4 - Friday, February 1, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com L C4e atchioan wily Wake up and.smell the Adderall 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. Lets get high New high-rise apartment buildings can benefit Ann Arbor n the fall, The Varsity, a new luxury high-rise apartment complex geared toward students, will be opening its doors to the commu- nity. Located on East Washington Street, The Varsity will be the sixth high-rise built in Ann Arbor in recent years. With new high-rises being planned in different parts of Ann Arbor as part of City Council's commitment to city development, there's concern about changing the culture and spirit of Ann Arbor. That being said, these high-rises have the potential to greatly benefit the city's economy. The Ann Arbor Discovering Downtown project, or A2D2, was established in Septem- ber 2006. The goal of the project is to give Ann Arbor a more city-like atmosphere, and has received a positive response from the pub- lit in a survey. As a result, at least two more high-rises are in the proposal stages of devel- opment: one above Pizza House on Church Street and one in the spot of the Papa John's on East Huron and North Division streets. While the commission approved the high-rise above Pizza House, the East Huron high-rise was indefinitely postponed. However, these high- rises are the inevitable outcome of A2D2's push for a bigger-city features. High-rises will make off-campus housing for students more affordable and efficient for the University's student body of approx- imately 43,000. With high and constant demand for housing closer to campus, the increased supply will drive down the price - which is often over $1,000 per month for complexes like Landmark and Zaragon Place - of these apartments. The induced compe- tition with the added high-rises will likely allow the average student to live near campus for a more reasonable price. There are two aspects of these develop- ments, however, that the City Council should consider while approving these new apart- ments: sustainability and a balance between luxurious and affordable. The city and the University have a dedication to environmen- tally-friendly policies and programs, and these new high-rises should remain true to the trend. These apartments should all meet LEED standards. The University has made- steps to ensure that their buildings are LEED certified; the city of Ann Arbor should fol- low suit. City Council should not approve all high-rises; they should set specific criteria when they approve these buildings that will benefit students and the city alike. Students and residents should accept and encourage the growth and development of Ann Arbor. The quirky spirit of Ann Arbor won't diminish because that spirit comes from the people who live there, not from the height of apartment buildings. With more people living in the heart of the city, there's more opportunity to enjoy what the down- town has to offer. magine a world where you can earn a college degree without walking into a single classroom. Actually, con- sidering the fact I'm skipping ' class right now, let me rephrase that - imagine getting a bach- elor's without ever knowing where your ecol- MELANIE ogy lab is, and KRUVELIS none of the guilt that comes with being too lazy to watch the iTunesU lectures. Sound too good to be true? Not for the fighting Badgers. Last week, the University of Wis- consin finalized a new program that allows students to earn a degree not based credit hours but - get this - what they actually know. Dubbed the Flexible Option plan, the program is pretty straightfor- ward: Degree-seekersindependently prepare for exams written by pro- fessors who specialize in one of the four majors offered by Flex Option. A couple of good exam scores, com- bined with online coursework and outside credits and, bam, you've got yourself a degree. Proponents are calling the pro- gram visionary, revolutionary - the future of university education. "This is a new direction inAmerican higher education," said University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly. Even the governor of Wiscon- sin backed the program, saying - oh, dear god, am I about to non-ironical- ly quote Gov. Scott Walker? "We can maintain high stan- dards," Walker said of the program. "And we can stillgive non-traditional learners another way to finish their degrees." According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, educators in Wisconsin developed the idea after noticing the relatively small number of degree-holders in the state. About 20 percent of the state's workforce had a stockpile of credits but no degree to show for it. Given that a college degree is just about as much of a prerequisite for the job market as being able to sign your name on a contract, officials pushed for a program that allows students to get that bachelor's degree on their own terms. An education that's self-taught and self-directed? A bachelor's that's based on what you actually learnand not how many credits you've slept through? A relatively cheap degree from a world-renowned university, not wherever that chick in pajamas is blabbering about in those YourEd- Connect commercials? Seems to make sense. So, natural- ly, people are spazzing. "I don't want (Flex Option) to be a misstep," said Wisconsin state Sen. Jennifer Shilling (D-32). UW professors echoed the senator's con- cerns, worryingabout watered-down degrees and a disconnect from cam- pus life. "There's got to be very rigor- ous documentation that the degree will live up to the quality of (the school's) name," said Mark Cook, a professor at the Madison campus. In all fairness, these anxieties aren't new. Ever since Coursera and other massive open online course sites popped up, some educators across the country began to fret over the future of universities. If they haven't gotten their bow ties in a bunch over the Internet's impact on their institutions, then they're discrediting the MOOC movement altogether. "Can you be successful in truly meaningful ways without going to college?" asked Engineering Prof. James Paul Holloway in a recent piece for Consider magazine. "The answer for mostofyou is 'No."' Most of the hubbub surrounds whether these fast-track, DIY degrees can replace a full-on univer- sity education. After all, no matter how much you verbally assault your MacBook, it's not going to give