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 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 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. The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com 4 — Tuesday, October 27, 2015 I t’s a law of physics that, in liquid, the denser object sinks lower. But this particular rule doesn’t hold true in the building of cities. Density doesn’t sink a com- munity — sprawl does. That’s because population density makes sense. And it’s the kind of sense that can be measured in taxpayer dollars saved, an economy diversified and a city made greener. Sustainable cit- ies are the building blocks of a sustainable nation, one that can survive in a changing world. There’s a saying that goes something like, “God was good enough to give man the beauty of the world, but cruel enough to give him the drive to destroy it.” Since 1981, the amount of farmable land in the United States has dropped from about 20 to 16 percent of our total land area. While a drop of 4 percent may seem like a small change, it repre- sents a loss of over 141,000 square miles of arable land. That’s nearly the entire state of Montana. I don’t write this to preach Armageddon, but rather to check a reality that we so easily take for granted. And land is a fleeting reality. Concentrating population centers saves natu- ral beauty and farmland. But more than that, dense cities greatly reduce our dependence on the automobile. A dependence that is responsible for nearly one-fifth of all carbon emissions in the United States. The stark reality is our current mode of life is not sustainable. Our generation will be faced with many existential crises. Survival in our changing environment will be the most critical. Now I’m hesitant to speak in generalizations about our generation. The media loves to pigeon- hole Millennials as one of only a handful of things. But as the largest generation ever, diver- sity of thought is inevitable. That said, three of the things the media tells us we are, I like. First, we seek out cities. Second, we are eco- nomically enterprising. And third, we try to be socially conscientious. This is the segment of Millennials that every city wants and Ann Arbor needs. And, you guessed it, urban den- sity can help. Ann Arbor needs a next generation of resi- dents, one that will respect and uphold our remarkable values. As of 2010, people ages 20 to 24 make up more than 20 percent of Ann Arbor’s population. If we bump up one age bracket, to people ages 25 to 29, that number halves. It make sense. After all, we are a college town and people graduate. But how do we retain more of that 20 percent come commencement day? When a city builds out, it cuts off its abil- ity to create vibrant cultural and economic centers or provide meaningful transit options. Both elements are essential to our generation, a whopping 86 percent of whom say that public transportation is critical. When we single out Millennials making less than $30,000 a year, that statistic jumps to 92 percent. This sug- gests that affordability is also imperative to the Millennial equation. Ann Arbor has one of the hottest real estate markets in the country, with an average rental room that costs a startling $1,118 per month. There is clearly a huge demand for housing that is not being met by supply. Denser housing develop- ment provides more housing options with direct access to awesome amenities, like a vibrant downtown and public transit. All that said, creating an affordable city does more than allow young residents to pay rent. It speaks to an inner drive to live in a truly diverse community, not one sanitized by forces of gentrification. But Ann Arbor is still a rich community. With the average price of a house hanging out north of $300,000, it’s not uncommon for residents to be paying $7,000 or more a year in property taxes. It may be startling, then, that the city isn’t in great fiscal shape — every year, our costs are rising faster than our revenue. That’s a scary place to be. Luckily, density can help. The logic is pretty simple. Infrastructure costs a lot of money. And suburban living requires a lot of infrastructure. Just think about how much all those winding roads must cost, not to mention the pipes that run beneath. In fact, the marginal cost of providing services to a new building is so high that a dense, multi-use development costs society between 38 and 50 percent less than a single-family home. Your local government isn’t just saving money, though. It’s also tapping new revenue streams. New neighbors mean everyone’s services keep coming, but new taxes don’t need to. Of course, all of this means change. But change is inevitable, and when it comes to sustainability and survival, change is necessary. The desires of youth will likely shape the future. But those desires must be refined by the moderation and historical perspective of older generations. For that reason, density can’t just