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4A - Monday, October 10, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
ie 1idigan 0aU 1
Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan since 1890.
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
FROM THE PUBLIC EDITOR I
Unsigned editorials
STEPHANIE STEINBERG
EDITOR IN CHIEF
MICHELLE DEWITT
and EMILY ORLEY
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
NICK SPAR
MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board.
All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views ofttheir authors.
FROM T HE DA sIY
Transform train travel
Federal grant would connect the Midwest
Wbile a high-speed rail is still a distant fantasy for Mich-
igan, a higher-speed rail is in the foreseeable future.
The Michigan Department of Transportation recently
received a $196.5 million federal grant to be used for the construc-
tion of a high-speed train line. The grant will improve public transit
in the state and has the potential to build commerce and generate
revenue throughout the Midwest.
Two editorials (known at
The Michigan Daily as
"leftsides") that appeared
on the Daily's opinion page in
recent days caught my attention,
and I think provide a good oppor-
tunity for a larger discussion about
this paper's unsigned leftsides and
the editorial voice behind them.
Before I even dive into the
substance of this discussion, it's
important to clear up a couple of
preliminary issues that I think are
often misunderstood. Unsigned
editorials represent the stance of
the Daily as an institution upon a
given issue. They are voted on and
drafted by members of the Daily's
editorial board, which any Univer-
sity student can join, upon meeting
certain staff requirements.
The ultimate authority to deter-
mine the content of leftsides rests
with the editorial page editor(s),
who are elected in a staff-wide
election specifically because that
position involves speaking for the
paper as an institution. The Daily
is unusual in that it does allow the
editor in chief to have some edito-
rial oversight over the opinion page.
However, should there ever be a
conflict between the two compet-
ing authorities, the editor in chief
should defer to the editorial page
editor as to the content of leftsides.
In the first of the two lefts-
ides that inspired this discussion
(From the Daily: The right to choose,
09/26/2011), the Daily took a largely
predictable, liberal stance on an
individual's right to late-term abor-
tions. Curiously, however, the left-
side used the phrase "partial-birth
abortion" to describe the proce-
dure. In fact, that phrase - which
is an inflammatory concoction of
opponents of late-term abortion
and is generally avoided by those
who support the procedure - was
used 10 times in the leftside.
In the second leftside, (From the
Daily: Problematic panhandling,
09/27/2011), the Daily expressed
frustration at the presence and
prevalence of "aggressive" panhan-
dlers. Alarmed, the Daily's editorial
board advised that "police should
be patrolling downtown Ann Arbor
and enforcing panhandling policies
in order to protect businesses and
encourage commerce."
Reading both leftsides initially
made me uncomfortable, and feed-
back received from other readers
confirmed a lot of my own feel-
ings. Importantly, however, my
own reaction was tempered by an
understanding of the exceptionally
difficult task it is to write a leftside,
and I hope to impart some of that
understanding.
I served as the Daily's editorial
page editor nearly five years ago,
so maybe that makes me a biased
commentator, but nevertheless, I
have always believed that leftsides
are harder to write than anything
else in the Daily. Synthesizing the
opinions of the editorial board,
reconciling that synthesis with the
precedent that embodies the Daily
institutional voice and ultimately
crafting a competent defense of that
position is a challenge faced by the
editorial page editors each day -
and largely unappreciated by read-
ers or even other Daily staffers.
Recalling my own experience,
I used to spend easily two or three
hours each night rewriting leftsides
that had already been drafted by a
writer and edited by an associate
editor. I considered it important
to present a strong, principled and
nuanced editorial, and regardless
of what others may have written,
it was ultimately my job to ensure
that the final product was as near
perfect as possible.
The Daily's institutional voice -
an unbridled advocate of students'
rights and a progressive world view
- often demands a viewpoint that
is easyto sell to the largely progres-
sive University community. But
nuance and responsiveness to real-
ity are important to maintain, and
they are easily ignored on a campus
like this one. Very few readers are
skeptical to the leftist viewpoint
this page generally takes, and that
can invite complacency.
It's clear to me that both leftsides
discussed above could have used
more refinement. Using the term
"partial-birth abortion" doesn't
help propel the Daily's position on
late-term abortion. Indeed, the left-
side should have pointed out the
politically charged nature of that
term and avoided it in favor of the
more accurate and less inflamma-
tory"late-term abortion."As for the
panhandling leftside, the Daily's
institutional voice wouldn't sup-
port more police patrols to enforce
panhandlinglaws. Instead, it would
argue that the University commu-
nity shouldn't allow recent crimes
in the community to become an
excuse to single out and target a
socially and politically vulnerable
group like panhandlers.
