On Feb. 11, after relentless
student
protests,
Yale
announced that the university
would change the name of its
residential college named after
John C. Calhoun, the seventh
vice president of the United
States remembered for his
racist views and as a prominent
spokesman for slavery. While
there have been no similar
protests
about
University
of
Michigan
facilities,
we
recognize
that
there
are
buildings on campus named
after figures with controversial
histories. Buildings such as C.C.
Little — named after University
President Clarence Cook Little,
a proponent of eugenics — and
Angell Hall — named after
University
President
James
Angell, who played a role in
crafting the Chinese Exclusion
Act — are just a few examples of
buildings named after figures
who deserve greater scrutiny.
While these are prominent
examples we would expect
to be proposed for review,
we worry that the names
of
smaller
facilities,
such
as Winchell House in West
Quad — named for Alexander
Winchell,
a
20th-century
University
professor
of
geology and paleontology who
published many racist works
— will be overlooked in the
renaming procedure.
In
2008,
the
University
published a set of standards for
naming campus facilities in an
attempt to provide consistency in
the naming process. Under these
guidelines,
building
naming
decisions are often initiated
by the nine-member Board of
Regents and the final decisions
ultimately rest with them, too.
In
addition,
the
current
standards for naming campus
facilities
are
somewhat
vague in order to account
for the complexities of the
human
characters
after
whom buildings are named.
Because the guidelines are
open
to
interpretation, we
believe it is not only valuable,
but necessary, to have more
than the voices of the Board
of Regents and President’s
Advisory
Committee
on
University
History
when
making
these
decisions.
Furthermore, the few people
making
naming
decisions
spend little time in campus
buildings compared to students
and faculty, who work and
study in them — and therefore
deal with the implications
of each building’s name —
every day. Thus, we suggest
the University implements a
student and faculty committee
to work alongside those already
involved in order to provide
a more inclusive and more
informed
decision-making
process.
This
is
especially
important for structures like
the Biological Science Building,
which
is
currently
under
construction and does not have
a donor name attached.
When deciding the name
of a campus facility, it is
crucial that the University
finds the right balance in
continuing the University’s
history while not “honoring”
or endorsing the past actions
or beliefs of a discriminatory
individual.
We
recognize
that it is often hard to judge
influential historical figures
due to the fluidity of social
norms over time. Moreover, if
given enough scrutiny, there
is potential to find something
offensive about any building
name or honoree.
That being said, there is
still a moral line that should
not be crossed. The University
should be proactive in changing
names of buildings named after
individuals who were blatantly
racist. While it is important not
to forget the past, we believe
that renaming a building will not
erase the University’s history,
but rather create a more inclusive
environment where all students
can feel comfortable and, in turn,
create a productive learning
experience. Furthermore, we
can remove the name while still
acknowledging the building’s
history
and
maintaining
a
medium to recognize the flaws
of our past.
The decision to name or
rename
a
campus
facility
should not be taken lightly
and we hope the University
continues
to
encourage
student
and
faculty
voices
in the matter. Right now,
the only avenue for students
and faculty to get involved
is by submitting a proposal
recommending that buildings
be renamed. While this is a step
in the right direction, we believe
it is not enough. Students must
be afforded a more tangible role
in these processes, such as a
committee that works alongside
the
Board
of
Regents
and
President’s Advisory Committee
on University History.
Everyone involved in the
naming
process
must
be
mindful about how we name our
buildings, as legacies and societal
views constantly change over
time. While it is important
not to erase the University’s
history, it is crucial that the
name of our campus buildings
and facilities align with the
University of Michigan’s core
mission and values.
A
t
this
point
in
the
semester, many of us
find
ourselves
buried
in
midterm
exams,
projects
and
applications
for
internships,
scholarships, jobs and
summer
programs.
My
experience
is
no
exception.
As
we
pursue
these
professional
opportunities
and
strive
to
achieve
high marks on exams
and
projects,
it
remains
important
to anticipate the possibility of
failure.
Falling short in the attempt
to achieve a goal, like getting
a particular job or receiving a
good grade on an assignment,
presents us with two choices:
A) sulk about it and move on to
something else or B) use this
failure as an opportunity to learn
how to add value to a group
without being in that role, or
learn why our work on that
project was insufficient and
how we can find more success
in our next attempt. The latter
choice may be more difficult
for most, as it requires us to
be open to receiving criticism;
however, it often is more
rewarding in the long term.
