4A - Monday, February 24, 2014
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
4A -.odyeray2, 04TeMcia aiy-mciadiy
C4e idtigan Daih3
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MEGAN MCDONALD
PETER SHAHIN and DANIEL WANG KATIE BURKE
EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS MANAGING EDITOR
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.
Donating to school priorities
The regents need to push donors to fund University priorities
n Thursday, the University's governing Board of Regents approved a
series of renovations that will change the landscape of the institution.
These initiatives again demonstrate a recent pattern of priorities
that allocate funds to large and successful programs within the University
that only benefit a small percentage of the student body. It additionally must
be called into question whether or not some of these primarily brick-and-
mortar projects will benefit the University in the most effective way. In order
to provide more students with a superior academic experience, the University
must refocus on raising money for underserved areas of the institution.
The changes approved bythe regents includea student body comes from underrepresented
new Biological ScienceBuilding, a new academic minority groups - half of what it was for the
building for the Stephen M. Ross School of class of 2013. Especially in light of the #BBUM
Business, the refurbishment and modernization campaign,even asmall portionof StephenRoss'
of the historic President's Residence and an recent donation to the Business School might be
extensive renovation of the Kresge Business better spent trying to recruit underrepresented
AdministrationLibrary.Additionallytheregents minorities and implementing programs to
also approved the endowmentcand namingof the make Ross more accessible to these students.
head football coach position, which will now be The University needs to consider what can
called The J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head be done to change the pattern of donations and
Football Coach. The changes are not inherently improvements being allocated for schools and
problematic; they will no doubt improve the programs that do not need more funding. There
University'sofferingsand benefitstudents inthe is of course, nothing wrong with donating to
long run. But these most recent projects fail to schools and programs that already receive a lot
triage the University's most pressing needs, and of funding. It is natural for graduates to want to
that's where the problem lies. donate to their home schools. However, uniform
The Business School will now build a new policies should be written to help fund essential
academic building, renovate its library and programs that are being neglected and address
implement an exterior cladding project to problemsthaarebeingignored-andtheVictors
Sam Wyly Hall, the Business Administration for Michigan campaign takes a step in the right
Executive Dormitory and the Hill Street direcion.Its three goals do not explicitly include
Parking Structure. The total estimated cost capital improvements, and while some donors
of this project is $135 million, albeit funded may be interested in funding a building, the
completely by donations. Though these are campaign's focus on student support, engaged
positive changes for the school, these changes learning and (somewhat more nebulously) "bold
raise several concerns. For instance, these ideas" emphasizes experiential possibilities over
changes only benefit a small percentage of the physical plant changes.
student body. Furthermore, it must be asked Additionally, Regent Mark Bernstein (D-
if an aesthetic renovation is what a school that Ann Arbor) ran on a campaign that proposed
is painfully lacking in diversity really needs, that a single-digit percentage of all donations
These funds could be better invested into should be automatically set aside for financial
addressing the fact that the school severely aid. He has held his position for more than a
underrepresents females and minorities. The year and should push more strongly for this
Bachelor of Business Administration Class of policy change so it has a greater effect during
2015 has a class size of 505, according to the the Victors for Michigan campaign. This could
Business School's website, but women make up help makedonations, such astheRossdonation,
only 30 percent of the overall class population. benefit more people in ways that are a greater
Most astonishingly, only three percent of the priority for the institution as a whole.
THE STUDENT UNION OF MICHIGAN I
Does the'U'protect people or profits?
This Tuesdaythe StudencUnion of Michigan We suspect Hoke's alibi was an attempt
will be joining together with its allies to protest to evade scandal. Scandal is embarrassing
thehandlingofthe BrendanGibbonsexpulsion. and often reduces profits for the University.