That said, I recognize that it's
easy to sit back and second-guess
any number of points made in lefts-
ides. It is incredibly difficult to write
a good leftside, and the editorial
page should always expect criticism
- much of it unfair. The only thing
that the editorial page editorscan do
is to scrutinize every little detail of
the opinions expressed in a leftside,
and ensure that enough efforts are
made to thinkthings through.
The voice of the Daily is a vital
asset to this paper's credibility, and
it deserves every lastbit of attention
on every production night.
-The public editor is on independent
critic of the Daily, and neither the editorial
board nor the editor in chief exercise
control over the contents of his columns.
The opinions expressed do not necessarily
constitute the opinion of the Daily.
Imran Syed can be reached at
publiceditor@michigandaily.com
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The grant will fund the engineering,
design and construction of the train that
will travel at 110 miles per hour. Michigan is
using $140 million to build 135 miles of train
tracks. The goal is to ease traffic congestion,
decrease delays and improve reliability in an
effort to attract more passengers. The money
will also be put toward improving safety
and signals for the existing train that runs
between Detroit and Kalamazoo.
The improvements will be made to the
existing train lines connecting Detroit and
Chicago. The two cities are vital hubs in
the Midwest, and making transportation
between them easier and faster is essential to
growing the economy and encouraging com-
merce between the two cities.
Advancements on American train travel
have lagged behind travel throughout Asia
and Europe, which have functioning high-
speed rail lines. In March, Chicago made
substantial advancements on a high-speed
line that connects to St. Louis, and build-
ing a route to Detroit is the next logical step.
Prompt and efficient train travel is essential
for encouraging people to use trains as an
alternative to other forms of transportation.
Improvements to existing tracks and
building more tracks are an important
investment in Michigan's infrastructure.
The development will also make Detroit and
the state more attractive for businesses as
well as prospective residents because Detroit
will be connected to other major cities.
With growing concerns about the nation's
environmental impact, the use of mass
transit is more important than ever. Public
transportation such as trains and buses are
more eco-friendly options than automobiles.
Making train travel more appealing than
driving is necessary to help citizens make
eco-friendly choices that are also friendly to
their wallets and schedules.
The construction of the project is also
goingto have economic benefits. The Depart-
ment of Transportation estimated that 800
workers will be hired to work on the develop-
ment, which will help put Michigan residents
back to work.
While many Americans are concerned
about government spending, this is the type
of investment that will make the country and
state stronger. Investments in infrastructure
and projects that create jobs are crucial for
rebuilding the economy in both the short-
term and the long-term.
Improvements to public transportation
systems throughout the state should be
encouraged. The government at the state
and federal level should continue to support
similar ventures that help rebuild Michigan,
economically and structurally.
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EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Aida Ali, Michelle DeWitt, Ashley Griesshammer, Patrick Maillet,
Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Emily Orley,
Teddy Papes, Timothy Rabb, Seth Soderborg, Andrew Weiner
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@MICHIGANDAILY.COM
NT ABL E Q UOTABL E
It was more focused on not letting him run, because
when he runs, who knows what's going to happen?"
- Northwestern defensive lineman Tyler Scott told The Michigan Daily
about his team's game plan for facing Denard Robinson during Saturday's game.
JAKE STEINERMAN
Live by the words of Steve Jobs
'Boy Meets World' writers
thank The Michigan Daily
TO THE DAILY:
I wanted to thank Proma Khosla for the
fun Boy Meets World piece (From the vault:
The teen love and bromance of 'Boy Meets
World,' 9/28/2011).
I received my M.A. degree in telecommu-
nication arts from the University in the mid-
80s. A few years later, I found myself writing
for "Boy Meets World." All told, I wrote
about 20 episodes and served as one of the
show's producers.
Every word in your piece was wonderful
and true. Even your subtle criticisms were
accurate. Believe me, no one laughed harder
Don't select Tina Fey as 'U'
commencement speaker
TO THE DAILY:
Though Tina Fey would make for an
"entertaining" commencement speaker, no
doubt, I don't believe she would have some-
thing inspiring to share with the graduating
class, nor do I believe that she has contrib-
uted anything truly meaningful to society or
impacted our lives in any significant way.
