4A- Thursday, March 14, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 4A - Thursday, March 14, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom 4e Michinan l 3atim Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynatd Sc. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com MELANIE KRUVELIS and ADRIENNE ROBERTS MATT SLOVIN EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS MANAGING EDITOR I urge Congress and the president to come up with an alternative to across-the-board cuts in the current sequestration." - University President Mary Sue Coleman said Wednesday at an alumni breakfast in Washington, D.C. about the upcoming massive federal spending cuts, The Detoit News reported. 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. Aidingfinancial aid The University should direct donations to combat tuition costs Last week, the Zell Family Foundation made the largest single donation in the history of LSA. The $50 million gifted - the third largest donation in the history of the University - will go toward continuing the school's prestigious Master of Fine Arts Pro- gram in Creative Writing. While this massive investment will undoubt- edly boost the program, the donation will also serve the University as a whole. This money will allow the University to continue to attract the best writers from around the world while cultivating liberal arts, an area that has been the target of funding cuts across the country. But as the University continues to receive large donations, it's critical that the funds be directed towards not just programs and building renovations, but also financial aid to students. a I In the past two decades, the University has been fortunate to see its massive endowment grow by almost 20 percent, one of the fastest rates for any university in the United States. This growth is due to a plethora of substan- tial donations allocated to various schools, departments and programs at the University. In 2004, Stephen M. Ross, a University alum and real estate mogul, donated $100 million to build the new Business School, while A. Alfred Taubman, another alum and devel- oper, has donated more than $140 million in various ways, including a 2011 gift of $56 million for medical research. Considering the history of large donations from wealthy alumni, along with the potential for massive gifts from others down the road, the Universi- ty will likely continue to receive huge checks for programs, departments and research. Therisingcostoftuition atthe Universityhas made financial aid more important in allowing for the best and most diverse groups of students on campus. The vast majority of large dona- tions go to particular programs, funding the construction of new buildings, research, schol- arships and teaching, among other areas. These donations are a great addition to the University. However, without financial aid that keeps up with tuition rate increases, fewer qualified and diverse groups of students will have access to these amazing facilities and instructors. While campaigning for regent last fall, Uni- versity Regent Mark Bernstein suggested cre- ating a stipulation for all University donations, where a small percentage is required to go directly to financial aid. The University's Board of Regents should work on moving this plan forward. By requiring a small percentage of a donation to go directly to aid - likely between 1 and 5 percent - the school would drastically increase funds for students in need of assis- tance. Expanding on Bernstein's idea, the Uni- versity could also add an option for a higher percentage of the donation to go to financial aid if the donor chooses. Not only would the school automatically increase its funds for deserv- ing students, but donors who might not have considered giving to student aid would now be directing donations to an area that offers an incalculable benefit to campus. Last week, University President Mary Sue Coleman said the University's next capital campaign would redirect the school's financial focus from renovations to providing financial relief to students through an increase in aid. This shift in attention is well-directed and much needed. While the outpouring of finan- cial contributions continues to improve specific schools, programs and facilities that boost the University's reputation, donors and the Univer- sity should consider financial aid to be a priority when directing the use of funds. ast spring, I intervit returning veteran f for a narrative jourr project, and my task was to get his story in his own words. He was a former Marine who took part in the initial invasion in Iraq. The H story I heard lHAR. from him was NAH heart-rending and eye-opening in many ways. But most imi tantly, it was my first introt to the widely ignored issue many returning veterans fa coming back home, specific erans from the state of Mic not being officially recogni. Michigan residents once th returned from overseas ser This initial account sho It seemed as though there some loophole in the syster one caught. Or this was an case. The fact that some spend their entire life Ii paying taxes in this state, seas to serve the country come back to find they'rer a resident of their state frankly, a little ridiculous. And yet,that's exactly wh uation is. Despite a lack of a it's a huge injustice to thos given so much for this count Not only does this hurt when it comes to reintegra civilian life and gaining careers, but it also provides stress in a time when they re need to have one. It's enougl someone who has just retur war to adjust to a new env and lifestyle, while coping realities of war they've just A GI injustice ewed a to ask them to figure out the techni- veterans rom Iraq calities of their residency status is Michigat nalism just too much. state Rep The veteran I spoke to didn't resolutiot even know he wouldn't be consid- duty, rest ered a