MichiganReview THE
The Journal of Campus Affairs at the University of Michigan www.michiganreview.com
Volume XXVI December 4, 2007 Issue 6
Despite Hardships, ‘Big Three’ Hires from U-M Unaffected By Danielle Putnam, ‘08
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or decades, economic prosperity in the state of Michigan has been dependent on the success of the “Big Three”—General Motors Corporation, Ford Motor Company and Diamler Chrysler Corporation. But the recent decline of the Big Three’s influence has not only affected Michigan’s economy, it has also affected the University of Michigan—specifically those from the Colleges of Business and Engineering who are looking for a job. Because many engineering and business students look to the Big Three for summer internships or a job after graduation, the troubles of the auto industry may call into question a relationship that even ten years ago might have been intuitive. According to the 2005-2006 Ross School of Business Employment Profile, General Motors, Ford, and Diamler Chrysler all continued to recruit at the University of Michigan despite economic hardship and possible layoffs. Collectively, the Big Three hired three full-time MBA graduates, thirteen MBA interns, three full-time BBA graduates, and four BBA interns in 2006. The Employment Profile marks the number of MBA graduates employed in the automotive industry for 2007 at 1.8 percent, which is up from 1.5 percent in 2006. In 2007, the Employment
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Austyn Foster/The Michigan Review
A German BMW car on campus sports a “Go Blue” European license plate.
Ann Arbor Law Center Defends Marine Against Allegations of War Crime By Anna Malecke, ‘10 arine Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Chessani was arraigned on November 16th for dereliction of duty involving the infamous Haditha Massacre in Iraq two years ago. A twenty-year Marine veteran, Lt. Col. Chessani faces charges for allegedly failing to properly report and investigate a “law of war violation” after fifteen civilians were killed in a house-to-house battle with insurgents. If convicted, Lt. Col. Chessani will be dishonorably discharged, lose all his retirement benefits, and spend up to two and a half years in prison.
The Thomas More Law Center, a conservative nonprofit firm based here in Ann Arbor, represents Lt. Col. Chessani. The eight marines charged in the incident were allowed to obtain civilian council due to the severity of the charges. Thomas More is a nonprofit, public interest Christian law center that operates strictly through donations and does not charge for its services. This led Lt. Col. Chessani to contact the lawyers at Thomas More. “He has dedicated his entire life to the military,” said Brian Rooney, a former Marine and one of the attorneys from the Thomas More Law Center who is representing Lt. Col. Chessani. “You do not become a wealthy man
News
Feature
News
Arts & Culture
Gender Gap Persists in Study Abroad Programs
Adderall Becomes the Study Drug of Choice
YAF Chapters Attract Controversy in MI
DIA Reopens Famed Collection to Public
By Josh Handell, ‘11
By Jane Coaston, ‘09
By Jonny Slemrod, ‘10
By Brian Biglin, ‘08
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A
ccording to the International Center at the University of Michigan, female students who participate in study abroad programs outnumber their male counterparts by a 2-1 margin. While this disproportion is widespread among universities across the country, its persistence may be problematic for an administration so dedicated to promoting diversity in all academic venues.
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rescription drug usage has grown in recent years, increasingly by college students who lack a prescription. On college campuses, prescription amphetamines are being used in larger and larger volumes. Some use it as an “upper” to counteract the effects of alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs.
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or woman with a career in the military. Chessani is a father of five—soon to be six—children and has served in the Panama Invasion, the Persian Gulf War, and three tours in Iraq, including the Second Battle of Fallujah. President and Chief Council of the Thomas More Law Center, Richard Thompson, quoted on the Law Center’s website said, “We have the absurd situation of Lt. Col. Chessani being charged with failing to report and investigate a crime that never occurred. Every American should be outraged at the way this dedicated Marine and his family are being
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The conservative group Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) on campus has been at the center of much campus controversy in recent years. YAF’s ability to stir up controversy has placed it at the center of U-M’s political climate. UM-YAF has been quiet in the 2007 school year. It won’t remain this way much longer, however.
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he Detroit Institute of Arts reopened Thanksgiving weekend, after being closed during the summer while a multi-year renovation was brought to completion. The changes include reorganized and rebuilt wings adjoining the original museum. The museum is better than ever thanks to the renovations, but its defining features remain its amazing collection and stunning original architecture.
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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW www.michiganreview.com
Editorial Board:
Michael O’Brien Editor-in-Chief Adam Paul Executive Editor Brian Biglin Managing Editor Rebecca Christy Senior Editor Lindsey Dodge Jonny Slemrod Associate Editors Chris Stieber Editor-at-Large Business Staff: Karen Boore Publisher Danny Harris Anna Malecke Associate Publishers Nick Cheolas Editor Emeritus Staff Writers: Steven Bengal, Cherri Buijk, Jane Coaston, Marie Cour, Alexa Dent, Blake Emerson, Samm Etters, Austyn Foster, Erika Gonzalez, Mike Hamel, Josh Handell, Kris Hermanson, Alyse Hudson, Christine Hwang, Erika Lee, Eun Lee, Adam Pascarella, Alex Prasad, Danielle Putnam, Shanda Shooter, Andrea Sofian, Nathan Stano, Christina Zajicek, Zack Zucker
Letters and Viewpoints: The Michigan Review accepts and encourages letters to the editor and viewpoints. Letters to the editor should be under 300 words. Viewpoints can be arranged by contacting the editorial board. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Send all correspondence to mrev@umich.edu.
About Us: The Michigan Review provides a broad range of in-depth coverage of campus affairs and serves as the literary voice of conservatism and libertarianism at the University of Michigan. The Review is published bi-weekly September thru April.
Donate/Subscribe: The Michigan Review accepts no financial support from the University. Therefore, your support is critical and greatly appreciated. Donations above $40 are eligible for a 1-year (12 issues) subscription. Donations can be made on our website at www.michiganreview.com, or mailed to:
911 N. University, Suite One Ann Arbor, MI 48109 The Michigan Review is the independent, student-run journal of conservative and libertarian opinion at the University of Michigan. We neither solicit nor accept monetary donations from the University. Contributions to The Michigan Review are tax-deductible under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code. The Michigan Review is not affiliated with any political party or any university political group. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board. Ergo, they are unequivocally correct and just. Signed articles, letters, and cartoons represent the opinions of the author, and not necessarily those of The Review. The Serpent’s Tooth shall represent the opinion of individual, anonymous contributors to The Review, and should not necessarily be taken as representative of The Review’s editorial stance. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the advertisers or the University of Michigan. Copyright © 2007, The Michigan Review, Inc. All rights reserved. The Michigan Review is a member of the Collegiate Network.
11.13.07
page two. the michigan review
■ Serpent’s Tooth A South African journalist was circumcised this week during a radio broadcast to help raise awareness about AIDS prevention. Asked for comment, Kennedy Gondwe, the journalist, said, “If it makes half a bit of difference, I’ll be satisfied.” A Penn economics professor of theory admitted to murdering his wife this week. Reportedly, he told the police that he had found a “competitive advantage” with another woman.
med.” I guess we’ll have to throw away our “Jesus” Chia pet… On Saturday, the Michigan men’s basketball team lost to Harvard, led by former U-M coach Tommy Amaker, 62-51. In other news, Gary Moeller has been re-hired as the head football coach. MSA elections took place last week. Results announced on Monday, pending an actual solitary vote. Analyzing last week’s CNN/YouTube Republican
University of Pennsylvania police stand accused of shooting a man in a strip club located below a Chili’s. The suspect was accused of shooting a DJ. Inspired by the events, Ryan Seacrest has taken to avoiding both strip clubs and his local Chili’s. MSA President Zack Yost found himself in hot water last week for mocking MSA Rep. Tim Hull for his Asperger’s Syndrome. In a related story, Nancy Pelosi has created a Facebook group calling First Lady Laura Bush a “total beyotch jk lolz.” In the wake of Lloyd Carr’s retirement, the Athletic Department has sought out a potential “diversity” hire for the new head coaching position. Unnamed University officials cite Charlie Weis as the potential “obese” candidate, and Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz as the potential “dumbf*ck who can’t beat Western Michigan” candidate. Russia recently held Parliamentary elections, which were naturally dominated by President Vladimir Putin’s party, United Russia. Proud voter Yakoff Smirnoff, “In America, I vote for Putin. In Russia, Putin vote for you.” Last week, Gillian Gibbons, a British school teacher in Khartoum, Sudan, was imprisoned and deported for allowing her students to name a teddy bear “Moham-
Debate, bloggers discovered 11 of the questioners had affiliation with Democrat groups. Host Anderson Cooper, puzzled by the controversy, responded, “What, isn’t that fair and balanced? I don’t know how Fox News does it…” An insane man took over a New Hampshire headquarters for Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign with a belt o’ road flares. After the crisis was resolved and the subject taken into custody, New Hampshire sheriffs were quietly contacted by Mike Gravel and Dennis Kucinich about hiring the man, who they hoped would give tips on how to get more screen time at the debates.
