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Monday, July 19, 2010
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
C74tfiCt-ja 4at-tv
MATTHEW SHUTLER I
Think pink, save a life
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ANDREW LAPIN
EDITOR IN CHIEF
RYAN KARTJE
MANAGING EDITOR
ALEX SCHIFF
EDITORIAL PAGE 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.
Salaries vs. students
Holding down tuition is more important than pay raises
No one was surprised when the University increased tuition again
this year, as it has done for decades. Thanks to a decrease in spend-
ing, though, the hike was relatively small in comparison to past
years. But the University could have increased tuition by an even smaller
rate - or perhaps not at all - if it hadn't committed itself to giving bloated,
sky-high pay raises to its administration. Phil Hanlon, the University's new
provost, followed this trend with a 28 percent pay increase over his prede-
cessor. If the administration wants to get serious on containing spending, it
should look seriously at how much they are costing the University.
Let me tell you a little about my
grandmother. Joyce Gach is one of
the strongest, kindest people I know.
She helps anyone without a moment's
hesitation and always gives all she
has if it means someone she cares
about will benefit. Since I was very
young, she helped take care of me
and was an irreplaceable part of my
childhood. I used to call her "Mom"
because she was with me so often,
and, for this and so many other
things, she has my eternal gratitude
and respect. Truly, my grandma is
my hero.
In May of 1994, my grandma was
diagnosed with breast cancer. I
was too young at the time to under-
stand what this meant or appreci-
ate the struggle she would have to
go through. Thankfully, after sur-
gery and radiation, the disease was
removed from her body. However,
after seven years of having cancer
lurk in the back of her mind, doc-
tors found it again in the fall of 2001.
Again, against the odds, my grandma
beat cancer and has been living can-
cer-free for nine years.
Her story is like so many others,
but many aren't as lucky to have
beaten cancer twice in their life-
time. Approximately 12.6 percent of
women are diagnosed with breast
cancer in their lifetime, and, contrary
to popular belief, men can develop
breast cancer as well. With around
200,000 new cases each year, breast
cancer is second only to lung cancer
in cancer-associated deaths. 40,000
deaths annually are associated with
this cancer and the vast majority of
these victims ace womcn.
Upon diagnossis of bceast cancer,
there are currently many treatments
offered, ensuring that it's not a death
sentence. From surgery to chemo-
therapy to hormonal therapies, there
are many ways that a person can fight
cancer and live a healthy, normal life.
More important than anything, how-
ever, is early discovery of the can-
cer. This early detection is key, and
when breast cancer is discovered in
its earliest stage, 95 percent of people
experience a five-year survival rate.
Every woman, regardless of age,
owes it to herself and those who care
for her to get checked each year for
breast cancer.
This summer, to play my part in
finding the cure for breast cancer, I
walked in the Susan G. Komen Race
for the Cure in Detroit. I walked one
mile alongside 30,000 other like-
minded individuals and survivors in
hope that this disease that destroys
people's lives and entire families is
eradicated. I walked in celebration
of my grandma's many achievements
and in memory of the millions that
have died from this disease. Count-
less teams of pink-clad walkers and
runners filled Woodward Avenue and
showed their dedication to fighting
cancer. Not even the rain could wash
away the jubilant spirits of the crowd
or dampen the hopes each partici-
pant carried.
Imagine your grandmas, your moms
and your sisters. Imagine getting the
call saying that the person you care
most about has been diagnosed with
one of the deadliest diseases of our
time. It's our duty as the future leaders
of the world to do our partin educating
others and fighting cancer.
And there's so much you can do.
The Susan G. Komen Foundation is
dedicated to educating people about
breast cancer and researching a cure.
You can help this cause by donating,
participating in an event like Race for
the Cure or doing personal fundrais-
ing through their Passionately Pink
for the Cure organization. It's our
responsibility to pop our college bub-
ble and see the bigger picture. Find-
ing a cure and fighting for the ones
we love is the noblest thing we can do
- whether we raise thousands of dol-
lars from others sr donate one dollar
ourselves to a foundation, every little
bit counts.
This year I walked a mile. Next
year I plan to run the SK race in
support of the Komen Foundation.
I know the importance of standing
up for what I believe in and fighting
for what I know is right. I hope that
everyone who reads this article will
do their own personal work to fight
breast cancer or support a cause they
feel strongly for. I will walk for sup-
port, race for the cure and fight for
my hero, my grandma.
Matthew Shutler is at LSA junior.
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*I
This January, former Provost
Teresa Sullivan announced her
resignation after she was offered
a position as the president at the
University of Virginia. Philip
Hanlon, formerly the Univer-
sity's vice provost, was hired
to replace Sullivan in Febru-
ary. But the details of his con-
tract, including his salary, have
only recently become available.
According to the terms of Han-
lon's contract, he will receive a
yearly salary of $470,000, a 28
percent increase over Sullivan's
salary of $366,000.
Competitive pay packages
are necessary to draw the best
administrators and faculty mem-
bers to Ann Arbor. And when
their deferred compensation
Sullivan forfeited by leaving the
University is taken into account,
the difference between her total
package and Hanlon's is not. as
great. But the sheer size of his
compensation renders the "com-
petitive pay" argument moot. In
fact, Hanlon will now be making
more than the presidents of the
University of Wisconsin, Univer-
sity of Minnesota, University of
Illinois, Purdue University and
the University of Notre Dame did
in 2009.
The University has a respon-
sibility as a public institution to
its studentsto ensure thathigher
education is financially accessi-
ble. The funding for administra-
tor salaries comes from general
revenues - of which tuition is
a principal component - and
students simply can't afford
to foot the bill for administra-
tors' pay raises. The recession
and decreased state support
mean that students are bearing
a heavier burden, and finan-
cial aid has not increased suf-
ficiently to counter these costs
for everyone. The $104,000
difference between Sullivan's
and Hanlon's salaries could pay
for the University's estimated
full cost of attendance (tuition,
housing, supplies, etc.) for four
in-state freshmen and still have
money left over. The University
has decided that administrator
salaries come before the educa-
tion of four Wolverines.
Hanlon's pay raise is especially
concerning considering the influ-
ence the provost has on the Uni-
versity's yearly budget. One of
Sullivan's greatest strengths was
decreasing spending in an effort
to keep tuition increases low.
Perhaps the most important part
of Hanlon's job will be to follow
Sullivan's lead in cutting costs.
In a disturbing twist of irony, the
man responsible for formulating
aresponsible budget has accepted
an irresponsible pay increase.
The University has a choice:
pad the wallets of its top officials
or make the sacrifices necessary
to keep higher education acces-
sible to everyone. Hanlon's pay
raise paints a disappointing pic-
ture of where the administra-
tion's priorities lie.
We can't legislate wisdom or passion.
We can't legislate competency."
- Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) on the passage of financial reform
legislation on Thursday, as reported that day by The New York Times.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Nicholas Clift, Emma Jeszke, Rachel Van Gilder Joe Stapleton
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