The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Monday, March 25, 2413 - 5A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Monday, March 25, 2013 - 5A
Uc
From Page 1A
LSA junior Jill Clancy, Momen-
tUM's vice presidential candidate,
and LSA junior Hayley Sakwa,
forUM'svicepresidentialcandidate,
agreed that the role of the UC needs
to evolve in order to be effective.
Specifically, Clancy stated
the need for the addition of a
diversity council, which would
be comprised of student leaders
representing minority groups to
work with the UC.
All of the vice presidential
candidates except for LSA sopho-
more Chene Karega - the Defend
Affirmative Action Party vice
presidential candidate who did
not respond to a request for com- .
ment - also addressed the lack of
attendance for the UC. They said
with numerous meetings sport-
ing low attendance throughout
the past year, whoever takes the
reins must address this problem
immediately.
The candidates agreed that
more administrators need to be
present at UC meetings. Though
some, such as Coleman, have
attended, more are needed to
encourage UC members to attend,
Clancy said.
"Students feel apprehensive to
UNCOLLEGE
From Page 1A
as an educational experiment that
would lastfor ayear orjust through
middle school. After getting more
involved in their local unschooling
movement, however, they found
the education reform to be the per-
fect venue to pursue Stephens' aca-
demic interests and expectations.
"Meeting all of these home-
schoolers and 'unschoolers' who
were homeschooling for academic
reasons provided a framework and
a vocabulary for an educational
mindset and philosophy that my
parents and I were trying to wrap
our heads around," Stephens said.
Stephen claimed unschooling is
a superior way to learn in compari-
son to public schooling. Venturing
beyond the domain of a conven-
tional K-12 education, he was able
to work on political campaigns,
help build a library in his home-
town and even work for a start-up
company in San Francisco.
"For the first time I was able to
do things that mattered," he said.
"I was able to have an impact on
what I was doing. I was able to
choose how, where, when and
why I was going to learn."
Standardized test statistics
show that homeschooled students
learn more than public-school
students. A 2008 study conduct-
ed by the Home School Legal
Defense Association found that
homeschooled students scored 72
points higher on the SAT and 1.8
points higher on the ACT than the
national average. It is also shown
that financial predispositions do
not significantly affect the suc-
cess of homeschooling; families
who spent less than $600 on edu-
cational materials and resources
scored in the 86th percentile
while families who spent more
than $600 scored in the 89th per-
centile of standardized tests.
After being unschooled until
the end of high school, Stephens
enrolled in Hendrix College in
Arkansas, which he attended for
six months before dropping out.
He said he felt disappointed in
himself on the first day of classes.
"I realized that I bought into
local maxima, that I didn't want
to be in a place where everyone
thought that they were the best,"
Stephens said. "I wanted to be in a
place where I was constantly being
challenged, where I was continu-
ing to learn and improve myself."
Stephens said he came to the
conclusion that the problem has to
do with the methods of education,
not the schools themselves, and
that the education that schools
are providing is not practical and
worth what it costs.
"It's time to take responsibility
for how we learn, for what we're
learning and for where it's going
to go," he said. "We're heading
towards a world where there are
opportunitiestolearnthatare more
meaningful and are less expensive
than going to a school or college."
Stephens said people are realizing
that a self-directed education is the
future, and this change is becoming
* increasingly relevant as the value of
college education diminishes.
"These things are happening
right now," Stephens said. "Col-
leges and schools and universities
everywhere are realizing if they
don't change their business mod-
even go because someone from
the administration won't be
there," she said.
Sakwa echoed these senti-
ments, adding that the UC is
strugglingto develop a true vision
for what the body should be.
"Having our leaders more
equipped to deal with conflict and
to manage change would be really
helpful for the University as a
whole," Sakwa said.
Another issue the candidates
addressed was how to better
facilitate not only undergraduate
students, but graduate students
as well. Though CSG, specifically
the UC, at times struggles to con-
nect with graduate students, the
candidates all agreed that they
would do more to change this.
Considering of the vice
presidential candidates are all
undergraduates, they all agreed
personal relationships would
need to be formed in order to
reach out and understand the
needs of graduate students.
Michaeli especially voiced this
sentiment because he said as a
freshman he would have numer-
ous years to develop relationships
and affect change within CSG.
For now, however, Sakwa thinks
the solution might be simple.
