The Statement: Underpaid & Overworked

2B Wednesday, January 29, 2014 // The Statement

THE

list | B

uzzfeed, but better

Top 5 Paid Internships You Won’t Get This Year These internships are a career goldmine. Too bad they’re all a long shot. But hey ­— you can dream. ­

1. Nordstrom

You sure as hell don’t have to be a computer programmer to earn that paid internship. With an average monthly pay of around $2K and internship opportunities covering the whole spectrum of retail sales, Nordstrom tops our list of most impressive non-tech internships.

2.

VMWare Of course, we had to put a tech company somewhere high on this

list. And if you land this one, prepare to be the richest intern in your graduating class. The long hours might just be worth it when you get that $6K paycheck each month.

3. Enst & Young

Wall Street is slowly dipping into the compensation they give to its employees. Regardless, if you’re looking to learn a lot in a short period of time, this is the place we see you doing it.

4.

MTV Networks Push those suits to the back of your closet and take out your

attitude — MTV has a more avant garde approach to internships.

A fast-paced media environment that pays is truly rare.

5. Google

Have this internship on your resumé, and you’ll be set for life.

Whether it be in tech, marketing or research.

oh, the weather outside is frightful—

BUT OUR TWEETS ARE SO DELIGHTFUL!

FOLLOW US

@thestatementmag COVER BY RUBY WALLAU & NICK CRUZ

THE

statement

Magazine Editor: Carlina Duan Deputy Editors: Max Radwin

Photo Editor: Ruby Wallau Illustrator: Megan Mulholland

Amrutha Sivakumar Editor in Chief: Design Editor: Nick Cruz

Peter Shahin

Managing Editor: Katie Burke Copy Editors: Mark Ossolinski Meaghan Thompson

my first time: all ears on Bey “Rocking out to Beyoncé’s new album while studying for my finals.

All hail Queen Bey!” This is essentially all I saw on social media for two weeks of school during fall semester.

While I wanted to join in on the fun, I felt like listening to the Queen would distract me from studying for the fast-approaching final exams and just tempt me into singing the entirety of Destiny’s Child songbook.

It wasn’t time to cater 2 u, Bey. I’m sorry.

But today, right now, Jan. 13th, 2014, it is time.

I originally wanted to watch all the music videos that came along with the self-titled album, BEYONCÉ, but I realized I had already spent a good amount of the day on Beyoncé’s Instagram. It was time to let my ears enjoy. My eyes had seen enough for the day.

Get at me, girl. #NP #Beyoncé Wow. Beyoncé is coming out hot with this first track, “Pretty Hurts.”

She’s joking that pretty hurts though, right? Beyoncé knows she’s Beyoncé, right? Did Jay Z say something mean to you, Bey? I can be back in Brooklyn in a snap if you need me.

“Haunted” is spooky. I won’t lie.

Is it bad, though, that when I listen to this song all I see is Patrick Swayze’s character from “Ghost” in real life gliding all over the world watching people. I’m onto you, Bey. “Roadhouse” is one of my favorite movies, too. Much respect.

Just put “Drunk in Love” on.

Already feel a rich connection to this song. Guess I just have partying on my mind — or as Bey pointed out in her track “Party,” WE LIKE TO PARTY. Do you think Beyoncé would be down with being my date this weekend? I know it’s not a night out on the town with Jay — “Brooklyn” — but a random house on Geddes with free Backroom Pizza and unlimited carrots is a tempting

THE

by daniel feldman

ILLUSTRATION BY MEGAN MULHOLLAND

alternative.

Alright, Beyoncé just said she “woke up in a kitchen.” Beyoncé is clearly foreshadowing my weekend.

Why did Bey just say surfboard three times? Please don’t blackout.

Please don’t blackout. Answer me, Beyoncé.

Jay Z just popped up on the track.

He’s on to me. Skipping ahead now.

Wait, did ‘Yoncé just say this album is just for all the “grown women out there?” Do I have to call my mom now, or whatever, to get special permission moving forward?

