What have Obama’s inaugural promises meant for America’s racial divides?

Written by: Liz Reyna
Edited by: Maggie Reed

Ever since President Obama’s primary bid for the presidential nomination began, the word hope has become an almost viral part of the American vernacular. Hope is everywhere- the expression seems to uniquely embody the emotions of all Americans. Americans are hopeful for better days to come, though the definition of better varies from person to person, or in some instances, race to race.

Shepperd Fairey's Controversial Image of President Obama, courtesy of supertouchart.com

Oralia Contreras is not unique in her hopefulness. As an ELL (English Language Learner) teacher and guidance clerk at Westview High School, Contreras said she sees the message of change beating in the hearts of her students.

“They are all hopeful,” she said. “I have students come to me daily to tell me they are very hopeful that (Barack) Obama can make a change for them.”

But as the first term of America’s first black president gets underway, Contreras said she worries if the change is indeed reserved for her students, who like her, are of Hispanic descent.

Many of her students are illegal immigrants. They come to the United States, she said, for better opportunities and to learn English.

“Whether they are illegal or have gotten their papers, Obama needs to fight for them and welcome them,”she said.

She said with Obama’s inauguration, one promise he must keep is to tackle immigration reform. Without it, she said, she sees little progress for Hispanics. Yet Contreras is still hopeful and like many, supports Obama—a deviation from what was expected from Hispanics, due to so-called Hispanic-African American divide.

According to the article in Newsweek, “The Black-Brown Divide” by Jamie Reno, author Earl Hutchinson said there would be reluctance among many Hispanics to vote for an African American candidate.
José Reyna, assistant to the city manager of Grand Rapids, said in fact, many Hispanics did initially support Clinton during the primary.

“Hispanics initially identified with Clinton because of their loyalty to Democratic Party and the Clintons’ support of their community,” Reyna said. “Many were deaf to Obama’s message about empathy with Hispanic community.” He added once the race between Obama and McCain begun, Obama’s message finally resonated with Hispanic community.

And resonate it did, as exit polls showed Hispanics voted 67 percent Obama to 30 percent McCain. Yet even with the support and the nomination, Hispanics like Yasmin Ibarra-Delgado, a paraprofessional at Loy Norrix High School, still worry how Obama might help them.

“I married an illegal immigrant, so the issue of immigration is important to me,” Ibarra-Delgado said. “I wonder what Obama might do to help people in the situation I was in.”

As it stands, Obama has proposed an immigration reform plan which includes border surveillance with new technologies and reprimanding employers who hire undocumented workers.



For undocumented immigrants, Obama has proposed to have them register, pay a fine for entering illegally, pay taxes, and learn English. In addition, the undocumented immigrants must go to the back of line in applying for citizenship—behind people who are waiting to earn it legally—but has also proposed to give illegals time to earn their citizenship.

With this, the immigration matter is particularly crucial, Reyna said, and if Obama ignores these promises, a rift between racial groups might occur.
Andrew Schlewitz, Grand Valley State University Latin American Studies and Political Science professor, said the immigration issue resonates differently with both African Americans and Hispanics depending on geography. Those closer to the border might feel more affected.

But there is some common ground through it all. Schlewitz said he believes there are issues, like the creation of jobs, which can unite this perceived divide.
There is one thing complicating this pursuit, however, and the pursuit for unity, Schlewitz added.

“All of the issues depend on how quickly and how thoroughly we can recover from the economy because it has been putting all sorts of groups against each other,” he said.

Danny Aldaco, a department tech for the State of Michigan, echoed those sentiments and said the economy is to blame for these divides.

“I think that people are realizing what race you are is not important now,” Aldaco said. “Everyone is struggling right now and I think fixing these issues will unite people.”

As it stands, Obama’s economic plan is to create or save up to 4 million jobs through investment in a new renewable energy infrastructure.

Daniel McClure, Grand Valley State professor of Liberal and African American Studies, said this economic plan should do much for African Americans and Hispanics, as a percieved competition for jobs is one of the main dividing factors between the two races.

He added African Americans and Hispanics live in similar conditions, face similar discrimination in housing, jobs and education, and therefore would find common interests rather than competing interests throughout this divide. Obama’s multi-racial background may do much to alleviate the fear that he will favor one race over any others. Obama can appeal to all races, including African Americans and Hispanics.

