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Thursday,August 13 , 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com OPINION
originates from land-based human
activities. These actions lead to a
slow accumulation of devastating
consequences. As a result, we don’t
immediately know the impact of
our actions, and other issues take
precedence in our lives.
However, as we continue to
knowingly, or unknowingly, alter
the environment, the damage done
is never a singular issue. Water
pollution is merely one concern.
Research has shown that far more
issues, such as acidification of the
water, glacial melting and rising
water temperatures as a result of
climate change and subsequent dis-
ruption of marine ecosystems, all
are lurking beneath the surface and
could pose significant changes to
the world as we know it now.
Climate change, as a whole,
is a subject we’ve known about,
have discussed, have debated ad
nauseam and have still exhibited
a dangerously delayed response
to. President Barack Obama, in a
recent attempt to shift the con-
versation, recently proposed plans
for stricter regulations to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and
bolster the use of solar, wind and
other renewable energy sources.
Although the administration of the
Clean Power Plan could be offset by
dissenting opinions, legal conflicts
and the ideology of the next per-
son to assume charge of the White
House, Obama’s actions, at the very
least, will help secure a place for
discussions about the environment
in the endless stream of upcoming
debates and campaign speeches.
Throughout
my
wander-
ings, I was a student and a tourist
seeking to find the beauty of the
country I had found myself lost in.
Whether it is manmade or natu-
ral, we as humans seek to uncover
these astonishing sights, but we
sometimes all too easily forget how
easily the stunning natural envi-
ronment can be tarnished. We,
in order, to protect the numerous
paths we wander upon, need to
relinquish our roles as mere specta-
tors and begin taking action.
—Melissa Scholke can be
reached at melikaye@umich.edu.
Things I wish I did this summer
H
ere’s a line you hear
every year: I
can’t believe
how
fast
the summer
has gone by.
Seriously,
though.
It
feels
like
yesterday
I
was
wait-
ing for the
Daily’s serv-
ers to operate at a reasonable
rate (well actually, it was yes-
terday), and now it’s August, a
mere three weeks away from
the beginning of fall semester
(read: Harbaugh era of Michi-
gan football).
So, as I sit here writing this
at the Daily, cherishing my last
moments as managing editor,
it seems like a great time to
reflect on what I did this sum-
mer, or actually, what I wish
I did and did not do because
that’s a lot more interesting.
And maybe, just maybe, there
will be something to learn from
this thought exercise:
I
wish
I
watched
less
Fox News.
No, this isn’t my big “I’m actu-
ally a Republican” announcement.
Rather, back in May, I challenged
myself to watch the network as
my primary TV news source.
Huge mistake. I mean, the things
that come out of these people’s
mouths are too terrible to be true
— the highlight being Bill O’Reilly
declaring
institutional
racism
no longer exists (OK, Bill, OK). I
would be shocked if there wasn’t
a dartboard in the middle of their
newsroom with President Barack
Obama and former Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton’s faces
tacked in the center. My prob-
lem was watching Fox became
somewhat of a pseudo-addiction,
where I started counting on Bill
Hemmer and Martha McCal-
lum to start my day off right
— and angry.
By July, my viewing started to
cool down a bit, but last Thurs-
day’s Republican debate brought
me back in. I have never enjoyed
ignorance so much. Seriously,
could they have found a group
of 10 people who are more out of
touch with reality? Probably, but
my point is made.
While there were many posi-
tives in this Fox News-viewing
experience — becoming more
confident in my beliefs, copious
amounts of unintentional comedy,
etc. — I wish it didn’t happen. I
feel a bit less sane now.
I
wish
I
checked
my
e-mail less.
Filling out medical school
applications may be important,
in that I don’t get to go to medi-
cal school without doing them,
but side effects include compul-
sive e-mail checking to the point
of insanity. Seeing “Updated
Just Now” with no new e-mails
is borderline torture. This whole
process is really the ultimate test
of how well I handle patience.
Pun intended.
I wish I watched more
documentaries.
I
love
learning
about
the
more impor-
tant
things
in life: a leg-
endary sushi
chef, the his-
tory of Chi-
nese
food,
scientology
and
tennis
matches
that
never
happened. Documentaries have
unlocked a curious spirit in me to
educate myself on just about any-
thing, even if it’s just to add some
excitement to a conversation. For
all I’ve watched this summer, I’m
committed to watching more. The
Amy Winehouse documentary is
next on my list.
I
wish
I
wrote
and
performed a stand-up comedy
set.
Not that I think it would be any
good, but this has been a goal of
mine for a while. I like to believe
I would have a small semblance
of stage presence and maybe have
gotten a couple of jokes to land, so
I wish I gave it a try. Maybe some-
day, though. I’m trying to be the
next Larry David here!
I wish I ran more
Not actually.
I wish I went camping
I’ve spent a lot of this summer
on the computer and my phone.
While camping out on Facebook
scrolling endlessly down is fun,
it simply can’t beat the great out-
doors. I know I’m not the only one
who is obsessed with their tech-
nology, and it’s a real problem.
Craving virtual social interaction
is simply not healthy. I need to dis-
connect from that world for a bit.
Plus, I miss the tents, the camp-
fires and the hikes. I’m craving
real conversations while eating
hot dogs with great friends.
***
When I look at this short
list, I see some things serious,
most things not so much. How-
ever, believe it or not, there is an
important question that comes
out of this: Am I living the life I
want to live?
In most ways, yes. I’m pur-
suing a career in medicine and
found a genuine passion for
public health
this summer.
I am proud of
the fact that
I
attempt
to
educate
myself in a
wide variety
of topics.
But
what
about every-
thing
in
between?
My time in
Ann Arbor is winding down
(less than a year left), and
there are plenty of restaurants
and stores I have yet to eat
and shop at. I really do want
to write that comedy routine,
and I want to become less
attached to my e-mail. I want
to
strengthen
my
relation-
ships with the people I care
about most.
It’s time to start prioritizing
those things because these are
the experiences that will go a
long way in living the life I want
to live — one that’s not sucked
away by staring at social media.
Luckily, I have the next cou-
ple weeks off, so I know where
I can start.
Anyone want to go camping?
— Derek Wolfecan be reached
at dewolfe@umich.edu.
DEREK
WOLFE
Believe it or not,
there is an important
questions that comes
out of this: Am I living
the life I want to live?
JOIN THE DAILY THIS FALL!
E-mail tothedaily@michigandaily.com for more information.
— Republican presidential candidate and Wisconsin
Gov. Scott Walker said last Thursday night during
the Republican presidential debate on Fox News.
“
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
Probably the Russian
and Chinese
government know
more about Hillary
Clinton’s e-mail
server than the
United States
Congress.”
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