Michigan resident when he servicenm returned. He had spent his entire at any M life in the state and went through cited met 12 years of public schooling, only ment of v to come back and realize he didn't Michigan qualify for in-state tuition at the to benefit SHlA public universities. ington D. AHA And the sad truth is that this inevi- Needless ATA tably affected his college decision. much nee Inaccessibility to college is already a growing problem in this por- country. With rising tuition costs, Mii duction there's an increasing number of stu- that dents who simply can't afford to pur- In V ce when sue a higher education. Add in the ally vet- huge gap at many public institutions to b higan: between what in-state and out-of- zed as state students pay and you'll see the Chan ey've extent of the problem. It's unfair to vice. ask someone who, for all intents and cked me. purposes, has been a Michigan resi- Some was just dent his or her entire life, to pay the at the nt m that no substantial differences, especially The Nav isolated considering he or she was overseas was intr eone can serving the country. Represet ving and While many argue that the GI public c go over- Bill is in place to help accommo- from bei and then date returning veterans, a closer veterans no longer look offers a different explanation. they char is, quite Yes, the GI Bill offers added tuition and fees: assistance to returning veterans they do f at the sit- beyond just what the military pro- It's co wareness vides. However, according to the has final e who've new post-9/11 GI Bill, those who isn't eno try. enroll at publicly owned colleges ensure tb veterans and universities receive up to 100 are passe ting into percent of "in-state" tuition cov- is never, skills for ered, while those at a privately erans. T an added operated college or out-of-state col- have give ally don't leges receive only up to $17,500 on try - th h to ask of tuition. Again, we see this disparity their tra ned from that shouldn't exist. bit easier ironment Thankfully, this issue has finally with the come to light. There's an initiative seen. But by lawmakers to see that returning ret are given in-state status at n universities. Proposed by . David Knezek, these joint ns would provide active erve or honorary discharged temberswithin-statetuition ichigan university. Knezek asures from the U.S. Depart- Veterans Affairs, stating that n ranks 53 inveteran's access ts. Yes, we're behind Wash- C., Puerto Rico and Guam. to say these measures are eded. higan ranks 53 eterans' access enefits. Clearly, 0 ges are needed. a progress is being made ational level. According to y Times, in January, a bill oduced in the House of ntatives that "would bar olleges and universities ng approved to receive any education benefits unless rge the same rate of tuition for nonresident veterans as or in-state students." mmendable that this issue ly come to light, but that ugh. Now it's essential to hat the necessary measures ed so that residency status a worry for returning vet- hese are individuals who en so much for the coun- e least we can do is make nsition back home a little r. - Harsha Nahata can be ached at hnahata@umich.edu. I I LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Letters should be fewer than 300 words. Send letters to tothedaily@michigandaily.com. MARION BERGER, MARISSA SOLOMON AND SERGE FARINAS Divest for the future EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Kaan Avdan, Sharik Bashir, Barry Belmont, 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 Note to sel (and others likeme) This week, students at the University can make a difference for our campus and the world. On Thursday, hundreds of students will gather for Dive in and hear from expert speakers, such as prominent environmental activist Bill McKibben. The event is hosted by the Divest and Invest Campaign at the Uni- versity, one of 256 fossil-fuel divestment cam- paigns nationwide. Our coalition of students, faculty and alumni aims to align the invest- ment activities of the University with its sus- tainability mission and ethical responsibility as a public institution. We plan to work with the University to remove all endowment money invested in fossil-fuel-industry stocks, bonds and other financial assets - invest- ments that directly finance the acceleration of climate change. From Hurricane Sandy to Midwestern droughts, people across the country have been waking up to the realities of climate change. Yet, companies keep finding and extracting more fossil fuels that release greenhouse gases into our atmosphere while simultaneously blocking any federal or state action to address the climate crisis. On an international level, the Global Humanitarian Forum estimates more than 300,000 deaths were linked to climate change in 2009 and 99 percent of them were in devel- oping countries thatccontributed only1 percent to global emissions. If we don't take significant action, this number will grow exponentially. To avoid the worst-case climate-change scenarios, the majority of scientists agree that the global average temperature cannot rise more than two degrees Celsius, relative to pre-industrial temperatures. We've already allowed a rise of 0.8 degrees, and without immediate action, we will hit two degrees in 20 to 30 years. Now is the time to ask, "How can I help?" The truth is, although important, individual action isn't enough when facing this threat to our existence. Effectively combating climate change means putting the brakes on fossil fuel companies. To avoid drastically alter- ing our climate, we must stop these compa- nies from burning 80 percent of their energy reserves. Such a feat can only happen through legislative and regulatory action at federal and state levels. The University's massive endowment funds facilitate the fossil fuel industry's grip on an unsustainable system that is destroying