The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Wednesday, November 20, 2013 - 5A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wednesday, November 20, 2013 - 5A
TWITTER
From Page 1A
sity. However, the institution has
been unable to stanch the decline
in minority enrollment through
alternative outreach policies in
the wake of the affirmative action
ban.
In Fall 2006, Black stu-
dents made up around seven
percent of the undergraduate
population. In Fall 2013, the
University reported that Black
undergraduate enrollment had
fallen to 4.65 percent. Hispanic
enrollment as a percentage of
the overall undergraduate body
also declined over the same
period.
At a search forum for the next
University president in Sep-
tember, the Presidential Search
Advisory Committee - which
includes the University's Board
of Regents - heard from a num-
ber of students about diversity
issues. Several student speakers
at the event said many minorities
feel they lack a voice on campus
and occasionally experience bias
incidents with both students and
instructors.
Collier said the University
has not yet contacted BSU about
Tuesday's campaign. Univer-
sity spokesman Rick Fitzgerald
stressed that the University's
next step will be to listen to the
students and their experiences on
campus.
"I think at this point the lis-
tening is the most important
part and how we might respond
is the next step and we haven't
_ gotten there yet," Fitzgerald
said.
He said the University is aware
of students' concerns and recog-
nizes that there is always room
for improvement in any organiza-
tion.
However, the University's
social media team responded
to the campaign via Twitter
Tuesday afternoon: "Thanks
for engaging in this conversa-
tion. We're listening, and will be
sure all of your voices are heard.
#BBUM"
E. Royster Harper, the Uni-
versity's vice president for stu-
dent life, created a Twitter
account late Tuesday to address
the issue.
"Got on Twitter to hear and
support your voices. Proud of our
students. More later," Harper
PARTNERSHIP
From Page 1A
AIIMS has the only freestanding
trauma center in India, accord-
ing to Krishnan Raghavendran,
an associate professor of sur-
gery at the University's Medical
School.
The University of Michigan
Health System and AIIMS trau-
ma centers partnered in 2010,
but now the entirety of the medi-
cal institute and the University's
Medical School are in collabora-
tion.
University medical students
may now study at AIIMS,
where Raghavendran said stu-
dents get the opportunity to
practice in a totally unfamiliar
environment in which tropi-
cal ailments, advanced dis-
eases and a lack of resources
are daily encounters. He added
that it's important that Ameri-
can medical students accustom
themselves to a less-than-plen-
tiful future medical environ-
ment so that they're prepared
for the worst.
"The way the current medi-
cal system is functioning in this
country cannot be sustained over
long periods of time," Raghav-
endran said. "There is enormous
wastage and inefficiency, and we
all have to learn how to function
with limited resources in the
near future."
AIIMS faculty members
already visit the University's
Medical School on a regular
basis. This new agreement cre-
ates research collaboration on
topics such as immunology and
stem cells. AIIMS will have
access to a low-cost virtual
university to educate its staff
* and more IT resources to expe-
dite their projects and medical
libraries, where Raghavendran
said doctors can research pro-
tocol for handling certain dis-
eases.
AIIMS director Mahesh
Misra said in an e-mail that
both universities are highly
esteemed in their respective
countries for research, teaching
and healing.
wrote.
LSA senior Eric Gavin, BSU's
public relations chair, said
several recent campus events
spurred the organization to plan
a campaign, including a recent
controversy involving Theta Xi
fraternity members who branded
a party with racialized images
and words.
BSU also timed its Twitter
campaign to correspond with
a forum this evening hosted by
the Department of Afroamerican
and African Studies, the Black
Student Union, We are Michigan
and Students of Color of Rack-
ham.
BSU hopes to not only engage
members of its organization but
also Black campus leaders from
an array of groups, Gavin said.
However, leaders didn't believe
the student organization would
receive national attention for its
efforts.
"I definitely could not have
foreseen the national attention
we have garnered in such a short
amount of time," Gavin said.
"We felt it necessary to push for
an initiative that would bring
more awareness to these issues
and to the larger Black commu-
nity."
Though traditional methods
such as campus demonstrations
play a role in raising awareness,
Gavin said BSU decided social
media could serve as an addi-
tional method for sparking dia-
logue.
"It kept it open ended and
that's why it so successful," Gavin
said. "The hashtag leaves for open
ended interpretation so people
can say what they feel instead of
imposing somebody's thoughts
on them."
So far, students have voiced an
array of perspectives.
