The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Friday, September 12, 2014 - 3A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Friday, September 12, 2014- 3A
NEWS BRIEFS
DETROIT, Mich.
Boy confesses to
murder of French
street artist
A Detroit judge on Thursday
ordered a 14-year-old boy to stand
trial on first-degree murder and
armed robbery charges in the fatal
shooting of a French street art-
ist whose body was discovered a
year ago near an abandoned public
housing project.
The boy was 13 at the time ofthe
killing of 23-year-old Bilal Berreni
of Paris. Wayne County Prosecu-
tor Kym Worthy has said that the
boy and three other then-teenagers
carried out the attack.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Yahoo loses court
fight on federal
surveillance
Yahoo said Thursday the gov-
ernment threatened to fine the
company $250,000 a day if it
did not comply with demands to
go along with an expansion of
U.S. surveillance by surrender-
ing online information, a step the
company regarded as unconstitu-
tional.
The outlines of Yahoo's secret
and ultimately unsuccessful court
fight against government surveil-
lance emerged when a federal
judge ordered the unsealing of
some material aboutYahoo's court
challenge.
In a statement, Yahoo said the
government amended a law to
demand user information from
online services, prompting a chal-
lenge in 2007. Former National
Security Agency contractor
Edward Snowden disclosed the
program lastyear.
TUCSON
Millions wasted
in housing project
for border patrol
The federal government wast-
ed millions of dollars in build-
ing a housing project for Border
Patrol agents in Arizona near the
Mexican border, spending nearly
$700,000 per house in a small
town where the average home
costs less than $90,000, a watch-
dogreport found.
The analysis by the Depart-
ment of Homeland Security's
inspector general found that U.S.
Customs and Border Protection
overspent by about $4.6 million on
new houses and mobile homes in
the small town of Ajo southwest
of Phoenix. The agency has spent
about $17 million for land, 21 two-
and three-bedroom houses and 20
mobile homes. Construction was
completed in December 2012.
Customs and Border Protection
paid about $680,000 per house
and about $118,000 per mobile
home, according to the report.
The average home cost in Ajo is
$86,500.
ATHENS, Greece
Archaeologists
discover 2,300
year-old tomb in
northern Greece
Archaeologistsinchingthrough
a large 2,300-year-old tomb in
northern Greece on Thursday
uncovered two marble female
statues flanking the entrance to
one of three underground cham-
bers, in another sign of the unusu-
al attention and expense lavished
on the unknown person buried
there.
The dig has gripped the public
imagination amid non-stop media
coverage, which Greek archaeolo-
gists say is placing an unfair bur-
den on the excavation team.
A Culture Ministry statement
said the statues show "exceptional
artistic quality." Their upper sec-
tions were discovered last week,
but their bodies - clad in semi-
transparent robes - emerged
after part of a blocking wall was
removed.
-Compiled from
Daily wire reports
TRIBUTE
From Page 1A
ing of the guard by the flagpole.
After folding in the 1970s, the
University's chapter of Young
Americans for Freedom was
restarted this semester. Strobl
said the organization is a non-
profit, non-partisan group that
advocates the ideas of free mar-
ket, limited government and a
strongnational defense.
The "9/11: Never Forget Proj-
ect" arrived at the University
four years ago. While this year
Young Americans for Freedom
sponsored the project, the Col-
lege Republicans and the ROTC
have organized the memorial in
recent years.
The project was created by
the Young America's Founda-
tion in 2003. This year over 200
high school and college cam-
puses from across the nation
participated in the project.
"We want this to be here for
a number of years going for-
ward," said Business junior
Brad Fingeroot. "... People that
don't remember it at all can
still remember the tremendous
human sacrifice that we had to
go through and the loss of life."
LEAD
From Page 1A
General Council that because
the student government's bud-
get comes from student fees, it
is part of the University's funds,
meaning a transfer of CSG bud-
get money specifically for this
scholarship would be in viola-
tion of Proposal 2.
Dishell said he started work-
ing on this effort at the end of
the Winter 2014 term when he
started communicating with
the Alumni Association, but
was informed of the legal issue
early in the summer.
The original plan was to
contribute $10,000 to LEAD,
roughly the equivalent of two
scholarships, and there was
discussion of a matched dona-
tion from an alumnus to create
a total of four new scholarships,
Dishell said. He said it was
intended to be part of a larger
effort to improve diversity this
year.
"The goal was not so much
the amount as it was the act,
the demonstration that CSG
cares about this issue and this
was a way that we knew was
incredibly effective at getting
underrepresented students to
campus," he said.
Dan Lijana, director of com-
munications for the Alumni
Association, said despite being
unable to help fund LEAD
scholarships, CSG can be a
great ally to the association as
they work on diversity. Lijana
said there are still many other
opportunities for the two orga-
nizations to join forces.
"We're very open to continu-
ing the kind of conversations
that would be independent of
needing an office of general
council to get involved," he
said. "I think the best potential
example of that is if there were
a student initiative sponsored
by CSG or sponsored by another
student entity on campus that
had an interest in raising money
for LEAD that didn't have some
relation to University funding."
