4A - Monday, December 2, 2013
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
4A - Monday, December 2, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
NIC MiCtgan 4aly V
Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan since 1890.
An ode to small towns
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 solelythe views of their authors.
Accessible AP
Michigan needs to open college prepatory courses to diverse students
School districts across the nation have implemented initiatives to
expand Advanced Placement course offerings - high-level courses
that offer students the opportunity to earn college credit in high
school - to groups with limited access to academic resources, includ-
ing Black, Hispanic, low-income and aspiring first-generation college
students. In spring 2013, the state of Washington passed legislation that
encourages students who meet a state threshold on state standardized
exams or similar tests to enroll in Advanced Placement courses. Michi-
gan, on the other hand, isn't doing enough to encourage diverse and low-
income students to enroll in AP courses. At the district, state and federal
levels, more action needs to be taken to encourage a diverse group of stu-
dents to enroll in these classes as well as make it more economically fea-
sible for them to take AP exams in preparation.
Growing up in a town of
fewer than 4,000 resi-
dents, it became very clear
to me after step-
ping foot on this
campus that I
wasn't exposed
to some of the
same opportuni-
ties growing upi
as my peers.
It seemed ini-
tially that every- SARA
one around me MOROSI
was from a big
city - some-
where rich in culture and diversity.
I began to feel as if I were in an
arms race with my peers, not know-
ing how to reach the finish, and def-
initely not knowing how to come
close to winning. It was intimidat-
ing, and there were times in the
first few months that I wanted to go
back home. Lookingback, Isee how
foolish I was being.
As I continued to get to know
other freshmen, my insecurities
began to fade. I met people who
shared a similar background with
me, along with the many who did
not. According to the University's
Office of Registrar, 30 percent of
students are out-of-state, with rep-
resentation from all 50 states. Six
percent are international, with stu-
dents hailing from 150 countries.
I stopped looking at the geo-
graphical diversity at this Universi-
ty as a cause of personal diffidence,
and instead began to appreciate how
many people I had to learn from. As
cliche as it may sound, some of the
most valuable lessons I'll take from
this place were taught by my peers
outside of the classroom.
I began to recognize that no one
background is "better" than the
next, and because of that, I had
a renewed sense of appreciation
for my small-town upbringing: for
what it gave me, and for what it
allowed me to share with the peo-
ple around me.
I recently started following Huff-
ington Post's Love Letters project
- a series of letters written by those
who have something to say about
the place that means the most to
them. For many, it's the place they
call "home." You can find love let-
ters written to some of the world's
most beautiful and desired destina-
tions - London, Paris, New York
City, New Orleans and-Hong Kong,
for instance.
But where's the love for the
small towns? Cities with popula-
tions in the thousands, even hun-
dreds, seemed to be barely a blip on
the project's map. Thus, my ode to
small towns everywhere:
Dear Small Town,'
I'm sorry for having left you. It
wasn't you; it was me. I'll forever be
grateful for the
years we spent
together, but Realizin
our time had
run its course. backgroun
Even so, my
gratitude is still than anot
very much alive mena r
for you, small ap
town. I hope home
you understand.
I came to
know you well,
small town - so well that I could
navigate your contours with my
eyes closed. I appreciated that
familiarity. You were predictable,
but I was OK with that. In fact, it's
one of the qualities I still love most
about you.
I loved our traditions, my favor-
ite being Fridays in autumn. I
remember the excitement that
would hit me as soon as I woke up.
Once 7 p.m. rolled around, it was
the same excitement that made its
way to the football field that was
home to most for a few hours on
those Friday nights. Those memo-
ries are some of my most cherished.
I could tell you, small town, that
running errands in my new place is
a lot quicker now. When I was with
you, grocery shopping took so long.
With you, I had to stop and have a
conversation with everyone I knew,
which was essentially everyone I
saw. I could also tell you that I miss
that.
I remember saying goodbye to you
on that August night, sitting in the
top row of the stands. There were
no players on the field that time, and
the rows below me were empty. I was
scared. I didn't think I wanted to
leave you, small town. You were safe.
Some might think you held my hand
too much, but I don't agree. You gave
me support and comfort. You gave
me the friends
I'll always come
lg n0 one back to, and the
families that
d is better became my sec-
ond.You gave me
her made a solid founda-
-Ciate X tion to build on.
i Y Since leaving
town. you,I've learned
that "home" is
a word that's
interchangeable.
They say home is where the heart is,
and that's why you'll always have a
piece of mine, small town. But I hope
you can understand that pieces of
my heart will be left elsewhere, too.
Starting here in Ann Arbor, my sec-
ond place to call home.
- Sara Morosi can be reached
at smorosi@umich.edu.
