P iC t Hn , a tll
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Friday, January 31, 2014
michigandaily.com
ATHLETICS
Gibbons fax
sent Dec.19
came from
'U' football
Melissa Harris-Perry, a professor of Political Science at Tulane University and host of her own show on MSNBC, spoke at the Rackham Auditorium Thursday eve-
ning on how to talk about race and leadership on campus as part of the Black History Month.
MSNBC host tackles race
Harris-Perry opens
University's Black
History Month
celebrations
By ALICIA ADAMCZYK
Daily Staff Reporter
Though Black History Month
does not officially begin until Sat-
urday, the University began its
month-long series of events two
days early with a keynote address
by Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry, host
of MSNBC's "Melissa Harris-Per-
ry Show" and a political science
professor at Tulane University.
At the University's 2014 Black
History Month Keynote Lecture
Thursday evening, Harris-Perry
discussed ways to address racial
issues on campus to about 500
students, faculty, staff and alumni
who attended the lecture at Rack-
ham Auditorium.
The hour-long lecture delved
into a history of the collective
efforts of the Black community,
from the Civil Rights Movement
to the continued institutional
marginalization of Black bodies
and experiences today. Harris-
Perry said continuous struggle is
an avoidable trait of a democracy,
and stressed that one uncontested
voice is more fitting of a totalitar-
ian regime.
She said a problem with cam-
pus activism today is that allies
have not experienced the same
"corporeal body experiences" of
the Black community, and mis-
understandings often arise as a
result.
"A problem with race talk on
campus is how we know that we
know something," Harris-Perry
said. "I know that this moment
is racist because it trips my racial
trigger, because it makes me feel
nauseous. I'm notgenerallyangry,
butyoujustmade me mad."
She added that the problem
stems from an inability to scien-
tifically measure these emotions.
Concerning real change on
campus, Harris-Perry suggested
that student activists focus on
fostering change within the Uni-
versity faculty and administra-
tion. The administration can then
inform students and construct a
functional feedback loop between
students and administrators.
While allies may not be able
to directly relate to Black experi-
ences, she said, they can engage
with professors and then with the
wider community once they have
the proper tools to help.
She said students need to break
down the walls between their
separate campus lives and their
interactions with faculty mem-
bers, adding that bringing change
to campus "cannot be identity
politics."
"There has to be people
engaged with these questions,"
Harris-Perry said. "Part of the
See RACE, Page 3A
Document from
Athletic Dept. offices
confirmed kicker's
permanent separation
By ADAM RUBENFIRE
and MATT SLOVIN
Daily StaffReporter and
DailySports Writer
An agreement signed by for-
mer kicker Brendan Gibbons
finalizing his permanent separa-
tion from the University of Mich-
igan is marked as transmitted via
fax from the Michigan football
program - raising questions as
to when football officials were
aware that Gibbons had been
found responsible for sexual mis-
conduct.
At the latest, the Athletic
Department was made aware
of the permanent separation on
Dec. 19, 2013, and it is unclear
whether the football program
or Michigan coach Brady Hoke
were aware of the Office of Insti-
tutional Equity's earlier finding
that Gibbons was responsible for
sexual misconduct. The Office of
Student Conflict Resolution noti-
fied Gibbons on Dec. 19 that he
would be permanently separated
from the University.
"December 19 is whenever the
letter was sent and the kid came
to talk with the Athletic Depart-
ment," said Athletic Department
spokesman Dave Ablauf in a
phone interview with the Daily
on Wednesday.
He later added: "That could
have been the time that Brendan
Gibbons talked to coach Hoke."
Gibbons' separation stems
from an incident on Nov. 22,
2009, according to documents.
This corresponds with previous
media reports that Ann Arbor
Police carried out an investiga-
tion of a Michigan football player
related to an incident on that
date.
The document was sent at 4:02
p.m. on Dec.19 from a fax number
associated with the football pro-
gram. Gibbons signed the docu-
ment, waiving his right to appeal
the sanction. It's not clear from
the markings on the document
who received the fax transmis-
sion.
The letter was faxed from
the offices of the football pro-
gram four days before Hoke
told reporters at a Dec. 23 press
conference that Gibbons would
not travel to the Buffalo Wild
Wings Bowl in Tempe, Ariz. due
to a "family matter." It's not clear
whether Hoke was involved in
See GIBBONS, Page 3A
GOVERNMENT
Coalition
forms to
increase
mm.ln wage
After State of the
Union address, ballot
commitee unites to
raise minimum pay
By SHOHAM GEVA
DailyStaffReporter
Five community groups and orga-
nizations announced Monday the
formation of a new ballot committee,
Raise Michigan, which will explore
the feasibility of a November bal-
lot initiative to raise the minimum
wage in the state.