So then, has “the ground shifted,” as Obama proclaimed in his inauguration speech, to acknowledge a new dimension of race?
Schlewitz said yes.

“Political analysts are now looking at race as a generational thing,” Schlewitz said.

“The baby- boomers are getting old and race and ethnicity are gaining a different take among the younger generations.” With this, the question remains: Is the nation moving toward a post-racial America, without divides? McClure said the notion of a post-racial America is ridiculous and unappealing.

“Race is a fundamental…fact of American history, culture and identity and will not disappear simply because President Obama is no longer interested in discussing the ways it shapes all of our lives,” McClure said. Instead, he suggested tackling the issue head-first in order to break down divides.

But for many, such as Baker, those divides cannot be understood without an example from the top.

“I think many are looking toward Obama right now for the next step in breaking down racial barriers,” he said.

Stricter Internet Rules in Public Libraries is a must!

Written by: Stephanie Lulofs
Edited by: Natasha Crljenica


Loutit District Library pictured on left.Photo courtesy of Loutit District Library website









Free public Internet access is connecting people to things that aren’t appropriate to be seen or done in public. While Internet access is essential to the public, there should definitely be stricter rules on what people can and can’t do.

I work in a library, like many other libraries, that offers free Internet access to anybody that comes in. Some libraries have restrictions on who can use the Internet and how long people can use it. But my library, Loutit District Library doesn’t have many restrictions, and the few that we do have aren’t necessarily followed as they should be. LDL is a public library in Grand Haven, which is a pretty conservative town of about 12,000 people.

Mark Rennells, the computer technician at LDL, told me that the original intent of the computer lab in the library was to help people do research and homework. Less than 10 years ago the library had 2 computers by reference, now the computer lab has its own room with 14 computers, and it soon will have an additional 10.

I have worked at this library for almost 5 years, two and a half of them have been spent in the computer lab. I can’t even begin to tell you all the crazy experiences I have been a part of, most of them involving the computers and Internet. I agree with many people in saying that the public should be able to have access to the Internet, because many people including young children’s families may not be able to afford having access at home and therefore not have the chance to experience all that the Internet has to offer. But, there should be limits. And people need to learn to be more appreciative of what they are getting because it’s free! People still complain about how long of a time they may have to wait because they came in at a busy time or because they aren’t allowed to stay on longer, or because the Internet is slow.

Rennells said that there is a vast amount of information out there that people need to be able to use. April Barker, another co-worker also believes that this is important because some students need access to computers and the Internet in order to do a school project, or some people may need it to be able to find and apply for jobs.

According to a recent survey taken by the students of Kansas State University, College students spend a vast majority of time on the internet. Students spend 3 ½ a day online and view 2300 web pages and 500 e-mails a year!


The YouTube video created by KSU students of the Introduction to cultural Anthropology class of Spring 2007, courtesy of YouTube

It is really important to have access to the Internet and nowadays students cannot get away with not having access to the internet because of class requirements.. But I believe that there should be some definite limits. There should be tighter time limits, so that people couldn’t be able to sit down for hours at a time and look up Social networking sites or game playing when other people need to get on to do homework or look for jobs.

I also believe that dating sites and other sites that may contain inappropriate pictures should be banned completely. Those kinds of sites are not appropriate to be looked up in public, especially when children are around. If you are on a dating site, you should be looking that up where other people aren’t around to see what you are doing. The original intent of Internet access at a library wasn’t for Social Networking or dating sites, it was for people to do homework or research.

Time spend online is increasing every year. Therefore, people need to be able to use the internet in a safe way. On several occasions I have looked up at work and caught people looking up inappropriate pictures or subjects. It usually tends to be among teenagers, or middle aged men. Teens are restricted by what they look at, but they still manage to look up subjects that should not be searched in public or seen by the wandering eyes of young children.

Act 212, which complies with the Children’s Internet Protection Act and Michigan Public Act states that children should be protected against visual depictions that are obscene, pornography or harmful to minors. It also states that patrons should not access visual depictions that are obscene. But, even though this rule is posted on the desktops of all computers and on signs posted around the computer lab room, it hasn’t stopped people from going against it and looking at inappropriate things.

