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6A - Wednesday, December 10, 2014
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
The equality movement,
It seems over the few remain-
ing months of this year our
world has encountered much
more than a climate change.
We are in the midst of a global
equality movement. Daily, there
are new stories from around the
globe being discovered - expos-
ing law enforcement that has
served less in favor of justice for
the people, and is more connect-
ed to maintaining power and
control. Foreign affairs and poli-
cies regarding women's rights,
the dismantling of governmen-
tal structures, policies regard-
ing sexual assault, the inclusion
of United States laws and sexual
orientation, and the current-
ly magnified police brutality
against minorities all serve as
equally important happenings
in this awakening. As these situ-
ations occur, our readied fingers
take to social media to voice
various emotions: hurt, pain,
anger, confusion - all of which
are natural without filters and
at times may be misconstrued
through our own actions and not
benefit the urgent needs of these
situations. Within those tangled
emotions, my observance of the
superior emotion - love, is what
intertwines these expansive
and contrasting responses and
makes hope tangible. Love is the
source to pull from hate and cre-
ate peace. Love has the ability
to look beyond rage and grasp
influence. Love has the ability
to not only empathize but strat-
egize and positively control and
structure the myriad of nega-
tive feelings that are all human.
'The piece created stems from
this space of unconditional love
and hope for the better amongst
the seemingly disastrous battle-
ground we face on this earth.
I seek to challenge the mind,
will and emotions of my global
community at large to find the
answers for the "Why me? Why
us?" question that we all inter-
nally battle everyday. I wish to
impart a complex but simple
answer that I believe would do
us all well. I challenge all people
to accept with earnest power,
and heroic boldness the very
source that rapper Kendrick
Lamar has found in his most
recent song, and embrace the
equality movement in decidingI
love myself
Be Black Bold
We Black People °
Make Black Legal
Elevate Black Soul
Use Black Control
Tell Black Souls
Be Black Bold
We Black Power
Take Black Rage
Create Black Change
Choose Black Reign
Yell Black Pain
Be Black Bold
We Black Love
Make Black Peace
Navigate Black Streets
Refuse Black Seats
Repel Black Hate
Be Black Bold
We Black Souls
Remember Black Goals
Write Black Roles
Unite Black Strolls
Release Black Holds
Be Black Bold
We Black Gold
Have Black Pride
Create Black Compassion
Capture Black Passion
Take Black Action
Be Black Bold
We Black Music
Take Black Influence
Create Black Congruence
Help Black Endurance
Tell Black Assurance
Be Black Bold
We Black Souls
We Black Gold
We Black Grow
We Black People
We Black Power
We Black Love
BE BLACK BOLD
Be Black Bold
CSG
From Page 1A
in making the University more
inclusive.
"Including onsite admissions
at Detroit schools can help lessen
the inequality between racial
representations by opening
doors of opportunity for every-
one," Alvarenga said.
Prior to the voting process,
assembly members introduced
an amendment to the resolu-
tion, resulting in the addition of
a stanza stating CSG does not
support violent or intimidat-
ing actions that would be taken
to promote the resolution. The
assembly referred specifically to
the actions that took place at the
recent Regents meeting.
Last month, BAMN members
relocated a University Board of
Regents meeting. They lodged
criticisms of the University,
most notably that no action has
been taken to increase minority
enrollment. Protestors eventu-
ally prompted the board to end
the meeting and move to another
location.
Some members of the assem-
bly were concerned the amend-
ment would deter from the goal
of the resolution. The assembly
agreed by vote to change the lan-
guage of the amendment to say
CSG will not support any action
that threatens public safety.
Education senior Michael ran, I ran with the goal of being a
Chrzan is one of the authors of voice to an entirely new view for
the resolution. He said now that CSG to consider."
CSG supports onsite admis- Shannon said she also wantsto
sions in Detroit high schools, the bring concerns regarding Public
assembly will create a task force Health to CSG's consideration.
to work with the University's "We're really trying to bring
Office of Admissions. Public Health into the entire
"The Task Force will have scope of not only CSG but on
until March to report back with Central campus," she said.
either strategies created with
Admissions to implement onsite Body elects vice chairs of
admissions or reasons why the Finance Committee and Reso-
University is unable to do so," lutions Committee
Chrzan said.