Dishell said CSG alone will
also continue to pursue their
options for improved diver-
sity. He said the efforts already
underway have been effective
and that CSG will research
ways to improve and expand
upon current diversity initia-
tives.
Diversityhasbeenatthefore-
front of the University admin-
istration's goals this semester,
with University President Mark
Schlissel identifying it as one of
his top priorities. On-campus
diversity issues became a major
discussion point last year fol-
lowing events like the Black
Student Union's #BBUM cam-
paign, which shed light on the
experiences of Black University
students, and the Schuette v.
Coalition to Defend Affirmative
Action decision, which upheld
Michigan's ban on affirmative
action in public higher educa-
tion institutions.
Because of these constraints,
University administrators have
noted the difficulty of try-
ing to enroll more minorities,
though some options have been
explored.
Additionally, partially
spurred by the BSU's seven
demands for administrative
action last year and partly
through efforts by CSG and LSA
Student Government, policies
such as the Race and Ethnic-
ity curriculum requirement are
being evaluated for their effec-
tiveness in better educating stu-
dents on and exposing them to
other cultures and narratives.
FIRESIDE
From Page 1A
development, citing the Munger
Residences project, which dis-
placed popular Ann Arbor res-
taurant Blimpy Burger and has
been criticized for elements of
its design and projected room
rates some have deemed too
hefty.
"I know Blimpy Burger is a
Michigan thing, and I thought
it should be protected," Jozlin.
said.
Schlissel said it came down to
the bigger question of how much
influence donors should have at
the University, and added that
he wasn't opposed to saying no
to a donor if there wasn't con-
sensus on the project between
them and the University.
"In this instance, it was a
tough call, because I actually
think it is important to have
graduate housing," he said of the
Munger project. "And I think
it's important in particular for
many of our graduate students
that come from other parts of
the world that have a challeng-
ing time in the first year or so in,
the United States."
Discussing North Campus
issues, students highlighted
both positive aspects, such as
the resources available and the
community of engineers and
other students, but also con-
cerns of physical and social
isolation, especially for fresh-
men, 60 percent of whom live on
North Campus.
In response, Schlissel agreed
more could be done to improve
the quality of life for students
on North Campus and efforts in
that are ongoing.
"The best idea that I've heard
so far is to build up community
on the North Campus so that it's
as vibrant socially, and in terms
of the activities that are on the
main part of campus," he said.
Schlissel also asked several
questions of his own, with a
focus on collegiate athletics and
the role they play in University
life. Students touched on several
issues in their responses, includ-
ing a weaker home schedule for
football this year, University
Athletic Department funding
and student experience on game
day.
In a sentiment echoed by
several students, Public Policy
junior Jennifer Arnold said
it seemed like the focus had
shifted more towards the brand
of athletics, not the people
involved.
"It doesn't seem as student-
run, or as marching band-
involved, as it used to be," she
said.
LSA senior Clarence Stone
agreed.
"It seems like the Athletic
Department is just expanding
with all the money that they're
receiving, with donations from
Stephen M. Ross when other
programs might need those
donations just as mnuch," he said.
"I feel like right now it's becom-
ing more focused on the brand
of Michigan athletics instead of
being something for the athletes
and the school."
Schlissel told students that
the prominence of athletics was
something he wanted to find a
balance on for the University.
"I think the whole thing is
balance," he said. "We don't
want to go crazy overboard
because I think Michigan should
be known for the breadth of the
things it does."
He added that he thought the
center of the game day experi-
ence should be the people.
"I really think it has to be
focused on all the people who
are a part of our permanent
community, coming together to
enjoy a football game on a Satur-
day," he said.
In an interview after the
event, Schlissel said the hope
is for the chats to be a regular
occurrence as long as students
continue to be interested. He
said he appreciated the way stu-
dents approached talking about
issues on campus.
"Everyone has positive things
to saytheyhave criticalthingsto
say," he said. "But the criticism
is offered without negativism.
They were offering suggestions
on how to make the place better,
and that's great."
TROTTER
From Page 1A
Michigan experience."
Hemphill and Green are
members of an inaugural com-
mittee, the Trotter Program-
ming Board, a team in charge
of executing events for diver-
sity. Green said the board came
about as a result of a number of
crises faced by students of color
last year.
"The BBUM campaign
was a part of that, the tuition
hikes, immigration reform,"
Green said. "All of those
things coalesced to provide
the impetus to create this
board."
Although the Trotter build-
ing has now been renovated,
Simpson said she is doing every-
thing in her power to pursue the
long time goal of Trotter having
a building closer to the heart of
Central Campus. She said the
current Trotter is meant to be
a safe setting for students in the
interim.
"I've been at the University
for 17 years," Simpson said.
"I've been firmly committed for
17 years to there being a multi-
cultural center on Central Cam-
pus."
Simpson said while her light
skin color caused concern when
she was appointed as director
of Trotter, she dispelled these
doubts by emphasizing the
diversity of her life experiences.
"I'm also Spanish. I'm also a
lesbian. I also grew up working
class," she said. "What I know
is that, while I am perceived in
that way, there's a lot more that
makes me who I am than the
color of my skin."
