4 - Tuesday, January 29, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 4- Tuesday, January 29, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom aloe wichiflan l + A hero worth celebrating Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com MELANIE KRUVELIS , and ADRIENNE ROBERTS MATT SLOVIN EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS MANAGING EDITOR ANDREW WEINER 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. FRO M TIJAILY Saved the Belle State management of Detroit park may boost economy Belle Isle, a Detroit-owned island park on the Detroit River and site of the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, is currently being considered for temporary lease to the State of Michigan. According to the agreement made on Jan. 17, Detroit retains owner- ship of the park but will temporarily transfer park management to the state, putting it in charge of the park's operations and repairs for the next 10 years. Once a major attraction to the city, funding difficulties left the island's landscape and buildings deteriorated, and according to park manager Keith Flournoy, by 2010, no budget was dedicated to the park. The park and the Detroit community may financially benefit from the temporary switch in management, and the city should sup- The University of Michigan is the University's biggest fan. You can see or hear self-promotion everywhere you go - for me, it can get a little tiring. Our University has educated some of the world's greatest think- ANDREW ers, leaders and ECKHOUS dreamers, but doesn't calling ourselves "the leaders and best" 1,000 times at every football game devalue the title just a little bit? This Wednesday, however, the University is kicking off a two-year celebration for a man who exem- plifies everything our University should stand for. Raoul Wallenberg, a 1935 graduate with a degree in architecture, is, quite simply, one of the most benevolent humanitar- ians of all time. If you aren't aware of who he is, you owe it to yourself to get educated. Wallenberg was born in Swe- den in 1912 to a wealthy family. His grandfather was a Swedish diplo- mat, and shortly after Wallenberg graduated from the University, his grandfather helped him get a job working at an import and export company in Stockholm owned by a Hungarian Jewish man. As World War II escalated, Hungary implemented laws that essentially barred Jews from any rights. This forced Wallenberg to become the main business intermediary for his company in Hungary, giving him a direct view of the Nazi's indis- criminate hatred and violence. It was this knowledge that catalyzed Wallenberg to become a hero, sav- ing tens of thousands of Jews from deportation to the Nazi death camps. With the assistance of several international and philanthropic organizations, Wallenberg was appointed as a Swedish diplomat to Hungary with the clandestine objective of rescuing as many Jews as possible. Wallenberg was given enough money to rent out 32 buildings, which he immediately declared Swedish extraterritorial space. With the help of about 350 people, he began issuing protec- tive passports to Jews. These pass- ports, though not technically legal, seemed legitimate and convinced the Nazi officials thatthe Jewswere Swedes awaiting repatriation. The rescued people were given rooms in one of the 32 buildings, where they rode out the remainder of the Nazi occupation. By the time of his dis- appearance in early 1945, which has never been solved, Wallenberg and his team had saved almost 100,000 Jews from certain death. Wallenberg was not a typi- cal human being. Though he was born with a silver spoon, he chose to work during his time in Ann Arbor. A classmate of his remem- bered Wallenberg decided not to join a fraternity because "it would isolate him from a certain strata of students." When he traveled around North America, he liked to hitchhike. He told his grandfather, "you're in close contact with new people every day. Hitchhiking gives you training in diplomacy and tact." With such care for his fellow man and an exemplary sense of humil- ity, it's no wonder that Wallenberg is celebrated worldwide. Since 1990, the University has w given out the Wallenberg Medal annually to people who have "acted selflessly without expectation of reward" to honor the memory of Wallenberg. And what person bet- ter personifies "moral excellence . in ordinary people?" Every time that he issued a protective pass- port, he was disobeying Nazi law. Every time that he housed a Jewish man, woman or child, he was mak- ing himself a target. All for 100,000 people that he didn't know. All for 100,000 people who weren't even similar to him. Wallenberg didn't share a religion, a nationality or even a native tongue with any of the people he saved, yet he was willing to die for them. Simply put, Raoul Wallenberg was a mensch. And he never stopped being courageous, even being so bold as to hand out protective passports in plain view of armed Hungarian troops. When he caught wind of a Nazi plan to plant explosives in the Budapest ghetto, he thwarted it by threatening to indict the men on war crimes charges. Simply put, he was a mensch. We're lucky that none of us will ever be put in a situation that dire, but there's still much we can learn from Wallenberg. He could've stayed in Sweden and lived com- fortably but he felt compelled to fight for what was right. He under- stood that all people are created equal and deserve the same rights. Even if it's