CSG will create the task force CSG also elected new vice
during the first meeting of win- chairs for both the Finance Com-
ter semester Jan.13. mittee and the Resolution Com-
4
CSG swears in newly elected
representatives
LSA junior Rachel Webb and
Public Health senior Rebecca
Shannon were among the group
of new representatives inducted
into the assembly. They dis-
cussed new ideas and strategies
they hope to bringto the table.
Webb said she wants to help
create transparency between
CSG and the student body, espe-
cially regarding the allocation of
funds to student organizations.
She also said she hopes to diver-
sify racial diversity within CSG.
"There weren't a lot of stu-
dents of color on CSG, and hav-
ing diverse representations
within the CSG is important if
CSG hopes to represent a diverse
population," she said. "So when I
mittee.
Engineering senior Robert
Greenfield was elected vice chair
for the Finance Committee after
a blind ballot vote. Greenfield
said he hopes his experience as
treasurer of the Black Student
Union will help him to improve
the CSG funding process.
"I've raised the budget at the
BSU by $25,000, and improved
the budgeting process so that it is
sensitive both to BSU and other
organizations that receive allo-
cated funding from us," Green-
field said.
LSA senior Andrew Loeb was
elected vice chair of the Resolu-
tions Committee.
"I want to continue to work to
make resolutions that will pro-
duce important positive chang-
es on campus for students," he
said.
OPEN
From Page 1A
public safety concerns necessitat-
ed the meeting's relocation.
Though the Open Meetings Act
states that "no one maybe exclud-
ed fromameetingotherwise open
to the public except for a breach of
the peace actually committed at
the meeting," there are not specif-
ic provisions for excluding mem-
bers of the general public at large.
Douglas Smith, a former Uni-
versity medicl professor and
one of the public speakers on the.
original agenda for the meeting,
told the Daily in an interview Dec.
4 that he was denied entrance to
Fleming.
"After a while (University
spokesman) Rick Fitzgerald
began to whisper something to
the reporters at the media desk
so I wentcup and asked him if they
were moving the meeting," he
said. "He said they were and that
I could followhim."
Smith said a public safety offi-
cial at the Fleming doors told him
only those with approved media
credentials would be granted
access to the building.
"Then the chairman of the
regents, Regent (Kathy) White,
came tothe door and told me they
were not going to have public
speakers today and that I was not
allowed to come in," he said.
In an e-mail Friday, Fitzgerald
said the University maintains it
fully complies with the Michigan
Constitution's requirement that
formal sessions of the Board of
Regents be open to the public.
"Regarding the November 2014
meeting, we believe the state con-
stitution also gives the University
latitude to take prudent measures
to assure those attending board
meetings are safe," he wrote.
In a Dec.5 e-mail, Diane Brown,
spokeswoman for the Division of
Public Safety and Security, said
public safety officials and law
enforcement are charged with
assessing any potential threats to
the community.
"If there is a condition in which
the people or property in a par-
ticular location are threatened
or where parties present have a
heightened sense of fear for their
personal safety based on an esca-
lating situation, there may be a
determination of a public safety
threat," she wrote.
The Open Meetings Act does
not include specifications for
relocating a meeting due to a pub-
lic safety threat.
However, in 1980, the Uni-
versity faced a similar situation
when students and members of
the Washtenaw County Coalition
Against Apartheid protested the
University's investments in South
African corporations at meetings
of the regents.
The protests forced the regents
to recess their meeting multiple
times over two days. The board
ultimately obtained a restrain-
ing order against WCCAA which
allowed the regents "to recess,
move its location and exclude
from attendance those persons
who breach the peace."
The coalition sued, arguing the
regents violated the Open Meet-
ings Act by preventing them from
entering the new meeting loca-
tion.
