4A - Thursday, September 9, 2010 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com * E-MAIL SIMON AT SIMKAL@UMICH.EDU 17 an a Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu SIMON BORST IRAQ_____ 0 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. Sustained commitment Michigan should support building the green industry Traditionally, the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission has been hesitant to allow any change to the city's historic landmarks. But saving the environment has increasing- ly become a more essential component of this city's identity. In August, the Historic District Commission's approved the instal- lation of solar panels at the iconic Michigan Theater on State Street. These types of environmentally-friendly initiatives are a smart move for Ann Arbor and could lead to good economic news for the state of Michigan. Students and city residents should support sustainable projects like this. Other cities in Michigan and around the country should follow Ann Arbor's example and encourage similar green initiatives. Diversity is no laughing matter. Led by Major John Hieftje, Ann Arbor has been at the national forefront of the green movement. Solar panels have pow- ered the Ann Arbor Farmers Market for two years. Now, according to a Sept. 6 arti- cle in The Ann Arbor Chronicle, the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission has approved the installation of two solar proj- ects in the historic district. One is at a pri- vate home and the other is at the Michigan Theater. The Michigan Theater project is being headed up by XSeed, a division of the Ypsilanti-based Clean Energy Coalition. By now, most people are aware of the many benefits of using alternative energies like solar panels. Converting solar energy into power allows owners to save on elec- tricity costs. This can make up for the cost of installation in only a few years - especially since installation costs can often be offset by federal and state tax credits. And depending less on fossil fuels like coal - which releases incredible amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as it is burns - and non- renewable resources like oil helps to reduce humanity's carbon footprint. And increased use of solar panels could help to jumpstart businesses In Michigai by encouraging the growth of the alterna- tive energy industry. Many Michigan cities already have the infrastructure to manu- facture these solar panels. For example, the old Wixom Ford Plant was retrofitted by two companies to produce solar panels and environmentally-friendly storage bat- teries in September 2009. Putting these old factories to work constructing new, ener- gy-efficient products would create desper- ately-needed jobs - and hopefully draw even more alternative energy businesses to Michigan to develop a thriving new indus- try on which Michigan can depend. Ann Arbor's commitment to this ideal is setting a precedent that other commu- nities should follow. While Ann Arbor has always put preserving the historic district at the top of its priority list, deciding to go green in the district once again proves how dedicated it is to creating a more envi- ronmentally-friendly community. Despite some objections brought up during the Historic District Commission meetings about the aesthetic effect of the panels, a commitment to sustainability won out in the end - as it should have. Ann Arbor's commitmentt.,alterna- tive energy and the successes it has to show, like the solar-powered Farmers Market and soon the Michigan Theater, are encouraging signs for individuals and businesses looking to join the green move- ment. The city of trees has again shown its willingness to move forward and go green. Now, other cities must follow its lead. n Aug. 25, University Hous- ing celebrated the start of the academic year with its annual housing kickoff at Rackham audito- rium. For the first time, student staff - including me as a resident advi- sor - were also invited to attend. So it's unsurpris- ing that everyone would want to start TOMMASO the year off with an impressive bang. PAVONE And so it was that Dr. Bertice Berry, a well- known sociologist, author and moti- vational speaker who has appeared on "Oprah" and "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno, was invited to deliver the keynote address. "No one defies stereotypes, generalizations or cliches more than Dr. Bertice Berry," read the day's program, a phrase that's repeated on Berry's website. The program then concluded with a big promise: "One thing's for certain, you will leave dif- ferent than when you came." Berry was supposed to "redefine diversity;" humor, according to the kickoff program, would help the audience come together to under- stand why diversity benefits every individual. This, along with the two former promises that she would move beyond stereotypes and change our perspectives, makes three promises that Berry failed to keep. Ironically, it was Berry's-humorw that got her into the most trouble. She digressed, for example, about visit- ing Korea, and acted out how every Korean bows down and speaks in a whisper. Then, all of a sudden, Berry became rambunctious and loud, because she had moved to recount landing in Atlanta, where apparently everyone behaves that way. Almost without fail, Berry laughed theatri- cally at her own jokes, as if her laugh- ing made it acceptable to guffaw at anything she said. Sadly, it worked. After an hour of talking the good talk about diversity, infusing the rou- tine with often stereotype-based jokes and awkwardly breaking into song three times, Berry had the grace to take time out of her busy schedule - she reminded everyone several times about how she had a flight to catch - to answer some questions from the audi- ence. That's when a housing employee walked up to the microphone. Before he could start, Berry mused, "Are you a man or a woman? I can't tell!" The questioner, Berry had noticed, had fairly