"I would bring cookies," Sakwa
said.
els, if they don't change the value
of education that they're offer-
ing students, cheaper and more
meaningful alternatives are going
to replace them."
Stephens said while writing his
book he found an amazing educa-
tion isn't solely gained through a
pricey college degree.
"(For my book I interviewed)
everyone from people who grew
up in the slum of Mumbai and
went on to become captains of
oil companies to people who
went to Oxford," he said. "There
seems to be absolutely no correla-
tion whether or not people came
from a privileged background and
whether or not they succeeded
outside of school."
The University is already tak-
ing an initiative to help students
design their own educational path.
Projects such as Flipped Semester,
where students can earn nine aca-
demic credits for pursuing self-
directed entrepreneurial projects,
are among these efforts.
Business senior Ryan Strauss,
a member of the University's
Flipped Semester commission
who attended the event, said
access to educational resources
through technology is an integral
part of this revolutionary educa-
tion reform. In effect, universities
are becoming outdated.
"I think before the Internet
became popular, Universitiesowere
hubs of knowledge, so people had
to come to a traditional institution
in order to obtain the best knowl-
edge from the best professors and
from the best books," Strauss said.
"But, now we are seeing a shift
where knowledge is really accessi-
ble. There are low barriers to entry
through startups such as Coursera
and Khan Academy ... Therefore,
universities are shifting from
becoming centers of knowledge
to facilitators of engaged learning
and entrepreneurial education."
Strauss also said there's a
movement among young students
to be able to design their own edu-
cation, and the credit system has
to be changed as a result.
"Universities are going to inev-
itably have to shift the way they
give out credits," he said. "Stu-
dents will be more able to actively
determine how they learn and
engage in their passions through
a self-directed education."
Engineering sophomore Natas-
ja Nielsen, a member of MPow-
ered, said interactive teaching
and more avenues for students to
pursue their interests is lacking in
the current education system.
"I think we definitely have to
have more dynamic teaching,
showing students how they can
find the things they enjoy and
take that further," Nielsen said.
LSA freshman Keegan Beljan-
ski said the rising cost of tuition
also needs to be addressed in any
future educational reforms.
LSAseniorSaraMillersaideducation
inequalityisalsoanimportantissuethat
needstobeseriouslylookedat
"I think every kid deserves
to have an education that's suit-
able to their needs and that is
adequate," Miller said. "I think
there is a lack of access to edu-
cation, to a quality education in
this country, and people need to
be working towards more equal-
ity and education that's tailored
more towards the needs of a wide
variety of learning abilities."
SUNDAY
From Page 1A
no reason to get up, nowhere to go.
Steve Racine bent over at the
waist, staring at the blue crease.
Sophomore forward Phil Di
Giuseppe skated over to console
the freshman goalie. They'll have
another chance, but that doesn't
ease the sting.
Lee Moffie won't have another
chance. The senior alternate cap-
tain, playing his final game with
the block 'M' on his chest, veered
away from his teammates and
took a knee in the corner, refus-
ing to look down toward the mob
of Fighting Irish players on the
other end of the ice.
Survive and advance. That
was all they knew; that was their
only option. After flailing for
five months, this red-hot Michi-
gan hockey team had somehow
reached the brink of an impos-
sible NCAA Tournament berth,
if only it could beat No. 9 Notre
Dame - something that hadn't
happened in four meetings dur-
ing the regular season.
Michigan coach Red Berenson
and the Wolverines had gotten
this far. It was destiny, right? It
had to be.
But a go-ahead Notre Dame
goal just 30 seconds into the
third period changed everything;
Michigan hadn't trailed once in
the postseason to that point. The
Joe was eerily silent. And then,
with under two minutes remain-
ing, the dagger plunged deep.
Racine, seeing Berenson wave
him over for an extra attacker,
started toward the bench. At
that moment, Notre Dame's Jeff
Costello picked off a pass and
skated toward the Michigan end.
Racine hesitated for a split second,
knowing that a goal would be the
end - the end of the game, the end
of the run, the end of the season.
He made his decision, sprinted
across the ice from the left circle
and dove just as Costello released
his shot. The dive was just a
moment too late. Game over.
Exhausted, Racine, his sweat-
er covered ins;
skated slowly b
that only rece
his permanent
utes later, he'd
line, his stick sl
shoulder like a
He'd be name
ment team go
last player off t
seniors.
But he could
Wolverines. No
Somewhere
turns of the tu
away from Joe
into the cemen
town Detroit,.
still wore the s
every day.
