THE JOURNAL OF CAMPUS AFFAIRS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGANMichigan Review

the

VOLUME XXIX ISSUE 11

W W W . M I C H I G A N R E V I E W . C O M

ANN ARBOR, MI APRIL 8, 2011

SPECIAL

PAGES 6 AND 7

The Worst of Ann Arbor 2011There are plenty of awesome things aboutAnn Arbor. There are plenty of other things

that really get to you after a fewyears on campus.

BY JOSS VAN SEVENTER ‘14Assistant Editor

BY DANA PRAINITO ‘12Staff Writer

IT IS OFTEN said that Ann Arbor residents sign up for the loud music and drinking associated with football Saturdays themoment they sign their leases. Unfortunately for prospective partiers, the Ann Arbor Police Department does not see it this way.

After a busy last season in which the department was known to give out a total of 70 to 100 MIPs and noiseviolation tickets over the course of just five hours, the official Ann Arbor “Party Patrol” will be ramping up operations for the coming football season. Next year, they will add several new officers andcommit to beginning operations a full four hours before the game, in contrast to last year’s two hours.

Sargeant Craig Flocken, a veteran patrol member who headed up the team last year, believes the move is necessary,because last year’s patrol was not able to adequately cover all the necessary areas. As parties typically occur on State, Packard and Hill Streets, the department found patrolling them all to benear-impossible, a job which Flocken believes is necessary tomaintain a decent quality of life for area residents. “This was not a problem 10 years ago or even five, but pregame parties recently havedefinitely become a quality of life issue for Ann Arbor residents, as well as a safety concern for those involved,” Flocken said.

The main focus for the officers on patrol are fraternity and house parties that get excessively large and create a significant disturbance due to either large congregations overflowing onto the sidewalks and street, loud music, or both. At the beginning of the year, officers visit the various houses and talk to them about staying at capacity during pregame. Parties that stay within the realm of acceptable noise levels and do not go significantly over their legal human capacity are unlikely to attract the attention of the patrol. “A good rule of thumb is that if we can hear your music from two blocks away, we’ll probably pay you a visit,” said Flocken.

Houses that are singled out by the patrol are shut down by

Party Patrol Ramps Up

PARTY continued on PAGE 5

Peace Corps Under Fire

BY EDEN STIFFMAN ‘12Editor-in-Chief

AMID THE CELEBRATIONS of 50 years of internationalservice, the Peace Corps has been in the spotlight for a far less laudatory record.

Following an ABC News “20/20” report in January, in which volunteers who survived rape or sexual assault while serving in the Peace Corps expressed dissatisfaction over the support they received, the agency has been under fire.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold ahearing, likely in May, to examine the Peace Corps’ treatment ofvolunteers who have been victims of rape or sexual assault while serving abroad.

The issue caught the attention of Representative Ted Poe (R-Texas), founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Victims’ Rights Caucus who, citing the report, first spoke on the House floor about the issue in late January.

In an interview with THE MICHIGAN REVIEW, Poe said he hopes to “find out what has happened to victims of crime, why crimes are committed against them, and what the response has been from our federal government, if any.”

In the last decade, over 1000 female volunteers have been victims of rape or sexual assault, including 221 rapes orattempted rapes, 147 major sexual attacks, and 719 other sexual assaults, according to Peace Corps’ Annual Reports of Volunteer

Safety.Casey Frazee, a graduate of Eastern Michigan University,

is one of these assault survivors. In 2009, Frazee was placed in South Africa where she volunteered at an HIV/AIDS clinic. Soon after arriving, she was assaulted by the brother of her hostmother, a man who was also dating one of her co-workers at the clinic. PEACE continued on BACK PAGE

Seeking counseling, Frazee went to Peace Corp’s SouthAfrican headquarters where she was told “there wasn’t anything in the budget.”

“At first I thought I was ok because I feel like I’mgenerally a very strong woman and I thought I could deal with it,” she says, “but it became very clear that I couldn’t…I just totally fell apart…I didn’t trust anybody. I started to get really severe PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) symptoms.”

Her parents then called the Peace Corps Headquarters in D.C. where they found out that their daughter had beenmisinformed by the in-country Peace Corps staff person. In fact, there is always money for volunteer help.

Frazee left South Africa and returned stateside, still very traumatized from the experience. She began asking a lot ofquestions. “I wondered: what are my rights? Am I allowed to get counseling? Am I allowed to get a new site because I had to be pulled out of the site where I was? How does that process work?”

Taking a leap of faith that she was not the only returnvolunteer with this experience, Frazee founded First Response Action, a support and advocacy group for Peace Corps sexualassault victims. In under two years, Frazee says around 50 women have sent her their stories, and others have come forward to say they are survivors.

“You only ever hear about the shiny, happy volunteers,” says Frazee. “Unfortunately, not everyone gets that experience—and it’s not their choice to go that route.”

In the ABC News report, six women spoke about theirgrievances towards the Peace Corps. Some felt unsatisfied with the number of counseling sessions and others felt as if they were

“You only ever hear about the shiny, happy volunteers and unfortunately,not everyone gets that experience—and it’s not their choice to go that route.”

Casey FrazeeAssault Survivor and Founder of First Response Action

PHOTO OWUGLOBALMAP.FILES.WORDPRESS.COM

AS A UNIVERSITY of Michigan student, time is invaluable—there just never seems to be enough of it. Rushing to class on “Michigan Time,” you dart into Bert’s Cafe to purchase a bottle of water. After chugging the bottle, you toss it into the trash and continue on your way to class. But these days may soon be over, as a group of U-M students have introduced a petition to ban the sales water bottles from all campus stores and cafes. Ifimplemented by the administration, that water bottle youpurchased earlier will no longer be available for purchase atuniversity stores.

The online petition, which aims to ban the sales ofbottled water in all campus food service locations, was started byProgram in the Environment sophomore Maggie Oliver earlier this year. The petition now has nearly 2,000 student and staffsignatures. Although U-M would not be the first school toenact a campus ban on water bottle sales, it would be the largestAmerican university to do so. If successful, the ban wouldeliminate the sales of around 600,000 bottles of water oncampus, according to Planet Blue, U-M’s major Environment and Energy Initiative.

In 2009, the University of Winnipeg in Canada became the first university to ban the sales of bottled water on campus. The ban was enacted through a student led initiative that started in 2008. Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri implemented a bottled water ban in all campus vending machines and eateries in January of 2009. While the sales of bottled water on campus were prohibited for environmental concerns, a report by the U.S. Mayor’s Office in 2007 revealed that St. Louis had some of the country’s safest tap water, helping to enact the ban.

The idea for the ban had been on the minds of a fewMichigan Student Assembly (MSA) sponsored environmental

Bottle Ban PetitionStill Making Waves

BOTTLE BAN continued on BACK PAGE

CAMPUS

PAGES 8

Students on AntidepressantsDepression is a very serious matter.

But what can we make of theincrease in prescription treatments?

4.1.08PAGE 2 APRIL 8, 2011

Eden StiffmanEditor-in-Chief

Stephanie WangSenior Editor

Andrew KalenkiewiczManaging Editor

Eun LeeLayout Editor

Mary BiglinAssistant Layout Editor

Michael ReseighAssistant Editor

Joss van SeventerAssistant Editor

Chris KudialisSports Editor

Graham KozakPublisher

Raina ShethBusiness Manager

Adam PascarellaEditor Emeritus

Staff Writers and Photographers

Nadia Danienta, Alex Kaminski, Renard Monczunski, Dana Prainito, Riley Schaff, Hannah Weiner, Maria Wright

Letters and Viewpoints

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Send all correspondence to mrev@umich.edu.

About Us

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Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board. Ergo, they are unequivocally correct and just. Signed articles, letters, andcartoons represent the opinions of the author, and not necessarily those of The Michigan Review. The Serpent’s Tooth shall represent the opinion of individual, anonymous contributors to The MichiganReview, and should not necessarily be taken as representative of The Michigan Review’s editorial stance. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the advertisers or the University of Michigan.

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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

SERPENT’S TOOTH AND LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Serpent’s Tooth

Letter from the Editor

A 20-INCH KING cobra escaped from the Bronx Zoo and enjoyed his freedom for a full five days before being recaptured. Follow him on Twitter!

VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT HUGO Chavez has implicated Capitalism as the reason there is no life on Mars. It also allowed the U.S. government to pay off all those scientists to say it was just the “climate.”

TIGER WOODS HAS finally returned to the Masters. It’s good—we were getting tired of hearing about Charlie Sheen all the time.

THE MUSEUM OF Modern Art’s collection now includes a painting of the @ sign. See? Modern art is about more than just blank palates and upturned chairs.

MADONNA SAYS SHE wishes her daughter would “dress more conservatively.” And she can definitely claim to have “been young once too, you know.”

KIM JONG IL’S shopper has written a tell-all. We’re particularly looking forward to the chapters on the “War of the Ray Bans” and the “Fur Coat Incident.”

