4A - Monday, November 25, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com C I 4e Michigan l 4:)at*lu Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily~cmnichigandaily.com MELANIE KRUVELIS sod ADRIENNE ROBERTS MATT SLOVIN 1 ITORIAL PAGF EDInORS 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. Statewide student safety School evacuation plans should be comprehensive and accessible In the past few years, there have been high-profile and deadly school shootings that often cause Americans to question laws surrounding emergency evacuations in schools. While there is usually a discussion on school safety immediately surrounding a tragic shooting, there never seems to be much preventative action taken at the state level. A recent report released by Save the Children, a non-governmental disaster relief organization, found that Michigan is one of four states that fails to meet all the evacuation and relocation criteria set by the National Commission on Children and Disasters. Michigan can't wait for a disaster to strike to for- mulate plans to keep students, teachers and staff safe. Multifaceted school evacuation plans, which include plans for evacuation/relocation, family- child reunification, children with special needs and multiple-disaster scenarios, must become a statewide policy, and legislators need to ensure lower-income schools can implement these safety measures. Iam blo by the the #1 has galvar Black stuc at Michigan beyond tool reflect on w means to a an overwh ingly white: tution. Bec this cam clearly fr and ce the exper of Black st when I cat news headl who opt for ity" to talk impacts thu I've seer that say th helped me what mino face" or he #BBUM car minority at tion." The wor simplistic a tized so we does a wor - one that range of ve population why do w terms like color" or "n cussing and histories an ular racial a What is it hashtag like sibly drive ity studen students"% campaign a Given the d relationship of color, we cannot be u a place of sp By the sc "minority" ed in the 3 When 'minority' doesn't work wn away and inspired pie chart on the Michigan admis- whether I'm here beca strength and savvy of sions brochures and presentations academic merit. So what' BBUM campaign that stamped with "minority students," student experience are p nized a sector that includes every racial, use this word referring t dents ---- ethnic and national identity that tainly not mine. and is not solely white American. This The misuse of the wo penly 30-percent segment may look like ity" has tangible ramific hat it a lot to many prospective students point to a noticeable tr ttend thinking about Michigan - it could spaces, groups and ielm- even be a dealbreaker. It's only once catered around specific insti- they get here and realize how broad are derailed and diluted cause ZEINAB the terim's scope is do they recognize of "multiculticultural,"" paign Z ABL that diversity on campus doesn't feel or "people of color." I ames K L as big as this sizeable shaded sector many groups and space nters on the brochure. pus co-opted and conv ience That's because the "minority broader and less-defined udents, I was confused enrollment" problemonthe tongues the name of multicultur me across a number of of many administrators, faculty and inclusivity. The Trotter ines and commentators students these days doesn't affect tural Center was, at its the vague term "minor- racial, ethnic and national minori- the Black Student Cultu about #BBUM and its ties in the same way. We need to that emerged by stude s far. complicate "minority" so that we Black Action Movement n tweets by observers can come up with specific solutions nized for a Black-cent ings like, "#BBUM has for problems that target specific on campus. A campus . learn so much about communities instead of using broad show centered on the e rity students at UM numerical figures in ways that pro- of South Asian women adlines that read, "The vide a misleading image of "diver- adopted by the Residenti mpaign explores being a sity" at the University. framed as a "multicultt a top American institu Aside from being a tool that cat- and eventually run andi egorizes a very wide range of peo- mostly by white wom d "minority" is glaringly ple into a single group to give the homecomings, Latina/ id should be problema- impression of wide racial diversity graduation ceremonies, can end its misuse. Who of underrepresented students, the events that center and si d like racial "minority" "minority" term erases the spe- tinct racial identities h lumps together a wide- cific narratives of different com- explained and justified ry diverse and distinct munities of color. The word cannot year because many don' s- serve and benefit? be used interchsangeably with the value or necessity. e fall back on hesitant names of certain racial or ethnic Why does it make s "minority," "person of groups when discussing the lived