We will gather in the lobby of the Rackham It requires time and attention and damage
Auditorium at 2 p.m. and march through control. It requires people hired to do one
campus. In this article, we will briefly outline thing to divert their attention to something
some of the reasons whywe are protesting. unpleasant and embarrassing. However,
Beforebeginning,wewanttoemphaticallysay it is not Hoke's right to invent an alibi and
webelievesurvivorshavetherighttocontroltheir cover someone else's tracks. There is a
stories, and as allies, we are obligated to respect difference between declining to comment and
their choices. Survivors should be allowed to beingmisleading.
heal without their traumas being routinely and We are also completely baffled as to why the
graphically described and scrutinized by an University administration did not do a better
uninformed public. We do not support demands job communicating how its sexual assault
for the release of details about this case. We wish policy works. As far as we can tell, the extent of
to express our solidarity with the survivor and response to this winter's uproar was University
hope the public chooses to respectcher privacy. President Mary Sue Coleman and Hoke's
That being said, the administration owes us "statements" asserting that athletics in no way
some answers regarding its response to student influence how sexual assault is handled at the
outrage over the revelation ofGibbons expulsion. University. These statements were published
All of us deserve to feel safe on this campus, with a brief description of the University policy.
and the response of top-level administrators to University policy regarding sexual conduct
this situation has left many in our community changed in 2011 to adhere to the mandate issued
convinced there is no institutional justice. This by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for
makes our campus feel unsafe and prone to Civil Rights, outlined in their "Dear Colleague
abuse. This has to be addressed. Letter," and avoid losing access to federal
When The Michigan Daily broke the story financial funding. We are still in the process of
about Gibbons's expulsion, one of the first understanding this change, but we believe that
questions people asked was when Michigan the 2011 mandate, which obligates investigations
coachBradyHokefoundoutabouttheexpulsion. ofallreportedincidentsofsexualmisconductand
Gibbons had not played in the last games of the without placing anundue burden onthe survivor,
season. Hoke told reporters he missed the game is probablyvery significant.We find it concerning
against Ohio State University because of an that these changes had to be prompted by the
injury, and the Buffalo Wild WingsBowl because threat of federal funds being revoked.
of a "family matter." The Daily uncovered a fax These incidents have riddled us with
to the Athletic Department that communicated doubt about the University's commitment to
Gibbons expulsion days before the press protecting our bodies and our stories.We do not
conference about the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. understand how they can be so cavalier about
We donotknowhow Hokepossiblycouldhavenot such serious matters. Rape is a huge problem
known about the separation before he called the on college campuses, but we imagine that the
expulsion a "family matter." We find the injury problem would be somewhat relieved if high-
storysuspicious. level administrators took it more seriously.
At the very least, it looks like Hoke created Sadly, while so much of this appears to be
an alibi to cover up the expulsion rather than carelessness or laziness or lack of coordination,
simply decline to comment. It looks to the public it reveals a lot about the administration's
like Gibbons was receiving special treatment values. At this point, how could anyone believe
because of his status asa football player. It looks the administration is committed to a climate
like Hoke does not have to follow policy. These of safety and respect? How is this response
implications are chilling. They suggest we are possibly acceptable? Their top priorities should
on a campus where it is acceptable for certain not be avoiding the inconveniences of scandal,
people to commit acts of violence with impunity but rather creating a safe, respectful, fruitful
and protection. How could anyone feel safe learning and working environment for all
knowing that? The University has made great members of the University community.
strides in addressing cases of sexual assault and
we do not want to move backward. We don't This article was written by members
want lies like this to have a chilling effect. of the Student Union of Michigan.
A step backwards
n August 4, 1961, a mixed-
race baby boy was born
to Stanley Ann Dunham
in Honolulu,
Hawaii. Ms.
Dunham was
white; her
husband, black.
Though it was
legal in Hawaii
at the time,
interracial I
marriage was PATRICK
still illegal in MAILLET
16 states in the
United States.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
would not be passed for another
three years, meaning that Ms.
Dunham and her husband could
still be rightfully barred from
employment, housing or public
accommodation simply based on
race, color, religion, sex, national
origin, disability and age.
Ms. Dunham's husband was
Barack Obama, Sr., and their child
eventually became the 44th and cur-
rent president of the United States.
We have come a long way in
these last 50 years, and though Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream is
still far from realized, widespread
discrimination based solely on skin
color is fading away.
Though the fight for racial equal-
ity is still far from over, we are now
being faced with the next chapter
of the Civil Rights Movement.
Last week, Arizona's state
legislature passed Senate Bill 1062.