THE HASH BASH: one thing hippies and lobbyists (for Ann Arbor’s snack shops) can agree on.

FAKE CANDIDATE KARLOS MARKS got 68 more votes than the Defend Affirmative Action Party. Voters definitely moved to the left this year.

LSA IS ACCEPTING submissions for the Fall 2011 theme semester. Following ‘Water,’ we propose ‘Dirt,’ ‘Cats,’ or ‘Why???’

A MISS AMERICA contestant recently shot an intruder with a pink gun. Props to fighting for women’s empowerment whilemaintaining her feminine image. MR

PHOTO REDRIVERAUTOGRAPHS.WORDPRESS.COM

IT HAS BEEN a great year and it has flown by incredibly fast.

As finals loom closer and the anticipa-tion for another awesome 4-month summer vacation takes over, take some time to flip through our last issue of the semester. Inside you’ll find a range of stories about issues that matter to you.

Soon you’ll be signing up for next se-mester’s classes. So why does that Lacrosse player over there get first dibs on registra-tion? On page 9, Maria Wright has the sto-ry. Still unsure about what courses to take? While the rate of drop-outs at U-M looks much rosier than at other colleges and uni-versities across the country, it’s not clear why students are dropping out. On page 5, Alex Kaminski breaks down the numbers as well as a new study that may have some answers.

Ever wonder what it would be like to bust parties in Tree Town for a living? On the cover, Joss van Seventer reports on the plans of the Ann Arbor Police Department’s Party Patrol. Tailgaters beware.

As the countdown to the implementa-tion of the long awaited and much-resisted campus wide smoking ban gets nearer, Dana Prainito talks to the student behind another

ban. On the cover and back page, read about the environmental rationale behind the bottled water ban.

On page 4, Graham Kozak and I present our opinions on the proposal to bring thou-sands of copies of the New York Times to cam-pus with an addition $4 hike in tuition.

This is a full issue and it’s also my last as Editor-in-Chief. I will continue to write and look forward to working with the dedicated staff to bring our award winning newspaper to new heights. I have full confidence in the editors who will be taking the reins as we en-ter our landmark 30th year on campus. As the next Editor-in-Chief, I know Stephanie Wang will do great things with the Review’s news coverage. As Opinion Editor, Joss van Seventer will continue providing a venue for thoughtful opinions and commentary on campus.

Between May and September, THE MICHIGAN REVIEW will go on a printing hiatus. But if you need your MR fix, do not fear. Keep an eye on our revamped website, follow us on Twitter, ‘like’ us on Facebook and check out our shiny new blog.

Enjoy the issue and I’ll see you next year,

Eden Stiffman

MR

4.1.08APRIL 8, 2011 PAGE 3EDITORIALS

PHOTO JOSEPH XU

GOVERNOR SNYDER IS going to be the University of Michigan Class of 2011’s commencement speaker. Deal with it.

That’s the message that the U-M Board of Regents sent campus when they confirmed the Coleman Administration’s selection of Snyder despite significant student outcry, includingorganized protests and an MSA petition that has, at the time of printing, garnered more than 4,500 electronic signatures.

It was certainly refreshing to see a reawakening of student activism in the wake of the Snyder selection (though it is interesting to ponder where said activism was during the election that led to Snyder’s victory). Whether one agrees with the anti-Snyder protestors or not, it is certainly more exciting to live on a dynamic campus where students are motivated to vocalize their beliefs—at least if you happen write for a student newspaper.

Still, the message of the anti-Snyder students was far from coherent. Some claimed that, while they may or may not disagree with Snyder’s political views, their reasoning behind opposing his selection stemmed from his perceived lack of national statute. In other words, he was a poor follow up to President Obama, the Class of 2010’s commencement speaker.

At the same time, other students opposed Snyder on purely political grounds, arguing that his proposed cuts to education spending across the state are too far out of line with U-M’s value to be within the realm of acceptability. This was the explicit message behind the popular student petition opposing Snyder’s selection.

To address the first set of concerns, one must simply ask, as many already have: How could U-M have possibly lived up to the selection of a sitting U.S. president as commencementspeaker? Short of reincarnating historical figures, it’s a tough act to follow. Further, choosing the nextcommencement speaker based on public stature makes the selection little more than a popularity contest, with perception of a speaker’s popularity outweighing the wisdom he or she is expected to impart on the graduating class.

Putting aside the U-M tradition of inviting the sitting Michigan governor to speak at thecommencement of the state’s preeminent university (Granholm spoke in 2003, Engler in thewinter of 1993, and Blanchard in 1985), it isn’t clear that Snyder is less qualified to speak at thisupcoming commencement than many past choices. Take, for example, Robert Pinsky, who spoke in 2001. While United States Poet Laureate may not be the most irrelevant of all federalappointments, and his speech may well have been inspiring, Mr. Pinsky was likely not a household name when he was selected, nor did he likely have any particular currency among the student body before his speech.

Snyder, on the other hand, is a three-time U-M degree recipient and a self-made picture of success. Snyder is a living example of how well U-M prepares its graduates to take on the world, and politics aside, his drive and passion is exactly what the state of Michigan needs more of as it continues to totter on the economic brink.

With regard to political opposition: the outrageous outrage displayed by some studentsfrankly rings a bit hollow. Despite popular perception, there are conservative students oncampus who could have reacted poorly to last year’s selection of President Obama—arguably one of the most polarizing figures in recent national political history. Instead, the campus community(conservatives included) shared in the excitement of having a prestigious national figure in the Big House on commencement day.

Compare that to the pledges being made by a small but vocal minority of U-M students to disrupt Snyder’s commencement speech to the detriment of all who will be in attendance at the ceremony which is, after all, a celebration of the graduates’ accomplishment, not a platform for political commentary. MR

Speaker Included, Let’s Set Partisanship Aside at Commencement

ON TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 520 U-M students voted for Karlos Marks, not only winning him seats on several MSA committees but defeating the candidates of the Defend Affirmative Action Party by no less than 68 votes. Marks, of course, was a fictional write-in, endorsed by the Every Three Weekly as a way to send a message to MSA about how much students care about the outcome of MSAelections. Despite the humorous nature of the entire situation, the fact that Marks garnered so many votes forces us to question the relationship between students and their would-be government.

Unfortunately for MSA, student voter turnout decreased to 11 percent from last year’s 14 percent, even with the surge of votes inspired by Marks. The reliably low turnout is oftenconsidered a sign that students do not devote any more to MSA than the required $4 per semester tuition fee used to pay for MSA’s operations. Most students, quite simply, do not care about MSA because they feel it is not present in their lives, no matter how much it may or may not do behind the scenes. But the success of Karlos Marks reveals that apathy is not all there is to the student view of MSA. We may not be willing to turn out and vote for legitimate candidates, but we are definitely on board for mocking the entire system.

So is MSA just filled with the same people from your high school student government who used to annoy you? 89 percent of students don’t care. 11 percent care at least enough to get online and vote, but a good portion of these students—540 to be exact—are not voting because of any real conviction in what MSA does. On the contrary, they’re either making an admittedly well-organized joke out of the entire process or actually expressing their discontent with MSA. It does not bode well for MSA or student interest in their activities when the majority of students ignore them and most of the rest take the time out of their lives only to mock them.

In fairness, MSA has tried to do certain projects over the course of the year, such asproviding free service vehicles and undergoing the process of establishing gender-neutral housing, a major issue for several students. Yet most of the time, it just doesn’t seem that MSA is focusing onestablishing ties to the rest of the student body. Direct communication with the student body would certainly help MSA fund more events that make them more visible—in a positive sense—rather than guessing amongst themselves what is most likely to generate student interest in theirorganization. Advertising which events and initiatives are organized by MSA would undoubtedly also help their publicity on campus.

Yet in order for student government to be truly relevant, the regents and the other U-M administrative bodies that oversee MSA also need to communicate better. Much of MSA’s seeming lack of progress stems from the fact that they cannot commit to any initiatives or events without the approval of several governing bodies at the university, and the administrators in question do not always devote much of their time to ensuring that themselves and MSA are on the same page. Even if you know exactly what students want and have the money to do it, it is hard to create major events that draw student interest when every decision you make has to pass through a governing body that is occupied with university business. If the regents simply do not have the time to deal with MSA, it’s only fair that they deregulate MSA’s activities to an extent that it is possible for our student government to manage their events and initiatives freely.

Until then, we can only watch as Karlos Marks and his inevitable successors enjoy theirwidespread popularity. MR

We Can All Learn a LessonFrom Karlos Marks

89% of students don’t care. 11% care at least enough to get online and vote,but a good portion of these students—540 to be exact—are...either making

an admittedly well-organized joke out of the entire processor actually expressing their discontent with MSA.

