'I
4A - Thursday October 25, 2012
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
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C f idtigan 4aily
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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.
FROM 'THEDAILY
Drowned in debt
Government should extend college loan payback periods
As college costs continue to increase - by 2.8 percent for in-state
students and 3.5 percent for out-of-state students for the 2012-
2013 academic year at Michigan - and post-grad job prospects
worsen, more college graduates are defaulting on their student loans.
Facing an uncompromising job market, fewer college graduates are able
to pay their loans back on time and are facing serious legal repercus-
sions. In 2011, the default rate for the first three years after graduation
was 13.4 percent - an alarming 14-year high. All levels of government
should explore policy to extend the deadline for student loan payments so
graduates have time to secure a job before being hit with their tuition bill.
Fuck the non-voter?
n 2008, P. Diddy gave the
American people two choices:
You can either vote in the presi-
dential election,
or, to quote the
Geto Boys, you
can "die, mother-
fucker, die."
In all fairness,
these options did
stand the test of
time. Fast for-
ward four years. MELANIE
On Nov. 6, you KRUVELIS
may choose to
vote. You may
also choose to die. But the list doesn't
have to end there. You could vote or
go to the grocery store.,Vote or watch
"Full House" reruns.
And here's an overlooked option:
you could vote, or you could not vote
at all.
Now, be careful with the last
option. Side effects of not vot-
ing include a loss of respect from
friends and family, exclusion from
the right to political opinions and
being pelted with vegetables each
time you leave your house. All con-
ventional wisdom holds that non-
voters are the political stoners.
They sit around, smoke drugs, plot
the destruction of America through
electoral non-participation and roll
up another traitor doobie. Or at the
very least, they're too damn lazy to
care.
But does that fairly summarize
the non-voter? That the only thing
stopping their ballot is the lure of a
loveseat?
While it's certainly true that some
non-voters don't care, writing off all
non-participants as being so Cheech
and wrong misses the point. Our
masturbatory attitude to the voting
process and absolute disgust with
those who don't show up on Election
Day, masks flaws in a nonsensical
electoral system.
For every death threat handed out
to the non-voters there's a high five
for the guy who threw his ballot in
the box. At the root of this is an ele-
mentary understanding of elections:
voting good, not voting bad. And at
the root is a serious misunderstand-
ing of reality. Going to the polls can
be good, but it doesn't have to be.
Elections are a fair-weather field day.
Think of it this way: you go to the
polls, fill in a bubble for president and
then you get a sticker that tells the
world - look, I did it! I voted! Then
you go about your way.
But, wait. Does non-participation
in and ignorance toward sections of
the ballot - school board elections
or county sheriff - make you a less-
valid voter? Popular opinion doesn't
seem to think so. When you avoid
the court of appeals candidates on
the ballot because "they don't affect
you" or you don't know enough to
make an informed decision, no one
accuses you of being a bad voter or
a bad American. So why do we draw
the same conclusions for the presi-
dential vote?
Pro-votingvoters willtellyou the
distinction comes from the interna-
tional implications of the presiden-
cy. It's a globalized globe out there,
or something. And foreign percep-
tion of the United States won't come
from whatever your district judge
is doing. No, it comes from the face
that we sell to the world - iPods. I
mean iPresidents.
Dammit, I mean presidents.
Look, the president is the star of the
show. So suck up your hemp seed
and Chomsky smoothies, you radi-
cal, and just go vote already.
Okay, fine. Let's look at the can-
didates then. We've got Republican
presidential nominee Mitt Romney,
who wouldn't know a uterus from
a kumquat, so that's no good. And
then there's the Obama administra-
tion, whose off-the-record drone
attacks in Pakistan have not only
killed civilians, but also further
fostered anti-American sentiments
worldwide.
Then there are the third-party
candidates - no wait, it's a trap!
Because in a post-2000 election
world, a vote for a third-party can-
didate is written off as a "wasted"
vote, the good-for-nothing, teenage
angst vote. Never mind that you're
just picking the candidate that you
think best represents your vision for
the country. This is an election, for
Christ's sake, you two-party pooper.
