Monday, June 20, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com * *9emi-hif 40 Coming out Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu 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. Tuition travesty Students shouldn't bear the entire burden of funding cuts n a trend that is becoming regrettably unsurprising, tuition will be even higher in the 2011-2012 academic year. As of Thursday, the University has raised its price for 14 consec- utive years when the University's Board of Regents approved an increase of 6.7 percent for in-state students and 4.9 percent for out-of-state students. Republican Gov. Rick Snyder's funding cuts have placed an incredible burden on educational institu- tions around the state, but the University took the easy way out by passing the cuts almost entirely on to students with tuition increases. These measures will only price out lower income families and place a more weight on those struggling to pay an National Coming Out Day is held every year on October 11, to pro- mote "honesty and openness about' being lesbian, gay, or bisexual," according to the Queer Resources Directory. For undocumented immigrants, National Com- ing Out of the ANNA Shadows Week was held March CLEMENTS 14-21. There is even a proposed National Pagan Coming Out Day, on May 1. Yet despite the growing num- ber of cognitive disorders, there is no nationally recognized day for indi- viduals battling them to reveal their situation, made all the more difficult by their ailment's invisibility. From sexuality to disability status, to polit- ical stance to dietary habits (have you ever tried coming out as vegan in a frat, or as a carnivore in a co-op?), it seems that everyone has a closet to exit. But for those types of "coming out" that do not have a recognized week, it is sometimes difficult to fig- ure out how and when is appropriate. Imagine that you are on a date with someone. You make small talk, laugh and joke around and then she twitches. "It's just a nerve contrac- tion caused by my cognitive disor- der," she explains casually, and then proceeds to elucidate the other, more severe symptoms. How on earth are you supposed to react? Or alternatively, let's say that you go out with a friend whom you've just met. Passing by Necto on gay night, your companion remarks that it's the best night for dancing and suggests that the two of you swing by later. Your conservative religious back- ground makes going out dancing a little bit ethically risque. Is it possible to casually bring up your beliefs and the limitations they impose, without putting a damper on the whole eve- ning? Supposedly, the U.S. is a place where diversity is valued in many realms. It is important to remember our different characteristics, espe- cially when passing judgment over someone who has just come out as atheist or as a member of the Tea Party. And even if there isn't outright or negative judgment, it is probable for some awkwardness to linger. The difficulty in coming out is doubtfully a personal issue, neither for those who are in the closet, nor for those on the other side. It must, then, be cultural. And how can one affect cultural norms? Creating safe spaces - physical, like the Spectrum Center on campus, or calendrical, such as coming out days - is one way of providing an arena for people to open up about the marginalized facets of their identities. However, making distinctly separate spaces for certain groups segregates them, so there must be ways to incorpo- rate people's differences to make the transition out of the closet a smooth one. We have a race and ethnicity requirement in LSA, mandating that students take a course that "address issues arising from racial or ethnic intolerance." This is one wayto facili- tate discussions on differences. That doesn't seem to be enough, though. Many students go through college without ever learning how to talk about the sensitive subjects of which people's identities are composed. The consequences of this can be disastrous, both interpersonally and politically If someone can't talk about their disability or health problem, then no onewillknowhowto reacttothemis- haps that it may cause. If no one feels comfortable talking about opposing a I find that closets induce already high tuition. The University's funding dilemma clearly starts with Sny- der's budget. As emphasized ad nauseam, education should be the last public sector to be cut. Regardless of his claims to the contrary, Snyder seems eager to slash the state expenditure on education and, invariably, its quality. The "brain drain" that the state has experienced over the past decade and other educa- tion-related problems will likely become more severe if education is continuously neglected by the state. Nonetheless, the difficult situation created by the Michi- gan Legislature does little to excuse the poor response taken by the University. Facing a cut of $47.5 million in state funds, the University has passed along $46.4 million, or 97 percent, of this load on to students. Surely there are other ways the Univer- sity could make up this deficit besides raising tuition. Meth- ods in previous years included operational downsizing and the elimination of certain programs, such as the Center for Ethics in Public Life. With such drastic cuts, students may have to take on a portion of the state cuts, but they shouldn't be forced to han- dle the entire burden. Every year college students around the nation are priced out of education. To the University's credit, the increase in tuition has been coupled with a large increase in financial aid. Families making $80,000 per year or less willnot be impacted bythetuition hikes. Regardless, the increased strain on families above this cut- off is substantial. The University may strive to maintain its qual- ity by charging increased tuition rates instead of making tough expenditure cuts, but socio-eco- nomic diversity also leads to the greatness of the University. The increase in financial aid is not enough to help every family who needs extra money, and there are going to be families caught in the middle who are unable to afford the new price tag. Where will we be in 15 years if this yearly tuition increase con- tinues? The trend is unsustain- able and alarming. The state's budget created a tough situa- tion for Michigan's schools, but instead of working towards a creative solution, the University simply passed the problem along to an economically ailing popula- tion. The University may realize it has a duty to provide a quality education, but it also must make that education affordable to the less wealthy students who also desire it. The University would do well to remember that the for- mer is aided by the latter. claustrophobia. political or social views in a friendly way, then politics will continue to separate from everyday life. These issues will build a residence within a vague conceptual framework, rather than be interwoven with the issues we confront daily. In short, what is necessary is not a National Political Party or a Sexual Orientation or a Disability Status Coming Out Day (or week, or month), but more openness in general. I mentioned earlier that coming out is not a personal problem, but rather a cultural one. The solution though, has to be both systemic and personal. If more individuals force these issues into the open, then the system will have to accommodate 4 them. If we stay silent about our dif- ferences, then they will stayinvisible. You choose. Personally, I find that closets induce claustrophobia. Anna Clements can be reached at asiobhanpumich.edu.