Moving on, “No Angel.” First of all, I am an angel. Second of all, if you’re saying you aren’t one, I can help fix that. But you need to stop saying I’m not an angel if you want my help. Bey. Bey. Bey. Clearly you’re not listening to me. Whatever.

Got to be honest, that track just made me upset. But I see my favorite Canadian rapper, Drake, is featured four tracks from now, so I’ll give you a second chance.

Where is this penthouse? I know I just ate dinner, but after listening to “Jealous,” I seem to have room for

dessert.

Siri, search for Beyoncé’s penthouse, Brooklyn, N.Y. Hello? Siri?

Now finally, “Mine,” feat. Drake.

Why did I know Drake would sound exactly this way when I saw he was featured in the song? I know he has intentions of upstaging Beyoncé here, but his voice fading in and out of the song is just so Drizzy.

OK, all he says is “good girl.” I get it Mr. OVO. Do you have anything else to say? Glad to see you put a lot of effort into your lines, sir. This is not even close to the best you’ve ever had. You can do better, Aubrey, and you know it.

I know the point of “XO” isn’t necessarily about losing electricity, but telling me I can “turn (your) lights out” is a bit misleading. I think Beyoncé is blackout, guys. I will NEVER let you lose power, Beyoncé.

If such an event were to ever occur I would find you, light a candle and make sure you can see forever.

It’s been an emotional couple of hours till this point, but I’m not even going to question Beyoncé on the notion that she “woke up like this.”

Flawless.

rules TMD’

s weekly survival guide

No. 531:

No. 532:

No. 533:

Tweet up! University president to-be Mark Schlissel has an official twitter account. Now is the time to help him work on his hashtags.

Michigan Basketball just beat MSU and is ranked high again. Time to jump back on the bandwagon.

It’s a battle of the Starbucks’. When it comes to four dollar coffees, you can never be too picky.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014 // The Statement 3B

the thought bubble

“

on the record P residential Edition

“In my experience, universities really don’t get led topdown; The best ideas come from the people who do the teaching and the learning, so that’s why I need to do some listening first.”

“You Google ‘Michigan’ and the first 10 stories you get are about athletics. We’ve got to find ways to leverage that level of public attention onto the other wonderful things that are happening on campus as well.”

“Another thing that made me say ‘Michigan is a place I really have to look at’ is my feeling about the role education can play in solving society’s problems.”

PHOTO BY RUBY WALLAU

“As far as motivation, obviously the money and glamour might not be there with teaching, but I would say find the noble purpose and commit to it — whether that’s equality, or just getting kids to know history ... Go for something you feel good about every day, and don’t worry about the glitz and the glamour.”

“There’s something about the openness and the accessibility of a public universities that’s really special and it drew at my heartstrings.”

– MARK SCHLISSEL, University of Michigan President-elect on being selected to lead the University,

– ROMAN WILLETS, Education senior

This “Wolf of Wall Street” duo has chemistry.

Leonardo Dicaprio surprised Jonah Hill during his monologue on SNL this week, helping calm his nerves by recreating the “I’m Flying” scene from the “Titanic”.

trending #ColumbiaMall #WinTheGame #BrownToBlue

AP PHOTO/ Jose Luis Magana

Saturday was grim in Columbia, Maryland as a 19-year-old shooter took the lives of two mall employees in their 20s and killed himself soon after. It’s clear that stricter gun control laws are becoming all the more urgent.

PEOPLE.COM

#GRAMMYs #JonahHill #DigiTour2014 #SnowBlue #StadiumSeries

DIGIFEST.COM

You don’t need a multi-million dollar recording contract to make it on the tour bus. Ticket sales just went out for the month-long event that will feature an array of popular YouTube artists, some of whom may make it to the big leagues.

Starting this Saturday in Dodger Stadium between the Ducks and the Kings, the NHL is embarking on a six-day series of outdoor games in summer stadiums.

Expect to see ice where you generally don’t.