4.1.08P. APRIL 8, 2011PAGE 4

♦ Damn the Torpedoes

OPINION

Subsidizing Irrelevance All the News That’s Fit for a WolverineBY GRAHAM KOZAK ‘11

PublisherBY EDEN STIFFMAN ‘12

Editor-in-Chief

♦ Why I Have No Heart

21: The Magic of Maturity

ANYONE WHO SAYS turning 21 is not a big deal is lying. It is a huge deal. I turned 21 last month, and my birthday still remains the highlight of 2011.

I love being 21. I love the fact that I can stop in at Sergeant Pepper’s on the way home from class and buy a bottle of wine. I love buying drinks in restaurants. I love being at a party and knowing that, if the police show up, it does not really matter. And I cannot wait forFootball Saturday, when I will be able to glare at the police, daring them to ask me for my ID.Despite the fact that I no longer have to worry about MIPs or any other repercussions ofunderage drinking, the drinking age is still infuriating.

The United States is one of only five countries around the world to have a drinking age of 21.

We’ve all heard thousands of reasons why the drinking age should be lowered, but few good reasons for why the drinking age should remain at 21.

Some say maturity plays a role, as if, at 21, we magically become real adults, able to handle the effects of alcohol.

An argument for the lowering of the drinking age is the military service age which is 18. Currently, Alaska is attempting to pass a bill which would allow military personnel to drink alcohol at the age of 18. The bill would also allow those in the military under 19 to smoke cigarettes (currently you must be 19 to purchase tobacco in Alaska).

I would agree that if you are willing to give your life for our country, you should be able to kick back a couple of beers at night or smoke a cigarette. But it is ludicrous to think that just because someone joins the military, they become more mature than the average 18-year-old. They should already have a maturity level conducive to serving in the military. I am not trying to say that people in the military don’t have it rough. I am sure there are horrors they see that I could not imagine, but military personnel are not the only ones to go through tough times.

This is an absolutely ridiculous law to pass. If one 18-year-old earns the right to drink alcohol, all 18-year-olds should have the same right.

Another right we earn at 18 is the right to vote. Call me crazy, but I think voting is a way bigger deal than drinking alcohol. It takes a lot more responsibility, or it should. It doesn’t take much responsibility to drink liquids, which is something we do on a daily basis. However, it is very time-consuming to read the news and research candidates and proposals. If 18-year-olds

DRINKING continued on PAGE 11

The United States is one of only five countriesaround the world to have a drinking age of 21.

PHOTO COMPSCREENINGCENTER.COM

DON’T LET THE University of Michigan’s new computer labs or cutting-edge research facilities fool you. Appearances aside, many of my instructors and fellow students seem to be stuck firmly in the past.

No, this isn’t about Ann Arbor’s upcoming Hash Bash, which is soon to celebrate its 40th year on campus. Instead, I’m referring to the recentproposal, based on the mistaken assumption that newspapers are stillrelevant to today’s hyperconnected college students, to distribute thousands

of copies of the New York Times to campus newsstands everyday.Since the New York Times is in no position to give anything away these days (including online

content, given their soon to be implemented paywall), the “free” daily paper would in fact besubsidized by a $4/semester fee added to the tuition of all students—regardless of whether they care to read the paper or not. While an advisory vote in recent campus elections favored theproposal, no definitive action has yet been taken by the student government to further the initiative.

With an unfortunate number of individuals on and around campus viewing the New York Times readership as an instant badge of erudition, it’s likely that we’ll be able to afford one less latte after receiving next semester’s tuition bill. But the $4 fee/semester that is not the issue at stake;worrying about an amount that small in the era of skyrocketing tuition would be outrageous.Instead, I’m astounded by the pervasive and outdated mentality that students need to be provided with a traditional newspaper, let alone a newspaper with the biases of the New York Times, to remain informed in this modern age—particularly on a campus so proud of its rampant technophilia.

On its surface, the proposal to subsidize and distribute the New York Times may seem noble, or at least pragmatic; after all, there’s no better way to impress prospective students (and their parents) during campus tours than to have as many students as possible walking around with the Paper of Record tucked under their arms. Imagine the instant academic credibility U-M would gain if tuition fees were enacted to subsidize horn-rimmed glasses and all-season scarves as well!

Yet most of the students who pick up the New York Times will probably browse through the first few pages while parked in a lecture hall, make a halfhearted attempt at the crossword puzzle, and then pitch the whole thing. I suppose the more environmentally conscious students might recycle the paper if there’s an appropriate bin around, but even so, the entire enterprise is as much a waste of student resources as it is trees. To be brutally honest: the vast majority of students who read newspapers, whether national dailies or campus publications, do so for cheap or free entertainment, not information.

It’s laughable for me to picture myself, or any of my peers, rushing to a newsstand to catch up on the late breaking stories from around the world; I could do so on my smartphone in less time than it would take me to find the international section of any newspaper. With the Internet’sinnumerable competing sources of virtually free news and commentary, it is ridiculous to assert that free copies of the New York Timess are all that set otherwise ignorant U-M students apart from globally informed enlightenment.

Of course, that U-M would contemplate using student tuition fees to support a publication with certain biases (I won’t go so far as to call the New York Times a “left-wing rag”) should give me pause, but after years in Ann Arbor, it hardly surprises me. A less jaded observer might ask whether U-M ought to provide some editorial balance by at least offering the option of, say, the Wall Street Journal; experience suggests, however, that those most fond of the idea of providing papers to the student body have no desire to offer opposition to the opinions of Maureen Dowd, ThomasFriedman, or Paul Krugman.

If this paper-pushing scheme is implemented, I’ll hear all about the tremendous value it will offer (to New York Times-reading students, at least), and how the mere presence of the paper oncampus will, in some small and intangible way, contribute to the world-class statute of U-M (as every pointless investment inevitably does). But behind the hearty praise, I’ll see the reality: a small, self-indulgent group of students using their peers’ tuition fees to subsidize their love for anincreasingly irrelevant icon of the American intelligentsia. MR

BY STEPHANIE WANG ‘12Senior Editor

♦ Ear to the Ground

THE PROPOSAL TO provide the New York Times on campus for a yearly fee of just $4 is an opportunity to be seized.

Nearly 400 other schools are already enrolled in the New York Times’College Readership Program, a flexible plan intended to provide thepaper to university students at a dramatically discounted rate. Universities canassume all costs of the program, or, as U-M is considering, can subsidize the cost through student tuition.

Monday through Friday, up to 4,500 copies of the paper would be delivered, in Angell Hall, Pierpont Commons and as many as 20 other locations across campus.

Currently, a copy of the weekday paper costs $2 at newsstands. So, with subsidizeddistribution at under 15 cents per issue (assuming you pick up the paper every day), students will be getting more than their money’s worth.

Considered one of the best newspapers in the world, the access to this daily coverage would be nothing but a positive addition to a campus as globally engaged as U-M. Spending just apittance more to subsidize readership makes a lot of sense in terms of educational value. Thisaddition could result in a much larger return on investment than some of the other charges tacked on to student tuition bills.

The New York Times’ wide scope of topics and in-depth coverage would bolster course readings and make students more aware of issues that do not get much exposure.

Even with its often strong local coverage, the Michigan Daily, is, for many students, the only printed newspaper they pick up on a daily basis, and is not sufficient to sustain a more holistic (and less M-centric) world view.

Even with its thousands of high-speed computers, wireless Internet and digitized books and periodicals, the U-M community needs to put the news of the world at its fingertips.

If implemented, the program comes at a time when the Times has made a difficultfinancial decision that is likely to turn off many new readers. Last month, the paper put up their“Paywall,” charging $15 every four weeks or $195 annually for readers who click on over 20 articles per month. With a per-click rate, students (and many others) may choose very selectively whichstories to read. This College Readership plan, however, appeals to both the avid news consumer and the casual browser alike.

After walking by the stands in Mason Hall, readers will be able to encounter stories they would never have clicked online, let alone paid for. The readership program also presents anopportunity for students to get away from the screen.

The program is also expected to include discounted online student rates, though the prices have yet to be determined.

Schools such as George Washington University in Washington, D.C. have floated the idea of purchasing a digital subscription of the paper for all of its students.

The program would also sponsor events, bringing journalists to campus to give lectures about current issues in the news. On April 7, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, the Times’ White House Correspondent spoke at Eastern Michigan University, a free event made possible through theCollege Readership Program.

After the three-week pilot program to gauge student sentiment ended, studentsvoted in favor of the program in the recent MSA election. The Michigan Student Assembly has nottaken an official stance on the program. Next up, the Regents will have to vote in approval. I hope they recognize the enormous impact that this nominal tuition increase could have on the campuscommunity.

And I hope that soon, if you want it, the New York Times will be here waiting for you. MR

Considered one of the best newspapers in the world,the access to this daily coverage would be nothing but

a positive addition to a campus as globally engaged as U-M.

