4A -- Wednesday, February 9, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 4A - Wednesday, February 9, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom 0 Nl idtiglan 4atly Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com Create a holistic education STEPHANIE STEINBERG EDITOR IN CHIEF MICHELLE DEWITT and EMILY ORLEY EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS KYLE SWANSON 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. A hole in the 'ridge' Students and legislators must stop welfare abuse Bridge Card abusers, beware - an end to fraudulent food assis- tance may be near. State Rep. David Agema (R-Grandville), chairman of the House subcommittee that oversees fund- ing for the Department of Human Services, is looking to end Bridge Card abuse among college students. But legislators should be cautious' when placing restrictions on a program that helps more than 1 million Michigan residents annually. While the state should further inves- tigate the consequences of alleged Bridge Card abuse, students and retailers must act responsibly and stop abusing the welfare program. Lt y the way, these are just theories," my economics professor casually noted, implying that the mathematical rela- tionships on the lecture slide may not reflect real- ity. I imagined myself stand- ing up in my lecture hall of ° 300, exclaiming: So why are we spending all our ERIK time learning the TORENBERG ins and outs of these theories? Why aren't we also analyzing the frameworks from which they rest? A conversation with an alumn exacerbated my intellectual discom- fort. He told me he never used any specific thing he learned from eco- nomic classes. But don't worry about that, he implied. Economics taught him how to solve problems. I see the relation - if he meant solving more types of economic problems. But if he meant solving typical problems he may confront at work, I don't see a clear connection. Although, some- times it's nice to imagine myself gaining four problem solving points on my 0 -100 problem solvingmeter, ready to tackle all sorts of problems as I exit Lurch Hall every other day. Now, I don't question the impor- tance and applicability of quantita- tive abilities. But such a justification for a concentration hides the fact that we economics majors have little use for the theories we work so hard to ingrain in our minds. Most economics majors don't mind. The reality is that many stu- dents major in economics because it ostensibly provides instant credibil- ity for future employers. Financially, it's practical. But besides serving as a stepping- stone to professional success, the economics department also prides itself on imparting to its students a valuable framework for evaluating the world around them. And it cer- tainly does. But students will get an even more nuanced understanding of economic matters if they supple- ment this lens with others. For example, we study the Laf- fer Curve - the tradeoff between equality and efficiency - without debating how much efficiency, how much equality and why? The soci- etal costs of inequality cannot easily be quantified. Analyzing economic issues from multiple lenses would providea more complete picture. But we don't discuss or debate this infor- mation - we just consume it. Upper level classes may offer comprehen- sive analysis of these issues, but stu- dents have to clear high hurdles to access them. While hammering in economic theories, introductory classes actu- ally disillusion many students who care about economic problems. So these students take social science classes, typically heavily based on content. It seems that these stu- dents are more interested in eco- nomic issues than actual economics majors, even though they some- times wallow in the anecdotal. They claim that the dry and conservative nature of the introductory classes repelled them, but the heavy math may have been the real reason. If so, they are committing the same ideo- logical error but in reverse: They're prescribing social medications to economic events without under- standing the underlying economic conditions. There's one group of people pro- posing solutions without an under- standing of business and statistics. There's another group of people trying to quantify and model every- thing without a moral framework to prioritize their results. Comprehen- sive analysis requires both of these skill sets. Students typically only have one. An interdisciplinary programthat evaluates events through economic, philosophical and historical lenses will instill these qualitative and quantitative tools in its students. Bringing together these depart- ments might be bureaucratically dif- ficult, but that shouldn't be a major roadblock. Such a bridgingcan actu- ally send a message: The Univer- sity promotes an interdisciplinary approach to solving interconnected problems. One model already exists: Philos- ophy, Politics and Economics. Origi- nating at the University of Oxford, PPE - which seeks to combine these areas of study and examine the areas where they intersect - is offered at several leading universities around the world. This University has flirt- ed with implementing this program before, but nothing has come to frui- tion yet. Departments may respond if its students demonstrate interest, so e-mail your department if you'd 4 like to see such a program. Economics is more than math. g Reports released by the DHS state that 10,000 to 18,000 Michigan college students were receiving up to $200 a month in food assistance from the state during the 2009- 2010 school year, according to a Feb. 1 article in the Lansing State Journal. Agema and other legislators are growing concerned that a large portion of Bridge Card users have found loop- holes in the application and are cashing in on unneeded state assistance, though lawmak- ers don't know the exact number of abusers. Other proposals capping welfare benefits have been introduced in the last month in an effort to decrease the $1.8 billion budget deficit the state faces the next fiscal year. Before students apply for a Bridge Card, they should remember that the purpose of the program is to assist low-income fami- lies, not to pay for unnecessary products. Just because a loophole exists, doesn't