There are a number of barriers that may dis-
courage students from taking AP classes. Many
districts mandate AP enrollment require-
ments, such as teacher recommendations and
extremely high test scores, which can discour-
age the academically underserved. According
to a report from The Education Trust, only 6
percent of Black students are enrolled in the AP
program, which is is almost half of the 11.7-per-
cent national average of AP participants. Low-
income students make up just 5.5 perfect of the
participants, and they are are three times less
likely to enroll in an AP course than those from
higher-income families.
The barriers to entry for AP classes should
be lowered. Opponents argue that content
may have to be "watered down" because for
the benefit of unprepared students. While this
sentiment may be true in some cases, research
conducted by the College Board challenges
this assumption. When analyzing data from
690,000 high-school graduates in 2012, the
College Board found that 75 percent of Ameri-
can Indian students,f66percent of Hispanic stu-
dents and 72 percent of Black students whose
PSAT scores showed that they had the potential
to be successful in an AP math course weren't
enrolled. Other studies show that both diverse
low-income students and students of color who
enroll in AP classes perform well, even when
the requirements to take these classes are sig-
nificantly lowered.
There are benefits to having a more diverse
group of students in classroom settings. A
University study conducted from 1990 to 1994
states that students who interact with a diverse
group of peers in both informal and classroom
settings show the greatest "engagement in
active thinking, growth in intellectual engage-
ment, and growth in intellectual and academic
skills."
In 2013, Michigan's AP program partici-
pation was lower than the national average.
Furthermore, Michigan should look into pass-
ing legislation similar to that of washington's,
lowering the threshold on standardized tests.
As of April 2013, educational representatives
of Washington have been in favor of the leg-
islation because it has engendered "incred-
ible benefits," such as an increase in AP exam
enrollment for students.
Efforts to make AP tests more affordable for
low-income students are lacking. For example,
the Michigan Department of Education has for-
tunately received a federal AP Test Fee Reduc-
tion Grant for the past 11 years, butnthis year the
grant has been held up by the federal govern-
ment - Michigan may not end up acquiring the
grant at all. This grant is very important for all
students to get credit for college courses and
save money, and for those who hadn't consid-
ered it, to make higher educationa more realis-
tic prospect. Congress needs to make this issue
a priority.
With a combined effort from districts
around the University as well as the state and
federal government, acceptance into AP classes
for a wider range of students of diverse back-
grounds can become a reality, and AP exams
will become more economically feasible for
students. By doing so, students - as well as the
classes themselves - will greatly benefit.
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VICTORIA NOBLE I V
Time to end profiling policies
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
Thepeople behind, the problems
very Tuesday night, ILgo frustrate me as well. It's only when are we often willing to let other
with three other University I put myself fully in someoneselse's Americanssgo hungry by cutting
students to Freedom House, shoes and imagine all of the factors food stamp programs, willing to
a non-profit and considerations going into their stand by idly as many American
in Detroit. It's choices that I understand their families homeless and willing to
part of a French actions in the face of adversity. tolerate so many other problems in
service-learning There are often unreasonably our society?
course through high expectations for those who fall I think it's because we lose sight
the Residen- on hard times, people who lose their of the individual people involved.
tial College, so homes or jobs, for example. A single It's easy to fall back on quick judg-
I don't know if mistake or flaw can be used as an ments, or to assume that anyone in
it technically explanation for someone's suffer- a hard situation is there because
counts as volun- LISSA ing. It's easy to ignore the fact that they deserve it - that they did it
teering, but it's KRYSKA for most people, a single flaw or mis- to themselves. It's easy for me to
always one of the take would cause a minor setback assume that I am fundamentally
best parts of my and nothing more. But when you're different from them in some way,
week. The political refugees who in a precarious place to start, even because otherwise I face the real-
live there while applying for asylum the smallest mistakes can be fatal. ization that I am one misfortune
in the United States are some of the It's unfair to hold people in difficult away from the same situation. And
kindest, smartest and bravest peo- circumstances to a higher standard that's scary. What's even scarier is
ple I've ever encountered all in one just because they started out in a facing up to the sheer injustice in
space. I enjoy spending time with bad situation. the world, and the large number of
them. But most importantly, I love It's easy to forget about the sto- people who suffer because of it.
