4 - Friday, March 23, 2012
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
4 - Friday, March 23, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
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The cost of doing business
Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan since 1890.
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ASHLEY GRIESSHAMMER
and ANDREW WEINER JOSH HEALY
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS MANAGING EDITOR
JOSEPH LICHTERMAN
EDITOR IN CHIEF
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.
Efficient justice
Prioritize reducing rape test kit backlogs
There's no way to reverse the physical and psychological trau-
ma of rape. Though the pain can't be undone, rape kit testing
provides an avenue for survivors to seek justice by potential-
ly identifying a perpetrator. Rape kits contain DNA evidence, details
of the examination and costly technology to possibly link a perpetra-
tor to the case. According to estimate by the Department of Justice,
there's a backlog of 180,000, though advocacy groups place the num-
ber significantly higher. The justice system, along with state and local
officials, should further prioritize cases of sexual assault and secure
greater resources to process rape test kits.
As the University builds new
ties with for-profit busi-
ness, who's calling the
shots?
That's the
biggest ques-
tion raised by
the University's
recent start-up
investments and6
corporate "part-
nerships." And,
it's not an easy JOEL
one to answer. BATTERMAN
There's a signifi-
cant difference
between providing office space to
an alumni-run tech company and
collaboration with a multinational
corporation to fund research on
issues that the corporation has a
major stake in. But for now, let's
consider the second case, because
an instructive case study is hot off
the press.
On Mar. 12, University President
Mary Sue Coleman announced a $10
million gift to the University from
the Dow Chemical Company. The
gift will fund a sustainability fel-
lowship program for a total of 300
University graduate students over
a period of six years. This is a big
sum of money for the Graham Envi-
ronmental Sustainability Institute,
whose office currently sits off-cam-
pus over the Starbucks at South State
Street and East Liberty Street. To
date, the Institute has funded only
six fellowships each year. It's not a
large amount for Dow, which posted
profits of $2.3 billion in 2010, but
the company evidently believes it's a
good investment.
To get a sense of Dow's interest
in the program, it's helpful to know
that Dow is one of the world's larg-
est chemical companies - though
its headquarters in sleepy Mid-
land, Mich. belies its global reach.
Dow also has a checkered record
when it comes to sustainability,
at least by most definitions. What
"sustainability" means is wickedly
hard to pin down, but most people
can probably agree that it doesn't
extend to mass poisoning, suffo-
cation and incineration of various
life forms. Unfortunately, a number
of Dow's products over the years,
such as napalm and Agent Orange,
have been designed specifically
for those purposes. Dow also faces
continued challenges over various
production-related mishaps, such
as the contamination of Midland
with cancer-causing dioxin and
the deaths of roughly 3,000 people
in Bhopal, India after a gas leak at
a factory owned by Dow subsidiary
Union Carbide.
There is nothing cynical in sug-
gesting that Dow's investments
in the University's sustainability
programs are related to its historic
challenges in that field. By law, for-
profit corporations exist to gener-
ate profits for shareholders. Indeed,
many would argue that for them to
do anything otherwise would be
a serious disservice. For better or
worse, this is how free enterprise
works, and we should know better
than to assume otherwise. From
the above examples, however, it
seems that a certain degree of cau-
tion from the University might be
necessary in any partnership with
the company in order to advance a
broader public interest.
To return to our opening ques-
tion, we should ensure that the
University is calling the shots with
regard to its own activities. Yet
that's a question we can't answer,
because the agreement between the
University and Dow over the terms
of the $10 million gift isn't public
information. Ann Arbor's Ecology
Center has filed a Freedom of Infor-
mation Act request to disclose the
terms of the transaction.
"Companies have a particular
perspective," says Ecology Cen-
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
ter environmental health director
Tracey Easthope, who has conduct-
ed research and advocacy on Dow-
related issues for 15 years. "And
that's legitimate." (Full disclosure:
I've previously worked as an intern
for the Center, though not on any-
thing to do with Dow.) But Dow's
interests may not match the public
research interests of the Univer-
sity. "Where it's most concerning is
where the company might be able
to have some influence over and
challenge the independence of the
institution," Easthope says. Until
we know the terms of Dow's gift,
we can't know whether or not that's
happening.
Dow's interest
in the 'U' is
for-profit.
And in the end, whatever the spe-
cific language of such agreements,
I wonder if relationships between
universities and large for-profit
corporations can truly be free of
embedded power imbalances. The
ability to act lies with the money,
so it's no surprise that the Univer-
sity and other schools are courting
for-profit industry as government
support declines. If we're serious
about putting the University on an
equal footing with for-profits in any
future dealings, we'll need to do
more than disclose their terms, as
pleasing as that would be to see in a
student government platform. We'll
also need to work on the broader
challenge of returning public fund-
ing to the public university.
- Joel Batterman can be reached at
jobma@umich.edu.
