MichiganReview THE
The Journal of Campus Affairs at the University of Michigan www.michiganreview.com
VOLUME XXVII
November 11, 2008
ISSUE 6
The Recall of House Speaker Andy Dillon
House Speaker Andy Dillon (D).
IMAGE BLOG.MLIVE.COM
BY JULIANNE NOWICKI ‘11
On November 4th, citizens of the 17th District in Michigan decided not to recall House Speaker Andy Dillon, but rather, re-elect him. In November of last year, citizens of Redford Township in Wayne County created a petition drive and gathered signatures in an effort to recall Dillon in a response to his 2007 vote supporting tax increases totaling more than $2.7 billion for Michigan citizens. After complex lawsuits in August 2008, Judge Robert Holmes Bell ruled that the recall could be placed on the Nov. 4th ballot. Dillon, who represents Redford Township in
Wayne County, is one of nine Democratic Representatives elected in last Tuesday’s election. The Democrats will have a 67-43 majority in the Michigan House come January. “There’s no doubt we would have had an easier time with the August primary,” says Rose Bogaert, referring to the timing of the ballot placement to recall Dillon. Bogaert serves as chair of the Wayne County Taxpayers Association (WCTA) and is on the Michigan Taxpayers Alliance (MTA) Board of Directors. The MTA is “an alliance of Michigan citizens who believe
the state government of Michigan is hurting citizens and our economy by taking too much money from citizens and redistributing it through ever-increasing spending.” The petition drive that was originally intended to place a question on the August 5, 2008 ballot to remove Dillon from office was led by Bogaert and supported by the MTA. Before the recall, Bogaert says she met with Dillon for coffee at Starbucks to discuss the budget crisis. “I showed him ways Michigan government could decrease spending. I showed him research by the Mackinac Center, which gave $1.4 billion in budget cuts and the Citizen Research Council, which provided $1.8 billion in budget cuts. He didn’t cut anything.” She says that, “Instead, he raised the Michigan business tax by 22%, income tax by 12%, and increased the legislative budget by 7%.” Bogaert said that the effort to remove Dillon from office was prolonged and faced tedious legal battles, including those over petition language. “The language was so simple. We gave the bill number and the amount of tax increases Dillon approved in 2007,” Bogaert says. “The petition language was ruled unclear, so we went to court, and the judge ruled it was clear.” It was ruled unclear in November 2007 by the Wayne County Board of Electors (which consisted of three Democrats) but was later approved by Judge William J. Giovan after the issue was taken to Wayne County Court. The next legal battle faced was getting enough petition signatures approved by Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land to place the recall on the August primary ballot. Land initially determined that the petition was short of 776 signatures. However, Judge Bell ruled that the signatures could be counted, even if collected by petition circulators from outside District 17. Bell agreed with Bogaert in that Michigan’s law governing recall signature-gathering is unconstitutional because it infringes on political speech rights protected by the First Amendment. The failure of the recall initiative to pass on November 4th was explained by Bogaert. “If people wouldn’t have just voted straight-ticket Obama, and looked at the issues, the recall could have went through.” When asked via e-mail if the court system needs to be more efficient, U-M Law Professor Reuven AviYonah responded, “That’s always true.” When further asked about legal measures regular citizens can take to overturn a raise in taxes, Professor Avi-Yonah offered more insight. “I would think the obvious solution is voting the other way in the next election; recalling anyone who votes for a tax increase seems too focused on one issue.” Bogaert says that people can get involved in the MTA and WCTA if they are concerned with taxation. “We’re just average citizens, we volunteer and don’t receive money. We help people understand their tax assessments and tax reductions.” UM Law Professor Rich Friedman spoke to MR in an email about the accessibility of court systems to the public. “Litigation is terribly expensive, which is very unfortunate, and means that in many circumstances people are not able to pursue meritorious lawsuits. In that sense, the courts are very inaccessible, and that is a significant – but not easily solved –problem. I don’t RECALL Continued on PAGE 5
Diversity in the Dorms: MPAS Address Race Issues Teach for America Its Effectiveness in Review
BY ALISSA NG ‘10
Race is historically a sensitive issue, and with the first African-American President-elect, it is once again in the spotlight. In a liberal college, concerns still
mail to
arise from the student body regarding bias incidents and underlying divisions within peer groups and campus organizations. Alexzandria Poole is a Minority Peer Advisor (MPA) in East Quadrangle whose main responsibilities entail handling issues such as social identity, multiculturalism, and making sure that all residents feel accepted within the community. As a Multicultural Council and Inter-Group Relations advisor, she acknowledges the delicate balance between different racial organiz MINORITY Continued on PAGE 5
BY VALIANT LOWITZ ‘12
Teach for America (TFA) was founded by Wendy Kopp as a way of reducing the racial and socio-economic inequities facing the majority of our nation’s poorest schools. Ms. Kopp envisioned recent college graduates applying to TFA at the end of their senior year, and being placed in low-income schooling districts for two years in order to make a positive impact on the children. Graduates are not required to already TEACH Continued on PAGE 5
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Serpent’s Tooth
11.11.2008 4.1.08
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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW www.michiganreview.com
Editorial Board Lindsey Dodge Editor-in-Chief Jane Coaston Executive Editor Adam Pascarella Managing Editor
. . . A Bite of News
After the re-installation of the “Orion” statue in front of the renovated Art Museum, a statue that resembles mostly a big, steel, red ‘X,’ a local Spiderman apparently couldn’t contain himself and posed for a photo op until he was arrested. And college students say they’re too busy.
Eun Lee Graphic Design Editor
The leading story of the week: What kind of dog should the Obamas get for their daughters? Next up: who does Mrs. Biden’s highlights?
Jonathan Slemrod Editor-at-Large
Tuesday night and the wee hours of Wednesday morning, the Diag was swarmed with pro-Obama revelers, imitating the celebration at the end of Return of the Jedi, Episode VI. The dark side was conquered with the election going blue, the Wolverines winning, and Prop 1 and 2 getting passed. Hairy little hipster Ewoks in Che Guevara t-shirts gleefully cheered, ecstatic to be free at last.
Nathan Stano Cherri Buijk Assistant Editors Business Staff Karen Boore Publisher Jonathan Slemrod Anna Malecke Associate Publishers Michael O’Brien Editor Emeritus Staff Writers & Photographers
(in alphabetical order)
Anna Dickey, Zack Divozzo, Austyn Foster, Valiant Lowitz, Alissa Ng, Julianne Nowicki, Katie Singer, Eden Stiffman, Nathan Torreano, Sreya Vempatti
Letters & 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.
With the ban on same-sex marriage of Prop 8 in California, gays and lesbians have been marching and protesting from San Francisco to Santa Monica Boulevard. Let’s not forget that of all the people we want to potentially mess with, a group whose culture has been historically based on physical prowess and working out on a frequent basis isn’t on the list. The Michigan Daily is offering the cover of their Wednesday edition as a commemorative poster regarding President-elect Obama’s victory. We’d been looking for a new dart board background; our hammer and sickle was getting a little torn. This from Politico: “ “Huckabee, winner of the 2008 Iowa caucuses, returns to the Hawkeye State on November 20th for stops in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines to hawk his new book, ‘Do the Right Thing: Inside the Movement That’s Bringing Common Sense Back to America.’ “ His most noted book: Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork. We’re not making this up. More proof that Armageddon is drawing near: Madagascar 2 is now number #1 at the box office, supplanting High School Musical 3. President-elect Obama has stated that he would like to hold conversations with the regimes of Iran and Cuba. It will probably follow this historically consistent format: Mr. President: Hi! Fascist Dictatorship: No. After Obama’s victory on Tuesday, celebrations took place in Sydney, London, and even Obama’s father’s village in Kenya. The headquarters for the Ku Klux Klan, however, were notably quiet. Silvio Berlusconi, Prime Minister of Italy, described Obama as “suntanned”. The Michigan Review, conservative newspaper at the University of Michigan, described Berlusconi as “an idiot.” MR
Letter from the Editor The more things change, the more things stay the same. The reaction to this week’s election around campus was raucous. People sobbed and embraced each other on the Diag as drummers and dancers filled the streets. For these students, this election meant so much more than a governmental change in policies. It meant the salve on a 200-year-old racial wound, the ultimate recompense for the ultimate crime in American history. That, or they just really hated George W. Bush. The U-M reaction brings to mind other moments in our nation’s history when people have gotten really emotional over an election. Not surprisingly, what stands out most are emotional reactions to Presidents leaving, either because of death like FDR or resignation like Nixon. At the beginning of an election, it is perhaps best to be cautiously optimistic, because the real test is yet to come. The expectation that one man will solve everyone’s problems is fantasy in a tri-branch government with checks and balances. When one man means something different to so many different people, it can be dangerous. That being said, I congratulate the PresidentElect. Any campaigner in the United States gets battered around, although arguably the media went easy on him. Regardless, someone who received the majority vote deserves respect. Since none of his policies have come to fruition yet, I can only wait and hope - that many of them get filibustered. I’ll say it again: The majority voted for him. Although I cannot believe that everyone wanted his policies, I can wrap my mind around the idea that people needed closure. The racial prejudice inherent in our history is deplorable, although in my mind the nation had risen above it with our accomplishments. For many people, this was not the case. If at
the end of this election the other half of the country feels a patriotism and optimism that I have always felt, then that may be the beginning of real change. This leaves us the task at U-M of constant vigilance against Groupthink. As such, our Face-Off for the issue is the question of liberal indoctrination: What effect does it have, if any? Continuing the discussion, Valiant Lowitz ’12 takes a look at Teach For America’s effectiveness, and why exactly it was taken out of Detroit. To wrap up our focus on intellectual integrity, we interview several Minority Peer Advisors to get their take on race at U-M. With the outcome of this election, it seems particularly worthy of a dialogue. Speaking of race at Michigan, it always seems to return to the MCRI. Adam Pascarella ’10 updates us on where we are now from the MCRI’s passage, and whether change got implemented or not. In this edition, we also discuss out-of-state funds for Ballot Initiatives, as well as Ballot Initiatives from twenty years ago versus today. These will hopefully shed light on both the significance and transience of varied ballot initiatives. The significant recall, a first, of the Speaker of the House in Michigan is captured by Julianne Nowicki ’11, an important moment of history eclipsed by the election. There will always be dissension and partisanship within politics and at U-M. Our job is to call out the inconsistencies, and hopefully provoke some conversation among our readers. Keep your eye out for our last issue of the semester, where we discuss further election results not captured in polls. MR Best, Lindsey Dodge Editor-in-Chief