ALEJANDRO ZÚÑIGA

4B

Wednesday, January 29, 2014 // The Statement

Wednesday, January 29, 2014 // The Statement

PHOTO BY RUBY WALLAU

Salary Sacrificed: Are Unpaid Internships worth it?

by Alicia Adamcyzk, Daily Staff Reporter

B

efore Engineering sophomore Christopher Reynolds crossed the Diag on his first day of class last fall, the Pennsylvania native knew he would need to save money from his high school lifeguarding job in order to pay for his college expenses. Initially, he thought he could spend his earnings on a new computer.

But as it turned out, he needed the money to subsidize a different job experience.

Reynolds, a first-generation college student, pays for his own tuition. So when he looked for an internship after his freshman year, he knew he wouldn’t be able to take anything that wasn’t paid. While he did manage to secure a paid internship with General Electric Aviation in Ohio, Reynolds said had he not successfully balanced paying his out-of-state tuition while saving up spare cash throughout the year and from the previous summer, he wouldn’t have been able to afford to take the job.

Reynolds isn’t alone. With the internship quickly becoming a staple of the collegiate experience, many students are left pondering the costs and benefits of committing to a fulltime position without the standard full-time pay.

“I felt really pressured to do something in the summer, but worrying about if I could afford it,” Reynolds said. “That pressure really beat me down the first semester, and I can’t tell you how happy I was that the internship offer was paid.”

Many students, some in as tight of financial situations as Reynolds, aren’t fortunate enough to receive a paid gig. Instead, they are left to take an unpaid position to break into a career field. While many students at the University are able to afford such experiences with help from parents or savings from other jobs, others — like Reynolds — can’t rely on outside help.

Without help or savings, the internship experience can be hard to navigate. But some interns

have fought back against unpaid labor.

In June of last year, two interns working at Condé Nast publications — W Magazine and The New Yorker — filed suit against the publishing company, claiming they were paid less than $1 an hour for their work, which they said violated federal labor laws. Soon after, Condé Nast discontinued its internship program.

Since the Condé Nast incident, several other lawsuits have been filed against companies alleging that unpaid internships violate federal law. With the obvious drawback of receiving no pay for work, the lawsuits further complicate the validity of unpaid internships for college students.

Still, while some interns may have a legitimate case, not every unpaid internship is illegal.

The U.S. Labor Department has noted that work performed by interns in governmental agencies and nonprofits does not have to be paid. The Fair Labor Standards Act lays out six points that must be met to constitute an unpaid internship, among which include mutual agreement of no payment, and supply of an “educational environment” for interns.

The language of the law, however, is ambiguous in places, leaving legal interpretation up to employers and, increasingly, the judiciary.

With some unpaid interns taking the case to the courts and others, like Reynolds, not able to afford to work for free, it begs the question: Is the unpaid internship worth it?

Benefits of an internship Genevieve Harclerode, assistant director of experiential learning and employer development in the University’s Career Center, said internship experience has become a normal expectation for most employers looking to hire students after graduation.

“While not every employer in every field is

expecting that you’ve done four internships in a field before you embark on an entry-level job search, certainly we are seeing that employers have a baseline expectation that you should be able to articulate why you might be interested in a certain industry,” Harclerode said.

She explained that any kind of exposure to a professional setting is beneficial not only for employers to take students seriously, but for the students themselves to decide whether or not a certain field is the right fit.

Additionally, internships provide the opportunity for personal growth.

Amy Sumerton, program director of 826michigan, an Ann Arbor-based nonprofit organization that helps elementary and high school-aged students with their writing skills, wrote in an e-mail interview that the fact that the internships offered at the nonprofit are unpaid has never posed a serious issue.

Sumerton said 826michigan has had interns from all socioeconomic backgrounds, who are always enthusiastic to volunteer their time. To help facilitate those interns who are less privileged, however, she said the program offers a lot of flexibility in hours and work management.

“I think most of our interns understand that they are getting a valuable experience for their time, and doing something positive in their community,” Sumerton wrote. “They may not get a paycheck for their work, but interns typically gain a bevy of marketable skills, a better resumé and a great letter of recommendation.”

Ford School of Public Policy junior Abigail Orrick said she enjoyed her unpaid internship with the Department of Education over the summer because it allowed her to communicate directly with the high school students she hopes to one day work with.

