The ichigan Daily - michigandaily.com
SAPA
DEMANDS lyn Mad
From Page 1 while it
where
threat of disenrollment is unnec- campus,
essary given the number of stu- athletes
dents who already participate in life is no
the training process. larger is
"We already do have a man- "I thi
datory, unified training that is valid c
happening before they come to "I don't
campus," Rider-Milkovich said. count t
"Every student at our university life and
has an opportunity to participate lem isn
in online training. We have very only a f
high participation rates for under- need to
graduate students; nearly 99 per- entire
cent rticipation in that online tors com
cour ." grounds
While participation rates for of life,
the broad online training program those
maybe high, only about 5,000 stu- remove
dents ,participated in the focused,
peerIn Relationship Remix in Thi
2014. These programs are open tr
to all students, but are primarily
intended for those living in resi- This
dence halls. In 2014, the Universi- Univers
ty admitted about 6,500 freshmen, tion of
suggesting that a substantial por- Brenda
tion of students did not take part the Un]
in Relationship Remix. Miscon
to perm
Second Demand:Require a from th
definitionofconsentinsorori- four yea
ties and fraternities questio
The anonymous group includ- occurre
ed a demand addressing sexual The
assault by members of Greek life "In all
institutions, asking that a defi- respond
nition of consent be posted in thoroug
common areas of sorority and fra- effectiv
ternity houses. a report
In a November interview with to comp
The Michigan Daily, University (60) cale
President Mark Schlisselsaid such Whil
a demand would be difficult for cases in
the University to implement. not be
"It's a tough thing to target this this cas
specific subset of our community campus.
and tell them what they have to the tim
say to their guests at their private the inci
establishments," he said. separati
According to results from the tinued t
National College Health Assess- football
ment administered by the Univer- individu
sity Health Services last February, hung a s
individuals involved in Greek life the wo;
are at a higher risk for instances of defends
sexual assault as well as non-phys-
ical violence. Three percent of
fraternity and sorority members In
reported having sex without giv- D
ing sent in the past year, com- Begin
pare to 1 percent of non-Greek versity i
undergraduates, according to the training
report. and staf
Despite Schlissel's reservations, persona
Panhellenic Association President issues,
Sarah Blegen, an LSA senior, said The tra
she hopes to promote discussions used thi
of sexual assault within chapters, student
adding that the Interfraternity being ex
Council would be open to requir- staff.
ing houses to post definitions of "All i
consent in common areas. will be
"I've talked to Tommy Wydra, ing as w
thepresidentoftheInterfraternity issues,"
Council, and I think it's a brilliant "SAPAC
idea," Blegen said. "We know we faculty
could; eet that demand, no prob- rity offi
lem, id that's just a great idea in tors, an
general that is easy to incorporate the wor
into any social events we have." Office o
With the end of the semes-
ter approaching, Blegen said she Fii
would make the recommendation surviv
to the incoming council president pe
during the Winter 2015 semester. At th
applaud
PITCHES hv a
From Page 1 "Thi
was on
world nations. attracte
LSA freshman Sam Vetromile Michiga
presented the winning pitch for the Uni
the mobile app Voice with the a place
help of four other team members. to take
He said the app is a platform for right in
microblogging that encourages Univers
students to voice their opinions lab of et
and ad those of others. LSA
V omile said he hopes Voice the pit;
launches successfully from the with ju
University in a way similar to ticipatin
Facebook's spread from Harvard differen
University. compet
University President Mark said the
Schlissel opened the ceremony guidelin
and put a spotlight on the Uni- "We
versity's quickly growing inno- ing rub;
vation culture. He described the in a p
student body's enthusiastic shar- and effo
ing of ideas as well as the inten- school j
tion to use those ideas to better way," Ji
the world as overwhelming, and LSA
Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - 3
C student volunteerKate-
dock, an LSA senior, said
is important to consider
sexual assault occurs on
isolating groups such as
and members of Greek
t helpful to addressing the
sue.
link these demands are
oncerns," Maddock said.
think anyone should dis-
hem, but isolating Greek
athletes as beingthe prob-
't fair, because those are
raction of our campus. We
focus on everyone - the
student body. Perpetra-
ne from all different back-
and all different walks
so I don't think targeting
communities alone will
the problem."
ird Demand: Equal
eatment of athletes
andnon-athletes
call to action follows the
ity's permanent separa-
former Michigan kicker
n Gibbons for violating
iversity's Student Sexual
duct Policy. The decision
anently separate Gibbons
e University came nearly
ars after the incident in
n, which is reportedly
d Nov. 22, 2009.
current policy states,
cases, the University will
to the report in a prompt,
h, procedurally fair, and
e manner. Upon receipt of
, the University will strive
lete its review within sixty
odar days."
e the policy does apply for
which this timeline can-
met, questions regarding
e quickly swirled around
. After news surfaced of
e gap between the date of
dent and that of Gibbons'
on - duringwhich he con-
o play for the University's
team - one anonymous
al or group of individuals
ign from Mason Hall with
rds "This administration
rapists."
