2-News

Editor’s Note: This statement was previously 

provided by Phoenix to the News section last 

week and was partially quoted in this news story. 

The Michigan Daily is now reprinting Phoenix’s 

statement regarding the discontinuation of their 

organization in full so that it is on the public record.
I

n 1979, Adara, later renamed Phoenix, 

was founded as a senior-only female secret 

honor society at the University of Michigan. 

According to the organization’s documents, Adara 

was founded after a Title IX complaint was filed 

against the University’s male-only secret society, 

Michigamua, who later changed its name to Order 

of Angell. Founded on principles of “character, 

achievement, leadership, loyalty and service,” 

and to give women leaders across campus space 

for support and empowerment, Adara occupied 

the upper floors of the Michigan Union’s tower 

alongside Michigamua in what was later known as 

the Tower Society. 

This past year, the history and practices of secret 

societies have been top of mind for many students 

on campus. They have been top of mind for us, 

too, the Phoenix class of 2021. We were “tapped” 

for this organization the week that the University 

switched to virtual classes. We were initiated over 

the spring and summer through numerous Zoom 

meetings. Though our class never met in person, 

Phoenix’s traditions dictate that we “tap” around 

25 juniors in “leadership” positions around campus 

this month to become our organization’s class of 

2022.

However, for the first time in our organization’s 

history, we will not be tapping another Phoenix 

class. Instead, we are discontinuing our 

organization’s presence on campus.

When we were first tapped for Phoenix almost 

a year ago, we were told that “P” was what we 

made of it. The only purpose of our organization 

was to anonymously improve campus through our 

roles as campus leaders. We could launch our own 

projects and initiatives for the improvement of the 

University as a whole. We would build friendships 

throughout the process, taking advantage of 

relationships that would otherwise not have been 

formed.

We’ve spent recent months studying our history 

and debating our future. On Feb. 21, our class voted 

by an overwhelming majority not to tap another 

class. We view our vote not as a judgment of the 

past but as a declaration about the future: Phoenix 

and other secret honor societies do not belong on 

our present campus.

This decision was not taken lightly by our class, 

nor was it made out of convenience. It was not 

made in connection with — nor was it influenced 

by — Order’s recently publicized outreach to its 

alumni regarding its future. 

There are many reasons why we have made 

this decision. We believe that our organization’s 

mandate of “campus leaders” as a prerequisite for 

membership is inherently elitist. Leadership roles 

within this organization are obtained through 

and sustained by privilege. The meaning of this 

phrase has never been defined. In reality, each 

class of Phoenix is tapped mostly by friends in 

previous classes, compounding issues of elitism 

and homogeneity that have long plagued our 

organization.

Twenty-five seniors could never be truly 

representative of the wealth of cultures, beliefs 

and experiences that make up a senior class of 

the University. We also recognized the cognitive 

dissonance Black members, Indigenous members 

and members of color face in secret societies. Our 

members should never have had to contemplate 

their relationship to secret societies’ racist history 

and elitist nature. 

Over this past year, we’ve watched members 

face backlash for their role in these organizations. 

A number of student groups for students of racial, 

religious and ethnic minorities have specifically 

denounced secret societies and forbade their 

members from participating in these organizations. 

We believe this is a cycle that will continue if left 

unchecked. Recruiting a diverse class does nothing 

to alleviate this structural flaw.

“It is weird and discouraging to have to 

think, ‘Am I joining a racist club?’ It is even more 

unnerving to be actively told while being recruited 

that Phoenix is not racist,” one BIPOC member of 

our class said. (This member has asked to remain 

anonymous for fear of professional retribution.) “I 

did and still do believe that Phoenix is not a racist 

society. However, it is modeled after one and I 

think that it is time to realize that distinction.”

This member recalled speaking to another 

prospective BIPOC member about this dissonance. 

Ultimately, this member decided not to join after 

citing similar concerns.

Given these facts, we cannot in good conscience 

move forward with Phoenix knowing the harm that 

secret societies have caused and will continue to 

inflict if still in existence. No amount of rebranding 

can plaster over the inherently problematic nature 

of these organizations.