■ Letter from the Editor
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eing a journalist is a pretty weird vocation. Take, for instance, my reaction a few weeks ago when I learned of a potential threat by way of a bomb on a campus bus. I think most people’s instinct would be to get as far away as possible from the bus as possible, even if it were the case (and it was) that the threat was likely nothing. Me? No. When my brother called to let me know about the threat, my reaction was different. Half-wet, and just out of the shower, I threw on clothes as fast as I could, started dialing the number for the University’s Public Affairs office, and called our Executive Editor, Adam Paul, and we got over there as quickly as we could. The journalist’s instinct, I reflected later that day, is different from most others’. When danger looms or a major catastrophe is on the brink of happening, we rush headstrong into it, without really giving our actions a second thought. We’re the type that take our obligation to the reader pretty seriously, even if we don’t take ourselves that seriously--especially compared to the editors at other publications on campus. Maybe it’s just self-congratulating, but I’d like to think the attitudes expressed on the day of the bomb scare are captured in every page of every issue. Even if the situation isn’t a life-or-death matter, our writers and reporters put their whole weight into pushing these stories forward, and are unafraid to get themselves into tough situations and ask tough questions. We take a look at a number of tough situations in our latest issue. Our lede story (Danielle Putnam, Page 1) explores how the deterioration of the auto industry has affected hiring and internship decisions from the schools of business and engineering. Another feature (Anna Malecke, Page 1) talks about a career Marine in a tough situation: Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, who is being represented by a local conservative law firm is trying to fight charges of misconduct stemming from the horrid “Haditha massacre” events in Iraq.
There are also some students in tough situations right now. Some abuse prescription drugs (Jane Coaston, Page 3) to try to gain an unfair advantage in their studies, disregarding the potential negative side effects. Others, like Zack Yost, are dealing with the consequences of making off-color remarks about an autistic MSA representative. We editorialize on Page 4. But maybe the biggest actor who faces challenges, and could use a long look in the mirror is the University of Michigan itself. For a school that preaches diversity, it has a stunning gender gap (Josh Handell, Page 8) in its study abroad programs. Additionally, there are concerns we unearth in this issue that campaigns like “Expect Respect” and “Consent is Sexy,” despite their intentions, are not getting through to students. (Zack Zucker, Page 6) We also report on the stunning underutilization of the Career Center (Christina Zajicek, Page 6) that prompted one student to ask, “We have a Career Center?” Another tough situation is, I hate to admit, Detroit. It faces another punch to the gut by way of the recent Congressional Quarterly ‘dangerous cities’ rankings. (Christine Hwang, Page 9) Unfortunately, the reputation of Detroit as dangerous is too accepted by students on campus, many of them having spent little appreciable time in the city. We editorialize on the need to change that paradigm on Page 4. One of the many things to help abate the negative stereotypes about Detroit is the reopening of the Detroit Institute of Arts (Brian Biglin, Page 10), which offers hundreds of thousands in the area access to a world-class art collection. Our exploration of these, and other issues, are just another fine examples of the hard work and tenacity of our writers. We’ll be rushing headstrong into the next semester, too. Have a great break. Sincerely,
Michael O’Brien Editor-in-Chief
11.13.07
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news.
the michigan review
Adderall Becomes the Study Drug of Choice By Jane Coaston, ‘09
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rescription drug usage has grown in recent years, increasingly by college students who lack a prescription. On college campuses, prescription amphetamines are being used in larger and larger volumes. Some use it as an “upper” to counteract the effects of alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs. Particularly after smoking marijuana, prescription amphetamines can return a person to a midline state. But most use it to get an edge academically. There are already stimulants—“No-Doze,” Red Bull, and even caffeine—that students utilize for energy boosts. None of these stimulants require a prescription. But arguably the most popular prescription drug is Adderall, a stimulant prescribed generally to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). The popularity of Adderall overtook its predecessor, Ritalin, because of its time-released formula that can maintain its effect for an entire day. The drug is typically ingested or snorted—snorting makes it take effect much more quickly. Adderall is an amphetamine, the same chemical compound that inspired Jack Kerouac to write, “Amphetamines An ADHD gave me a quickness of thought and writing that was at least three drug has times my normal rhythm.” become the One student at the University study who wished to remain anonymous said that Adderall has the same buddy of effects as cocaine, except that choice at a with Adderall, “You can get shit done.” school with That same intent for usage an was reflected in an informal, emphasis anonymous survey for thirty students conducted by the on Review. academic In a group made up of juniors and seniors at the University of excellence Michigan, with most focusing on majors within the Literature, Science, and the Arts, a large number reported having used Adderall for academic purposes. A majority of respondents said that they would be most likely to use it to study for finals, and a large
“Auto Industry” From Page 1 Profile hire by industry puts General Motors as the top hiring automotive manufacturing company, securing ten new employees from the Ross School of Business. Although this is only representative of a few years, the number of Business School students they employ has not changed significantly. “There is data going back to 1995 but …reporting standards have changed since then, so comparing the data before that would be difficult,” said Kevin Gates, the Technology Coordinator in the Office of Career Development for the business school. Accordingly, other modes of measuring these trends may be more useful. Leslie Lynn, Associate Director of the Office of Career Development for Alumni and Student Career Services for the School of Business said students take many different factors into account when considering job placement, not just the economy. “We always talk about how the business health may impact their job,” she said about advising students. “And
Austyn Foster/The Michigan Review
Adderall has become a drug many U-M students use without a prescription in order to bolster study habits.
number stated that they would use it to help them concentrate, with responses such as to “study more effectively” or to “focus on studying and homework when I have a lot to do.” The dealers who may sell marijuana, cocaine, or prescription drugs used more often for recreational purposes do not typically sell Adderall, according to students who frequent the drug. Generally, one person will have a prescription filled for the drug and then give out pills to friends or sell them to acquaintances. Because diagnosis for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder is extremely subjective, a valid prescription for the drug can be obtained extremely easily. As can be expected, prices and usage go up astronomically during reading periods and before major due dates for papers, ranging from five dollars per pill to around twenty percent. One user, after using the drug to finish a paper, said that she had been able to type for four straight hours. Slate.com writer Joshua Foer described his one-week
with those challenges, the role could be really exciting too or maybe it would just be stressful and miserable for the individual.” Lynn also said that although the Big Three are still hiring on campus, opportunities have dwindled as they
Adderall experiment in 2005: “I didn’t feel like I was becoming smarter or even like I was thinking more clearly. I just felt more directed, less distracted by rogue thoughts, less day-dreamy. I felt like I was clearing away underbrush that had been obscuring my true capabilities.” The drug is typically safe, but has the same effects as other amphetamines: wakefulness, jitteriness, and an eventual drop-off in energy. Adderall seems like the answer to a student’s prayers: the ability to stay awake and stay entirely focused on a project or paper. But it remains to be seen if the drug’s effects on a long-term basis are as benign, particularly after the Canadian government banned a form of the drug several years ago for possibly contributing to cardiac health problems. However, it is unlikely that in the high-pressure environment of a university, prescription amphetamine use will go down anytime soon. MR
now given the struggles the industry faces.” “Our students are interested in a variety of companies including automotive,” said Cynthia Redwine, the Director of the Engineering Career Resource Center “What I see are
Still, the jobs being cut by the Big Three are largely skilled labor positions—not jobs that require the extensive education that business or engineering majors have have faced economic hardship. This can be seen in the decline in number of employees that Ford Motor Company has been able to secure in the last few years. Ford used to be the main employer of business school graduates and interns prior to 2007, when the General Motors Corporation surpassed it. Lynn said that these recruitment tactics are necessary because the Big Three have to “convince [students] that there is growth available at the company right
students who seek opportunities in any number of industries.” Although data is not available for the past twenty years, Ford and General Motors have been top employers for the past five years. “Last year the Engineering Career Resource Center received reports that General Motors hired 13 full-time engineering majors and Ford hired seven,” Redwine added. “Diamler’s figures reported to us over the last four years have not changed, but it’s been consistently fewer than five.” These
numerical data may offer evidence that the Big Three are under economic pressure, which is affecting the hiring processes. “There are two big problems an entrylevel person thinks about when joining one of these companies: the stigma of working for an unsuccessful company, and getting lost among hundreds of thousands of workers,” said Ryan Kraft, a junior in mechanical engineering. Another deciding factor that many engineering students rely on is whether or not a job will be stimulating, as Redwine also suggested. Kraft said that there are people “with job titles like, ‘Advanced Quality Control, Chevy Cobalt 6 Speed Front Wheel Drive Transmission’…[who] only do one thing over and over again. Personally, designing door locks for 20 years doesn’t really get me going.” The other benefits of working for the Big Three, such as decent pay, good benefits, and low-stress environment may outweigh the disadvantages of working in a struggling industry. Still, the jobs being cut by the Big Three are largely skilled labor positions—not jobs that require the extensive education that business or engineering majors have. MR
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11.13.07
editorials. the michigan review
The Review welcomes letters to the editor. Send letters to:
The Michigan Review T
he Michigan Review is the independent, student-run journal of conservative and libertarian opinion at the University of Michigan. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Editorial Board. Ergo, they are unequivocally correct and just. Signed articles, letters, and cartoons represent the opinions of the author, and not necessarily those of the Review.