I am shocked by some of the things that I have seen adults look at. I thought that by a certain age people knew what was appropriate to do in public and what wasn’t. We even have rules on the computers and on posted signs around the room informing people of the types of sites that shouldn’t be on, but that doesn’t seem to stop people. There was a man that came in one day with his 13 year old daughter. I was watching him and just happened to catch him looking up pictures of women on a very dirty and suggestive adult dating website. And his daughter was on the computer right next to him!

Another situation that everyone at my library is familiar with is a man that used to come in every day of the week and stay on the computers for the whole day that the library was open. He protected his USB drive like it was gold. One day we figured out why, and it is just sad. We had had several people complain about what he was looking up, but could never catch him in the act. Then one day I happened to look up and caught him with a minimized screen, looking at extremely tiny pictures. He argued that it was art and we had no right to take that privilege away. Also, he said that it must have been okay for him to look at since our filters didn’t block the images. But, our policy also clearly states that while our computers are filtered, we can’t guarantee that all inappropriate things will be blocked.

Rennells said that he has had several people throw the excuse for what they were looking at as freedom of speech. They believed that there was nothing wrong with what they were looking up after all this is a free country and everyone has the right to say what they want to say.

Rennells and Barker both agree that people need to have stricter limitations. Rennells believes that libraries need to say that people can’t access pornography or dating websites since many inappropriate pictures come from those sites, but he knows that will never happen. Barker thinks that people should be given stricter time limits, so they can’t stay online all day which would hopefully restrain people from getting into inappropriate websites.

The Grand Rapids Public Library for instance, has limitations on the daily time spend online. According to the the GRPL website,

“ Computer sessions are limited to 1 hour per day for library card holders and 30 minutes per day for internet card holders. Patrons with library fines over $40 are not able to use the public computers.”

In order to use a computer, a person you need a valid library card or intranet card. The GRPL also has strict rules as to what sites viewers are allowed to visit. They’re rules state:

“The Grand Rapids Public Library enforces MCL 397.606 (Sect.6 of the Library Privacy Act).Therefore, the Library does not allow anyone using a computer on Library premises to view matter that is obscene or material that is sexually explicit and harmful to minors, because a minor could view it.Persons who do not comply with this rule will lose their Internet privileges and may lose any or all other Library privileges.”

I, along with a majority of my co-workers, are amazed at what people will look up, especially in public. Do people really think that other people want to see the things they are looking up? I for one get sick of having to see the pictures people are looking up or the variety of topics that I never wanted to know about.

Celebrity or not, hitting a woman is never acceptable

Written by Marcus Reynolds
Edited by Kenneth Cotto

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Chris Brown, an R&B artist and triple threat in music, acting and dancing allegedly acted out a fit of rage on his girlfriend, beautiful pop star Rihanna.

According to an article in the London Times, Chris Brown is not alone; one in seven men believes it is ok to hit a woman.

Contrary to what many believe, there are people who think it is acceptable for a man to hit a woman. You can find the same mindset here in Grand Rapids. Bobby Clottman, 36, of Grand Rapids said he grew up witnessing his foster father abusing his foster mother.

"I believe that Chris Brown was just acting out what he learned in the home," Clottman said. "The way I was taught is that the man is over the woman by any means necessary."

Yirssi Bergman, president of Grand Rapids Community College's(GRCC) Women Now said, "Some men are emotionally immature and believe it's ok to hit a woman rather than respect her for being a woman."

There have been many media spins on why and how the Chris Brown action happened---so many, in fact, that I feel like I have been hit in the head by one of Brown's fists.

With this, there are many speculations and rumors: she gave him herpes; he was cheating, then Rihanna checked him on it. The latest one is that he came from an abusive upbringing himself, where he witnessed his mother being abused by his stepfather.

So far, the truth isn't out there yet. But the real truth is a man should never put his hands on a woman---period!

Being a father of three daughters, a son and a loving friend to a beautiful woman, I can't condone the unhealthy, twisted expression of Brown's love toward Rihanna. Who would ever think the young, charismatic R&B star would ever be investigated for domestic violence and making criminal threats to such a stunning woman like Rihanna?