If there was one redeeming quality we found 

in Phoenix, it was the random friendships that it 

fostered between our members. Despite our class 

meeting mostly over Zoom, we recognize and 

appreciate the value in bringing together people 

who would likely never otherwise cross paths. 

We hope that interest in forming new senior-year 

cross-campus friendships rises from the ashes 

of our decision, though we believe it needs to be 

completely separate from the existing constructs of 

senior secret societies on campus.

Rather than contemplating a year-long 

“pause,” we urge the current members of Order, 

and all other secret societies, to discontinue their 

organizations indefinitely. Beyond discontinuing 

our own organization, we believe the dissolution 

of all secret societies to be in the best interest of the 

U-M community.

A

s thousands of new pet-owners have 

discovered during the pandemic, 

dogs are simply the best. I have 

two myself and being without them has 

made returning to Ann Arbor each semester 

incredibly difficult. During a pandemic that 

has burdened millions with increased anxiety 

and stress, it should be no surprise that a 

significant number of people have recently 

chosen to add some furry members to their 

families. After all, dogs are proven to provide 

legitimate health benefits, both physically 

and mentally. The University of Michigan 

realized this fact long ago, offering times for 

students to hang out with dogs at least a few 

times a year. 

Nearly 40% of all American households own 

dogs, including (except for former President 

Donald Trump) every U.S. president since 

William McKinley, which is over 100 years 

of presidential dogs. President Joe Biden 

revived that presidential trend, welcoming his 

two beautiful German shepherds, Champ and 

Major, into the White House.

This past week, Greg Kelly — host of 

the conservative news outlet Newsmax — 

took a dig at Champ, Biden’s 12-year-old 

dog. Kelly and presidential historian Craig 

Shirley labeled Champ as unpresidential, 

saying he looks like he is “from the 

junkyard.”

In response to both Kelly and Shirley: 

Find something better to do with your time 

than ridiculing the president’s elderly dog. 

Although I suppose they should not be 

surprising in the context of an increasingly 

petty and partisan political sphere in the 

U.S., these comments were ridiculous. 

Criticizing a president’s dogs is crude and 

criticizing Champ as ‘unpresidential’ is 

simply incorrect. If not an American icon, 

dogs are most certainly a presidential 

staple. 

German shepherds have long been 

considered a favorite amongst Americans 

in several categories, for both their loyalty 

and intelligence. Most police canine units 

country-wide, including the Michigan State 

Police, rely on German shepherds for their 

high work rate and intelligent problem-

solving abilities — two ideal presidential 

qualities. So, if Champ’s smarts were at all 

in question, they shouldn’t be. This is also 

not the first time a German shepherd has 

been a resident of the White House. Former 

presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and John 

F. Kennedy also had German shepherds — 

they were certainly considered adequate 

presidential pets at the time. 

If it was his physical appearance, give 

Champ a break. He is 12 years old — that 

is well into his 80s in human years. Would 

you go up to your grandpa and say he 

was junkyard-like or looking as if he was 

uncared for simply because he looked old? 

No. It should be normal for an old dog to 

look, well, old. One of my dogs is starting to 

become a bit feeble, but I am certainly not 

going to ridicule her for it. 

Personal attacks have sadly become 

the new norm in politics, it seems. We 

saw it consistently throughout the past 

two presidential elections; Vice President 

Kamala Harris was regularly mocked for 

her tone of voice, her name and her race — 

as were many politicians before her. 

It is frustrating that these attacks 

have become standard in the U.S. They 

reflect poorly on the character of both 

American politics and the intelligence of 

the American people as a whole. Our time 

is spent on narrow-minded, irrelevant 

jabs and Twitter comments, including 

Greg Kelly’s response to the backlash he 

received following his segment. 

But, if personal attacks are going to be 

a norm, so be it — it seems there is not 

much that can be done to buck that trend 

in a post-Trump America. With that being 

said, dogs need to be left out of those digs. 