11.11.2008 4.1.08
Editor’s Notes:
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An Editorial Page for Those Who are Interested in How the Other Side Thinks
Auto Bailout Merits Caution Challenges Face Obama
In the moments that followed the announcement of Barack Obama’s election victory on the night of November 4th, the University of Michigan campus erupted in heady madness. The Diag took on a party-like atmosphere as students and Obama supporters shrieked and cheered in disbelief that the candidate they supported for all of these months had finally won. As the reality of America’s first AfricanAmerican president sinks in, the nation and the world look to him to set the wheels of change in motion. Like a pebble thrown into a pool of water, Obama’s win has created a ripple effect among Americans from youths and ethnic groups to Democrats and Republicans. Obama’s large youth base has “essentially reignited a fire that was all but extinguished”, according to the Associated Content. Never before in post-war American politics have young people taken such a large interest in politics. The New York Times has hailed this new wave of supporters as “Generation O” and has labeled the appointment of his new team as the O-List. Obamamania may have taken over the nation, dazzling the young, minorities and urbanites, but the question of “what’s next?” hangs in the air. Reviving the struggling economy is a priority, especially the failing auto industry. Our new President-elect has been ambiguous about any specific policies to stabilize financial markets and tax increases. While he has identified other arenas of priority such as healthcare, energy, education and foreign policy, he has admitted that the future is uncertain. If the economy worsens, he will have to modify his policies, such as those regarding health care. He has promised lower health care costs for every American, but has not said how this would be financed. Team O is also debating between a pragmatic approach and an aggressive, hard-hitting approach. Being a new President is not easy, especially during this recession period. Obama has pledged to close down the Guantanamo Bay camp, but where would the detainees go? And regarding the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, what consequences will there be for Iraq’s government and economy? Other important issues to tackle include high energy costs and environmental concerns. Obama may have the numbers in terms of a Democratic Senate majority, but problems and infighting within the party may hinder progress. The Waxman-Dingell conflict over the Chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee illustrates the ongoing Democratic factionalism. In addition, Democrats also have to deal with its Republican minority, which prevents a super-majority in the Senate. How much can the President-elect get done in terms of passing legislation? Though Gallup polls reveal that he is currently rated the most popular politician in the world, he still needs to work on U.S relations with Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries, including Iran. Obama has stated he would pursue “aggressive diplomacy” with Iran, exchanging economic benefits for cooperation on terrorism and nuclear development; but this may be cause for concern as Israel has discouraged Obama from doing so to avoid “sending the wrong signal”. Despite this, many countries believe Obama will improve America’s world image. Yes, the American dream has been reinvigorated, with millions pinning their hopes on Obama to change the country for the better, but there are a lot of decisions to be made and a lot of people to please. The media spotlight is on him, and all we can do is wait and see if his promises will be fulfilled. MR
Editorials
The End of Affirmative Action is in Sight
XU PHOTO JOSEPH
On November 7, General Motors announced a loss of $4.2 billion while Ford posted a loss of $2.5 billion for the third quarter. After the losses were made public (along with a 12 percent loss of GM’s stock price) Chief Executive Rick Wagoner declared that “The U.S. government’s actions to help stabilize the credit markets and eventually ease the credit crunch are an essential first step to the economy’s and the auto industry’s recovery, but further strong action is required.” As financial companies have lined up in droves for bailout checks, so too have Ford and GM gone hat in hand to beg for low interest loans from Nancy Pelosi. With the recent bailout debacle in the financial sector, doubt arises on whether or not GM and Ford, or any bailed out company, will be able to provide taxpayers with a return on their investment, or at the least not lose any money. Pelosi & Co. have decided to extend the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) from $700 billion in order to improve credit loans which would provide some much-needed relief to the auto industry. The industry also wants an additional $50 billion in bridge loans which would help pay for auto workers’ health care benefits. Obviously, reform is needed in order to change some underlying problems in Detroit. But the problem arises that even radical reform would not guarantee financial stability in the long-term. It’s a moral hazard to be rewarding companies for unsuccessful business practices. The fact of the matter remains that the auto industry was experiencing some major problems before the credit crisis began in 2007. Union contracts have created a monopoly on labor, and in response to disproportionate labor costs, foreign auto makers, like Toyota and Honda, have passed up experienced Michigan workers for less experienced, nonunion workers in the South. In 2007, in response to a UAW strike over health benefits, a Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association (VEBA) was created to mitigate health care costs by employers set up a “trust fund,” run by the UAW, this has allowed the UAW greater control has saved GM $15 billion. Now, GM and Ford need to seriously rethink the way that they conduct other areas of their business. Car design has been a thorn in the side of the Big Three for the last decade. Unable to profit on the manufacture of smaller cars, they have relied on larger trucks and SUVs to make their money, taking advantage of low fuel costs. As oil costs have risen, people have turned to smaller cars, a part of the fleets which the Big Three had neglected. Foreign companies like Toyota, Honda, and Subaru stepped up to fill the gap, producing smaller, higher quality, more fuel efficient vehicles. Without a profit motive, the US manufacturers had no incentive to produce these kinds of vehicles, falling farther and farther behind. As such, revenues have taken significant hits, especially in the US and Europe. The domestic automakers need to find a way to make a profit off these cars, though that’s easier said than done. As hydrogen and other fuel cell and alternative energy technologies develop, the domestic companies would do well to take advantage of every advance (if they live to see them) to gain an edge. Government interference in markets is proven to have deleterious effects. They dissolve the incentives for businesses to act responsibly; if you can rely on the government to save you, you have less aversion to engage in risky business practices, such as depending on one line of products to keep your business afloat (think SUVs). Americans have, in the past, resented government intervention in businesses. The first major “bailout” impressed on Americans turned Boston Harbor into the world’s largest cup of tea. That being said, this bailout is likely to be fulfilled as unions have significant clout in the Democratic Party. If Ford and GM do accept the money and do not make big changes in how they do business, you can bet that we will come to this crossroads again. MR
BY VALIANT LOWITZ ‘12
If President-elect Barack Obama has taught this country anything it is that achievement is possible, regardless of your national origin or skin color. Born to a white mother and a black father, Obama represents the epitome of a person whom race-based affirmative action was seeking to assist. According to those who support affirmative action, a person in his situation (an African-American who never knew his father, and who spent the majority of his childhood moving between countries) could never achieve that which a white upper-class child could. Surely there was an inequality here that merited Obama preferential treatment in his life. But even through these hardships, Obama proved that his intellectual curiosity and brilliance could break down all boundaries. Eventually, he was accepted into the most prestigious educational institutions in the United States, accomplishing feats that even the most endowed of children could only dream of. While the election of the first black president forever alters views of race in America, it must also cause us to take a deeper look at our institutions. Affirmative action is an umbrella term that represents policies that are intended to promote access to education or employment for racial minorities. However
in order to believe that affirmative action is necessary in today’s society, one must also believe that those minorities whom affirmative action serves, because of their situation and the world that they were born into, require extra consideration than a person who was born into a racial majority. Barack Obama has shown us that this is not the case. We are a country built upon a troubled past. A country built upon enslavement of an entire nation, the sweat and toil of the ancestors of some of our most cherished friends. However the time has come to step back from that era in our collective pasts and to begin moving forward. The time has come for all of us to begin to understand that yes, there still is discrimination in this country and yes, there are those of us who are born into more advantaged lives than others. Most importantly, however, we must begin to understand that “equal people are not free, and free people are not equal.” Talent and brilliance can come from all walks of life. Some of the world’s most influential artists have come from the world’s worst ghettoes, and some of the world’s least influential people have come from the richest of families. Abraham Lincoln once said, “You cannot pull a man up by dragging another man down.”
However, giving preference only on the basis of race may pull down the deserving of the non-minority as it aims to pull up minorities. We should not, as a people, be reliant on programs such as affirmative action to diversify our schools and equalize our society. In my high school, many of classmates were sons and daughters of parents who had themselves benefited from affirmative action, thus passing on to their children not only the successes of race-based affirmative action, but legacy in elite universities as well. By not taking into account solely socio-economic factors, and instead relying on the race of the applicant, the existing system has begun to feed upon itself. In a post-Obama world, affirmative action assumes the worst in people. It assumes that people are never able to better themselves and must be reliant on government institutions to pull them up. But as Barack Obama has shown, this is no longer the case. The time has come to take into consideration the millions who have not been considered under the present system. We must, as a nation, begin to move past the racial divides of our history and move forward into an era where it is not color that determines need, but the circumstances of lives. MR
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11.11.2008 4.1.08
Free to Choose
Death Before Dishonour!
