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July 19, 2010 - Image 5

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Publication:
Michigan Daily Summer Weekly, 2010-07-19

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Living our ideals
I n parts of northern Michigan, We're not always so good at liv-
enormous pine trees tower ing up to our ideals. But when we
over the highway. Standing have, the results have been pretty
in endless rows, extraordinary. My piano teacher
they were plant- fled to the U.S. during the Soviet
ed as a refores- occupation of Hungary in the
tation project 1950s. She told me she faced down
of the Civilian a Soviet tank, clutching her baby
Conservation to her chest when she ventured
Corps - one of outside during a Soviet-imposed
the countless curfew to seek medical help for her
government pro- NICHOLAS sick child. Unlike the hundreds of
grams meant to CLIFT Jews aboard the St. Louis, America
keep starving provided her with the opportunity
Americans fed during the Great to live a long, fulfilling life. It's no
Depression. The trees are noble rel- wonder that she's the proudest
ics of an era of intense suffering and American citizen I know. Her pride
struggle. I doubt that many of the isn't based, as it is for someone born
vacationers traveling "up north" in America, on learning in a class-
notice or appreciate how far Amer- room how unique this country is.
ica has come since the time those Her love is based on the hard, real
trees were planted. They're a tes- experiences of her life.
tament to how America has grown
and changed.
The divisions we face as a nation Im r s
- especially the liberal-conserva- rants are
tive clashes over issues like health the foundation
care and immigration - are so
contentious because they ask us ofA merica.
to redefine or reinforce the values
that distinguish this country. But
what those values are isn't always
clear, especiallywhenthevalues we For some people, the accom-
think America should uphold don't plishments of our past represent
match the values she actually has. what's great about the America that
I'm thinking of how we treat is. But national pride fuels nativ-
immigrants, an issue with a rich ist sentiment and a desire to keep
and, at times, dark history in immigrants out in order to preserve
this country. In his speech about what America has become. Yet in a
immigration earlier this month, a nation of immigrants, every accom-
response to an explosion in conten- plishment we have known has been
tiousness surrounding the issue, built through immigration.
President Barack Obama reminded In the majestic forests Ameri-
America of a poem by Emma Laza- cans planted up north, I don't see
rus, inscribed atthebase ofthe Stat- a perfect legacy - I see correction.
ue of Liberty. "'Give me your tired, The CCC wasn't planting. It was
your poor, your huddid masses replanting after the natural forests
yearningto breathe free,' Lady Lib- were destroyed. It was correcting
erty says. Send these. the homeless the mistakes of our past.I hope that
tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp in determining the direction of our
beside the golden door' " I know of future in addressing immigration,
no more powerful an exprcsion of we'll deviate from the actions ofour
the American ideal of wht inmi forebearers cliii cccrad ict values
gration is supposed to be. our country prof isss o uphold.
But actual practice has shown Immigration is tlhe one thing
the "golden door" to be shut to all we all have in common. As inuch
but a few. For years, Asians were as we may disagree, as different
ineligible to be citizens and anti- as our opinions may be, we are alli
Semitism ran wild. In one extrene the products of immigration. It's
case in May 1939, a ship carrying also something Americans have
over 900 German Jewish refugees screwed up, time and again - the
traveled to Miami seeking safety dream of Emma Lazarus never
from the Nazi regime. After weeks realized. The lesson of Lady Lib-
of negotiation with the U.S. gov- erty is that the past doesn't make
ernment, during which they could a country or a people great. What
see the lights of the city in the dis- really matters are the choices we
tance, the St. Louis was refused make now, and the vision we have
entry and the ship was forced to for the future.
return to Germany, where many of -
the passengers died in concentra- - Nicholas Clift can be
tion camps. reached at nclift~umich.edu.

Monday, July 19, 2010
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

15

BELLA SHAH

E-MAIL BELLA AT BELLZ lI2UMICH.EDU.

-L K c- -~i..
'IT"0 I
7 r7
Hurrah to the sun and blue.