This bill grants legal protection
to business owners who refuse to
serve gay customers because of
their religious beliefs.
While LGBTQ advocates expect-
edly denounced the bill, Arizona's
Republican state legislators claim the
bill does not endorse discrimination,
but instead protects religious free-
dom. In defense of the bill, Joseph
E. La Rue, legal counsel at Alliance
Defending Freedom, a Christian
legal organization in Arizona, said,
"In America, people should be free
to live and work according to their
faith, and the government shouldn't
be able to tell us wE
La Rue went on to
shouldn't be someth
leave inside our hous
Though La Rue
supporter for anti
including, but not
1062, his logic in
bill is ironically sir
LGBTQ advocates i
the bill.
Let's make a sim
with the word "faith
let's see La Rue's sta
light: "In America,
be free to live and
to their love, andt
shouldn'tbe ableto t
that. Love shouldn'tI
have to leave inside o
How can Conse
their political mo
individual liberty
freedom while
believing in laws th
expression of
sexual orien-
tation? When
Conservatives
vote on mea-
sures to allow
assault weap-
ons that can fire
100 rounds per
minute or cut
environmental
standards for
corporations,
e can't do that." ly, gay marriage is legal in 17 states,
say that "Faith while 33 states still have a same-sex
sing we have to marriage ban. Though Arizona is
e. the first state to pass a "religious
is a staunch freedom" bill such as this one, simi-
-gay legislation lar legislation has been introduced
limited to, SB in Ohio, Mississippi, Idaho, South
support of this Dakota, Tennessee and Oklahoma.
milar to that of Although the Arizona bill awaits
n opposition to the approval of Republican Gov.
Janet Brewer, the very concept that
ple substitution a bill like this can make it all the way
" for "love." Now to a governor's desk is terrifying.
tement in a new One day, I will unfortunately
people should have to tell my grandchildren of the
work according days when "No Gays Allowed" signs
the government were welcomed in some places. I will
ell uswecan'tdo inevitably have the look of sadness
be somethingwe and borderline embarrassment on
sur house." my face - the same look my grand-
ervatives claim parents had when they would tell me
'vement values of the days of "colored water foun-
and personal tains." They will stare at me with
simultaneously huge, innocenteyes and askhowpeo-
hat inhibit open ple could have been so bigoted,just as
I did when I was
their age.
Fifty years
ago, few people
Right now it seems would have
- ibelieved that
as if America is far America could
from fully embracing elect a Black
president. When
homosexuality. Blacks weren't
even allowed the
right to eat at the
same restaurant
they argue that
government has no business in peo-
ples' lives. Yetwhen it concerns pri-
vate matters, such as who someone
loves within the confines of their
own bedroom, or even with whom
they want to go for a walk while
holding hands, the government
suddenly has all the right to regu-
late and deny rights.
The bill recently passed by the
Republican-dominated Arizona
legislature is state-sponsored
discrimination and eerily similar
to a pre-Civil Rights Act America
where Blacks were refused service
in most private enterprises.
America is unfortunately moving
in two separate directions. Current-
as whites, how
could you blame them?
Right now it seems as if America
is far from fully embracing
homosexuality. I don't know when
America will elect a gay president,
but in order for that to happen,
America mustlearn fromits mistakes
and treat gay rights just as it treated
civil rights. If we were able to elect a
mixed-race man born in an America
where some states didn't recognize
his parents' marriage, then surely we
can fighttogether to grant a newborn
who might be gay the same rights as
his/her straight counterparts.
- Patrick Maillet can be
reached at maillet@umich.edu.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Barry Belmont, Nivedita Karki, Jacob Karafa, Jordyn Kay,
Kellie Halushka, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Victoria Noble,
Michael Schramm, Matthew Seligman, Paul Sherman,
Allison Raeck, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe
KATE STENVIG, AHMED MOHAMED AND TAYLOR JONES
A promise long overdue
The new anti-racist movement
building on this campus has the
power to force the University to
take the long overdue steps needed
to keep promises it made in the 1970
Black Action Movement agreement.