"Being Black at the Universi-
ty of Michigan has many shades
and many levels to what some-
one might want to speak on
it," Gavin said. "It can go from
someone being the only Black
person in their class to someone
with no problems at all. It's a
spectrum, but we want people
to be aware of everyone's differ-
ent ideas on the issue of being
Black at the University of Mich-
igan."
Renowned journalist Michele
Norris, the creator of the Race
Card Project - a nationwide
initiative that gathers per-
spectives on race and aims to
foster dialogue on the subject
- partnered with the Univer-
sity during last winter's theme
semester on race, and will give
the 2013 Winter Commence-
ment address.
In a form similar to BSU's
campaign, Norris used Twitter
to broaden the reach of the Race
Card Project because she said
even though the social media
platform only allots users only
140 characters, it's a powerful
way to stimulate uncomfortable
conversations.
"I used to say the most
productive conversations are
the private ones, but Twitter
made me rethink that," Norris
said.
Norris noted that the Univer-
sity did not "take cover" once
the dialogue took off, but rather
embraced the campaign and
encouraged students to take part
in the conversation, which is not
always the norm for large institu-
tions.
"This is an honest conversa-
tion," she said. "They wanted to
see an honest conversation and
that's what this is, as uncomfort-
able as this may be for people to
read about this."
She said diversity has been
an issue on every college cam-
pus she has visited, and after
reading the tweets from Tues-
day's discussion at Michigan, it
is likely the topic isn't going to
subside once the Twitter debate
dies down.
"It really was not just people
talking about their own experi-
ences, but it turned into an actual
dialogue," she said. "People were
talking to each other and perhaps
even learning from each other,
and more importantly listening
to each other."
Norris added that she will
likely address the issue in her
commencement address next
month.
By asking students to share
their experiences as Black
students on campus, BSU is
hoping to not only bring light
to challenges, but also to
call other student leaders to
action.
"We want to get the aware-
ness out so we can begin to move
forward and actually do tangible
things," Gavin said.
-Daily News Editor Pete
Shahin contributed reporting.
FORUM
From Page lA
"Instead of being overlooked and
not seen in the classroom, you get
DEBATE
From Page 1A
Jewish community," Feingold
said.
Four University professors
used their rhetoric skills, com-
piled intelligence, effective evi-
dence and sharp rejoinders to
make the case for their choice
dish.
Representing Team Latke
was Prof. Zvi Gitelman, who is
also a Preston Tisch Professor
of Judaic Studies, and Asso-
ciate Prof. Julian Levinson.
Defending Team Hamantash
were Jan Gerson, a senior lec-
turer, and Prof. Ralph Wil-
liams.
Gerson started off the night
using her economics expertise in
defense of the hamantash. Using
the logic of economist Adam
Smith, who proposed that soci-
ety benefits when individuals act
according to their self interest,
Gerson came to the conclusion
that the question "better boils
down to is 'in my opinion' which
is better."
Therefore, Gerson said
because she personally believes
hamantashen are better, they are
indeed better.
Levinson countered Gerson's
argument with the concept of
"camouflage-ability." He argued
that the latke is a versatile food:
if an individual decides they
would like to "Jew it up," Levin-
son said he can tell everyone he
is enjoying a hot, savory latke.
However, if another individu-
al is feeling timid, or if she is
RALLY
From Page 1A
Police later said it was unclear
whether the event had been
scheduled with the University.
Officers were present when
students unexpectedly scat-
tered, running through the
Diag, and later were investigat-
ing what cause the group to
disperse.
A UMPD official added that
the the group's presence was
complicated by the fact that
the organizations involved did
not formally inform the Uni-
versity of their intent to dem-
onstrate on the Diag, as many
overlooked in meetings. What
you do never seems to be good
enough."
For LSA senior Chloe Brown,
the recent change in campus race
relations is palpable, and not for
the better.
"It feels like there's just some-
thing in the air," Brown said.
"There's just something in the
water. It just feels very differ-
ent."
VIRGINIA LOZANO/Daily
English Professor Ralph Williams speaks for team Hamantash on the debate
between Latke and Hamantash dishes at Hillel Tuesday.
approached by someone hostile,
she can say she is eating a potato
pancake and receive no suspi-
cion.
Levinson further argued that
because the leading brand in
kosher products, Manishewitz,
has seven types of latke mixes
and no recipes for hamantashen,
the latke must be the leading
Judaic commodity.
"Why hasn't Manishewitz
made a single box of hamantash-
en? I'll leave that question up
to you," Levinson said to Team
Hamantash.
Williams, whose studies focus
on the humanities, analyzed
Shakespeare's work to reveal
the superiority of hamantashen.
After close analysis of Antony
groups do. .