President of The National Organization for Women, Kim Gandy, answered the question best two days after the incident, in her nationwide press release regarding the altercation:

"Whether you are rich or poor, famous or not, young or old--domestic violence does not discriminate."

The story of domestic abuse is closer to home than we think. GRCC student Virgia Hankins is living proof.

"When we first met he wasn't abusive, but it became worse and worse," Hankins said of a former boyfriend.

As Hankins and I stood out side GRCC's Raider Grill, time seemed to stand still as she relived her experiences. The strains of life and the abuse showed on her. The African American woman, a criminal justice major and mother of two daughters, told her story. Her body slightly shifted and contorted involuntary as she spoke about how anything would "set him off."

"Another man could speak to me or I could be out with the girls, this would set him off," Hankins said.

She didn't want to elaborate on what happened during those times, but the way she held her head down told the whole story.

"[During] the last episode, I thought he was going to kill me," Hankins said.

Finally fed up with her abuser after six years, she left in the middle of the night in her pajamas and called the police. Many women are not so courageous and fortunate to make it out.

According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence approximately 1,200 women a year--3 every day--die in the United States as a result of domestic violence.

"No one deserves to be hit in a relationship," Hankins said. "The first time you see it, you should get out."

Hankins is not as well known as Rihanna, but as a woman she, too, deserves respect. This made me wonder why Chris or any man would abuse a woman? Is there ever a good reason?

"Whether you are rich or poor, famous or not, young or old--domestic violence does not discriminate."

Hankins, who is articulate, persistent in her studies and a proud parent brought to mind those men cited by the London Times, and how something is seriously wrong with them.

Research shows abusers have common characteristics: they are possessive, jealous and controlling of their partners.

"He didn't want me to be me. He loved me as long as I was quiet and [was] doing what he wanted," Hankins said.

Hankins said her abuser is now imprisoned for his wrongdoings. The verdict is still out on Chris Brown. He turned himself in to the Los Angeles Police Department and is out on $50,000 bail. He has lost several endorsement deals because of the publicity. He did make a public apology, but I have to question whether he is really sorry.

In Hankin's case, the answer is clear about her abuser.

"I don't believe he'll change," Hankins said. "I still love him, but I can't accept the abuse."

What will Rihanna do? Her father, Ronald Fenty, has made a public statement regarding his daughter on ABC news.

"At some point, she will speak out," Fenty said. "I hope she will stand up for women all over the world."

As a father, I can empathize with the anger and disappointment Fenty must be feeling.

Hankins left her abusive relationship and stood up for herself. I hope Rihanna will stand up for herself.

As for Chris Brown, I hope he is truly sorry and learns to love women the right way ---as a loving, humane person and friend.

The bottom line: Famous or not, all women deserve respect, and it is never ok for a man to harm a woman.

Domestic Violence Statistics

• Only about half of domestic violence incidents are reported to police. African-American women are more likely than others to report their victimization to police. According to Lawrence A. Greenfeld. (1998). (Violence by Intimates: Analysis of Data on Crimes by Current or Former Spouses, Boyfriends, and Girlfriends. Bureau of Justice Statistics Factbook

• Men perpetrate the majority of violent acts against women (DeLahunta 1997)

• In the National Violence Against Women Survey, approximately 25 percent of women and 8 percent of men said they were raped and/or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, cohabiting partner, or date in their lifetimes. The survey estimates that more than 300,000 intimate partner rapes occur each year against women 18 and older. ( According to the Full Report of the Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women)

• 17.6 percent of women in the United States have survived a completed or attempted rape. Of these, 21.6% were younger than age 12 when they were first raped, and 32.4% were between the ages of 12 and 17. (According to the Full Report of the Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women, Findings from the National Violence Against Women).
  

Twitter wants to know: What are you doing?

Written By: Tom Mitsos

Edited By: Chelcee Johns

Picture courtesy of Twitter.com

I’m twittering because it seems to be the next big social network phenomenon. First it was MySpace, then Facebook and now Twitter.

Twitter began in March 2006 as a side project from a podcasting service called Odeo, thanks to PBS for the information.