University President Mark
Schlissel and E. Royster Harp-
er, vice president of student life,
were both present at the event.
Green said he expects Schlis-
sel to work extremely well with
Trotter.
"I believe in him 100 per-
cent," he said.
FARMING
From Page 1A
deners because of the small scale
of their projects, Hantz Farms
President Michael Score said.
"People grabbed onto urban
farming as a name, and there
is not an absolute definition
of a farm, so when someone is
gardening and they say they're
a farmer, why would you
argue with them?" Score said.
"There's nothing wrong with
being a gardener but for some
people, they want what they
consider the prestige or the sta-
tus of beinga farmer."
LSA senior Nick Breslin,
who farmed with Detroit-based
group Keep Growing Detroit
over the summer through
Semester in Detroit, a Univer-
sity program where students do
internships and take classes in
the city, said the organization's
goal is to improve the access
to fresh food and foster a cul-
ture of sustainability. Detroit
residents have seen decades of
limited resources in neighbor-
hoods, including food deserts
and inadequate police forces,
among other things.
"In Detroit, there really isn't
that much money so people
have to learn to do things them-
selves," Breslin said. "Three
years ago, the police response
time was 45 minutes on a 911
call. Since the services aren't
available, people find ways of
doing it themselves. Urban gar-
dening is the biggest one of all
since Detroit has almost no gro-
cery stores."
KGD helps Detroiters with
urban farming by giving them
the tools to have their own
farms, and also by showing
them how to use these tools.
They also allow their Grown
in Detroit members - a pro-
gram run by KGD - to sell
their produce with them at
the city's popular Eastern
Market, and split the profits
evenly.
Though urban farming
in Detroit is made possible
by the 40 square miles of
vacant land, portions are
unfit for safely growing food.
Detroit has a problem with
severe lead and heavy metal
ground pollution in some
areas thanks to its industrial
past and present. KGD pro-
vides testing services to see
if a given locality can sustain
produce.
"If there is lead in the
ground, we recommend that
you don't even dig because
there's lead in the dust and it
can really harm children and
the elderly," Breslin said.
For neighborhoods where
urban farming has blos-
somed, Score said Hantz
Farms in particular has
helped to reduce crime
through their landscaping.
"It's harder to commit
crime in a full neighbor-
hood," Score said. "If half of
the houses are lost to fore-
closure and abandoned, now
those structures provide hid-
ing places for illegal activity. If
I'm dealing contraband and I
use a warehouse and the police
find it, they can't track me down
because I don't own the prop-
erty."
By tearing down vacant
structures, mowing grass and
planting trees on empty land,
Hantz Farms takes away the
environment that criminals use
to their advantage.
"If we rip out all the brush
and tear down abandoned
houses and keep the grass
mowed, now when somebody
commits a crime it's out in
the open," Score said. "Even
if there aren't any houses on
that street or on that block, you
can see two, three, four streets
over. Somebody can see you.
Today, everybody has a cell-
phone with a camera on it, so if
someone is committing a crime
they have the sense that they
are visible and vulnerable."
Starting an urban garden
in Detroit on less than an acre
does not require permission
from the city, but farming with
multiple acres requires per-
mits and, not infrequently, time
spent in court. Some Detroi-
ters simply use vacant land in
Detroit once maintained by the
city or the school system for
farming without payingthe city
or acquiring permits.
"I know of one guy who is
mowing and baling hay and he
probably has 10 to 20 acres but
he doesn't own the land, but he
is harvesting stuff that's growing
on public property," Score said.
Some Detroiters also illegal-
ly keep livestock within the city
limits, mainly because it goes
unreported by neighbors who
receive fresh eggs or milk.
Along with its fundamental
uses, urban farms and gardens
are also established to create a
sense of community in Detroit
by bringing people together to
work towards a common goal.
LSA junior Meredith
Burke planned a future veg-
etable garden over the sum-
mer for Neighbors Building
Brightmoor, a nonprofit that
provides support systems
including housing for vul-
nerable Detroiters. Her work
included meeting with land-
scape architects, finding out
what kinds of produce the res-
idents of Brightmoor wanted
to grow and making sure the
garden would be functional
for residents with disabilities.
"A lot of the people (in
Brightmoor) are low income or
no income so most of the food
they eat is processed and comes
out of plastic bags," Burke said.
"An urban garden would give
them fresh non-chemical, non-
synthetic food, and it's also
building that community of
working together for a com-
mon goal. There are so many
resonating and kind of rippling
effects that are associated with
an urban garden."
University alum Tyson
Gersh, president and co-
founder of Michigan Urban
Farming Initiative, said Mich-
igan students have a lot to
offer to Detroit. He became
interested in, urban farming
from his landscaping experi-
ence that helped him pay for
college and founded MUFI on
the principles of education,
sustainability and the commu-
nity of urban farming.
"You can't expect people
overnight to become enlight-
ened and inspired to commit
their lives to a good cause, but
a lot of students have unique
skill sets or are developing
skill sets that there's not a lot
of access to in Detroit," Gersh
said.
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