A politician’s dogs are irrelevant to their 

politics and should only be discussed 

as a potential judge of character for any 

candidate. Using them simply as a way to 

belittle a president or politician is immoral. 

Instead, find a way to criticize Biden’s 

agenda or policies. That is the basis of 

what politics should be: informed debate 

regarding what legislation our elected 

officials should be passing. 

Rather, this is a wake-up call for the state 

of our political discourse in this country. It 

is time to bring back some intelligence to our 

discussions. Leave Biden’s dogs alone. Dogs 

have only served to be a positive American 

icon within the White House — Major and 

Champ are no different. 

A

fter 
deciding 
to 
check 

Facebook following weeks of 
being offline, I immediately 

saw an opinion article one of my 
former classmates shared with the title: 
“Transgender athletes don’t belong in 
girls’ sports. Let my daughter compete 
fairly.” Immediately, the author claimed 
that allowing “biological boys’’ to 
participate in girls’ sports is the exact 
opposite of gender equality and destroys 
years of progress for girls in athletics. 
The article then framed the landmark 
Supreme Court decision that banned 
employment 
discrimination 
based 

on gender identity, which preceded 
this development, as unfortunate. 
Then, it pronounced sex as defined by 
our bodies’ DNA. That, however, is a 
classic example of pseudoscience used 
to justify continuous transphobia by 
claiming sex can be boiled down to a 
binary definition. 

Opponents of trans rights often miss 

three key indicators when it comes to 
determining a person’s sex according 
to science: genetics, endocrinology 
and neurobiology. Basic biology taught 
us that those with XX chromosomes 
are females, while those with XY 
chromosomes are males. But what 
about other combinations of Xs and 

Ys? What about the various strengths 
of male-differentiating genes? What 
about studies proving transgender 
people’s brains more closely resemble 
the gender they identify as? 

However, 
challengers 
of 

transgender rights will point to 
psychology with the claim that being 
trans is a coping mechanism for gender 
dysphoria 
and 
body 
dysmorphia. 

However, many of these studies have 
already been dismissed for ethical 
reasons and numerous public health 
organizations are steadily working 
toward 
declassifying 
transgender 

identity as a psychological disorder. On 
the other hand, reevaluation of former 
psychological studies has revealed 
that gender-based discrimination and 
violence is most often the root cause of 
mental illness within the transgender 
community. 

In the contentious debate over 

whether 
self-proclaimed 
gender 

identity should be respected, the idea of 
feminism has been called into question. 
Political 
activist 
and 
American 

journalist Gloria Steinem defines a 
feminist as “anyone who recognizes 
the equality and full humanity of 
women and men.” Unfortunately, that 
sentiment is not universal across all self-

identifying feminist groups. 

One of the most infamous includes 

TERFs, an acronym that stands for 
Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist, a 
group that has repeatedly euphemized 
themselves 
as 
“gender 
critical 

feminists.” TERFs have increasingly 
divided the feminist movement, leading 
to controversy over who falls under the 
protection of feminism.

Harry Potter fans may have noticed a 

very prominent display of TERF ideology 
when “cancel culture” swarmed J.K. 
Rowling in June after she posted a tweet 
implying that true women menstruate. 
However, instead of providing the 
typical mediocre apology and claiming 
innocent ignorance, Rowling doubled-
down on her stance, claiming “It isn’t 
hate to speak the truth.” This ignited a 
torrent of fuming subtweets between 
defenders of Rowling and supporters 
of trans rights, with both sides calling 
themselves feminists. However, the 
dueling perspectives concerning J.K. 
Rowling and her tweets invoke the 
uncomfortable, yet inescapable, roots of 
feminism. 

Simply put, the feminist movement 

was rooted in a philosophy founded on 
the principles of white supremacy and 
bigotry. The second wave of feminism 

in the 1960s and 70s was dominated 
by white women, who utilized the 
inferiority of their sex in a progressive 
age as an aegis to perpetuate their own 
prejudices. This feminism aimed at 
promoting the voices of its constituents 
who were usually limited to the 
demographics of middle class, white 
and heterosexual. In its beginning, the 
movement never incorporated minority 
women, and certainly would not have 
considered transwomen among its 
ranks. 