Jack Dorsey, current CEO of Twitter, had an idea about sharing your status with all of your friends in a convenient way.In March 2007, at the South by Southwest interactive, film and music festival, Twitter won the Web award in the blog category.

See this video on Vator.tv »

Video courtesy of Vator TV

It’s hard trying to keep each entry to 140 characters or less. Mary Pritchard, Grand Valley State University classmate, said it helps her become a better writer. “It’s helping me become a more refined journalist,” she said. “I only get so many words.”

I had to split up the last two updates, 140 characters is not enough. I’ll attempt to keep my following updates under the limit.

Back to the topic at hand, Pritchard heard different celebrities talking about Twitter and signed up for an

account, despite thinking it was stupid.

I heard about Twitter in my writing capstone class at GVSU. The idea of constant updates seemed very stupid to me.

Who could possibly think that their life is so important that they need to update their friends every half hour about their own lives?

Besides, Facebook already has a status update feature. Why should I get a Twitter account when all of my friends are on Facebook?

The idea seemed very pretentious to me. But, I decided to give Twitter a fair chance. Signed up for Twitter account. It took about two minutes.

Twitter is going through my e-mail account to find friends that are already on Twitter. It found my writing professor, I request to follow her.

Ugh! I did it again. This will be the last time I go over my limit, I promise. If the limit were 160 characters, I would be happy.

First Twitter: “seeing if Twitter is as good as everyone says it is.” Setting my page to private, lots of crazy people out there.

So, what do I do now? Looking around the Web site to find what else I can do on Twitter. Can’t find anything. There has to be something else

Did you notice there wasn’t a period at the end of the last update? The update would have gone over 140 characters had I inserted a period.

Continuing to look around the Twitter site. Found director/writer Kevin Smith’s Twitter. Decided to follow it. Smith’s updates include:

“Finally cleaning my office. Why do I bother keeping anything? When I'm dead, it’ll probably all just get thrown out.”

And: “Can't sleep. Losing at Full Tilt.” I didn’t know Smith was a poker player. Speaking of which, I also found Phil Hellmuth’s Twitter.

Hellmuth is a professional poker player. Updates include: “I’m down 33k!!” and “Has a new YouTube channel.” I need to see his YT channel.

I’m enjoying learning about Smith and Hellmuth’s personal life. It seems to humanize them. As if celebrities were not human to begin with.

Pritchard agrees: “It gives them (celebrities) the opportunity to say things without going through the media.”

Picture courtesy of BostinCS.com

She is following Fall Out Boy Bassist Pete Wentz’s Twitter. She likes seeing his personal thoughts.

Lindsey Romain, another GVSU classmate, is following actor Rainn Wilson’s Twitter. Wilson plays Dwight on the TV show “The Office.” She said she likes being able to see updates about where he will be appearing as well as his funny observations about anything.

However, many celebrities have Twitter accounts, and they don’t even know it. Actress Tina Fey is just one of these celebrities.

According to gawker.com, Fey’s Twitter is not written by the former Saturday Night Live star and current star of the TV show “30 Rock.”

Pritchard doesn’t like the impersonators. “It pisses me off,” she said. “That’s stupid.” While it may be for fun, sometimes it’s malicious.

“It makes that person look bad even though it’s not them,” Romain said. However, Twitter isn’t just for checking up on friends and celebrities.

Kate Betka, student at Michigan State University, is using Twitter to get news from CNN Correspondent Rick Sanchez and the New York Times.

She said she has no friends that use Twitter, so she is only using it to get news updates. National Public Radio also has Twitter updates.

I found out that it’s not just celebrities, college kids and news organizations using Twitter. Politicians are using it too.

According to Oregon Live, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., Twittered 22 times during President Obama’s speech in February.

I never would have thought Congressmen would be using Twitter. What is this world coming to? Do they have MySpace and Facebook accounts too?

Betka thinks Twitter is just a fad. Unless better features are added, she said Twitter will fade away. Pritchard is hoping it doesn’t get as big as MySpace or Facebook, claiming they are “going down the drain” because they are so popular. 

Final verdict: I enjoy checking on celebrities’ Twitters, but unless more friends get a Twitter account, I’ll stick with Facebook.

