G
rowing up, I was one of
those weird kids from
a weird family. In an
attempt to shelter
my siblings and
me, my parents
refused to have
internet or cable
television in the
house. For a time,
we had a hunky
desktop
plugged
into the ethernet
cable where we
could
spend
20
minutes
a
day
playing games on Miniclip
or Disney.com. But when our
time ran up, we had nothing
to connect us to the outside
world. As a homeschooled kid
in the backwoods of the Upper
Peninsula, I really didn’t have
the option of hanging out with
the local kids, especially since
the nearest neighbor under
the age of 60 was about five
miles away. So that had me
turning to my own world: my
world of books.
Without the distractions of
the rest of the world, I spent
every free moment engrossed
in “Robinson Crusoe”, “The
History of The World” and
even
Isaac
Asimov’s
“The
Intelligent Man’s Guide to
Science”,
along
with
any
other book I could get my
hands on. I would read in the
hayloft in order to hide from
my siblings. I would read by
flashlight when everyone else
was sleeping. I would even
lock myself in the bathroom
in order to finish another
chapter. I was addicted to
reading and it was the best
thing that could have ever
happened to me.
As I got older, I continued
my reading frenzy, and when
I joined the public-school
system in high school, I was
the class nerd. Not in a bad
way either — it was easy to
integrate
when
everyone
wanted to sit next to you,
even if it was for all the wrong
reasons. I was top of the class
and it was all thanks to the
vast amounts of reading I had
done. My books had taught
me everything from
astronomy to world
history
to
global
economics.
I
continued
to
read throughout high
school,
striving
to
finish two or three
books every month.
It
helped
me
to
improve my writing
as well and taught
me to read critically.
I felt much more comfortable
writing academic papers and
my college application essays.
I can say I wouldn’t be at such
a prestigious university if it
weren’t for the skills I had
gained while locked away in
the bathroom.
It was a habit I let go when I
first began my college career,
because of my busy schedule
and all the excitement that goes
along with being a freshman in
college. As a result, I suffered
the worst grades I had ever
earned. Ever. As a kid who
was grounded more than once
for bringing back a progress
report that proclaimed an A-, I
was appalled at myself (to this
day, my own mother hasn’t a
clue, heaven have mercy).
When
my
second
year
rolled around, I told myself I
would pick up reading again,
in an attempt to distance
myself from the distractions
of
technology
and
social
media. The results? I received
exponentially better grades, a
feeling of better self-esteem
and, surprisingly, more time
on my hands. I was amazed at
what a difference it made for
me and rather disappointed
in myself for having lost
that. I hadn’t realized what a
profound impact such a simple
habit had on my life.
According
to
a
study
conducted
at
Stanford
University, “reading is the
workout the brain needs in
order to stay in its optimal
health.” It serves to improve
vocabulary,
analytical
and
communicative skills, as well
as
enhance
your
memory
and
ability
to
focus
and
concentrate. It can even help
to reduce stress and, according
to
Anne
E.
Cunningham’s
paper “What Reading Does for
the Mind” it serves to keep you
sharp as you age. If you don’t
believe me, listen to Lisa Bu’s
TED Talk, “How Books Can
Open Your Mind.”
In today’s world, books are
more accessible than they
have ever been before. More
accessible
than
they
have
been throughout history. With
e-books, public libraries and
school campuses, it is nearly
impossible to find yourself
without access to a book.
There is even a “take-a-book-
leave-a-book” library next to
Washtenaw Dairy, and many
others like it all over the
country. You don’t even need a
library card! So what are you
waiting for? Join the likes of
self-proclaimed avid readers
Steve Jobs and Phil Knight
(among a multitude of others),
get down to your local library
and set those brain cells to the
grindstone — the results might
just surprise you.
Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4A — Monday, January 29, 2018
DAYTON HARE
Managing Editor
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890.
ALEXA ST. JOHN
Editor in Chief
ANU ROY-CHAUDHURY AND
ASHLEY ZHANG
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
Lucas Dean can be reached
lbdean@umich.edu.