Opinion
A Few Diamonds in the Rough GOP Needs New Leadership BY JONATHAN SLEMROD ‘10
The George W. Bush-Mitch McConnell-John Boehner-Roy Blunt era of leadership within the Republican Party is excruciatingly boring and uninspiring. For their own sake and for the sake of America, the GOP should reshuffle the deck and install a new generation of leaders with something rare in politics: an ideology. Voters are sick of a Republican Party that spends most of its time attacking Democrats rather than extolling their own solutions. Senator McCain wasted much of his time and money jonathan attacking Barack Obama’s ties to William Ayers, slemrod Tony Rezko, and ACORN, only to find out that no one cares. Voters want answers to their problems, and that is what Obama gave them. Most members of McCain’s party can’t say the same. There are, however, a few shining stars within the GOP on which the rest can take notes. First and foremost is Paul Ryan, a Congressman from Wisconsin’s First Congressional District. Ryan represents much of what the GOP needs. He is young, energetic, and more than willing to offer solutions to the problems we face as a nation. He is a self-described “policy wonk” that actually knows something about policy. Best of all, he is a strong defender of limited government and a progrowth agenda. Ryan has unveiled a comprehensive bill called the Roadmap for America’s Future, which addresses Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, and avoids the largest tax increase in American history that Obama gleefully supports. It allows individuals under fifty-five (not government) to control their own future by giving them the option to invest a portion of their Social Security payroll taxes into private retirement accounts. It gives tax credits for health care, and allows individuals to purchase health care plans over state lines. It keeps American competitive by eliminating the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), the capital gains tax, and the estate tax. The Roadmap may not be perfect, but it is far preferable to the plans of the vast majority of Ryan’s colleagues which amount to nothing. Republicans can also learn from Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District. Flake has consistently stood against his own party in the face of big-government Republicanism at its worst, voting against monstrosities as Medicare Part D, the Farm Bill, and the recent Wall Street bailout. His forte is opposing and lambasting earmarks, which are wasteful spending projects inserted into spending bills based on political clout rather than merit. Flake has no problem challenging his fellow Republicans on the House floor over pork-barrel spending when necessary. He, like Ryan, demonstrates a leadership quality that is notably absent from today’s GOP. Both are joined by a small but tough crowd of fiscal conservatives that stand against big-spending from both parties such as Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), John Campbell (R-CA), John Shadegg (R-AZ), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), and Jim Sensenbrenner (RWI). Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Jim DeMint (R-SC) have done a great job in the Senate. Yet though all these members deserve credit, they are not a big enough crowd to take back the Republican Party. Unlike the rest of their party and the entire Democratic Party, they look out for taxpayers, promote free trade, oppose unnecessary and burdensome regulation, and fight for more freedom. They don’t just vote the right way, they take the reigns and lead. Without more of them, Republicans can kiss their chances at the ballot box goodbye. Until the G.O.P. presents a more inspiring and energetic message, Americans will continue voting for higher taxes, more spending, and larger government. MR
BY NATHAN STANO ‘11
With the election over, the rebuilding begins for the Republican Party. As much as the party needs to rebuild nationally, a comeback in Michigan could wow the nation and get the ball rolling on economic recovery. To do so, we have to return to our principles, especially in the Wolverine State. The tax and spend policies of Governor Granholm have earned her a spot on PresidentElect Obama’s economic recovery team, yet they have done nothing for the state. She has raised taxes and pandered to entrenched union interests. Automotive companies on the rise, such as Toyota, have passed up experienced workers in nathan Michigan to go to the Deep South, where the UAW doesn’t stano have a monopoly on labor. We need to see a state Republican Party willing to change the attitude in Lansing. The budget crises of the last few years have been caused by an entitlement policy that this state simply cannot afford. You cannot trim fat with this budget and expect to come out in the black. We need to cut programs, plain and simple. Michigan continues to spend as if it were at the height of the economic boom in the mid 90s. Yet we’ve been in a recession for almost ten years. We simply cannot afford to spend this way. The GOP needs to return to principle, the principle being that people, and not government, can best spend their own money. We need to see a state Republican Party willing to spearhead a “Right to Work” law, or even a constitutional amendment. Everyone knows monopolies are bad for consumers. Monopolies on labor are just as bad as monopolies in telecommunications, oil or steel. When monopolies are dissolved, innovation and progress flourish. The union’s absolute power is repugnant. If you want to work for an auto company, you have to join the UAW. If you want to be a teacher, you have to join the teacher’s union. There’s a legal term for this, and it’s called racketeering. We need to see a state Republican Party willing to fight for school choice, especially in the large, wasteful urban districts. Schools in Michigan, especially in Detroit, have been seen by the public at large as an embarrassment, with dropout rates that are simply unacceptable. It makes no sense to continue to spend so much money, albeit on a local level, on schools that simply fail young people. The State GOP can help coordinate efforts for school choice, which could inject market forces into the failing districts and will help save taxpayers millions. We need to see a state Republican Party that sees the need to cut taxes to attract business. Last year, to raise revenue, the state congress raised taxes. According to the Tax Foundation, Michigan has the 20th best business tax climate in the US, granted in the top half of the nation. Since Michigan has had all of its proverbial eggs in an automotive basket, however, the state has desperately tried to court business of all types, with seemingly limited success. A simplification of tax codes, as well as a lowering of tax rates, would go a long way in attracting businesses of all kinds to the state in the future, as opposed to the incentives now given, which favor certain businesses and are a poor substitute for a long term solution. In short, while conservative principals of limited government and free markets need to be brought back on a national level, I would like to see them applied most vigorously here in Michigan. This state has seen what a liberal, tax and spend, entitlement-oriented government can do. Now it’s time for conservatives to show what good we can do for the state. MR
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RECALL Continued from FRONT PAGE
believe there should be greater public control over the courts; courts perform their greatest service when they are independent of political pressure.” Even though the recall was not ultimately passed,
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Bogaert says recall supporters are not going to stop working for people in Michigan against tax increases. When asked if she and supporters will, or can, continue to try and recall Dillon, she said, “We respect the peo-
ple, but we’re not going to at this time. We sure can attempt if he decides to raise other taxes.” MR
MINORITY Continued from FRONT PAGE
TEACH Continued from FRONT PAGE
have their teaching certificates, but instead go through alternative training. Although the Teach for America members are encouraged to stay and teach beyond the two- year requirement, the vast majority do not. With about half of Americans growing up in poverty completing high school, education is becoming a very serious problem in America. Although TFA attempts to solve this problem, there are many people who feel it does not adequately do so. Some question the effectiveness of uncertified college graduates. While members are put through a fiveweek summer institute to prepare them, this is significantly less time than those who go through a standard teaching certification curriculum. A study done by Linda Darling-Hammond at Stanford University found that “uncertified TFA recruits are less effective than certified teachers, and perform about as well as other uncertified teachers.” Thus, the study has concluded “everyone benefits from preparation, including Teach for America teachers.” In a study produced by the College of Education at Arizona State University, Teach for America’s uncertified teachers were ineffective at producing superior results to certified teachers. Findings indicated “in reading, mathematics, and language, the students of certified teachers outperformed students of under-certified teachers by about 2 months on a grade equiva-
IMAGE HOUSING.UMICH.EDU
The ABENG Lounge is the multicultural lounge in East Quadrangle. “Abeng” is an African word meaning “conch shell.” There also exists the Abeng organization which was developed in 1971 as the result of BAM (Black Action Movement) and meets regularly in the lounge. race,” Poole declares as an Obama poster hangs on the wall behind her. “He has a lot of policy stances that I agree with. Part of his attraction is what he speaks about; his motto ‘Yes We Can’ and ‘Change’ are a step away from traditional politics. I feel like minorities see his race and be like [sic], wow, somebody other than a white man can be in this position. It’s a very powerful [symbol]. But it’s only powerful backed by the messages he gives.” “It’s been so stigmatized to notice and acknowledge race considering this country’s history of discriminating on the basis of race because people don’t want to
seem racist or shallow for paying attention to it,” she adds. This is certainly of great importance in U-M—while students as a whole get along with other races and are interested in their culture, there needs to be recognition of race itself instead of avoiding the subject. As Poole puts it, “[a]cknowledging any marginalized identity is powerful. It shows some growth and a step away from traditional ignorance.” MR
lent scale. Students of under-certified teachers [made] about 20% less academic growth per year than students of teachers with regular certification.” Another study though, done by Mathematica Policy Research directly addressed these findings in 2004. The study showed that on average, students with TFA teachers raised their mathematics test scores 0.15 standard deviations more than the gains made by other students, which is equivalent to students having had an extra month of math instruction. Also, an independent study by Kane, Parsons and Associates Inc found that over 90% of school principals believed that TFA teachers make significant, positive change in their classrooms, and 66% believed that Teach For America’s training is “better than average.” New studies have found that students of TFA teachers raise their math scores by an average of 12%, when compared with students of non-TFA math teachers. In reading and science though, the scores remained the same. TFA is also growing, and thereby increasing its impact on the American educational system. From 2007 to 2008, the number of incoming teachers jumped over 25%. In eight years, TFA has seen an almost 400% increase in applicants, and now has an operating budget of $73.5 million. Some TFA members stay longer than the two years
of the program, as well. US News & World Report reports that 43.6% remain in the lowincome placement school for more than two years and 35.5% teach for more than four years. TFA hopes that members not only make a direct impact on the lives of the children they teach, but use their experience to train future leaders and advocates in education policy. Notably, TFA alumni Dave Levin and Mike Feinberg went on to create the KIPP charter schools. Furthermore, president-elect Barack Obama has praised former TFA corp member and current chancellor of the Washington, D.C. public schools, Michelle Rhee. TFA continues to grow in terms of applications and placements per year, and its effect on the American educational system is felt through the local schools in which corp members serve. However, after nearly 20 years, the verdict is still out on whether or not TFA is simply a band-aid on a broken system or if it is slowly changing the course for American education and the teaching profession as a whole. MR
Continuations
ations in U-M as well as various bias incidents. “Last year the Residential Advisors would go on rounds and if they find something [offensive] they would call us, which is still protocol, but this year we’ve actually had a lot more residents directly emailing their RA saying, ‘somebody wrote this on my door.’ During election season, there was [vandalism] on people’s posters, and sometimes people print out things and put it on their door. They say, oh, freedom of speech, but at the same time we live in a community that has housing standards,” she says. Diversity is part of the U-M mission statement as well as the housing policy in order to ensure that residents are not being threatened. The East Quad community regularly holds events to promote diversity and other issues that may affect students such as body image and self-confidence. The main purpose of these events is to bring students together to dissolve any tension that exists between different groups. Despite this, subtle divisions do exist between racial groups in the university. “Sometimes people don’t understand why there is, for instance, a Latino student organization or Asian organizations; they say [the student body] is supposed to be here together as one big family-type thing. Whenever there are any identity or ethnic organizations, there’s [bound to be] pushback from people in general,” Poole says. These divisions aren’t outwardly obvious, but can cause uncomfortable friction among certain students. Poole says, “I don’t personally see blatant tension between groups, but I think there’s a lot of underlying tension of not knowing… I’ve heard people say ‘I’m not welcome at NAACP meetings because I’m not black.’” She admits that race is a difficult issue to talk about, despite it being her job to do so. Of course, there is no discussing race without reference to Barack Obama, the President-elect who has broken the racial barrier with his ascension to the White House. But is race the main reason why America chose Obama? “There is more to Barack Obama than just his
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11.11.2008 4.1.08
U-M and Communism
News
Is U-M Propelling the International Arms Race?
