I
used to have a lot of
pride for attending the
University of Michigan,
a
university
I
considered
ethical,
forward-thinking
and diligent about acting on
the opinions of its students.
Lately, however, I have been
quite
disappointed
in
my
school. I recently
learned
the
University
invests
in
Roark Capital Group, a large
private equity firm involved
in a horrific and widespread
animal welfare scandal that is
anything but something to be
proud of.
Roark-owned Focus Brands,
parent
company
of
Moe’s
Southwest Grill, Schlotzsky’s
and McAlister’s Deli, recently
publicly committed to ban
some of the worst forms
on animal abuse from its
supply
chains.
But
Roark
is also the major investor
in
prominent
restaurant
companies such as Arby’s,
Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, which
have all failed to address the
cruelty inflicted on chickens
slaughtered for meat in their
supply chains.
Thousands
of
people
nationwide have called upon
Roark to ensure the rest of the
chicken-serving
companies
it invests in publicly adopt
similar welfare policies and
ban
unthinkable
cruelties.
Consumers’ calls, however,
have been met with complete
silence.
If
Focus
Brands
can
make
this
important
commitment, so can the other
chicken-serving
companies
Roark invests in.
Without
meaningful
animal welfare policies, these
companies
allow
suppliers
to breed chickens to grow so
quickly that their legs become
crippled
under
their
own
bodies. Chickens spend their
entire lives crammed together
in dark, crowded sheds, where
they breathe air filled with
the stench of ammonia and
sit in litter soaked with their
own waste. A lifetime in these
conditions
causes
disease,
organ
failure,
respiratory
problems and painful sores
on the chickens’ bodies and
feet. When it comes time
for
slaughter,
suppliers
are allowed to shackle live
animals
upside
down,
slit
their throats and scald them
in hot water, often while they
are still fully conscious.
As a lifelong animal lover and
advocate, I know no chickens
should ever be subjected to
these abuses. I also know
that chickens are sensitive
and intelligent animals with
unique personalities and the
ability to communicate and
even
develop
friendships
with each other. Studies have
shown chickens can complete
complex mental tasks, learn
from watching each other and
pass down information from
one generation to another. It
makes me sick to think that
countless wonderful creatures
needlessly endure immense
suffering every day.
Roark has both the power
and
ethical
responsibility
to encourage the companies
it invests in to join the likes
of Burger King, Starbucks,
Panera Bread, Subway and
dozens of others by banning
some of the worst forms of
animal abuse from their supply
chains. It’s baffling that Roark
continues to fail to do what
is in its power to ensure the
companies it profits from do
not take part in heartbreaking
animal abuse.
I believe the majority of
University students and alumni
would not want our institution
affiliated
with
the
animal
cruelty that Roark condones.
I can’t understand why the
University would support such
horrors by investing in Roark.
The University has an ethical
responsibility to its students
and to animals to stop profiting
from animal cruelty.
That’s why I am calling
upon my fellow students to
urge the University to take
a
stand
against
sickening
animal abuse by divesting
from Roark. We would never
idly stand by if our beloved
pets were facing such terrible
abuse, so why not take a stand
for chickens, whose cognitive
abilities rival those of cats
and
dogs?
Together,
let’s
encourage the University to be
the school we know it can be
— one we can say we’re proud
to attend.
T
hroughout
the
past
couple
weeks,
all
I
have heard about is
summer internships. Whether
it’s going to the internship
fair, applying to internships
or accepting a position, it’s a
frequent conversation in my
circle of friends, housemates
and classmates.
I
have
never
actually
applied for a “big time” college
internship. It’s not that I don’t
want a cool internship far away
from home, where I gain job
experience and connections
from a fancy company. The
truth is, whenever I find
myself on websites to apply for
positions, I stop myself.
I have begun to recognize
my inability to apply or start
an application has become a
self-fulfilling prophecy. I am
afraid. I fear if I put myself
out
there
after
spending
time and energy with these
applications, I still won’t get a
job. So not applying in the first
place just makes it so much
easier — I don’t have to deal
with rejection if I don’t try.
There is great power in fear,
especially in how it can change
the way we think. Fear can
be a driving force that allows
us to work extremely hard to
accomplish a difficult task,
or it can stop us from even
trying
because
they
think
they will fail either way. With
this knowledge, we need to
consciously work to make our
inevitable fears a driving force
in productivity, rather than
hinder us.