Student Experience Should Determine Detroit’s Reputation
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etroit found its way back into the negative spotlight recently when Congressional Quarterly and Forbes Magazine each named the city the most dangerous in America. The methodology of these rankings can easily be called into question. More importantly, U-M students who are unfamiliar with Detroit must know that the city is safe to visit. In an official statement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reacted to the way that entities like Congressional Quarterly use their statistics, calling the rankings systems overly simplistic. Forbes’ ranking was based on murder rates alone. Nothing could be more misleading than tarnishing an entire city of nearly one million residents because of the mostly drug-related violence in certain neighborhoods. Crime should be assessed on a neighborhoodby-neighborhood basis. When a U-M student visiting Detroit goes to a concert, art exhibit, or event in the downtown area, they will in fact be in an area that is safer than the rest of metro Detroit, Michigan, and the United States on average. This was the conclusion of a Wayne State University study in 2005. In fact, the central portions of Detroit are remarkably safer than most other places, and crime is still overstated because the per capita statistics are based on outdated population estimates. The population of downtown and midtown Detroit is rapidly growing, evidenced by the dozens of ongoing new building projects and rehabilitation projects. All of the cities that perennially get denounced by the media as “dangerous,” from Detroit to St. Louis to Newark to Cleveland, are hardly places that anyone should avoid simply because of a stigma. Generally, crime is concentrated in a few distressed neighborhoods, and unless someone goes looking for trouble, they will not become a statistic. Every city has great neighborhoods and attractions worth seeing, and Detroit, a cultural hub with a long history, has countless places that no sensationalized ranking system should preclude a person from seeing. Not only are more people visiting Detroit in spite of the rankings, with major events repeatedly being held at downtown venues and with several new and rehabilitated historic hotels opening, but new people are moving in. Midtown and downtown have a growing middle and upper class of mostly young professionals, and outlying neighborhoods like Corktown, New Center, Eastern Market, and the East Riverfront are now the focus of some intense re-investment. Several large and small companies have relocated large quantities of employees to the city. Employers are betting on Detroit—with hundreds of millions of their dollars—and this should be taken as a strong sign of the direction of the city. Unfortunately, some of the worst misconceptions regarding Detroit’s safety are entrenched right here in Michigan. Thousands of people who grew up in Detroit’s ever sprawling suburbs go to U-M, and often give less-than-glowing reviews of the city. We suggest that you take their advice like you should take like other generalized rankings: with a grain of salt. Instead of relying on others to tell you what to think about a place as difficult-to-generalize as the nation’s ninth largest city, rely on experience and well-reasoned logic to form your views. MR
mrev@umich.edu The Review reserves the right to edit letters to the editor for length and clarity.
Adderall-Fueled Campus Far From a Good Thing
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lthough Adderall use among University students is undoubtedly on the rise, the University should resist the urge to get involved in the personal matters of students. From coffee to Ritalin, college students have been using chemicals to improve academic performance for decades. The dramatic increase in Adderall users, while noteworthy, isn’t a reason for grave concern. No one at U-M has died of an overdose on Adderall. It seems to us that this is more than conclusive to prove that students can be trusted to make decisions themselves. We cannot underscore enough that Adderall use is a victimless action. In fact, unlike heavy alcohol use, the externalities of taking Adderall are, to an extent, positive. There will not be fights, loud behavior, or DUI’s; rather, it will lead to more school work getting done. The University should seek to educate students about the effects of the drug, especially the possibility of dependence. More aggressive physical tactics, such as room searches or arrests, are an insult to individual responsibility. College students are adults and should have the responsibility of making the choices that regard their own bodies. Although Adderall use falls beyond the administration’s realm of responsibility, that doesn’t mean students should use the supplement irresponsibly. The use of stimulants and amphetamines to improve grades isn’t the safest choice someone can make: a reliance on stimulants can lead to high blood pressure, abnormal heart rate, addiction, and in extreme cases death. Once students realize how effective Adderall can be, many become convinced that they simply cannot study without it. Tactics to combat Adderall usage must be different than those employed against other illicit drugs. Unlike marijuana, whose possession is almost always criminalized, many students legally possess and use Adderall. To expose those students who may already feel alienated because of learning disabilities, to scrutiny over their study habits could adversely impact their educational outcomes. While smiting the growth of illicit student drug use may (emphasis on may) be a meaningful goal, using searches that increase pressure for students already at the margins to added stress is unacceptable. This is not to mention that any efforts to police dorms would likely be ineffective. Many students already drink in the dorms and even alcohol dense liquor bottles that should be easier to find than pill bills or bags of pills. There are also so many students who live off-campus that any preventative program, educational or punitive, would miss a large share of campus. Even those who would be exposed to programs while in the dorms are likely to dismiss any educational value of those programs once they move off campus. The use of prescription drugs for recreational purposes or on a non-prescribed basis is a problem for University authorities, one that needs to be answered on a variety of platforms. But we caution against treating the use of prescription drugs like Adderall as a police matter. It has not happened yet, but unfortunately, is the default choice of authorities in fighting drug “problems.” Rather, encouraging an increased awareness among students of the risks of using drugs not prescribed to oneself is the better option. Let students take responsibility for themselves— they might surprise you. MR
All Parties Out of Line in MSA “Scandal”
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ecently, campus and local newspapers have been buzzing with the controversy surrounding MSA President Zach Yost’s Facebook group. The group, which until recently had included MSA Representative Kenneth Baker among its members, was directed against MSA Representative Tim Hull, who incurred the contempt of the MSA president for his submission of numerous votes on student government rules changes. In the group’s description, Yost wrote, “I’ll give that kid a fucking disability he can write home about if he keeps sending these code amendments to everyone.” Hull suffers from a mild form of autism, Asperger’s syndrome. Tempers have flared and much of campus has been calling for the resignation of Yost after having successfully guilted Baker. Apparently, Hull sends an inordinate amount of MSA code amendments. This, however, is a college government. What would college be without tasteless and offensive humor? There should certainly be ramifications for Yost’s statements but the witch-hunt that has ensued appears over-the-top. Beware of overreacting to political scandal. After Nixon, a bunch of liberals sent us into war and rising inflation. After Clinton, well, we all know what happened after Clinton. Taking a stand for himself and all other autistic politicians, Hull has stated that unless these guys resign, he will. It’s amazing how little we care, considering the amount of money that MSA receives from the University and from students. Each student pays about eight dollars a semester in their tuition costs, and frankly, that’s a burrito and a quesadilla from BTB that we’ll never get to eat. The idea that Hull could single-handedly hold hostage the administration of the Michigan Student Assembly because of a single offensive remark is disturbing. The fact that a single tasteless insult could give a single representative the leverage to do this to a government with a $500 thousand budget speaks volumes about how power is distributed at the University. The nature of the coverage not only completely disregarded the context of the insult, but has also villanized these two guilty members of MSA. Using powerful language, they have been condemned by any and all that matter at Michigan. We are not living in Birmingham circa 1965, and the issue is not as black and white. Allowing Yost or Baker to stay in power does not necessarily mean condoning an action. The issue highlights what everyone at our school already knows: MSA is irrelevant. The body had their elections the same week as this ‘scandal’ and instead of articulating platforms, members discussed an offensive comment. MSA should spend their time discussing things that matter (like, say, how to spend our money efficiently), petty bickering and semantics have come to dominate. The commitments of the members themselves can be called into question; last year, the Review detailed how many MSA members simply don’t show up to meetings. We’re anxious for MSA to do something worthwhile. If the body was truly committed to lowering tuition costs like they say, MSA might consider blending more into the background of the campus landscape, saving each student $16 a year, and, more importantly, giving The Michigan Daily space to write about issues that actually matter. The inanity of the situation has piqued. All parties involve need a long break to cool off. It’s a good thing exams are in a week. MR
11.13.07
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■ Strict Scrutiny
If a Message Falls on the Web . . . A recent cover story in the campus humor journal The Every Three Weekly mocked the antics of an imagined college student who, despite an exuberant thrust for debauchery, was not likely going to be remembered (not to mention that she was a sociology major). The article, headlined “Poorly-Behaved Woman Probably also Not Going to Make History,” mocked fictitious AIM away messages for their trite Valley Girl excitement. Adam As much as the article made me laugh, I cannot help thinkPaul ing that its conclusion is wrong. Increasingly the things people say and do online are being monitored, talked about, and ruining reputations. The anger over MSA President Zack Yost’s Facebook group deriding Representative Tim Hull exemplifies the gravity of online indiscretions. Yost created a Facebook where he expressed frustration with Hull’s frequent attempts to alter MSA’s compiled code in part by asserting that he would give Hull, who has Asperger’s Disorder, “a fucking disability to write
home about.” MSA Representative Kenny Baker, the group’s only other member, exposed the group at a recent MSA meeting. As of writing, Baker has agreed to resign from MSA over the incident, and many on campus are screaming for Yost’s resignation. While the comment was immature, it was made in a private group that members likely assumed had a level of privacy. The truth about privacy on the web, especially within social networking, is that no one has any. Sure, students rallied—with more fervor than for any election or social issue—when Facebook started adding features like the news feed. This streamed changes in user accounts to others but that tumult fell far short of a coup and now most users willingly add a number of stupid features that pass information along to others. If I wanted to be glib, I would just throw up my arms, curse text messaging, Facebook, and YouTube and move on to a more important issue. If I wanted to sound avant-garde, I would mock the irony of the new project by Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick, called Quarterlife. As reported in Portfolio magazine, Quarterlife is a show, rejected by ABC, which premiered on MySpace about a young woman who keeps a videoblog, named Quarterlife. The show’s premier coincided with the launch of a ‘real’ online community
of the same name. If this play within a play wasn’t enough to drive anyone mad, entertainment media even more detached from reality continue to crop up. One major success has been Second Life, a 3-D online game that boasts over one million users in the last month. Even more disturbing, the game has its own currency, which is so sophisticated that it has an exchange rate against the US$ and an economy so large that Wall Street-esque reports on the game’s website reveals that over US$14million are currently in circulation. When I wrote about Second Life earlier this year, Paul Hemp of the Harvard Business Review predicted that Second Life or something like it “is going to be a central communications medium for people.” With all that time and money, I guess it’s not so surprising that what gets said on social networking sites is worthy of being called “scandal” within MSA or that some employers and police departments have begun to cruise social networking sites for information. We may never get a clear answer about the sound that tree makes in the forest, but those AIM comments you send about how much you hate your professor or the drunken messages you post to your BFF about how wasted you are, can—and are—heard. MR
■ Minnesota Nice