LSA junior Merranda
McLaughlin, who is currently
running for LSA Student Gov-
ernment as part of the Defend
Affirmative Action party, said
though the police presence ini-
tially caused some of the students
to disperse, the encouragement
of other students kept the rally
going.
S;'I think despite- any ,hiccups.
or misunderstandings the pur-
pose of the march was evident,"
McLaughlin said. "They were
passionate and worked forward,
despite any initial lost momen-
tum."
"This voice needs to be heard,
because it's a problem that's only
and Cleopatra, Antony reveals
to Cleopatra that there will
be "hamentashen in the next
world," which prompts her to
commit suicide and enjoy the
dish in the afterlife, Williams
said.
Gitelman, who has been at
the University for over 40 years,
ended the night with a passionate
rendition of the Chanukah Song,
arguing that because it includes
the delectable potato pancake
over the decadent stuffed pastry,
the latke is the superior Jewish
food.
In the end, Shames concluded
the debate was a tie, honoring
all four professors and declaring
both the savory and sweet dishes
as equally tasty.
going to get worse if nothing is
done."
The event occurred in the
midst of the #BBUM Twitter
campaign initiated by the Uni-
versity's Black Student Union,
which drew national attention as
it raised awareness for the issues
and experiences of Black and
other minority students at the
University.
- In.2012, 947perienonofUni-
versity studentseeee Africani
Americans, Native Ameri-
cans and Latinos. The 2012
graduating classes at the Uni-
versity had the lowest pro-
portion of African-American
bachelor's degree recipients
since 1991.
"Both of the institutions how-
ever differ somewhat in their
disease pattern, and the doc-
tors and researchers have lots
to learn from each other," Misra
wrote.
New Delhi and Ann Arbor
patients will not be the only ben-
eficiaries: AIIMS is opening six
new facilities. The procedures
that the University is passing
onto the New Delhi institute
will be implemented across cen-
tral and northern India, serving
areas that lack comprehensive
health care.
AIIMS currently sees 10
times as many patients as the
University Hospital. Center for
South Asian Studies director
Farina Mir - part of the Uni-
versity delegation - explained
that India's enormous popula-
tion raises interesting ques-
tions for students visiting the
country.
"How do you work with and
operate in a society where every-
thing is at a magnitude big even
for us in the United States?" Mir
said. "It produces opportunities
for us to think big, which Michi-
gan is really good at."
Undergraduates in India
and at the University will ben-
efit from two other alliances
formed with Ashoka Univer-
sity and University of Delhi.
DU was one of the first uni-
versities in India, and is hailed
across that country as one of
the best undergraduate colleg-
es, particularly for the sciences.
Ashoka, conversely, will open in
fall 2014 and will focus on the
humanities.
Both universities complement
the University's focus on teach-
ing, Mir said.
"The key here is that we want
to produce mechanisms that
would create opportunities to
participate in experimental
learning in India," Mir said.
"The core of agreements are
around students and student
opportunities and exchanges.
We're excited about the oppor-
tunities that will open up almost
immediately."
One such educational venture
that will soon be open to Uni-
versity students is a 10-day train
ride around the subcontinent.
Students from other universi-
ties on this trip conduct mini
research programs, Mir said,
like gauging the pollution of
each train stop. She added that
this differs with study abroad
programs where students may
not immerse themselves in the
country.
"It really would put them right
there in the thick of things,"
Mir said. "This is going to be a
roll-up-your-sleeves type of pro-
gram."
DU students will be able to
conduct research as under-
graduates at the University, an
experience that's rare for under-
graduates living in India. Pro-
fessors at the newly established
Ashoka University will benefit
from the University's long teach-
ing heritage.
"Students are at the core of
these two projects and we really
think that the kinds of opportu-
nities that will come out of this
will be mutually beneficial," Mir
said.
The fourth institute to
enter an agreement with the
University last week was the
National Council of Applied Eco-
nomic Research, the leading sur-
vey research institute in India.
NCAER and the University's
Survey Research Center hope to
explore new methods of research
through mobile technology
and advanced statistical tools,
according to William Axinn, the
director of the Survey Research
Center.
Axxin wrote that the part-
nership will allow the Univer-
sity's web of long-term partners
to expand and NCAER to fur-
ther explore public policy ini-
tiatives.
"This gives us the opportunity
to both globalize our education-
al work and advance the social
sciences through comparisons
across different contexts and set-
tings," Axxin wrote. "Globaliza-
tion in general, and work in India
specifically, help us to build new
approaches, methods, and tools
that advance the social sciences
worldwide."
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