See? I kept my promise. I didn’t break the 140-character mark again. Now back to writing as many characters as I want.

The ultimate guide for Michiganders moving away from the Midwest

Lake Michigan courtesy of www.undercovertourist.com.

Written by: Ingrid Sjostrand
Edited by: Tom Mitsos

You've said your goodbyes, you've packed your entire life in boxes and you are finally ready to move out of the sheltered college town where you’ve spent the last four years.

You’ve heard all the stereotypes of the fast-paced “city people,” you’ve bought your can of pepper spray to scare off the predators hiding down every dark alley, and you’ve memorized the maze-like subway system to avoid talking to the rude residents or, God forbid, a homeless person. You may think you are completely prepared for your new life in the big city, but you are forgetting one thing: how these city folk are going to judge you and all the things you are leaving behind.

You undoubtedly will encounter the individual who thinks of you as the small-town Christian who hasn’t seen much of the world other than cornfields and deer, or the person who believes Michigan is comprised solely of the city of Detroit, but this list will familiarize you with the many things you didn’t know you did differently from the rest of the country:

1. Midwesterners, particularly Michigan residents, really do have an accent.
Compared to the thick accents of the South or New York, Midwesterners might seem to have no accent. Sorry to disappoint my fellow Michiganders, but we have some quirks to the way we speak.

Eric Weaver, a Grand Rapids native, has created a web site, Michigan Native, in which he analyzes the Michigan accent and phrases unique to our state. According to Weaver’s “Michigan Pronunciation Guide,” there are three things you must do in order to speak correctly in Michigan.

“Talk fast, slur your words together, and clip all your hard consonants, also known as a glottal stop,” he said. Need an example of a glottal stop? Weaver uses the word apartment; most Michigan natives would take out all of the “T’s”, making it sound more like “aparh’mehn.”

Don’t think you do that? Here are some other common words Michigan natives have made their own. Weaver describes the Michigan use of the letter “R” as sounding more like a growl. Words like forever, refrigerator, or even Grand Rapids seem to sound more like “Frever”, “Frigerraider” and “Grrarapids.”

Still not convinced? Another popular problem is turning the letter “i” into “e.” Milk becomes “melk” and thinks turns into “thenks.” Weaver attributes this commonality to Dutch, Irish, Finnish and Welsh heritage rooted in Michigan.

2. You will be ridiculed for calling your drink "pop."
When you move out of the Midwest and crave a carbonated beverage, it may take you some time to figure out what to call it. If you’re moving to the Northeast or Southwest regions of the country, you may want to ask for a soda, but if you're moving south, your best bet is a “coke.” Christen Pearson, a linguistics professor at Grand Valley State University, calls this a dialectical difference.

“In the South, the term 'coke' means any carbonated beverage,” Pearson said. “One has to ask what kind of coke in order to determine whether one wants a Sprite, Seven-up, etc.”

Why so many different names for one kind of drink? According to Faygo, a soft drink company started in Detroit in 1907, they coined the term “pop” after the sound the bottle made when opened. Many people take their carbonated beverage names seriously, so if you’re trying to blend into your new city, remember where you are and use the appropriate terms.



3. Sadly, there will probably be no "Michigan lefts" when you drive out of the state.
The Michigan left turn is essentially turning right to make a left, or going through a light, making a left and then a right. Sounds confusing, but if you are from Michigan, you know how it works. The Michigan left was a popular solution to traffic congestion implemented in the 1960s with the creation of four-lane super highways, according to Michigan Highways. Although it seems to have worked pretty well throughout our state, it has not been picked up by many others, hence the name.

4. You will no longer be able to use your hand as a map.
For Michigan residents, as long as you have hands, you can show someone where you live. Moving out of state and into a city will limit your navigation abilities to paper maps or GPS. The only other place where you can describe your location with a body part might be Louisiana, but you would always have to wear a boot.

Photo courtesy of Tom Mitsos.

5. If you move to a city, it will more than likely be a much more diverse environment.
The major difference between rural Michigan and any large city is going to be the amount of diversity and culture. Meghan Wass, a former Michigan resident, has lived in Toronto for over four years. She recollects the culture shock she experienced when first moving to a more diverse environment.

