()bE HUNdan aiI
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Thursday, October 9, 2014
michigandaily.com
STUDENT LIFE
Navigating
narratives:
() 'U'resen-ce
in Detroit
RUBY WA
Members of Students Allied for Freedom and Equality stage a simulation of a West Bank checkpoint on the Diag Wednesday as part of Palestinian Awan
Week.
Student's recreate West
Bank's 'checkpoint'
SAFE demonstration
seeks to highlight
current situation
in Gaza
By WILL GREENBERG
DailyNews Editor
After a summer of conflict
in Gaza, Students Allied for
Freedom and Equality offered
University students a close-up
perspective on the situation in
the West Bank Wednesday.
As part of a Palestinian
Awareness Week, SAFE's Edu-
cation Day featured a staged
simulation of a West Bank check-
point in the Diag. Some members
dressed as Israeli soldiers while
others tried to "pass through"
their inspection. Two handmade
walls painted with "#UMDivest"
and maps showing the growth
of Israeli settlements over the
years served to represent the real
wall that runs through the West
Bank. The group's aim was to
simulate the experience of Pales-
tinians whose families have been
separated by the wall by creating
a similar disturbance for stu-
dents passing through the Diag
between classes.
SAFE's demonstration
Wednesday mimicked the daily
commute of Palestinians from
the West Bank into Israel. The
West Bank is a highly contested
area due to Israeli settlements,
which Palestinians decry as an
occupation of land that is right-
fully theirs. Between the Israeli
and Palestinian sections of the
West Bank are Israeli check-
policy
points, similar to a border patrol
between two neighboring coun-
tries. These checkpoints have
been repeatedly criticized for
using racial profiling and unfair
treatment of Palestinians when
Israeli soldiers conduct searches
to prevent transfers of weapons.
The student simulation ran
at peak periods between classes
throughout the day and SAFE
members handed out flyers and
other information between dem-
onstrations. SAFE denounces the
wall, with members referring to .
See SAFE, Page 3A
Daily survey shows
students wary of
city despite campus
outreach efforts
ByIAN DILLINGHAM
Daily News Editor
"If I was a venture capital-
ist with lots of spare change, I'd
make an investment in Detroit."
At a July 18 press conference
during his first week as Universi-
ty president, Mark Schlissel reaf-
firmed the University's ties with
Detroit, saying he was impressed
by the work of both students and
faculty in the city. Having spent
two days in the city prior to com-
ing to Ann Arbor, he remained
cautiously optimistic about its
future.
"I don't think it's going to
become one of the small handfuls
ofmajorcitiesintheUnitedStates
which it was at the height of the
growth of the auto industry, but
I see lots.of seeds of redevelop-
ment and energy in the Detroit
economy that I predict five years
from now, Detroit's going to be a
vigorous city," Schlissel said.
In the coming weeks, Detroit
will likely reach a key point in its
15-month bankruptcysaga. Pend-
ing a decision by Judge Steven
Rhodes - who will hold a hearing
about a potential deal between
the city and it's last major credi-
tor, Financial Guaranty Insur-
ance Co. - the city has a chance
to emerge from Chapter 9 bank-
ruptcy by the end of year.
But despite what many are
lauding as a successful turn-
around, a recent Michigan Daily
survey suggests students might
not be so confident about the
city's future.
In an e-mail survey of 230 ran-
domly selected undergraduates,
only 22 percent of respondents
indicated they would consider
living in the city after graduation
if presented with an employment
or educational opportunity, com-
pared to 55 percent or more in
similar metropolitan areas, such
as NewYork City, Chicago, Wash-
ington, D.C. and San Francisco.
See DETROIT, Page 3A
FOREIGN POLICY
U.S. practices in
Iraq questioned
by researchers
Lecture discusses
increased birth
defects as result of
munitions usage
By AMABEL KAROUB
Two experts in the field of
Iraqi public health gave a lecture
Wednesday night on the increase
of birth defects in the war-torn
nation.
Muhsin Al-Sabbak, a physi-
cian at Iraq's Basra Maternity
Hospital, and Mozhgan Sava-
bieasfahani, an environmental
toxicologist who resides in Ann
Arbor, presented a one-hour lec-
ture centered on their research,
which links the increase in con-
genital birth defects in Iraq over
the last two decades to the use of
U.S. and coalitions force weapons
there.
Al-Sabbak referenced his study
that found a 17-fold increase
in children with birth defects
between the years1995and 2003,
a jump from 1.37 birth defects per
1,000 children to 23 per 1,000. By
2008, the number had increased
to 48 per 1000, and in 2014 it was
37 per 1000.
Savabieasfahani attributed the
spike to an increase in pollutants
caused by U.S. weapons and the
presence of military bases.
"The most important event
that happened in these years was
U.S. invasion and U.S. bombard-
ments," Savabieasfahani said. "As
much as we don't like to get into
politics, pollution is a very politi-
cal thing."
Savabieasfahani said bombs,
bullets and explosives increase
the amount of toxic metal such
as lead and mercury in the envi-
ronment. She also said U.S. mili-
tary bases often have "open air
burn pits," or pits in which they
burn disregarded military waste,
releasing dangerous pollutants
into the atmosphere that are
inhaledbyindividuals inthe area.
"They were summoned to get
rid of military waste on U.S. mili-
See IRAQ, Page 3A"
Campus leaders judged various foods from local restaurants as part of the True Blue Sandwich and Drink Contest
on the Diag Wednesday.
'U' and local restaurants
encourage healthy habits
POLITICS
Obama to
campaign
for Peters
in Mich.
Despite low approval
numbers, President
slated to make event
appearance
By BEN ATLAS
Daily StaffReporter
With First Lady Michelle
Obama set to arrive in Detroit
Friday, it appears Michigan will
be one of the few states that will
also play host to her husband this
midterm season.
Despite registering a 43-per-
cent approval rating in the lat-
est Gallup poll, President Barack
Obama is still scheduled to cam-
paign for U.S. Rep. Gary Peters'
(D-Mich.) U.S. Senate bid, and
may also appear for Democratic
gubernatorial candidate Mark
Schauer. Given the differences
between the two races, however,
the implications of the President's
See OBAMA, Page 3A
Students provided
with alternatives
in anticipation of
weekend activities
By EMILIE PLESSET
Daily StaffReporter
In preparation for the foot-
ball game against Penn State
this Saturday night, seven
student leaders sampled sand-
wiches and non-alcoholic
drinks from local restaurants
on the Diag to find the tastiest
"Stay in the Blue" meal as part
of Wolverine Wellness's True
Blue Sandwich and Drink Con-
test.
The Stay in the Blue initia-
tive encourages students to act
responsibly when participat-
ing in social activities, includ-
ing those involving alcohol.
In order to "stay in the blue,"
a student must have a blood-
alcohol content of .06 or less as
a chart tracks their levels, with
blue representing the safe zone
and red indicating dangerous
levels of alcohol consumption.
Wolverine Wellness collabo-
rated with popular restaurants
including Conor O'Neill's,
Pizza House, Sava's, Score-
keepers Bar and Grill and the
University's Beanster's Cafe to
host the contest. The restau-
rants were asked to submit an
affordable sandwich as well as
a non-alcoholic or caffeinated
drink to advertise as a Stay in
the Blue special at their estab-
lishments on football Satur-
See WELLNESS, Page 3A
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INDEX
Vol. CXXIII, No.55
02011 The Michigan Daily
michigonduilycuw
NEWS .......................2A SUDOKU..................2A
OPINION.....................4A CLASSIFIEDS...............5A
S P O R T S ......................6 A B - S ID E ................ .... 1B
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