In Regents of the University of
Michigan vs. Washtenaw County
Coalition Against Apartheid,
the Michigan Court of Appeals
ruled the regents' actions accept-
able, noting the presence of the
restraining order and that both
the press and members of the
general public were notified of
the room change.
"We do, however, share the
concern obviously felt by defen-
dants and the trial court that a
meetingwhich is recessed remain
open to the public," the ruling
read. "In order to remain faithful
to the spirit and purpose of the
Open Meetings Act the Regents
were required to provide notice
of the new time and place of the
reconvened meeting. Plaintiff
complied with the court order to
this effect by posting officials at
the Regents Room to advise the
press and members of the general
public of the room change."
The University, however, did
not notify members of the gen-
eral public of the room change in
November.
According to Frank LoMonte,
Student Press Law Center execu-
tive director, based on the prec-
edent from the 1980s case, the
difference in whether the pub-
lic was advised might be key in
determining whether Novem-
ber's meeting violated the Act.
"It seemed really important to
the judges in the 1980s case that
the public had a chance to go to
the recessed location," he said. "If
the public wasn't give the oppor-
tunity to go to the recessed loca-
tion than that really might put a
legal cloud over the move of loca-
tion."
Fitzgerald said because mem-
bers of media were present, the
University upheld the provisions
of the Open Meetings Act.
"The meeting was reconvened
at a different location, but not
until all members of the news
media were present," Fitzgerald
said. "We believe these steps pro-
vided for a balance betweenkeep-
ing those in attendance safe while
still providing public access."
Schlissel said members of the
general public not involved in
the protest were not permitted
to enter the relocated meeting
because the University did not
have proper means to determine
what members of the public were
or were not part of BAMN.
"I don't think we had a way to
sort the general public into mem-
bers of BAMN and non-members
of BAMN," he said. "So I think
in real time as the decision was
made, not knowing how to do the
sorting without being prejudiced
against certain people, we didn't
think it was appropriate to try."
"We ended up striking a com-
promise that the general counsel
thought was legally consistent
with the Open Meetings Act," he
added.
Herschel Fink, editorial legal
counsel for The. Detroit Free
Press, said members of the press
are often considered surrogates
of the public by the courts.
"In this case, given exigent cir-
cumstances, the situation with
the disruption, I think it was a
justifiable action to move the
meeting and to allow representa-
tives of the public in," Fink said,
referring to the media. "I think
it then constituted a substantial
compliance with the law."
The Free Press is currently
involved in a lawsuit against the
University over a separate viola-
tion of the Open Meetings Act,
filed in July. The suit alleges that
most decisions made by the Uni-
versity's Board of Regents are
made in private.
"We are still several months
away from depository motion
stage, where we will be filing a
motion with the court asking
them to declare whether or not
the University is violating the
Open Meetings Act," he said.
At the end of November's
meeting, several BAMN organiz-
ers said they had plans to return
to the December regents meet-
ing.
"We were very disappointed
that the meeting was disrupted
and we are trying to develop
ways to allow groups their free
speech rights, to have a civil pro-
test, which is very important to
us, but not to disrupt a meeting
or the rights of others," Schlissel
said.
Schlissel declined to discuss
the University's plans to address
similar BAMN protests in the
future.
"Rest assured, there are spe-
cific plans," he said.
AN ODE TO 420 MAYNARD:
THANK YOU FOR THE TIME WE SPENT WITHIN YOUR WALLS
WE'VE LEARNED HOW TO WALK HERE
WHEN WE CAME WE COULD ONLY CRAWL
WE MEAN THAT METAPHORICALLY, OF COURSE
BUT DAILY, YOU'VE MADE US GROW
AND WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED WITHIN YOU
HAVE MADE US READY (THOUGH UNWILLING) TO GO
THE PEOPLE WE HAVE LOVED
MEAN MORE THAN A BUILDING COULD EVER KNOW
YOU ARE MICHIGAN TO US
AND YOU ARE HOME.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING
EDITORS
From Page 1A
"I think as long as we continue
to be one of the prominent news
sources and most accurate news
sources for the Ann Arbor com-
munity and even for the nation
... I think as long as we seek the
truth and report on the truth,
that's what's going to measure
our success," Calfas said. "We've
already been doinga great job of
doing that and we'll continue to
keep that tradition alive in the
next year."