Quit trying to Nader the election.
So what do we have left? An illu-
sion of choice. We're told we have
to vote. We're given a list of candi-
dates. Now take off more than half
of them, because they don't count.
And circle your favorite out of the
two left. See? Don't you feel like a
good citizen now?
'Quit trying
to Nader the
election.'
I don't mean to bastardize all
voters. If you follow policy and
think you know your candidate,
then by all means, vote away. But
this "fuck the non-voter" rhetoric
works under the assumption that
voting is the perfect form of politi-
cal participation. And it's not.
Hell, it's not even the most
effective. The success of the civil
rights movement is rarely attrib-
uted to Malcolm X's vote for JFK.
It worked because the leaders got
creative with their politics.. There
wasn't a reliance on the least-war-
mongering, least-corrupt, least-
shitty leader to get the work done.
This D.I.Y. understanding of poli-
tics illustrates an important point:
Participation isn't only valid within
the franchise.
If only someone put that on a
sticker.
-Melanie Kruvelis can be
reached at melkruv@umich.edu.
Accordingto a Bloombergnews article, more
than 10 percent of .federal student loan bor-
rowers default on loan payments that amount
to $1trillion nationwide. Meanwhile, graduate
student unemployment has reached a record
high, with an 8.8 percent unemployment rate
in 2011 with a successful job search timeframe
of about six months. And student debt con-
tinues to increase with the average hovering
around $27,000. This means that only one year
after graduation, the interest accrued is almost
$2,000.
With these obstacles, many students have
had no choice but to default on their loans, as
they simply do not have the money to settle
debts so soon after graduation. Luckily, the
2012-2013 academic year student loans has
seen leveled interest rates at 3.4 percent for
subsidized and 6.8 percent for unsubsidized
and graduate loans.
Still, studies have shown the seriousness of
graduate student unemployment and its effect
on loan defaults. In a 2011 college graduate
survey, only 287 of 503 college graduates sur-
veyed reported full-time employment imme-
diately after graduation. One-third of students
moved back home with their parents and
approximately one-fifth of these graduates are
now financially dependent on their parents.
The combination of a poor job market and high
student loan costs make it increasingly diffi-
cult for graduates to live on their own. Many
are drowned in debt before they can even earn
their first post-grad paycheck.
Diversity of college majors is also shrink-
ing as a result of the struggling job market.
The same study showed that nearly one-half
of employed graduates work at jobs that do not
require a four-year college degree. A college
education should have more leverage in the job
market, but at the same time should be flexible
enough to allow students to pursue their inter-
ests. With the threat of student debt looming
overhead, many students are pressured into
majors that traditionally garner high paying
jobs. Without a five or six-figure debt looming
after graduation, we wouldn't want to lose less
profitable but nonetheless important concen-
trations.
Government needs to extend the student
loan payback timeframe. A longer student
loan grace period will give graduates more
time to organize their finances and maintain
their credit scores. This will decrease default
rates and create more stability for graduates
and lenders alike. In today's floundering econ-a
omy, finding a job is a time consuming rar-
ity. Extending student loan deadlines allows
graduates to look forward to their careers, not
backward in regret at their student debt.
10
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Kaan Avdan, Sharik Bashir, Eli Cahan, Nirbhay Jain, Jesse Klein, Melanie Kruvelis,
Patrick Maillet, Harsha Nahata, Timothy Rabb, Adrienne Roberts,
Vanessa Rychlinski, Sarah Skaluba, Michael Spaeth, Gus Turner
Respect differentperspectives
LETTER T THE EDITOR SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@MICHIGANDAILY.COM
Proposal 6 gives the people
the power to decide
TO THE DAILY:
Katie Burke's article on Proposal 6 and the
New International Trade Crossings (NITC)
("Backed by a billionaire, Proposal 6 fights
second bridge to Windsor," 10/23/12), contains
several misleading assertions.