4.1.08APRIL 8, 2011 PAGE 5CAMPUS AND NEWS

BY RENARD MONCZUNSKI ‘11Staff Writer

It Begins With UsWITH JUST 18 months until the November 2012 elections,prospective candidates are already making known theirintentions to run for the White House. President Obama hasofficially announced that he will run for another term. Since no other Democratic politicians have hinted at running, most of the focus will lie on the Republican Party. The list of candidatesconsists of both familiar faces and newcomers. What made this year especially interesting are the newly elected tea-partycandidates. The following politicians have hinted or haven’t ruled out a run for the GOP nomination.

Mitt Romney served as governor for the state ofMassachusetts from 2003 to 2007. He is a Michigan native, born in Detroit in 1947. His father, George Romney was thegovernor of Michigan from 1963 to 1969. Romney ran for presidentduring the 2008 election during the primaries andeventually lost the nomination to Senator John McCain. However,the nomination for the Republican Party is up for grabs andRomney has been seen as the front-runner. He recentlystarted the “Free and Strong America” Political ActionCommittee, which has endorsed several candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Romney has twomajor challenges in his campaign, his faith and the controversialhealthcare reform in Massachusetts. Romney is a member of the Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ (Mormon), which many say makes him unelectable. Healthcare will be Romney’sgreatest challenge as there have been attempts in Congress torepeal President Obama’s healthcare law.

Newt Gingrich has returned to the political spotlight.Gingrich has served as House Speaker from 1995 to 1999during the “Republican Revolution.” Now, he is an outspoken critic against President Obama’s healthcare law and foreignpolicy. According to Politico, Gingrich announced hisintention to evaluate his run for presidency and he recently starteda fundraising committee “Newt Explore 2010.” He currently has a website, “Newt.org” which spells out his agenda for a possible run for the White House.

Mike Huckabee was the governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. Like Romney, he ran for president during the 2008primary elections. Huckabee is an author, ordainedSouthern Baptist minister, and he has a television show on Fox News,Huckabee. During his tenure as Arkansas governor, heunderwent dramatic weight loss and was inspired to implement a program in his state to fight childhood obesity. Huckabee is also amember of a rock band, called “Capitol Offense.” Huckabee hasn’t made an official statement of intention to run for president.According to Gallup, 71% of Republicans polled, stated that they would consider voting for Huckabee.

Sarah Palin made history for being only the secondfemale vice-presidential candidate for a major party when she ranalongside John McCain in the 2008 presidential election. She

GOP continued on PAGE 11

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a force of around six to eight officers, who hand out tickets for MIPs, public intoxication, and public disturbance, in addition to fining the house if it is over capacity. As for deciding which parties to shut down, Flocken believes they are “pretty lenient on most things,” and will not make a point of shutting down parties unless they are clearly violating one of the rules. “We’re not going to go in and cause any trouble unless a party draws attention to itself,” Flocken said. “We only shut them down when they’re clearly out of control—often with loud music that draws a big crowd which blocks the sidewalks or creates some other disturbance.”

Students have had mixed reactions to the news.Freshman Alex Fox, a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity whocurrently works as their risk manager, was aware of the change early after communicating with the police department. “If you fill out the necessary forms and make sure things stay reasonable, the police aren’t likely to intervene,” Fox said. “Of course, it’s theresponsibility of the hosts to ensure that their party doesn’t

get out of control, but as long as things don’t get absolutelyoutrageous I’ve found that the police are pretty lenient.”

Other students were not so confident, however. Freshman David Niemann, who attended several pregame parties last fall, intends to hold back next semester. “I can’t control how big a party gets, but I know I don’t want to get a ticket just because someone let their party get out of control,” Niemann said. “I’m definitely going to be cautious about going to big pregame parties next semester.”

In addition to the daytime party patrol, the department also runs a nighttime patrol that has been operating for almost 20 years. Unlike the daytime patrol, which is adding more officers and longer hours next fall, the nighttime patrol will not change its operations. However, Flocken emphasizes that the nighttime patrol is more frequent in the fall than in the winter or spring. “That’s just when the greatest number of parties tend to take place,” he said. MR

THE NUMBER OF students completing their educations through to commencement at over one third of U.S. colleges has dropped since 2003, according to a report by the Chronicle of Higher Education. However, at the University of Michigan, the rates have stayed rather stable, even including a slight increase of about 0.9% in graduation percentage, when looking at the most recent data.

For students who entered the university in 2002, 2003 and 2004, the dropout rate was an average of 563, or roughly 10.13%, according to data from the U-M Office of Budget and Planning. When looking at six-year graduation rates, the entire class is tracked each year after entry.

Lester Monts, Provost for Academic Affairs, says the more recent numbers push the pattern into an even more positivevalue. In a statement to THE MICHIGAN REVIEW, Monts said, “It is gratifying to acknowledge that all this hard work is paying off, our graduation rates are climbing steadily higher. Together, we can and will do even better going forward.”

In the 2002 through 2004 data, there is no difference in the percentage of dropouts whose final term grade point average was over 2.0 and those whose GPA was below 2.0. Final term GPA is used as an indicator of a student’s academic dismissal status.

For students who received a failing grade, the distinction

Drop-Out Rates at U-M Stay StableBY ALEX KAMINSKI ‘12

Staff Writerf

is much more clear. The percentage of dropouts with a low GPA is 51% lower than those without. (I don’t understand this? What does this have to do with a failing grade?) The fact that most of the dropouts are not having academic difficulties suggests that their decision to quit is based on something else.

The university does not have the data required to track which of these myriad causes are most likely, or if indeed another reason is the primary rationale of the students leaving the school. “It is impossible to know why a student chooses to leave before Graduation,” said Provost Monts, “The factors in making such a decision could be personal, professional, academic, financial, or any other number of countless—and to us, unknowable—variables.”

A new study published in the journal OrganizationalBehavior and Human Decision Processes found that,“Depression and losing financial aid were two…factors thatstrongly influenced students’ decisions to withdraw from college. The study also cites change of major and death in the family as minor influences.

According to Sir Ken Robinson, another reason could be that students no longer view a college degree as a guarantee of good employment, which was the “promise [they] were sold.” MR

PARTY continued from FRONT PAGE

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4.1.08APRIL 8, 2011 PAGE 6 THE WORST OF ANN ARBOR 2011

the worst ofEVERY YEAR, OUR friends at the Michigan Daily publish a “Best of Ann Arbor” list. And don’t get us wrong, there are A LOT of really great things about Ann Arbor, but as all too many seniors know, there are just as many daily hassles and annoyances we’re glad to be rid of by the time we graduate.

So, here we present the “Worst of Ann Arbor” list. It reflects a sentiment of miss and vinegar about some things mixed in with our sense of nostalgia. If you don’t hate something about this school, you haven’t been a student long enough.

The list is a mixture of staff opinion, general consensus, a few tweets @michiganreview, and the funniest true stories we’ve heard.

We hope you agree, disagree and discuss the list. Write us a letter at mrev@umich.edu or post a comment to our new website at www.michiganreview.com. Enjoy! MR

WORST FOOD AND DRINKSandwich: Bruegger’sWHEN IT TAKES 15 minutes to make a sandwich or cut a bagel in half (or get an uncut bagel), it’s time to move on.

Happy Hour: Rush StreetBECAUSE NOTHING MAKES us ‘happier’ than drunk MBA students throwing around cash on overpriced martinis.

Bar: Rick’sSERIOUSLY, THE “WORST bar” category was one of the easiest to pick. As for Rick’s: sure, you might have taken home a good hook-up a few times, but you probably also took home a nasty case of Syphilis, as well. There’s nothing that we hate more than a grimy, sweaty pit with shitty specials.

Night Club: Fifth QuarterWATCHING DESPERATE FOOTBALL players trying to get some on a Thursday night is pathetic.

Coffee: Bert’s CafeWATERED-DOWN COFFEE ISN’T much help when it comes to all-nighters.

Drunk Food: Backroom PizzaYOU DEFINITELY GET what you pay for...$1/slice pizza tastes like it...you can wring out the grease and the dude serving it is way hairier than any human should be. How much of that hair gets into the pizza?

Pizza: PapaJohn’s

Burrito: Panchero’sIT’S DIFFICULT TO imagine how Panchero’s will survive with BTB Cantina perched above Charley’s now. Good riddance; Panchero’s is much worse, compared to BTB, Chipotle,Qdoba, Rio Wraps…do we really need to keep going, here?

Grocery Store: White Market

Cafeteria: East QuadREALLY, THOUGH: IS there anything good about East Quad, besides the fact that it’s NOT on North Campus? The food is full of vegetarian food when we are carnivores. They even purposely hide trays from the students to try to make students eat less and go tray-less. Last time I checked we are college students who can make our own food choice decisions

Delivery Service: Domino’s PizzaSO MUCH FOR the thirty-minute guarantee...MR

WORST PLACESCampus Neighborhood: Oxford Housing/Geddes AreaPRETTY DURING THE day, full of crime at night...Runners-Up: East of CCRB/The Hill

Place to Get U-M Gear: Moe’s Sport ShopSURE, YOU’VE THOUGHT about asking how much the three-foot Bo Schembechlerbobblehead in the window costs. But how the Hell are you going to fit in in your cubicle at work next year, anyway?

