4 - Tuesday, March 29, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 4 - Tuesday, March 29, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom 9 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com ELAINE MORTON E-MAIL ELAINE AT EMORT@UMICH.EDU ELAINE MORTONE-MAIL ELAINEAT EMOHT@UMICH.EDU acre so e'6r&... t room fth reud r roG people. E-Nb 9SEM G ST t6NCCS,- 0W q0 0 1 Wow! iThey're g) Cool, I lAJIsh 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 THE DAILY 'Hard' rules State's protective custody law needs revision mix-up over a bottle of Mike's Hard Lemonade resulted in a distressing custody ordeal and current lawsuit for a University professor and his family. The incident occurred in April 2008 when Christopher Ratte, an associate professor of classical archeology and history of art, purchased lemonade for his son, Leo, at a Detroit Tigers's game, unaware of the drink's 5-percent alcohol content. Leo was seized by a security guard in the ninth inning and placed into the care of Children's Protective Services. The American Civil Liberties Union recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of Ratte's family in U.S. District Court, asking the court to change a state law that allows for a child to be taken from his or her parents without proof that the child is in immediate danger. This law needs to be changed to preserve the rights of families. Don't eliminate the electives loved high school. And this statement isn't only something I can say in retrospect, tinted by the lens of nostal- gia since I wasn't incredibly popu- lar or anything. I was a good stu- dent and a good athlete, just like many of my col- legefriends atthe University were MARY when they were DEMERY in high school. The reason I enjoyed high school as it unfolded was mostly because I went to a really good public school that offered tons of interesting courses and sports teams that had 0.500 records. I took courses such as ceramics and advanced painting and played bas- ketball, volleyball and ran track. For the most part, these activities were free to me. Around my junior year, due to budget cuts, a pay-to-play fee of $50 per sport was introduced to all athletes, but this was something my middle class family handled in stride (today the fee is $90 per sport). Now I see these options as individualized opportunities: They are what I chose to spend my elective credits and my free time on. They supplemented the standard math, science, history and English courses. At the time, though, they certain- ly didn't feel like privileges. They were natural parts of my routine: I had painting every other day and volleyball practice each day after school. Again through the lens of retrospect, I find myself thinking about- and missing-these parts of my high school experience the most. Today, the idea of having a high school experience like mine is laughable. This is because it's now financially implausible - or it will be if Republican Gov. Rick Snyder's proposed budget cuts to education are carried out. My alma mater, the Berkley School District in Berkley, Mich., would lose about $900 dol- lars per student after cuts. This means that nextyear, with increased expenditures and reduced revenue, the school district will lose a stag- gering $4.3 million, according to the district's website. Even if the district cut the entire K-12 music program and all middle and high school athletic programs, the funds saved would only cover 35 percent of the $4.3 million. Like many other schools across the state, educators face a task I don't envy. Cuts are coming, whether they like it or not, and preparations must be made. But what to cut? Which parts of a child's education do we value more than others? Why? As expected, most districts have to turn to the usual suspects of art, music, gym, after school programs and athletics - anything "extra." This isn't because the educators themselves don't value these sub- jects. But they have little choice: You can't cut chemistry. Likewise, you can't fire the teachers - though you can get rid of any who specialize in art, music or any other extras. I'm worried about what will hap- pen if and when "the extras" are cut. This issue is particularly trouble- some for me, since so much of my time in high school was spent in the gym and the art studio. I can't imag- ine a high school experience without these things. I don't want to. While I understand that Michigan is in seri- ous financial trouble, I just can't pic- ture high schooL withoutathletics. I can't imagine walking past my old ceramics classroom, now empty, the wheels dusty from disuse. Taking away these things is tak- ing away a core part of a student's education. This is the biggest con- sequence of Snyder's proposed cuts. An education consisting of only the four basic subjects isn't a compre- hensive education. And the results won't be pretty either: I see a mass of uninterested, burnt out students who don't really care about learn- ing. And why shouldthey?Eachtime their government makes debilitating cuts to education it shows just how highly itvalues their schooling. 