Despite public resistance to the 

TERFs’ approach toward transgender 
people, 
the 
consequences 
of 
its 

internalized ideology have led to 
de facto inequality including the 
trans military ban, removal from the 
workplace, discrimination in health 
care and “bathroom bills.” Here at the 
University of Michigan, it is apparent 
when professors use the wrong 
pronouns despite the correct ones 
placed beside names on attendance 
sheets and then excuse themselves for 
being “old-fashioned.” Or, for example, 
when trans people are asked their 
“preferred” name and pronouns instead 
of simply name and pronouns. 

On Jan. 20, President Joe Biden made 

a national effort to combat transphobia 

through an executive order combatting 
“discrimination on the basis of gender 
identity or sexual orientation.” Soon 
after, “#BidenErasedWomen” began 
to trend on Twitter with intolerance 
disguising itself under the shroud of 
feminism to attack the advancement of 
equal rights. 

With the passage of the Equality 

Act on Feb. 25 by the House of 
Representatives, the battle between 
supporters and opponents of trans rights 
was reinvigorated. These so-called 
feminists that oppose the president’s 
executive order and the Equality Act 
were outraged at lawmakers for putting 
cis girls and women at risk by allowing 
trans women to play sports and use 
bathrooms according to the gender 
with which they identify. Instead, 
opponents prefer to keep trans people 
as the marginalized and severely 
oppressed community that they have 
always been. 

No, Biden has not erased women. 

Comparatively, 
the 
president 
has 

given validation to the existence of 
trans people across the United States 
who have been constantly ridiculed, 
questioned mercilessly and abused for 
decades. In the words of renowned 
anti-racist activist Franklin Leonard, 

“When you are accustomed to privilege, 
equality feels like oppression.” 

The “feminists” that feel as though 

they are facing discrimination remain 
trapped in the delusions of second-wave 
feminism. They pursue a narrative that 
is substantiated by neither biology 
nor psychology to maintain hostility 
toward transgender people, all while 
pretending to advocate for the rights of 
women. 

Therefore, to truly be a feminist 

in the 21st century, people must first 
acknowledge the history of hate and 
discrimination feminism has fostered. 
From there, it is possible to build upon 
the faults of the past to construct a more 
inclusive and forceful wave of gender 
reckoning.

But let one thing be clear: You are 

neither an ally nor a feminist if you 
pick and choose the circumstances in 
which it is acceptable for trans women 
to have equality. Feminism advocates 
for all women regardless of surgeries, 
hormonal treatments, menstruation 
or appearance. Transgender women 
are women and deserve the same 
recognition from society as cis women.

10 — Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

KATHERINE KIESSLING | COLUMNIST

LIZZY PEPPERCORN | COLUMNIST

PHOENIX CLASS OF 2021 | OP-ED CONTRIBUTORS
JOHN TUMPOWSKY 
| COLUMNMIST 

Katherine Kiessling can be reached 

at katkiess@umich.edu

The Phoenix Class of 2021 can be reached 

at aurigaclass@umich.edu. 

Jack Tumpowsky can be reached at 

jgtump@umich.edu.

Lizzy Peppercorn can be reached at 

epepperc@umich.edu. 

T

hrough speaking with my peers 

and friends, I know I am not 

alone in thinking for a long time 

that things would be relatively “normal” 

by this summer. Especially with the 

beginning of the vaccine rollout in 

December, I was confident that by June 

I would be vaccinated and the pandemic 

would be much more under control. 

While the daily number of new 

COVID-19 cases in the United States 

has decreased, the vaccine rollout 

has problems. With the University of 

Michigan still in Phase 1b of vaccinations 

and the continuous weekly emails 

about how the University is behind 

on its original vaccination goals, I am 

now skeptical that I will be able to get 

the vaccine by the end of the winter 

semester. 

