M

y most anxious times 
used to be weekend 
nights. 

I 
remember 
spending 

countless 
Saturday 

nights staring out 
my window at the 
frozen landscape of 
campus — imagining 
that all of the lights 
from dorm rooms, 
apartments 
and 

houses were filled 
with 
students 

laughing, 
partying 

and 
just 
enjoying 

the few hours of 
downtime that college life grants.

And ignorantly, I deluded 

myself into believing that I was 
the only student whose first 
winter of college was dominated 
by this anxiety induced from 
the social obligation that seems 
to accompany dark hours — 
that my case was unique; I was 
the screwed up anomaly who 
was missing out on the college 
experience I had been led to 
believe existed.

While everyone else was 

out 
interacting, 
building 

friendships and relationships, I 
had locked myself in my fourth 
floor dorm room with a stack of 
paperbacks and a Netflix app 
that constantly asked if I was 
still watching “Mad Men.”

There is nothing wrong with 

being alone, but that first year 
I fell into an unhealthy cycle 
of self-hatred that I believe 
thousands of kids experience, 
started by the pressure to 
adjust from home to college 
life, constantly measuring their 
social success against others.

Because 
what 
is 
never 

conveyed to young kids arriving 
to college is just how profoundly 
difficult it is to make that 
transition at this point in their 
lives and, more importantly, 
how it is not instantaneous.

From the outside, I was 

always looking at the lives of 
kids who so easily adapted and 
integrated. Yet that blatantly 

selfish 
viewpoint 
prevented 

me from seeing the others 
experiencing the same shit I 
was going through every day. 

And instead of taking 
a breath, asking for 
help or breaking out 
of my reserved social 
self, I did the worst 
thing I could’ve done.

I 
wished 
that 

the 
next 
years 
of 

college would fly by. 
I proceeded to spend 
too 
many 
nights 

angry 
at 
myself 

for 
not 
instantly 

jumping into the ideal life I 
had imagined existed during 
those “four greatest years of 
your life.”

How much I regret that now.
Because 
as 
my 
college 

experience now comes to a 
close, one of the most important 
lessons I’ve learned is how 
precious your time is. That is 
a lesson that is unbelievably 
difficult to convey to young 
people, because in our minds it 
feels like we’ll be kids forever. 
It feels like the present day 
life will never end, that the 
passage of time has selfishly 
stopped for us.

But 
it 
doesn’t, 
and 
the 

opportunity 
and 
privilege 

we have here as students is 
something not to be wasted. 
Time is precious and wasting it 
stressing over your social image 
or how you have not yet fit in — 
all of that eats away at literally 
some of the most invaluable 

moments of our lives.

This adjustment varies in 

degrees of difficulty from person 
to person, but upon arriving 
here, 
understand 
that 
your 

home and high school image of 
yourself are unknown, that you 
have to break out of that comfort 
zone completely, and that you’re 
never going back to that life.

So, actually taking the time 

to meet new people, to knock 
on new doors, to try things you 
never thought you would — 
all add up and begin to shape 
the actual character of who 
you really are. Find a radically 
diverse number of social groups 
and see what makes sense. Try 
everything, instead of being 
upset over nothing.

As someone who has been 

in nearly every social setting 
this city offers, from punk rock 
concerts to political debate 
clubs, sorority formals to drag 
shows, I can say that every 
single one of those experiences 
has helped me understand a 
little bit more about who the hell 
I really am.

And as college will end for 

me in the next few months, the 
time I do look back on happily 
are the times I branched out — 
when I decided to leave that 
comfort zone, to try these new 
things, and most importantly 
incorporate 
them 
into 
life 

going forward.

Because eventually, at some 

point, you’ll run into something 
or someone that clicks, as a few 
things did for me. When that 
happens, it is incredible how 
that pressure and stress literally 
evaporate, how suddenly you 
feel like you belong. This campus 
is full of students feeling the 
exact same nervous way, I can 
guarantee that.

Relax. Enjoy your college 

experience. It will be over 
before you know it.

I

f you have ever set foot in 
Ann Arbor, you know why it’s 
called “tree city.” And we are 

not talking about the fall foliage — 
we are referring to weed.

Ever since Ann Arbor first 

decriminalized 
marijuana 

consumption 
in 
the 
1970s, 

the city has been associated 
nationally with relatively open 
attitudes for the plant that 
persist to this day. The Michigan 
Daily has previously reported 
on current student attitudes 
regarding cannabis and found 
that the student body is generally 
receptive. 
Several 
medical 

marijuana 
dispensaries 
are 

located on the periphery of the 
University of Michigan campus, 
but do students really know the 
ins and outs on the implications 
of cannabis?

This is why Students for 

Sensible Drug Policy and Green 
Wolverine (affiliated with the Ross 
School of Business) seek to educate 
students on the nature of cannabis 
and all of its consequences for 
public health, policy and business. 
On Dec. 3, we are hosting the 
first annual Michigan Cannabis 
Leaders Summit in order to fulfill 
this goal.