something as small as withholding judgment on a person you've just met, your small actions honor Wallenberg's legacy of faith in the human spirit. He may not be sponsored by Ugg like Tom Brady, or lend his voice to Star Wars like James Earl Jones, but if we're seri- ous about this "leaders and best" business, Wallenberg should become the face of this university. - Andrew Eckhous can be reached at aeckhous@umich.edu. S port the plan. Though the state will continue to collect the revenue during the lease, these funds will be entirely devoted to Belle Isle and will be transferred to the city at the end of the lease. The state has also pledged to invest millions into beautifying and upgrading the park to once again make it an attraction. The agree- ment would save Detroit $6 million in mainte- nance fees. While some Detroit residents have questioned the state's intentions with Belle Isle, arguments claiming the state will exploit Detroit through its.ownership of the park are unconvincing. Just as other state parks have brought thousands into other cities across Michigan, the increased attention given to Belle Isle can provide the same boost in tour- ism and recreation - a boost Detroit desper- atelyneeds. Currently, Detroit carries the unfair bur- den of being the primary funder of the larg- est island park in the nation. Detroiters have been the only group taxed to maintain Belle Isle, which is accessible to everyone in the state. Managed by the Department of Natural Resources, the lease and operation of the park would not only distribute this burden, but also, as Gary Brown, the Detroit City Council presi- dent pro tem, points out, "attract revenue from around the state." It will be an opportunity to foster collaboration and good will between the state and Detroit, which remain counterpro- ductively strained. Given that Belle Isle has deteriorated while Detroit's economy struggled, the pos- sibility of leasing Belle Isle is a cost-effective decision. The lease agreement should be seri- ously considered because it not only main- tains Belle Isle's longstanding ownership by Detroit, but also distributes the unfair bur- den of financing the park and fosters mean- ingful collaboration between the state and the city. It's a way to reinvigorate a park that the people of Michigan - especially the citi- zens of Detroit - deserve. EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Kaan Avdan, Sharik Bashir, Barry Belmont, James Brennan, Eli Cahan, Jesse Klein, Melanie Kruvelis, Patrick Maillet, Aarica Marsh, Jasmine McNenny, Harsha Nahata, Adrienne Roberts, Vanessa Rychlinski, Paul Sherman, Sarah Skaluba, Michael Spaeth, Derek Wolfe DANIEL HOFFMAN 1 Encouraging entrepreneurs "Politicians shouldn't be listening to groups that profit from higher gun sales when deciding how to regulate firearms." podium Bleeding Blue: Joe Paone discusses why the NRA isn't fighting for gun owners but instead for the manufacturers that fund them. Go to michigandaily.com/blogs/The Podium to read more. Local, but not perfect Since 2008, the Center for Entrepreneur- ship has served as a home base for impact- driven students on campus. By providing academic programs at undergraduate and graduate levels, hosting events like annual trips to the Bay Area and fostering a vibrant community, CFE has jumpstarted a spirit of entrepreneurship on campus. Initially based on North Campus, the Cen- ter for Entrepreneurship has now opened a new office on Central Campus on the first floor of the Shapiro Undergraduate Library. As a CFE peer adviser and start-up co- founder, this is a particularly exciting develop- ment, one that signals that a growing number of students are looking to put their ideas into practice. It also demonstrates that libraries on campus are becoming more collaborative. They're evolving from a place designed for individual learning to a place where people gather to generate new ideas. In my opinion, this paradigm shift away from the traditional concept of a silent library is positive. Who knows, maybe you'll even meet the next co- founder of your company at your table. While we all know the story of Mark Zuck- erberg building Facebook in his dormitory room, entrepreneurs benefit from working in a dynamic environment where passionate, creative and diverse individuals can interact and engage. A presence on both North and Central Campus means that no matter what or where students are studying, they're now just a few minutes away from a community of students and faculty who can provide invalu- able start-up resources and advice. Until recently, entrepreneurial activity was concentrated primarily in the engineering and business schools. In the last few years, incred- ible projects have emerged everywhere from LSA to the School of Information to the School of Natural Resources. I hope that a new cam- pus-wide approach to entrepreneurship will encourage students to think about innovative solutions to problemsin new disciplines aswell. The new space on Central Campus offers open space for student entrepreneurs and start-up teams to meet as well as academic and venture advising for students. So, if you have an idea that you can't stop thinking about or just want to learn about the academic programs offered through CFE, I encourage you to stop by. Whether you're studying engineering, political science or anything in between, you can find a home base just a few minutes away. To celebrate the new CFE space at Shapiro, we're hosting an open house on