The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Wednesday, November 12, 2014 - 3A


SAPAC
From Page lA
Walker, an attendee. "I think
that U of M, having SAPAC as a
resource, is really progressive
compared to a lot of other univer-
sities in that it supports talking
about it and having resources for
students to go to."
Walker, who currently works
at Planned Parenthood, joined
SAPAC as a sophomore at the Uni-
versity after hearing about it from
a friend she met in class - the
same friend who sat next to her
Tuesday at the Speak Out.
"It was just a really good expe-
rience for me," she said.
In addition to providing survi-
vors with a safe place to discuss their

experiences, Maddock said Speak
Outencouragespeopletotakeaction.
"When you come to events like
these, you realize that behind
every number, behind every sta-
tistic, is a person, a person who has
a face and a story that's uniquely
theirs," Forringer-Beal said.
Action comes in different
forms, she added. It could mean
volunteering with SAPAC, orga-
nizing events, working at Safe
House Center, an organization
that offers support to survivors of
sexual assault and domestic vio-
lence, working on public policy or
court cases,journaling or produc-
ing artthat "breaksthe silence."
Maddock added that calling out
those who joke about assault is
also an action to counteract nega-
tive influences.

"Every time you challenge
those mentalities, you're chang-
ing something," Maddock said.
Rackham student Ali Chet-
wynd, who donned a pink heart
on his shirt, is a volunteer for the
Networking, Publicity, and Activ-
ism Volunteer Program. He wel-
comed visitors to the event as a
doorman and ensured that survi-
vors sharing their stories were not
interrupted by the opening and
closing of the door.
Chetwynd said Speak Out is a
unique SAPAC event.
"This is just one of those events
where SAPAC itself is essentially
silent. This is an event where peo-
ple, survivors themselves, are able
to come and speak out," he said.
"One ofthe important things about
this is that it's a space dedicated

purely for them to speak, be heard
and recognize themselves in other
people on campus aswell."
In addition to Speak Out,
SAPAC has other forums that
work to counter sexual violence
on campus. They have a dialogue
series that gives targeted com-
munities, such as those of people
of color and the LGBTQ commu-
nity, an opportunity to share their
stories.
"We really just want to get
the message across that SAPAC
is here, we have resources for
people, and we're here for the
students," Forringer-Beal said.
"We'll do everything we can."
The University's Sexual Assault
Prevention and Awareness Center
staffs a24/7 crisis line at (734) 936-
3333.


VETERANS
From Page 1A
experienced after the policy had
been reversed, including official
requests that service members
be sorted according to sexual ori-
entation so LGBTQ individuals
wouldn't be sleeping or bathing
next to their heterosexual com-
rades.
He also noted that while there
was a lot of anxiety about the
logistics of military members
outwardly acknowledging their
identities, there were almost no
questions about the effectiveness
of LGBTQ soldiers.
"There were allthese silly ques-
tions being asked, and it wasn't
Are gay people going to be able
to shoot guns, are they going to
be able to find the enemy, are they
going to fight as hard?' Nobody
questioned that," Stone said.
Stone, who graduated from the
University of Michigan at Dear-
born on the GI. bill, now writes
for The Huffington Post. He
focuses on the discrimination and
SCHLISSEL
From Page 1A
science ... where we're trying to
predict future performance of the
students in a brand-new environ-
ment, but we do the very best to
pick students that will be success-
ful herewasd hen provide them
with the academic support they
need to be successful."
Schlissel said the University
previously struggled with pro-
moting strong academic perfor-
mance for student-athletes, but in
recent years, particularly under
Michigan Football Coach Brady
Hoke, the University has been
more proactive with academic
success programs. Schlissel said
initial performance data indicates
the University could expect to see
further improvements in the next
few years.
Hoke, in response, noted his
team's commitment to academics
during Tuesday's weekly Big Ten
coaches' teleconference.
"The thing we're proud of since
we've been here, is that all 69 of
the 69 seniors we've had have
graduated," Hoke said. "Our APR
(Academic Progress Rate) num-
ber is the highest it has ever been.
We really look at, in recruiting, we
want to get guys who are academi-
cally able to succeed and do the
work. We want the best football
players and the best people."
At Hoke's 12:08 p.m. slot to
speak, he said he had not been
in contact with Schlissel since
his initial meeting earlier in the
year. Schlissel told the Daily on
Tuesday that he had apologized to
Hoke for his comments on Mon-
day and that he had asked interim
DEAN
From Page 1A
students transition out of the lib-
eral arts education into wherever
they want to go," Martin said.
The audience included a hand-
ful of students whose majors were
in natural sciences, social sciences

