Monday, July 16,2012 1 ( Monday, July 16, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com *e *id*k*an* 3ai1Ij An edited Europe Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu JACOB AXELRAD EDITOR IN CHIEF GIACOMO BOLOGNA MANAGING EDITOR ADRIENNE ROBERTS EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflect theofficial position of the Daily's editorialboard. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solelythesviews oftheir authors. F ROM T HE D A ILY Justice for juveniles Juveniles no longer serve a life sentence without parole The Supreme Court recently ruled that a life sentence without parole for juveniles is unconstitutional, forcing states to alter their current laws. Michigan is currently one of the strictest states in the nation, with a law that forces judges to give children as young as 14 the maximum adult penalty for first-degree murder, with no chance of parole. On Tuesday, the Michigan House Corrections Appropriations Subcommittee will conduct a hearing on this ruling. The Michigan legislature must revise the juvenile life sentence law to match the Supreme Court's ruling. Up at 6, bags out at 7, on the bus by 8, nap until 10, then off the bus again to see another tiny old town. If you couldn't tell, bus tours have the ten- dency to get a bit monoto- nous. Not that I should com- plain. Having my parents come and tour CAITLIN Italy with me CAT N was an amaz- MORATH ing opportu- nity, one I was fortunate to have. But let's just say spending 12-hour days with a tour group whose median age probably centered around SO is a wee bit dif- ferent than backpacking around Europe with a group of college kids. I spent the past five weeks immersed in Italian culture, always attempting to avoid the faux pas that would instantly give away my American citizenship. I avoided dipping my bread in oil, kept my voice down in public places, gave up on tipping and became an expert at deciphering the meaning of Italian words using the little experience I had. All of that hard work was erased within 10 minutes of the official start of our tour. For the first activity, our group of 28 travelers took over a restaurant at dinnertime. Sitting down at a table set with water, bread and but- ter should have been my first hint that the next 10 days were going to be nothing like my previous few weeks. It foreshadowed- the treat- ment we would receive at every res- taurant and hotel and on.every tour fromthatpointforward. The people conducting these tours know their job is to keep foreign tourists happy, because a happytourist means big- ger tips. Thus, a great effort was made to maintain an environment that mimicked what one might find in the U.S. From continen- tal breakfasts to the "night time" excursions that ended before most locals left their homes to go out for the night, the trip was designed to make American travelers feel com- fortable, practically right at home. This seems like a strange goal foran international tour company to have. Bus tours do have their advan- tages. They offer a worry-free envi- ronment in which your day and activities come pre-planned. Each day is jam-packed with historical monuments, important museums and a decent share of tourist traps. After less than two weeks on tour, I can check off a large number of "must-see" sights on my bucket list. But for me, travel isn't about a checklist. One of my favorite parts of trav- eling is the opportunity to immerse myself in a new culture. A bus tour didn't allow me the time or free- dom to accomplish thatgoal. Rather than devoting at least a few days to a city like I did during my indepen- dent travel, the tour had us rolling through at least three cities almost every day. There was no time to get your bearings, no time to min- gle with the locals and no time to just sit and people-watch for asfew hours. In fact, the tour took such care to keep Americafi vacationers within their comfort zone that it totally removed me from mine. Bus tours are efficient, but inauthentic. My suspicion that the restau- rants, hotels and tour guides with whomwe interactedwere tweaking their service to cater to what they perceivedias our "American needs" was confirmed by our tour guide on one of the last days of the trip. In trying in explain to a very con- flused couple why the service they received on an independent din- ner was so divergent from what we experience at our group dinners, he conceded that much of the service we received was adjusted from the Italian standard in order to make it more palatable to tourists.The news seemed to come as a shock to some of my fellow travelers who seemed unaware that English and ice water don't come standard in Italy. This newfound informationactu- ally had an impact on the last leg of ourtrip. Afterbeinginformed about some Italian customs, many travel- ers made a valiant effort to readjust their actions in order to better fit in to the local scene. It seems as if the tour company vastly underesti- mated the lengths their clientele is willing to go in order to fit into the culture they paid so much money to visit. Touring a foreign country by bus may be efficient, but it takes some- thing away from the authentic- ity and adventure of international travel. I'm going to make sure the next group tour I travel with offers a genuine experience, not a cookie- cutter version of a culturethatsome tour company thinks Americans expect. Caitlin Morath can be reached at cmorath@umich.edu. Michigan hockey head coach to suit up for Red Wings By COLLEEN THOMAS Daily Sports Editor DETROIT - The Winter Classic festivities have grown exponen- tially since the Detroit Red Wings were named the host of the 2013 edition of the hockey game, and Red Wings general manager Ken Holland looks to keep