4A - Wednesday, April 16, 2014
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
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MEGAN MCDONALD
PETER SHAHIN and DANIEL WANG KATIE BURKE
EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board.
All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views oftheir authors.
Registration information
The U should provide more support and information during backpacking
anycolleges and universities, such as Cleveland State University,
are beginning to allow students to register for courses for the
entire year - during one enrollment period. Currently at the
University, students will register for fall and winter terms at different
times during the year. In fact, course guides are not even available for
the future semesters at the time one registers for the upcoming one.
The lack of information is stressful for students, and in some cases even
delays graduation when a required class does not end up being offered
when a students anticipated it would be. Further, there is a general lack of
advising opportunities for students to help them make sense of the spread
out and inconsistent course information. While having students register
for the entire year may not be the answer, the University should provide
course information for the entire year in order to help students plan their
academic careers.
MARGUERITE RAMM
E-MAIL MARGUERITEAT ROSERAMM (UMICH.EI}U
IT'S KIND OF POETIC BECAUSE MY FUTURE 15 AL50 GLAD YOU WERE
THAT MARY BARRA BMKHIGAN MADE AND LIKELY HERE FOR IT.
OUR'SPEAKERO BU AAI SFF IAM ESlA
Beginnings are hard, endings are harder
've been a fan of Stephen
Colbert since the eighth
grade. while I probably didn't
understand the
meaning of half
of his jokes at
the time, it was
something about
his comedic
style and
satirical abilities
that I admired.
Honestly, it's
surprising I
even knew what
satire was back
DEREK
WOLFE
so Comedy Central, I'll be
in my resume. I may also h
the one who created tha
occupation for myself. B
worry about that.
Jokes aside, Colbert's
to leave his nest at Comedy
to be Letterman's successo
up interesting questions, a
frankly, a rather polarizing
why ruin a good thing?
alreadyhasaverydedicateda
so what is he gaining by c
shows? And most import
he's not in character, is he e
funny? The times we've seen
Stephen are few and far be
however, I personally attest
be just as laugh-inducing.
As far as I'm concerne
are two things to conside
while of course I cannot s
Colbert, I positthathe isins
a new challenge. Since it on
week from Letterman's ret
announcement to Colbert'
I think it's safe to assu
To'help students in the current registration
process, the University needs to improve the
quality of its advising programs. Students are
first introduced to the hassle of registering
for classes during their freshman orientation,
but increased advising opportunities should
be available and suggested to help freshmen
register for second semester classes. After the
initial meeting at orientation, students often
find it difficult to meet with their advisor.
General advisers should be more available and
encouraged to develop closer relationships with
students to better aid their decision-making.
One way to provide greater access to advising
is to increase the number of advisors. This will
create more opportunities for personalized
service, and help build stronger relationships
between advisors and students. However,
because there are simply so many students, the
University should also expand peer-advising
programs. Further, advising centers should
create a program to help students choose a
major or career. This would help give students
more direction, and make the backpacking
process easier.
Additional information needs to be given to
students to help them register. The following
semester's course guide should be available to
help students, especially those taking classes
that build off of each other. Planning on a
semester-to-semester basis or guessing on
availability based on previous term offerings
is an inadequate approach to guarantee
graduation success. Other universities -
such as Michigan State and Cleveland State
- provide their students with the option for
registering for a full year of classes at one time.
While instituting a similar process here at the
University would require time, research and a
period of trial and error, the University should
provide students with information about the
availability of courses readily and easily for an
entire year. Other information like past syllabi
and student ratings of the course should also be
accessible when students register.
While the information should be made
available in advance, having students register
for the entire year is not in their best interest.
It would disadvantage students who are
undecided on a major or who may change
their major, as they might decide during their
fall semester courses that a particular field is
not for them. If they are already registered for
more of these classes for the winter semester,
by the time that they change their schedule,
many classes they may wish to take will be
full. Methods of registration should not punish
those who are still exploring different majors
and career paths.
Considering students' restraints regarding
time and money, the University should do
everything in its power to encourage degree
completion for its students. Working to fulfill
requirements and succeed in class are already
strenuous challenges for students. Failing to
provide sufficient course information only
prevents students from reaching academic
and personal goals.
then - shout-out to my teachers.
His character of a right-winged
idiotispuregenius.Andhe'smanaged
to perfect the act over the course of
the decade. He made a mockery of
former President George W. Bush
in 2006 as the host of the White
House Correspondents Dinner. He
co-led the Rally to Restore Fear and/
or Sanity with Jon Stewart in 2010
and decided to "form an exploratory
committee to lay the groundwork
for (a) possible candidacy" for the
President of the United States of
America of South Carolina in 2012.
And if that wasn't enough, he even
created his own Super PAC, which
raised more than $1 million.