Wednesday, Jan.30 at1:30 p.m. Daniel Hoffman is an LSA junior. used tobe one of those foodies who waxed poetically about heirloom tomatoes, kale and foraged mush- rooms. I have the documen- tary "Food, Inc." to blame for my . blind devotion to these foodie staples. Robert Kenner's look at ZOE America'sindus- STAHL trialized food system left me feeling "enlight- ened," holier-than-thou and unable to eat most of the conventionally farmed food in my fridge. After watching Kenner's film, I became outraged by the inhumane treatment of animals on what's known as "the killing floors," areas expressly designated. for the slaugh- teringof animals; monocultures, you know, those rows and rows farm- ers grow of the same exact crop like soybeans or corn that deplete soils of their nutrients; and the fact that being poor in America often meant eating cheap and processed foods. I then became, no joke, a militant supporter of the local alternatives demonstrated by farmers like Joel Salatin, owner of Polyface Farms - though practices were called into question after learning that his cult-like organization only employs interns with an "all-American look" - brunettes like me need not apply. So, empowered bythe film's message of "voting with my fork," I became one of those local-food zealots. However, a couple of summers ago, my religious faith in the local- food movement began to waver. I worked at Rosenhill, an organic farm an hour outside of Stockholm, Sweden. The farm was picturesque - a quilt of flowers and vegetables bordered by apple orchards. But the synonymy of local farming and ecological harmony quickly began to diverge. I realized that organic farming didn't guarantee healthy soil or efficient farming practices (I can count on two hands the times I ate food fresh from the farm). My food studies class that fall only confirmed my doubts and knocked me farther off my high horse. Reading James McWilliams's "Just Food," I realized that local food is not necessarily environmen- tally sustainable. "Food miles" are not always an accurate measure of environmental impact, considering thatproduction, processingand food preparation account for the majority of food's energy use. I also learned of organic agriculture's shortcom- ings - lower yields and detrimental effects of certain natural chemicals. I came to understand that geneti- cally modified foods can sometimes reduce the. negative environmental impact often associated with tradi- tional agricultural activities. In its place, McWilliams provided a revised definition of sustainable eating, one that focuses on seasonal- ity and vegetarianism. McWilliams argues that, regardless of how far the food must travel, seasonal pro- duce usually requires less energy in production and processing (think tomato grown in the hot fields of California vs. Michigan tomatoes grown in a greenhouse). McWil- liams also didn't let us forget that whether conventional, grass-fed or free-range, animal production is always detrimental to the earth's land, water and air supply. With this vision of sustainabil- ity, I look at the University's Ann Arbor Sustainable Food Purchasing Guidelines with equal parts pride and concern. I'm glad that the Uni- versity recognized food purchasing as a crucial component in achieving long-term sustainability, and I'm even happier that the'University said by 2025, 20 percent of the food they purchase will be sustainable. But just crafting food sourcing guidelines isn't enough. According to the University's guidelines, food can be considered sustainable if it's local, which the University defines as "within the state of Michigan or 250 miles of campus; third-party certi- fied," (You know, certified organic, fair-trade certified, rainforest-alli- ance certified, etc.), "and artificial hormone-free and antibiotic-free." Just because you grow it in your backyard doesn't mean it's better. The list goes on to include free- range poultry and eggs, grass-fed or pasture-raised meats and sustain- able fisheries. This interpretation gets us only halfway there. Free- range poultry and antibiotic-free. meat lead to slightly more humane animal treatment and greater human health. Fair-trade certifica- tion will help to guarantee better labor conditions and higher pay for the often-maltreated farntworkers. However, I fear that if the Univer- sity relies on the current guidelines to meet this goal, the sustainability ball might not make it up the hill. Instead of crafting a comprehensive definition of sustainability, the Uni- versity has focused on not what's truly sustainable, but what's en vogue. While eating organically and locally is the philosophy du jour, the University ought to create a more nuanced definition. And out of our academically rig- orous and research-centric Univer- sity, I expect nothing less. I know that it's a difficult task and that the definition of "food sustainability" is ever-changing, but I hope nextyear the University flouts what's ideo- logically fashionable to create more holistic food purchasing guide- lines, that perhaps includes more seasonal and vegetarian options. - Zoe Stahl can be reached at zoestahlgumich.edu. We have a long way to go, but this bipartisan blueprint is a major breakthrough" - Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Monday in response to a sweeping immigration bill proposed by a bipartisan group of eight senators. The bill will aim for comphrensive immigration reform - from high-tech workers to undocumented immigrants. A