100%

Scanned image of the page. Keyboard directions: use + to zoom in, - to zoom out, arrow keys to pan inside the viewer.

Page Options

Download this Issue

Share

Something wrong?

Something wrong with this page? Report problem.

Rights / Permissions

This collection, digitized in collaboration with the Michigan Daily and the Board for Student Publications, contains materials that are protected by copyright law. Access to these materials is provided for non-profit educational and research purposes. If you use an item from this collection, it is your responsibility to consider the work's copyright status and obtain any required permission.

February 16, 2011 - Image 12

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Michigan Daily, 2011-02-16

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.



0

w

4B ensa eray1,21 /TeSae et

Wednesday, February 16, 2011// The Statement EB

By Kaitlin Williams

he socioeconomic status of University students is often
a taboo topic, buta recent YouTube video , "University
of Michigan Pursuit of Jappiness," produced by three
University students, addresses this topic head-on with satirical
references to JAPs (an acronym for Jewish American Princess
or Prince) on campus. The stereotype depicts a person from a
wealthy family background who has money to spend.
The video sheds light - though viewers dispute whether it
is positive or negative
- on cultural

stereotypes.bbecause they are subject to the same stereotypes.
LSA sophomore Skyler Fulton directed and edited the video "We're very well-acquainted with that socioeconomic class,
and wrote the lyrics to the song over the beat to Kid Cudi's hit and we're kind of just making light ofit," he said.
single "Pursuit of Happiness." Devin Rossinsky, Music, Theater Brody said he wasn't familiar with the "JAP" lifestyle until
& Dance sophomore, and Lucas Brody, LSA sophomore, helped he came to the University and joined a fraternity. He said that
with the lyrics and video montage. there is not much socioeconomic diversity atthe University and
Fulton said the video received 30,000 views within 24 hours that most students seem to have a lot of money.
of being uploaded on Feb. 10. As of 10:30 p.m. last night, the "It's definitely a diverse school, but in terms of social group-
video had more than 140,000 views. ings, it's absolutely not diverse," Brody said.
While some viewers have expressed that they are upset by While Fulton said class divides exist at the University and
the stereotypes, Fulton said he has experienced overwhelming other colleges, he doesn't think the video alienates anyone.
support for the video. However, he added that he knew some Brody said he doesn't think the video creates new separations,
people would take offense to the lyrics and video. but that it does reinforce the divides that already exist on cam-
"I figured that could happen, but like, we do mean no harm pus.
by it," Fulton said. _ Fulton said the video should be taken as satirical of a type of
Fulton said that being Jewish, a resident of Massachusetts person that students recognize.
and a member of Greek Life at the University also "When I say JAP I don't mean the Japanese/ I mean the
places him under the title of "JAP." While the chicks takin' pics at the frat parties/ and dudes atthe Scarsdale
acronym originated as a descriptive idiom for driving range/ new Beamer, pocket change," Fulton raps near
Jewish women, Fulton said it now applies the end of the video.
to men The video references clothing brands including Ed Hardy
and Abercrombie & Fitch, as well as Ann Arbor-specific refer-
ences to residences such as fraternity houses and the Zaragon
Place Apartments on East University Avenue.
®_Roughing it
The University often boasts that students
have the opportunity to interact with stu-

