A bit closer to home

Okay, so my last couple of blog posts have been about stuff happening in the news, but this one is a full-on rant about something despicable that happens at my school. It happens all of the time and, quite frankly, it disgusts me.

I, for one, actually take pride in my school. I like the University of Michigan-Flint and all of its workings. With the exception of a couple of less than desirable experiences with a couple of professors and a few people, I'd like to think that my time thus far has been enjoyable.

However, I have a beef with the denizens of the University Center who have a tendency to "make themselves at home" perhaps a bit too much.

For those who aren't familiar with the University Center or the University of Michigan-Flint, it's the non-academic building on campus where students can study, participate in events, get food, and congregate. It's also home to a lot of offices, such as Student Government, Greek life, Student life, and my area, The Michigan Times. We have the privilege of not only having a Union, but a Student Loft as well.

It's a fairly nice looking building. Granted, a few parts of it look like it's still stuck in the late 70s - early 80s, but for all intents and purposes, it's a nice building.

Until you add the human element. The complacent, self-important morons who think that they can leave garbage on tables or sometimes on the floor of this building. I spend a lot of time on campus; long enough to the point where I've been asked to leave because the building was closing, and every single time I have left the building at this late hour the majority of the tables in the Student Loft and the Union is covered with garbage.

And it's not just food wrappers or containers or stuff like that. Sometimes there's still food in the baskets that have been left behind without a second thought simply for the fact that you couldn't walk an extra 5 - 10 steps to throw your shit away. Hell, I've even seen a TI-83 graphing calculator abandoned on a table in the Loft, which costs more than a pretty penny.

What people need to realize is this: the University Center is not just a hangout place for students. Believe it or not, people actually work there. In the Loft alone, you have Student Government, the LGBT center, the Greek life Adviser's office, the Director of Student life's office, the Women's center, and The Michigan Times, just to name a few. It both saddens me and frustrates me that people have more or less turned a blind eye to this easily solvable problem.

It disgusts me that I even have to bring this up. We are freaking adults, training to be professionals. You should not have to rely on facilities management or custodial services to clean up after your mess.

I don't mean to pin the blame squarely on one group or another, but I've noticed that this tendency has spiked ever since student housing has come to campus. Now, this issue may be because of them, it might be in conjunction with them, or they might not be part of the problem entirely. Either way, it's a recent trend that really needs to stop.

Moral of the story? Clean the hell up after yourself. Take some pride in your school. Show prospective students that this is a place that you actually might want to go to instead of having them take a tour of the garbage dump.

If you can't even do that, then how the hell do you expect to make it on your own?

And that's my view.

Sounds like someone needs a hobby...

Okay, so I understand that Mr. Shirvell has the freedom to vent his political opinions, no matter how wacky they may be in his spare time, but I think this really speaks measures of his level of maturity.

In the Anderson Cooper interview, he keeps on saying that this is a "political campaign" and that he's "bringing awareness" and that it's "nothing personal" against Chris Armstrong, despite the fact that on his blog, he has a picture of Armstrong with a rainbow flag with a Nazi swastika superimposed over his face with the words "Resign". I mean, it's one of the most shit hilarious MS Paint jobs I've seen in my life (you can literally tell that the guy used the "pen" tool to write the word "resign), but really?

Really?

Come on, man.

You're an assistant attorney general in a state that has three cities with some of the worst violent crime rates in the nation. You don't even know the guy, you're running this smear campaign that's bordering on character assassination against him, you're protesting outside of his house and doing shit that is bordering on stalking, and calling him "Satan's representative on the Michigan Student Assembly", simply for the fact that he's "pushing a gay agenda?"

My question for you is what do you have to prove? I mean, seriously. Even your boss is willing to throw you under the bus as far as your political opinions go.

This isn't angering or frustrating so much as it is mind boggling. Just where Mr. Shirvell is getting the idea that this is a "campaign" is curious as Armstrong has already been elected as MSA president.

Now, I've personally met Armstrong the one and only time I've gone to an MSA meeting with the SG from UM-Flint. He seemed like a pretty understandable guy who didn't seem to be pushing a "gay agenda" or anything like that. If anything, he was faced with decisions such as whether or not the Student Body of U of M would be supporting Israel or Palestine in their crisis by officially recognizing one body or the other.

