2017 New Student Edition (NSE)

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Fall 2017

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NEWS

2A — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

University ranks last in University outlines ambitious measures economic mobility and in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan diversity among elite public colleges ELECTION

By

RIYAH BASHA and KATHERINE CURRAN Daily Staff Reporters

The University of Michigan’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan, launched Thursday, will include campus climate-related training, the creation of the new Trotter Multicultural Center and new recruitment strategies.

The plan also outlines strategies to provide more financial support to departments that conduct research on diversity, equity and inclusionrelated issues and the expansion of the Inclusive Teaching Professional Development programs. Major reports will be released after years three and five, and the University will administer a campus climate survey.

The University-wide five-year plan includes 49 individual unit plans, which are individualized for the schools, colleges and administrative, athletic and other departments within the University.

“The campus-wide plan is a set of actions for today,” University President Mark Schlissel said at the plan’s introduction on Thursday morning. “We cannot live up to our full potential as a university unless everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute and to benefit.”

The University will commit $85 million over the next five years to fund DEI efforts, in addition to the current annual fund of $40 million a year.

The plan was in part a response to student activism, specifically the viral twitter #BBUM movement and student protests started by the University’s Black Student Union in November 2013. The plan’s text makes connections to social movements as far back as the Black Action Movement of the 1970s up to debates over affirmative action in the last decade.

“It is our imperfect history coupled with our strong tradition of student activism and striving for change that has led us to this next concerted effort to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for our entire campus community,” the report reads.

Student activists protested the release of plan Thursday, though, interrupting the keynote speech to demand more student involvement. After anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ and anti-Muslim fliers were posted on Central Campus, multiple student protests and statements have criticized the administration’s DEI initiative as too farsighted and lacking in immediate solutions.

Two committees were established by the administration to conduct research on the strengths and weaknesses of inclusion at the University prior to planning the DEI. These two committees, the Provost’s Committee on Diversity,

Equity and Inclusion and the Staff Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, similarly concluded the University could do more to recruit and retain a diverse campus and create a more culturally sensitive environment.

Preparation for the five-year plan began last September, and during this period the University hosted more than 200 engagement events across campus to incorporate the voices and opinions of students, faculty and staff in the new plan.

Katrina Wade-Golden, director of evaluation and assessment for the Office of the Vice Provost for Equity, Inclusion and Academic Affairs, agreed on the landmark significance of the initiative, and applauded the plan’s rollout Thursday.

“Given the historical day we are experiencing in the University’s history, today went really well,” she said. “There’s been a high level of energy and excitement, and I think people are really grabbing hold to that.”

All 19 schools and colleges, academic affair units, student life groups and the athletic department were divided into 49 planning units, each of which released a unit-specific plan. All of the planning units include the same three strategies.

These campus-wide strategies are to create an inclusive and equitable campus climate, to recruit, retain and develop a diverse community, and to support innovative and inclusive scholarship and technology.

Creating an inclusive and equitable campus climate The plan aims to recognize the diversity of identities — including racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, socioeconomic and political — at the University and ensure campus is welcoming to all differences. A theme consistent throughout the plans is the commitment to providing climate-related training across levels of students, faculty and staff.

This fall, the University is piloting a culture training program for students that will ultimately include the entire

The plan aims to recognize the diversity of identities — including racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, socioeconomic and political ... freshman class in five years.

The training will require a preliminary assessment to evaluate the students’ cultural sensitivity levels. Participants

will receive a unique training program based on assessment results targeting specific areas for cultural development. At the end, students must take a followup assessment and receive a certificate for completion.

In addition to the pilot program, all students will have access to training through an online Web portal.

Incoming faculty and staff and executive leadership will also undergo similar professional development, though the plan makes no mention of current faculty members.

Another component of this strategy is the construction of the new Trotter Multicultural Center,which will serve as a hub for support and engagement of students of color. Approved in April after years of demands from Black students for a more central location, the new center will provide space for student organizations to hold events learn about heritage and culture, ideals espoused by the strategic plan.

The new building has been one of controversy, especially with the University’s Black Student Union, which wants to ensure the center is a safe space for students of color. As recently as July, Regent Mark Bernstein (D–Ann Arbor) withdrew a $3 million donation to the center after a controversy over naming rights.

Recruit, retain and develop a diverse community Under this theme, the DEI aims to increase the number of diverse groups on campus. The plan outlines a variety of new student recruitment strategies, including increasing engagement with local K-12 schools.

As of Fall 2015, the Office of the Registrar reported University enrollment to be 56.2 percent white, 11.2 percent Asian, 4.6 percent Hispanic, 4.1 Black and .2 percent Native American.

While the DEI plan does not institute any target numbers or timelines for diversifying enrollment, it highlights that 70 percent of unit plans— in addition to University-wide policies—include mechanisms to broaden outreach for students, faculty and staff.

Much of the plan’s solutions refine existing models and programs such as Wolverine Pathways, which focuses on providing college readiness skills to lower socioeconomic status communities. Cohorts currently contain currently students Southfield and Ypslianti district schools, and will expand to Detroit next fall. Program participants can apply to the University and, upon acceptance, receive a full four-year scholarship covering tuition and other academics-related needs.

In an interview with the Daily in November, though, Schlissel said the success of the program depends on private donors — there was no indication during the plan

rollout whether the program will receive more consistent University funding.

Similarly, the plan strives to increase SES diversity at the University through the existing HAIL scholar program, which provides financial support to applicants from underserved communities.

The plan also mentions increasing support for firstgeneration students, Native American students, and minority graduate students through partnerships with external tribes and institutions.

Some student groups on campus have already been nudged to increase diversity within their own organizations. After Schlissel and Harper spoke to Greek Life organizations about the devaluing nature of party culture, branches met to create a diversity task force.

Last semester, the Interfraternity Council, the Multicultural Greek Council, the National Pan-Hellenic Council and the Panhellenic Association worked together to create a separate subcommittee attempting to provide President Schlissel with recommendations on how to create a more inclusive environment, specifically in Greek life.

Panhellenic President Lexi Wung, an LSA senior, commented that the community wanted to create a safe space for respectful and inclusive learning.

“We really wanted the Greek life community to represent what the DEI plan is aiming to create because we can be a great example,” Wung said.

Support innovative and inclusive scholarship and technology The final component of the plan focuses on strengthening the University academically by providing financial support to the departments that conduct research on diversity, equity and inclusion-related issues. When planning, the administration investigated how the different colleges on campus integrated diversity and inclusion into their curriculum.

The plan includes the expansion of the Inclusive Teaching Professional Development programs, which include workshops offered by the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching that train faculty in creating inclusive classroom environments. CRLT will also offer teaching workshops for graduate student instructors.

The National Center for Institutional Diversity housed within LSA will also expand its network to include a unique, University-specific component.

NCID—which focuses on crossdepartmental collaboration through its Diversity Scholars Network will work with the University to create a Distinguished Diversity Scholars program for faculty with expertise on diversity topics Evaluating Progress The University will use a variety of metrics to update the campus community on progress — major reports will additionally be released after years three and five — and will track trends such as participation in programs and the overall demographic composition of campus.

The Provost’s Office will also administer a Universitywide campus climate survey next semester to determine a baseline standard for equity indicators and attitudes, though the plan does not specify what metrics will be spotlighted.

Though the rollout emphasized overarching initiatives, Wade-Golden, who will oversee the climate survey’s data collection, said the plan’s strength lies in its multifaceted approach.

“Our respectful units have engaged the plan in a way that is most meaningful in their area and appropriate for their context,” she said.

“Centrally, we’re committed to providing support. … I’m encouraged about the energy we’ve been able to harness so far on campus, and I’m looking forward to leveraging that in an intentional way.”

By JENNIFER MEER Daily Staff Reporter

Though the University of Michigan is currently embarking upon a series of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives, the University still ranks low nationally in socioeconomic diversity among students.

According to a recent report by the Equality of Opportunity Project — further covered in the New York Times’ The Upshot — the median family income of a student at the University is $154,000 — the highest of 27 public colleges classified as “highly selective.”

The Upshot also highlighted that 66 percent of students come from the top 20 percent of the income distribution, while 9.3 percent of the student body come from the top 1 percent of the income distribution alone, also the highest of the 27 institutions. Just 3.6 percent of students hail from the bottom 20 percent of income levels.

Additionally, the University ranked last out of 25 highly selective public colleges and all Big Ten schools in terms of economic social mobility. The Upshot estimates only 10 percent of University alumni moved up two or more income quintiles. Stony Brook University in New York came in first with 34 percent and University of California-Irvine placed second with 27 percent.

University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said it will take time for the DEI initiatives to make significant gains, but there are many promising programs in the works the University has already benefitted from.

Regarding new enrollment in the class of 2016, Fitzgerald noted first generation students made up 14 percent of the freshman class, up from 8.5 percent in 2015.

The percent of Pell Grant-eligible students was 17 percent in 2016, up from 15 percent, and it has been on the rise in recent years. He added that the transfer student enrollees — a group which, he said, consists of relatively more first generation students, lower income students and students of underrepresented minorities — has increased.

“Even though the freshman class is just one snapshot, one class, all of those (efforts) are moving in the right direction,” he said. “It’s an indication that we’re working on this; we’re making some progress, and this will take some time.”

A five-year DEI plan released in October and spearheaded by University President Mark Schlissel offers a series of initiatives aiming to improve overall campus climate by encouraging the recognition and inclusion of students from all backgrounds. Fitzgerald also mentioned the HAIL Scholarship Program, a DEI program that aims to reach students from low-income families in Michigan — welcomed 262 recipients as of October.

The effort is still being evaluated for future improvements, but according to Fitzgerald, has been successful so far.

“HAIL is not only a scholarship program aimed at low-income, high-achieving students, but also a test of a new way of communicating with those students and trying to reduce some of those barriers that we know exist for lower-income students to apply to a place like the University of Michigan,” he said.

In an interview with the Daily in November, Kedra Ishop, the vice provost for enrollment management, said the program is a direct effort to expand economic diversity at the University.

“The HAIL scholarship is a terrific example of our deliberate efforts to bring in people from different backgrounds and of our efforts to inform prospective applicants that a Michigan education can be affordable,” Ishop said. “And this wasn’t necessarily a policy-driven change, but more of a shift in messaging. We want high-achieving students to know that you should still apply even if you are unsure of how to pay for college because cost should not be a factor. The University can help (your needs).”

LSA senior Sean Javares-Dajour Smith, who identifies with a lower SES, said he does not think the

University is integrated in regard to different financial backgrounds.

He said he thinks the University “compensate(s)” for admitting students from a lower SES by admitting students from out-ofstate who will pay full tuition.

“There are still students coming from out-of-state, from that higher SES,” he said. “(The University is) doing that to make up the difference with the state giving less funding.

There’s been budget cuts.”

The University faced a 21.6 percent cut in funding from the state in 2011 and in 2015, University officials cited the cut as a reason for increasing tuition rates. Though they did not note an increase in outof-state enrollment, these numbers also continue to rise. State funding, meanwhile, slowly reapproaches pre-2011 levels.

Smith understands why more out-of-state students are being accepted given the circumstances, but said students from a lower SES are being neglected.

“They might have a focus on us, but at the same time, I think that they’re targeting out-of-state students,” he said. “They’re giving them priority. As a result of that, you’ve got students from inner cities, urbanized suburbs and rural areas who kind of get left out of the picture.”

Another program aimed at improving economic diversity on campus called Wolverine Pathways,seeks to be a more longterm initiative, in which middleschool and high-school students from nearby areas like Ypsilanti and Southfield will have the chance to earn a full scholarship to the University. Through the program, students will work with tutors and other mentors who will help prepare them to apply to the University.

The University is also a co-founder of the new American Talent Initiative, a partnership among serveral universities and colleges launched in December to boost the population of low-income student attending top American universities.

Fitzgerald also noted the net price of attending the University — the cost of attendance minus financial aid — is lower than the national average, and significantly lower than some of the University’s competitors such as Michigan State University, in-state, and Northwestern University, outof-state.

Fitzgerald also referenced an Upshot graph showing a University of Michigan education often leads to a higher-paying job than peer institutions. According to the report, Michigan came in third out of 25 highly selective public colleges, with a median student income of $68,700 at age 34.

“That underscores what some other reports, including the Department of Education’s college scorecard, said about being a good value, a good investment, because it pays off,” Fitzgerald said. “The median salary for our graduates following graduation, some reports show as much as $25,000 higher than the national average.”

In general, Fitzgerald said, the University is moving toward improvement.

“Even with all of those things that we know are not where we want to be with socioeconomic diversity … that is a component of the DEI strategic plan, and all kinds of diversity,” he said, “including socioeconomic diversity, is something that we’ll continue to work on.”

Smith offered the best tactic may be to increase enrollment of students from lower-income families and promote these students to be ambassadors.

“If (the University) gave us more opportunity, we’ll spark (students’) imagination and the perception of U of M being inaccessible to low income students — maybe we’ll be able to dispel that myth, maybe we’ll be able to break that down,” he said.

“I think their greatest asset and outreach program is to let more of us in. We’re the greatest ambassadors they could have.”

Smith explained he was surprised to have received the amount of financial aid that he did, and that students from a lower SES may not be aware of the opportunities the University offers.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

NEWS

Fall 2017 — 3A

ELECTION

Update: three types of racially charged posters found on University of Michigan campus

By KEVIN BIGLIN Daily Staff Reporter

Three types of posters with racially charged messages were found on the University of Michigan’s campus in Mason and Haven Halls Monday morning.

One of the posters listed “reasons why women shouldn’t date Black men”. The other called for what it described as “Euro-Americans” to stop “denying your heritage... be white,” according to pictures tweeted out by the Black Student Union. The third poster includes an explanation of “race differences in intelligence” and evidence of a “genetic gap.”

Students also tweeted throughout

the morning condemning the messages and calling for action from administration.

University President Mark Schlissel, Provost Martha Pollack, Vice President for Student Life Royster Harper and Vice Provost for Equity, Inclusion and Academic Affairs Rob Sellers released a statement Monday afternoon denouncing the messages.

“We stand together against hate and we all must work together toward deeper understanding,” the statement read. “Messages of racial, ethnic or religious discrimination have no place at the University of Michigan. Targeted attacks against groups of people serve only to tear apart our university community.”

This incident comes just a week before the University is slated to launch its new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan, which aims to outline steps toward creating a more diverse and inclusive campus.

“Dedication to academic excellence for the public good is inseparable from our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion,” Schlissel said last year at the the second of several summits kicking off the planning process. “We cannot be excellent without being diverse in the broadest sense of that word.”

LSA Dean Andrew Martin also released a statement in solidarity with the students impacted by

the charged flyers, and promised to organize further conversations and support avenues in the coming weeks.

“These posters advocating white supremacy strike at the very heart and soul of the College,” Martin said. “Their presence marred our physical spaces—in Haven and Mason halls—where we hold our classes and where our faculty and staff work, and are an assault on everything we believe in as a liberal arts college and as a diverse community.

The University administration’s statement Monday noted that while the University defends the right to free speech on campus, targeted

attacks grounded on a belief or characteristic are are contrary to the University’s values of respect, equality, and civility and not protected.

“We also have a responsibility to create a learning environment that is free of harassment,” the statement said. “These are core values and guiding principles that will help us as we strive to live up to our highest ideals. In this time of heightened political strife, we believe these values take on even more importance as people and beliefs are targets of divisive rhetoric. But amidst these challenging times, our core values can help ground our community.”

The statement also urged students to report incidents of this nature to the University’s Bias Response Team at 734-615BIAS (2427).

The incident is the second time a type of posting on campus has stirred controversy this calendar year. In March, chalkings were found on the Diag reading ‘Stop Islam’, among other messages, also prompting student outcry.

Students removed the chalkings themselves from the Diag, as University police were called but would not remove the chalkings because they did not constitute a criminal act. Schlissel also released a statement condemning that incident.

More than 200 students protest racially charged posters found on campus

By RIYAH BASHA and ALEXA ST. JOHN Daily Staff Reporters

More than 200 students gathered in Angell Hall at the University of Michigan for an hour Monday afternoon to protest racially charged posters found hanging in University buildings and around campus earlier in the day.

The posters included comments such as “reasons why women shouldn’t date Black men” and explanations of “race differences in intelligence.”

The protest began with a group of about 30 students in the Diag, growing to its full size of 200 as the group marched to the Fishbowl in Angell Hall.

Upon entering the building, students and attendees chanted, “No justice, no peace.”

The demonstration grew in numbers as students working in the Fishbowl stood up to join the group.

E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life, LSA Dean Andrew Martin and Angela Dillard, associate dean for undergraduate education arrived as the event was ending and stayed to listen to student organizers’ concerns.

University President Mark Schlissel was not in attendance, though he, along with Provost Martha Pollack, Harper and Rob Sellers, vice provost for equity, inclusion and academic affairs, released a statement condemning the posters this morning.

School of Social Work graduate student Lawrielle West, an organizer of the protest, said the demonstration was in response to what she said was an inadequate response from the administration.

“When I saw that apology from...administration, I wasn’t comforted,” she said. “I want to be acknowledged as a real person who pays money to this school...we’re not going to get

anything done until we disturb the peace.”

LSA junior Lakyrra McGee, another organizer, called for an address from Schlissel and also criticized his focus on a long-term diversity, equity and inclusion strategic plan as a solution to campus climate issues.

The plan, which Schlissel began the process for last year and is set to be released October 6, uses the year 2025 as a benchmark to evaluate potential success.

Many students, however, urged for more immediate options.

“It’s possible to do both,” Magee said, referring to the University addressing current events and the 5-year DEI plan.

“But they’re not doing it. We want Schlissel to address us… about 2017, not 2025,” she said.

University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said Schlissel did not attend the event because he is out of town.

Protesters chanted “Why wait for 2025, will I even be alive?” on the Diag and also held signs reading “We Want More than Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” West and other speakers during the event also questioned the importance of free speech when that speech

We want more than Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is threatening to entire student demographics.

“They’re protecting freedom of speech, but what about my safety?” West asked.

In their statement Monday, the administration condemned the posters and said they did not consider them protected

CAROLYN GEARIG/Daily

Public Policy Junior Tierra Christian speaks at the Black Lives Matter protest in Angell Hall on September 26, 2016

free speech, but did not state whether the University would act to take them down.

Fitzgerald said Monday afternoon that the University would take down posters on campus buildings, but would not remove posters in posting kisoks, such as the Mason Hall posting wall.

Many of the f lyers distributed featured an Alt-Right logo, though it remains unclear if the group has an affiliate branch on campus.

Kinesiology senior D’kari Wilson, who also spoke during the rally, said the posters demonstrated a need to change campus climate.

“You don’t understand my frustration or my pain,” Wilson said. “Go educate someone that looks like you. If you don’t do something, it’s going to manifest itself … and it manifested itself today in the

postings.”

Other recent racially charged incidents came up during the protest, including racist graffiti discovered at Eastern Michigan University last week, a demonstration by Michigan football players on Sunday and a number of instances of police brutality sparking controversy around the nation.

Magee highlighted the emotional toll of current events on Black students, many of whom voiced the need to take time off from their academic schedules.

“We want faculty and staff to address us too, but not necessarily by facilitating discussions,” she said. “They need to realize students need time and they need space to deal with things.”

LSA sophomore Timberlee Whiteus agreed, and called out non-Black students for

common insensitive actions and microaggressions.

“I get distracted when y’all are handing out bullshit on the Diag about my race, and I’m tired,” she said. “You want to be Black until it’s time to be Black.”

History Prof. Martha Jones, who attended the protest, said she believes this incident not only affects the Black campus community, but also the overall student body.

“It seems to me the white students have an interest, more so than any of us perhaps, today in thinking critically and responding to people who are attempting to provoke them and to define their identities and to position them as against African American students for example,” Jones said.

Jones said it is crucial for instances such as these to be looked at from the perspective

of allowing freedom of speech and expression, but with additional consideration to the value of safety for all members of the University community.

“In my view, it is an attempt to attack the very fabric of what higher education might be, could be, should be, and the residential experience,” Jones said. “These are the tactics of people who are not only looking to attack groups of students within our community but are looking to, in fact, undercut and destroy our community.”

After the event, administrators such as Martin spoke brief ly with student organizers. Martin did not speak at length to organizers assembled after the event, but voiced agreement with student motivations.

“Yes, I would support this protest,” he said to the organizers.

4A — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Amy Goodman, Issa Rae highlight social justice, contemporary political standing in MLK Day symposium keynote speech

MAX KUANG /Daily

Investigative journalist Amy Goodman (left) interviews TV producer Issa Rae (right) at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium at Hill Auditorium on January 16, 2017

By RHEA CHEETI Daily Staff Reporter

Over 3,000 people gathered Monday morning in Hill Auditorium to listen to the University of Michigan Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium keynote memorial lecture given by renowned investigative journalist Amy Goodman and filmmaker Issa Rae. Amy Goodman — also the host of Democracy Now!, a news organization that focuses on various aspects of world news and investigative journalism — has covered a wide range of topics from the Dakota Access Pipeline protests to the Santa Cruz massacre. Issa Rae, a writer, producer and star of the HBO series “Insecure,” who was recently nominated for a Golden Globe, participated in a sit-down interviewstyle discussion following Goodman’s remarks.

University President Mark Schlissel introduced the event, talking about the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan proposed last fall. He mentioned diversity as a key to excellence, noting its importance in light of the University’s upcoming bicentennial and in relation to the goals of Martin Luther King, Jr. “I hope the University of Michigan will always be known for social change,” Schlissel said, referring to the recent measures being taken on

campus.

During his tenure, Schlissel has worked to foster diversity and campus climate through initiatives such as 49 individual unit plans across all colleges and academic departments which aim to increase and retain student body diversity.

Additionally, Schlissel is currently overseeing plans for the construction of the new Trotter Multicultural Center and the expansion of the Inclusive Teaching Professional Development programs, which include workshops to improve faculty awareness about the new initiative that allows students to update their designated pronouns.

These programs also are aimed at administering classroom evaluation surveys to gauge the success of more inclusive teaching methods.

Musicology Associate Prof.

Mark Clague then introduced a reinterpretation of the national anthem to ref lect the Symposium’s theme, “Sounds of Change.” Following the performance, LSA senior Alyssa Brandon introduced both of the speakers. Brandon has also been an editor for the Daily.

Goodman began by talking about the news program she hosts and highlighted the importance of featuring different perspectives and people, saying it’s an important step in fostering mutual understanding.

“When you hear someone speaking from their own experience, it challenges stereotypes,” Goodman said.

“That understanding is the

We need a media that gives a voice to all of these movements today ... that philosophy, that motto, should be the Hippocratic oath of media today — we will not be silent. beginning of peace … which is why we have to take the media back.”

Goodman, who is known for her role in civic activism, then spoke about Presidentelect Donald Trump’s recent feud with U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D–Ga.), a civil rights leader, head of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the 1960s and member of the “Big Six” — a coalition of civil rights leaders that also included Martin Luther King Jr. She told the audience how she found it

appalling that the presidentelect could refer to an icon of the civil rights movement as “all talk, all talk, all talk, no action” despite his more than 50-year fight for civil rights causes.

“No matter what your political persuasion, it is hard to describe John Lewis as a man who does not take action,” Goodman said.

Goodman, after offering her thoughts on contemporary political climate, then ref lected on other figures in the civil rights movement, like Rosa Parks.

She stated that the modern image of Parks was that of an unwitting activist who ignited the modern civil rights movement; however, Goodman refuted this claim.

“Every network talked about her, no question, but they got it wrong.” Goodman said. “They said Rosa Parks was a tired seamstress; that was true. They said she was no troublemaker; that was wrong. Rosa Parks was a first-class troublemaker.

She knew exactly what she was doing. She was an activist, and the media denigrates activists.”

Goodman highlighted the importance of an independent press and reporters that are engaged with grassroots social movements despite possible obstacles, like governmental institutions. To stress this point, she shared her experiences in North Dakota last year when officials issued an arrest

warrant for misdemeanor criminal trespassing when covering the Dakota Access Pipeline protests.

“We need a media that gives a voice to all of these movements today: the Black Lives Matter movement, the environmental justice movement, the gaylesbian-trans-queer movement, the war and peace movement.” she said. “That philosophy, that motto, should be the Hippocratic oath of media today — we will not be silent.”

Afterward, Rae was introduced by Brandon, who emphasized that though both keynote speakers came from different backgrounds, they share many experiences.

When asked about her personal history, Rae explained moving homes, attending predominantly white schools and going to Stanford University was much of what inspired her current work.

“A lot of those experiences I mined for my work now,” Rae said. “And a lot of my work now focuses on just those feelings of being out of place and feeling uncomfortable and feeling, you know, awkward and insecure.”

In addition, Rae spoke about her support for Planned Parenthood and how though she knows entertainers are reduced to just the role of entertaining, she believes there’s too much at stake for her to not respond.

“The attack on Planned

Parenthood is so bewildering.”

Rae said. “When I felt like I couldn’t talk to my mother about something, that’s where I went.”

When asked about what her message to the audience would be, Rae emphasized that she focuses on remaining authentic and herself.

“For me, I just want to continue being authentic,” she said. “I want to come from a place of truth always, I’m going to make a difference in a way that is long-lasting.”

LSA freshman Griffin Gonzales said he found the keynote engaging, and felt Issa Rae was particularly inspiring.

“I just think it was a very first-hand account of her experience that she was sharing with us, and all the power to her to be able to talk about issues like that that are so personal in front of an audience, and I think a lot of people could relate with her,” he said. “I think it was a very important dialogue to have, and that there’s no better place to do it than here at U of M.” LSA freshman Jaspreet Singh echoed this sentiment, stating that the lecture exceeded expectations.

“It was really inspiring.”

Singh said. “Amy Goodman and Issa Rae, they were both so much more than I expected.

What they said was really valuable, and it was really interesting to hear.”

Rev. Jesse Jackson emphasizes student activism in keynote speech

By RIYAH BASHA Daily Staff Reporter

Amid a massive student walkout in response to President-elect Donald Trump and a post-election spike in hate crimes on campus, famed civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson delivered a keynote address at Rackham Amphitheater to cap off a symposium honoring his legacy Wednesday afternoon.

Jackson, who appeared at the protest earlier in the day, spoke at length about hope, reform of the voting process and the importance of student activism.

University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel, University Provost Martha Pollack and multiple deans were in attendance, along with close to 300 campus community members. Jackson, who was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University

in 1979, repeatedly emphasized the importance of students, and the country as a whole, coming together in the wake of a controversial election.

“Our democracy has been damaged with fear,” he said.

“It is our nation and souls that must be healed. How do we keep hope and resistance alive?

First, we must maintain hope.

Students, don’t let them break your spirit.”

The frequency of hate crimes across the country has spiked since Trump’s victory, including incidents in Ann Arbor targeting Muslim women and students’ ethnic identitiesin the last week.

Students have held a number of speakouts, demonstrations and vigils in response, all of which Jackson deemed crucial to the nation’s reconciliation.

“I was disappointed the night of the election … but we must live within the world, not

above it,” he said. “You must be your own proper sanctuary for your classmates.”

Jackson highlighted that

It is our nation and souls that must be healed.

How do we keep hope and resistance alive? former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has likely won the national popular vote, using it as an entry to critiques of the Electoral College and laws restricting voter participation. This year marked the first presidential election since the Supreme Court’s invalidation of parts of

the Voting Rights Act in 2013.

The Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan think tank at New York University’s School of Law, found14 states introduced new voter restrictions in 2016, including photo ID requirements and strict early voting deadlines. Many of these states were swing states in the election.

In his remarks, Jackson railed against voter suppression, and argued for a system more focused on the popular vote.

“A suppressed vote matters (and) we would not do well to assume the popular vote does not matter,” he said.

Jackson also called for President Barack Obama to pardon Clinton in light of an FBI probe into her emails. The probe has since been closed, but in a presidential debate last month, Trump suggested he would jail Clinton upon his election. FBI Director James

Comey announced two days before the election that new information discovered still did not warrant any federal charges.

... he was able to acknowledge that taking a stand takes courage and is necessary...

“President (Abraham) Lincoln pardoned offenders who engaged in treason in an effort to bind up and heal the wounds after the Civil War,” Jackson said, drawing historical comparisons with previous presidents. “(Gerald) Ford did the same thing with (Richard) Nixon even though

he defiled and debased the Constitution. It would be wise in the name of justice if Obama did the same to pardon Hillary Clinton.”

Social Work student Christiana Allen said the symposium’s events cemented Jackson’s importance and relevance to national conversations on civil rights, especially with his appearance at the student walkout.

“His whole entire being still embodies what it means to connect with central spaces such as the church and the school,” she said. “He focused on hope … he was able to acknowledge that taking a stand takes courage and is necessary. Fighting a battle you know may not win to make opportunities possible for people in the future is essential.”

Jackson finished by again underscoring the role and urgency of student organizing, saying to activists, “You are not our future. You are right now.”

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

5A — Fall 2017

Students protest in response to hate crime on campus

By JENNIFER MEER Daily Staff Reporter

Two hundred students, faculty and staff gathered on the Diag at 6 p.m. Saturday night to partake in a protest titled “Opposing Intimidation!”

The protest was organized

by Music, Theatre & Dance senior James Ross Kilmeade in response to an incident Friday evening in which a student was approached by a man who demanded she remove her hijab or he would use a lighter to set her on fire. This incident is still under investigation by the Ann Arbor Police Department.

According to Kilmeade’s post on the Facebook event, the protest aimed to generally respond to the hatred he feels has been validated by the recent election.

Before the protest began, Kilmeade said he had created the event only hours before it started and hoped to reach as many people as possible.

“Today I woke up and said, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do but I have to stand and do something,” he said. “People have to feel safe and it’s absurd that they don’t. It’s our responsibility to be out here for them.’ ” LSA senior Adrian Rakochi said he heard about the protest through an email sent to the Arabic Activities club, and expressed his frustration with recent incidents following the election, both locally and nationally.

“I wanted to go,” he said. “I feel like we haven’t had enough protests in Ann Arbor about this whole thing anyway. I just showed up and let some friends know about it. I made a sign. I am

very upset.”

Rakochi’s sign read, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.”

LSA senior Louisa Kane held up a poster that read, “You belong here,” in both English and Arabic.

She said she felt that all students on campus should be speaking up at events like this.

“Why should anyone feel like they don’t belong here?” she said.

“It’s absurd. Everyone should be here right now, saying that they love and support every part of this community, regardless of whether or not they identify with that religion or ethnicity.

Everyone should be here.”

During the protest, the ‘M’ in the Diag was outlined with candles, and protesters gathered to hear one another speak.

Art & Design senior Keysha Wall addressed the crowd on the election results, saying she was concerned about people who support the marginalizing rhetoric of Donald Trump.

“You saw all of this happening before Donald Trump even became president,” she said.

“When I saw that he had gotten elected, he wasn’t the first thing I was afraid of. The first thing I was afraid of were the people who are like that who are emboldened by that, who are emboldened by his actions, him being on TV, him being able to say those things, who had already felt like they could get away with that sort of thing on this campus for years.”

Moving forward, she said, the most important thing the community can do is unite and fight back against prejudicial sentiment and violence.

“We must turn our solemnity

EVAN AARON/Daily

Students gather to protest intimidation on the Diag Saturday.

into power and love for one another, into action, into strength, because that is our strength.”

Also in regard to the election results, Music, Theatre & Dance junior Keem Avraham said it is important to talk to others in the campus community and educate people who have different beliefs.

“You know people who voted for Donald Trump, and what Donald Trump does is endorse the idea that being racist — discriminating against marginalized identities — is OK,” he said. “He has endorsed that idea as a human American practice. As a friend of this community, this progressive-

minded community, it is your job to change someone, so that they can positively affect somebody else.”

Multiple campus events have occurred since Trump’s election.

On Wednesday, a vigil took place in the Diag to protest Presidentelect Trump’s controversial win.

University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel spoke of the need to support threatened minorities and called for University-wide support in action.

LSA senior Arielle Chen told the crowd she thought it was important for students to speak out and show up at activism events even if they are speaking

from a place of privilege as an ally.

“I am so tired of hearing people say, ‘I’m sorry this is happening. I’m so sorry,’ ” she said. “Silence means that you are allowing it, that you are supporting it. Silence means ism is OK. If you do nothing, if you say nothing, you are supporting it. People need you to show up now. If this is the first time you have ever stood at a protest, we need you to continue showing up. I ask you to show up for your friends, for the person standing next to you, for the person across the circle that you have never talked to.”

LSA sophomore Ilina

Krishen said she thought there is a certain danger in being a bystander.

“Being a bystander is the worst thing you can do, even worse than being the bully,” she said. “Looking away from a crime does not hide the crime.

I’m asking everyone who has privilege to use that privilege to speak up for those who are in a tough situation.”

Beyond the event itself, University alum Jessica Hicks added a link to the Facebook event for a Google Doc sign-up sheet so that individuals could walk anyone home who felt uncomfortable after the protest.

Recent incidents expose gaps in DEI plan

By BRIAN KUANG Daily Staff Reporter

In response to recent hate acts and a changing political climate, students are questioning the nature and progress of the University of Michigan’s fiveyear plan for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Program leaders are replying by emphasizing longterm goals and voicing optimism for short-term strategies.

Announced in February 2015, the DEI plan officially launched in October 2016 as a programaimed at fostering an inclusive and equitable campus climate. The five-year operation will cost $85 million, in addition to its annual investment of $40 million. The University-wide plan consists of 49 sub-plans, each organized by a University unit of administration, academics or athletics.

Among the plan’s various initiatives are Wolverine Pathways and the HAIL Program, which aim to increase minority student enrollment and socioeconomic diversity, as well as a diversityrelated training program for faculty and staff. It also includes a strategy to offer financial support to departments that conduct diversity-related research.

Construction of the new Trotter Multicultural Center closer to central campus is another aspect of the program.

“The campus-wide plan is a set of actions for today,” said University President Mark Schlissel when the plan launched in October. “We cannot live up to our full potential as a University unless everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute and to benefit.”

Now, several months into the program, students are criticizing the DEI plan for failing to create a safe environment given recent events.

Tuesday evening, hours after racist and anti-Semitic emails threatening Black and Jewish students were sent to University computer science and engineering undergraduate students, several students gathered for a midnight protest in front of the president’s house. Schlissel came outside to meet the crowd.

Citing incidents of racist flyering, protesters chanted “action, not emails,” referencing the University’s digital statement in response to the attacks, as opposed to “action” on the ground.

Students protesters throughout

the year have been critical of DEI initiatives, particularly of the 49 individual plans. Outside Schlissel’s home, LSA junior Jenise Williams emphasized the need for collective action from the University.

“We want actual action,” Williams said. “My parents were here 30 years ago fighting for the same things … and (now) I didn’t want my sister to come here because of the shit I deal with here.”

Chief Diversity Officer Rob Sellers, vice provost for equity and inclusion, oversees the execution of the DEI plan. He said he lamented, however, that the plan cannot prevent individual racist attacks.

“If DEI is held up to keeping any individual or groups of individuals from acting in these particular ways, and (for) that matter, if that’s the same expectation for President Schlissel, then it’s natural for people to feel like nothing is happening,” he said. “But I think it’s quite frankly not reasonable to have that expectation.”

Sellers added in a time when so many are concerned about the University in relation to a tense national political climate, he doesn’t want people to blame DEI for specific events, such as the emails.

“We have a whole lot of incidents that are sparks, and these sparks are being thrown on a floor that is full of gasoline and so these fires are raging,” he said. “(We) cannot prevent the sparks. What the DEI is trying to do is create an environment where those sparks do not lead to explosions and fires.

The fact of the matter is it’s going to take a while before we see all of the changes.”

In the days following the emails last week, campus community members expressed further concern about the gap between the University’s response to inflammatory attacks and student needs.

Postdoctoral fellow Austin McCoy, who studies racial justice, is a graduate student instructor.

He spent his class on Wednesday discussing the emails and cited the DEI efforts to diversify campus, in addition to increased student activism, as reasons for these racially-charged attacks.

In response to a statement from the University’s Office of Public Affairs and Internal Communications announcing a joint investigation into the emails

between the Division of Public Safety and Security and the FBI, McCoy suggested the University often handles such incidents with a predictable routine.

“From the administration, I anticipate them sending out probably an email and saying that they condemn the acts and then that they’re investigating, but other than that, I don’t know what else the administration plans to do,” he said.

Though neither Schlissel nor Sellers released a statement directly in response to the racist emails, LSA seniors David Schafer and Micah Griggs, the president and vice president of Central Student Government, respectively, sent a campus-wide email Thursday condemning the acts.

Next steps to be taken, according to the email message, include tweeting out new developments from DPSS and the Office of Public Affairs, continuing to update media outlets and returning calls from parents.

In tweets to Schlissel, McCoy offered suggestions from his students. He said students only ever see what he described as reactionary DEI, emails and diversity statements — and it seems to them that someone will need to get hurt before Schlissel takes action.

Engineering senior Greg McMurtry, president of the University’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, said administrators need to follow up with students who have voiced concerns to tell them what actions have been taken and ask if they are working.

Sellers, however, pointed to positive changes through DEI that students may not be aware of.

According to Sellers, DEI has allowed for the consolidation of the Division of Student Life’s Bias Response Team. In the past, faculty, staff and students had to look to different resources to receive support following a bias incident, but the BRT now employs a group of professional staff who respond to all targeted community members. In addition to helping victims navigate the appropriate long-term responses, the team aims to provide emotional and mental support.

“We’ve coordinated those efforts so everything comes into a central repository,” Sellers said.

“The Bias Response Team is going to respond regardless, because it has members of each of those

groups that are working together.”

Other accomplishments of DEI, according to Sellers, are new courses for faculty to learn how to appropriately address campus climate issues in the classroom. These courses, created in tandem with University Human Resources, cover topics ranging from intercultural awareness to basic skills for fostering diversity, equity and inclusion.

Sellers said students have expressed concerns about faculty not addressing issues in their classes, but faculty have struggled with not knowing how to start the discussions.

“Where the DEI can be helpful is to provide more of that professional development so that we as a community are more resilient to these attacks,” he said.

According to Sellers, the goal of DEI is to minimize the impact, and not necessarily the occurrence, of attacks so as to enhance the security and educational experience of vulnerable students.

“I think it is reasonable for us to have the expectation that we do everything that we can to minimize the impact and not allow it to deter us from a much larger goal of institutional change, opening up greater opportunities for more folks who have historically not had those opportunities,” he said.

Though students often object to the lack of community voices sought in the planning process, Sellers said one strength of DEI is that it was designed to be flexible and open to suggestions and in order to better serve the community.

In October, following a round of racist flyering, Schlissel announced two DEI Student Advisory Boards, consisting of 25 students each. One board consists of undergraduates and the other of graduate and professional students; all schools and colleges are represented on each board.

The groups meet each month to discuss student interests and propose new plans, and subsequently convene with DEI leaders to explain their ideas.

“What the (Student Advisory Boards) have allowed us to do is have more input and more sense of conversation between administrators and students with regard to what’s happening on campus and how we can best utilize students and students can best utilize us to get a better understanding,” Sellers said.

Students4Justice leader Vikrant Garg, a Public Health student, said he was disillusioned by the administrators’ means of seeking student voices. In an October interview, Garg said the DEI planning town hall he went to still overlooked student input.

“I had gone to the ones earlier, last year before coming back to campus, and I was not pleased with one, the way that they were run, and two, with the way that the plan was filled out,” Garg said. “It wasn’t really listening to student voices, even though it was a town hall for students.”

Sellers emphasized, however, the University is on board, and though changes have been made, success will not be immediate.

“Times have changed a bit in the sense that the administration isn’t the problem, where perhaps … 30 years ago, you could make the case that the University hadn’t made such a commitment, and that the University hadn’t necessarily seen this as part of their responsibility,” he said. “I can tell you right now, the students have a willing partner in this, and if there are ways that we can utilize that energy, that determination, that expertise and work together to make a difference, I think we have a shot at really making this place a very different place.”

Between Thursday night and early Friday morning last week, more than 150 students participated in a sit-in organized

by Students4Justice at the Michigan Union in response to the racist emails as well as the defilement of a prayer rug in the Shapiro Undergraduate Library.

Prior to the protest, LSA junior Victoria Johnson, a leader of Students4Justice, echoed criticisms of the University’s response as inadequate.

“We feel like the administration hasn’t done enough,” she said.

“It has been silent. They’re not showing up and giving the support that is needed to the students that have been attacked. We’re going to sit in the Union until they meet our demands.”

Education Prof.

Tabbye Chavous, director of the National Center for Institutional Diversity, agreed that DEI’s implementation may be suffering from institutional missteps.

The first problem, she said, is with communication. Each branch of the DEI plan is supposed to address relevant issues, but Chavous said the University’s size

makes it hard to spread the word on events and initiatives.

“There’s not one mechanism for information dissemination,” she said. “It could be that students are not aware of … new resources that are happening through Student Life, initiatives related to faculty hiring for more diverse faculty, initiatives that are happening to increase the numbers of students of color and those from firstgen and other underrepresented backgrounds on campus.”

In regard to the balance between short- and long-term change, Chavous noted plans for DEI were written and released less than a year ago.

In addition to DEI, Chavous leads the Diversifying Academia Program and the Diversity Scholars Network.

Diversifying Academia Program seeks to hire faculty from diverse backgrounds, as well as faculty who are committed to engaging in teaching and mentoring minority students. The program was created in response to concerns raised by students about faculty diversity.

Chavous expects to see a big change next semester.

“This fall will likely have an appreciable difference on our faculty,” she said. “This hiring initiative will change, within one year, the composition of the people who will be providing the educational experiences to our students. That’s just one example, but it’s an example of something that is pretty short-term in terms of the outcomes of those efforts.”

The Diversity Scholars Network promotes scholars working on and disseminating research about issues of diversity to improve educational practices.

Chavous said this initiative will also enrich issues related to diversity in the learning environment, and will affect students, who have shorter careers at the University, soon. She noted both of these initiatives have short-term impacts overall, though they may not be that well-known.

“These activities will promote the capacity for that to happen in a very short time — again short, meaning within the current and next year, but that’s a very long time in the life of a student,” she said. “I want to acknowledge that for students, a whole academic year going by feels very long, but there are lots of things that are happening that the outcomes of which you will likely begin to see this year, this summer, this fall and beyond.”

6A — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Racist and anti-Semitic emails sent to University engineering, computer science students

By ALEXA ST. JOHN and ALEXIS RANKIN Managing News Editor and Daily News Reporter

Tuesday night, at least three racist emails were sent out to University of Michigan Computer Science and Engineering undergraduate students.

The subjects of the first two emails was “African American Student Diversity” and the third read “Jewish Student Diversity.”

The first two emails read: “Hi n*****s, I just wanted to say that I plan to kill all of you.

White power! The KKK has returned!!! Heil Trump!!!!”

The third reads: “Hi you

fucking filthy jews, I just wanted to say the SS will rise again and kill all of your filthy souls. Die in a pit of eternal fire!

Sincerely, Dr. Alex Halderman.”

The emails were sent by three separate University uniqnames — all of which are administrators of the listservs, potentially indicative the listservs via the University’s online contact server, MCommunity, may have been hacked.

University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald could not provide further information, but confirmed the University had been apprised of the situation.

“We are aware of an email such as the one you describe and our IT security team is looking into it,” he said. “I’m

not even sure what names are that may be associated, but clearly that’s one of the first things they’ll be looking at, is whether someone’s account has been compromised.”

The name of J. Alex Halderman, a professor of computer science and engineering, was used at the bottom of the third antiSemitic email.

Halderman acknowledged the incidents in an email statement to the Daily early Wednesday morning.

“This evening many EECS undergrads received emails with racist and antisemitic content that appeared to be addressed from me or from my Ph.D. student Matt Bernhard,” Halderman wrote.

“These messages were spoofed. Matt

and I did not send them, and we don’t know who did. As I teach in my computer security classes, it takes very little technical sophistication to forge the sender’s address in an email.”

Halderman also addressed this incident as in response to his position as an election security expert.

“This appears to be a cowardly action by someone who is unhappy about the research that Matt and I do in support of electoral integrity,” Halderman wrote. “We study cybersecurity and elections, and in recent months we were involved in efforts to recount the presidential election to confirm that the outcome hadn’t been changed by a

cyberattack. I wrote about why these efforts were necessary shortly after the election. In any case, the content of these emails is contemptible, and I’m sorry that the EECS student body was subjected to them.

The university is aware of the situation, and I expect an official response soon.”

The University Division of Public Safety and Security also tweeted a message stating actions are being taken in an investigation of these incidents.

In response to the emails, a post was made in the public Computer Science Facebook group for the University.

Comments on the post speculated as to how and why the messages were sent.

“The uniqname is probably

being faked to a moderator/ owner on the group so the email will bypass moderation,” one comment reads. “The name is being set to the victim’s name along with reply-to field so he receives the complaint.”

Engineering junior Noah Martin-Ruben wrote in an email interview he would not speculate the named senders are at fault.

“It looks like the person sending the emails is trying to anonymize themselves by using a fake, somewhat untraceable email,” Martin-Ruben wrote.

On the same Facebook page, it was speculated that the emails did not come from the senders they appeared to. Instead, posters believed the messages were routed from a fake emkei. cz email.

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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Fall 2017 — 7A

8A — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

University guarantees tuition to low-income in-state students

By RIYAH BASHA Daily News Editor

University of Michigan alum Lehman Robinson applied to his now alma mater on a whim. As a first-generation college student coming from a low-income household, he assumed the school would be out of his family’s means — until he received his financial aid notice. Six years later, he said he’s still grateful for his aid package, which covered much of his tuition. Still, he had no idea what was in store when he applied.

Robinson would now be covered by the University’s new Go Blue Guarantee: a commitment to free tuition for in-state undergraduate students on the Ann Arbor campus with family incomes under $65,000.

Set to go into effect in January 2018, the announcement was publicly revealed at the Board of Regents meeting June 15.

Even though the 3,000 students currently on campus under that financial threshold already typically receive full aid, the guarantee succeeded in making national headlines as a model of affordable higher education.

University officials’ comments last week centered around breaking down perceptions of the University as cost prohibitive.

“I think about the seventh grader in Ypsilanti or Detroit or Grand Rapids whose mom or dad can say to them, ‘Work hard.

Do well in school. You can go to the University of Michigan,’ ” University President Mark Schlissel said Thursday. “There are a lot of folks now that can’t really say that because they don’t know if they can afford it.”

Will the University’s bet — that a public, visible commitment to financial aid will boost lowincome students’ application

rates — pay off?

Kedra Ishop, vice provost for enrollment management, said the University’s preliminary analysis indicates such signaling messages can be that powerful.

Much of the University’s impetus for the guarantee came from the two-year-old HAIL Scholars program, an initiative offering “high-achieving, low-income students” with four years of free tuition. Last fall, 262 freshmen arrived on campus after being directly pursued through HAIL; select high schools in low-income target areas received application waivers, communication to parents and school advisers and packages complete with a note from Schlissel.

Though final results have yet to be released, Ishop said early HAIL analyses were enough to convince administrators of the guarantee, with application rates at target schools rising by as much as 43 percent.

“That was almost a two-anda-half-fold increase,” Ishop said.

“We’re taking what HAIL taught us, and going public with a version of that specific commitment.”

HAIL draws from national studies like that of Stanford Economics Prof. Caroline Hoxby, who found in 2013 a “vast majority of low-income, high achievers do not apply to any selective college” — even though less competitive schools might mean higher outof-pocket costs.

“Telling students we’ll meet all demonstrated need … that language can get complicated,” Ishop said. “This signals the element of achievement and aspiration — if a student wants a high-quality institution like ours, they have to aspire and work hard. But by taking cost off the table, that allows them to be in the space of achievement and aspiration a little bit differently

than if they just decide they can’t pay for it anyway.”

Robinson spent a year in the Michigan College Advising Corps mentoring students in that space, often working to persuade first-generation and low-income students they were qualified enough to apply to schools like the University.

“These kids, they just don’t know from the outside looking in,” he said. “When I went back to my own high school to advise, there were all these notions of me being stuck-up or that they could never get there. Even though they had the scores and GPA, it’s a matter of access. They just don’t know this information — and neither did I.” Misperceptions of financial aid can often swing the other way, with many assuming free tuition for some students means more cost for others. That tuition rates for the 2017-18 school year increased by 2.9 percent for in-state students and 4.5 percent for out-of-state students didn’t help. Last week, the Detroit News published an editorial titled “Free not always a great deal,” blasting the University for offering the guarantee at the expense of middle-class students.

The editorial cites Regent Andrea Fischer Newman (R), who voted against the tuition hikes June 15 and said middle-class families would be “priced out of the opportunity for the worldclass education available at the University of Michigan.”

Schlissel fired back with a letter to the editor Wednesday, arguing the University has really “made college achievement easier for this critical and financially challenged segment of the population.”

The $12 million to $16 million price tag on the guarantee — a

high estimate — he explained, comes not from other students’ tuitions but a growing financial aid budget for all students with demonstrated need.

The University has increased its financial aid by an average of 10 percent per year over the last decade, compared to an average hike of 4 percent in tuition. Ishop also noted 89 percent of families with incomes of $95,000 to $120,000 received scholarships and grant support equivalent of 55 percent of tuition.

Still, though, in a study released by the Equality of Opportunity project last year, the University ranked last in socioeconomic diversity among elite public colleges. Sixty-six percent of students come from the top 20 percent of the income distribution, and the student body’s median family income is $154,000, or more than 81 percent higher than the state median.

