The Michigan Daily- michigandaily.com
Wednesday, January 26,2011 - 5A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wednesday, January 26, 2011 - 5A
DEBATE TEAM
From Page 1A
appointed to the team at the
beginning of last semester. The
team's former director, Joshua
Hoe, pled guilty in October
to sexually soliciting a minor
over the Internet. Hoe was sus-
pended from his job after being
arrested last April, according to
an April 29, 2010 Michigan Daily
article.
LSA Junior Omega Skeean,
a member of the debate team,
said while the group has expe-
rienced difficulties over the past
few years, it is now on a positive
trajectory. She added that Kall
has done a lot of administrative
work to improve the team's rela-
tionship with the University.
In the tournament, Liu and
Zagorin's topic of debate was the
expansion of immigration visas
worldwide.
"We talked about things like
employment visas to increase
U.S. competition (and) visas for
translators in Iraq and Afghani-
stan," Liu said.
Skeean commended the effort
that Liu and Zagorin put into the
competition, as well as the work
of the team as a whole.
MSA
From Page 1A
expressed concern that Sayed
wasn't present at the meeting
to answer questions from rep-
resentatives about the $395,577
budget. Eral also expressed
concern about a $40,000 dis-
crepancy between the budget
presented at last night's meet-
ing and a preview presented to
MSA last week.
"My biggest objection with
it is that the total revenue
increased $40,000 since we saw
it last week," Eral said.
LSA Rep. Brendan Friedman,
chair of MSA's Resolutions
Committee, also expressed con-
cerns about the budget at last
night's meeting.
"I was extremely happy for
Edmund and Maria, and they
deserve any success they get,"
Skeean said.
Whit Whitmore and Nick
Miller, assistant coaches for the
University's Debate Team, also
contributed to the success of the
team, Skeean said.
"They're there everyday to
help us practice, doing things
with us like speaking drills,"
Skeean said.
Engineering freshman Akum
Gill said the team began practic-
ing in August 2010. Though they
thrive in a competitive environ-
ment, all the debate team mem-
bers agree that they're like a
family.
"It's a great, strong dynamic
just like any other sports team.
that spends alot of time together
andworkingtogether,"Kall said.
Kall said the debate team's
competitiveness is just like
a sports team. With 13 or 14
competitions a year, Kall said
debate has about the same num-
ber of competitions as a college
football team. Members also
compete against other Big Ten
universities like Northwestern
University and Michigan State
University.
Looking toward the future,
Kall said the team hopes to
recruit more talent.
"Our long-term goals are to
improve the program," he said.
"Edmund, our top debater, is
graduating. We need to find
the next Edmund, or the next
Denard Robinson, in debate."
Kall said University admin-
istrators are also working to
recruit top debating students to
the school and to the team. To
achieve this goal, the team has a
summer program for high school
students, and members of the
debate team are in the process
ofsettingup scholarships forthe
best high school debaters.
The team also hopes to estab-
lish a scholarship fund with con-
tributions from the extensive
network of debate team alumni,
Kall said.
"A lot of our competitors give
them away as well, and we want
to compete for the best stu-
dents," he said.
Kall added that last week's
win will help the recruitment
process.
"When (recruits) see the suc-
cess and tournament victory, it
shows that Michigan is a place
that they can debate at the high-
est level," he said.
ISRAEL
From Page 1A
Movement for Israel, accord-
ing to Canning. But this time,
WolvPAC has adopted different
methods to gain support from a
large number of students, Can-
ning wrote.
"We're taking a different
approach from what has been
done in the past," Canning
wrote. "Before, AMI made pre-
sentations to the University's
International Travel Oversight
Committee. There has never
been a grassroots effort showing
support from the general stu-
dent body."
The issue was first introduced
to WolvPAC last year when the
organization discovered that
Michigan State University had
created a study abroad program
in Israel. This sparked discon-
tent among the group's members
regarding University of Michi-
gan study abroad programming,
Canning wrote.
"Since winter 2010, we have
been brainstorming different
strategies to show (how the)
committee failing to revise its
study abroad policy towards
Israel would negatively impact
the University's position as a
leading global institution com-
mitted to academic excellence
and comprehensive global
understanding," Canning wrote.
"Almost every major institution
has a study abroad program in
Israel."
Students who want to study
in Israel have to do so through
programs offered at other uni-
versities. However, this is often
a more difficult process and
deters students from the oppor-
tunity, Canning wrote.
"They must withdraw from
the University, preventing them
from transferring financial
aid and grades," Canning said.
"Unfortunately, a lot of people
do not go to Israel when they
would, because there isn't an
official University program."
University policy regard-
ing travel advisories is also an
important factor in instituting
study abroad programs.
According to Canning, a
warning was issued by the State
Department for travel to Israel,
the West Bank and Gaza in 2001.
"Since then the security situa-
tion has greatly improved," Can-
ning wrote.
But according to the State
Department website, a travel
warning to Israel, the West
Bank and Gaza was also issued
on Aug. 10, 2010.
John Godfrey, assistant
dean for International Educa-
tion at Rackham, wrote in an
e-mail interview that security
issues are essential to consider
when assessing study abroad
programming. It is against the
University's international travel
policies to sponsor programs
in countries in which a travel
warning has been issued by
the State Department, Godfrey
wrote.
