4A -- Wednesday, February 16, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 4A - Wednesday, February 16, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom " Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandailycom Blogging Blue: Will Butler and Seeing Red: Kylie Kagen d h discuss the conservative political action conference. SO U u1Go to michigandaily.com/blogs/The Podium More than final feedback 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. Adopt eqlualit Both partners in same-sex couples need rights There are plenty of horror stories about custody battles for same-sex couples. As the law currently states, only one parent in a same-sex couple can have legal rights over his or her children. In the event that a partner dies or wishes to separate, the parent without legal right doesn't have any custody over his or her children. That is the case in Michigan, where current adoption laws reflect the state's unwillingness to recognize same-sex couples as parents. But last Monday, Rep. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) proposed state legislation that, if passed, would extend the adoption rights currently granted to heterosexual couples, to same-sex couples and other unrepresented guardians. This measure is long overdue and is absolutely necessary to ensure that responsible, same- sex parents are afforded full custodial rights and don't suffer discrimination. Though single homosexuals are legally allowed to adopt in Michigan, Irwin's bill would expand the existing law by allowing a second parent to petition for joint custody of their partner's child, according to a Feb. 14 AnnArbor.com article. The law would apply to legal adoptions by same-sex couples and chil- dren conceived through in-vitro fertilization. Michigan has already granted second-parent privileges to stepparents who wish to adopt their spouse's children, but the law doesn't recognize same-sex couples. The bill would give the children of same- sex couples unfettered accessato the insurance, Social Security and other financial benefits of both parents, rather than just one. These chil- dren would also enjoy the stability of a two- parent household without a barrier of red tape that confuses their perception of a cohesive family. Under the current system, if some- thing happens to the custodial parent, the child could be placed into protective custody without regard for the fact that the child has another parent who is simply not recognized by the state. As it stands, the current law doesn't pro- vide shared custody between separated, same- sex couples. Regardless of how longa couple is together and raising a child, if they separate, the non-custodial parent has no rights to that child. Irwin's bill would protect the inter- ests of the adoptive parents by granting them shared custody in the same manner as hetero- sexual couples. The sheer lack of precedent to justify the current same-sex adoption restrictions is star- tling. Two separate studies - one published in the September 2009 issue of Adoption Quar- terly and the other in abook by Assistant Prof. Abbie Goldberg of Clark University - found no significant difference between the long- term well-being of children raised by same- sex couples and those raised by heterosexual couples. Yet the state has a system in place that refuses to grant a legitimate parent of custo- dial rights, and potentially endangers the sta- bility of the child's life, simply because of the parent's sexual orientation. This type of discrimination reflects an anti- quated perception of whata parent is and what a family is. Instead of focusing on the gender of the partners, the state should be examining whether or not a couple can provide a healthy and stable home for a child. Couples who are able to do so should be granted full custodial rights - for both parents. ast week I got a CTools noti- fication that I've received countless times over the past few semesters: A reminder to com- plete my course evaluations. The only strange. thing is that I have never gott that e-mail just Y six weeks into a semester. What is JEFF even more shock- WOJCIK ing is that while some LSA profes- sors provide a venue for feedback mid-semester, most LSA professors only offer the opportunity through the required end-of-term online evaluations. College of Engineering students are offered the opportuni- ty to complete mid term evaluations for every class they take. LSA stu- dents should have the same oppor- tunity to critique our world-class faculty and staff. And all faculty and staff should use midterm evalu- ations to better cater their instruc- tion and work to the students they are teaching. Unlike end-of-term evaluations, which can only create improve- ments for future students, instruc- tors benefit from midterm feedback because they can augment their teaching, if necessary, for students who are currently taking the course. This immediate response can help students learn better and allow professors to adopt a style that best accommodates specific semesters and sections of students. Feedback also allows students to indicate an interest ina relevant political topic, a small change to lecture slides or other suggestions that might not warranta meeting with a professor. Additionally, while I suspect many instructors are approach- able and receptive to criticism from students, the barriers against complaining and the perceived risk of communicating dissatisfaction with a course is high for under- graduates. Online course evalua- tions, facilitated feedback sessions provided by the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching or other methods of evaluating classes is needed to ensure genuine, reliable criticism. Without the formalities of an anonymous interface and rou- tine request for feedback, soliciting teaching advice is ineffective and likely incomplete. Using institu- tional evaluations of teaching pro- vides a level of comfort for students to take action about their courses. As I mentioned in a column two weeks ago, LSA