As such, the cost of attending the University comprises factors from textbook fees to the eversoaring cost of living in Ann Arbor, barriers which the

guarantee doesn’t necessarily mitigate. Campus climate, many low-income students charge, is inaccessible to lower-income brackets.

“We have work to do there,” Ishop admitted. “We’re working hard through (the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) plan to ensure students aren’t just here for reporting figures, but to ensure they have an authentic experience on campus. Income is a cross-cutting identity with factors like race and family background — and we’re still trying to understand ourselves as a campus in that way.”

Robinson said he often experienced assumptions about his qualifications from his peers on the basis of both his class and race.

“I’m a tall Black guy — people thought I was on the athletic scholarship,” Robinson said of his peers’ attitudes. “Or people thought I was only there for affirmative action — it’s been banned since like 2006. Being around that is very toxic and also taxing.”

Resources like the Comprehensive Studies Program and Summer Bridge Scholars Program aim to acclimate many lower-income and firstgeneration students to the campus’ academic rigor and community culture. Robinson said these programs would have to be expanded alongside the guarantee in order to ease students’ transitions.

“There are many more first-generation low-income students who didn’t make the cut for Bridge but were offered admission anyways,” he said.

Ishop said officials are planning for an up to 25 percent bump in low-income student applications, but the moving parts in accessibility and affordability mean a marked shift in campus demographics isn’t quite a guarantee.

“It’s about telling these students that we want you here, we want you to stay, we want you to graduate with a Michigan degree,” Robinson said. “The University … they’re heading in the right way.”

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Fall 2017 — 9A

Many middle-class University students find tuition difficult to manage

By MATT HARMON Daily Staff Reporter

LSA junior Joshua Rabotnick moved from Los Angeles in August 2016 to attend the University of Michigan, but cannot afford the tuition bill without loans.

LSA freshman Andrea Perez, an in-state student, is in the same situation as Rabotnick.

Two families, both in the middle-class income level, struggle to pay for a degree from the University.

Despite a report from the Equality of Opportunity Project saying the median family income for a student at the University is $154,000, in the same report the University was ranked last in economic social mobility of 25 highly selective public universities.

With students facing debt after graduation and daunting social mobility statistics, students and University representatives are concerned middle-class families will have a hard time paying for a University education.

Back home, Rabotnick’s father used to own a successful business. However, during the 2008 economic recession, Rabotnick’s family lost the business and subsequently lost a large source of its consistent income. To regain future economic stability, his father opened nursing school the year Rabotnick transferred to the University.

“I transferred in as a junior,” Rabotnick said. “I now work as an EMT for the ambulance company out here, Huron Valley Ambulance, but because I worked so much throughout community college, the way it worked in 911 is we worked

24-hour shifts and we could stack them, so I worked 48, 72 hours over a weekend, then be in school all week.”

Rabotnick made too much money while working in L.A. to be classified as a dependent on his parents’ tax forms.

However, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid does not consider Rabotnick to be an independent student, rather the University then considers Rabotnick to be a dependent and takes his parents’ earnings into account when allocating financial aid.

Perez moved to Michigan before starting eighth grade, qualifying her for in-state tuition. Despite the difference between average in-state cost of attendance of $28,776 and the average out-of-state lowerdivision cost of attendance of $59,784, Perez still struggles to pay for school like Rabotnick.

Perez’s father is an engineer, but her mother stays at home, and she has two siblings.

In an February interview with The Michigan Daily, E. Royster Harper, the University’s vice president for student life, said a large population of students reside in the middle-class area of distribution and are often ignored by financial aid.

“We want to keep (tuition costs) down, because if you are high income, you’re not worried about it,” she said. “If you’re low income, you’re not worried about it. It’s a lot of kids in the middle, so it’s a real problem, but it isn’t a problem for the students for whom we don’t have many.”

Because Rabotnick’s family made too much money last year to be considered for larger amounts of financial aid

though currently does not make enough to help pay for school, Rabotnick said he had to take out student loans to make up for this lack of sizeable financial aid.

“I think that a majority of the student base struggles financially through school and lives off of student loans through school knowing that one day things will be easier, things will be better,” he said.

“That’s really the boat that I’m in. I take student loans, essentially, for food every day.”

Perez is in the same situation as Rabotnick, reportedly

I think that a majority of the student base struggles financially through school and lives off of student loans school knowing that one day things will be easier, things will be better. receiving about $10,000 in financial aid but having to take out about $5,000 in student loans.

“I definitely think there’s a problem, because my dad, he’s an engineer and he makes … a decent salary, but 30 grand a year (for school) on top of a five-person family on top of a mortgage and stuff like that, it’s definitely not enough for my family to be well off while I’m at school, and also my brother is going to school next year, maybe here,” Perez said. “If he is coming here, that would be 60 grand, which is more than half of what my dad gets paid a year.”

University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald addressed Rabotnick’s student debt in an email and stated student debt has decreased over the past four years. According to University data from Fitzgerald, 48 percent of in-state graduates in 2015-16 left the University with no debt. For those that did take out loans, the average was $23,438, which is down from the 2011-12 average of $25,798.

For out-of-state students like Rabotnick, average student debt in 2015-16 was $28,931, a decrease from $34,418 in 201112.

“One reason for the decrease in student loans, is that U-M has been replacing loans with grants in financial aid packages,” Fitzgerald wrote.

“Grants do not need to be repaid.”

Rabotnick said he has met with the Office of Financial Aid many times to try to explain his situation beyond what the figures and tax forms show on paper. Each time, he was directed toward FAFSA policies and other resources.

He also attempted to establish residency in Michigan, but could not. The University Office of the Registrar residency guidelines require out-of-state students to submit an Application for Resident Classification if they have lived or worked outside of the state of Michigan in the past three years. Rabotnick needs to prove he is a permanent legal resident of Michigan, and because he has lived and worked outside of the state in the last three years, this is difficult to do.

Rabotnick said the administration should take into account his tax independence and his permanent address

when looking at his case for in-state tuition or increased financial aid. He said as a public institution, the University wants more out-ofstate students for their tuition dollars.

“I love the University of Michigan while I’m far from loving the administration,” he said. “I don’t think the two necessarily go hand-in-hand.

I’m happy I’m here … I love getting the education that I’m getting here but the feeling I’ve gotten from dealing with the administration is a bureaucracy which only cares about making money at the expense of students.”

Perez, Rabotnick and Engineering freshman Malika Takale all mentioned how much a degree from the University means to them, but its low ranking in terms of socioeconomic mobility concerns them.

Takale, an in-state, uppermiddle-class student, said she was surprised that more students did not move up in income values with a degree from the University. “(The report) is really surprising to me because everyone gives a Michigan degree so much praise and especially because, even though Michigan is a public university, it’s just as expensive for outof-state kids as an Ivy League school would be,” she said.

“I would expect kids to make more money with a degree from Michigan after they graduate.”

Rabotnick, while acknowledging the ranking as an issue, said the data isn’t surprising because many students come to the University with a lot of money already.

“Based off the statistic …

with the median income being roughly $150,000, you’re only going to move so much from that point as a professional,” he said. “Unless you’re going into some big specialty in medicine or law, I don’t think there would be much deviation. I do think that people who are lower class have the ability to move up.”

In a previous interview, Fitzgerald referenced other statistics from the Equality of Opportunity Project’s report and its graphical summaries in The New York Times’ The Upshot. According to the data, Michigan was ranked third out of the same 25 highly selective public universities in terms of students with the highest-paying jobs after graduation. The median student income at 34 was $68,700.

“That underscores what some other reports, including the Department of Education’s college scorecard, said about being a good value, a good investment, because it pays off,” he said. “The median salary for our graduates following graduation, some reports show as much as $25,000 higher than the national average.”

Perez said the main goal of college shouldn’t be to make a lot of money after graduation.

She also said she believed the University should be more proactive in making sure students are competitive in the workforce after obtaining their degrees.

“You shouldn’t necessarily go to school to get paid,” she said.

“But also, if you’re coming to a university that’s claiming to be different speakers and claiming to give you opportunities that other universities can’t give you, then they should assure that their students are better off than other university students when they go out and get jobs.”

10A — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Former U-M presidents join Schlissel in bicentennial colloquium surrounding social influence of research institutions

By ALEXA ST. JOHN Managing News Editor

Covering issues such as higher education and influencing change through academia, University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel highlighted on Thursday what he considers the importance of being a research institution socially, economically and internationally.

However, Schlissel veered from the central topic of the colloquium — a President’s Bicentennial Colloquium event held at the Rackham Graduate School featuring four former University presidents, including Harold T. Shapiro, James J. Duderstadt, Lee C. Bollinger and Mary Sue Coleman — to speak about issues he found more significant: immigration and a university’s responsibility to speak out within the current political climate.

“The challenge we’re going to confront in this very political era is: How do we walk that line between picking on issues that we can contribute to that make our mission stronger, make our University stronger and more valuable to society without being categorized or dismissed as inappropriately acting in the political space?” Schlissel asked.

Beforehand, Gary Krenz, director of bicentennial planning, wrote in an email interview the event’s significance was twofold.

“First, to be able to have a group of people together who,

all told, can reflect on such a large portion of the University’s history is very exciting,” Krenz wrote. “It allows us to compare similarities and differences across time. Second, these presidents collectively represent an amazing amount of experience in higher ed leadership, so having them together to discuss challenges will be very enlightening.”

Susan Alcock, special council for institutional outreach and engagement, was joined by Interim Provost Paul Courant, who was a moderator of the event and introduced the overarching topic to be addressed.

“The bargain between the research university and society is under much greater stress than we imagined it could or would be,” Courant said before introducing Shapiro.

Shapiro, who was president of the University from 1980 to 1987, agreed with Courant’s initial sentiments.

“It is critical to acknowledge as a nation we currently face an environment characterized by such a high level of cultural, social, economic and political anxiety,” Shapiro said.

“Michigan’s commitments to its teaching and research programs rest on a foundational commitment that facts do matter and that centuries of scholarship have created a legacy that continues to contribute to the ongoing vitality of our society.”

Duderstadt, who held the

position from 1988 to 1996, followed Shapiro’s thoughts on the role of scholarship in a modern liberal state by adopting a phrase that considers the University a “privately supported but publicly committed institution.”

Duderstadt acknowledged contemporary challenges the University may face.

“More specifically, our challenges have been first, to develop a financial paradigm that could address the disappearance of state support and second, to sustain our fundamental mission,” Duderstadt said.

Bollinger, president of the University from 1996 to 2001, considered the University’s responsibility to be engaged in the current political sphere, which Schlissel echoed in his comments later.

Bollinger recognized the ability of the University to bring the next generation into an intellectual life, and the important role of universities to establish an understanding of issues of social importance.

“You can’t have a love of humankind unless you start with a deep sense of love and affection for the people immediately around you,” Bollinger said. “We have to be in alignment more or less with human needs and issues and I’ve come to believe that we are not in proper alignment today.”

Coleman, who was the University’s first female

president and served from 2002 to 2014, focused her individual speech on the efforts she took to digitize the University’s books.

“By digitizing today’s books through our own efforts and partnerships with others, we are protecting the written word for all time,” Coleman said.

“By making them available online, we would expose them to the possibility of commercial success.”

Schlissel though quickly pivoted the conversation to a conflicting set of political issues.

“In the public space, our political leaders are talking about clamping down on immigration as a mechanism to make our nation safer, and it’s certainly a legitimate worry of the government to make the United States as safe as possible for its citizens,” Schlissel said.

“Many people are concerned in this era of economic insecurity that immigrants may somehow make it harder for them to get a job.”

Yet Schlissel referred to the presence of students who benefit from the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals program in the University community and those affected by President Donald Trump’s recent ban on immigration from predominantly Muslim countries.

“Here’s the challenge for us: Not only are we a nation of immigrants, we are a university of immigrants,” Schlissel said.

“The folks that come here

to do research are actually contributing to the innovation pipeline that comes out of our great University … The students that we educate here that go back to their own country, they take a little bit of America with them.

They demystify our country.”

Schlissel finalized his remarks by noting his necessity as a University leader to speak out ethically and morally.

Krenz, a professor for the bicentennial course Philosophy 162, The University of Michigan: A Moral Institution, had a number of students present at the event, including Engineering senior Jesse Newton. “(The class focuses on) mostly just the role of the University and how they play in society and different ethical problems that the University can run into,” Newton said. “We went over in class before we came to this Shapiro’s role in making us a more exclusive university, Duderstadt’s role in focusing on engineering and that science (and) Coleman’s role in development of the North Campus Research Center.”

English Ph.D. candidate Elizabeth Harlow had posed a question to the panel of how a university president can be effective in exercising power in the political realm, especially in response to Bollinger’s discussion of the evolution of a global communication system. Later, Harlow said she believed the presidents were appropriate in their responses.

“I thought that the conversation about academic freedom and the existential threat of the political climate to what a university is was really fascinating,” Harlow said. “I’m a member of the graduate class that’s been convened around the question of the bargain between the University and society and it’s something that we’ve been struggling with all term and it was really interesting to think about how the University can and needs to negotiate the political.”

Robin Washington, ’84 alum and member of the President’s Advisory Council, said she wished more current students had attended the event.

“It’s phenomenal to bring together all the ex-presidents and get their perspectives,” Washington said. “It’s clear to see their passion for the school, but also their acute awareness of the importance of the University as well as the culture and tradition, which I think they all have great respect for.”

Washington noted Schlissel’s ability to navigate significant issues in a local and national context.

“It’s rare to get that type of continuity and just to hear the likeness of thought, the complementary, but also the variation in their viewpoints of what matters,” Washington said. “I love (Schlissel’s) courage and his awareness to talk about critical but politically sensitive issues.”

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Fall 2017 — 11A

Justices Sotomayor and Baer call for more diversity and compromise at Bicentennial colloquium

By MATT HARMON Daily Staff Reporter

At a bicentennial colloquium kicking off a yearlong celebration of the University of Michigan’s history Monday morning, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor called out the University’s historically low enrollment of African-American and minority students.

“We are making large improvements towards a kind of equality but we are still far from it,” she said. “When you look at the number of African Americans at the University of Michigan, there’s a real problem there.”

As of October 2016, just under 5 percent of students are African American, according to the University Registrar.

A dialogue between Sotomayor and German Justice Susanne Baer, moderated by journalist Michele Norris, packed Hill Auditorium with more than 1,000 students, faculty and community members. The event— the first of three Presidential Bicentennial Colloquia sponsored by the University Bicentennial Committee—focused on diversity in the University community and how students should respond to contrasting viewpoints.

Looking to the future, Sotomayor and Baer hypothesized about what universities will look like in the years to come. Sotomayor cited the low number of African American students at the University when discussing the future of university communities. This, Sotomayor said, is indicative of a lack of diversity on campus.

“I am going to be politically correct,” Sotomayor said. “It’s going to look a lot like Michigan but with even greater diversity. I don’t think we can get there without addressing it because it is an ideal to be a colorblind society.”

Baer stressed classism as the largest issue affecting the future of universities, encompassing other factors such as ethnicity or gender. The University released a 49-part Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan last October aiming to diversify students’ race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status, but lowincome students are still widely underrepresented, according to a report released last month.

“The moral of class manifests itself differently and is located within different segments of the population,” Baer said. “Money matters but shouldn’t matter as much when it comes to education.”

The panelists shared their experiences of “firsts”: Sotomayor received her law degree from Yale University 1979 and was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court by former President Barack Obama in 2009 as the first Latina to serve on the Supreme Court. Baer, a University law alum, is currently serving a 12-year term as a justice of Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court. She is the first lesbian woman to serve on Germany’s high court.

Moderator Michele Norris has written for ABC News, The Washington Post and NPR and currently serves on the board of the University’s Knight-Wallace Fellowships program.

Before the conversation began, Regent Mark Bernstein (D) presented Sotomayor with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree — Norris and Baer received their honorary doctorates from the University in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Bernstein said Sotomayor’s dedication to her work and her promotion of equal rights makes her a true Wolverine.

“Sonia Sotomayor’s keen legal mind and a commitment to fairness and social justice and public service inspires students, Hispanics, women, all those to work to create

a better, more equitable world,” Bernstein said.

In response to her new degree, Sotomayor gave the crowd a short and powerful, “Go Blue.”

Sotomayor, Baer and Norris each also spoke about the importance of compromise in communities today.

With Norris guiding the discussion, Sotomayor said she must rely on dialogue to execute her duties.

“As judges, I think we are often put in a situation where we’re forced into community,” Sotomayor said.

“We … have to decide some of the most complex questions that this society is facing and in America, we can dissent and we can disagree, but we have to reach a decision.”

The University community has experienced many instances of conflict and charges of lack of dialogue between students of opposing viewpoints this school year, including the posting of racially charged fliers in September and ongoing protests of the Trump administration.

With President Trump’s Supreme Court nomination being announced Tuesday, Baer said effective community members recognize, and prioritize, their opposition.

“This community is built on the willingness to compromise,” Baer said. “It’s about being fair … being forceful with your arguments, but yet being willing to respect the other as a legitimate voice, from another world maybe but still legitimate.”

Sotomayor and Baer reflected on their experiences at universities and how they have adjusted to their current judicial positions. Norris noted Sotomayor was very shy when she first entered the collegiate sphere. Sotomayor said throwing oneself into the unfamiliar is the best way to thrive in university and beyond.

“I live a life now where I do a lot of talking — hence why I’m here — but for a good part of my life, I did a lot

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Michele Norris moderates a talk between Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Susanne Baer at the President’s Bicentennial Colloquium at Hill Auditorium on Monday.

of listening and a lot of observing,” Sotomayor said. “I think everyone needs to grow and needs the trauma of putting yourself in situations that make you uncomfortable because when you’re comfortable, you just don’t change.”

Baer said, at the University, she was afraid of being called on.

Speaking from her own experience as coming from another country and not being out as a homosexual woman, she said if an individual has to run away from issues, they should always chase new opportunities instead of hiding.

“For me to have those two challenges in my life, one super private that no one talked about and the other, being an international student and everyone knows it, what’s difficult to hear yet again is, if I have the tendency to run away, it’s running to a more comfortable place where maybe you can start again,” Baer said. “Never leave the situation. Never leave the opportunity but create your next opportunity and start again.”

As Norris began reading questions from University students, Sotomayor and Baer got out of their

seats, answered them among the students on stage and in the crowd, and greeted students and faculty. In response to a question about how her social identity is reflected in her work and how she works with her coworkers with her identity in mind, Sotomayor said she continues to be vocal and refuses to allow people’s view of her to get in the way.

“For most things I think are important, I say them and I say them because even if they don’t win in a particular case, I said them with a thought process of solution,” Sotomayor said. “I may not win tomorrow but down the line … the voices have been heard.

A student in the audience asked Baer how public opinion intersects with her job as a justice. Baer responded with how justices should embrace public opinion in order to have a deeper understanding of the people they are representing.

“If you’re acting with these people and start a discussion with what they expect from you, you come into much richer waters,” she said. “You can start a conversation.”

LSA junior Stephen Mitchell

said in contrast to what the public has been seeing from the Trump administration in terms of dialogue, Sotomayor and Baer showed the crowd how compromise will work in the years to come.

“Hearing a different story of what’s going on in the world and the direction we’re headed as a university community too, I think that it’s a really empowering feeling,” Mitchell said.

Art & Design freshman Gabriella Pascual said the justices’ ideals aligned with those of the students attending today.

“Given that these people were agreeable toward the general outlook of the University, I think it helped incite a lot of inspiration and encouragement to go into this future with an optimistic outlook,” Pascual said. “It reminded me of why I’m here and what I’m looking to pursue in the legal force.”

Both guests joined students from the School of Music, Theater and Dance in the evening for a series of performances and conversations on the importance of the arts to social justice.

12A — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Activist and author Shaun King describes humanity and discrimination at sold-out speech

By COLIN BERESFORD Daily Staff Reporter

Activist and author Shaun King sold out Rackham Auditorium Monday night for his speech exploring the mixed reactions on campus following the 2016 presidential election. The event was hosted by the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives as part of the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium.

Austin McCoy, a Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Michigan, opened by talking about activist groups on campus and his goal to empower marginalized people. McCoy ended by saying “Black Lives Matter,” “Black Queer Lives Matter” and other variations of the slogan, receiving cheers from the audience in response.

King then began his speech by describing his hopes to instill new perspectives in the socially active audience.

“I am not necessarily here to inspire, because I believe in a lot of ways that you are already inspired,” King said. “Tonight I am here to really teach you a lesson that will give you a new lens through which to see the world.”

King described what he felt after viewing the video of Eric Garner, a Black man strangled by the police in New York in July 2014. The video, which showed a police officer strangling Garner despite Garner telling the officer he couldn’t breathe, went viral, sparking protests around the country.

“What I saw was Officer Daniel Pantaleo, NYPD, choking Eric Garner to death,” King said, “It shook me.”

King came to understand the killings of Garner and other young Black men by the police through the work of German historian Leopold von Ranke, who believed humanity was not steadily progressing as most people believe, but rather progress within humanity was much more varied and went through highs and lows.

According to King, von Ranke is credited with compiling the first comprehensive history of the world. Today, he said, the most common mistake humans often make is equating human progress with technological progress.

King applied von Ranke’s theory to the recent 2016 election, agreeing that humanity is not a straight path to advancement, and the election of Donald Trump as president shows a dip in the progression.

Reactions to the election of Trump have been mixed on campus. Student organizations such as BAMN — the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary — recently led a march protesting Trump.

“Humanity is not this steady inclining progression where people are just getting better and better and better and better,” King said. “Humanity is instead of series of peaks and valleys.”

King said much of the surprise people felt after incidents such as the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide came from this falsehood that humanity is constantly progressing.

“For months, maybe years, we have walked around deeply confused at what we are

AARON BAKER/Daily

Shaun King, New York Daily News Columnist, speaks about the election and police brutality at Rackham on Monday.

experiencing because what we are experiencing doesn’t feel like the way we thought 2016 and 2017 would feel,” King said, in regards to the negative reaction to Trump’s win as president.

The event also touched on the history of institutional discrimination against Black people in the United States.

The high incarceration rates in the United States — especially among African Americans — King added, is largely due to the Nixon administration’s goal of criminalizing Blackness without explicitly announcing

it.

“I hear people all the time say our justice system is broken,” King said. “What they tell us is that this system is not broken, but it was built to function this way.”

King reiterated that the peaks and valleys in history have caused things such as the end of slavery, the creation of the Ku Klux Klan and the election of a Black president.

Social Work student Dominique Hollis, who attended the event, said groups of people need to come together in order to overcome the dip King described.

“We need to expand this conversation to recognize that while yes, people of color are greatly disenfranchised … dissociating from members of the white community who are reaching out of desperation at times when they vote for people like Trump does not get us out of the dip,” Hollis said. “It only gets us deeper because we are not involving those parties in the conversation.”

If people don’t act like society is in a dip, according to King society will never emerge from it.

“Innovation disturbed the

primary power structure and in response to the innovation, we are now living in the dip,” King said.

Rackham student Paula Luu said she had different expectations for King’s speech following the Women’s March and felt disappointed by the lack of answers.

“I came here wanting to better understand the how: how movements have been moved forwards in the past, and how we can build off, what I feel, is a lot of national energy,” Luu said. “I don’t feel like I got that today.”

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Fall 2017 — 13A

University celebrates staff ’s part in history, announces art tribute during summer festival

By JENNIFER MEER and ABE LOFY Summer Managing News Editor and Managing Video Editor

The MStaff200 Bicentennial Celebration Event, kicked off early Tuesday morning with tents, activities and recognitions of University of Michigan staff and faculty, past and present.

Hundreds gathered on the Diag and Ingalls Mall for the event, which marked the second day of the Summer Festival after Monday’s Bicentennial Colloquium.

Several speakers took to the steps of Hatcher Graduate Library to address the crowd.

Gary Krenz, executive director of the University’s Bicentennial, opened the event and acknowledged the essential work of faculty.

“We have a really vibrant, fun set of activities ahead of us today, all developed by staff, in recognition of staff contributions over the University’s 200 years,” he said. “To make that complex entity (that is U of M) function requires partnership with a lot of people who are operating at the very highest level, and that, of course, is our dedicated University of Michigan staff.”

Laurita Thomas, associate vice president for Human Resources, worked to create the MStaff200 event. She thanked the over 600 volunteers, faculty and staff who committed to facilitating activities throughout the day.

“I hope you will feel a sense of pride and excitement and enthusiasm, and return to your jobs later today or tomorrow with understanding who makes blue ‘go,’ who makes an incredible difference with your ideas, your innovation, and the work that you do every day,” she said.

Kevin Hegarty, executive vice president and chief financial officer, spoke to faculty and staff and announced a new award to be launched in October.

“It’s important that we celebrate your effort, skills, innovation and excellence in a very visible and impactful way, which is why we felt it was important to bolster our University-wide employee recognition awards,” he said.

Hegarty said Thomas reached out to the Voices of the Staff, an employee engagement program at the University, to create a rewards and recognition task force with members from the campus and Michigan Medine. They researched what other universities do and they surveyed more than 600 staff at the University. They advised Hegarty and ultimately decided on the creation of a new award.

“I’m thrilled to tell you we will be launching this award this October,” Hegarty said.

“It’s called the University of Michigan Community Service and Excellence Staff Awards.

It celebrates individual staff members who accel, it celebrates teams who do great work, it celebrates supervisors who truly make a difference in the workplace and, perhaps most importantly, this new award puts an emphasis on the work that you do that aligns with the values of this University.”

Multiple awards will be given out every year.

Marschall Runge, executive vice president for medical affairs, acknowledged faculty who works in the health system.

“Staff who are in the health system perform an incredibly important function,” he said. “Our principal mission is to provide healthcare to patients, provide preventive healthcare to patients, and then build upon that with providing education and research

BEN HSU/Daily

Laurita Thomas, associate vice president of human resources, speaks at the MStaff 200 festival on the Diag on Tuesday.

that will help improve patient care.

I have to tell you that this would be impossible without the many thousands that work in the health system — about 25,000 total.”

Runge said it is the passion of the employees that makes a difference for patients and their overall health. Runge said he cannot think of a more honorable role to play in a place like the University.

University President Mark Schlissel then spoke about the contributions and commitment of the University’s faculty.

“Another experience I had when I first arrived (at the University) is staff would come up to me and tell me their own Michigan story and how excited and proud they were to work at the University,” he said. “There’s a connection to Michigan that I just have

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not experienced at other great universities.”

Schlissel asked staff on the Diag to raise their hands if they had been at the University for less than 10 years, then between 10 and 20, 20 and 30, 30 and 40 and more than 40 years. He thanked everyone for their commitments.

“That’s what’s absolutely amazing to me,” he said. “We have a staff of dedicated, hardworking, loyal, committed staff that believe in the mission of the University and believe in one another. They come to Michigan and they spend their professional lives here.”

Schlissel then announced a new Bicentennial Public Art Staff Tribute that will be installed later in the year.

He said no single celebration of the University would be complete

without honoring its two centuries of staff excellence. The tribute will be installed between the C.C. Little Science Building and the Dana Samuel Trask Building. The title of the piece is “Arriving Home” and was created by Dennis Oppenheim, a U.S. artist and Guggenheim fellow.

“We wanted to commemorate the amazing work of the past but also recognize our future goals for Michigan’s third century rely on the dedication and intellect and creativity of our talented staff,” he said. “We knew this recognition had to be as enduring as the longstanding commitment to our staff.

It had to be permanent because staff excellence at the University of Michigan doesn’t end with our bicentennial year. It had to be public as all of your work is each and every day all around the University. It

had to be inspiring because your work brings so much hope to our students, to our patients, to our friends and to our community.”

Schlissel emphasized the connection between the public contributions of the staff and the public art.

The piece was purchased, in part,

by Jack Janveja, who has worked at the University for 54 years.

“Jack said he gave us this gift because it’s important to have art on campus, because like our staff it heightens the University of Michigan experience, and he holds a deep love for the U of M,” Schlissel said. “U of M staff will be forever honored with a new, permanent, public art installation on campus. Now our staff will always feel a special link to our campus’s public art.”

14A — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Fall 2017 — 1B

Women supporting women Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890.

By VICTORIA NOBLE

420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com

As my college career draws to a close, I’ve spent some time ref lecting on my experiences here. Looking back at the sheer volume of work I’ve done, the new things I’ve tried and the amount I’ve grown as a person over the past four years is simultaneously amazing and overwhelming.

I’m proud of the things I’ve accomplished as a University of Michigan undergraduate, largely because they ref lect the love I felt for (most of ) the classes I took and activities I participated in.

But, at this point during my senior year of high school, I envisioned myself spending my Wednesday nights partying with fraternity men, not attending an informational session about graduate school fellowships and then coming home to write this column.

It’s not that I didn’t care about school, or really

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Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board.

All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.

Love, don’t judge

By CHRIS CROWDER Columnist

T

he sociology classes I’ve been taking this semester have taught me just how messed up our country is. I’ve been learning about class inequality more in-depth and how people of all races from lower-class backgrounds can’t achieve the American Dream. I realized this a while ago, but it pains me that others don’t feel the same way as me, especially in regards to education.

What can we do to help give children in poorer schools a better chance of success? Why do we not do more to help the needy? Why do people have a “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality when some people can’t afford boots in the first place?

Many people know that the system is rigged for many to succeed and make a comfortable living. For generations, people have been angry about where they stand and how their government has forgotten about them.

All these questions rattle around in my mind when I think that it’s a no-brainer that millions of people who are abandoned, pushed to the outskirts and not given help should at least be given better schooling in order to to have a more decent life. The people who live in poor areas of the country need assistance because we don’t all live on an equal playing field. And life isn’t a game — it can’t be replayed.

It’s a fact that children acquire wealth from their parents’ hard work and privilege and career types, but what about the kids who aren’t so fortunate to have

inheritances or two parents around or to have attended a well-funded school?

For me, it’s important that people are knowledgeable about our education system — how teachers should be more valued and that every kid deserves a quality education — but right now that isn’t happening. Schools are dilapidated and closing in Detroit because of low test scores. Who is that helping? How will these kids get to school?

While these kids have their schools close and attend school in classes infested with mold, a school not far away in Bloomfield Hills has a fireplace and statues in a courtyard. The parents of students at that school have the means to help pay for these luxuries, making the playing field more uneven. The money is being used to help the school have nice classrooms, adequate textbooks and clean hallways before these little luxuries. It’s not necessarily a crime to have all this in a school, but it’s a stark contrast from other schools, where the water from fountains is undrinkable and bathrooms are falling apart. Yes, there are other factors we can take into account, such as parenting and the kid’s own work ethic, but can we really blame someone’s lack of success when they’re not put in an environment where they’re prepared to excel?

To the people reading this, I might be barking up the wrong tree. But at the same time, there are many people out there who don’t have the same perspective as the one I have shared. And it’s not entirely their fault.

They may have been exposed to entirely different opinions, taught a different way or could be oblivious to the complexity of

inequality in our country.

With that in mind, I’ve been trying to embrace the philosophy of loving instead of judging. I don’t think it’s right for me to judge someone right off the bat based on a comment or belief before having a conversation with them. It’s better to enter a conversation with an open mind, choosing to love and listening to understand, rather than to respond.

Especially with how clear it is that our country is divided, we should strive for education and conversation instead of immediately passing judgment.

It will be difficult — and sometimes impossible — to change someone’s mind or to get them to listen, but maybe giving them a chance will be beneficial to both sides.

It’s probably not best to discuss these issues over social media, because the best sentiments never seem to get across there, but whether on social media or in person, telling your side of the story is important. The injustices in our country can get our blood boiling. And it makes me even more infuriated when people aren’t upset, coming off as selfish or apathetic. Those who seem like they don’t care may be in fact be self-centered. But at the same time, there might be some who just don’t know or were misinformed.

It’s better to love instead of judge. Progress is more likely attainable when we’re united and informed. Take a deep breath while your blood is boiling and try to give people the benefit of the doubt.

Originally published on 2/13/2017.

Columnist

T

he sociology classes I’ve been taking this semester have taught me just how messed up our country is. I’ve been learning about class inequality more in-depth and how people of all races from lower-class backgrounds can’t achieve the American Dream. I realized this a while ago, but it pains me that others don’t feel the same way as me, especially in regards to education.

What can we do to help give children in poorer schools a better chance of success? Why do we not do more to help the needy? Why do people have a “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality when some people can’t afford boots in the first place?

Many people know that the system is rigged for many to succeed and make a comfortable living. For generations, people have been angry about where they stand and how their government has forgotten about them.

All these questions rattle around in my mind when I think that it’s a no-brainer that millions of people who are abandoned, pushed to the outskirts and not given help should at least be given better schooling in order to to have a more decent life. The people who live in poor areas of the country need assistance because we don’t all live on an equal playing field. And life isn’t a game — it can’t be replayed. It’s a fact that children acquire wealth from their parents’ hard work and privilege and career types, but what about the kids who aren’t so fortunate to have inheritances or two parents around

or to have attended a well-funded school?

For me, it’s important that people are knowledgeable about our education system — how teachers should be more valued and that every kid deserves a quality education — but right now that isn’t happening.

Schools are dilapidated and closing in Detroit because of low test scores.

Who is that helping? How will these kids get to school?

While these kids have their schools close and attend school in classes infested with mold, a school not far away in Bloomfield Hills has a fireplace and statues in a courtyard.

The parents of students at that school have the means to help pay for these luxuries, making the playing field more uneven. The money is being used to help the school have nice classrooms, adequate textbooks and clean hallways before these little luxuries. It’s not necessarily a crime to have all this in a school, but it’s a stark contrast from other schools, where the water from fountains is undrinkable and bathrooms are falling apart. Yes, there are other factors we can take into account, such as parenting and the kid’s own work ethic, but can we really blame someone’s lack of success when they’re not put in an environment where they’re prepared to excel?

To the people reading this, I might be barking up the wrong tree. But at the same time, there are many people out there who don’t have the same perspective as the one I have shared. And it’s not entirely their fault. They may have been exposed to entirely different opinions, taught a different way or could be oblivious to the complexity of inequality in our

Too frequently, we’re encouraged to be pretty faces for Instagram posts instead of strong people with the ability to make a real impact. even that I was really very interested in partying (or fraternity men for that matter).

Rather, it was just what I thought people were supposed to do in college. Most of the images I had seen of college — both on older friends’ social media accounts and in popular culture — involved stylish blonde women either wrapped around tall, tan men or

country.

With that in mind, I’ve been trying to embrace the philosophy of loving instead of judging. I don’t think it’s right for me to judge someone right off the bat based on a comment or belief before having a conversation with them. It’s better to enter a conversation with an open mind, choosing to love and listening to understand, rather than to respond.

Especially with how clear it is that our country is divided, we should strive for education and conversation instead of immediately passing judgment. It will be difficult — and sometimes impossible — to change someone’s mind or to get them to listen, but maybe giving them a chance will be beneficial to both sides.

It’s probably not best to discuss these issues over social media, because the best sentiments never seem to get across there, but whether on social media or in person, telling your side of the story is important.

The injustices in our country can get our blood boiling. And it makes me even more infuriated when people aren’t upset, coming off as selfish or apathetic. Those who seem like they don’t care may be in fact be selfcentered. But at the same time, there might be some who just don’t know or were misinformed.

It’s better to love instead of judge.

Progress is more likely attainable when we’re united and informed.

Take a deep breath while your blood is boiling and try to give people the benefit of the doubt.

Originally published on 2/21/2017.

huddled in massive groups of women laughing in Instagramworthy places. I imagined college through rose-tinted lenses adorned with pearls and bows. I didn’t realize that the ideas I had developed about how college women were “supposed” to look and act were not only unrealistic but, if left unchecked, could be detrimental to my long-term goals.

Fortunately, that changed shortly after I arrived at the University. Older students on the Daily staff and in other student organizations during my first semester helped me get involved on campus in organizations that led me to discover deeper interests in things I ended up liking far more than the superficial.

They gave me the courage to share my thoughts and opinions with the rest of campus through the Daily — something I’ve been doing ever since. In doing so, they taught me to value my own voice and to take myself seriously as someone who deserves to be heard.

I did end up joining a sorority as a sophomore — when I had personally matured enough and learned enough about myself and my personal priorities to pick an organization with ideals and women I respected, rather than just an aesthetically pleasing Tumblr page or an impressive social schedule.

Through my sorority, I gained a community of women who support me when I need it and respect me for who I am.

Too frequently, we’re encouraged to be pretty faces for Instagram posts instead of strong people with the ability to make a real impact.

Though these things aren’t mutually exclusive, living up to these outrageous standards impedes our efforts to excel in school and pursue the things we’re passionate about. In the workplace, especially in male-dominated fields, these pressures only intensify.

Yet, with the support of older students willing to act as my mentors, I learned to navigate the pressures and expectations of women in college and, later, in office environments. Many of these women were busy themselves, but still took the time to serve

as resources for me as I began to get involved on campus, search for internships and apply to my current college, the Ford School of Public Policy.

At my internship this past summer, management-level

I gained a community of women who support me when I need it and respect me for who I am.

female employees made an effort to mentor and advocate for lower-level female employees, including the interns. They helped me feel welcome at work, encouraged me to share my ideas and opinions in meetings and gave me opportunities to work on incredible projects.

Women face challenges at school and work that men often don’t, such as wage gaps and not being taken as seriously as their male counterparts.

Big picture: building a society where women have the full opportunity to contribute all they can to our economy and government will require that we remove social, legal and economic barriers for women pursuing educational and occupational opportunities.

Greater female representation in every arena — from government to engineering — can help make that happen.

As it does, all women become better off.

But first, we need to help each other get there. From challenging the stereotypes that hold women back, to serving as resources for other women, to simply being real and honest with our friends and on social media, we can help make it easier for women to deploy their talents and efforts to improve society as a whole.

Originally published on 3/9/2017.

Empty chairs

By STEPHANIE MULLINGS Columnist

Finding home away from home

By MICHELLE PHILLIPS

Columnist

E

xactly one month ago, while standing on the Diag at around 4 a.m., I felt at ease listening to the gentle song of birds around me. The warm glow of the streetlights illuminated the 950 empty maize and blue chairs positioned throughout the grounds. I assumed I would be the only one there at this late hour, but I wasn’t.

A few rambunctious guys sauntered out from around the Undergraduate Library pushing and kicking at the chairs, standing on top of them while laughing and shouting.

Guards, tucked secretly away near the Hatcher Graduate Library, jumped out and yelled for them to back away.

The culprits, surprised and scared, immediately sprinted in the opposite direction. This encounter was very striking to me. They were just folding chairs, right? Why did they need body guards? What was all the commotion about?

The following day, I learned the meaning of the chairs: they were one of the art installations in the University of Michigan bicentennial Stumbling Blocks project. These 950 empty seats were representative of the 950 students of color who were not able to attend this University due to Michigan’s Proposal 2 referendum, which outlawed race-based affirmative action within the state of Michigan.

Therefore, each day, while walking through the Diag, students would be reminded of the various obstacles the University has faced throughout the years.

A week after I first saw the chairs, and the boys who trampled on top of them, I walked to Mason Hall for my Asian Language class, and saw the Diag was empty — the chairs were gone. They were collected, folded up. Now, the chairs are on the market, for $10 each, sold by the University’s Property Disposition Department.

After the exhibition ended, I met with a member of the University’s administration, who, for the remainder of this piece, I’ll refer to as Mr. “What can I do?” — since that seems to be his trademark response when asked about issues of diversity and inclusion on campus. After respectfully listening to my frustrations with the campus climate, including recurring incidents of racist rhetoric, Mr. “What can I do?” offered his remorse and explained that because racism is so deeply rooted within this country, what could he possibly do to prohibit it from rearing its ugly head here at the University?

He then went on to explain his frustrations with students continually demanding immediate action regarding race issues on campus, who often demand he “fix this. Fix it now,” and his inability to do so. He, instead, suggested it was on us, the communities of color, to develop ways to establish safe and productive intergroup relations on this campus.

You may be wondering what these two occurrences have to do with one another — the disappearance of the Stumbling Blocks chairs and my meeting with Mr. “What can I do?” The answer to that question is scary to admit. I am an empty chair.

Although I am a student of color

here at Michigan, and was not excluded due to Proposal 2, I am still an empty maize and blue chair. Why? I am here, on display every day. I am on display when I find myself one of the only students of color in my classes. I am on display when fliers are distributed stating that men within my community are inadequate, unintelligent and violent simply because of the color of their skin. I am on display when emails are released saying I deserve to be killed. Throughout this display, I am seemingly protected/ guarded by the “support” of administration, student organizations and faculty — just as the maize and blue chairs were the night I was standing in the Diag. Then, after a little while, when my moment is suddenly over, I am folded up, tucked away, ignored and forgotten. I am an empty chair.

In 1903, W.E.B. DuBois published “The Souls of Black Folk.” In the book, he inquires, as a Black American, how does it feel knowing you are regarded as a problem? Now, in 2017, at the University of Michigan, DuBois’s question is still relevant: How does it feel knowing that others on this campus view me as a problem?

And more still, thanks to Mr. “What can I do?”, I now also wonder how must I be the problem and its solution.

I am not meant for display. I do not wish to be pushed away and silenced. I no longer want to be an empty chair.

Originally published on 5/10/2017.

2B — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

FROM THE DAILY

Housing must be more affordable

A

s the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor grow in population and develop each year, demand for offcampus housing increases.

Developers encourage a higher concentration of wealth in the downtown Ann Arbor area by building luxury high-rise apartments, and even with increased housing availability provided by these high-rises, prices in other areas around campus remain astronomical.

Ann Arbor’s municipal code allows rental companies and landlords the autonomy to overcharge residents for the quality of their properties because of a lack of regulation around pricing. The municipal code’s lack of specificity regarding when new tenants can sign leases also induces a race to secure off-campus housing each fall. Developers must build more affordable apartment complexes for the average in-state student and the average Ann Arbor resident.

Additionally, the city of Ann Arbor needs to tighten rent regulations and increase enforcement of such regulations to combat these issues.

Though newly built highrises change the city landscape of Ann Arbor dramatically, time has shown demand for such housing matches supply, as these buildings continue to be filled each year. In an ideal world, luxury apartments concentrated in the center of the city, close to campus, would lower housing prices in areas closer to South Campus and Kerrytown. But according to a recent study prepared for the Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development, this may not be the case. Instead of decreased prices for housing options a little further off campus, UM students are seeing rent prices that stay at the same high rates in surrounding areas.

Furthermore, wealthier students and city residents are the ones living in these luxury high-rise apartments, which could possibly result in an increased wealth disparity within Ann Arbor.

And according to the Washtenaw County OCED, wealth disparities are also increasing between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. While Ann Arbor’s

economy may continue to grow because of new development and businesses moving in, the study suggests Ypsilanti’s will only worsen over time. These disparities are especially damaging to students at the University, as they attempt to balance living in a location suitable to getting to classes and maintaining affordability with rising tuition prices.

All options need to be explored to fix Ann Arbor’s housing affordability issue. In particular, City Council should look at options for altering the city’s housing code pertaining to how and where development companies build luxury highrise apartments. City Council also needs to address ways in which it can change the housing code to improve the leasing process.

High housing demand south

Beyond paying high prices, the logistical timeline to find a lease has become a rat race.

of campus and near Kerrytown causes residents and students to pay relatively high rent for what they’re getting. Landlords can charge upward of $850 per month per tenant for what may be mediocre to subpar properties.

Beyond paying high prices, the logistical timeline to find a lease has become a rat race.

The city’s leasing laws allow rental companies and landlords to lease their properties according to a schedule that creates a housing frenzy for students at the start of each fall semester. According to the city’s housing code, leasers may not start showing properties to prospective renters until 70 days after the current tenant’s lease has begun. Because of growing pressure to find housing, however, prospective tenants are incentivized to find homes on their own and secure under-the-table promise for the next year’s lease before the 70

days have passed.

These transactions can, and often do, occur under the table, but leasers themselves sometimes ignore municipal code and officially sign leases to new tenants before the 70 days have passed. In an interview with The Michigan Daily in Oct. 2015, Ann Arbor property manager Jon Keller said rental companies and landlords do this because the penalty fee is negligible — and sometimes not enforced.

Whether it’s done under the table or illegally, Ann Arbor’s current municipal code leaves students scrambling for next year’s housing each fall, during a time when they’re trying to settle into campus life and into their current houses. Many students also don’t know who they’ll want to live with a year down the line, when their lease will actually begin. Ann Arbor’s municipal code should place tighter controls on the leasing process, and these controls should be better enforced for the sake of students and Ann Arbor residents alike.

Luxury high-rise apartment complexes keep popping up and will continue to unless tighter regulations stop them.

While there is demand for such housing, the increased supply and concentration of luxury living spaces in the center of the city is only contributing to increased wealth disparity within Ann Arbor and between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti.

What’s more, the city’s current municipal code too often leaves residents and students in offcampus housing with no other option but to sign leases before they’re ready and to pay more for rent than properties are worth. City Council needs to move to alter the housing code and tighten enforcement to combat these issues, which would benefit residents of Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor and students at the University.

Originally published on 9/25/2016.

Quintuple Majoring

By MICHAEL MORDARSKI Columnist

Every time I walk into the humorless, dry, corporate settings that are career networking events on campus, a poison is mainlined directly into my soul, further transforming the unique, colorful qualities of my creative identity into the gray, bland qualifications of a future “adult who sits behind an expensive desk.”

Despite the dread associated with these numerous networking events, I, like nearly every other student on this campus, have willingly submitted myself to this pre-professional, LinkedInrequired, handshaking environment that dominates campus — an environment that permeates nearly every major and school here at the University of Michigan.

On this campus, we are offered an overwhelming number of workshops, résumébuilding exercises, company immersions and career fairs that we, as one of the most competitive and successful student bodies in the country, utilize aggressively.

But in the process, a smothering competitive culture is created that has a profound effect of distorting the judgments and true motivations of students.

Individuals on campus are forced to sacrifice passionate talents and interests during the seemingly endless competition of career planning, campus involvement, networking and studying.

Arriving at the University, students are advised in a rational manner to choose a major that both captures their interests while also being career conscious.

Essentially, do what you love, but make sure there are jobs on the other end. Choosing to study political science, I made a mature concession from my previous desires to study writing and history. I believed the major would still offer courses and assignments that would capture my creativity and curiosity, while simultaneously being one of the undergraduate degrees that demonstrated intellectual maturity and competence and a future career path in law, public policy or business. As opposed to pursuing a major more suited for writing or studying history, I would be

the conscious adult planning his responsible future — a modest sacrifice that was sure to pay academic and professional dividends.

Yet this sacrifice grew in size and nature due to the environment here on campus. I was suddenly acquainted with the ever-present campus social pressure and anxiety that forces students to join every goddamn professional club associated with law, health and business. In addition, I felt pressure to begin to utilize the seemingly endless opportunities offered through the campus career center.

As I took on these opportunities, the creative elements and unique talents I once believed to have needed to be stamped, pressed and molded through a series of deathly corporate résumé workshops and internship preparation seminars in order to present myself, with a plastic smile and customized name tag, to an interviewer waiting to see how well my professional qualities matched up against my fellow peers in a desperate attempt to be an intern for their multinational risk management corporation.

And all of this was due to the level of aggressive competitiveness that dominates nearly every field of study on campus. The amount of dialogue dedicated to the stories of secured internships in New York City, Washington D.C. and San Francisco must fill the halls of every building on campus. Students openly brag about how busy their color-coded schedules are as they work toward their double major and minor while also serving in leadership roles within multiple clubs and still finding time to tour companies, attend career prep courses, handle phone interviews and refine their résumés.

The competition is seemingly endless with students securing undergraduate spots only to apply for new more prestigious and well-connected schools within the University, such as the Ford School of Public Policy or the minor in business through the Ross School of Business. And even more anxiety-inducing, students from other fields of study often come charging into new double majors to “diversify” their academic background, because why wouldn’t you take 18 credits a semester? You want a job, don’t you?

I personally know a double major in neuroscience and English pursuing a business minor from the Business School with the intention of applying for a joint JD-MD program at Duke University.

Yes, a brain surgeon lawyer who also owns a small business while simultaneously writing for The Atlantic.

This induces anxiety and professional panic that reverberates throughout campus, distracting and distancing students from their original academic intentions and goals. I wrote a piece previously about the incredible nature and necessity of substantive learning. Essential to that was the curiosity and interest found within the student. Creativity and uniqueness can easily die within the hyperconnectivity of competition for careers.

The LinkedIn profiles, text of résumés and leadership experience can often permanently steal a talented student away from a piece of work or an assignment that had the potential to create something infinitely greater.

And as I stumbled around career fairs pretending that I would secure a position within the Business School later in my academic career, I put on hold talents and specific interests that made me unique.

I did not utilize my curiosity and passion in a manner that exponentially increases my performance and quality of work. Writing and studying history were central to my sense of intelligence, and the eventual embracement of both increased the success I’ve had academically, professionally and socially.

This is not a piece against hard work, networking and professionalism — instead, this is a simple observation that students on this campus often over-exhaust their unique potentials in a desperate competition among themselves pursuing f leeting internships, professional experiences and future careers. There are other methods and routes to the career and professional goals that may seem unorthodox or daunting, but often prove to be far more beneficial in the end.

Originally published on 4/2/2017.