While she applied to both paid and unpaid positions last summer, she said the Department of Education was her number one choice,

despite being unpaid.

“The best thing about an internship is you’re not just studying the material out of a textbook or you’re not just listening to somebody else who’s had that experience, you’re doing it yourself,” Orrick said.

Still, had she not received a scholarship through the Public Service Internship Program, a program within the University that provides resources and support to students interested in pursuing public service-related internships in Washington, D.C. over the summer, Orrick said she wouldn’t have been able to take her dream internship.

Like others on the program, Orrick said she set a strict budget during her ten weeks in D.C., and tried to make the remaining funds of her scholarship last.

“I did coupon over the summer,” she said, laughing.

LSA senior Rachel Rowlands, who interned with Glamour Magazine over summer 2013 — before Condé Nast, the magazine’s publishing company, halted its internship program — said living and working in New York City was a great way for her to break into the publishing field, despite not receiving pay for her work.

“I had a great time, I met some amazing people,” Rowlands said. “You can’t really get better first-hand experience than working with editors who do that everyday.”

Internship hierarchy For many fields, including government, media, entertainment, fashion and nonprofit work, an unpaid internship is standard practice. While this doesn’t pose an issue for some students at the University, Harclerode, from the Career Center, said there are many students she works with who need to take creative approaches to financing their summers.

Others, however, completely forego taking the internship because they simply can’t afford to work for free. Harclerode said it’s a sad situation for students who really want the experience, especially as employers come to expect it.

But just because a student can’t afford to take an unpaid internship, that doesn’t mean she or he won’t be successful in future job searches.

Sumerton, from 826michigan, emphasized the importance of enthusiasm and a demonstrated interest in the mission of the organization as key qualities in a potential intern or employee.

“We look for applicants who are motivated and eager to learn things,” Sumerton said.

“That, in my mind, is more important than just about any kind of experience.”

Harclerode too said most employers expect to see that students have a demonstrated interest in their field. Typically, employers won’t know the difference between a paid or unpaid internship when they look at a resumé.

While Harclerode thinks most employers do prefer to pay interns, it isn’t feasible for every company, especially smaller businesses and nonprofits. She noted that some companies, such as NBCUniversal, have moved to a paid internship program in recent years, perhaps in light of the lawsuits and attention now devoted to the Fair Labor Standards Act. “I think that’s a positive trend,” she said.

“Any move towards compensating college students is a good thing.”

Pressure to succeed While many of his freshman friends were enjoying their first year at the University, Reynolds, the General Electric intern, said he felt immense pressure not only to find an internship, but to also support himself at the same time.

While other interns used their first paychecks to buy new watches or televisions for their apartments, Reynolds, who cannot rely on financial support from his parents, was worrying about paying for gas to travel to and from work.

Orrick, too, said there was a definite divide between students from different socioeconomic classes in D.C., where most of the internship positions are unpaid. Although Orrick and many others in PSIP budgeted consciously and had help from scholarships, she said it was obvious that many other students didn’t have the same worries.

The financial constraints that some students have is something employers should take into consideration when developing their internship programs, she said. As the income gap between students in universities across the country increases, the same disparity can be seen in internships.

“I think there is a bit of an issue with it being limited to middle and upper class students doing internships because they’re the ones who can afford them,” Orrick said. “It’s cutting those students out who would bring a lot to the internship and to their employer but yet can’t financially do it.”

A creative approach Like the others, LSA senior Laura Goslin, who interned in Congressman Dan Kildee’s (D — Mich.) office, had to think outside of the box when it came to financing her summer in D.C. In Goslin’s case, this meant graduating a year early so she could use the money she saved from paying tuition to afford to live in one of the nation’s most expensive cities and work fulltime for free.

“I made a deal with my parents that they would pay for housing,” Goslin said. “I was just really fortunate. I know if I didn’t have that set up I wouldn’t be able to go.”

While the unpaid internship isn’t going away any time soon, there are many resources across campus that can help students take a creative approach to funding their ideal internship experience.