Bathrooms: Dennison Hall

Academic Building: Dennison Hall

Dorm: Northwood/BaitsYOU DON’T GET to complain about your dorm unless you’ve spent a year on NorthCampus, freezing your ass off waiting half an hour for a bus on weekends. We’re sure that walk back to Markley was tough, but the Hill dorms do not compare to the hinterlands that are North Campus and Bursley. The Blue Apple and a number of other amenities up North upgraded it from “wretched Hellhole” to “survivable.”)

Place to Take a Date: Fleetwood DinerMMM...THERE’S NOTHING like a delicious candlelit meal of hippie hash at 4 a.m. with your special someone. To truly make it a night to remember, consider hitting Necto first, and then finishing the night at Fleetwood.Runner-Up: Necto

Classroom: Lorch 140MAYBE THE ONLY thing more depressing than the study of economics is Lorch 140, where, conviently, most major economics classes are held. Fittingly, this dismal home to the dismal science meets all the criteria for worst classroom: completely closed off from the world around you, and crammed with hundreds of other brown-nosers looking for a high enough grade in ECON 101 or what have you, so they can make it into the B-School, Organizational Studies, or whatever other toolbag major they’re chasing.Runner-Up: Natural Science Auditorium.Can anyone over 5’ actually fit their legs in those seats?

Study Spot: The UGLiSERIOUSLY, THOUGH: HOW could a loud, crowded public place with a sore lack ofcomputers be the worst place to concentrate on your studies? Laughing at the dumb Greeks struggling over MATH 105 just isn’t conducive to getting work done. MR

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APRIL 8, 2011 PAGE 7THE WORST OF ANN ARBOR 2011

ANN ARBOR 2011

WORST BUSINESSESRental Company/Landlord: Your OwnTRY TO NAME a landlord you’ve had that you like in the next 15 seconds. Ready. Set. Go!

Clothing Store: American ApparelDO THEY ATTEMPT to dress the mannequins in the weirdest way possible just to see if people will start dressing like that? Because it’s working...

Bookstore: Ulrich’sRunner-Up: BordersFailure to jump on the e-book bandwagon caused this A2 bookstore to file bankruptcy earlier this year...

Liquor Store: StricklandsFAR AWAY FROM just about everything and overpriced

Place to Use a Fake Real I.D.: The Brown JugA STAFF WRITER told us a story that we’ve heard echoed by several friends of THEMICHIGAN REVIEW. So strict is the Jug’s enforcement of their fake I.D. policy this year that they have even called the police on people proffering their actual I.D.’s. MR

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WORST CAMPUS ANDMISCELLANEOUS STUFF

Fraternity: SAE

Sorority: DPhiE

Fashion Trend: The Sorostitute OutfitLEGGINGS, NORTHFACE, UGGS with BlackBerry or iPhone in the right hand. You have all seen the “Pursuit of Jappiness.”

Catchy Saying: “epic” and “unreal”Runner-Up: “Sorry, I’m not sorry.”But you just said you were sorry....?

Class: ECON 401ON THE STAFF survey, several freshmen listed ECON 101 as the worst course they have taken. Little do they know the horrors of upper-level microeconomics.Runner-Up: Organic Chemistry or Any Science-Related Lab (Physics, General Chemistry, etc.)That much work for HOW many credits?!

U-M Administrator: President Mary Sue ColemanAS MUCH AS we love when Mary Sue goes batshit in the middle of campus, it’s probably not the most becoming for presidents of a major public university. We’re still not over our grudge with Harvard for hiring Drew Faust over our beloved President Coleman.

Use of Student Funds: Michigan Student Assembly (MSA)Runner-Up: Sex Workers’ Art ShowActually, these two might be the same event.

Student Organization: Michigan Student Assembly (MSA)Runner-Up: By Any Means Necessary (BAMN)

Campus Event: The Homecoming ParadeIMAGINE THE SCHOOL spirit you feel all year crammed into one weekend...that nobody actually attends.

Sport: Women’s [Insert Sport Here]THERE IS A reason the WNBA was cancelled.

Party Theme: Any Stereotype, Particularly “Ghetto”JERSEY: SHORE OR Sports? Both.

Major: Women’s StudiesTHIS IS NOT what we thought it was.

Campus Tradition: ConvocationThe Michigan Review secretly loves convocation. A few years ago, when we werepassing out our orientation issue on the steps of Crisler Arena before orientation, theuniversity called the Department of Public Safety on us, threatening to arrest us forobstructing public walkways. Bring it.

Place to Urinate in Public: Mary Sue Coleman’s Front LawnNOTE: IT IS NOT okay to urinate on Asian students. We repeat: NOT OKAY.

Website to Read in Public: FacebookNOTHING IS MORE awkward than stalking the person sitting behind you.

Excuse for Skipping Class: AnyWHO GIVES EXCUSES anymore?

Overheard Conversation: “Ohhhhh, my gawwwwwd, I was sooooo drunk this weekend.”FIRST, YOU WEREN’T. Second, you’ve already told us this every Sunday for the past three months.

Thing to Post on Facebook: “My major/life/job/significant other/etc. is so much more difficult than yours.”WE GET IT: you have a lot to do. Exams, school, and extracurriculars are all difficult and time consuming. But when the Hell did you think that no one else at this school is going through the same thing? This is especially bad during exam season, when everyone starts whining on Facebook.

Run-In With the Police: Dorm Room MIPsWHEN YOU’RE PLAYING beer pong you do know your room has a door...right?Runner-Up: See Worst Place to Urinate in Public

Thing to Do During Class: Raising Your Hand in the Last Five MinutesTHERE ARE FEW worse things than the kids who insist on making comments at the last minute, especially to make themselves look good? THE MICHIGAN REVIEW proposes a new five-minute rule, where every student just understands that, except for emergencies, you must keep your hand down.Runner-Up: Falling Asleep and Twitching Yourself Awake MR

DECEMBER 7, 2010PAGE 8 APRIL 8, 2011PAGE 8 CAMPUS

BY ANDREW KALENKIEWICS ‘13Staff Writer

Antidepressant Use on the Riseas Treatment for Student Depression

KEN MIKOLOWSKI HAD noticed something different about the behavior of his students over the past several years.After teaching a class on poetry writing in the University ofMichigan’s Residential College for over 30 years, he hadbecome accustomed to seeing invigorating, passionate discussionsbetween the students in his class. But in the past few years “there had been shift and I didn’t understand it,” he says. “Things were much more quiet and sedated.” Although he began looking for

some factor that might explain the phenomenon, Mikoloski was unable to pinpoint anything for quite some time. Finally, hedecided to ask one of the students himself.

According to Mikoloski, the student reported that he had been taking antidepressants for several years, which he thought might explain the increased sense of tiredness he had beenfeeling during the day. The student also indicated that he knew many others who were taking antidepressants as well,prompting Mikioloski to conduct a brief survey of the 15students in his class. Half of them claimed to be currently taking some form of antidepressant medication.

These observations certainly aren’t a statistical anomaly; for the past two decades, antidepressant use has been rising steadily, and according to a 2005 survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they are now the mostprescribed drug in America. Younger Americans might find it hard to believe that drugs like Prozac and Zoloft weren’t even developed until the 1980s, and didn’t hit the market until asrecently as the early 1990s. A mental health survey conduction by

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the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) center at U-M found that approximately 14.2 percent of U-M students claim to have taken an antidepressant at some point in their lives, and 6.8 percent are still taking them. Another survey, conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine, reports that on the national level, 25 to 50 percent of college students who seek counseling for depression are already on antidepressants.

The ultimate role antidepressants play in managing

depression is not always clear-cut, and their relationship toother methods of treatment such as psychotherapy is sometimesmisinterpreted. Although the drugs have been shown to beeffective in many cases, experts note that they are not the only method of treatment that should be considered.

“Antidepressants are not a miracle cure like some people are led to believe,” says Daniel Eisenberg, a professor at the U-M School of Public Health. “They’re certainly not going to helpeverybody.”

John Greden, Rachel Upjohn Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences at U-M’s Medical School, stresses that “the combination of antidepressants plus psychotherapy—for those who have moderate to severe depression—has been shown over and over to be the most effective approach.”

This is not always as easy as it might seem, however.Greden, who is also the Executive director of the U-MDepression Center, notes that often students are not given a chance to utilize other methods of treatment, and may feel that antidepressants are the only real option available. “There is

probably too much of a tendency to rely exclusively onantidepressants because psychotherapy is expensive...andinsurance companies don’t fully cover it,” says Greden.

