4A - Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Op1 .ioti
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
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c t e Mchioan l 4:3all
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.
FROM THE DAILY
Sufficient funds yet lack of safety
The Athletic Department should ensure that their programs are safe
At a forum on minors' on-campus safety on Sept. 24, the direc-
tor of the University's athletic camps admitted to "significant
gaps" in the University's ability to oversee the safety of. more
than 9,000 minors in attendance. For instance, Athletic Camp adminis-
trator Katie Miranto highlighted flaws in the University's background
checks, acknowledging that the system didn't account for crimes commit-
ted outside of Michigan - meaning out-of-state applicants, who make up
approximately 33 percent of all camp staff, might not be fully scrutinized
before beginning to work with children. While the Athletic Department's
acknowledgement of program flaws is a refreshing admission and steps
have already been taken to amend the process, it points to a serious lack of
prioritization within the Athletic Department.
It's encouraging to see that the Athletic The Athletic Department has come under
Department is taking the appropriate steps criticism lately - and rightly so - for spend-
to fix this important hole in the system. In ing money on trite endeavors, such as paying
a letter to the editor of The Michigan Daily, for 55 skywritten messages at $100 a piece.
David Ablauf, the Athletic Department's While this is a drop in the bucket for the Ath-
spokesman, wrote that the'Athletic Depart- letic Department's budget, and may very well
menthas invested in the "hiring of a full-time be a smart marketing move, marketing comes
administrator who focuses daily on the sum- after child safety. Money clearly isn't the
mer camps, stepped up safety and security issue. Priorities are.
training for the camp director and counsel- It's troubling that it took this long to find
ors, establishment of a tracking and location gaps in the program. There's a serious lack
system for campers and coaches, develop- of communication within the department. A
ment of facility emergency plans that are full-time administrator for summer camps
widely shared and annual audits of the camps was needed from day one; hiring someone
to assure compliance with our policies." The after a problem was found is a good preventa-
Athletic Department took the correct steps to tive move for the future, but it doesn't change
solve this problem and did it quickly. Howev- the fact that this oversightshould have always
er, it's discouraging to see that this was over- been in place. The Athletic Department has
looked in the first place. no problem investing in new ways to market
The real problem here is something that themselves. It's unfortunate that they didn't
the Athletic Department can't necessarily spend this time looking within and making
solve with a new hire or advanced training. sure their programs are safe.
L ETTER T THE EDITOR SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@MICHIGANDAILY.COM
May I have this dance?
CONOR ANDERSON/Daly
S o, here's a familiar situ s- about to vomit, it's not the sexiest of me, gr my waist and press their
~tion: It's Friday night. You've settings. However, that small space denim-confined whiskey dicks
just spent a couple hours at a churning with colliding elbows and against my ass without so much asa
pregame where throwback R&B is the closest thing nod - which, I'd like to gently point
you popped college kids have to a bathhouse, out, would be considered harass-
beer bottles and where sexual displays are politely ment in any other situation. I'm
clinked shot unacknowledged and rubbing your not saying that all men are guilty
glasses of fruit- body against that of a stranger is of this, but it does happen and it's a
flavored fire expected if not encouraged. If the turn off for me no matter how many
water with your night is going to soar into the direc- times I give ita shot. At that point I
friends cheering, tion of sex, the dance floor seems to usually moonwalk out of there won-
"To tonight!" EMILY be the most likely point of takeoff. dering: Is this sexy and I'm just not
You're headed to PITY If you're like me, however, the getting it?
a bigger party - PITTINOS idea of these random encounters is of course, for me the answer is
maybe down the much more enticing than the actual no. Call me vanilla, but turning
street, or maybe experience. I usually dance onto the around to see who's latched onto
across town - but it doesn't matter floor with confidence, wiggle for a my backside is not my ideal first
because the distance is truncated minute, consider putting my mouth step toward a sexual encounter.
by your drunkenness. The walk is on someone's mouth, and then What happened to eye contact?
chilly, but your beer coat keeps you rapidly wise-up to my surround- What happened to romance and
warm. You throw your arm around ings. I watch some of the dancers conversation? It's not naive or
a friend's shoulder and slur some- goof off with uptight to crave
thing along the lines of: "You guys, their friends some kind of
I just really want to make out with a while the rest It's not naive or uptight spark before
stranger tonight." Everyone laugh - sway dizzily locking lips
it's funny because it's true. with lust, their to crave some kind of with another
It's easy to arrive at a college drunk-eyes spark before locking lips person.