long hair. Some- what taken aback, he nevertheless pro- ceeded to ask his question. After Berry replied with an answer, he mentioned that he had a follow-up inquiry. "You know you're ghetto if you ask a follow- up question," Berry laughed. I am sure it was a pure coincidence that the man with the follow-up question was black. It may come as a surprise to Berry, but I, a middle-class white Italian immigrant from the well-off Detroit suburbs, also ask follow-up questions. I also doubt that everyone in Korea whispers and bows and that everyone in Atlanta is sassy and loud. But then again, perhaps I shouldn't disagree because, as Dr. Berry emphasized, she is a scholar with a Ph.D. I, on the other hand, am only an undergraduate student. And yet, for all her supposed aca- demic claims to fame, Berry's work has only been cited a handful of times by fellow academics, as a cursory search on Google Scholar will reveal. It seems that fellow sociologists have some res- ervations regarding Berry's message. Perhaps it's because it borders more so on motivational speaking than socio- logical research. Perhaps it's because it's full ofthe very stereotypes and gen- eralizations Berrystates she's tryingto overcome. Either way, it seems I'm not the only one who takes issue with some aspects of Berry's message. Here's my "ghetto" follow-up for Dr. Berry. Laughter is a powerful thing - it's one of the most effective forms of peer pressure. If half of the auditorium is laughing, you feel compelled to laugh too. Berry would do well to remem- ber this point when she considers the effectiveness of her humor. I, asan audience member that day, invite my 0 peers to reassess Berry's speech. If we believe that stereotyping is no laugh- ing matter, as our training as Housing employees emphasizes,then our think- ing shouldn't change just because a charismatic "diversity expert" likes to laugh at her own jokes. To her credit, Berry did provide us with mind-blowing insights regarding our roles as Housing employees. When asked by an audience member about how resident advisors can help build inclusive communities, Berry was uncharacteristically silent. "Keep yotir door open," she finally responded. Bril- liant - absolutely brilliant. - Tommho Pavone can lie reached at pohamen@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. We do not print anonymous letters. Send letters to tothedaily@umich.edu. DANIELA EDWARDS The hijab as a statement of faith Stalking to stay connected 0 0 For those of you unfamiliar with the story of Imane Boudlal, let me provide some back- ground information. According to an Aug. 18 Associated Press report, Boudlal is a Muslim woman who has worked for Disney the last two years. This year, she decided to wear a hijab - a type of women's head covering common in Arab countries - for Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting and reflection. Her employer told her this violated dress code. Boudlal is insisting that Disney's attitude is anti-Islam and anti-Arab. Her employers, however, are part of a vast entertainment industry known for its strident dress code policies. Though Boudlal worked as a hostess in a restaurant, these employees are treated as performers. Her head covering was not part of the accepted costume. In theory, yar- mulkes and crucifixes would also be considered violations of the dress code. Boudlal was offered the alternative of working "behind the scenes" where she would not be seen by customers. She refused and the lawsuit is pending. I'm not questioning Disney's right to dictate the dress of their employees, as long as the cor- poration rejects all ethnic dress. I also won't intend to delve into some of the other details, like the fact that Boudlal asked her boss if she could wear her hijab and was told that Disney would design one for her. Disney never pulled through. However, it is evident that by refusing to compromise, Boudlal pushed herself into the spotlight as another so-called deviant, unrea- sonable Muslim. Muslims didn't need this publicity. America doesn't need this publicity. Coming from small- town Michigan, I've heard plenty of people express prejudice against Islam. In many cases, Islam isn't understood on its own terms. Rather, it's perceived based upon the minority of Mus- lims who make it onto the news in spectacular and negative fashion. In fact, the persistent drama over the "Ground Zero mosque" (which isn't at Ground Zero, by the way) just highlights a fact that certain Americans seem to have trou- ble grasping: not all Muslims are terrorists. on a smaller scale, even the hijab is vastly misunderstood. An innocuous status update on Facebook exploded my notifications as two of my friends - one a Muslim, the other an atheist - butted heads not over Boudlal's right to wear her hijab in the workplace, but over a woman's right to decide to wear it at all. In America, this head covering seems strange to many. This isn't surprising, considering that our culture has longsince stopped struggling against short shorts and tights worn with shirts and skimpy tank tops. An extra garment worn to defend modesty is an anomaly. We don't understand the hijab except in extremist terms - like the defense that the hijab is a woman's protection against lustful glances and rape. My atheist friend believes that the hijab is sexist and anti-feminist in the worst way because of these prejudices. But my Mus- lim friend vehemently opposed this view. "It's not even about religion," she posted in response. "It's about non-Muslims suppressing these women by denying thatthey could ever have had a brain and made this choice on their own." My Muslim friend didn't wear a hijab on a daily basis as a student at the University. In Pakistan, however, she dons one. It's the cul- tural norm there, she explained to me. And, yes, there are stares and leers at women who choose not to wear the hijab. It's considered a cry for attention - just like wearing tight pants, revealing shirts and the