The committee has not yet offi-
cially declared its intent to launch
a campaign for the ballot initiative
since formal language regarding the
proposed policy has not been sub-
mitted. However, Frank Houston,
director of the Restaurant Opportu-
nities Center of Michigan, which is
a part of the coalition, said Tuesday
the committee will most likely do so
soon.
"Right nowit's technically just an
exploration phase," Houston said.
"But the reality is what we've seen
and why we've formed this commit-
tee is that when you look at what's
happened in Michigan, not just
See WAGE, Page 3A
JUMP BALL
CITY COUNCIL
Council members to
determine budget for
art projects Monday
l
Forward Nik Stauskas continued his stellar sophomore campaign by scoring a team-high 16 points against Purdue
on Thursday night, but he also committed four of Michigan's 16 turnovers.
ANN ARBOR
Government officials talk
state and nationa pay hike
Dingell, Zemke,
Irwin meet to
discuss prospects
for wage reform
By K.C. WASSMAN
Daily StaffReporter
Last week, Zingerman's co-
owner Paul Saginaw visited
Washington, D.C. to lobby Sec-
retary of Labor Thomas Perez
for an increase in minimum
wage. But on Thursday, D.C.
came to Zingerman's.
Rep. JohnDingell (D-Mich.),
joined by state Rep. Jeff Irwin
(D-Ann Arbor) and state Rep.
Adam Zemke (D-Ann Arbor),
ate a late lunch with Zinger-
man's employees and localbusi-
ness owners to discuss actions
on the federal and state level to
raise the minimum wage.
Dingell, who is a co-sponsor
of the Fair Minimum Wage Act
of 2013, said a local business
coming to Washington to share
its views testifies to the impor-
tance of the issue.
"It says that there's convic-
tion there, which is sufficient to
cause a very substantial expen-
diture to inform the Congress
of what Zingerman's and what
Mr. Saginaw, who made the
trip, thinks is the need of the
country," Dingell said.
While Dingell praised Zing-
erman's for its food, he continu-
ally acknowledged the deli as a
leader in the fight for increased
wages by setting a good exam-
ple for other businesses: the
restaurant pays its employees
above minimum wage.
Roughly 10 Zingerman's
employees gathered around a
table to voice their support for
a wage increase and to ask what
See OFFICIALS, Page 3A
Th
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City looks . At next Monday's City Coun-
cil meeting, members will also
to reallocate address the city's contract with
Aaron Seagraves, the city's pub-
art money for lic art administrator. Seagraves'
salary came out of the Percent
nfrastructure for Art allocation.
"The mechanism for fund-
By ARIANA ASSAF ing the position that I have now
Daily StaffReporter as it was funded before may go
away, so they'd have to come
fe city of Ann Arbor will up with a different way to pay
le on Monday the fate of for a public art administrator,"
anicipal budget allocation Seagraves said. "I can't really
ently reserved for citywide direct the city on how to do that
rojects. because I'm in the position cur-
ist June, the City Council rently."
nded an ordinance to end Although the city will still
Percent for Art program, provide funding for some pub-
ordinance set aside one lit art, it will be connected to
enot of taxpayer dollars - specific capital projects like the
nally intended for various construction of new buildings.
al improvement projects - Seagraves said the Ann Arbor
nd public art projects. Now, Public Art Commission will
Council members are inthe select various new projects and
ess of returning the money recommend additional funding
over from Percent for Art for public art at those locations
to infrastructure needs. that will have to be approved by
uncilmember Jane Lumm the City Council.
ard 2) said the realloca- New projects have already
will not eliminate funding begun thanks to private funds
urrent endeavors such as and grants. Plans for a memo-
Kingsley Rain Garden Proj- rial for the late Coleman Jewett
r the reconstruction of the are in the works, and a project
ium bridges and the Argo called Canoe Imagine Art has
ades. received a $21,000 grant.
Phe proposal on the agen- Prior to the change, the ordi-
or Monday is step one to nance required that "a por-
nd the ordinance so that tion of expenditures for capital
an return unencumbered, improvement projects be devot-
located funds back to their ed to the purchase and mainte-
nal sources, but it does not nance of public art."
ct projects that are in the Now, the idea is that future
line," Lumm said. See COUNCIL, Page 3A
WEATHER I- HI 31
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