4 - Friday, February 15, 2013
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
4 - Friday, February 15, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
}C mihigan ikilg
Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan since 1890.
What really entails a crime alert?
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.
Quality over quantity
CSG should focus on broad, progressive goals in the future
As Business senior Manish Parikh's term as president of Cen-
tral Student Government enters its concluding months, he
visited the Michigan Daily's editorial board on Thursday to
have a candid conversation about CSG's progress and what's yet to
come. Over the past year, Parikh has fulfilled many of his campaign
promises and made some changes designed by the student body.
CSG's most important accomplishment may be legitimizing the role
of student government here at the University. Last March's election
had a historic voter turnout - a trend we hope to see continue. But
CSG leaders - current and future - need to continue the proactive
trend set by Parikh by striving to be the connection between students
and administrators, as well as advocating for socially progressive ini-
tiatives like the Coalition for Tuition Equality.
By now, most
aware of th
reported on
involved a cab
driver raping a
21-year-old Uni-
versity student
in an off-cam-
pus parking lot.
University stu-
dents received
the now
notorious UM
Police Depart-
ment e-mail
- "CRIME
ALERT"- with onl
rudimentary detail
listed. I received th
frantic phone call f
later that day, tellin
Always be aware of
ings, and We should
pepper spray.
Then I got that:
about a week later
came as a surpris
about a cab assault
about another incid
ently this is the thi
under a month," m
the phone. Three i
ing sexual assault
cabs in less than a
only received a cri
of them?
I did some res
information out t
and vague - so wo
first assault occur
and involved the
inappropriate adv
a 19-year-old Uni
which included;
remove her clothes
man and managed
second event was tb
we received the cri
3. The third inc
Feb. 10, and involv
bing a woman's t
ing her before she
the cab. According
gan Daily, that su
been arraigned.
So, there's the
of cab assaults in
the last month. I u
of us are more about them online if you use
e sexual assault cabs, or even if you don't. Why the
[Feb. 3, which lack of crime alerts for all three?
According to the Daily, University
Police spokeswoman Diane Brown
explained that the lack of a crime
report for the Feb. 10 incident was
because "the crime did not occur on
campus and does not involve sexu-
al assault in its legal definition."
A reason for the failure to post a
crime alert for the Jan. 23 assault
KATIE was not offered.
STEEN Let's take this apart in small
bites, so as to avoid projectile
rage-vomiting.
ly the most Firstly: "The crime did not occur
of the incident on campus." True, but we receive
e standard crime alerts regarding off-campus
rom my mother crimes all the time. Simple enough,
ag me the same: but I'll go on. The thing with these
your surround- assaultive cab drivers is that they
get you some can, you know, drive. They can
drive off-campus to pick up and
phone call again grope women, and they can drive
, but this time it on-campus to pick up and grope
e. The call was women. So the fact that this one
, except this was incident didn't happen on campus
ent. "And appar- doesn't mean that it can't happen
rd cab assault in again on campus. Because, let's be
y mom said over honest - if it's the weekend and
nstances involv- someone's hailing a cab, he or she is
in Ann Arbor probably not going to be doing it on
* month, and we the Diag.
me alert for one Secondly: According to the Uni-
versity Police, it's not legally sexual
earch, and the assault. But it was aggressive enough
there is sparse that we should at least be made
rk with me. The aware of the incident.
red on Jan. 23 Let's look at some other crime
cabbie "making alerts. "Attempted home invasion."
vances" toward "Attempted armed robbery." If
versity student, someone attempts to mug another
an attempt to person, there's a crime alert regard-
. She kicked the less of if the mugging is successful
1 to escape. The or not. So why is this different for
e rape for which attempted rape? It's possible that if
me alert on Feb. the Jan. 23 woman did not kick the
ident occurred driver and escape, she could have
'ed a man grab- been raped, but the lack of a crime
high and kiss- alert sends a message that attempt-
was able to exit ed rape doesn't warrant a crime
g to The Michi- alert so much as attempted home
spect has since invasion or robbery. That's pretty
disturbing considering that rape is
basic overview a crime that, compared to a robbery,
Ann Arbor in likely affects people on a much
srge you to read more personal and potentially trau-
matizing level - that involves not
the taking of an object but of basic
human rights.