Tradition. It's one of the
main reasons we chose to
come to the University. But
ever since we
arrived, majorI
aspects of that
tradition have :
changed, espe-
cially in the ath-I
letic departmentc
new football and
basketball envi- LEXI
ronments, a new ZIMnVIERiTAN
sponsor, a new
athletic director,
arena renova- COURTNEY
tions and now, a FLETCHER
new school in the ___
Big Ten. Each one
of these changes has been met with
difficulties as well as triumphs. For
a non-athlete, these changes might
not seem extraordinary by any ica-
sure, but they have a huge impact on
an athlete's everyday life.
Head coaching changes are an
enormous transition for any team.
Football and basketball players,
specifically, were affected by Rich
Rodriguez's and John cteilein's
new systems and training icethods.
Luckily for Lis vollcyball players, our
coaches Mark and Leisa Rosen have
beeni re forai ahiile, and we knew
t'e .c.tatilonsliwhen we came in.
hit wrile iUcOwn coaches didn't
change, theN wholc athletic decpart-
cient was affected by a strength and
conditioning overhaul. One day, we
walked into the weight rooi and all
the machines cire gone. Apparent-
ly, the focus had switched to olym-
pic lifting and free weights.
Another change that had a large
impact on the whole athletic depart-
ment was the hiring of Dave Bran-
don as the new athletic director.
The previous director, Bill Martin,
was outstanding. He improved the
department's finances dramatically
and left a physical legacy by reno-
vating and updating facilities. More
than half of the athletic teams on

campus owe their state-of-the-art
arenas to him. With the announce-
ment of his retirement came the
question of his predecessor: what
changes would be made, what the
new focus would be, how it would
affect the department, etc. But so
far David Brandon has been nothing
but a positive force in balancing the
University's tradition with a busi-
nessman's perspective.
The shift from Nike to Adidas
was also a huge change. For fans,
seeing a different symbol on a jer-
sey isn't anything special, but for
athletes it's a big adjustment. Sizes,
fit, comfort, color and durability are
all crucial to being able to play your
sport well. With Nike, every team
had figured out what they liked and
disliked, and they could make small
adjustments in their gear from year
to year. But Adidas specializes in
soccer and football gear, so things
like volleyball shoes and jerseys
presented new challenges.
Nike also copyrighted the color
"Maize," so Adidas actually had to
make a new version of our school
color, now known as "Sun" (which
the volleyball team has affection-
ately dubbed the "highlighter" jer-
seys). While the switch has become
progressively easier throughout the
past iwc "'rs, it's coie with grow-
ing Pains.
'll( most exciting and expensive
change has been the addition of box
seats in the Big House. Michigan
has regained the claim to the largest
stadium in college football, the field
will be 30 percent louder and the
Big House intimidating presence is
now on a whole new scale. Some of
the renovations were structurally
necessary, but some were for added
revenue. This proves, once again,
that the University is always striv-
ing to be bigger and better than the
competition.
Lastly is the newest change: the
addition of the University of Nebras-
ka to the Big Ten. The switch was,

of course, motivated by profit for the
schools and television networks, but
it is the athletes who are ultimately
affected most. Nebraska is not just
another opponent on the schedule -
it's a complete change in ourlives. On
the surface, it creates one more week
of travel. That means more missed
classes, more money spent on travel
and more stress.
The University's
athletic tradition
is evolving.
Another question is how Nebras-
ka will fit in with the Big Ten. Their
athletic department has proven to
be strong, so the level of competi-
tion will be itn par with everyone
else. But it remains to be seen if
their academic standards can mesh
with that of the Big Ten's. So far,
though, it appears our conference
will not be hugely affected by the
addition. At the same time, it's a
huge benefit to Nebraska, and the
Big 12 was'greatly hurt by the css.
Though there are always uncer-
taintics when it comes to change,
all of these new people, projects
and partners seem to be moving
the University Athletic Department
into a new era. There is a strong
respect for the past and the founda-
tion that we were built on, with an
understanding that we must evolve
in order to stay the leaders and
best. The block 'M' will always be
a powerful symbol of the past, but
we must also embrace the changes
now being made in order to help
Wolverie athletics stay on top in
the future.
- Lexi Zimmerman can be reached at
lexizimmCiumich.edu. Courtney Fletcher
can be reached at fletchco@umich.edw.

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