LSA Internship Coordinator Elizabeth Pariano said she has witnessed the number of internships growing over the past few years as more students and employers recognize the benefits of the experience. While this means an increase in the amount of unpaid opportunities, she said it will also translate into more paid positions in the future.

For those who find themselves struggling to pay for their summer experiences, Pariano said there are many resources for students to take advantage of. For example, LSA students with

demonstrated financial need can apply for the LSA Internship Scholarship, which can grant up to $5,000 to subsidize internship costs.

“You need to be ready to ask one place and go to another,” Pariano said. “It’s on the minds of many of the people I talk with in these departments. I don’t think a student should ever hesitate to ask or inquire about it.”

Additionally, Pariano is helping to develop the LSA Internship Network, which will connect LSA students with employers — including LSA alumni — looking for interns. The database will require employers to indicate whether the position is paid or unpaid, which is also a requirement for jobs posted on the Career Center’s website currently. Pariano said many students are able to “piece together” an appropriate amount of support through multiple channels to afford to take an internship.

Hopefully, all of these resources will help students secure not only their ideal internship, but one that is paid for those who can’t afford to do it any other way. She said the University’s goal is to engage as many students as possible in the process if they’re interested in the experience.

“We’d like to be able to support as many students as we can,” she said. “I think it’s important to give them the options and facilitate the options to open as many doors as we can.”

Pariano emphasized the importance of the individual student figuring out his or her needs and taking the appropriate steps to accomplish their own goals and ambitions. She encouraged students to seriously consider what value they will get out of an internship — paid or unpaid — before they take it.

In some cases, this may involve students creating their own opportunities or taking a path less traveled.

“That’s a good thing, that there are so many paths,” she said. “There are opportunities to take other kinds of work.”

Harclerode also stressed that there are many options for students who feel that they can’t afford unpaid internships. She suggested talking to employers about shortening the length of the internship, looking for scholarships or sponsors in the city of employment, considering less expensive cities to work in that offer similar opportunities and supplementing the internship with a paid job.

While it isn’t the ideal situation, she encouraged students in financial straights to take advantage of the resources provided on campus.

“Ultimately, I think anytime you have the opportunity to be able to gain more exposure and clarify career interests it’s a positive thing, but like I said, there’s some resources out there that would hopefully help support a student,” Harclerode said. “I do think there are some students who need to make difficult choices.”

Reynolds seconded Harclerode, saying his internship experience took a lot of planning and budgeting. Still, he said all of the effort paid off because of the experience he received.

“Even with all that planning ahead, it was still was kind of hard to get started,” he said. “In all, it really definitely is worth it.”

To see the full version, go to michigandaily.com

5B

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE NUMBERS

On campus, how do unpaid internships compare among students? A Career Center survey conducted in fall 2013 showed varying summer internship experiences.

Freshman

4.68% 105 internships

Sophomore

LSA survey respondents

25.28% 572 internships

Junior

32.6% 737 internships

Senior

37.6% 849 internships

Unpaid but with compensation 10.91% 247 students

Paid ‑­ Hourly

36.46% 825 students

Paid ‑ Stipend

Compensation

20.99% 475 students

Unpaid

31.63% 716 students

Yes, I received scholarships from a source external to the University 5.25%

Additional Funding?

No, I attempted to seek additional funding but did not secure it 8.15% Yes, I received scholarships from the University 8.84% No, I didn’t seek additional funding

77.76%

6B

Wednesday, January 29, 2014 // The Statement

Rethinking Rackham

by Jeremy Summitt It might not be the most aesthetically pleasing building on campus, at least from the outside.

There’s a pale green roof that rests above its beige, stone facade. Some people, especially undergraduates, walk by it everyday without knowing its name.

The Rackham Graduate School hardly resembles the likes of the Michigan League or North Quad. It sticks out, yet it’s still an afterthought.

As you enter Rackham through one of the three archways atop the stairway, you’re greeted with warm, ambient colors. Sage, burgundy and gold tones dress the ceiling in elaborate and symmetrical designs. Dim, cylindrical lights provide a calming illumination, and encourage you to keep walking through one of five doors into a lecture hall.