The rapid upsurge in antidepressant use over the past two decades has inevitably caused some observers to speculate as to whether or not the drugs are being over-prescribed. However, both Eisenberg and Greden note that the situation isn ot always that clear cut.

“Certainly you can find many instances where it might look like overprescribing,” says Eisenberg. “But I think on balance that there are a lot more people out there who appear to haveclinical depression than there are people receiving treatments that are known to be effective...I think there is under treatment withantidepressants as well as with certain types of psychotherapy.”

Greden says psychotherapy and antidepressants should not be thought of as two distinctly different methods of treatment. He says the most important factor of all is simply whether or not people are being helped.

When helping those suffering from depressions, he says “the only good answer is to use whatever treatments are required to get people better and keep them better.” Depression tends to be “episodic,” he says, and it can often become harder to treat if it is ignored and allowed to keep coming back. “Students who have clinical depression should recognize that they are probablygoing to have to be careful and watchful for their entire life,” says Greden. MR

A mental health survey conduction by [CAPS] at U-M found that approximately 14.2% of U-M students claim to have taken an antidepressantat some point in their lives, and 6.8% are still taking them. Another survey, conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine,

reports that on the national level, 25 to 50 percent of college students who seek counseling for depression are already on antidepressants.

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DECEMBER 7, 2010 PAGE 9APRIL 8, 2011 PAGE 9CAMPUS

WITH CLASS REGISTRATION for Spring, Summer and Fall 2011 semesters quickly approaching, both students and student-athletes alike express some level of dissatisfaction with the system of registration. Many students wonder how registration dates are de-termined. Kortney Briske, Senior Associate Registrar for U-M says that “[Non-athlete] students are assigned to a bracket based on their credits and are then randomly assigned appointments within their bracket.” This system lends an explanation to the fact that two students with the same amount of credits could potentially have registration dates that are over twenty-four hours apart. But how does the system work for those students granted early registration dates? Some may be surprised to know that varsity student-athletes are allowed to register earlier than the rest of the student body. “Varsity student athletes…are given the earliest ap-pointments regardless of their credits,” said Briske. Becca Baer, a Junior Biology major, is a non-athlete who finds this system disadvantageous to the average student. “It’s not fair that athletes with only a few semesters un-der their belt should get to register for classes, taking the spots of upperclassmen who may have been waiting to enroll in them for many semesters,” she said. Chrissy Holm, a Sophomore Psychology and Commu-nications major, and a member of the Varsity Women’s Rowing Team, disagrees. She cites the small time slot between practice commitments for student-athletes as a valid reason for the grant-ing of early registration dates. However, regardless of early reg-istration dates, Holm asserts that student-athletes still encounter conflicts in class scheduling that lead to equally stressful registra-tion issues.

Holm said, “Last semester I was not able to take Com-munications 102 because either the lecture or the discussion sections were scheduled during my afternoon practices, which is frustrating because that puts me at a disadvantage for taking upper-level courses within my major and graduating on time”. Many students feel that some varsity student-athletes take advantage of the early registration system and use it to take an unchallenging class schedule. Holm told the Review, “Michigan is known for being a challenging school, and those who do not take advantage of the many opportunities for personal growth are wasting their college experience.” Also surprising is the fact that some non-athlete stu-dents are also granted early registration. Briske also said that certain students with disabilities (primarily those who are hearing impaired, sight impaired or have reading disabilities) are granted early registration dates. “Very few disabilities are affected by what time the class is taken, which, as far as I can tell, is the only reason that early registration would be granted,” said Baer, “If there are cases where a student needs to take classes at a certain time, then I believe it is fair for the University to accommodate those needs; however, I think that the university must be very selective in granting early registration.” Regardless of assigned registration dates, students feel that the registration process is a time of added stress. Baer said, “Registration times start too early in the day and go too late, and that can be a major inconvenience.” Baer suggests the university allow students to swap registration times in the event of a time conflict. “Once, my reg-istration time was during a four hour lab, so I would have rather swapped times with someone since I had to wait until I was out of class anyway.” MR

Registration Stressful for Students and Student Athletes Alike

BY MARIA WRIGHT ‘12Staff Writer

WHETHER STUDENTS ASK the question, “How much do my professors earn?” when they’re sitting incredulously in lecture, or looking at a bill for their ever-increasing tuition, the answer could cause shock. As a public university, the University of Michigan is required by law, to make all salary information available to the public. In the 2010-2011 school year, U-M’s highest-paid em-ployee is Law School Professor Mark D. Rosenbaum—taking in an impressive $805,092 per year. Rosenbaum has been teaching at U-M since 1993 and is the current legal director of the ACLU in Los Angeles. He has an impressive legal track record, having argued a number of cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The next two highest-paid employees are also Law School professors. Karl E. Lutz and Alison E. Hirschel each earn substantial salaries of $774,671 and $738, 420, respectively. In fact, twelve of the top twenty earners are affiliated with the Law School.

U-M President Mary Sue Coleman, ranks at number 15, earning $570,105 annually (excluding her other benefits, like the President’s Home on South University). Coming in at numbers four, seven and fourteen are the salaries of Dr. Ora Pescovitz, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, Douglas Strong, CEO of the U-M Hospital and Health Centers, and U-M Athletic Director David Brandon. If you’re curious about some of your professors in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, the payscale is low-ered significantly. Yu Xie, a professor in the Department of Soci-ology, lays claim to the highest salary in LSA, earning $321,910. But overall, Sociology, is not the LSA department whose employ-ees have the highest average salary—that designation goes to the Department of Economics, with an impressive average salary of $127,160 for its 72 employees. The only other two departments in LSA with six-figure averages are Political Science, with 61 em-ployees making an average of $114, 379, and Philosophy, with 35 employees averaging $102,161 a year. The Department of Psychology has the most employ-ees—a total of 190—earning an average of $78,806, with the highest salary of $250,915 going to Professor Richard Nisbett. The lowest earners in LSA make between $20,000 and $30,000 a year, creating a massive pay range in most departments. This variability is likely due to the length of a professor’s tenure, past experience, and hierarchy within a department. MR

BY RILEY SCHAFF ‘13Staff Writer

Law School Professors Among U-M’s Top Earners

Jump on the Bandwagon

REGISTRATION IS UPON us again. Still unsure about which classes to take or what to major in? No worries, just follow the crowd and take what everyone else is taking.

When you are a freshman at the University of Michigan, especially in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, class schedules are pretty predictable. In response to a generalmessage sent to the LSA advising staff soliciting input on “popular” classes, a number of classes came up, most of which are requiredintroductory courses for LSA students.

“It is important to note that ‘popular’ can mean manydifferent things and what students might say will vary widely from individual to individual,” said Kim Broekhuizen, a Public Affairs and Media Relations Representative.

Surprisingly, chemistry had three “popular” courses.General chemistry made it on the list, but both organicchemistry courses are also on the list of top classes, in terms of sheer enrollment. But chemistry courses were not the only courses typical of pre-med students. Introductory biologycourses also made the top 10 list. While these courses may be “popular” in terms of enrollment, they are not necessarily the most well-liked classes.

Introductory psychology also made the top 10 list of most-enrollment, but it can also boast a most popular instructor, Shelly Schreier. Introductory cultural anthropology also topped the list, most likely because it is one of the few courses which fills the pesky “Race and Ethnicity” requirement for LSA.

There is a wide range of courses which were deemed“popular” because of well-liked instructors. These included John Bacon for History of Sports, Matt Lassiter for History ofSuburbia, and Gregory Markus for Community Organizing.

In terms of LSA concentrations, Broekhuizen said the top five departments have remained stable for several years. These are Psychology, English, Political Science, Biology, and Math. Broekhuizen also noted that students are more and moreinterested in environmental issues. “Program in the Environment is showing remarkable growth, with 185 concentrators just last year at this time, and 250 now,” she said. MR

BY STEPHANIE WANG ‘12Senior Editor

“The only other two departments in LSA with six-figure averages are Political Science, with 61 employees making an average of $114, 379, and

Philosophy, with 35 employees averaging $102, 161 a year.