Fourth Demand:
creased training for
?S, faculty, and staff
aning this week, the Uni-
mplemented a new online
system for new faculty
ff addressing a variety of
s health and protection
including sexual assault.
ining program was first
is year to service graduate
instructors, and it is now
xpanded to all faculty and
ncoming staff and faculty
receiving an online train-
ell about a range of these
Rider-Milkovich said.
also provides training to
and staff, to housing secu-
cers, to RAs and hall direc-
d all of those complement
k that have been from the
f Institutional Equity."
fth Demand:Giving
vors the option to have
rpetrators expelled
is time, the Student Sex-
ual Misconduct Policy allows for
the "permanent separation," or
expulsion, of individuals found
guilty of violations of the policy,
following results of a University
review panel. While survivors of
sexual assault may provide input
to the panel, they do not make the
final decision about whether or
not the accused party is expelled.
The policy also states that the
accused perpetrator is assumed
to be innocent unless sufficient
evidence is presented to the panel
provinghis or her violations.
Schlissel said he agrees with
the current policy as it regards
this particular issue, citing this
demand as one of the twp he took
issue with - the other being the
second demand imposing specific
requirements on fraternities and
sororities.
"The survivors of assault ask
that they have, in effect, the rights
to determine results and the pun-
ishment, and I think that is way
tougher," Schlissel said. "I think
that the University has to retain
the right to develop policies and
find ways to ensure the safety of
survivors - the physical and psy-
chological safety of survivors -
but to define what the University
must do in hypothetical future
circumstances is tough to do."
SAPAC student volunteer
Laura Meyer, an LSA senior, said
she believes there is no single
change that could be made that
would significantly decrease
occurrences of sexual assault on
campus.
"It's not like we can change one
policy and make a difference,"
Meyer said. "It's a cultural prob-
lem, and sexual violence is just
normalized within the culture so
we do a lot already just to combat
that."
Sixth Demand: Increased
support for survivors
SAPAC offers a variety of
options for survivors, but this
demand asserts that these options
are insufficient and are not widely
advertised.
Rider-Milkovich said she
hopes to hear from students what
exactly is missing from SAPAC's
current program, but said many of
the resources that students might
want are already in place.
"I think there are a lot of
resources SAPAC does offer that
students just don't know about,"
she said. "We always need to be
talking to survivors about what
ways you would feel supported
effectively."
SAPAC has also expressed
interest in exploring continuing
education programs for students
beyond the training they receive
during their first year at the Uni-
versity.
Rider-Milkovich said
SAPAC's research indicates the
impact of the messages con-
veyed to incoming students
begins to diminish after their
first year on campus.
As a student volunteer, Mad-
dock said she focuses on provid-
ing education and preventative
measures for students on campus,
adding that SAPAC's professional
staff, which includes a handful of
individuals with the appropriate
qualifications, interacts with and
helps survivors.
"On our professional staff, we
have four permanent staff that
can do advocacy and all of that
work," Maddock said. "Hav-
ing that many people, we could
always have more. Having more
people on hand to support sur-
vivors would really be helpful,
because at our survivor center, I
think having more people avail-
able would help them get the best
care possible, and we are trying
to do that now with the limited
resources we have."
Seventh Demand: Recognition
ofstudentvoices
The final demand called for
all student perspectives to be
included in conversations about
sexual assault, including those
from underrepresented commu-
nities on campus. Students have
some impact on the types of pro-
grams administered toincoming
students in the form of Relation-
ship Remix, which is at its core a
peer-based program. Paid staff
members oversee the Relation-
ship Remix programs, and stu-
dent volunteers can discuss their
concerns and ideas, which are
reviewed by SAPAC staff mem-
bers. -
This demand suggests a need
for SAPAC staff and the voices
being heard to adequately rep-
resent different communities on
campus.
SAPAC student volunteers have
yet to see any action in response to
these demands. Meyer said some
of the demands she read seemed
unreasonable, and while she said
SAPAC is continually striving to
improve, none of the improve-
ments she mentioned were related
to the suggestions made by this
anonymous group.