rocks. I think most people would agree professors are largelyresponsible for makingtheir experience in LSA a positive one. That said, there is always room for improvement, and constructive criticism half way through each semester can only make things better. Short of requiring midterm online course evaluations for all courses, LSA could provide incen- tives to faculty to conduct midterm evaluations. Departments and the college already take end-of-semes- ter course evaluations very serious- ly and use them in making decisions about tenure, among other things. It might be appropriate to allow instructors the chance to add to their record of evaluations through the data collected from mid-semes- ter evaluations. This may already be the case, and if so, faculty and staff should be even more motivated to take advantage of the opportunity to poll students about their classes. Given that course evaluations and feedback surveys are cheap to provide, easy to create and don't take a great deal of time for stu- dents to complete, there isn't be a reason not to mandate midterm evaluations in LSA. More evalua- tions can only improve our learning experience at the University, and more interaction in this way will continue to propel the University to be recognized as an outstanding institution. We don't need to over do it and have a survey after each class period, but given how easy it is to provide a venue for grievances online around the seventh week of a course, there really is no reason not to utilize some evaluation resource at least twice a term for each class. Mid-semester evaluations can be constructive. Of course, an increase in course evaluations is a two-way street, as it only helps faculty and staff if we students take the few minutes needed to give feedback, when it is requested. Many students fill out course evaluations at the end of each term, but a handful still fail to do so. It's our responsibility to complain when given the chance or alternatively indicate our appre- ciation of professors who do a great job. I hope all LSA faculty and staff will take just a small part of their next lecture to distribute surveys, point students to a CTools evalua- tion or have CLRT conduct a Mid- term Student Feedback Session. Even if professors, lecturers and GSI's use the exact same CTools questionnaire they'll use at the end of the term, it would allow them to address student needs on a term-by- term basis and make their excellent instruction even better. -Jeff Wojcik is the LSA Academic Relations Officer. He can be reached at jawojcik@umich.edu. 0 EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Aida Ali, Will Butler, Ellie Chessen, Michelle DeWitt, Ashley Griesshammer, Melanie Kruvelis, Pat Maillet, Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Emily Orley, Harsha Panduranga, Teddy Papes, Asa Smith, Seth Soderborg, Andrew Weiner SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@MICHIGANDAILY.COM ELLIE CHESSEN | Anti-Muslim sentiments in Israel are exaggerated countries. As in the Middle short of joinin And as for1 crimination it TO THE DAILY: Shiite Pakista In his viewpoint (A Palestinian-Israeli and author, de approach, 02/03/2011) Hamdan Azhar wrote: of Israel don't "'Palestinians face systematic discrimination Arabs are pr merely because of their race, ethnicity and principles and national origin, depriving them of electricity, leges of Israel water, schools and access to roads. The situa- dom House, "( tion within the Jewish state, of which around of the Israeli 20 percent of citizens are Muslim, is even most represer worse." one of Israel's Allegations of widespread "systematic dis- estinian Arab. crimination" are false: If Palestinians face dis- So accordi crimination in the Jewish state, where else are partners with they being deprived "electricity, water, schools of Israel, that and access to roads... because of their race, eth- ing segregatio nicity and national origin?" Perhaps the perpe- It's sad that A trators are the Islamic theocracies of Yemen, personal ands Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Saudi that this isbei Arabia, Mauritania and Oman? Perhaps they're the saddest th the discriminatory parties referred to? Oh coward to call wait, that's not true at all. On the other side, Rather, he has I'm Jewish and NOT ONLY would I be denied electricity and road access in every single one BenDuchan of those countries; I can't even get into those LSA junior a Jew, I can't travel anywhere East - except Israel - any way rgthe army. the alleged anti-Palestinian dis- rn Israel? Dr. Tashbih Sayyed, a ni-American scholar, journalist enied that Muslim Arab citizens t have equal rights and said that otected by Israel's democratic [afforded all the rights and privi- i citizenship. According to Free- Currently, 14 of the 120 members Parliament are Arab citizens, nting Arab political parties and Supreme Court judges is a Pal- ng to Azhar, if the University an institution in the Jewishstate would be "inadvertently endors- on and de facto discrimination." zhar has such low concern for his academic integrity. It's doubly sad ing made into an issue at all. But ing is that Azhar is too much of a I his anti-Semitism for what it is. "anti-Jewish prejudice." For Detroiters, the Chrysler commercial featuring Eminem stood out as one of the highlights of the Super Bowl, showing a different side of Detroit than what we have been seeing in the media. The commercial's narra- tor gave Michiganders reason to be proud of the Motor City, boldly stating, "What does a town that's been to hell and back know about the finer things in life? Well, I'll tell you: more than most. You see it's the hottest fires that make the hardest steel. Add hard work, and con- viction and the knowhow that runs generations deep in every last one of us. That's who we are. That's our story." But Detroit headlines are trumpetinga different story. Instead of hearing about Detroit's progress, we've been reading about soaring unemployment and urban decay. The sob story in the