4A - Thursday, September 20, 2012

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

4A - Thursday, September 20, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom

Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan since 1890.
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
TIMOTHY RABB
JOSEPH LICHTERMAN and ADRIENNE ROBERTS ANDREW WEINER
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.
Train Detroit for the future
City should implement new rail system
J due time, Detroit may be able to lay claim to a modern public
transportation system. Since early 2007, a proposed project -
called M1 RAIL for Woodward Avenue - outlays a 3.4-mile
light-rail system, which would connect the downtown and uptown
areas along historic Woodward Avenue. Construction, optimisti-
cally scheduled to begin in 2012, has been stalled due to uncertainty
over the long-term viability of the project. The building of the M1
RAIL would stimulate the economy and the development of jobs in
the city, promoting a better future for Detroit.


If somebody is dumb enough to ask me to
go to a political convention and say something,
they're gonna have to take what they get.
- Actor Clint Eastwood said regarding his widely
criticized speech at last month's Republican National Convention.
Focus on the big picture

6
6

Wecall camecto the Univer-
sity being told the same
thing: we are the future
and can make

a difference
in the world.
Somewhere
between the
cliched gradua-
tions and stuffy
convocations,
we became con-
vinced that we,
"the leaders and
the best," would
be able to do
great things. We
would spear-

HEMA
KARUNA-
KARAM

Light-rail is one of the most economically
advantageous forms of mass inner-city transit.
According to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report, the
average price of gas now costs Michigan drivers
$4.04 per gallon. According to the Detroit Free
Press, the average price of gas in Michigan is
the eighth highest in the nation. Furthermore,
Detroit's bus system has been suffering from
budget cuts, vehicle breakdowns and disgrun-
tled union members. While the cost of travel
using the Ml RAIL is yet to be determined, it's
certain that this mode of transportation will be
cost-efficient and eco-friendly.
Since a light-rail system would be highly
economical, it could also encourage com-
muting throughout the city, which would
increase commerce and trade among the 34.5
percent of the city's residents who live below
the poverty line, according to census data.
The project remains under review by the Fed-
eral Transportation Administration and the
city itself. On Monday, United States Trans-
portation Secretary Ray LaHood met with
Michigan House Speaker Jase Bolger and
House Majority Floor Leader Jim Stamas in
Washington D.C. in an attempt to garner nec-
essary funding to commence construction.

The most promising aspect of the Mt RAIL
is that the majority of the project would be
privately funded. The rail would provide a
transportation upgrade without draining the
struggling city. The project has a total estimat-
ed cost of $137 million. It would receive $25
million from a federal grant, $16 million from
New Markets Tax Credits and $84 million
coming from private donations. These private
investors have agreed to fund the rail line's
operations until 2025. In addition to prepared
funding, similar projects have found success
in Texas and Oregon. In Dallas, the DART rail
system, also privately funded, was responsible
for an estimated 27,000 jobs as a result of an
initial $1 billion investment.
With the promise of accessible transpor-
tation and the gift of funds to create it, the
proposed M1 RAIL project is an investment
in Michigan's once-great port-side epicen-
ter. With an effective transportation system,
the city will become much more attractive to
new businesses and job-seekers young and
old. With an influx of people taking advan-
tage of the ease of transportation, the econ-
omy and development of Detroit will witness
positive change.

head the generation that cured
cancer, decreased dependence on
non-renewable resources and erad-
icated world hunger. We would do
what no one had done before.
So, what are you doing now?
Reading this article, checking
Facebook, debating whether or not
to reply to the SO pending e-mails
in your inbox? Maybe you're tweet-
ing about how we'll "beat the Irish"
this weekend, or maybe you're in
the UGLi poring over structures
that remind you less of aromatic
hydrocarbons and more of Honey-
comb cereal. You might be flipping
through a $200 history textbook
you'll read less than half of this
semester, or perhaps you're ana-
lyzing a bottomless stack of read-
ings on failed marketing strategies.
Here's the bottom line, though:
you're focusing so narrowly on
what's immediately in front you,
without actually doing what you
came to college to do.
Don't get me wrong - most of
what we spend time on every day in
college is necessary and likely ben-

