4 - Tuesday, September 10, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 4 - Tuesday, September 10, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom C 1 4efi[icl igan 4:lat*lu A safe space for whom? 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. F RO0M T HE D AILY Sobering guidance Intervention, not punishment, is key to helping addicted students For new freshmen at the University, figuring out how to allo- cate time between coursework, student organizations, night- life and other activities can be a daunting task. A new policy at the University of Idaho makes this juggling act even harder - now, freshmen who are unable to achieve that balance and receive a GPA of 1.0 or lower will be expelled. While this policy is part of a larger initiative aimed at combating underage drinking, it's uniquely mis- guided. The University of Idaho should find other options to deal with underage drinking - options that support students academi- cally and address the underlying problem, instead of just expelling students for having an extremely low first-semester GPA. For a lot of people, loving Michigan is something intuitive, like loving Nutella crepes. What could there possibly be to explain? I do love Michigan, but it took me a long way to get here, and it's been a ZEINAB thorny relation- KHALIL ship. A part of me just wants to forget myself in chants amid a sea of maize and blue, or lie on the Diag forever and watch autumn transform our campus into a pretty postcard. But the other part of me can't fully indulge this relationship because of the many micro-aggres- sions on this campus that are too hard for me to ignore. My memories of the past three years - as much as I've grown from them - include many painful real- izations of how unfriendly this place can be. They include times when a hug was used to compensate for a racist comment at a meeting and I conceded because I was too tired of being the only one in the room to respond. They include times when seeing campus police made me feel less safe because of how conde- scendingly they behaved with me in the past. They include times when racially coded words were used by a professor I thought I could trust. Of course, such micro-aggres- sions aren't unique to our campus, and there are the sunny moments and the tough ones in any place. But I wouldn't have been able to make it past all these tough moments if it weren't for the safe spaces I had to turn to - places where I was wel- come and didn't have to explain my being or make disclaimers, speak in a different tone or smile extra hard to ease someone else's prejudice. Places where I could be. Safe spaces intentionally catered to students of color - whether pro- vided by a student organization, an internal community forum or a Uni- versity office - are crucial. Unfortunately, those spaces are often unappreciated or viewed warily. I experienced this sentiment as a group of friends and I talked about forming a women-of-color collective on campus. Our conversation was soon consumed with questions like: 'What about white feminists who identify with our cause? How are we going to include them?' Similarly, I experienced this sen- timent as I brainstormed a campus- wide anti-racist campaignwith some peers. 'How will we get white stu- dents to care about diversity? Should we try to sell some point, like that to "sell" it to people who don't want their conscience bothered. If knowingthat your privilege and the institutions around you elevate you at the expense of holding back others isn't "incentive" enough for you to give a damn, excuse me if I don't feel like expending my time and energy convincing you to be a decent human being. Safe spaces are not intended tobe classrooms and should not be viewed as such - hence, they are not "miss- ing the point" at all. There's a time and place for white people to be enlightened, have their conscious- ness raised and discover their privi- lege - this space isn't one of them. they need to care To be clear, these because they may internal safe spac- end up in a diverse We cannot constantly es do not rule out workforce that peopleo color inter-community requires them toeXpeCt of dialogues, but may know about race to to "educate" their actually serve as a be more competi- . starting point for tive candidates?' white peers. just that. And, finally, I We cannot con- constantly observe stantly expect peo- this attitude by those who deem ple of color to "educate" their white identity-specific groups obsolete peers. Besides exhausting them, - the "color-blind" advocates who this burden reinforces a problematic think organizations or spaces dedi- power dynamic where students of cated specifically to marginalized color areexpectedtobe attheservice identity groups are exclusionary or of their white counterparts. "missingthe point" of diversity. Targeted individuals and com- We ought to questiontwo assump- munities cannot grow in spaces tions here. First, that white people where they are on the defensive, should be part of safe spaces for peo- where they're compulsively and ple of color, and without them, these constantly checking what they say spaces are somehow lacking, and, and how it will be received or (mis) second, that white people's comfort construed because of their race, and interest should be a prioritized where they aren't healing, dreaming focus of anti-racism/diversity work. and pushing forward. These messages presume that Before rushing to say how offen- exclusive spaces for people of color sive I sound or question howI would are threatening in some way, or, at feel if a group of white students least, deficient. decided to form their own space, They are not. Safe spaces for know that on a campus where whites people of color are inherently valu- make up 70 percent of the student able. They need not be dictated by or population (higher than the national include white voices to be valuable. average of 63 percent), most corners Along the same lines, anti-racism of this campus