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4 - Tuesday, April 16, 2013
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
c I4e fitichipan 4:3alip
RIP, Google Reader
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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.
Illegal' no more
Changes in Associated Press styleguide on the right side of history
n Tuesday, April 2 the Associated Press updated their style-
book to end the use of the term "illegal immigrant." Used
by U.S. newspapers as a guide for editing style and content,
the changes made in the stylebook come at the height of immigra-
tion debate in Congress. The official removal of illegal immigra-
tion from the AP's guide should be reflected in national rhetoric, as
newspapers nationwide begin to use more inclusive, less accusatory
language to describe undocumented immigrants. Stigma surround-
ing immigration has propelled misunderstandings to the forefront of
debate, and newspapers should be quick to adopt this policy in order
to encourage more accurate discussion of the issue.
When Google announced
the impending extinc-
tion of Google Reader,
the Internet
opened itself up
to reveal a sur-
prisingly benev-
olent though
misguided
frame of mind.
Lifehacker
posted a bevy
of Reader alter- JENNIFER
natives, which XU
did nothing but
confirm that
nobody on staff actually uses the
application. It's probably right that
Reader is closing down to make
way for snazzy new features like
Google Glass, since it's clear that.
its user base has been dwindling
with the meteoric rise of Twitter.
But I'm in mourning nevertheless.
Yes, I am one of the select few
who still uses Google Reader. This
places me within a demographic
composed of people who otherwise
cannot view blogs due to the strict
censorship of their home countries.
I also use a service called iGoogle,
whose own identity as an endan-
gered species is something nobody
has pointed out, which leads me to
believe that I'i the only person in
the world who still uses it. By now,
I've come to realize that the Inter-
net as I know it is slowly being
taken away from me. Who knew
one could turn into a cultural dino-
saur at the tender age of 21? Not I.
There's literally nothing float-
ing around the World Wide Web
that resembles the wonder that's
Google Reader. Believe me, I've
tried to find it. I spent a frustrat-
ing four to five hours trying to
adapt to The Old Reader, a website
that purports to resemble Google
Reader in its nascent stages but is
instead extremely slow and
calibrate asit should. Then
Feedly, a color-blocked nigh
with a mass of extra service
slow down the website's inf
tion delivery. What Feedly's
lists have to do with RSS fe'
have no idea.
Twitter landed closest to t
of service I'was looking for -
frills interface with a button
that allows the user to quickl
scribe and unsubscribe to ac
he or she's interested in. Buts
the initial learning curve (wt
MT? What does RT mean wh
lowed by a period?), I realize
Twitter moves too rapidly fo
keep up. I have what could b
as a compulsion to reach Rea
Zero - a state that signifies t
I've read every
doesn't quently but not too frequently. It's
I tried small enough to finish but substan-
tmare tial enough for me to not get bored.
as that And once I reach that good, glori-
orma- ous Reader Zero, I can trick myself
to-do into thinking that I've finished
eds, I reading the Internet.
By now I've endured all five
he type Kubler-Ross stages of grief, oscillat-
a no- ing from denial to anger to depres-
click sion. Only recently have I swung
ly sub- around to acceptance. As disheart-
counts ening as it might be to lose a central
after part of your Internet livelihood,
hat is it's worth it to take a stepback and
sen fol- realize what is and isn't owed to us.
d that Everything on the Internet is more
r me to or less free - it wasn't created with
e known me specifically in mind. Anything
der that takes a hold of the Internet col-
hat lective exemplifies the paradigmatic
cultural shift that
the rest of society
is undergoing. I
know that few
ho knew you people use Google
.1 Reader and there-
Id turn into a fore most might
not sympathize
ural dinosaur withrmy particu-
lar situation, but
at 21? we would all do
well to realize the
extinction of any-
single item on my
Google Reader
- and with Twit-
ter, this position
is impossible to
achieve. Every
time I paused to
open up another
news window,
new Tweets
would eternally
zoom into view. I
felt like Alice run-
W
cou
cult
Though the changes may have implications
to nationwide debate, the AP claims that this
change was made not for political reasons
but because the term "illegal immigrant" is a
legally inaccurate denomination. "The Sty'le-
book no longer sanctions ... the use of 'illegal'
to describe a person," AP said in a statement
last week. By changingtheir preferred termi-
nology, the AP confirms that while an action
may be considered "illegal," a person cannot.
Though some have criticized the revision as
excessively politically correct, the changes
allow for more factually accurate reporting
of a critical talking point across the country.
In its statement on the language change,
the AP endorsed "undocumented immi-
grant" as the current preferred terminology.
The adoption of undocumented immigrant
isn't just more precise, but more acceptable.
While the media isn't responsible for push-
ing a more progressive understanding of
immigration, newspapers do play a signifi-
cant role in not only disseminating informa-
tion, but also establishing the words we use
to describe news stories. Word choice mat-
ters, and language can generate harmful ste-
reotypes and stigmas. Whether or not they
acknowledge it, the AP made a step toward
eliminating divisive terms nationwide.