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Sudoku dailysudoku.com

APRIL 8, 2011PAGE 10 ARTS AND CULTURE

CONSERVATION IS OF huge concern to University of Michigan students and Ann Arbor resi-dents, but few consider architecture when it comes to preservation. The U-M Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning along with the World Monu-ments Fund organized an exhibit which highlights five buildings in Michigan, all of which were built between 1920 and 1965. On display at the Liberty Annex are pictures of each of the buildings and descriptions of the architecture. The five buildings from Michigan on dis-play are the Ford Glass Plant in Dearborn (1922), the Cranbrook Art Museum in Bloomfield Hills (1928-1940), Lafayette Park Low-Rise Buildings and Pavilion Apartments in Detroit (1958), Great Lakes Region Reynolds Headquarters in Southfield (1959), and St. Francis de Sales Church in Muskegon (1963). Most of the photographs on display are from the Bentley Historical Library in Ann Arbor. Also on display are reproductions of the design draw-ings for each of the projects. The exhibition is called Modernism at Risk/Michigan Matters, and seeks to educate people about the “distinct threats facing great works of mod-

ern architecture around the world,” according to its website. These threats include demolition and remod-eling. The exhibit also features a number of hous-es in Ann Arbor which were built before the 1970s. Many of the photos were taken in the 60s, and resembled the set of Mad Men. I was unaware of the amazing architecture that Ann Arbor is home to. When I think of houses in Ann Arbor, I think of col-lege houses, falling apart and in serious need of paint, new windows, new doors, you name it. I always for-get that real people—not just college students—live here. Some of the houses were really incredible, and definitely worth preserving. The other half of the exhibit features suc-cess stories from the World Monuments Fund. These are buildings which WMF has managed to “save” from destruction. These included buildings from all around the world, but it also includes the Grosse Pointe Pub-lic Library, which was awarded $50,000 by WMF to aid in preservation of the building. MR

Conserve Our Water ArchitectureBY STEPHANIE WANG ‘12

Senior Editor

THE SWEDISH TRIO attempts to achieve more than their popular song “Young Folks” with their new album Gimme Some. The record is definitely more cheery than their last album Living Thing, which focused on a darker sound to differen-tiate it from their best album, Writer’s Block, which featured “Young Folks.” Although the band has returned to its buoyant sound, the album still doesn’t seem to follow up to Writer’s Block as fans had expected. The band seems to be influenced by 80’s pop-punk musicians; specifically The Clash in their song “Second Chance” and “Breaker Breaker.” Peter Moren’s voice throws this influence off, though—his voice seems too soft and smooth for a pop-punk resem-blance; it belongs more in a folk genre. There also seems to be inspiration from REM and the Talking Heads in their track “Tomorrow Has to Wait;” the repetitive chorus line and upbeat drum beat are similar to the 80’s rock bands. Altogether, the album is fun and worth a few listens, but it’s not revolutionary or particularly exciting. For fans of: Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Vampire Weekend

Top 5 tracks:

1. Tomorrow Has to Wait 2. Dig a Little Deeper 3. Eyes 4. Second Chance 5. Down Like Me

Album Review Book Review

The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety Alan W. Watts

BY MARIA WRIGHT ‘12Staff Writer

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN 1951 by the late Alan W. Watts, The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety is a timeless piece of philosophical intellect. Recently reprinted with an introduction by Deepak Chopra, a well-known self-help writer and public speaker, Watts’s message still rings with the same truth some sixty years later. Just over a modest one hundred and fifty pages, this book is a very quick read. With language unintimidating to the average reader, it is written in a way that compels the reader to flip from the last page back to the first and start all over again. Chopra cites Watts’s work as “the perfect guide for a course correction in life.” Watts does not write with the intention of fixing society, or even with the belief that he is capable of doing anything of the sort. He simply writes to have his message heard. What his readers do with this message is left entirely up to them. Watts believes that the unhappiness and anxiety that we feel today is due to our tendency to dwell on the past and worry about the future. He claims that these endeavors are meaningless, asserting that all we truly have is our present—the emotions and sensations that we feel at this exact moment are the only true things in life. Watts’ message rings especially true with the collegiate cohort. College is often a time of stress and anxiety—worry about making the grade, getting internships, getting a job or being accepted to gradu-ate school after graduation. With so much worry seemingly ingrained in the fabric of this age group, read-ers may find Watts’s message impractical. How can one be expected to forget all his worries and simply live for the moment? It is for that reason exactly that this age groups should listen to Watts’ message. Watts does not ask you to abandon everything you have ever believed in, or even to be completely free of worry. He simply asks you to realize that anxiety is brought about by concerning yourself with things that are out of your control. We cannot change the past, and it is impossible to predict the future. All that we are capable of is experiencing the present.

Watts was an accomplished writer, speaker and philosopher. He died in 1973. MR

Gimme Some Peter Bjorn & John

BY HANNAH WEINER ‘14Staff Writer

4.1.08APRIL 8, 2011 PAGE 11SPORTS AND CONTINUATIONS

are mature enough to vote, they are surely mature enough to go to a bar.

The drinking age is unenforceable, especially in college. How many people can name a college student under 21 who has never had a drop of alcohol? Scratch that, how many people can name a high school student under 21 who has never had a drop of alcohol?

The only reason I see for maintaining the drinking age is to make money, especially in Michigan, where the price of a Minor in Possession ticket can be up to $1,000. It’s too easy. Cops just have to show up to any party on campus and it is basically a guar-antee that there will be drunken minors present.

Perhaps lowering the drinking age would have some unfore-seen consequences, but it is definitely worth a shot. It is hard to believe that 18-20 year olds would increase the amount of drink-ing they do, just because it is legal, partly because it does not seem possible that their alcohol intake could be increased.

If cops stop wasting their time trying to catch freshmen drinking, they can focus on something more worthwhile, like preventing crime. There’s an idea. MR

DRINKING continued from PAGE 4

previously served as governor of Alaska from 2006 and resigned in 2009. Palin became a household name after her run for vice-president. She recently wrote “Going Rogue,” an account of her private and political life. Palin is aligned with the tea-partymovement and has made a point to criticize the president on many of his policies that include but are not limited to foreign policy, healthcare, and spending. In the November 2010 election, Palin endorsed Christine O’Donnell, putting her at odds with the GOP. She recently made visits to India and Israel, like other candidates, demonstrating her diplomatic and foreign policypositions. Palin has made several hints at running forpresident, including an interview with Barbara Walters in 2010 anda recent visit to Iowa in February. As of now, Palin has not made anyfundraising moves or announced officially that she would run for the GOP nomination.

Tim Pawlenty is another frontrunner for the GOP 2012 nomination. He served as governor of Minnesota from 2003 to 2011. Pawlenty did not seek another term as governor. Hecreated an exploratory committee in March 2011 to run forpresident. Pawlenty has a website that lays out his views onvarious issues that include, healthcare, national security,economy, and social values. Pawlenty, along with Palin arestrongly opposed to abortion. Despite making commitment to run for the 2012 GOP nomination, Pawlenty does not have the name recognition as other candidates.

Michele Bachman currently serves as a representative of Minnesota’s 6th district in the House of Representatives. She is a member of the Tea Party movement and is considered aleader of the Tea Party caucus in the House. She made a rebuttal toPresident Obama’s 2011 State of the Union Address in addition to the official GOP response.

Gary Johnson is another possible candidate for the 2012 race. He has served as governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003. Johnson stands out from other Republican candidates due to his support for gay marriage and the legalization ofmarijuana. Johnson is part of the libertarian wing of the RepublicanParty. He cut spending and proposed school vouchers during histenure as governor. He founded the “Our America Initiative,” that covers many issues that include the war on drugs, civil liberties, limited government and free enterprise. Johnson also sits on the board of directors for the “Students for Sensible Drug Policy,” and“Students for Liberty.” Gary Johnson has not made anexploratory committee to run for president and as a founder of the non-profit “Our America Initiative,” he cannot state that he is running for federal office. Fox News has reported that Johnson may skip the exploratory committee stage and announce his candidacy for president in late April 2011.

This list of candidates is by no means exhaustive. Several other possible candidates have either expressed an interest inrunning or are in the exploratory phase, including Donald Trump, Ron Paul and recently elected senator, Rand Paul. MR

GOP continued from PAGE 5

SPRING IS HERE. The temperature has risen out of the thaw to the 40-50 degree weather that characterizes Michigan in March. Classes are in the finishing stretch, and many students are looking to their summer. What else does spring mean? The Return of De-troit Tigers Baseball. Yes, that great pastime that endures forever. Baseball is finally here!

Last season could have said to be another typical season. The team started off fairly well. Armando Galarraga threw his imperfectly perfect game. Things were looking pretty well as we had the AL Central lead just before the All Start Break. Tigers fans were happy with the way things were, especially with the rookie Brennan Boecsh. He was tearing apart opposing pitchers. Rookie Austin Jackson was doing a great job taking Granderson’s spot in centerfield. After the break was a different story or the same story as previous seasons. The collapse started. The Tigers suffered from lack of production from the bottom of the lineup. Teams figured out how to pitch against Boesch, halting his of-fense. Valverde fell apart after the all star game and left many fans in a heart attack every time he came in to close a game. Our starting pitching became inconsistent as the Tigers finished third in the AL Central.

This upcoming season, Dave Dombrowski went on the attack for adding players. He acquired catcher Victor Matinez, starting pitcher Brad Penny, and relief pitcher Joaquin Benoit.