In the article, Ms. Burke says, "The measure
[Proposal 6] is aimed at stopping a proposed
second bridge that will be entirely financed by
the Canadian government." Neither of these
claims is correct.
Proposal 6 is not designed to stop the NITC,
but rather, to offer citizens a say before their
governor entangles them in a shaky financing
scheme with a foreign power without legisla-
tive approval. Were the proposal to pass, and
were Michigan taxpayers to then deem the
NITC a worthy use of state resources, the proj-
ect would proceed.
Second, Michigan taxpayers will pay, and
have already paid, for the project. To date,
the state has spent $41 million studying the
NITC, a new customs plaza will cost U.S.
taxpayers (including Michiganders) $263
million, and the state will lose millions in
lost tax and toll revenue at existing crossings
from which the NITC will cannibalize traf-
fic. In addition, there's nothing in the Cross-
ing Agreement that specifies Canada will
cover any cost overruns, which average 61
percent for this type of project, according to
the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The article also quotes Prof. Thomas Lyon,
who asserts the project would bring Michi-
gan an additional $2.2 billion in federal high-
way matching funds. However, such funds
are subject to a state-by-state cap. Michi-
gan has never failed to maximize its state
contribution to receive the highest possible
amount, so the $2.2 billion doesn't represent
any "new" money the state wouldn't oth-
erwise receive from the Federal Highway
Administration.
Proposal 6 is an opportunity for Michigan
taxpayers to assert fiscal self-determination
that thus far, the governor has been working
to deny.
Mickey Blashfield
Director, The People Should Decide Ballot
Initiative
Consider implications of
Halloween costumes
puts on black
should think t
a "dirty thug."
a suede bra ans
think about th
TO THE DAILY: out "I'm a Nativ
I'm writing to produce a dialogue pertain- Last year, a st
ing to Halloween costumes. Yes, I know the Ohio University
topic of Halloween costumes doesn't seem ate dialogue at
like a debatable topic or a topic that should stereotypical c
be problematic to the students at the Univer- paign, which
sity of Michigan. However, like many stu- up pictures ofc
dents, as I thought about possible costumes culture or rac
for the upcoming festivities, I realized that for and against
there should be some discussion about what's Costume" camr
appropriate and not offensive. When I began many comment
pondering the possibilities, I noticed a bul- group expresse
letin board that added a new dimension of had been produ
interest to this celebrated holiday. I'm proposin
The board read: "My Identity is Not a Cos- the implication
tume." I read "how to have FUN on Hallow- ognize that the
een and not be RACIST" and saw a list of ter, feathers an
some popular costumes, which included an. continue to exp
"Indian," "Arab," a "Mexican" and "Ghetto." a costume and f
I could definitely see the offensiveness of many studentsr
simplifying an entire ethnicity into a slutty costumes perso
costume, and then drunkenly joking about
the silly outfit with friends, amid a diversely Sarah Blume
populated environment. Maybe the guy who LSA Freshman
face, baggy pants and bling
wice before calling himself
Or possibly the girl wearing
d feathers in her hair should
e implications of screaming
ve American!"
udent human rights group at
'launched a campaign to cre-
bout the issue about racially
ostumes. Their poster cam-
displayed students holding
costumes that offended their
e, sparked national debate
the "We're a Culture; Not a
paign. Though they received
s bashing their motives, the
d satisfaction that a dialogue
ced.
g that students think about
s of their costumes and rec-
re's meaning beyond the glit-
d face paint. Students should
ress their freedom to choose
launt it, and keep in mind that
may take the meaningof some
nally. Happy Halloween!
There was a time when our
institutions- of higher edu-
cation were founded on a
religious basis
- both Harvard
University and
Yale University
began as Protes-
tant seminaries.
A century and
a half later, the
religious land- SARAH
scapes of such ROHAN
schools have
disappeared.
In adopting a progressive
approach to education, most promi-
nent universities abandoned their
prescribed religious view in favor of
a liberal acceptance of all faiths. And
with the years of religious quotas
in college admissions behind us, it
seems we now live in an era of gen-
eral religious tolerance within the
world of higher education.
