4 -Tuesday, February 22, 2011r The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com E-MAIL ELAINE AT EMORT@UMICH.EDU Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com ELAINE MORTON O~9AL-Ty NOT ISETTeR Pf-ODUCC1 BOTTLES' 5.y MIL 'mPAr TACAPWATER SRGL.SOF OIL.ANNUsAILIy PAST it TA)ES 1000 FOLYrTRY E Ne IE~kS O DS1NE~iATE *TEPTHALATe. ANDo N LA NO ' " L . IN ----- B1S? rNO A Ar NOT A COSTS Mop, 11-IT ...NSUPPORTATN4 (iASO INE ~BAN Diet bythe, Guidelinesc 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. FROM T HE DAILY One union doesn'tft all. 'U' should focus on specific needs of GSRAs The issue of unionization has recently become a major con- cern for graduate students at the University. The Graduate Employees' Organization is lobbying to bring graduate stu- dent research assistants under the umbrella of its union, and the University is declining to negotiate this issue with GEO. While GEO hasn't gone on strike, members are not happy about the University's current stance at the bargaining table. The University is under no obligation to discuss GSRA unionization with GEO, but it's important that it recognizes the needs of GSRAs - who do invaluable work on their research projects - and be sure that they are being met. GEO is currently in negotiations with the University about its contract. Among the issues on the bargaining table isthe desire to unionize GSRAs. As a result of a 1981 Michigan Employ-. ment Relations Commission ruling in which the University contested GSRAs status as union members, GEO only represents graduate stu- dent instructors and graduate student staff assistants. GEO wants to bring GSRAs into its collective bargaining agreementto help address issues of wage discrepancies, concerns of dis- abled and international GSRAs and other issues pertaining to working conditions. According to Jeff Frumkin, the associate vice provost and senior director of academic resources, the University has a permissive right to not discuss this issue and has chosen not to do so. Since GSRAs are not protected by GEO, GEO doesn't have the authority to negotiate GSRA rights. GEO is overstepping its bounds in trying to bring GSRAs into its bargaining agreement and needs to recognize whereis authority ends. But the University; needs to ,work directly with GSRAs to make sure that their needs are being met, their con- cerns are being addressed and they know what resources are available to them if they have an issue to discuss. In an interview with the Daily, Frumkin said the University doesn't think it's in GSRAs' best interest to join GEO because a collective bar- gaining agreement wouldn't properly address the specific issues related to each GSRA research project. Many GSRAs agree with this sentiment and have indicated that they don't want to join GEO. But the University cannot completely ignore the needs of GSRAs. Clearly there is a missing link in this situation, and the University needs to address this concern. If GSRAs want to campaignfor unionization that is their right, butthey needto actively pur- sue this option with GEO behind them. Not the other way around. Currently, GEO is attempt- ing to assimilate GSRAs into its union by ask- ing them to sign membership cards, but there should also be active participation by GSRAs so it's evident that they are collectively on board with this decision. There are undoubtedly situations in which a GSRA may require assistance in dealing with a faculty member or the conditions of his or her work at the University,,but union- izing may not be the most effective solution. Instead, the University must be willing to help GSRAs by expanding or implementing neces- sary resources. Remember the food pyramid? Think back to your elemen- tary school's cafeteria - I canstillvisualize that multi-col- ored guide to eating well. Back then, following the pyramid's recommenda- tions - lots of carbohydrates, MARY followed closely DEMERY by fruit and veg- etables - seemed simple enough, though that's not to say I actually followed it. I was terri- bly picky, and my own move toward healthy eating didn't really start until my sophomore year of college when I finally learned to cook for myself.. But back then, the stakes didn't seem so dire. Today, thanks to the obesity epidemic, every bite we take is loaded with more than calories. For some, a bite is loaded with guilt, for others, with wonder: Am Ieating the "right" food? Is this good for me? Personal opinions about what constitutes healthy eating vary, but the Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services are trying to make that simpler. Every five years, the depart- ments release a new set of Dietary Guidelines. In the past, it has been difficult to separate these recom- mendations from the desires of the powerful farm-interested lobbyist. As a result, consumer health was often secondary to the meat and dairy lobbyists. But the newest set of Dietary Guidelines for 2010 - released in last month - resist these power- ful lobbyists more than ever before. That's not to say these guidelines are perfect. You can still see the influ- 'ence of the meat and dairy lobbyists, but it's not as transparent as in years past. This batch of guidelines also moves closer to a non-biased map for healthy eating. Simplicity was one of the most powerful themes to emerge from the 2010 guidelines. In essence, we should eatless. This is tough, practi- cal and much-needed advice. It may. sound harsh coming from a govern- ment agency, but it's time we face our demons with eating openly and honestly. We cannot sustainthe cur- rent way we eat - both for health reasons and for the environment's sake. The recommendation to eat less is a wonderful start. The guidelines recommend doing so by supplementing your diet with fruits and vegetables - ideally, your plate will be half full. At first glance, that's a daunting amount of veg- etables, but another key to follow- ing these guidelines is patience. We didn't get