Sober ‘U’ According to the Center for Disease Control, eight million people become ill with tuberculosis, and two million people die from the disease worldwide every year. As I mentioned in a column earlier this schoolyear, I was diagnosed with latent tuberculosis in May of this year. And while I am in no danger of death, a part of me died when I found out the stipulation of my antibiotic regime: NO DRINKING. This wouldn’t be a problem if the duration for the medication was the typical two or three weeks, but tuberculosis is a nasty bacteria, and the treatment lasts nine months. When I told my friends the bad news it really did seem like something terrible Rebecca had happened. It was a complete reflection of the primary role of Christy drinking in collegiate social life. So doing the math correctly shows that I won’t be scot-free until the first weekend in February. I’ve had a few minor setbacks—Ohio State weekend being one of them—but overall I’ve had a very dry semester. I’ve learned a lot about myself and the college experience as a result. I didn’t
think staying sober would be that difficult for me. I was one of those people who didn’t drink a copious amount, but like a lot of other students, when I really felt like drinking I got drunk. The rest of the summer went relatively well. The main reason was because I didn’t actually turn 21 until the end of July. Most of my social activities were outdoor barbeques or other things which didn’t focus heavily around drinking. Once school started it was a totally different story. The obnoxious thing about house parties is that all the obnoxious things about them weren’t so bad when I was drinking. Suddenly a packed house where I couldn’t move wasn’t exciting. It was cramped, hot, and just uncomfortable. Most of all, I never expected the amount of peer pressure I face. My close friends respected the fact that regular drinking would be harmful to my health and didn’t push it. But random strangers were confused by my empty hand and demanded an answer as to why. One particular evening another student chided me for almost ten minutes until I didn’t know what to do, so I just took the miniature JELLO shot to get him to go away. The lack of willpower was embarrassing. Constantly telling people the story about my tuberculosis diagnosis and strongly reiterating that it was not contagious got old quickly. I still feel badly for my friends who often hear me mention it to someone
almost every weekend. After awhile I felt like it might be better to make up a new reason every week as to why I wasn’t drinking. Ranging from the awkward “I’m pregnant” to the uncomfortable “I’m morally against anyone who touches the stuff,” my friends and I came up with some incredibly outrageous reasons. But on a serious note, I’ve learned a lot over the past seven months. Throughout the duration of my time on the medication I’ve had a plethora of experiences being completely sober around drunk people. I truly learned to respect the power of alcohol on people’s personality and their judgment. I also have a better comprehension of the specific negative aspects’ drinking has on my own personality. Ultimately, I’ve gained a lot of respect for people who abstain from drinking, for whatever reason, throughout the college years. I never realized the extent to which alcohol use dominates the college scene and the mantra that, “Everything is better if you’re drunk,” is really believed. I’ve even failed to keep myself from drinking on some occasions even though it could potentially be dangerous to my health. Those who remain true to their convictions are commendable. MR
Taking ‘Friendship’ to a New Level By Lindsey Dodge, ‘10
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ednesday November 27 in Hutchins Hall visiting Professor Laura Rosenbury presented her legal argument “Friends with Benefits.” A professor at Washington University’s School of Law, she discussed the new legal trends of thinking about family in a functional sense rather than the legal status of marriage and birth certificates. She employed feminist legal theory to ask the question: “Why is family limited to parent-child or sexual relationships?” She said this possible conflict came to her when she was a student in college and realized that the people she Staff Opinion was there for in a protective sense were her friends, not her actual family. To her, the laws interest in marriage perpetuated gender inequality by not granting equal status to other adult, intimate relationships. She suggested that granting friendship legal status could
change gender role limitations based on marriage in American society. Some people have critiqued her argument by suggesting that friends, unlike family, will not be there when times get tough. Her response has been “It is wonderful that you have a family that will support you, but not everyone has that.” However, considering the fluid nature of friendship, in particular during the formative years of college, this response seems double-edged. Another criticism has been that whatever the limitations on same-sex couples, marriage has survived this long because it has worked. Admitting out-loud the short-term nature of this response, Rosenbury responded that it has lasted this long simply because of, “Patriarchy!” Although she admitted that this answer was incomplete and delved into a deeper explanation, the very forcefulness of her automatic response reveals that this is the crux of her emotional argument.
Whatever her legal argument, marriage is not simply a gendered and glorified implement for men’s control over women. To begin with the very wedding vows that are said in the wedding stereotype Rosenbury has in mind, marriage is designed for three reasons: the procreation of children, to avoid fornication, and the help and comfort one ought to have from the other person. Studies have shown that children learn different things from a man and a woman, and it is irresponsible to assume that all of these things are bad. By creating a state where a man and woman together raise a child, that child will receive the balance of two people in a presumably safe and loving environment, as ensured by the last stipulation of the wedding vows.
See “Friends With Benefits” Page 11
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11.13.07
news.
the michigan review
University’s Marketing Campaigns Expect to be Respected ‘Expect Respect’ and ‘Consent is Sexy’ struggle for recognition amongst students By Zack Zucker, ‘10
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s a result of the University of Michigan’s ongoing marketing campaigns, slogans such as “Expect Respect” have engendered specific sentiment from UM students, which is a key goal of these efforts. According to a University press release, the “Expect Respect” slogan that appears on University buttons, posters, and other signage is part of a larger “Expect Respect” campaign created to encourage awareness and reporting of hate crimes and bias-related incidents. The slogan, however, is intended to be broader in scope to promote a general sense of respect. The campaign includes a hotline that students can contact to report such incidents and programs to promote interpersonal respect among individuals. Dean of Students Sue Eklund confirmed that the campaign was launched in the wake of the now-infamous claims made by Asian American students in the fall of 2005, who said white students had urinated on them in a racially-motivated assault. After investigations reported on in The Michigan Review, it was revealed that the clothes worn by the students did not have urine. Still, the allegation stuck in the minds of some. “[The University] began to hear that people had no familiarity with how to report such incidents and no notion of how to get support,” said Eklund. So far this year, the campaign seems to be picking up steam. From March 2006 through June 2007, there were ninety-two reports on the hotline. In September 2007 alone, there were twenty-one such reports. An example of the type of incident commonly reported is discriminatory written messages, such as graffiti or
messages on boards attached to dorm room doors, said Eklund. According to the University, the most common groups discriminated against in the incidents reported are the gay and lesbian community, Jews, and Muslims. Eklund stated that in its first year, the campaign focused mainly on getting its message out in order to create awareness. The University also created an “Expect Respect” student group to help facilitate the goals of the campaign. This year, however, the campaign has expanded in scope, spearheaded by several new pro-
While the effectiveness of the slogan and campaign may be up for debate, the merits of the two would be difficult to question. grams. These include “Faces,” where students that embody the values of the campaign are publicized, and “Conversations,” a program featuring a dialogue between students in Markley Hall. What remains to be seen, however, is just how effective the campaign has been. The purpose of a slogan is to draw attention and interest into the product or concept being promoted. When asked about the campaign, many students were unaware that the campaign is being geared towards preventing and reporting hate crimes and bias-related incidents. “I didn’t know that,” said sophomore Allie Santa-
creu. She said that she had no idea what “Expect Respect” is promoting. When asked to compare “Expect Respect” to another University slogan, SAPAC’s “Consent is Sexy,” most students stated that they felt that the “Consent is Sexy” slogan was more effective and that “Expect Respect” did not evoke much of a response, if any at all. This may be because of the broad nature of the phrase. In comparing “Expect Respect” to “Consent is Sexy,” the latter, which promotes formal consent in sexual encounters between students, actually has the word “consent” in it, whereas the former fails to mention bias or hate crimes, but rather opts for the broader, vaguer term of “respect.” “I think ‘Expect Respect’ sends an uninformed message to the University as a whole,” said freshman Jillian Rothman. “I understand what it is trying to convey, but it hasn’t necessarily influenced any of my actions.” The slogan does seem to be well respected among other educational institutions. Eklund said that numerous institutions have asked for and been granted permission to adopt the slogan for themselves. Still, while the effectiveness of the slogan and campaign may be up for debate, the merits of the two would be difficult to question—and the slogan and campaign are not limited to students. Anthony Walesby, Senior Director of the Office of Institutional Equity, said that the slogan is being incorporated into the new faculty orientation program. Eklund also pointed out that those that can report incidents do not have to be students, but anyone on campus that feels that they have been victimized. MR
Career Center Unnoticed by Many Students Center Hopes to Increase its Visibility on Campus By Christina Zajicek, ‘10
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hen University of Michigan sophomore Daniel Mullin’s was asked whether he had visited U-M’s Career Center in the Student Activities Building, located on Jefferson Street near West Quad, he responded, “We have a career center?” Asking around campus showed a general confusion among students as to what activities occur in the center, in addition to students having never heard of the center in the first place. LSA senior Josh Welling said, “I have never been there, but I imagine it is where recruiters go and look for students, and the place students send their resumes.” The Career Center actually does much more than that. Each year, the Center sees 16,000 UM students, a number that has been consistent over time. The majority of these students are from LSA, but many engineers visit the Center as well. Associate Director Kerin Borland explained how they try to reach as many students as possible in LSA. “We partner with as many academic departments as we can: history, sociology, biology, economics, to name a few,” she said. “The Center’s resources are very accessible because for each department’s office, we send out one specific advisor to talk to
students about their futures in that major.” Another partnership has been made with academic advising, known as “coadvising.” Students can sign up at the Academic Advising Center in Angell Hall to see both an academic and career counselor at the same time in order to get advice for class options and to evaluate the applicability of each class to future careers. In addition to free career handbooks and an easy-to-use website, the Career Center offers dropin advising everyday, an internship and recruiting database exclusive to U-M students, and Workshops-on-Wheels. The Workshops, which can be requested for free by students or student organizations, are a time when a group of students can learn and ask questions about resume writing, how to market oneself best toward a potential employer or graduate school, or the steps in finding an internship. Students can also attend events that feature Michigan alumni reflecting on their current work experience or hear
what admissions officers from the top professional schools are looking for in their ideal candidate. On average the Career Center sponsors 17 events each month, which range from seminars to learn how to respond to difficult questions posed in interviews to learning about careers in journalism. All of these events can be found at the U-M Events Calendar online. “The title of ‘Career Center’ is misleading because it makes students assume the Center is only for people who are in their final stages of their schooling and are looking for their place in the workforce,” Borland said, when asked what prevents student from using the Center. Additionally, students may feel intimidated to figure out their career goals and plans before visiting. “They feel if they are not prepared with ‘real’ questions, they should not come. But our mission is to find what those real questions are to get the students on track,” Borland says. U-M senior Kevin Feng, who has
When a sophomore was asked whether he had visited U-M’s Career Center, his answer was: “We have a career center?”