you* any feedback on your essay, much less a recommendation letter. But as our dear friend Scott Walk- er knows, these programs aren't necessarily a substitute for a campus education. "It's one more way to get your degree," Walker said. "I don't see it as a replacement." And for the first time in his life, Walker's right. The Flex Option plan is primarily aimed at adults who didn't have time to fin- ish school. Moreover, these self- taught programs also give liberal arts graduates the chance to beef up their Cv, after the cruel world reminded them that a humani- ties degree has approximately the same value as a sock full of nickels (and it's a very small sock). Because when every entry-level job asks for 10 years of experience, five refer- ences and fluency in Java, Python and/or C++, maybe it wouldn't hurt to take a Coursera class in coding. Unless you want crash on Mom's papasan forever. , I saw this self-guided liberal arts paranoia myself the other day. I stopped by a friend's apartment and noticed a calculus book open on the table. "You just graduated," I said to my friend. "What's with all the deriva- tives?" He sighed. "Are you kidding me? I'm a Screen Arts and Culture major - my degree isn't worth sack." And the reaction's just the same for my Political Science degree or your Spanish minor or that double concentration in Deep Ocean Lit- erature and Creative Toxicology. Not that these majors are useless - long live the humanities! But when the jobs don't rush to your door, strengthening your skills isn't a bad option. Presumably, our universities want us to grow up and be successful so we can buy lots of $100 Wolverine fishing reels. If some online courses help us get there, what's the big deal? The real issue seems to be this break from a traditional, on-cam- pus education. "Universities are the unique intellectual space," Holloway said in his Consider article. "The uni- versity isthe place where we grow." The face of education is changing faster than Kim Kardashian's. True. There's really nothing that can replace the college experience - unless, of course, you find another porch in another town to butt-chug beers on. But I guess Holloway is more interested in the dialogue that comes out of the college classroom, like this one I'm hearing rightnow - "Did you see him puke in that sharkbowl last night?" In all seriousness, critique and communication - the most obvi- ous benefits to an in-class educa- tion - are incredibly important. But the intellectual world doesn't stop once you drive past the Big House. Chances are that if you're motivat- ed enough to teach yourself a thing or two, you'll be able to find fellow nerds to collaborate with. Insert the names of a bunch of dropouts who made it big if you don't believe me. It may not be as easy as it is on cam- pus, but hey - you're already reading books that don't start with the pre- fix 'face.' You're gonna make it, you overachiever, you. The face of education is changing faster than Kim Kardashian's. And for educators, that's kind of frighten- ing. But just as students are adjusting to a world with minimal job security and maximum loan burdens, uni- versities must adjust too and back away from these xenophobic fears of the Internet. Wake up and smell the Adderall, higher education. Oh, and mind if I buy a couple of pills? - Melanie Kruvelis can be reached at melkruv@umich.edu. I 0 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, Sarah Skaluba, Adrienne Roberts, Vanessa Rychlinski, Paul Sherman, Michael Spaeth, Derek Wolfe SORIN PANAINTE Make Adidas sweat A new year has arrived. Accordingly, United Students AgainstSweatshops presented a New Year's resolution to University President Mary Sue Coleman in a letter delivered to her office on Jan. 16. The resolution is pretty simple: The University should follow its own Code of Con- duct for Licensees and take a stand against sweatshops and worker abuse. Namely, USAS demands that the University put Adidas Apparel Company on notice and if the com- pany fails to pay the legally mandated sever- ance owed to the PT Kizone factory workers, then the University should terminate its $60 million contract with Adidas. Other universi- ties such as the University of Washington and Rutgers University have already done this, and Michigan should follow suit. USAS isagrassrootsorganizationrunentire- ly by students and youth. We develop youth leadership and run strategic student-labor soli- darity campaigns with the goal of building sus- tainable power for working people. We define "sweatshop" broadly and consider all struggles against the daily abuses of the global economic system to be a struggle against sweatshops. PT Kizone, a factory in Indonesia, had a contract with Adidas that stated the German- based corporation would pay severance to the workers if the factory were to close. The facto- ry did indeed close in April 2011, leaving 2,800 people out of work and Adidas owing $1.8 mil- lion in severance. For over a year and a half, the 2,800 former PT Kizone workers have been fighting for the severance pay - which Adidas promised, but has failed to pay them. Up until the time of its closure, PT Kizone was producing University of Michigan appar- el. That's right, the maize and blue we proudly wear on our home games and around campus was produced by sweatshop labor. Of all uni- versities who have contracts with Adidas, Michigan has the largest, at $60 million. If our Universitywere to put pressure on Adidas, the company would be forced to pay the severance payments it owes. Adidas has dodged its obligations by provid- ing food vouchers and medical assistance to the workers instead of paying the $1.8 million it owes them. Adidas, in a Jan. 23 letter to Presi- dent Coleman, stated, "ensuring fair labor prac- tices, fair wages and safe workingconditions in factories throughout our global supply chain is critical to our business and a priority for the Adidas Group." If that were trulythe case, then they would simply pay the severance they owe to their former workers. The aid provided so far is mere breadcrumbs compared to whatAdidas legally owes. Even our president, in a letter to Adidas on Jan. 25, stated, "There is stillconcern regarding the gap between aid being provided by Adidas Group and the legally mandated sev- erance owed to the workers." On Jan. 25, Coleman responded to USAS' Jan. 16 letter. In the e-mail, she said