On April 1, 1970, the University
administration and the University's
Board of Regents, under the
pressure of an integrated and
powerful student strike, promised
Black and Latin@ students to take
steps to increase the number of
minority students on campus. BAM,
an umbrella organization comprised
of all the Black student groups, and
the small but growing Latin@ and
Chican@ organizations on campus,
began by recognizing that the
gains won from the Black students'
actions beginning in the mid-1960s,
including the creation of special
minority scholarships, hiring of
Black faculty and new high school
outreach programs for Detroit had
failed to make the University a more
welcoming and less racist campus.
BAM understood that increasing
minority student enrollment was
the prerequisite to changing the
University. The main slogan of
the BAM struggle was "Open
it up or we will shut it down."
In 1970, Black students constituted
a mere 4 percent of the student body.
Latina@ students were treated as
invisible. The University administra-
tion did not even try to keep accurate
statistics on the number of Latin@ or
NativeAmericanstudentsoncampus.
BAM demanded and won the
promise from the University
administration and the regents that
Black student enrollment would
increase to 10 percent of the student
body by the 1973-74 school year. It
won a second demand to increase
Latin@ student enrollment, and
agreed to take special measures
to increase Latin@ enrollment,
including a special recruiter for
Chican@ students as a first step.
The promise to take the actions
necessary to increase Black student
enrollment to 10 percent has been
broken for 40 years. The University
ranked 147th on this year's U.S.
News and World Report diversity
index. The #BBUM campaign
launched this fall documented how
pervasive racism is attheUniversity
now. If the administration and
the regents continue to break the
promises they made to minority
students and communities 40
years ago, the downward cycle of
recruiting and retaining minority
students will continue to get worse.
Ten years after the Supreme
Court victory for affirmative action
in Grutter v. Bollinger and 40 years
after the BAM strike, the proportion
of Black and Latin@ students at the
University is declining. In a state
that is now over 14 percent Black,
Black students comprise less than
5 percent of the student body. The
proportion of Latin@ students
dropped from 5.6 percent in 2006,
to 4.75 percent in 2012, even though
the Latin@ community in Michigan
continues to grow at a rapid rate.
The proportion of Native American
students at the University isless than
half of the proportion of the Native
American population of Michigan.
It is time for a change. It is time
for the movement to force the Uni-
versity administration to keep the
promises they made in 1970. This is
a modest demand given the fact that
the University has had ample time
to keep its promises. The adminis-
tration has always known how to
achieve an increase in underrep-
resented minority student enroll-
ment. If they claim not to know now,
the movement can tell them how.
The creation of scores of com-
mittees, numerous "fireside chats,"
and the pledges made by every
incoming University president to
advance diversity, have done noth-
ing to change the campus climate.
To make the University a campus
that welcomes, nurtures and pro-
vides minority students with the
same opportunities to learn and
develop that it offers to white stu-
dents, the University must carry out
the promises they knew and agreed
were necessary in 1970. Keeping
its pledge to raise Black student
enrollment to 10 percent, revers-
ing the drop in Latin@ enrollment,
creating a Dream Scholarship for
undocumented students and dou-
bling the number of Native Ameri-
can and other under-represented
students are the first steps the Uni-
versity needs to take now to keep
the promises it made to provide the
an equal quality education for every
minority student on this campus.
Meeting the 10 percent demand is
the one measurable and transparent
actionthe University cantaketo prove
to minority youth and communities,
especially to the students of Detroit,
that its commitment to diversity
and integration is more than just
lip service. If the University will
not fulfill the promises they made
40 years ago, there is no reason for
the new student, civil rights and
immigrant rights movement to
believe that the vague and minor
promises it is making behind
closed doors will ever materialize.
Over the next several years the
state of Michigan will provide
the University with new, much
larger public grants. In 1970, the
student movement demanded and
the regents agreed to spend tens
of millions of dollars to increase
minority enrollment. The new
movement has the power to make
the regents use the new infusion of
public fundstheywillstartreceiving
this year to finally fulfill the historic
agreement they entered into in 1970.
Onlybykeepingthe letterandspir-
it of the promises made in 1970, can
the University of Michigan become
the great university it claims to be.
Kate Stennvig is a University
alum, Ahmed Mohamed is an LSA
junior and Taylor Jones is an LSA
freshman. The authors are members
of By Any Means Necessary.