If you've eve
ing event in De
Van Horn, stat
probably just of
nue, with a gre(
right hand and
penny or two.
now and loose ice, "Hey, go blue!" Van Horn said,
sack to the crease jingling his coins to the pass-
ntly had become ersby. They slunk by silently. His
home. A few min- tone changed once he realized
skate to the blue the outcome.
lung over his right "More than anything," he
lumberjack's ax. started, movingback to hisntrade-
d the all-tourna- mark phrase, "let's eat 'em up,
alie. He'd be the Tigers, eat 'em up."
he ice, behind the That brought back a few
smiles.
in't quite save the Yes, it's time to turn the page,
t this time. time for the Michigan hockey
team to start clean. But, man,
*** wasn't this a special year? For all
the teams faults and failures, it
in the twists and showed more heart than anyone
innels that weave believed possible in its final 10
Louis Arena and games.
t jungle of down- It'll be remembered as the
James Van Horn team that broke the streak,
ame smile he does but I'll remember it, too, for its
improbable run, for its unselfish
r been to a sport- play in the end, for its grace in
etroit, you've seen defeat.
iding on a corner, That ominous cloud did finally
ff Woodward Ave- come, and it'll linger, but it'll be
en Hulk fist on his gone soon. There's plenty to look
1asking for just a forward to, and there's plenty to
remember.
DETROIT
From Page 1A
ects. DP Day is the largest event
the Detroit Partnership hosts
each year and the largest service-
learning day at the University.
This year, there were approxi-
mately 1,400 volunteers at 29
sites spread throughout Detroit
and surrounding areas. LSA
senior Phil Berkaw, major events
director for the Detroit Part-
nership, and LSA senior Kristin
Beharry, the group's executive
director, were in charge of orga-
nizing the event.
"We're not trying to fix the
city in a single day, at all. That's
not our goal nor is it really our
role to try to," Berkaw said. "We
really view it as an introduction
for students to Detroit, to see that
it's not maybe what the media
paints it across the country or
even by media outlets in Detroit,
and just to see the city for what it
truly is."
Planning for the event started
in December when sites were
contacted to see if they want-
ed to participate. When sites
were finalized, volunteers were
recruited. The event's total bud-
get sums to $35,000; the money
comes from various sources
includinggrants, corporate spon-
sors and multicultural organiza-
tions at the University."
"One of our huge funders is
Ford, they always donate a lot,"
Beharry said. "It's mainly Mich-
igan-based companies that want
to give back to the DP and to the
Detroit community in general."
VOLUNTEERS AT WORK
For Engineering graduate stu-
dent Darin McLeskey and Uni-
versity of Michigan-Dearborn
senior Tyson Gersh, the founders
of the Michigan Urban Farming
Initiative, DP Day has a special
significance: they met in 2011 at a
DP Day meeting.
"We both kept asking ques-
tions like 'Where's the agricul-
ture?' " Gersh said. "And then
we both found each other after-
wards and I was like 'Hey, you
asked a lot of questions about
agriculture and so did I."
At the MUFI site on Brush
Street, from afar it appeared that
students were standing in just
that - brush. Up close, it could be
seen that they were using pick-
axes, rakes and shovels to clear
the brush and clean up the space.
McLeskey said DP Day falls at
the beginning of their farming
season.
"It's a good way to get a lot
of people down here and really
clean up everything that's accu-
mulated over the winter, and it's
a good kick-off event," he said.
LSA sophomore Corey Walsh,
a participant at the site, said
early in the day he worked with
others to clear debris out of an
abandoned house so it could be
demolished.
"There's a lot of hope for the
city of Detroit left, and it just
takes a lot manpower to try to
reclaim it, and that's what we're
here tryingto do," Walsh said.
As Gersh was talking, three
volunteers approached him hold-
ing bullets they found while
cleaning out a house, a reminder
of the city's crime problem.
"You'll find lots of these,"
Gersh said.
At Artist Village, another
site, a group of students painted
murals on the outside of build-
ings.
One of the painters, LSA
sophomore Sarah Tiffany, said
she returned to participate in DP
Day for her second year because
of an experience she had the pre-
vious year while volunteering in
a park.
"All the homeless people came
and thanked us for cleaning up
their house, which made a huge
impact on me because you don't
really realize that," Tiffany said.