obtained three internships through the Career Center, has visited the Center approximately two dozen times throughout his time at the University. “A lot of people assume that the place is flooded because any one of the thousands of students has access to the Career Center, and finding an internship is a truly competitive process. But it does offer a lot of help in making resumes and cover letters standout from the pack. You just have to put the effort in.” In order to bring more awareness about the Center, employees have set up a Student Advisory Committee, which allows students to get involved and improve the means of putting resources and time into where it would be most be helpful for U-M students. The Student Advisory Committee has also launched a media campaign to help bring in younger students. The hope is that students can get a head start in goal-planning as well as the chance to establish relationships with counselors. Borland said that the overarching goal of the Career Center is to offer a “support process that is especially helpful for liberal arts students to expand their skill sets.” The Career Center is more than simply a place to look for jobs. As Borland says, “We provide education for what the future looks like.” MR
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news.
the michigan review
‘Mean Girls’ Awfully Mean, According to Group
University Continues to Seek Text Communication System
By Christine Hwang, ‘10
By Adam Paul, ‘08
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hen walking around campus on Friday night, few people think of girls showing too much skin in below-freezing weather as being anything but typical for college. Others might consider this a desperate attempt for attention. Far fewer people think twice about why girls choose to act this way, or, as brought to attention in the Women’s Forum event on November 14 discussing “Mean Girls,” how this behavior results from the fault of society. The Women’s Forum Intergroup Dialogue event brought attention to what it defined as often overlooked issues regarding women, how they are treated, and how they are viewed, both on Friday nights and in the classroom. The events itself was based on discussing elements of “female competition, homosocial behavior, and materialism,” in “Mean Girls” and the presence of these themes on the University of Michigan campus. The dialogue, consisting of ten people—seven females and three males— began with a discussion on whether people were surprised about how the characters in “Mean Girls” acted and whether this was present in people’s high schools and on campus. How girls dressed during Halloween was discussed in particular. Many girls in the discussion felt as if they were pressured to dress “slutty” for Halloween and any girl who dressed otherwise was labeled as “funny,” “clever,” or “witty,” but not given any thought otherwise, dimmed to the opposite sex by the lime lights of girls dressed as “sexy devils” and “French maids.” “I was taken aback by the language,” said one male student, referencing how the movie repeatedly used the words “bitch, slut, and whore,” colorful language that many felt described the female gender in a negative light. “People don’t think about what it means,” said the student, “You would never call a guy a bitch unless you were calling him weak.” He took note of the fact that there are many negative words used to describe women, but only a handful for men. The dialogue moved to the topic of stereotypes of women, in particular, in regard to intelligence. “In high school, no one took me seriously because I was smart, but not in the traditional math, chemistry sense,” said one woman. “I didn’t know what was expected of me.” Another woman talked about how many people don’t expect pretty girls to be smart, or vice versa. Smart girls have long been stigmatized as unattractive. When the subject of the Greek system came up, the group discussed the presence of leggings, Uggs, and coach purses on campus and how the members of the Greek system were seemingly expected to dress in such attire. These items, one girl explained, imply status; they create femininity. The presence of homosexual behavior between women in Mean Girls was also discussed, referring to both the scene at a party when two girls are kissing and the claim that a girl is a lesbian when she wants to spend more time with her best friend.
“People think men kissing is repulsive,” said one man, “When they see women kissing, they get excited. They think, ‘Oh, she’s probably bisexual.’” “I think when two heterosexual women are kissing at a party to get attention from men, it’s offensive to lesbians who just want to be a normal couple. It manipulates the lifestyles of others for cheap attention,” said one woman. Another woman followed up this comment by talking about how a friend of hers who is homosexual was making out with her girlfriend on the street and some men walked by and hollered, not realizing they did not want that type of attention. The dialogue ended on a note about women of color. One of the moderators pointed out how the white females in “Mean Girls” were the most popular. One woman said that it is easier for white woman to be viewed more holistically as pretty than minorities. MR
E
arlier this term, the University announced earlier this term that it was investigating contracting for a mass text messaging service that would allow University officials to quickly contact students should an emergency occur on campus. DPS spokeswoman Diane Brown said that the University is still pursuing such a plan but wants to make sure it gets the best possible plan. “Some schools have gotten onto systems with varying levels of success,” said Brown. Brown noted concerns over the delivery speed of messages, which slows down when a huge number of messages are delivered, and a need to ensure that messages will pass through carriers spam filters in looking for companies. “Once a message leaves our servers, the delivery is up to the individual carriers,” said Jennie Hanson, a sales representative with Spark Network
Services, whose TXT Launch Pad service advertises itself to companies and universities. Hanson explained that mass text messaging firms have individual short codes that validate them to the servers’ cell service providers, but that limitations on the providers network determines delivery speed. “We don’t want to turn mass communication into something that people do not respond to,” said Brown when asked about when the University would use such as system. Brown cited that confirmable weather threats to campus, a large chemical spill, or a shooter on the loose would by types of situations where the system would be employed. The system would be used, “When we need a lot of people to know that they have to do something now to be safe,” said Brown. These examples are almost identi-
See “Text Messages” Page 9
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11.13.07
news.
the michigan review
UCLA Prof: ‘The Best Teaching is Done in Bed’ By Chris Stieber, ‘07
I
f one UCLA professor had his way, openly romantic relationships between students and faculty would be acceptable and legal. Paul R. Abramson, professor of psychology at UCLA, has written a soonto-be-published book, “Romance in the Ivory Tower: The Rights of Liberty and Conscience,” arguing that campus conduct codes infringe upon the individual rights of professors and students. Abramson argues that the Constitution, including the Ninth Amendment, which states that the rights given in the Constitution should not be construed to infringe upon the rights of others, guarantees individuals the rights of free speech, and as Abramson writes, “the right to romance.” In a February 21, 2007 opinion piece in the UCLA faculty newsletter, UCLA Today, Abramson wrote, “Though rarely recognized as such, the First Amendment, at least in spirit, is no less relevant to romance then it is to God.” From this position, Abramson argues that rather than prohibiting faculty-student relationships, the university should employ
“alternative remedies such as conflict-ofinterest strategies.” While some critics, such as Dinesh D’Souza and Page Rockwell of Salon. com have implied that Abramson is romantically involved with students, Abramson, a 57 year-old grandfather, responds, “If I’m the campus Casanova, then the campus has a lot of problems.” In contrast to the University of California system, the University of Michigan does not have an explicit ban against faculty-student relationships. U-M’s Sexual Harassment Policy outlines a fraternization policy that is decidedly murky. Under the subsection “Consensual Relationships,” the policy states, “Romantic and sexual relationships between supervisor and employee or between faculty or other staff and student are not expressly prohibited.” Several paragraphs later, however, it states: “…any sexual relationship between a faculty member and a student is potentially exploitative and should be avoided.” In 1986, the University Senate Assembly adopted a still-standing proposal, with the University’s agreement, that any sexual relationship between faculty or staff and any student would be “a ba-
sic violation of professional ethics and responsibility.” Though these strong sentences are written with specific attention to faculty-student relationships that involved professorial responsibility for the student’s academic performance, U-M does not outlaw any form of a relationship. Although the policy of professorstudent relationships is unclear, the relationship between graduate student instructors (GSI) and students, long rumored by many students to be open and allowed, seems to be much more definite and constrictive. In the instructional manual “First Day to Final Grade: A Graduate Student’s Guide to Teaching”, published by the University of Michigan Press, authors Anne Curzan and Lisa Damour are clear: relationships between GSIs and students are forbidden. Curzan and Damour write, “You have lots of people who can be your friends. Let your students be your students.” The manual continues on, outlining several of a many hypothetical situations that may arise in the life of a GSI. Included are invitations for a drink or coffee after class, student-crushes,
and GSI-crushes (“Do not act upon this attraction…do not allow yourself to consider the possibility of a romantic relationship…do not dabble in the gray areas”). Besides relationships between students and faculty, U-M’s sexual harassment policy extends to other relationships, often with similar boundary lines. U-M’s “nepotism policy,” which discusses interfaculty romantic relationships, requires that the concerned parties disclose their relationship to an appropriate supervisor who can objectively analyze the arrangement. The same policy is currently extended to faculty-student relationships. Quoting Allen Ginsburg, Professor Abramson wrote in his UCLA Today piece, that “the best teaching is done in bed,” and that, “It’s healthy and appropriate for the student and teacher to have a love relationship whenever possible.” Though the University of California system might disagree with Abramson, it seems U-M, while recommending against such relationships, would not prevent them from happening. MR
YAF Chapters Attract Controversy on Campuses Across Michigan
Gender Gap Persists in Study Abroad Programs
By Jonny Slemrod, ‘10
By Josh Handell, ‘11
The conservative group Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) on campus has been at the center of much campus controversy in recent years, attracting it with such events as “Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day” and by hosting three supposed exterrorists as speakers last winter. YAF’s ability to stir up controversy has placed it at the center of U-M’s political climate. “YAF has a history of being controversial. We bring up issues that others are afraid to discuss openly on college campuses,” says Clark Ruper, LSA Senior and co-chair of the University’s YAF chapter, which consists of more than twenty members. YAF was formed in 1960 by M. Stanton Evans and Annette Kirk, the wife of conservative political theorist Russell Kirk. The group is guided by a document called the “Sharon Statement,” which outlines a doctrine of political and economic freedom based on the notion that “the purpose of government is to protect those freedoms through the preservation of internal order, the provision of national defense, and the administration of justice.” As opposition to the Vietnam War heightened in the 1970s, YAF became an important source of anti-radical activist sentiment. Members coalesced around a staunchly anti-communist platform, and, in turn, supported Ronald Reagan and his support for anti-communist guerillas in countries such as Nicaragua and Afghanistan. Yet the group is and has always been non-partisan, and hasn’t been afraid to attack Republicans who, in their eyes, are not true to their roots. YAF, for example, came out against President Nixon’s opening of diplomatic relations with Communist China, which led to their withdrawal of an endorsement for Nixon in 1968. Despite a unifying statement, campus