mean skyscrapers and subways; often it will sim- ply mean townhouses and duplexes. Like every generation that has preceded us, we will reshape our nation. I hope ours will reshape densely. —Zachary Ackerman is an LSA senior and the Democratic nominee (Ward 3) for Ann Arbor City Council. He can be reached at zdack@umich.edu. T his past weekend, the Mar- tha Cook Building, one of the University’s three remain- ing all-female dorms, cele- brated its 100th anniversary. Both current and former residents attended the event, and Uni- versity President Mark Schlissel gave a keynote speech that laud- ed the building’s “unique learning environment, where everyone feels equally included.” The educational experience for women at the University has cer- tainly evolved in the 100 years since Martha Cook opened. Though it’s not obvious that all-women housing fills the same niche in the campus community that it once did, female dorms continue to provide a sup- portive community for residents. When the University began admitting female students in 1870, the co-education of women and men was exceedingly controversial. Though ultimately successful and enduring, co-education challenged not only classroom dynamics, but also every aspect of the educational structure. Housing female students became a special concern. Prior to construction of the first all-women residence halls, female students typically lived in boarding houses independent from the Uni- versity, or on occasion, in the homes of University faculty members. The first all-women residence halls — the Martha Cook Building and Helen Newberry Residence — rep- resented the first major efforts by the University to house female stu- dents. A 1924 survey of all female alumni evidences that the buildings benefited residents by providing a sense of solidarity and belonging on campus. But since the 1970s, women across the United States have been attend- ing college at higher rates than their male counterparts, and men out- numbered women by only 1 percent in the University’s entering under- graduate class in 2015. Accommo- dating female students on campus is no longer a special concern for those charged with planning and pro- viding student housing — it’s lit- erally half of the students they’re dealing with. Today, most on-campus hous- ing is co-ed, and fewer than 400 women live in one of the three all- female residence halls. That trend doesn’t seem likely to reverse any- time soon, as co-ed housing has become increasingly common on campuses nationwide. Based on recent trends in student housing, it may seem that all-female residence halls might be little more than relics of the past, and lack sig- nificant roles to play on campus. But, even today, many residents find that their time in all-female housing adds significant value to their University experience — at least I did. I lived in the Martha Cook Build- ing during my freshman and soph- omore years. On the surface, I’m not the first person anyone would expect to live there. Across cam- pus, the building’s culture seems to be typified as old-fashioned, ultra- conservative and unsocial. But far from being backward or overly traditional, the building’s culture emphasizes personal and academic achievement, and fosters a commu- nity of students dedicated to help- ing each other succeed. In my experience, all-female housing fosters an educational envi- ronment unparalleled anywhere on campus. I have never lived in a more studious, focused environment. Residents were more than willing to help each other understand class materials, and because many women choose to live in the building multi- ple years, older students were often around to help freshmen adjust to classes and campus life. The atmo- sphere was in equal parts supportive and serious. Ostensibly, there’s no reason why co-ed on-campus housing couldn’t be restructured to provide similar academic support. Even so, all-women housing is unique in its ability to support female students. Fostering a community of women dedicated to helping each other achieve personal and academic goals is in itself beneficial. Though women and men attend the Uni- versity in almost equal numbers, women still face obstacles on cam- pus that their male counterparts don’t. For the women who choose to live there, all-female hous- ing can provide a support system that can help residents overcome common barriers. In that respect, the Martha Cook Building still serves the same func- tion that it did 100 years ago. Far from being outmoded and outdated, all-women housing provides tangible benefits for its residents by fostering a supportive campus community. — Victoria Noble can be reached at vjnoble@umich.edu. The benefits of all-female housing Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Ben Keller, Payton Luokkala, Aarica Marsh, Adam Morton, Victoria Noble, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Stephanie Trierweiler, Mary Kate Winn, Derek Wolfe EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS VICTORIA NOBLE E-mail joE at jiovino@umich.Edu JOE IOVINO Living densely ZACHARY ACKERMAN Where is the line? Halloween, or “Hallo-week,” as it’s celebrated in Greek life, is a seven-day romp in costume, a time when otherwise sane students step out as TV characters, tabloid anti- heroes, celebrities of the moment and perennial favorites like the sexy kitten. As the ever-popular cat ears vanish from store shelves this week and many of us look for- ward to our first experience of this curious exhibition, it is time to talk about which kinds of costumes should be showcased in this year’s festivities and which should not. As the “liaison” for my sorority to the Panhellenic executive board, also known as a junior Panhel- lenic representative, I have had the opportunity, with approximately 30 other girls, to get an insider’s look at these issues. For the past two meetings, we have been dis- cussing cultural appropriation, trying to anticipate and help to pre- empt the offensive language, cos- tumes and behaviors that have too often stained Greek life — and, let’s be honest, American life. After just one of these sessions, I was appalled, not only because I had now been aptly made aware of how pervasive instances of cultural insensitivity are, but also because it made me realize just how easy it is to perpetuate this behavior. Cultural appropriation is when a privileged group adopts a cultural symbol, norm or behavior and takes it for itself because it’s considered funny, fashionable or cool. Kidada Malloy, our discussion facilitator and the Expect Respect program assistant, said during her presenta- tion and later reiterated in an inter- view that cultural appropriation is offensive because “it belittles a culture or identity, in a way that trivializes an entire way of life.” An outrageous example of this was popularized in 2012 when sorority girls from Penn State University wore sombreros and held signs say- ing, “I don’t cut grass, I smoke it,” and “will mow lawn for weed and beer.” It goes without saying that these girls crossed the line, but where is it drawn? Malloy made it clear in her pre- sentation that there is no line. It’s impossible to know if you’re offend- ing someone without asking, so you should simply err on the side of cau- tion. She said something as small as wearing a bindi as an accessory, without acknowledging its historic and cultural representation, is like- ly to offend someone. During the meeting, we pre- dominantly discussed the role of celebrity influence in cultural appropriation. Last year, Pharrell Williams was showcased on the cover of Elle magazine sporting a Native American headdress. Selena Gomez performed “Come and Get it” at the 2013 MTV awards dressed in a sari, saying later that it was “fun” to incorporate the culture into the performance. Katy Perry also performed her song “Uncon- ditionally” wearing a kimono, dressed as a geisha. In two of these three cases, the artists apologized almost immediately for their disre- spect toward an entire culture. Malloy deemed it essential to recognize that cultural appro- priation primarily happens when people are unaware of how their actions may be perceived as offen- sive. Malloy urged us to “engage in conversations with our peer com- munity to expand our awareness and understanding of different cul- tures so that our actions match up with our values.” In practice, there’s no difference between being outwardly offen- sive, like those who participated in the infamous “Bloods and Crips” theme party at Dartmouth College versus simply wearing a bindi as a body jewel at your next party. In both cases, you’re offending some- one, and although the degree might differ, we shouldn’t be inappropri- ately or inaccurately portraying a way of life. One of the more prevalent occur- rences of cultural appropriation stems from sexualizing minori- ties, which is something to keep in mind when trying to scandalize your costume this year. Try opting for a sexy animal or a sexy mythi- cal creature this time around. Trust me, you’d be hard pressed to find a racy dragon-fairy that feels dis- criminated against, and you won’t be perpetuating disrespectful ste- reotypes in the process. With that being said, for this Halloween, let’s foster an inclusive and welcoming environment by opting to wear actual costumes and not cultures. Lillian Gaines is an LSA sophomore. LILLIAN GAINES | VIEWPOINT — Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh during his press conference yesterday on hypothetical situations. “ NOTABLE QUOTABLE I’m not into the ‘if this, if that’ type of scenarios. If worms had machine guns, then birds (would) be scared of them.” CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor and viewpoints. Letters should be fewer than 300 words while viewpoints should be 550-850 words. Send the article, writer’s full name and University affiliation to tothedaily@michigandaily.com.