B
ack
in
September,
when the University
of
Michigan
announced there would no
longer be a spring break
for students and faculty,
I figured I would be fine.
COVID-19 did not appear to
be slowing down anytime
soon and, with the semester
concluding on April 30, I
would benefit more from
an extended summer than a
week in March. All in all, it
seemed to be a good deal.
After the fall semester, I
was drained. The transition
from high school to college
was strenuous, amplified by
the challenge of studying
remotely. Our month-long
break was much needed, but
in many ways, the hecticness
from the first few months
remained. I never felt as
though I was truly “shut-
off” from the daily grind
of a college student. Now,
with a little over a month
to go before the academic
year ends, I am wishing the
administration granted us,
students, those seven coveted
spring days.
Alas,
the
University
thought of “Wellness Days” to
compensate for the persistent
workload
we’ve
received
since Martin Luther King Jr.
Day. And they come in twos
— separately, of course! This
will surely alleviate our stress
and fatigue, right?
Not even close. In February,
my wellness day was spent
studying for my upcoming
Math 115 exam. A few days
ago, it was spent writing a
paper for my BCOM 250 class.
If “wellness” is somehow
defined by the security you
experience in knowing that
you’re a little more prepared
than you were before or
taking the necessary steps to
finish an assignment on time,
then mission accomplished.
However, that is not the case.
“Wellness,”
as
defined
by
the
Merriam-Webster
dictionary, is described as
“the quality or state of being
in good health especially as
an actively sought goal.” In
our current era of isolation
and social distance, I cannot
think of a greater priority
than maintaining our mental
health. Yet, if that was truly
the University’s goal, they
failed
miserably.
Instead,
they should have labeled
them for what they really
were: 24-hours-without-class
days. Understandably, that’s
not as catchy.
Many of us, including
myself,
are
feeling
psychologically taxed and
constrained right now. The
Zooms and phone calls I’ve
had
with
upperclassmen
friends to catch up, which
used to last at least half an
hour, now barely crack 15
minutes. What was once
a
welcomed
release
for
both parties is now viewed
as a distraction from the
contextualized task at hand.
Moreover, all correspondence
usually ends the same way
now: “Yeah I know we’re all
super busy and things are
super hectic so I don’t want
to take up any more of your
time. Talk to you soon, bye.”
I don’t fault the students
or the professors for this
educational
strain
we’re
all experiencing; we’re all
fulfilling our commitments
to the University and to each
other. However, anyone who’s
learned a thing or two about
productivity knows that you
can’t work people to their
limits for four consecutive
months. It simply cannot be
done.
Let’s
do
some
math.
Research
conducted
by
psychologists shows that our
productivity is maximized
when
matched
with
our
ultradian rhythms. Therefore,
we are most efficient when
we work in longer sessions
of approximately 90 minutes,
followed by 15 to 20-minute
breaks. Out of a given 105
minutes, we are working
between 80 and 85% of the
time, but operating at peak
productivity. By attending
classes alone, students of the
University of Michigan are
“working” nearly every day
of the semester. The only
reprieve from this work is
during — you guessed it —
those golden Wellness Days.
I understand that we’re
students, not professionals.
Yet, our otherwise pretty-
darn professional university
expects a certain level of
professionalism
from
us. This university houses
some of the world’s best and
brightest future leaders —
don’t we want to see what
we’re
capable
of
when
we operate at the fullest
capabilities? I know I sure do.
Hopefully, this will all
be a moot point in the fall.
In a perfect world, when
the majority of society is
vaccinated,
we
can
quit
worrying about the potential
health
consequences
of
spring break. Hopefully, then
we can have fun and truly
unwind for a week, much to
the enjoyment of everybody
here in Ann Arbor.
For now, however, let this
serve as a cautionary tale.
We shouldn’t be overworked
and expected to grind for
four months straight. Our
attention will drift, our guard
will slip and everyone will
be left to suffer the effects
of a stressed-out, fatigued
campus population. How’s
that for a Wellness Day?
Opinion
BRITTANY BOWMAN
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.
CLAIRE HAO
Editor in Chief
ELIZABETH COOK
AND JOEL WEINER
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
Julian Barnard
Zack Blumberg
Brittany Bowman
Emily Considine
Elizabeth Cook
Brandon Cowit
Jess D’Agostino
Andrew Gerace
Krystal Hur
Min Soo Kim
Jessie Mitchell
Zoe Phillips
Mary Rolfes
Gabrijela Skoko
Elayna Swift
Jack Tumpowsky
Joel Weiner
Erin White
This is far from the first time Weiser
has spurred outrage with his words
and actions, not only on campus but
across the state of Michigan. His
misbehavior has ranged from sending
regents an email containing only a
picture of a woman wearing a bikini
with no context to urging fellow
regents to support him during earlier
calls for his resignation, prompting
them to “remember Germany in the
1930s.” Weiser also faced backlash for
his initial response to the Jan. 6 Capitol
riot and failure to condemn former
President Donald Trump. He has failed
to attend a single regents meeting in
2021, other than the meeting in which
he was censured. It is obvious that his
continuing to serve on the Board of
Regents undermines the University of
Michigan’s character, and if he cared
about the University he would resign
from his position immediately.