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BY ANNA DICKEY ‘09
Ballot Initiatives An Overlooked Power BY ZACK DIVOZZO ‘11
Ballot initiatives are an oft-overlooked facet of Michigan’s government. Only around half of the states in the US have the right to vote on these proposals, viewed by some as the most direct form of democracy. Citizens essentially propose a law and then, if enough support is garnered, put its enactment up for a vote. It is easier to get a particular initiative on the ballot than to get a president-elect or particular court ruling, and thus the basis of its appeal. Michigan has been inconsistent when it comes to ballot proposals over the last twenty years. The same state that struck down the right to physician assisted suicide in 1998, gay marriage in 2004, and affirmative action in 2004 recently allowed the usage of medical marijuana and stem cell research in the election on Tuesday. The key to these ballots is more successful campaigning , and less a pure reflection of everyone’s political mindset. Ballot initiatives do not always carry controversy. Proposals in the 1990’s ranged from changing the word “handicapped” to “disabled” in the Michigan Constitution, disallowing Bingo political fund raisers, and imposing a term limit on elected officials in the state. Aside from the proposal involving physician-assisted suicide in 1998, most of the ballot initiatives in the 1990’s involved very small issues concerning gambling, wildlife, taxes, or changes in state administration. In the 2006 election a massive campaign was launched for Proposal II, concerning the fate of Affirmative Action, by both sides. The support and opposition were in a constant battle that involved lawsuits and intense campaigning. Also on the ballot, however, was an initiative to allow the hunting of morning doves. While there was a campaign, it was very minor in scale. Embryonic stem cell research, an issue on the 2008 ballot, was also a particularly relevant issue according to Chris De Witt, a spokesman for CureMichigan (the force behind Proposal Two this election). “Conservative or liberal, every BALLOT Continued on PAGE 10
Despite the progress towards technology and innovation fostered by international academic partnerships at the University of Michigan, some engineering and military research on campus is claimed by some to be virulently devastating to the American economy as well as national security. Retired aerospace engineering Professor William Kauffman, who has taught at U-M for over three decades, maintains the opinion that U-M, along with other research universities, actually propels the arms race between America and other leaders in the world—particularly the People’s Republic of China. “There are Chinese students [who are Chinese citizens] within U-M that are involved in espionage for the Chinese military,” stated Kauffman. “We are directly transferring [our research of military weaponry development] to the Chinese government for them to use.” The Chinese government allows the administration to assign students to various studies at many different universities around the globe. These students who return to their homeland, Kauffman claimed, may report the engineering research and military weaponry demanded by Chinese military research officials. China was deemed a significant military threat by a 2007 annual report from the Pentagon. Such claims could appear as a brutal and unjust defamation of the Chinese students who travel here amongst a foreign culture to obtain higher education. To suggest that students from another country cannot be allowed in would be considered heresy in today’s world of academic freedom.
“This is not an issue of individuals,” said Vince Wade, former FOX2 Detroit reporter who worked with Kauffman to investigate Chinese governmental activity within U-M. “A liberal arts major who happens to be of Chinese descent is not by any means a perpetrator. This is an issue of the Chinese government [and their demands on the people].” Wade has produced eight reports that are available on YouTube that give insight into the brutality of the Chinese government, the reality of Chinese espionage within American universities [there are several top-tier military scientists within the Chinese administration that are confirmed U-M graduates], and how Michigan taxpayers might be forced to pay for foreign students’ education. Substantiation for exactly how many Chinese students are informants to Chinese military is impossible to gain, Kauffman says, other than the known U-M graduates that now work for the Chinese military. Additionally, a UM partnership with the Harbin Institute of Technology is, according to Kauffman, a blatantly hazardous gateway for Chinese officials to gain advanced military technology, and have in the past.” “I’ve been in the room with six individuals from the Harbin Institute,” Kauffman said, in regards to a UMHarbin meeting when he was still actively employed at the University. “They asked directly how to construct a Trident missile.” The U-M Public Affairs and Media Relations website discussing the sensitivity of the research available COMMUNISTS Continued on PAGE 10
Democrats Control Congress Attempt to Bring Forth the Agenda of “Change” BY ADAM PASCARELLA ‘10
With an estimated crowd of over 500,000 in Chicago’s Grant Park, President-elect Barack Obama gave his victory speech to those not only in attendance, but millions of elated and ecstatic citizens throughout the world. Among those in Grant Park was Oprah Winfrey, the influential talk-show host and consistent Obama supporter. With tears streaming down her face, a CNN reporter asked Winfrey to describe her feelings about Obama’s historic victory. “It feels like America did the right thing,” she said. “It feels like there’s a shift in consciousness. It feels like something really big and bold has happened here, like nothing ever in our lifetimes did we expect this to happen.” Obama’s victory, however, was not the only “big” and “bold” outcome from the monumental election. The Democratic Party made impressive gains in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, which will undoubtedly assist the President-elect as he attempts to quickly act on his overwhelming mandate from voters. As the Michigan Review went to press, Democrats have picked up 255 seats in the House, their largest majority in 15 years. In the Senate, Democrats have been awarded 57 seats, but they have the power to pick up one more seat if Democratic candidate Al Franken pulls ahead of Republican incumbent Norm Coleman in a contested race in Minnesota. In a press conference on November 5, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi stated that she was extremely optimistic that a strengthened Democratic majority will be able to accomplish true change in America. “Our increased numbers in the House better enable us to work closely with our new president for a vision for America and a plan to succeed, again, as we unify the American people,” she said. “We will do so in a strong bipartisan way with civility in our debate and fiscal responsibility in our budgeting.” Some political pundits, however, do not think that Pelosi’s prediction will be as rosy as she hopes. Dr. Vincent Hutchings, associate professor of political science at U-M, claimed that even though Obama will
undoubtedly have the support of the Democratic Party once he takes office in January, he may not receive as much cooperation as he desires from Congress. “Like any other newly elected President, Barack Obama will have a proverbial honeymoon, so he will be able to initially set the agenda. However, look for Congress to assert some independence here. They are not going to act like a rubber-stamp legislature for Obama; infighting is inevitable since the Democratic Party is more ideologically heterogeneous than the Republican Party,” he said. Some of those factions will be aggressive in their efforts to court Obama’s attention as soon as the 111th Congress begins its term. Organized labor is one such faction that will vigorously attempt to push through union-friendly legislation, such as the Employee Free Choice Act, which will create a “card check” process that will undoubtedly increase union membership across the country. The Blue Dog Democrats, another faction, may also put up some hardened resistance towards some of Obama’s more expensive programs, such as a new public health insurance program or a $150 billion dollar program to create a green energy sector. According to some Republicans, Obama has made over $1.3 trillion in spending promises over 21 months in his Presidential campaign. Blue Dog Democrats may take a second look at Obama’s spending priorities, especially because of America’s continuing credit crisis. While these organized factions in the Democratic Party will try to influence Obama’s priorities, Hutchings believes that the President-elect will most likely be hesitant to dramatically change his ideology and governing style. “Expect Barack Obama to behave in the White House as he behaved in the Senate. He will most likely govern slightly left-of-center, so the stringent, extreme left-wing faction of the party may not have as much power as they like since their positions are the most controversial,” he said. Regardless of the multiple cleavages and varying interests, Democrats will have the power to enact farDEMOCRATS Continued on PAGE 10
11.11.2008
Desmond Tutu Speaks on the Power of Individuality
U-M Leads Nation in Fulbright Scholars
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BY SREYA VEMPATTI ‘12
TUTU Continued on PAGE 10
FULBRIGHT Continued on PAGE 10
News
Darfur, Burma, Tibet, the Middle East, the Congo, and Zimbabwe, it is easy to wonder whether God ever had a plan. But he assured the audience that “oppression will not have the last word in history.” He listed Hitler, Stalin, and Franco and asked “Where are they now? History.” He recalled his struggle with President Reagan regarding his policy of constructive engagement. He said that when Congress overrode Reagan’s veto of the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act, it “warmed the cockles of [his] heart” to see students pressuring their institutions to make changes. He emphasized the power of the individual, stating that we all have the capacity for evil, but also for good. At the conclusion of his lecture, Tutu commented on whether or not the role of youth in the pursuit of justice has changed since apartheid Africa. He mentioned that he gets upset when people generalize about the wrong doings of young people, and then said that “if young people become disillusioned, who is to blame?” Tutu said that he has “a lot of time for young people.” LSA Senior, Cayden Mak, a GIEU (Global