like is for Amer- ican girls. The University prides itself on its diverse stu- dent body. And I've seen a fair handful of young women sporting jeans, t-shirts and hijab of all patterns. These girls are not forced to wear it. They wouldn't be subject to lustful stares if they removed it. Instead, they choose to wear it as a statement of their faith. As an expression of modesty, it doesn't matter. The fact is that wearing the hijab in Ameri- ca is a choice. Denying Muslim women's right to wear the hijab on well-intentioned but ill- researched feminist motives is wrong. Some of these girls would feel naked without their head covered, just as most other students would feel a bit exposed if they walked outside without pants. Choosing to wear their hijab is, whether they intend it tobe or not, an expression of their control over their sexuality. In this context, the hijab is just as feminist an item of clothing as Susan B. Anthony's bloomers. Perhaps we've learned enough by now to take it in stride. Daniela Edwards is an LSA junior. magine a scenario in which you're a single person at a bar and someone you don't know comes up and talks to you. At some point in the con- versation, you find out that this per- son approached you because he or shepulled up your Facebook profile on a smart- phone and saw that JEREMY you were single. Sounds creepy, LEVY right? But who _ knows, maybe I'm just being pre- sumptuous. Who's to say that one couldn't meet a future spouse in such a situation? This scenario may happen as a result of the launch of Facebook's new Places feature on Aug. 18. If users choose to use this application, they can log onto Facebook from a smartphone and Facebook will broadcast their location. Users can also track their friends' loca- tions and pull up the profiles for other individuals who are broadcasting from the same location. As social media expands and becomes more advanced, it forces us to reevaluate what we consider to be socially acceptable behavior. It's often too easy to assume that these changes cause people to be less personal and more isolated. The first time a friend told me about the bar scenario men- tioned above, my gut reaction was that such technology was obtrusive and unnecessary. I envisioned iPhones turning into human tracking devices analogous to the collars they use to track the wild deer in my neighbor- hood. However, I quickly came to real- ize that I was unnecessarily focusing my attention on the worst possible out- come of new technology. Such responses are common when it comes to technology. Consider a Jul. 16 column in The New York Times from Bob Herbert entitled, "Tweet Less, Kiss More." That title succinctly summarizes his argument. one of Herbert's examples is an engagement party in which many of the guests were sending text messages instead of paying attention to the toasts. I'm not convinced cell phones are what cause people to not pay attention - if there were no smartphones, the same num- ber of people still would probably have been twiddling their thumbs. The media response to the launch of Places was similarly critical. Many news reports on the subject seemed geared toward concerned parents rather than those who will actually be using the feature. Several news- papers reported on the privacy issues surrounding Places. The Washington Post even provides instructions on how to turn it off. An argument that resonates strongly with me is that each tech- nological change brings positive and negative effects to our social lives and it's hard to immediately predict what these effects will be. In the words of Slate blogger Farhad Manjoo, "(Plac- es is) sure to affect your relationships in amazing and awful ways, most likely both." By looking at some past technological changes, one can see how this statement rings true. Let's start with Facebook. Face- book is an easy way to keep tabs on friends you don't see very often, share pictures and direct others to amusing things you find on the Inter- net. I don't see it as a cop-out way of socializing. I see it as a way to share things that I wouldn't always have time to do otherwise. But there are WANT THE DAILY ON THE GO? some strange social consequences. For instance, it's common to pick up information on people you aren't very close with. This can be an uncomfort- able problem when you come in con- tact with such people later and don't know how to react as they tell you about their life. Facebook's Places isn't necessarily a cyber leash. We can also look at texting. I was very skeptical of texting when it first came out. But there are situations when texting is more convenient than calling - if you have to ask the same question to six different people, or if you want to know about something small that doesn't merit a full discus- sion. Then again, I hate getting into drawn-out text conversations when it would make more sense to simply talk on the phone. I suspect that Places will have the same combination of positive and negative social effects. It might make it easier for singles to meet in public. It also might make it more difficult to casually lie to someone about your location, which can be useful. What- ever happens, there will likelybe skep- tics who see Places as yet another way technology is causing people to isolate themselves. But those who always assume the worst with technology should really embrace positive changes - even if it clashes with their idea of what is socially acceptable. - Jeremy Levy can be reached at jeremlev@umich.edu Now you can access your favorite Daily opinion content on your phone. Keep up with columnists, read Daily editorials and join in the debate. Check out the Daily's mobile website at m.michigandaily.com. 0 EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Aida Ali, Jordan Birnholtz, Adrianna Bojrab, Will Butler, Michelle DeWitt, Will Grundler, Jeremy Levy, Erika Mayer, Emily Orley, Harsha Panduranga, Tommaso Pavone, Leah Potkin, Asa Smith, Brittany Smith, Laura Veith