Nevertheless, he has made it clear
that he has no intention of doing
so, accusing those calling for his
resignation of engaging in cancel
culture. In light of this, we have chosen
not to write this editorial to call for his
resignation, as such an attempt would
obviously be futile.
Instead, we implore our state’s
voters — the people who elected Weiser
to this position of power — to more
heavily scrutinize future candidates for
the Board of Regents, at this university
and others, and consider how they
might affect the universities and the
state of Michigan at large. The only
avenue to remove Weiser prior to the
2024 election is an unrealistic one
— The Daily’s article regarding calls
for a resignation states, “(Michigan
Secretary of State Jocelyn) Benson
would have to file an official petition.
No later than 25 days following the
filing of the petition, Benson would
then have to declare if the petition has
enough signatures for a recall or not.
To trigger a recall election, the number
of signatures on the petition needs to
equal 25% of votes cast by Michigan
residents in the 2020 general election.”
Therefore, voters must think critically
about who they cast their ballot for in
2022.
The content of Weiser’s remarks
has been specifically harmful and in a
politically divisive atmosphere like the
one we live in today, any semblance
of violence should be avoided. There
have been several acute instances
of political violence, and threats of
political violence, in the past year,
ranging from a right-wing plot to
kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last
fall to the armed riot at the Capitol on
Jan. 6. It has even happened recently
here in Ann Arbor. A week ago, a group
of right-wing “boogaloo bois,” armed
with large rifles, planted themselves
in front of Ann Arbor’s city hall in
an anti-government protest, despite
cold reception from the community.
Though this thankfully did not
escalate into a larger conflict, the fact
that it is normal in America for armed
protestors to congregate outside of
government buildings represents the
deeply toxic political environment
that exists in our country. Even in a
time of political tranquility, it would be
abhorrent for a member of our Board
of Regents to joke about assassinating
members of the government. The fact
that violence is seen as a valid means
of political action by so many only
underscores why Weiser’s charade
was so dangerous.
Weiser’s use of the term “witches”
is particularly problematic since this
misogynistic word has historically
been used to undermine influential
women. In 2016, people circulated
images online of Hillary Clinton
dressed in a black hat and holding
a broomstick. The term is harmful
because it connotes an evil figure
who should not be trusted, so when
someone uses it to describe a powerful
woman, such as Gov. Whitmer, they
are undermining the legitimacy of
the referenced woman’s power. And
when someone as influential as Weiser
uses this sexist terminology, he gives
his listeners the language not just to
criticize the government — which
should be encouraged in any democratic
society — but to take it a step further and
delegitimize the governor’s power on
the basis of her gender, a reprehensible
and ominous message.
During the board’s meeting, Weiser
apologized for his comments but
pointedly refused to resign, saying
instead that he would “not be canceled.”
This refusal to resign demonstrates
that, at best, Weiser misunderstands
the harm his comments caused, and,
at worst, that he values the power that
comes with being a regent more than
his responsibility to the University’s
students and the state’s voters.
In
electing
Weiser
as
an
administrative member of its second-
largest university, Michigan voters gave
him a legitimate prominent platform
on which to speak as a public official.
Everything Weiser does are the actions
of a representative of Michigan, rather
than the actions of a single citizen. The
comments would be problematic even
if they came from a private citizen,
but in being uttered by a University
Regent — and the Michigan GOP
chair — those comments will travel
further and be more harmful to the
well-being of democracy in Michigan.
In removing Weiser from his position
as a regent, his constituents have the
ability to demonstrate there will be
repercussions for the flagrant and anti-
democratic language he perpetuated.
It is obvious that Weiser should
resign. He has repeatedly acted in
ways that are entirely unbecoming
of a regent, and these latest remarks,
with their harmful connotations,
are simply the icing on the cake. His
reprehensible comments are rooted
in misogyny and a clear disregard for
democratic values, and these actions
have and will continue to negatively
impact the Michigan community.
However, given that Weiser appears
entirely content to remain on the
Board of Regents until he goes up for
reelection in 2024, it is important to
remember the power that voters have.
Both University students and
Michigan residents should maintain
high standards and demand more
from their representatives. Though
the Board of Regents may not be the
highest-profile election on the ballot,
voters should keep Weiser’s actions in
mind as we approach the 2022 elections
and choose candidates accordingly.