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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Fall 2017 — 3B

FROM THE DAILY

Standards significantly raised

T

he University of Michigan’s new sexual misconduct policy, now called the University of Michigan Policy and Procedures on Student Sexual and GenderBased Misconduct and Other Forms of Interpersonal Violence, is drastically more expansive than its 2013 predecessor, and even its pre-released September 2015 draft. The policy gives the University more precise tools for determining what exactly sexual misconduct is in questionable circumstances, investigators the tools to convict perpetrators who may have slid by under the old policy and the campus community at large the tools to understand the intricacies of consent and incapacitation in nuanced situations. This new policy favors the claimant in numerous ways and will likely increase the number of assaults punished, thereby raising the standards around sexual activity and changing the culture around sexual assault on our campus. It also represents significant steps forward in several areas, but will require noticeable efforts by the University to align the rightfully strict standards in the policy with societal standards about gender and sex.

In contrast to the previous policy, the new one clearly outlines the full process of reporting a sexual misconduct case to the University, uses gender-inclusive language and expands the scope of its definitions of consent and incapacitation. It also changes the role of witnesses and of the review panel and appeals process, as well as brings intimate partner violence and stalking underneath the scope of this singular policy and process.

The new policy is also vastly more transparent and organized about the process a student will embark on when they report a case of sexual misconduct.

Significantly, it notes the distinction between the two different justice systems a student can report a case to: the University and/or the police. Though under the old policy, students were advised to report to the University’s Police Department in addition to filing a report to the University, the new policy explains that reporting to the police is a completely separate process than the one students will undergo at the University.

Additionally, the policy offers resources — including specific phone numbers — for students to use to contact of variety of police forces.

While the Department of Education — which is currently investigating several Title IX complaints — and countless student activists believe the University has a responsibility to investigate and punish students for sexual misconduct, there is a national debate over whether universities are not equipped to investigate cases of sexual misconduct. Regardless of whether one believes the University should legislate these cases, the fact that the two processes are explained in a clear and detailed manner helps better

educate our student body and aids in making options for students more clear.

Last April, the Daily brought to light the University’s inadequate definition of consent, noting it did not specify that silence and inaction did not equate to consent.

The new policy specifically states, “Consent is not to be inferred from silence, passivity, or a lack of resistance,” also adding that “nonverbal communication” is not consent. This crucial change will raise the standard for consent. A respondent can no longer claim they had consent because the other party didn’t actively resist.

Along similar lines, this new policy explicitly defines what constitutes coercion and force, both of which would render one unable to give consent.

Another significant change to the definition of consent is the clarification of who is held responsible for obtaining consent.

Unlike the old policy, this new policy places direct responsibility on the party who “initiates a specific sexual activity” to obtain consent. This creates a distinction between respondent, initiator and claimant. This wording makes it explicitly clear that if the respondent, assuming they are the initiator, has failed to obtain consent, then that party will be found responsible. This seems likely to increase the number of respondents found responsible for misconduct.

The new policy also goes further to stress that a past sexual or dating relationship does not mean a person has automatic consent for current or future sexual activity, and that consent must be granted “each time (sexual activity occurs).” This is an important addition, as sexual assault in dating and romantic relationships does occur, and a previous relationship should not indicate that someone has consented for future sexual activity. To take this an additional step forward, the new policy unequivocally states that if a person withdraws consent (which can happen at any time) “sexual activity must cease immediately.”

These additions protect the rights of all students engaging in sexual activity at all levels of engagement.

Rightly linked to the definition of consent in the new policy is the definition of “incapacitation,” which has been dramatically expanded upon.

According to the new policy, a person is incapacitated if they are in “a state beyond drunkenness or intoxication” and cannot make “informed, rational judgements.”

The policy also acknowledges that intoxication varies from person to person, depending on a multitude of factors including body weight, tolerance level and food consumption. By recognizing that each individual’s level of intoxication is unique and can fluctuate based on these reasons, the University is taking a commendable step to broaden the definition of intoxication so more claimants can correctly posit their incapacitation, and so all parties can accurately gauge of when someone is incapacitated.

On that note, the new policy also

explicitly reminds students of state amnesty laws on drinking and extends protection against University disciplinary actions to underage students who report instances of sexual misconduct while intoxicated.

The depth at which the new policy discusses how evidence is evaluated in the University’s response process is appreciated and will also have a measurable impact on the frequency that sexual misconduct is reported.

Potential complainants now have the ability to review exactly how evidence gathered during the process will be collected and evaluated, as well as by whom, and all sides have the opportunity to understand how their conduct will be evaluated by an investigation.

In addition, the appeals process now includes a review by an external party, preferably one with legal expertise. Given how much discussion currently goes into making the process fair for both sides, the option of the opinion of an external reviewer on both the evaluated facts, and the process should resolve most procedural inequities. Adding greater cross-campus equity, a student appointed by the Central Student Government will now sit on the board that will determine sanctions for students found guilty, adding to the process the student voice on these important issues.

Despite the heavy lifting this new policy does to raise the standards of sexual activity, there are steps in the process that are still questionable. Witnesses will now be required to be named to all parties in an investigation.

While this new addition strives to make the process more equitable, we can’t help but be concerned that witnesses will be less likely to come forward if they know they must be named given that witnesses frequently have strong relationships with either side.

The detailed processes in the new policy mostly balance the rights of the complainant and the rights of the respondent; however, we feel that there is more that could be done to protect witnesses, given the sensitivity of the issues at hand and the likely personal connection between witnesses and the students in question.

In many ways this policy is the change students, student groups, administrators and a national public eye has been looking for. But it is also a doubleedged sword. The standards this policy enforces will likely cause an increase in the number of respondents found responsible for misconduct, and that may cause students to experience a disconnect between the sexual standards they are taught in society versus the standards they are held to on our campus. However, though the disconnect may be large now, with the awareness this policy raises and educational opportunities posed, through enforcing this policy the University will be participating in one of many steps forward toward a better campus climate.

Originally published on 9/25/2016.

A few words on American exceptionalism

By ANU ROY-CHAUDHURY Columnist

With all that has happened in the past few weeks, the idea of American exceptionalism has seemed even more skewed and outdated. Both nationally and on campus, the new political climate has been tense and filled with uncertainty. President Donald Trump’s slogan of “Make America Great Again” implied a return to a better nation, which had seemingly been lost in past administrations.

Yet, the first weeks of Trump’s presidency have thoroughly worked against what makes America exceptional.

At its core, “American exceptionalism” is the idea that the United States is the vanguard of liberty, democracy and opportunity — a nation unlike any before it, created on the basis of equality and liberty, and throughout history, a country dedicated to upholding and cultivating these essential values, both abroad and at home. American exceptionalism promotes the United States as a nation which is singular, unique and a leading example for other nations.

My own belief in this definition of American exceptionalism is wary. The United States’ history of being a pillar of equality is both skewed and inaccurate. Our patriotism is not unlike any other democratic nation’s, and our true upholding of equality is lessened by historic racism and discrimination embedded in our institutions.

However, recent political events have made me more cynical in viewing America’s exceptionalism.

Trump’s Cabinet appointments, his executive order on immigration and the more

recent and personal racial incidents on our campus have been disheartening, to say the least. Yes, parts of my disappointment hinge on my political leanings, but certain issues go beyond politics.

Trump’s executive order on immigration is a huge step away from American exceptionalism. If we are considered a country of liberty and equality, then we should be opening our doors to those who need help the most, not closing them. The actions Trump has taken, or rather has tried to take, are symbolic of a different kind of American exceptionalism: an exceptionalism that promotes equality and liberty, but only for the few, not the many.

Furthermore, the ban goes against what I believe actually makes the United States exceptional: the people. The nature of Trump’s executive order sends a simple message to those who come from the seven countries affected by it: You are not welcome here.

Yet, this rhetoric, whether enacted through law or not, degrades the diversity the United States has prided itself on. The United States has stood out among other nations because of its power to draw people from all over the world onto one land mass, living, working and creating. The rich diversity of this country is what makes it exceptional.

Without immigrants, the story of American innovation, culture and progress would be incomplete.

In addition to the executive order, Trump’s war on the press seems to be part of his redefining of America’s greatness. In a collection of tweets, Mr. Trump has called out The New York Times for fictional reporting, or, more accurately, reporting

that doesn’t praise him. The president’s rhetoric toward the press again degrades the liberty and democracy associated with American exceptionalism. The press has been a sure check on the actions of those in power, and, if anything, true freedom is found in the truth-telling of our journalists. A press that depicts politics truthfully, regardless of whether it taints the image of the powerful elite, is a press that uses its First Amendment right to hold leaders accountable and give a voice to those who otherwise wouldn’t have one. Attacking the press is attacking one of the truest and most historic examples of American freedom.

Yet, while Trump continues his unexceptional actions, his constituents are doing the opposite.

American exceptionalism hinges on democracy and liberty, and while Trump may continuously stray from these virtues, Americans are working to uphold them. A Trump presidency may have created an upheaval of anger and fear, but it has simultaneously redefined what makes the United States exceptional.

Exceptionalism isn’t in the hands of a single leader or political administration.

Exceptionalism is in the hands of the people.

In the past few months, a wave of solidarity has made its way through the United States in a reaction to Trump’s divisive nature. The recordbreaking Women’s March was just the beginning of Americans coming together to stand up and speak out against injustices heightened by Trump’s presidency. Instead of idly sitting by, people of all backgrounds are taking a stand See AMERICAN, Page 4B

4B — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

An open letter to President Schlissel

By AUSTIN MCCOY Columnist

Dear President Schlissel, This semester I am teaching a course titled “Resisting State Violence: Race, Policing and Social Justice in Twentieth Century America,” offered in the departments of History and Afroamerican and African Studies. As an instructor on race and racism, I try to offer all of my students space to talk frankly and historically about current events, whether the conversation is about the relationship between past immigration policies and President Trump’s executive order banning refugees, or the recent racist and antiSemitic emails sent to engineering and computer science students.

We talked about those emails, as well as the incident concerning the defiled prayer rug in the Shapiro Undergraduate Library Reflection Room in class. Many students of color were upset. Many of them, along with their white peers, expressed the same concern and anger as those who gathered in front of your house shortly after the emails were received.

Multiple students expressed a lack of confidence in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan and the University of Michigan’s ability to identify perpetrators of violent speech. Some even went as far to say that it may take someone getting hurt before the University would take recognizable action. Those comments troubled me and I am sure they would trouble you.

I understand that such comments could sting, but they illustrate a persistent gap in trust between some students of color and the administration, despite the University’s DEI efforts. Many will not deny the University’s longterm DEI plans or your willingness to offer assurance via email and in person. I even recognize your efforts to support undocumented students in anticipation of changes in federal immigration policy. But several of my students also see that the University does not appear to be able to prevent the hateful acts targeted at marginalized communities on campus.

Another sentiment that some

students of color expressed is one that civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer famously uttered in a 1964 speech, “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” Some spoke of being tired with hearing the response, “We are investigating,” with little update or ability to locate racist, Islamophobic, misogynistic and antiSemitic trolls. Some of the students in class expressed how they were growing tired with appealing to administration to little effect on their lives. Some even expressed how they were tired of you asking them what you could do. They are obviously seeking inspired leadership, at least.

They also desire tangible changes and results, sooner rather than later.

So, what can you do?

Unfortunately, I do not have any answers. I wish I did because we all want everyone here at the University to work and live in an environment free of racism, Islamophobia, antiSemitism, misogyny and other forms of oppression. What I heard in class is a desire for clearer and more constant communication. The students I listened to effectively said that responses that point to the broader context of bigotry in the country are insufficient.

They are looking for you to talk directly about these incidents in a manner that illustrates a constant engagement with their daily experiences.

They understand campus and outside authorities may be investigating. But, maybe some students of color would appreciate more continual updates about investigations and the University’s efforts to prevent hateful incidents.

And I understand there may be legal and institutional limits to such a request, but the more communicative and transparent you can be, the more you can close the gap in trust.

As you know, closing this gap in trust between students of color and the administration should garner more buy-in and goodwill for DEI efforts, but it will also be the key toward building a more inclusive and equitable campus climate for years to come.

Originally published on 2/8/2017.

FROM THE DAILY

Continue to recognize our history

A

series of seven popup art installations appeared around the University of Michigan’s Central, North and Medical Campuses between April 3 and April 8. The Stumbling Blocks exhibit, created by the Future University Community, was designed to ref lect on and draw attention to problematic moments in the University’s history.

The exhibit was included as part of the University’s bicentennial celebration to encourage the University community to reorient and ref lect on its values and goals. The Michigan Daily Editorial Board commends the pop-up exhibit as a means for confronting the dubious history of the University and believes these ref lections should become more reg ular, or even permanent, parts of our campus.

The interactivity of the Stumbling Blocks pieces created a unique foundation for dialog ues across campus. The presence of self-ref lective artwork on campus is crucial to the understanding of our past.

By sponsoring self-critical work, the University took crucial steps to acknowledge historical issues that have impacted our campus and that some current University community members may have not otherwise known about. For example, the enlarged Native American Land Gift plaque drew attention to the fact that three Native American tribes gifted the University the land that it sits on, in the hopes that their children would be able to attend. Yet, for many

years, very few, if any, Native American students were enrolled in the University.

Many at the University may not have been aware of this essential context prior to observing the piece.

Furthermore, the exhibit was incredibly affective in nature, forcing observers to immediately feel connected to campus issues instead of listening to a set of facts in structured academic settings like lectures. One of the most visible portions of the exhibit was the 950 chairs in the Diag, representing the number of minority students that could not attend the University as a result of the state’s ban on gender- and racebased affirmative action. We believe this resonated with community members more tangibly than simply sharing information on Proposal 2, a Michigan ballot initiative passed in 2006 that banned the use of gender- and racebased affirmative action in admissions and was later ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court in 2014.

This tangible emotional connection makes the impacts of an abstract historical event more salient and powerful.

Nonetheless, we felt that by making the exhibit temporary, the University was not doing all it could to acknowledge its complex history and foster an important long-term conversation on the issues.

The exhibits were only visible to people who happened to be on campus during a particular week, which may hamper their ability to create long-lasting conversations on these important University issues.

The University community can learn from these exhibits going forward, by teaching us to reorient the way we display, think about and engage with campus issues.

Pop-up installations, or other affective pieces, should become a more reg ular occurrence, so as to hold the University more accountable and better inform the campus population about our past pitfalls.

Furthermore, instead of simply disseminating the facts about these historical events through plaques, for example, there should be events or pieces created to catch our eyes and create unique interaction with historical issues. Students should also become more involved in the process of putting on these events and creating future pieces, as collaboration between University community members and the University itself is crucial to take strides to recognize our history.

The University of Michigan community should be using its bicentennial to think about how we will move forward. Critically thinking about our past shortcomings is vital to informing our actions in the coming years.

Using interactive exhibits, such as they did with the Stumbling Blocks art exhibit, creates a unique and engaging dialog ue about this history throughout the campus community, and we implore the University to make these events and exhibits a staple of our community in the years to come.

Originally published

AMERICAN From Page 3B in whatever way they can.

American exceptionalism isn’t found in the political leaders we have representing us, but in our own abilities to stand up and speak out against those leaders’ actions when we see fit. American exceptionalism is found in the vast diversity of our population and our ability to recognize and accept our differences.

American exceptionalism is found in a press that refuses to sugarcoat the truth in an effort to please the powerful.

American exceptionalism is found in people protesting executive orders outside airports, even if they aren’t affected. American exceptionalism is found in four judges working against an executive order, blocking what would be an injustice to many.

American exceptionalism is found in a group of students standing outside a university president’s house in the middle of the night, calling for accountability and change.

This is American exceptionalism. It isn’t who we have in the highest seat of our government, but how we stand up against the injustices and divisiveness he may promote.

That is exceptionality.

Originally published on 4/2/2017.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Fall 2017 — 1C

eMerge executive candidates win Central Student Government seats

By RIYAH BASHA and JORDYN BAKER Daily News Editor and Daily Staff Reporter

LSA junior Anushka Sarkar and Public Policy junior Nadine Jawad will serve as the 2017-18 Central Student Government president and vice president, respectively, according to election results released early Saturday morning.

Sarkar and Jawad ran with the eMerge party, and defeated the second-place Movement Party executive candidates Evan Rosen and Dan Sweeney, LSA juniors, by a margin of 4,179 votes — or more than three times Movement’s 1,677 votes.

Art & Design senior Keysha Wall and LSA senior Lauren Kay of the Defend Affirmative Action Party came in third with 243 votes, and Better Than the Rest finished fourth with 157 votes.

Student turnout measured at 17.9 percent, marking the lowest participation rate since 2014.

As no complaints were filed with the University Election Commission, Saturday’s results were deemed official.

After a campaign season provoking central questions around identity and representation on campus, the party’s sweeping success is truly unprecedented. Sarkar and Jawad are the first female candidates elected on the same ticket in the last decade, and the first women of color voted into office since at least 1993. eMerge’s campaign stood on three pillars of voice, opportunity and momentum, and Sarkar and Jawad often cited their positions in CSG and other student organizations to present a ticket backed by experience.

Platform points were divided

into more concrete “initiatives” — such as Wi-Fi on the Diag and a student mentorship program — and long-term “advocacy” issues such as improving testing accommodations and food insecurity support. The two also plan on lobbying for the reduction of the number of exams a student can take in one day from four to three, as well as the expansion of in-state tuition from undocumented undergraduates to include undocumented graduate and non-traditional students.

Upon recieving the official tally, Jawad said she was overcome with emotion.

“I cried,” she said. “I couldn’t believe the overwhelming victory, to see all of our (representatives) elected, to be the first women of color ever elected to this position, and just the overwhelming amount of support we got from the community. We just made history.”

Both women agreed they would balance their short-term and long-term goals rather than focus on one aspect of their platform in their first days in office—the assembly is expected to be seated on April 4—but singled out a handful of issues: Sarkar named lobbying University Health Services to accept students’ Medicaid coverage as among her priorities, while Jawad said providing free phone and laptop chargers for student use will be an immediately achievable initiative.

Movement’s candidates pitched greater student engagement in the student governing body, but much of the attention on the party was fueled by a controversial music video it released two weeks

ago. The video, featuring a rap written and performed by Rosen, attracted more than 20,000 views. Many students found the video offensive: The only scene with female students appeared in a sexualized context, and Rosen — who is white — compared himself to Black inventor George Washington Carver. Though Rosen apologized and promised to take the video down, clips are still featured on the party’s Facebook page and continue to incite debate. eMerge also filed two complaints to the University Elections Commission against the video for featuring what it alleged to be unauthorized endorsement by football coach Jim Harbaugh. Both complaints were eventually dropped.

Rosen congratulated eMerge on their victory, and said Movement’s supporters would “continue to have fun.”

“We are going to continue

We are going to continue to improve the school in any way we can to improve the school in any way we can, and it was a great learning experience,” he said.

“I thank all of my critics as well.”

In a public Facebook post, current CSG Vice President Micah Griggs, an LSA senior, stated the Black Student Union, the National Society of Black Engineers and Alpha Phi Alpha

MATT VAILLIENCOURT/Daily

LSA junior Anushka Sarkar and Public Polic junior Nadine Jawad were elected as 2017-18 CSG president and Vice President, respectively.

Fraternity Incorporated Epsilon Chapter leadership decided to formally take a “stand against The Movement Party.”

“For a CSG presidential candidate to insult the black community and address the concerns of the video as ‘a joke’, said by Evan Rosen at the official CSG debate, will not suffice and will not be tolerated,” she wrote.

“If a presidential candidate who shows such disrespect to the black community is elected to serve as the representative for the entire student body, it would be a step backwards in progress that CSG has made to be more inclusive and representative.”

Sarkar said eMerge’s victory proved the party could transcend the video’s controversy.

“Students on this campus are educated and aware, and

they were able to see through the distractions that may have clouded the election towards then end,” she said.

A demographic report released by CSG this past September found 69.8 percent of its representatives selfidentify as white, 58.1 percent are male and 37.2 percent of the body comes from homes earning more than $250,000 a year. In a debate hosted Monday evening by The Michigan Daily, Sarkar and Jawad promised to better represent minority and marginalized communities on campus.

“There is no CSG bubble because we’re breaking it,” Jawad said. eMerge amassed endorsements including current CSG President David Schafer, an LSA senior;

Griggs; the Black Student Union; the University of Michigan’s chapter of College Democrats; and the Indian American Student Association. All 38 of the party’s candidatesacross 9 schools and colleges will be seated. None of Movement’s slate featured on the party’s Facebook page recieved enough votes to win representative seats.

Reflecting on the campaign, Sarkar looked forward to unifying the campus communty around the “inspiration” behind her win.

“You can look the way Nadine and I do, you can believe in the things that we do and fight the way we do, and be the highest student representatives at this University,” she said. “As long as your work hard and you’re passionate, you can be where we are.”

Central Student Government candidates debate DEI, sexual misconduct and funding

By RHEA CHEETI Daily Staff Reporter

The Michigan Daily hosted its second annual University of Michigan Central Student Government debate on Monday night, with the president and vice president candidates from eMerge, Movement and the Defend Affirmative Action Party fielding questions from moderators and online submissions. The fourth party running, Better Than the Rest, did not attend the debate due to a scheduling conf lict.

The parties began the debate with overviews of their platforms, highlighting the initiatives they felt most strongly about.

DA AP’s presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate are Art & Design senior Keysha Wall and LSA senior Lauren Kay, respectively. Both Wall and Kay stressed that their main focus was empowering undocumented students, with an emphasis on ending the 28-month residency within high school cutoff of in-state tuition for these students.

Presidential candidate Anushka Sarkar, LSA junior, and vice-presidential candidate Nadine Jawad, Public Policy junior — who are running with eMerge — maintained that the three pillars of their campaign were voice, opportunity and momentum. They highlighted the importance of building upon the momentum the current CSG administration has built with its recent initiatives, and making CSG proceedings more transparent.

LSA juniors Evan Rosen and Dan Sweeney, who are running for president and

vice-president the Movement party respectively, responded to the recent video controversy they were facing, before Rosen departed for a hearing.

Issues of sexual misconduct, CSG experience and diversity were frequently brought up during the debate, with all six candidates proposing various initiatives to address these.

Diversity The candidates all stressed the importance of on-campus diversity to their platforms, and talked about the different ways they planned on approaching the issue.

Sarkar and Jawad mentioned they have a wide range of perspectives in their party, and their initiatives are based on real experiences members of their party have had. While both of them believe they can not represent people of other identities, they emphasized the importance of transcending boundaries. “eMerge believes diversity is of utmost importance when attempting to represent a wide range of ideas, backgrounds and identities on campus,” Sarkar said. “We are the only party running that has students from the most schools represented, as well as diversity of identities, diversity of experiences on campus and diversities of socioeconomic status.”

Jawad also touched upon her own experiences as a woman of color and the rarity of seeing her representation in student government.

Sweeney said he doesn’t know what it feels like to be a minority student, but he advocates giving students the tools to deal with lack of diversity. Movement is also in favor of making the Race and

Ethnicity requirement a firstyear requirement to encourage freshmen to have important discussions about diversity as soon as they step onto campus.

Sweeney also said he believed every student belonged on campus, regardless of their political views, and that simply being on campus and exposed to ideas can help students learn and grow.

“Yes, we should look for the best candidates at this school, period,” Sweeney said. “But I believe there will be an overall increase in diversity of minds and perspectives joining CSG if we are elected, because

...there will be an overall increase in diversity of minds and perspectives joining CSG if we are elected because that’s what we’re trying to do...

that’s what we’re trying to do, we’re trying to get people on this campus excited about CSG.” Wall and Kay described themselves as having diverse identities and backgrounds, and highlighted the integration of their own party. They expressed frustration with the fact that administrators don’t push for data collection of other identities, such as queer populations. They also

want to push administrators to adopt the Texas House Bill 588, better known as the Top 10 Percent plan, g uarantees students in the top 10 percent of their high school class admissions to state universities. This however, would conf lict with the state of Michigan’s ban on race- and gender-based affirmative action prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, gender and socioeconomic status. “(We need) to further integrate this campus, and if you’re going to have a (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) plan, have a DEI plan that is actively working to integrate this campus,” Wall said. “That means going to Detroit schools and doing on-site admissions.

Aggressively, aggressively courting students from lowincome areas, from majority Black cities … These are the steps that can easily, easily be taken. This is something that’s not on the student body to fix, but is on us to set the example and the tone for the administration, for the people who would be able to do something about this.”

Mental Health The three parties had different approaches to mental health initiatives.

Sweeney and Rosen said instead of expanding Counseling and Psychological Services resources, they want to focus more on attacking the source of these problems.

They want to establish a “4 Years Campaign,” which will help students explore the opportunities available on campus and show them there’s more to being at the University than their grades. Both of

them cite the competitive environment of the University as one of the main reasons for the high rates of mental health issues.

Wall and Kay said there is no mention of mental health in the DEI plan, and that training for faculty members doesn’t include the testimonies of the disabled.

Sarkar and Jawad stated they believe CAPS should be expanded, and the work CSG has done already has allowed for shorter waiting times at CAPS. Lobbying has also resulted in them being able to hire more counselors, which will be even more beneficial for students. They also believe in implementing longer-term, more nuanced changes, such as decreasing the maximum number of final exams a student must take in one day.

Sexual Misconduct While some of the candidates said preventing sexual misconduct was important to them, eMerge and Movement did not specifically address the issue with targeted solutions.

DA AP is the only party which addresses sexual misconduct in their platform and provided a strong stance against those who have committed assault.

The eMerge candidates brief ly mentioned they didn’t want to tokenize survivors, and they have met with members of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center to collaborate with them. They want to implement monthly meetings with SAPAC coordinators.

Movement heads said they wanted to increase the number of streetlights on campus, and create a late night task force to walk people home.

DA AP said their goal is to expose and expel rapists, and the University should have a zero-tolerance policy for rape and sexual misconduct. They believe SAPAC should become a separate body that is not governed by the University, so its primary commitment remains to the students.

Closi ng Statements Wa ll a nd Kay st ressed t hey don’t wa nt to tokenize Det roit , a nd t hey wa nt to bring people toget her to solve impor ta nt issues a nd ma ke t h is ca mpus sa fe for people.

Sweeney a nd Rosen concluded by say ing t heir ma in focus wa s unit ing t he ca mpus, a nd focusing on being proact ive rat her t ha n react ive. They wa nt to accomplish t his by at tack ing t he sources of t he problems t hat a re preva lent on ca mpus, a nd focus on t he st udent body.

Sa rka r a nd Jawad empha sized t he t it les were never what t hey were a im ing for, or t heir end goa l; t hey ’d worked ha rd out side CSG to push va rious init iat ives, a nd t hey wa nt to be able to do t he sa me on a la rger plat for m.

Sa rka r empha sized she wa s not crit icizing t he lack of CSG experience f rom Movement , but t heir lack of leadersh ip in issues rega rding diversit y on ca mpus. “ When you come into t h is posit ion, it ’s ha rd to rea lize how much work t here is, how much pressure t here is to represent tens of t housa nds of st udent s,” Sa rka r sa id.

CSG elect ions w ill be held Ma rch 22 a nd 23.

2C — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Betsy DeVos’ confirmation threatens Title 400 protesters IX enforcement demand employment equity at sit-in for GEO contract negotiations

By JENNIFER MEER Daily Staff Reporter

Under President Donald Trump’s administration, the fate of Title IX and actions associated with it, both nationally and at the University of Michigan, are uncertain.

In 2011, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, in conjunction with thenPresident Obama’s administration, released a “Dear Colleague” letter to universities, emphasizing Title IX’s prohibition of discrimination “on the basis of sex in education programs or activities operated by recipients of Federal financial assistance.”

This guidance stipulated universities’ obligations to promptly respond to sexual misconduct claims on their campuses.

The University of Michigan is one of over 240 schools undergoing a formal investigation by the Department of Education of its handling of sexual misconduct cases. The investigation began nearly three years ago, in February 2014.

The University has since come under fire for failing to release documents related to the investigation in a timely manner.

A Freedom of Information Act request was filed against the University in 2015 for the release of documents such as written complaints, emails and other statements to further the investigation. The request was paid for in part by The Michigan Daily.

As of now, the investigation is still underway, according to University officials. However, its continuation is questionable given the overhaul set to occur within the Department of Education in the coming weeks.

The vote to confirm Betsy DeVos, Michigan native and education activist, as secretary of education is expected to occur Tuesday, according to CNN.

DeVos is expected to be confirmed, because of the projection that Vice President Mike Pence will cast the tie-breaker vote in a Senate otherwise facing a 50-50 split, with all 48 members of the Democratic caucus and two Republicans opposing DeVos. DeVos’ confirmation has been at the center of controversies surrounding the qualifications of Trump’s Cabinet selections. DeVos sparked particular concern upon responding to questions regarding Title IX at her hearing in January.

When asked if she would preserve the Title IX guidance, her response was deemed ambiguous.

“If confirmed, I look forward to understanding the past actions and current situation better, and to ensuring that the intent of the law is actually carried out in a way that recognizes both the victim … as well as those who are accused,” DeVos said.

Upon further prompting, DeVos said it would be “premature” to affirm her commitment to the preservation of the guidance at that time.

As for the University’s investigation, in an interview with the Daily at the end of January, University President Mark Schlissel said the University has been cooperating with the OCR, but has not been apprised of the results of the investigation.

He said the University is looking forward to receiving the results so it can continue to foster a safe environment for students and support survivors of sexual misconduct.

“We’re very anxious to have the investigation resolved to get whatever advice or guidance the Office of Civil Rights wants to offer so that we can do as good a job as possible making our campus safe,” he said. “We’re committed to the concepts of Title IX — to have a workplace, a study place, an environment that is free of discrimination and adverse aspects so that everyone has an opportunity

to learn … I’m always committed to advice from OCR or other places about how we can do it better. But we haven’t heard anything. We’re still waiting.”

Schlissel pointed to a University campus climate survey administered on sexual misconduct in January 2015 as proof of his commitment to the issue. He said the University is utilizing different methods to address and fix the problem.

“We’re approaching it through educational programs, we’re approaching it by focusing our efforts where the survey told us the highest incidents of misconduct were,” he said. “We’re approaching it by combating the linkage with alcohol overuse, which is involved in many episodes of sexual misconduct, and we put out in July a year ago a revised set of policies for how we investigate and adjudicate accusations of misconduct.”

The updated sexual misconduct policy Schlissel referenced went into effect last July. Changes included an expanded, more encompassing definition of sexual misconduct, as well as adjustments to the definition of consent and the sanctioning process.

Though the University plans to keep its policy as is, with the impending changes in the Department of Education, the fate of the investigation is unknown.

In an email to the Daily, University spokeswoman Dana Elger said the University is not going to speculate, as things at the national level are still in flux, though she reaffirmed the investigation is still underway.

Mark Rosenbaum, a former University law professor, has worked with the American Civil Liberties Union and is now the director of the Opportunity Under Law Project at Public Counsel, a nationwide pro bono civil rights office. Rosenbaum said, though the authority of Title IX is firmly established, it is too soon to tell what will happen in regard to the

investigations.

“Title IX is Title IX is Title IX; the law has been precisely what it is,” he said. “Although the Obama administration was the most vigorous enforcer of Title IX of any administration, where that goes from here, I don’t think we know.”

He said DeVos did not seem to exhibit familiarity with Title IX or express any commitment to its enforcement. He said he hopes and expects the Trump administration’s commitment will be as “resolute” as that of the Obama administration.

Rosenbaum noted that by way of investigations and other related efforts, the Department of Education publicized these issues and produced awareness at the student and campus level.

He said he thinks this contribution will be a driving force in addressing sexual misconduct, regardless of what happens.

“Not having the United States Department of Education out there is clearly not a good thing, but I don’t think you can reverse the momentum that the Obama administration created with respect to enforcement of Title IX,” he said. “I think even if the Trump administration turns us back on Title IX, I don’t think it’s going to get buried under the sand.”

Engineering freshman Lincoln Merrill, publicity chair of the University’s chapter of College Republicans, claimed the Obama administration received flak for overstepping its bounds.

“The law prohibits discrimination by sex or gender in an educational environment, that’s pretty much what it says,” he said. “There’s an argument that the Obama administration’s interpretation of it regarding sexual assault is a bit of stretch when it comes to the law itself. That’s not to say opponents of it do not care about sexual assault.”

Merrill said though sexual assault is clearly a problem, he believes the law is referring more to what is happening in classrooms and on the athletic field, or discrimination in the sense of not allowing someone to take a class or play a sport.

He said DeVos did not confirm a reversal of the Obama administration’s interpretation of the law, but said she would continue to look into it.

He said he felt sexual misconduct investigations conducted by the University should be expedited, saying, some sexual assault claims are not entirely true, though this is very rare. Only 2 to 9 percent of sexual assault reports are found to be false according to research by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. He also said the legal system is a more appropriate, efficient means for addressing sexual assault allegations.

“I think if you’re going to find out who is right and who is wrong, you should really go through the police department, the court and the legal process — not the University itself,” he said. “I don’t think that people who are working here for educational issues should have to spend all their time on these long investigations that law enforcement specializes in and is there to do.”

Holly Rider-Milkovich, former director of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center, who oversaw the implementation of the new sexual misconduct policy, said in a March interview that a primary reason the University expanded its policy — and, along the same lines, sexual misconduct investigations — was to be compliant with the Clery Act and Title IX, both of which regulate sexual assault reporting and investigations at public universities.

Rackham student Nicole Bedera is one of several researchers working on a project that looks at how colleges have responded to guidance about how to interpret Title IX in the context of their campuses.

In an email to the Daily, Bedera wrote she expects the Trump administration to respond differently to Title IX issues than the Obama administration did.

“The Trump administration does not have the same

By ALON SAMUEL Daily Staff Reporter

Hundreds of protesters crowded the Fleming Administration Building on Tuesday afternoon, chanting, “UM works because we do,” as part of a sit-in organized by the Graduate Employees’ Organization. GEO — the labor union representing about 2,000 graduate-student employees at the University of Michigan — stated its proposals to make graduate employment more equitable at the University have not been taken seriously during the contractnegotiation process.

About 400 people, most of them graduate students, filtered in and out of the building and the courtyard surrounding it between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to show support for GEO. The narrow hallway of the bottom floor of the building was almost entirely crowded by graduate-student instructors and graduate-student staff assistants throughout the day, similar to an earlier “grade-in” held by GEO February in Haven Hall, when representatives first communicated dissatisfaction with the University’s response to their proposals.

GEO and the University Human Resources department have been negotiating a new three-year contract for graduate-student employees since last September, as the current contract expires at the end of April. GEO brings proposals crafted by the graduate-student community to bargaining sessions that typically occur once a week.

Chief among the proposals that GEO members emphasize, which include pay raises, expanded health-care benefits and protection for international students, is the establishment of unionized positions for graduate-student staff assistants doing diversity work on behalf of the University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan. Rackham student Rachel Miller said the human-resources department has refused to discuss the issue during the bargaining process, arguing it is not a mandatory subject for the contract, but DEI administrators then informed GEO the proposal was under the purview of contract negotiators.

“They also won’t talk about it with us anywhere else because they say we’re talking about bargaining, so we’re getting stonewalled all over the place,” Miller said.

School of Information student Vidhya Aravind currently works part time on the University Library’s implementation team for the DEI initiative and said such positions are demanding and require expertise, justifying compensation on par with other graduate positions.

“I think it’s important to recognize that diversity labor is labor,” she said.” It takes a lot of effort, a lot of time, a lot of energy and a lot of expertise.”

Aravind went on to compare her work on the library team to her experience volunteering with the School of Information’s DEI unit, which she described as a mess.

“Some DEI units have that expertise, some DEI units have demonstrated that they don’t,” Aravind said. “Some units are taking in student input and have these GSSA positions already, which is amazing, but we want that

commitment to addressing campus sexual assault that the Obama administration did,” she wrote. “Multiple key players in the Trump administration, including Betsy DeVos, have spoken against the interpretation of Title IX currently used by the Department of Education. Title IX will likely remain on the books as written, just as it did in the Obama administration, but I suspect it won’t be enforced the same way it has been in recent years in regards to sexual assault.”

She continued by stating she sees two potential scenarios. She thinks the new administration will create its own policies around Title IX or stop enforcing existing policies.

across the spectrum of the academic DEI plan, because we think it’s important that marginalized students have better platforms for input than they currently do.

We understand that marginalized students have the expertise the University needs for DEI to succeed, and marginalized students have needs which the University is equipped to cover.”

On other issues, GEO members still feel that the University has not agreed to do enough to help.

Referring to a Detroit News op-ed written by the presidents of several Michigan universities, including University President Mark Schlissel on the subject of international students and faculty, which asserted support for international students and faculty, Miller said GEO is calling for “actual protections (for international students), not just language.” A proposal by GEO to create work-hour caps on GSIs in support of students on visas with work quotas was met by hesitation and concern from faculty members on the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs earlier this month.

In an interview last week, Schlissel said he could not comment on negotiations, but pushed GSIs to reframe their work week as a critical portion of their learning experiences in academia.

“The union perceives it as work for pay, but it’s actually more of a training,” he said.

In regard to salary rates, GEO President John Ware, a Rackham student, explained the raise offered by the University did not keep up with Ann Arbor’s cost of living.

“The cost of living is up more than 6 percent this year over last year in Ann Arbor, and we’ve been offered a 2.5-percent raise,” he said.

University spokeswoman Kim Broekhuizen wrote in an email statement that the current proposal on the table offers wage increases every year, in addition to increased leave time for parental accommodation and bereavement, as well as additional protections for international graduate-student instructors to comply with work restrictions required to maintain their visa status.

“We appreciate the Graduate Employee Organization’s commitment to not disrupting activities in these buildings during this planned activity,” she wrote.

“Talks continue and we are hopeful about having a new contract in place soon.”

Toward the end of the sit-in, demonstrators congregated in the entrance of the Administration Building, taking turns to share their reasons for being there — including needs for greater child-care subsidies, health-care subsidies and higher wages. After each speaker, the crowd cheered and clapped, while employees in the building squeezed past to get to the elevator or a nearby office.

“I’m here even though I’m leaving soon because I care about future generations of (graduate) students on this campus, and because I did a lot of work in DEI, never being compensated or recognized for it, which derailed my own progress and success,” said a Rackham student who asked to stay anonymous. “But I think that future generation should have it better than I had.”

“If the Department of Education stops enforcing existing policies, there might be enough momentum on college campuses to maintain the changes made in the past two years and some campuses may even have a strong enough commitment to the fight to continue to innovate and support survivors — especially if student activists continue to put pressure on their schools,” she wrote. “But the schools that are still failing survivors will have no reason to improve services.”

She added, alternatively, if the administration creates new policies, survivors will likely not receive the same gains.

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

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Fall 2017 — 3C

Stumbling Blocks pop-up exhibits draw attention to University’s past

By ANNA HARITOS Daily Staff Reporter

The sea of over 950 maize and blue chairs in the Diag and the ticker-tape sign above the Michigan Union’s doors are just two of the seven installations of Stumbling Blocks that will have students walking through history on campus for the next week. These pop-up art exhibits are scattered throughout Central, Medical and North Campuses and were created by the Future University Community to commemorate some challenging aspects of the University of Michigan’s history as part of the bicentennial celebration.

The exhibits are designed to attract attention to sensitive issues surrounding the University’s history that could otherwise be overlooked during the bicentennial celebration. These include: the Native American land gift of 1817 that served as a source of income for the University’s endowment, equity for women on campus, Proposal 2 — the state’s ban on race- and genderbased affirmative action — and surrounding controversies, student protest, the growth of ethics in biomedical research in a global context and the future of nuclear research.

Presidential Bicentennial Prof. Martha Jones, one of the coordinators of Stumbling Blocks exhibits, discussed the importance of commemorating these events.

“This project tries to bring the questions that the bicentennial raises out into the public light of the campus, beyond auditoriums and seminars and lecture halls

to places like the Diag and the Michigan Union,” Jones said. “It also recalls difficult, challenging and complicated moments of our past so we can think better about the future.”

According to Jones, Stumbling Blocks was greatly inf luenced by a project by German artist Gunter Demnig called “Stolpersteine,” or Stumbling Stones. His project originated in Berlin and has now spread throughout Europe. Demnig has removed cobblestones from sidewalks and streets and replaced them with brass plaques to memorialize the people who perished in the Holocaust.

“History is always there,” Jones said. “But it is often invisible or muted. By creating these installations, the invisible history can become more visible, and become a part of our contemporary memory.”

Five of the seven Stumbling Blocks were created by staff who have their own markers.

The Fleming Administration building has been renamed, for the week, the “33,616 Staff Building,” in honor of the 33,616 staffers who work for the University.

Nearby, the sign in front of the Michigan Union ticks endlessly to demonstrate the restrictions on women’s use of the building from its construction in 1919 to 1968.

The Union, according to the sign, was built as an exclusive men’s club, and women were required to enter through a side door and have a male escort accompanying them during specific hours and days. Equal access to the entirety of the building did not come until 1968, when the Billiards Room

JOSHUA HAN/Daily

The University sets up 950 empty maize and blue chairs as part of the President’s Bicentennial Colloquium movement Stumbling Blocks on the Diag on Monday.

allowed women entry.

A sign outside the exhibit displayed words from Michigan Union Director Amy White that progress can still made.

“We want all students to feel at home here,” the sign read.

“To feel like this is their space.

Our challenge — and that of the future university community — is to continue to evolve to meet the needs of students of all genders and identities.”

Many students and faculty had strong reactions to the 950 empty maize and blue chairs in the Diag, which symbolize the number of underrepresented minority students who did not attend the University after Proposal 2 deemed race- and

gender-based affirmative action unconstitutional in the state of Michigan. LSA senior Brian Sutherland discussed how he feels the chairs carried a sense of urgency.

“It captures the eye so quickly,” Sutherland said.

“People think that an event is going to start, but once they see and read the signs they realize that this is actually has a deeper meaning to it … I definitely did not know about Proposal 2 before this.”

About 100 meters away, a plaque in Ingalls Mall that commemorates the Native American land gift to the University has been blown up to an 8-ft by 8-ft model with three

sides and artificial lighting.

According to Jones, this is so people will deliberately encounter the plaque and is meant to encourage them to have conversations about it.

“I was very inspired by a conversation with a colleague,” Jones said. “When I mentioned to them that we had a marker on Ingalls Mall, they exclaimed that they literally stumbled on it on their way to my office. So I thought that this idea that someone would accidentally or inadvertently encounter history seems like something we could work with.”

Encountering the monument, Music, Theatre & Dance junior Noah Kieserman commented

how he felt enlarging these aspects of history has had a strong impact on conversations of diversity and inclusion.

“I think it’s important to make sure we remember the foundations of our University,” Kieserman said. “As well as continuing to support diversity and provide support for all groups and all walks of life at the University, I think it’s important to make everyone feel included. This is crucial especially during the bicentennial.”

Jones encourages students to Tweet using the hashtag #UMich200 to engage in the dialogue about the bicentennial and the University’s history.

4C — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Schlissel hosts other university leaders to discuss free speech and affordability for Bicentennial celebration

By EDUARDO BATISTA Daily Staff Reporter

On Monday afternoon, the University of Michigan hosted leaders from nine of the world’s most highly ranked universities to discuss the public role of research universities for the ongoing celebration of the school’s Bicentennial.

The event, titled “The Evolving Bargain Between Research Universities and Society,” was the third conversation in a series of colloquia hosted by University President Mark Schlissel.

It is following “The Future University Community” from January, which featured U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and a discussion with four former University presidents in April on the topic of research.

The event featured a prelude performance by students from the School of Music, Theatre & Dance and introductory remarks by Presidential Bicentennial Professor Paul Courant, who is also the interim provost, and then Schlissel himself.

Schlissel emphasized the importance of the gathering to advance discussions on research that will hopefully benefit society in the future.

“For the University of Michigan 200th year we are looking forward with purpose in examining the future of higher education and of our society,” he said. “Here for what I believe is an unprecedented public conversation are leaders from nine of the world’s top Universities, participants of the Board of the Tanner Lectures on Human Values …

Our challenge here as leaders is to develop the right narrative to explain our missions to citizens and society.”

Following Schlissel’s remarks, moderator Ruth Simmons, President Emeritus of Brown University, facilitated discussions focusing on three specific topics: the role of free speech on campus, affordability of education and the responsibility of universities to promote social mobility.

Each university leader discussed a specific topic related to the public role of research universities and their interactions with society.

Leszek Borysiewicz, ViceChancellor of the University of Cambridge, argued universities should not deter freedom of speech in detriment

of celebrating different ideas.

Borysiewicz first noted there is a special relationship between universities and the public.

“My view from over the pond, if you like, is that you are quite right that there is a compact between society and universities,” he said. “It is one that is entirely built on trust, and that we as institutions have to understand that society that gives us our rights or licenses. If we forget that, we are in great difficulties.”

He then explained universities are sometimes the conduit for conveying what might not otherwise be heard.

“However, universities are also charged with something else, in many parts of the world, with speaking unpalatable truths, even though society might not want to hear it,” he said. “This is where often conversations become extremely difficult.

A university is by definition not a safe space. It can not be, because we value the freedom of speech of our academics to address a range of issues … and to not debate is the worst thing a university can do.”

Nicholas B. Dirks, Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, contextualized Berkeley’s history surrounding freedom of speech and noted the issue the university had with safe spaces. In April, at the University of California, Berkeley, political commentator Ann Coulter’s speech was canceled due to threats of violence against her — an incident that fostered heated debates regarding the right to free speech.

“Of course, Berkeley has always been at the epicenter of discussions regarding free speech, after all we invented free speech on American campuses for public universities in 1964,” Dirks said. “There are some differences between then and now, but the similarities are quite stark, in that in my university, this has become a highly politicized issue. For the Ann Coulter (event) we got credible threats, both from the far left, as well as from the far right. So we clearly had a problem with promoting a safe space for her to speak, in the literal sense.”

In addition to discussing the role of universities in promoting freedom of speech, participants also explained their views on future affordability of education and financial aid for all students.

Speakers on this topic

included Drew Gilpin Faust, President of Harvard University, and David Ibbetson, President of University of Cambridge, among others.

David W. Pershing, President of the University of Utah, said many students at the University of Utah work to better their own financial conditions and to prosper through entrepreneurial activities.

“The University of Utah has about 32,000 students, but most of them are working their way through,” he said.

“More than half of my students are working more than 20 hours a week, so it is a little different from some of the other institutions represented here. We are preparing our students to graduate and to be successful.”

Pershing said a new building called Lassonde Studios on the campus serves as a residential community in which students interested in starting their own company work and live in the same space. Pershing said the facility is helping the community.

The last group of participants included Nick Brown, Principal of the University of Oxford, Christopher L. Eisgruber, Princeton University President, and Schlissel, all of whom discussed ways universities can promote social mobility for their students.

Schlissel highlighted the University’s Go Blue Guarantee initiative, which guarantees free tuition for in-state students whose family have an annual income of less than $65,000.

Eisgruber then emphasized the need to help not only students from the lower socioeconomic status, but also to provide aid for those whose families do not make more than $110,000 a year.

“A lot of data focuses on how you take kids from the lowest economic quintile and bring them to the top,” he said. “That is one question you could ask. But we do a lot for socioeconomic diversity even in those other quintiles.

Just as an example, (the) top income quintile in the United States starts at $110,000 in terms of salary. That is not what I think in terms of as wealthy. And in fact someone from this specific socioeconomic background would be very close to receiving full aid at Princeton.

And that contributes to social mobility too.”

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Fall 2017 — 5C

After Trump victory, many students are left feeling fearful while others celebrate

By LYDIA MURRAY Daily Staff Reporter

In a large upset victory, Republican nominee Donald Trump won the presidential election after capturing Wisconsin, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, which Democrats had considered crucial to their victory. The race was called at 2:30 a.m. by the Associated Press.

In his victory speech, Trump framed the United States as needing to unite together under his leadership.

“Now it’s time for America to bind the wounds of division — have to get together,” he said. “To all Republicans and Democrats and Independents across this nation, I say it is time for us to come together as one united people.”

On the University of Michigan campus, where students largely voted against Trump, his election sparked some celebration, but also significant anxiety and concern from many students because of his policies on immigrants.

Trump will be the first candidate to be elected to the White House without having previously served in elected office or the military, and his victory comes after most polls predicted strong chances of a Clinton victory.

As of early Wednesday morning, Michigan’s electoral votes were still too close to call, but their outcome will not impact Trump’s win.

Because of the closeness of the race, both Trump and Clinton made some of their final campaign pitches in the state. The University was also one of several places nationwide to receive a visit from President Barack Obama Monday, who campaigned for

Clinton on campus in a bid to enthuse students and other state residents.

Monday night in Grand Rapids, at Trump’s final rally, he told the crowd that a victory in Michigan would translate to a nationwide triumph.

“If we win Michigan, we will win this historic election and then we truly will be able to do all of the things we want to do,” he said.

Upon the first announcement of his candidacy, Trump was not taken seriously by neither the media nor the public, but he quickly gained support and corresponding media coverage.

He has built his campaign around what now makes his presidency unique — being the first president elected with no experience in politics or the military — and overcoming significant doubt along the way.

LSA junior Enrique Zalamea, president of the University’s chapter of College Republicans, wrote in an email interview that he is excited to see the country elect a leader who he believes will best guide the country. The College Republicans endorsed Trump early in the semester, several months after he was selected as the nominee.

“We are incredibly blessed to see how the American people have recognized that Trump is the candidate to truly represent the American people, Christian values, and conservative ideals,” he wrote. “We are exuberant to see the end of 8 years of Obama, and cannot wait to help continue to bridge the gap between millennials and politics under a Trump presidency.”