Just because it's not
legally sexual assault
doesn't mean it's not
a threat to students.
But you know what? A fur-
ther scroll down past crime alerts
reveals, July 6, 2012: "Attempted
Sexual Assault off-campus." That
was off-campus and an "unsuccess-
ful" rape, and we still got a crime
alert. So, why the inconsistency?
I want togo back to the University
Police's claim that the Feb. 10 inci-
dent "does not involve sexual assault
in its legal definition." According to
the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services Office on Women's
Health, sexual assault includes "rape
or attempted rape" and "touch-
ing your body or making you touch
someone else's." So I would like
to know why exactly thigh grop-
ing, kissing and attempted removal
of clothing don't qualify as sexual
assault, because, to my knowledge,
all of the above actions certainly fall
under the category of sexual assault.
And anyway, I don't really give
a shit about their legal definition of
sexual assault. I want to know if I
shouldn't take a cab because there's
someone - potentially multiple
people - in Ann Arbor molesting
women in cabs. Isn't that the duty of
the police department: to inform and
protect its citizens? I'm not going to
scan the news every day for reports
on sexual assault or any crime for
that matter; that's what the crime
alerts are for. The University Police
Department needs to stop getting
caughtinthe inconsistentlyenforced
legal stipulations of sexual assault,
and inform us when crimes occur
that pose a threat tothe studentbody.
- Katie Steen can be reached
at katheliz@umich.edu.
0
Academic reform has been a major focus
for Parikh. Some of his main accomplish-
ments under this platform include a "flipped
semester," where students can work on an
independent project without having to drop
out of school, in addition to an active entre-
preneurship program that gives students the
resources to start their own business. These
changes, however, only affect a small portion
of the student body. While aspiring entrepre-
neurs may appreciate this opportunity, CSG
should advocate bringing entrepreneurship
into every classroom.
Another huge accomplishment for CSG
this year is the international student initia-
tive. CSG created the International Students
Society, an organization that helps acclimate
international students to life in America - the
first of its kind for foreign students at Michi-
gan. They've done a fantastic job actively sup-
porting the Coalition for Tuition Equality, an
organization that lobbies the University to
give undocumented Michigan residents in-
state tuition rates. But true change requires
more than Facebook likes. Groups like CTE
and ISS have the potential to tangibly change
the lives of many students, and they will ben-
efit from the continued support and leader-
ship of future CSG leaders.
While all these initiatives prove helpful for
a select group of students entrepreneurs and
international students make up only a small
percentage of Michigan's student body. The
student body of Michigan is large, complex and
spread out; CSG should think of ways to bring
students together beyond the handful of Foot-
ball Saturdays, perhapsthroughconcerts.Addi-
tionally, while 'luxuries' like a 24-hour caf6 are
nice, CSG should expand their focus beyond the
occasionally inconsequential aspects of student
life. What could CSG accomplish if it put all it's
effort toward improving minority retention or
student socio-economic diversity?
Parikh and this year's CSG members have
shown that the organization has the potential
to live up to its promises. It's up to next year's
leaders to make this a reality. Hopefully, poten-
tial candidates forthe CSG presidential election
realize the wide-reaching effects this role has
on students.
0
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Kaan Avdan, Sharik Bashir, Barry Belmont, James Brennan, Eli Cahan,
Jesse Klein, Melanie Kruvelis, Maura Levine, Patrick Maillet,
Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Jasmine McNenny,
Harsha Nahata, Adrienne Roberts, Paul Sherman, Sarah Skaluba,
Michael Spaeth, Luchen Wang, Derek Wolfe
AARICA MARSH I
Blaming the wrong villain
- the Campus Corner: Do you know where to find
35-cent wings on Tuesday nights?
