4 - Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
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ELAINE MORTON I
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.
The appeal of stem cells
Funding for stem cell research shouldn't be cut
he fate of stem cell research is in limbo. Last month, a judge
issued a ban on federal funding for stem cell research.
After an appellate court issued a stay on the ban that
allowed funding to continue temporarily, researchers - including
many here at the University - are left uncertain about the future
of their work. Stem cell research holds too many benefits for the
medical community, the University and the state of Michigan to
be halted because of political debate. The U.S. Court of Appeals
should rule in favor of the Obama administration's mandate for
the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.
Last month, U.S. District Court Judge
Royce Lamberth ruled that federal back-
ing of stem cell research violates federal
law because it involved destroying human
embryos, according to a Sept. 9 report in
The New York Times. Last week, a panel
of three U.S. District Court appellate jus-
tices granted the Obama administration a
temporary lift on a ban on federal funding
for stem cell research. The appeals court
granted both sides of the case until Sept.
20 to submit arguments, after which it will
determine the validity of Lamberth's deci-
sion. According to The New York Times
article, the delay should allow Congress
time to pass legislation that would make
Lamberth's decision irrelevant.
The benefits of stem cell research are
too copious and important to be held up in
the courts. Embryonic stem cell research
holds the potential to cure numerous
debilitating diseases. The scientific com-
munity has long sought an expansion of
embryonic stem cell research because of
its potential benefits in numerous medical
applications. Conditions like Parkinson's
disease, cancer and organ failure could be
more effectively treated with procedures
developed through expansive research
involving stem cells.
The state of Michigan has positioned
itself to become a leader in stem cell
research. In 2008, a proposal on the state
ballot legalized stem cell research. If
the Court of Appeals rules to not reverse
Lamberth's decision, Michigan loses. The
expansion of stem cell research will serve
as a catalyst in the state's underdeveloped
science and technology sector, an industry
that stands to create long-standing jobs
with roots in educational research insti-
tutions. Federal funding is needed to help
augment those economic benefits.
While the state certainly stands to gain
substantially from the expansion of stem
cell research, the true beneficiary is the
University. As one of the nation's premier
research institutions, the University stands
to become a hub for stem cell research.
The opportunity to be involved in this cut-
ting-edge research will draw prominent
researchers and professors to Michigan's
already-impressive research community.
But the research requires a secure line of
federal funding to run smoothly. With its
renowned medical school and research
programs, the University is ready and will-
ing to accept a leading role on the interna-
tional research stage.
Stem cell research holds the key to
Michigan's growth and future. The eco-
nomic, medical and institutional benefits
speak for themselves. Crucial research
should not be halted by this decision, and
the Obama administration's mandate for
federal funding should continue.
~ ~
Icgsyn the a te ucool t eNt N
state. Or at least it has been by Daniel Howes. Everyone has the right to choose
pretty much since cars But perhaps Synder, who cur- how to interact and negotiate with
were invented and rently has a strong lead in the polls, their employer. The concept of forcing
Henry Ford set up - should make right-to-work a priority union membership is bizarre. Forc-
his assembly line, if he becomes governor. First, if you ing union membership is like saying,
forever revolution- believe Singh's report, it could help "Join our group to protect your rights!
izing the industry. create jobs. Second, forcing union Or else." But it may be more profit-
But in recent years, membership limits a worker's profes- able for some professionals to strike
the automotive; sional autonomy. out on their own and hire personal
industry in Michi- - As a future teacher, I'm going to representation when hammering out
gan hasn't been have to deal with the union issue. a contract. There can also often be a
doing so well. I'm Because Michigan teachers are perception of enmity between unions
sure you all recall RACHEL required to join the union, I will and management that people may
the multi-million have to join the Michigan Education want to avoid. Either way, employees
dollar General VAN GILDER Association if I end up getting a job in should be able to determine which
Motors bailout in Michigan. But I don't really want to. course of action is best for them.
