Opinion
JENNIFER CALFAS
EDITOR IN CHIEF
AARICA MARSH
and DEREK WOLFE
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
LEV FACHER
MANAGING EDITOR
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4A — Friday, September 18, 2015
A
s I sometimes tell people, I
like everything — I’ve only
had a couple of classes in
my
two
years
so far at Michi-
gan that I truly
didn’t
enjoy.
I
think
this
comes out of my
wide-reaching
interests.
Each
semester
I’m
looking to learn
as much as I can,
both inside and
outside of the
classroom, and I
want to let my professors know that
I’m engaged on this deep and sin-
cere level. I’m truly paying atten-
tion during their lectures because
I’m coming to class in order to
take away something I didn’t know
before. So a normal day for me
means that, as class ends and every-
one rushes out the door en masse,
I instead make my way down the
aisle to the front of the room.
“Hi,” I’ll tell the professor when
I get up to the podium. “I really
enjoyed your lecture. And I wanted
to let you know, it reminded me of
something I heard on the radio the
other day…”
It can be that simple. A few words
are all it takes to begin to build a
friendship that can last long after the
final exam. For me, these relation-
ships have meant spending time in
a professor’s office to practice Ger-
man or meeting for coffee to talk
about academic goals. A couple of
my professors have also approached
me about working for them over the
summer, and hired me to compile
materials that would be integrated
into an existing syllabus. Such possi-
bilities are out there, but in each new
class and semester, I have to once
again make the effort to build a rela-
tionship. I want to be someone my
professors will get to know by name,
not because I’m
trying to kiss up,
but because I’m
truly interested
in and drawn to
the subject mat-
ter that they’re
teaching.
University
President Mark
Schlissel
spoke
about getting to
know your pro-
fessors in a recent interview with
WEMU’s Lisa Barry. “Even though
this is a big school, one of the pleasant
things about the culture here is the
faculty truly love to teach,” Schlissel
said. “Part of the reason they come to
the University of Michigan is because
of the caliber of students we attract.”
Outside of such a context, it can
be scary to go up and talk to a pro-
fessor — I’ll be the first one to say
that — but it pays to build a rela-
tionship that can last. After the
semester comes to a close, Eliza-
beth Goodenough, a lecturer in the
Arts and Ideas in the Humanities
program, sometimes hires students
as research assistants or writes let-
ters of recommendation, and finds
that students often come back into
their teachers’ lives, sometimes a
decade later.
Ann Arbor is a fairly small town,
and I’ve run into former profes-
sors at the grocery store or walking
their dog in the neighborhood. It’s
a good feeling
when both of
us can remem-
ber the other’s
name. And that
starts
now,
when
you
go
to office hours,
when you send
an e-mail asking
for clarification
of the materials,
when you linger
for a minute after class and chat
about the weather as you pack your
things. Let them know what you
liked and where you lost interest
or, as the case may be, found your-
self offended. And see where the
conversation goes from there. Your
professors come here to teach and
you come to learn; you might have
more in common than you realize.
— Susan LaMoreaux can be
reached at susanpl@umich.edu.
Making friends with professors
Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Ben Keller, Payton Luokkala, Aarica Marsh,
Victoria Noble, Michael Paul, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Allison Raeck, Melissa
Scholke, Michael Schramm, Mary Kate Winn, Jenny Wang, Derek Wolfe
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Preparing for post-grad
I
t isn’t rare to hear my sorority sisters,
classmates and co-workers talk about
“recruiting” season — wondering aloud
how they’re going to bal-
ance their Summer 2016
internship
search
with
classes and extracurricu-
lars. As it’s only September
and most of these intern-
ships won’t start for eight
or 10 more months, some
of their worry might seem
misguided.
But for many students —
especially those taking out
loans to help pay for col-
lege — stress surrounding
their post-college career begins the first day
of the semester. Findings from a new study
released by the U.S. Department of Education
show that while college graduates continue
to make significantly more than non-colle-
gians, the earnings of students 10 years after
enrollment are bleak, justifying students’ job
search stress.
The study, called the College Scorecard, is
designed to shed light on the monetary value
of a degree from any given school and the
likelihood that graduates from that school
will be able to pay back student loans. Using
IRS data, the study measures the average
income for students who received federal stu-
dent aid and the percentage of students earn-
ing more than the average worker with only a
college diploma.
According to the study, graduates from the
University generally fared above average. Ten
years after college, 78 percent of graduates
earned more than those without a college edu-
cation, and their average annual income was
$57,900. More than 90 percent of graduates
were able to pay back their student loans.
Still, studies like this one come as an
unwelcome reminder of many students’ need
to find a job that will maximize the return on
their investment in their education — wheth-
er or not they took out loans. With that in
mind, students’ willingness to spend count-
less hours searching for a summer internship
that might lead to a job after school doesn’t
seem all that irrational.
