DECEMBER 5 • 2024 | 15

U-M President Visits Nova Exhibit
University of Michigan President Santa Ono and other 
top-level U-M administrators toured the Nova Exhibit held at 
The J in West Bloomfield on Saturday, Nov. 23. 
After he observed the artifact-like tents, left-behind per-
sonal belongings, and photos of hundreds of festival revelers 
who were murdered on Oct. 7, 2023, he shared his reflec-
tions with several others, including University of Michigan 
students who accompanied him on the visit.
Ono said the exhibit was one of the most moving experi-
ences of his life and it is a story that needs to be repeated in 
the media, at universities and by government leaders. 
“The story of the Nova exhibit is something that every per-
son needs to see,” said Ono. “We are in the midst of a lot of 
challenges and tension around the world and at every level 
of our nation … It all began with the story that is held in this 
exhibit. It hits home when you go through the exhibit and see 
what happened and hear and learn about the horror as you 
listen to the recordings of the words of the survivors.” 

discrimination and harassment arising 
from campus tensions related to the 
Israel-Hamas war.
The letter stated: “The U-M is 
required to uphold free speech under the 
First Amendment, even if that speech 
is reprehensible. We continually work 
to educate our community around the 
rights and privileges of free speech to 
ensure that debate does not tip over into 
targeted harassment or bullying.” 
The letter, however, also included the 
OCR’s interpretation of Title VI: “The 
following type of harassment creates 
a hostile environment: unwelcome 
conduct that, based on the totality of 
the circumstances, is subjectively and 
objectively offensive and is so severe or 
pervasive that it limits or denies a per-
son’s ability to participate in or benefit 
from a recipient’s education program or 
activity.” 

CENTRAL STUDENT 
GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS
On a brighter note, Jewish student lead-
ers said the student body in general is 
looking to move away from a culture of 
disruptions that plagued the campus cli-
mate, as evidenced by last week’s Central 
Student Government (CSG) elections. 
Before the elections, the CSG 
impeached its president and vice presi-
dent and charged them with incitement 
of violence, cyber theft of CSG property, 
and dereliction of duty for not passing a 
budget in a timely fashion.
At the beginning of the semester, the 
ruling Shut it Down Coalition froze all 
funding to student organizations — a 
sum of over $400,000 — in hopes of 
pressuring the university to divest all 
financial holdings and relationships with 
Israel. It wished to instead divert this 
money into Gaza educational institu-
tions, including Birzeit University, which 
has known ties to Hamas. 
The winning Empower Michigan ran 
on the platform to reinstate funding. 
The coalition is now the dominating 
party on CSG’s 45-seat body. Tuition at 
U-M includes $11 from each student 
that is used for funding the myriad of 
student organizations recognized by 
the university. This funding also offsets 
some expenses such as shuttle transpor-

tation to the airport and offsets some 
school supplies and food costs to under-
privileged students. 
Speaking on the first day of the elec-
tion, Kira Solomon, a sophomore from 
New Jersey, said her win-
ning Empower Michigan 
party also seeks to restore 
a campus environment of 
unity and peace despite a 
spectrum of political view-
points. 
“The goal of the Shut it 
Down Coalition was to halt funding to 
every student organization, saying that 
no student here should enjoy student 
activities or resources while the war is 
going on in the Middle East,” Solomon, 
who sits on the CSG as a representative 
of the School of Literature, Science and 
Arts, explained. “Our goal is to restore 
and resume this student funding. The 
war has been awful for everyone. 
“But no matter what’s going on in the 
world or your ethnic background, you 
should be able to gain from your student 
experience and get the funding your 
student organizations need. We are an 
apolitical coalition with a diversity of 
values and opinions. We want to accept 
all students and foster open dialogue. 
Empower just wants this to be a peaceful 
campus again and go back to the way it 
used to be, because right now, our cam-
pus has never been so divided.” 
Jessica Robins, Students Supporting 
Israel’s vice president for 
external affairs, said the 
CSG victory will mean 
that student government is 
going to be a democratic 
government that represents 
the best interests of all 
students. 
“The Empower victory 
sends a message that the student body 
disapproved of the actions taken (by the 
Shut it Down Coalition), including the 
withholding of funding to clubs,” Robins 
said. 
“The university’s students do not wish 
decision-making to be made on a geo-
political basis. They want what is best 
for the students at Michigan. The voters 
spoke loud and clear, withholding of 
funding to clubs was their last straw.” 

President Ono looks at an array of photos of the victims of the 
Nova massacre with Federation CEO Steve Ingber.

U-M students 
tour the Nova 
exhibit at The J.

Kira 
Solomon

Jessica 
Robins