.di umll To find out, check out Kat Cartwright's blog,
"Deals to drink to."
Go to michigandaily.com/blogs
It's the knowledge economy. stupid
0
0
The 47th annual Super Bowl took place in
New Orleans, La., on Feb. 3 between the Bal-
timore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers.
During the fourth quarter, nearly 108 mil-
lion people tuned into CBS to watch as the
Ravens claimed a slim victory over the 49ers
with a final score of 34-31. Baltimore was
announced the winners as players flooded the
field in celebration. CBS cameras followed
Ravens quarterback and game MVP Joe Flac-
co as he rejoiced with his teammates. "This is
fucking awesome," shouted Flacco. CBS, not
expecting the foul language, failed to censor
the "f-bomb" in time. Almost as soon as CBS
let Flacco's swear word slip through to view-
ers, the Parents Television Council filed a
complaint against the network to the Federal
Communications Commission.
In 2004, the PTC's complaint against
Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction dur-
ing the half time show led the FCC to fine
CBS $550,000. Though the penalty was later
appealed, some small damage to the network
had occurred. The PTC's newest complaint
calls forth issues regarding levels of appro-
priateness on prime-time television. Why are
Americans so harshly criticizing a network
and potentially an MVP football player for
one simple word that slipped out ina moment
of excitement? How is one explicit expression
so horrifying for children to hear compared
with the overly sexualized and stereotypical
idea portrayed in Super Bowl commercials?
The PTC and FCC need to reorganize
their priorities. Americans' acceptance of
Beyonce's scant outfit during the half time
show highlights a growing problem. Imag-
es of sexuality and violence are far more
impactful than an overzealous expression of
joy. It's quite likely that many viewers didn't
even notice Flacco's mishap, tuning out as
the game ended. Even if a viewer was lucky
enough to remain entranced by the television
to catch the horrid "f-bomb," the audio clip
lasted mere seconds. Meanwhile, children
and adults alike were bombarded throughout
the football game by worse in advertisements.
GoDaddy's 2013 Super Bowl commercial
exemplifies American's double conscious-
ness in regards to the media. For 50 seconds,
GoDaddy plays on customary American roles
to reinforce gender stereotypes. The compa-
ny portrays themselves as having a sexy side
- represented by super model Bar Refaeli -
and a smart side that "creates a killer website
for your small business," represented by the
nerdy actor Jesse Heiman. "Together, they're
perfect," claims GoDaddy. Refaeli and Hei-
man then proceed to make-out as the camera
zooms in on their mouths for an excruciating
30 seconds. This advertisement perpetuates
the stereotypical notions that women must
be sexualized trophies and that only men can
be smart and create a "killer website for your
small business."
The ideas insinuated by the GoDaddy com-
mercial, and other sexualized Super Bowl
advertisements, are more harmful to the
minds of children than hearing the word
"fuck." And yet, the PTC hasn't filed a com-
plaint to the FCC concerning any of the pro-
vocative commercials. America's obsession
with vulgar language has blinded the Parents
Television Council from the actual villain -
harmful portrayals of stereotypical gender
norms. Media regulators need to pay more
attention to harmful programs and com-
mercials rather than obsessing over every
single explicative that slips out of an athlete's
mouth. By attacking overly sexualized con-
tent and stereotypically prejudiced program-
ming, the FCC and other organizations can
begin on the right track to actually bettering
American media.
Aarica Marsh is an LSA sophomore.
et's be honest: The job mar-
ket can be a scary place for
college students these days.
Right now,
we're living in a
bubble, mostly
shielded from
the harsh reali-
ties of life after Y
graduation. But
as soon as we
take off our caps MICHAEL
and gowns, we'll
be faced with SPAETH
an economy still
recovering from
recession and unsettling anecdotes
of college graduates living in their
parents' basements for years trying
to pay off student loan debt. That's
the conventional wisdom, anyway.