An8 un vecnrs iholy da'unionpoic
n a state where the automotive hpth1 conlumnins te hetrt e wch-s.
industry has reigned supreme for ers' union is inherently corrupt or
decades, the auto workers' union has fights for unfair benefits, I have some W orkers deserve
been extremely powerful and influ- objections to forcing union member-.
ential. And because Michigan has ship. a choice when it
depended on the automotive industry I'm skeptical about the useful-
for so long, it's no surprise that mak- ness of today's unions. During the comes rofunions .
ing Michigan a right-to-work state - Industrial Revolution in the United
which would make it illegal to force States, when employees at steel mills
people to join unions - was never were working 14-hour days for petty
really a consideration. wages in unsafe conditions, unions Though unions depend on num-
But during his campaign for the were necessary to force employers bers for strength, there's no harm in
Republican nomination for governor, to give workers their due. But today, allowing individuals to face off with
in an effort to stir things up, Oakland when workers are protected by feder- management on their own. A few
County Sherriff Mike Bouchard sug- al and state laws and have fair wages free agents aren't going to change the
gested that making Michigan a right- and hours, unions often simply force demands of the union, which will still
to-work state might help create jobs. employers into over-paying them and remain powerful enough to ensure
Shortly thereafter, Dr. Hari Singh giving more benefits than companies that members are getting fair pay and
of Grand Valley State University can afford to sustain. benefits. We aren't suddenly going to
released a study that concluded that one prime example of this is Michi- revert to 14-hour days if the union is
if Michigan would have 60,000 more gan's automotive industry in recent a bit smaller. Balance is important in
jobs if it had become a right-to-work years. The way I see it, part of the auto business interactions. Forcing mem-
state in the 1960s, according to a Sept. industry's financial struggles was that bership makes unions too powerful
5 article in the Grand Rapids Press. once profits started declning, busi- and tips this balance out of align-
But neither gubernatorial candidate nssees couldn't afford to keep paying ment.
- Republican Rick Snyder of Ann auto workers so much. But compa- The automotive industry is still
Arbor and Lansing Mayor Virg Berne- nies were prohibited by contract from huge in Michigan. The unions are
to - has said they'll push for a right- alteringepay and benefits. So they still powerful. But workers deserve
to-work policy. Bernero, a Democrat overspent. Only once the companies options. And state policy should give
supported strongly by labor unions, were in danger of failing completely them those options.
obviously wouldn't call for a policy did they have the leverage to force the
change that would hurt his backers. auto workers' union back into line. - Rachel Van Gilder is the
Snyder, meanwhile, has said that the This obviously wasn't the only cause editorial page editor.She candbe
issue is too "divisive," according to a of the Big Three's troubles, but itasta reached at rachelvg@umich.edu.
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L.AURA VEITH
interviewmyprofessor.com
6
TALK AMONG nodium ...
YOURSELVES.
The Daily's opinion blog wants you to weigh in. Will Butler wonders if the tough economy
is causing the nation's youth to break up with the Democratic Party. Rachel Van
Gilder wants to know if you think the new iClickers are better than Qwizdom.
Go to michigandaily.com and click on 'Blogs'.
HARSHA NAHATA |
A need for active young voters
0
"Register to Vote!" I'm sure you've heard
this phrase many times in the past week. It's
probably getting old by now. Volunteers reg-
istering voters can be found everywhere from
the Duderstadt to the Diag. College students
are being called upon to be politically active.
November 2010 looms as an important election
for both Democrats and Republicans. A dem-
onstration of the significance of these elections
came this past Wednesday night, when the
University's Chapter of the College Democrats
hosted Democratic National Committee Chair-
man Howard Dean, Congressmen Gary Peters,
Mark Schauer and John Dingell at Rackham
Auditorium.
Seeing such prominent members of the
political community visit the University
emphasizes the significance of the upcoming
elections. Every one of their speeches empha-
sized the importance of getting out there -
volunteering, making sure friends and family
are registered to vote and remaining aware of
the issues. The speakers discussed some of the
major issues facing our generation, like educa-
tion funding cuts, economic woes and immi-
gration concerns.
In the midst of the current political, social
and economic climate, these individuals serve
as a reminder of why college students can't be
apathetic and uninvolved. Right now, Congress
is debating monumental legislation - legisla-
tion that may permanently seal American bor-
ders, redefine who is or isn't a U.S. citizen and
determine the course of U.S. involvement in
the Middle East. In such critical times, staying
informed is not an option. It is a duty. Similar-
ly, voting isn't an option. It's one's duty as an
American citizen.
"I remember what it was like to see the dogs
loosed on people, who simply were crossing
over into a different colored neighborhood
to vote," Dean said in his speech to Michigan
students, as quoted by The Michigan Daily
on Thursday. "I remember what it was like
to see the police turning fire hoses on peace-
ful demonstrators. We are not going back."
These statements sum up the critical nature of
today's political climate. It's important, now
more than ever, to rally together for whichever
cause you support.
Many students and people I've come across
in the past few days simply aren't aware of the
issues or the candidates. For many, this is sim-
ply a midterm election. It's under their radar
and quickly forgotten. In November 2008,
President Barack Obama was able to mobilize a
voter base that had previously been apathetic.