I had never thought about
this concept until the first
time I was rejected from the
University of Michigan. It
was the summer going into
my freshman year of college,
and I had already planned on
attending my second choice
school. I was sad but knew I
could always apply to transfer
if things didn’t go in my favor.
When
things
were
not
panning
out
at
my
first
university, I applied to transfer.
I was again sent a rejection
letter, with the option to be
considered for the following
semester. With fear fueling my
decision, I applied once more
and tried my best to enjoy
another semester at my first
university. On the third try,
when I was finally accepted, I
was relieved I had continued
to persevere because it worked
out for me in the end.
Now, I see this as an example
of how the fear of being in a
situation that was not great
for me pushed me to work
harder and persevere through
rejection. So when I came to
the University, I was ready to
apply for a competitive major
I thought was perfect for my
goals. I was open to applying
because I knew I was going to
continue to work as hard as I
did before. But when I received
the news of another rejection,
I was heartbroken.
When
applying
for
internships,
schools
and
academic programs, the way
we prepare ourselves for
acceptance
and
rejection
is
crucial.
This
mental
preparation or change in
thought allows us to not be
fazed because we realize
rejection is a normal part of
putting ourselves out there.
In the case of my major, I
had not prepared myself for
the rejection, even though
I knew the program was
competitive.
But
it
also
taught me that if I want
something or work extremely
hard, I can still be rejected.
I am not going to get every
job I apply for, just like not
everyone I confess my love
for is going to love me back.
The way we prepare and
reflect on these experiences
helps us grow and build on
skills for our big goals and
dreams. They can help us in
our personal and professional
life because rejection, fear and
failure will continue to play a
role in all areas of our lives.
The continued experiences we
have with rejection allow us to
push forward.
And this means we need to
do it on our terms and on our
own time. So this summer, I’m
not going to have that big-time
college internship. But when I
am ready to try again, I know
I’ll actively work on the way I
think about my fear of failure.
I will have to prepare myself
knowing that it is okay to apply
to internships and really want
something because ultimately
the worst thing they can say
is no. The truth is most of the
time, I can always apply next
year.
So don’t hold back! Audition
for the role you always wanted,
apply
for
big-time
college
internships and tell the person
you like that you are interested
in them. Because you are only
the one who holds the power
in the way you think, and you
can prepare and reflect on
things to see these experiences
as steps of growth. As Hilary
Duff says in my favorite teen
romantic comedy, A Cinderella
Story, “Never let the fear of
striking out keep you from
playing the game.”
Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4A — Wednesday, November 8, 2017
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.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Challenge your fear of failure
ELLERY ROSENZWEIG | COLUMN
An inhumane investment
SAMANTHA PLOUFF | OP-ED
Carolyn Ayaub
Megan Burns
Samantha Goldstein
Caitlin Heenan
Jeremy Kaplan
Sarah Khan
Anurima Kumar
Max Lubell
Lucas Maiman
Alexis Megdanoff
Madeline Nowicki
Anna Polumbo-Levy
Jason Rowland
Anu Roy-Chaudhury
Ali Safawi
Sarah Salman
Kevin Sweitzer
Rebecca Tarnopol
Stephanie Trierweiler
Ashley Zhang
Samantha Plouff is an LSA and Art
& Design sophomore.
NATALIE BROWN | NATALIE CAN BE REACHED AT NGBROWN@UMICH.EDU
One-click internships
BILLY STAMPFL | COLUMN
T
here’s
officially
a
Common
App
for
internships. Though it
hasn’t yet gained widespread
popularity, students across the
country, tasked until now with
tediously applying to internships
one by one, will soon rejoice.
But should they? I’m not so sure.
On
one
hand,
applying
for
internships
is
time-
consuming
and
difficult.
It
requires researching different
internships, writing cover letters
and refining résumés. A lot of
companies ask for a statement of
purpose. Some want a personal
statement. You need letters of
recommendation,
an
official
transcript or even proof of
enrollment at your college. And
this is once you’ve decided where
you want to apply — finding out
what you want to do and where
you want to work might be the
toughest and most important
step of all.
So why not celebrate another
“There’s an app for that”
moment that we have grown
so accustomed to in the digital
age? Why not take advantage
of new websites that save time
and effort?