are already spaces and diversity work are inherently where they do not have to "manage" valuable and need not focus on white their race. students to be successful. Those who take on this difficult work shouldn't - Zeinab Khalil can be feel they have to go out of their way reached at zkha@umich.edu. For better or worse, underage drinking hap- pens on college campuses and is an important issue when it comes to students' health and safety. As such, universities should address it through programs focusing on awareness and counseling for students who are actu- ally abusing alcohol. The University of Idaho has taken steps in this direction other than the expulsion policy, including the creation of a required class for incoming freshmen that addresses substance abuse, new guidelines for fraternities and sororities for "alcohol-related activities" and the hiring ofnew staff members tasked with monitoring new policies - but that isn't enough. Investing in an academic intervention pro- gram for students whose grades aren't up to par would be beneficial, since transitioning to college presents differing difficulties for every student - even those who don't drink at all. LSA's policy regarding student academic per- formance states that the University can sus- pend those students whose GPA is close to 0 or substantially below a 2.0 in their academic major, r-quiring them to take-a semester off before requesting readmission to the Univer- sity. This gives struggling students time to deal with whatever it is that's preventing them from performingwell academically. It also putsthem in contact with a member of the Academic Stan- dards Board so they can discuss the student's suspension and where to go from there. While it's still unnecessarily harsh, this policy gives students a break and shows that the Univer- sity maintains its investment in those students' futures - something the University of Idaho's policy doesn't do. If the administration at the University of Idaho wants to curb underage drinking at its school, it might want to take a look at some of the innovative policies other colleges and uni- versities around the country have put in place. Stanford University has what its students call an "open-door" policy, where students drink- ing in their rooms in residence halls who leave their doors open don't have to fear an inter- vention from police just because there may be underage drinking going on. This forces drinking into a more public atmosphere; such a policy could encourage both less drinking and increased safety of those who do drink. Bentley University has an initiative called OneLess, which educates students about alcohol and encourages them to consume one fewer alcoholic beverage whenever they do choose to drink. After only one year, this program has resulted in a student body that drinks more moderately. Underage drinking is a reality - but that doesn't mean colleges and universities have no power to affect it. Through programs that distribute information about how to stay safe while drinking and provide academic support, students' college experiences can be improved. In defense of! illenials recentlyread an article about a young man named Luke Jordan who is attempting to hike the entire North Country Trail in one jaunt - a trek of 4,600 miles from North Dakota to New York. "Attempt," however, seems far too skeptical a word, as the 23-year-old has EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Kaan Avdan, Sharik Bashir, Barry Belmont, Eli Cahan, Eric Fergu- son, Jesse Klein, Melanie Kruvelis, Maura Levine, Patrick Maillet, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Jasmine McNenny, Harsha Nahata, Adrienne Roberts, Paul Sherman, Sarah Skaluba, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe JOHN KOSTER | Love thy bathroom KATE LARAMIE I could've written about Syria, about war: carnivorous like fire, grinning like sin. I could've written about my first trip into the Big House, where a crowd becomes a body in itself, its arms the cheerleaders, its legs the football team, its face a yellow hue of T-shirts. I could've written about my first week of classes and my major and my profes- sor and my classmates and my computer and my folder and my backpack and how it makes this annoying clanking noise as I walk. And I could've written about all of the other cliche and expected things a freshman might. But Ididn't. 4612-T, Lewis House, Bursley Residence Hall, the men's bathroom. In an attempt to save energy, the lights only turn on as you walk in. The darkness embodies abyss. Flo- rescent lights throw a bright, white light upon the objects around you. You squint. Still, you are aware enough to see what lies around you: eleven sinks, one soap dispenser with a 60-percent success rate and a hand dryer that does not dry, but effectively creates a ruckus. To your right are four urinals and four bath- room stalls, the latter equipped with morose, grey doors. Farther down the way are the showers behind yet another door; water tem- peratures range from Antarctic to scalding hot and change intermittently. To your left is a mirror purveying the sight of your sorry existence - perhaps following a Thirsty Thursday. Everything is dirty. On that note, just beneath you is the floor: Faded gray inlets outline faded grey tiles. Moist footprints leading across the bathroom darken the grey into a shade of black. This is the bathroom you are to inhabit for your freshman year. So you settle. You pick your favorite bath- room or shower stall and live with it. The best sink is chosen - the one that isn't clogged with ... well, let's not talk about that. Return- ing to the same bathroom stall or shower, you retrace your steps. A schedule has been made. The toothpaste and mouthwash assorted, mirrors are gazed into unnecessarily, for the looker already knows what his reflection will tell. And time and time again, history will repeat itself; weather variable, the bathroom will remain a control in the experiment. Until it