my visit there each week because ries of individuals when discuss- So, over winter break, in between
it reminds me to think "in terms of ing large-scale problems. We start catching up on sleep and Netflix,
people." throwing around generalizations I'm going to put aside some time
Let me try to explain what I about poor people, rich people, for volunteering. Because it's when
mean by that. I follow the news, this race and I go outside of
obsessively at times, and various that religion, my comfort zone
situations and causes impassion and suddenly - when I inter-
me. Refugees, impoverished fami- the discussion It's easy to forget act with people
lies, kids with cancer - it makes is no longer less fortunate
me so angry to see all of the suffer- about people about people when than I and talk
ing in the world, especially when I at all, and that to them, form-
feel like so much of it could be fixed changes every- looking at large- ing a picture of
if we really wanted it to be. But thing. Humans scale problems. who they are and
somewhere along the way I start to are designed to what their lives
lose sight of what makes me care so feel compassion- look like - that
much in the first place: the people. ate about each I am truly aware
It can be difficult for me to other, and most of us like to help of all the people behind those news
remember that the people who we others. Studies show that volunteer- stories and statistics. If you have an
often see as the "bad guys" in diffi- ing and donating to charity make us hour to spare, try it; you might be
cult situations are also people, often feel good and can even improve our surprised by whatyou find.
with families, trying to do what physical and mental health.
they think is best. People who stand So, how do we end up having so - Lissa Kryska can be reached
by and do nothing for those in need many negative conversations? How at Ikkryska@umich.edu.
S
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Over the next couple of holiday-filled
months, students will travel more than they do
all year. For many, this involves flying and the
hassles that come with it in the name of nation-
al security. Though some are clearly necessary
to keep passengers safe, others, such as the
Travel Security Agency's Screening of Passen-
gers by Observation Technique program, have
come under intense scrutiny for being ineffec-
tive, racist and expensive - and rightfully so.
According to a report from the U.S. Gov-
ernment Accountability Office, the program
- which has cost nearly $1 billion since its
inception - trains and deploys more than
3,000 behavior detection officers to the nation's
busiest airports. There, they go undercover and
attempt to identify suspicious-looking individ-
uals who may pose a security threat. The TSA
calls this a "common sense" approach to com-
bating terrorism. But this model assumes that
terrorists all look and behave in the same ways.
The GAO found that these officers are only able
to identify threats at a rate that is the "same as
or slightly better than chance" - essentially
calling the method's usefulness into question.
Moreover, the report raises doubts about
whether these superficial means can decide
who looks questionable in art objective way.
Largely perpetrated by the media, wide-
spread bias about what terrorists look like
means these so-called "objective" methods
can lead to racial profiling. Because these offi-
cers are often undercover, there's no way for
victims of potential racial profiling to know
for sure whether or not they have been tar-
geted. So, while the TSA maintains that race
and religion are never factors, we can't be
sure the agency's behavior detection officers
don't put a greater burden on certain races or
groups. In any case, the TSA's willingness to
tolerate possible racial profiling is unaccept-
able - even more so in the face of a program
with a dubious success record.
Furthermore, some of the behaviors that tip
off officers to possible terrorists include seem-
ing stressed, rushed, nervous, or expressing an
opinion of security processes. But the process
itself tends to provoke these reactions. Under
these rules, it doesn't take more than a fear of
flying, anxiety about missing a flight or dissat-
isfaction with the system to display so-called
terrorist behavior.
Lastspring, I was selected for further inspec-
tion at Detroit Metro Airport after making
negative remarks about the x-ray scanners and
having to take my shoes off. But this targeting
doesn't just target the outspoken. SPOT's sole
purpose is to systematically target individuals
that stand out for a variety of reasons. Maybe
they're sweating too much. Maybe they're too
loud. Maybe they look tired. Regardless of their
so-called physical symptoms of being a ter-
rorist, singling out individuals who are most
distressed by an inherently nerve-wracking
security process is wrong and unhelpful.
While some of these officers are stationed
at security checkpoints where travelers know
they are beingwatched, many are not. Require-
ments for TSA officer identification are not
uniform and vary across the country. Several
airports do not require that these officers be
stationed at security stations, or even be in
a TSA uniform. In April, LAX removed the
requirement to keep officers at security check-
points at all times, so as to reduce the pre-
dictability of security measures. Instead, the
officers are sentinside the airport, where trav-
elers have no idea that they are being watched,
or that the guy who randomly started talking
to the them was an undercover agent. Domes-
tic spying is illegal for other agencies such as
the CIA, so why the TSA would be allowed to
do it on a regular basis makes little sense.
SPOT is currently being reviewed by the
House Committee of Homeland Security's
Subcommittee on Transportation Security,
after behavior detection officers failed to
spot a gunman who killed a TSA officer and
wounded three others at LAX on Nov. 1, and
after the GAO and Department of Homeland
Security both publicly criticized the pro-
gram. Both Democratic and Republican rep-
resentatives have called for SPOT's funding
to be stripped. For the many travelers that
have been putting up with BDO's antics since
the program began in 2007, it's about time.
Victoria Noble is an LSA freshman.
VIRGINIA EAST HOPE
E-MAIL VIRGINIA AT VCEHOPE@UMICH.EDU
VIIJEAUGTHDOPEEMDANILWUNGL O TVCO@MIHE
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