Learning
to
embrace
the
disappointment of not getting a
promotion is a skill acquired after
repeated failure. In order to move
forward, it may be helpful to ask
the following questions: “How
can I add value to this business
or organization?” “How can I
still grow and challenge myself
so that I can feel engaged with
my job?” “Is the work that I do
for this business or organization
personally gratifying?”
The answers may not be
immediately apparent, but if
you are truly passionate about
your work, the most important
objective should be the projects
you work on, rather than the job
or position that you hold within
a business or organization. For
example, when I was denied the
opportunity to join the executive
board of the glee club that I’m a
part of, I decided that instead
of leaving the group, I could
find other ways to contribute in
spite of not holding the status
that comes with being on the
board. I am lucky to find myself
among many members in the
organization
who
have
expressed
a
fondness
for
my
ideas and an interest
in
collaborating
with me on various
projects.
This
decision
of
mine
was purely driven
by the desire to add
value to something
greater than myself,
because I love what
this organization stands for and
believe in contributing toward
its longevity.
The same can be said when
completing projects in a class
for a grade. This past fall, I took
a prerequisite class for declaring
a
major
in
communications
and
media
studies
called
Communications 122 — Media
Analysis: Concepts and Methods.
In this class, I worked on a
semester-long qualitative media
research project that involved
analyzing
the
manifestation
of gender identities in two
advertising
campaigns:
the
“Dream Angels” campaign by
Victoria’s Secret and the “Axe
Angels” campaign by Axe.
I had worked with my GSI
throughout the entire semester
on crafting a unique argument,
finding
related
research
to
compare to mine and pondering
the suggestions of the findings of
my research. I put hours of work
into the project, and in spite of the
tremendous time commitment, I
found myself delighted with the
work that I was doing because it
was both interesting to me and
relevant to a career interest of
mine — advertising.
All
aside,
I
ended
up
receiving a B on the project. I
initially felt quite dissatisfied
with that mark, because I
believed my work and efforts
warranted
a
higher
mark.
However, instead of choosing
to take out my frustrations on
my GSI or professor, I took
it upon myself to consider
the critique of my GSI on the
final product. In doing so, I
realized my shortcomings and
where I could have analyzed
the ads further and added
nuance to my argument and
conclusions, which would have
consequently lead to a higher
grade on the project.
Most importantly, I saw
this as an opportunity to delve
further into the concepts that
I discussed and accomplish
the most important goal of
the
educational
aspect
of
college: to learn how to learn
through asking questions and
finding the answers on one’s
own, as opposed to someone
else offering an answer.
This brought me to a three-
step process that allowed me
to grow as a student. First, I
enhanced my ability to learn and
perform at a higher level in future
research projects. Second, I grew
by finding an understanding of
what my shortcomings were
and learning from them so my
mistakes are not repeated in
the future. Finally, I found that
after reviewing my work and
the suggestions of my GSI, I was
more gratified by the work than
I was before, because I learned
more about the subject and about
myself, particularly regarding
my logical reasoning capabilities.
Failure
can
serve
as
an ending point, but it can
also provide a beginning, a
context in which you have
the
opportunity
to
create
something
special
and
be
innovative and do something
meaningful
that
has
a
tremendous impact on you
personally or an organization
that you are a part of. The
choice is yours.
REBECCA LERNER
Managing Editor
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890.
EMMA KINERY
Editor in Chief
ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY
and REBECCA TARNOPOL
Editorial Page Editors
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.
Carolyn Ayaub
Megan Burns
Samantha Goldstein
Caitlin Heenan
Jeremy Kaplan
Max Lubell
Alexis Megdanoff
Madeline Nowicki
Anna Polumbo-Levy
Jason Rowland
Ali Safawi
Kevin Sweitzer
Rebecca Tarnopol
Ashley Tjhung
Stephanie Trierweiler
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Turning failure into opportunity
ZACHARY COX | COLUMN
Zachary Cox can be reached at
coxz@umich.edu.
I
received
a
book
about
manners two years ago as
a Christmas present from
a distant relative. At first, I was
slightly
offended;
I took it as a subtle
implication
that
this relative was not
particularly fond of
my behavior and I had
somehow stepped on
traditions of which I
was not aware.
The book, titled
“50
Things
Every
Young Lady Should
Know:
What
to
Do, What to Say, and How to
Behave,” is co-authored by two
men and one woman. It made me
cringe and I immediately placed
it out of sight on my bookshelf.