The University of Michigan is once again the national leader in the number of Fulbright scholars for the year 2008-2009. This is the third time in four years that U-M has topped the list. There were a total of 31 recipients this year from U-M, followed by Harvard with 29 and Yale with 26. The Fulbright program is essentially a collection of grants that are administered in 144 countries. The program seeks to heighten mutual understanding between people of the U.S. and other parts of the world, by providing funds for recipients to carry out research, teaching or graduate study. It is one of the most prestigious academic awards and has produced numerous Nobel laureates. Two of this year’s awardees from U-M include Rhana Natour (B.A. 2008, Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies) and Chelsea Ams (B.A. 2008, German, Spanish and Secondary Education). Natour is currently learning Arabic in Oman and will carry out her research in the United Arab Emirates; Ams is currently teaching high school students in Germany. Both state that the main factor that prompted them to apply to the program was the opportunity to live and work abroad. “I studied abroad in Spain and in Germany during college and had an amazing time in both” says Ams. She went on to state that the core of the program is about international understanding and communication. Natour, who plans to go on to law school, said, “I wanted to take time off between my undergraduate studies and law school but really wanted to live abroad.” When asked about the application process, both recipients agree that it was long and tedious, including several components such as a research proposal, personal statement and letters of recommendation. Natour, who also applied and received the Critical Language Enhancement Award – a supplementary to the Fulbright, had to write a separate essay and have her Arabic language skills evaluated. Similarly, Ams had to have her German evaluated and in addition had to fill out the application in German after making the first cut. Ams, who is considering getting a Masters degree in international relations and business, explained that her experience studying abroad in Germany in 2007 and the German classes she took at U-M convinced her to eventually teach in Germany. She is an English Lan-
IMAGE ACHIEVEMENT.ORG BY EDEN STIFFMAN ‘12
On Wednesday, October 29, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu gave the eighteenth annual Raoul Wallenberg lecture and received a medal in front of a crowd that filled Hill Auditorium. President Mary Sue Coleman presented Tutu the medal, calling him “a model citizen of the world.” The prize, first presented to Elie Wiesel in 1990, is awarded to individuals who have exhibited outstanding humanitarian efforts. The prize’s namesake, Raoul Wallenberg, a graduate of the University of Michigan’s College of Architecture and a Swedish diplomat, is remembered for saving the lives of tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews during World War II. Tutu also received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. Known for his powerful yet non-violent resistance of apartheid, Tutu accepted the award on behalf of the many people whose efforts were necessary in the fight to end apartheid. He said “when you stand out in a group, it is only because you are being carried on the shoulders of others.” As the first black South African Archbishop, Tutu called attention to God’s role in human oppression. He said that considering what is happening now in
Professors Donate in Droves to Democrats BY NATHAN STANO ‘11
The ratio of liberal to conservative faculty in education is commonly accepted. By looking at the filings of political contributions, a quantification of this preference is found. At the Federal Election Commission’s website, they allow the search of digitized records of their receipts, which are donations more than $200. The results of a query by employer, the University of Michigan, and occupation, professor, can quantify bias. Results of a search go back to the 1999/2000 primary season. Whether no professors donated before then or only some records are digitized remains unclear. Barack Obama’s primary and general election campaigns collected $123,029 from professors here at the university, some donating $2,000 or more. McCain, on the other hand, raised only $3,801 from eight donors. That’s an almost 32:1 preference for Obama. Out of 336 individuals who filed under the criterion given, only 33 gave to Republican candidates, and three of these are no longer employed by the university. That means that for every professor that gave to Republican candidates, more than ten gave to Democrats. Republican Congressman Joe Knollenberg was perhaps the most successful Republican fundraiser among the faculty, raising $8,650 for his campaigns from 2004-2008, including a donation from former University President and professor emeritus James Duderstadt. The donations to the controversial group MoveOn. org received a large amount of financial support. Since 2004, MoveOn.org has raised $5,883 from twelve mem-
bers of the faculty, only two of whom are no longer employed by the university. MoveOn.org is best remembered for its full page ad in the New York Times calling General David Patraeus “General Betray Us.” In contrast, President Bush received $6000 for his reelection bid in 2004, from two donors, and no contributions for his run against Gore in 2000. An interesting set of donations was the $450 donated to the 2000 campaign of John Hagelin, the candidate for president of the Natural Law Party. He received 83,000 votes in the 2000 election (or .08% of the electorate). The Natural Law Party, according to a platform summary on its website, supports proportional representation in the US, the use of “transcendental meditation” in schools, increased scrutiny on genetically modified foods, and abolishing the Electoral College. Both donators are sitting on the faculty today. Another big winner was Emily’s List, which has raised $24,306 since 2001 from eight donors. Much of it comes from Professor Emerita Ann Larimore, who donated $14,956 on fifteen occasions between 2004 and 2008. Emily’s List helps to promote Democratic, prochoice, female candidates. According to their website, “EMILY’s List is committed to a three-pronged strategy to elect pro-choice Democratic women: recruiting and funding viable women candidates; helping them build and run effective campaign organizations; and mobilizing women voters to help elect progressive candidates across the nation.” Professor Larimore has been the most prolific DONATIONS Continued on PAGE 10
Out-of-State Funds for Ballot Initiatives BY VALIANT LOWITZ ‘12
On November 4th the national election frenzy reached feverish heights as millions of Americans cast their ballots for the next President of the United States. Votes were also cast for state specific ballot initiatives that have the potential to alter state policies for years to come. One would assume then, that the funding such ballot initiatives would come solely from organizations within the state in which the initiatives were proposed. However, much of the funding that is necessary to achieve the amount of signatures required for an initiative to be placed, as well as to effectively advertise the initiative, has come from large national special interest groups, and private donors, that seem to not have the state’s best interests in mind. In California, voters turned out in droves to decide on Proposition Eight, a ballot initiative that would effectively overturn a recent California Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage within the state. The LA Times has reported however, that at least 39% of the 3.3 million dollars in funding in support of Proposition Eight has come from sources outside of California, the majority of which is from Focus on the Family, a Colorado based special-interest lobbying group. FUNDS Continued on PAGE 10 & 11
Arts & Culture
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11.11.2008
Hipsterdom: An Appraisal
What Are Students Reading? American vs. British News
BY JANE COASTON ’09
Do you own anything by Nico? The Velvet Underground? When you go to parties, does everyone look like they just found out where they were? Have you had any friends go to rehab? Do you own clothing that belonged to someone’s grandmother at one time? Have you ever attended a meeting for a “zine”? Did anyone ever invite you to a party with the stipulation of nudity? Does that happen fairly frequently? Congratulations, you’re a hipster. It’s starts out so innocently. You start hanging out at Cafe Ambrosia for the cheap coffee and high-speed Internet. Maybe you buy a few posters and tapestries, just to liven up your room. And maybe your marijuana consumption gets just a little bit out of hand. Rationalization is a normal part of the process. Those art collective potlucks just mean free food. And LCD Soundsystem is just great post-punk dance music. But you know the truth. So you move to a house in Kerrytown and before you know it, you’re hosting cocktail parties in your attic and watching TV purely for the irony while repeatedly saying, “I don’t think we need cable. It’s just such a waste of energy.” You’re writing bad poetry and drawing on the walls and wearing dashikis. You know everyone within a three-block radius and random people sleep in your living room. You roll your own cigarettes, bake your own bread, and buy your own drugs. And you maybe now own a pair of leg warmers. Now don’t get too concerned. Being a hipster isn’t your fault. You just can’t help being insufferably cool. The 50s had the Beats, the 80s had New Wave, and our lucky generation has you. Who else would hold the banner high for bands of which no one has heard and whose entire collection is available (preferably) on vinyl? Who else would put themselves through reading all of those treatises and mission statements and books about Yippies and Hippies? Those tight jeans don’t wear themselves, and the Elvis Costello-themed glasses industry needs your dollars. Think of how much worse our current economic situation would be if you didn’t need to spend $80 at the People Food Co-Op on a weekly basis (you really, REALLY need bulk organic carob chips). Being a hipster means being the moral compass of the nation, only without any actual morals. Or any “compass” ability, because it’s really hard to keep track of North and South when you’re high on salvia. We hipsters recognize one another quickly. At the West Coast Editors Conference in Arizona, I found the hipsters within 1.2 seconds of putting the last cracker on my cheese plate. We quickly began the standard hipster greeting process, which goes something like this: Me: So, uh, have you heard “Alive 2007”? Them: Yeah, it’s totally awesome. I saw Daft Punk at Lollapalooza, but I was too high to remember it. Me: Sweet. We are a misunderstood group. Some mock us. Others mock us harder. But keep your head up, because one never knows when a hipster will come in handy. The Michigan Review was without a resident hipster when I first arrived. The first few months were difficult. No one knew who Animal Collective was, and, more painfully, no one actually cared. Yet no one can resist my complete Bob Marley collection or my ability to use the word “contextualize.” Through immense irony, I quickly became a valued and integral member of the staff. Hipster brethren, stand tall. Someday, our talent for having no actual talent will be our nation’s salvation. MR
