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4A - Wednesday, November 23, 2011
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
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tothedaily@michigandaily.com
MICHELLE DEWITT
STEPHANIE STEINBERG and EMILY ORLEY NICK SPAR
EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS 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.
Imran Syed is the public editor. He can be reached at publiceditor@michigandaily.com.
(Vegi)table this bill
Congress should not block nutrition proposal
With the federal deficit under close scrutiny over the past
year, measures to save taxpayer dollars have become a
focus of the national debate. In a move to cut costs, a
spending bill proposed by Congress last week seeks to block the
obama administration's attempt to alter the standards for food
served in schools. But blocking the changes, which propose to limit
the amount of starchy vegetables and tomato paste served in school
lunches, will not save money for the government, and the action
sets a troubling precedent for public health. Lawmakers need to
realize that promoting healthy school lunches is beneficial socially
and economically, and they should make efforts to pass legislation
that fosters public health.
HANNAH DOW
EF-MAIL. HANNAH AT C wsiMV4P'i
Tur reyo ou're definitely going to need to
Cranberry Sauce loosen your belt and undo that first
Mashed Potatoes button on your pants...
Stuffing
Who holds the power?
W omen still earn 77 cents One way to identify gender viewed as bossy, as opposed to
for every dollar a man dynamics on campus is to analyze when men use the exact same lan-
makes at the exact same who holds power in the classroom. guage and are viewed as direct.
position. And Who is the first to talk in class, to
whether you raise their hand or to present an
believe those in idea in a group setting? In the past
political offices few weeks I have taken partic- U.S. wom en rank
or those with lar notice of this in an 18-person .
the most eco- seminar. In this seminar there are 69th in(ov't
nomic capital six men and 11 women, and of these
hold the nation's 17 people there are four men who representation.
power, men dominate the conversation, often
dominate both NORA having conversations that go back
fields. Out of all STEPHENS and forth between themselves for What is causing this difference
535 members of the duration of class. Now, do these and what can we, as the future lead-
Congress, only four men do this to prove their ers and power-holders of this coun-
17 percent are women - ranking manliness to other students? Prob- try, do to end it? How about paying
the United States 69th in the world ably not, but it is worth noticing more attention to gender roles that
in terms of percentage of female who dominates class discussions are played out in group settings.
representation in national govern- because it is telling of who views Are you usually the first person to
ment. The U.S. is below countries their opinion as worthy of being speak up in class? Leave room for
such as top-ranked Rwanda with heard. someone else to talk. People may
38.5 percent and at about the same Similar classroom dynamics can assume their voice is not as impor-
level as Greece, whose lower House be seen while working in small tant as yours, but they may have
consists of 17.3 percent women. Out groups. I consistently see women the exact same thing to say. Notice
of the Forbes 400 richest people in volunteer to be the note-takers and yourself labeling someone a bitch?
America, merely 42 are women. PowerPoint-makers, while men Consciously think about why you
Why does this matter, and why supply the bulk of the main ideas view them in this way, and if a man
should we as college students care? and research. These examples may was behaving in the exact same
These statistics matter because seem unimportant and minute, but way,.ask yourself if you would grant
they are a glimpse into who holds they are important for understand- him the same label.
power in our society and who has ing who is asserting power in dif- Will leaving room for others to
the capacity to gain power. We as ferent situations. speak and being conscious about
University students should care Use of language is also an indica- the labels you grant people guaran-
because, to put it simply, we are the tor of who holds power in a group. tee that women will fill 200 slots on
future "Leaders and the Best." Studies show that women are more the Forbes 400 list and represent 50
Lets take a look at the gender likely to use hedges, which are percent of Congress in 25 years? No,.
dynamics on our campus. For the phrases like "kind of" and "I guess." but it's a first step at recognizing
purpose of this column, I am writ- These phrases are indicators of a gender double standards that are
ing about dynamics between men lack of confidence and a general played out in our day-to-day lives
and women because the majority uncertainty - not traits that are in and starting to build awareness of
of people on this campus describe any way helpful in a work, group the reasons behind them.
themselves as either a man or a or classroom setting. In addition,
woman, as opposed to a gender when women are firm in their lan- -Nora Stephens can be
non-identified person. guage they are more likely to be reached at norals@umich.edu.
SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@MICHIGANDAILY.COM
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The sponsors of the bill claim that imple-
menting the Obama administration's pro-
posed changes would cost nearly $7 billion
and place an unnecessary burden on schools.
However, this figure refers to the cost of the
administration's entire plan to improve nutri-
tious foods served in public school cafeterias.