the climate. The University is a significant contributor to the field of climate science, yet - we have at least $900 million invested in the fossil fuel industry. These investments repre- sent more than 284-billion tons of fossil fuel reserves, out of the only 495 tons left to burn before reaching the two-degree warming limit. This continued investment in the fossil fuel industry is antithetical to the core mis- sions of the University. Our goals are trifold: We ask the Univer- sity to disclose all current investments in the fossil fuel industry, while immediately freez- ing new ones; divest from ownership in fos- sil fuel industry public and private financial securities within five years; and finally, invest a substantial portion of such funds in socially, environmentally and economically respon- sible companies. The idea behind divestment is not to bank- rupt fossil fuel companies - even if all uni- versities divested, the industry would still be one of the wealthiest worldwide. Rather, divestment campaigns seek to generate a national shift in attitude toward fossil fuels, and we hope to do so by shining the spotlight on the harmful business model and political clout of the fossil fuel industry. If divestment succeeds, politicians may stop accepting money from fossil fuel companies and start casting votes in favor of our planet. As Bill McKibben states, "If your college's endowment portfolio has fossil-fuel stock, then your educations are being subsidized by invest- ments that guarantee you won't have much of a planet on which to make use of your degree." Make sure to visit divestUM.org and sign the petition, and come to the Dive In event on Thursday, March 14 at 6 p.m. in 1040 Dana Building. This is your chance to join the big- gest student movement in decades - because together, we're greater than fossil fuels. Marion Berger and Marissa Solomon are LSA sophomores. Serge Farinas is a Rackham student. Unless you accept a full-time position as the double- jointed woman at the circus, you'll probably never have fewer true responsibilities than you have right now. Sure, you need to fin- ish that paper on Plato's theory of EMILY love, but when PITTINOS you're faced with the choice between rewriting your outline and watching Jupiter rise in the Arbore- tum, put on a second pair of tights and grab your coat. The field will be thick with fog. The frogs will sing their ghastly songs. The solar sys- tem, romance and youth won't wait. Always choose Jupiter. If you consume a psychedelic substance in Tennessee, avoid the crawfish and beeline it for Memphis where a white horse and bedazzled carriage are itching to tour you around the city. Your intuition is both a blood- hound and a bullshit detector. Don't ignore its wisdom out of fear or self-doubt. If you suspect your boy- friend and close friend are steal- ing caresses in a cedar swamp by the old school, dump them. If the guy from astronomy seems like he wants to see you naked, feel free to put your mouth on his. When you're in high school and your best friend comes to your house with a cooler full of vodka and Min- ute Maid popsicles and stares up at you with eyes like bowls full of water that will never empty and tells you she had a vivid dream about touch- ing you everywhere, forget that you both have boyfriends away for the summer and that your parents are asleep downstairs. Lay her down on your lilac bedspread. It's likely that you're in love; you'll never get this chance again. It's all right to flee your loneli- ness. Even in the midst of an Ann Arbor August, after a tequila- drenched evening on someone's covered porch, your empty bed can feel like the dimmest, most bone- cold corner of the earth. It's all right to want a warm body quietly snor- ing on the other side of the mattress. It's all right to daydream about wak- ing a sleeping lover with pancakes you cooked while smiling over the skillet, groggily remembering the night before - fallen bedside lamps, gripped pillow cases. Craving close- ness makes you vulnerable, but it doesn't make you weak. If you cannot squash your lone- liness, harness it. Plenty of poems, scripts, essays, stories and art have been born in a lonely place. Spend some quality time with the person living in your brain. Knit a beer koozie. Invent a new kind of sand- wich. Learn to juggle ladles. A dose of lonesomeness is healthy, but wasting hours Facebook-prowling for perspective sex partners is bad for the soul. Over your weekly brunch, a good friend will tell you there's no point in pining over someone who won't love you back. Buy him a mimosa. Tattoo his words on your forehead back- wards so you can reread them while brushing your teeth each morning. Spend some more quality time with the person living in your brain. a Write an apologia to your body. You've probably wrung it out like a wet rag more times than you can count. Your body is more than a set of hips you can swing on the streets of Philadelphia to make men wet their lips and whistle, tossing their hard- hats in the air. Thank her for being the impossibly intricate culmination of your ancestry - Italian women blowing glass in the basements of Murano, Vikings whittling pipes in the bellies of thrashing ships, Greek bards reciting verses by rote in the town square. Your tits may be noth- ing special, but your body is a miracle of science and ordinary magic. When you have trouble fall- ing asleep because you are hollow or regretful or anxious about your future, read Mary Oliver's "Wild Geese" aloud over and over. Remem- ber that even when you are lost inside yourself, you are here. You are here. You are here. - Emily Pittinos can be reached at pittinos@umich.edu. 0 FOLLOW DAILY OPINION ON TWITTER Keep up with columnists, read Daily editorials, view cartoons and join in the debate. Check out @michdailyoped to get updates on Daily opinion content throughout the day.