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From Page 1A
personally apologizes for the pro-
posal's indefinite postponement,
and the fact that the students
felt silenced with both support-
ers and dissenters being unable
to voice their opinions. He also
apologized for not helping fos-
tering a safe campus climate and
expressed regret to any student
who felt unsafe at the University
because of their identity.
After Proppe read the state-
ment, which at the time had not
yet been made public, #UMDi-
vest organizers and support-
ers offered amendments to the
wording, as they were generally
unhappy with the statement's
tone. Members specifically took
issue with Proppe's explanation
of why CSG representatives were
unavailable to attend "teach-
in" sessions to learn about the
divestment proposal, adding that
Proppe's assertion that mem-
bers didn't have enough time to
attend was not true. They added
that his apology was insufficient,
as it apologized to students who
were made to "feel silenced"
rather than firmly acknowledg-
ing students were silenced.
Despite the criticism of the
statement's wording, members
said the public statement now
online is identical to the one
brought to the sit-in Sunday
afternoon.
"The disappointing thing
isn't even so much that he didn't
address those concerns, it was
that even after we brought them
up and we sat in the room with
him for two hours talking he still
didn't change anything," said
LSA senior Yazan Kherallah, a
SAFE member.
During Sunday's discus-
sion, CSG representatives and
#UMDivest organizers said
they have continued to receive
threats and intimidating mes-
sages through various mediums.
Dishell claimed that he was
accosted by a SAFE member but
did not present the name of the
individual and SAFE leaders
said none of their leadership was
involved in threatening other
individuals and has been proac-
-ive in removing anyne who
would engage in intimidation
tactics.
SAFE members also said their
group members, as well as other
students perceived to be Arab,
have been threatened and intimi-
dated by various individuals on
campus. SAFE members said
the unsafe campus environment
is the result of CSG's decision to
indefinitely postpone a vote on
the resolution and added that it is
CSG's responsibility to not con-
tribute to a hateful climate.
Administrators visited the
#UMDivest sit-in twice on Fri-
day and once on Saturday night.
Dean of Students Laura Blake
Jones also spoke privately with
University of Michigan Hillel,
the largest Jewish organization
on campus.
In the CSG chambers Friday,
E. Royster Harper, vice presi-
dent for student life, listened to
DIVERSITY
From Page 2A
how the decision comes out,"
Semana said.
Marshall added that the
presence of DAAP represen-
tatives - and, potentially, a
DAAP executive - on the CSG
Student Assembly could - if
the Supreme Court overturns
Michigan's affirmative action
legislation - help the Univer-
sity adopt the policies of a new
affirmative action bill.
Just as important in this
hypothetical situation, Mar-
shall said, would be guiding
the University to enact the
new policies "in a way that
effectively increases minority
enrollment and also increases
the treatment and well-being
of minority students."
"It's just one thing to get
more minority students
enrolled," he said. "But it's
another thing to actually try
to retain them, help take care
of them and make sure they
feel comfortable on a campus
which has, in the past, showed
quite a lot of tension toward
students of minority back-
students' questions in the after-
noon about what the adminis-
tration can do for SAFE, what
influence it has over CSG and
how much flexibility is avail-
able for the sit-in to remain in
the Union overnight. Students
repeatedly stressed that their
calls for accountability are rea-
sonable, adding that their move-
ment has been non-violent but
has not been treated as such, and
that they feel disrespected and
silenced. Students occupying the
CSG chambers have engaged in
limited acts of civil disobedience
by staying in the room after the
Union was scheduled to close at
2 a.m., leading to confrontations
between the group and Univer-
sity Police. No sit-in participant
has been arrested.
Additionally, SAFE represen-
tatives and other members of the
sit-in claimed the administration
has acted with bias throughout
this process, and representatives
asked for a public statement to
be issued regarding the sit-in
the same way the University has
commented in the past with the
SAFE's mock eviction in Decem-
ber.
Harper returned Friday night
with Blake Jones to reach an
agreement with #UMDivest sup-
porters to draft a statement in
support of campus safety.
"I have been enormously
impressed with the thoughtful-
ness, the clarity of thought, how
respectful the students have
been," Harper said. "(I have) just
been a little surprised that peo-
ple have been talking about this
as a violent movement; it's just
not the case. It has been just what
you would expect from smart U
of M students that are passionate
about an important issue."