"We want the students (to)
understand the safety, secu-
rity and health conditions in
the places they're traveling and
that they aren't making plans
for places that pose exceptional
risk," Godfrey wrote. "Students
are also asked to register their
travel information with the U-M
Travel Registry so we know how
to contact them in the event of
an emergency."
LSA sophomore Julie Sherbill,
a member of WolvPAC, wrote
in an e-mail interview that she
believes the University's stance
on study abroad opportunities in
Israel and other countries with
travel warnings isn't consistent.
"The University's policy on
State Department travel warn-
ings is not as cut-and-dry as it
seems," Sherbill wrote in the
e-mail interview.
According to Sherbill, the Law
School offered a study abroad
program at Israel's University of
Tel Aviv Law School as recently
as last year.
But according to Godfrey,
the University's current study
abroad programs in Israel, like
the Law School's University of
Tel Aviv program, are restricted
to graduate students.
Canning introduced the peti-
tion to MSA and LSA-SG with
the goal of persuading the bod-
ies to pass a resolution in sup-
port of such a program.
"I feel this would especially
benefit LSA students because
Israel is a leader in so many
fields ranging from medicine, to
sustainability efforts, to politi-
cal science," Canning wrote.
Public Policy junior Steven
Zuckerman, a Public Policy
representative for MSA, intro-
duced a resolution to MSA at last
night's meeting calling on the
Assembly to show their support
for the petition.
Zuckerman said he has
received only positive feedback
since he sent an e-mail to MSA
members regarding the petition.
"I think that if people realize
the bottom line, which is that it's
not a political statement, it's an
actual concern of students that
they can't go abroad and (do it
in) Israel at the same time, they
have to take a semester off,"
Zuckerman said. "I think people
will really appreciate if we can
give them that opportunity."
According to Canning,
WolvPAC originally anticipated
negative feedback from the stu-
dent body that could potentially
cloud the organization's efforts.
"We expected to get some
negative feedback about this
effort because often people try
to politicize things involving
Israel," Canning wrote. "Luck-
ily, we've only received positive
feedback because I think we've
made it clear that the issue has
nothing to do with identity or
politics, but simply educational
opportunities."
Sherbill also wrote that the
issue affects all students, not
only those who identify with the
Jewish religion.
"At first, students think that
this is only a 'Jewish' issue,"
Sherbill wrote. "The reality is
that this program would benefit
all Michigan students because
Israel has some of the best uni-
versities in the world and a
See ISRAEL, Page 6A
"We, as a legislative body,
are responsible for ensuring
that this is the correct budget,"
Friedman said. "We are looking
at a budget that could have any-
thing in it."
The Compiled Code also
requires the treasurer to hold
an open meeting to discuss the
budgetatleastseven daysbefore
it's presented to the assembly.
Sayed neglected to hold such a
meeting last week.
Raymond said he didn't know
why Sayed didn't hold the meet-
ing.
"I can't necessarily speak
for (Sayed) in terms of why she
was unable to meet with the
Finance Committee this week,"
Raymond said. "I think she defi-
nitely should have."
In an interview after the
meeting, Eral said that since
MSA is still transitioning to
the new Compiled Code, the
a meeting with the treasurer
wasn't "required" in order to be
in compliance with the code.
Additionally, because the
budget resolution was writ-
ten only by Sayed - without an
MSA representative co-author
- it can't be adopted according
to the MSA Constitution
MSA's Finance Commit-
tee will work with Sayed this
week to finalize a budget to be
approved at next week's MSA
meeting, according to Eral.
"I think the budget needed
to be postponed because it was
incomplete," Eral said.
- Dana Prainito
contributed to this report.
NIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
" WHAT DO
RHODES/MARSHALUMITCHEGLL
SCHOLARS
DO AFTER THEIR STUDIES
I
Well, this guy became
president.
What will you do?
Anything you want.
You've written your own game
plan so far in life. Why not take
it one step further and become
a Rhodes, Marshall, or Mitchell
Scholar?
JANUARY 23rd.- APR 2nd
Each year, the University of Michigan p s in
RecycleMania!, a nationwide collegiate recy
waste reduction competition.
Help us compete against over 600 schools from acros
the country and beyond to reduce our waste and recycle
what's left!
Other Panticipants fromn the _it10
Michigan State
Ohio State
Wisconsin
Purdue
a Indiana
0 Nebraska
villiam Jenerson ulnton, 1-resident of
the United States of America, 1992-2000
Come to a Rhodes/Marshall/Mitchell Orientation Session:
Monday, January 24, 2011 " 5:00-6:00pm
Koessler Room, Michigan League, 3rd Floor
Thursday, January 27, 2011 " 5:00-6:00pm
Pendleton Room, Michigan Union, 2nd Floor
Tuesday, February 1, 2011 " 5:00-6:00pm
Pierpont Commons, East Room
SPECIAL SESSION:
How to Write a Rhodes, Marshall, or Mitchell Essay
Monday, March 14, 2011 " 5:00-7:30pm
Vandenberg Room, Michigan League, 2nd Floor
To learn more, please contact the Provost's Council on Student Honors at
734-763-8123 or visit the website at
www.provost.umich.edu/scholars/
CHOOSE TO
THERE'S
'IDUCE
'W'§Cus m,
The University of Michigan has transitioned to Single Stream
Recycling campuswide!
You can now mix your paper and containers (including most
plastics, such as plastic cups and clamshells) in the same bin.
.or More Informnation
Please visit www.recycle.umich.edu
Shoot us an email at recycle@umich.edu
A