eficial for our futures. However, the
"future" we so wistfully speak of
doesn't just start when we walk out
of here, degrees in hand. It starts
now. In fact, it's already begun. So
many of us get so caught up in the
small details of the everyday that
we lose sight of why we had such
high ambitions to begin with. We
forget the goals and dreams we
wrote about in our college applica-
tions. Instead we obsess over tasks
that, in the grand scheme, pale in
comparison. Maybe occasionally,
we'll have those 3 a.m. conversa-
tions with roommates on the prob-
lems of society, health care, the
economy, politics - but before we
know it, we're back to the minutiae.
Sure, I'm as much of a hypocrite
as anyone. I find contentment in
picking out just the right words for
these columns and I hope that at
best someone might be inspired by
what I say to do something. I let my
brain pick apart the problems and
leave the solutions in the hands of
others. I, too, have fallen into the
trap of thinking, writing, talking,
analyzing - and not really doing.
"Doing" doesn't necessarily entail
physical work, but rather means
working toward those greater goals
outside the scope of this campus.
College is inevitably a time for
change. So many people discover
their true passions during their
time on campus, or realize exactly
how they want to make their mark
on the world. Those lightbulb
moments when we find what we
want to spend our lives really doing,
are incredible. But they shouldn't
just be random, occasional epipha-
nies. Those goals and ambitions
should resonate in everything we
do, every day. Even if you haven't

yet found that one thing that really
gets you going, you still probably
know which things you generally
like or don't like. Think about those
things even through your mundane,
everyday tasks. Truly do things
with a purpose.
Brainy
conversations
are few and
far between.

0

Determining how many units of
unsaturation are in a molecule of
cholesterol may seem like your whole
world for now. But think about why
it is you're working out that problem.
Are you genuinely interested in going
deeper into organic chemistry in the
future? Is the medical research you
hope to do one day affected by these
kinds of molecules? Will the abil-
ity to solve such problems help you
in thinking through problems of a
different variety in a different field?
There are so many possible justifica-
tions for everylittlething we do here.
Find the one that speaks to you, and
do that thingto the best of your abil-
ity with that purpose in mind.
Never lose sight of the bigger
picture. It's why we're all here, and
it's what drives us all to make a dif-
ference in the world. Stop going
through the motions of college and
start doing.
- Hema Karunakaram can be
reached at khema@umich.edu. Follow
her on Twitter at @HemaKarunakaram.

@TheDiag We're used to the
crazies shouting but we don't
understand the green hair.
#justtryingtogettoclass
-@michdailyoped

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Kaan Avdan, Eli Cahan, Nirbhay Jain, Jesse Klein, Melanie Kruvelis,
Patrick Maillet, Harsha Nahata, Timothy Rabb, Adrienne Roberts,
Vanessa Rychlinski, Sarah Skaluba, Michael Spaeth, Caroline Syms
ANNIKA DONER E
Ask, tell and remember

6

Clean air should be o
Coleman's top priorities
TO THE DAILY:

SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@MICHIGANDAILY.COM
ne of This number is widely agreed upon by the
world's leading climate scientists as the maxi-
mum allowable level to avoid catastrophic
impacts from climate change. Currently, the
atmosphere holds close to 397 parts per mil-
lion of carbon dioxide. It will take a concerted

Dear President Coleman, global effort to decrease carbon emissions, and
I'm writing on behalf of the newly formed the University of Michigan must do its part.
student organization, Students for Clean After all, we are the "leaders and best."
Energy. We're committed in our resolve to see We cannot afford to continue our reliance
the University of Michigan begin the transi- on coal and natural gas at the University of
tion from coal and natural gas to cleaner Michigan. Sustainability is a global paradigm
sources of energy. We believe the University's and our local actions reverberate across the
current Climate Goal for 2025 - a 25-percent globe. According to the Clean Air Task Force,
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions - is fine particulate matter found in coal pollution
inadequate. In the scope of the University's is responsible for more than 13,000 annual
Sustainability Initiative, which we praise you deaths in the United States alone. The Uni-
for undertaking, we would like to see a com- versity of Michigan purchases a substantial
mitment that upholds the very maxim for amount of coal power from Detroit Edison
what is sustainable. Having no publicly-stat- each year. A sustainable University should not
ed plan to end reliance on coal and natural be linked to this energy source with its grave
gas is the reason for our concern. public health consequences.
This past Friday, renowned author, journal- Please consider our message. A sustainable
ist and leading environmentalist Bill McKib- University of Michigan must strive for 100%
ben spoke on campus. His presented "350: The clean energy.
Most Important Number in the World." The
presentation's title refers to the 350 parts per Christopher Takahashi
million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. President ofStudents for Clean Energy
MRelay looks forward to year knows that it can improve upon those results
in this year's Relay.
of maximizing involvement "With only 2,700 participants, we raised
$370,000," said Dave Mullen-Muhr, one of
TO THE DAILY: MRelay's Directors of Event Management.
"If we can fully utilize the large student body
With the new school year comes another that we have, then there's no reason we can't
year of hope for a cure among those affected improve upon last year."
by cancer. Michigan's MRelay as sky-high With a full schedule of events planned for
expectations as well. this year and numerous publicity strategies
Formerly known as Relay For Life, MRelay designed to maximize campus involvement,
holds a yearly, 24-hour event in collaboration you'll be sure to see MRelay and its mem-
with the American Cancer Society to raise as bers around campus plenty in the upcoming
much money as possible to support research months - we hope you'll get involved. MRe-
aimed at finding a cure for cancer. During lay will hold this year's event April 13-14 at
last year's event, we were thrilled to raise Palmer Field.