However, for many University students, comments that Trump made throughout his campaign both in speeches and online on immigrants,

Muslim Americans, African Americans and women sparked significant concern Wednesday morning.

Several students expressed fear for the safety of their family and friends given plans outlined

by Trump including a proposal to ban all Muslim immigration, offensive comments about undocumented immigrants and bragging about inappropriately touching women.

LSA senior Stuart Inahuazo said as a Latino student, he believes Trump’s victory suggests that he is not accepted in the United States.

“This election has shown me that the United States is not welcome to other people and other cultures,” he said.

“It has shown that people have come out of the shadows by supporting an individual who has tarnished the culture of America and has hurt me on the basis of my Latino heritage. It has spit in the face of my Latino culture.”

LSA freshman Arwa Gayar wrote in an email interview that she is concerned for the safety of Muslims like herself across the country under a Trump presidency.

“What do you think having a president that openly targets minorities will do to this country?” she wrote. “Racist remarks have already become normalized since he started running, I can only imagine the climate if he actually becomes president. As a Muslim American I would truly fear sharing my religious affiliations. I can only imagine what women who wear hijab feel as their religious views are openly visible to all.”

On campus, many students reacted with shock and distress as the results were released. Prior to Election

ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily

Donald Trump at at rally in Novi on September 30, 2016

Day, Michigan Daily election surveys consistently showed 70 percent of students supporting Clinton. In addition, many students worked throughout the election season with the College Democrats and Students for Hillary toward a Clinton victory Though some students did not appear enthused about voting for either candidate on Election Day, voter turnout was still higher in precincts with a large number of students than it was in 2012.

Before the race was officially called, LSA freshman Mihir Bala said she hopes Clinton wins but does not believe the result will be catastrophic for the country.

“I will be pretty disappointed.

I wouldn’t say I would be absolutely devastated because I really do love this country a lot and I hold out a little bit of hope,” she said. “There are people out there who believe what I believe. We will stand up to racism and sexism. Yes, we had a bad day today, but we have to roll with it and we have to keep fighting for what we believe in.”

However, many students on campus were genuinely excited about electing Clinton.

College Democrats declined to comment at the time that the results were released.

Social Work graduate student Samantha Cooley, who attended a watch party in the Union, said she is very upset by Trump’s victory due to his lack of background relevant to the position, compared

to Clinton.

“I’m devastated.

I’m disgusted,” she said. “It’s just sad to me that a woman who has 40 years of experience in this kind of work and then just lose this election to a man who has no experience whatsoever.”

LSA freshman Ryan Clemmons said he was shocked by the results, and believes he was insulated by the opinions of much of the rest of the country due to living in Ann Arbor.

“I feel a giant pit in my stomach.

I didn’t think that this would happen,” he said. “Living in the college bubble, we’re surrounded by so many educated people and we all kind of have the same idea about this election and I didn’t really think about the rest of the country.”

6C — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Bentley Historical Library reveals 125 years of digitized Daily archives

EMMA RICHTER/Daily

Bentley Historical Library Director Terrence J. McDonald discusses the importance of University history at the unveiling of the Michigan Daily archive in the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library on Thursday.working with people from different backgrounds and learning about different cultures.

By ALEXA ST. JOHN Managing News Editor

Twelve decades of student reporting, 316 volumes of breaking coverage and 200,000 pages of University of Michigan news were revealed Thursday night as the Bentley Historical Library unveiled 125 years’ worth of digitized archives of The Michigan Daily.

The Daily has been a facet on campus since 1890 and has covered both national and local issues such as politics, social movements, higher education and changing demographics of the University.

The event was attended by student journalists, alumni and prominent University leaders — including University President Mark Schlissel and James and Anne Duderstadt, former University president and vice president, respectively. Prior to the digitization, previous issues of the Daily could only be viewed in person at the Bentley or at the Student Publications Building, where only bound paper copies are available.

Now, however, the new database, consisting of digital preservation and online infrastructure of the Daily from 1890 to 2014, eliminates the need to view physical copies and makes all the Daily’s content searchable and browsable for alumni, researchers and historians alike.

The financial support of the Kemp Family Foundation is largely responsible for the digitization.

John B. Kemp, who attended the University as both an undergraduate and law student in the ’60s, has vast familial roots at the University and wanted to be able to view his time at the University through digital records of the Daily.

The Bentley has archived similarly pertinent materials, particularly historical documents, student records, maps and University intercollegiate athletics documentation.

Terrence McDonald, director of the Bentley, spoke to nearly 100 attendees at the Gerald R. Ford Library on Thursday about the significance of the digital documentation of the Daily.

In an interview beforehand, McDonald said the digitization project involved partnerships across multiple units at the University, including the Bentley, the IT department of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library and the Student Publications. The resulted is an archive that holds huge implications for future understanding of the University.

“A great university, to stay great, has to maintain a high level of historical consciousness,” McDonald said. “We have a great history; certain members of our community know about that history, but the world beyond that needs to know more about that.”

Though the project was completed last October, the data was originally only released to faculty and students

involved in bicentennialthemed courses last December.

“The idea of digitizing the Daily was, to begin with, a way of getting the story out; that is, the digital initiative of the Daily is already crafting more scholarship on the history of the University of Michigan in the last three months with its very limited release than we’ve produced than in the previous multiple years,” he said.

McDonald, who has 27 students in his bicentennialthemed course “22 Ways to Think about the History of The University of Michigan,” said his students have already made great use of the archives in their research.

“The Daily, because of its editorial independence, its daily publication and its journalistic ambition — it’s just a phenomenal newspaper of record of the history of the University,” McDonald said.

At the release, McDonald introduced Kemp, who spoke about the significance of the archives with regard to his extensive family background with the University and the memorializing of students’ time.

“It’ll allow a lot of people that had great memories at Michigan to be able to have tangible evidence of that by getting a Michigan Daily article about it,” Kemp said.

“Once you get to Michigan, you build memories that will last you a lifetime, you make friends that will last you a lifetime.”

Kemp spoke of his foundation’s generosity for the program as a form of repayment for what the University has given his family.

“For four generations, our family members have received the many benefits of being University of Michigan people,” Kemp said. “I really don’t want you to remember, I don’t want you to note or recollect everything I said today. I just want you to remember all of those things I described. If you insist on remembering something I said, then let me ask that you remember the last two words: Go Blue.”

Afterward, Schlissel spoke, musing on his time as a student journalist at Princeton University. Schlissel credited his experience reporting as preparation for his career as University president. Princeton’s student publication, the Princetonian, recently digitized its archives, something Schlissel noted has allowed him to ref lect on his time as a college student and hopes the Daily’s archives will do the same.

“The new archives we’re celebrating tonight represent an important milestone in University of Michigan student journalism,” Schlissel said. “In a place like the U of M, a chronicle of our university is also a record of the larger society. This project exemplifies the culture of innovation that is thriving throughout our university.”

Schlissel then performed

the first official online search of the Daily’s digital archives, searching for a column written by former Daily columnist Haya Alfarhan titled, “Sit with your differences.”

“When privileged individuals are unwilling to interrogate their internalized biases because it makes them uncomfortable, it forces students with marginalized identities to trigger themselves emotionally to make a point,” Alfarhan wrote in the column.

“Privileged comfort comes at the cost of triggering marginalized students. Students who trigger themselves to do so because these topics consume their lives and a lack of discourse in class is genuinely painful for them … Yes, professors should be able to facilitate their class discussions better, but it’s also students’ responsibility to engage wholeheartedly.”

Following Schlissel’s remarks, a panel spoke, consisting of LSA senior Shoham Geva, editor-inchief of the Daily for the 2016 calendar year, Neil Chase, executive editor of The Mercury News in addition to being chair of the Student Publications Board and Philip Power, founder of The Center for Michigan, a nonprofit organization aimed at curing statewide political culture.

The panelists — moderated

by McDonald — discussed a number of topics, primarily challenges in the field. Power experienced issues with regard to coverage of the Dean of Women and the Vietnam War; Chase, however, experienced financial barriers when the Daily shifted from being a paid publication to free distribution under his tenure and Geva discussed the challenges she faced with diversity and entering the digital age.

Power highlighted the entrepreneurial attempts of nonprofit journalism.

“The Daily is what honed our interest and our capacity to take complex things and put them into sensible pros and argumentative politics,” Power said. “There is not enough money in the philanthropic ecosystem to fund and sustain nonprofit journalism in the scope and intensity that we need in order to save this country.”

Ultimately, the panelists concluded with a discussion of maintaining public engagement in current political context.

Micheline Maynard, Daily alum and Knight-Wallace fellow for 1999-2000, said in an interview after the event the archives serve multiple purposes that will be beneficial to many communities.

“This is going to be an incredibly valuable resource for those of us who write books, those of us who are interested in journalism and especially those of us who were born in Ann Arbor, because this is a tool for us to look back on our town,” Maynard said. “It’s very rare to find an archive this complete and that goes back as far as it does.”

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Fall 2017 — 7C

Panel discusses implications of C.C. Little building’s eponym

By KEVIN BIGLIN Daily Staff Reporter

Months after the University of Michigan’s release of a new policy on building renaming, the LSA History Department convened a bicentennial panel Tuesday afternoon on the potential renaming of the C.C. Little Building, which has been named after former University of Michigan President Clarence Cook “C.C.” Little since 1968.

About 50 people attended the discussion on the many factors involved with the process of name-changing and examples of other universities’ actions in similar cases.

Though he was a renowned genetics, cancer and tobacco researcher, Little has recently come under fire for his support of policies such as compulsory sterilization of the “unfit” and immigration restriction.

American Culture Prof.

Alexandra Minna Stern opened the panel by ref lecting on the nuances of building names.

“We’re going to think about the arguments for removing his name and what are some of the arguments for retaining his name,” she said. “There is a high bar for renaming. If we just take his name off the building, we erase the past.”

Panelists referenced the notion that Little’s associations with ideas and practices are antagonistic to the values of diversity, inclusion and nondiscrimination the University is pushing toward today.

Stern said one line of reasoning for preserving Little’s name is that the name causes little harm, as not many

students know who he was or what he did.

LSA junior Joshua Hasler countered those reasons by arguing Little’s interests in eugenics cannot be separated from his tenure as University president. He found it hard to believe Little became president of the American Eugenics Society after leaving the University in 1929.

“Like many students here at the University, I’ve had a class in the C.C. Little building,” Hasler said. After discovering Little’s link to eugenics, he said, he was shocked. “Obviously, this isn’t a fact the University likes to publicize.”

Following the recent pop-up Stumbling Blocks installations on campus, Hasler said he was surprised not to see anything addressing Little during the bicentennial exhibit.

“We didn’t see anything at the C.C. Little building,” Hasler said. “Even when students do hear about C.C. Little’s eugenics past, I feel that sometimes we fail to grasp the gravity of it.

Every University does have a building like this, but that doesn’t mean we should keep these buildings. A mainstream thought nearly a century ago doesn’t ref lect the values that we hold at this University today.”

Hasler said he thinks that as president, Little might have been able to distribute information on eugenics to students as mainstream science.

The University, he said, should work to remove references to him from campus.

“As we think about, as students and faculty members, how we relate to this building,

we need to ask ourselves: Regardless of the faculty who reside in this building, is C.C. Little a president whose legacy — specifically relating to what he did for the University of Michigan during his The C.C Little Science Building tenure — is something that we want to institutionalize?” the important but complex Hasler said. things we can learn from History Prof. Martin S. understanding the connections Pernick spoke in defense of among his multiple activities,” Little’s views, as well as his role he said. as a leading researcher of the History Prof.

Matthew time.

Countryman placed building “Many of his views were renamings in a historical widely shared by other context, citing the significance scientists,” he said. “He was of Yale University renaming a leader in a vast number John C. Calhoun College to the of important national and Grace Murray Hopper College international organizations, instead. and he had a f lare for publicity “Naming itself is a political for language and promotion that act or an institutional act helped shape public attention.” that should be examined Despite this, Pernick said and evaluated like any other many of his studies were historical event,” Countryman intended to create doubt, saying said. “What does the act of out-of-the-box things such as naming reveal about the smoking and climate change political, social and cultural were both “harmless.” terrain in which it occurred?”

“Little focused on genetics,” Countryman supported Pernick said. “He seemed a balance in assessing the to revise his views to fit the accomplishments of the figures tobacco industry’s views.” in question before deciding Pernick stressed a building whether to keep their names. renaming cannot simply erase “Weighing of the fullness Little’s legacy. of the historical figure’s acts “The point is that removing seems to be a more appropriate his name from a building, way,” Countryman said. whether we do it or not, should Prof.

Kumea Shorternot result in erasing him Gooden, visiting from the from memory or forgetting University of Maryland, spoke

Acclaimed professor Noam Chomsky discusses relationship between linguistics and thought

By NICOLE TSUNO Daily Staff Reporter

As part of its eighth annual Marshall M. Weinberg Symposium on Saturday, the Weinberg Institute for Cognitive Science hosted Noam Chomsky, an MIT professor, linguist and cognitive scientist. The interdisciplinary symposium titled “The Architecture and Evolution of the Human Language Capacity” showcased speakers from the fields of philosophy, psychology, linguistics and cognitive science.

The event itself appealed to people from many backgrounds, including Naila Ashraf, a University of Michigan alum.

“I’m not a linguist,” she said.

“I don’t know anything about cognitive science. I came to see him because he’s a living legend. I am really interested about his political activism and his critique of American democracy as well as global political systems.”

Chomsky’s presentation centered on the Galilean Challenge, where Galileo urged linguists to show how just a few sounds can construct “an infinite variety of expressions (that) reveal all the secrets of the mind.”

University alum Mahela Ashraf questioned the challenge’s premise of infinite language.

“Isn’t there going to be a point at which you come to a realization that everything meaningful that had to be said will have been said by 2050, and from then on, you are only trying to interpret those really original thoughts?”

Chomsky explained how he has addressed this aim and how the challenge itself has evolved, asserting the challenge had not been taken up until the mid-20th century because the intellectual tools were not available.

However, mathematicians have established a theory of computability, which

illustrates how our brains can generate infinite variations of expressions.

In doing so, mathematicians have made possible the “basic property” of human language — the ability to digitally build an infinite amount of structured expressions, which can be interpreted into a thought and externalized. The product of this is what he calls “the language of thought,” or the

It must be, then, that the rich meaning of even the most elementary words is substantially innate. system of thoughts that, when externalized, can be used for communication.

“The language faculty of the human brain provides the means to construct a digitally infinite array of hierarchically structured expressions,” he said. “Each of which is semantically interpreted as expressing thought, and each of which can be, and sometimes is, externalized in one or another sensory modality.”

However, Chomsky believes internal language is used more than external language.

Internal language refers to the linguistic knowledge inside the mind of the speaker; therefore, external language is only internal language made audible.

He stated languages seem very complex, and this view was held by professional linguists just 60 years ago.

However, a new program called the Biolinguistic Program has shown how languages, in reality, are consistent from one to another. He brief ly discussed the importance of biology in his work by hinting at some of his

most familiar discoveries — language acquisition devices.

“At peak periods of language acquisition, children are acquiring about a word an hour, that is, often on one presentation,” Chomsky said. “It must be, then, that the rich meaning of even the most elementary words is substantially innate.”

He continued by saying linguistics, in particular, faces difficulty with Galileo’s objective because it must account for evolution. He asserted the language faculty emerged with modern humans, but not too much information is known about the evolution of modern humans. This, in Chomsky’s mind, complicates the primary goal of the Galilean Challenge — to determine the genetic structures that allow for language.

Chomsky, also a renowned social critic and political activist, was asked by an audience member what could be done to turn the United States around from its current state. He urged listeners to do anything to speak out, asserting the United States is still a free society with many opportunities to have individual voices heard. He also concluded that there is popular base of people capable of enacting serious changes to the current governmental practices. One of the necessary changes, Chomsky arg ued, is campaign finance.

“For well over a century, elections in the United States have been essentially bought,” he said. “You can pretty well predict the electability simply on the basis of campaign funding.”

LSA senior Anthony Quail shared Chomsky’s hopes for uniting and mobilizing the public.

“In the present climate, it’s easy to forget that change starts with individual actions,” he said. “We cannot allow ourselves to feel powerless.”

KEVIN ZHENG/Daily

about renaming the football stadium on her campus after student protests in 2015.

The stadium was originally named after former Maryland President Curley Byrd, who, despite bringing the university to national prominence, espoused racist views and actively prevented Black students from attending the school.

“The symbolic act of removing President Byrd’s name would continue the university’s work to make the campus a more diverse, inclusive, fair, just and welcoming place,” ShorterGooden said. “For many African-American citizens of the state of Maryland, alumni, faculty, staff and students of the University, Byrd’s name is associated with a history of exclusion and discrimination.

Maintaining the name contributes to a hostile and unwelcoming climate.”

Shorter-Gooden also addressed some of the arguments against removing his name, such as disregarding Byrd’s positive contributions to the university, not focusing

on actual policy to create a more inclusive environment and setting a precedent to reconsider everything on campus with an eponym.

“The university risks losing alumni, donors and political support,” Shorter-Gooden said.

“But since President Byrd’s time, the university has been transformed from a segregated university into one of the most diverse universities in the nation. I myself was delighted that the name was changed.”

Overall, Shorter-Gooden said, allowing Black students into universities is important, but making sure those students feel welcomed once they arrive is even more crucial. By changing the name of the C.C. Little Building, she thinks the University can make progress on that front.

“To name a building after Little, without any contending around his eugenicist past at the same moment that you’re opening up doors just tells us how this issue, how the whole agenda of diversity, was in its infancy and how much we have evolved,” Shorter-Gooden said. “We still have a ways to go.”

Schlissel voices concern over proposed cuts to the NIH

By DYLAN LACROIX Summer News Editor

On Monday, Universit y of Michiga n President Ma rk Sch lissel relea sed a let ter to t he com munit y expressing concer n for a federa l proposa l, pa r t of t he F Y 18 budget , t hat would cut f unding for resea rch at t he Universit y, specif ica lly ta rget ing reimbursement s for facilit ies a nd adm in ist rat ive cost s.

Sch lissel sa id t he proposa l would reduce jobs a nd “sh if t resea rch por t folios.”

Sch lissel ca lled on t he com mun it y to spread t he word about F& A reimbursement s a nd t heir benef it s to un iversit ies a nd societ y.

The proposa l a f fect s g ra nt s f rom t he Nat iona l Inst it utes of Hea lt h, wh ich prov ided over $400 m illion in suppor t of facult y resea rch at t he Un iversit y la st yea r; t he Un iversit y would lose $92 m illion w it h t he proposed 10 percent cap. In his let ter, Sch lissel noted t hough t here is bipa r t isa n suppor t for NIH f unding, some leg islators feel t here should be a cap on F& A cost s, pa r t icula rly w it h rega rd to medica l resea rch.

He expressed concer n specif ica lly for laboratories f unded by t he NIH. NIH g ra nt s consist of direct cost s to f und resea rch project s a nd of F& A cost s, overhead or inf ra st r uct ura l cost s; such cost s “ca n not be a ssig ned to a single project ,” but a f fect a ll labs by prov iding tech nica l necessit ies such a s space, light ing a nd IT inf ra st r uct ure, a mong ot hers. “ Like you, we chose to work at a resea rch universit y whose work adva nces t he

public good,” Sch lissel w rote. “The people who sta nd to lose most f rom t he adm inist rat ion’s proposa l a re our pat ient s, our st udent s, a nd t he members of our com munit y whose hea lt h is improved or whose lives a re saved by t he a ma zing resea rch we do.”

In his letter, Schlissel notes F&A costs are set in partnership between universities and the U.S. Department of Health and

Like you, we chose to work at a research university whose work advances the public good. The people who stand to lose most from the administration’s proposals are our patients, our students, and the members of our community...

Human services, which oversees the NIH, using a set of guidelines.

In a memo attached to the letter, there are more details about the reimbursement rates. In establishing the rates, the University uses only the resources used to support NIH-funded research.

The costs are audited and “based on an average of specified expenditures from all NIH funded projects at an institution and set in

accordance with current federal guidelines.”

Bishr Omary, Chief Scientific Officer of Michigan Medicine, expressed concern for the cuts in an email interview with the Daily, regardless of whether they are directly or indirectly affecting University research.

“A reduction in the NIH budget, whether relating to ‘direct ’ research support or to the facilities and administrative ‘indirect ’ support will have detrimental effects for years to come,” he wrote.

Omary also noted the negative impact on students pursuing futures in research.

“The short-term impact will be the closing of investigator laboratories that research institutions, including the NIH, have invested in for years,” he wrote. “The more detrimental long-term impact will be loss of the pipeline of young bright minds who will be rightfully disillusioned from pursuing research careers.”

LSA sophomore Trisha Gupte, who currently volunteers in a University laboratory using NIH funds, spoke on how the F&A expenses at stake of being cut, such as animal care facilities, are fundamental elements to laboratory processes and the lack of which would hinder scientific morality.

“I have to say that aspects like that (animal care facilities) are vital to the integrity of every experiment and should not ever be compromise d ,” Gupt e sa id . “ I f t h i s pla n g o e s i nt o ef fe c t , it w i l l ch a ng e N I H f u nde d re s ea rch ever y where a nd not ne ce s sa r i ly for t he b et t er.”

Stop by 420 Maynard and visit the Daily! <3

8C — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

SAPAC show uses art to spark discussion of sexuality-and gender-based violence

DAVID SONG/Daily

Volunteer Philip Hampton helps student Hassan with comprehending contract rhetoric. Philip Hampton says he enjoys working with people from different backgrounds and learning about different cultures.

By ARIELLA MELTZER Daily Staff Reporter

A wide variety of visual and written art created to highlight gender- and sexuality-based violence were displayed in West Quad Residence Hall as hundreds of students walked by Friday evening.

The Networking, Publicity and Activism Program housed within the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center organized this event, called “rEVOLUTION: Making Art for Change,” which aimed to promote stories of survivors and educate observers on gender, sexism and empowerment. This is the

12th year SAPAC has hosted the show.

Along with multiple rooms containing student submissions, a separate area was devoted to SAPAC resources encouraging participants to pursue healthy relationships and reach out if necessary.

LSA senior Alyssa Dunbeck and LSA junior Srinidhi Subramanian served as coordinators of the event.

“We hope that this event inspires you to continue participating in discussion surrounding gender-based violence,” Dunbeck said.

More than 30 works were displayed, including drawings, poems and film. Participants

and attendees agreed that regardless of the art form, the entire display was extremely impactful.

LSA junior Yaya Sun said the event was more empowering than she expected, especially as it was her first year attending.

“I really think it is a great way for survivors to get their message out,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to have a safe space that they can explore their message through art.

Art is a really good way of expressing your emotions that you can’t normally say. I think my favorite piece was Sam Kennedy’s ... it was very relatable.”

The work Sun referred to is

“Boys Talk About Me,” which Kennedy, an LSA sophomore, described as “a collage of stupid things boys have said to or about me.” The collection includes tweets, texts and other posts of degrading statements about Kennedy, many of them sexist and, at times, explicitly violent.

Many other similar pieces expressed sometimes shocking stories and occurrences, or hopes for a better understanding of sexuality- and gender-related sexual matters.

In a multi-paneled layout titled “When You Get It,” LSA junior Maeve Pascoe placed a drawing of a girl alongside the words “just going through an

endometrial shift.”

“As I sat in the laundry room of East Quad making this piece, a male student looked over as he was loading his laundry and remarked that he was impressed by my art,” Pascoe wrote. “He asked what the words meant.

I explained, and he became silent. … It’s not something most people are proud of. In fact, most women view it as a burden to bear. But why would it be a burden? Should our lives be a burden? It’s a natural part of life. Embrace it or not, it happens, and it’s something I’ve come to peace with. After all, it’s just a shift.”

A film played behind the art displays, which was an original

creation by LSA freshman Shreya Patel for a class project.

“My first attempt at tackling this concept took a subtle approach using poetry as the audio component and abstract cultural patterns for visuals,” Patel said. “I decided to try and make a video that attempts at a resolution to the biggest area of neglect within my life.”

Many SAPAC volunteers expressed that they wanted the event to be focused on empowerment for individuals affected by sexual and gender violence, sexism and other related issues.

“I wanted to tackle my fear of coming out about sexual abuse,” Patel finished.

Annual hash bash draws large crowds to central campus

DAVID SONG/Daily

Volunteer Philip Hampton helps student Hassan with comprehending contract rhetoric. Philip Hampton says he enjoys working with people from different backgrounds and learning about different cultures.

By AARON DALAL and DYLAN LACROIX Daily Staff Reporters

Chants of “Free the Weed!” could be heard and cannabis f lags were raised high on the Diag on Saturday afternoon as an estimated 6,000 people gathered to participate in the 46th annual Hash Bash. Leading activists, medical researchers, community leaders and citizens spoke on behalf of the support and legalization of marijuana consumption, followed by live music.

One of the speakers at the event was 30-year-old Zahra Abbas, a University of Michigan-Dearborn student who, after being prescribed medical marijuana for her severe epilepsy, has been seizure free for almost two years. Abbas left the University three years ago because of her medical condition, but said she was able to return to her studies

this past fall because of medical marijuana.

“I was never seizure free

We’ve been growing for the last three years and we kind of wanted to see what it was about and, honestly, it’s not what I thought it was without the cannabis,” Abbas said. “The most I made it seizure free before was three months and that was right after brain surgery. Without brain

surgery, I would only make it a week or something at a time, and that would be a good week, but on the 13th, it’ll be two years seizure free.”

Abbas said, as a student, she has been met with an overwhelming amount of support from faculty and students who support the use of medical marijuana.

“I even had one teacher that, he was really happy about it,” she said. “He was a psychology teacher and his wife used it.”

Richie “Free the Weed” Clement, the legislative assistant to Detroit City Councilmember George Cushingberry Jr. (D–District 2), spoke at the event, urging people to vote for representatives who support the legalization of recreational and medical marijuana usage.

“If you don’t support weed, you’re not the one we need!”

Clement chanted.

Clement discussed the

significant amount of misunderstanding he feels surrounds the plant and the implications of its consumption.

“F—k the box, think outside the box,” Clement said. “It’s time that people wake up and put to rest all the lies that’ve been told about the plant, it’s

I mean it’s actually super controlled and I’m really suprised time to get away from this 1939 bullshit mentality.”

Jerry Spencer, director of Great Lakes Bay Region of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, an organization that advocates

the legal use of marijuana, also spoke about the merits of petitioning the government.

“We’re the ones with the petition for the legalization of recreational marijuana here in the state of Michigan,” Spencer said.

An couple from Novi, Mich., who requested to remain anonymous because they were talking about drug use, outlined the routine for their celebration.

“We smoked before, in the mosh pit, walking out of the mosh pit,” they said.

One of the two, a prospective student, talked about how Hash Bash makes her feel about the University.

“I was going to apply anyways, but this is just an added bonus, I guess,” she said.

“The atmosphere was pretty cool because everybody was doing the same thing.”

Chris Zane of Washington, Mich. said he hopes Michigan

will legalize weed for recreational use, and added that Hash Bash offered him a chance to spend time “just chilling with my buddies, smoking.”

Patrons of Hash Bash included people who were involved with the cause to various degrees.

Another woman, who requested to remain anonymous, was in Ann Arbor for her first Hash Bash.

“We’ve been growing for the last three years and we kind of wanted to see what it was about and, honestly, it’s not what I thought it was,” she said.

She attested to the broad scope of patrons in attendance.

“I mean it’s actually super controlled and I’m really surprised there’s actually a plethora of people here,” the woman said. “Honestly, I was surprised to see some older people here and it’s kind of nice to see a variety of people down here, to be honest.”

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Fall 2017 — 9C

Central Student Government resolution to divest fails

By JACKIE CHARNIGA and NISA KHAN Daily News Editor and Daily Staff Reporter

At their weekly meeting Tuesday, Central Student Government voted 34 to 13 to reject a resolution that would have called on the University of Michigan to divest its investments in several companies that allegedly commit human rights violations against Palestinians.

The resolution, which was brought to the assembly by student organization Students Allied for Freedom and Equality, initially considered a range of companies, but was limited during the meeting to only Boeing, G4S, Hewlett-Packard and United 130 Technologies. This is the 10th attempt since 2002 to pass a resolution to divest at the University, including in 2014 and 2015, following in the path of similar resolutions at many other schools around the country. The vote this year was less close than it has been in recent years.

The resolution charged that University investments in these companies are unethical because they oppress Palestinians due to their business practices in Israel or products they produce. It would not have automatically ensured divestment from the investments, but rather would have called on the University’s Board of Regents to form an ad-hoc committee to investigate the University’s investments in the area.

“Israeli state policy infringes

upon Palestinian human rights,” the resolution read. “The University of Michigan’s investments in the aforementioned companies, which are involved in socially irresponsible and unethical activities in Palestine, not only personally impact Palestinian students at the University of Michigan, but also calls into question the University’s commitment to invest in socially responsible companies.”

The resolution also stated that divestment would defund the “weapons and equipment used in Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territories and in violation of international human rights law.”

However, some opponents of the resolution charged that voting in favor of divestment would gesture to the student body that a decision had been reached on the issue for the assembly as a whole, dividing communities and ending dialogue on the issue.

LSA junior Joe Goldberg, a CSG representative, said he voted against the resolution because it challenges what he stands for as a member of the Jewish faith with a complicated relationship with Israel.

“This resolution challenges the core of what I stand for... this resolution calls for the delegitimization of Israel and that is not what the majority of this campus stands for,” Goldberg said.

“This resolution divides, and more importantly, pits students against each other.”

For the debate on the resolution,

CSG moved its meeting from its chambers in the Michigan Union to the Modern Language Building to accommodate nearly 200 student attendees. Many hundreds more watched a Michigan Daily livestream of the proceedings. The more than four-hour long meeting, which also considered other CSG business, drew many speakers on both sides of the resolution.

History Prof. Victor Lieberman, who teaches classes on the IsraeliPalestinian conflict and has addressed the body on the past few occassions divestment has been discussed, spoke out against the resolution. He charged that it did not meet the three prongs for divestment outlined by the University — that the institution must be uniquely responsible for the problem, there were moral or ethical issues surrounding the support of that institution, and consensus at the University against that group.

The University has only divested twice in its history: from South Africa over “serious moral or ethical questions” raised by its policies of apartheid and from tobacco companies in 2000. In 2015, CSG voted to formulate an ad hoc committee to investigate the University’s investments in fossil fuels, a precedent the resolution drew on in its argumentation.

LSA senior Lucky Mulpuri, a CSG representative, said he voted for the resolution because he wanted to represent the small faction of Palestinian students on campus.

CAROLYN GEARIG/Daily

Two hundred students gathered in the MLB on Tuesday night as CSG debated a resolution that called on the University to

“I’m an Indian Hindu, so I have no real personal stake in this besides my own concerns. But Mathma Ghandi went ahead and said with a small group of people, India needs to lead,” Mulperi said. “I really think that is the most important thing for all to realize that these discussions will never occur unless as...a small group of thoughtful, committed students change the world.”

LSA senior Devin Jones, who said he was a Palestinian citizen, told the story of his mother and grandfather, born in the same house on the same street, but facing drastically different political climates in their lifetimes.

“But she was born in a different state… We were not indigenous to our own land because we were on the wrong side of a battle, a battle that wasn’t our fault,” Jones said.

“Basically, we were stripped of our Palestinian identities and forced to become Israeli citizens.”

Public Policy senior Matt Fidel said for him, the resolution does not represent peace, and instead is seeking for a scapegoat in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“Divestment emboldens the radical wings of Israeli and Palestinian governments, which oppose peace,” Fidel said.

“Divestment drives our campus apart at a time when we need to come together the most…it will only fan the flames of conflict both over there and right here on campus.”

“We should all pray for a day when peace can be achieved between Israeli and Palestinian citizens. We should pray for a future when Israeli and Palestinian families do not have to face the

threat of daily violence. We should pray for a future when Palestinians are able to live in an independent Palestinian state free of any Israeli interference.”

After the resolution failed, many CSG representatives discussed why they voted in favor of the resolution.

During this, several attendees began to shout and chant. CSG Vice President and LSA senior Micah Griggs allowed Jones to speak to the body.

“When you argue on the claim that we did not know what we were talking about, that you are somehow better than us...that is the epitome of privilege,” Jones told the crowd. “[I am] paying tuition, in which a portion of my tuition goes to companies that go to the oppression of my people...

You have to live with this. You have to stare me in the the face.”

CAPS expands program, releases new suicide prevention videos

By KAELA THEUT Daily Staff Reporter

As “CAPS Suicide Prevention - A Focus on Students” — a short informational film about student experiences with mental illness — began to play, LSA junior Ryan Marshall appeared on screen and shared his own experience with depression. He detailed the isolation he felt, as well as the immense pressures to perform both academically and socially at such a high-ranked university.

Every year, 24,000 students attempt suicide on college campuses in the United States.

Through the release of three new suicide prevention videos, as well as the “Do something: Stop Student Suicide” initiative, the University of Michigan Counseling and Psychological Services is working to provide students and faculty with the tools needed to identify students at risk.

Three other videos, titled “A Focus on Faculty,” “A Focus on Students” and “Using Our Strengths as a Community,” present similar subject material — suicide prevention information — through different lenses in order to connect with a wide audience. The most common theme throughout every film? The importance of getting help and not struggling alone.

“I was feeling very isolated, and for the first time in my life, was not doing very well in school,” Marshall said. “I’m very happy with my choice to seek help, my life has been

made exponentially better. Seek help, be happy.”

CAPS Director Todd Sevig shared the videos with the student body in an email sent on Monday.

Sevig detailed the importance of the ability of Michigan students to make a difference in the lives of fellow students, as well as form a support network for those all across campus.

“In order to reduce the silence and the mystery that surrounds suicide we offer these new videos focused on what contributes to thoughts of suicide and more importantly, how you can respond,” he wrote. “Being a UM student provides us with a unique opportunity and responsibility to make a real difference in the lives of our friends, roommates, classmates, student org members, etc. It is through this support network that we can “change the story” for one individual AND on a campus-wide level.”

To fully engage the student body, CAPS enlisted the help of the University Central Student Government. According to Sevig, the partnership between CAPS and CSG, as well as other groups on campus, is aimed at creating a lasting impact within the campus community by increasing student body awareness of mental health issues.

“The partnerships of CAPS and CSG, as well as multiple student groups and student governments, and the support of academic units, of Student Life units, and the

additional mental health services on campus, can all combine and create sustainable change and “move the needle” on our campus,” Sevig wrote.

CAPS psychologist Jamye Banks, the coordinator of suicide prevention, remarked the videos are only a small part of a much larger campus-wide initiative to strengthen suicide prevention efforts. She said the videos feature realistic scenarios and relatable individuals, which will hopefully capture the attention of students in a way that emails and website posts cannot.

“The videos are part of our larger approach to suicide prevention for our campus,” Banks said. “If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then hopefully a moving picture is worth more. Meaning, we tend to watch videos more than we read emails or websites, etc. Further, the videos capture scenarios that could provide a more realistic view and thus be more relatable and beneficial. We want to provide information and tools for all of us on campus to change the story — for individuals, and for our campus — change the story to one of hope and knowledge.”

CAPS has used the Question, Persuade, Refer method, which trains individuals to recognize the warning signs exhibited by suicidal people and advocate for them to seek help, since 2006. Through this, hundreds of students, faculty and staff have been trained how to both recognize the warning sides of

suicide and advise the individual in distress how to get help.

The CAPS website states: “QPR is intended to teach individuals who have a lot of contact with students (e.g., faculty, staff, friends) how to recognize the warning signs of suicide and provide guidelines as to how to Question a person about suicidal thoughts, how to Persuade them to get help and how to Refer the person for help.”

Throughout the videos, Nancy Mason, associate dean for student services in the College of Pharmacy, emphasized that faculty often place high demands on students, forgetting that they have a lot going on beneath the surface.

“Even though we’re a large university, we want to make sure we’re taking care of our students,” she said. “As a faculty member sometimes you have high demands on your students, and I’m not sure that I really appreciated the fact that students have things going on that are distracting them or keeping them from doing their best work.”

Banks stressed the importance of reaching out to a professional if a friend expresses suicidal thoughts or displays warning signs — noting that both CAPS After Hours and Michigan Medicine’s Psychiatric Emergency Services are available 24 hours a day.

“Stay in touch with the friend, be willing to listen and take them seriously and encourage them to get professional help — go with them to the appointment at CAPS,” Banks said. “Create a support network for

the friend for multiple methods of support. Lastly, in being support for the friend, also remembering to gain support for themselves in this process, as it can be difficult process.”

Aside from the Stop Student Suicide initiative, CAPS also announced it will be expanding its program and add to the counselors already working within individual schools and colleges across campus.

This embedded counselor model was implemented in 2014, and according to Sevig, a comprehensive evaluation of the program shows that is is highly effective.

Instead of having to travel across campus, students can visit a counselor within their own campus community — this model also makes it easier for counselors to check in on students, as well as tailor appointment times and events to that specific college.

By August 2017, CAPS will place four new counselors, for a total of eleven staff embedded into these schools and colleges.

The eight schools and colleges currently part of the embedded model are the College of Engineering, the Law School, the Rackham Graduate School, the Ross School of Business, the School of Dentistry, the Stamps School of Art & Design, the Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning, and the School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

The program will expand to include the School of Social Work, the College of Pharmacy, the

Comprehensive Studies Program in LSA and a second staff member in the College of Engineering.

LSA senior Meghan Brown, Students for Mental Health Outreach chair, wrote in an email interview she believes increasing the number of counselors is beneficial for students who struggle to balance the various stressors of college.

“I think that sometimes people forget to make their mental health a priority during college and that it’s really easy to let that part of yourself go,” she wrote. “Increasing the number of counselors for schools is extremely beneficial for those students who have a difficult time dealing with the multitude of stresses that college throws at you. And you’d actually be surprised at how many people that is.”

Brown also enumerated the importance of raising awareness for mental health across campus, and that it is the most vital role CAPS can play.

“I also think that anything that raises awareness is always really important,” Brown wrote.

“That’s actually why I joined Students for Mental Health.

Sophomore year it was brought to my attention that several of my best friends were struggling and I honestly never would have expected it. I think that’s the most important thing that CAPS can do — continue to raise awareness.”

10 C — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

North Campus food co-op shut down by new University guidelines

By MATT HARMON and JENNIFER MEER Daily Staff Reporter and Summer Managing News Editor

The Chez Betty food co-op, located in the Beyster building on North Campus, has announced it will be closing at the end of April. According to a Facebook post, written by Chez Betty Operations Manager Pat Pannuto on Wednesday, the co-op does not fall under the grandfathering policy of the University’s Food Service Planning Guidelines and is being shut down.

Chez Betty was founded in 2012 and is currently operated by the Computer Science and Engineering Graduate Student Organization.

The market is completely self-service and stocked by volunteers.

Students who deposit money into their accounts at Chez Betty can effectively go into debt, if necessary, to pay for items they require. The facility’s profits are spent on financial losses from theft and are used to improve the co-op.

According to the Food Service Planning Guidelines, new student-run food services are not permitted on campus.

However, the guidelines, last updated in September 2016, allow certain services to continue operating.

“The Office of the Provost and the Office of Vice President for Student Life are aware of a small number of existing student-run food service operations on the Ann Arbor campus,” the guidelines read.

“These operations have been granted special permission

to continue operating with the understanding they are complying with current University and government rules, laws, and regulations related to food safety; fire and life safety; insurance and liability; and financial and tax reporting requirements.”

The guidelines note the University has the right to end a student-run operation for any reason.

In his Facebook post, Pannuto wrote he is not sure why Chez Betty did not qualify for grandfather status.

“While student-run food operations are typically disallowed, we hoped that Betty would be grandfathered in, similar to the DB Cafe and Pi Tau Sigma’s bratwurst stand,” Pannuto wrote. “Unfortunately, the University administration has chosen not to grandfather Betty, and they’ve provided us with no information as to why, nor an avenue to appeal.”

In an interview, Pannuto said Chez Betty has had two meetings with the Provost’s office — one in October and one in December.

He said the Provost’s office called for the October meeting after learning of Chez Betty’s existence to determine whether or not to grandfather the facility. He said they wanted to understand how the organization operated.

It was also at this meeting that Pannuto and his team were made aware of the Food Service Planning Guidelines. He said they were told the office would get back to them after evaluating Chez Betty.

Pannuto said he did not hear back until early December when the Provost office scheduled another meeting. He said the meeting served to notify his team

that Chez Betty would be shut down.

“At that meeting, we started trying to press a little bit to understand why — what went into that decision — and it was pretty opaque,” he said.

Pannuto said they learned the Provost office had met with several other offices, including Financial Operations, and there were effectively “more no’s than yes’s.”

Since then, the Chez Betty organizers have been trying to meet with such offices to determine which ones oppose Chez Betty and how to potentially address such concerns. However, he said their actions haven’t made a difference.

In an email to the Daily, University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald wrote the Provost’s office and College of Engineering have been in talks with the students who run Chez Betty since last fall; he said students have known about its termination since fall.

“The students have known since fall that they would have to cease operations by the end of this academic year,” he wrote.

Fitzgerald reiterated the Food Service guidelines, explaining the service is not up to code.

“The establishment of Chez Betty does not comply with the university’s well-established process for assessing the need for food service in a university building,” he wrote. “The students are essentially operating a 24-7 convenience store in a student lounge without proper state licensing or regulation.”

He noted, however, that an “assessment of the need for 24-7 food options on North Campus is in the works.

Pannuto also noted the

FILE PHOTO/Daily

North Campus

importance of such an establishment on North Campus — where there is currently not 24-7 access to food. He said the University talks about fixing the problem but has yet to act.

“There is a lot of talk of, ‘We’re working on this, we’re looking into it,’ but there’s no action — there’s nothing actually opening,” he said.

“The only thing they’re actually doing is closing down the only 24-7 operation that exists.”

LSA junior Ritam Mehta spends a lot of time on North Campus with his computer science schedule. He said Chez Betty is necessary for students who study and have a lot of their classes in the Beyster building and on North Campus in general. When he heard Chez Betty was closing, he questioned where students on North will find affordable food.

“I was pretty disappointed and I was more than anything just kind of frustrated with the fact that on North Campus, it can be hard to find affordable dining

options especially because offcampus food is not incredibly accessible to people without cars,” he said. “North Campus dining options aren’t open 24/7 like Chez Betty is.”

LSA senior Allison Lahnalam, who also studies computer science, uses the facility frequently. She said she emailed the administrators whose contacts were provided in the Facebook post to express her concerns earlier on Wednesday.

She said Chez Betty provides a resource for students who might not have financial or food security.

“I know for me personally, it’s very, very helpful, in times when I’m very busy and I have a pretty low budget,” she said.

However, she said one thing she is particularly concerned about is no longer having access to the affordable feminine care products offered by Chez Betty.

“Another thing that is really important to me is that it provides, for the women engineers,

feminine care and it’s affordable, one of the most low-cost ways you can get it on North Campus,” she said. “It does a lot to show that the Engineering community cares about women when they have a service like that for us to be able to get [products] instead of us needing to go home or paying more than we should to get what we need.”

She said these products are much cheaper than they might be at U-GO’s, a convenience store managed by Michigan Dining.

According to Mehta, Chez Betty also gives engineers and others on North Campus a place to meet and make new friends over snacks.

“It’s something that’s special and it’s something that’s run by students and that’s really nice,” he said. “It has transformed the graduate lounge into an actual place where people spend time and get to know each other and talk to each other.”

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Fall 2017 — 11C

Seniors disappointed with bicentennial commencement plans

FILE PHOTO/Daily

University President Mark Schlissel speaks during the Winter Commencement at the Crisler Center in 2015.

By MATT HARMON Daily Staff Reporter

University of Michigan seniors have been expressing their dissatisfaction with the recent commencement announcement as there are no plans for a featured speaker. Many also believe the University is focusing too much on the bicentennial celebration instead of the graduating class of 2017.

The commencement speech will feature a multimedia project displaying current University faculty reading the words from previous speeches throughout the University’s history. Music, Theatre & Dance Prof. Malcolm Tulip, who is producing the exhibition, said the presentation will celebrate both the bicentennial and the

current graduates.

“For years now, we have become used to seeing great speeches and events on video,” Tulip said in a University press release. “In the early days of the university this documentation did not exist or was lost. This project assembles a series of excerpts from significant speeches from the university’s past.

In seven minutes, graduating students and their families will gain a sense of their place in the university and nation’s history.”

In the press release, Interim Provost Paul Courant said the bicentennial will not overshadow the students and their graduation.

“Graduation, as always, is principally about the academic achievements of the students who are graduating,” Courant

said. “We are pleased and proud to honor them and their achievements.”

Despite Courant’s statement, seniors were frustrated with the speech presentation.

LSA Student Government President Julia Gips, an LSA senior, wrote she was disappointed when the plan was originally mentioned back in October. She said LSA SG sent out a survey last semester to gauge student opinions on the announcement, and found some apprehension regarding the plans.

“After polling 500 students (both seniors and younger), we found that 61% were upset that commencement wouldn’t follow the traditional pattern of having a speaker,” Gips wrote. “I sent this information

to President Schlissel in November ... Unfortunately no changes were made to the original plan ... Ultimately, our big day is shaping up to be underwhelming.”

LSA senior Nick Suárez echoed Gips and wrote in an email interview the current plan is very lackluster and doesn’t show a dedication from the University to its graduates.

“It was definitely a huge slap in the face to all the grads,” Suárez wrote. “The commencement speaker is really the only aspect of the whole event that many people even care about, so this is just another way the university shows its students how little it cares about us as individuals.”

Education senior Maggie Cowles wrote going from past commencement speakers such

as former President Barack Obama and Michael Bloomberg to a recap of other speeches seems like a self-indulgent move from the University.

“I feel like we’ve spent four years building up to this, to our graduation, and hearing about all of these amazing speakers in the past,” Cowles wrote. “I’m from Ann Arbor, so I remember the year Obama came. I remember being so excited about who my graduation speaker would be, and anticipating it … It just really feels like the university is trying so hard to promote itself that it’s not at all concerned about what students actually want to see in commencement.”

Suárez wrote the tuition bill students have paid over their four years at the University merits a new speech for

graduation.

“Considering the amount of money paid and debt accrued by so many of us, to reach our culminating moment and not have something to look forward to with this event is disheartening honestly,” Suárez wrote.

Cowles added the University is prioritizing the bicentennial over its students, emphasizing she would be able to watch old footage of commencement speeches at home but her own graduation should be something new.

“Nobody wants to sit in the big house and watch a video clip of graduation addresses aimed at different years — we want our own speaker with … our own ceremony,” Cowles wrote. “It’s taking away a huge part of graduation that, honestly, is the only part of the whole-school graduation I was looking forward to.”

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Minority students disappointed in University’s response to bias incidents

By KAELA THEUT Daily Staff Reporter

When posters promoting white supremacy were found covering the walls of University of Michigan buildings on multiple occasions last fall, students, including Art & Design senior Keysha Wall, tore them down. When Islamophobic messages were chalked on the Diag last spring, a group of Muslim students were some of the first to grab rags and buckets of water to wash the messages off themselves.

As bias incidents continue to occur across campus despite University-wide emails denouncing the actions of the perpetrators, students have started to question the effectiveness of the way the administration responds to the attacks. Many have also called out University President Mark Schlissel for not adequately affirming his support for what they believe is minority students on campus.

Wall, a member of the University’s chapter of By Any Means Necessary, expressed her disappointment in the University’s response to the posters targeting minority groups on campus that occurred earlier this year. She believes the perpetuation of biasrelated incidents is contingent on the lack of administrative pushback against hate speech.

“We can say that these attacks began with the racist and fascist fliers that started going up last semester,” she said. “Every time they went up, it was students, myself included, who tore them down. During this, the University’s official statement was that they would take no action against ‘free speech,’ although I think we can all agree that what those fliers were expressing was hate speech, not free speech. And so the fliers continued to be put up.”

Despite students’ expressions of anger regarding the chalkings and posters, the University legally could not remove either, as they were posted in areas meant for the dissemination of information. If governmentfinanced state universities adopt speech codes preventing free speech, organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union argue such regulations violate the First Amendment and constitute government censorship.

University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said though the University cannot remove fliers or chalkings on the basis of content, it did remove the fliers from places where postings are not allowed. He further explained how, as a place of higher education, the University seeks to combat hateful speech through education.

“The general philosophy is that the First Amendment right is interpreted broadly, by us and by the courts, to mean all kinds of speech, including writings or posters or chalkings,” he said. “We believe that the best approach to combat speech that is hateful, or that we think is inappropriate or that we disagree with, is the use of more speech and education. The educational component is a really important part of our mission and our responsibility, to help educate

the young people and others who are part of our University community, and that’s a role we take very seriously.”

Fitzgerald noted if speech contains threats or promises of harm, the University and law enforcement can get involved. He also pointed to the University’s bias response team as a unique feature that not all schools have to combat bias incidents.

“If I threaten to do something, physical harm to you, that’s a threat and is dealt with differently than speech,” Fitzgerald said.

“Having a bias response team is not something that all campuses have, our own Division of Public Safety and Security and our own police force that is sensitive to and trains specifically for college campuses is not something that every campus has.”

In response to the racist poster incidents, student organization Students4Justice drafted a petition to Schlissel in September with a list of demands. These demands included requests for Schlissel to declare solidarity with students of color, schedule more office hours and time for students to voice their concerns to the president directly, and to display a Black Lives Matter flag — as means of addressing the humanity of Black students.

