Monday, May 23, 2011
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
C14e ic igau 'Bt-t
Beyond the'U'
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BETHANY BIRON
EDITOR IN CHIEF
MARK BURNS
MANAGING EDITOR
TEDDY PAPES
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.
Don't snut safety
Firefighters shouldn't be on the chopping block
The Ann Arbor Fire Department may go up in smoke this
afternoon. The City Council will vote today on the two-
year budget recommendation proposed by former City
Administrator Roger Fraser. Featuring some of the steepest cuts
to the city employees in recent years, Fraser's proposal slashes
the city's fire department, which has already been the subject
of previous austerity measures. The budget's vast reduction in
the number of local firefighters, along with cutbacks in equip-
ment and stations, compromises the safety of students and resi-
dents alike. The City Council should not pass this budget as it
will cripple an already-depleted fire department.
The University of Michigan
boasts accomplishments in research
and other world-renowned pro-
grams. But it
should equally
strive to produce
students will-
ing to promote
diversity and
contribute to
society on a glob-
al scale. Learn- NICK
ing outside the
U.S. classroom BRINGARDNER
improves the
overall educa-
tion of students, and the best way to
do this is to bolster study, work and
volunteer abroad programs offered
to provide opportunities for inter-
national experiences.
The Men's Glee Club (myself
included) went on a five-day, four-
night trip to Cuba for its 2011 Spring
Tour. Because of the nature of the
trip, we spent most of our time
sequestered in a tour bus, hotels,
rehearsals or among other foreign-
ers. Only a few times did I feel we
were experiencing real Cuban cul-
ture. However, in Havana we sang
with students from the Escuela
Nacional de Musica - a boarding
school that prepares high school
aged students for careers in music.
We shared songs, danced and
learned that music and creative
expression transcends political
and cultural borders. That one
afternoon provided us with pos-
sibly the most amazing musical
experience of our lives. And from
our conversations with the locals,
it provided a window into the lives
of Cuban people, who aren't too
different from ourselves.
Before the trip, Glee Clubbers
revealed their ignorance of Cuba
by asking somewhat ridiculous
questions about the country or
expressing frustration about being
unable to bring back cigars and
rum - but the trip changed all this.
We can now speak proudly from
experience and sing the praises
not only of the rum and cigars, but
also of the people we met there. In
addition to exposing us to the vast
richness of Cuban culture, the trip
forced Glee Clubbers to reevaluate
their prejudices towards the coun-
try. With programs like this, the
University can foster better inter-
national relationships by changing
Cubans' perception of Americans,
and vice versa.
Students gain valuable experi-
ences when they venture outside
the U.S. Any experience abroad is
great, butI would go a step further
and suggest not just studying, work-
ing or volunteering abroad, but
doing these in a culture completely
different from our own. Maybe
even doing them in a country sepa-
rate from the Western world or one
that doesn't speak English. Travel-
ing far away from home helps us
gain a heightened sense of belong-
ing, because we realize we are of a
global community.
Yet for all its benefits traveling
abroad doesn't happen enough.
According to a 2009 statistical
report from the University's Inter-
national Center, 3,024 students had
an educational experience abroad
in the 2007-2008 school year -
approximately 8 percent of the total
student population. Whether it's
studying, working or volunteering
abroad, the percentage of students
who have an international experi-
ence at least once duringthe spanof
their education should be 100 per-
cent. In his 2007 Commencement
Learning
outside the U.S.
is essential.
Address at the University, President
Clinton said, "Whether you leave
here asa scientist, a writer, an engi-
neer, a business person or an artist,
remember this: you must be a citi-
zen. And it is more important now
than ever before, but it has always
been the truth that the world you
live in is interdependent." The
opportunities already exist in the
form of programs to engage in
opportunities abroad. It's simply
time for us to go out and be citizens
of the world. Doing so doesn't auto-
matically imply an expensive study
abroad program; affordable oppor-
tunities exist within and beyond
the University.
I hope our new relationship
with Cuba can become a regu-
lar exchange on the micro level
and have a political effect on the
macro level. Having educated rep-
resentatives of the U.S. reshapes
impressions citizens of other
countries have of us. And if we can
make a real impact along the way,
then all the better.
Nick Bringardner can be
reached at njbringCoumich.edu.
E
6
a
Currently, Ann Arbor employs
89 firefighters, who service a city
with a population of 110,000 -
significantly less than cities with
similar populations. One of these
cities, Lansing, employs 200 fire-
fighters. The new budget will
leave the Ann Arbor Fire Depart-
ment with only 77 positions, con-
tinuing the downward trend in
both standards and funding for
the fire department. The amount
of fire fighters staffed per day has
dropped from 24 in the 1990s to
15 in 2011. In response to the per-
sonnel reduction, the department
has been forced to shut down sta-
tions and fire trucks on a rotating
basis. The new budget will fur-
ther degrade the quality of pro-
tection for University students
and the Ann Arbor population as
a whole.
The most significant result
of these cuts is the increase in
response time to emergencies,
which has already been rising
due to previous cuts. As response
times will inevitably increase, the
safety of Ann Arbor will continue
to be compromised. According to
Matt Schroeder, president of the
Ann Arbor firefighter's union,
there have been 12 deaths from
fires in Ann Arbor since 2006.
Certainly a fire department oper-
ating with more staff, fire stations
and trucks would have at least had
a better chance of saving these
lives. Trivial attempts to reduce
the amount of fires, like the recent
couch ban will have little effect
on fire safety, whereas dramatic
cuts like this will undoubtedly
make fires more dangerous.
Its addition to residents of the
city, the safety of the Univer-
sity will be diminished by these
severe cuts. The population
count mentioned above does not
take into account the roughly
40,000 people at the University.
If the fire department is already
understaffed, it is gravely under-
manned when the population of
the University is considered. It
may have its own police force, but
cuts to the fire department can-
not be counteracted by the Uni-
versity. The city of Ann Arbor,
which benefits immensely from
the University, must make sure it
provides sufficient fire safety for
students
In tough economic times it may
be unavoidable to curtail certain
government expenditures, but
cutting vital safety services in
such drastic ways undermines
the primary purpose of govern-
ment - to protect its citizens. The
city found money to construct a
massive underground parking
structure and has budgeted over
$345,000 for new bathrooms
in City Hall. Surely something
else can be sacrificed in the bud-
get that won't have such severe
consequences. For the safety of
everyone living in Ann Arbor,
whether they live here perma-
nently or temporarily as students,
the proposed cuts to the fire
department must be thrown out.
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