YAF chapters often turn out quite different from one another. The Michigan State chapter of YAF has hosted controversial speakers such as Republican Presidential candidate Tom Tancredo and anti-illegal immigrant Minutemen founder Chris Simcox. But perhaps the most controversial was a speech by former Holocaust denier and member of the British Nationalist Party Nick Griffin. This event, in part, earned the MSU chapter the designation of a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights group that also says MSUYAF uses “venomous homophobic and racist language.” The Griffin event is not something that UM-YAF would support, Ruper said. “UM-YAF does not support Nick Griffin. He’s a conspiracy theorist and political opportunist,” said Ruper. MSU-YAF President Kyle Bristow was unavailable for comment. One explanation for discrepancy among YAF chapters at different campus chapters is that it is not supported by a national organization. “This presents problems for YAF chapters both in funding and oversight,” says Ruper. Funding for YAF activities likely come from conservative organizations, but this information is not made public. However, some light was shed on MSU-YAF’s funding when Morton Blackwell, leader of a conservative activist group called the Leadership Institute stated that his group had provided nearly MSU-YAF with nearly $3,000 to bring Minutemen leader Chris Simcox to Lansing. UM-YAF has been quiet in the 2007 school year. It won’t remain this way much longer, however. Says Ruper, “UM-YAF is excited about our upcoming Diversity Month, which we plan to host during the winter term. We will be promoting the value of intellectual diversity on campus.” MR
A
ccording to the International Center at the University of Michigan, female students who participate in study abroad programs outnumber their male counterparts by a 2-1 margin. While this disproportion is widespread among universities across the country, its persistence may be problematic for an administration so dedicated to promoting diversity in all academic venues. “My goal is for every LSA student to be able to study abroad,” said Carol Dickerman, director of the Office of International Programs (OIP) since 1992. “We would like everyone to go, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or any other factor.” Yet statistically, certain groups remain heavily underrepresented in international programs. The University’s gender imbalance is essentially identical to national figures: according to a 2007 Open Doors Report published by the Institute of International Education, 65.5 percent of study abroad students in the United States are female. Dickerman attributes this disparity to the abundance of options available for students concentrating in the humanities and certain languages, compared to the relative dearth of study abroad programs for students concentrating in the sciences and other more traditionally male-dominated subject areas. “Art history is one of the most popular study abroad subjects, and it’s a field with a large majority of female students. On the other hand, we’ve seen that the opposite is true for a language like German,” Dickerman noted. Students who have participated
in OIP-sponsored ventures have noticed the disproportion. “Our program had around 60 students total, and of them, one half was from Michigan and the other half was from University of Wisconsin-Madison. In total there were nine males, and of the nine, five of us were from Michigan,” said senior LSA Art History major Andy Rinke. His experience in Florence reflects a fairly typical gender breakdown for a study abroad program in the humanities. In addition to “offering a wide range of majors,” Dickerman said that early outreach is an effective method of diversifying the body of U-M students abroad. “Since Proposal 2, we’re not in a position to provide stipends or advantages for underrepresented groups,” explained Dickerman. “We’ve discovered that outreach—going outside of the University—is now our most effective tool. What I’ve found is that the hardest group [to recruit to study abroad] are those students who are not already convinced of the value of international programs when they enter the University,” she said. “We’ve begun going to freshman orientation programs and talking directly to prospective students before they’re even here in order to get to those students and show them that study abroad is valuable for everyone.” Results thus far have been inconclusive. While the percentage of students participating in international programs has grown each year, both at U-M and across the nation, the gender gap has stagnated at a con-
See “Study Abroad” Page 11
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the michigan review
“Text Messages” From Page 7
“Marine” From Page 1
cal to plans released last month by the University of Virginia. The school recently signed on to a third party textng plan to send “notifications regarding critical incidents that pose an imminent threat to the health or safety of the University community.” Last month, a University bus was stopped on the corner of North University and Church when a suspicious package left on the bus caused the driver to believe it was a bomb. The block was closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic and the Natural History Museum was evacuated by DPS and local law enforcement. The package, which contained engine parts, was eventually returned to its owner and no criminal charges were filed. “If I had had that system available, I highly doubt that I would have sent out a text message. It did not have that high level of threat that would warrant doing so,” said Brown. She explained that the incident only concerned one building and that officers were able to handle the situation at the scene without alerting thousands of people. In situations like this one, Brown said that the purpose of disseminating this information is for people’s convenience in knowing to avoid a certain area rather than improving safety or expediting the job of public safety officers. “People might want to know, and there are other means for them to know,” said Brown, who pointed to e-mails as well as quick news reports that alerted the campus community and area families of students of the situation. MR
treated by the nation he so loyally defended.” On November 19, 2005, a coordinated Al Qaeda attack targeted four Humvees part of a Marine supply convoy. An improvised explosive device detonated, killing one Marine, and the convoy simultaneously came under fire from neighboring homes. Four marines were left to defend themselves and they proceeded to in the way they were trained to do so, by returning fire. “Al Qaeda traditionally uses civilians as cover,” said Rooney. As such, 15 civilians were killed in the exchange fire between the insurgents and Marines, including women and children. A few months later, a reporter for Time magazine asked about a report that 15 civilians were lined up and shot in connection with the incident in Haditha. A story was eventually published citing a “young budding journalism student” as the credible source behind the information. The source was eventually proven to be a 55 year old known insurgent and propagandist who had spent time in Abu Ghraib. The story led to Congressman John Murtha condemning the Marine officers involved for “killing in cold blood” and then covering up the incident. Congress launched which eventually led to charges against eight Marines, two of whom face court martial. Lt. Col. Chessani’s trial is set for April 28, 2008 two and a half years after the date of the episode. He will face a jury of his peers, senior Marine officers. Rooney is confident about the outcome of the trial. “The luxury of having an innocent client is rare,” he said. “We believe his chances of being exonerated are high.” MR
CQ Crime Rankings Draw Ire From Detroit Officials By Christine Hwang, ‘10
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ongressional Quarterly’s annual study “City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America” which ranks 378 cities with a population of at least 78,000 people, ranked Detroit as America’s most dangerous city. Detroit was last given the title of America’s “Most Dangerous City” in the 2003 rankings. The rankings were determined by first taking crime rates per 100,000 people for six crime categories—murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft—and then multiplying the crime rates for each category by a weight and added up for a total crime score. Detroit had a score of 407, closely followed by last year’s most dangerous city, St. Louis, which had a score of 406. Other areas in Michigan did not fare well in the study. Flint was ranked the third-most dangerous city, right behind Detroit and St. Louis, and the Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn metropolitan region, where many of the in-state University of Michigan students are from, was ranked the most dangerous metropolitan area in America for the fourth consecutive year. Junior Brian Ball, who grew up in Ann Arbor, does not think all the areas surrounding Detroit are particularly dangerous. “I think it really depends on the area—a lot of the surrounding areas seem really safe,” said Ball, “A lot of it has to do with the economic situation, though.” The study, which was based on the FBI’s crime statistics released in September, has received criticism. Many claim it does not accurately take into account different factors that vary from city to city, and within cities. Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings denounced the study in The Detroit News, and criticism about the report and the use of FBI data has come from the FBI itself. “These rough statistics lead to simplistic and/or incomplete analyses that often create misleading perceptions adversely affecting communities and their residents,” according to the FBI. Other criticisms of the study include the fact that most murderers in Detroit already knew their victims before they committed their crimes. Without that information, the data presented appears as if any random person walking around in Detroit has a much greater likelihood of getting shot. “I have a pretty positive opinion of Detroit. It is a nice place and the people from there are nice from my experience,” said senior Britain Cox. “I guess it’s just really dated and the fact that its cold a lot mixed with the industrial nature of the city makes it not as comforting as other cities.” “Detroit has its problems, I won’t dispute that, but I never felt like there were gangs running wild or streets that even the cops wouldn’t go down or anything like that,” added Cox. There has also been a lot of criticism because the overall crime rates in Detroit have steadily improved. Sehyoun Ahn ‘08, who lived most of his life in Korea and went to high school in Colorado, said he found Detroit to be worse than he imagined when he visited. Some students feel like there is hope for Detroit to turn around. This is the hope that Detroit city officials do not want vanquished. When asked about his opinion of Detroit, freshman Doug Rigterink, who grew up just outside another infamous city, the District of Columbia, said that ongoing new developments in the city are a sign that things are improving on the whole. “People hate on Detroit a lot, but to me it’s still a pretty cool place,” said Rigterink. “There needs to be a huge change in the way everyone else sees Detroit before it really gets better. Driving around down there you see all these beautiful buildings from a time since past, and you can see the potential. I think Detroit could definitely turn itself around.” MR
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arts & culture. the michigan review
Campus Corner
