Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4 — Tuesday, September 26, 2017
REBECCA LERNER
Managing Editor
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
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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.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Carolyn Ayaub
Megan Burns
Samantha Goldstein
Caitlin Heenan
Jeremy Kaplan
Sarah Khan
Anurima Kumar
Max Lubell
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Anna Polumbo-Levy
Jason Rowland
Anu Roy-Chaudhury
Ali Safawi
Sarah Salman
Kevin Sweitzer
Rebecca Tarnopol
Stephanie Trierweiler
Ashley Zhang
A
fter moments of impact,
when
experiencing
a
situation
of
uncomfortableness and physical
unawareness,
our
thoughts
directly
affect our personal
perspective on the
world around us.
It was sunny and 75
degrees in Ann Arbor
as I walked to Literati
on a busy Wednesday
afternoon
to
complete a professor’s
requirement. I don’t
usually
make
it
down to that side of
town, and the new places and
faces I discover always amaze
me. As I saw Literati in the
distance, the little shops I had
never seen before commanded
my full attention. Enthralled by
the figurines in the windows of
a new-age vintage shop, without
warning, I was shoved by an old
man walking past me. He clearly
saw me walking down the street,
and instead of getting out of
my way, he decided to disrupt
my pleasant stroll and literally
knocked me off my feet.
I immediately said, “Oh my
gosh, I am so sorry!” as if it were
my fault that we ran into each
other. I looked back and saw him
shaking his head in reaction to
the stupid college student he
perceived me to be. I will never
be sure if I was the cause of this
unpleasant physical encounter
because I truly was not paying
attention. I contemplated why
this man did not step out of his
way and was so frustrated that it
shook me to my core. I felt awful
walking away, thinking that it
was my fault he ran into me.
Looking back, I can’t change
the fact that he ran into me
so abruptly. I found myself
immediately thinking as I got to
Literati, that I should not let this
one man’s horrible action ruin my
day. I realized that my response
to this telling incident is far more
important
than
overreacting
about it. What could I do after
the fact? Nothing. It wasn’t
worth stressing over.
The experience I had that day
on East Washington Street was
a
very
culminating
experience
for
me.
Standing in the essay
section
at
Literati,
I found books that
shared
experiences
of hurt, trauma and
depression.
After
reading the blurbs
about the authors’
experiences writing
their
books,
and
what
they
were
about, things began
to become very clear for me.
These authors shared their
wisdom about their journey
through
hard
times.
And
the messages, no matter the
background
of
the
author
or the genre of book, always
came back to the same clear
message: The only thing we
have control over in this life is
ourselves. We must take action
and educate ourselves about
making
good
choices,
and
reacting to tough situations in
a way that is productive and
meaningful.
College is a time when we
often feel that everything we do
is essentially for someone else. I
have to study to do well, or else my
parents will cut me off. I have to
join at least two extracurriculars
so that a job recruiter will think
I am involved. I have to go to
the career fair because if I don’t,
Sally will get a better job than
me, and she isn’t even smart! Do
I go to the fraternity party so I
can prove to my friends that I’m
definitely not “lame” and can
have a good time, or do I take
care of myself and sleep?
A lot of the times I have to
ask myself, “Is what I am doing
what I really want to be doing?”
Life is too short to live it for
someone else. Doing things in
spite of others wastes time and
energy you could be devoting
to a true passion. When you
have the ability to control your
life and still choose to focus it
on pleasing others rather than
yourself, you are going to walk
away from these four years
with regret.
Dwelling on the moments
we cannot control is truly
unproductive. So instead of
getting frustrated by the student
that just hit you on their bike,
or took your seat in lecture,
remember that our reactions
to these situations are the only
things we can control.
If we constantly react to
things in a way that is outlandish
and
uncontrollable,
we
are
doing a disservice to ourselves.
Instead of consciously choosing
to focus your thoughts in a
productive way that brings
awareness to the situation, you
are choosing to instigate your
opponent and, again, use your
hard-earned energy on someone
else that could be better spent
caring for yourself.
We all came to college with
the intent to leave here with
a new set of skills and to be
able to think critically is one of
the many things we will take
away from a college education.
However, we have to remember
to think critically even if we are
not overtly prompted to do so.
We must assess the situation,
think about what is in our best
interest and focus our thoughts
on our own reactions. At the end
of the day, the only person you
can control is yourself.
Send Silence Packing
MORGAN RONDINELLI | OP-ED
EMILY WOLFE | CONTACT EMILY AT ELWOLFE@UMICH.EDU
Walking with your thoughts
MICHELLE PHILLIPS | COLUMN
S
uicide.