Likewise, the University’s resources for
helping students find good jobs after gradu-
ation now seem much more essential to the
value of a student’s education. There is cer-
tainly an intrinsic value to the time students
spend at college — I think that goes without
saying. But most students also expect that
their hard work and time spent at college will
materialize into higher lifetime wages. Many
students also hope that the degree they spent
so much time working on will be somehow
relevant to their career.
I’m about to state the obvious here, so bear
with me. The professional skills that contrib-
ute to students’ ability to find well-paying jobs
Is Greek life the only culprit?
L
ast
Thursday,
University
President Mark Schlissel
called
for
a
mandatory
meeting
of
all
Greek
life
chapters in which
he
reprimanded
the
community
for its problems
with sexual assault and alcohol
abuse. Though a call to reform
Greek life was clearly necessary,
considering the Treetops Resort ski
trip incident and the community’s
disproportionate problems with
sexual assault, is Greek life truly
the only group to blame for the
“party
image”
Schlissel claims
the
University
is
beginning
to embody?
Schlissel’s
comments to the
Greek commu-
nity made me
consider
party
life on campus,
and
whether
fraternity
par-
ties are truly as dangerous, rac-
ist and homophobic as E. Royster
Harper, vice president for student
life, claimed their perception to
be. I should start by explaining
to the (freshman) population that
there are two types of parties at the
University: fraternity parties and
house parties. Club sports, profes-
sional fraternities and other gen-
eral student orgs often fall into the
latter category.
When considering the safety stan-
dards put in place during fraternity
parties versus general house parties,
it would be easy to say that fraternity
parties are actually safer. Frats utilize
sober monitors, hire security guards,
track who is entering the house by
people’s Mcards and have other IFC
safety enforcements to answer to
when throwing parties. These par-
ties meet all the standards to ensure
a safe and fun night — right?
Apparently, wrong. Recent sta-
tistics have shown that members in
Greek life are 2.5 times more likely
to be sexually
assaulted
than
all
non-Greek
students
on
campus. This is
likely due to the
nature of Greek
parties
com-
pared to house
parties.
While
Greek life par-
ties do set regu-
lations in place
that may appear for these organiza-
tions to harbor “safe fun,” mixing
large quantities of students with
dark lighting and hard liquor is a
recipe for disaster.
However, there’s a surprising
statistic the student body should
be aware of. While those involved
in Greek life are 2.5 times more at
risk than non-Greek life students,
those involved with club sports
were twice as likely to experi-
ence unwanted sexual penetra-
tions — nearly as much as Greek
life. And while those involved in
the Greek community represent
nearly 17 percent of the University,
those involved with club sports
only represent about 5 percent of
the population.
If I, an average sophomore, know
these statistics, there’s no doubt
Schlissel knows them, too. Where
is the big mass meeting for all
club sports? Is Greek life deemed
the scapegoat of the unsafe party
life on campus solely because it’s
more visible?
While Greek life is to blame for a
higher record of sexual assaults and
alcohol abuse on campus, it isn’t the
only population to blame. At house
parties, there are less resources put
in place for the students’ safety,
which could lead to an environment
just as unsafe — maybe even more
so — as fraternity parties.
My final words: Punish the Greek
community, but also be mindful of
other culprits. Chastising the Greek
community for its inappropriate
behavior was good, but this is not
the only community deserving of a
critical look. Be aware when you go
to a house party that’s not at Theta
Chi or SAE — it doesn’t mean you’re
being completely safe.
— Daniel Dixon can be
reached at djdx@umich.edu.
VICTORIA
NOBLE
SUSAN
LAMOREAUX
FROM THE DAILY
A
t their meeting Monday, members of the Senate Advisory
Committee on University Affairs proposed an initiative that
would add more Friday classes in an effort to curb “Thirsty
Thursdays.” During the meeting, University Provost Martha Pollack
said she was in favor of this proposal because it would help to limit
excessive drinking, which she cites as major issue on campus. This
isn’t the first time Pollack has suggested Friday classes, but when she’s
done so in the past, it’s been for logistical and budgetary reasons. This
suggestion comes on the heels of the University announcing a new
alcohol policy and just days after President Mark Schlissel’s remarks
at the University’s first-ever all-Greek life meeting, during which
he addressed alcohol consumption and party culture in the Greek
community. While the proposal has the potential to help curb binge
drinking, holding more Friday classes is just a start toward changing
an over-arching culture. The University needs to continue to work
toward other approaches that combat root issues associated with
binge drinking and the Millennial party culture.
Holding more Friday morning classes
could be a step toward changing the drinking
culture at the University. Since the proposed
Friday classes would likely be unpopular,
underclassmen who schedule their classes
last among University students — especially
freshmen — would be more likely to take a
large number of Friday classes. If Thursday-
night drinking is out of the question for
freshmen from the start of their college
career because of an early-Friday-morning
class, traditional two-day weekends will
become the norm for them. Furthermore, if
students don’t develop excessive drinking
early in their college careers, then they could
be less likely to ever develop such habits. This
increases the likelihood for lasting change at
the University.