Yes, Fey has become very successful, and
is an amazing comedian, butI believe at this
point in the University's history, the focus
has shifted toward technology and entre-
preneurship. Just look at President Mary
Sue Coleman's address to the campus this
past Tuesday where she announced that the
University will be investing $25 million in its
at the show's inconsistencies than us. And
the comedic moments you mentioned were
Writers' Room favorites, too.
We are proud of the show - it had a good
heart. I spoke to the other writers, including
Michael Jacobs, the creator and executive
producer. Here are Michael's words:
"I am grateful for Proma's appreciation
of what we tried to do, which was mostly
to offer indelible moments about important
values, and what separated us is that the dia-
logue was on a level that spoke up to our audi-
ence and never pandered. The audience had
to think sometimes, and that was the best
thing we did for them."
Thank you, thank you.
Matthew Nelson
University alum
own start-ups. I believe that Michigan needs
to highlight this, and in a big way by bringing
one of the premiere entrepreneurs to cam-
pus. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg not
only exemplifies this aspect of the University,
but he has created a tool we all use every sin-
gle day and has fundamentally changed the
way we communicate.
The other argument being made is that we
have not had a woman be the commencement
speaker at the University for a couple of years.
While that is true (though, is five years really
that much?), is it really a worthy argument?
In today's world, where women are becoming
more and more successful, some even say more
so than men, dowe really need to discriminate
anymore? Gender shouldn't be a factor when it
comes to choosing a commencement speaker.
Jake Steinerman
LSA senior
"Every once in a while a revolutionary product comes
along that changes everything." That's a quote from
Steve Jobs when he announced the iPhone back in early
2007. It was the third time he had revolutionized a piece
of technology and most certainly would not be his last.
People call him the "Edison of our time," a "genius,"
a "true visionary," some are even calling him "God."
To me, he was an inspiration, someone who, until last
Wednesday, would not even let death stop him from
doing what he loved - making technology that not
only changed the way we do things, but also changed
the way we view the world. Here was a man who, back
in 2004, was told by doctors that he had just three -to
six months to live. Imagine if they were right. Phones
would still have clunky keyboards and tiny screens, and
"apps" would be an unknown word. Tablets would still
be those awkward laptops with the screens that twisted
and folded down (gasp!), and "pinching to zoom" would
be a foreign concept.
Now, you could argue that others had invented some
of these technologies, or that Jobs had these products
in the pipeline way before his death. Truth is, no could
sell them like El Jobso. Apple is, and always has been,
the only company whose product announcements I fol-
low with absolute scrutiny and excitement. Every key-
note, every "one more thing," is like unwrapping that
last gift during the holidays. Each time he unearths
the next great iDevice from underneath the sleek black
clothes onstage, my heart jumps a beat. Each time
Jobs showed the world his next creation, a wide grin
appeared across his face like a proud father holding his
newborn son.
What I truly admire about Steve Jobs is his persever-
ance. In 1985, he was kicked out of his own company,
one that he built just 10 years earlier in his parent's
garage. Instead of throwing in the towel and calling
it quits, he immediately went on to start another com-
puter company, "NeXT," and bought Pixar Animation
Studios, which would later go on to make some amazing
movies which I think we all know and love. Skip ahead
a decade - Apple stock is worth a mere $6 a share when
Apple buys NeXT, bringing Jobs back "home." Today,
Apple stock goes for roughly $380 a share.
His perseverance was more than just green arrows
on the NASDAQ. It was showing the world that if you
have a passion and a vision, and you really believe in
yourself, absolutely no one can stop you from "making
a dent in the universe," as Jobs once said. As a senior, I
take that to heart. As each day brings me one step clos-
er to graduation, I aim to leave my mark at this great
University, my own "universe," in whatever wayI can.
Thank you Steve Jobs, for instillingthat "live each day
as if it is your last" mentality in me.
There are so many great quotes from Jobs that I
could have included here, but they are too numerous to
fit on one page. If you haven't yet, do yourself a favor
and watch his 2005 commencement speech at Stanford
University.I promise you won't be disappointed.
I will leave you with the Jobs quote that always
seems to stick with me: "Stay hungry. Stay foolish."
Jake Steinerman is an LSA senior.
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@umich.edu.
podium
Upgrade/Downgrade: Laura Argintar discusses the
controversial Pro-Life exhibit on the Diag last week.
Go to michigandaily.com/blogs/ThePodium
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