dents of all backgrounds, but some say this is more a goal than In order to fund her education, she said she plans to take out
reality. Kinesiology senior Adam Leyton said he thinks college "massive" student loans.
students tend to stick with people who belong to their own "After a certain point, the difference between $200,000 in
socioeconomic class. student loans and $250,000 in student loans becomes sort of
According to Leyton, tuition is expensive at the University, trivial," Waters said. "It's kind oflike, 'Oh, I just got alot of debt,
and he doesn't understand why students shell out alotof money and I'm justgoing to be payingthis off for 20 years."'
to live in Zaragon Place, for example. Herold said she will also have to pay for her
"I think that there's a good trend of students that flock to, graduate school education. She said she is
you know, people that are of the same socioeconomic class," confident that she and Waters will be
Leyton said. "The Greek Life system brings people of similar able to pay off their debt because
backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses together." they are going-into fields - law and
Leyton said he lived in residence halls for the first two years medicine - that have well- paying
of his time as an undergraduate student, but has opted for jobs.'
cheaper, off-campus housing for the lsst year and a half. While Herold said her parents
Leyton works part-time at Five Guys Burgers and Fries res- fund her undergraduate educa- tion, she said
taurant on State Street and explained that he tries to limit him- there's an unwritten rule between her and her par-
self to spending $10 or less per day. He said he might buy a cup ents that she has to have a paid job or internship every summer
of coffee a day and another meal, but he tries to keep spending to save up for her future.
to a minimum. She said that her mother once considered buying a residence
"You don't go to collegeto,likelive alavish,luxury lifestyle," in Michigan because it would be cheaper to maintain than con-
Leyton said. "I kind of always thought of college as a time to tinuing to pay out-of-state tuition. As an only child, Herold said
'rough it" she is lucky because her parents can afford to send her to the
Leyton expressed that he is content living with- University.
out luxuries in college, and he is put off when Herold saidshe chose to attendthe University because
people try to brag about their possessions, she heard of its great academic and social reputation.
Otherthan taking a fewshifts a week at Five She added that she had a desire to go to an out-of-state
Guys, Leyton said he works in the fall as a foot- school.
ball referee in his hometown of Flint, Mich. He "I kind of wanted to get away because I know I'm
said he made the hour-long drive almost every going to end up in California because once you live
weekend to work and make money to pay his there, it's kind of hard not to live there for the rest of
utilities and afford other life expenses. your life," Herold said. "I wanted to try something new."
He said when going out with friends, he feels that Waters was also drawnto the University because her par-
he spends less on alcohol than his peers and is more conscious ents attended the school when they lived in Michigan. She con-
of his spending. sidered attending the University of Virginia, which would have
"Whenever I do go out, alot of my friends probably spend a been cheaper, but she said she is happy with her decision.
lot more at the bars," Leyton said. Herold and Waters said they go out about once a week and
As the youngest of four, Leyton said he feels lucky to have try to limit spending. Herold said she avoids shopping in Ann
parents who pay for most of his collegiate expenses so he won't Arbor because it's expensive, much like her hometown of Paulo
be in debt after college. Alto, Calif.
"I'd say I'm an exception to the rule," he said. Waters has a meal plan and tries totake advantage of it. She
said she calculated that each meal costs about $11, which she
A trvial difference thinks is too costly.
"I like go for one meal and steal three," Waters said. "I don't
LSA freshmen Lucie Herold and Abigail Waters are friends really need to eat that much, and it seems like a waste for me
and coxswains onthe University's rowing team. The two have a to spend."
lot in common, including their financial background. With a scholarship for rowing, Waters said she is able to save
Both said their parents are responsible for paying their out- extra money to pay for expenses outside tuition, like going out
of-state tuition. Herold is from California and plans to attend with friends.
law school, while Waters hails from Virginia and plans to go to
medical school in the future. The tuition problem
Waters said that while she feels lucky her parents are ready
and willing to pay her tuition and According to estimates by the Office of the Registrar, the
room and board to live in a resi- total expense of a University undergraduate student is approxi-
dence hall, she would be respon- mately $25,000 for in-state students and $50,000 for out-of-
sible for paying her way through state students. This estimated budget includes tuition, room
medical school. and board, books and personal expenses.
About 16,545 undergraduates and 13,262 graduate students
- morethan half of each group - received financial aid in some
form, including grants, scholarships, loans and work-study
programs, for the 2009-2010 academic year.
Sandra Crump, the assistant director for communications
at the office of Financial Aid, wrote

that many students take advantage of the financial aid services
offered by the University.
"We encourage all students who think they might need
financial assistance to apply for financial aid," Crump wrote in
an e-mail interview.
At a Jan. 24 University of Michigan Senate Assembly meet-
ing, University Provost Philip Hanlon told the University's lead
faculty governing body that he wants to increase the amount of
financial aid available to University students.
"The whole funding model for higher education is really, I
think, unsustainable," Hanlon said, noting increases over the
past decade in the three higher education sectors: in-state pub-
lic tuition, out-of-state public tuition and private tuition.
Hanlon said these three sectors have increases at an annual
rate of five to seven percent per year, which he said cannot con-
tinue without makinga college education unaffordable.
"This is not a University of Michigan problem," Hanlon said.
"It'l a higher education problem."
While Hanlon said he is concerned about the affordability
of higher education, Pamela Fowler, executive director of the
Office of Financial Aid, said the office is committed to helping
students obtain the financial assistance they need to reach their
educational goals.
"I'm proud of what we do," Fowler said. "You will not find
another university in the state that goes above and beyond."
She maintained that the University receives unwarranted
criticism for being expensive, and that paying for tuition is
more feasible at the University than other universities in the
state. She attributes this feasibility to the unrelenting efforts of
office of Financial Aid.
"People think the University is too expensive," Fowler said.
"We are actually the cheapest university in the state."
Crump wrote that federal financial aid is based on an "esti-
mated family contribution."
"The EFC takes into account not only the family's income
but also the number of family members, the number of family
members in college and other variables," Crump wrote.
Despite Fowler's opinion of the University's affordability,
LSA sophomore Ari Kaye said he thinks out-of-state tuition is
too pricy.
Kaye said though he thinks it's expensive, the high cost
doesn't affect him much because of his
financial status.
Kaye explained that a trust
fund set up by his grandparents
pays for most of his expenses.
Because of his financial position,
he said he doesn't care if he pays
more for school than other students.
"I don'thave a, like,bigproblemwith
it if it's helping pay subsidy for poorer
people in state," Kaye said. "That's fine
with me. I don't really care that much."
Kaye said he has an older brother in graduate school at the
University and another brother in undergraduate school at the
University of Chicago. He said he doesn't have to worry about
debt and that he has some of his own money to spend.
"I'm aware that Iam of a small percentage of people that are
just like, 'I've got everything under control,' " Kaye said.
Regardless of payment methods, every student is required to
pay a substantial tuition to attend the University. According to
students who have noticed class differences among
their peers, the ability to pay this fee doesn't
put everyone on equal economic ground.
Fulton said the YouTube video ulti-
mately calls attention to and starts
conversations about what University stu-
dents already know, whether they're in the
"Pursuit of Jappiness" or the pursuit of some-
thing else.
"We would like to point out the things that people might have
noticed and put them all together in a fun way," Fulton said.

Back to Top

© 2024 Regents of the University of Michigan