'Extra' activities are essential to education. But another very serious ramifi- cation will emerge from these cuts. Art, music and sports - all so won- derful because everyone can partici- pate - will become distinguished by socioeconomic class. If we cut art programs, only students who can afford to take lessons at nearby art centers will be able to pursue art. If schools raise the already high pay- to-play sports fee, only students who can afford to pay upward of $90 per sport will be able to play. Worse still, if we cut athletic programs, only students who can afford to pay for Amateur Athletic Union basketball will have a chance to develop any athletic potential. High school shouldn't be bare bones, nor should a student's expe- rience be limited by the amount of moryhisor her parents make. But that's where we're heading, with Snyder's proposed budget cuts. -Mary Demery can be reached at mdemery@umich.edu. Ratte had never heard of Mike's Hard Lem- onade, and when he saw the concession sign that read "Mike's Lemonade," he assumed that it was just that - lemonade. Ratte was approached by a security guard at the game, who saw Leo drinking the beverage and insisted on taking Leo to the police. A medi- cal examination that day revealed no trace of alcohol in Leo's blood. Despite Leo being deemed healthy, his family was not permitted to contact him, and he was placed in foster care after spending the night at Children's Protective Services. After further ordeals, Leo's mother - Claire Zimmerman, an archi- tecture professor at the University - was able to regain custody of her son and even- tually the charges against her husband were dropped. Ratte made a serious error in judgment in givinghi ehild Mike's HardLemonade, but it was an honest mistake. The assumption made by the police and Department of Human Ser- vices officials that he was knowingly giving his son alcohol is absurd, and their reaction was extreme. The security official was right to intervene, but taking a small child away from his family wasn't only rash but also trau- matic and damaging for the child. The ACLU is rightfully accusing the police officers and DHS officials of violating the rights of Leo and his family. The officials were following a Michigan law that seems to stand in contrast to the due process clause of the 14th Amendment, which requires that in the absence of a valid court order, a child can only be removed under "exigent circumstanc- es" or when the child faces "imminent dan- ger." The state law is extreme in that it doesn't require officers to consider placing the child under the care of a non-offending parent. Leo's mother begged officials to put Leo in her custody, but they refused, even though she wasn't at the Tiger's game and had no involvement with the incident. While it's important to keep children safe, this law is rash and assumes that separating a child from his entire family is always inthe bestwateat of the child, which is certainly not the case. The policy of protective care workers and police officers shouldn't be to take children away first and ask questions later. There needs to be a responsible policy in place that protects children and remains in line with the rights of families. 9 EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Aida Ali, Will Butler, Ellie Chessen, Michelle DeWitt, Ashley Griesshammer, Melanie Kruvelis, Patrick Maillet, Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Emily Orley, Harsha Panduranga, Teddy Papes, Timothy Rabb, Asa Smith, Seth Soderborg, Andrew Weiner BETHANY NAGLE I Put MCSP back in Couzens 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 Messy Scandalous Assembly 9 It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine. Ever since my first football game freshman year, that phrase has stayed near my heart. I have loved this school since I can remember. The day I received my admissions letter (Dec. 11,2008-in caseyouwerewondering), mylife changed. I knew that my undergraduate years at the University would be full of wonderful opportunities that I could not wait to partake in. Right away, I knew that one of those activi- ties would be joining a learning community. With that in mind, I decided to join the Michi- gan Community Scholars Program. MCSP was a wonderful community for me to be a part of my freshman year. I lived on the Hill in the cozy residence hall of Couzens close to the Hill Dining Center, the Central Cam- pus Recreational Building and Palmer Field. Through MCSP I was able to take classes in my residence hall, and most importantly, I was able to focus on participating in many com- munity service and social justice events with people who were just as passionate as myself. The students and faculty I met through MCSP in those first few months made the transition to college a piece of cake. The opportunities I had were plentiful, and the community bond- ing I experienced with other first-years in MCSP led me to have a better freshman year thanIever thought was possible. I loved being a Wolverine. I returned to MCSP this year, along with about 30 other students, to be a student leader in the program. As most of us know, Couzens has been shut down this year due to renovations. While we were quite heart- broken last year when we heard the news of being temporarily relocated to East Quad Residence Hall, we knew Couzens was going to be in excellent shape and designed to benefit our learning community. Having to cohabitate with the Residential College was not something I was particularly fond of, but since East Quad was much closer to Star- bucks and the libraries on Central Campus, I didn't complain too much. After all, MCSP's home is Couzens, and will return there in the summer of 2011. Or, so we thought. Last Tuesday, several e-mails were exchanged between faculty, student lead- ers and first-year students in MCSP about a new housing situation for next year. LSA Dean Terrence McDonald has made the deci- sion to not only keep MCSP in East Quad for next year, but also to have us start collaborat- ing with the RC and in the near future, open a Center for Civic Engagement (the name is still being decided upon). Did MCSP