The young generation was awakened, and we
can't afford to go back to sleep now. What was
done in 2008 needs to be repeated again this
November because these elections are the ones
that determine who is crafting actual policy.
But political involvement doesn't just stop
at being aware and going out to vote. In his
address to students, Dean also emphasized, "So
many Americans think all we have to do is vote
and get our guy in, or our women in, and then
they're going to do the work and we're going to
go back to whatever we were doing before. It
doesn't work like that. If you want your coun-
try to work, you have to work every single day."
Working means speaking out when things are
said that are wrong. Working means believ-
ing in the system and the ideals that the U.S.
embodies. Working means striving everyday to
keep an open-mind, even when policy contra-
dicts your previous beliefs. And lastly, working
means inspiring others to do the same.
Regardless of your political affiliation or
intended career path, as a citizen your coun-
try needs you to go to work. In November, I
once again hope to see a movement to the polls
spearheaded by Michigan's youth. I'm answer-
ing the call to duty. I hope you will too.
Harsha Nahata an LSA freshman.
If you were to stroll through any University library
prior to the beginning of each course registration peri-
od, I bet you would see ratemyprofessor.com - a website
that rates and comments on countless professors from
higher institutions across the country on criteria from
overall quality to easiness of instructor - beaming from
many students' computers. While it shouldn't be the only
resource students use to select an appropriate course, it
definitely serves a purpose when debating which profes-
sor - or even which graduate student instructor - would
best suit an individual's needs. In my experience, the
website is a pretty helpful tool when constructing the
ideal schedule.
Unfortunately, despite my best efforts to use ratemy-
professor.com, read the University's brief - sometimes
very brief - course descriptions, talk with friends and
meet with advisors, I always end up changing and modi-
fying my schedule within the first week of classes. My
grounds for dropping or switching a class always comes
down to one of a few reasons. One, I wasn't a fan of the
professor, or two, my vision of the progression the course
and its material was completely wrong. And after seven
semesters at the University, you'd think I'd have this pro-
cess down to a science, but clearly I still struggle with it.
However, a recent discussion with a faculty member at
Sarah Lawrence College, a liberal arts institution in New
York, introduced me to its course selection process, which
could potentially be uniquely beneficial to both students
and faculty if implemented here at the University.
Prior to the start of classes at Sarah Lawrence, students
are subject to an interview with the professor of each
class they wish to enroll in. The interview, as described
to me by the faculty member, is a way for the professor to
meet the potential student and discuss the course materi-
al in greater depth. After this process, students will select
the courses that fits their interests. Likewise, faculty
members must select the students they desire to enroll in
the class. If the selection is mutual, then the student can
register for the class.
Though a process similar to this probably wouldn't be
feasible at the University of Michigan if instated for all
classes, it still could be productive and beneficial for cer-
tain classes and schools within the University. And while
it may seem like a grueling and extensive process, it may
be one that the University might consider setting up for
schools or majors with a smaller enrollment, or even for
upper-level seminar classes that are competitive to enroll
in and cap at a small number. Some University classes and
programs already require some sortof application process,
but it isn't as thorough as the one implemented at Sarah
Lawrence.
There are a few reasons why I think the Sarah Law-
rence program might be more of a help than a hindrance
if applied within the University community. First, the
students could potentially gain from this experience.
Students would be able to learn more about the course
requirements, materials and the professor prior to set-
ting foot in a classroom. They would have an opportunity
to express their interest and desire in the course topic or
realize that the course is no longer right for them. What-
ever their reasoning may be, this process would give stu-
dents the ability to "shop" for classes that they feel will be
most beneficial for their growth as students, their educa-
tional experiences and even assist their search toward a
desired career path.
At the same time, professors and faculty members could
benefit from the program as well. Faculty members would
be able to choose the students who they think would best
succeed and add to the success of the course. Through this
required interview process, the faculty members would
be able to gauge which students they felt could lead a dis-
cussion, contribute individual insight and be productive
members of the classroom - creating a stimulating and suc-
cessful environment for both teachers and students.
While the faculty member from Sarah Lawrence with
whom I discussed the program admitted that the process
takes up a significant amount of time and energy, she also
stressed that she was extremely pleased with the results.
And maybe students and faculty members at the Univer-
sity would be too if the process were implemented. Who
knows how (or even if) this process could work, but we
can't rule it out until we've given it a try.
Laura Veith is a senior editorial page editor.
I
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