mean that it should be exploited. When students take advantage of the program, they're tak- ing money away from one of the most eco- nomically depressed states in the country. In addition to wasting tsaiernE dollars, abuse destroys the credibility of a Bridge Card pro- gram that millions of Michigan residents rely on to pay for essentials. Retailers must also be responsible when it comes to Bridge Card use and shouldn't view the program as a way to gain custom- ers. According to state Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit), grocery stores across Michigan are encouraging college students to apply for the program simply to boost their own sales. While this may seem like a harmless promo- tion to retailers, urging students who may not need the card to apply comes at the expense of the less fortunate who will suffer if the pro- gram is slashed. While legislators plan their sting operation against fraudulent card users, they should consider changing the procedure to apply for the Bridge Card. According to Agema, allow- ing applicants to apply online instead of vis- iting a local DHS office makes it easier for students to get Bridge Cards they don't need. Other lawmakers have claimed that the sim- plicity of the application allows students to lie about their financial situation. Lawmak- ers should consider adding eligibility criteria for the program. There needs to be a system in place that limits abuse, while still allowing those who need the card - including college students - to have access to aid. When it comes to putting an end to Michi- gan's food fraud, students, retailers and law- makers need to act ethically and make sure that those who need help - not those who can work the system - are getting it. I don't envision unrelated intro- ductory classes in the three different departments. I envision interdisci- plinary courses where students use economic and philosophical lenses to analyze problems - where they converse as well as calculate. Those who want to go into finance or academia will still get the full dose of economics. We certainly need economics specialists. But generalists are important, too. PPE may foster more socially conscious economists like Joseph Stiglitz and Jeffrey Sachs. Or thinkers like Adam Smiths and David Hume. There was a time when our economists were also our philosophers. Perhaps a future alumnus will come back and tell students that in addition to learning how to evaluate data, she also learned how to evalu- ate texts and ideas. She understood economic affairs in political and his- torical contexts, cultivating a genu- ine interest in the process. She'll recommend PPE wholeheartedly, redefining what it means to think practically about one's major. -Erik Torenberg can be reached at erikto@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@michigandaily.com HAMDAN AZHAR I A Palestinian-Israeli approach I EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Aida Ali, Will Butler, Michelle DeWitt, Ashley Griesshammer, Melanie Kruvelis, Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Emily Orley, Harsha Panduranga, Teddy Papes, Asa Smith, Seth Soderborg, Andrew Weiner PATRICK MAILLET I Well played, Mr. President 0 Americans disagree on virtually every political topic. We, as a country, don't see eye to eye on abortion, gun control, govern- ment spending, gay marriage, immigration or practically an infinite number of other divid- ing issues. We don't agree on what the role of government should be or how the Con- stitution should be interpreted. Short of an absolute tragedy, Americans have never been in complete universal agreement on certain political matters. Yet when it comes to China, we can all agree on one thing: It scares the hell out of us. It's no secret that China is growing at an unprecedented rate. Within just a couple decades, China has reinvented itself and has become a global superpower. Recently sur- passing Japan as the world's second largest economy, China has begun to encroach on America's international dominance, leaving many to believe that China will soon be the world's major economic power. According to a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, 38 percent of Americans believe that China will be the world leader in 20 years or less. This statistic, compared to only 35 percent of Americans who believe that the United States will remain in power as the global eco- nomic leader, causes many to show concern. Those who are most concerned are unde- niably our elected officials. Politicians from both sides of the spectrum are desperately seeking ways that we as a country can ensure our continued dominance over China. Few people understand this more than President Barack Obama. Perhaps it's because of this universal fear that Obama brought up China on four separate occasions in his 2011 State of the Union address, while also speaking about growing Asian countries an additional three times. This wasn't an accident. Obama wants to make sure no one forgets about China's growing dominance anytime soon. As he embarks on the second half of his first term as president, Obama has made it readily apparent that he plans on heightening America's investment in technology, educa- tion and renewable energy. Unfortunately for him, with the Republican-dominated House of Representatives, funds for these expensive endeavors won't be easily approved. Obama has realized that the Republicans will never approve the spending that he wants, so he has to think of drastic ways to garner the support that he needs. By reminding America of Chi- na's threat, Obama is in effect trying to scare Republicans into approving his spending in order to keep up with China's continuous growth. "China is building faster trains and newer airports. Meanwhile, when our own engineers graded our nation's infrastructure, they gave us a D," he said in his address. Obama knows just as well as the Repub- licans do that to save American jobs and to ensure our continued dominance, Republi- cans will be willing to approve spending that they normally would be hesitant to sign off on. This is a brilliant political ploy because this may very well be Obama's only chance to gain the support he needs to approve the projects he wishes to