fat overnight, and we're not going to slim down that quickly either. Healthy, long-lasting weight loss takes time, and the way to do it successfully is gradually. The second key tenet to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines points to con- suming nutrient-rich foods. This is a vague recommendation. At the grocery store, it can be hard to tell what's good for you and what's not, especially since the Food and Drug Administration doesn't regu- late everything that manufacturers write on their products. These nutrient-rich foods include fruit, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, seafood, lean meat, eggs, beans and nuts. Notice- ably, these are all mostly "whole" foods, rather than a compendium of artificial ingredients. This is encouraging, though on the whole, the guidelines would have done well to push for a more environ- mentally friendly diet.: What could the guidelines have included? New York Times col- umnist Mark Bittman thought "The Omnivore's Dilemma" author EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Michael Pollan's slogan would have been a good place to start: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Unfortunately, Pollan's manifesto is still a bit unrealistic for many of us. As a nation, we're not quite ready - though we should be - to fully embrace a plant-based diet. Simplicity can help promote healthy eating. Nonetheless, exposure to this idea is the only way to convince Americans that eating less meat is a relevant endeavor. The fact that the guidelines are only issued every five years becomes important - though Americans aren't yet willing to embrace the idea of eating "mostly plants," repeating this mantra is one way to work towards its eventual acceptance. The guidelines had the potential to introduce this idea in a relatively small way. There's a growing move- ment called "Meatless' Mondays" that encourages Americans to take a break from meat once a week. The program is run in association with the Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health. It's a very gradual reduction in meat consump- tion, but the end result hopes to get Americans to consume 15 percent less meat. The goal isn't just person- al health - for the Meatless Mon- day folks, the planet's health is just as important. In an ideal world, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines would have endorsed this program or created one like it. -Mary Demery can be reached at mdemery@umich.edu. 0 0 NICHOLAS CLIFTI |V-EWPOI Protect NPR, it protects us Aida Ali, Will Butler, Ellie Chessen, Michelle DeWitt, Ashley Griesshammer, Melanie Kruvelis, Patrick Maillet, Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Emily Orley, Harsha Panduranga, Teddy Papes, Asa Smith, Seth Soderborg, Andrew Weiner In the weeks and months following Sept. 11, Americans turned to National Public Radio by the millions. It was a scary time, and people needed trustworthy information and analysis as they struggled to make sense of something that seemed senseless. So worthy of respect was their coverage in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks that many of the new listeners NPR gained in 2001 became committed new fans, and 9/11 became a turning point for public radio. Over the last decade, as the audience for nearly every other traditional news source has sharply declined, NPR saw its audience grow 50 percent- with nearly 30 million listeners of every political affiliation now tuning in every week and mil- lions more downloading NPR podcasts. Yet despite NPR's popularity - due to its success at creating a product which the American people have deemed worth fund- ing - public radio finds itself in jeopardy. Last week, House Republicans announced a budget proposal that would completely eliminate the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which is partially responsible for funding NPR. I have no doubt that sharp cuts to the fed- eral budget are necessary. The Republican plan would slash education, pulverize the Environmental Protection Agency, eliminate AmeriCorps, cut funding for Great Lakes cleanup in half and reduce nutritional support for infants. I'm willing to accept the fact that some of those cuts maybe necessary to get fed- eral deficits under control. Americans, though, cannot accept cuts to the institutions, that allow them to check the power of their government. The CPB, while accounting for a laughably small portion of the federal budget, plays an important role in holding the government accountable. Cutting the CPB, let aloneeliminatingitentirely, would be fundamentally inappropriate and irrespon- sible. That's why strict policies exist for British lawmakers interested in adjusting the funding of the government-supported BBC. Admittedly, the elimination of the CPB would not affect countless commercial media sources. But NPR's 30 million listeners would argue there's a significant difference between the service provided by NPR and that of other broadcast sources like MSNBC and Fox News. It's a difference important enough to cause huge numbers of private citizens to donate to public radio stations like Michigan Radio here in Ann Arbor. That difference is all about trust. When I headtothegymat5p.m.,mostofthetelevisions are tuned to Glenn Beck's show on Fox News, and while I find his style especially obnoxious, my feelings apply to many of the programs on modern cable news. They're focused on politi- cal extremes, and like Keith Olbermann before his departure from MSNBC, Beck concentrates on entertaining his audience. It's an unavoid- able condition of commercially-funded media that he makes money, not based on the merit of his analysis, but based on his ability to enter- tain and retain viewers. That's what makes NPR's business model so special and its cause so important. NPR reporters take home money only if they can convince listeners their report was so well composed, so unbiased and so important to the general