PHOTO AUSTYN FOSTER / MR STAFF
LSA sophomore Sharon Park checks BBC News online for updates on world events. She is one of many students who prefers international news sources over domestic news sources. BY KATIE SINGER ‘12
With such an important election at stake this year, college students have been very conscious of political affairs along with both national and worldwide news stories. The main news sources for young people have changed from the Big Three (CBS, ABC, NBC) of the past to alternative cable news channels. Taking student life into account, it seems that many students, like the rest of the U.S. population obtain their information from television, newspapers, and the internet. Many students have their favorite source, whether that be based on ideology or objectivity. When questioned, one freshman student that has worked with the College Democrats and worked for the Obama campaign, mentioned that “CNN.com is [her] homepage,” and she believed it was less partisan than other news networks. She pointed out that “Fox News is typically to the right, and NBC is generally more to the left.” It is widely believed in the United States and abroad that liberals and those who would classify themselves as “moderate or left of center” have a great deal of power within mainstream media. As this student observed, Fox News is one of the only networks which classifies itself as being more conservative. Recently, however, students have also started to turn to foreign news networks, such as the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) as their major source of
information. Interestingly, some students are claiming that it provides a more objective view of U.S. and world affairs than our own broadcasting networks do. They argue that “if you want the truth, you have to look outside the U.S.” But for a network that claims to be “independent, impartial, and honest,” according to their mission statement and values, they seem to also have a largely liberal leaning. Though some feel that the British news is more interesting and intriguing because it “gets straight to the point” it bears a stark similarity to such American news outlets as the New York Times and Time Magazine. Claims by these sources and others that the presidential candidates were portrayed equally were met by critics who have thought that there is more of an emphasis on the Democratic Party and that Republicans are portrayed in a somewhat less than flattering way. One journalist, writing for the “American Journalism Review,” a magazine that examines media coverage, noted that “Americans, particularly conservative Americans, have a problem with the BBC approach because impartiality, which is the BBC’s fundamental watchword, is itself a liberal notion. And our commitment to impartiality comes out of what is fundamentally a small ‘l’ liberal culture, liberal media culture, in NEWS Continued on PAGE 11
The Compatibility of Art and Science BY NATHAN TORREANO ‘12
Lately, “Go Green” has become almost as much of a slogan as “Go Blue” on campus. November 5-7 at the Duderstadt Center, Arts on Earth, a division within the University, helped create awareness for nature in a project coined Arts & the Environment. The project was created in response to the perception that humans are no longer conscious of their continuity with the natural world. The three-day event was highlighted by four creative installations symbolizing nature, a keynote address by Oberlin Professor David W. Orr, and screenings of classical environmentalist films. Arts on Earth at the University of Michigan is fully
PHOTO AUSTYN FOSTER / MR STAFF
committed to “stimulating and supporting interdisciplinary collaboration involving the arts.” This year’s theme was chosen partly due to a belief that, in recent times, numerous people view nature as something to be exploited for profit instead of an inextricable component of our own natures. The event was directed by the Deans representing the College of Engineering, the School of Art & Design, the Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning, and the School of Music, Theatre, & Dance. From 5-11 p.m. on November 5, participants viewed four unique installations depicting different elements of nature: earth, air, fire, and wind. 20 faculty members from six different academic units at the University formed four groups with the objective of combining art and science in order to rekindle participants’ wonder of the natural world. Each team constructed and presented their installation with maximum budgets of $15,000, according to Dave Munson, the Dean of the College of Engineering. The Earth installation was comprised of a massive, round, black table with miniscule stones sprawling across its vast surface. Small screens fixed into the wall of the table portrayed breathtaking images of Earth. In addition, speakers dotted the circular ceiling above the large table, emitting sounds of nature, music, and even ART Continued on PAGE 11
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11.11.2008
c o n s e r v a t i s m
BY JANE COASTON ‘09 & LINDSEY DODGE ‘10
Conservatives in film and films with conservative themes are rare in Hollywood. The liberal bias of the filmmaking capital of the world is well-documented and shows very little change-- the North Hollywood, California zipcode (91601) donated $21.98 million to the Presidential campaign of Barack Obama and a little over $6 million to that of John McCain. Those with conservative or libertarian perspectives are using independent and mainstream cinema to get their point to the general populace. These films can be separated into two categories: films with conservative themes and films with conservative makers. Movies with themes that adhere to conservative ideology are not necessarily made by conservatives, and films made by conservatives do not always reflect the political views of their makers. There are many films that can be construed as conservative, but several of the critically-aligned are A Man for All Seasons, Dirty Harry, Forrest Gump, The Dark Knight, Braveheart, On the Waterfront, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, and the Chronicles of Narnia. These films and others are viewed by scholars to reflect a conservative ideology for several reasons: The emphasis on individual conscience, the use of specifically Christian allegories and motifs, and a marked distrust of organized authority. “Dirty Harry,” starring Clint Eastwood, is the story of a vigilante who fights crime without the assistance
ILLUSTRATION EUN LEE / MR STAFF
of a incompetent San Francisco Police Department. He is “Dirty” Harry because of his willingness to take on tough cases and work outside of governmental purview. “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” starring Russell Crowe, became a favorite of William F. Buckley and Charles Krauthammer. Krauthammer, a syndicated columnist for the Washington Post and a frequent pundit on Fox News programs, admired the films portrayal of the laws of war particularly when placed in the context of the War in Iraq. “We are at war, and this is a film not just about the conduct of war but about virtue in war. Its depiction of the more ancient notions of duty, honor, patriotism and devotion is reminiscent of what we glimpsed during live coverage of the dash to Baghdad back in April but is now slipping from memory.” Many of Hollywood’s most conservative filmmakers are immigrants to the United States, such as Namrata Singh Gujral and Mel Gibson. After he was arrested for drunk driving in Malibu in 2006, Gibson’s anti-Semitic comments during his arrest created a huge backlash. After he apologized to the Jewish community and met with Jewish leaders in Los Angeles, he was publicly forgiven by Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League. In 2007, Malibu Superior Court Judge Lawrence J. Mira praised the actor, saying, “I truly believe the rehabilitation that is FILM Continued on PAGE 11
The Classics of College BY LINDSEY DODGE ‘10
English majors are often the butt of jokes, but never so much as in the present. Nowadays, the classics of literature feel removed. No more is it socially acceptable for a man to run to the moors screaming, “Cathy! Cathy!” No more can women raise an eyebrow and expect their entire subtext to be understood, unless they live in Europe. Yet how do we manufacture the epic out of the mundane? There is a reason that sitcoms skip the college years; they are possibly the most non-dramatic years of our lives. Allow the Review to posit some examples of typical college life in the styles of Beowulf, Romeo and Juliet, and The Old Man and the Sea. “Friday Night at a Frat” in the style of Beowulf. The sea of maidens merged into the door Blond and free-wheeling with the mead The game-thrower saw his opportunity. Thrusting and blood-drawn, leading with his spear, The game-thrower threw down some game Facing the eternal beast of inebriation. Torn in half by his lust for the mead-maidens and seven Natty-Lights The game-thrower had never felt such inner struggle. He saw the end, the black depths of the night before him And struggling for the Frat-Hall, he was felled by his worst enemy Himself.