uncomfortable to name t nulticultural" when dis- experiences, stories or struggles of es for what they are? Why f describing the specific specific identity groups. Doing so like we have to water the d experiences of partic- suggests that people of color expe- make them less identity- nd ethnic communities? rience racism and other obstacles repeatedly assert that the about a very defined in similar ways, when in fact, these to everyone" in order t #BBUM that could pos- issues are often manifest different- mate? For many student anyone to use "minor- ly across different contexts. spaces of survivabilityo ts" instead of "Black As a non-Black person of color, While collective "mul while referring to the racism and ignorance are a real spaces for people of col nd the issues it raises? part of my own college experience. term itself may be useful Differences and complex But when it comes to the diverse contexts to promote into s between communities responses of the #BBUM campaign, nity solidarity, we should ords such as "minority" I do not and cannot try to co-opt or to dismiss the particular sed synonymously or in relate to these experiences that are ing needs and challenge 'ecific group names. not mine. As a "minority," no one on ent racial communities. hool's definition, I ama campus has ever assumed that I'm at Michigan. I am includ- from Detroit. No one has ever asked -Zeinab] t-percent sector of the to touch my hair. No one questions reached at zkhai use of my "minority" people who o? It's cer- rd "minor- ations that end where discourses identities with hints "minority," have seen s on cam- erted into d spaces in ralism and Multicul- founding, ral Center nts in the who orga- ered space monologue xperiences was later ial College, ural show" performed en. Black o student and other upport dis- ave to be year after 't see their ome of us these spac- y do we feel em down or specific or ey're "open o be legiti- s, these are on campus. [ticultural" or and the i in certain er-commu- n't allow it and press- s of differ- Khalil can be @umich.edu. I I 6 6 Though Michigan doesn't meet the stan- dards created by the National Commission on Children and Disasters, the state does require schools to practice six fire drills, two tornado drills, and two other safety drills -- one of which must be a lockdown drill. Some school districts have gone even further, creating their own emergency evacuation plans. The lack of the policy's uniformity across Michigan's school districts, however, is cause for concern. By leaving these plans up to the discretion of local districts, affluent com- munities have access to better precautionary plans. Schools that don't have the resources to fully consider and implement plans are putting students at greater risk than their peers in wealthier districts. Legislators must take into consideration economic solutions for districts who are unable to afford proper emergency evacuations plans. In the meantime, school districts should look for gaps in their current emergency haz- ard plans that are easy and affordable to rem- edy. Having one entry point into the building and putting locks on the inside of classrooms are simple solutions educators could imple- ment immediately. Parents must understand and explain to their children their school's emergency hazard plan to help create a more prepared environment if disaster does occur. We can't give up on the ACA Have you ever had the perfect chocolate chip cookie? One that's just soft enough, has the perfect amount of chocolate chips and sugar, and is flawlessly complimented by a glass of milk? Growing up, I was lucky to experience * the sensation of eating just this type of cookie many times. The Jones' house was \ always my favorite to go to when I was younger. Cole PATRICK Jones, one of my child- MAILLET hood best friends, was one - ---n s of seven children raised by Sam and Patty Jones. Although the kids each added a particular element to the house, Sam and Patty were really the two that gave the house the character that I loved. Above all else, Patty added the single most important characteristic of all: her famed recipe for chocolate chip cookies. No matter what was going on, I knew that I could always go to the Jones' house and receive a great meal, usually a cookie, and a warm welcome. It was my home away from home. Last month I received a phone call from my mom. Her voice cracked as it always does right before she delivers bad news. Patty Jones had had a seizure the night before and was taken to the hospital where they found a sizable tumor in her brain. Patty was diag- nosed with advanced-stage brain cancer. My heart dropped when I heard the news. Patty was the epitome of a healthy and active woman. Famous for riding her bike dozens of miles a day, Patty was in great shape and seemed like the last person who could get sick. But as it always does, cancer showed me once again that its