However, I suppose at the end of the day, Mr. Shirvell has the freedom to write whatever he wants to write and to believe whatever he wants to believe, as long as he doesn't use his position to support that. It's a very touchy thing, being an employee of the government and being asked those questions. One thing I learned from my PR training is "don't be like Gen. McChrystal" and do something stupid on the record.

So far, Shirvell has done that, but as one private citizen to another, what axe do you have to grind against this kid?

The Philosophy of Driving

It doesn't matter what god you worship, what political ideology that you prescribe to, who you love or even what kind of car you drive, one thing that unites everyone across America and possibly around the world is the belief that they are an above-average driver.

I'm not kidding. Even if they say up front that they're a "terrible driver", deep down inside they believe that they know how to properly, and even more than competently operate a motor vehicle. And that's when you should be worried.

For you see, dear reader, I love driving. I love seeing the sights as they whiz past me at 45 to 70 miles an hour. I love seeing large cityscapes sprawl across my line of vision like I'm discovering them for the first time, even if I see it on a daily basis. I love taking in the city lights as I roll down the main street of one of our fine metropolitan areas here in Michigan. I've even found myself going on aimless drives just to see and experience what there is out there. I've said it many times before: I am quite possibly the most comfortable behind the wheel of my car, and I mean it. That's not to say that I'd take the pilot's seat over a comfy bed or living room with a few of my friends, though.

What makes me sad, frustrated, and otherwise disappointed is the ineptitude of certain people out on the road, and I like to refer to these people as "pedestrians behind the wheel", who either slept through driver's training and the extent of their knowledge about cars is limited to "skinny pedal make go, fat one make stop", or are really that stupid. For reference, I give to you, dear reader, the majority of the city of Ann Arbor, especially on game day for U of M.

My view of the average denizen of Ann Arbor is more or less a cynical one: self-important and fearless pedestrians who think that just because they have the right of way gives them the right, nay, entitles them to walk in front of traffic, regardless of the location or, often times, whether or not they are walking into oncoming traffic. I don't give two shits if you got your freakin' bachelor of sciences in communications from the University of Michigan, you don't walk in front of a car. Apparently, they don't teach basic self-preservation at U of M-Ann Arbor.

But the worst thing of all, even going above and beyond the dumbass pedestrians going across the street is when said dumbass pedestrian gets behind the wheel and thinks they can drive based on the fact that they have a license to do so. I could almost feel my blood boil when I tried going through an intersection when some jackass decided to pull out through into the intersection despite the fact that his lane was full. At that point, I was searching my car for things that I had but didn't necessarily need that I'd be willing to part with to get the message across that he messed up one of the most important rules of city driving: if your lane is full, DON'T PULL INTO THE INTERSECTION.

It's not that hard. If I can get even one person, one person to be a little more mindful of their driving habits and think while they're behind the wheel, I will be a lot less aggravated on the road and will enjoy my driving experience a lot more, and you will too. Driving doesn't have to be a chore. It can be a fun, enjoyable experience where you can share music, converse freely, sight see, and relax on those open stretches of the road.

And that's my view.

Nine years later

I remember where I was nine years ago this calendar day.

I was in my 8th grade social science class when we heard that America was attacked. We weren't told the details of the attack; simply that we were attacked. All after-school programs and sports were canceled so we could all go home to fully understand what had happened. I heard that the Pentagon was attacked, but nothing else. When one of my teachers found out about this, she pulled me off to the side and specifically asked me not to say anything to the other students for fear that something bad could happen.

When I got home, I couldn't stop watching the horrors that were being displayed on the television: buildings collapsing, people running from the falling debris and dust cloud, and quite possibly the most disturbing thing being people actually jumping from the upper levels of the building. I didn't know how to feel. I was sad, mostly because I knew that a lot of people had died because of the combined attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. After the initial shock, I became more fearful than anything else. I knew that war was just over the horizon.

It was from that day that two words have been the rallying cry for the entire ordeal: "Never Forget."

Never forget the lives that were lost, both because of the attacks as well as the brave men and women who were there to rescue and support those injured.

