ann Arbor is worse off
for having these. On the contrary -
Chipotle serves delicious burritos at
the same price as BTB, and Starbucks
- though a tad pricey - provides the
community with access to gourmet
coffee. If these chains had never been
allowed to "invade" this stretch of
State Street, the community's access
to Chunky Monkey ice cream, Caffe
Vanilla Frappuccinos, pulled pork
burritos, v-neck t-shirts and miscel-
laneous hipster paraphernalia would
be dramatically reduced.
Those looking for a lesson in this
matter need to look no further than
season 2, episode 17 of "South Park."
In the episode, the city is assaulted
by the arrival of international cof-
fee conglomerate, Harbucks. A wave
of unjustified anti-corporate fervor
takes over the city, as local rivals
push a poli ical campaign to drive the
r1
chain out of town. In the end, South
Park citizens finally taste Harbucks
coffee, in awe of the product's supe-
riority over the local competition and
in realization of their stupidity. And
though fictional, the "South Park"
episode resembles the current situa-
tion with CVS.
This is not a defense of corporations,
but rather of common sense. Most of
my favorite places to eat in Ann Arbor
are locally-owned. I prefer them for a
number of reasons: the cuisine, atmo-
sphere, customer service and price. But
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Chain stores
offer students
more options.
I also recognize a clear advantage when
I see one. There has been a demand on
campus for a large pharmacy for sev-
eral years now. The opening of the new
CVS Pharmacy will grant the campus
community easier access to medicines
and other goods at times far later than
6 p.m. (the time thatthe Village Apoth-
ecary's pharmacy closes), compared to
our current situation where one has to
venture miles away from campus to
find such a pharmacy.
Not to mention that the CVS will
create dozens of jobs and even restore
the parking spots next to Mr. Greek's
Coney Island. Personally, I'm finding
it hard to see what's not to like here.
If we truly consider the benefits and
avoid thinking along the lines of eco-
nomic protectionism or romanticizing
about the nonexistent glory days of
State Street business, the advantages
of a CVS Pharmacy close to campus are
clearly evident.
- Alex Biles can be reached
at jabiles@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, Harsha Nahata, Emily Orley,
Harsha Panduranga, Tommaso Pavone, Leah Potkip, Asa Smith, Laura Veith