victims were those who you would least expect. While dealing with the initial shock of hearing that a mother figure from my child- hood was facing a fatal diagnosis, my mom gave me possibly worse news: Patty doesn't have health insurance. Suddenly my emo- tions were overcome with the practical asser- tions that come with that statement. I knew that medical bills are the number one cause for bankruptcy in the United States. Worst of all, I knew that instead of focusing on beat- ing cancer like she should, Patty was going to have to figure out how to pay for her skyrock- eting health costs. Last week I talked to Patty's oldest daugh- ter, Gina, who has taken the lead in caring for her mother. Although Gina sounded strong and confident in her mother's ability to beat cancer, I could tell that she was frustrated with the endless loops that she had gone through in the past couple weeks. Like mil- lions of Americans, Gina and her mom have repeatedly gone onto healthcare.gov only to be led to a dead end. They've tried callingthe help line and they were told that there is a plan that Patty quali- fies for, but that it wouldn't go into effect until January 1. When Gina tried looking into pri- vate insurers, all of them were uninterested in Patty's preexisting condition and resound- ingly rejected her plan. Until January 1, Patty will have to pay for everything out of pocket. So far, Patty has received a brainbiopsy and a craniotomy to reduce the size of the tumor. These procedures cost $51,000 and $49,000 respectively. In four weeks, Patty will begin a radiation and chemotherapy treatment plan in which each round of treatment will cost anywhere between $20,000 and $65,000. These numbers are staggering, but luckily Patty has the love and support of her fam- ily and friends. In fact, Gina and her siblings have started an account on giveforward.com for their mother and have raised $53,000 and counting. What about those who aren't fortunate enough to have a team behind them for their battle against cancer? Who makes the phone calls to every neurosurgeon on the East Coast for these people? Who has their back? The Affordable Care Act was a giant step in trying to help millions of uninsured Ameri- cans while also lowering costs for those already insured. Unfortunately, the rollout for the ACA has been an absolute nightmare. Healthcare.gov has countless bugs that are leaving millions of people without answers as to how they are supposed to meet the March 31, 2014 deadline of signing up for health insurance. The ACA undeniably has its flaws, but the need for reform is still very much alive. There are approximately 48-million uninsured Americans. These people aren't bottom- feeders or slackers -- they're our family mem- bers, our neighbors and, in some cases, our favorite cookie bakers. To simply forget these people amongst all of the political banter that has, and will, continue to be thrown around would be a travesty. Health care is a right, not a privilege. The ACA needs some serious work, but giving up on healthcare reform now would be a massive step backward in fixing our broken system. The political back-and-forth surrounding the healthcare bill overlooks people like Patty Jones - people who can't wait for the Repub- lican answer to what they call an "insidious" law. They need coverage, coverage that's not hinging on legislative plays. If anyone is going to beat cancer, it's Patty. But we need to make sure asa country that we have Patty's back. - Patrick Maillet cars be reached at mailletlumich.edu EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Kaan Avdan, Shank Bashir, Barry Belmont, James Brennan, Rima Fadlallah, Eric Ferguson, Jordyn Kay, Jesse Klein, Melanie Kruvelis, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Victoria Noble, Adrienne Roberts, Matthew Seligman, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe SAMIA AYYASH 'Why do you care ? You're not even Black!' The title of this article echoes the exact words that were yelled at me in my Arabic class just this week by a fellow Arab-American student. Prior to presenting on Jamal 'Abd al-Nasser, my colleague opened his University e-mail in front of the class to access his project. The title of the email he sent to himself was "My N****' Nasser." While I didn't initial- ly notice or say anything, I was sworn to secrecy by a friend in the class not to say anything after I was informed. I complied until I was eventually forced to choose between complicity and moral obligation. In between snickers and giggles - as if this was a light-hearted mat- ter - that same friend who swore me to secrecy commented on her disbelief to the presenter that he would have written and, at the very least, displayed such words in front of the class. Perhaps over- come by guilt, shame or challenge, my colleague waved his arms in the air and assured loudly that no one in the class cared, and it was fine. While