Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4A — Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Alanna Berger
Zack Blumberg
Brittany Bowman
Emily Considine
Cheryn Hong

Krystal Hur
Ethan Kessler
Mary Rolfes
Michael Russo

Timothy Spurlin
Miles Stephenson
Joel Weiner
Erin White
Lola Yang

ERIN WHITE
Managing Editor

Stanford Lipsey Student Publications Building
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@michigandaily.com

Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890.

ELIZABETH LAWRENCE
Editor in Chief
EMILY CONSIDINE AND
MILES STEPHENSON
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

ELIZABETH COOK | COLUMN

Why civility is critical in election season

O

n Nov. 9, 2016, there
was a palpable feeling of
agitation that weighed
down on the University of
Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus.
The iconic rock on Hill Street
brazenly displayed hate speech;
the smell of fresh paint hovered
like
smog.
Conservative
supporters of President Donald
Trump reported feeling the
need for “safe spaces” while
progressive activists were quick
to express their discontent with
Trump’s
regressive
rhetoric
when discussing gender and race.
Our Diag, typically traversed by
tired students trekking to their
classes, was overcome with
vigils, protesters and counter-
protesters and visibly presented
the overall unrest and division
that
underpinned
the
2016
presidential election. In a town
perceived to be almost entirely
liberal, the tension was still
irrepressible.
While I was not yet on campus
during the campaign and election
of Trump, my community felt the
tension as well. From a majorly
conservative suburb of Grand
Rapids, our political voice was
expected to align with right-
wing policies. Our vote went to
whichever Republican made it
past the primaries. Regardless
of where I was — in church, at
school or at work — there was a
feeling of unspoken consensus
from March until November.
While professed beliefs ranged
from supporting Trump as the
lesser of two evils, the tough
candidate or the candidate who
cares about the people, one could
typically assume their neighbors
supported him.
A handful of outspoken and
passionate community members
would
voice
their
concerns
about
Trump’s
alarming
rhetoric regarding women and
minorities. In class, after a

discussion of populism and fear-
mongering, I raised my hand and
made the bold assertion Trump
had utilized those strategies,
citing
multiple
incidents
of
racialized fear tactics. Unease
settled in the room, but no one
challenged the idea. After class,
I could hear “build that wall
Liz, make America great again!”
echoing down the hallways.
While there was an opportunity
for discourse, it was swiftly
dismissed as divisive and the
chance
for
active
listening,
questioning or understanding
went cold.
Throughout
Trump
and
Hillary Clinton’s campaigns,
the most frequently debated
policy topics were the economy,
terrorism,
foreign
policy,
health care and guns. With
increasing economic inequality
in a vulnerable working and
middle class, growing unease
over nuclear warfare and global
conflict, the stability of access
to healthcare and the frequent
news stories of gun violence,
the
uniting
factor
between
policies becomes increasingly
clear: fear. Deliberate tactics
to garner support are woven
throughout the rhetoric of both
Trump’s campaign and tenure
as president, which Clinton had
to face and counter until she
failed to secure enough electoral
votes. At a time of economic
uncertainty
and
frustration,
fear of danger (both abroad
and domestic) and political
mudslinging,
biases
and
identity-based insults stoked
the flame of anger and fear.
Independently,
as
people
living in this country, we cannot
control or change how politicians
utilize
tactics
of
fear
and
division. But there is a radically
simple
solution
of
how
to
reconnect with our communities
and
face
potentially
toxic

positions of policy: discourse.
In my hometown, the unspoken
homogeneity of political opinion
created an atmosphere where
I felt misunderstood, unheard
and unvalued. Peers in school
espoused
extreme
right-
wing positions their parents
supported, yet when we took
a political aptitude test in AP
U.S. Government and Politics
class, the majority of the class
fell beneath the category “new
generation liberal.” The inability
to truly listen to someone’s
opinion
you
disagree
with
and the fear of asking genuine
questions
in
an
empathetic
way
creates
an
atmosphere
of
disillusion,
isolation
and
contention. The toxicity of the
current political sphere makes
any conversation feel like it
could be on the precipice of
condescension and conflict.
Historically,
it
has
been
deemed
impolite
to
discuss
your political opinions — I
believe in the opposite. Actively
educate yourself on current
events,
political
candidates
and
propositioned
policies.
Engage with people who don’t
see things your way, despite
the
comparative
comforts
of placing yourself within a
like-minded
community.
Ask
questions, aim to understand
values rather than positions and
empathize with people from
different backgrounds. Political
passion
and
investment
are
crucial to the commonwealth
and learning how to listen,
empathize
and
acknowledge
mutual values should make 2020
transformative, not regressive.
Believe in our common humanity
this upcoming election season —
if we don’t, the results could tear
us apart.