Rackham can be easy to overlook when strolling down East Washington Street or leaving the Modern Languages Building.

Likewise, Michigan’s graduate community can seem forgotten among the substantial group of undergraduates — except for the GSIs, of course.

With 15,000 students — less than half of the undergraduate population — it might not be the biggest surprise that graduate students get skimmed over when it comes to changes in the University curriculum.

Undergraduate voices typically reign supreme, but as a sizable chunk of the student body, the graduate students are still working to better incorporate their ideas into the broader University community.

“The fact that we represent 15,000 on a campus of about 45,000 means there should be special attention paid to that,” said Rackham Student Government President Phillip Saccone.

Rackham facilitates 108 Ph.D programs at the University of Michigan. In addition, it facilitates 87 master’s programs, and 34 certificate programs.

There are some master’s programs, however, that are not so much affiliated with Rackham, including those in the College of Engineering and the Ford School of Public Policy.

Still, the graduate community has joined hands in the past few years to make a larger impact on campus and influence policy changes in ways that fulfill its diverse interests.

During Saccone’s tenure, pinpointing the differences between the graduate and undergraduate population became one main focus area. Saccone said RSG has recently developed a good dialogue about these distinctions with the University’s administration.

“In many ways, the student body on campus — graduate or otherwise — is similar,” Saccone said. “And that’s great. But

in ways that are very important, they are different.”

Ostensibly, undergraduates are coming from similar high school backgrounds with a plethora of opportunities in front of them after graduation — graduate school, full-time jobs and maybe some traveling.

Graduate students, on the other hand, are in a program to advance their careers in that specific area of study. Their goals and academic preferences are much less broad than those of undergraduates.

The leap from a student’s first four years of college to a masters or Ph.D program is grandiose. It calls for a new lifestyle.

“The curriculum is very different. What

Like many of the other top graduate schools in the nation, the University has been slow to respond to the changing professional landscape in several fields, according to Saccone. Job markets, specifically those in the humanities and social sciences, have taken a hit since the recession began.

The challenging job market remains a pivotal issue, and one many administrators in the graduate programs are still working out. For several years, it’s been a common misconception that all Ph.D students will graduate, join the academy and become professors and scholars of their areas of research.

Ruby Wallau/DAILY

is expected of you is very different (and) overall, career goals are different,” Saccone said.

That’s what RSG is trying to relay to the administration, but sometimes it’s more difficult than one would expect. Policy changes have sometimes lumped the graduate students into the undergraduate population as if they have the same needs. Unfortunately, this constrains the way specific requests made by Rackham students have been addressed.

In hopes of maintaining its image as the leaders and best, Saccone is aiming to place the University among the schools with the most advanced curricula. With modernized and pertinent course plans, the graduate student body will eventually be the universally most well-suited for coveted opportunities in their respective fields.

“RSG has been very vocal in explaining which types of training we need to be the top of the top in our field the way Michigan expects of us,” Saccone said.

“The job landscape has changed,” Saccone said. “The skills that are even required to go to that traditional track have changed.”

For this reason, RSG and the University have been in continuous dialogue in order to make advancements toward modifying the curriculum. The two groups have claimed some success, but there’s much work left to do.

A recent change occurred when the administration brought the 9.0 graduate GPA scale down to a standardized 4.0. It was just one example of an outdated system that the University has held onto for quite some time.

“Don’t make me go into a job interview and have me explain to some human resources person why I’m on a nine-point scale,” Saccone said. “It just doesn’t make sense.”

The curriculum changes, among others, justify why the school needs to treat undergraduate and graduate student bodies differently. In order to establish a

pathway for graduate students’ success in the professional world, a curriculum that builds a variety of educational and personal skills is a necessity. The days of having a curriculum where you can simply check off requirements soon disappears upon entering graduate school.

Theoretically, this new era of graduate education began to emerge around 30 years ago, and The University’s Medical School was on the cutting edge of reforming its advanced studies programs.