Harper stressed the impor-
tance of students' collective right
to question the University's val-
ues and added that this ability is
contingent upon both adminis-
trative transparency and agener-
ally safe atmosphere.
She said the divestment move-
ment is not new, adding that
"there is nothing odd going on."
Rather, there has been a tangible
history on campus of students
asking the University about
where it spends its money.
Harper and Blake Jones plan
to draft a statement for the
administration. Harper said it
will address concerns about the
climate and clarify that the Uni-
versity is no place for threats
from either side of this issue.
"The climate issues have
impacted a wide range of groups
of our students this week," Blake
Jones said. "Many people have
been harmed and have felt fear-
ful, and we have to address the
climate issues and care about the
concerns of all of our students."
Harper said the statement
will also draw attention to avail-
able University resources that
can help students combat feel-
ings of insecurity and fear, such
as Counseling and Psychological
Services and the Department of
Public Safety.
As for letting students stay in
the Union, Harper told them it
is "not in your best interests to
get arrested." While students
grounds."
Holt also addressed the
recent #BBUM and #UMDi-
vest movements on campus as
examples in which the Univer-
sity has failed to fully recog-
nize or fix the problems of its
diverse constituency of stu-
dents - a problem which he,
as CSG president, would seek
to solve.
He said DAAP strives to give
a voice back to students who
feel marginalized or disen-
franchised.
"This idea of 'business as
usual' through the University
has been intimidating or out-
right ignoring the issues of
many people on campus," Holt
said. "Our platform is defying
the business as usual."
Semana said Monday night's
presidential debate will serve
as an open invitation not just
to vote for a political party, but
to joina tangible movement for
change. This is something that
was also discussed at a DAAP-
hosted tribunal last Thursday,
Marshall added.
"I want the student body to
become cognizant of the fact
that there is a hostile environ-
ment on campus, and to address
this issue we must first become
noted that previous sit-ins at the
University have been allowed to
continue without interruption,
Harper said the policies have
since changed, and students need
to be cleared from the building at
night for safety reasons.
Thus far, the sit-in partici-
pants have left every night at
about 2 a.m. when the building
closes, but have returned to the
chambers the next morning.
Blake Jones and Harper met
again with SAFE and the rest of
the sit-in's participants on Sat-
urday night to facilitate a simi-
lar discussion, but details of that
meeting remain private.
Blake Jones spoke to students
at Hillel Friday afternoon about
how the failure of the resolu-
tion to reach a vote in CSG has
contributed to an increasingly
charged campus climate.
She spoke privately with stu-
dent leaders of Hillel about per-
sonal concerns before answering
questions from all students who
attended the forum. The meet-
ing with Blake Jones was open
to all students who wanted to
express their concerns to the
University administration about
the sensitive climate on campus
surrounding the Israeli-Palestin-
ian conflict and the #UMDivest
movement. Another purpose of
the meeting was to clarify the
details of what occurred at the
student government meeting
for those looking to know more
about the issue.
"I was here today to listen and
to hear from students," Blake
Jones said. "I've been doing that
all week. I was happy to be able
to be here today."
Blake Jones stayed for about
20 minutes, and the rest of the
meeting was devoted to open dis-
cussion about how students felt
about the topic. After the meet-
ing, many students expressed
feelings of frustration, as well as
apprehension regarding threats
some Jewish students had been
receiving.
"I think that obviously there's
a lot of passions on both sides,"
said LSA senior Jonathan Aseel,
who attended the meeting. "Peo-
ple need to just remember to
focus on mutual respect and give
each other the opportunity to
present their own opinions and
perspectives."
Dishell attended the meeting
with Shokar, his Make Michigan
running mate.
"There was a lot of great con-
versation about how there's not
just one narrative and not every-
one needs to sit down together to
discuss the issue," Dihell said.
"I was very proud of the com-
munity that kept saying how it's
important that we don't just talk
about Israel on campus but that
we talk about everything that's
going on and the entire issue."
Throughout the process,
administrators have been careful
to note their role only as facili-
tators of conversation and the
fact that the University cannot
force CSG to take any specific
action. Proppe said he plans to
motion Tuesday for the proposal
to be considered again, but no
other separate meeting has been
scheduled.
aware of this issue," Holt said.