The petition was re-drafted in February after racist and anti-Semitic emails were sent out to University engineering and computer science students, and a prayer rug in the Shapiro reflection room was defiled.

Though the University released official statementscondemning the incidents, Wall believes administrators need to take more aggressive action in punishing the perpetrators.

“When those racist and antiSemitic emails went out, and students, outraged and scared, marched to President Schlissel’s front door, he asked what he should do, what the University should do, what we wanted him to do, about the situation,” Wall said. “But the fact of the matter is that his concern was a long time coming, because this was not a new situation. Each time the University has done nothing to protect its students from violence, racism and bigotry. They do two things: They are letting us know we don’t matter, and they are making it clear to racists and fascists and bigots that they won’t face any repercussions for harming students.”

Walls explained that one of the ways students can protect their rights, and the rights of vulnerable people on campus, is to protest — even if the University opposes their methods. She affirmed how powerful students can be when they come together.

“Student strikes and protests are incredibly powerful,” she said. “I often think that we lose sight of the sheer amount of power we as the student body have when influencing what goes on here on campus, and also in the rest of the nation. Right now, we need to continue fighting for our most vulnerable peoples, especially undocumented students.

We must also set the example for the University and the rest of the nation, and we cannot wait to only

do so if the University gives us the OK to protest.”

Other social groups have attempted to harness the power of student activism. In an October meeting in the Michigan Union, Students4Justice leader Vikrant Garg, a Public Health student, said the administration needs to acknowledge the large amount of emotional and physical labor student activists put into their work.

He also explained how, through student activism, Students4Justice attained a space in the Union to organize and reflect after meeting with Schlissel.

“We looked at the administration to be people who are receptive to student activism and student influences, and open to change,” Garg said. “There is a lot of unpaid emotional, physical and academic labor from students of color and other marginalized students on this campus — so this space that was created, was created in response to student activism on this campus and that has yet to be acknowledged by the administration.”

To show their disappointment in the administration’s response to recent bias incidents, members of Students4Justice have called for more protests as well — the most recent being the Campus Day Silent Protest on Feb. 17.

This event was coupled with the release of a document titled, “Letter to President Schlissel #SchlisselWYA,” which voiced the group’s dissatisfaction with Schlissel for not answering its demands or voicing solidarity with its cause.

The group expressed frustration that Schlissel responded to a petition from supporters of President Donald Trump last fall who stated they did not feel safe on campus, but has not yet responded to their demands for a more inclusive campus.

“When our demands were first presented to you over dinner, the demands were glossed over and forgotten,” the letter reads.

“Interestingly enough, according to your post-election interview with NPR in Fall of 2016, you reached out to the students who supported President Donald Trump after a simple Google document, #NotMyCampus, was sent out. It is very frustrating as an activist to not be acknowledged despite the time we dedicate to change on this campus for marginalized groups, whereas it takes a single Google document for primarily white students with oppressive opinions to grasp your attention.”

The letter also criticized Schlissel’s lack of understanding regarding his role of power in the University, and accused him of relying completely on his Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion plan — released last October — to avoid discussions of race.

“You need to understand your own identities and the power you have in creating a culture that is not oppressive for marginalized students,” the letter reads.

“Instead, you lean on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan to prove your commitment to diversity.”

The DEI plan was put into place with the goal of achieving

a diverse and inclusive campus over the next five years, through initiatives including the increase of staff diversity, retention of under-privileged students and the assurance of equal compensation for all races, genders and identities.

The overall plan comprises 49 unit plans created by all school, colleges and departments at the University. Two student panels consisting of 25 undergraduate and graduate students each convene every month to discuss new strategies and ideas with DEI leaders.

Fitzgerald noted the plan was conceived as a sort of “groundup initiative,” and students are still encouraged to voice their ideas and opinions to improve its quality.

“The plan was intended from the very beginning to be one that is updated and evolved; it was never thought:‘Here’s the five year plan, follow that and we will see you in five years,’ ” he said. “Updates and adjustments along the way are expected, and student input is critically important to that effort.”

In an interview earlier this month, Chief Diversity Officer Rob Sellers, vice provost for equity and inclusion, explained that though the plan can’t prevent individual hateful incidents on campus, it will, over a period of time, create a more inclusive environment.

“We have a whole lot of incidents that are sparks, and these sparks are being thrown on a floor that is full of gasoline, and so these fires are raging,” he said. “(We) cannot prevent the sparks. What the DEI is trying to do is create an environment where those sparks do not lead to explosions and fires. The fact of the matter is it’s going to take a while before we see all of the changes.”

Wall believes though the plan appears cohesive and proactive on the surface, it does not address how the University responds to bias incidents — one of the core concerns of groups such as BAMN and Students4Justice.

“I think one of the main problems with the DEI plan is that it mainly outlines more ways in which the University will ‘look into’ racist and biased/ bigoted events,” Wall said.

“Many of the points highlight looking at numbers, doing surveys or opening more lines for people to report bigoted events. These things seem proactive on the surface, but the fact is the problem has never been the need for more accurate numbers, or the University not knowing about the issues that have been plaguing the campus; the problem has always been how the University responds to these incidents.”

Wall explained the importance of ensuring students of color, LGBTQ students and immigrant students feel safe and a part of a diverse, inclusionary campus.

“We cannot be indecisive or weak in our actions now, and it is absolutely the onus of the University to prove that these are values that it upholds,” she said.

Dreamers and disrupters zone in on public health at TEDxUofM

By TIM COHN and KAELA THEUT Daily News Editor and Daily Staff Reporter

Wednesday night at the Power Center, eight diverse speakers — including University of Michigan professors and international artists — discussed their unique visions for societal change and growth as a part of the annual student-run TEDxUofM event.

More than 1,000 students and residents filled the auditorium to hear the speakers’ ideas regarding the conference theme: dreamers and disruptors. The speakers covered a wide array of topics including cancer research, multiculturalism in a globalized world and educational reform.

One event organizer, LSA sophomore Hannah French, noted the theme’s aim is to cause introspection among the audience.

“So basically what we were thinking is when you’re setting out with an idea and you’re trying to make this positive change in the world, people are doing this usually in one of two ways — they’re either dreaming big or they’re trying to disrupt the status quo,” French said. “The theme encourages the audience to question whether they are a dreamer or a disruptor and how they can use that in their everyday lives.”

Among event attendees, it was this exposure to new ideas and the opportunity to engage in selfreflection on their applicability in daily life that attracted many to go to TEDxUofM. One such event-goer, Engineering senior Rachel Wallace, said events like TEDx bring people together and promote the sharing of different ideas, experiences and cultures. She further explained that

the conference prompts people to break out of their social groups, and spend time face-to-face with new people.

“I think events like this are great because it gives you an opportunity to hear about a lot of different ideas, often different from your own,” Wallace said. “… Also the interaction around you and collaborating, you know people tend to stay within their own groups, and it’s a way to break out of that shell and interact with people face to face who are different than you, meet new people, which I think we don’t do that enough, so TEDx really leverages all the cool ideas, research and experiences.”

The event led off with a talk

by Koen Vanmechelen, a Belgian conceptual artist who pioneered the Cosmopolitan Chicken Research Project — an artistic and scientific study that works to crossbreed different species chickens from around the world. According to Vanmechelen, the chicken is a metaphor for the phenomenon of globalization and diversity.

Vanmechelen noted that he believes his message will hold more relevance with an American audience than a Belgian one, because of the country’s current state of racial division.

“In the beginning, the talk is all chickens,” Vanmechelen said.

“You know, it can be funny, then the talk is built up, and after a little while everyone realize how serious it is. What is happening with this country is the content of my talk, and I like it.”

Caitlin Holman, game designer and co-founder of GradeCraft, centered her talk around diversity of a different kind — the issue of intellectual diversity, and how educators can better improve their classrooms.

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ARTS

MUSIC

Fall 2017 — 1D

TV

Vince Staples confirms single, lays out On its second run, ‘Master of vision, and ponders ‘activism’

By MATT GALLATIN Daily Music Editor

In an interview with the Daily, Long Beach rapper, Vince Staples, has confirmed his just announced project “Bagbak,” set for Friday, will be a single.

“A song, nothing too crazy,” he said.

But Staples also hinted at more to come, teasing that fans “should always be expecting something.”

“Especially now in the space we’re working in, I think it’s time to start releasing music again,” he said.

At this point, Staples has practically wiped his online presence clean. The once prolific Tweeter (and Twitterarguer) has been increasingly quiet on the site, hardly posting save for the occasional release update or tour announcement.

The last refuge of his presence — a few aesthetic photos of Michael Jackson on his Instagram, and some shots with friends — has now been entirely scrubbed, leaving just five pictures, all related to official releases. It could be compared to the Beyoncé approach to the Internet: Be there, but barely.

For Staples, social media has become a distraction, particularly for artists. His increasing disappearance online, he says, isn’t a move away from the music scene, but rather toward it: “The crazy thing about it is that the songs are now a replacement for social media,” Staples said. “You know a lot of people are doing it the other way around. To me, that’s against the point.”

The problem, he says, is not with the existence of social media. It’s with the level of intense inf luence that these mediums are increasingly having and the realignment of priorities at the hands of Twitter and Instagram.

“We’ve gotten to a lifestyle where people aren’t really buying and investigating music, they’re buying and investigating, you know, the people who make the music, their lifestyle, their ‘culture,’” he said. “I hate that word, but it’s just the truth of it. So it’s easy to lose sight of what we’re supposed to be doing. We create music, so that’s what we’re going to do.”

It’s an interesting take, particularly in a world cluttered with self-generated content, curation and

connection. With rappers now using Twitter and Instagram as one of the ultimate methods — if not the ultimate — of publicity and fan outreach, the move is a break from the norm.

When asked about the direction of his new single, and pressed on a possible new project, Staples gave a strong, but cryptic vision: “I guess you could say we’re doing the same direction — we’re trying to do as much as we can to make, you know, as big an impact as we can,” he said.

He explained impact, whether good or bad, is what’s most important to him. It’s the feeling, the change from before exposure to after exposure, that he strives for.

“We want to try to alter their life for the better, or for the worse. Just have an effect on people,” he said.

The Life Aquatic Tour, featuring opener Kilo Kish, comes to Detroit’s Majestic Theatre on March 23. It will be Staples’s first to headline, and it will ride the success of his EP Prima Donna, released August 2016 and his acclaimed debut album Summertime ’06, released June 2015.

Staples laid out his vision for the tour, emphasizing the familial and intimate.

“I want it to be where they can bring their moms out, and their moms will have a good time. Whether it be their grandmothers, their kids — someone who has no understanding of the music — and make a good show,” he said.

He used the film industry as an analogy, seeing his show like a movie: “When you look at films, you don’t know anything about a film but a trailer,” Staples said. “So it’s up to the quality of the work to impress you and make you come away with something that you feel like is amazing. There’s a part in a movie when you see it in the theatre where you’re like, woah, I love this thing, it’s a new experience. And I want to bring that theatrical element.

It’s walking in blindly, and walking out fulfilled.”

Staples has oft been grouped into the vague category of “activist” rappers, on account of his bleak, hyper-realistic lens of the world as a Black man (“Niggas battle with the judge like the gavel got a grudge,” from his track “Pimp Hand”), and for his biting, sharp critique of

systematic oppression in his community. In an interlude on “Like It Is,” from Staples’s powerful Summertime ’06, he ruminates: “At the end of the day I feel like the problem is the people that control it don’t really come from here, so they can’t do nothing but look down on us.”

But Staples is less an activist than a storyteller. His goal isn’t to actively assert himself in the conversation, but to create awareness.

“Me, I’m not an activist at all,” Staples said. “I don’t, you know, know what I’m fighting for. I don’t know of a point once where I’ve ever really stood up and said, like, ‘this is what I’m fighting for, these are the rights I’m concerned about.’”

From this, he makes a latent public bias clear. He doesn’t see his observations and storytelling as political, but rather simple human morality.

The idea that rapping is largely political is one that he questions with racial overtones and puts back to the public.

The reason it’s interpreted as so, he says, isn’t on his hands, but those who read it that way.

“I feel like whenever you’re an artist or a musician, specifically a Black male from the urban structure, people are surprised by the fact that you have morals sometimes, and that’s just how they differentiate,” he said. “By you having morals, that puts you in the box of being an activist, or a ‘positive’ rapper, a ‘conscious’ rapper or things like that. That just shows what we’re meant to example.”

This, he said, creates a skewed understanding by the public.

“People have a false sense of reality,” Staples said. “If we have an irregularity in where we come from, people see that and they’re like ‘oh that’s probably for a cause, or they’re highlighting things, so they’re an activist.’”

Staples doesn’t see his personal explorations of Blackness and oppression as a form of “activism” or “conscientiousness.” That, he says, requires active work: “Martin Luther King was an activist. I’m not that at all,” he said. “People were out there campaigning, or changing the election. Even Colin Kapernick — people donating money and starting classes and workshops. You know, like Black Lives Matter, these are activists. I haven’t done those things, so I’m not worthy of

that title.”

It’s an important bias to point out, that discussing poverty, Blackness, etc. automatically makes us assume a political agenda. Even in the most progressive, tolerant communities, we often refer to rappers as hyper-political or radical. But many, like Staples, are simple observers of their own experience as Black individuals in impoverished neighborhoods. Is this actually political, or are we forging that narrative? Why should human rights be progressive and politicized at all?

Staples’s point is a powerful one. If he tells a story of a friend shot on the block, pointing out that insanity, it seems strange that we must divide ourselves into sides on the issue. Blackness, Staples makes clear, has been politicized and sensationalized, and not necessarily through its own agency.

But he doesn’t excuse himself from this epidemic.

“I’ve had a lot of things that, I’ve had a lot music that I consider to be hurtful to who I am as a person, to my home overall,” he said.

These are the musings of what might be known as a kind of “inward” rap; a stronger focus on the expression of personal experience — and the feelings — of the Black condition. The comparison to Earl Sweatshirt, whom Staples is constantly associated with, sheds further light on this. They both possess a similarly pensive, dark style and rather than use their platform to emulate the braggadocio tradition of ’90s rap (Reasonable Doubt, The Chronic), they look within, discussing depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts with a hopeless-addled drawl.

These are personal ref lections of a systematic problem. While rapping has nearly always done this to some extent, and even more so after the f loodgate-opening that was Kanye West’s 808s and Heartbreak, this new class, including the likes of Isaiah Rashad and Kendrick Lamar, still feels like a particular movement with its explicit references to mental health and the struggles accompanying.

So when asked about his progression, and ultimately his end goal, Staples was characteristically inward: “I didn’t imagine anything, so I’m fine with anything.”

None’ is warm, introspective and emotional

By ANAY KATYAL Managing Arts Editor

Empathy. It’s a badge that “Master of None” wears with pride throughout its second season.

While the show’s first run has been continually lauded for its keen ability to dissect the simultaneously absurd and depressing tropes of modern millennial life, it also had a tendency to adhere to a rather stale thematic formula for our protagonist, Dev (Aziz Ansari, “Parks and Recreation”), to convey his malaise and misgivings about his professional, familial and romantic future. That isn’t to say that the tried-and-true sitcomesque format that co-creators Alan Yang and Ansari tried to employ throughout the first season was objectively bad — far from it, really.

For what the season was — at its simplest form, a method of living vicariously through a young man’s path toward self-discovery and purpose — the format found itself at home. But for the considerably bolder direction that Ansari and Yang sought to further move Dev’s story in, it was only fitting that the show’s second iteration graduated to something grander. Hell, Season two’s opener essentially fashions itself as a modern parody of early20th century Italian film “Bicycle Thieves” — black and white filmography and all.

Auteur-ish creative liberties aside, the tone the program aims to set becomes obvious fairly early-on. While the program’s first season covered the ingrained anxieties that come with the journey towards (in the very least, the concept of ) becoming an “adult,” its second season makes it a point to highlight the very real social and mental anguish of modern-day adulthood rarely explored in television. The Dev Shah of Season one is a confused actor who doesn’t really know what he wants out of his life, but the Dev Shah of Season two is thrust with very real, difficult decisions and compromises he has to make to stay on the longterm path he finally manages to start forging for himself.

What Dev wants and what Dev needs are rarely the same thing,

and these quandaries fashion themselves a pointed illustration of what adulthood in today’s day and age can actually look like.

There are laughs, there are jokes — but there are also very real moments of mental grief that can speak to most viewers’ everyday experiences as adults, regardless of creed or color.

These themes are explored in a variety of directions throughout the season — and the multifaceted cast Ansari and Yang employ to illustrate these themes manages to instill an overarching sense of empathy that permeates throughout the program as well. In “New York, I Love You,” a vignette of storylines involving a deaf biracial couple, a group of African taxi drivers and an overworked Manhattan high rise doorman intersect in a way that sees audiences experience familiar emotions from perspectives they’re rarely afforded exposure to. In the poignant “Thanksgiving,” Denise (Lena Waithe, “Transparent”), a childhood friend of Dev’s, and her mother are shown to slowly come to terms with each other’s differences in personality and identity over the course of a decade of Thanksgiving dinners.

Both episodes are the strongest exercise in Ansari and Yang’s creative liberties, and considering the stories they told (and the audience takeaways), they make for gems that represent what much of the rest of the season is all about.

All in all, “Master of None” provides no antidote for these very real modern conundrums.

You’d be mistaken in thinking that was its purpose, though.

The program shows that such dilemmas are genuine and real, and happen to families of color, to young adults, to geriatrics, to gay and straight individuals alike. The program provides no real resolution for its overarching storyline, but its conclusion functions as an exercise in audacity — and it pays off. Ansari and Yang show no hesitance in posing difficult questions in every corner of the show, but it doesn’t seem as if they’re attempting to provide answers. If anything, “Master of None” shows us that coming to an answer may not nearly be as important as dwelling on the question.

COMMUNITY CULTURE

Roxane Gay gives powerful discussion about new book

By NISA KHAN Summer Editor in Cheif

“What you need to know is that my life is split in two, cleaved not so neatly. There is the before and the after. Before I gained weight. After I gained weight. Before I was raped.

After I was raped.”

“I began to eat to change my body. I was willful in this.”

Renowned writer Roxane Gay presented her new book, “Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body,” to a crowd of over a thousand gathered in Hill Auditorium this past Friday, where she discussed her process writing the difficult moments of her life as well as the social faults in approaching weight and sexault assault.

The event was hosted by Literati Bookstore. According to event organizers, “Hunger” is already the store’s bestselling book. Gay is well known for her series of essays titled “Bad Feminist” and her novel “Ayiti,” and she is the first Black female lead author for Marvel in a Black Panther series “Wakanda.”

“So I have a new book out called ‘Hunger.’ Because I’m a masochist,” she said. “But

really, this is a book about my body. Often times when you are overweight, or fat, your body becomes a public text, and people project a lot of bullshit about your body. A lot of things like why you’re fat, why you don’t lose weight, and so with this book, I wanted to redescribe the narrative of my own body. To tell the story about my body in my own words.”

Two passages were read from “Hunger.” One is about her time with her physical trainer — “I have a membership to Planet Fitness, although I have never visited. Basically I donate $19.99 to Planet Fitness every month,” Gay said.

The other is her search for and imagining the confrontation with the man who assaulted her years later. Gay was 12 years old when her classmate, along with several other boys, raped her.

“I Googled him when I wrote this book. I don’t know why.

Or I do,” she read. “I sat for hours, staring at his picture on the webpage on his company’s website. It nauseates me. I can smell him.”

She admits that writing “Hunger,” revealing her

vulnerabilities, made the process much more difficult than her previous work. Gay explained writing usually comes more naturally to her — therefore, the hesitancy she was facing in writing “Hunger” was a new experience.

“I am used to words coming quickly. With this book... when I was trying to figure out the scope of this book, I thought and thought and thought. When I got somewhere where it made me uncomfortable, I would stop,” Gay said. “And so there was nothing to write, because there was nothing going on in my head at all. And so ‘I don’t want to go there.’ And so, I found myself forcing myself to go to those places I did not want to go.”

“Oh my God, it was just coming out in the most painful paragraphs. And for me, it was a foreign experience. Usually it’s great, but this was just shitty paragraph after shitty paragraph. I kept looking at it like, ‘Who is this person?’”

While the new memoir revealed much of Gay’s personal thoughts, she also set up borders for topics she would stray away from such as details

about her relationships or some of her experiences.

“I really stick to my gut where my boundaries are concerned...

I remind myself, I am allowed to have boundaries,” she said.

“I am allowed to tell people ‘no,’ even though they are good people. You don’t have to give people everything they want.”

“Hunger” was delayed, forcing Gay to write it faster.

“It was just difficult. I think facing yourself is difficult,” she said. “Looking at your body and looking at all of the baggage I have been carrying along with being fat, baggage that is not mine to carry but I carried nonetheless, was challenging... It was worth the delay. Anything I would have put out June 2016 would have been mediocre at best.”

One audience member, who said she was nervous in writing a memoir on a similar topic, asked if Gay had any fear of her attacker’s retaliation. Gay explained she kept all of the details of the assault vague and used pseudonyms.

“Lastly, I would say that we often fear retaliation, and it’s totally understandable... one of the things you can try to do

is look that fear for what it is and try not to let that fear be an obstacle to writing what needs to be written,” she answered.

Reactions to weight were a central point of discussion — especially the term “fat”, and how it has been fashioned to become an insult.

“What they are conceiving is that ‘fat’ is an insult. That I am insulting myself,” she said.

However, Gay finds the term “overweight” to be worse — implying that there is a normal weight. “Obese” or other medical terms have also left her with negative experience from doctors.

“As a fat, Black woman, I am sometimes degendered. I am called ‘sir.’ Every day, I am called ‘sir.’ Which is weird, because I have huge boobs. It’s just like, they are magnificent,” she said, explaining the conception that being fat takes away femininity.

“There is always this cultural baggage in this intersection of Blackness and fatness. And, it’s challenging. It’s really challenging... But I find that the Black community tends to be far more accepting of body diversity.”

Throughout the event,

Gay was also asked about her opinions on the new Black Panther trailer (“It was so sexy.”), the current Bachelorette season (thrilled to see “31 mediocre white men” court an exceptional Black woman.

“It’s about goddamn time.”

“Collectively, those 31 dudes make half a good man.”), and the adaptation of the Handmaiden’s Tale (one of Gay’s favorite books, according to an audience member.

Gay said she loved the first episode, but stopped watching in disbelief after hearing the cast say it wasn’t a feminist work) As the event neared an end, Gay was asked how many users she blocked on her active, famous Twitter (her bio: “If you clap, I clap back.”): over 2,700 users. “I block people every single day.

Because people are trash.”

When asked if “Hunger” allowed some healing, Gay explained that in the beginning of writing, she would have said “no,” as she had to look at difficult stages of her life.

“I feel now I am finally in a position in my life to truly move forward in a way I haven’t been before,” she said. “So yes, it turns out that writing this book was healing.”

2D — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

MUSIC

TV

An imperfect ending

By BEN ROSENSTOCK Daily TV/New Media Columnist

I’m not going to compare my college graduation to the series finale of a TV show.

It’s common knowledge that everyone who likes TV sees their own life as a TV show. We see ourselves as the protagonist of an indie movie, complete with romantic subplots and a built-in coming-of-age narrative. If you’re a person who watches a lot of TV, it’s impossible to avoid looking at graduation — whether it’s from high school or college or med school or anything — as a series finale of sorts.

That’s how it was for me during my senior year of high school, anyway. I knew relatively early on where I’d be going to college the following year, and that allowed me to experience most of the year as sentimentally as possible. I hung out with my friends all the time, savoring the time I had left with them. I wrote heartfelt notes on the back of wallet-size senior pictures and told people what they meant to me, even wrote full letters to some as they left to move into their new dorms. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I actually tabulated a list of my friends, complete with schedules of how often to keep in contact with them based on what ‘friendship tier’ they fit in. My very closest friends belonged in the ‘talk to every week’ category, while my good friends were ‘text every two to four weeks,’ and my vague tertiary friends were ‘text every now and then.’ I thought I could keep a strict schedule in order to maintain my various high school friendships.

Of course, that didn’t happen. I think I failed the first week I moved away. As I would learn over the course of college, and as I’m still learning now, endings can never be perfect. Closure isn’t always possible, and sometimes things must come to an end without a tidy resolution. The end of college is, of course, also the beginning of something new and exciting, but

it’s wrong to pretend it isn’t the end of something important and irreplaceable.

My senior year of college has been imperfect in a way that high school never was. The pressure of post-grad plans has hung over everyday life like an ominous cloud, preventing me from fully feeling the weight of everything, from processing the fact that it’s all actually ending. Besides, college endings are weird and anticlimactic — back in middle school, on the last day of school, we’d all sign each other’s yearbooks, and at least in high school we all had the same last day of school, the same prom, the same graduation date. In college, people all move out at different times depending on their final exam schedules and their summer plans.

There’s no climactic day when you can deliver your perfect goodbye to everyone you care about.

Last night, I watched the series finale of “Girls.” “Girls” has never precisely been about college, but the journey Hannah Horvath (Lena Dunham, “Tiny Furniture”) goes on seems to parallel my own, in some ways. It’s a coming-of-age story about a young woman whose perspective of the world and herself shifts over the years. I started watching “Girls” the summer before its third season aired, which also meant the summer before college began for me. It feels fitting that the show is coming to an end just as my college experience comes to an end.

The series finale of “Girls” was an anticlimactic affair, filled with low-key moments of connection and growth. If “Girls” had a bombastic ending with massive leaps of character development, it’d be disingenuous to the spirit of the show, which has always been concerned with emotional realism. The closest “Girls” got to a traditional sitcom ending, complete with satisfying emotional catharsis, was actually the penultimate episode. And even that was hardly conventional — sure, all four of the main characters appeared onscreen

for the first time in more than a year, but the scene ended with them decisively ending their friendship.

These women have outgrown each other, and the show is bold enough to suggest that they were never there for each other in the first place.

Many times this past year, I’ve craved big moments of finality, sappy reminiscing sessions with friends and huge personal revelations, like the crowd-pleasing series finales of shows like “Friends,” “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation.”

I’ve managed to have a couple.

One night at a party I bonded with my friend Sam, talking honestly about heartbreak when the only things we’d really talked about before that were TV and movies. A week ago, I spent a full day with my close friend Shev, hammocking in the breezy spring weather and just talking for hours. My fantasy this year was to have a day like that with each of my friends, a day after which I could safely feel like we’d given our friendships the attention they deserved.

But I’m sensing the end of college, in reality, will be more like the finale of “Girls.” In “Girls,” Hannah didn’t reach perfect moments of closure with most of the characters. She made peace, to a degree, with her ex-boyfriend Adam and her ex-best friend Jessa, but it’s unlikely they’ll ever be close again. She almost completely forgot about her old friend Shoshanna, and her friendship with Elijah will remain long-distance as long as he’s pursuing showbiz fame in New York City. She hasn’t talked to her ex-coworker Ray since she awkwardly tried to give him road head and he crashed the truck.

Even her best friend Marnie is still self-centered, helping Hannah raise her baby just to give her own life meaning.

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

‘More Life’ — A playlist review

by The Daily Arts Firm

By SAL DIGIOIA Daily Arts Writer

“Baby, it never gets old and that’s just how it goes.”

This line is rapped with subtlety on “Do Not Disturb,” the final track of Drake’s new “playlist” / official-studioproject More Life, which was released on Saturday. It acts as a simple bridge between other epic bars that are clearly more intended to turn into viral “tweet-ables,” but it’s Drake’s most honest lyric on the project, vividly capturing his signature charm in one snippy, circular expression.

Why is Aubrey Graham — now almost a full decade into his construction of the Drake caricature — still trying to coin trends (“playlist,” “blem”), fend off non-threatening rappers (Meek Mill, Tory Lanez) and establish pre-meditated hype for his next release (“I’ll be back 2018 to to give you the summary”)? Because it never gets old. That’s just how it goes.

At least, it has been so far for Drake.

More Life doesn’t bring anything particularly new to Drake’s discography: Though his lingo has (controversially) expanded to include some exotic slang, the project’s soundscape is still defined (across 22 whole tracks) by big trap drums, “chipmunk” soul samples and islandinspired pop dives. It plays something like a walk-through of his greatest hits, re-creating within their well-tested spaces in a way that’s guaranteed to produce in-character anthems.

“Madiba Riddim” inherits rhythms from “Controlla” much like “Get It Together” takes its concept from “Take Care.” “Gyalchester” shares unique similarities with the

“The Language.” “Free Smoke” would fit in fine on If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, just as “Jorja Interlude” would on Nothing Was The Same.

“Nothings Into Somethings” could be an interlude on So Far Gone. The project’s grand finale, “Do Not Disturb,” is the most obviously sequential of them all, its proper title (“7AM In Germany”) arriving as a lyrical anecdote to ensure that it’s attached, at least spiritually, to Drake’s ongoing series of “freestyles.”

For this reason, many will dismiss More Life as a stagnant release, but that’s too easy of an assessment for a Drake project, especially after all of his lofty predictions have come to blossom. For a singsongy rapper whose main shtick is a sharp smile coupled with slick, boastful wordplay, things truly could not have worked out any better: Mixtape Drake turned into a superstar. Now his braggadocio is at least warranted, his shots that much louder and more chilling.

Alas, still trapped in the same self-indulgent role that he’s inhabited since we met him, Aubrey Graham performs all over the world on More Life, boasting the even-more glamorous luxuries of his most recent commercial success (Views), and taking another expectable turn at curating the future tastes of hiphop fans. He brings out friends, some of whom now stem from different continents, and tiptoes on tracks that inherently feel like their creations, branding the songs as October’s Very Own’s in an expectable tradition that their artists still seem to be weirdly appreciative of.

Yet, More Life will be remembered as the beginning of a comedown, the visible, tangible, downloadable conclusion to a past chapter of hip-hop wherein

“Drake-featuring-Drake” was a sure-fire recipe for a rap hit, and during which every other artist’s feature felt somehow less relevant.

On already-massive hits “Portland” and “Ice Melts,” Quavo and Young Thug outshine him immensely, each adding some extra excitement to the project’s release (which, for the first time in a long time, Drake might have actually needed).

“Sacrifices” sounds like something we would normally expect to hear on a 2 Chainz album, and Drake feels similarly transplanted onto his tracks with Giggs (“No Long Talk,” “KMT”), both of which seem like somewhat forced collaborations (despite their abilities to rattle speakers on command).

Songs from Sampha (“4422”) and Skepta (“Skepta Interlude”) are also included, neither of which feature Drake, but both of which shine on their own terms.

No guest, however, manages to outshine Kanye West. His co-produced experiment, “Glow,” is an odd electro-duet on which he and Drake go back-and-forth in a desperate attempt to be iconic, the perfect pair, and it will surely have its credibility debated by rap fans for a while.

The solo Drake cuts on More Life, as usual, have their own ways of making themselves relevant.

“Passionfruit” became a guaranteed dance f loor sensation the moment that it landed on Beats Radio1 airwaves, and though it may sound strikingly similar to some former Drake hits, just re-packaged and finer tuned for his now multi-faceted fanbase, no one has seemed too hung up on this fact in the days since its release.

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Fall 2017 — 3D

B-SIDE

Trump parody accounts link political patterns to famous film

By DANIEL HENSEL Daily Film Editor

President-elect Donald Trump’s unique penchant for tweeting — and his distinct, brash style on that platform — has proven to be ripe for parody.

But unlike that of Alec Baldwin on “Saturday Night Live,” which requires excellent acting in real time, plus all the production that accompanies it, Trumpian parodies on Twitter are essentially democratic; they only require an Internet connection and a working knowledge of pithy exclamations.

During and after the election, when it seemed Trump’s tweets alone gained as much media attention as all his opponents combined, Trump parodies and complements became something of a cottage industry.

Not all parody accounts, though, are created equal. Many that have spread virally are steeped in pop culture, and film in particular.

For Jimmy Lynch, a 32-year-old cycle courier from London, Trump’s tweet this past December attacking the magazine Vanity Fair after it negatively reviewed a restaurant in one of his towers spawned the creation of @Trump_Is_Hip. The account has over 5,000 followers and has provided Trump-esque criticism of various facets of pop culture.

“I think parody accounts help people laugh at the absurdity and hypocrisy of politics,” wrote Lynch in a private message on Twitter.

The most popular tweet to date from @Trump_Is_Hip was posted on January 4: “People say the movie E.T. is a classic but he entered the country ILLEGALLY and also wore a child’s dress! Not good!”

Lynch uses his Twitter

account to project an image of an “uncultured” Trump. He revealed, “I thought tweeting about pop culture as Trump would be funny because he’s soon to be president, he’s mad as fuck, and I thought it would be funny if all he did was tweet about films and books and bands, mostly because I don’t imagine he has any interest in that stuff.”

Twitter parodies serve as a potentially powerful form of modern political discourse. The details of politicians’ personal lives used to be concealed behind front-facing policies. Now, they’re not only widely discussed, but often used by voters to make their choices as well. Lynch embraces the role his account may play.

“Copying Trump’s style of tweeting means that it is hard for people to tell which account is actually him when they’re scanning through their timeline,” Lynch wrote.

That conflation of parody and truth — and its accompanying power — is troubling for Tom Hunt, a 25-year-old aspiring lawyer who created Emperor Trumpatine (@RealTrumpatine) with his friend, Daniel Bogre Udell, also 25, and director at Wikitongues, which serves as a platform for global languages. The account depicts the arch-villain in the “Star Wars” anthology, Emperor Palpatine, as a Trumplike figure. One was visiting the other during the primary season last spring when they began recognizing similarities between the candidate and the character.

“I don’t think parody accounts should play any role in shaping anyone’s politics,” Hunt wrote in a private message over Twitter.

“The parody account is just that — parody — and anyone who uses it to inform themselves of actual news I think is doing themselves and the country a disservice.”

Bogre Udell disagrees. The

type of parody the two create “can play a role in political discourse — in pointing out hypocrisies, highlighting the absurd, and speaking truth to power,” he wrote. “As the saying goes, ‘good satire punches up.’”

For Hunt, his parody is less political than his peers.

“Some people might read into it that we’re trying to deliver some subliminal message that Trump is going to be an emperor or dictator,” he wrote. “That’s not how I see it at all.”

Hunt and Bogre Udell believe that mimicking Trump’s defining brash tone is key. According to Hunt, Trump’s “brashness and constant need to respond to critics add to the absurdity and humor of this evil Star Wars villain acting similarly brash and ‘sensitive’ if you will.”

The duo is particularly adept at copying that style. When Trump started to appropriate the term “fake news” (see his January 12 tweet: “.@CNN is in a total meltdown with their FAKE NEWS because their ratings are tanking since election and their credibility will soon be gone!”), their account tweeted later that day: “Jedi Council is in total meltdown with their FAKE PROPHECIES because their powers are tanking (clouded)&their credibility will soon be gone!”

The mass appeal of the “Star Wars” franchise, Hunt and Bogre Udell wrote, is what makes their form of parody so popular.

Its followership is bipartisan and its world-construction is “sprawling,” allowing an endless supply of material so long as Trump keeps being Trump.

Ironically, one of the most popular of the Trump parody accounts is @ArtHouseTrump, with over 24,000 followers, in which Donald Trump participates in rather niche film discussion.

B-SIDE

A Night For Us: ‘Love, as Actvism’

By NATALIE ZAK Managing Arts Editor

There’s a small episcopal church that resides on East Huron Street that few remark upon when passing it. It goes unnoticed for the most part, its plain demeanor disguising itself within the rows and rows of college residences. But this church, strangely enough, has a been a home for generations of students passing through the University of Michigan, where jazz students and regional bands alike have gathered to perform, celebrate, study and — most importantly — eat.

Canterbury House has seen the likes of Neil Young and Janis Joplin grace its interior since its inception over fifty years ago, and today features musical series highlighting artists from within the university and beyond. But according to School of Music, Theatre & Dance sophomore Alexis Lombre, something was still missing from Canterbury and from the University as a whole at the beginning of the year: community. A community for artists of color and a community to break down the academic barriers of SMTD — this is what Lombre strived to create, and what she has only started to this year.

“Each program within the school is kind of segregated; actors hang with actors; jazz musicians hang with the jazz musicians; vocalists spend time with vocalists,” Lombre said in a phone interview. “I wanted a space where we could bring everyone together; you could throw some creative writers in there, just have some people of color who just like the arts, and have a community.”

But to create this community, she had to start somewhere. After the chaplain of the episcopal center offered up the space to

Lombre this past fall, she took advantage of it and put on the first “A Night for Us: Colorful Soul.” For the first two months, however, participation was sparse, but turnout was not.

She paid for expenses out of pocket and negotiated student performances through her own means, but welcomed crowds to the events; this fledgling series, as she quickly found out, had an eager audience.

And then it took off. Come November, participation doubled and from Lombre’s desire for a community for artists of color at the University sprang the group Artists of Color in Ann Arbor.

Both a way to receive money and bolster the impact of the series, this group has only begun to foster the much needed support network between artists of color at the University, a community Lombre found noticeably absent her freshman year.

“It’s a different type of attitude that I’d like to see here in Ann Arbor, a place where people really have a place for artists of color to hangout and for people of color to just be themselves,” Lombre said. “Because there are a lot of initiatives that are kind of … stocky. There’s a room with lighting that’s awkward because it still feels like I’m in school, and nobody wants that.

Nobody actually wants to hang out at school. You want to go out somewhere.”

But the music is only one part of the soul. The food is the other, vital part.

“That’s why we always have soul food there; soul food just brings a different type of attitude instead of having plates of cheese and crackers and shrimp cocktails,” she said.

It’s this transformation from stocky to soulful, tense to chill that creates the unique atmosphere of Lombre’s series.

Community, especially a

welcoming one, invites a kind of electric relaxation between friends and strangers alike.

Which is Lombre’s goal ultimately — to foster an environment that supports artists and people of color through music, food and groove.

“I think this event is a very organic and authentic way for people who haven’t experienced culture of people of color to really experience it within their own comfort zone,” Lombre continued.

And in its most fundamental sense, Lombre’s series champions simultaneous activism and celebration.

It is meant to inspire and facilitate a molding of divisions on our campus and others. Because even though this event is young, a sprouting bud among the many campaigns and initiatives to arise on campus since the election, it is also boundless with Lombre and a collection of other students at its stern.

“I am not the type of person who wants to keep anything small,” Lombre said. “I’m a dreamer, and I would love to see it grow. Eventually one of my dreams is to have it as a campus college tour where different campuses get ‘A Night for Us.’” It’s an ambitious plan, but one with potential. Campus has its divisions, as do many others, but this community is one step in the right direction towards healing them. While her vision for this community is one rooted in celebration and support for artists and people of color on campus, it is also meant to heal.

“The way I want to bring the political (divisions) together is not in a harsh, protesting type of way because there’s a lot of people doing that. My way is to basically invite everyone into your home and treat them really well to help them realize that people of color are welcoming,”

4D — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

FILM

‘Logan’ masterfully transcends genre, series and expectations

MUSIC

November 9, 2016

By DAYTON HARE

By JEREMIAH VANDERHELM Daily Arts Writer

To label “Logan” — the third in a trilogy of films centering on Hugh Jackman’s (“Les Misérables”) Wolverine — a “superhero movie” is to dramatically undervalue it. It surpasses the rest of the genre in a way that no film since Christopher Nolan’s 2008 masterpiece “The Dark Knight” has, and it possesses a confidence and willingness to break away from the norms of its contemporaries that makes it a refreshingly unique experience.

“Logan” is not just a superhero movie. In some ways, maybe, but more so, it’s a western, a character piece and a moving study of violence, fatherhood, aging and redemption.

Make no mistake, “Logan” is an incredibly, oftentimes uncomfortably, violent and intense movie. It has plenty of the requisite action scenes that dial the blood and gore up to eleven, fully taking advantage of its R-rating. But where a film like “Deadpool” might use this over-violence for laughs, “Logan” is more interested with how it affects its leads, particularly its titular character. Even in its most violent, gruesome moments, “Logan” makes a remarkably mature statement on how violence can poison a person, regardless of whether the death is “justified.” This is clear from scene one: The life Wolverine has lead, one dominated by death and brutality, has finally taken its toll on him. He is a broken man holding onto the pain in his past and eventually using it to hurt himself.

In his last movie as Logan, Jackman brings that pain to life with his most weary, nuanced portrayal of the character to date. He is backed-up by a pair

of equally superb supporting performances courtesy of Sir Patrick Stewart (“Green Room”) as Professor X and newcomer Dafne Keen in the best big screen debut a child actor has made since Jacob Tremblay in “Room.”

Stewart is heartbreaking as he reprises the role of Charles Xavier, also for the final time, playing him as a man who has seemingly everything right yet still has had everything taken from him by age. The scenes he shares with Jackman are some of

Everything taken into consideration, “Logan” is a triumph. Its subtle performances, poweful script and unique style all work in service of a deeply human story

the most dynamic in the movie, and their father-son relationship has never felt more heartfelt and real.

Keen plays Laura, a character destined to break out in the same way “Stranger Thing” ’s Eleven did last year, a girl who will gut a man one minute and serenely

ride a mechanical horse the next. It is through Laura that the theme of violence reveals itself once more, as Logan recognizes the young girl heading down a similar path to the one he took.

Where Jackman’s scenes with Stewart were focused on the pasts of the two characters, it is with Keen that Jackman finds Logan’s hope for redemption in his future, and the result is some of the most emotionally poignant storytelling the X-Men series and the genre at large has ever seen.

Performances and powerful thematic subtext aside, “Logan” still manages to set itself apart from its genre and series through its style. Its main characters may have superpowers, but the film still feels more like a western than anything else.

The score, cinematography and even costume design all recall last year’s “Hell or High Water.” References to God and spirituality that dot the script present a motif that is a definite departure from the rest of the series, and could have felt like too radical a change had they not meshed so well with the western stylings and themes.

Everything taken into consideration, “Logan” is a triumph. Its subtle performances, powerful script and unique style all work in service of a deeply human story about superhuman characters desperately searching for atonement and paradise in a world that offers no hope that either exists. Even as the film flawlessly deconstructs Logan, it is obviously crafted with an enormous amount of love and respect for the character that permeates every frame. Whether it is taken as a superhero movie, an X-Men movie, or a western, “Logan” shines. It is the best any of those genres have to offer, nothing less than a masterpiece.

Daily Classical Music Columnist

I’m not really sure how to start. Today has been long and harrowing, and anything I am about to write feels like it can’t be more than additional white noise among the incessant static of our collective catatonia.

Like many, I watched election returns Tuesday night as my unease slowly metamorphosed into a spellbinding horror. I am afraid. A dread which had been unknown to me has wrapped its chilling grip around my heart, and I have many fears for the future — when the jurors of history don their robes, when they set us upon the scales of worth, what will their discerning eyes perceive? What is the measure of a people? What is the weight of morality? When our children look back to find where things fell apart, upon whose countenance will their scrutinizing gaze settle? Will the scars be indelible? Will we, ultimately, be found wanting?

I want to believe that America is fundamentally good at heart, but this morning, I was angry.

I still am, but after half a day the numbness set in. I’m still afraid.

But more than anything, I’m tired.

I’m really tired, but I’m unable to sleep. It’s 7 a.m. on November 10, which means that this article is due in a little over 10 hours and I haven’t slept in 22. After everything, the globe still spins.

And right now it’s my job to say something about classical music.

It’s what’s expected of a classical music columnist, after all. So this isn’t about what just happened.

This isn’t my “J’accuse.” It’s not about how we got here. We’re not really going to talk about this.

We’re going to talk about music and poetry and art and meaning — but also this.

Let me tell you a story. I worked from 11 to 5 today —with a half

hour lunch break, which I used to sign a lease rather than to eat — and when I got off I walked across the way to the Diag, where there was a protest going on.

I walked around the periphery, neither joining in nor really paying attention. I had headphones in (I was listening to the Benjamin Britten “War Requiem”) and was looking at the ground, where people had chalked messages of encouragement like “You Belong” or “Love Trumps Hate” or “This is Still Home,” or the more damning “We Let This Happen.”

I felt like crying and did not. At around 6 p.m., I caught a bus to my apartment near North Campus, where I set down my bags and sat for a moment. I thought about eating dinner. Instead, I got up and went out the door, and I walked and walked for a few hours, with no particular destination in mind.

It was cold and I forgot a jacket.

I thought a lot about what we, as artists, can do about the hatred in the world, and worried that perhaps the disease had already metastasized, that the sickness was fatal. When one wakes up to find that Hell is empty, and all the devils are here, what’s to be done?

In terms of both music and words, I knew that I had to write — it wasn’t just an emotional necessity, it was a moral imperative. I recalled artists who had grappled with similar questions in the past, and by the time my wandering brought me to Literati I already knew exactly the poem I had to read. “ …Uncertain and afraid / As the clever hopes expire / Of a low dishonest decade / Waves of anger and fear / Circulate over the bright / And darkened lands of the earth, / Obsessing our private lives … Accurate scholarship can / Unearth the whole offence / From Luther until now / That has driven a culture mad, / Find what occurred at Linz, / What huge imago made / A psychopathic god:

/ I and the public know / What all schoolchildren learn, / Those to whom evil is done / Do evil in return … ” Those lines come from W.H. Auden’s “September 1, 1939,” a title which references the German invasion of Poland, and thus the beginning of the bloodiest conflict humanity has ever known. It’s uncanny how apt the words feel still — he wrote it in the few days following the outbreak of the war in Europe, before most of the paroxysms of violence had shaken the continent, but he could see what was to come.

While it was a far darker age than today’s epoch when Auden wrote it, there are certain similarities which bear consideration. When Auden sat down to pen his poem he saw a world which was red and bleeding, and he wept tears of ink, ink which formed itself into words and into thoughts. And the thoughts that came out were beautiful, and heartbreaking, and accusatory, and fearful, and angry, and optimistic and affirmational — and ultimately, more than anything else, they were deeply, emphatically human.

And maybe that’s what art is for. Maybe it’s to remind us all of our own humanity, to hold a mirror before our face and say “See, this is what you are.” And sometimes what we see might be painful, and it might be ugly.

We might find that we live in a “fun” house, and the twisted mirror shows us only the worst distortions of our character.

But by contrast, sometimes what we see might be beautiful, and as artists part of our job is to make that beauty something which is attainable. Our job is to bring people together into the oneness of human existence.

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Fall 2017 — 5D

TV

‘Veep’ Season 6 premiere struggles, finds its footing in later episodes

By SHIR AVINADAV Daily Arts Writer

Although last season “Veep” closed — more like slammed — a door in Selina’s (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Seinfeld”) face, it opened another one to the possibilities following her rejection by “both the people of America and Congress.” The acclaimed comedy returns for its sixth season after Selina’s bid for the presidency took a comedically unfortunate and unintentionally realistic turn — something her character is quite familiar with.

Though now she’s free to explore who she is outside of the White House, it seems that the show’s writers are still figuring out what this looks like.

While Selina’s loss unknowingly foresaw the turn the real-world election would take following its finale, this season draws on the events marking the life of a former president, taking its story away from the White House into uncharted territory for the series. Not many shows can leave audiences on the note of uncertainty that the series did in the previous season finale. “Veep” did so with the understanding that the inherent humor central to the show is Selina’s inability to get what she wants. But this left the show in a tricky spot, fragmenting its ensemble cast whose hilarity is rooted in their dynamic, and disassociating almost entirely from the political sphere in which most of its comedic action took place.

However, the season premiere does a beautiful job reintroducing its cast, newly situated in their careers following their ejection from the White House. The premiere opens on a CBS Morning interview between Selina and Dan Egan (Reid Scott, “Dean”), in which she describes the past year following her loss and her reacquaintance with herself.

As she and Dan awkwardly banter, we glimpse Amy (Anna

Chlumsky, “The End of the Tour”) watching from her new fiancé’s congressional campaign headquarters, before cutting to Ben (Kevin Dunn, “Code Black”) watching from the Uber office where he’s clearly the oldest and most out-of-touch employee.

And from Mike’s (Matt Walsh, “Ted”) TV, we see children’s programming, marking his new life as a stay-at-home dad — though his ambition to return to work is soon revealed.

Following last season, it was unclear where Selina’s staffers would end up, but we now find them in scenarios in which their personalities are least likely to gel smoothly. Amy’s crass language is found offensive by the smalltown campaign staff and Ben’s lack of a social conscience is found distasteful by the other Uber employees. Though their fundamental humor as characters is well-maintained, the desire to see them reunite is not lost.

Rather than focusing on the team’s former proximity, the new season taps into the unexplored potential of Selina’s relationships with some of the other characters — among which are her ex-husband Andrew (David Pasquesi, “Groundhog Day”), former bodyguard and new daughter-in-law Marjorie (Clea DuVall, “Argo”) and most importantly, her devoted body man Gary (Tony Hale, “Arrested Development”).

Gary and Selina’s relationship, though intertwined from the start, has taken a turn into new territory, as he grows even more protective of her and becomes hilariously clingy, especially making his dislike of Andrew known.

While Gary overcompensates in his efforts to make his importance to Selina known, Selina’s own quest for relevance, something that has evaded her throughout her career, is met with just as many obstacles.

Seeing Selina fall in the previous

season finale was heartbreaking, but watching her try to climb back up is made even more painful by her desperation to return to her former office.

At times it’s funny, like when she sits behind the desk of the Oval Office replica in President Hugh’s new presidential library in the second episode, but at others it feels like a tired joke — especially as the stakes are much lower now (what’s left to pursue after losing the highest office in the nation?).