To date, the University has 24
recognized religious student clubs
ranging from the Muslim Students'
Association to the Hindu Students
Council to Hillel. The University cer-
tainly provides a space for religious
growth and identity and a vast array
of courses on religious studies.
And yet, it seems that the privi-
lege of religious respect on this
campus and in many other liberal
universities is afforded to a very
narrow category of religious per-
sons. It's specifically reserved for
the practitioner of secular obser-
vance; the."religiously liberal."
By "religiously liberal," I don't
mean to describe someone who iden-
tifies with a religious culture - be it
Christianity, Hinduism or other -
but rather someone whose religious
adherence to the rules of his or her
religion is, well, liberal. Progressive,
reformed, modern or however one
sees it, a "religiously liberal" observ-
er often values historical identity and
tradition over strict compliance with
religious law.
Through a mostly implied disap-
proval, it seems that the world of pro-
gressive attitude regards religious
orthodoxy as unintelligent, outdated,
exclusionary and judgmental.
Take, for example, the reaction
to a letter an orthodox Rabbi issued
to Sarah Silverman two weeks ago,
which has since gone viral. In the
letter - which comes as a response
to Silverman's "Let My People
Vote" YouTube video - Rabbi Yaa-
kov Rosenblatt performs a laugh-
ably flawed psychoanalysis of the
comedian. He tells Silverman that
the reason she has "trouble forging
a permanent relationship" with a
male partner, something which he
dubs as "the most basic desire of
the feminine soul," is a result of her
crude treatment of sex.
As much as we may entirely dis-
agree with Rosenblatt's arguments,
the commenters on the site ridicule
him - and implicitly, anyone else
who adheres to traditional religious
teachings - as "archaic" and "igno-
rant." This replaces the appropri-
ate task of tackling the argument's
actual points. It's this attitude that
provides the basis of the issue of
academic "intolerance" of the reli-
giously observant to arise.
That said, however, there's a very
apparent basis here for a resistance
to traditional religious thought.
Rosenblatt's argument resists an
emerging discourse as an integral
player in the academy: feminism.
A frequently cited criticism of
observant religious tradition is the
apparent lack of equality between
the roles of women and men. Reli-
gious authorities will sometimes
respond to these criticisms by
explaining that the roles of men
and women in their respective reli-
gions are not unequal, but different.
However, many, certainly those
concerned in protecting women's
rights, see no distinction between
"different roles" and inequality.
Another point of contention
between liberal academia and cer-
tain traditional religious doctrine is
their differing attitudes to expres-
sions of sexuality. The University
offers a number of courses dedicat-
ed to gender and sexuality studies.
The ideas promoted in these classes
are often at odds with many strict
religious dogmas.
The fundamental disagreement
between those who participate in
women's and gender studies and
those who adhere to a dogmatic faith
- which rejects those very discours-
es - undoubtedly creates tension.
And, an understandable basis for the
opposition of liberal academics to
stringent religious doctrine exists;
it's ultimately unjustified - maybe
even hypocritical.
Religion doesn't
have to be at odds
with progressive
movements.
A defining aspect of progressive
academics is acceptance - of dif-
ferent races, backgrounds, sexual j
orientations and faiths. Extending
that same acceptance to a commu-
nity of people whose beliefs differ
from their own, but whose behavior
is respectful and understanding,
would seem only logical.
Furthermore, Rabbi Rosenblatt
is not representative of the whole.
In fact, many who lead a religiously
orthodox lifestyle are also commit-
ted to the ideas of progressive aca-
demia, even if the two aren't 100
percent compatible.
There are plenty of religiously
observant people who believe in
progressive politics, such as same-
sex marriage and a woman's right
to choose. Being religious doesn't
necessarily equate with being dis-
criminatory.
The resolution of this issue is not
difficult to achieve. It lies in one of
the University's own mottos: expect
respect. If we abide by the progres-
sive practice of respecting different
perspectives, we can relieve this
feeling of discord on campus.
-Sarah Rohan can be reached
at shrohan@umich.edu.