entitled to his freedom of expression, he's not entitled to make assumptions about mine. I cared. I interjected simply to tell him so, and that's all it took for him to condemn me with: "Why do you care? You're not even Black!" This was then followed by "So what if I'm racist? I'm a racist, so what?" In the midst of campus climate and the ongoing Theta Xi disgrace, there are so many things I could have, and should have, said. But what seemed more personal was that my colleague was not only a fellow classmate, but also a fellow Arab American. The explicit racism in his use of the "N" word and his misunderstanding of its history are appalling and wrong. But he, and seemingly the other silent students in my class, didn't find fault enough to speak up about this, nor about his implication that I surely should not care about race, as I'm not Black. I cannot speak on behalf of other cultures, races and ethnicities, but I can speak on my own expe- riences - my experiences as an Arab American whose culture has been informed by anti-Black ideals. Our culture is beautiful and proud, but the ugly truth behind my col- league's comments and e-mail sub- ject line isn't a reflection of what we as Arab Americans and peripheral communities want to stand for, and it is certainly not a reflection of my own beliefs. Of course, I cared. And I didn't have to be Black to do so - I only had to be human. Again, I can only comment on my own experiences, and those experi- ences included multiple occasions of my aforementioned classmate using the "N" word to casually refer to friends. Others and I corrected him, but he missed the point. To clarify to him and other bigoted individuals, there is no "cool" way to use this word as you suggest. You sound ignorant, elitist, rac- ist and foolish when you use it to refer to your friends or classmates, and neither you nor the person you are addressing is Black or African American. The "N word" has an incredible history of injustice and oppression that cannot be ignored, and that's perpetuated every time you appro- priate it. Again, while it's not mine to claim, what I have observed and learned is that the Black com- munities who were originally held in contempt by the "N" word have redefined it to empower them- selves and define their history of struggle. You have no right to it, and neither do I. As the use of the "N" word spreads and becomes more common, you infringe on yet another right of Black and African Americans - as if the institutional- ized racism in this country has not been thorough enough. And now, because you use the "N" word and carry the same brand that I have been labeled with in America, oth- ers assume that I stand for this, too. Please stop. As a community that has over- all been quite successful in Amer- ica socioeconomically, we as Arab Americans have empowered our- selves materially and forgotten the richness of our past. When we appro- priate words that we have no right to, we become the colonizers, the impe- rialists and the neoliberals who tore apart our countries because we were not 'fit' or 'civil' enough for self-rule and self-determination. When we are passive about these daily occur- rences, we play into the power struc- ture in America that is systematically influenced by its racist past - and present. We have simultaneously helped create and played into a hierar- chy of races, the highest of which is the white male that we strive to become. We distance ourselves from blackness with lighthearted comments affirming our neither white nor Black status - "Oh, I'm sun-kissed" or "I'm olive-skinned" are among my favorites. Why do we do this? Why do we strive tobecome what we should rightfully despise? Why is it acceptable that the root of empowerment in America for Arab- Americans and other marginalized groups is anti-blackness? I can't even deny this reality in my own life. Growing up, I was told not to stay outside for too long. What would the neighbors or our relatives say if I was too dark? And not to mention the way that Arab American communities refer to Black and African Americans as 'abd or 'abeed, meaning slave. Have we forgotten the Arab slave trade and the systematic discrimination likened to apartheid that exists in our beloved Palestine? It's logical and right that we are therefore the natural allies in this intra-campus struggle that has thankfully found its way into the national spotlight. The race and diversity issues that we face at the University of Michigan are merely a microcosm of greater issues in America and elsewhere. From an Arab American's view, our cultural ideals are in need of re-evaluation. We are not alone in needing to reex- amine and amend our thinking, traditions and statements when it comes to allying with the Black struggle. These events are our call for mutual solidarity. Samia Ayyash is an LSA senior. HEY. 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