“The Morning After” in the style of Romeo and Juliet. But harsh, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the sun, and Jesus Christ my head aches. Stop rising, sun, and fall down from the sky Which just two hours before I stumbled faintly under This pock-marked face, I have to ask you why Did with such a troll I make this fatal blunder? So many questions, so unclear and sullied my fate It resembles too much my last-night’s mate. “Let’s See Some I.D.” in the style of The Old Man and the Sea The old man knew. The old man saw. He raised one brow and looked down. He could see the fraud. He looked back up. The boy smiled. And smiled wider, perspiration running down one temple. “Let’s see some I.D.,” the old man said. The boy searched his pocket, and then presented the fake i.d. He fumbled like he was caught in fishing wire. He smirked, pretending to know better. The old man looked down once more. “Friar Tuck,” it read. Street: Sherwood Forest Ct. He looked up into the fish-eyes of the boy, and he knew. He knew that there were bigger fish to fry. He turned towards the register, seeing the enormity of this moment, of this exact moment. Then he handed the boy back $2.34. The transaction was complete, and the boy escaped out of the Blue Corner into the night. The old man looked out the door, waiting, knowing there were other fish in the sea, bigger than this fish. He turned once more to his smutty magazine. MR
Arts & Culture
in Film
Blacklisted by History:
The Untold Story of Joe McCarthy and His Fight Against America’s Enemies BY NATHAN STANO ‘11
The American story has few domestic villains. Senator Joseph McCarthy has stood in this hall of infamy, shoulder to shoulder with men like Benedict Arnold. McCarthy is remembered for the anti-Communist “witch hunts” he led in the Senate in the 1950s. He is portrayed as a single man who was judge, jury and prosecutor, indicting innocent men and women as Communists and ruining their lives in an atmosphere reminiscent of the Salem witch trials, However, author M. Stanton Evans contends that this did not occur. In “Blacklisted by History”, he attempts to uncover the political spin and untruths from McCarthy’s character to find out if this man was indeed the leader of a kangaroo court, or if he was honestly trying to help America by respecting the rights of due process. It turns out that McCarthy was more right than we realize. Of the men and women brought before McCarthy’s committee, at least ten were known collaborators or Soviet agents. This has been confirmed by documents obtained after the fall of the Soviet Union. These people, mostly in the State Department, had documented contact with Soviet agents in the United States. Many were connected to Chinese Communists through earlier work completed by the American government with Mao Zedong during World War II. During the New Deal, many Communist leaders were able to gain entry to the government and help their compatriots to do the same. The government needed people to staff the “alphabet soup agencies”, hiring was done in such a way as to make infiltration possible. A House of Representatives committee prior to McCarthy, headed by a Texas Democratic congressman Martin Dies, came up with similar conclusions. Yet Dies was unscathed by his anti-Communist actions. Evans argues that McCarthy’s impact on history has been overstated and removed from its historical context.. If a number of government officials were found to have similar foreign relations with Iran or China today, it would rightly inspire the sort of fear that was found in the 1950s. If agents for a foreign government are the American political administration, especially sectors that control diplomacy and intelligence, a sense of worry might be warranted. Evans takes pains to address and ultimately dismiss the ad hominem attacks against McCarthy. Students of history will be interested to see McCarthy for who he truly was, in his own context. Conservatives on the other hand will have a little ammunition to combat the charges of fascism in conservatism, often using McCarthy as its poster boy. All in all, the book is a great read for those interested in a look back to one of the most maligned men in American history. MR
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to build the weapons themselves. “The way I describe it is like a jigsaw puzzle,” Wade said. “[Universities teach the] fundamental math and science behind it, and we’ve saved [China] millions of dollars of research. China comes over and takes this but all the pieces in the middle, they work hard to weaponize this research that they picked up free from us…. The cycle of arms race development repeats, [and the US military] asks universities to make a better weapon to beat china again. [Numerous] colleges do this, all in the name of academic freedom.”
This occurs at the hands of the American taxpayers who are ironically forced to fund the education of foreign students--further incapacitating the economy by unintentionally investing in foreign jobs for nonAmericans. A speech made in 2005 by Donald Bishop, a representative of the American Embassy in Beijing, directly discussed how Chinese students could come to American Universities to study at one-forth of the tuition cost—because American taxpayers would cover the rest. MR
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the massive liberal push in Michigan, with fifty-seven percent of voters supporting Barack Obama and only forty-one percent supporting John McCain. Those who are opposed to stem cell research are mainly conservative organizations, such as Right to Life Michigan and the Michigan Catholic Conference. Such groups may be facing a decline in numbers. In addition to relevant issues, smart campaigning sways voters. Proposal B on the 1998 ballot demonstrates this. After the proposal’s addition to the ballot,
initial polls showed that it would pass overwhelmingly. In response, a group named Citizen’s for Compassionate Care soon formed and raised millions of dollars to launch a strong campaign against the initiative. According to Michigan Right to Life’s website (a member of CCC), after a “massive public information campaign exposing the dangers lurking in the proposal,” Proposal B was shot down, receiving only twenty-nine percent of the vote. MR
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tactic for Republicans, yet even if they had reached the magic number, Hutchings believes that Democratic control would have been overstated. “A lot of Democrats hail from areas that are not liberal, so they may be less supportive of less contro-
versial elements of the Obama agenda. The notion that the Democrats will walk in lock-step with the President is overstated. The Republican caucus will be fairly unified in its opposition and will present some challenges for the new President,” he said. MR
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he saw when taking people’s personal accounts,” said Mak. In his lecture, Tutu said, “don’t allow us oldies to infect you with our cynicism.” For Mak, “the most powerful part of the experience was when he told us that he was proud of us for caring enough to take action. I don’t think anybody has ever said that to me in such earnestness, but he was basically beaming when he said it. He is a man who really believes that individuals are important and that young people can make a difference.” Tutu described how powerful an experience it was
to vote for the first time when he was 63 years old and expressed his excitement being in the United States right now because of the upcoming election. He said that with the election of Barack Obama, the U.S. would experience an “epoch-making change.” He commended Obama’s success at “galvanizing” young people. In conjunction with the events surrounding Tutu is a small exhibit of apartheid era posters and passports in the Hatcher graduate library. Additional documents are available for viewing in the Special Collections Library on the seventh floor. MR
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Natour stated that she wanted to carry out her research in Dubai because “Dubai has ambitions of becoming the world’s preeminent economic and cultural capitals. The UAE’s rapid economic transformations present ample opportunities for sociological research.” She is researching the higher education and labor force outcomes of Emirati women and “how higher education institutions
can anticipate the difficulties faced by Emirati women entering the work force.” Asked if they had any advice for aspiring Fulbrighters, Natour replied that the research project should be relevant and should take into account the needs of the host country. Acquiring letters of recommendation from authorities in the host country is also important besides demonstrating ability and interest to learn about different countries and cultures. Ams stressed the importance of getting a head start on the application, saying it was a tedious process and took a lot of time to finish. She also recommends being able to adjust to different situations. “You could be placed in a town in the boondocks, and so if you’re a big city type you’ll have to adjust quickly,” she said. MR
to students is dubbed by Michigan officials as “not classified,” and therefore not a threat to national security. Wade clarified that U-M teaches the theories, engineering, and mathematics behind weaponry. The actual construction of the weapon is considered “classified,” and therefore not taught. However, the research behind the weapons is enough to save other nations millions of dollars in research funding, and enough information
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body knows someone who could have possibly been benefited by stem cell research,” De Witt says. “The key [to the campaign] was the message...it was a compelling issue for voters.” The opposition ran many television ads that, according to De Witt “tried to confuse voters.” The issue of embryonic stem cell research may have also been influenced by reaching legislation, causing much consternation within the Republican Party. Democrats in the Senate did not gain 60 seats which would have eliminated the filibuster Intercultural Experience for Undergraduates) student scholar and IGR (Intergroup Dialogue) facilitator, along with a group of about 30 other leaders of student organizations focused on social justice, had the opportunity to meet with Tutu on Thursday morning. “We talked about issues facing social justice organizations in this day and age… Tutu spoke for a short while, telling us stories about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the forgiveness that guage Assistant in Koblenz and is “in a high school, helping teach English grammar, culture and language.”
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Senior Lecturer Emerita Patricia Shure, who has donated $12,850 since 2001. The largest Republican donor on staff is Business School Professor Marina Whitman, who has given $3,000 to Republican candidates since 2005, including $1,000 to John McCain’s presidential bid. The second highest Republican donor was Nuclear Engineering Professor David Wehe, who gave $2,300 to Joe Knollenberg’s US House campaigns from 20012008. Whether or not their politics enter the classroom is debatable, but professorial ideology can easily be identified when one takes the time to “follow the money.” MR
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initiatives would set a national precedent, changing the course of national policy as a whole. John Walters, the head of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, began a late start campaign to defeat Proposal One. Walter’s team of national anti-drug officials claims that Proposal One is a, “a dangerous drug legalization scheme being pushed by outsiders.” Although one can make the case for a national interest in Michigan’s ballot initiatives, clearly such issues affect the state of Michigan first and foremost. Within the state, groups such as Citizens Protecting Michigan’s Kids have invested time and resources into defeating Proposal One, and groups such as the Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care have been working to have it passed. However, David Prentice, Senior Fellow Science at the Family Research Council (FRC), a national lobbying organization, believes that, “it is appropriate to provide support, especially when we’re talking about things like Proposal Two. These are topics that have a wider actual effect then just within the state. These are
donator on the faculty, donating $55,306 in the last ten years to various Democratic candidates as well as Emily’s List. The next highest donator is
www. michiganreview .com
In the state of Michigan, two ballot initiatives have become national hot topics as well: Proposal One and Proposal Two. Proposal One would legalize medical marijuana within the state. Proposal Two would legalize embryonic stemcell research in Michigan. The case can be made that the passing of such
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Forum. David Doyle, spokesperson for Michigan Citizens Against Unrestricted Science and Experimentation, has fought hard to defeat Proposal Two, and is fully aware of the uneven distribution of funds. “It’s coming from one individual,” Mr. Doyle argues, “there have been large donations and proponents of Proposal Two are clearly outspending the opponents.” This is an issue that has become very polarizing. Obviously such large scale national could have drastic
effects on the effectiveness of an initiative, thereby infiltrating state sovereignty. However such issues are issues that have a place on a national level and could affect the lives of millions of people outside of the state. The answer, it seems, may only be answered on a personal level. MR
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traditional news and influences what stories and subjects are broached by journalists. Students in search of more conservative news sources would be well served by doing a little research. As was previously mentioned, Fox News is the more conservative of the television networks, but there are