Megan Burns
Samantha Goldstein
Emily Huhman
Jeremy Kaplan
Sarah Khan
Lucas Maiman
Jason Rowland
Anu Roy-Chaudhury
Ali Safawi
Kevin Sweitzer
Rebecca Tarnopol
Ashley Zhang
I
grew up in a household
that I always considered
to be absolutely middle
class. Food was always on
the table, but the idea of
buying a Canada Goose jacket
or going to college out of
state
was
never
seriously
entertained. And this was
fine, because where I grew
up, in a small rural town in
Northern Michigan, no one
could afford anything from
the Canada Goose brand, and
almost everyone was working
hard during the summer to
afford a community college
education. So I never really
felt like I was poor until I
came to Ann Arbor.
To be clear, I wouldn’t
consider myself poor. I am
perhaps on the lower end of
the socioeconomic scale for
a student at the University
of Michigan, but I have been
given a lot of privileges that
many of my peers haven’t
been
afforded.
My
dad’s
life insurance coupled with
my
family’s
money-saving
savviness
and
a
helpful
scholarship
has
ensured
that I will graduate from the
University debt-free. I live
with the knowledge that if
my dad hadn’t passed away,
I might not have been able
to afford to go here, which
is
something
bizarre
and
somewhat
disturbing
that
I’ve had to cope with. But
during my time in Ann Arbor,
I’ve never gone hungry and
I’ve never worried about not
having enough money to pay
my rent — circumstances
which I’m sure many of my
peers have unfortunately faced.
Still, I think I speak for
many lower-income students
when I say the University of
Michigan sometimes doesn’t
feel like a real place. When
I was in high school, it was
common for me to hear that
a friend didn’t have enough
money for gas, or that they
couldn’t afford the school
lunches. Here, it’s common
for me to hear peers complain
about
how
their
parents
are upset at them for eating
out too often at expensive
restaurants. I’m not here to
pass judgment — if my family
made enough money, you bet
I would eat lunch every day at
Tomukun and complain about
my mom getting on my case
about it. I’m just saying that
when you hear your peers
complaining
about
things
that aren’t an option for you,
you begin to feel like you live
in a city where real-world
issues don’t really exist.
So
when
I
found
out
Central Student Government
had
created
a
“Campus
Affordability
Guide”
and
that
many
students
were
complaining that this guide
was out of touch, I was
really not surprised. And
honestly, at this point, I
don’t have the energy to be
angry
about
these
things
anymore. I’m graduating in
a few months knowing that
taking an unpaid gap year
or traveling the world isn’t
really an option, or that even
grad school isn’t a possible
opportunity until I find a job.
I’m tired, scared and ready to
get out of this expensive city.
So what I’m really trying
to say is I’ve accepted that
the University has a pretty
upscale campus, ranked as
having one of the wealthiest
student bodies of any public
university
in
the
United
States, and I realize it will
take major social upheaval
and institutional change in
order to change this fact. All
I ask is that the wealthier
members of the student body
recognize
this,
and
stop
assuming that everyone is
of the same socioeconomic
background. I’m asking that
students stop being surprised
when they find out some of
their peers are unable to
join
student
organizations
because
of
their
work
schedule, or not everyone has
the connections necessary to
get a job or internship at a
major institution. I’m asking
that we recognize that the
University is an incredibly
privileged campus and that
the lives many of us live are
unimaginable to a decent
portion of the country.
I, along with many other
students, am tired of having
to explain why we can’t live up
to the expectations of those
among us who have never
had to worry about money.
We’re tired of explaining
why we can’t just give up
things we’ve never been able
to afford in order to save
on cash. We’re tired of our
explanations as to why our
lives are inherently different
from our wealthier peers
being met with condescension
and the general feeling that
our thoughts are unwelcome.
And once a major portion of
our campus realizes they are
in fact a lot wealthier than
those classified as having a
low
socioeconomic
status,
then we won’t have to explain
ourselves anymore. And at
that point, we can actually
start
addressing
the
real
issues and barriers poorer
students face. Because to
be clear, wealthy students
aren’t the problem, but a
lack of understanding and
representation is.