A
word
that
is
uncomfortable
for
many to say because of
the associated stigma, so it is
exchanged for other words, or not
said at all.
Suicide. A word that many
people on this campus have a
personal connection to, whether
because a loved one has attempted
or died by suicide, or because of
their own struggles with mental
illness.
Suicide. A word we need to
stop avoiding and to start talking
about more. A word around which
we need to send silence packing.
For me, the word suicide
hits close to home. I have been
hospitalized twice in the past year
for suicidal thoughts. One of these
hospitalizations was nearby, at
Michigan Medicine, Ward 7C. It is
part of my memory of Ann Arbor.
I clearly remember the locked
doors, the 15-minute checks and
the hospital food. I also remember
the kind nurses and the bonds I
formed with fellow patients.
Yet, I know I am not the only
University
student
who
has
struggled with these thoughts
or been hospitalized. Suicide
and suicidal thoughts are all too
prevalent on college campuses.
Each year, 1,100 students die by
suicide on college campuses. It
should also be noted that you
don’t need to be hospitalized or
have made an attempt for your
experience and pain to be valid.
All suffering is suffering.
It’s well known that mental
illness and suicide are huge
problems on college campuses.
So, what do we do to make a
difference?
There are many ways everyone
can
make
a
difference
in
decreasing suicide. Here are just
a few ways:
1. Say the S-word.
Suicide.
Yes,
it
can
be
uncomfortable to talk about,
but with practice it becomes
less uncomfortable. There is a
misconception that talking about
suicide will give someone the
idea. We can save lives by talking
about it.
2.
Be
mindful
of
your
language.
Think twice before saying,
“That makes me want to kill
myself,” when you really mean,
“That makes me frustrated.”
Offhand comments like this make
light of suicide and diminish the
gravity of when someone truly
means they are suicidal. We
become desensitized and as a
result, when someone reaches
out for help, we might mistake it
as a joke.
If, of course, you are suicidal,
then
definitely
express
this
to someone you trust or to a
professional (see online).
3. Show respect with your
choice of words.
It is outdated to say “commit
suicide,” and it is preferred to
say “died by suicide.” The phrase
“commit suicide” stems from a
past where suicide was a criminal
offense. By changing how we talk
about these tragic deaths, we are
acknowledging that these laws
have fortunately changed, and
people with mental illnesses are
treated with more dignity now.
4. Ask if someone is OK.
It can be hard to tell if
someone’s comment is a joke
or real. It is safer to ask if
someone is OK and to do this
every time you hear something
concerning. Most people who
attempt suicide communicate
their plans to someone in
advance.
Your
questioning,
though it may be awkward,
could save someone’s life.
5.
Know
the
resources
available (see online).
Familiarize
yourself
with
what is available on campus and
beyond. Put emergency numbers
and hotlines in your phone. You
may need these one day for a
friend or for yourself. Taking care
of yourself is just as important, if
not more important, as taking care
of others.
In addition to being mindful of
language, mental health awareness
events are also important. Active
Minds, a student organization on
campus I am proud to be a part of,
is aiming to start a conversation
about suicide on college campuses.
We want to send silence packing,
literally. On Oct. 10, from 9 a.m. to
4 p.m., the Diag will be filled with
1,100 backpacks, each backpack
representing one of the college
students who die by suicide each
year. Several backpacks will also
have personal stories attached to
them, memorializing real students
who have unfortunately passed.
The project, Send Silence, is put
on by the national Active Minds
organization and tours college
campuses across the country.
I encourage you to spend some
time Oct. 10 walking through the
Diag and reading these stories.
Spend some time looking at the
sheer number of backpacks and
let the tragedy of those numbers
sink in.
The
Send
Silence
Packing
event will likely be emotionally
overwhelming for some. If that is
the case, make sure you take care
of yourself first and foremost.
Practice self-care. Reach out for
professional help, if necessary.
And, most importantly, end the
silence by talking to someone you
trust.
In an ideal world, zero students,
or people in general, would die by
suicide each year. That may not
be our reality yet, but through
personal changes and events that
raise awareness, such as Send
Silence Packing, we can get closer
to that reality every day.
For mental health resources
on
campus,
please
see
Michigandaily.com.
Morgan Rondinelli is an LSA senior.
Michelle Phillips an be reached at
mphi@umich.edu.