ALEX NOBEL | COLUMNIST
W
hile billions of people worldwide
have had their lives uprooted
and
drastically
transformed
by COVID-19, many societal practices from
the pre-pandemic world have continued.
Some of these practices are beneficial like
getting an education and improving medical
knowledge, while others continue to have
devastating results on public health and the
environment. One of these harmful practices
that has not only continued but worsened
during the pandemic is deforestation. We have
seen deforestation efforts increase globally last
year, leading to catastrophic health effects on
the environment, climate, people’s everyday
lives and pandemic prevention. This practice
must be put to an end in order to ensure that
people and the planet are safe and healthy.
2020 was a devastating year for forests
as global deforestation efforts increased by
12%. The estimated area of woodlands torn
down was 10 million square acres — equating
to roughly the size of Switzerland or Rhode
Island, Delaware, Connecticut and New
Jersey combined. The country that included
the largest spike in tree removal was Brazil
with an increase in deforestation by 85%. The
most harmed areas were parts of the Amazon
rainforest, which happens to be one of the
world’s largest absorbers of carbon dioxide.
The next logical question to ask is why is
deforestation increasing? To answer that, we
must look at why deforestation occurs at all.
There is no sole reason as forests are removed
for everything from infrastructure expansion,
land-use changes, urbanization and wood
extraction. The logging and forest removal
industry is estimated to produce between $30
billion and $100 billion each year. The massive
profits from this sector cannot be overlooked
as they are one of the factors fueling the
increases we have seen this past year.
Deforestation’s effect on the environment is
vast and incredibly damaging. Removing trees
decreases precipitation, which disrupts the
water cycle and causes changes to river and
stream flows. Water is not only vital for forests
but almost every living thing on the planet. A
decrease in precipitation could leave species
and entire ecosystems without water, forcing
them to fend for themselves or migrate. The
drop in the amount of water in the ecosystem
also allows for potential droughts, which
can disrupt ecosystems by reducing food
supply. Dry conditions also contribute to an
increase in forest fires, as the lack of water
makes it easier for flames to catch and spread.
Deforestation contributes to soil erosion,
as tree roots help anchor the soil, and the
trunks and branches help protect it from wind
and water. Soil erosion has many negative
impacts, from loss of fertile land to worsened
flooding, as the ground can no longer absorb
floodwaters. Between disrupting the water
cycle and eroding the soil, deforestation has
countless consequences on the environment.
Like many of the ways humans interact with
our environment, deforestation also contributes
to climate change. Not only does clearing
forests release carbon dioxide stored in the
trees into the atmosphere, but it also eliminates
organisms that absorb carbon. The United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
found that deforestation accounted for about
20% of greenhouse gas emissions, making
it the second-largest contributor to climate
change. Forests, as a whole, absorb 10 million
metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, roughly
equivalent to the emissions from two million
cars. Essentially, deforestation makes global
warming worse and adds to climate change on
two different levels.
The ramifications of deforestation extend
beyond the environment and the climate, as it
affects human public health as well. Removing
trees and forests directly contributes to an
increase in infectious diseases that could
potentially turn into epidemics and pandemics.
When forests are demolished, animal habitats
are destroyed and their natural inhabitants
are forced to migrate into new areas. Whether
those areas are near humans or just around
different animals, germs and diseases are
spread and can become outbreaks. Sixty
percent of all infectious diseases that affect
humans originate in animals.
Moreover, when forests are destroyed,
animals are forced to move closer to humans
increasing the likelihood of disease spread.
This has been observed in Brazil where
experts believe that the rise in malaria cases
is directly linked to deforestation. Between
2003 and 2015, scientists and researchers
found that an increase of 10% in yearly forest
loss corresponded with a 3% jump in malaria
cases. One year that saw an additional
618 square miles of forests being removed
resulted in an extra 10,000 cases of malaria.
Clearing forests directly leads to an increase in
infectious disease and increases the chances
that another pandemic — like the current one
— ravages the world.
Aside from the harmful effects of
deforestation, forests also offer many benefits
to people and public health. One major reason
is that forests are home to 300 million people
and 80% of terrestrial biodiversity. Another
1.6 billion people depend on forests for their
livelihoods and survival. Forests are also huge
mitigating factors when it comes to climate
change and acts to lessen the future effects.
They function to increase clean oxygen levels
in the atmosphere as well as moderate global
temperatures. Deforestation is a dangerous
practice that must cease before even more
damage is done to the environment and global
health. I urge you to speak for the trees, for they
have no tongues and one day you will wish
there was something you could have done.
One tree two tree, red tree dead tree
Alex Nobel is an Opinion Columnist and can
be reached at anobel@umich.edu.