population that it warrants a donation or a CPB grant to sustain future reports. The built-in emphasis on qual- ity over entertainment is what makes public media unlike any other form of media on the planet. The only way I manage to survive 30 minutes on a treadmill listening to Glenn Beck is the knowledge that I'll soon climb into my car and hear those calm, sane words, "From NPR news in Washington..." They're words that say, "Go ahead, Nick, make up your own mind." Forty years ago this April, NPR began its broadcasts with live coverage of the Senate hearings on the war in Vietnam. Since then, NPR and its journalists have accumulated hundreds of awards, including 53 George Fos- ter Peabody Awards. Far more importantly, though, it has gained the trust of the American people as an even-handed source for news and analysis. For 40 years, as an independent gov- ernment watchdog and source of top-quality journalism, NPR has been protecting our free- doms through its reporting. Now it's our turn to protect NPR. Nicholas Clift is an Engineering sophomore. Even though it's only Febru- ary, it's been a pretty good year for agriculture. Wait, wait: Don't stop read- ing yet. I know many of you are thinking, "Farm- ing? Cows? Bor- ing!" But this farming stuff is RACHEL really important VAN GILDER in Michigan. And in the past couple of months, Michigan agricul- ture has finally started to getsome of the recognition it deserves. Farming is our state's second- largest industry following the auto- motive industry. The agriculture industry employs more than 1 mil- lion people statewide and generates about $60 billion in economic activ- ity, according to the Michigan State University Product Center. Michigan produces huge quantities of high- quality asparagus, blueberries, black, red and navy beans, apples and car- rots, among a variety of other valu- able crops. Michigan's big claim to fame is cherries. The state produces about 75 percent of the nation's tart cherries, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture. In a move that had champions of agriculture like me cheering, Repub- lican Gov. Rick Snyder recognized agriculture's importance in his first annual State of the State address on Jan. 19. He asked the state Legisla- ture to add agricultural processing to the 21st Century Jobs Fund, a government-based initiative started in 2005 by former Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm. It's designed to "strengthen and diversify Michi- gan's economic base by fostering the creation and growth of new jobs, new businesses and new indus- tries" through private investments, according to its website. If the Leg- 1grfestiva islature agrees, the fund will invest more money in creating agriculture jobs in Michigan. It's encouraging to hear Snyder recognize the importance of agricul- ture to the state - it's far too often that people focused on Michigan's automotive industry ignore the eco- nomic powerhouse that employs about 24 percent of the state's popu- lation, according to the MSU Product Center. Investing in a growing indus- try that's already successful is sim- ply smart business. And Snyder is, if nothing else, a shrewd businessman. But Snyder's nod to the agricul- tural industry wasn't the only good news for Michigan farmers. Fans of the recently-canceled Michigan State Fair also got some good news earlier this month. Granholm gave the State Fair's public funding the ax in 2009. With- out the funding, the fair wasn't able to get off the ground in2009 or 2010. There was talk of leasing the state fairgrounds located in Detroit to other organizations, but those plans fell through. Despite its importance, it looks like Michigan's historic State Fair perished for good at age 160. I lamented the loss of the State Fair last year ((Agri)cultural celebration, 04/05/2010). Agriculture is a signifi- cant- part of Michigan's identity, and it deserves recognition on a state level. The State Fair provided that recogni- tion. When it died, an already under- appreciated industry slipped a little further into the background. I also argued that if Michigan agricultural organizations worked together to raise private funds to sponsor the event, they could prob- ably bring the State Fair back to life. I was only half right. In early February, a coalition of agriculture-based groups announced that they have banded together to create a replacement for the State Fair: The Great Lakes Agricultural Fair. The Agricultural Fair would host traditional fair events such as a farmer's market and animal judg- ing. Organizers also plan to include concerts from a variety of genres and other family-friendly entertainment like traditional fair rides. Agriculture is a defining aspect of our state. The group sponsoring the event, which is made up of Michigan poli- ticians and businessmen, still needs to finish brokering deals with enter- tainment acts and hammering out other details. But it looks like every- thing is moving alongsmoothly. The event is scheduled to be held at the Silverdome in Pontiac - which was formerly the home of the Detroit Lions - Sept. 2 through 5, according to a Feb. 7 Detroit News article. The article said Grant Reeves,- general manager of the Silverdome, hopes to draw more than 80,000 people to the event. One-day admission tick- ets are expected to cost only $8 for adults - not an unreasonable price. The prospect of a State Fair sub- stitute is wonderful. Much of Michi- gan is rural, though the woes of Detroit discussed in the news often make us forget that. It's only right to take the time to come together to celebrate this very important part of our state's culture. The Agricultural Fair won't be the same as the State Fair - but it's close enough. Agriculture is a defining aspect of our state, and it's about time that itgot some of the recognition it deserves. Rachel Van Gilder was the Daily's editorial page editor in 2010. She can be reached at rachelvg@umich.edu. 0 0 I I ftA;