F

One year ago Thursday, Presi-
dent Barack Obama repealed "Don't
Ask, Don't Tell," a policy that
banned openly gay men and lesbi-
ans from serving in the military. In
repealing DADT, President Obama
showed his commitment to a belief
in the equality of all Americans and
the fundamental principle that our
nation should "welcome the ser-
vice of every patriot." On this his-
torical one-year anniversary, it's
important to reflect on the repeal of
legislation that has had an impact
on both the lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender community and
the nation at large. This historic
event also shows the progress our
president has made towards LGBT
equality. With the repeal of this dis-
criminatory policy, lesbian and gay
service members, their families, the
armed forces and the United States
are better off.
DADT was signed into law by
President Clinton in 1993 as an
attempt to compromise between bar-
ring homosexuals from service and
allowing them to do so. For lesbian
and gay service members, however,
this meant hiding their identities and
never feeling fully comfortable, all
while they were risking their lives
and sacrificing other personal free-
doms in order to serve their country.
This sacrifice is difficult to imag-
ine. Service in the military isn't your
typical job. The expectations that you
face at work at a civilian job often end
as soon as you punch out. Serving in

the armed forces is entirely different.
It's not a nine-to-five job. As many
in the military say, it's a lifestyle
that requires conscious membership
24 hours a day. Yet, under DADT,
LGBT Americans were told to hide
an important part of their life. They
couldn't fully participate in the spirit
of camaraderie of their fellow service
members because of their sexual ori-
entation.
Since DADT required gay men and
lesbians to refrain from revealing
their sexual orientation at any time,
it sometimes prevented them from
utilizing the rights and family ben-
efits that military members normally
receive. Deployed LGBT service
members weren't always able to des-
ignate their partners as caregivers of
their children in the family care plan.
Similarly, if a gay or lesbian service
member died while serving their
country, their partner may not have
been the first person notified.
DADT meant that fully qualified
and trained members of the military,
even those who were highly special-
ized in their areas of expertise, could
be fired forrevealingtheirsexual ori-
entation. Under DADT, we reduced
the size of our eligible military force
through discrimination based on
sexual orientation. Our government
told men and women who were will-
ing to make the ultimate sacrifice for
their country that their sacrifice was
not worthwhile because of their sex-
ual orientation.
President Obama understood the

message that DADT sent. He argued
that people shouldn't have to hide
who they are in order to serve their
country. He felt that all who sacri-
fice their personal freedoms and
risk their lives in the service of the
United States should be allowed to
do so without being silenced or dis-
criminated against.
President Obama ended the lone-
liness, shame, paranoia and sense of
injustice that many service mem-
bers felt. In doing so, he strength-
ened our military and country. The
repeal of DADT embodies the prin-
ciples of fairness and equality that
Americans should extol. President
Obama's push for equality is not
limited to this repeal. This anniver-
sary reminds us not only of the push
President Obama has made to guar-
antee equality to all, but also of how
much work still needs to be dong.
On this anniversary, it's impor-
tant to think about the progress that
we have made in ashort year toward
bringing equality to all Americans.
President Obama's support of the
rights of LGBT Americans sets him
apart as a fighter for equality and
for the guarantee of respect for all
Americans. In one year, we have
progressed a great deal in the name
of equality. Let's remember all the
work that still needs to be done and
the lives that have been positively
impacted by the change we've seen
in the last year.
Annika Doner is an LSA senior.

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6

$370,000, second only to Virginia Tech at the
collegiate level.
Despite the success, the organization

Chris Schaitkin
Director ofEvent Managmentfor MRelay