While 
the 
legalization 

of 
recreational 
marijuana 

in 
Michigan 
is 
potentially 

imminent, our state is in need 
of deep reckoning. As students 
at the University of Michigan, 
we find that the time is right 
to get other students involved 
in the countless facets of the 
recreational marijuana industry.

The 
joint 
effort 
between 

members of the University’s 
chapter of SSDP and Green 
Wolverine is one of shared 
outlooks regarding how students 
can become acquainted with 
cannabis. 
This 
familiarity 

should 
not 
just 
be 
limited 

to getting high; there is an 
entire cannabis industry in its 
infancy which needs future 
lawyers, policymakers, doctors, 
researchers, 
business 
leaders 

and many other professionals to 
carry out the industry’s vitality 
and legitimacy.

However, we recognize that 

students may not have positive 
beliefs regarding cannabis or, 
for that matter, may not know 
much at all regarding its usage. 
These student concerns need to 
be addressed. This is why SSDP 
and Green Wolverine both wish to 
educate the University community 
on the implications of cannabis 
under new legal circumstances.

Firstly, what is marijuana 

from a medical perspective? 
Marijuana can be used for a 
variety of ailments, including 
chronic pain, dementia and 
HIV/AIDS. Marijuana, for its 
medical application, need not 
be limited in use to the most 
severe of ailments; in its varying 
methods 
of 
consumption, 

marijuana may also be used as 
a prophylactic. While marijuana 
was popularized as a means to 
get high, cannabis consumption 
in general does not always lead 
to a psychoactive response. 
For 
example, 
cannabidiol, 

commonly 
known 
as 
CBD, 

contains 
no 
psychoactive 

elements and has a multitude of 
medical benefits.

As 
mentioned 
before, 
the 

campaign to put recreational 
marijuana on the ballot in 2018 
looks promising. If passed by the 
majority of Michigan voters next 
year, our state would look more 
or less like the states in which 
marijuana is legalized, such as 
Colorado and the seven other 
states excluding the District 
of Columbia that have already 
passed 
legalization 
measures. 

The ballot initiative up for 
consideration in Michigan, for 
example, would set up a system for 
taxation on marijuana purchases, 
give local governments the ability 
to govern how marijuana is sold 
in their communities and allow 
individuals to grow up to 12 
marijuana plants at home, among 
other provisions.

However, the exact rollout — 

which is contingent upon whether 
or not the legalization proposal 
will be on the ballot — remains 
to be seen. Though the initiative 
received many more signatures 
than is required by state law, the 
secretary of state must decide 

whether or not to respect the 
wishes of the 360,000 Michigan 
voters who signed the proposal.

For 
students 
looking 
to 

achieve a career in the cannabis 
industry, the time is ripe. New 
businesses will need to facilitate 
the 
production, 
distribution 

and 
sales 
of 
recreational 

marijuana once Michigan votes 
for legalization. Other business 
models are also needed: ancillary 
businesses (who do not “touch 
the plant”) must also be taken 
into account. These businesses 
include 
those 
dealing 
in 

scientific testing, technology and 
even private equity. According 
to the Detroit Free Press, full 
legalization would bring about 
$1 billion in sales annually in 
Michigan. This is an opportunity 
that must be seized.

The event, which includes 

a panel of experts in science, 
medicine, policy, activism and 
business, will be a worthwhile 
experience 
where 
students 

should expect to walk away with 
a clear picture of the still inchoate 
cannabis industry in Michigan. 
Aside 
from 
the 
educational 

component of the event, there 
will be networking opportunities 
with the panelists in addition 
to prize giveaways from our 
sponsors.

We hope this event will be a 

way for students to understand 
both 
the 
complexities 
and 

accessibility of the cannabis 
environment in Michigan. There 
could not be a more fitting time 
for this to occur. 

The 
Michigan 
Cannabis 

Leaders Summit will be held 
in 
the 
Robertson 
Auditorium 

located within the Ross School of 
Business on Dec. 3 from 3:00 p.m. 
to 6:00 p.m. Confirmed attendees 
include state Rep. Yousef Rabhi 
(D-Ann Arbor), former state Rep. 
Jeff Irwin and Stephen Goldner, 
an adviser to the U.S. Food and 
Drug Administration. Additional 
attendees will come from various 
professions in law, science and 
business. The event will include 
a 
combination 
of 
interactive 

lectures, discussions, live music 
and networking.

Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4A — Wednesday, November 29, 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

What’s up with marijuana in Michigan?