As the day came to a close, the
painters got a visit from former
Michigan football coach Lloyd
Carr. Carr has attended DP Day
for the past four years.
"I'mjustsoproudofall ofthese
students, they're awesome," Carr
said. "I've met literally hundreds
of students in these past four
years and I can see a difference in
the community, which is a beau-
tiful thing."
Carr got his first teaching job,
and subsequent coaching job, in
the Detroit Public School System,
which created his connection to
the city.
"Down through the years of
coaching at Michigan, I recruit-
ed this city, so I've had a lot of
friends from here, alot of players
I've coached," Carr said. "I think
the one thing we all have in com-
mon is that we love the city, and
so I'm just here to say thanks to
the students."
While students were paint-
ing, demolishing dilapidated
structures and yard work at sites
spread across the city, the day
looked quite different for Berkaw
and Beharry.
"I rarely get to see any of the
sites. In the four years that I've
done DP Day I've been to, like,
two sites," Berkaw said. "I'm
usually just taking phone calls
the whole time. There are points
where we'll be in a car all sitting
together and three people are on
the phone and I'm talking to two
people at once, it's wild."
At the end of the day, the vol-
unteers gathered in a park for a
rally. At the rally, students heard
from Carr, social justice activist
Yusef Shakur and rapper FowL.
Beharry said this year DP Day
was significant to her because of
the increased involvement with
the community.
"This year we've emphasized
the social justice and service
learning aspects of DP Day so
much more than in the past,"
Beharry said. "Which is some-
thing that I think is really going
to help our volunteers contextu-
alize what they're doing on DP
Day and will really help us work
towards our mission, which is
basically to break stereotypes
about Detroit."
PHILANTHROPY
From Page lA
Wish Foundation, which grants
wishes to children with life-
threatening illnesses.
"When I was little, aboutsix or
seven, I got my wish granted to
go to Disney World," Parten said.
The experience made her want to
give back to the program.
Jack Bernard, the University's
associate general counsel and chair
ofthecouncilfor disability concerns,
gave a speech about the acceptance
and inclusion of those with disabili-
ties intothe larger society.
"The challenge of disability is not
being able to have access to every-
thing, and we (only) make adjust-
mentsfor the norm," Bernard said.
He commended the members
of the fraternity for taking inter-
est in the issue of disabilities,
including installing a ramp and a
handicap-accessible bathroom in
their house.
In addition, Bernard suggest-
ed that they reach out to the Uni-
versity's Services for Students
with Disabilities office during
Greek Life recruitment to recruit
disabled students.
Social Work and Rackham
student Adena Rottenstein, a
member of Allies for Disability
Awareness, also spoke about the
importance of making students
feel comfortable registering with
the ADA and making society as a
whole more accepting of people
with disabilities.
Out of the 11 percent of disabled
students on a given college cam-
pus, only two or three percent
register with their school's office
for students with disabilities, even
though it can get them housing
and academic accommodations.
"What is disabling students
isn't the environment. It's the
stigma," Rottenstein said. "I
have fibromyalgia, so if I take
the stairs up just one flight I'm
in pain for about an hour. But if
I take the elevator up one floor, I
get dirty looks."
Rottenstein also remarked
that people on campus need to
adjust their day-to-day language
in order to be more accepting of
disabled individuals.
"How often do you hear some-
one say 'that's retarded' or 'lame'
or 'crazy'? This stigma is perva-
sive and accepted."
She recognized that much of
this isn't malicious, but that "the
most harmful behaviors on col-
lege campus is ignorance."
LSA sophomore Courtney
Green has a learning disability
that causes a dramatic discrep-
ancy between her actual IQ and
test taking scores. Because she
is registered with Services for
Students with Disabilities, she is
allowed extended time on exams,
which makes "a huge difference
in my studies and allowed me to
excel in my classes," she said.
Green lamented the fact that
students with disabilities at the
University choose to go with-
out such accommodations, but
applauded PiKappa Phi for taking
steps to break down the cultural
stigma surrounding disabilities.
"It is important to recognize
that you will never know what is
going on in someone's life," Green
said, "but whether they are strug-
gling with a visible disability or
a learning disability, or merely
going through a tough time in
their life they should be treated
with respect and consideration."
FOLLOW US ON
TWITTER
WE'RE MORE RELEVANT BUT LESS
FUNNY THAN RAIN N WILSON
@MICH IGANDAILY
@THEBLOCKM
@MICHDAILYNEWS