A
2007
study
from
University
of
Missouri’s Midwest Alcoholism Research
Center suggests this likelihood is valid.
“Approximately two-thirds of students who
consumed some alcohol Thursday consumed
a binge amount if they had late or no Friday
classes,” said Philip Wood, a professor of
quantitative psychology who contributed
to the study. Pollack reiterated this similar
sentiment during SACUA’s Monday meeting.
Though Friday classes may make a dent in
the effort to reduce binge drinking, it’s not
that simple. Excessive drinking is an issue
on many college campuses across the nation.
Critically thinking about how to address
these issues calls into question how much
responsibility the University should be taking
when it comes to helping students with
general life skills: drinking habits as well as
time management and health and wellness.
On one hand, it’s the responsibility of
the students to control their actions when
it comes to consuming alcohol and making
it to class or not. On the other hand, binge-
drinking culture at the University poses real
threats to students’ health and wellness,
and should very much be a concern of the
administration. At a town hall meeting last
week, E. Royster Harper, vice president
of student life, emphasized this as an
administrative priority. Surely, the University
has a relevant stake in students’ health and
how others perceive our campus.
During the Sept. 14 meeting, SACUA
members also encouraged faculty to address
drinking habits in their classes by warning
against the dangers of excessive drinking and
suggesting dry events students could attend.
Faculty wouldn’t be doing any harm by
speaking to students about drinking habits,
but these suggestions do not seem to tackle
the root of the problem. A change in drinking
culture must come from the students
themselves, especially student organizations.
If students starting their freshman year
are invested in student organizations that
involve them in activities not centered
around alcohol, they may develop weekly
routines that don’t include excessive drinking
on every weekend or “free” night.
One concern about offering Friday classes
is logistical issue, as many students have
internships and jobs that require them to
work Fridays. Therefore, packing Fridays
with more classes could hinder students’
abilities to participate in these activities that
help students pay for tuition or gain valuable
professional experience.
The University is trying to reduce students’
alcohol consumption, make a safer campus
and prevent the University from developing
a reputation as a “party school.” Increasing
the number of Friday classes, though unlikely
to make drastic changes in students’ lives,
is another attempt by the University to
nudge students toward adopting healthier
drinking habits. The University has the right
to and should initiate structural changes
to the academic week to try to change our
drinking culture.
Banish binge drinking
Increasing the number of Friday classes is a good first step
DANIEL
DIXON
in their field after graduation don’t
come naturally. If students want to
write great cover letters or resumes
or give persuasive answers when
employers ask why they should hire
them, they have to learn how, just
like they’d have to learn calculus if
they want to take a derivative.
But even though all of what I
said is so totally obvious, the Uni-
versity could still be doing so much
more to impart those skills to its
LSA students.
The Career Center — the primary
place for LSA students to receive
career services — has undergone
improvements within the past year
that will likely help students con-
nect with resources that could help
them find meaningful employment
— whatever that means to them —
upon graduation, or sooner. Part of
this improvement involved replac-
ing its old, clunky Career Center
Connector website with a site called
Handshake, which more effectively
connects students with job post-
ings, professional and career devel-
opment events and resources to
help them write better resumes and
cover letters.
Giving students some of these
tools at home through an improved
website may be helpful for students
who feel unprepared to meet with
an adviser or are unsure of which
resources are available through the
Career Center.
But despite these changes, many
students still don’t use Career Cen-
ter services. Whether it’s because
they’d rather not think about life
after college or because they don’t
know what resources are available,
it’s clear that there’s a large seg-
ment of campus that isn’t connect-
ing with these resources.
In part, this
could
be
due
to the way that
career
ser-
vices are deliv-
ered.
Most
skills related to
students’
col-
lege
education
are
delivered
directly — often
through classes
that
motivate
students to practice the skills. How-
ever, professional development is
totally elective, and the Career
Center resources are so under-pro-
moted that it’s easy to forget they
even exist.
Incentivizing internship experi-
ences will help students maximize
their education by confirming or
rejecting a particular career inter-
est while they’re still in school and
can take classes related to that field.
Some departments offer options to
receive course credit for internships.
Other schools encourage and require
professional experience to graduate.
It goes without saying that a col-
lege education is worth much more
than the jobs or salaries it helps stu-
dents eventually obtain. But as the
costs of college
continue to rise,
it’s
important
that
the
Uni-
versity
recog-
nizes that it will
become increas-
ingly
difficult
for students to
recoup the value
of their invest-
ment
in
their
education.
The
University has a responsibility to
continually develop and provide the
best resources to help them do so.
— Victoria Noble can be
reached at vjnoble@umich.edu.
It goes without saying
that a college education
is worth much more
than the salaries it helps
students attain.
While Greek life is
to blame for a higher
record of sexual
assaults, it isn’t the only
population to blame.
A few words are all
it takes to begin to
build a friendship
that can last long
after the final exam.