enact. In reality, no one loses from this under- taking. We as a country desperately need improvements such as a high-speed rail transit system, improved broadband speeds and fur- ther investment in renewable energies. China will surpass us very soon unless we make cer- tain investments. As Obama reiterated in his speech, "Just recently, China became home to the world's largest private solar research facil- ity, and the world's fastest computer." America must act soon because if we wish to ensure our continued global dominance, we have to not only keep up with China's advance- ment, but also surpass them in investments for the future. The president's focus point in his State of the Union was that "We need to out- innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world." This was Obama's way of saying: We need to catch up with China. Patrick Maillet is anS LSA freshman. Supporters of a University-sponsored study abroad program in Israel argue that programs would pro- vide greater academic opportunities for students and enhance the University's global competitiveness. While it's refreshing to see University students taking an interest in the Middle East, there are several poten- tial concerns that deserve consideration. Steven Zuckerman, a Public Policy representative for MSA and supporter of the initiative, insists that the program is "not a political statement," according to a Jan. 24 Michigan Daily article. But the petition's spon- sor, WolvPAC, is "a strictly political group committed to strengthening the US-Israel relationship through dialogue and lobbying," according to its constitution. The lack of consistency on the part of the sponsors is especially concerning given the growing national move- ment calling for an academic and cultural boycott of Israel. To be clear, there are certainly those whose criti- cisms of Israel reflect nothing more than thinly veiled anti-Jewish prejudice. But this doesn't imply that there can be no legitimate and morally grounded criticism of Israeli policy and behavior. One of the foremost proponents of boycott is a man whose human rights record is unassailable: Nobel Laureate, South African anti-apartheid advocate and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The same man in 2008 was honored with the University's Wallenberg Medal, which requires "unmatched heroism, courage and self-sacrifice in the protection and rescue of the per- secuted." "Israeli universities are an intimate part of the Israeli regime," Tutu said in an article in Times Live. "While Palestinians are not able to access universities and schools, Israeli universities produce the research, technology, arguments and leaders for maintainiigthe occupation." Many of us - myself included - may find it difficult to reconcile the idea of academic boycott with our com- mitment to academic freedom. A stronger rationale for opposing University-sponsored study abroad in Israel is that such programs may unintentionally further dis- crimination and violate the University's commitment to equal opportunity. Last month, for example, Human Rights Watch reported, "Palestinians face systematic discrimination merely because of their race, ethnicity and national ori- gin, depriving them of electricity, water, schools and access to roads." The situation within the Jewish state, of which around 20 percent of citizens are Muslim, is even worse. According to Haaretz.com, "segregation of Jews and Arabs in 2010 Israel is absolute." Supporters argue that University-sponsored study abroad in Israel would offer many academic and cultural opportunities. Under Israel's current border policy, how- ever, thousands of University students would risk being effectively barred from these opportunities. Accordingto the U.S. State Department, "U.S. citizens whom Israeli authorities suspect of being of Arab, Middle Eastern, or Muslim origin ... may face additional, often time-consuming, and probing questioning by immigra- tion and border authorities, or may even be denied entry into Israel." It gets worse: "U.S. citizens have been detained and/ or arrested at the airport and at other border crossings on suspicion of security-related offenses... In some cases, Israeli authorities have denied American citizens access to U.S. consular officers, lawyers, and even family mem- bers during temporary detention." These are very real concerns. Last January, an American. Harvard University law student of Egyp- tian descent was detained upon landing in Israel and eventually deported after she refused border officials' requests to search her e-mail. A similar case involv- ing a Wayne State University student occurred a few months later. Will all University students - regardless of race, reli- gion or political beliefs - have equal opportunities to participate in the proposed study abroad program? What measures will the University take to ensure that certain segments of the student body aren't disenfranchised in the new program? The proponents of the initiative, thus far, have failed to demonstrate sensitivity to these concerns. In his let- ter to the editor, LSA Junior Jacob Steinerman speaks of Israel as an idyllic tourist hotspot. "Where else can you go skiing, hiking, scuba diving," he wrote (Study abroad in Israel, 1/26/2011). If we truly wish to enhance the learning experience outside the classroom, we must transcend such sugar- coated views of the region. It's also likely that University- sponsored study abroad in Israel will be perceived as a political statement and may result in our inadvertently endorsing segregation and de facto discrimination. The opportunity to study in Israel and Palestine would provide an unparalleled learning experience. Why not a joint Palestinian and Israeli study abroad? Surprisingly, the idea isn't as novel as it may seem - American University and George Mason already have similar programs up and running. By partnering with a Palestinian as well as an Israeli university, the University would signal its commit- ment to promoting dialogue as opposed to monologue. Moreover, we will move one step closer to realizing the promise of the University's mission - "developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future." Hamdan Azhar is an University alum.