I was motivated to write this
column because of a story on
NPR that details two Georgia
Tech
students
and
their
prized innovation, InternBlitz.
InternBlitz is an online platform
that allows prospective interns to
type their standard information
only
once,
then
apply
for
internships. At first only available
to Georgia Tech students, the
website is now open to all. The
site is making it far less tedious to
apply for internships.
I tried my hand with the
site and, though its database
of companies and internships
is still small, I can see its
usefulness
and
simplicity.
You simply add a résumé with
your basic information (name,
phone number, email, etc.) and
start picking internships for
your cart. Once you’re done
shopping, you review your cart,
click “Apply” and you’re pretty
much finished.
Granted, it’s a great idea.
I’ll never argue that we should
reject technological innovation
that
makes
things
simpler
and probably more efficient.
But I wonder if a website like
InternBlitz will be costly in the
long run.
To prove my point, it might be
useful to compare InternBlitz to
Amazon. On Amazon, you shop
for clothes, books and accessories.
For the most part, the things
people buy on Amazon are not
essential (though this is probably
going to change).
On
InternBlitz,
you
shop
for internships. It’s safe to
assume that, in a perfect world,
consumers (or applicants) should
spend more time picking the
perfect internship than they
do choosing the perfect adult
party game. (The “What Do
You Meme” adult party game
was listed as the No. 1 bestseller
in Amazon’s Toys and Games
category for November.)
I support Amazon and the
ways in which it has made
consumerism more efficient. But
sometimes time and effort are
indispensable. They’re necessary.
Yet we have started dedicating
all of our energy to minimizing
the amount of time and effort
required to do things that have
always taken time and effort.
There should not be a Common
App for internships because
students need to go through the
painstaking task of applying. It’s
a process that allows students to
explore different career paths and
make connections with people in
different fields. It’s beneficial for
companies to know who is willing
to work hard writing cover
letters and personal statements
— students who really want the
job do these things, while those
who aren’t as passionate choose
not to go through the hassle.
All the extra effort that comes
with applying to internships is
a powerful signal to employers
that the applicant is dedicated to
getting an opportunity.
I’m currently applying for
internships in Washington, D.C.,
for next semester. I want to work
and do research at a think tank,
where there are always far more
applicants than open positions.
Most of the think tanks also
require bundles of materials, and
it takes a lot of time to find the
right organizations and sort out
cover letters and résumés.
But there are two benefits to
this struggle. For one, I’ve learned
a lot about the different think
tanks in Washington and what
each of them does. This will make
my final decision more informed
and more likely to benefit me in
the long term.
Second, I like to think that
not everyone is willing to go
through the struggle. I would like
to imagine some of my potential
competitors are not willing to put
in the time that applying requires.
But if a platform like InternBlitz
is available to everyone, that
assurance disappears, and it
doesn’t matter if a student has
the work ethic needed to write
countless
cover
letters
and
personal statements.
For these reasons, I don’t
support InternBlitz. Researching
and applying to internships is
meant to be time-consuming. The
process weeds out the weak and
distinguishes those who truly
want to take advantage of an
internship experience.
Again, I’m not advocating
neo-Luddism. I like technology,
and though I think we could
use it more effectively, digital
innovation is undoubtedly aiding
economic growth and making
hard tasks easier. But why can’t
some hard things just remain
hard? When conceiving new
websites and startups, we need to
consider the costs of the ease for
which we’re striving.
InternBlitz and other websites
are already in use and will most
likely become more and more
popular. Students will be happy
to avoid the painstaking process
of applying for internships. But
we should consider what we’re
losing in the long run. Time
spent
researching
internships
and writing cover letters is well
spent. It would be a shame if
thousands of students chose the
wrong internship because they
didn’t have to really look into any,
or if students who were willing to
do the work didn’t get at least a
little recognition from employers.
In
this
case,
technological
innovation doesn’t seem to be
helping us.
Billy Stampfl can be reached at
bstampfl@umich.edu.
Ellery Rosenzweig can be reached at
erosenz@umich.edu.
The continued
experiences
we have with
rejection allow us
to push forward.
CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION
Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor and op-eds.
Letters should be fewer than 300 words while op-eds should be 550
to 850 words. Send the writer’s full name and University affiliation to
tothedaily@michigandaily.com.
The University
has an ethical
responsibility to
its students and to
animals.