Previously, the majority of students not destined to be practicing doctors were in graduate programs to do research and eventually move on to becoming professors and to further their research. Lab requirements became cemented into the curriculum to prepare students for a career in the classroom. A new generation of faculty was being bred in the classroom and the labs, or so most universities thought.

As Saccone explained about today’s changing job market, not everyone in graduate school aspires to be a professor.

“There are a lot more opportunities for graduate students with a Ph.D in biomedical sciences to go onto for their future,” said Victor DiRita, associate dean for graduate and postdoctoral studies in the Medical School.

“There’s biotech and pharmaceuticals, and even public policy jobs and writing.”

These diverse fields demand a diversified curriculum, which Saccone and the rest of RSG continue working toward.

The skills necessary for a respectable career in public policy and writing are often honed outside of a lab. Currently, there are efforts being made to gear the curriculum toward personal development, and establishing a broad set of skills to prepare students for nontraditional career routes.

“The idea with all of these is not to short circuit what the (graduate) education is doing, but to enhance the value of the graduate education,” DiRita said. “To create skillsets and toolboxes that students are going to be able to rely on to move into different careers.”

Recently, teaching certificates have become more widely available for graduate students that want to pursue teaching rather than delve into additional lab work. Others might obtain a certificate in cellular biotechnology or public policy. As rapidly as the job market has expanded, the University continues to take steps to keep its students and recent graduates competitive.

The warm colors from within Rackham quickly fade when the front doors open.

Walk outside, and it gets chilly and uncomfortable.

The grey clouds are stale. Cross over East Washington, and it’s back to undergraduate territory.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014 // The Statement

7B

Personal Statement: Thanks, grandma

by Carolyn Gearig

ILLUSTRATION BY MEGAN MULHOLLAND

I was once an accomplished seller of Girl Scout cookies. In elementary school, I sold more than any girl in my troop for five years in a row. Every Saturday and Sunday during selling season, my dad and I would map out a route and walk around our neighborhood, knocking on doors.

But my all-time record of 478 boxes would not have been possible without the help of my grandmother.

One of my favorite memories is from the January when I was in the third grade. My grandma worked at the University, and she took me to her office at the Institute of Social Research on Thompson Street to sell Girl Scout cookies to her co-workers. We went out for lunch to her favorite Middle Eastern restaurant where the servers knew her name and her favorite order, and we walked over near West Quad to spin the cube. I sold over 100 boxes of cookies that day, but more importantly, I got to miss school to hang out with my grandma.

In the four months that followed, I came to Ann Arbor more frequently, but this time it was to visit the hospital. That April, my grandma was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. To put it in perspective, the five-year survival rate is six percent. Two months later, she was gone.

My grandma was special. While I don’t have a very strong memory

of my elementary-school years, I remember her vividly. She had a bubbly, outgoing personality. She was one of those people who filled up a room when she walked in because she was so personable and friendly. Every day with her was an adventure — whether we were taking her RV to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to go camping and visit her cabin, eating at McDonald’s (she would always get Happy Meals so my brother and I could have the toys) or visiting the American Girl Place in Chicago.

She’s been gone for nearly 10 years, but my grandma still inspires everything I do. She had my mother at 19, but managed to attend Eastern Michigan University while caring for a child and working as a clerk at the University Hospital.

While my grandfather pursued a bachelor’s and then a master’s and PhD in Engineering at the University, my grandmother rose through the ranks of administrative positions at the University of Michigan Health System, simultaneously working toward her undergraduate and graduate degrees while helping to raise two daughters. She was eventually hired at the Institute for

Social Research, where she worked for the last 15 years of her life as an assistant director.

After her death, a scholarship fund was established in her name.

The Laurie Staples Staff Development Fund awards scholarships each year to ISR employees concurrently pursuing college bachelor’s or graduate degrees.

This fund is particularly special because it is dedicated to my grandmother’s legacy of hard work

show potential for great accomplishment in the midst of financial and other difficulties.

On the website for her fund, there are testimonials from her colleagues. Some of my favorites are: 1. “Laurie enjoyed life and liked to share the delight with others.

She felt strongly about celebrating accomplishments and encouraging success.”