I did not touch it again until a
few months ago when I dared
to flip through a few of the
chapters while clearing out my
room. Curiosity killed the cat as
I started on “Chapter 1: Saying
‘Please,’” and I continued to read,
wondering why I was so quick to
dismiss basic manners simply
because they were presented in a
way with which I did not agree.
There
is
a
negative
connotation
surrounding
the idea of behavior manuals
specifically for men and for
women, especially among our
generation.
Aside
from
the
binary gender division these
books promote, the implication
that we have to change our
ways to accommodate traditions
we see as somewhat archaic is
typically labeled as sexist with
no further thought. But we forget
there is value in participating
in
certain
mannerisms
to
communicate respect.
Formal etiquette is easy to
learn, is only required in specific
settings and is incredibly useful
when facing situations in which
one does not normally engage.
Having a set behavior you know
to be acceptable allows you to
operate confidently with little
worry of offending others. This
should not be seen as “giving in”
or forced conformity; it should
be seen as a form of
behavior that we can
default to when we
wish to convey our
appreciation of others.
Cultures all around
the world have set
traditions
in
place
that help define their
way of life, and such
framework is not to
be
frowned
upon.
Universal
social
interactive behavior that reflects
common decency among people
is the beginning of a society
that knows how to function on
an elementary level. We need
this within our own culture.
Discrimination
still
unjustly
divides many places in the United
States, and a set of manners we
agree upon to show respect is
one place to start the essential
communication that moves us
toward a more united country.
It will not be easy to define
manners upon which we all
agree, but millennials are key
in designing the next set of
manners within our society
that express the social justice
evolution we are experiencing
right now. It is up to us to remove
the oppressive behaviors that
perpetuate gender roles and
are unaccepting toward people
outside of what is usually seen
as the “traditional” lifestyle. The
world is no longer in this state of
mind, and our manners need to
indicate that.
Additionally, with 90 percent
of young adults on social media
platforms, millennials are in
a position to devise a new set
of manners specifically for the
virtual world. This is only one
example of the many areas of our
lives in which outdated manners
never needed to cover, therefore
it is up to millennials to update
the current set of manners to
correspond to the changes we
are seeing.
We begin changing by not
dismissing specific behaviors
right away under the excuse that
they make us uncomfortable.
This does not mean we all need
to go visit the nearest bookstore
to buy the hottest manners book
currently on the shelves and read
the latest trends in etiquette.
We can only learn when we are
uncomfortable.
Finding
new
ways to behave toward one
another will inevitably step on
some toes, but this cannot deter
us from trying.
Many
millennials
will
disregard
manners
as
expectations
unfairly
placed
upon
them
by
society
and
outdated practices, but manners
that go beyond “please” and
“thank you” are not evil rituals
set to defeat social progress or
restrict our behavior. Society has
undergone many changes, and
our manners need to reflect that.
Some of our old practices will no
longer be needed or will be in
need of an update. However, we
cannot use this as an excuse to
abandon all formalities.
Manners, and manner books,
should not be seen as deliverers
of
misery.
Their
primary
function is to communicate
decency among friends, family,
acquaintances and strangers.
They give a sense of acceptance
to all interactions between
people, which is something
many
claim
to
strive
for.
Millennials are in the perfect
position to lay the groundwork
for our next set of manners that
are crucial to a well-functioning
society, so it is time to step
up and take responsibility for
our interactions (not just our
actions).
Thank you for your time.
Manners aren’t just unfair expectations
ALEXIS MEGDANOFF | COLUMN
Alexis Megdanoff can be reached at
amegdano@umich.edu.
ZACHARY
COX
FROM THE DAILY
More voices in renaming buildings
I
n recent years, college students across the country have called
upon universities to rename campus buildings that commemorate
individuals who have histories of supporting slavery and other racist
and discriminatory programs and policies. The University of Michigan
has been no exception. In 2016, University President Mark Schlissel asked
the President’s Advisory Committee on University History to review the
University’s policies on facility naming in light of the University’s bicentennial.
After reviewing University policies on the matter, this committee
recommended that a process be created to allow University community
members to propose facility names for review to the president’s office. This
past month, Schlissel accepted the committee’s recommendations. While
The Michigan Daily Editorial Board commends the University for taking
this important step, we believe the University should take a more proactive
role in investigating problematic building names and make more of an effort
to give students and faculty a stronger voice in the decision-making process.
ALEXIS
MEGDANOFF
Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4 — Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Failure can serve
as an ending
point, but it can
also provide a
beginning.
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