staff or students have any say in this decision? No. Did MCSP student leaders for the 2011-2012 academic year already sign their housing con- tracts to room in Couzens for next year? Yes. Was Couzens just renovated and students asked for input on how to make the residence hall better for all students of MCSP and its faculty? Yes. Have we had many staff mem- bers involved in meetings and planning time for our move back to Couzens in the upcom- ing summer? Yes. While I cannot speak for the RC, I can guarantee that several RC mem- bers have not enjoyed having to share their space with MCSP, and I don't blame them. One year in East Quad was enough for MCSP. We should not be forced to stay somewhere where we don't belong. The dishonesty that has occurred between the dean of LSA, Housing offices and MCSP has made me reconsider what I think of such a prestigious university. Although I already planned on not living with MCSP next year, I feel for the program and its inability to return home, along with assumptions of expand- ing the program and maybe altering some of the core values, such as classes just for MCSP students or community service events being opened to other students. Today, it's not great to be a Michigan Wolverine. Bethany Nagle is an LSA sophomore. arly Friday morning, it was announced that LSA juniors DeAndree Watson and Bren- dan Campbell had won the elec- tion to become the next presi- dent and vice president of the Michigan Stu- dent Assembly. Good for them. A confession: I RACHEL didn't vote in the VAN GILDER election. That's because I've lost all hope in MSA. Scandal after scandal - in only four years - has turned me into a skeptic. For those of you who weren't on campus yet, here's an MSA history lesson. In late 2007, then-MSA Pres- ident Zach Yost sparked a scandal when he mocked a fellow MSA mem- ber,whosuffersfromAsperger'ssyn- drome, via Facebook. He resigned in disgrace. This was after a member of his party had been accused of tam- pering with the election that placed him in office. That individual, then LSA freshman Tony Vuljaj, was later convicted of that crime - which was a felony - but somehow managed to retain his place on MSA. Campus had a nice respite under Mohammad Dar, who took over for Yost in 2007, but then Sabrina Shin- gwani and Arvind Sohoni of the Michigan Action Party were elected president and vice president in 2008. They were responsible for the infa- mous debate on the Israeli-Palestin- ian conflict, which dominated two long MSA meetings and resulted in a resolution to watch a movie. Then came my personal favor- ite. During the winter 2010 semes- ter, then-MSA President Abhishek Mahanti announced that he spent $9,000 of students' money fixingthe MSA website, which never actually got up and running. The MSA web- site was replaced by one set up for free by an Engineering freshman in a matter of days. And then there's been the parade of political parties that have been born and died in the last four years. Tracking the evolution of parties gives me a little bit of a headache, but I'll try to lay it out for you. Watson and Campbell are mem- bers of MForward, the party that looks like it will settle in to be the most powerful on campus for a while. Back in the day, the Michi- gan Action Party swept elections. Then it disbanded and reformed as two separate parties - the Michigan Vision Party and the reMICHIGAN Campaign. After MVP shut down reMICHIGAN in the 2009 MSA presidential election, reMICHIGAN disappeared. Then Mforward was born. I've been a little more optimistic about MForward, especially following MSA President Chris Armstrong's cool demeanor in the face of harassment and his ability to make it out of his term without causing his ownscandal. But even though Armstrong man- aged not to mess anything up and Watson and Campbell haven't done anything to make me doubt them, I still have a sinking feeling that more disaster is headed our way, courtesy of MSA officials. MSA gets itself into trouble when it gets wrapped up in things that don't matter or it gets a little too big for its britches. The basic function of MSA - and one it'sfairly good at - is to allocate money to student groups. Every student organization from the Squirrel Club to the Men's Glee Club can petition to MSA for money, and it will give out about $150,000 to student organizations this semester, according to a Feb.16 Daily article. I've lost all hope in our student government. That's the function that MSA should stay focused on. It's not real- ly an activist organization, though it can do some good by pushing for campus changes like open housing (a pet project of Armstrong's) and advocating for students' interests with the state. MSA fails when it starts to think too much of itself. It fails when its members start to think they're, above reproach, when they think they should focus on international issues over which they have no control, or when they think that they shouldn't settle for a free - albeit simple - function- ing website. Instead, MSA should devote itself to giving student orga- nizations as much money as pos- sible to encourage an active student body with a diverse set of talents and interests. Maybe I shouldn't care. I'm grad- uating in the spring. But when I return to The Michigan Daily web- site to check up on my alma mater in the fall, I don't want the banner headline to read "MSA president to resign following scandal." So I'd like to take this moment to make a plea to Watson and Camp- bell: Please don't mess this up. Rachel Van Gilder was the Daily's editorial page editor in 2010. She can be reached at rachelvg@umich.edu. 0 I f