and humanities, and students from
each field expressed a need for
more and better research oppor-
tunities. They discussed a lack of
such opportunities for students
not qualifying for the Undergradu-
ate Research Opportunity Pro-
gram and similar programs that
target newer students, as well as a
lack of opportunities for students
majoring in the humanities.
"I think one of the things
that we've done historically well
through a variety of programs is
getting students involved in facul-
ty research early and often," Mar-

adversity transgender soldiers
still face. For example he said,
transgender soldiers are not pro-
tected legally and can be fired for
identifying as transgender. Stone
cited an instance when a trans-
gender corpsman wore clean nail
polish on her toes and was brought
to a superior, even though the mili-
tary had no rules regarding toenail
polish.
"As far as I remember, Ameri-
canmilitaryhaven'truninto battle
barefoot in avery longtime," Stone
said.
He said he feels no one cares
about how transgender soldiers
aretreatedinthemilitary. Because
most of the effort by activists was
put toward making it so gay and
lesbian soldiers could serve openly
in the military, Stone said there is
very little political will to improve
treatment for transgender soldiers.
Bostian-Kentes shared a differ-
ent perspective after entering into
a relationship with a member ofthe
armed forces who was deployed to
Afghanistan in the early 2000s.
She recalled the difficulty she had
getting in touch with her partner,

not wanting to arouse suspicion
that the two were in a relationship.
"Whenever I sent her a picture,
I made sure there was a man in it,"
Bostian-Kentes said.
While her partner was serv-
ing, Bostian-Kentes joined anony-
mous online forums used by other
people whose partners were serv-
ing in the military. Eventually, the
support group was contacted by
the Pentagon and asked to come to
Washington, D.C. Bostian-Kentes
said she spoke to U.S. Army Gen-
eral Carter Ham about the difficul-
ties she and others faced, and that
the general eventually suggested
thatthe militaryend DADT.
Bostian-Kentes felt that the
pressure to not be seen or pho-
tographed hurt her relationship
with her partner. She pointed to
that stress as one of the central
reasons that she and her partner
eventually ended their relation-
ship. Bostian-Kentes said the
stress for LGBTQ soldiers still
exists today, explaining how she
feels when soldiers and their
families need help, it is often pro-
vided by chaplains who are some-

times members of religions that
oppose homosexuality.
"Imagine trying to get help
from someone who thinks of you
as an abomination," Bostian-
Kentes said.
Despite the adversity they
have faced, both speakers still
actively support the U.S. military
and its troops. Stone is a member
of a military family that has sent
members into almost every U.S.
war since the American Revolu-
tion. Bostian-Kentes started a
new relationship with a member
of the Michigan National Guard
and the two made the decision to
come out when Bostian-Kentes'
partner was promoted to the
rank of captain.
"I'm thankful that we get
the chance to hear from these
remarkable folks," said Engi-
neering freshman Jake Biegger,
who attended the talks. "I would
say that anyone who serves in
the military is inspiring, and for
members of the LGBTQ commu-
nity to do it through such adver-
sity is a testament to their love for
their country."

