4 - Friday, September 10, 2010
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
IB Midiian Batblg
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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 solelythe views of their authors.
A fresh industry
Detroit should support urban farming initiatives
D etroit has had its share of hard times, but a new agrarian
trend is bringing some hope to the city. An urban farm
has sprung up in a vacant lot in the middle of Detroit.
Though downtown farms may seem out of place, they are wel-
come additions to communities in which healthy food and job
prospects are few and far between. Urban farming has the
potential to improve the health of Detroit residents, strengthen
the city's economy and foster a more community-oriented envi-
ronment. Community members and Detroit officials should rec-
ognize these benefits and support the creation of urban farms
throughout the city.
We will stop printing The New York Times
sometime in the future, date TBD.'
- New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzerberger at a media summit in London
on Wednesday, as reported yesterday by The Huffington Post.
CAMERON NEVEU | E-MAIL CAMERON AT CNEVEU UMICH.EDU
ea f r 0
7n i'.stetia U
An existential U
The farm, located in a community not
far from Detroit's downtown area, produc-
es fresh fruits and vegetables for residents
to purchase. It was created by the organi-
zation Urban Farming, which was formed
in 2005. Urban Farming's headquarters is
in Detroit, according to a report by ABC's
Detroit affiliate WXYZ. The organiza-
tion's mission, according its website, is to
utilize Detroit's unused land to increase
Detroit residents' access to healthy food.
The company began in 2005 and is still
growing.
But even in its early stages, Urban Farm-
ing is already accomplishing many of its
goals. Artery-clogging fast food is often
the only cheap and easy meal option for
people living in low-income communities
in Detroit. Urban farms, however, provide
affordable and healthy food where there
was previously none. Because the pro-
duce at these farms is grown locally, shop-
pers can be sure of freshness and quality.
But more importantly, it's close and easy
to access. The combination of healthier
choices and convenient access to fresh
foods will help promote healthy habits
and a healthy lifestyle, resulting in long-
term health benefits for poverty-stricken
Detroit residents.
Detroit's crumbling economy needs a
makeover. And urban farms could be part
of a solution to the city's economic prob-
lems. The mass exodus from Detroit - a
result of the city's increasingly depressing
financial crisis - has left a lot of empty
space throughout the city. Utilizing this
vacant space to create urban farms will
generate new business opportunities in
areas that have been so long accustomed
to losing local businesses. Urban farming
also helps to improve the local job market
because these farms require a lot of man-
power to operate successfully.
In working to operate the farms, Detroit
residents are creating a sense of communi-
ty. Working at a local farm or shopping at
a local farmer's market is an easy way for
people to invest in their community. For
many Detroit residents, the farm could be
a spark of hope. And the city has been so
poverty-stricken for so long that this hope
goes a long way in revitalizing Detroit's
prospects.
Detroit can only benefit from the
increase of urban farms. Urban farms
encourage Detroit to make use of resourc-
es that are currently going to waste: land
and available labor. And the farm is a valu-
able source of healthy food and a sign of
hope for the community. City residents
and leaders should value the urban farm
and create similar farming projects to help
reinvent Detroit.
Hello! I'm glad you're taking
time out of your day to read
this rather than using it as
a napkin like most
students. Bless
your heart. Any-
hoo, it's another
year at the Univer-
sity of Michigan
and those of us at
the Daily are just
as excited as you 1
are. We'll get to
today's topic in a WILL
moment, but just GRUNDLER
how are you?
It's been a while,
hasn't it? Did you
have a nice summer? Get all your
books? Hey, good for you! Did you
decide on that major yet? Will you
still be going to model railroad club
on Tuesdays? Oh, you're president of
the model railroad club? My, my. It
does sound interesting. Anyway, is
there any inherent meaning to your
existence that gives you cause to con-
tinue living or are you just kidding
yourself?
Oh dear, don't look like that. Didn't
you know about the current theme
semester for the College of Litera-
ture, Science and the Arts? It's called
"What Makes Life Worth Living?"
and has already accounted for a
36-percent drop in Dentistry majors.
But don't worry if you don't know the
answers yet. Just yesterday I went to
the library and poured over Plato and
Aristotle and Hume and Nietzsche
and Confucius and Socrates and Kant
and Bob and Tom before asking a
nice old lady called Ethel what she
thought life was all about who stared
at me with intense seriousness before
answering, "I don't know. Butcan you
tell me how to make a Facebook?"
Well, to be honest, I didn't do all
of that. I made it up, actually. I just
want to stress that the meaning of
life has been debated for thousands
of years by bajillions of people much
smarter than you or me and we still
haven't really reached a definitive
answer. At the same time, we're faced
with the very real possibility that at
the end of our own lives, when we are
supposed to have figured out a few
things, the world will have changed
completely and we'll have to catch
up all over again. That's what the
whole Ethel thing was about - how
she couldn't operate computers. Did
you get it? No? Isn't "Ethel" a funny
name, though?