A response to CSG’s affordability guide
ELENA HUBBELL | OP-ED
JOIN OUR EDITORIAL BOARD
Our Editorial Board meets Mondays and Wednesdays 7:15-8:45 PM at
our newsroom at 420 Maynard Street. All are welcome to come discuss
national, state and campus affairs.
Elena Hubbell is an LSA Senior and
Senior Opinion Editor
W
alking into the Diag
on
an
unusually
warm
and
sunny
Saturday morning, I melted into
a crowd filled with
hundreds of women,
men and children all
attending this year’s
women’s
march.
Signs
filled
the
crowd with mantras
like “it’s not criminal
to be an individual”
and “the power of
the people is stronger
than the people in
power.” There were
women dressed in costumes
from
Margaret
Atwood’s
infamous book and the new
show
“The
Handmaid’s
Tale” with their red bonnets
striking against the blue sky.
Standing with these fellow
protesters in solidarity was a
powerful force. Each person
came from a different walk of
life, with different views on
justice. But all were united in
forceful solidarity.
It is easy to feel powerless
in today’s world. I often find
myself turning off the news,
overwhelmed and ashamed of
the government we have today.
As I hastily close out of my
news browser, it is easy to want
to complain with degradation,
to ask how we, our country,
its citizens — even the world
— got to this point. Yes, to
retreat is easy, especially
when you see no place for
strength and redemption.
I did not attend a women’s
march last year. Though I am
passionate
about
speaking
out against the continuous
existence
of
workplace
harassment
and
sexual
assault, I never fully understood
the power of a march. Like
many
others,
I
read
the
newspaper and consider myself a
politically-conscious
individual, able to
defend my beliefs
and
support
my
reasoning. However,
immersion
within
the
Ann
Arbor
Women’s
March
showed
me
the
power and change
that participating in
a tangible movement
brings.
Every individual marches
for his or her own reasons.
But
recognizing
why
you
may, or may not, march is
what
demonstrates
where
your true beliefs lay. Political
activism is not a straight path.
Each individual brings his or
her beliefs, convictions and
capabilities to a movement.
One may grow into political
activism, or jump into it
headfirst. Recognizing what
issue you truly care about and
committing to fight for it is
how an individual turns into
an activist.
To quote Nobel Laureate
Elie Wiesel, “Do not stand idly
by if you witness injustice.
You must intervene. You must
interfere.” Choosing to stay
quiet — whatever issue, side
or cause it may be — only
lets the status quo persist.
The only way to make change
from where we are today is to
get up, find your calling and
take action.
One considerable way to
ensure you do not remain
quiet is to remember the
activists of the past and the
present
who
found
their
passions. Susan B. Anthony
never lost sight of winning
women the right to vote,
and endless figures, from all
different social movements,
followed her visions. Discover
what you want to change and
never lose sight of this goal.
Attending
Ann
Arbor’s
Women’s March empowered
me to commit to the change
I want to see in our nation.
But it is important not to let
this motivation slip as social
problems continue to arise.
In a New York Times article,
march
participant
Nadya
Agrawal explained that she
hopes the people marching
across the nation today will
not forget about the Deferred
Action for Childhood Arrivals
or Black Lives Matter protests
that occur subsequently.
But I want to challenge
myself, my peers, friends
and mentors to take a stand.
The passage of every moment
lends itself to history. It is up
to us, whether it be on this
campus, in your hometown or
in the government. Activism
is what this country and its
citizens need.
I challenge you not to take
the easy route. We can all
be activists. But you must
set your mind to the cause
that empowers you to make
change. March. Call your
senator.
Volunteer.
Keep
marching, until you are part
of the change that you wanted
to see happen.
Julia Cohn can be reached at
julcohn@umich.edu.
The making of an activist
JULIA COHN | COLUMN
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Pick up a book
LUCAS DEAN | COLUMN
LUCAS
DEAN
As a kid who was
grounded more
than once for
bringing back a
progress report
that proclaimed
an A-, I was
appalled at myself.
NATALIE BROWN | CONTACT CARTOONIST AT NGBROWN@UMICH.EDU
JULIA
COHN
We’re tired of
explaining why
we can’t just give
up things we’ve
never been able to
afford.