STARTUP
From Page 1A
at an unprecedented rate.
"We have, a really thriving
entrepreneurial community
around U of M and we have a
lot of resources to support it,"
Kerecman added. "I think it says
a lot about the student initia-
tive."
Competitions to facilitate
the partnership of investors
and later-stage startups. The
focus helps to create business
networks and grow promising
local ideas, benefiting the state
- hence the "Accelerate Michi-
gan" title. At the end of the
event, which is separated into
rounds, the organization awards
a collective $1 million to 10 new
businesses.
Four of the 10 teams receiving
prize money have roots at the
University.
SkySpecs, LLC took the grand
prize of $500,000. SkySpecs is
working toward improving the
safety of drones, which often
crash to the ground, through
technology they call "Sense and
Avoid," said University alum
Sam Debruin, SkySpecs chief
operating officer.
This technology allows
drones to better avoid obstacles
and operate more safely while
also increasing economic effi-
ciency. The technology is being
developed in two of the start-
ups' products: the Guardian, a
"co-pilot" that completely takes
over flight control when a colli-
sion is likely, and the Wingman,
which allows the pilot to priori-
tize missions by automating the
complexities of flight.
"Drones are about to be
everywhere," Debruin said. "For
us, to be drone people and really
think of ourselves as shepherds'
of this industry, we saw a colli-
sion point coming where drones

are getting more and more pop-
ular, but the safety aspects are
really keeping pace with the
flight aspects."
Debruin graduated from the
University in 2012 with a degree
in computer engineering and is
currently pursuing a Ph.D. in
computer science engineering.
He said considering the ways
in which drone technology can
change the world became a top
priority.
SkySpecs was accompanied
at the competition by a variety
of software and online websites.
Cribspot, a website that acts as
a marketplace for student hous-
ing in college towns around the
country, has amassed more than
60,000 users as of late Septem-
ber.
The website, founded by
2013 University graduates Evan
Dancer, Tim Jones and Jason
Okrasinski, took second place
and received $100,000.
Okrasinski said the goal of
the company continues to be
improving the transparency of
what's available in terms of stu-
dent housing.
"There's a huge emphasis on
mobile apps and being able to do
everything on the go," Okrasin-
ski said. "We're moving towards
a more flawless mobile experi-
ence and working to build that
up."
Okrasinski said the Universi-
ty has recently pushed entrepre-
neurship and its students have
become more enthusiastic about
taking chances with their own
ideas. Okrasinski cited the Uni-
versity's new entrepreneurship
minor, the influx of innovation-
focused funds and the ways in
which courses incorporate guid-
ance from established startup
founders.
"When we started Cribspot, it
would have been hard to imag-
ine all of this enthusiasm around
startups," Okrasinski said.


Athletic Director Jim Hackett to
convey an apology to coaches of
all of the University's sports.
"I did talk to Coach Hoke today,
and I apologized to him for really
not providing a full picture of all
things all our teams - and foot-
ball for sure - and our coaches do
to support our student-athletes -
and nooiust-i-ntheir athletlnerm ,
but in their roles as students,"
Schlissel said.
"I also had a discussion today
with our interim A.D., Jim Hack-
ett, and I asked Jim to convey
those same thoughts to the other
coaches and their teams, because
I was concerned that I may have
misrepresented things in a way
that didn't do justice to how hard
our student-athletes work and
how much support they get from
their coaches and the academic
advisingstaff."
Athletic Director's role
in hiring a new coach
In response to a question from
the Daily, Schlissel clarified his
comments from Monday regard-
ing his process in hiring a new
athletic director and his role in
determining Hoke's future.
"That's why I'm taking a bit of
time with the search for Dave's
successor," Schlissel said Mon-
day. "Some folks wanted me to
hire an athletic director (earlier)
so he could fire the current foot-
ball coach and hire the next coach
but I want to take the time to
make sure we get someone who
is not only technically adept, but
can ensure that the program has
financial and academic integrity,
and also someone who shares the
value system of realizing our mis-