Never forget the pain that we, as a nation, suffered from a faceless entity.

Never forget the families who lost loved ones because of the attacks.

Never forget the bravery of those on Flight 93 who stood up in the face of terror and sacrificed their lives so that others could live.

I haven't forgotten. I never will.

It surprises me to see who has, though.

Flying the flag at half-staff is now required at all federal, state, and local governmental buildings on this day. It's a sign of respect for the fallen, the fighting, and grieving. In my eyes, it's the least an organization can do to show respect if they're flying a flag.

So when I saw the flag flying at full staff at the American Red Cross building in town, I was completely dumbstruck by the situation. The American Red Cross. I simply couldn't believe it. I almost wanted to go into the building and remind them what today was to save them from further embarrassment.

The other one that kind of surprised me was a UAW building that shall remain nameless. For all the grief I get from disgruntled UAW members about being "unpatriotic" because I drive a Honda, which is "foreign made" (fun little tidbit - my "foreign made" Honda was actually made in America, out of parts made in America, by American workers), you would think that they would take the time to put their flags at half-staff in memory of this day. Because making cars is the most patriotic thing you can do in America, according to them. Never mind my four years of military service. I drive a Honda, ergo, the terrorists have already won.

I certainly hope that this has given people the opportunity to reflect on the events that not only had an impact on our nation's future, but also set the stage for the future of world.

We will never be the same.

Crim 2010: The ups and downs of running five miles through Flint

Let me start off by saying that I love running. I love it. I can't get enough of it. I live for the adrenaline rush and feeling of accomplishment after I go for a run. Last year, I ran the Crim 5k and felt like I could have done the 8k. This year, I ran the Crim 8k and felt like I could do the 10-miler. It's a great experience and I highly recommend that everyone in the Flint area try it at least once; at bare minimum, do the 1-mile fun run.

I will tell you what, though, I did not expect the amount of hills in on the course. It seemed like all of Third-I mean, University Avenue was nothing but hills and broken glass.

And Bradley Avenue...oh goodness, I was freakin' dying every time I saw a hill. And there were a lot of hills.

But quite possibly some of the most questionable and outright bizarre thing that I saw was none other than members of a fraternity from Kettering that shall remain nameless giving out donuts to people while they were running.

Donuts. During a run.

Of all the foods, that has to be one of the worst I can imagine giving to someone who was in the process of running five miles. And what was worst of all is that people were actually stopping and grabbing a donut and resuming their run.

I'm a member of Greek life here on campus. I take some semblance of pride in my fraternity and whatnot, as well as at bare minimum giving the impression that we have some brains in our skulls. I'm not sure of the educational or intellectual requirements of said fraternity, but I do know this: you need more than a 19 on your ACT in order to get into a school as good as Kettering. And yet, here we have this group of people giving donuts to runners.

I can't think of a reason why you'd want to do that. Irony, I guess? I mean, we're willingly putting ourselves through some pretty high impact aerobic activity, why would you want a donut as you were running?

Or perhaps they were taunting us, doing the culinary equivalent of pointing and laughing at us while we were huffing and puffing as well as dreading the looming hills that lied ahead of us.

Either way, I ran right past them with a slightly worried look on my face, not to mention an ever-so-slightly judging glance at those who grabbed a Krispy Kreme and restarted their jog.

Lesson to be learned from this is that donuts probably aren't the best thing to give to runners. Now, stuff like water, Gatorade, a banana, an apple, or something along that nature would be a bit more appropriate.

And that's my view.

Welcome, my friends, to the show that never ends!

Good morning, day, afternoon, evening, or night, my dear readers, and welcome to the Aaron Burch ego experience! I am the Web Content Manager of The Michigan Times, the student newspaper at the University of Michigan - Flint.

I will be going into my third year working for this publication, working my way up from a lowly staff writer, to the "illustrious" position as Student Government Reporter, where I ranted and raved about everything from campus issues to the Flint arsonist to my perceived ineptitude of the student body and their elected representatives.

To keep up with the times, my musings and insights about campus and the world at large will be broadcast (read: aired) on this blog, with the occasional publishing in the print edition.

So welcome, my friends, to my blog! Drop me a line and let's talk.