"I don't know who was
involved, but if I remember cor-
rectly, taking steps like that, small
things, to make a difference, I
think the University should con-
sider student ideas like that,"
Meyer said. "I don't think all of
them are reasonable, but I think
the University should consider
taking small steps like that.'
Schlissel calls for better educa-
tion about services available
University President Mark
Schlissel responded to the protest
during a Nov. 4 interview with
The Michigan Daily, emphasizing
the need for improvedprocedures
regarding the handling of sexu-
al assault on campus. Schlissel
added that the University needs
to commit to better informing the
public about progress in this area.
While he applauded the
passion of the group responsible
for the list of demands, Schlissel
said he felt the ways those
students chose to convey their
thoughts and ideas were not
conducive to developing a
dialogue about the subject of
sexual assault on campus.
"The one thing I will object
to, which drives me a little nutty,
is framing things as demands,"
Schlissel said. "I think that
makes it really difficult to have
discussions."
RIVALRY
From Page 1A
close," Rea said. "The goal of the
competition is tosavethe mostlives
possible. It was still a very large
success because of the students,
faculty and community members
who took the time to volunteer and
donate."
Blood Drives United, the Ameri-
can Red Cross Southeastern
Michigan Blood Services and the
University's Washtenaw County
American Red Cross Club support-
ed Blood Battle at the University
this year. They encouraged dona-
tions by ensuring convenient dona-
tion locations and short wait times,
as well as by distributing T-shirts
and gift cards to localirestaurants.
More than 30. drives occurred
from Nov. 4 to Nov.27. -
According to Rea, Blood Drives
United said a single blood donation
can save up to three lives. To date,
Blood Battle donations have saved
as many as 630,000 lives. Every
two seconds, a patient in the Unit-
ed States needs ablood transfusion.
The schools' duel extended
to encouraging registrations to
become an organ donor or a bone
marrowdonor. TheUniversitywon
both of these competitions.
In Michigan, 85,803 joined the
organ donor list through the Wol-
verine vs. Buckeye Challenge for
Life, compared to 41,946in Ohio.
Jennifer Tislerics, specialevents
and partnerships coordinator at
Gift of Life Michigan, an organ
donor-focused nonprofit, said
every state resident who signs up
is counted in the challenge. This
year marks the fifth consecutive
COUNCIL
From Page 1
Councilmembers Sabra Briere
(D-Ward 1), Sumi Kailasapthy
(D-Ward 1) and Eaton sponsored
a successful resolution to direct
City Administrator Steve Powers to
revise the city's Freedom of Infor-
mation Act policy, which provides
a guide to making records available
to the public. In early 2013, Pow-
ers provided revisions to the city's
policy regarding release of public
documents. Along with these revi-
sions, Dave Askins, former-editor of
The Ann Arbor Chronicle, which no
longer publishes, provided feedback
tothe draftrevisions in2013.
Along with its efforts to revise the
policy, the Michigan Legislature con-
sidered multiple amendments to the
MichiganFOIA during2013 and 2014,
butno changes were adopted aslaw.
"In keeping with the Republi-
can legislature, they didn't really
accomplish anything on those
points,"Eatonsaid. "Ithinkit'stime
for us to revisit our FOIA policies."
The city resolution permits
Powers to "renew his efforts" to
revise the release of public docu-
ments, with the aim of increasing
transparency. Some members have
expressed interest in a policy that
would waive fees for the media,
appoint a FOIA officer for the city
and the Council and create a pro-
cess through which denials ofFOIA
requests can be appealed.
During the public commentary
time the University has won the
challenge, which was established
in 2006.
"We decided it would be a good
use of this rivalry to help. save
lives," Tislerics said.
Wolverines For Life - a stu-
dent group that partners with Gift
of Life Michigan, the University
of Michigan Health System, the
Michigan Eye-Bank and others -
promoted the challenges.
Organ donation efforts. often
extend beyond campus. For exam-
ple, Tislerics said the University
library system began to host donor
registration days at its buildings.
This initiative later spred to
other college and public libraries
throughout the state.
"We love working with U of M,"
Tislerics said. "Between the health
system, student groups and Athlet-
ic Department, everyone has been
so supportive of saving lives."
While 79 people receive organ
transplants every day, 150 are
added daily to the vaiting list in
need of kidneys, hearts, lungs and
other vital organs. Hundreds of
these surgeries are performed at
UMHS each year.