SAM WOITESHEK | COLUMNIST
The grind hasn’t stopped
this year — that’s a mistake
Sam Woiteshek is an Opinion
Columnist and can be reached at
swoitesh@umich.edu.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
12 — Wednesday, April 14, 2021
From The Daily: Weiser must resign
A
t a March 25 gathering with the North Oakland Republican Club, Regent Ron Weiser
(R) called three female Democratic officials “witches” and referenced “burning
them at the stake.” He also joked that the only way to get rid of two anti-Trump
Republican congressmen, besides voting, was assassination. On April 2, the University’s
Board of Regents censured him and called for his resignation, leading Chairwoman
Denise Ilitch (D) to strip him of his committee assignments. On campus, his actions
have led to the mock renaming of Weiser Hall and many have called for his resignation.
DAVID FORSEE | OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR
T
he Order of Angell, formerly
known as Michigamua, has
disbanded without any serious
reparation for the years of indignity and
harm caused to Indigenous peoples.
The work of BIPOC Order alumni
and students has been instrumental in
stopping this institution’s perpetuation.
At the end of their website’s apologetic
history page is a link to the Bentley
Historical Library’s Order of Angell
records. You can’t view the actual
materials online, but if you request them
ahead of time, helpful staff will bring
the records out to warmly lit reading
desks for you. No pens are allowed,
liquids are prohibited and gloves are
provided. The records have the name
“Michigamua” crossed out on the
large boxes and replaced with “Order
of Angell” in Sharpie. Call number
87248: a collection of musty boxes and
oversized folders that hides an insidious
history.
Nearly
a
century
of
archival
materials kept in the Bentley Historical
Library does more than just document
the organization’s misdeeds. I have
sifted
through
these
materials
numerous times, trying to understand
the blueprints that layout tomahawk
wall-accents on their custom-made
“wigwam” in the Michigan Union
tower. Trying to parse through each
member, each of whom has a dedicated
“Indian name” such as Silver Throat
and Dick Weake on the yearly pride’s
roster. There are so many small
moments in their sprawling history:
letters between friends, initiation
blindfolds and pictures of old white
men at outdoor banquets in front of
totem poles. The sheer enormity, the
utter banality, the paper trail of white
supremacy was right before me looking
at the Michigamua archives.
While photographing these records,
a library aide came up to me and asked
me if I’d like to see a sculpture in the
back garden of the Bentley. In this
library’s graveyard of unwanted icons
was a stone tomahawk medallion.
Without any collection number, two
feet wide, it lay covered in moss on
the ground. We both stared at it for a
moment. No one wanted to deal with
the now-culturally insensitive relic,
and now it was in the care of the library.
Michigamua’s true legacy was an
opportunity for predominantly white
Michigan
students
to
bastardize
Indigenous culture. One only needs to
go to the Bentley and see for themselves
the photographic evidence, as well
as the excuses and artifacts of U-M’s
home-grown
white
supremacist
organization. The following comes
from an account of Rope Day, an
initiation ritual for Michigamua, taken
directly from the Bentley records:
“Our rope day ceremony started
at the rooms. We covered ourselves
with dry paint mixed with water and
donned an Indian blanket, a head dress
of feathers, and a jook strap. We ran,
skipped and howled down the State
Street side of the campus carrying a
long rope. Most of the braves were so
winded that we had to stop and rest
several times. We would sit down and
‘hold a pow wow’ intermingled with
occasional war whoops.
“The young bucks gathered at the
foot of the Tappan Oak at Six booms.
We circled the tree with the rope,
binding them against it, tore their shirts
off and doused them (with) dry paint
and water. Then we started beating
them with snow shoes, rope and barrel
staves.”
I will pause here to let anyone who
wishes to see the mark of Michigamua
look at the red-stained bark of the
Tappan Oak in our Diag. Stopping just
past human height, the paint stains the
tree even after all these years.
Michigamua, even in disbanding,
still
manages
to
disappoint
—
disbanding will never erase its past.
In their letter issued after disbanding,
they claimed that, “We realized that
any actions we could take would
not be adequate in healing the past
and improving the future of the
organization. Ultimately, the historical
lack of transparency and sufficient
action prevent the achievement of this
core mission.” While acknowledging
their past is a positive step, they
must go further. Past members must
engage in some measure of reparation
and restorative justice before their
organization is allowed to fade into the
miasma of “past mistakes.”
As of right now, the only legacy
Michigamua has left behind is within
the Bentley Library and the harm
they’ve done. It is critical for our
community to remember this harm
and ensure that another organization
will not find a place on our campus.
The impact of the
Order of Angell
David Forsee is a graduate of the BFA
InterArts Performance program. They can
be reached at dforsee@umich.edu.