slon."
On Tuesday, Schlissel said he
was paraphrasing the large num-
ber of e-mails from Michigan
fans, including those regarding
the Wolverines football program.
"With the football team having
a challenging year, some of that
advice speaks to the head coach.
As I said earlerin the-season,-ll-
of our coaches will be evaluated at
the end of the season on their full
body of work and that will be done
by the athletic director," he said.
"What I was referring to was
the quote, which was accurately
quoted but wasn't clearly stated
by me, is that there are people say-
ing, 'You gotta do this, you gotta
do this. But what I say back is,
it's actually very important - the
personnel that we have in place
- and I want to hire an outstand-
ing permanent athletic director.
I don't want to do the quick easy
thing that some peopl'e are call-
ing for, and that no decision has
been made about the future of
the coach and that's the athletic
director's decision, almost cer-
tainly, at the end of the season."
NCAA compliance rules
Schlissel said the Athletic
Department is fully compliant
with NCAA regulations that limit
the number of countable hours for
which a student-athlete may par-
ticipate in organized team activi-
ties. What he was trying to convey
Monday, Schlissel said, was that
student-athletes often spend far
longer than the weekly 20-hour
limit by participating in non-
countable activities such as travel,
medical rehabilitation, voluntary
workouts and other voluntary

activities.
"If I could wave my magic
wand and really change things for
these student-athletes, I would.
The NCAA says 20.5 hours is the
max, but it turns out nobody fol-
lows that," Schlissel said Monday.
"There are ways that they work
around it and if it was only us, it'd
be ridiculous, I'de-lean-house, but
it's everybody."
Faculty oversight
During his comments to
SACUA on Monday, Schlissel
added that Curzan, the faculty
liaison to the Athletic Depart-
ment, said it "often tries to keep
her at arm's length."
On Tuesday evening, Schlissel
char'acterized his comments as
"an over or misstatement on my
part," though he noted that some-
times there is tension in balancing
academic and athletic priorities.
"There's a back and forth
between pushing hard on the aca-
demic needs of students, while at
the same time, making sure that
the student-athletes can satisfy
their athletic comments and pur-
sue their sport as a member of a
team at a very high level."
"I think Anne has full access
to all the student-athletes, the
coaches value her as a partner,
there may be challenging circum-
stances that arise as students are
balancing their academic commit-
ments and their athletic commit-
ments, but Anne isin the trenches
working directly with both coach-
es and students helping them suc-
ceed in both.
Co-ManagingSportsEditorAle-
jandro Zdniga contributed to this
report.

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tinsaid. "It's a tough problem, and
it's not a problem that is ever going
to be solvable because it is sort of
the nature of the humanities. In
the humanities, there are lots of
scholarships that are given indi-
vidually. It doesn't have the same
organizational structure that we
would see in other disciplines."
Martin recommended the LSA
internship program to students
searching for new opportunities
beyond classes setting a goal of
placing 1,000 students in intern-
ships next year, a significant
increase from this year's 400 stu-
dents. Students also asked about
specific LSA requirements and
how the school can help students
beyond their time at the Universi-
ty in determining and succeeding
in their chosen field.
"We need to market what we
have that is available to students
and make it clear that we are here
to help in any way that we can,"

Martin said. "One of my big pri-
orities during the first term of my
deanship is to take all of those
programs and consolidate them
into one single entity, and then
bring it up to a scale that can fully
support the breadth of our student
body."
While some students offered
opinions in favor of the Race and
Ethnicity requirement currently
in place in LSA, Martin and other
students questioned the need for
such a requirement, or at the very
least, the need for Race and Eth-
nicity courses to be more concise
and focused on current social
justice issues that would be more
applicable today and to current
racial and social climates on cam-
pus.
One student, LSA sophomore
Karina Sanchez, who attended
the talk, said she feels disap-
pointed with the racial climate
on campus and with the way the

University is handling racial and
socioeconomic disparities.
"One of the main reasons I
transferred here was for your rep-
utation, including your reputation
as a diverse University," Sanchez
said at the forum. "As a Hispanic,
it is important for me to see peo-
ple like myself on campus. It has
been very hard for me to find my
place on campus," Sanchez said.
"This school is very segregated. I
feel like I've traveled back intime,
everything is so segregated. We
need to have a community aspect
where I can look at anyone in this
room andfeelconnectedto them."
While Martin said his posi-
tion is not involved in admis-
sions, something he and students
pinpointed major contributor
to diversity on campus, he said
working toward inclusive com-
munities within classrooms has
been and will continue to be a goal
of LSA.

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