The third 'challenge was the
Marrow Matchup, which enlisted
130 npw bone marrow donors
through the University and 58
through Ohio State. Marrow dona-
tions ensure those afflicted with
leukemia, lymphoma and other
blood diseases can find a cure.
More than 10,000 patients seek a
bone marrow match each year.
Few similar competitions exist
nationwide. Tislerics said the
Michigan-Ohio State competition
is the sole inter-state organ donor
competition in the country..
portion of the meeting, Ann Arbor
resident Katherine Wilkerson dis-
cussed the fatal shooting of Aura
Rosser by Ann Arbor police on Nov.
9 and argued that the Ann Arbor
Police Department was not entirely
transparent in the aftermath.
"Now, 22 days after its awful
occurrence, the continuing secrecy
surrounding this homicide is an
affront to the people and to prin-
ciples of democracy and justice,"
Wilkerson said.
Wilkerson cited the fact that in
the Ferguson, Mo. incident, Darren
Wilson, the police officer who shot
and killed Michael Brown, a Black,
allegedly unarmed teenager, was
identified six days after the shooting.
"The standard excuse for con-
cealing the identities of cops that
kill citizens is for the safety of the
cops," Wilkerson said. "Michigan's
Freedom of Information law allows
that, but only supported by substan-
tialjustificationandexplanation,not
merely by conclusive reassertions."
Even though Wilkerson said she
knows Michigan's FOIA law can
conceal the identity of a police offi-
cer with justification and explana-
tory support, she asked the Council
what such justificationexists fornot
identifying the officer in this par-
ticular case.
"What substantial justification
and explanation exists to maintain
the secrecy of the officers involved
in the killing of Rosser?" Wilkerson
said. "Is this what Chief (John) Seto
means whenhetoutsthe importance
of community tous as the police?"
led the thousands who
ken the initiative.
s entrepreneurial spirit
e of the reasons I was so
d to the University of
an," Schlissel said. "Iwant
versity of Michigan to be
where people aren't afraid
chances. We have all the
ngredients to make the
ity of Michigan a working
ntrepreneurship."
junior Saif Jilani judges
ches and often interacts
udges from other par-
ng schools. Though the
nt universities do not
e against one another, he
y follow the same judging
nes.
provide them with ajudg-
ric so that judging is done
retty objective manner
"rt is made so that every
udges pitches in a similar
lani said.
sophomore Yianni Kon-
torousis, one of three directors
of 1KP, said the competition is
unique in that it is eight weeks
long and takes an interdisciplin-
ary approach. He added that
impacting students from coast
to coast is the major initiative
behind the 1KP's expansion.
"Our ultimate goal is to cre-
ate a network of entrepreneurs
across the nation," Kontorousis
said. "Getting these five schools
on board is the first step."
As the year goes on, the
MPowered projects become
increasingly specialized, and
Kontorousis said the hope is that
the 1KP winners continue par-
ticipating in other projects in the
future to help their ideas evolve
into functioning business mod-
els.
A large portion of the event
took an interactive approach
as attendees rotated from one
"workshop" station to the next.
A different entrepreneurial
organization ran each station.
They included social innovation
group optiMize, crash course
convention group Miscella-
nia and Makeathon, a weekend
event that teaches students to
turn their ideas into physical
prototypes. Pillar Technology,
an Ann Arbor business consult-
ing company, also participated in
the event by leading a station and
sponsoring a winner.
Engineering senior Ben
Alberts has pitched an idea each
year of his college career and
made it to the final round of 90
pitches each year.
"It's really good to have a col-
laborative space where you can
talk about your ideas and get
advice," Alberts said. "Really
when a lot of people come here,
they just have this idea and they.
don't really know the next steps
and this gives you the resources
if you really want to take your
idea forward."
POEMS es points of view at the end. that have influenced her writ- LSA junior Stephanie Choi
Kasischke responded by saying ing, most notably the death of said attending the discussion
From Page 1 when she does not think she her father. Though his death provided a unique opportunity
has the ability to summarize inspired several of her poems to interact with literary texts.
rely more heavily on repetition her poem as part of its ending, about grief, she said she strived "I thought that it was very
and rhyme as her literary tools. she sometimes chooses to leave to add literary elements that enlightening and that it was
Levad said she enjoys the it open-ended. would add a degree of mystery very nice to hear an actual
mystery in Kasischke's poems Kasischke also discussed to her writing and camouflage poet's perspective on her own
and how she often switch- some of the events in her life some of its more personal details. work."
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