party with sexual expectations. The only half open I, for example,
first things you find when you walk as they grind with another person. am way more
through the door are 1.) a place to eighth-grade likely to hook
stash your purse and 2.) bodies, bod- style against up with some-
ies, bodies. Contact seems so pos- an unfamil- one I'm laughing
sible. Blood alcohol content is high, iar crotch. Everyone is sweaty. No with on the porch than a stranger
inhibitions are low and every room one can be heard over the beats of taking liberties with my body inside
vibrates with kinetic sexual energy. Nelly's "Hot in Herre." The fantasy the house. It's definitely possible to
Whether it's been a while since you is suddenly too real, and the room have a meaningful one-night stand
got it on, you're trying to get over comes into sharp focus while my with a brand new person, buttI don't
someone or liquor just causes super- desire melts away. think the grab-and-grind approach
human sensitivity to pheromones But it's more than forced voyeur- is the way to go. There would prob-
in the air, the thought of an anony- ism making me uncomfortable out ably be more successful hook-ups
mous bump and grind can be highly there; the lack of communication if initial introductions were done
attractive. freaks me out. Yes, it may betoo loud with the basics - words, smiles, eye
The dance floor is often the breed- for "May I have this dance?" but it contact - rather than a surprise dry
ing ground for these desires. Sure, seems like the moment I find myself hump masquerading as dance.
with beer pooling on the living room marooned on the dance floor I've
floor and walls lined withtcouches signed a blanket consent form that -Emily Pittinos can be reached
full of kids who look like they're entitles dudes to come up behind at pittinos@umich.edu.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Kaan Avdan, Sharik Bashir, Barry Belmont, Eli Cahan,
Eric Ferguson, Jesse Klein, Melanie Kruvelis, Maura Levine, Patrick Maillet,
Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Harsha Nahata, Adrienne Roberts,
Paul Sherman, Sarah Skaluba, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe
Crisis. ofconfidence
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The Athletic Department
has program in place to
protect children
TO THE DAILY:
The University of Michigan Athletic Depart-
ment wanted to correct the record regarding
incorrect information in The Michigan Daily.
The Athletics Department has spent the past
40-plus years providing a safe, fun environment
for tens of thousands of kids through the summer
camp program - an exceptional track record for
which we're extremely proud.
The Athletic Department, in partnership with
the University, University of Michigan Police
Department and others, protects minors at the
camps through background checks,training pro-
grams and numerous other ways. Many of the
counselors we select are teachers and coaches
elsewhere, and they are hand-picked by Univer-
sity of Michigan coaches who own and operate
the camps. Finances have never been a factor in
our decision-making about safe practices nor will
they ever be.
We recently identified a gap in the system,
were transparent about that at a public forum,
have made corrections and are moving forward
with anenhanced service thatincludes a national
directorysearch.
That said, background checks of all kinds
- whether handled personally, by coaches or
through database reviews - are important, but
they are just one way to keep kids safe. A multi-
layered effort is needed, and that's what we have
in place.
We've invested heavily in other areas to
enhance the safety of our programs, includ-
ing the hiring of a full-time administrator who
focuses daily on the summer camps, stepped up
safety and security training for the camp direc-
tor and counselors, establishment of a tracking
and location system for campers and coaches,
development of facility emergency plans that are
widely shared and annual audits of the camps to
assure compliance with our policies.
David Ablauf
AssociateAthletic Directorfor media and
public relations
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,
DAN GREEN I
Being black in Ann Arbor
AnnArbor - a college town with leafysubur-
ban campus, beautiful skies, an old tradition and
a dollop of grace - for all intents and purposes, is
a haven of safety. People come here from around
the world to study and to cheer on the ol' maize
and blue. Being from Detroit, I had (and still
have) the same aspirations as any student. But
being a senior at the University and being from
Detroit, I have encountered an unsettling reality,
one that may be surprising to those students who
routinely ask me, "How dangerous was your high
school?" and "When was the last time you were
shot at?"
I feel less safe in Ann Arbor than I do in
Detroit.
It's not that I feel more physically threatened.
There are some students who are.even so nice as
to walk on the opposite side of the street when
they see me walking their way. I feel a more per-
nicious, more dangerous threat than that. I con-
stantly feel that my identity as well as my city are
inneed of protection.
This year I'm finishing up my Organizational
Studies major. Out of 100 students, I'm the only
black man in the program. How can this be? We
are the flagship public university in the state of
Michigan. We are 40 minutes away from Detroit,
a city with a black population of at least 80 per-
cent. But what is our black enrollment here at
Michigan?Only about4 percent.Worse yet,black
enrollment has fallen 30percent since 2006.
Then we have the "I was a Quicken intern and
I love the Wings!" Detroiters. I'm sure you've
seen a lot of Detroit on the commute from West
Bloomfield, straight to Hockeytown and back
to your safe haven. Often times these are the
folks who went to Detroit Partnership Day that
one time freshman year and feel as if they have
actually accomplished something. I love DP Day,
but people should realize that it's a genesis of
something bigger. Your one day of service really
doesn'tamounttomuchifyouarenotgoingtotry
to create bigger change from that day of service.
And what do you have left?
You have a campus that claims to be diverse,
viewing the picture through a white lens, but
falling pretty short of that mark.