that "the University is committed to fair and ethical business practices as set forth in our Code of Conduct," and that "we remain committed to finding an appropriate resolution." Coleman knows that Adidas is not living up to the terms of the University's contract, and if she's com- mitted to fair and ethical business practices as set forth in our Code of Conduct, then the only appropriate action is to put Adidas on notice. On Feb. 13, two PT Kizone workers from Indonesia will arrive to the University of Mich- igan's campus. At a speak-out event hosted by USAS, the workers will tell students and the Ann Arbor public about their experiences. Join us in the Union Pond Room from 6 to 7 p.m. on Feb. 13 to hear the truth about Adidas' viola- tion of workers' rights. You can see for yourself exactly who these "sweatshop workers" are, and ask them any questions you may have. If you want our school to shed its shame- ful affiliation with an apparel company that violates workers' rights, write an e-mail to President Coleman and the Board of Regents and tell them to put Adidas on notice. If you want to support workers' rights at home and abroad, join us at our weekly meetings on Mondays at 8 p.m. in the CSG wing on the third floor of the Union. Sorin Panainte is an Engineering freshman. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @michigandaily @michdailyoped BARRY BELMONT I Fre I have a problem when filling out forms. It isn't merely the low- level contempt many of us have for bureaucratic rubber-stamping, hoop jumping and red-taping. I under- stand the need for a paper trail on lots of things. This is all done in an attempt to draw conclusions when necessary. If you want to track a per- son's purchases, determine their risk for cancer or see how their resume has changed with time, one could do far worse than a detailed history of such facts maintained by our bureau- cratic gatekeepers. My problem comes in the form of a single question: "What is your race?" This question has been asked for countless instances from job applica- tions to scholarship forms, including nearly every governmental ques- tionnaire starting from the original 1790 U.S. Census - it asked for total number of "white" men and women, "other" free persons, and "slaves." Today, the federally mandated question on race and origin of eth- nicity gives seven total choices: His- panic/Latino, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Black or Afri- can American, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and White. The census also gives the option of checking two or more races. What will no doubt strike some readers is a lack of some categories altogether. Where do people from the Middle East, India or the Basque Country lie along these categories? There's also a lack of descriptive force. Does "black" describe Aborigines, Haitians and Ethiopians in equal measure? What I find particularly distasteful is the notion that such categories even exist. edomfrom race Try for a moment to formulate what "race" could even mean. A myr- iad of factors are likely to spring to mind such as skin color, geographical origin and physiology.Some may even try to be a bit more scientific in their reasoning and say it's ultimately a shorthand notation intended to stand in for underlying genetic factors. But there's clear scientific evidence to suggest that the genetic variation within "races" far exceeds that seen between races. Physical traits such as skin color, hair type and bone struc- ture show just as wide a range within geographical areas and racial bounds as they do across the whole spectrum of humanity. To suggest that there is some number of biological demarca- tions one could draw across human- kind along ethnic and racial lines is to be mistaken at best and outright deceptive at worst. Race is, at most, asocial construct. It has no basis in reality aside'from the one we impart on each other. Only by pretending that such a thing as race describes us do we give it any credence or manifestation. This is not to say that race has not had very real consequences in our world but rather to lay the blame squarely atthe feetof those who trod along this evanescent landscape. Furthermorethat anyone would wish to divide us any further than ideologies, predilections and actions already do is abhorrent. Spme even go so far as to have pride in racial divisions. Numer- ous organizations, institutions and groups exist to emphasize "us-and- them" mentalities and to deepen those lines in the sand over which we dare not cross. Even worse than the mistake of separating yourself based on race is taking pride in your- self based on it. Esteem in one's self should stem from one's actions, one's behavior and one's way of life. There is nothing to be intrinsically proud of in bearing the human condition. What matters is how one comports oneself while bearing it. Let us forget the lack of scien- tific evidence favoring a distinction amongst the races. Let's do as many others do and pretend for this para- graph that there are races of people that have differing qualities and aspects. Let's pretend further that these differences confer benefits and deficiencies of their respective races. Let's pretend that race mat- ters. Where in Ais state of affairs is pride to be found? Where is shame to be had? The circumstances of one's genetic origin (millions of sperm assaulting an egg with a single win- ner) is as irrelevant to our characters as whether we were born during the day or at night. There is nothing about us to which race can add. That is, until other people say there is. Once enough people pretend that something is true, it becomes exceedingly hard to convince them it's false. It becomes even harder to convince them that the questions they are asking are pointless. And yet there are forms asking us to divide ourselves, to state to which category we belong, to account for the happenstance of our lives. These forms would have us place ourselves in boxes. I will not do so. There is only one such box aboutour race that I would agree to check: human. - Barry Belmont is an Engineering graduate student. CONTRIBUTE TO THE COVERSATION Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor and viewpoints. Letters should be fewer than 300 words while viewpoints should be 550-850 words. Send the writer's full name and University affiliation to tothedaily@michigandaily. 0 A04, a