“Seeing a man dressed in fishnets and a mini dress in Michigan just doesn’t happen,” Wass said. “Or with a rainbow tattooed on their head.” She said that people in bigger cities are much more accepting toward unusual behavior and style. So don’t be surprised when you find yourself surrounded by such a variety.

When you pack up your car and move into your cheap inner-city apartment, just remember you might get scoffed at for your “accent” or your word choice when ordering a carbonated beverage order. But, never forget the good old days of the Michigan left, and using your hand as a map.

*************************************************************************************

Here are some more pronunciations unique to Michigan:

Aent: Aunt
Ciddy: City
Comf-terbul: Comfortable
Deeahd or dayaad: Father, Dad
Di 'Troi: Detroit
Pronounce-eation: Pronunciation

What One Bean Can Do: The Mystery behind Fair Trade

Written by: Mary Pritchard
Edited by: Kenneth Cotto

You could spot their table from across Kirkhof Center. It was draped in pinks and reds with glitter sprinkled over pyramids of fair-trade chocolate, dusting the petals of fair-trade roses, and blending in with the red-wrapped fair trade condoms. Yes, fair trade condoms.

“It’s the rubber in them that is fairly traded,” said Sarah Sheber, a member of the group that was manning the table. Sheber pointed to a slip of paper that summed up the gist of the fair trade movement.

It read: “Thank you for purchasing a socially responsible Valentine’s Day present for your valentine. Through this purchase, you have helped farmers in developing communities to have sustainable farming practices, provide for their families and communities, and make a higher wage.”

She also explained what sparked her support for the cause.

“I wasn’t involved in the fair trade club last year, but after I went to Nicaragua this summer I knew I had to be involved,” Sheber said. Nicaragua? Yes, Sheber had spent three weeks in Central America with six other students for a class called “Psychology of Social Inequality”.

“Here is this gorgeous country with amazing people that we have treated so badly and yet they are still nice to us,” Sheber said. “If I were a Nicaraguan I’d have a bone to pick,”speaking of the social injustices they have endured.

Sheber goes on to describe that the people living in Nicaragua don’t have the infrastructure to market their own goods, so when coyotes, or middle men, offer to sell it for them for a fraction of the cost they should be receiving, they have no choice but to accept.

This is where fair trade comes in to play. During her time in Nicaragua, Sheber spent a week in the mountains with a family of coffee growers that use a fair trade co-op to sell their beans.

“They didn’t have a lot, but they were still better off than the farmers who don’t work through fair trade,” Sheber said as a slide show from her trip flashes across her laptop screen. “They own their own land, and I can’t stress what a big deal that is for them because no one can take that away.”

Through her pictures and memories from the trip, Sheber leads the curious down the path of a fair trade coffee bean.

This is its story:

High in the mountains of Nicaragua, sits a tiny coffee bean. To the common eye, it does not look like much. It hangs, plump and red, from its branches. It knows it is ripe, and waits for that moment when the family that looks after it comes along and...Pluck! Two sun-tanned fists drop the coffee bean into a wicker basket.

(Photo courtesy of econsciousmarket.com)
A fair trade farmer holds a bowl of freshly picked coffee beans.

Later, those same hands remove the bright red cover of the tiny coffee bean, releasing the dark brown bean from its protective shield, like freeing coconut meat from its shell. Joining thousands of other shiny brown beans, this little coffee bean makes its way to a co-op roasting plant. Here, along side warehouses filled ceiling to floor with bags of coffee beans, this little coffee bean gets roasted by machines, sorted by hand, and taste-tested by trained coffee connoisseurs.

This roasted, sorted, and taste-tested bean is assigned an adjective-laden flavor (“medium bodied, full roasted, light acidic vanilla bean”) and is packaged with other beans from the same area. This gives the coffee a richer, more cohesive flavor. This little coffee bean is then shipped to buyers directly from the co-op plant, and placed on store shelves all over the world.

When someone purchases that coffee bean, takes it home and brews it into a steaming mug of coffee, it gives the sun-tanned hands back in Nicaragua a fair portion of its profits. The family high in the mountains is able to maintain a living because of that little bean's journey.