The program would double the availability of
fresh fruits and vegetables that in some cases
are absent from many schools' menus.
Even if the changes cost $7 billion, federal
lawmakers are failing to consider the costs -
in terms of health care and quality of life - of
the rising obesity rate in the United States.
Today, 17 percent of children between ages
2 and 19 are considered obese - a number
that has tripled in the last 30 years. Health
economists have long been warning about
the relationship between obesity and rising
health care costs. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention estimates that health
care expenses related to obesity total $147 bil-
lion each year. These costs will only increase
unless the rising obesity rate is curtailed.
Republican Gov. Rick Snyder has taken
steps to address Michigan's high obesity rate,
which has risen to 30.9 percent, according
to figures the CDC released in 2010. In Sep-
tember, Snyder asked doctors to add BMI
measurements of those under 18 to the state
registry. The federal government should sup-
port Snyder's efforts and work to strengthen
them. Preventing childhood obesity would
save the nation billions of dollars, but more
importantly, improve millions of lives.
The American Public Health Association -
among a variety of other well-respected public
health institutions - considers obesity to be
among the most prominent health threats fac-
ing Americans. Many of the ailments associ-
ated with obesity can be diminished through
programs emphasizing nutritious meals and
an appropriate amount of exercise.
The health of the country's youth should
not be sacrificed for any budgetary issue.
Rather than listening to lobbyists, the feder-
al government has a responsibility to ensure
that health and nutrition experts are the peo-
ple guiding the decisions about what food is
served in schools.
The current standards for public school
lunches allow tomato paste to be classified as
a serving of vegetables. Such standards are
simply unacceptable, and it's time for law-
makers to begin taking public health seri-
ously. The Obama administration's attempts
to curb the availability of unhealthy foods
in school lunches should be implemented in
order to help combat obesity among American
children.
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ROSS FEDERMAN I
Is 'you suck' chant worth it?
I'm not your traditional undergraduate. I
started off here in the fall of 2003 through
2005 before leaving for six years to pursue
endeavors in a rock band. I returned this
past fall to finish my degree and found most
things as I had left them. Classes still start at
10 after instead of on the hour, the Ugg boot
and sweatpants combo is still a sorority fash-
ion favorite and, as a bonus, our football team
is back to having a winning season. I was sur-
prised however to hear that "lyrics" had been
added to Temptation. I'm of course referring
to the "you suck" chant.
To the students who may not know, the
name of the song you're chanting over is
Temptation, a song dating back well before
any of us were born, and one that the Michi-
gan Marching Band has adopted into its
repertoire of traditional tunes. This addi-
tion came as a bit of a shock to me, but hey,
times change, people change. However, I've
recently been told that due to the chant being
sung at basketball games in Crisler Arena,
the band won't be able to play Temptation
there anymore. I was a member of the Michi-
gan Marching Band and basketball band dur-
ing my first couple years here and have just
recently returned to the basketball band to
play drum set.
Now that Temptation is close to getting
cut from the basketball band repertoire, I
want to appeal to students (at least those who
attend games at Crisler) and to the Maize
Rage. There is a reason why they always refer
to the "rich musical heritage of the Univer-
sity of Michigan." They're not empty words.
Michigan's athletic bands have always been
leading the pack in college ensembles, and
it's due in part to the music selection. "The
Victors" and "Let's Go Blue" are undoubtedly
the most famous college fight song and stand
cheer in the country. Most may not know
this, but though you hear "Let's Go Blue"
variations in almost every pro sports arena
in the country, it originated here at hockey
games. If that's not a testament to how iconic
our athletic band program has been over the
years, I don't know what is.
Our unique arrangement of Temptation
deserves the same celebration. Combined
with the unison arm movements (chops or
claws, or whatever you want to call it), the
piece is a powerful force against our oppo-
nents. The addition of "you suck" reverses
this effect, if anything. It reveals a weakness
in the Michigan front, a sign of disrespect
and classlessness that we as a university are
NOT about and shouldn't propagate.
We're supposed to be the "Leaders and
Best," but we've lost sight of setting that
example in everything we do, not just aca-
demics and research. And now because of
that, we're in danger of losing a song that is
not only one of my favorites, but such a huge
part of the University's musical heritage.
Let's remember to embrace our traditions
with a little more respect and dignity. I, for
one, would be very sad to see this great piece
of music lost to the words "you suck." Is it
worth it?
Ross Federman is an LSA senior.