So you can imagine the
disappointment Colbert fans had
upon hearing his decision to take
over the Late Show on CBS for
David Letterman. We're going to
lose all of this. 30 minutes of eye-
opening, accurate analysis of the
world cleanly wrapped in satire
four nights a week. Gone. The last
months of 2014 are all we have left
to enjoy the last episodes of the
"Report" - pronounced "re-pore."
But have no fear, my "Most Likely
to Be" in my eighth grade yearbook
was "Stephen Colbert's successor,"
sending turn on him.
ave been What's also important to realize
t future is that it's never a good thing when
ut don't something continues for longer
than it should, in all cases. I don't
decision necessarily believe the novelty of
Central Colbert's character has worn off.
r brings In fact, it's finally gotten to the
nd quite point where I can totally appreciate
debate: it. However, it is far better to end
Colbert a great thing a little early than
udience, witness the pain-staking process
hanging of jumping the shark and surviving
antly, if off past success. That could be far
ven that worse for Colbert than flopping on
the real "The Late Show."
tween - And there are plenty examples
t he will of this. The ending of "The Wire"
was perfect. It was 60 episodes of
d, there incredible television and one more
er. First, could have jeopardized its success.
peak for On the other hand, the not funny
earchof "Saturday Night Live" is still on TV
ly took a - well past its glory days.
tirement Ultimately, Colbert's ordeal is a
s hiring, matter of risk-taking and knowing
me that when to say goodbye. Neither is
easy. Both are
necessary. And
mately, Colbert's someone is
probably going
deal is a matter to be upset
risk-taking and about it. But that
doesn't mean
wing when to say don't go through
with it.
goodbye. My dad has
reminded me
many times
very little
negotiations,
if any, took
place between
Colbert and
Comedy
Central. He
wanted a
change. And
sure, we can be
upset about it,
but we have to
Ultil
or(
of'
knot
admit we're being selfish. We like
the status quo. However, we should
also embrace someone essentially
risking his or her career to exercise
a different skill set. And if that's not
an American ideal, even if it may
be partly money-motivated, I don't
know what is. Because we all know
that if Colbert falters even slightly,
fans and critics will not hesitate to
of the old proverb, "Don't cry
because it's over. Smile because
it happened."
And while that's probably a bit
emotional for a TV show I often fall
asleep in the middle of, I think you
get the point.
- Derek Wolfe can be reached
at dewolfe@umich.edu.
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EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Barry Belmont, Edvinas Berzanskis, David Harris, Rachel John,
Nivedita Karki, Jacob Karafa, Jordyn Kay, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald,
Victoria Noble, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Matthew Seligman, Paul
Sherman, Allison Raeck, Linh Vu, Meher Walia, Mary Kate Winn,
Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe
Seizing senioryear
Ramping up the campus
bicycle parking policy
TO THE DAILY:
Imagine you are running late for class.
What do you do? You could walk, but by the
time you arrive at your ASIANLAN 102 class
in North Quad, your professor will have just
finished roll call. Not being there on time will
result in a .5 percent reduction from your final
grade. You start to panic, and decide that rid-
ing your bike to North Quad will enable you
to just make it on time. Upon arrival at North
Quad, you notice that available parking for
bicycles is limited. However, out of the cor-
ner of your eye, you spot the accessible ramp,
which is completely void of bikes. Without
thinking twice, you decide to ignore the
numerous "no bicycle parking" signs, lock
your bike to the handrail and hurry to class.
This might not seem like a big deal to
someone who does not constantly think
about whether or not they can enter or exit
a building. However, there are several stu-
dents at the University of Michigan who have
mobility impairments, and that thought is
always on their minds. While the student that
locks their bike to an accessible ramp might
have done so to avoid arriving slightly late to
class, a mobility-impaired student might not
even be able to attend the same class as a con-
sequence of the first student's actions. Worse
yet, in times of emergency, students with
mobility impairments may be prevented from
exiting a building safely due to a bike being
locked to a ramp.
Central Student Government's Commission
of Campus Accessibility and Disability Affairs
in conjunction with Sgt. Gary Hicks of the
University of Michigan Police Department and
Carole Dubritsky, the University's Americans
with Disabilities Act Coordinator, have devel-
oped procedures to remedy this problem.
Effective April 1, 2014, bicycles locked to
the handrail of an accessible ramp will be
subject to impoundment when a complaint is
called in to the UMPD's non-emergency line
at (734) 763-1131.
Upon receiving a complaint, the UMPD will
dispatch an officer to the ramp in question. If
the aforementioned bike is registered with the
University Police Department, the student will
receive a phone call alerting them that they
need to remove their bike immediately or it will
be impounded. If the bicycle was not registered
with University Police, it will be subject to
immediate impoundment.