Elizabeth Cook can be reached at

elizcook@umich.edu.

DAVID LISBONNE | COLUMN

Are we losing personal identity?
I

n
1837,
Ralph
Waldo
Emerson
spoke
before
the
Phi
Beta
Kappa
Society at Harvard University
and delivered an oration that
ignited American intellectuals.
“The American Scholar” was
highly controversial; it decried
the
American
academic
model of the times for its
lack of originality and over-
dependence on its European
predecessors. It championed
the individual as the primary
unit in society and sought to
spur the best and brightest into
action. The world is a much
different place today, a place of
constant discovery, innovation
and creation. Yet I fear society
may
be
silently
sliding,
endangering an integral part
of American society: an iron-
clad faith in the value of the
individual. But how can a
19th century thinker aid our
modern dilemma? And what
does a 183-year-old speech
offer us? More than you might
think.
Early
in
“The
American
Scholar,” we find Emerson
praising
the
individual
and discussing the role of
the scholar in society. He
addresses the scholar’s worst-
case scenario, and says “in
the degenerate state, when
the victim of society, he tends
to become a mere thinker,
or, still worse, the parrot
of
other
men’s
thinking.”
The
notion
of
becoming
another’s puppet by means
of not thinking for oneself is
appalling to Emerson. It’s the
scholar’s worst act of treason:
a conscious relinquishment of
the mind. Sadly, today, I can
think of several examples of
this dynamic, everywhere from
campus to the capital.
Later
in
the
speech,
Emerson gives his crux of
individualism and says “the
one thing in the world, of
value, is the active soul. This
every man is entitled to; this
every man contains within
him ... The soul active sees
absolute truth; and utters
truth, or creates. In this action,
it is genius; not the privilege
of here and there a favorite,
but the sound estate of every
man.” Emerson conveys his
total belief in the ability of
the individual. Everyone has
the natural-born capacity to
create, he argues, and that
conviction – classified as the
“active soul” – is the one thing

of true value. Further, he says
this ability is “the sound estate
of every man.” To my ear, this
sounds eerily familiar to the
American Dream, no? That’s
because it is.
The American Dream is the
purest modern concretization
of individualism. It is a global
notion that any individual
can succeed in the United
States through hard work,
determination and integrity.
This belief has propelled our
country forward throughout
history and has created the
most productive nation in
human history. At its core lies
an incorruptible faith in the
value of the individual, and
their ability to effect change
by their own agency.

But what’s the problem here?
I mentioned earlier this silent
regression occurring in society,
and that Emerson’s wisdom
might be able to help. Emerson
outlines
the
paramount
responsibility of the scholar
“to resist the vulgar prosperity
that
retrogrades
ever
to
barbarism,
by
preserving
and
communicating
heroic
sentiments, noble biographies,
melodious
verse,
and
the
conclusions of history.” As
students at this university,
we are the scholars Emerson
addresses, and he asks of us a
great deal. Using the lessons
history has afforded us, we
must
each
recognize
the
wolf in sheep’s clothing – the
“vulgar
prosperity”
–
and
by means of forging our own
intellectual path, guide society
away to safer ground. Emerson
believed that “each age must
write its own books,” and for
this, the active soul is intrinsic.
As the American Dream
illustrates,
in
emphasizing
the individual you naturally
emphasize ambition and incite
a passion to succeed. The
active soul and the ability to
shape your future reinforce
these
notions.
But
equally

as important are the notions
of
equality,
compassion
and respect. Herein lies the
true value in emphasizing
the
individual.
These
interpersonal
virtues
break
down when people are split
into “us” and “them.” Instead,
if we focus on each individual,
we avoid such divisions and
promote these indispensable
virtues.
Society
today
has
unfortunately accommodated
a
rise
in
populism
and
nationalism, both of which
can be equally characterized
as embodying an “us versus
them”
mentality,
in
one
form or another. If you ask
five people why this is the
case, you’ll likely hear five
different answers, but here’s
mine: We’ve forgotten the
importance of valuing the
individual.
We’re
moving
backward; slowly losing a
connection with the notion
that “the one thing in the
world, of value, is the active
soul ... (it) creates,” and that
it belongs to every individual.
Emerson
concluded
his
argument
for
the
virtues
of
the
individual
with
a
prescient warning: “genius is
always sufficiently the enemy
of genius by over influence.”
When
you’re
confronted
with a choice, I implore you
to
independently
assess
the quality of all decisions.
Don’t subscribe to an idea or
movement
on
the
grounds
that someone you trust, or
someone in authority, bought
in and that’s good enough for
you; that’s how any number of
historical horrors originated.
Take a step back, think for
yourself and act with purpose.
Consider
your
goals
and
identify whether they truly
belong to you, or if they were set
before you by someone else. Be
ambitious in your intellectual
and artistic endeavors – strive
to create something new and
personify
originality.
And
do so only if it is something
that you truly seek. Emerson
understood this on two levels:
the individual and society. He
felt society losing touch with
the individual, and sought to
breathe life once more into his
breast. Now, 183 years later,
we’re in dire need of that same
breath.