Outside of the White House, Selina’s relentless ambition feels more like unbridled desperation, and her comeback plot feels unfocused as the series quickly diffuses her efforts to start a foundation then shuts down the possibility of her presidential library.

While she tries to secure her legacy as president, Selina is relegated to an office in the South Bronx, where her new headquarters embody her sense of being discarded from the sphere of political inf luence.

There, she argues with Catherine (Sarah Sutherland, “Shut Up and Drive”) over her late mother’s endowment and attempts to retain what little control she has by refusing to let Marjorie call her “mom.”

Though it’s all still funny, especially in the events following the season premiere — including Jonah’s failed attempt to woo his dates into the possibility of a relationship and the revelation of Andrew’s infidelity — there’s a touch of more despairing humor, possibly mirroring the dissatisfaction characterizing our nation currently.

Despite the season’s initial struggle and lack of clear direction for Selina, it’s sharply written dialogue, well of Kennedy jokes and references to Selina’s constant failure find themselves right at home again in the new season.

MUSIC

Lorde is ethereal perfection at album release show

By CHRISTIAN KENNEDY and AVERY FRIEDMAN Online Arts Editor and Daily Arts Writer

A mood hung over Manhattan last Friday — maybe due to the low grey clouds mixed with summer humidity — but weather notwithstanding, it was bound to be a Melodramatic day as Lorde’s second LP filled the space between the headphones and ear drums of morning commuters with magic.

About 12 hours later she would fill Bowery Ballroom with that same magic at an exclusive release-day concert for Sirius XM. The dichotomy of a day at the office blurred by monotony and a night of the town blurred by youth (and various substances) isn’t lost on Lorde or her fans; the ephemeralness of youth and inescapability of adulthood can be heard on Melodrama front to back. When the lights went down, a sliver of light shone through the cracked stage door and those lucky to be close enough got a glimpse of Lorde (real name Ella YelichO’Connor) amping herself up, jumping around in white Adidas tennis shoes. Opening the show with “Homemade Dynamite” (one of Melodrama’s many highlights), Lorde appropriately sets expectations: quickly flowing pre-choruses that melt into luscious refrains to keep all the dancers in the crowd on their toes.

Lorde continued through her release-day show with an excitable effortlessness.

Her visible giddiness from sharing songs that once belonged to only her combined with her signature, flailing dance moves served up an inarguable authenticity. Flexing all of her performative muscles, Lorde shifted between moments of live magic at the hands of nuanced production (the seconds of quiet in “The Louvre”) and open connection with the crowd via gut-wrenching lyrics (one attendee sobbed during “Liability”). “Everyone leaves,” she said of her thoughts while writing the latter.

But the 20-year-old’s ability to infuse the air with her energy,

through her music, is nearly unmatched in music’s current landscape, which became clear during an a capella encore of “Writer In the Dark.” Quieting a screaming crowd, she began without a mic except when it would pick up her echo as she moved from one side of the stage to another. Exuding power and confidence, she shushed the front row of a packed Bowery Ballroom so even those in the back could hear the raw, unplugged delivery.

It has always been clear that Lorde is an extremely talented writer and artist, but her performance of “Writer In the Dark” showcased an emotive strength of voice to be reckoned with.

The magic of Lorde, Melodrama and the show rests with feeling: the tingling rush of new love, the dull, prolonged sting of loneliness, the fear that “someday” might actually be today and the restlessness in trying to make sense of them all.

— Christian Kennedy It wasn’t long after I found out I’d be spending a few hot months in New York City that I established my primary goal for the summer: befriend Ella Yelich-O’Connor, a.k.a Lorde. Before the singer’s anthemic single “Greenlight” dropped in March, I hadn’t considered myself a superfan, but let’s just say that Lorde’s new heartbrokentwentysomething-spendssummer-in-the-city aesthetic hit home and cemented “Greenlight,” and consequently the rest of her new album, as staples within the soundtrack of my subway commutes.

Last Friday afternoon, I was at work attempting (unsuccessfully) to write a coherent article while taking in the magnitude of the just-released Melodrama, when Christian (see above) texted me: “OMFG Lorde is doing a show at the Bowery Ballroom tonight.” Lorde had tweeted about the show in New York just hours before she was set to take the stage; And after a couple of frantic emails and eventually just showing up, we managed to find ourselves in the second-row of the sensual Bowery Ballroom, just one

really-long-arm’s-length from the stage.

The surrounding crowd was a mixed bag of characters tethered together by a common radiating enamoredness with Lorde.

Throughout the evening, two different audience members told me, “Pure Heroine is the only reason I made it through high school.” A fifty-something year-old man to my left glanced at his fourteen year-old daughter, an aspiring musician, and said, “You know, we have immense respect for Lorde, she’s really an inspiration for my daughter.” To my right, a mid-twenties Brooklynbased music blogger anxiously clutched a thick packet of papers: an old college essay about Lorde that he planned to toss onto the stage.

Lorde’s crowds aren’t limited to one demographic, but rather a diverse group of individuals who feel an intense, electric kinship with the artist.

Across ages, genders and sexual orientations, there was a deliberate, almost studious dedication in the way we sang word-for-word the lyrics of Melodrama tracks that had been released only a few hours earlier; just as there was an instinctual, visceral way in which some wept as Lorde sat and crooned “Liability” at the stoop of the stage. That’s the thing about Lorde — at only 20, she infuses her melodies with a dangerous concoction of intellectualism and emotional insight that grants her special access to our minds as well as our hearts.

I walked out of the Bowery Ballroom last Friday haunted by the echoes of Lorde’s encore — an acapella rendition of “Writer in the Dark.” She had tenderly hushed the crowd as she sang in an octave that rang more like a whimper: “I am my mother’s child, I’ll love you ‘til my breathing stops.” In that final chorus, Lorde captured the essence of her second album: the paradoxical coexistence of all-consuming love and longing alongside a keen awareness of the melodrama of youth.

— Avery Friedman

Cannes 2017 Coverage‘How to Talk ‘Brigsby Bear’ creators discuss to Girls at Parties’ bridges sci-fi and their phenomenal film punk

By EMILY BICE Daily Arts Writer

By SYDNEY COHEN Daily Arts Writer

The punk rock movement was born in dirty underground bars where people in leather and chains would meet to scream out their grievances and promote self-expression.

With his new film “How to Talk to Girls at Parties,” John Cameron Mitchell vividly portrays punk culture at its peak in the late 1970s, paying homage to this musical genre by reconstructing its aesthetics and promoting its ideals of free expression and individuality.

Following what seems to be the trend at Cannes this year, Cameron Mitchell blends two contrasting genres to create one intriguing and innovative narrative; here, punk meets sci-fi in an unexpected way that somehow makes sense.

Punk culture in the film is epitomized by Enn (Alex Sharp, “To the Bone”) and his crew of theatrical and loyal friends. While looking for a punk concert after-party, the boys accidentally stumble across an abandoned house filled with cartoonish and manga-like people clad in jewel-toned lycra bodysuits.

While the boys explore the strange and futuristic space, the film reveals that these strangers are actually part of an extraterrestrial species visiting Earth on an intergalactic tour. To distinguish the alien from the human, Mitchell plays with diction, characterizing the aliens with the use of weird hybrid English words to describe their colony, rituals and purpose on Earth.

Through appearances and language, Mitchell constructs

an intriguing alien mystique that captivates both the punk rockers in the film as well as the audience.

To maintain this mystique, the film never fully explains the aliens’ origin or way of life; however, the film would have benefitted from a slightly more thorough exploration of this alien culture, as the

Though cliché and one-dimensional at times, “How to Talk to Girls at Parties” is a fun, lighthearted and innovative film

ambiguous details hint at a complex and fascinating world.

The six distinctive colonies, the parent-child dynamics and the ritualistic eating are all vaguely described aspects of the alien culture that reveal the potential of Mitchell’s creative mind and beg to be hashed out.

The radiance of the film comes from Elle Fanning (“20th Century Women”), who demonstrates her incredible

acting range as a rebellious and spunky alien girl thirsty for genuine human experience.

Fanning’s character Zan is robotic, naïve, colorful and infectious all at once.

Furthermore, Fanning plays off costar Sharp remarkably well, with the chemistry between the couple believable and emotive. However, the film becomes hackneyed towards the end, when the love between Zan and Enn essentially saves the entire alien race from extinction.

This ‘love as the savior of life’ trope is often overused and has the inevitable effect of squashing any previous intrigue or complexity in a film — it did so in “Interstellar,” and it did so again here.

While puzzling at first, the film’s unique blend of punk and sci-fi serves a significant purpose.

Though from completely different worlds, Zan and Enn’s ideals align. The alien “Parent-Teachers” work to enforce strict regulations on the way the aliens experience earth, but Zan longs to express herself and reject authority in the process; Zan’s values mirror the punk ideology of free expression and autonomy.

Furthermore, the aliens represent ‘the Other” and act as a metaphor for the peripheral and misunderstood place of punk in the cultural landscape of the 1970s.

Ultimately, Mitchell utilizes the fantastical affordances of aliens to construct a metaphor for the punk rock movement and counterculture as a whole. Though cliché and onedimensional at times, “How to Talk to Girls at Parties” is a fun, lighthearted and innovative film.

As children, the “entire world” can be a lot of things. For some, it’s the universe — every solar system in the galaxy. For others, it’s the planet Earth. For a few, it’s the small town, city or village in which they grew up. And for one, it’s a hermetically sealed bunker in the middle of a Californian desert. That one person is James Pope (Kyle Mooney, “Saturday Night Live”), and the film “Brigsby Bear” is a touching story about his discovery of the world outside the bunker.

“Brigsby Bear,” which initially premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last February, was presented as the closing film of the Semaine de Critics (Critic’s Week) at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. On a balmy afternoon in the famed French Rivera, the Daily had the opportunity to sit down with the film’s creators: longtime friends Kyle Mooney, Dave McCary (writer: “Saturday Night Live”) and Kevin Costello (writer: “Brigsby Bear”), along with Greg Kinnear (“Little Miss Sunshine,” “Stuck in Love”), who plays Detective Vogel in the film. Speaking with Mooney, McCary and Costello, it is clear that the strong themes of friendship and dreaming present on-screen are even more prevalent off-screen.

The heart of “Brigsby Bear,” from its inception to the finished product, lies in the unique magic that is, as McCary puts it, “the passion for creativity that is discovered… and friends coming together.”

Before being rescued from his (unknowing) captivity, there are a few things about which James is certain: he loves his parents (captors), Ted (Mark Hamill, “Star Wars”) and Clare (Claire Danes, “Homeland”) and “Brigsby Bear,” the children’s television show he watches each day, is the best show in the world. He is not only the show’s ultimate fan — he runs an online “Brigsby” forum, fantasizes about

the female heroine Arielle Smiles (Katie Lyn Shell, “House of Cards”), discusses fan theories rabidly — but also, he is the show’s only fan. Out of captivity and in the real world, it comes to light that “Brigsby Bear” had been made exclusively for James. Every single week since he was kidnapped, captor Ted created an episode of the nostalgic, weird, laser-infused pedagogical nonsense that is the TV show and presented it.

There’s the crux of the film. In Mooney’s words, “Brigsby Bear” is a movie “about a kid who watches this TV show that nobody has ever seen.”

James’s discovery that he is the show’s only watcher sets him on a journey to “find out how his favorite show is going to end,” according to Costello. This journey — motivated by a simple, pure desire — serves as the catalyst that acclimates James into a world he never knew existed, fosters his passion for filmmaking and harnesses the power of friendship. On why he chose this journey for James, Mooney explained that, “what this story allows us — not only do we get to see the progression of James and his life (but also) starting in one world and breaking into an entirely new universe that’s totally mysterious.”

He added a second, more personal reason on why this story: “We (Mooney, Costello, McCary) do love all of these children’s TV shows and videos.” It’s true. The trio’s love for this type of TV and video dates back to their younger days, when Mooney exposed Costello and McCary to his “extensive VHS collection.” The collection, says McCary, has some “really obscure thrift store finds that (they’ve) in turn become big fans of.”

Stylistic and thematic aspects of these “obscure thrift store” videos are central to both the script and finished film. Each collaborator — Costello, Mooney and McCary — connected differently with these videos. For McCary, it was “a nostalgia there because there were just puppeted, infinite kid’s

videos back then. But also, they’re just disturbing… telling a kid how they should live their life in that vulnerable of an age, and telling a kid what they should believe.”

Watching James struggle between what he was raised to believe and what he has come to know is an interesting paradox — and in a way, a completely normal part of growing up. Not everyone is raised in a bunker, but everyone ultimately experiences disillusionment with the world they thought they knew.

It’s for this reason that the film “Brigsby Bear” is so honest and relatable, despite its rather unconventional circumstances. The bunker feels like a unique framing device for a genuine coming-of-age story. It would have been easy to make the film about a “fish-outof-water” and spend the whole time putting James into wacky situations. It’s probably what was expected, given the history of the long-time collaborators. McCary and Mooney are founders of the L.A. sketch comedy group “Good Neighbor” and now work together on “Saturday Night Live.”

A “SNL” brand film garners different expectations than what this film is. Even Greg Kinnear admits that, when his agent first approached him about the script, he was hesitant. “Just knowing from SNL, I thought it would be more gaggy and broad.” After reading the script, however, what impressed him was how “inspired and incredibly unexpected” the story was. The sincerity shone through.

The trio knew, from day one, that this was the approach they wanted. “It was important for us to never reach for jokes or get too silly, even though we have a background in comedy and we work at SNL… I think the most interesting version of this story to us was the most grounded,” McCary notes.

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FILM

COMMUNITY CULTURE

“Rogue One” is a safe thrill ride with great special effects

SMTD’s ‘Mermaid’ brings their voices and scales to Power Center

By WILL STEWART Daily Arts Writer

The “Star Wars” revival is in full-force, but for many, the Force never died. Last year, fans were bestowed with “The Force Awakens,” one of the best films in the series since “Return of the Jedi.”

With Episodes VIII and IX still to come, along with Han Solo and Boba Fett spinoff movies, fans can anticipate lots of entertaining content.

Although some feel anxious about the new movies mostly due to the lackluster prequel trilog y, it seems the world is in for a future filled with intergalactic bliss. “Rogue One” is the beginning of what could be a supply of satisfying Star Wars antholog y movies.

“Rogue One” is essentially Episode 3.5; it takes place after the Jedi-genocide, but before the introduction of Luke Skywalker. Although most characters are new, there are some familiar faces. Darth Vader (voiced again by James Earl Jones ) and a realistic CGI version of Grand Moff Tarkin (Guy Henry “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”) play minor roles in the story, though both have enough screen time to satisfy longtime fans. New protagonists Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones, “The

Theory of Everything”) and Cassian Andor (Diego Luna, “Y Tu Mamá También”) act as multidimensional and convincing heroes to root for in their fight against the Empire. Alan Tudyk (“Zootopia”) voices K-2SO, an Imperial droid reprogrammed to fight for the rebels, who is one of the best additions to the “Star Wars” series.

Like C-3PO, he balances intellect and cynicism perfectly, and his cheesy jokes and sassy remarks make K-2SO one of the funniest “Star Wars” characters to date.

Unlike other “Star Wars” movies, there is an overarching sense of doom and imminent failure. “Rogue One” shows a struggling Rebel Force that does not have the means to defend itself against enemy forces.

Other movies in the series tend to have a sense of hope, even in situations least deserving of it.

“Rogue One” shows glimpses of it, but remains the gloomiest in the series.

The story of “Rogue One” is complex while remaining coherent. Someone who has never seen a “Star Wars” movie could pick up the plot just as easily as a diehard fanatic, though the latter may find the minor nuances more enjoyable.

Among the intense battle scenes and stunning settings, “Rogue

Unlike other “Star Wars” movies, there is an overarching sense of doom and imminent failure.

One” challenges the idea that in the cosmic fight between good and evil, the line between right and wrong, is clear. The “good guys” in the movie are a group varying from Imperial pilots to reprogrammed Imperial droids and disobedient Rebel soldiers. “Rogue One” is the first “Star Wars” movie to show a two-sided Rebel Force that is not strictly a representation of good.

“Rog ue One” diverts enough from the typical “Star Wars” formula while remaining faithful to the tropes that make them so fun. Fans will be relieved that no Jar Jar Binks replicas or cringeworthy romantic subplots are introduced. Every addition is justified and fits into the “Star Wars” timeline perfectly.

Still, since the movie is not a part of the main series, more could have been done to disting uish it from the others.

This was a golden opportunity for director Gareth Edwards (“Godzilla”) to incorporate some unique cinematography and experimentation that would have made it clearer that “Rog ue One” is just an addition to the series. In many ways, “Rog ue One” plays it too safe. Nonetheless, the special effects provide a thrill.

“Rog ue One” is certainly not the best “Star Wars” movie, but it’s a welcomed addition to the franchise.

Diehard fans now have some material to keep them happy until the eighth installment is released in 2017. Until then, expectations are high for what’s to come.

By ERIKA SHEVCHEK Daily Community Culture Editor

The optimistic mermaid, the singing crab, the goofy f lounder and the ominous octopus: the story and music of Disney’s classic “The Little Mermaid” has made a home for itself on VHS shelves everywhere. The timeless tale, filled with energy, vibrancy and thrill, will take its aquatic adventure from the screen to the stage with a production

by SMTD’s Musical Theatre Department this weekend.

The Hans Christian Anderson tale made its way to Broadway in 2008, where the musical firmly followed the same plot as the 1989 Disney version.

As a story solely experienced through words and film before 2008, a keen eye was needed in order to create the adaptation and bring it to life. Director and Choreographer of the show, and SMTD Associate Professor of Musical Theatre Linda Goodrich, described her experience working with children’s animation and how she applied those experiences to the University’s production.

“I worked on several Nickelodeon shows including Blue’s Clues and Dora the Explorer and employed similar processes in finding human characteristics for animals, use of puppetry and and vocabulary to create different environments,” Goodrich wrote in an email interview. “I feel very at home and delight in this kind of creation.”

Although “Mermaid” is a children’s story being performed at a university, it raises the concepts of maturity and coming of age. Goodrich found that one of the most difficult parts of directing the show was “finding the humanity and conf lict in all of the characters while keeping the fun and humor of the animal world.”

Other than the well-know, catchy songs “Under the Sea”

and “Kiss the Girl,” Goodrich additionally touched on the other major aspects of the musical, presenting more than just an elaborate and innocent children’s adventure.

“There are many very relevant themes in the show that I brought out as the director, but need to deliver

The wonderful thing about Disney shows is that there are such a range of cahracters and points of view that every audience member of any age has someone they can relate to

them with whimsy and magic.

For example, the conf lict of a young girl/mermaid, whose mother was killed, whose father is trying to hold on to her, who has found love that is forbidden in her world, wanting to leave home –– while creating the physical world of a swimming mermaid,” she wrote.

Substantiating the idea of connecting adult themes to a children’s show, SMTD junior Sarah Lynn Marion described her perspective on playing the antagonist Ursula, who is one of the older characters in the play.

“She has a different backstory in the stage version,” Marion said. “She has an additional song that gives a little more detail about her family life, explaining a bit more about why she is the way she is … she’s not just some big

scary octopus ... she’s broken, troubled, and misunderstood.”

Applying what she previously knew about the villain and what she learned throughout the process of playing the role, Marion discovered that Ursula not only taught her about how she personally perceives herself, but also the connection between the actress and a character with such a dynamic and dramatic persona.

“I really struggled with allowing myself to be as confident, body-positive, and powerful as she is, but the explorative and creative rehearsal process really allowed Ursula to dwell in me. Diving more and more into the many layers of her, I feel like she’s given me more confidence, body-positivity, and power on and off the stage,” Marion added.

By dissecting the characters’ personalities and backstories, designing over-the-top costumes and sets and overall interweaving creativity from the stage to the audience, the aspects of “The Little Mermaid” come together to create one overarching lesson: find your voice.

“The wonderful thing about Disney shows is that there are such a range of characters and points of view that every audience member of any age has someone that they can relate to … In this show almost every character is searching for their place in life and how to express themselves,” Goodrich explained. “There is a very literal message in this show of finding and asserting yourself in life: finding your voice and owning who you are.”

SMTD’s closing season performance of “The Little Mermaid” creates a space in which audience members can return to their childhood, the high-sea adventure of love, song and magic or even experience the journey in a new, mature light.

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Fall 2017 — 7D

B-SIDE

The Women’s March: what we saw and where we go from here

By MADELEINE GAUDIN Senior Arts Editor

On January 21st, I was one in a million — one in more than 3 million people who marched in the Women’s March on Washington and its sister marches worldwide. There were marches in each of the 50 states, including thousands of people in Alaska who marched through negative temperatures and falling snow. Crowd scientists estimate the marches are the largest protest in American history and that the crowds in Washington D.C. outnumbered those at Trump’s inauguration three times over — a fact that’s apparently made POTUS very upset.

That’s where I was the day after the inauguration — Washington D.C. I flew in on Friday, the day of the inauguration. Trump was preparing to be sworn in while I was 39,000 feet above the country, and became president shortly after I touched down in Baltimore.

I met my mom there. She’s been fighting this sort of fight much longer than I have. She’s a teacher, and has taught in public schools in Chicago and Baltimore — schools that serve predominantly minority students, schools where every student qualifies for free lunches, schools with the lowest reading scores in their city. She knows what’s at stake.

We marched with my mom’s college roommate (from her time at the University) Lori and her daughter Kira. None of us had participated in this sort of protest before, but we all felt the weight of the political moment too heavily to remain silent.

It’s hard to say whose idea it was to go. I remember calling my mom in the yard of Betsy Barber — a place that I felt safe for public crying — on the morning after the election. I’ll never forget how upset I was that day, how quiet campus was, the way we all looked at each other as if to say, “I’m sorry.” But when I spoke to her she reminded me that it was going to be OK. Because we were going to fight. And we weren’t going to stop fighting until it was OK. I’m so grateful I got to go with my mom, the woman who raised me to be strong and smart and outspoken. The person off whom I’ve modeled much of myself.

LSA sophomore Kellie Lounds was also one of the 500,000 people who descended on the National Mall that day. She drove all the way from Ann Arbor to D.C. with a group of female students from the University.

“I felt like I was going to regret it if I didn’t go … because I knew it was going to be a historic amount of people showing up. I had been feeling sort of down — especially with the inauguration and I knew that I needed something to jumpstart me.”

As a member of University’s chapter of College Democrats and chair of the female-interest subgroup, FemDems, Kellie Lounds knows that activism doesn’t end when the March does — a concern of many activists who were wary of the March’s ability to motivate the public in the long term.

“I think it’s a good place to start.

The fact that 500 (or however many hundred) thousand people showed up matters because it shows that people care. But I don’t think it’s the end-all-be-all solution,” Lounds said.

That “where do we go from here” sentiment was something shared among many of the women I’ve spoken to before and after the March.

For Lounds, the next step is to be a better ally for those who are affected more acutely by Trump’s policies, as well as for those who have largely been pushed out of mainstream activist movements.

“While I was at the March I didn’t really think about this at all but after we got done I read a lot of articles about how a lot of signage and messaging wasn’t very trans-inclusive,” Lounds said, “It made me check myself and be like, ‘You showed up and that’s good, but you can always be

a better ally.’”

The March forced a lot of people to check their places as activists, myself included, and woke some people up to the necessity of their voices in an ongoing fight for justice and equality — a response that many felt was overdue.

LSA sophomore Hannah Foster echoed that sentiment, calling on her peers to remain attentive to issues that might not impact them directly.

“More than anything I think it’s important to educate ourselves about the new policies being put in place,” Foster said, “to keep ourselves from becoming apathetic about the injustices happening now — which can be hard to do when these policies don’t affect you personally.”

That’s something I’m guilty of, not showing up until my rights were at stake. That sort of reversal of attitude made many people whose rights have always been on the line feel uncomfortable about the March. Much has been written about the division that still exists among a group of seemingly — if only by location — united people. The worry that people were only marching for themselves seemed to be the lingering concern shared among many following the March.

To some extent I would say, yes, I’m sure many of the people who flooded the streets of D.C. the day after the inauguration would not have been there had Trump’s promised policies (which we’re now seeing put into place at an alarming speed) not affected their lives directly.

It was the first time at a major protest for everyone in my group, but I’m sure it won’t be our last.

As a sign at a #NoBan protest suggested, protests are going to become a regular activity for many who got their first taste at the Women’s March.

This delayed response was understandably frustrating for many whose lives have been monumentally shaped by public policy long before the Trump era.

Foster recognizes what’s at stake for many people in this country under a Trump presidency.

“It’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of things I feel the need to speak out against and I’ve had some difficulty figuring out how to begin,” Foster said. “It helps to stay connected with other people who also feel obligated to work against some of what is happening.”

Because in addition to unifying a group of like-minded people, the March highlighted the divisions that exist even within liberal, progressive activism.

Divisions along the lines of race, sexuality and religion were still visible, even at an event designed as a unifier.

What the Women’s March did is set a precedent for how to respond to the inevitable injustices of this presidency.

Since that day protests have erupted across the country in response to the green-lighting of the Dakota Access and Keystone Pipelines and, most recently, to Trump’s ban on immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries. The Women’s March was the first, and many feared it would be the last. And while the subsequent protests haven’t brought out the same numbers, their size relative to their spontaneity seems to be owed — in a small part at least — to the example of activism set by the Women’s March.

“Being in D.C. with hundreds of thousands of other people who shared my concerns was absolutely surreal,” Foster said of the lasting power of the March.

“I left empowered and energized when before I felt scared and helpless. I’ll never forget it.”

For LSA sophomore Ana Patchin, she felt that her hope for the country — which had dampened since the election — was energized at the March.

“I was standing outside the Smithsonian Museum of American History, and I watched as a crowd of people carried a copy of the Constitution that

CAROLYN GEARIG/Daily

More than three million men and women participated in the Women’s March

they had crafted out of burlap down Constitution Avenue,” Patchin recalled. “That image has stuck with me. It serves as a reminder to me of how each and every day the people have the opportunity to carry the values that we believe in.”

Patchin described how hard it had been for her to believe in the goodness of America after the election — a feeling I, and many others, shared. She described a feeling of pride in the country on that morning and a great hope for its future as she joined the crowds on the mall.

“Every day I am finding so many reasons to feel disheartened,” Patchin said.

“However, the March, and the action that people all across the U.S. have taken as a result, gives me a great deal of hope.”

While the Women’s March on Washington set a precedent for national activism, the same happened on a local level as thousands marched right here in Ann Arbor, in a sister march organized by Progressives at the University of Michigan and Michigan to Believe In. “It all happened so fast,” said Public Policy junior Claire Cepuran, who organized the March with LSA sophomore Brad McPherson and LSA sophomore Robert Joseph.

They didn’t know they were marching until early January, when Michigan to Believe In reached out to them about co-sponsoring the event.

“Following the election there were a lot of people feeling upset and like they wanted to do something and get involved and show their solidarity somehow, but they didn’t really know how and this seemed like a really good outlet for that,” Cepuran said.

She felt a deep connection to the March and what it stood for, and was motivated to march for many of the same reasons other women were.

“Gender issues have always been really important to me … that’s why the Women’s March was so cool and was so close to my heart,” Cepuran said.

“I’ve always sort of felt that inequality.”

Cepuran, McPherson and Joseph run Progressives at the University of Michigan, a student organization started at the end of last semester with the goal of getting more progressive candidates into office on the city, county and state levels.

“I think there are a lot of progressive people, young people especially, who are not feeling represented by the Democratic Party,” Cepuran said. “We’re hoping to flood them with all of these young passionate people who want change.”

The meeting I attended last week attracted students as well as many Ann Arbor residents who feel passionately about similar causes. Everyone was eager to help in any way they could. For activists of all ages, the big question is still: What can I do next?

“There are two parts to making real change: You have to have the activism that focuses on expressing that there is a problem and then you have to focus on actual legislation and pushing for more parity between genders in government or in, say, the presidential cabinet,” McPherson said.

So now we’re on part two.

The problems have been exposed, and are continuing to be exposed every day. We know

what’s wrong. But it’s going to be hard to maintain the same level of energy that was achieved on January 21st.

I know I’m never going to forget how it felt when I got off the train at Judiciary Square and saw people lined up all the way down both sides of the platform.

Or how it felt to hear someone in our car start singing “This Land is Your Land.”

But what I’m really never going to forget is how it felt on November 8th, watching the results come in as I sat in my friend’s apartment — the weight of the grief. And I’m never going to forget my dad calling me last Sunday to tell me how upset he was that his country, as a nation of immigrants, could turn against refugees looking for safety in a

country that prided itself on its inclusivity.

I’m never going to forget how different it feels scrolling through my Twitter feed tonight, seeing piece after piece of my country fall apart and how it felt to stand on the top on the risers across from the National Archives and see people from the White House to the Capitol who believe, like I do, that America is better than a racist in an ill-fitting suit.

I’m lucky to have gotten to march with my mom. To have been able to fight alongside someone I know will never stop fighting for me. I’m so lucky to have been raised by people who set such a strong example of what it looks like to love and fight — and to forgive.

But I can’t just be lucky anymore.

It’s time to make action out of the

values I was raised with. Because it’s not just about surviving until midterms anymore. The March made it clear to me that this is much more urgent than I would have ever previously allowed myself believe.

At the end of the day it’s (sort of ) simple: An international disease of hatred has produced a regime determined to turn an already divided nation against itself. It’s infuriating, but the best thing we can do is to stay angry, and to find in the midst of that anger some love for one another.

The Women’s March on Washington wasn’t perfect and it wasn’t the end, but what it did do was light a fire in the hearts of people of all ages and reminded us that America is still worth fighting for.

8D â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily â&#x20AC;&#x201D; michigandaily.com

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SPORTS

Fall 2017 — 1E

Michigan defeats Wisconsin, claims Big Ten Tournament championship

By BRANDON CARNEY Daily Sports Writer

A little over a month ago, Michigan hit rock bottom.

The Wolverines had just lost to Big Ten bottom-dweller Ohio State, and looked completely shook while doing so.

But following the game, senior guard Derrick Walton Jr. stood in the corner of the Crisler Center pressroom looking as poised as ever.

He knew his team had just hit its lowest point, but realized things could only get better.

“If what we’re going through at this point spearheads a run and us taking the next step in some places we lagged in, then I’m all for it,” Walton said following the Ohio State loss. “I’m more so excited. I think it’ll make it a better story.”

And what a story it has become, as the Wolverines have done what looked impossible over a month ago and improbable just four days ago.

They’ve won a Big Ten championship.

There were a lot of questions asked of Michigan following that Ohio State loss. Could Walton and senior wing Zak Irvin put together complete performances in the same game? Could the Wolverines’ defense get out of the basement of almost every statistical category of the Big Ten? Did Michigan players overall have a winning mentality?

“The loss at home to Ohio State really opened our eyes,” Walton said on Sunday. “I think we played well but we just layed down and that was

the biggest moment for us as a team.

I knew after that very moment guys took it to heart, and really wanted to make the key adjustments to be successful for the rest of the season.

We did that, and that’s why I was so confident going into the rest of the season.”

Over the past four days, the Wolverines have turned the weaknesses present against the Buckeyes into strengths. And that all culminated in Michigan’s title-winning 71-56 victory over Wisconsin.

The most suspect of all those questions was Michigan’s defense, but after watching today, one would never know the struggles the Wolverines once faced while defending.

Michigan opened the second half on an 11-2 run to get out to a 10-point lead. That stretch included a 5:19 Wisconsin scoring drought and denying the Badgers from getting points from the field for over eight minutes. The Wolverines also were struggling to find points as the second half wore on, but their defense helped Michigan maintain a comfortable lead over that period.

“Especially in the second half, we all came together and connected well on all cylinders on the defensive end,” said redshirt sophomore forward DJ Wilson. “Even when they brought in within six, we were able to get crucial stops and crucial rebounds. I think that’s really what sealed the deal.”

But if there was ever a team built to respond to those types of runs, it’s

the Badgers. Guard Bronson Koenig and forward Ethan Happ combined to score Wisconsin’s last 12 points of the half, reducing the Wolverines’ lead to only one heading into intermission.

Again in the second half, the Badgers began chipping away at an 11-point Michigan lead slowly but with the sort of poise their core group of seniors have become known for over the past few seasons.

The Badgers would get within six of the Wolverines, but Michigan had a response every time they were closing in.

Irvin and redshirt junior wing Duncan Robinson each hit massive three-pointers when Wisconsin looked like it had found the slightest bit of momentum to get on a run.

“I just feel lucky my teammates had that sort of confidence in me,” Robinson said. “I hadn’t really gotten any clean looks in the game.

But to get that shot and knock it in was a special moment.”

When the Badgers put on a full-court press for the final three minutes of the game, Wilson found junior guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman for a slam that brought the fans at the Verizon Center to their feet and all but shut the door on Wisconsin. Wilson was essential in the Wolverines maintaining their lead down the stretch, scoring 12 of his 17 points in the second half, while shutting down a first team all-Big Ten player in Happ defensively too.

Walton and Irvin were

After late drama, Michigan loses Orange Bowl to Florida State, 33-32

By JAKE LOURIM Daily Sports Writer

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — On a night when Jourdan Lewis became Michigan’s all-time record holder for career pass breakups, further cementing his status as one of the best cornerbacks in program history, the senior All-American lined up to make a play he makes all the time.

He has haunted opposing receivers on those plays for most of his career. He gets his hands on the ball almost as often as they do, and opponents have simply stopped throwing at him. Entering Friday’s Orange Bowl, receivers had just 10 catches against him, while Lewis had eight pass breakups and two interceptions.

With 42 seconds left in the game Friday, Lewis lined up in the slot against Florida State receiver Nyqwan Murray. On 3rd-and-9 from the Michigan 12-yard line — with the Wolverines up by a field goal — if Lewis could just break up one more pass, he could at least force overtime. But the Seminoles had one more highlight in them.

“He snatched the ball out of the air,” Lewis said after the game. “I turned my head around a tad bit late, and they made a great throw and catch.

It was great execution. I just wish I turned my head around.”

Murray caught the gamewinning 12-yard touchdown pass from Deondre Francois to end Michigan’s season with yet another classic, as Florida State pulled out a 33-32 victory. In a year with so much promise, the Wolverines will finish with the same 10-3 record they had in 2015.

In the end, that was the story of the Orange Bowl — the Seminoles made more plays than Michigan did, in part because the Wolverines’ best playmaker never took the field.

In Thursday’s practice, do-everything redshirt sophomore Jabrill Peppers jumped for a ball and felt his hamstring pull. A hour before kickoff Friday, Peppers came out of the tunnel and began warming up, trying to reach a

point where he could play.

“They wrapped it, icy hot, pain relievers, you name it,” he said.

He couldn’t run or cut without feeling a sharp sensation.

The Heisman Trophy finalist missed his second straight bowl game with an injury.

“Just knowing you could help someway, somehow, and just watching, that sucks even more,” an emotional Peppers said after the game. “You could help the seniors go out the way they deserve to go out.”

Meanwhile, Florida State unleashed its full arsenal of weapons. With the Wolverines within five points early in the fourth quarter, All-American

Just knowing you could help someway, somehow, and just watching, that sucks even more running back Dalvin Cook scampered 71 yards to set up what appeared to be a gameclinching touchdown. After Michigan made a dramatic comeback to take the lead with 1:57 to go, the Seminoles’ Keith Gavin returned the ensuing kickoff 66 yards, and Cook hurried into the red zone again, setting up the true gamewinning touchdown.

Then, of course, came Murray’s grab.

Michigan blocked the extra point, and freshman safety Josh Metellus returned it for two points, cutting the deficit to 33-32 with just 36 seconds left.

But Michigan’s magic ran out, as redshirt sophomore quarterback Wilton Speight was intercepted on 4th-and-10 with 16 seconds to go.

After the Wolverines spent most of the game digging themselves into a hole, Speight and the offense dug out of it in a matter of minutes. They caught a break with 7:58 to go when

a short punt and a targeting penalty gave them the ball at Florida State’s 37-yard line.

Michigan scored twice in the next six minutes, once on an eight-yard pass from Speight to redshirt junior fullback Khalid Hill, and then on a 30-yard rush by freshman running back Chris Evans. Those two drives represented almost half of the Wolverines’ total yards, and Evans’ run comprised a third of their rushing total. Suddenly, Michigan had the lead.

But Florida State’s touchdown was the final blow, dealing the Wolverines another heartbreaking defeat. Their three losses this season came by a total of five points, and they led in the final minute of all of them.

“Sometimes the other team executes a little bit more than other teams,” Lewis said.

“That’s what it really was. We didn’t perform as well as we should have, but I’m glad the way that everybody fought, and I’m extremely proud of it.”

In Peppers, Michigan missed its strong-side linebacker, return man and wildcat quarterback, and his absence showed in all three phases.

Then, in the second quarter, the Wolverines suffered perhaps their most crushing blow of the game when senior tight end Jake Butt went down holding his right knee and wincing. He walked off to the locker room under his own power with a towel covering his face and did not return. Michigan missed him, too, particularly on third downs and in the red zone.

Florida State, on the other hand, received dazzling performances from its key contributors. Francois threw for 222 yards and a 92-yard touchdown. Defensive end DeMarcus Walker made four tackles for loss and a sack.

And Cook finished with 20 carries for 145 yards, setting up three of the Seminoles’ four touchdown drives with long runs.

“If we would have stopped maybe those three, four, five big plays,” said Michigan fifth-year senior defensive end Chris Wormley, “it would have been a little different.”

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Michigan’s primary drivers on both ends all game long. Irvin was efficient scoring points early on, mixing up cuts to the hoop through the Wisconsin defense and his signature mid-range jumper. He’s put together one of the most consistent runs of his career through the conference tournament, and finished Sunday with 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

But no performance could compare to what Walton was doing single-handedly. The senior earned assists on the Wolverines’ first two scores of the half, and midway through the first, went on

a personal 9-0 run, hitting three shots from beyond the arc on three consecutive possessions to give Michigan its initial 10-point lead.

Most importantly, Walton quarterbacked his offense through a tough stretch in the second half, and put the ball in his teammates’ hands. His 22 point, six rebound, seven assist outing will go down as the final jewel that helped him earn the crown of the tournament’s most outstanding player.

The Wolverines leave Washington as the Big Ten’s highest seeded team to win the conference tournament, and,

most importantly to them, will be raising a banner at Crisler Center next fall. More than anything, they have a trophy with their names engraved in Michigan basketball lore for what they proved over the past five days.

“I wanted them to imagine what it would be like for them to walk into that beautiful William Davidson Player Development Center and see that trophy and tell people about not the four games, the five days, and be able to tell them that story,” said Michigan coach John Beilein. “Because that’s part of their legacy together, all 16 of those guys.”

Michigan outlasts Georgia Tech in triple-overtime, becomes WNIT champions

By SYLVANNA GROSS Daily Sports Editor

DETROIT — For the seniors, for a banner and to prove the NCAA selection committee wrong — these three reasons urged the Michigan women’s basketball team forward during its postseason appearances.

It’s for those three reasons that the Wolverines, led by Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico, battled Kent State, Wright State, St. John’s, Virginia Tech and Villanova to get to Saturday’s contest against Georgia Tech.

And, most importantly, it’s for those three reasons that Michigan is going to get to hang its first banner in Crisler Center, after defeating the Yellow Jackets in triple overtime, 89-79. It was the first time in history that a WNIT final went into even a single overtime.

“Our mood was ‘We have another quarter,’ ” said senior guard Siera Thompson. “They keep giving us another chance to win this game and we never had any doubt in our mind. We kept fighting, we came this far, and we weren’t gonna lose this game.”

The Wolverines (28-9 overall) hosted Georgia Tech (22-15) at Detroit Mercy in Calihan Hall on Saturday. The last time Michigan and the Yellow Jackets met was on Dec. 1 for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, where the Wolverines broke away with a 92-52 victory.

But, like Barnes Arico warned after the Villanova game on March 29, this would be a completely different team.

With nine seconds left in the game, the Wolverines were down by three. Junior guard Katelynn Flaherty, though, had the ball, took a deep three and made the shot. It was tied at 67 with 9.6 seconds left.

“I took the shot,” Flaherty said.

“I knew we didn’t have much time left. I figured it was the best shot to take and it just happened to go in.”

Georgia Tech still had a chance to claim victory, and with 0.6 seconds left in the game, a foul was called on Michigan. An excruciating minute later —in which the referees reviewed the play — it became clear that the game was going to be decided by a pair of free throws. But the Yellow Jackets couldn’t capitalize and went 0-for-2, sending the game to its first overtime.

Five minutes were put on the clock, and sophomore center Hallie Thome beat out Georgia Tech’s center in the tip-off, leading to a personal layup not long after.

Williams then went 1-for-2 on free throws, pushing Michigan ahead, 70-67.

With a minute to go, the Yellow Jackets hit their own three. Again, the game was tied. Thompson took the ball downcourt, and a timeout was called with 10.9 seconds left to go, but Michigan couldn’t put the game to bed.

The Wolverines went into their second overtime. It was 76-74 with 14.1 on the clock, and a Georgia Tech player broke away for a layup, leaving senior guard Danielle Williams on the floor and the Wolverines with possession.

Michigan couldn’t take the game, though, and — once again — it was pushed into its third overtime.

This time, sophomore guard Jillian Dunston predicted her team would win by 10 — a prediction that pushed the team through.

“We knew this was it,” Flaherty said. “We were running out of gas.

We knew they were tired. We just pushed through. (Dunston said it) at the beginning of the third overtime. It happened, and we just believed her.”

After four points by Thome and two apiece for Flaherty and Munger, the game had 19.5 seconds left and Michigan was sitting with a 10-point advantage.

Barnes Arico threw a thumbs up to the crowd, the clock wound down and Michigan had a championship victory on its resume.

“It was a long battle through the year, but at the end we’re on top and that’s what’s good,” Thompson said, who currently holds three program records for games played (41), minutes played (4,776) and total assists (545). She played for the entirety of the game.

The game started as tense and hectic as the ending. Within 34 seconds, Thome committed her first personal foul, ensuring the first two points on the board were from Georgia Tech’s forward Zaire O’Neil in a pair of free throws.

It was fitting that the Wolverines’ two seniors made the team’s first five points of the game, with Williams’ classmate, Thompson joining her on the statsheet with a field goal after

Williams converted from beyond the arc.

It was sophomore guard Nicole Munger who pushed the Wolverines ahead of the Yellow Jackets for the first time with a 3-pointer that made the game 15-14 with just over a minute left of play in the first — a scoreline that remained unchanged going into the second period. Michigan was winning despite shooting just 27 percent from the floor.

In a media timeout with 4:44 left to go in the second quarter, each team totaled four fouls and Michigan was down by four.

Notably, up to this point, Flaherty had only posted a pair of free throws.

In true Flaherty fashion, though, this slump didn’t last for long. After going 0-for-7 in field goals and 0-4 in 3-pointers, Flaherty hit a layup and a 3-pointer to push the score in favor of the Wolverines. After taking a hit in the face during a frenzy dive for the basketball — something the referees didn’t make a call on — Flaherty got called for her own foul downcourt on the same player, Georgia Tech’s O’Neil.

The game got uglier, another foul got called on Georgia Tech and Thome converted in the bonus to leave the score at 28-25.

Going into halftime, the Yellow Jackets had made a pair of free throws, making it a one-point game.

The first major advantage of the game — a lead over four points — went to the Wolverines after a field goal from junior guard Jillian Dunston. Another two-point field goal from Thome had Michigan in a 38-33 position in the third quarter.

The Wolverines lost that edge, though, with around a minute left to go in the third period when the Yellow Jackets tied it at 40. With a defensive rebound, Georgia Tech was able to bring it down court for a layup with no Wolverine to defend them.

Another foul on Georgia Tech’s O’Neil gave Flaherty a chance to make three free throws. Going 3-for-3, Flaherty brought her teammates into the fourth period leading, 43-42.

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

2E — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Instant classic, eternal anguish

By MAX BULTMAN Managing Sports Editor

COLUMBUS — The play was called 29 lead.

Curtis Samuel took a handoff going left. His blockers created a tunnel. He burst through it, jumped over the goal line and stretched his hands as wide as he could to the fans in the north end zone.

It may go down in history as one of the enduring plays in one of college football’s great rivalries — not because it was exceptionally drawn up (though it was), but because it ended an iconic game that may outlive those who saw it live.

The nation’s No. 2 team beat the No. 3 team, and then fans stormed the field. That doesn’t happen in games where the home team is favored. But this was Ohio State and Michigan, with the highest stakes in a decade. No celebration was unworthy.

That’s the significance of what happened at Ohio Stadium on Saturday: Ohio State 30, Michigan 27.

There will be time to rehash what was or wasn’t.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh offered plenty of thoughts in the moments following the game, when he said he was “bitterly disappointed” with the officiating. He thought one

hold went uncalled, one passinterference was called unjustly and one spot — on fourth down in double overtime, no less — should have given his team a victory. None of it matters.

None of it’s changing.

It took two overtimes for the Buckeyes to beat Michigan, but they did it. They twisted the most jagged of knives through the hearts of those who dared to hope. They did it in the last game of the regular season, and they did it in a year where the Wolverines looked like one of the nation’s four best teams.

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer called it an instant classic, and he’s right. Harbaugh said the implications of the rivalry weren’t on his mind.

Both are probably true. That’s because instant classics don’t happen without heartbreak, “bitter disappointment” or whatever you’d like to call it.

The ingredients of despair and ecstasy are exactly the same.

In his postgame press conference, Harbaugh stuck up his hands and showed how far from the first down he thought J.T. Barrett was on a double-overtime 4th-and-1.

With Ohio State down three, Barrett rushed forward, took low contact from Delano Hill, and stretched toward the firstdown marker.

Afterward, Harbaugh asked

reporters what they saw on the TVs upstairs. “Short,” they agreed. The referees did not.

They saw Barrett collide into Hill and fall just over the line of gain. The replay officials did not see enough to overturn it. That’s how these things go.

Harbaugh has a legitimate gripe, but legitimate gripes are worth exactly zero wins.

Instead, they are worth years, even decades, of anguish.

Harbaugh may be able to eventually rid himself of that burden with other games, other calls that do go his way and maybe even a championship.

But he will never be able to undo what happened on the north side of Ohio Stadium on Saturday.

His team might have avoided it by gaining more than just five yards in the fourth quarter, or not committing one of its three turnovers, one of which occurred at the Buckeyes’ 1-yard line. But it’s too late for all that. Nothing will ever change the outcome. The game will be preserved, exactly the way it unfolded, for eternity.

After Harbaugh expressed his displeasures, Meyer held court in the southeast corner of the stadium. It couldn’t have been more different. There was Meyer, the victor, entirely f lummoxed. He was asked all kinds of questions, including

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President Mark Schlissel discusses the immigration ban, diversity, and poverty solutions in an interview on Tuesday.

what he thought his chances were when his team was down 17-7 in the third quarter.

“I don’t know,” he responded.

“We won the game.”

As the questions continued, Meyer found refuge in a clever response. Asked about an unsuccessful fake punt call, he said: “On the last play, we

ran a stretch to the left. It’s 29 lead, is the call, and Curtis scored.” Asked about his health, he started, “Curtis…” before laughter finished the sentence for him. On if he remembered anything from after the game: “Yeah, Curtis scored.”

It was that simple for Meyer.

Harbaugh didn’t even mention

the play.

That’s the difference between being on the winning and losing ends of a game like Saturday’s.

Harbaugh is left looking back on what went wrong, remembering the calls that could have been different. Meyer doesn’t have to remember anything. History will do it for him.

Finn, Michigan finish as runners-up at NCAA Championships

By MARK CALCAGNO Daily Sports Writer

Erin Finn thought she finally had it.

After passing Notre Dame’s Anna Rohrer in the final straightway, just 200 meters separated Finn from Michigan’s first individual cross country national championship since Katie McGregor in 1998.

Despite the incredible nature of Finn’s career — which includes three Big Ten Athlete of the Year awards — it has been marked by misfortune, falling just short at the most inopportune times: she lost her shoe in the 2015 National Championship and was unable to participate in the 1000-meter Olympic qualifiers last year due to a foot injury.

Saturday’s race, which took place on her 22nd birthday, provided an opportunity for the senior to finally capture the crown her career deserved.

“I thought that once I passed Anna Rohrer and made up that ground, I thought that the title might be mine,” Finn said, “I had no idea that Karissa Schweizer was coming behind me.”

Mere seconds away from the finish line, Finn turned her head to see Schweizer pass her, forcing the senior to settle for runner-up. It was a bittersweet moment, as the Wolverines ran to a suprising

second-place finish — good for Michigan’s best-ever result — just one point behind Oregon.

But Finn fell just shy of the championship that has eluded her for so long.

“She did everything she could — similar to the team,” said Wolverine coach Mike McGuire. “She fought hard to get in the lead with about 300 meters to go, but Schweitzer had a great kick at the end and was the better athlete today. She was the deserving champion today, and we tip our hat to her.”

Finn looked poised to capture a triumphant moment, running the 6,000 meters in 19:44 — just 2.6 seconds slower than Schweizer’s.

“Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough,” Finn said. “I thought it was, but I can rest in the fact that I could not have tried any harder or given it any more. But it was definitely a little heartbreaking, a little bittersweet to come so close.”

Even though Finn never captured that elusive individual national championship, McGuire is unequivocally sure that she’s

the best runner in program history.

“Erin’s the best distance runner we’ve ever had.” he said. “I’ll put up her body of work, and I don’t even think Katie would dispute it.”