When the bikes are impounded, they are
taken to a secure location. In order to get the
impounded bike back, a student has to call
the University Police property desk at (734)
763-3434 to make special arrangements to
pick it up. If the bike is not registered, the
University police officers will ask for certain
information in order to verify that the owner
is who they claim to be. While there is not a
fine associated with impoundment, students
whose bikes have been impounded will have
to register their bikes with the UMPD to have
their bike released.
Incoming freshmen will now be informed
of this policy at orientation, and encouraged
to register their bikes. Doing so will help
police officers more easily identify bikes if
they are stolen and help return them to their
owners. In order to register a bike, please
visit http://www.police.umich.edu/.
As exemplified in the hypothetical situa-
tion detailed above, students that park their
bicycles on accessible ramps are not doing so
maliciously. Rather, they just aren't putting
themselves in the shoes of the students that
necessitate the use of these accessible ramps.
With this new procedure in place, it is the
hope that the University student body will
become more conscientious of this issue, and
respectful of those who utilize these ramps
as their primary means of entering and
exiting buildings.
Ryan Bartholomew
LSA sophomore
As I struggle to finish the
papers, projects and
assignments that have been
pilingup all term
within the final
week of classes,
one thing I'm ,
continually
pushing out '
of my mind is
this: I'm a rising
senior. This HARLEEN
year is when KAUR
I'm supposed
to create the
experiences that
I'll both reminisce about down the
road and reflect upon as I encourage
(read: require) my children to apply
to the University of Michigan. But
how do I want to remember it all?
Justlikeyesterday,Istillremember
the day I received my acceptance
to the University of Michigan -
December 16, 2010, in case you were
wondering. I remember the never-
ending tears I shed on my last day
of high school, singing the national
anthem at graduation and attending
my peers' graduation parties
weekend after weekend.
I remember getting the contact
information for my freshman year
roommate, meeting up with her
at Navy Pier over the summer and
building our list of inside jokes
throughout the year. I remember
attending Honors Kickoff,
surviving Great Books with Mira
Seo, staying up late prior to orgo
exams and frantically finishing my
notecard for Calculus It exams an
hour before the test began.
I remember moving into my five-
person suite in North Quad with
four friends from my freshman
year hall, completely in awe of
the amount of space we had to
ourselves. I remember late-night
runs to the dining hall, early
mornings in the CLC and the panic
during the day of the "flood." I
remember receiving my rejection
from the Ford School with only a
month left of classes, struggling to
find a major as I finished my second
year and picking English because
it's always been my favorite.
I remember coming back from
Manhattan to ResStaff training
for my position as an Honors RA
in West Quad. I remember hot
nights on the fourth floor without
air conditioning or an elevator,
meeting my residents and taking my
first classes for my concentration
and minor. I remember reading
novels overnight, submitting
papers a minute before the
CTools submission deadline (not
recommended) and studying in the
Union until I was forced out at 2
a.m. I remember seeing President
Barack Obama, again, watching our
team in the Final Four, again, and
experiencing the thrill of the Notre
Dame night game, again.
And yet, here I am: a risingsenior.
With only one year out of four
left, each moment seems even
more precious. Seeing all of my
graduating friends get ready to
pack up and leave for the last time
invokes the worst in my nostalgic
self, leaving me unable to think
about the numbers of days, hours
and minutes we have left together.
I can't explain the butterflies Iget
every time I look at my calendar and
see April 22 approaching quickly. I
can't explain the uneasiness I had
while signing up for my fall term,
knowing that I would only have
one more time to peruse the course
guide after this one. I can't explain
the panic I feel when I think about
how, after graduation, I'll have to
figure out what to do when I can't
see my best friend every single day.
But, the one thing I can explain is
how happy I am - even with all the
ups and downs - to have been able
to spend my last three years here.
And I thinkit seems fittingto reflect
on all of it before we start another
school year for the last time.
Next year, I want to focus on
obtaining an education, not a
diploma. I want to attend events,
partake in dialogues and form
relationships that challenge my
ideals and accept me for who I am.
I want to push my passions to a
higher level, taking my involvement
to new heights and creating a new
vision for the impact I hope to leave
on this campus. I want to cheer
until I'm hoarse at a football game
one day, challenge the institutional
hierarchies and prejudices that we
sometimes uphold the next day and
still wear maize and blue for no
other reason but school spirit at the
end of it all.
I want to take time to sit in the
Diag, enjoy the sun with friends
and a new book and appreciate
our campus for the natural beauty
that it is. Next year, I want to have
no regrets.
Class of 2015, let's make this last
one count. Here's to senior year.
- Harleen Kaur can be reached
at harleen@umich.edu.
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