From the branches of banana-shaded bushes to the coffee mug in your hand, that little coffee bean is now a part of something bigger—the fair trade movement. Being certified as “fair trade” seems like the latest trend in an economy that is already using “organic” and “green” labels on a nation of products. This is because fair trade is the epitome of sustainable—a quality highly prized in all three of these labels, says Brian Cesarotti of the Grand Valley State University Students for Fair Trade organization

“Fair trade is organic. It is sustainable. Sometimes you don’t equate social justice with environmental issues, even though they are interconnected,” Cesarotti said.

With a table full of students passionate about fair trade, many of them were eager to jump in with their thoughts on the increase of attention the fair trade movement is getting.

“It’s becoming trendy almost to support causes like fair trade,” said Amy Page, who was lingering near the table piled high with fair trade items. "The green movement is helping; it's introducing people to this concept."

Cesarotti describes as a new level of consciousness that the consumer is gaining. However, he worries that the support for the movement may just be a phase.

"If the market does trend towards the norm in these directions, then that's a good thing. But if it's just a niche that can be exploited, than that's a bad thing that could jeopardize all that we are-- organic, fair and just," he said.

"When you buy fair trade products, you are supporting a deeper cause," Page said. "Sometimes you're buying on a whim; you don't know where it comes from. Buying fair trade products makes you think a lot more."

The fair trade label can be applied to a lot of products besides coffee. Sheber and Page, both participants in the Nicaragua trip, described pottery and clothing co-ops they visited that use the same principles. Cesarotti jokes that even alcohol can be labeled as a fair trade product.

A product or a company must meet specific requirements before it can earn a fair trade certification. Generally, five percent of the product must be fairly traded to earn the label. However, Cesarotti said that this is subject to the volume of product traded to begin with. Starbucks, he explained, gets the fair trade label with only two or three percent of their product fairly traded, simply due to their size. Coffee co-ops like the ones Sheber and Page visitied have 100 percent fairly traded coffee, guaranteeing that the journey of the little coffee beans is a fair one indeed.

"Really, the fair trade certification is becoming a marketing label," Cesarotti said. "It requires minimum standards that don't always embody the ideals and principles of the movement. They claim to act in solidarity, but in actuality there are very few people speaking on their behalf, which goes against the existing principles."

He explained that because of this a lot of companies don't bother striving for the official certification but live up to their own ideals of fair trade that don't conflict with the overarching goals of the movement. Fair-trade products aim for the consciense, not the wallet, as evidenced by the products that were on sale at the Kirkhof Center.

Cesarotti explained that some fair trade products cost more than their non-fairly traded counterparts, due to the base price that is higher for fair trade producers. This ensures that they get a price for their products that can support them, and gives them an opportunity to invest money in their community to pay for things like education and youth programs. Part of what you pay for in a fair trade product is the sustainable and organic farming practices that went into it, Cesarotti said. In addition, farmers involved in fair trade co-ops earn a steady wage all year round, rather than being dependent on when they sell their product.

Despite the $7 per box cost of the chocolates, students were grabbing them up, sometimes two at a time. Whether this was because their taste was "so worth it" as Sheber said, or due to the students' socially conscious shopping habits is hard to say. But Cesarotti said the benefit to the consumer does not have a number attached to it.

"Your benefiting because you have a better idea of what you are consuming comes from," he said. "You're helping build a relationship between the producer and the consumer, in solidarity."

This idea of solidarity is important to the fair trade movement. Sheber explained it clearly.

"We get involved not because we want to give them clarity, or because we feel sorry for them, but because we feel solidarity with them. We want to struggle with them," she said.

While the coffee bean's journey didn't end at the Valentine's Day sale that day, it will very well end up in the hands of the Students for Fair Trade organization on any given Monday, when they sell fair-traded coffee and chocolate in Au Sable Hall. Or maybe it ended in the palms of either Sheber or Page, who both saved coffee beans from their trip to the coffee co-ops in Nicaragua.

You could have left the Kirkhof Center that day with a handful of pamphlets on fair trade businesses and a bag bulging with socially conscious products. Or maybe it was Sheber's words ringing in your ear:

"It was fair trade that did this for them, that made their lives so much better. Going to Nicaragua, learning these things, I knew I had to get involved. How can you not?"