Michigan’s finish was aided by juniors Avery Evenson and Gina Sereno, who finished in 18th and 30th, respectively, leading to the duo earning AllAmerican honors. Freshman Maddy Trevison, 46th, and redshirt junior Jaimie Phelan, 65th, rounded up the Wolverines’ scoring.

Trevison gave Michigan an impressive boost, finishing seventh out of all freshmen runners in her first collegiate championship race.

“All five of our scorers — and even Jamie Morrissey at number six — had great races,” McGuire said. “Maddy stepped up and probably ran 30 seconds faster than she did a month ago; Jaimie Phelan really came on with a really strong last kilometer where she probably passed upwards of 20 people.

So in our scoring positions, we

I thought it was, but I can rest in the fact that I could not have tried any harder or given it any more.

really couldn’t have asked for much more than what we got.”

Despite the surprising nature of the second-place result — the team entered the race ranked fifth in the country and simply desired to reach the podium Saturday — the “what-ifs” crept into the minds of Michigan runners following the championship, as one position separated the Wolverines from a share of the national title.

“We were all kind of sitting here on the bus like, ‘Where could I have taken one more place?’ or ‘Where could we have gotten that last point?’ “ Evenson said. “We’re never going to blame one person, but it’s a what-if sort of situation.”

“What if” is a question that has followed Finn in the most painful of ways. She will go down as one of the greatest athletes in school history, as she contributed to an all-time showing for her team, and, yet, she fought back tears when ref lecting on her career.

“I’m going to go back to bittersweet,” Finn said. “It’s been an incredible ride, and I’m so grateful to be a Wolverine and have finished that with my teammates.

That fact that I could trust that every single one of them went out on the course giving everything they had — and knowing that I was doing the same — there’s nothing more special than that.”

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Fall 2017 — 3E

The perils of a winning culture

By MAX MARCOVITCH Daily Sports Writer

It didn’t seem real until Aidan Falk’s lazy pop out landed in the mitt of Michigan State third baseman Kaitlyn Eveland.

It didn’t seem possible that, a f ter recording t hat f ina l out , t he Spa r ta ns — who beat Mich iga n for t he f irst t ime since 2009 Friday — a nd t heir fa ns would right f ully celebrate like t hey ’d won t he College World Series in f ront of a sold-out A lum n i Field.

It wa s rea l, of course — a prog ra m-a ltering w in for Mich iga n State at t he expense of a Wolverines loss t hat w ill be ea sily buried deep into t he dept h of t heir expa nsive h istor y.

It ’ll st ing for Hutch ins a nd her players, but won’t leave even a blem ish on t he storied h istor y of t he Wolverine sof tba ll prog ra m.

“A loss is like a deat h,” sa id Mich iga n coach Ca rol Hutch ins. “ You have to g rieve, you have to work t h rough it .”

This was no f luke. The Wolverines were outplayed on their home field, and the Spartans were hungry and ready to make a statement.

Bridgette Rainey, the Spartans’ winning pitcher, walked into the press room, sat down and took a second to catch her breath. She then summed up the evening better than any of us could: “Holy smokes.”

But maybe we shouldn’t have been all that surprised. Maybe Michigan losing stunningly in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament wasn’t all that stunning, because maybe this Michigan team just isn’t that good.

To be clear, a 41-11-1 record is good, in any sport under any circumstances.

The Wolverines had six all-Big Ten honorees, a pitcher who will go down as one of the best to ever don the maize and blue and four seniors who started all four years and contributed massively to two Women’s College World Series teams. This is a very good softball team.

But this is what happens

when the standard is set higher than everyone else, when “that good” is defined differently than for most everyone else. When you’re Michigan softball, it’s unacceptable to lose in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament, especially to an in-state rival, and two tearyeyed players at the media stand agreed wholeheartedly with that sentiment.

“At the end of the day, this is an extremely tough loss,” said an emotional senior third baseman Lindsay Montemarano. “We set higher expectations for ourselves.”

In reality, this team has proven uncharacteristically vulnerable all season long.

This is what happens in college sports, with turnover so frequent.

Lessened success is only a natural byproduct of losing talent

The best team — and only ranked team — the Wolverines beat all year is Arizona State (twice), who has since fallen to No. 22 in the rankings and plummeted to a disappointing 9-14 conference record. They lost on the road to a dreadful Maryland team (4-19 Big Ten, 11-39-1 overall) and quite nearly dropped two of three.

They lost on the road at Ohio State, and went 0-6-1 against ranked opponents who weren’t the Sun Devils.

They came into the year having lost 47 percent of their run production from a year ago, and predictably struggled out of the gate.

They lost seven of their first 22 games of the season,

scuff ling through the most difficult stretch of their season. But it was early.

By the end of the season we had been tricked into the narrative of a resurgence.

They were hitting their stride at the right time! Peaking when you most wanted to peak! Eighty-eight runs in nine games! Nine wins in a row! Michigan softball was back!

Instead, they had beaten up on the likes of Rutgers — scoring 45 runs in three games against the Big Ten bottom-dweller — and were the same volatile lineup, highly susceptible to the ebb and f low of the season’s tides.

Deep down, that optimism was rooted in the generations of Michigan teams that came before this one.

This is what happens in college spor t s, w it h t ur nover so f requent .

Lessened success is on ly a nat ura l by product of losing ta lent , leadership a nd product ion t he ca liber of Sier ra Romero, Sier ra Law rence, Kelsey Susa lla , Sa ra Driesenga , etc. But at Michiga n, w it h t his prog ra m, you’re never expected to rebuild, on ly to reload.

That un recog n izable silence a f ter t he f ina l out at A lum n i Field Friday wa s cult ivated t h rough yea rs, decades of unfet tered v ictor y. Those tea rs t hat per meated t he tea m a re a product of a ref ined, tedious cult ure of w in n ing.

Because that’s what happens when you win so often; losing hurts that much more.

This season is by no means over.

They will practice Sunday and find out their regional fate Sunday night. And as long as this team is coached by Carol Hutchins, Bonnie Tholl and Jen Brundage, it will have a chance.

But this Michigan softball team fell victim to its own historical program success, and it now has just a week to salvage something from a season wrought with disappointment.

Wolverines, Wagner outlast Louisville, advance to Sweet 16

By KEVIN SANTO Managing Sports Editor

INDIANAPOLIS — John Beilein was grinning, peeking around the corner of the door.

Then he jumped into the locker room, Super Soaker in tow, and the water started f lying.

Michigan was going to the Sweet 16 in Kansas City, Mo. The only thing that could have made it sweeter was if it was legal to use champagne.

“Coach told us that he bought a Super Soaker last night,” said redshirt sophomore forward DJ Wilson. “Because he knew that we were going to come out with a win.”

And right he was, as the Wolverines defeated Louisville, 73-69, to solidif y a place in the Sweet 16 and simultaneously give Beilein a second victory against Rick Pitino that had eluded him since 2005.

“I went into this game with a lot of confidence that I was gonna be using it at the end of that game,” Beilein said.

“At the end of the first half, I wasn’t so sure the Super Soaker — it was ever gonna be known I had it. But we withstood everything they had and won the game.”

More than anyone else, Beilein has Moritz Wagner to thank for that.

Michigan’s sophomore big man scored a game-high 26 points on 11-for-14 shooting, willing the Wolverines forward in a game that — for the majority of the contest — looked like it was Louisville’s for the taking.

Michigan (10-8 Big Ten, 26-11 overall) entered the matchup as the No. 4 team in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency according to Ken Pomeroy. The Cardinals (12-6 ACC, 25-9 overall), on the other hand, took the f loor as the seventh-ranked team in adjusted defensive efficiency.

In a battle of offensive juggernaut and defensive powerhouse, something had to give. In the first half, it was Michigan’s offense that lost out.

Senior g uard Derrick Walton Jr. — the man who has been carrying Michigan through March— didn’t score

until the 4:56 mark, when he knocked down a pair from the charity stripe. Until his 3-pointer with 2:33 remaining, Walton was 0-for-6 from the field. Still, even at that point, the Wolverines trailed by just three.

In reality, Michigan was lucky that was so.

The Wolverines shot 37 percent from the f loor and were 3-for-11 from behind the arc. Louisville didn’t fair much better — shooting 42 percent from the f loor — but dominated Michigan on the boards, grabbing 24 rebounds to the Wolverines’ 16. Ten of those came on the offensive glass, and the Cardinals made Michigan pay, scoring 11 second-chance points in the first half.

The Wolverines’ offensive struggles culminated in a five-minute scoring drought that was only broken at the 7:57 mark by a Wagner layup.

Michigan was fortunate that Louisville went on a scoring drought of its own — failing to hit from the field for nearly four minutes.

But forward Deng Adel ended that drought with authority, coasting down the f loor on a fast break before putting Wilson on a poster to give Louisville a five-point lead.

Shortly thereafter, it looked like Michigan’s luck had finally run out, that the story of the team that went through a plane crash and made a tournament run was coming to a close.

It looked like — once again — Rick Pitino was going to get the better of John Beilein.

There was just over a minute left in the frame when Louisville g uard Donovan Mitchell hit the triple — marking just his third field goal of the frame.

Adel followed Mitchell’s lead, converting from beyond the arc on the Cardinals’ next offensive possession. And then he nailed a pair from the free-throw line.

One minute and 10 seconds, an eight-point swing, and the Wolverines went from tied at 28 to trailing by eight at the half.

But Wagner came out firing.

He scored eight of Michigan’s first 10 points in

the second half, starting what would eventually become a 17-point second-half total for the sophomore. The Cardinals still proved too much, opening 4-for-6 from the f loor to counteract Wagner’s individual effort.

Eventually, though, senior wing Zak Irvin joined the party — scoring six straight points with 13:25 remaining to cut Michigan’s deficit to three.

Just over four minutes later, junior g uard MuhammadAli Abdur-Rahkman finally put the Wolverines within striking distance, knocking down two free throws to tie the game at 53.

From there, it became a slugfest, with each team v ying back and forth for the lead that could send them to the Sweet 16.

Wagner finally gave Michigan the edge — nailing one from deep with 6:41 left to play and jumpstarting an 8-2 run that gave Michigan a six-point lead.

With 56 seconds remaining, Louisville went into desperation mode and it nearly paid off, as the Cardinals forced a turnover with their full court press before hitting a layup to cut the Wolverines’ lead to two.

And yet, despite going 2-for-12 in the game to that point, Walton converted when it mattered most —hitting a layup on the other end before Wilson put the game to bed from the charity stripe.

In the end, Michigan managed to outlast Louisville.

“We’re gonna do everything we can to win this whole thing,” Beilein said. “I’m no spring chicken in this thing. You get bad calls, you get injuries. … you get to the Sweet 16 and you’re only four games away from winning the whole thing. “… I don’t know who’s next, but I know we’re going to go into this thing not content with what we’ve done.”

For a long time, it looked like the story would end in Indy, like the Wolverines’ luck had run out and like John Beilein’s March history with Pitino was just too much to overcome.

But Wagner said the hell with luck, and the hell with history.

4E- Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Michigan Baseball 2017 Season in Review

By JACOB SHAMES Summer Managing Sports Editor

The Michigan baseball team won 42 games, finished second in the Big Ten and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the second time in five seasons under coach Erik Bakich.

But while the ending was different from last year’s, as the Wolverines achieved their goal of making the postseason, it still left a sour taste in their mouths. Michigan dropped its last four games of the season, including two late-inning heartbreakers in the Big Ten Tournament and two straight in the Chapel Hill Regional.

Regardless, the Wolverines were dominant much of the season, including a 14-1 stretch in April, possessed the Big Ten’s top scoring offense and top pitching staff and maintained a national ranking for most of the year, reaching as high as 13th.

The Daily looks back on Michigan’s winningest season since 2008, and offers season superlatives as well as a look ahead to 2018.

Most Valuable Player: Michael Brdar Ako Thomas was hitting .371 with 20 stolen bases and had reached base in every game when he injured his hand on April 21 against Indiana, which caused him to miss almost an entire month. If this award had been given then, the sophomore second baseman probably would have won it. Instead, it goes to the other half of the Wolverines’ infield tandem.

Brdar was Michigan’s most consistent hitter all season, ranking second on the team with a .310 average primarily out of the three-hole. The senior shortstop also contributed with three home runs, 37 runs batted-in, 19 stolen bases on 24 attempts, and walked just as often as he struck out (23 times), while improving upon

his 2016 statistical output in every single offensive category.

But Brdar’s defense shined the most — at the most demanding position on the diamond, he made just three errors and recorded a pristine .988 fielding percentage, while displaying a knack for highlight-reel plays with his quickness, instincts and powerful arm.

An All-Big Ten First Team selection, Brdar also made a lasting impact as a leader during his time as a Wolverine.

After the season-ending loss to North Carolina, Bakich stated that Brdar will be “a hell of a coach” once his playing days are over.

Breakout Player: Johnny Slater Everything written above about Brdar could just as easily be written about Slater. The senior centerfielder came to Michigan as a top prospect — a “five-tool” player who could run, throw, field, hit for average and hit for power. However, his first three seasons were inconsistent — he was a career .207 hitter with just four home runs and 32 RBIs entering his senior year.

But in 2017, Slater finally put his vast potential on display.

He hit .299 with five home runs, ranked second on the team in RBIs (47) and slugging percentage (.493) and stole 15 bases without being caught once. And as the veteran leader of a youthful outfield possessing two sophomores at the corners, Slater committed only one error as well.

“The guy works extremely hard,” Bakich said after Slater went 4-for-4 with four doubles against Michigan State on April 18. “Part of this is just a byproduct of someone with tremendous work ethic… He’s going to continue to get better as he gets older, and it’s going to be exciting to watch.”

Newcomer of the Year: Miles

Lewis When Lewis’s original program, North Dakota, dropped baseball after last season, he became eligible to transfer anywhere and play immediately. And with Matt Ramsay and Cody Bruder graduating, the Wolverines desperately needed to reinforce their outfield.

Lewis, a Freshman All-American who hit .360 last season, was a perfect fit.

The switch-hitting redshirt sophomore gave Michigan everything it anticipated. He made his mark as a Wolverine right away with a walk-off base hit against Seton Hall in the second game of the season, and finished with a .296 average, .381 on-base percentage, 19 stolen bases in 23 attempts and a team-leading 14 doubles. Lewis should remain a reliable middle-ofthe-order bat and presence in the field for Michigan in 2018, and as he continues to tap into his athletic potential — Bakich has described him as having a “football body” — he should only improve in his second season against Big Ten competition.

Best individual performance: Oliver Jaskie’s shutout of Ohio State on May 5 The Wolverines lost all five of their games against Ohio State last season, including a season-ending loss in the Big Ten Tournament. Bakich called this year’s meeting “personal”, saying it was marked on his team’s calendar. A completegame shutout with 14 strikeouts while allowing just seven hits and only one walk is spectacular in any context, but considering how meaningful this game was to Michigan, Jaskie’s performance was perhaps legendary.

The junior left-hander retired the first 10 Buckeyes that stepped to the plate and

recorded a strikeout in every inning. And when Ohio State loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth, Jaskie induced a groundout to third to finish the first complete-game shutout by a Wolverine hurler since 2012.

“I knew he would probably tackle me if I tried to take him out,” Bakich said. “That was his game and his game to finish.”

High point: 2-1 victory against Michigan State in regular season finale Michigan came into the season priding itself on a “fighter mentality” defined by resiliency, mental toughness and performance in late-inning situations. As a result, Bakich described the extra-inning victory over the Wolverines’ in-state rivals as a “microcosm” of the entire year. Michigan had been shut out through eight innings, but tied the score in the top of the ninth — only to load the bases with nobody out in the bottom half of the frame.

But redshirt junior righthander Jackson Lamb induced two groundouts and a pop-out to escape a near-certain loss, and Brdar singled home the winning run the next inning.

One week later, the Wolverines found out they were the last team in the NCAA Tournament. With that in mind, it’s possible this game could have been a deciding factor in Michigan’s postseason fate, making it even more significant.

Low point: Big Ten Tournament The Wolverines entered the tournament with a real chance of claiming their second conference title in three seasons. Instead, upset losses to Northwestern and Indiana abruptly ended these hopes. Leading the Wildcats, 4-3, in the ninth inning, Lamb — who had not allowed a run all season — gave up three, and Michigan found itself in the loser’s bracket. The Wolverines

blew another late-inning lead against the Hoosiers, as senior right-hander Mac Lozer — who also had a perfect ERA — gave up two runs in the eighth. Michigan kept the game alive by plating a run in the ninth, but eventually fell, 5-4, on Indiana’s walk-off hit in the 13th.

Not only did Michigan lose two games in heartbreaking fashion, but its culture of resiliency seemingly collapsed in Bloomington. Dominant all season, the Wolverines’ bullpen imploded, and Michigan never seemed to recover.

Up Next: The Wolverines aren’t losing just any senior class. They will lose the first group recruited entirely by Bakich — a group he described as being “the best group of leaders by far” in his time at Michigan. This includes Brdar, Slater, Lozer and senior catcher Harrison Wenson — who despite a down offensive season was indispensable behind the plate. There’s a good chance they’ll lose more talent to the MLB Draft — junior third baseman Drew Lugbauer led the team with 12 home runs and possesses the necessary size, versatility and power to all fields to make him a prized slugging prospect, while Lamb and Jaskie could be drafted highly as well.

However, the Wolverines lost their top pitcher in Brett Adcock and top all-around hitter in Carmen Benedetti to the draft last year, and improved offensively and defensively this season. This is a testament to Bakich’s recruiting efforts — creating a program that can quickly fill holes and rebuild after the departure of key players. And there will be plenty of talent next year as it is — there’s a possibility Michigan’s top four starters in Jaskie, junior righthanders Alec Rennard and Ryan Nutof and junior left-

hander Michael Hendrickson will all be back for their senior season. On the infield, Thomas and junior first baseman Jake Bivens will return, while Lewis, right-fielder Jonathan Engelmann, designated hitter/ outfielder Nick Poirier and utility player Jimmy Kerr will look to take steps forward in their junior seasons.

Before the season, Bakich stated it would be hard for any freshman to consistently see playing time, but this was more a product of the experience of the team on the field and less anything to do with the class’s potential. Newcomers such as left-hander Tommy Henry and right-handers Karl Kauffman and Jack Weisenburger were productive when they got the chance — combining for a 2.88 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 50 innings — and should see more innings next season, while outfielders Christian Bullock and Dominic Clementi are likely to carve out roles as well.

Wenson’s impact as catcher can’t be overstated, but rising sophomores Marcus Chavez and Harrison Salter have the potential to complement each other with their defensive and offensive skills, respectively.

Next season, Michigan yet again will bring in the No. 1 recruiting class in the Big Ten, and the No. 26 class in the country according to Perfect Game USA, highlighted by pitchers Cody Bolton and Blake Beers and outfielder Jesse Franklin. While it may be too early to speculate on how many of the Wolverines’ 14 freshman next season will receive substantial playing time, it’s clear that Bakich’s goal is to establish a perennial power, and this year’s recruiting class is further indication that he is doing so. With the incoming and returning talent and three straight years with at least 36 wins, the Wolverines are undoubtedly among the favorites to claim the Big Ten title in 2018.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

MICHIGAN IN COLOR

Fall 2017 — 1F

Black History Month, Through My Eyes

By MICHAEL HEYWARD MiC Columnist

Black History Month, for me, is by far the most meaningful month of the year. A time to reflect on the triumphs, tragedies and teachable moments of the past, while celebrating the influential people, institutions and events of today. It is also a time to look to the future and imagine a society greater than the one we currently inhabit.

Since President Gerald Ford commissioned February as Black History Month in 1976 as a part of the United States’s bicentennial, students in schools all over the country have read books on the civil rights movement, written reports on some of our most remembered pioneers and seen such programs as the biographic cartoon “Our Friend, Martin.”

Today, the entire month of February is Black History Month.

However, prior to 1976, just the second week of the month was known as Negro History Week. It was established in 1926 by prominent Black historian Carter G. Woodson and others within the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, an organization

Woodson co-founded. ASALH thought the many contributions of African Americans to our society, both past and present, should be remembered and celebrated. I concur.

I personally feel a certain affirmation of my own existence, and of my ancestors, during the month of February. Living in a country that does not always value Black lives, I find it somewhat heartening that people will at least pretend to for these 28 days. Every year the president will issue a proclamation on the first day of February, declaring it Black History Month. Television stations will run documentaries, radio show hosts will interview historians and experts, and politicians will selectively quote activists. For this one month, it is not controversial to be Black.

Black History Month is not without its critics. There has always been a chorus of uninformed bigots repeating the line: “Why isn’t there a white history month?” This inquiry is extremely problematic, and in my opinion, not at all genuine.

The history of this nation has been whitewashed for the appeasement of the masses. We

celebrate Christopher Columbus, Thomas Jefferson and Ulysses Grant for their contributions to the advancement of exploration, the establishment of individual liberties and the reunification of our nation, but we often forget the enslaved Black Europeans and Americans who helped them succeed.

Black history is being made — by our leaders — right before our eyes. It was monumental for us to see the United States’s first Black chief executive take the oath of office eight years ago, and former President Barack Obama’s name is guaranteed to grace the pages of textbooks for centuries to come. However, after his election had been contextualized as being within a political climate that was “post-racial,” it was just as monumental when then-First Lady Michelle Obama noted that she wakes up “every morning in a house that was built by slaves” during her Democratic National Convention speech last summer.

Black history is being made by athletes. This year, Serena Williams cemented her legacy as the greatest tennis player of all time by winning her 23rd Grand Slam title. She has won more

No Bans in this Land

By ADAM BRODNAX, AREEBA HAIDER, TANYA MADHANI, HALIMAT OLANIYAN, CHRISTIAN PANDEA, JASON ROWLAND, NEEL SWAMY, ASHLEY TJHUNG, SIVANTHY VASANTHAN MiC Editors

La st Friday, President Dona ld Tr ump issued an execut ive order inappropriately t it led, “ Protect ing t he Nat ion f rom Foreig n Ter rorist Ent r y into t he Un ited States.”

Ostensibly, t he goa l wa s to lim it im m ig rat ion f rom count ries t hat t he Tr ump adm in ist rat ion deemed high-risk for ter rorism in t he Un ited States. We, a long w it h m illions of ot her A merica ns a nd concer ned people a round t he world, denounce t he move a s in huma ne, devoid of empat hy a nd simply un-A merica n. By closing our doors to people f rom Ira n, Iraq , Libya , Soma lia , Suda n, Sy ria a nd Yemen — a g roup of nat ion s t hat ten s of m illion s of people ca ll home — T r u mp is sig n i ng i nto law a message t hat is a s m isg uided a s it is power f u l: The Un ited St ates’ fea r of ter ror ism is st ronger t ha n it s com m it ment to hu ma n it y. In addit ion , by suspendi ng t he Ref ugee Ad m ission Prog ra m , t he T r u mp ad m i n ist rat ion’s execut ive order is open ly a nd bra sh ly neglec t i ng t he hu ma n it a r ia n idea ls t hat we a s a nat ion shou ld be st r iv i ng towa rd. It is ou r u nwaver i ng st a nce t hat t he Un ited St ates shou ld ut ilize it s i nter nat iona l pr iv ilege a nd inf luence by accept ing t he world’s most v ulnerable cit izens.

By

condoning t he creat ion of physica l a nd psycholog ica l borders, we a re on ly dist a nci ng ou rselves f rom t he benef it s t hat come w it h buildi ng a n i nter nat iona lly diverse com mu n it y. A s long a s Dona ld T r u mp a nd h is ad m i n ist rat ion cont i nue to aba ndon t hese pr i nciples t hat we hold dea r, we at M ich ig a n i n Color w ill cont i nue to spea k up a nd uplif t t he voices of t hose a f fec ted. Advocat i ng for t he sa fet y of ou r fellow hu ma n bei ng s is not , a nd ca n not , be reduced to a bipa r t isa n issue.

R at her, it is a n ac t ive choice t hat we shou ld a ll be w illi ng to embrace — reg a rdless of polit ica l a lleg ia nce.

In response to t his execut ive order, t he Universit y of Michiga n President Ma rk Sch lissel issued a statement out lin ing t heir ref usa l to relea se t he im m ig rat ion stat us of it s st udent s a nd ot her com munit y members.

In t he statement , t he Un iversit y rea f f i r med it s com m it ment to diversit y, non- discr i m i nat ion , pr ivac y a nd public sa fet y. Not ably, t he Un iversit y ’s ref usa l to disclose t he i m m ig rat ion st at us of it s st udent s a nd com mu n it y members does not v iolate a ny ex ist i ng st ate or federa l laws. Wh ile we a re encou raged by t he it s com m it ment to protec t i ng it s st udent s a nd facu lt y, we a re u n ner ved t hat t he Un iversit y ’s respon se wa s mot ivated by t he desi re to “ident if y, recr uit , suppor t a nd ret a i n academ ic t a lent .”

We rejec t t he idea t hat a n indiv idua l’s wor t h is solely deter m ined by t heir abilit y to cont ribute to t he academ ic

com mun it y. We wa nt to rem ind ever yone t hat t hose a f fected by t he ba n a re, f irst a nd foremost , huma n being s — indiv idua ls whose right s a nd civ il liber t ies have been w rong f ully den ied.

While we recog n ize t hat ma ny st udent s have been a nd w ill cont inue to be a f fected by t he lega l unfolding s of t he Tr ump adm in ist rat ion, we ack nowledge t hat t hose whose root s lie in t he nat ions a f fected by t he recent execut ive order may feel pa r t icula rly isolated.

Our plat for m ha s a lways existed a s a space for st udent s of color to a f f ir m, ack nowledge a nd express love towa rd one a not her, a nd t his m ission w ill on ly become more sa lient a s we nav igate t he uncer ta int ies of t his new polit ica l climate.

Writ ing, a long w it h ot her for ms of a r t , a re pa r t icula rly potent for ms of hea ling a nd recog n it ion of our existence, a nd we inv ite t hose who a re a f fected to sha re t heir stories. R ig ht now, we must ex ist toget her, because ou r liveli hood a s people of color relies on buildi ng solida r it y w it h one a not her.

Our liberat ion f rom oppression ha s a lways been con nec ted.

We must elevate one a not her a nd spea k for t hose who ca n not — t he i nv isible, resilient people who have h istor ica lly been lef t out of t he dom i na nt na r rat ive. We must cont i nue to a r t icu late ou r ex per iences, issues, a nd suf fer i ng a s people of color.

There is power in spea k ing t he unspea kable, a nd we w ill cont inue to a mplif y our voices a nd condem n t hose who t r y to silence us.

We must continue to articulate our experiences, issues, and suffering as people of color. There is power in speaking the unspeakable, and we will continue to amplify our voices and condemn those who try to silence us.

Grand Slam single titles than any other person in the Open era — male or female. At the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, gymnast Simone Biles stunned the world when she took home four gold medals and one bronze medal.

Black history is being made by creators. Viola Davis made history this year when she garnered her third Academy Award nomination for her role in “Fences.” TV shows with majority-Black casts such as ABC’s “Scandal,” “Blackish” and “How to Get Away with Murder” and Fox’s “Empire” are dominating primetime viewership. Beyoncé, with the release of her album “Lemonade,” became the only artist in history to have her first six efforts go number one on the Billboard Hot 100. This, after controversy over her unapologetically pro-Black single “Formation” and Super Bowl performance to match. To top it all off, last year Beyoncé became the most Grammynominated woman in the award show’s history.

While accepting her daughter’s BET award for video of the year last summer, Tina Knowles reflected on the deaths of some of

our community’s greatest artists such as Prince and Michael Jackson by saying, “I’m hoping that we will celebrate them while we are alive.” She added, “Let’s give our flowers to our artists who give so much … Let’s let them smell the flowers while they’re alive.” In other words, it is always appropriate to honor the legacy of fallen influences, but it is just as important to praise them while they are alive and still effecting change. Black History Month is our time to do just that.

History that is not remembered repeats itself. America, if for no other reason, owes it to its Black citizens to remain educated on this nation’s ugly past of enslavement, disenfranchisement and legal subjugation. This country has resolved to “never forget” the horror of the Sept.

11 attacks, the Holocaust or the attack on Pearl Harbor, yet slavery is not universally regarded in the same way. As long as there is Black History Month, our objective should be to remember the injustices committed against Black people, and work diligently so that those types of injustices never happen again. Unfortunately, we now have a president who is

not quite clear of this history.

President Donald Trump, during remarks commemorating the beginning of Black History Month, seemed to suggest that Frederick Douglass was somehow still alive, saying that he is “being recognized more and more” today.

This, just days after claiming that renowned civil rights activist and current congressman John Lewis was “all talk.” In 1965, while protesting voting rights violations as the chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Selma, Ala., Lewis was brutalized by police. He sustained a fractured skull on the day that was eventually known as Bloody Sunday.

Black History Month should evoke joy, pain, laughter, tears, celebration and condemnation.

This time of year is so important to me because it is a time to remember the past, savor the present and look toward a promising and united future.

There is no doubt as to whether Black History Month should be a permanent fixture of our society.

My hope is that all Americans would make a commitment to celebrate this special time with myself and others.

BackSeat FreeStyle, SideView Mirror

By STEFFI CAO MiC Contributor

The opening beats of Kendrick Lamar’s “Backseat Freestyle” are rebirth. I’m not into rap music, but I swear those first few seconds have fundamentally changed me for the better.

I was at a party a few weeks ago. It was a party held by an Asian organization, so my community was around me, and I didn’t feel that inexplicable stress from parties with mostly white people. “m.A.A.d city” was bumping ( look, I know I was talking about “Backseat Freestyle,” but the piece doesn’t work any other way — sue me); it was a good time. Through the pulsating of Kendrick’s beat, I heard people going off with the lyrics: “This m.A.A.d city I run, my —” Except they didn’t stop there. And even though I was in no shape to make a detailed race-relations analysis, one conclusive question rose to the surface of my thoughts: Did these motherf--ers just say the N-word?

In the Asian-American community, there is a subculture of hip-hop that permeates the lives of many people — including myself. We are encouraged by mainstream society to assimilate whiteness, to conform to the model minority myth and to pretend as though we aren’t different from the masses of Caucasian faces. But much like the modern cultural phenomenon “Bee Movie,” it just doesn’t make sense. So some AsianAmericans turn to the stories of other marginalized communities. Hearing 2Pac’s “Me Against the World” not only taught me about violence in impoverished areas and the experience of a Black man fighting racial prejudice, it also reminded me of the unspoken police violence and destitution in Chinatowns during the 1960s, the prejudices against Asian-Americans and how my community is fighting its own battles today.

On the other hand, many seem to have forgotten that hip-hop, while perhaps open to Asian-Americans, is not always an Asian-American space.

Meaning, it’s time to have a talk.

I am tired of hearing AsianAmericans scream the N-word at parties, but squirming uncomfortably when someone calls them out for it. I am tired of the J. Cole songs at parties when I know no one is really listening to the lyrics.

And I am tired of AsianAmericans glamorizing the lives of popular rappers like Big Sean, but not realizing that Flint, Mich., still does

not have clean water.

It is important to acknowledge that the AsianAmerican community has made incredible progress in being vocal about social issues. We have developed so much in educating ourselves about other communities, and how our community is related to theirs. We have our own shared history with the Black community that is powerful and should not be ignored. But I still hesitate to congratulate ourselves on what we have achieved because there are still so many people who just don’t care enough to learn. To my fellow Asian-Americans, before you get defensive (don’t hide from me now), really ask yourself: Do I understand the culture I love so much? There are still too many people who will awkwardly shift in their seats at the idea of protesting and speaking out in situations that are inherently problematic, or even trying to educate themselves about other ethnic communities. Don’t just say, “what’s up, my N----r” to seem cool around your friends.

How can you really love a hip-hop artist but negate the lyrics they write? And what makes you feel like it’s OK to use language like the N-word when you have not personally experienced the backlash of it?

No, you don’t have to be a Social Justice Warrior™ to like hip-hop. You don’t have to know every current event happening ever. You just need to be aware that many things are not yours to take, which is something I would think most Asian-Americans are familiar with. People make our food trendy, use our languages as accessories and wear our traditional clothing as costumes, all while dismissing our problems, contributions and history. How is that fair?

The answer: It’s not. Which means it’s not fair to the Black community if we benefit from their culture but do not stand with their issues. Tell Becky to give the bindi back, but don’t

snatch someone’s box braids in the process.

Education is also crucial in solving such a complex, obscure issue. More often than not, appropriation of other cultures stems not from malice, but from a lack of awareness. They just don’t know. A professor I had used to say things like “I love to study Buddhist scriptures” and “my tattoo means heart and mind in Chinese, my calligraphy teacher told me.” It made me uncomfortable because I used to get teased for those things, and now people were trying to tell me how amazing they were. But my professor didn’t mean harm. They were truly invested in learning about Asian cultures. They just didn’t understa nd t hat by cor rect ing my Ch inese, t hey were ma k ing me feel a s t hough my at tempt s to expla in my ow n cult ure weren’t va lid enough. They just didn’t k now. A nd t hat ’s not one person’s fault .

But we need to help ra ise awa reness about what is OK a nd what is not .

The question of cultural appropriation is still a messy one. It’s not always going to be clean cut. Ethnic studies is just gaining recognition as a field of study, and the beginning of any new innovation is not going to be clear. My rule is, be aware of what your space is. Some Black people are trying to reclaim the N-word to empower the community (see: Donald Glover, “The N Word”), but the historical connotations and racial charge still carry over from the past, and that does not make it OK for others, including other people of color, to use it freely. We need to be respectful toward those who mind. It’s not our space to make the decisions, so we need to listen more carefully. You cannot extract the benefits of a culture without acknowledging the hardships of it. We can freestyle with Kendrick in the backseat, but we are not driving the car.

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2F — Fall 2017

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To the mother who birthed me

By ADAM BRODNAX MiC Senior Editor

Dea r Me, It ’s been on ly si x days si nce you ca me i nto my life a nd I keep replay i ng t hose 20 m i nutes t he hospit a l g ave us to breat h i n t he sa me a i r.

Once I lea r ned t he news t hat for cer t a i n you a nd t he rest of my i m mediate fa m ily were a live, I w rote to myself t hat I wa s sca red.

I kept projec t i ng a nd fa nt a sizi ng about t he v isit .

I beg a n layer i ng moment s a nd ex pec t at ion s of what my i mag i nat ion cou ld d r u m up.

Then , I rea lized t hat t here wa s not h i ng i mag i nable t hat wou ld prepa re me for t he physica l, ment a l a nd emot iona l shou lder i ng t h is wou ld bea r. It wa sn’t u nt il a few days before my f lig ht where I chose to just be du r i ng my v isit . The U. S. ha s got ten me i nto t h is habit of a lways goi ng a nd wh ile i n Viet na m , I needed to just be. Yet t he con sequences of t hat decision have been over whel m i ng t hese pa st couple of days a s I cont i nue t h is c ycle of emot iona l push i ng a nd pu lli ng.

Before I lef t for my f lig ht , I had to steady myself. So, I did si mple t h i ng s — I cut my ha i r shor t , I boug ht cont ac t s, I packed pla i n T-sh i r t s. I’m not su re if it wa s more for you or more for me, but I did it to push away what A mer ica g ave me. Grow i ng up, I’ve a lways had to negot iate wh ich pa r t s of my ident it y I br i ng i n a nd wh ich pa r t s I suppress. So, for ou r v isit , I did t hese si mple t h i ng s just to get closer a nd to ma ke

myself more accessible to you.

Recollec t i ng my a r r iva l, I did n’t rea lize t he i m men se weig ht of my v isit . It wa s f illed w it h jubilat ion a nd celebrat ion , but a lso, w it h t he u npeeli ng of a n emot iona l sca r. I wa s meet i ng fa m ily member a f ter fa m ily member. I wa s posi ng for photos, people were feeli ng my face a nd my brot her refer red to me on ly a s “ baby.” There wa s a liv i ng na r rat ive i n t he tow n t hat I had ret u r ned home a nd t hat t he fa m ily had been

I will never be able to suffice for the life you gave me.

I can never even conceive the process of emotionally detaching yourself just enough to let me go. u n if ied. I remember bei ng a sked by my sister-i n-law if I wa s goi ng to come home a f ter school to work here a nd t a ke ca re of you. I had a ha rd t i me a r t icu lat i ng t he ma ny emot ion s pu lli ng me i n t hat moment , because I had n’t even beg u n to t h i n k

PHOTO BY JIN KIM

Adam, his birth mother, his biological brother, his sister-in-law

about v isit i ng ag a i n a nd if I did, I k new it wou ld on ly be tempora r y.

Me, t h is v isit wa s u n fa i r to you. Of t he 14 hou rs I wa s i n Thá i Bì n h , t he ci rcu m st a nces of ou r lives on ly g ave us 20 m i nutes to f it a n ent i ret y of a life. The secu r it y nea rly did n’t let me i n , if it had n’t been for t he desperat ion i n my fa m ily ’s voice. I beg a n to jug gle what I wa nted to a sk you. I beca me a n x ious to tell you about my A mer ica n life.

I wa nted to tell you about my mot her i n A mer ica who is so st rong a nd ra ised me to be t he person you met . I wa nted to tell you what A mer ica n a i r felt li ke. I wa nted to tell you about t he homes I g rew up i n

a nd about my t wo sibli ng s I love. There wa s no way to sat isf y t he ma ny t houg ht s I had w it h t he slig ht t i me we got to sha re. Wh ile I had t h is r u n n i ng list of quest ion s, you ma naged to encompa ss so much of it w it h t he mot herly w isdom I had a lways lived w it hout . You on ly a sked me t h ree t h i ng s: wa s I ma r r ied, wa s I i n school a nd did I eat ever y day. A nd to you, t hese t h ree quest ion s wou ld just con f i r m t he one t h i ng you wa nted to k now — if I had happi ness.

When I wa l ked i nto t he room , I did n’t mea n to ma ke you cr y. Dad had prefaced t hat you were ver y ill a nd i n physica l pa i n so t he la st

t h i ng I wa nted wa s to add a layer of emot iona l pa i n . You had so much t rouble look i ng at me. The emot iona l sca r I lef t you beg a n to bleed ag a i n .

The i nter preter told me t hat you were hav i ng dif f icu lt y spea k i ng to me, because it broug ht back t he pa i n f u l moment when you decided you cou ld n’t keep me. You told me how dif f icu lt it wa s because you were physica lly too wea k to t a ke ca re of me a nd t hat at t he t i me, you did n’t have t he mea n s to feed me eit her. You na med me, “Ocea n ,” because I wa s so big.

You told me you cou ld on ly ca re for me for 10 days.

I just wa nt to let you k now

On pride and being out

By KHANG HUYNH MiC Contributor

For eighteen years of my life my mother’s arms were the warmest home I ever knew. A home for when I felt scared or lonely or sad. What an actual home lacked in structural support, my mother made up for in love and kindness. For eighteen years this home allowed me to grow and learn and supported me in every endeavor until the day I felt this unnerving urge to tell her that I was gay. No, that I am gay. Like I mean I was gay in the past tense as I retell this story but I also still am very gay and like … you get my point.

Okay but anyways, at this point in my life, everyone except my immediate family knew of me being gay, like it wasn’t really hard to guess; I didn’t really try to hide it. Like even if I was trying to hide it, I wasn’t doing that hot of a job at doing so. Why was it so hard to tell the most loving person in my life what I had openly told to so many strangers before? Okay to be fair, coming out to strangers and friends never warranted the fear of being kicked out of my own home, which was a valid excuse for me to hide myself for so long to my own mother. I don’t really remember exactly what led up to me finally coming out to my her; everything’s just really hazy and sad, but I do remember that it just really needed to be done, and as I was telling her what I needed to tell her, I was doing so through this flood of tears, and it wasn’t anything cute either. I cried so hard my contact lenses fell out and my entire face was swelling up from the tears and the snot … It was the immediate opposite aesthetic of this emotionally strong and well-put-together person that I try so hard to build up as myself. As I was going through this profoundly hideous breakdown, my mother didn’t really know what to do. She tried to tell me it was okay but she also didn’t want to touch or hold me.

This home she had built for me couldn’t hold the well of emotions she was feeling. She just told me that things would be okay in between my teary gasping and just sat at the side of my bed for awhile.

We don’t really talk about it now. You know the whole gay thing. Like it’s just something we both know is there but neglect to

bring up like some big fabulously gay elephant in the room. But the fact of the matter was that I was out. I didn’t need to hide anymore.

Coming out and being out is this really weird and often really touchy subject that’s unique to the LGBTQ+ community.

Everyone who is out in this community has their own story of how their coming out went that ranges anywhere from pleasant to heartbreaking. Like much of everything else in the world, it’s a spectrum from good to bad to maybe even horrendous, but it’s also not this once in a lifetime event either. Something that a lot of people don’t realize is that coming out isn’t this end all be all. It’s a reoccurring event. I will always have to come out to every person I meet in some way or another, verbal or otherwise. I feel like this is where I can explain the bulk of my personality; it’s so much easier to be overtly and openly gay and make things very clear right up front than to have to say that you are gay to every person that you meet. It’s not that I feel any shame in being gay, but it’s just different to have to say that you are something as opposed to just freely being it. The only thing was, this practice of my open gayness was a newfound source of contention; the home of this social friction I would feel from so many people.

There’s something very subversive about simultaneously being Asian and being openly gay.

From both the outside looking in and inside looking out you’re almost required to uphold this certain group of expectations for yourself that contradict the very core of being out and being proud of yourself. Looking in from the outside world you’re expected to be this submissive figure of conformity. All that you say and do must follow a stringent mold of what is expected from you; you know, the whole model minority bullshit and all that comes from it. What is expected of you is silence. Nobody likes to hear from a loud gay, and god forbid hearing things from an Asian one who has meaningful things to say when all that is expected from them is obedience to an antiquated system of societal expectations. Looking out from your own community at the world in front of you, you’re only ever told by those inside of

it to submit to what is the norm of those around you, and in that regard you try to do your best to conform.

Pride in itself is not a prideful trait; to freely boast your strengths and exist as yourself in any raw and uninhibited form is a symbol of anything but pride, but rather the most profound weakness. It’s a largely cultural aspect for where these views come from. There’s like this unspoken sin to deviate from conformity in the Vietnamese community I came from, and not only being out, but being openly out is seen as just about the pinnacle of all sins, on par with not taking your shoes off when you come inside and disrespecting your elders. So much of my culture is marked by obedience and reverence to our elders and following long held traditions, so to deviate from common practice is just about the worst possible thing you could ever do. It was the amalgamation of all of these things that made me so scared and forced me to hide for so long. I became very familiar with the closet, so the moment where I didn’t feel the need to hide in there anymore, I chose to take every opportunity to become myself and make up for lost time.

To be gay is to be resilient, but it is an incredibly lonely place to come of age in. Nobody ever tells you how incredibly lonely it can be. You grow up questioning these expectations placed upon you before you have the vocabulary to be able to vocalize and defend yourself. You grow up bombarded by both media that does not represent you and systems of hatred and prejudice that force you to hide for so much of your life out of this fear that the feelings of guilt, self-hatred and fear itself become a part of your identity. Nobody really speaks about how exhausting it is to have to validate your right to coexist. You feel as if your queerness is unwelcome in these overwhelmingly unqueer spaces. The thing is, nobody ever asks to be gay. Nobody asks to be treated like how so many of us have been and have to overcome the many struggles that our identity brings to us, but to be gay is to also be an overwhelming pillar of strength.

In helping others, you bring up these memories that aren’t always easy to retell to yourself,

let alone others, but in doing so, you kind of get to see how strong you are, to have overcome the many hardships that being gay can bring to you.

It’s like you’ve almost forgotten all that you’ve needed to do to simply be here today. I find praise from others at my uninhibited love and expression of my identity so strange sometimes. Like why wouldn’t you want to freely be yourself?

I would always find their kind words to be so … off putting?

But then I remember that simply being gay in itself is an act of resistance and it’s a privilege that is not afforded to everyone. Being gay and being out is a powerful act of declaring your right to simply exist at all. You have to be proud of yourself and all you have been through, a practice much easier said than done.

I feel like that is the defining message of gay pride and pride month. You acknowledge the pain and difficulty both you and your community have not only gone through, but overcome as well. Not only have we survived, but we have thrived and shall continue to do so. We have this huge shared experience of learning to love ourselves, and the journey toward doing so is not always an easy one. It’s this journey sometimes marked with more downs than ups, and I feel like I’m just throwing out these analogies and sayings, but that’s just really how it really feels. From being beaten down so many times you grow this thick skin, both good and bad in its effects, but I think the major idea of pride is that we cannot close in on ourselves. We can’t close in on ourselves and expect a change to come. This thick skin of ours was formed to def lect the hatred of others and allow us a closer understanding of those like us. I think the ultimate end goal would be to learn for ourselves how our ideal sense of self resonates and ref lects in the context of the greater community. We must learn how to coexist and take care of one another and learn to grow from our shared hardships. In doing so, we can truly resonate with the love, happiness and empathy behind what it truly means to be prideful.

t hat you did n’t fa il, mom .

Giv i ng me up wa s t he most cou rageous a nd profou nd decision t hat a ny mot her ever ha s to ma ke. I w ill never be able to suf f ice for t he life you g ave me. I ca n never even conceive t he process of emot iona lly det ach i ng you rself just enoug h to let me go.

I do wa nt to let you k now t hat I a m happy. Because of you, I have t he i m mea su rable pr iv ilege of bei ng happy.

Happy Mot her ’s Day. You rs w it h a ll t he love I have,

Straight from the Unicorn’s Mouth: Centering Central America By

PATRICK MULLENCOYOY MiC Contributor

To my fellow Central American unicorns, As you know, it’s not easy being a Central American in the United States — it’s not easy being Latinx, period. But we all know that being Central American is a little different.

Let’s recap: For most people in the United States, Central America stopped existing somewhere around the mid-90s. Why should we care? It’s not like a CIA-backed coup led to the successful overthrow of Guatemala’s Ten Years of Spring, of course. And why would we even bother looking at El Salvador or Nicaragua, where years of U.S. intervention lead to civil war and even more death?

Besides, it’s not like refugees kept coming to the United States after the peace accords were signed!

(They did.) With our bloodstained foot out the door of our past, why should any of this matter, anyway?

Now, you might anticipate we would have paid more attention to Central America again in 2014. You would have been hard-pressed to avoid discussing it, what with more than 50,000 unaccompanied minors fleeing conditions of violence and poverty in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Three years ago isn’t that long, right?

You would be wrong.

After the all too necessary segments on CNN that summer with a panic about the “crisis on the border,” there was … nothing. No one talked — talks — about these children anymore. Obama said things were fine, so they must be, despite the fact that fiscal year 2016 demonstrated apprehensions of minors nearing those of 2014. “A brief spike” is how these lives were described.

Knowing this, you might say to yourself that even if the general public doesn’t focus too much attention on Central Americans, they must be centered within Latina/o and Latin American Studies departments and courses. We’re focused on all Latines, including Central Americans. Or so the assumption would go.

Unfortunately, this is far from the norm. In most any Latina/o Studies or Latin American history course (barring California State

University Northridge’s specialized program), Central American history, literature, politics, culture and people are generally located somewhere in between the Cuban revolution and NAFTA. One class, mid-way through the syllabus. Perfunctory discussion of how civil war came to pass in Guatemala and El Salvador. Massacres. Refugees. Peace accords.

If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll even read Rigoberta Menchú’s memoir.

Then on to Argentina.

A bleak view, to be sure.

Nevertheless, this history of erasure, ignorance and invisibilization is far from the end for our communities. If others do not care about Central America in the ways that we need, then we must do the work. Not for them, but for us — as we did before the civil wars and as we continue to do today. We need place our own testimonials, our own stories, our own narratives of heartbreak and heroism at the center ourselves of the Americas. We must develop a voice for ourselves, not apart from the wider Latinx community, but in harmony with that louder, panethnic melody.

If few outsiders are willing to amplify our lives, dramas, fears, traumas and dreams, then we need to do that for one another.

We have to cultivate new solidarities and open ourselves up to messy diasporic identities.

“Central American,” “Central American-American” and “U.S. Central American” are far from all-encompassing terms. That said, by allowing for people to voice their own lives and experiences as they will — and in whichever of the countless languages of Central America they prefer — then perhaps we can avoid the totalizing narratives of Central America that have existed for so long.

In large part, this work is already being done. Folks like Dr. Leisy Abrego and “Dichos de un bicho” use the #CentAmStudies tag on social media to develop an archive of useful news, articles and discussions about Central Americans. Central America Contemporary on Tumblr and Central American Art on Twitter document often-overlooked artists and artwork.

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ANN ARBOR

Fall 2017 — 3F

City Council passes ordinance protecting undocumented citizens

FILE PHOTO/Daily

The seal of the City of Ann Arbor

By ALON SAMUEL Daily Staff Reporter

Following weeks of activism and pressure on the part of Ann Arbor residents, City Council passed an ordinance Monday evening intended to protect undocumented residents from federal involvement.

The Solicitation of Immigrant Status ordinance, which prevents local police and city officials from asking residents about immigration status, passed with an 8-1 vote, with only Councilmember Jane Lumm (I¬¬¬–Ward 2) opposing the ordinance.

The ordinance was originally crafted in response to President Donald Trump’s executive

order, signed in January, that aimed to cut funding for jurisdictions that do not cooperate with federal agencies in identifying and detaining undocumented immigrants.