*I
Two years ago, the Michigan State Police
collected more than 10,000 untested rape kits
from the Detroit Police Department, accord-
ing to The Associated Press. About 2,000 of
these kits were collected from a closed Michi-
gan crime lab. Only about 1,400 will be pro-
cessed by the end of the year through funding
from the Justice Department's National Insti-
tute for Justice.
Testing rape kits is costly and time-
consuming. Each test can cost from $1,200
to $1,500 and take three to six months for
results to come back from the lab. For cases
in which private companies are contracted
to do the testing, crime labs must verify their
results - sometimes taking another three to
six months. This means that even a test that is
run immediately - which appears to be hap-
pening infrequently - victims may wait up to
a year to receive the results.
DNA testing is performed quickly after
violent crimes like homicide, but less priority
is placed on test kits of sexual assault survi-
vors. This extended time frame means serial
offenders may be able to victimize other
individuals. Besides assisting in identifying
perpetrators, DNA testing can also exoner-
ate wrongly convicted criminals. If testing
doesn't occur within a particular time period
after the assault, cases may be ineligible for
prosecution, silencing survivors' voices with
undelivered justice. After the pain survivors
have gone through, an inefficient justice sys-
tem wrongs these individuals again.
A September 2010 Department of Justice
study estimated that 25 percent of college
women will be victims of sexual assault or
attempted sexual assault before they gradu-
ate. Given these statistics, and the mass num-
ber of rape kit tests on backlog, the data is
disheartening. While more efficient testing
doesn'tguarantee justice for the victim, it cre-
ates an environment where more perpetrators
are held responsible.
Programs and funding for rape kit testing,
such as the National Institute for Justice and
the Michigan State Police's Backlog Reduction,
are increasingin cities like Houston, Los Ange-
les and Detroit. Still, the massive backlogneeds
immediate attention. The process of testing
must be seriously expedited. The state and fed-
eral government need to recognize the signifi-
cance of prioritizing rape kit testing to ensure
justice is secured for the victims.
Aida Ali, Kaan Avdan, Ashley Griesshammer, Jesse Klein,
Patrick Maillet, Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Harsha Panduranga, Timothy Rabb, Adrienne Roberts,
Vanessa Rychlinski, Sarah Skaluba, Seth Soderborg, Caroline Syms, Andrew Weiner
Eat more chICken
JACE MORGANSTEIN
Transforming transit
A typical student's week
almost undoubtedly con-
sists of some or all of the
following -
If you're between the ages of 18 and 34,
chances are you care about the transit system
in the area you live in. According to a recent
study done bythe U.S. Bureau of Transporta-
tion statistics, 80.5 percent of people in this
age group cite local transit as an important
feature of the community they live in or
would like to live in. Young people want to
live in places where they can easily travel to
their jobs and visit friends and cosmopolitan
areas without having to worry about park-
ing or dealing with traffic congestion. Public
transit offers a cheap and efficient alterna-
tive to the inconveniences that go along with
owning a carin an urban area.
Young people have good reason to be con-
cerned about transit in their area. Transit
systems are important for reasons that go
beyond convenience. Transit projects not
only provide efficientnways to get from place to
place, they also provide significant economic
benefits to the communities they are a part
of. Transit in the United States is currently
funded at $26 billion annually, but according
to the Center for Transportation Excellence,
public transit provides a benefit of $34 billion
annually by stimulating community growth
and reducing expenses caused from traffic
congestion and auto emissions.
On top of the financial benefit, Americans
living in transportation intensive metropoli-
tan areas save $22 billion annually in trans-
portation-related personal expenses, such as
buying gas or car insurance. As the nation-
wide economic recovery continues, more jobs
are being created, and employees need con-
venient ways to commute to work. The CTE
reported that without public transit systems,
10 million Americans would be without their
primary method of transportation in getting
to work.
The social justice benefits of public transit
are also well-documented. According to the
CTE, 93 percent of white households own at
least one car and therefore don't rely on pub-
lic transit to get to and from work. However,
only 83 percent of Hispanic households and
76 percent of African-American households
own at least one car. Those who are less
likely to own a car are more reliant on public
transit for their daily commute. Not having
a viable public transit system has a dispro-
portionately negative effect on minorities
including Hispanics and African Americans,
as their employment is more heavily depen-
dent on access to public transit. On top of
that, according to the CTE, 94 percent of
Americans on welfare attempting to enter
the workforce don't own a car. To get to their
jobs, these Americans would also rely on pub-
lic transit, making public transit essential for
bringing former welfare recipients back into
the workforce.
Most young people know that good tran-
sit systems have environmental benefits, but
many are unaware of the magnitude of these
benefits. As public transit systems are alter-
natives to car ownership, they play a large
role in reducing carbon dioxide emissions
created by the burning of fossil fuels. In fact,
the CTE reported that public transit systems
avoid the emission of 126 million pounds of
hydrocarbons each year. For a generation
that cares greatly about its environmental
impact, public transit offers a sensible, clean-
er alternative to cars.