doesn't. In the coming years, you may forget it (or try to). It may not dawn upon you that you've left it behind - the routines and memories, the friends and associates, the people, the Michiganders. Your graduation day will sure- lyoverlook it, eveninthatintrospectivemood. But it will dawn on you one day; and when that immense notion dawns upon a once ignorant mind, you'll be washing your hands with that apricot and cinnamon-scented hand soap you found for a great price in a Good Housekeep- ing Magazine. You'll look around and notice every piece of the bathroom is perfectly put together: None of the paint is chipped, the toilet glows white, the shampoo leaves not a hint of soap scum, as advertised on that daz- zling Dove commercial. Confounded with boredom, you will sign an empty wall, for imperfection breeds emo- tion in a wonderfully hidden way, and fault- lessness the opposite. Deformity is beloved subconsciously not by humanity's natural laziness, but by his sympathetic attachment to objects around him, for he knows he is lucky - no, blessed - as only he can have an item flawed in such a particular way. Enjoy the inhospitality while it lasts. It won't. John Koster is an Engineering frczhman. already walked more than 2,300 miles. Unless his determination takes a sharp turn, I'd bet almost anything thathe pushes on to finish - an accomplish- ment only achieved by three other people prior to him. The article, written by Howard Meyerson and originally published in the Grand Rapids Press, was inspiring to read, as I have my own aspirations of someday hiking part of the same trail. However, I was a little dismayed to find that, like most accounts of20-something's spending time in the great outdoors, the arti- cle couldn't come to an end without mentioning a few of the stereotypes of the "Millennial Generation." "Inanera when manyyoung adults are glued to their computers and social media," writes Meyerson, " ... Luke Jordan is a refreshing change." Yes, hiking the entire NCT sure is refreshing - how many people wake up in the morning and decide to put on a 30-pound backpack and walk four-and-half-thousand miles? Yet, the idea that Strider's story is inspiring not only because he's liter- ally walking across the United States, but also because he's a Millennial is a little insulting. At 20 years old, I'm a Millen- nial myself and well aware of every- thing my generation is supposed to be about. We're selfish, entitled, technology-obsessed children with no interest in anything that doesn't of energy production run Out. The concern our immediate well being. question hanging in the balance is We have no idea what nature really whether we transition before we is, and we have no interest in strik- completely bombard our atmosphere ing out to discover it for ourselves, as with carbon dioxide or whether we that would require leaving our com- transition after. puters behind and not receiving a Either way, peak oil is coming. text every five minutes. Since Strider We're tasked with protecting our is a Millennial, his extremely inspir- natural resources as the world popu- ing and noteworthy journey is even lation continues to skyrocket and weIs more incredible - 20-somethings attempt to feed, water, clothe and just don't do things like that. We're care for over seven-billion people. just not into all that nature stuff. Who will protect our hardwood I wouldn't beso sure. and tropical forests as they're Yes, I may meet the criteria for cleared in a desperate attempt to a stereotyped young adult: I have farm increasingly unproductive an iPhone, a computer and a Face- land? We, the Millennials, will have book account. Yet, at the same to. Who will protect our coastal time, I, along with hundreds of cities as the ice-caps melt and thousands of other flood Manhattan, Millennials, have New Orleans and more of a connec- ts ourgener ation Miami? Millenni- tion to nature than t als will have to do past generations that will either make, that, too. may think. Why? or break the fig ht to I's ionic real- Because we are the ly, that Millen- ones growing up stabilize our planet. nials - with our in - and facing the touchscreens and reality of - a world smartphones and that's changing. entitled attitudes Sea levels are rising at catastroph- - are touted as the generation most ic rates, and extreme weather pat- disconnected from reality. If you terns are leading to intense heat and ask me, it was our grandparents' unseasonal cold weather in places all generation that was out of touch around the world. The natural pro- when they solidified fossil fuels as cesses of our world are being driven the basis of our entire economy at to the extremes as our atmosphere the peak of industrialization. It's changes and our temperatures rise, our parents' generation that's miss- leading to excess wildfires, droughts, ing the big picture as they continue flooding, snow, torrential rain, hurri- stripping our natural resources, canes and tornadoes. undermining the delicate ecologi- And it's the Millennial Genera- cal balance of the world in search tion that will either make, or break, of more fuel to feed the economy's the fight to stabilize our planet. growing appetite. We are the future. We, along with Even from behind our computer our children, are the ones who will screens and from within our social suffer from the oncoming peak oil networking circles, we can see that crisis - when our oil production it's us, the Millennials, who will reaches its maximum rate - and have to deal with the fallout of past the depletion of fossil fuels around generations' short-sighted planning. the world. We'll have to find a way to transition to renewable sources - Kate Laramie can be reached of energy as our mainstream modes at laramiek@umich.edu ARE YOU BORED? DO YOU CARE ABOUT THE ISSUES WHATEVER THOSE MAY BE? COME TO EDITBOARD. MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS AT 6 P.M. 420 MAYNARD ST. EMAIL OPINIONEDITORS@MICHIGANDAILY.COM FOR DETAILS. I A9