Spectrum Center event lacked
inclusivness and diversity
TO THE DAILY:
Dear members of the Spectrum Center 40th Anniver-
sary Celebration Host Committee:
On Friday, Nov.18, I dressed up for what I thought was.
going to be a night full of joy, laughter and celebration.
What I experienced instead was a nightfull of silence,
marginalization and oppression. As I sat in Rackham
Auditorium and watched performer after performer pay
tribute to an office I have come to respect and admire
over the past few years, I couldn't help feeling unsafe
and unwelcome. I couldn't help noticing that this event,
like so many others before it, seemed intent on highlight-
ing the lived experiences of only a select few individuals
in the Ann Arbor LGBTQ community: That of cisgen-
dered gay, white men.
Whether unintentional or not, I feel that "Broadway
Comes Home" failed to live up to the high standards set
by the Spectrum Center and the University. I think it's
quite fair to say that the event was not inclusive by any
stretch of the imagination. As far as I could tell, it lacked
visible representation of lesbians, bisexuals, people of
color, people with disabilities, transgender individuals
- the list goes on and on. Now this certainly isn't the
first time something like this has happened at the Uni-
versity. And it unfortunately won't be the last. ButI feel
it's important for you all to know that there were people
in the audience who felt erased by the handling of this
Recreational facilities updates
should include more than new TVs
event. In a room filled with so many people of varying
shapes, sizes, ages, colors, sexual orientations and gen-
der expressions, it was completely unacceptable to have
such a stark contrast between the stage and the audi-
ence. This blatant lack of diversity is not what the Spec-
trum Center has stood for over the past 40 years, nor is it
what the University has stood for over the past 194.
I will never be able to look back on this event without
being reminded of my constant struggle for visibility as
a queer person of color. What Iam able to do, however, is
continue speakingout against injustice evenwhen doing
so may require me to confront a community I have come
to know and love.
When Spectrum Center founder Jim Toy quoted
Audre Lorde during his acceptance speech on Friday
night, it reminded me of another black woman from
whom I draw much inspiration. Like Coretta Scott King,
I believe that "we are all tied together in a single gar-
ment of destiny. I can never be what I ought to be until
you are allowed to be what you ought to be." That is why
moving forward, all Iask of this committee is to serious-
ly consider whose voices are most often remembered at
events like "Broadway Comes Home" and whose voices
are most often forgotten. I beg all of you to constantly
push yourselves and look for ways in which your work
can be more inclusive of LGBTQ people and our various,
intersecting identities.
Never forget that we, too, sing equality.
Yours in Earnest,
Noel Gordon
LSA junior
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improvements are1
sure TVs were so:
short-term advanc
think now that th
it has been spentc
TO THE DAILY: addressing, the pr
The heralded arrival of the new TVs at the Central- Field has limited
Campus Recreation Building, North Campus Recreation ies were built so s
Building and Intramural Building made me realize just groups that can us
how discontent I have been with my recreational experi- ning into the fen
ence at the University. Somehow, the "new TVs" project Band. The new fe
managed to beat out improving natural lighting, increas- students' interests
ing capacity, replacing outdated equipment and creat- I would be willi
ing more open spaces for allocation of the $1.6 million who decided not t
in funding for the renovation of recreational buildings. dilapidated recreat
Although I trust the Core 20, outside consultants and hand. For this reas
Recreational Sports Director Bill Canning are working sity priority. Stude
together to dig for information on students' recreational leaving the future
needs, I do not trust busy, or otherwise lazy, students to ment that let them
voice their opinions loud enough to be heard. in today.
It's the first major recreational improvement under-
taken since Canning was a student here, and new TVs James Wilber
get priority? Can we stand for this? The scheduled Kinesiology senior
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by no means easy proposals, and Iam
mething that could be done to make
cements. It is no less disheartening to
ere is finally funding for renovations
covering up, rather than aggressively
roblem. Even the new turf on Elbel
recreational value as its boundar-
hort that the only organized athletic
se it without potential danger of run-
ce will be the Michigan Marching
once represents the division between
and University goals.
ng to bet that the number of students
o attend the University because of its
tional facilities can be counted on one
on, recreation will never be a Univer-
nts need to voice their opinion or risk
of our facilities to the same depart-
decay to the sorry state we find them
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EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Aida.Ali, Michelle DeWitt, Ashley Griesshammer, Nirbhay Jain, Jesse Klein,
Patrick Maillet, Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Emily Orley, Teddy Papes, Timothy Rabb,
Vanessa Rychlinski, Caroline Syms, Seth Soderborg, Andrew Weiner
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