2. “By contributing to this fund, one not only helps to keep Laurie’s memory alive, but also makes it possible for individuals to have the resources necessary to improve their knowledge and skill base, which is something that Laurie would be quite proud of and honored to be associated with.”

3. “It is safe to say that you are an unforgettable, as well as remarkable and irreplaceable, member of the Institute.”

Meanwhile, I continued to grow up an hour from Ann Arbor and occasionally returned with my family to visit my mother’s hometown. I fell in love with the campus, and all I worked for in High School was an acceptance to the University where my grandmother

“It’s a testament to my grandmother’s loving nature that she made selling 100 boxes of girl scout cookies seem like a career-changing business deal.” and perseverance. She worked for years just to make ends meet while never letting go of her academic pursuits. She was a young mother who raised children in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, when opportunities for women were more limited than they are today. This didn’t deter her from becoming an administrative leader at the ISR. The hope is that the Laurie Staples Staff Development Fund has and will continue to help employees, who, like her,

worked. Now, I’m a freshman and I live in a residence hall five minutes away from her former office, and I’m reminded of her everyday.

I was covering an Ann Arbor City Council election watch party for The Michigan Daily in early November when I struck up a conversation with a University professor attending the event in support of a candidate. When he told me he was a research professor at the ISR, I asked him if he knew who Laurie Staples was. His response was immediate; he had been her friend back when my grandma was still working at ISR, and one of his research assistants was among the first to receive a scholarship from the Laurie Staples Staff Development Fund. He remembered her as being a dedicated, funny and hardworking woman. When I told him I was her granddaughter, he was shocked.

It’s a testament to my grandmother’s character and accomplishments that her granddaughter can mention Laurie Staples to a former colleague after 10 years and receive an instant outpouring of positive memories. It is a testament to my grandmother’s loving nature that she made selling 100 boxes of girl scout cookies seem like a career-changing business deal. It is a testament to her memory that a fund in her name has been going strong for nearly a decade.

Thanks, Grandma. I love you always.

8B

Wednesday, January 29, 2014 // The Statement

T H E V I S U A L S TAT E M E N T: M Y N I G H T W I T H A N D I Nicholas Williams photographed Andi Drogenous, a graduate student in the School of Social Work and a drag performer, performing at a club in Cleveland, Ohio.

O

n the surface, being in drag is a “Look”. When I first began exploring and documenting Drag Queens I mostly viewed the lifestyle on an aesthetic level. It was not until I met Andi Drogenous that I began to see another side to drag — it is a vessel to disrupting a gender binary. Drag inspires a generation of acceptance and being is more than putting on a dress and walking out the door, it’s about creating a dynamic persona.

I met Andi online, and when we met up for coffee, I was struck by the knowledge that ze (gender neutral pronoun) had of drag and of zir energy.

Over winter break I followed Andi to zir hometown of Cleveland, Ohio to watch zir performance at a club. Having total access to Andi’s full process put into perspective for me how much work goes in to the illusion behind the scenes. Broken down, drag is sixty percent getting ready, ten percent performing and thirty percent reigning as queen of the club.

Andi spent four hours painting zir face, erasing every manly feature using various techniques learned from friends or

online. Bit-by-bit, Andi started to appear.

We chatted idly as ze worked and at one point as ze finished up zir eyes Andi said almost to zir self, “Okay, Andi is here now.” I did not notice a dramatic change, but there was something different: Andi became sure of zirself, energized and ready to perform.

Andi performed a lip sync and dance number that night. The audience at the club ranged from gay club goers to troops of Midwestern brides at their bachelorette party. After zir performance Andi navigated the crowd with ease, posing for pictures and drinking Long Islands as I kept taking pictures and subtly re-gluing her handmade acrylic nails.

Today, Drag Queens are a visible part of popular culture thanks to shows like Ru Paul’s Drag Race ranking high in ratings, but the most raw, and true performances take place in the clubs. Whether on a reality show or a Drag performance in Cleveland, Queens continue to be an icon for liberation and freedom with one’s body.

PHOTOS BY NICHOLAS WILLIAMS