David Lisbonne can be reached at

lisbonne@umich.edu.

JENNY GURUNG | COLUMN

Spending all of my undergrad completing pre-requisites
I

came across a headline
titled
“University
of
Michigan pre-med program
No. 1 in the country, according to
rankings.” What does it mean to
be a pre-medical student at the
University, though? Of course,
there is a plethora of resources
available to students from the
University Career Center’s pre-
health directory, from well-
equipped
pre-health/pre-med
fraternities to huge student
organizations that centralize
these resources. Students at
the University of Michigan are
definitely better equipped with
advisers, mentors and other
resources to be better applicants
than
students
from
other
universities, but the problem
lies with the pre-med system
being inherently competitive
and forcing students to make a
commitment to the career early
on.
I often hear people say,
“I could never do pre-med
because of the workload,” or,
“If you can’t take the pressure/
workload, don’t be pre-med.”
The harsh reality is that these
sentiments are true. The list
of pre-med courses goes on
and on. Prerequisites include
rigorous and notoriously hard
classes like Physics for the Life
Sciences, Organic Chemistry
and Biochemistry on top of
others that help you prepare
for topics tested on the MCAT,
like physiology and anatomy.
These classes fill your schedule
and take up almost all of your
undergraduate
credits
to
complete. The pressure to not
just do well in these classes but
excel in them constantly looms
over your transcript. Applying
to medical school is inherently
competitive,
with
schools
like New York University that
started providing free medical
school tuition, an applicant
pool that nearly doubled with
an average GPA of 3.87 and an
acceptance rate of 1.6 percent.

When
everyone
in
your
classes is striving for an ‘A’
because they can’t afford to
drop below that average, even
if you’re getting the same
grades as them, you feel like a
mediocre student and applicant.
This is my pre-med dilemma.
Mediocre.
Commonplace.
Neither a success nor a failure.
Typical.

What does it mean to be a
typical applicant though? The
American
Medical
College
Application
Service,
the
Common
App
for
medical
schools, has multiple sections to
include your GPA, MCAT score
and extracurricular activities.
The Work and Activities section
has up to 15 experiences from
volunteer
(medical
and
not
medical)
to
employment
to
research that you can describe
in up to 700 words. Pre-med
students end up obsessing over
filling their resumes with the
usual medical and research
experiences, such as shadowing
or being a nurse’s assistant.
They chase after opportunities
to shadow clinicians, race to
get published in their research
mentor’s next paper and vie for
leadership opportunities in their
student organization.
Pre-med
students
feel
a
relentless
need
to
keep
themselves extremely busy with
extracurricular activities. On
top of a heavy course load, pre-
med students are pressured
to fill up their free time doing

something.
This
is
normal.
Normal is constantly feeling
overworked and like there’s no
time to do everything. Even as
I am sitting down writing this,
I am thinking about how to find
the time next week to study for
two exams, write a paper, juggle
work and extracurriculars.
The worst part of the process:
the sky-high application fees
for medical school and the
hundreds of thousands of dollars
of debt that medical students
accumulate.
Dedicating
your
entire undergraduate career to
fulfilling pre-med prerequisites
(you definitely won’t remember
which functional group on a
molecule contributes the most to
resonance five years in the future)
only to be left with thousands in
debt is not very promising. This
aspect has also pushed many
people away from the profession
altogether, because it forces
people to commit to and decide if
they want to pursue a career in
medicine.
Asking
undergraduate
students to make a commitment
to multiple sleepless nights,
a
stressful
curriculum
and
countless
extracurriculars
is
absurd. But there’s only so much
students can single-handedly do
about the rigorous nature of pre-
med. In my own experience, it
has helped me to know that other
students are also struggling
with classes and juggling (a bit
clumsily) all of their work. I
regularly try to step back from
the overwhelming torrent of it
all to remind myself that being
pre-med isn’t an easy task — even
though some people might make
it look easy. At the end of the day,
though, pre-med is a path I’ve
currently chosen to go down,
and I’ve found that the best way
I deal with sleepless nights is a
study break with coffee, snacks
and good friends.

Jenny Gurung can be reached at

jennygrg@umich.edu.

LEENA GHANNAM | CONTACT CARTOONIST AT LZGHANNA@UMICH.EDU.

We’ve forgotten
the importance
of valuing the
individual.

Normal is
constantly feeling
overworked and
like there’s no time
to do everything.

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.