Americans can also reduce the amount of
gasoline they purchase and consume byusing
public transportation. Public transportation
cuts the amount of gasoline purchased in the
United States by 1.5 billion gallons annually,
mitigating America's dependence on oil and
reducing the amount of hydrocarbons that
are released by burning fossil fuels.
Public transit is an essential aspect of
creating a desirable community to live in.
Expanding public transit systems provides
extraordinary benefits to the people in these
communities. Considering the enormous
economic, social justice and environmental
benefits that viable public transit systems
provide, it's easy to see why young people are
passionate about the transit systems in their
communities.
This weekend the University's chapter of
College Democrats Committee on Environ-
mental Issues, along with TruMich and the
University of Michigan branch of the Roos-
evelt Institute, will be hosting a conference
focusing on transit issues in southeast Michi-
gan. The conference will bring together local
politicians, activists, intellectuals and com-
munity members to discuss the current state
of transit in southeast Michigan, the barriers
to its expansion and the role young people can
play in shaping the future of public transit.
Jace Morganstein is an LSA senior.
He is co-chair of EnvironDems within the
University's chapter of College Democrats.
burgers, beer,
sleepless nights,
coffee, caffeine
shots, (you fill in
the blank) shots
and hangovers.
While many
students might
think that caf-
feine and alco-
LEAH
POTKIN
hol are the only
items on the list posing potential
health risks, recently more and
more studies are showing the nega-
tive effects of eating red meat -
which puts a burger in the mix to
harm college students.
It's no surprise that the col-
lege student often leads a less than
healthy lifestyle, but the downfalls
associated typically come in the
form of foamy alcoholic beverages
or other mind-altering substitutes,
and not in the form of succulent
steaks. But a recent study released
by the Harvard University School of
Public Health shows that red meat
consumption is associated with
a higher risk of early death, and
should be eaten in moderation - or
not at all. Considering consumption
of red meat also leads to imbalances
in the body's pH levels, students
should consider their carnivorous
habits in order to balance their
lives and bodies, and should at least
understand the risks associated
with eating red meat before sinking
their teeth into their next steak din-
ner or fast food burger.
Looking more into the conse-
quences of eating red meat, the
study found that regular consump-
tion of red meat is associated with
certain cancers, type-2 diabetes,
coronary heart disease and stroke,
with increased risks associatedwith
consumption of processed meats.
To combat these risks, the study
suggests replacing fatty red meats
with healthier protein sources such
as fish, poultry, nuts or legumes.
Most notably, the study found that
an estimated "9.3 percent of deaths
in men and 7.6 percent in women
could have been prevented at the
end of the follow-up if all the par-
ticipants had consumed less than
0.5 servings per day of red meat" -
that's one Bar Louie dollar burger-
less Tuesday.
Despite college students' busy
schedules limiting their food choic-
es, it's vital that they realize how
what they put into their bodies
now will help or hurt them in the
future. Though it might be easy for
students to order red meat at a vari-
ety of cheap and fast food campus
restaurants, making minor dietary
adjustments such as ordering a veg-
gie slice instead of a sausage slice at
NYPD, or subbing chicken for beef
in a BTB burrito, would be benefi-
cial for health in the long run. The
same goes for making healthier
choices in the dining halls, where, if
students know where to look, there
are actually many alternatives to
the potentially harmful (though
delicious) bacon and burgers. Not to
mention, the lower fat alternatives
to red meat typically come with the
added bonus of lower costs - always
a plus for the tightly budgeted col-
lege student.
While it is, of course, essential
that students take into account
the physical repercussions asso-
ciated with regularly eating red
meat, there are also negative envi-
ronmental impacts. On a campus as
eco-aware as Michigan's, it seems
almost oxymoronic that many stu-
dents promote sustainability, but
don't even give a second thoughtto
their weekly visit to Blimpie Burger.
So, if red meat isn't already looking a
bit less appetizing, students should
remember the negative environ-
mental impacts, such as increased
waste production and pollution,
that go hand-in-hand with the pro-
cessing of red meat.
Studies show the
health risks of
red meat.
Ultimately, it's a student's own
decision whether he or she decides
to eat red meat, but it's vital any
decisions are educated ones, as not
everyone thinks about how their
dietary choices in college could
affect them later in life. And even
looking beyond the beef, the idea
of acknowledging potential health
consequences is something that
should be considered in correlation
with sleep habits, drinking habits,
and the like, as it is the compilation
of choices such as these that, while
unbeknownst to them now, could
greatly and adversely impact stu-
dent's lives in the future. So, while
I don't expect everyone to change
their favorite McDonald's order
or run to the farmer's market, I do
hope that students will think twice
before ordering the beer and the
burger.
- Leah Potkin can be reached at lpot-
kin@umich.edu. Follow her
on Twitter at @LeahPotkin.
0.
"This is going to be a hard case for the
government to prove."
- Lawyer John Henry Browne said about his client, Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, being
charged with 17 counts of murder, as reported by The New York Times.
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