4 - Tuesday, January 28, 2014
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
4 - Tuesday, January 28, 2014 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
i idigan &Ualy
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the University of Michigan since 1890.
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MEGAN MCDONALD and
PETER SHAHIN 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 of their authors.
Fueling Detroit's comeback
Gov. Snyder should not allow Detroit to flounder without state aid
n Jan. 22, Republican Gov. Rick Snyder proposed redirecting $350
million over 20 years from Michigan's tobacco settlement revenue to
the city of Detroit. The reallocation of funds was pledged in order to
help bolster city pensions, estimated to be underfunded by $3.5 billion. Snyder
stressed that his proposal is not a bailout, but rather a settlement focused on
mitigating the impact on retirees. By allotting this money to the city, Snyder
is crossing party lines and showing the rest of the state that Detroit is worth
the investment. The proposed plan will undoubtedly aid pensioners; however,
future funding from the state should be allocated by the city itself.
Hunger for answers
Jrg
T he Center
Eating Disorders
indistinguishable
other houses on
for
is
from
With the announcement of his proposal last
week, Snyder demonstrated his commitment
to Detroit. Designating much-needed funds to
city pensions will potentially benefit the entire
state by speeding up the bankruptcy process
and reducing legal expenses. However, the
proposed plan must first be approved by the
legislature before reaching the bankruptcy
mediation table. Both Democratic and
Republican leaders are on board with the
solution, voicing their support for Snyder's
proposal. Though, some Republicans are
wary of the plan, calling for some type of
professional oversight of the pension funds.
The key component of this plan is guarantee-
ing the money will actually fund city pensions.
Many city employees worked their entire adult
lives paying into their pensions. These pen-
sioners deserve to live out their retirement in
financial security and dignity. Even with the
state's proposed financial assistance plan and
privately pledged donations reaching $330 mil-
lion from nine local and national foundations,
pensioners could see a sharp reduction in their
monthly benefits. It's imperative that Snyder's
proposed money go to Detroit's retirees.
Snyder and the state government need to
continue supporting Detroit - financially and
beyond. The city is not only a vital part of Mich-
igan's history but also its future. Detroit offers
many incredible attractions -the DetroitInsti-
tute of Arts, Belle Isle Park, Detroit Eastern
Market, Greektown and the Motown Histori-
cal Museum, to name a few. However, Detroit's
charisma lies not in its physical- structures
but in the unique cultures and spirit created
within the city. Every day, people are moving
to Detroit, workinghard alongside currentresi-
dents to rebuild an iconic American city.
Gov. Snyder has taken steps in the right
direction with his plan to help city pension-
ers. Detroit has a long way to go before it can
become what it once was again. In order to get
back to its full potential, the city needs con-
tinued support from the state and businesses
alike. General Motors, the industrial behe-
moth of the Motor City, pledged to upgrade
their Detroit plant helping to create and
retain jobs in the city. With increasing inno-
vation, investment and job creation, Detroit
has the ability to revitalize its economy and
propel Michigan into the future.
its street, save
for a small sign
in front of the
driveway that
reads "Therapist
Parking Only."
The sign seems
like classic Ann SOPHIA
Arbor kitsch, USOW
but the cement
patch it rests on
grows shrink cars like steel weeds
on weekdays. I walked past it earlier
this evening while meandering my
way to meet friends for dinner. I
almost forgot it existed, which is
strange because I've been thinking
a lot lately about the time in my life
when I used to go there almost once
a week. I'm hungry for answers -
answers I tried to find at the center
and even before that, since the
first time I pushed back the flesh-
pink trigger and wondered at the
weakness of my fingers, buried so
far down my throat I couldn't even
taste the salt on my skin.
I was 16 the first time I made
myself throw up. My mom was
upstairs and I'd just eaten a whole
grocery list, one item after the
other, until my stomach felt like
there was a blue-ribbon hog rolling
inside of it. I'd binged before and it
was getting to the point where I was
tired of going to bed sugar-sick and
ashamed. There may have been a
moment of decision, a long silence at
the doorwayof our small downstairs
bathroom. More likely, however, I
knew as I was eating that despite
every public-service announcement
or guidance-counselor lecture
about the evils of bulimia, I had
SOPHIA USOW / Daily
been destined to flirt with the ting upstairs watching late-night TV
disease since the firsttime I'd looked in blissful ignorance. I'd cry because
in a mirror and thought "ugly." her hugs are soft and warm, and
Do you know what bulimia is? when Iask her if I look ugly she says,
Bulimia is getting used to toilet "Sweetie you look beautiful."