expanding. The Hockeytown Winter Fes- tival - which currently includes the Great Lakes Invitational and a four-team Ontario Hockey League tournament - will have not one, but two alumni games at Comerica Park in Detroit this year. Holland announced on Wednesday the inclusion of a sec- ond alumni game due to the sheer number of well-known alumni from both the Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs. "You're going to have the great- est Red Wings and Leafs players in the history of both historic fran- chises, many of them on the same rink for one day," Holland said at Wednesday's press conference at Comerica Park. "I think it's going to be incredible. "We just started putting names down, and when you want to put 22 to 23 Red Wings' names down, you leave a lot off. We're not sure exactly how the breakdown is going to go, but we're going to have two games." As of Tuesday, Red Wings Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, Alex Delvecchio, Mickey Redmond, John Ogrodnick, Luc Robitaille, Dino Ciccarelli, Chris Chelios, Larry Murphy, Mark Howe, Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, Darren McCarty, Joe Kocur, and goalies Chris Osgood and Mike Vernon are confirmed to attend. Maple Leafs alumni include Darryl Sittler, Rick Vaive, Darcy Tucker, Felix Potvin, Mike Pal- mateer, Kevin Maguire, Dave Andreychuk, Doug Gilmour, for- mer Wings Wendel Clark and Curtis Joseph, and Johnny Bower, Ron Ellis and Jim McKenny. Though only the preliminary rosters were announced, Holland expects both organizations to reach out to contact more alumni. Holland said he hopes to include 40 or 50 former Red Wings, including current Michigan hock- ey head coach Red Berenson, who played in Detroit from 1970-75. Alex Delvecchio, who played with Berenson from 1970-74, jok- ingly said he wasn't so sure if he'd see Berenson on the ice. at the alumni game. "I'm certain he's going to be invited," Delvecchio said. "He was a great part of the Red Wings. (But) does he still skate?" "I would anticipate and expect Red to be in uniform." Though Berenson's name wasn't included on the prelimi- nary roster, Holland is confident Berenson will participate in the alumni game. "(Berenson is a) great Red Wing, and definitely should be out there playing," Holland said. "Certainly we'll contact Red. What we're trying to do is contact a few (at a time), and contact a few more. Certainly Red is on our list, and I would anticipate and expect Red to be in uniform." Now that the NHL Draft and the July 1 free agency have passed, Holland is able to focus more time on reaching out to alumni to final- ize the roster. When will Holland contact Red? "Probably in the next month, now that things have slowed down," Holland said. "Guys want to make plans, and we want to make sure they get notified well in advance to commit. Red's defi- nitely on my list." Berenson expected to play in Winter Festival alumni game Monday, July 16, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Novartis MS Education Link Hear Evanthia Bernitsas, MD discuss intormation about multiple sclerosis (MS) and a prescription treatment option. July 26, 2012 6:00pm Zingermans Roadhouse 2501 Jackson Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Please RSVP by July 25, 2012 by calling 800-973-0362. Light food and beverages served. 6 NOVARTIS Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (0 2011 Novartis 9/11 T-XMG-1099611 The Michigan House Cor- rections Appropriations' Sub- committee plans to review the implications of the U.S. Supreme Court decision banning manda- tory life sentences for juveniles tomorrow. In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that mandatory life sentences without the chance for parole was uncon- stitutionally cruel. This ruling will have a substantial impact on the state of Michigan, which ranks second in the nation in terms of prisoners serving life for crimes committed at age 17 and younger. Michigan's current law doesn't' seem to take the mental state of a teenager into account. Teenag- ers' brains aren't as developed as adult brains, making teenag- ers more impulsive. They lack maturity and don't have a fully developed sense of responsibil- ity. According to Time Magazine, it's not until we're in our mid to late 20s that the prefrontal cor- tex is fully laid out and engaged. Juveniles clearly don't have the mental capabilities of adults; therefore, they shouldn't be treated as such. Each inmate also costs $35,000 per year. Michigan has the opportunity to save money while also giving past prisoners the chance to lead different and productive lives. According to data released in 2011, 346 Michi- gan juveniles are currently serv- ing a life sentence without parole. Thus, Michigan will save at least $1.2 million per year under the Supreme Court ruling. Michigan has the rare opportunity to save money and help people start new lives. This ruling highlights the many flaws of the U.S. prison system. The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world and many prisons are over- crowded as a result. This envi- ronment breeds violence and hate, making it difficult for freed prisoners to adjust to life outside of prison. Juveniles sentenced to life in prison deserve a second chance at life. Michigan's policy was unjust and the Supreme Court was correct in declaring life in prison without parole for juve- niles unconstitutional. Now it's up to the state of Michigan to alter the law in accordance with this ruling not only to save mil- lions of dollars, but also to give these prisoners a fair chance at a better life. This ruling is only the beginning of the difficult prob- lem of changing the U.S. prison system, but it is a step in the right direction toward comprehensive prison reform.