Some may argue, "Nothing is in Detroit; what
good can you really say about it?" I have seen
this in so many comment sections on blogs and
news sites. My family lives in Detroit. I person-
ally take offense to this remark because it pretty
much implies my family's existence is worthless.
It hurts me every time someone makes a blan-
ket statement about Detroit because I view it'
as a personal attack on who I am and what has
shaped me.
It's embarrassing that the University doesn't
have a bigger presence in the city of Detroit. It
could help a lot in debunking the myths and
challenge the. stereotypes many people have of
Detroit and Detroiters. The new Connector to
Detroit is cool, I guess, but I have a suspicion it
will be used most frequently for Red Wings game
trips, which breeds the pseudo-Detroiter men-
tality I mentioned earlier. I never even thought
of being a Detroiter as an identity until I came to
college. Now, it is an identity I hold with pride to
show the University that you really don't know
Detroit like you think you do.
Dan Green is an LSA senior.
ast week, a friend sent me
a study that concluded col-
lege is bad for women's
self-esteem.
According to
this 2012 study,
female students
graduated from
Boston College
with lower lev-
els of self-esteem
than they had ZOE
exhibited asS
freshmen. Mean- STAHL
while, the male
students of Bos-
ton College became more confident
during their college careers despite
having lower average GPAs than
their female counterparts.
As a private, Jesuit research uni-
versity on the East Coast, Boston Col-
lege may seem worlds apart from our
big, public, midwestern university.
But, it's not hard to imagine how the
same might go on here. In my classes,
I've noticed that my female peers
and I seem less certain of what we
say -undermining our musings with
"maybe," "sorta" and "kinda." The
scientific research seems to suggest
the same. According to the Center
for Collegiate Mental Health annual
report, female students were more
likely to experience depression, gen-
eralized anxiety, social anxiety and
eating concerns, making it hard to
imagine how female students could
feel confident about themselves.
Discussing the study with my
friends, we admitted that, sadly, we
weren't all too surprised. What con-
cerned us even more though was the
conversation following the report's
release. The social commentary was
predictable - merely platitudes.
Female students felt less confident,
a writer suggested, because of the
pressure to be perfect.
The same article cited Maria Pas-
cucci, founder of Campus Calm - a
national organizati
helping college-age
healthier and hapi
saying, "In our soci
fectionist is a glorif
acceptable form of
women)." Other re
study cited the hook
superficial pressure
dress a certain way.
All the talk and
become a redundar
And although the
focus so acutely on s
es that could contr
self-esteem, they're
But because these
been recited again:
discussion of young
psyches, they seem1
only explanation, th
rative in which girls
they endure the con
be perfect, skinny an
What this narrat
the culpability on so
even women
themselves. But
if these college-
aged women
have presum-
ably lived in
our cruel world
their whole
lives, aren't we
ignoring the
new variables in the
really, or at least sp
be causing female:
less confident in col
Lisa Wade, an ass
and chair of the s
ment at Occident,
suggested that the
insecurity may hay
perfectionism and1
and more to do wi
privileging of men
ity in our society.";
campuses are micrc
societies. And whil
on focused on and structures may be similar,
d women lead they've now become more obvious
pier lives - as to us college-aged women. We've
ety, being a per--heard that "we can do whatever we
ied and socially want" or "women are equal as men"
self-abuse (for all our lives, but it's hard to deny the
sponses to the reality we see - that the Central
k-up culture and Student Government president is
es to look and always a man and that male college
athletics always seems to get more
reasoning have coverage than their female peers.
nt, empty trope. This is certainly not to suggest
se observations that men have it easy. At the end
uperficial stress- of the day, this constantly cited
ibute to female narrative doesn't only do a dis-
not everything. service to female students, but to
concerns have male students, too. Statements like
and again in the "women leave college with lower
women and their self-esteem" and "women feel like
to prevail as the they have to be perfect" deny the
is creates a nar- pressure male students also feel.
feel insecure as Gender norms can be just as confin-
stant pressure to ing for men as women. And these
ad to hook up. broad claims overshadow the other
ive does is place part of the story: that male students
cietal forces and experience higher levels of academ-
it distress than
female students,
Let's not rely on tired that men expe-
truisms when talking rience greater
levels of hostil-
about men and ity and alcohol
abuse, and that
women in college. men are more
likely to seri-
ously consider
equation? What suicide after starting college than
ecifically, might women. This picture reveals that
students to feel we can't forget the unique stresses
lege? of men.
ociate professor So, the next time we inevitably
ociology depart- start talking about men and women
al College, has in college, let's not rely on and rein-
root of female force these tired truisms. Instead,
e less to do with let's consider the forces that create
hook-up culture stress for all students. It might not
th "the ongoing be an easy or pleasant dialogue, but
and masculin- it's one worth having.
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So, sure, college
ocosmic, smaller
le the pressures
-Zoe Stahl can be reached
at zoestahl@umich.edu.
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