I don't mean to be cynical, really.
It's charming that the University is
trying to hold students' attention by
asking them the big questions. The
question. I'm sure there are some
students, like those in fraternities or
those considering careers in adver-
tising, that have never thought to ask
themselves such a question. I'm just a
little worried - us Daily columnists
are often worried about one thing or
another, it's a real burden - that the
University is getting a bit sensational
with the current theme semester.
I suppose my first objection to
"What Makes Life Worth Living?"
is the fact that the first event to kick
off such an ambitious intellectual
topic is a screening of "The Wizard
of Oz," tonight at 8 p.m. in the Keene
Auditorium of the Residential Col-
lege. Well, thank goodness. You might
want to show up at seven, just in case
it gets packed, and for heaven's sakes
pay attention this time! When you
watched it last you obviously missed
the scene in which the secret of life
is revealed. (It's the one with the fly-
ing monkeys, which is a statement on
evolution, I think.)
The events get better, to be fair.
(Check out wmlwl.com for all the
info.) There will be dance perfor-
mances and poetry readings and
lectures about the Peace Corps and
tours of the art museum, but in three
months you won't know much more
about life or what you want out of it
than you do now, I'm afraid. At least,
that's my guess. I imagine that takes
a little more than a semester, and
maybe more than a lifetime.
Why are you still
breathing? LSA
wants to know.
But I must applaud the University
for being a bit bolder compared to last
semester's theme of "The Joys - and
Sorrows - of Stamp Collecting." No,
I'm sorry, last semester was "Mean-
ingful Objects: Museums in the Acad-
emy," and it wasn't completely boring.
And I'll admit that this semester's
theme will probably catch more stu-
dents' attention. I'm just miffed that
there's so much subjectivity - and
perhaps meaningless - to the ques-
tion of what gives life meaning.
At any rate, you should make an
effort to attend some events this year.
The University is getting desperate
trying to attract your attention, and
if you don't show some interest next
semester's theme could very well
be "Let's Raise Your Tuition (More
Than Usual) and THEN See If You're
Interested, Hm?" And please -please
- if you know which scene of "The
Wizard of Oz" contains the meaning
of life, don't hesitate to e-mail me.
- 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. Letters are edited for style, length, clarity and accuracy. All
submissions become property of the Daily. We do not print anonymous letters.
Send letters to tothedaily@umich.edu.
MICHAEL TENGEL I
Spark a passion to learn early
Representing the Block M
As a student in the University's School of
Education, it has become impossible for me
to avoid drowning in the perpetual news cov-
erage about school reform. Everyone seems
to have an answer to schools' problems. As a
20-year-old college junior, I'm not yet in a posi-
tion to exert my influence over matters that
large. What I do instead is look at the different
challenges and strategies of teaching kids.
Two of the most relevant examples are
the ways in which I spent my last two sum-
mers. The summer of 2009 was spent teaching
swimming lessons to 10- to 12-year-olds at an
upscale country club in the Cleveland suburbs.
This summer was spent at a Las Vegas basket-
ball academy training the kids of some of the
wealthiest people in the world. You may have
noticed the common thread by now. In both
situations, I was faced with children of (often
immeasurable) wealth.
A lot of energy and time is spent discussing
how to improve the poverty-stricken grade
schools of this country. But I saw firsthand that
some of the wealthiest people I have ever met
could use some serious reform as well.
In most cases, my basketball students had
been pampered and indulged into thinking that
their wish was everyone's command. In dealing
with kids like this, I was faced with a less-pub-
licized side of the education "problem." How
was I supposed to impart knowledge to children
who had been taught they were only required to
listen if they felt the message was worth their
time? Spending six months with children like
this taught me that there is really no ultimate
solution, but the strategy that worked best is one
that ties together all education.
The reform needed is something most stu-
dents could point out in a heartbeat. If I asked,
"Why was this teacher or this class so great?"
I would be willing to bet these answers would
be among those received, "The material was
so interesting," "The teacher made it so inter-
esting," or "The material was so relevant." I
learned to get these kids paying attention and
hanging on every word I said through the elu-
sive "passion" teachers always long to spark.
But it took some work and it took some unusual
sidetracks.
When I reflect on learning experiences that
stand out, I notice that many of these classes
or teachers sparked my interest by starting
with some activity that was tailored to my age
and interests. When students arrived to these
classes on the first day, we weren't greeted by
a stockpile of novels to be ingested and paper
assignments to begin. At the most basic level,
we were told why we should care about the
material and how we could integrate what
was being taught and what our everyday lives
entailed. The teachers made it clear that they
knew who we were as an age group and as
individuals and used that information in a con-
structive way.