plenty of other resources out there as well. Politico, the Drudge Report, and the National Review Online offer alternative perspectives that balance more mainstream media sources. MR
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movement. The structure maintained a strong sense of autonomy due to the fact that solar energy powered the photovoltaic cells. Perhaps the most impressive installation was that of Water. On three separate occasions, U-M students and faculty delivered a performance featuring original music and dance that highlighted the power and beauty of water. The performances were held in the Duderstadt Center Video Station, accompanied by large projection screens and a scenic stage. Delivering the keynote speech with humor and passion, Orr, the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of environmental Studies and Politics at Oberlin College, accurately summarized the purpose of the event. He explained what science fails to accomplish without the assistance of art – mainly, to remind, warn, inspire, and celebrate. He pointed out that people are meaningseeking creatures, and therefore art has deeper effects on them than data or scientific analysis could achieve. Analyzing how men like Sigmund Freud’s nephew Edward Bernays used his artistic talent to manipulate
the public through advertising, he noted that such advertising has continued in industries such as cigarettes and automobiles. Orr contended that artistic individuals would best serve the world by using their talents to show people the effects of urban technology on the environment, the danger of global warming, and other damaging consequences certain human practices have on nature. In his speech, Orr referred to global warming as a, “civilization-breaking kind of crisis.” He ended with noting the enormity ART Continuation of the environmental crisis at hand, and how the combination of the rational mind and the feeling mind, of art and science, would most effectively help us move towards a solution. MR
[issues that are] debated in almost every state, as well as on a national level.” National organizations are spending big dollars to have some initiatives put down. The FRC came out strongly against Proposal Two, placing it on its “2008 Ballot Watch.” The FRC was also placed as a coalition member against Proposal Two, alongside such groups as Right to Life of Michigan and the Michigan Family which objectivity, impartiality are thought to be good in themselves and achievable.... “ This suggests that it is difficult to be nonbiased when presenting news stories. The media emphasis on liberalism and liberal ideals changes the dynamic and focus of traditional and nontranquil poetry. The Air installation utilized art to make a bold statement with floating helium balloons near the ceiling representing carbon emissions from various consumer choices. A central air tube that contained thousands of ping-pong balls were frequently ejected across the room, deflating many of the balloons. The ping-pong balls would then recollect in the tube, illustrating the consequences of human actions on the cyclical nature of the atmosphere. The team who created the Fire installation described their project as a “cluster of digitally fabricated, augmented objects that together form a complex system capable of responding to people, digital information, and the physical environment in which it is situated.” Three-dimensional, aluminum, cone-shaped structures formed a base hanging upside-down on the ceiling outside of the Duderstadt’s entrance. Each cone was hollowed out to reveal a pad of photovoltaic cells that would flash red and emit roaring sounds in response to FILM Continued from PAGE 9
being effected in this case is effective…I know his extensive participation in a self-help program — and I should note he has done extensive work, beyond which was required.” Despite these commendations, many feel his actions are unforgivable. Rob Reiner, Rob Schneider, and Joan Rivers are just a few who stated that Gibson should be blacklisted from working in Hollywood. In October 2007, over a year after his arrest, a law called “Mel’s Law” criminalized the sale of privileged information pertaining to the arrests of high-profile suspects. Often conservative filmmakers appear to achieve more success through comedies. David Zucker, director of BASEketball, Airplane!, and others, is a leading donor to the Club For Growth and a strong conservative. His most recent project, An American Carol, is a parody of filmmaker Michael Moore and stars actors with conservative leanings including Kelsey Grammar and Jon Voight. The film has been largely unsuccessful, but in a Boston Globe interview, Zucker placed the blame for the bad reviews the film has received on the biases of the reviewers: “When we showed it to conservative audiences, it was (sic) like they loved it.” The Hollywood Conservative Forum, founded in 2005 by Steve Finefrock, is intended to be a resource for conservative actors and filmmakers who want to combat the liberal message of contemporary cinema. At a Heritage Foundation event, Finefrock said, “One-quarter, maybe even one-third of the people making a living in Hollywood are conservative. If you include Arnold Schwarzenegger-type conservatives, it could be as high as 45 percent. But they keep their mouths shut.” MR
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What Liberal Elite?
11.11.2008 4.1.08
It’s been a common tenant of conservative ideology that liberal college professors create liberal students, but recent academic studies have raised important questions .We asked two staffers to debate just how much influence liberal professors really have.
Pro Liberal Professor Indoctrination Con Liberal Professor Indoctrination BY NATHAN TORREANO ‘12
BY ALISSA NG ‘10
It is a popularly held belief that the population of generally liberal professors significantly influences college students. However, a recently released article by the New York Times reported, “But a handful of new studies have found such worries to be overwrought. Three sets of researchers recently concluded that professors have virtually no impact on the political views and ideology of their students.” I do not doubt the credibility of these new studies; however, I do doubt their methodology. One study reached its conclusions based on surveys taken from nearly 7,000 students at 38 institutions. The major conclusion is that professors have a minimal influence on changes in students’ political beliefs. The study contends that significant influences are mostly attributed to peers and parents of the students. The fact is that even among those students who honestly believe they have not been influenced by their professors’ words, there are some who have been influenced indirectly in a variety of ways by professors. For example, consider a moderate conservative who takes a political science class taught by a liberal professor. He may very well critically analyze the professor’s lessons; however, numerous students in similar situations turn liberal. A recent University of California-Los Angeles study discovered that students become increasingly liberal within their first three years of college. Many of these students attribute their political change of heart to peers, and not their professors. Such attribution, however, illustrates the far-reaching influence of professors on college campuses. Liberal professors influence the already left-leaning students to be more passionate about their ideas. They fuel such students with more ideas and arguments. Thus, when these students talk to their conservative or independent peers, they are politically influencing their peers based largely off of the knowledge they gained from their liberal professors. Additionally, professors will often assign work that is reflective of their political ideologies. For example, many social sciences professors assign work detailing the suffering and misery associated with poverty. It is often assumed in these class settings that the government has a duty to offer greater assistance, alienating those students who are ideologically opposed to social welfare. Under such influence, moderate economic conservatives can be swayed politically left because of these assignments, later attributing their change not to their professors, but to new information that was presented to them. These examples relate to a psychological phenomenon known as groupthink, defined by Merriam-Webster as, “a pattern of thought characterized by self-deception, forced manufacture of consent, and conformity to group values and ethics.” There are moderately right-leaning students who publicly espouse liberal opinions on college campuses because they perceive a very liberal environment and desire to maintain group cohesion. Such students do not want to be socially excluded or made to feel awkward due to their beliefs, so instead they either keep their opinions to themselves or concede to liberal opinions. Thus, liberal professors help create a liberal environment where groupthink thrives and conservative ideas are not seriously examined. It is not a surprise that people trend to the left during their college years. An anonymous source reported on www.associatedcontent.com that his political science professor asked why college students tend to be more liberal than those people who only have a high school degree. One student answered, “People are more liberal when they graduate college because they are more educated and enlightened than people who just go to work.” The anonymous source scoffed, commenting that college students are more liberal because the majority of them don’t have to work.The professor ignored him. Regardless of one’s beliefs, it is apparent that liberal professors create an environment where liberal opinions thrive. Lastly, liberal professors influence students also because of what they do not teach: conservative and libertarian ideals. The ideals of Friedrich Hayek, William Buckley, Ayn Rand, Friedrich Nietzsche, and even Henry David Thoreau are often overlooked in professor’s political discussions. With a lack of conservative intellectual perspectives present on college campuses, it is very unlikely for students to embrace such ideas. If professors questioned liberal ideals, the vast number of liberal students would likely decrease. Professors do have a massive influence, whether direct or indirect, obvious or discreet, on the political atmosphere of college campuses. Their thoughts all too often become those of their students. MR
Since the 1960s, the viewpoints of college students have shifted towards the left becoming decidedly more liberal. While some argue that it may be attributed to their professors’ political influence, there is no concrete evidence that this in fact exists. While an individual’s political orientation is moulded and consolidated mostly during their college years, there is an array of factors at play on campus besides faculty political stances. UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute has uncovered a correlation between leftist peer groups and leftist college students in a study conducted on nearly 15,000 students who enrolled in 136 colleges in 2004. It is these peer groups and activist organizations on campus that contribute to the leftward shift in political college views. “If you find yourself in a peer group where on balance the attitudes lean left, you’ll tend to move in that direction.” UCLA researcher Alexander Astin said. The study found out that after three years of college, fewer students are opposed to homosexual marriages. It also revealed that 60% of juniors support legalized abortion, and only 25% supported increased defense spending. These liberal viewpoints illustrate the prevalence of liberal viewpoints among the enrolled, not the enrolling. This rings true at U-M where there is a tradition of left-leaning campus activism and student protestations. The book “Closed Minds? Politics and Ideology in American Universities” by Professors A. Fritschler, Bruce Smith and Jeremy Mayer at George Mason University describes an “anti-political” bias in most modern research universities. According to them, professors are largely objective in their teaching and consciously try to avoid bringing bias into the classroom to maintain professional standards. Even in my Political Science class on the American presidency, which one would think is the most likely place for bias to be inserted, the professor does not show a distinct preference for a particular presidential candidate. He prescribes both Obama and McCain books as required readings. “It is really hard to change the mind of anyone over 15,” one of the book’s authors, Mayers, says. “Parents and family are the most important influence, followed by the news media and peers. Professors are among the least influential.” While parents play less of a role in political socialization by the time their child is in college, they install basic values in him or her during childhood. News media, such as newspapers and television, wield considerable influence, as they are prime sources of information for students. In media-saturated college campuses, there are both liberal and conservative publications that can provoke political thought. The diversity (student, media, opinion) found in most universities influences opinions more than professors alone can.
News media...newspapers and television...diversity (student, media, opinion) found in most universities influences opinions more than professors alone can. Closed Minds pinpoints the problem to be “too little” emphasis on politics in American universities, however strange that may seem. According to the authors, professors “ignore political debate and have little or no interest in the basics of constitutional order.” Civic education necessary for democratic citizenship has been left out in the university curriculum, and specialized classes such as military history or traditional literary analysis are no longer taught. Overall, they conclude that “many vital issues confront the modern university, but political bias is not one of them, if by this we mean that professors are engaged in an effort to indoctrinate their students according to some political ideology.” MR
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