The city was urged by residents over phone, email and in public hearings to support those in danger of deportation and to resist cooperation with federal agencies like the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

“This ordinance isn’t perfect,” Jessica Prozinski, who is active in the organization Stop Trump Ann Arbor, said during the meeting. Prozinski was one of the supporters of the ordinance, and called on the city to do more as federal

policies restrict undocumented individuals’ freedom.

“Our goal with this ordinance at this time is to give greater protection to the undocumented people in our community, to lessen the fear and to decrease the chances that people will be arrested for immigration related charges, detained and deported,” Prozinski said. “I think this ordinance does that.”

She went on to list other actions Stop Trump Ann Arbor wanted the city to take, including refusing to cooperate with federal agencies in arresting undocumented immigrants and refusing to arrest people based on administrative warrants.

A main point of concern for City Council in passing the ordinance was the risk of losing federal funding. As such, the ordinance currently does not explicitly defy any federal policy.

Lumm, who voted against it, stressed the importance of remaining in compliance with federal policy, and pushed for an amendment that explicitly called for compliance from employees of the city.

“I will not support something that places federal funding at risk and shifts the burden of paying for city priorities to local taxpayers,” Lumm said.

The council convened for a closed session to discuss

the amendment, after which they deliberated publicly, eventually voting against it.

Councilmember Jack Eaton (D–Ward 4) argued the language from the amendment was vague, and made the work of city police and officials uncertain.

“This language actually creates uncertainty for our staff, as you’re telling them it’s not meant to cause a violation of a valid law,” Eaton said. “As they’re complying with the rest of the ordinance, they’re kind of weighing whether or not the current administration’s acts are valid or not valid, and I don’t want our staff to engage in speculation.”

Councilmember Chip

Smith (D–Ward 5) echoed sentiments of several other councilmembers and constituents that this ordinance was the beginning of a resistance to federal policy that jeopardizes undocumented people.

“These are small steps, and they’re steps in the right direction, but I want everybody to keep thinking that just because we pass this doesn’t mean that we’re done,” Smith said. “We’ll need to continue to parry and counter bad ideas that come from Washington.”

The passing of the ordinance was followed by a standing ovation, with several constituents waving small American f lags.

ANN ARBOR

4F — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Washtenaw County allocates $145,000 to fund immigrant services

By ALON SAMUEL Daily Staff Reporter

The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners pledged support for the county’s immigrant and refugee populations last week, approving three resolutions which provide protections and allocates $145,000 to services for immigrants and undocumented residents. The resolutions, which have faced resistance on their road to approval, passed the board by a vote of 6 to 1.

Two of the three resolutions serve to declare the county as a welcoming environment for immigrants, bar county officials from asking for an individual’s immigration status unless absolutely necessary — similar to an ordinancepassed

by Ann Arbor City Council in April — and call on Congress to make immigration policy that “creates clear and reasonable immigration sanctions short of deportation for noncitizens convicted of crimes.”

The final and most controversial resolution appropriates $145,000 in taxpayer funds, with $70,000 going to the Barrier Busters program and $75,000 to the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center.

MIRC is a resource center for immigrants and immigrant advocates in Michigan, providing legal resources as

well as community services.

Sara Cusack, an LSA alum who now works for MIRC said the new allocation is “incredibly useful,” speaking for herself and not as a representative of MIRC. “The grant that Washtenaw just agreed to give to MIRC… will hopefully in the future allow us to have an attorney who focuses on immigration matters specifically in Washtenaw County, whereas right now we serve all of Michigan broadly and have really limited resources,” Cusack said. “We have to be very stringent about what types of cases we can take, and so what Washtenaw county is kind of saying by giving this donation to MIRC is that they’re investing in the wellbeing of immigrants and their community.”

Barrier Busters is a coalition of agencies providing shortterm human services support in Washtenaw county for citizens and immigrants alike, though $25,000 of the total allocation has been specifically earmarked for immigrant support.

In early May, when the board had initially approved the resolutions, commissioner Kent Martinez-Kratz was especially enthusiastic about funding the Barrier Busters program, citing its support for families.

“Originally the resolutions were written up to support families who might be going through difficult times due

to increased immigration enforcement, and we envisioned that the money would go to supporting them,” MartinezKratz said.

The possible deportation of undocumented Ann Arbor resident Jose Luis SanchezRonquillo has become a rallying point around this very topic in recent months. SanchezRonquillo, who is a father of two, was acquitted from deportation in 2014 but detained again in April after requesting a stay, sparking protests from the Ann Arbor community. On Tuesday, community action resulted in a federal judge’s decision to delay the deportation.

Commissioner Conan Smith, who introduced the resolutions, said community mobilization has been crucial in work on the topic.

However, support for these resolutions and others like them have not been uniform.

During public hearing before the initial vote, Northfield Township Trustee Tawn Beliger said placing the interests of the undocumented was grounds for recalling an elected official, adding that taxpayer money would be better spent on fixing roads, as reported by MLive.

Additionally, the resolutions have been framed in response to actions of President Donald Trump’s administration — the resolution which calls on Congress to restrict deportations mentions the

EMMA RICHTER/Daily

Downtown Ann Arbor

President explicitly — which may be disagreeable to those who voted for him in the 2016 elections and support his policies. In Washtenaw County, this amounts to 26.5 percent of those who voted.

Still, advocates maintain that making Washtenaw County a welcoming environment in such trying times is a worthy cause.

Margaret Rapai, an LSA senior and incoming president of the Michigan Refugee

Assistance Program — which volunteers, advocates and educates on refugee issues — said such policies are important to ensuring the United States stays a place of hope for immigrants. MR AP is not specifically involved with support for undocumented residents, but according to Rapai, the goals of the resolutions are in line with theirs by creating communal support for newcomers.

“The fact that the government is changing that perception of what America means to the world is difficult but it doesn’t mean that people themselves can’t continue to make a country and support communities that are welcoming to immigrants, refugees, anyone who wants to come to the United States to make a better life for themselves or for their families,” Rapai said.

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ANN ARBOR

Fall 2017 — 5F

City and University leaders express opposition to latest executive order travel ban

By MAYA GOLDMAN Daily Staff Reporter

The Ann Arbor community reacted negatively to President Donald Trump’s executive order banning the travel and resettlement of citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries to the United States that was issued last Friday.

Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor issued a statement on his Facebook page Sunday afternoon condemning the actions of the Trump administration thus far, saying people must stand up and fight the president’s harmful policies.

“Trump and his supporters have polluted something beautiful — the honor of the United States and its people,” Taylor wrote. “The world looking in, ourselves looking about us, we must now reasonably question the continued truth of that reputation. Are we in fact a decent and just people? Is the United States of America a force for good? Do we as a people have the courage to try to make the world a better place, or are we debilitated by weakness and fear?”

Taylor went on to say Ann Arbor was committed to protecting the constitutional rights of its citizens and all Americans.

He mentioned questions of citizenship would

not hinder this commitment, hinting at Trump’s most recent executive order.

Michigan has one of the highest numbers of refugees in the country, with over 2,000 Syrian refugees and 8,015 refugees in total. Ann Arbor is often considered a “sanctuary city,” meaning the city’s police can only enforce immigration laws in criminal circumstances.

“Ann Arbor affirms the principles and hard fought rights enshrined in our Constitution,” Taylor wrote.

“Among these rights are freedom of movement and the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure. We will protect and honor these rights. We will not stop the innocent and demand to see their papers.

We will confront the criminal and protect the innocent, without regard to citizenship or documentation. Count on it.”

The University of Michigan community has also been vocal in its opposition of the executive order. While President Schlissel wrote on Saturday that the University would not release the immigration status information of its students, a national petition gained traction among staff and faculty.

Titled “Academics Against Immigration Executive Order,” the petition is a platform for academics from across the country to denounce the order on the grounds that it is

ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily

Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor smiles at a city council meeting on January 17, 2017

discriminatory, places an undue burden on those affected and hinders academic progress in the nation.

“The (Executive Order) significantly damages American leadership in higher education and research … From Iran alone, more than 3000 students have received PhDs from American universities in the past 3 years,” a clause of the petition reads. “The proposed EO limits collaborations with researchers from these nations by restricting entry of these

researchers to the US and can potentially lead to departure of many talented individuals who are current and future researchers and entrepreneurs in the US. We strongly believe the immediate and long term consequences of this EO do not serve our national interests.”

Over 4,000 professors and academics had signed their names to the petition by Sunday morning, and over 60 of those names come from University professors and graduate students.

History Prof. John Carson said he found out about the petition earlier this weekend and signed it immediately.

He told the Daily he felt the executive order was an attack on not only his personal values and those that the nation was built upon, but also to universities worldwide.

“It will have effects on the international scope of universities,” Carson said.

“You can imagine this closing of the movement of people, and eventually the movement of

ideas in the end.”

Carson’s fear of what this new immigration policy might bring is echoed in the final lines of the petition.

“The unethical and discriminatory treatment of law-abiding, hard-working and well-integrated immigrants fundamentally contravenes the founding principles of the United States,” the petition reads. “We strongly denounce this ban and urge the President to reconsider going forward with this Executive Order.”

ANN ARBOR

6F — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

University refuses to disclose students’ immigration information

By MAYA GOLDMAN Daily Staff Reporter

University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel released a statement Saturday morning affirming the University’s commitment to international students and faculty. Despite an executive order signed Friday by President Donald Trump that bans the immigration and travel of people from many Muslimmajority countries, Schlissel said the University will not release the immigration status information of its students.

“The university complies with federal requirements associated with managing its international programs,” Schlissel wrote in his statement. “Otherwise, the university does not share sensitive information like immigration status.”

The statement emphasized the University’s obligation and Schlissel’s personal commitment to the University’s international community. According to the statement, the University has been admitting foreign students since the late 1840s.

“Fostering an environment that promotes education and research at the highest levels is among my most important responsibilities as the University of Michigan’s president,” Schlissel wrote. “The leadership of the university is committed to protecting the rights and

opportunities currently available to all members of our academic community, and to do whatever is possible within the law to continue to identify, recruit, support and retain academic talent, at all levels, from around the world.

According to an enrollment summary from the Office of the Registrar, foreign students now make up a major and integral part of the student body. As of the fall 2016 semester, 6,764 students at the University were classified as “nonresident alien.”

While Schlissel wrote that the University is still “working to understand the implications on our community of the ‘extreme vetting’ executive order blocking immigration from certain countries,” he confirmed that admissions policies do not require students to release their immigration status, and that campus police do not ask questions regarding immigration and citizenship while performing their duties.

Trump’s immigration and travel ban was met with opposition on campus. The new policy was announced on Friday, and by Saturday afternoon, more than 1,400 University students, staff and faculty had signed a petition urging Schlissel to ensure protection from deportation to any students under the cover of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

DACA is an immigration policy signed by former President

KEVIN ZHENG/Daily

President Mark Schlissel at the Central Student Government Assembly meeting at the Union on November 7, 2016.

Barack Obama in 2012 that allows undocumented immigrants who had entered the country before the age of 16 to have renewable legal residency status. Both City Council and the University’s Central Student Government passed resolutions to support DACA individuals earlier this month.

“We are grateful for the forceful appeals the University has issued in support of the values of diversity, equity and inclusion,” the petition

reads. “We urge you to go further now and to use your voice, in concert with your peers at other public universities, to call for formal guarantees that all students covered by DACA will continue to be protected from deportation or threats of deportation, beyond the expiration date of their current status.”

Schlissel responded to the petition in the same statement, saying the University has created a

working group to look at different way to understand and support the international campus community, and that the University also supports the Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy Act, which allows those who came to the country as children to stay for another three years without fear of being deported.

A different official statement from the University’s Office of Public Affairs reaffirmed Schlissel’s

words. It stressed that the University is a strong proponent of both DACA and BRIDGE, and included information on how to support BRIDGE through the University.

“We will continue to work with higher education institutions and colleagues across the country to support our students and affected community members,” the Office of Public Affairs wrote.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

ANN ARBOR

Fall 2017 — 7F

Local and statewide women’s marches emulate that of D.C.

By CALEB CHADWELL and CARLY RYAN Daily Staff Reporters

Thousands of protesters marched through Ann Arbor to the Diag to participate in the Women’s March Saturday afternoon, in support of social justice issues such as protection of minorities, LGTBQ communities and women’s rights in light of the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

LSA sophomore Anne Lemberg, who was present at the march, said she participated in order to demonstrate her discontent with Trump’s policies.

“I didn’t vote for Donald Trump, and I am not happy with him as president,” she said.

“I think that he is going to take the country backwards … and I want the world to see that there is going to be consequences all over the country if someone who doesn’t respect the rights of all people equally is in charge of it.”

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D– Mich.) spoke to the crowd at the rally following the march, encouraging women to unite to speak out against Trump.

“We stand here today united and we will stay united in fighting for this country we love and our vision of what America should be,” Dingell said. “Today is only the beginning.”

In an interview with the Daily, Dingell said she was also in Washington, D.C. Saturday morning for the Women’s March on Washington — where hundreds of thousands of people protested — before boarding a plane and rushing back to also be unified with her constituents in Ann Arbor.

“It’s women of all generations coming together to show what happens when we come together, so it’s really touching and exciting,” Dingell said.

Dingell said she believes the march is part of a larger movement of people uniting against Trump and potential policy positions he could take as President.

“If (Trump) tries to hurt young people, if he tries to hurt Social Security or Medicaid, if he tries to create a Muslim registry, if he tries to do something that will hurt our water, the Great Lakes, these voices will pull together, because we do care about America’s future,” Dingell said.

State Rep. Yousef Rabhi (D–Ann Arbor) was also in attendance and in an interview with the Daily said he believed today marked the beginning of a broader movement against Trump’s presidency.

“I think what’s important about today is that this is sort of the beginning of the resistance,” Rabhi said.

Rabhi, who graduated from the University of Michigan in 2010, said he was impressed with how many people were in attendance.

“This is probably one of the largest crowds I’ve ever seen on the Diag,” Rabhi said.

“It’s amazing to see this many people turn up, people who don’t usually come to protests — everyday Ann Arborites and Michiganders coming out here to fight for their rights.”

State Rep. Donna Lasinski (D–Ann Arbor) also addressed the crowd at the event and spoke about uniting together on such issues as ensuring equal pay between women and men.

“We still, as women, only make three-quarters of what men make for the same work,” Lasinski said. “At the current rate it won’t be until 2086 that we achieve parity.”

Economics Prof. Tilman Borgers said in an interview with the Daily after hearing Trump’s inaugural speech and the values he presented, he felt

MAX KUANG/Daily

Ann Arbor resident Vick Haviland holds up a sign at the Ann Arbor Women’s March on Saturday

he had to march.

“I think it’s a great relief that there’s such a great mass of people protesting today,” Borgers said. “I think it’s just reassuring that so many people show that these are not their values.”

Art & Design sophomore Martina Potlach said she believes the march is a valuable demonstration of local residents desire for equality.

“I think it’s important to support not only women’s rights, but equality throughout gender, race, sexuality, immigrant rights,” she said. “I think it is important to get out in your town … we should be able to raise our voices.”

Lansing Thousands of protesters also marched in Lansing as part of the women’s marches across the country.

The rally following the march featured several local speakers.

Zoe Seinfeld, School of Social Work alum, said more attention

needs to be given to the trans rights movement. She said when the LGBTQ movement is being fought for, the “T” is often the first aspect left behind.

“Trans people are a smaller group than the others I’ve named,” Seinfeld said. “We need you, our allies.”

Seinfeld said more trans women are killed in Detroit than any other city and urged the crowd to mobilize as trans allies.

“Demand respect for our identities, our names, our pronouns. I promise we will do the same for you,” Seinfeld said.

Lisa Brown, Oakland County clerk, also spoke, and asked women to become more politically involved.

“More good women need to run for office, so we have more good women in office,” she said.

Brown reinforced that in order to implement progressive

ideals, both local and federal government needs to deviate from the norm.

“Yesterday was called a historic day, but I don’t know what’s historic about another white man becoming president,” she said.

Brown acknowledged that many women who live in conservative districts, do not feel as if they have a voice. However, she said, in today’s political climate, anything is possible.

“I am the first and only Democrat to represent my district in the state house, don’t tell me it can be done,” Brown said. “Get your name on the ballot. Stand up, fight back, run, win.”

Dr. Farha Abbasi, who kicked off the march, said despite many people’s prejudices, Islam is a progressive religion, and deserves to be more acknowledged in

liberal movements.

“Islam is inherently feminist and undoubtedly American,” Abbasi said.

Dizzy Warren, the executive director of Enroll Michigan — a state program designed to connect uninsured people to health care cited multiple statistics to emphasize the role that the Affordable Care Act has played in Michigan.

“As the executive director of Enroll Michigan, I can tell you that the ACA is definitely working,” Warren said.

Former State Rep. Gretchen Driskell, who concluded the speeches made by politicians, said the best way to regain liberal control is to run for local office.

“The way you change what happens in Washington is by changing what happens in your community,” she said.

ANN ARBOR

8F — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Almost 1,000 protest president-elect Trump’s victory in rally and vigil on Diag

By NISA KHAN and CHETALI JAIN Daily Staff Reporters

Both a vigil and anti-Trump rally were held Wednesday night in protest of Presidentelect Donald Trump’s unexpected win in the Diag, drawing a crowd of nearly 1,000 University of Michigan students, faculty and staff, as well as community members.

The vigil featured both student speakers and University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel. Speakers called for perseverance during the next four years of Trump’s term, discussing both the fear felt by minority students on campus and the importance of action.

LSA senior Nicole Khamis opened the vigil by recounting conversations with her parents, who are Palestinian refugees, the morning after Election Day. “We came here for a better life and last night, I woke up at 2:30 to the election results,” she said. “I thought it was a dream.

And I called my parents, they could see that my eyes are red because I had been tearing up. … And (my mother) looked at me and said, ‘This is not the end.’ ” Throughout his campaign, Trump has criticized President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s policy of allowing more Syrian refugees to enter the country. Trump’s immigration plan details an end to letting a number of groups into the United States, and in February Trump claimed he would look at Syrian children and tell them they could not enter the country.

“Are we going to stand up in the face of racism, in the face of sexism, in the face of xenophobia?” Khamis asked the

cheering crowd. “My parents have escaped a war to have a better life for me and my two siblings. And we did not come to this country for this.”

In his remarks, Schlissel congratulated University students for waiting in lines and voting, stating that student voices were 90-10 in favor of a candidate other than Trump.

Earlier today, he penned an email to students urging them to be inclusive and work toward intellectual honesty in their conversations.

“Ninety percent of you rejected the kind of hate and the fractiousness and the longing for some kind of idealized version of a non-existent yesterday that was expressed during the campaign,” Schlissel said during the event. “So I urge you, continue your advocacy and your voices are already being heard. They are loud and clear — this is the way America changes. It’s the way it always changes. It’s the way it will change for the better.”

According to USA Today exit polls, 56 percent of voters nationwide ages 18 to 24 voted for Clinton. There are no agebased exit polls specifically for Ann Arbor, but Michigan Daily surveys of students in the leadup to the election indicated a strong campus preference for Clinton at about 70 percent.

At the rally, similar sentiments were expressed.

Business junior Myles Hawkins said he felt shock after finding out the results of the election, and that he came to the rally to gain a sense of comfort about the situation. “(As an) African American, it’s hard to fathom Donald Trump being my president because he (has) no respect for my background, and it’s shocking to have gone from the

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Protestors mourn the fact that Donald Trump was elected U.S. president on the Diag Wednesday.

first Black president, which was celebrated in my family … to a person who doesn’t seem to care about (them) or my culture,” he said.

The rally emphasized solidarity and began with a chant: “The people united will never be divided,” that progressively grew into a unified roar.

Speakers at both the vigil and the rally also emphasized the need to take action moving forward. In remarks at the vigil, CSG President David Schafer, an LSA senior, asked

all individuals in the crowd to hold others accountable for discriminatory actions. He said minority students have had to be the ones responsible for calling out hate speech in the past, citing an incident last semester when Muslim students were the ones to wash off antiIslamophobic chalk drawings on the Diag.

“To all that have been targeted or marginalized: You have a place on this campus,” he said. “The University of Michigan is yours just as much as anybody else’s. Don’t stop

challenging each other. So I am challenging everyone here tonight who professes to be an ally — whenever you hear a microaggression, whenever you hear an act of discrimination and bigotry or injustice perpetrated by one of your friends or anyone of your acquaintances, step up and challenge them. Because if you don’t, you are part of the problem.”

LSA senior Tina Al-khersan told the crowd at the vigil several stories about her younger brother being asked if he had bombs underneath his

coat in a response to Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric, which has included statements about deporting Muslims due to their possibly being terrorists.

Speaking before Al-khersan, University alum Harleen Kaur said she felt afraid for her life the day after Trump’s win.

“I simply ask for you to not be comfortable as we have after violence and tragedy countless times before,” Kaur said. “Do not let yourself be destroyed by fear but do not let yourself be wooed into calm. There’s work to be done.”

ANN ARBOR

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Fall 2017 — 9F

Hundreds gather to protest deportation of Ann Arbor mother

By JENNIFER MEER Summer Managing News Editor

On Tuesday evening, hundreds gathered to protest the deportation of Lourdes Salazar Bautista — a local mother with three U.S.-born children — in Ann Arbor.

The event began with a vigil at St. Mary’s Student Parish before marching to the Federal Building on Liberty Street.

Bautista was born in Mexico but moved to the United States with her husband in 1997. She was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2011 but traded places with her husband, who was then deported.

The Washtenaw Interfaith Coalition for Immigration Rights, St. Mary’s Student Parish and affiliated community members launched the Lucha por Lourdes campaign, asking Detroit ICE Director Rebecca Adducci to grant Bautista stay in her community. “Lucha” means “fight” in Spanish.

The event was held in both Spanish and English.

In a translated interview, Bautista said she was grateful to have such strong support from the community.

“I feel very strong,” Bautista said. “I feel very full in my faith, and I feel strong to move forward and fight for my children.”

Rackham student Luz Meza, who attends St. Mary’s, joined the campaign as the primary media contact.

“A lot of community members came onto the campaign knowing Lourdes for such a long time,” she said. “We came together — a core group of four of us — and a very large group of amazing volunteers and organizers who are doing a lot of the legwork for this campaign.”

Meza said Bautista’s request to stay in the United States is not

abnormal; it has been granted over the past several years and was expected to be granted this year, as she has children.

“The priorities of ICE has changed with the new administration — where before they were using their discretion to grant stay to families where the family was very connected to the community and they have children, and on top of all of it, the possibility of eventually obtaining a legal status through her children,” she said. “There has been a change in the way that things have been running, although it is true that Director Adduci still has the power to grant her to stay. It’s not an issue of, (Adduci) has been instructed not to; it is, she has the power and she’s choosing to go in a route that is more favorable for the followers of the current administration.”

Attendees partook in prayers and moments of silence in support of Bautista. They also lit candles in her honor.

Bautista addressed the crowd, expressing gratitude for the immense community support. Her words were translated to English. Bautista then told her story — her husband’s deportation and how it has affected her and her three children.

“I am the mother of three kids who thank God they have been born in this country,” she said. “I (had) a normal life just like you did until 2010.”

Bautista said she spent 23 days in jail.

“I was told I could remain in this country with my children but that my husband had to go,” she said. “I was only able to see my husband to say goodbye.”

Since then, Bautista said she has checked in with the ICE each year since they granted her the ability to stay on a work permit. However, this March, she was denied stay and is set to be deported August 2.

“Immigration has given me a work permit that has been renewed year by year, until March of this year,” she said. “When I went to my appointment, I was told it’s the decision of the new president.

They had to clean up all the archives… I have to leave the country.”

Bautista noted she never had a criminal record, nor is she a threat to the country; she plays the role of both a mother and a father to her children. She said she wants them to have a better future.

“I’m fighting,” she said.

“I’m bringing my kids up, I’m shaping them, I want to have the chance to continue guiding them and educating them so they can reach a future, since I come from a very humble environment where I was not able to reach anything like this.

I want to shape them so my kids are good members of the community in the future.”

Bautista said such circumstances were not unique to her, but others as well.

“I want to speak out, not just for me and my family, but for people that I know, for members of my family,” she said. “We are here because we are seeking a better future, because we are here to work.”

After the vigil, attendees made their way down State Street toward Liberty Street, chanting and carrying signs in support of Bautista. Signs read “Keep families together” and “Lucha Por Lourdes.”

Marchers stopped outside the Federal Building on Liberty Street. Ann Arbor Mayor Chris Taylor addressed the crowd, speaking in support of Bautista and immigrants in the community.

“On days like today, I am so proud to be in Ann Arbor,” he said. “I am so proud of our commitment to the values of

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pluralism and compassion.

So devoted are we to sharing burdens and speaking out in the presence of injustice and wrong. We live, in the end, in an imperfect but great country.”

Taylor said for some, their ancestors have been in the country for millennia, some were brought in bondage and many came as refugees, who chose the United States to seek a better life.

“All these brave souls ever wanted was the ability to build and realize a dream,” he said.

Taylor said Bautista’s deportation would not benefit the United States in any way, and that the mere act communicates weakness.

“Lourdes’s threatened deportation is a breach of faith and a disgrace,” he said. “It would not make America safer, or protect American jobs. All it will do is devastate an alreadyseparated family and impoverish a community that values her…

What kind of culture are we if we deport hard-working parents?”

Taylor called on the community to do everything possible to keep Bautista’s family together.

“Finally, it is up to us to do everything we can to tell the world that Trump is not America,” he said.

Ypsilanti resident Karina Valle, mother to a young son, also addressed the crowd — her husband Jose Valle-Rodriguez has been detained by ICE for over a month.

Years ago, ICE stopped ValleRodriguez in a vehicle and told him he would need to go to court, but according to Valle, he never received a court date or information about a hearing.

On May 24, ICE officers stopped Valle-Rodriguez and his family in their vehicle.

“The first thing (my husband) did was look back at his son and say, ‘I’m sorry,’ ” she said. “He was pulled out of the car. My

son started going crazy, crying, because he saw that they were pulling his dad out of the car. I didn’t know what to do.”

That same day, ICE officials removed employees from Sava’s restaurant in Ann Arbor.

According to Valle, her husband said he was in the car while the raid occurred.

Valle said information about her husband’s court date had been sent to the wrong ZIP code, and so she and her lawyer were able to request a stay of removal.

Valle-Rodriguez’s new court date is set for July 27.

“He does not have a criminal record, he is a good man, a lot of people love him here in the community,” she said. “All I’m asking for is for him to come back home so we can fix his status. He wants to be with his family.”

Valle asked community members to come out to support her husband.

Ruth Cassidy, a volunteer with WICIR, was in attendance at the rally. She said she feels there are flaws in the current immigration system and people need to fight for the rights of immigrants like Bautista.

“I just think it’s really sad they’re going to deport this woman,” she said. “Lourdes is a

wonderful woman. I think our immigration system is really cruel and inhumane. I think that we all should come together like this and speak out against that, because it’s really wrong. She came here and she basically has no way to get her status ‘fixed,’ as they say. I think we need to change that, and until we change that, we need to just keep fighting for people like Lourdes.”

Molly Morgan works with WICIR and is also part of the Immigration Action Coalition with Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor.

She has known Bautista for 15 years, working as her maternal infant health advocate and an interpreter, and she helped Bautista throughout one of her pregnancies.

“Lourdes is an amazing woman; she’s a really special person,” she said. “This (event) was an amazing situation; it was wonderful. There was huge support. She has a lot of support from all areas of the community, including a lot through the kids’ schools… politicians… the church…”

Morgan said she believed that in Ann Arbor, people are very upset at the continued ICE activity in the community.

ANN ARBOR

10F — Fall 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

City and students share concerns over affordability of housing

By KAELA THEUT Summer Daily News Editor

Rather than merely walking across the Diag to get to class, Music, Theatre & Dance senior Mackenzie Larrance’s morning routine consists of fighting traffic during her daily commute across town from her Ypsilanti residence.

Her reasoning behind renting an apartment so far from central campus? The rapidly rising cost of living for both students and Ann Arbor residents.

“I decided to live outside of Ann Arbor for two reasons: I had a car, and it was less expensive,” Larrance said. “I’m also in a serious relationship where my boyfriend and I have been dating for almost 5 years. He and I can’t afford an apartment in downtown Ann Arbor without getting a full time job. It’s also difficult finding other couples like ourselves who would want to split the costs of living.”

Larrance further noted her expenses for living in Ypsilanti are almost a thousand dollars cheaper than if she were to rent an apartment in Ann Arbor.

“I’d say on average, I pay approximately $1,400 a month when living in Ypsilanti,” she said. “This includes rent, food, gas and other college expenses.

For a single room apartment in Ann Arbor, that’s about $1,200 which is $400 more than my apartment in Ypsilanti.

Then once you add my other expenses, I would be paying $2,200 a month. I took out gas in that calculation too.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median rate for rent in Ann Arbor has increased 14 percent from 2010 to 2015 and now sits at approximately $1,075 per month — despite the amount of high-density housing areas also rising by 32 percent.

It is important to note this number accounts for the entire

city, so it may not reflect the experiences of students living in areas such as Kerrytown or South Campus.

However, rent prices are high enough that in 2016, 599 students, such as Larrance, listed an Ypsilanti zip code as either their permanent or local address — a number troubling to urban planners.

A 2015 study, commissioned by the Washtenaw County Office of Community and Econo ont of the minds of both University students and city residents — especially in regards to the influx of luxury housing being constructed in downtown Ann Arbor.

Cost of luxury housing After freshman year, students not living in University housing usually procure off-campus housing or choose to live in one of the numerous luxury apartments scattered across Ann Arbor, such as Landmark or Zaragon Place. However, with monthly rates ranging from from $1,059 to $1,889 per person, these apartments only cater to a certain percentage of the student body.

As the high-rises were constructed, developers touted the supposed benefit of having luxury apartments in the center of the city. They initially believed wealthy University students could afford the high rent prices, while the demand in the center of town caused rental prices for houses on the periphery of campus to drop.

A local commercial real estate agent Peter Allen said though the apartments are expensive, the average University student can afford to pay for convenience and extra amenities.

“The profile of students can afford these super ammenized, very convenient locations,” he said in an interview with the Ann Arbor News in 2012.

However, this past spring,

Ann Arbor students and residents reacted to the news of a new high-rise building, called the Collegian, which will be built on South University Avenue, with surprise and disgust.

In a public Facebook post, University graduate Sara Otto expressed her discontent with the decision to redevelop the South University area to make way for another luxury highrise.

“As I get ready to graduate, it saddens me that there are plans to redevelop yet another block on South U and turn Ulrichs into ANOTHER luxury student apartment building,” Otto wrote. “See that tiny building in the corner of this picture?

That’s Espresso Royale. This has been kept on the down low but it’s time students know about what’s happening to their campus.”

In another recent Facebook post, LSA senior Darian Razdar wrote that neglect of affordable housing positions community members in uncertain circumstances.

“The more I think about it, the more I’m getting fed up with the ‘luxury’ student housing boom in Ann Arbor,” he wrote.

“Where will this leave students who cannot afford paying more than a few hundred dollars a month for rent? Where will it leave others in our community without secure access to affordable housing and in precarious social and economic circumstances?”

Razdar ended his statement with a call to action, urging students to join him, when he returns to Ann Arbor, to put pressure on developers.

“If anyone is interested in putting pressure on the city and property developers, I’m planning to exchange with community benefits & housing rights activists when I get back to Ann Arbor, and would love

some help,” he wrote.

In an interview, Razdar said his passion for obtaining more affordable housing is fueled by his studies, as well as recent events, such as the Grenfell Tower fire in London last week where 79 people perished due to cheap, flammable building materials.

“I’m pretty passionate about housing rights as I study urbanism through my major in Social Theory and Practice,” he said. “The Grenfell Tower fire last week in London got me heated about the right to affordable and dignified housing in cities. Since Ann Arbor is where I live and pay rent and where I couldn’t afford to pay for about half of the city’s housing options that are near campus, my passion and anger is sort of personal. But it also comes out of a place of care for other students and people in Ann Arbor who are struggling to get by in a housing market that’s made for the rich.”

Despite the outrage expressed by students on social media, the reactions to increased luxury housing are not all negative. In May, City Council unanimously approved the construction of the new apartment complex, citing responsive developers and increased business along South University as reasons why.

In an earlier interview, Councilmember Kirk Westphal (D–Ward 2) stated the council believes the new real estate development will revitalize the area.

“It’s our history that retail has struggled in the area,” Westphal said. “More people living in that immediate area will certainly give the district a boost.

Furthermore, Councilmember Julie Grand (D–Ward 3) noted at the same time the developer for the apartments has been very responsive to recommendations made by the city.

“What’s really great about this particular project is that

it went through the Design Review Board, and part of the reason it wasn’t controversial is that this particular developer was responsive,” Grand said.

“He actually went back and made changes based on those recommendations.”

Yet, despite giving recommendations to developers, Councilmember Sabra Briere (D–Ward 1) made it clear, in another earlier interview, that city government does not hold the power to directly halt new development — unless it violates zoning and building codes.

“Private property rights are very strongly supported by local government because they’re required by statewide government,” Briere said. “It’s difficult because sometimes people think that we are going to stop a development, but mostly our job is to allow development but within constraints.”

Business junior Jake Allain, who lived in the Varsity apartments, said he chose the apartments simply because he procrastinated on procuring housing for the next year.

“I was kind of late to the game, I was super busy with school and stuff, so I just put off searching for housing, and my dad has money so I just kind of didn’t really worry about the price, so last minute I just kind of snagged a two bedroom apartment,” he said.

Allain added developers recognize the demand for luxury apartments, which could lower prices for off-campus housing, but he believes they still neglect the needs of lowerincome students — needs that continue to not be met.

“I’d probably say that obviously on the basis of competing, prices could lower, but at the same time, you have people in Zaragon paying 16 to 17 hundred dollars a month, same with Arbor Blu,” he said.

“I think the demand is there

for these pricy apartments, and people and developers are realizing this so they’re just like ‘...we are just going to keep building these because the demand is there,’ when obviously there’s totally a neglect in cheaper housing, which I mean is super tough, especially when you have a growing population around Ann Arbor, so it’s just going to keep rising.”

Central Student Government housing iniatives Public Policy senior Nadine Jawad, CSG Vice President, has spent her University career advocating for increasing affordable student housing, and a priority of her new position is to continue to drive housing initiatives for the upcoming year.

In an email interview, Jawad pointed to her work as senior policy advisor for CSG last year, collaborating with former CSG leadership, as a launching point for making affordable housing a platform for her administration.

“Last year I had the opportunity to work on the executive team ran by David and Micah,” she wrote. “When they were running for their positions, a lot of students expressed sincere concern on the issue. As a result, my work as senior policy adviser focused heavily on understanding and thinking about ways we can work with the current housing issues on campus and also figure out what it was students were looking to see. The topic was really complex and there is a lot of elements of affordable housing options that tie back to the great city of Ann Arbor, so given the research, (CSG President and LSA senior) Anushka (Sarkar) and I decided that this would also be a priority of our administration.”

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Tobacco purchase age raises retailer op position in the city

By JENNIFER MEER Daily Staff Reporter

As the minimum age to purchase tobacco products and e-cigarettes in Ann Arbor changes from 18 to 21 with the turn of the new year, the community reacts with mixed opinions.

The resolution, introduced

by Ann Arbor Councilmember Julie Grand (D–Ward 3), passed its initial read July 18, before being officially approved Aug. 4 by a City Council vote of 9-2.

Ann Arbor is the first city in Michigan to implement the measure as part of the Tobacco 21 national movement. This proactive effort, led by the Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation when aims to reduce smoking and tobaccorelated health problems.

The Saint Joseph Mercy Health System in Canton, Michigan— working in collaboration with community members and local officials — funded signs for retailers to post in their stores with the new legal tobacco purchase age as well as the city press release explaining the measure.

As of right now, there is no developed plan to educate local tobacco retailers. However, Grand said there may be further action if the ordinance poses complications.

“If we feel like something else needs to be done, we’ll certainly watch it carefully,” she said. “If there are a whole bunch of questions or if we just feel like retailers are not getting the message, we’ll look to see if we need to do anything else.”

Grand said one cited advantage of the policy is that

under the new regulation the tobacco purchase age is now the same as the alcohol purchase age. She said she hopes this regulation will simplify business for retailers.

In support of the ordinance, Grand also pointed to highschool-age students, explaining that it is common for people 15 to 17 years old to experiment with tobacco, and that most people in this age range acquire their tobacco products from 18- to 20-year-olds. In this regard, she said the ordinance’s benefits are twofold.

“You help curtail initiation by cutting off that very important social source of tobacco products, which typically is an 18-year-old that still goes to school or is in some sort of social network of a 15- to 17-year-old,” she said.

Additionally, the measure could stop 18- to 20-yearolds who are transitioning from experimental to regular tobacco users by making it more difficult for them to purchase products and become addicted.

Specifically in a college town, with many residents in the 18-to-20 age range, Grand said the ordinance may be particularly helpful. Though she recognized that someone who is truly addicted can acquire tobacco through other means, she said she hopes the ordinance will be able to positively influence students.

Though University of Michigan buildings have been designated smoke-free since 2011, there is still uncertainty as to whether the policy is effective. Resources such as the Tobacco Consultation Service and Wolverine Wellness offer

treatment and counseling opportunities for students.

Additionally, Grand said the ordinance specifically does not punish 18- to 20-year-olds who use tobacco, it just prevents them from purchasing it.

“We removed any penalties for youth possession, because it is never the intent to penalize use for either normal experimentation or addiction to tobacco products,” she said.

“The penalties are on the retailer and even then we allow a lot of discretion with the new ordinance so that we can leave time for education.”

Retailers’ Opposition From a different perspective, local retailers are not happy with the ordinance, as it will directly hurt business.

Chris Rosenthal, owner of Tobacco Rose Cigars, spoke against the ordinance at the Aug. 4 meeting, and to the Daily shortly thereafter

It’s not a perfect, but it’s an effective health policy.

In a recent interview with Rosenthal, he said the ordinance will undoubtedly hurt business because it knocks out three years of potential legal purchasing of tobacco.

However, he said, the biggest problem was how the act was conceived.

Crowd supports Planned Parenthood, expresses concern for health care bill

By ANDREW HIYAMA Summer Daily News Editor

Over 100 Ann Arbor residents and Planned Parenthood supporters rallied at the Michigan Union Wednesday night to march in opposition of the Republican health care bill quickly and quietly making its way through the Senate, as well as the proposed federal defunding of Planned Parenthood.

The bill has received widespread criticism for its lack of transparency. Though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R–Kentucky) said a draft of the bill will be released Thursday — one week before it is expected to come to a vote — so far it has only been seen by a handful of Republican senators.

The version of the bill passed by the House of Representatives in May is expected to increase the number of uninsured Americans by 23 million, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Speaking to the crowd ahead of the march, Lauren Bacans, the Mid Michigan Field Organizer for Planned Parenthood, emphasized the disproportionate impact of the Republican’s proposed health care plan on women.

“Everything is on the line for the 2.4 million patients that rely on Planned Parenthood services annually and whose healthcare is on the chopping block as part of Trumpcare,” she said. “Trumpcare is the worst bill for women’s health in a generation, and it must be stopped now.”

Ann Arbor Mayor Chris Taylor noted while the Republican’s health care bill often carries President Donald Trump’s name, it was the responsibility of the party as a whole.

“When we woke up on

November 9, we anticipated the dishonor that our nation would endure, having elected and entrusted our country to a people and a party as cruel and as reckless as the ones we have now in Washington,” he said. “But I think few among us really imagined the breadth and heartlessness of the assault on science, on poverty, on climate, on immigrants, on refugees and the disfranchised, and now, of course, the final insult that brings us here today: the assault of this president and this party on women and health care.”

Continuing, Taylor said it wasn’t for lack of capacity the United States had so many uninsured people.

“In Ann Arbor, we know that our nation — the richest and most powerful in the world, in history — we ought to be able to figure out what every other developed nation in the world seems to have accomplished,” he said. “We know that millions of uninsured is a national disgrace.”

Eli Rubin, an organizer with Michigan United, questioned the motives of the bill. If it were a terrorist attack threatening hundreds of thousands of American lives, he said, the opposition would be much stronger.

“The Republicans, and some Democrats, owe a debt to their corporate donors — first and foremost the health insurance companies,” he said. “These companies are among the very few industries that make money the less they serve their customers, not the more. What this is all about is a massive transfer of wealth from those who need it to live to those who don’t need it at all.”

Some of the speakers had more personal experiences with health care and Planned Parenthood. Liz Harrington,

a patient-turned-advocate and volunteer for Planned Parenthood, emphasized the quality of care she received from the organization when she chose to have an abortion for an unplanned pregnancy at age 19.

“Making this decision was not something I was happy about,” she said. “I was not excited to have this done; I was upset, so I did start to cry.

And the nurse, I remember her putting her hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me, and when I was crying, she was wiping away my tears. And I’ve never had contact with doctors and nurses who were that kind and compassionate.”

It wasn’t just her pregnancy that she needed Planned Parenthood for though, she said. Clinicians discovered several cancerous cells in her during a routine pap smear test, which were quickly and successfully removed.

“I just think about what could’ve happened had I not had the education that Planned Parenthood gave me, and I think that that’s something huge that they provide that not everywhere does,” she said.

“They teach people how to take care of themselves, what they need to do, what type of tests they should be having done.”

State Rep. Donna Lasinski (D–Scio Township) said the way lawmakers defined “essential health care benefits” was sexist, as health concerns exclusive to women often fell outside this definition.

“I don’t have a penis,” she joked. “I don’t wanna pay for a prostate exam. I don’t think they should be included. It’s ridiculous.

We’re humans.

And they’re essential health care benefits that should be included. And it should not be gender-based.”

I just think about what could’ve happened had I not had the education that Planned Parenthood gave me...

When the resolution was presented to the council, Rosenthal said Grand emphasized the importance of eliminating the early run-ins with the law by people who are 18 to 20 years old, but did so only by preventing retailers from selling it to them “It’s not illegal for them to attempt to purchase it, and it’s not illegal for them to use it,” he said. “All she really did in her attempt to keep the younger generation out of early legal trouble is force business straight out of town.”

Rosenthal added that there are nearby towns like Ypsilanti where people can easily go to get tobacco.

People can make big lifetime decisions at 18, such as whether to join the military, get married, sign contracts and take out student loans, Rosenthal argued and it should be the same with choosing whether to purchase and use tobacco products.

City Council Opposition The resolution’s two opponents, Jack Eaton (D–Ward 4) and Jane Lumm (I–Ward 2), voted against the ordinance because it violates state law. The Michigan Tobacco Products Tax Act states city municipalities shall not create new ordinances regarding the sale of tobacco products.

In an interview with the Daily, Eaton said, though he agrees with the spirit of the measure, he could not vote for it as it goes against his duty as a council member to uphold state law.

“I think it is pretty clear that state law preempts our efforts to regulate tobacco sales,” he said. “Although I would like to

regulate tobacco in this fashion, I think it needs to be done by the state, or the state needs to let us make these decisions. We can’t simply decide to do this in contravention of state law.”

According to Eaton, a vendor could challenge the ordinance in anticipation of being written up under the law, or if enforcement action should be taken by the city, a vendor could fight against it.

Eaton added though he believes it is necessary to regulate tobacco for health reasons and educate people on its side effects, he does not feel this is the best way to address the problem.

“I completely understand the desire to dissuade young people from smoking,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s a criminal problem, I think it’s a health problem. I’m not sure how you address it in a meaningful way.

I do believe that the sponsors of this ordinance had the best of intentions, and I don’t take them to task for what they want to do.”

In response to potential conflict, Grand said no one is sure what to expect, as the state government can be unpredictable. However, she said she hopes the state will recognize the advantages of the ordinance.

“I would hope that they would recognize that this is really in the interest of public health and where tobacco prevention and control policy is going nationally, and let us try to have some local control and work it out and see if it actually makes a difference,” she said.

Grand pointed to the regulatory environment in

California, which is very similar to that in Michigan. Several municipalities there passed Tobacco 21 ordinances, before it became state law.

Expert Response University facilities are excited about the ordinance, in hope that it will reduce tobacco use by college students and future health problems.

Cliff Douglas, adjunct lecturer of public health and the American Cancer Society’s vice president for Tobacco Control, compared the situation to raising the tax on cigarettes in one state. He said though someone can easily go to another state to purchase, measures like these are still effective.

“We find that, in fact, it reduces consumption,” he said.

“It reduces prevalence — the number of people who smoke.

It’s not perfect, but it’s an effective public health policy.

Regarding the legal repercussions of the ordinance, Douglas, also an attorney, said it is very possible the ordinance does not defy state law. He said the language used in the state law is not clear and it does not limit a local municipality from adjusting the minimum age of tobacco purchases.

“The reality is that legal experts have determined that there probably is not a preemptive effect from this law,” he said. “Opponents are welcome if they choose to challenge it in court, but first of all, it will be defended vigorously if they do that.

Mayor (Christopher) Taylor and others have made that clear.”

Radio host Ira Glass discusses storytelling and potential of radio for Summer Festival

By DYLAN LACROIX Summer Daily News Editor

Headlin ing t he A n n A rbor Sum mer Fest iva l, hundreds of com mun it y members ca me to watch renow ned U. S. stor y teller Ira Gla ss per for m at t he Universit y of Michiga n’s Power Center for t he Per for m ing A r t s Sat urday n ight .

Week ly, Gla ss’s public radio show Th is A merica n Life — wh ich sha res persona l, t houghtprovok ing na r rat ive stories of ever yday lives — reaches over 2.2 m illion audience members, w it h a not her 2.4 m illion dow n loading each episode.

His per for ma nce t hat n ight t it led “Seven Th ing s I’ve Lea r ned” — wh ich iron ica lly bega n to reach a tota l of 10 t h roughout t he show — sha red h is pat h to success a s a jour na list a nd t he quintessent ia l element s of telling a stor y he discovered t h rough h is experience on radio.

Gla ss bega n t he show by discussing his tech n ique for engag ing audiences w it h stories, expla in ing how t he presence of profound idea s a nd emot iona l dept h a re not what ma ke a stor y wor t h telling ; it s moment um is. “ In it s simplest for m, a stor y is just like a series of event s,” Gla ss spoke. “ Feeling s m ight be in t here or m ight not be in t here.

Idea s m ight be in t here but m ight not be in t here. There m ight be somet hing you ca n relate to, but even t hat ’s k ind of opt iona l.”

Later, he discussed how t he show ’s “chat t y ” tone helped ma ke way for t he show ’s unprecedented success w it hout a ny ma rket ing once it bega n to broadca st a s a podca st . “ It beca me ver y successf ul, ver y ver y quick ly,” Gla ss sa id. “ It ’s ba sica lly, t he aest het ics of t he inter net — t he inter net ha s t his feeling of like, it ’s just me ta lk ing to you, one to one, whet her you’re doing it over T w it ter, Facebook or

a blog.”

In h is nint h lesson t it led “The Power of Not Seeing,” Gla ss sha red how radio ca n act a s way of huma nizing a nd ca n create empat hy for ot hers rega rdless of a ny ot her a spect of a person’s ident it y.

He used t he t ra nslated audio of a Sy ria n ref ugee mot her describing t he psycholog ica l t rauma her son is facing in t he a f ter mat h of escaping A leppo to empha size t h is point . “ I t h in k it helps w it h a n A merica n audience t hat you don’t see her,” Gla ss spoke. “ If you saw, you’d see she’s wea ring a h ijab, wh ich is like a headsca r f, but just hea ring her voice you don’t get a ny infor mat ion t hat ’d ma ke you t h in k she’s a ny dif ferent f rom you. You don’t t h in k t hat ’s just some Muslim lady, you t h in k t hat ’s a mom. R adio is a mach ine for empat hy.”

Universit y a lum Eric Huebner, a Gla ss-listener, sha red why he believes Gla ss is so sig nif ica nt in t he radio com munit y.

“A s a stor y teller, he’s ex t remely compelling,” Huebner sa id. “ He’s got t he abilit y to relate people’s stories t hat m ight t ie into a la rger na r rat ive about our cult ure, h istor y, a nd rea lly com municate mov ing a nd interest ing stories f rom people’s lives.”

Bi r m i n g h a m r e s ide nt Pa u l Pe sk i n de s c r i b e d h ow t h e h i g h l y p e r s on a l ele m e nt t o Gl a s s ’s n a r r a t ion of t h e s t or ie s h e sh a r e s a s w h y h e ke e p s l i s t e n i n g t o h i m . “ He t el l s t h e m i n a r el a t a ble w a y s o t h e y a c t u a l l y s e e m l i ke s t or ie s t h a t c ou ld h a pp e n t o m e or t o you ,” Pe sk i n s a id . “ O r you wou ld n ’t w a nt t h e m t o h a pp e n t o you , s o h e k i nd of pu l l s a bit of a hu m a n h e a r t s t r i n g , t h e r e ’s a l w a y s a p oi g n a nc y t o h i s s t or ie s .”

S out h f ield r e s ide nt Pa m L ippit t , w h o h a s l i s t e ne d t o t h e sh ow f or o ve r 2 0 ye a r s , d i s c u s s e d t h e s i g n i f ic a nc e of G l a s s ’s work i n U. S . m e d i a c u lt u r e . “ He ’s created a c omple t el y ne w g e n r e of t el l i n g p e r s on a l s t or ie s ,” L ippit t s a id . “ Th i s A m e r ic a n L i f e w a s t h e f i r s t t i m e t h a t e ve r yd a y p e ople ’s e ve r yd a y l i ve s we r e c on s ide r e d c omp el l i n g e nou g h t o b e put on t h e r a d io.”

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