Admittedly, this is a solution that is a bit too
complicated for grade schools or for the young
children I worked with, but the idea remains
the same. Sidestepping the X's and O's briefly
is an easy price to pay if it means children are
eager to learn what will come next. This sum-
mer in Vegas, I had to consider the everyday
life of these 12-year-old kids. What I discov-
ered is that by tapping into their interest in
NBA superstars and allowing them to start out
each day by practicing the "signature move" of
their favorite superstar, I could maintain their
attention all the way through the productive
drills that came next.
This is the malicious constant among all lev-
els of education: The tendency to see students
as a big, faceless obstacle or a task that needs
to be accomplished, devoid of personality or
interests. Whether the student is age 8 or 18,
poverty-stricken or unimaginably wealthy,
there is always a way to make the interests of
a student a part of the lesson plan. I would not
dare to suggest this is anywhere close to a solu-
tion to many of the problems plaguing educa-
tion, but on the small-scale that a 20-year-old
college junior looks at it, it is certainly a start.
Michael Tengel is an Education junior.
ot many companies can
produce a single symbol
that becomes internation-
ally known and respected. Only elite
companies like
Nike and Apple
reach this status.
Here at the Uni-
versity, we have a 40
prestigious symbolj
that has certainly
reached a status
of international
recognition - the
Block M. This COURTNEY
simple stylized M FLETCHER
is more than just
a letter. If you put
on the Block M,
you are representing not only your-
self, but also the University. Putting
on a Block M is more than saying
"Go Blue!" It has a past that must be
respected, a present that needs to be
taken advantage of and a future that
will only go as far as we take it.
If you have heard the new athletic
director, David Brandon, speak in
the past six months, you have almost
certainly heard him speak about the
Block Mas a brand for the University.
The advantage of branding is that
a symbol can be an instant identi-
fier for a company. But it goes further
than that. Branding also comes with
expectations, values and responsi-
bilities - all of which are associated
with the Block M.
There are enormous expecta-
tions associated with the Block M.
Michigan is expected to be the best
in athletics, academics, community
involvement, research and facilities
- basically everything. Upholding
all of these expectations is difficult,
but the University seems to do it year
after year. Academically, the Univer-
sity has almost always been a among
the best in the nation - often ranking
in the top 20 or 30.
The athletic standard here at
Michigan is also unmatched. If a
team is not ranked in the top ten,
winning Big Ten championships or
winning national championships, it
is considered a disappointing season
- the football team's recent seasons
are a prime example of this.
The University's facilities are also
ahead of the rest. The newest residence
hall, North Quad, gives a unique liv-
ing and learning experience. The most
notable facility on campus is Michi-
gan Stadium. Now that all of the new
renovations have been completed, the
Big House is once again the largest sta-
dium in the U.S. and the third largest
in the world. And if an expectation is
not being met, the University is always
pursuingideas to improve the facilities.
Former Athletic Director Bill Martin
was particularly known for this.
To an extent, all students at the
University know and feel these
expectations. But as a student-ath-
lete - I'm a member of the Univer-
sity's varsity volleyball team - these
expectations are amplified. The stan-
dards listed above are in the forefront
of all players', coaches' and adminis-
trators' minds. With each new sea-
son, the past year is erased. The only
focus is to improve.
Instead of just being a part of the
University, we are in the spotlight
representing it. Week in and week
out, athletes put on a jersey and go to
battle with other teams all for the glory
for Michigan and to prove that we are
the best. "The Victors" isn't just a song
we sing in victory, but also a battle cry
before the competition begins. The vol-
leyball team sings ourfight song before
each match as loudly as possible so that
The Block M
means more than
just "Go Blue"
everyone knows that Michigan is there
and we are readyto win.
The theme "Win for Michigan" is
something that every athlete is aware
of. Weunderstand that winning isn't to
bring ourselves glory, but to give glory
to Michigan. Think about the football
team. The pressure for these young
men to perform isn't because everyone
knows them and wants to see them do
well as individuals. It's because the
Block M represents the winningist
football program in the country and
that is what is expected.
Most University students have the
opportunity to make a mark on the
Block M in their own small way every
day. But on a weekly basis, student-
athletes have an opportunity to do
so on a national stage. Former head
football coach Lloyd Carr addressed
the current student-athletes on Tues-
day and made the statement "You
are Michigan." Past players have had
their time to make their mark, and
now it is our turn. As student-athletes
consider their upcoming seasons, we
are all focused on one thing, to repre-
sent the Block M in a positive way and
to Win for Michigan.
- Courtney Fletcher can be
reached at fletchco@umich.edu
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
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