FROM THE DAILY
Prioritize and protect survivors
I
n an anecdote-laden speech on Sept. 7, Education Secretary Betsy
DeVos outlined perceived problems in Title IX policies, including
the lack of due process for those accused of sexual assault. On
Sept. 22, DeVos announced the Department of Education would be
rolling back on Obama-era policies addressing sexual assault on
college campuses. Her remarks have been met with negative reactions
from various politicians and organizations who consider her plans
insensitive to survivors of sexual assault and misinformed on the
prevalence of assault on campuses. The Michigan Daily Editorial Board
believes that DeVos’s rollback unfairly shifts the conversation away
from the survivors and detrimentally frames a humanitarian issue as
partisan. We urge universities to prioritize the welfare of survivors
when enacting sexual assault policies on their campuses.
Sexual
assault
on
college
campuses has been a focal point
in policy and the news recently.
Much of this focus is due to the
increased risk of sexual assault on
college campuses. According to a
report by the Justice Department
in January of 2016, one in five
women are sexually assaulted
while in college. Seven percent
of men in the study reported
being victims of sexual assault.
In 2015, the University released
the results of a campus climate
survey,
which
showed
that
roughly 11 percent of students
on campus — including female,
male, graduate and undergradute
students — reported “some form
of nonconsensual sexual behavior
during the past year.” University
policies on sexual assault have
been the target of increased
scrutiny and revision following
an increase in the number of
complaints from survivors and
the accused.
In
2011,
the
Obama
administration
attempted
to
make headway on the issue by
releasing the “Dear Colleague”
letter, outlining the standards
universities
should
meet
regarding sexual assault policy.
The “Dear Colleague” letter also
clarified how the administration
intended to interpret Title IX
legislation in regard to cases
of campus sexual assault. It
includes a section that calls
for universities to require a
“preponderance of the evidence”
standard when analyzing sexual
assault cases. Preponderance of
evidence more likely favors the
complainant, which DeVos has
taken issue with.
In her speech, DeVos spoke
at length of the violation of
due process this clause causes,
specifying
it
was
unfair
to
those accused and that it leads
to
unjust
judgements
and
defamation. Though DeVos used
many anecdotes in her speech
to depict the prevalence of false
accusations of sexual assault,
statistics show the percentage of
reports that are classified as false
are only about 2.1 to 7.1 percent.
She also doesn’t acknowledge
the fact few people report their
assaults to the police, meaning
many assaulters never receive
punishment for their crime in the
justice system.
The University has taken
significant
strides
to
help
survivors. Following DeVos’s
initial threat to roll back Title
IX guidelines, University of
Michigan
President
Mark
Schlissel sent an email to
the
community
citing
the
University would stick to its
current sexual assault policies.
In 2016, the University revised
its sexual misconduct policy
from 2013. It more clearly
defines “consent,” stresses that
past or current relationships
do not constitute consent each
time, and, for the first time,
outlines step by step what was
involved in reporting an assault
to the University.
Still, Devos’s policy change will
have dangerous ramifications.
Despite
our
university’s
commitment to standing with
survivors
of
sexual
assault,
without federal pressure, it is
likely not all college campuses
will follow suit.
Many detractors of Title IX
guidelines argue institutions of
learning should not meddle in
students’ legal affairs. Rather,
they believe these cases should
be reported directly to legal
authorities. Doing so, however,
removes the agency survivors
have in choosing how to proceed
with their case. By taking away
the survivor’s choice about a
highly personal and traumatic
event in their lives, it will likely
make the situation much more
difficult. Furthermore, college
administrators have a unique
responsibility to deal with sexual
assault
given
the
proximity
survivors are put in with their
assaulters on a college campus.
Additionally, those who oppose
the Title IX protections fear that
those who are wrongfully accused
of sexual assault on university
campuses will have their lives
ruined, despite clear evidence
that few would end up convicted,
or even tried. Universities do not
levy criminal punishment for
perpetrators; the worst thing
that can happen to a student at
the university level is expulsion,
which, in the grand scheme of
things, is a lot better than serving
time for a felony offense.
In order to eliminate the
prevalence
of
sexual
assault
on
college
campuses,
the
conversation
must
center
around survivors. The federal
government must work toward
solidifying
tangible
solutions
for students who survive sexual
assault solutions so they, too,
can work toward the future they
dreamed of. But given that the
current federal government is not
going to hold them to the previous
standards, the University, and
universities across the country,
must continue to set its own
high standards to combat sexual
misconduct on its campuses.
MICHELLE
PHILLIPS
Taking care of
yourself is just as
important, if not
more important,
than taking care
of others.
The only thing
we have control
over in this life is
ourselves.