4 - Tuesday, December 11, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 4 - Tuesday, December 11, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom 4 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. =w' 420 Msynard 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. FROM THE DAIUY n transi Regional plans should benefit all counties comprehensive and well-planned transportation system bene- fits local commuters and increases the efficiency and possibil- ity of regional transportation. In recent months, policymakers have worked toward a regional transit system connecting the counties of Washtenaw, Wayne, Oakland and Macomb. In theory, this propos- al could benefit all counties. However, in reality it focuses too much on rebuilding Detroit and catering transportation to commuters at the expense of other counties. While revitalizing Detroit should be a priority for the state, state senators must consider the needs of all the counties so that the proposed Southeast Michigan Regional Transit Authority would benefit all involved. NTAFLEQUOTABLE The governor of Michigan is one greedy nerd and he's one weak geek." - Incoming Michigan Senate Minority Leader Tim Greimel (D-Auburn Hills) said about Michigan Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. Find value in variety The Michigan legislaturehasbeenworking on a bill that would create a regional transit authority in southeastern Michigan with one representative from each of the four coun- ties involved. The new proposal does stipu- late that a unanimous vote would be required for all funding or rail projects. As a result, the Ann Arbor Transit Authority would fall under the jurisdiction of the Regional Tran- sit Authority. Other counties not included in the program could petition the authority and become a participatory member. Theoretically, the RTA is an innovative and efficient way to promote inter-county trans- portation for these four areas. However, it does not address the needs of Washtenaw County. Currently, the local government has a strong transportation system. State Sen. Tom Casper- son (R-Escanaba) said the "only way to make this work is it has got to be regional" and there has "to be buy-in from the whole region, not just Wayne County or Detroit." The proposed bill would make Washtenaw County pay for transportation in the other counties without improvingthe local system. By not addressing the needs of each coun- ty, the proposal might hurt certain areas. According to State Rep. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann A'rbor), the new legislation would prevent Washtenaw County from repairing existing tracks and projects, which may hinder future transportation endeavors. Irwin added that the new authority could take away funds from Ann Arbor's current transportation system as well as others. Furthermore, the bill privileges bus trans- portation over other types of transportation, such as railways. By only focusing on buses, Michigan would limit the possibility of future expansion and would fail to create county- specific transportation solutions. For example, cities like Seattle have developed a multi-facet- ed approach to transportation, which includes buses, rail projects and ferries. While there have been debates about the effectiveness of the plans, Seattle has allowed itself to expand its infrastructure. Michigan should aim for a similar system. By requiring unanimous votes for funding and rail projects, the Michigan legislature would severely limit the scope and potential of this proposal. Anewregionaltransitauthority,inprinciple, could bring benefits to all counties involved. Nevertheless, the current plan mustbe revised. At this juncture, Washtenaw County stands to gain verylittle fromthis proposal. There's currently a dispropor- tionate focus on particular majors, specifically science, technology, engi- neeringand math concentrations. From President Barack Obama to the U.S. Cham- ber of Com- merce, everyone is talking about the need to HARSHA produce more NAHATA workers with an expertise in STEM fields for the United States to stay competitive. While there's a need to spur eco- nomic growth and make American workforce more globally competitive, there's an overemphasis on STEM majors, including sote of the more drastic measures placing other fields of study at an unfair disadvantage. On Dec. 9, Florida Republican Gov. Rick Scott's task force on higher edu- cation proposed to keep state univer- sity tuition rates frozen for majors in "strategic areas." In other words, students pursuing degrees in engi- neering or biotechnology would pay less than students pursuing degrees in history or psychology. Scott also suggested that the 28 community colleges in Florida offer certain four- year degrees for $10,000 - $3,000 cheaper than normal. Again, this discount would apply for degrees only in certain fields. Scott argues that doing so works to satisfy market demand, consid- ering the shortage that companies claim exists in STEM professions. But in the drive to overcome a so- cslled shortage in one area, we're downplaying the importance of other fields, namely the humanities and social sciences. Being a social science major myself, I feel the need to reiterate the classic pitch for the humanities and social sciences. While science and math provide tangible results that can be evaluated, the humani- ties provide a way to understand the intangibles - a way to understand the history, culture and ideas of soci- ety. Yes, you need people inventing and calculating and programming, but