The Biggest Losers By Zack Zucker, ‘10 On Monday, November 5th, all hell broke loose in Hollywood. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) decided to strike against the film and television industry producers and distributors. The strike came after a failure between the WGA and industry group the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to agree on a new contract for the writers… or perhaps more accurately, the failure of the studios to agree to even come to the bargaining table. The strike has not yet been resolved. The film industry looks to be unaffected by the strike—due to the time lag between producing and releasing a movie, even a strike lasting into the new year. The television industry, however, finds itself in critical condition, with virtually every major scripted show now on hiatus. Now I am tempted to write this off as a situation where, to borrow a movie slogan, “No matter who wins, we lose” (“Aliens vs. Predator”). After all, where will Americans get their news without Jay Leno and Jon Stewart? Where will we be as a society without new episodes of “CSI: Miami” and “CSI: New York”? The real loser, though, is not the American people. When the remaining stockpiles of episodes are gone, we’ll live with a couple months of reality crap—I mean—programming. The real loser is not the WGA, either—although the writers’ cause may very well be just, they chose to give up their salaries and go on strike. No, there is one real loser here and one real idiot. The real losers are the other workers in television programming—the ones behind the scenes, whose names you never know, whose salaries won’t be affected either way from the strike and who now find themselves laid off and worried about feeding their families. The real idiot? That’s easy. I don’t know who runs the AMPTP but I think he’s related to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. You see, ratings among major networks have never again been as high as they were in fall 1988, when the writers last walked out. In their absence, television ratings declined by half, and have never recovered. Now, cable finds itself in the same boat as the networks. Correlation instead of causation? Perhaps. But when Americans inevitably find a viable alternative for some form of entertainment they thought they needed (ahem, NHL), not all of them will come back. And what is this strike over, you ask? The WGA wants to double the writers’ share of each DVD sold, from four cents to eight cents. They would also like compensation for shows and movies legally downloaded from the internet. That’s right, they currently make nothing from residuals. The studios’ excuse is that they don’t know how much money they make from content on the internet, so they can’t pay out a share to the writers. Cue John Stossel and give me a break! MR
Tegan & Sara Performance at Borders no ‘Con’ By Samm Etters, ‘11
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egan and Sara Quin, Canadian identical twins and folk rockers, made a special appearance at the Liberty Street Border’s on the 27th of November. The event, hosted by Ann Arbor’s radio station 107.1, was to celebrate their current tour and the release of their most recent album, “The Con,” released in July. The next night, Tegan and Sara played a sold-out show at St. Andrew’s Hall in Detroit. I thought I was smart arriving an hour and a half early, but the room was already full. Some of the people in the front row had been there since five in the morning. By some incredible stroke of luck, I was able to sneak up and sit on the floor right in front. With every passing moment the crowd grew, as well as the buzz of excitement in the room. By the time the announcer came to declare, “The time is here,” the whole upstairs room was filled with people. When Tegan and Sara walked on stage, the room erupted in applause and shouts of excitement. They started with the title track from their album, “The Con.” Although they look small and timid, their unique voices harmonizing with each other filled the entire room.
Radio host Martin Van Dyke from the radio station then asked the duo a few questions about the band. He first asked how they get along, specifically the twins. Sara explained that since they have spent their whole lives together, it’s just natural for them. They do not currently live together; Tegan lives in Vancouver while Sara lives in Montreal. The rest of the band is in Victoria, which the twins say helps the band stay together, because when they get off a tour they have a break from each other. They don’t write together either, until they are in the studio recording demos. Next, Tegan and Sara played “Back In Your Head.” Afterwards Van Dyke asked about the inspiration for the song, which Sara said was a relationship in which she felt emotionally unfaithful because of the tiring, timeconsuming process of recording “The Con.” They also discussed the production of the album with help from Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie. The last song they played for the live radio broadcast was “Nineteen.” Before they started, Tegan told a few stories from the road, including one that happened the previous night after a concert where she almost fought a girl. After the conclusion of the
broadcast, Tegan and Sara played five extra songs for the Border’s audience, practically giving us a full free acoustic performance. They played “Burn Your Life Down” from “The Con,” “City Girl” from their third album “If It Was You,” “Walking With A Ghost” and “Where Does The Good Go?” from their previous album “So Jealous,” and ended with the final track of “The Con,” “Call It Off”. Before beginning the last song, Tegan and Sara told more stories about life, work, Laguna Beach, and Tegan’s encounters with angry fans. They spoke to the audience in a very down-to-earth manner, not projecting the typical rock star persona other bands project. It was incredible how one moment they would be making fun of each other, and the next singing in perfect harmony. After the set, fans had a chance to purchase the album and have it signed by the twins. Tegan and Sara expressed their sadness over the lack of appreciation directed toward the 5 albums they have made in 10 years. However, the rounds of applause and cheering by the fans at the end of the show let them know how much they are adored. MR
Detroit Institute of Arts Reopens Famed Collection By Brian Biglin, ‘08
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he Detroit Institute of Arts reopened Thanksgiving weekend, after being closed during the summer while a multi-year renovation was brought to completion. The changes include reorganized and rebuilt wings adjoining the original museum, a polishing of the original 1927 Beaux-Arts galleries, new exhibition space, and an innovative reorganization of artwork which favors thematic groupings over style- and era-based groupings. The museum is better than ever thanks to the renovations, but its defining features remain its amazing collection and stunning original architecture. This is not to say that the massive renovations of the wings were not worth it. The new wings have more open, airy rooms, plenty of windows, and a design employing materials that subtly imitate the adjoining Paul Philippe Cret-designed masterpiece. The added space was necessary to show off the DIA’s massive collection that has been built since 1883, and to provide space for temporary exhibits and alternate uses. At 677,000 square feet, the cavernous institute is the second largest municipally-owned museum in the United States, with an art collection worth over one billion dollars. There is quality to match this quantity: some of the world’s most easily recognized works of art are found here. The visitor will marvel at Pieter Brueghel the Elder’s Wedding Dance, Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait, Henry Fuseli’s Nightmare, and Frederick Edwin Church’s Cotopaxi, to name just a few. It is hard to find an area of art where the DIA is not comprehensive. The visitor is overwhelmed by the
Medieval and Renaissance galleries flanking one side of the stunning great hall, with an equally extensive American collection on the other side. On one side you will find Rubens, Bronzino, and Bruegel the Elder housed in rooms imitating an English gothic chapel or Rococo parlor. Across the hall there is Church, Cole, and Copley in equally stunning rooms. Some of the rooms recreate early American colonial architecture, making the artwork depicting the American frontier and realist paintings seem at home. The Old World side has a remarkable collection of medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque. The American side should be noted for its prolific collection of landscapes and artwork
Brian Biglin/The Michigan Review
focused on the natural world. The DIA does not slouch in other categories: Henri Mattise and the School of Paris are represented in force, with the works of Degas, Cezanne, Renoir, Van Gogh, Picasso, Seurat, and Bouguereau all present in adjoining rooms. Be sure to find the oft-unheralded Café Scene in Paris by Henri Cervex in this gallery.
A massive modern wing stocked with Warhol and his contemporaries awaits the visitor beyond the other well-stocked galleries. Or, you can backtrack, going through the Diego Rivera courtyard (where his famous murals showing Detroit industry are found) to see other specialized galleries. Ancient art and artifacts of the Greco-Roman world are hardly in short supply, and in the adjoining rooms provide a unique “tour of Italy,” with diverse art inspired by the cities of the Peninsula on display. In the upper sections of this wing, comprehensive groupings of British, French Revolutionary Age, and Dutch Golden Age art are found. The impact of local wealth and philanthropy really show through in this portion of the museum; for example, the parlor of the Horace and Anna Dodge mansion in Grosse Pointe is effectively recreated, as multiple pieces of artwork and furnishings bequeathed to the DIA are grouped together in these rooms. This is an example of how the wealthy stature of Detroit in the first half of the 20th century allowed for a amassing of famous artwork by the city’s great families, much of which was passed on to the DIA. The outstanding content already present at the DIA is only enhanced by the recent renovations. The modernization makes the museum space more efficiently used and more educational. Other features like clear signage and well-marked rooms explaining how the artwork is grouped will help the visitor understand the unorthodox organization of the galleries. The museum, on Woodward Ave. at Farnsworth St. in midtown, is a must-see. There is no excuse for not seeing such a notable collection in such a memorable setting. MR
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arts & culture. the michigan review
American Mind Still Closed: Reopening ‘The Closing of the American Mind’ By Marie Cour, ‘08
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his year marked the twentieth anniversary of Allan Bloom’s “The Closing of the American Mind.” At the time it was published, Bloom taught political philosophy at the University of Chicago and this book comes out of the experiences with the students that he taught both there and at Cornell University. The book is as much a personal reflection on his interaction with the students that he taught as a commentary on the purpose of education. The book offered a major conservative critique of the contemporary American university in the aftermath of the social and cultural upheaval of the 1960s and 1970s. Since then, the book has become something of a cult among conservatives, and major publications have written on the legacy of the book. Many of the problems that he noted in the mid-1980s have become significantly more important in the past twenty years as those undergraduates on whom Bloom commented have left graduate school and taken positions as professors in universities across the country. The structural weaknesses of American society that had deprived students twenty years ago would be considered “normal” by those who are gaining positions of power in society at large. In his preface, Bloom calls the book a “meditation on the state of our souls,” specifically the way that society attempts to form the souls of the young. Bloom wanted to title the book “Souls without Longing,” and the idea that this implies—a lack of interest in Truth—is certainly an important part of this work. Students were being raised by divorced parents, making the family a place that was spiritually empty. Desiring a family or its counterpart, romantic love, seems absurd when it failed to serve its higher purposes. Possibly one of the most interesting commentaries that he makes about the contemporary undergraduate is his obsession with music. Today’s stereotype of the Michigan student includes carrying an iPod everywhere.