MEMBERS OF STUDENTS FOR SENSIBLE DRUG POLICY AND GREEN WOLVERINE | OP-ED

Departing lessons

Carolyn Ayaub
Megan Burns

Samantha Goldstein

Emily Huhman
Jeremy Kaplan

Sarah Khan

Max Lubell

Lucas Maiman

Madeline Nowicki
Anna Polumbo-Levy 

Jason Rowland

Anu Roy-Chaudhury

Ali Safawi

Sarah Salman
Kevin Sweitzer

Rebecca Tarnopol

Stephanie Trierweiler

Ashley Zhang

The stretch

STEPHANIE MULLINGS | COLUMN

J

ust a few weeks ago, 
when the IFC announced 
it 
would 
temporarily 

suspend all social events, I 
remember saying to myself, 
“That’s a stretch.” However, 
not for the reasons you may 
think. I didn’t think it was a 
stretch because the decision 
was harsh or uncalled for. I 
thought this because social 
media 
and 
campus 
news 

outlets blew up immediately 
following the release of this 
decision. On Twitter people 
made statements like, “ALL 
of umich Greek life got shut 
down until further notice,” 
and published overdramatic 
analyses on why the world 
could 
potentially 
implode 

because of the lack of date 
parties this season. 

The stretch to me is that 

such a dense population of 
the student body believes the 
fraternities 
that 
encompass 

the IFC social organizations 
represent 
the 
entirety 
of 

University of Michigan Greek 
life. This couldn’t be further 
from the truth.

I have no ties to Greek life, nor 

do I intend to in the near future. 
I do not want this to be viewed 
as me being a “hater” or “anti-
Greek.” I offer this as a reasonably 
fair assessment of what I have 
observed in the Greek scene for 
the last three years.

Did you know all nine of 

the historically Black Greek 
fraternities 
and 
sororities 

have 
been 
represented 
on 

campus throughout University 
history and that they form a 
Panhellenic 
council? 
What 

about 
historically 
Latino 

fraternities 
and 
Latina 

sororities? I have also seen 
dedication 
to 
community 

service 
represented 
in 

Michigan Greek life and in pre-
professional organizations.

So why is it that now the IFC 

has been suspended, “ALL of 
umich Greek life got shut down!”

I am not sure about you, 

but I felt personally offended 
for those who were indirectly 
excluded 
from 
Michigan 

Greek life in the wake of 

the IFC suspension. It’s like 
getting invited to a party, 
going and having a great 
time, only to find out later 
that it wasn’t actually a good 
party because the “cool” kids 
didn’t show up. Even before 
this, when first arriving to 
campus, I could notice the 
very large divide between IFC 
Greek life and the remainder, 
which includes multicultural, 
pre-professional and service 
fraternities and sororities.

I can say with 100 percent 

confidence 
that 
in 
three 

years I have never been to an 
IFC social event, including 
tailgates, 
parties, 
date 

parties… all of these sorts of 

things. I can also say that the 
majority of my closest friends 
on campus have not either. Yet 
we have all attended Michigan 
Greek life events. That being 
said — and this is just a hunch 
here — I highly doubt that 
Michigan Greek life is “resting 
in peace.”

I am sure that students on 

campus know there is more to 
Greek life at the University than 
the IFC and its social functions. 
However, that knowledge was 
not reflected in the general 
commentary 
regarding 
the 

news of the IFC suspension. 
Thus, 
the 
implication 
that 

the IFC is what “makes” the 
University’s Greek life is a 
dangerous one.

Sure, a vast majority of 

students may love tailgates 
and date parties sponsored 
by IFC fraternities, but is this 
social aspect of the University 
too much of a vacuum? What 
I mean to say is, is the student 

body getting so sucked into 
the social ongoings of the 
fraternities 
encompassed 
in 

the IFC that they are blind to 
other diverse portions of the 
University’s Greek life?

It is extremely important we 

make campus a truly inclusive 
environment. Though it may 
be seemingly minor to let this 
extend to Greek life on campus, 
it is still relevant to maintain the 
ideals of a holistic and welcoming 
environment for all, despite what 
is considered “popular.”

As a campus tour guide 

— I know, I am one of those 
annoying people who blocks 
major entrances and exits to 
buildings with groups of parents 
— I tell visitors that about 20 
percent of the undergraduate 
student body is involved in 
Greek life. I always follow this 
up by saying, “This includes 
pre-professional 
and 
service 

fraternities as well.” I became 
so 
pressed 
with 
questions 

about things like “bidding” 
and “rushing” by incoming 
freshmen, and I had absolutely 
no idea what this meant.

Accustomed to the inner 

workings of historically Black 
Greek life, which encompasses 
an entirely different “rushing” 
process, I went home and 
searched “rushing,” “bidding” 
and things of this nature for 
other forms of Greek life on 
the Internet. This means that, 
though it was outside of the 
bubble I know of Greek life, 
I was willing to respect and 
acknowledge its other forms 
and 
variations, 
ultimately 

educating myself.

In one simple statement, I 

am able to include all, so that 
there are no misrepresented 
groups. I say this because 
I think it would have been 
simple enough for news outlets 
or students speaking out on 
Twitter to be conscious enough 
to do the same. 

MICHAEL MORDARSKI | COLUMN

Michael Mordarski can be reached 

at mmordars@umich.edu.

Stephanie Mullings can be reached 

at srmulli@umich.edu.

NIA LEE | CONTACT NIA AT LEENIA@UMICH.EDU

It feels like... the 
passage of time 

has selfishly 
stopped for us

MICHAEL 

MORDARKSI

 There is more to 
Greek Life at the 
University than 

the IFC