0 4A - Wednesday, November 23, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com V _ .. .... ...V .. . ... . ... Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 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 4 4 0 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. 0 4 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 4 a 4 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 I1 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 i 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 a 4