One summer in a pandemic was 

difficult enough for college students. 

Internships were canceled, travelling 

and immersive experiences were put 

on hold, and any programming that did 

happen was mostly remote. When I 

began my search for what I wanted to do 

this summer, most programs mentioned 

that they would likely be virtual and that 

there was still a chance of them being 

canceled last minute given the level of 

uncertainty surrounding the future state 

of the pandemic.

Summer programs are usually a time 

for college students to try out fields of 

interest and explore what they want to 

do after college. Whether an internship 

is a good or bad experience, it allows the 

student to gain clarity on what they want 

to study and pursue. Two summers in a 

pandemic could prevent college students 

from gaining hands-on experience to 

enhance their studies and confirm that 

they are on the right track. Because many 

undergraduate students were unable 

to participate in summer internships 

or programming last summer, there is 

a lot of pressure to find something this 

summer. Whether or not a program gets 

canceled is mostly based on luck, but the 

students who are able to gain experience 

to add to their résumé will be ahead of 

those who aren’t as lucky.

In my experience, reliable, engaging 

and in-person internships are extremely 

hard to find. Furthermore, the few I 

did find were extremely competitive 

because options are so limited. The 

summer application process has been 

a point of stress and anxiety for many 

students this school year. 

Even if a majority of internships 

are not canceled this summer, the 

likelihood of them being in-person and 

offering the programming they would 

in “normal” times seems unlikely. When 

adapting to a pandemic world, in-person 

internships will have to sacrifice parts 

of their programming such as large 

meetings, collaborative projects and 

team building that would normally 

enrich the internship experience. And 

internships that are fully remote and 

involve staring at a screen all day make 

it challenging for students to evaluate if 

this is a field they want to pursue further. 

There are multiple consequences of 

these pandemic summers that could 

have serious implications for the futures 

of current undergraduate students. 

One potential impact is that students 

will not be able to determine if they 

dislike an industry or career path during 

college. Internships help students decide 

whether a career is appealing to them, so 

not having that opportunity could lead 

many to make mistakes in their first job 

out of college.

Another potential consequence of 

not being able to engage in hands-on 

immersive summer experiences is that 

students may need to try out different 

fields and industries after graduation, 

since they did not have the opportunity 

during their college summers. Getting 

a job out of college is already stressful, 

and now it will be many students’ first 

time working in the field outside of an 

academic setting. Many might have to 

test multiple jobs post-graduation to truly 

figure out what they want to pursue.

While virtual internships still offer 

experience and useful skills, to me, 

the possibility of an entire summer on 

Zoom did not seem worth the benefits. I 

began looking at outdoor non-academic 

experiences that have, so far, seemed 

less likely to be canceled and can take 

place in-person. Summer jobs such as 

working at a camp or in a national park 

and programs such as Outward Bounds, 

Northern Outdoor Leadership School 

and Overland offer a break from Zoom 

and an environment that is much easier 

modified to follow pandemic guidelines. 

A worry for many college students 

when considering outdoor programs 

compared to a job or internship in 

their field is that they will not develop 

applicable skills to their studies and 

that their résumé will not be as strong. 

However, students have the remainder 

of their lives to work in an office 

environment and develop technical 

skills. Working as a camp counselor or 

leading an outdoor expedition provides 

participants with experience regarding 

leadership, responsibility, delegation 

and independence that are applicable to 

most work environments. 

Undergraduate 
students 
must 

understand that if they are unable to 

find the perfect internship or academic 

program this summer, it is not a 

reflection of their application but rather 

the challenges employers are facing in 

offering internships. Even internships 

themselves may not offer the experience 

and growth they would in normal times 

and alternative summer plans should be 

embraced as a great and unique option. 

Stop acting like trans women are a threat to feminism

Disbanding Phoenix — secret societies don’t belong on our campus 
Why White House dogs don’t deserve 

your criticism

Another summer with the pandemic

Design by Man Lam Cheng

Design by Man Lam Cheng