While the AP sets the standard for news-
papers in the United States, individual papers
and magazines may choose whether they fol-
low the guidelines. In this case, newspapers
across the nation slould endorse the changes
made by the AP and abide by the new style.
Newspapers have a great impact on language,
and reflecting such a change in print can
prompt changes in how the average Ameri-
can perceives immigration issues.
This new decision comes at a time when
immigration has become a hot-button issue
for legislation President Barack Obama has
made immigration a large part of his sec-
ond-term agenda, and currently a biparti-
san group of senators are working on a new
immigration bill. The current work being
done on immigration in Washington D.C. and
the new change to the AP Stylebook indicates
that progress is being made towards a more
nuanced understanding of immigration.
ning on the Red Queen's racetrack,
exerting all of my mental willpower
just to keep pace.
What attracts me to Google
Reader is the faux sense of empow-
erment it can imbue the user. The
Internet is a big, scary place that
explodes with information in
every cranny you look, but Reader
allows me to harness that infor-
mation with a tasteful interface
that doesn't require me to click all
over the place to get my news. I
have an expansive but manageable
subscription list that updates fre-
thing beloved is
less a personal affront and more an
important truth of existence. Power
to me might represent an RSS feed,
and to others the abilityto frequent
a local coffee shop, but none of that
is power. Power is held by something*
greater than all of us, and that's
culture. Culture is neutral - and
while it might not represent the will
of the individual every time, it does
represent the will of the collective,
all the time.
- Jennifer Xu can be reached
at jennifxu@umich.edu.
MICHAEL PROPPE|
Moving past the election
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Kaan Avdan, Sharik Bashir, Barry Belmont, Eli Cahan, Eric Ferguson,
Jesse Klein, Melanie Kruvelis, Maura Levine, Patrick Maillet,
Sam Mancina, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Jasmine McNenny,
Harsha Nahata, Adrienne Roberts, Paul Sherman, Sarah Skaluba,
Michael Spaeth, Daniel Wang, Luchen Wang, Derek Wolfe
PATRICK BAUMHART I
No ethics in sight
President Coleman,
In the past weeks I have been following the
fallout stemming from the Central Student
Government elections. Amid the allegations of
voter coercion and mismanagement of election
funds, I came to the disheartening conclusion
that there's a major problem on our campus - a
problem that often goes unacknowledged. The
matter in question is this: Nobody ever seems to
talk about ethics until after someone has done
something wrong.
The CSG election code is meant to estab-
lish a base level of ethical integrity, one that
is expected to be used in carrying out a cam-
paign. It presents candidates, whether run-
ning as an independent or a member of a
party, with a universal standard that's meant
to be upheld by all parties involved. Yet in my
time at the University, I've only seen it used
as a device to disqualify the opposition. I'd
like to believe that all representatives in the
legislative branch of our system are commit-
ted towards the betterment of our commu-
nity, but from reading the various responses
issued by some of the main political parties
on campus it has become clear that our gov-
ernment has fallen victim to many of the
same petty squabbles that we see in the parti-
san-dominated U.S. government.
A similarly dismal state of affairs can be
associated with the academic honor code and
the lack of knowledge that the average student
has regarding the code. Outside of the required
comment on academic integrity that seems to
be the mantra of every "Syllabus Week," most
students only become acquainted with the
honor code after being told that they've been
suspected of violating it. In coupling this with
the increasing trends of honor code violations, I
believe that a growing issue is present here.
I believe that the true issue at hand is that
there's a lack of discourse and awareness
directed toward the broader topic of ethics.
Students need to come to the realization that
all of their actions have potential ethical impli-
cations, and with those implications comes an
association that's bigger than themselves. As
we enter the workforce our actions are not only
representative of our own ethical standard, but
it also reflects on the ethical integrity of the
greater University community.
I write to you because as the president of the
University, you have a vested interest in main-
taining the quality of its reputation. I also write
to you because you once took a strongstance on
the importance of ethics by leading an initia-
tive for the creation of the Center for Ethics in
Public Life. More significantly, when the center
was closed in 2011, University spokesman Rick
Fitzgerald issued a statement saying that, "the
evaluation was that its mission of ethics in pub-
lic life was now embedded in the community,"
and that "the provost's office believed that
would be sustained without having a specific
center focused on that."
Regretfully, I now say that whatever under-
standing of ethics that was then instilled in the
community is no longer present in the actions
of our students. We've reached an impasse in
our campus community; I fear that honor and
ethics are now principles found only in history
and literature.
Patrick Baumhart is an LSA sophomore.
Before I announced my candida-
cy for president of Central Student
Government, I called my friend
Chris Osborn to let him know I
would be running with youMICH.
He offered me the same courtesy
before he announced he would be
running with forUM. We wished
each other well and expressed a
mutual desire to work together
again next year, regardless of the
outcome. A little over a month ago, I
truly believed the campaign would
be quick and fun. I thought my
friendship with Chris would trickle
down to our respective parties and
create a friendly rivalry as we com-
peted to lead CSG.