Bloom argues that the forerunner of this stereotype, the young boy sitting with his Walkman headphones or watching MTV, was the foundation for the youth culture he observed. While Bloom died in 1992, he would almost certainly see this iPod-saturated campus as simply a technological upgrade of the youth movements that he saw more than twenty years ago. Bloom had clearly been taught the great books of western civilization, and for him these works remain significant. He calls on students to read classical authors such as Plato, Socrates, Nietzsche, and Marx. Although at times it seems as though he is name-dropping and showing off his education. This could not be further from the truth, however, because he ultimately argues that it is only through a return to classic texts that students can find meaning. For Bloom, the myths of the Bible, even if wrong, provided a cohesive framework for understanding the world. Bloom doubted that the mean-
ing the text provided can be replaced by the eros-inspired music which forms the consciousness of the youth. Rather, he wanted society to be based on a literature that can be taken seriously by vast sections of society. “Life based on the Book,” even if not a religious work, “is closer to the truth” because it “provides the material for deeper research in and access to the real nature of things.” MR
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“Study Abroad” From Page 8 sistent 2-1 ratio. One tactic that has enjoyed moderate success is the creation of programs outside of LSA geared at more specialized areas, such as the International Programs in Engineering (IPE). While IPE offers programs especially for engineers, its website acknowledges that some students in engineering still opt for programs sponsored by OIP. The site advises that OIP programs can be a way for engineers to complete the school’s humanities/social science requirements. “To the best of my knowledge, the IPE office does not have special recruitment programs or make a special effort to encourage underrepresented groups to participate in study abroad,” said senior Engineering student and current IPE employee Patricia Pacheco, but adding, “In my opinion, engineers themselves are an underrepresented group in study abroad.” Pacheco spend a semester studying engineering in Hong Kong on an IPE program in the winter of 2006. New efforts are hoping to attract more students from other schools, but the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, which comprises fully twothirds of all U-M undergraduates as well as a significant share of all students studying abroad, is where the OIP is focusing on expanding participation. MR
“Friends With Benefits” From Page 5 When looking at these vows, it is easy to see why many people who take them are uncomfortable with the idea of extending their use to same-sex couples, which by the very nature of their relationship cannot fulfill two of the traditional requirements. That is not to say that a loving, committed relationship should not have a legal defense. It is perfectly reasonable to argue that two gay men who are willing to commit their lives to one another should have a legal means to do it, which can only help society. But it does not make sense in the legal context of marriage, which entails childcare benefits for same-sex couples that cannot produce children. Thus the flaw in Rosenbury’s argument for “legal friendships” lies not in the loving part, but in the idea of commitment. How does one tie down a friendship? She admitted herself that she has not reached a definitive conclusion on this, and for now it must be concluded that marriage, despite its flaws, is still a working model. MR
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11.13.07
features. the michigan review
Co-ops an Option for Many Students By Lindsey Dodge, ‘10
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ftentimes on campus, the Student Co-ops, also known as the Inter-Cooperative Council (ICC) are maligned as dens of Ann Arbor hippies and potheads. Despite the persistence of these stereotypes, co-ops are a definite option for students at U-M, in particular those looking to save some money on our highpriced campus. ICC is comprised of eighteen group houses and one apartment house on the North and Central campuses. The houses range in size from twelve to eighty-five members; North Campus attracting is largely graduate students (about fifty percent) and international students (at least thirty percent), and Central Campus made up of mostly undergrads. At about 550 students in the co-op system, there exists a viable living alternative despite the limited space. Part of the stereotype about co-ops probably arises from the variety of housing situations. Many of the houses are geared towards a specific group, such as vegan living, for instance in Black Elk House. Furthermore, many of the houses have large groups of vegetarians seeking to escape the limiting food options of the dorms and make their own meals at a cheaper price. However, all of the houses opeate similarly, based on ICC standards. Everyone does four hours of work per week in the house, and in the beginning of the year all the members of the house elect house officials such as the House President, Maintenance Manager, and Treasurer-Secretary. Each person owns a piece of the house through shares, and fines are charged when a member does not contribute to their work in the house. U-M sophomore Hannah Clark lives in Luther House, a co-op on the enviable corner of Hill and Washtenaw. “You don’t have to hassle with a lease, it’s cheaper than an apartment or dorm, and it’s an easy transition if you don’t want your own place but don’t want to live in the dorms,” said Clark, describing the basic appeal of living in a co-op. She says that although each house has a different social ethos, she dislikes “the crazy hippie misconception of unshaved legs and smoking pot.” Co-ops operate under the same laws that all others do, and according to her, incidents of drug use are about the same. “You are responsible for yourself and no one’s telling you what to do. You can do whatever you like, but you have to know that you might get arrested,” said Clark. This contrasts sharply with the collective on-campus perception. U-M sophomore Derek Skoog believes there is some truth to the stereotype based on his experience with co-opers. Although not familiar with the
The Michigan House co-op (pictured above) features a peace sign emblazoned on its front porch.
co-op situation, Skoog remembers visiting a co-op and finding a group of stoned people just sitting around smoking. Currently living in an apartment, he would not consider switching to a co-op situation not only because of this, but it also seems like a dorm in that you have a private living situation with friends. Of course, the drug abuse perception is often perpetuated for humor’s sake. “Many say that people who live in them are smelly, odd, perpetually stoned, and unable to handle social situations outside of the four walls of their dilapidated co-ops. Others claim that while spooning with strangers on the Mary Markley bus, if they see someone in a Bill Cosby sweater whose armpits reek with the overwhelming stench of ‘au-natural’ they think ‘Oh, that must be a co-op student, because if they were an engineer, they wouldn’t have left their dorm room,’” said one student who wished to remain anonymous. Despite these sentiments, they often limit students
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from even considering an option that may very well be the best decision for them. At about 500 dollars a month, including food, toiletries, and utilities, it is easy to understand why students flock to this option. Students’ general lack of knowledge about how coops function leads to some amusing questions. Clark said some of the best she has been asked just this year are, “Do you grow your own vegetables?” and “Is it like a commune?” She believes that people sometimes honestly confuse co-ops with communes in Ann Arbor, which is distressing to some extent, although reassuring in that people at least know that the spelling is similar. Although the common conceptions appear hard to overcome, students should realize that co-ops are a living option that is easy on the wallet, and, hey, you just might score some free pot. MR
Understanding MIP Laws May Lead to More Party Opportunities By Shanda Shooter, ‘10
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ost minors and college students generally understand the Michigan law for minors in possession of alcohol. However, some loopholes and limitations in the law open up opportunities for some and nonetheless ensnare others. In 2002, the Michigan Court of Appeals interpreted “minor in possession” (“MIP”) laws at the time to mean that the act of consuming alcohol underage must be taking place in the present, and that a minor could not be charged for simply still having alcohol in their system. That was the issue in question when one defendant consumed the alcohol legally in Canada, but then returned intoxicated to the United States, where the drinking age is 21. This court decision made it more difficult for police to enforce the law at all. Don’t get too excited, though. In 2004 Governor Granholm signed into
law Public Act 63, making Michigan’s MIP laws, some of the toughest in the country. The current law includes blood alcohol content (BAC) as a determinant for being “in possession,” meaning a minor can receive an MIP for still being drunk and having alcohol in his body. There is an exception to the BAC law, however, if the alcohol was consumed legally in Canada or Wisconsin. This defense, though, must be proven in a court and does not apply if the defendant is also charged with driving under the influence. If the police were to catch a minor while he is drunk, he may still receive the citation, but is able to fight the charges with a better defense in court. Many minors still take advantage of Canada’s lower drinking age, and a local company is capitalizing on it in. The Windsor Party Bus company (www. windsorpartybus.com) offers to “get you there [Canada] and bring you back” to campus for only $20.
The service runs every Friday and Saturday night and does exactly what it promises: delivering students to Windsor, Ontario in a motor coach, getting them into the “best clubs,” and, once they have had their fill of legal alcohol, bringing them back to campus several hours later. The only requirement is that users have to be 19 by the time of the trip. The company provides tips and help while in Windsor and administrator John Quare says they’ve never had problems with “customers getting into trouble after or while using the service,” and no problems crossing the border. The service seems popular as well, approximately thirty-five to forty students take advantage of it on an average night. The “Canada defense” may not help the average college student getting caught drinking on campus. But it may open new doors to minors looking for a fun night where they are not technically breaking the law. MR
MI MIP Law:
1st offense:
$100 fine, substance abuse”treatment”
2nd:
$200 fine, 90 day license suspension, “treatment, “up to 30 days in jail if probation violated
3rd:
$500 fine, 1 year license suspension, “treatment,” up to 60 days in jail if probation violated