water splashing up on your face. It's been a year since I last made
It's learning to return to the dinner myself throw up and about four
table, or class, or birthday party like months since I last visited the
nothing happened, daring others not Center for Eating Disorders. I won't
to ignore the smell of vomit wafting tell you about what goes on in there,
off you like curdled perfume. It's that's for the people who need to
looking at food as a test that can know to find out. Suffice it to say,
be failed. It's the specter of beauty there are good people inside and a
pageantspast, present and future. It's warm, dimly lit waiting room that's
a subplot in a Jodi Picoult novel. It's perfectfora quick, pre-appointment
the chubby skeleton in the closet. It's nap. If you want literature about
suburban tragedy. It's self-hate and unhealthy relationships with food
the pursuit of happiness. or how to chew properly, they have
There are people out there starv- it there. There are no scales in the
ing, eating dirt, dreaming of a little bathrooms. They do not send you
sweetness. There are people who e-mails about herbal supplements
toil until they that will make
bleed in order your waist shrink
to provide all You've got to get help, two sizes for
the sustenance only $15.99. I
they can for not succumb to appreciate that.
their families. yur unhappiness I'd tell you how
There are peo- yo s I learned to chew,
ple for whom like it's something but I don't have
food is (as the enough words
nutritionists you deserve. for that. The
will urge) sim- few I have left
ply fuel. There I'd like to use on
are people who overdo it sometimes, one of the only answers I've found
underdo it other times, love cook- through my experiences to which I
ies and carrots and complain about can hold fast - whether it's alcohol,
their waistlines. Then there are food or kisses that you use to Band-
people who devour and expel like I Aid the wounds of memory, their
did, as if it wasn't our fault, as if they gauze will only make you feel more
poisoned our nachos, as if Grandma's lost. You've got to get help, not suc-
cookies were filled with bones. cumb to your unhappiness like it's
I love you like a fat kid loves cake, something you deserve. You've got
I say to my reflection. There's snot to let those injuries breathe.
pooling with chocolate stomach acid Why? Because even when life's
on the crease of my upper lip. There ugly, sweetie, it's beautiful.
are tears of exertion in my eyes, but
I'm not crying. If I was going to cry - Sophia Usow can be reached
for anyone, it would be my mom, sit- at sophiaus@umich.edu.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Barry Belmont, Rima Fadlallah, Nivedita Karki, Jordyn Kay,
Kellie Halushka, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Victoria Noble,
Michael Schramm, Matthew Seligman, Paul Sherman,
Allison Raeck, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe
JACOB KARAFA|
Looking down on hooking up
Let's talk about libido
"Hooking up" may refer to many activities,
ranging from casual kissing to intercourse. The
term itself has a certain ambiguity that appeals
to the college environment where - unless you
live in close proximity to your acquaintances -
you too can benefit from remaining somewhat
ambiguous. The issue is thus: hookup culture
continues to become more prominent in
universities. This culture holds the potential
to instill damaging morals into the minds of
students who may eventually have trouble
developing real relationships later in life.
The 1970s proved essential to motivating the
explosion of this culture when birth control
and various birth control methods became
more mass-produced and readily available.
Some argue that these innovations essentially
made obsolete the need for relationships in
college. Many students may now ask, "What's
the point in being committed to one person?"
College is a system that fosters individualism,
independence and the right to further one's
own educational and moral development. It's
no surprise that between the periods of 1980-
1990 and 2000-2010, the percentage of college
studentsreported to have "had sex with a friend
in the previous year" rose from 56 percent to
68 percent - based on a General Social Survey
of 2,000 students from different universities.
The institutions themselves provide a basis for
hookup justification: this is the student's world,
and these are the student's decisions.
For new college freshmen from smaller high
schools, exposure to the hookup culture of larg-
er universities can prove especially intimidat-
ing. Many of these students find the transition
difficult and feel pressured to make rash deci-
sions. It is this blend of hookup-accustomed
freshmen and those who were raised in more
conservative environments that proves most
dangerous. For example, one student pursues
another not solely for physical desire, but rather
for the establishment of a real emotional con-
nection. The other party wants nothing of the
sort. The one who wants something real is
crushed; we have seen it countless times.
Also dangerous is the intricate, fragile web of
connections made by hooking up with several
people. Thoughts of past and current hookups
may plague those newly influenced by the
culture withjealousyor fear. "Whyisshe kissing
him if we hooked up last week?" and "he told
everyone that we hooked up," are commonly
heard phrases schoolwide. Considering many
hookups take place while one or both parties
are under the influence of alcohol, there is
also room for regret and remorse. Impaired
judgment clashes with the fuel of desire and
sparks the resulting hookup. It is a kiss. It is
an exchange of words. It is atrip to a bedroom
followed by early-morning disappointment. It is
whatever you want it to be.
A study done at Stanford University surveyed
about 17,000 college students during their time
at their respective universities and reported
that by senior year, 72 percent of both sexes
had hooked up at least once. The average male
reported having nine to 10 hookups, the average
female about seven hookups. This means, for
example, that Boy A has a history with 10 girls.
He may see relationship potential in some, and
he may desire the complete avoidance of others.
He may see them as objects; he may see them as
friendswithbenefits. Butultimately,heremains
unsure. Boy A is a victim of this spreading
culture and these increasing percentages. His
views of women are distorted; he has forgotten
the value in dating and now pursues the facility
of more selfish, individual physical desires.