Luckily, reality isn't as depress-
ing as the conventional wisdom
suggests. There's no question that
we will face many challenges after
graduation, but we should feel opti-
mistic for two reasons.
First, numerous studies have
shown that college graduates make
more money and have a lower
unemployment rate than people
without a college degree. The lat-
est job numbers reflect this trend;
The U.S. Department of Labor
found that college graduates faced
a 3.7 percent unemployment rate
in January. About half the number
of unemployed people had no more
than a high school diploma.
Second, our university is teach-
ing us many of the skills we will
need to be successful in the modern
economy. Right now, we're living in
a "knowledge economy," in which a
"global focus, the skills of critical
thinking and problem solving, com-
munication skills, teamwork skills
(and) technology skills" are impor-
tant, according to Constance Cook,
executive director of the Universi-
ty's Center for Research on Learn-
ing and Teaching.
Cook said that LSA is doing a
good job of teaching the skills that
are necessary to succeed in the
knowledge economy. For example,
the college is "helping students
learn to do critical thinking and
problem solving," which are par-
ticularly important components of
a liberal arts education. Also, there
is "an increasing focus on active
learning and engaged, immersive
experiences for students" such as
study abroad and internship oppor-
tunities as well as undergraduate
research opportunities through
UROP. LSA has many learning
communities to help students
develop "teamwork and collabora-
tion skills," and some LSA faculty
members are trying to "build tech-
nology into their classes so that
students are using technology for
their learning."
Unfortunately, the liberal arts
have been pushed to the sidelines
in recent years as politicians and
policymakers have pushed for a
greater emphasis on science, tech-
nology, engineering and math skills
and careers, often called STEM. For
example, in his State of the Union
address last week, President Barack
Obama announced that "we'll
reward schools that... create classes
that focus on science, technology,
engineering and math, the skills
today's employers are looking for to
fill the jobs that are there right now
and will be there in the future."
It's true that there is a large role
for STEM jobs to play in the modern
economy and for teaching the skills
to be qualified for those jobs. How-
ever, while STEM jobs are highly
sought after right now in the wake
of the recession, we need to think
beyond the present moment. Unlike
skills taught in humanities classes,
for example, STEN skills may be
"easily computerized and tradable"
in the future, Daniel Jelski, a chem-
istry professor at State University of
New York at New, wrote in an article
for New Geography.
"I'm really sad about the lack of
public understanding of the value
of a liberal arts education, including
the humanities and social sciences,"
Cook said. "This incredible consum-
er focus and recession-related job
focus of students and their parents I
think is skewing our education sys-
tem away from the humanities and
social sciences, and that's at a time
when countries like China are mov-
ing toward the liberal arts because
they see that innovation and creativ-
ity are very important."
There's still value to
be found in a liberal
arts education.
LSA is not the only college at
Michigan that is helping to prepare
students for the knowledge econo-
my. The School of Engineering, for
example, is working on teaching
"teamwork" and "communication
skills" in its courses, and is "put-
ting a lot of effort into study-abroad
opportunities and entrepreneur-
ial opportunities for students,"
according to Cook. Additionally, the
School of Art and Design website
states that all of its students must
complete some kind of "internation-
al travel and study" experience.
The bottom line is that if we take
advantage of the opportunities
at our university that relate most
closely to our interests and career
goals, we will be prepared to suc-
ceed in the knowledge economy. We
also should make sure that everyone
understands the value of a liberal
arts education in preparing us for
our participation in the knowledge
economy, especially at a time when
the status quo says otherwise.
Yes, the economy is still strug-
gling, but life after graduation isn't
quite as ominous as it sometimes
seems.
- Michael Spaeth can be
reached at micspa@umich.edu.
0
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