"We're serious about it. I'd like
to just ask the students to join
us in our fight to win, because
we can do it."
2 CHAINZ with SpringFest," Bharadwaj
From Page 1A said. "We felt at the moment that
we didn't want to stretch our-
selves too thin by expanding to
that will feature a hodgepodge of a new location. That just comes
guest speakers and food through- with a whole new logistics plan."
out the day, Schermer said. Bharadwaj added that solidify-
Extending from the globe ing SpringFest's standard operat-
will be sections arranged by five ing proceduresthisyear willmake
general themes: arts, identity, it easier to change the musical
innovation, social justice and sus- venue in future years.
tainability. Schermer added that "It was about building the festi-
since the unveiling of this new val, as opposed to scalingthe con-
structure in January, the event cert," Schermer said.
has been growing exponentially, MUSIC Matterswill sell rough-
with more clubs signing up each ly 3,400 tickets for the show, pro-
week to participate. ceeds from which will serve a dual
Because of the large changes, purpose: supporting MUSIC Mat-
the capstone concert will be in Hill ters' recently unveiled Big Think-
Auditorium for the third straight ers scholarship and donating to a
year, ratherthanmovingto alarger summer leadership camp for at-
venue, Bharadwaj said. MUSIC risk Detroit youth.
Matters had formerly been consid- "The idea behind this is that, if
eringYostIceArenaandthe Crisler we can expose these young kids
Center among other venues. to a campus environment while
"We just want to perfect the they're young, by the time they're
formula that we've been work- 17 and 18 years old, the idea of col-
ing on and really do a good thing lege won't be so foreign to them
cal to the original eatery. Cobb
BURGER said he wants to keep the large,
From Page 1A open space of the previous sub
shop and add countertop seating
as well as a take-out window for
size of the original eatery in Bir- late-night dining. He anticipates
mingham. OwnerKellyCobb said that the space will not be recog-
this expansion will allow sev- nizable once renovation is com-
eral changes in the menu, such plete.
as more milkshake flavors not Cobb said the move to Ann
included in its current offering of Arbor followed his family's close
chocolate and vegetarian options. ties to the city and the University.
Occupying the former loca- His grandmother bought Hunter
tion of Firehouse Subs, which House in 1981, which his mother
closed in January, the restaurant now supervises. He and his sister
will be remodeled to look identi- are University alumni.
"It's showing a message and
PARTY PARTY it's a wakeup call," Hayes sad.
From Page 2A "It's a lack of engagement and a
lack of change that has plagued
student government to be an
Hayes said even if they do enigma of what it should be."
not win, they hope their mes- Hayes and Woods remain
sage will resonate and inspire committed to keeping the
a change in the way CSG oper- campaign process fun. Their
ates. website includes numerous
Monday, March 24, 2014 - 3A
and it will be more a natural thing
for them to experience," said Busi-
ness junior Darren Appel, MUSIC
Mattersvice president.
MUSIC Matters is also working
with the National Pan-Hellenic
Council,the Center for Education-
alOutreach,the Office ofFinancial
Aid and the Office of Undergradu-
ate Admissions to bring students
from high schools throughout the
state to SpringFest.
These students are set to attend
admissions and financial aid
workshops, eat lunch in the dorms
and take part in the SpringFest
events.
Overall, Schermer said, MUSIC
Matters' success in the three years
since its conception is indicative of
the University's abilityto facilitate
student achievement.
"I do believe that SpringFest
will get national attention, and
that's a testament to the team that
is working on this and the ecosys-
tem that we all are living within,"
he said. "The sky's the limit here."
He added that the location, a
block away from the Diag, will
allow for a medley of customers.
"It was right between cam-
pus and downtown so we could
cater to all sorts of people from
students to business owners or
workers downtown," Cobb said.
Cobb said he hopes for Hunter
House to be a football game day
hotspot for those not at the Big
House.
"I'm just excited to be back in
Ann Arbor, and to be honest with
you, I'm excited for game days,"
Cobb said.
pop culture references, such
as Woods' love of *NSYNC and
Soulja Boy's "Kiss Me Thru
the Phone" to set the mood for
the site's contact information
page.
"Laughter might be the satir-
ical catalyst for the change we
need and there's nothing wrong
with that," Hayes said.
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