This is not to argue that the hookup culture
lacks advantages. With busy class schedules
and accelerated course work, University of
Michigan students may not have time to
adequately maintain relationships. However,
despite the benefits of relative ease and
convenience, statistics show that preference-
wise, both genders still prefer traditional dating.
In a study done with males and females from a
Southern public university, only 2 percent of
women and 17 percent of men showed a strong
preference for hooking up over traditional
dating. This is positive; however, the difference
in percentages proves alarming. This statistic
essentially suggests that there are women,
internally desiring a real relationship, settling
for hookups merely because a significantly
bigger population of men won't settle for
relationships.
Despite the alarming percentages and stats,
at least we can safely determine that the dating
relationship, while preferred less now than
in recent years, is still more desirable than
the hookup. And it should be. The emotional
damage, jealousy, general uneasiness and sense
of remorse that may exist after a hookup is
enough to turn many students away; however,;
the concepts of college independence and ease
keep the practice alive.Are college relationships
dead? No. Are they in a losing battle with the
ever-risinghookup? Let us hope not.
Jacob Karafa is an LSA freshman.
ike Huckabee, former
Arkansas Governor
and 2008 Republican
presidential
candidate, has a
message for all
you women out '
there: the GOP's
war on women
is not against
you, butfor you.
That's right PATRICK
ladies, the GOP's MAILLET
efforts to ban
your legal right
to an abortion,
fight against equal pay legislation,
limit your abilities to access contra-
ception and the countless derogatory
statements from major Republicans,
such as conservative talk radio host
Rush Limbaugh and former Mis-
souri Congressman Todd Akin, have
in fact all been an attempt to fight for
"the recognition of the equality of
women and the capacity of women"
accordingto Huckabee.
The former Arkansas governor
declared the war's end last week at
the Republican National Convention
winter meeting where he accused
Democrats of taking advantage of
women for political gain: "If the
Democrats want to insult the women
of America by making them believe
that they are helpless without Uncle
Sugar coming in and providing for
them a prescription each month for
birth control, because they cannot
control their libido or their reproduc-
tive system without the help of the
government, then so be it."
Huckabee totally blew the
Democrats' cover last week when
he went on to say, "Women I know
are outraged that Democrats think
that women are nothing more than
helpless and hopeless creatures
whose only goal in life is to have the
government provide for them birth
control medication."
Fellow Democrats, how could we
have been so diabolical? So cold-
hearted and downright malicious to
have taken advantage of women like
that? All the columns I've written heads of the GOP. It's a lot like
about protecting a woman's right to calling a Black person "articulate"
choose, or that a woman deserves because they might be well-spoken.
equal pay for equal work or that a Why use descriptive adjectives
woman's insurance should cover her that infer an exception or that for
birth control, have all been one giant some reason it can't be assumed
sham. My fellow liberals and I meet without clarification that women
quite often and have decided that are entirely "capable" of doing
the only way to get our candidates anything that a man can do?
elected is by pretending to actually It's not that the only issue that
care about women. matters to women voters are
Of course, Huckabee may be reproductive rights and that any
glancingover a few details about this pro-choice candidate simply wins
alleged grand plan that we Demo- every female vote automatically.
crats have. Aside from the sheer fact Like their male counterparts,
that 66 percent of women support a women voters are just as likely to
federal mandate use platforms
for employers such as foreign
to offer insur- policy, energy
ance that covers The GOP considers or taxes as a
birth control, basis for voting.
according to a women an inferior instead, women
CBS News Poll, votingbloc whose are voting
the Center for Democratic
Disease Con- basic liberties are because they
trol states that are constantly
four out of five not a priority. being reminded
sexually active that the GOP
women from considers them
ages 15 to 44 an inferior
have used birth control before, and voting bloc whose basic liberties are
that 58 percent of birth control users not a priority. Nothing exemplifies
do so for non-contraceptive purpos- this trend more than the 18-point
es, women are just playing right into gender gap in the 2012 presidential
the Democratic scheme. election in favor of President
Butthenagain,maybe-justmaybe Barack Obama.
- Huckabee mayhave somehowkept I'm not trying to speak on
our cover alive. Women, just like behalf of women, but rather make
men, don't exactly like being told a statement based off public polls
that they are stupid and being taken and conversations with female
advantage of for political gain. While family members and friends. Unlike
Huckabee thought he was advocating Huckabee, I don't try to sum up the
for the equality of women,he actually political ideologies of an entire
was taking a giant step back in the gender in one sound bite.
fight for women's rights. Huckabee Unfortunately, the very fact
stated, "Women I know are smart, that Huckabee was invited to give
educated, intelligent, capable of an RNC speech reflects that many
doing anything that anybody else within the GOP leadership share his
can do." Women have known this. comically out-of-touch ideologies.
Democrats have known this. In fact, While some may claim that peace
most level-headed Republicans have has finally come, it appears that the
known this. Unfortunately, the only war on women continues to rage.
people who have to state this as if it
is a bold, new revelation in the fight - Patrick Maillet can be
for civil rights are the out-of-touch reached at maillet@umich.edu
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