Look Out for Those Tigers

BY MARK KEMPA ‘13Staff Writer

The Tigers didn’t lose any key players. We did lose Gerald laird and his 207 batting average so consider that a plus but lost his great catching skills. Magglio Ordonez is back and healthy. Yet, Joel Zumaya and Carlos Guillen are being nagged with injuries. Joel has not pitched since June 28 and is on the 15 day DL right now with elbow inflammation taking things day by day. Carlos is also on the 15 day DL, still recovering from knee microfracture surgery.

With all this the Tigers are of course looking to make this season, the year to win The AL Central pennant. With all this poise, there still has been trouble. Miguel Cabrera was arrested for a DUI outside of Lakeland, Florida. It wasn’t too long ago that this guy showed up to final games of the 2006 season hangover from partying the night before key games. It also wasn’t too long ago that he sobered up and gave up drinking in excess. Whatever the case may be, he messed up again but the Tigers are looking to support him and move forward.

The Tigers are the essential part of the Detroit summer, of those nights at Comerica park, that captivates 44,000 fans. With all this said, this should be an exciting season for Tigers fans. One can only be pumped for the days that the Tigers running out of the dugout on to the field to “The Boys Are Back in Town.” It won’t be long before they will be making their push into October play. For now, enjoy the team and our nation’s pastime! MR

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4.1.08P. DECEMBER 7, 2010PAGE 12 APRIL 8, 2011PAGE 12 FEATURE

PEACE continued from FRONT PAGEblamed for the assaults. Jess Smochek, a volunteer who served in Bangladesh in 2004, said she received guidance from Peace Corps staff to tell others that she was leaving service to get her wisdom teeth removed, not because she was gang raped.

“We wanna air all of this out and find out exactly what the truth is,” said Rep. Poe, “And make sure that these Americanangels, as I call them, operate in safe environments when they work overseas to help other countries.”

In 2009, there were 15 rapes, according to the SafetyReports. Over the past 10 years, there has been an average of 22 rapes yearly.

“22 a year is 22 too many,” said the congressman. “I don’t think that is some statistic to brag about.”

But the Peace Corps says they are making gains. “We will never be able to eliminate volunteers’ exposure to crimesoverseas, but we will continue to do our best to make Peace Corps a safe and productive experience for the Americansserving today and in the future,” said Alison Price, Peace Corps’ Communication Director.

The women involved in the 111 incidents in 2009 represent around 1.6% of total volunteers in service at that time.

Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams has taken the issue very seriously since being sworn in in August of 2009. And while the issue has gotten a lot of attention this year, Price says the agency has been working on it for a long time.

While many support systems are currently in place,according to Ed Hobson, Associate Director for Safety andSecurity at Peace Corps, the agency is developing a morecomprehensive strategy to enhance their policies. “We have asexual assault prevention and response program that is designed to provide a lot of information upfront before volunteers go to post and then build on that information as they get to post and start to provide very much a country-specific context and

focus for that information,” he said. “So part of that is going to begeneral awareness and part of it is going to be risk reduction and mitigation strategies.”

Frazee’s group, First Response Action has developed a “7-Point Plan,” with suggestions for bettering Peace Corps’policies. Among them are a detailed Survivor Bill of Rights,development of a non-discrimination policy for survivors and the creation of a Victim Advocate position.

David Fleisig, Regional Security Officer at Peace Corps, says that Peace Corps has engaged First Response Action on a number of issues and many recent policy changes incorporate the group’s ideas. The Victim Advocate position is in the final stages of being filled.

The agency has been working with experts across thefederal government in addition to groups like the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, some of whom will testify at the upcoming hearing.

According to the Department of Justice, sexual assault is one of the most under-reported crimes nationally. The latestvolunteer survey indicates that just under 55 percent of volunteersexual assault victims and about 67 percent of volunteer rape vic-tims did not report the crime to Peace Corps.

Most common among the reasons cited for not reporting a sexual assault to Peace Corps are that the volunteer felt it was minor incident or common to report, followed by the belief that Peace Corps would not be able to help.

The Peace Corps has a very broad definition of whatconstitutes a sexual assault incident. The majority of the cases fall into the category of “other sexual assault,” which includesanything from a stranger grabbing a volunteer’s buttocks on a bus to an uninvited kiss in a bar. By U.S. standards, these incidents would typically not be recorded as a sexual assault.

Regional Security Officer Fleisig, says that these broader definitions are in place “to ensure that our volunteers get thesupport they need... We recognize that each incident may have a different impact on the volunteer. Some may just brush it off. But for some that may be a moment that impacts them on a larger scale.”

Among the concerned parties, many, including Frazee and Rep. Poe, are still avid Peace Corps supporters.

“I think it is one the best things that this country has ever come up with and I admire those volunteers,” says Poe.“Whatever we need to do legislatively or administratively through the Peace Corps to make these volunteers work in a safeenvironment, that’s what we will do.” MR

* NADIA DANIENTA ‘14 (Staff Writer) contributed to research for this article.

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BOTTLE BAN continued from FRONT PAGE a few Michigan Student Assembly (MSA) sponsored environmen-tal groups for a few years, says Oliver. In the fall of 2010, she decided to follow through with the idea.

As Chair of the student group Environmental Issues Com-missions (EIC) and a cabinet member of MSA, Oliver wrote the petition with help from the LSA Water Theme Semester Steering Committee. After the online petition’s completion, it was sent to every professor asking him or her to forward it along to students. It quickly went viral, far exceeding the number of signatures Oli-ver had expected.

“I wanted it to reach all parts of the University, and didn’t

want just Program in the Environment students to sign. This is an issue that involves the entire University,” said Oliver.

Many students and staff have voiced their opinions about the petition, both positive and negative.

“I think banning water bottles would definitely be a great step into a more environmentally conscious future, leading to less consumption and waste,” says Rachelle Hadley, a junior studying international business.

Other students believe a complete ban is too extreme. “I support minimizing the sales (of bottled water), but I oppose a ban because I believe my consumer choices shouldn’t be limited.

Who has that right to tell me what I can and cannot buy?” says Arpit Aggarwall, a senior majoring in brain behavior and cogni-tive sciences.

A spokesperson for Mary Sue Coleman says that while the President commends the petition’s aims to encourage the campus to become more sustainable, she does not believe the ban could be implemented. Instead of creating a behavioral change among students, they might choose to purchase less-healthy beverages in place of water. Oliver said this rationale is purely based on assumptions.

Yet Jeff Kim, a junior majoring in ecconomics, said that if he didn’t refill his Nalgene reusable water bottle and couldn’t buy bottled water on campus, he would instead buy more soda.

The consequences of bottled water may be unknown to many students, something Oliver hopes the ban will change. One of the pitfalls of bottled water is the waste that it produces. Na-tionally, out of every 10 bottles of water purchased, an average of only eight are recycled, according to U-M’s Planet Blue. That means that statistically, out of the 600,000 bottles of water sold on campus in 2009, only 480,000 may have been recycled, leav-ing 120,000 as waste. On a global scale, 1.5 million tons of plastic from bottled water are wasted every year, according to Mother Nature Network, a daily online environmental news source.

But it’s not just about the plastic; production of bottled wa-ter also wastes water. Three liters of water are required for every liter of bottled water that is produced. Additionally, the produc-tion and transportation of bottled water worldwide requires 47 million gallons of oil per year.

Despite all of the environmental effects bottled water im-poses, Oliver said it is common for people to argue that bottled water just simply tastes better.

“In our minds, we feel bottled water tastes better because of the pretty picture of a spring on the bottle,” said Oliver. “But the EIC has found that consumers really can’t taste the difference, and actually prefer the taste of tap water to bottled water.”

Every year, the Environmental Issues Commission holds a Water Bottle Challenge to put consumer’s preferences to the test. Participants take a blind taste test of both bottled water and tap water, and chose their favorite. On average, 87 percent of participants choose the tap water as their favorite.

In recent years, the prevalence of reusable water bottles on campus and around Ann Arbor has risen. Dave Faling, 24, a sales associate at Ann Arbor’s outdoor recreational store Bivouac, said the sales of reusable water bottles have increased significantly in the past two years.

“People are buying more reusable water bottles because of the different varieties of bottles that have been introduced. They’re like sunglasses, people have their favorite and then they lose it, so they have to buy another one” Faling said.

Eric Kinnaman, a senior studying informatics demonstrated BLANK’s statements when he recently bought a Nalgene. Kinna-man switched from plastic water bottles to a Nalgene because he said it was more a more convenient and environmentally sound option, and that it will save him money in the long term.

Oliver believes the ban would encourage more students to purchase reusable water bottles for similar reasons, and the effect could become larger than Ann Arbor. “If we can implement a bot-tled water ban on a campus with 40,000 students,” said Oliver, “I don’t want to hear that any other university can’t.”

The water theme semester is coming to a close and MSA will vote on the petition at it’s meeting Tuesday, April 12. Even if student government approves, Oliver and the EIC face the chal-lenge of swaying the administration. 2,000 signatures later, this sustainable initiative may still face a long road ahead. MR

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