I never could have predicted
this outcome. In an election that
garnered the most votes in the his-
tory of student government at the
University, my running mate Bobby
Dishell and I took second place to
Osborn and his running mate, Hay-
ley Sakwa. But due to a unanimous
ruling by the University Election
Commission that Chris and Hay-
ley influenced students while they
were voting, I am set to take office
as president of the CSG.
Many have said I sued my way
into office. Technically, that's true
- but in doing so, an incredibly
important rule was enforced. The
will of an individual in the voting
booth has to be protected. The pri-
vacy of an individual, acting alone,
exerting his or her will in the demo-
cratic process is precisely what puts
the voter in charge of the process.
There's a reason candidates cannot
Tragedy in Boston
brings together
community
TO THE DAILY:
"Explosion at the Boston Mara-
thon" - my stomach churns as I take
in the headlines. The footage of the
explosion sends shivers down my
spine. I can't help, but feel a mixture
of sheer disgust, sadness, confusion
and helplessness. My heart becomes
filled with sympathy for the victims
and their families. Again and again
the same three words keep running
through my mind: "Who does this?"
Having been.a competitive run-
ner for-almost half my life, I know
the impact of Monday's incident
enter the voting booth with voters.
Now, I don't think Chris set out
with the intention of breaking
this rule. I think he felt passion-
ately about the issues and wanted
to share that enthusiasm with as
many voters as possible. I think
he got caught up in the excitement
of the campaign and made a mis-
take. Ultimately, it's impossible to
quantify how much of Chris and
Hayley's 485-vote margin of vic-
tory would have been erased had
they not employed that illegal cam-
paign strategy. I personally main-
tain Bobby and I would've won, but
you're free to disagree. Many do.
Whatever your belief, it's true
that I will be the constitution-
ally legitimate president of CSG in
about one week's time. This isn't
how I thought I would take office,
tbut I'm excited for the opportunity.
And I'll work my tail off for the stu-
dents of the University for the next
year, whether they voted for me or
not. It's time to move past the elec-
tion. It's time to get to work on all
the fantastic initiatives that were
campaigned on this year.
Bobby and I have already begun
laying the groundwork for an off-
campus bus route, the Student Orga-
nization Sorting Hat Survey and the
Mcard mobile app. We've met with
administrators this week to present
our plan for a degree-granting entre-
preneurial learning community. We
have been in the Duderstadt from 2
a.m. until 5 a.m., gauging demand for
a 24-hour cafe on North Campus.
But those are just our initiatives.
The fact that the legislature and
executive branches, will be split
between forUM and youMICH
offers an exciting opportunity for
CSG to work hard on both parties'
goals. forUM brings a multitude of
great ideas to the table, and I par-
ticularly admire their passion for
environmental sustainability and
diversity. I look forward to working
with the forUM representatives, as
well as Chris and Hayley, to develop
a strategy for reducing the Univer-
sity's carbon footprint. And CSG
should play an active role in the
Dream Big, Dream Blue campaign
to engage and recruit high-school
students from underrepresented
communities. Scott Christopher,
the independent candidate, raised
awareness of some serious prob-
lems with Counseling and Psycho-
logical Services that need to be
addressed. forUM and youMICH
will rally around that admirable
goal of reforming CAPS. Similarly,
Nick Swider brought a multitude of
tangible goals - especially fresh-
men-centric ones - that CSG will
continue to work on next year.
Students, don't ever stop reach-
ing out to me, Bobby or any of your
56 newly elected representatives
with your thoughts and input. We
thrive on your ideas and feedback.
We all have certain directions we'd
like to take student government
in, but your voice can alter those
trajectories. The election is over.
We're ready to go to work.
Michael Proppe is an LSA junior.
SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@MICHIGANDAILY.COM
will be felt especially throughout for long periods of time running.
the running community. With the It's hard to explain without hav-
Boston Marathon being the premier ing experienced it first hand, but
marathon in the world, thousands ultimately it comes down to this
of the world's most devout runners - within the running community
flock to the streets of Boston each there's a sense of brotherhood and
year to compete. But the Boston sisterhood among individuals. It's a
Marathon is so much more than a beautiful a thing, and to see it per-
26.2 mile long race: it's a beaming verted by such destruction hit me
pillar of self-actualization, perse- like a sledgehammer.
verance and camaraderie. At this point, we're all still in
What shocked me the most shock awaiting more information,
about the explosions in Boston was but I'm curious to see how we as a
the seemingly unknown connec- running community will respond.
tion between pure sport and utter Knowing the determination,
destruction. Runners are known to endurance, and sportsmanship we
not only be some of the most disci- have cultivated as a community, I
plined individuals, but also some of imagine we'll finish strong.
the most friendly. There's a unique
bond created between individuals Kevin Allport
that enjoy torturing themselves LSA freshman
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