that also needs to be coupled with a knowledge of where society is, where it's going and where it has come from. Many argue that human- ities are vital for the construction of successful societies and commu- nities because they force people to critically analyze the philosophies and ideas that cultures, societies and communities are built around. A study in the United Kingdom found that 60 percent of Britain's leaders have degrees in the humani- ties, arts or social sciences. Only 15 percent have degrees in STEM sub- jects. These leaders include FTSE 100 CEOs, a group of leading UK firms, members of Parliament, vice chancel- lors of universities and lawyers. Perhaps this comes as a surprise. But the fact is that the liberal arts are instrumental in teaching criti- cal thinking and analysis. And in a way, while the subject matter may not translate as tangibly as knowl- edge gained in a biology or chemis- try class, the skills taught in terms of analysis are invaluable. This inclination to favor STEM majors touches upon the age-old dichotomy between science and math vs. humanities and social sci- ences. But that's exactly the prob- lem. There doesn't need to be such a wide divide between the fields. Most areas of study are intercon- nected and add or detract from each other. By favoring one over another, it's only creating even more of a separation between the subjects, falsely giving the idea that they are two separate entities not to be intertwined or combined. The mostvaluable education is an interdisciplinary one. Believe it or not, there are things that engineers or math majors can learn from his- tory, English or the arts. And simi- larly, there are essential skills that students in the humanities can gain from science or math classes. The best education is a holistic one, one that allows you to see the subject you're studying from a variety of different lenses. Not only that, but the inherent Tuition freezes for STEM majors are short-sighted. problem with such a policy is that it nudges students toward STEM majors whose talents and passion may lie elsewhere. By pandering solely to where the jobs are, we might be squelching people's inner brilliance in avariety of other fields. In this situation, I'm reminded of a quote by Howard Thurman: "Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is peo- ple who have come alive." In the end, that's what will make for successful economic growth. People doing what they love, what they feel passionately about, what makes them come alive - whether that's physics or math or history or writing. The key goal of education shouldn't be to fit people into a nar- row mold of what makes the perfect job applicant, but rather to give them the skills and creativity to have a broad scale of opportunities. -Harsha Nahata can be reached at hnahata@umich.edu. Follow her at @harshanahata. w 0 EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Kaan Avdan, Sharik Bashir, Barry Belmont, Eli Cahan, Jesse Klein, Melanie Kruvelis, Patrick Maillet, Jasmine McNenny, Harsha Nahata, Timothy Rabb, Adrienne Roberts, Vanessa Rychlinski, Paul Sherman, Sarah Skaluba, Michael Spaeth, Gus Turner, Derek Wolfe ELI CAHAN.IE N Deactivating extroversion Donate digifr6 I just took down my Facebook account. No, no, don't worry those of you who so religious- ly check my timeline - as Facebook asked me when I quit, yes, I'll be back. And yet, something in me hated checking that little circle - as much as I was comforted that Illbe back and that it wasn't a permanent deletion, I despised myself for it. So what's the big emotional deal about deactivating an account during finals? On one hand, it's as if I've finally succumbed to the professors who have been trying so hard to get us off Face- book and phones during class. On the other, there's a sense of relief in leaving. I don't have to live up to the expecta- tion of adding new photos to show people that I still exist; I don't have to post on a friend's wall so I can get a response showing that peo- ple have some minor desire to communicate with me. What does it say about me that I'm so con- scious of something my grandma would sim- ply call a wise decision? Well, in a society ruled by extroversion, where social interac- tion is not only encouraged but also required, it seems as though I've literally "signed off." To leave Facebook is to leave your friends, at least according to the Facebook team, who was so kind to remind me that Spencer, Ste- ven, Sophia and Sam would all miss me; it's to leave your circles - the Facebook team was generous in recommending I appoint a new group administrator given I was shirking my responsibilities; it's to divest from societal news - the Facebook team made it clear I would no longer receive notification updates telling me when I ought to pay attention. It's to become completely absent - the Facebook team thought it important I recognize that people would no longer be able to search for, nor find me. Where does introversion fit into all of this? I'm just trying to take care of my men- tal health and my sanity during a ridiculously crazy couple of weeks. Who knew looking out for oneself could be so profoundly selfish? Maybe the issue with "work and play" is that work - as we've experienced it - is inher- ently introverted. Maybe the reason we can't stand work is that it's just so damn personal. During that work, that Sunday to Thursday week which is so unbearable, we've become introverts - we've cut ourselves off from the network. Now it's clear that the reason why we so frequently "play hard" after we "work hard" is that we've got so much to catch up on. There shouldn't be anything about work- ing that cuts us off from the rest of human- ity. I think that in a world where work might actually be play, where we might enjoy the means and not just the ends, work would be as social as play. Play is fundamentally social, as the word itself indicates interaction, so why should work be separated from that? So back to finals week and Facebook. I got emotional about whether or not my account was still up was because I felt like I was sacrificing my friends for myself. It's in that context, where work is individual and play is social, that extro- version mustbe "deactivated" to focus inwards. I don't think that's the way it should be. I'm not sure working at 11:52 p.m: on a Saturday should be frowned upon, as I'm not sure getting up at 8 a.m.on a Wednesday during Welcome Week should be, either. We've created this rule for ourselves that we must step "in the zone" at work and "zone out" at play. I'm against the belief that the line between work and play should be so clearly defined. I just don't understand the idea that we can only struggle through work alone, and that can only enjoy play together, and that's the way it is. The integration of social engage- ment and individual focus should be a goal of ours. Maybe then I wouldn't feel so bad about quitting Facebook for all of 10 days. Eli Cahan is a Business sophomore. As the semester winds down and the holiday season approaches, the spirit of giving is in the air. Advertising exhorting the public to buy Christmas gifts can be found all over the TV and Internet - since Thanksgiving and Black Fri- ERIC day weekend, FERGUSON The Salvation Army's bell rings outside of grocery stores, malls and other retail outlets. Anyone walking up State Street by Nickels Arcade will hear it as well, accom- panied as always by a bundled-up volunteer and a red bucket with a slit in the top for donations. If you plan on donating to the Salvation Army or another charity, you're not alone. In 2011, 81 percent of people in the United States made a charitable donation, and the total amount of money donated by individ- uals, foundations and corporations totaled nearly $300 billion. Many students at the University share a desire for making a difference in the community through charity, but donating money can be difficult to justify when students pay for tuition, rent, food and all the other expens- es of college life. But thanks to the Internet, giving to charity is now so easy that you don't even have to spend any of your own money. You can do this by hopping on YouTube on Dec. 17 and 18 for the Project For Awesome on Hank and John's channel. Inaugurated in 2007, the P4A is a yearly event where thousands of people upload videos supporting charitable organizations. Award-winning author John Green and his. web-entrepreneur brother Hank run the P4A, and more than 843,000 subscribers to the brothers' YouTube channel provide a massive. base for participation. They and all YouTube visitor's are encouraged to view, "like" and comment on all of the videos under the P4A hashtag in order to promote charitable causes. On the P4A's website, which goes live on Dec. 17, the public can vote for their favorite cause and donate to the P4A fund. Every dollar in the fund is split between the five chari- ties that receive the most votes. The fund already has $15,000 and anon- ymous donors have offered to match contributions up to $50,000. This campaign is more- modern than the Salvation Army bell ringer. The P4A leverages the power of the world's largest video-sharing com- munity to make the work of charities all over the world available for free to anyone with an Internet connection. Many of the videos are extremely well produced, and there's no lack of charities to pick from. It's an extremely democratic process, and doing anything beyond watching the videos is obviously voluntary. Even those charities that don't place in the top five benefit - they gain exposure to a public that would have been dif- ficult to otherwise reach. Moreover, viewers don't have to go through the P4A in order to donate - many par- ticipants solicit direct donations to their charity during their video. In previous years, people navi- gating to the main page of YouTube on the days of the P4A have been greeted not with trending videos of erratic cat behavior and pop music videos, but with videos supporting the microfinance site Kiva, a Bangla- deshi orphanage and thousands of other causes. It acts as a small sug- gestion for all YouTube users to post- pone their entertainment or how-to video for amoment andbe exposed to organizations that they would have never come into contact with other- wise. In this way, the project's impact is far larger than the amount of cash doled out to the top five charities. YouTube videos for charity. So take some time out of studying for finals and watch a few of the P4A videos on Dec. 17. Throw in a vote while you're there, and ifa charity particularly moves you, send a few. dollars its way. The top five chari- ties in 2011 each received $14,269, and the top five this year may get even more than that. When making a difference is this easy, why would anyone pass up the chance? -Eric Ferguson can be 4 reached at ericff@umich.edu. CHECK US OUT ONLINE Keep up with columnists, read Daily editorials, view cartoons and join in the debate. Check out @michdailyoped and Facebook.com/Michigan Daily to get updafes on Daily opinion content throughout the day. 'p 4