media only reveals a superficial understanding of what is really happening in Detroit. For reporters, it's easy to keep up the image of destruction - anyone can go to Detroit and find abandoned houses and decaying buildings. But personally, I'm tired of hear- ing about Detroit's disrepair. I'd like to hear more about what people are doing to put the city back on its feet. More and more young innovators are moving to Detroit to help with community revitalization. It seems that the younger generation is able to see creative opportunity in a place that others regard as rough around the edges. As University students, we have a vested interest in the revival of Detroit. The University offers academic pro- grams to students who want to experience Detroit first- hand. Semester in Detroit is a University program that is co-sponsored bythe Residential College and the Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning. Students who enroll in SID live in the Detroit community for-one semester, taking classes at Wayne State University and interning at Detroit non-profit organizations. Many of these University students have formed lasting bondswith the city - in the first two years of the program, 50 percent of seniors involved in the program moved to Detroit after graduation to continue their work and give back to the city. We need more University students to become per- sonally invested in the social and economic betterment of the city, and get to know the community outside of the abandonedbuildings featured on the news. University students can also play a role in Detroit's rejuvenation by moving to the city after graduation. For people who are paying off student loans or can't afford expensive Ann Arbor housing, Detroit is a great option. Housing in Detroit costs a fraction of the price of Ann Arbor housing. While most University students love living in Ann Arbor - despite its increasing commer- cialization - Detroit is worth a closer look, as it's fast becoming a place for innovators and local businesses. Michigan artists and architects have already become involved in community betterment through large-scale projects in Detroit. Five young teachers from the Taub- man College of Architecture and Urban Planning made their footprint in Detroit by buying a foreclosed house for only $500 and completely revamping the inside through a series of innovative architectural projects. The team, known as the Five Fellows, took on five sep- arate projects in different sections of the house. Each section served as an architectural experiment for the fellows. The house has become famous in the neighbor- hood and is now a point of pride for the residents. The Five Fellows project is living proof that through creative thinking and dedication, urban decay can become urban renewal. University graduates who are interested in art, archi- tecture or renewable energy should consider becoming a part of the Power House Project in Detroit - a non- profit organization that inspires neighborhood revital- ization. One goal of the PHP is to introduce stabilization in communities by renovating abandoned houses in cre- ative ways. The PHP offers an artist residency program for members, providing artists with a space to live while working on projects in Detroit neighborhoods. The PHP and similar organizations see art and community better- ment as an essential part of Detroit's development. The PHP relies on young people, like University students to carry out this goal. Young people couldn't ask for a better place to get started than Detroit. Detroit offers unique opportuni- ties that a fully developed city like New York City can- not. In Detroit there is space for redefinition - anyone can make their own, unique mark. The city has been broken down, but the exciting part now is the building back up. This city, bursting with possibilities, is right at the fingertips of University students. So students, when planning your future, think Detroit. Ellie Chessen is an LSA junior. Students shouldn't rule out Detroit 0 Mohammad doesn't offer any concrete solutions for Egypt as a better "man dei would only s imperialism in E or more brutal p much as Presiden TO THE DAILY: ing the discredite In his column (American's man in Cairo, Mohammad, "co 02/14/2011) Neill Mohammad excuses all sorts but presumably b of historic crimes of United States imperialism like "change you around the globe in order to put forward his What is actua own advice that the U.S. continue its imperial- a speaker at the: ist policies, but without looking so much like for Social Equalit an empire. In light of the Egyptian revolution, lution in Egypt, o the U.S. must, according to Mohammad, do es of the represen what it can to soften its image in the eyes of like ElBaradei " workers and youth under its thumb around the "independent org world. can become the b Aside from asserting the need for a new to the working cla "man in Cairo" other than the hand-picked standing that "th torturer-in-chief Omar Suleiman, Mohammad essential democr doesn't offer any concrete solutions as to how from the implemE Egyptian workers and youth can achieve full Perhaps these democracy and complete the revolution which like to contain. has onlybegun. Law scholar Dr. Mohamad ElBaradei is Mitch Marcus someone being feted by the U.S. and the media LSA sophomore in Cairo." However, ElBara- erve as the new face of U.S. gypt, culminating in equally olicies than his predecessor, t Barack Obama did in replac- ed George Bush. According to ntainment" should continue, be called something different, can believe in." illy required, as David North, recent International Students ty public meeting on the revo- utlined is that "false promis- tatives of the capitalist class" be ruthlessly exposed," that ans of workers' power, which asis for the transfer of power sass be created" and the under- he realization of the workers' ratic demands is inseparable entation of socialist policies." are what Mohammad would 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 0