The increased focus on the
Daily's online presence is also a
priority of LSA junior Lev Facher,
who will serve as the publication's
managing editor. Collaboration
between the different sections,
such as news, arts and sports, are
other highlights.
"Our voice is critical to both
the University and the region
- as Washtenaw County's only
daily print publication, we bear a
huge responsibility," Facher said.
"I'm surethe 2015 class of editors
is up for the challenge of provid-
ing fair and thorough coverage
of all things Michigan and all
things Ann Arbor."
Calfas said she is also excited'
about the addition of a new posi-
tion under her supervision - that
of special projects manager, a job
which LSA sophomore Carolyn
Gearig will fill. The position will
require Gearig to spearhead and
facilitate initiatives beyond day-
to-day coverage.
"We tend to focus too much on
our short term coverage and on
things that we do to make a paper
every day, which is great, but
we've never had someone whose
exclusive job is to think long-
term," Gearig said. "I think this
newspaper really needs that."
Calfas stressed that one of the
most immediate innovations will
be rolling out the Daily's new
website over the course of the
Winter 2015 semester. Engineer-
ing junior Amrutha Sivakumar,
the newly appointed online edi-
tor, will help facilitate this tran-
sition.
"At The Michigan Daily, we
believe that the future of journal-
ism is digital journalism," Siva-
kumar said. "If allgoes according
to plan, the new website will
have more photo slideshows,
more video capabilities, things
like audio journalism ... just very
interesting ways for us to tell the
news that connect more deeply
with the University readership
community."
For Public Policy junior Sam
Gringlas, the new managing
news editor, fair and thorough
coverage will also mean expand-
ing the breadth and depth of
news content to include series
on hard-hitting issues relevant
to the University community.
He said this will require cross-
section collaboration to enhance
modes of storytelling.
Continuing coverage of diver-
sity and sexual misconduct are
other priorities for Gringlas.
"We've started some initia-
tives to begin looking into that
over this first semester," Gring-
las said. "I think now that we've
laid a lot of ground work for that,
we'll have the time and the talent
to really follow through."
LSA senior Aarica Marsh and
LSA junior Derek Wolfe will
serve as editorial page editors.
The duo said they will widen
their coverage both online and
in print.
"We're pretty excited about
incorporating news ethics and
reportingskills into our editorial
process," Marsh said. "We're also
relaunching our blog content."
LSA junior Max Cohen and
LSA sophomore Jake Lourim,
co-managing sports editors, said
their priorities will lie in con-
tinuing to produce top-notch
coverage of all the University's
athletic teams.
"I think we have some great
sports coverage in store - huge
transitions in Michigan football
right now, as everyone knows,
and I look forward to keeping up
to date with those and creating
some good stories as a section,"
Cohen said.
LSA junior Chloe Gilke and'
LSA junior Adam DePollo will
serve as co-managing arts edi-
tors. Gilke said they have begun
to plan workshops to familiarize
their writers with a variety of
reporting experiences. The duo
also aims to up their coverage of
local music.
In 2015, 'the Daily will also
work to expand its content across
media beyond written articles.
LSA junior Kaylla Cantilina, the
Daily's new managing video edi-
tor, said she plans to continue to
develop the Daily's video section,
partially by more smoothly inte-
grating with other sections for
collaboration.
LSA junior Allison Farrand
and LSA junior Ruby Wallau,
the co-managing photo editors,
voiced a similar sentiment.
"We're really excited to bring
more developed photo content
online within the framework
of better online photo features,
better quality (and) better gal-
leries," Farrand said. "We're also
still excited to have more photo
stories in print as well as online."
LSA junior Ian Dillingham,
Statement magazine editor, said
he will work to facilitate long-
form writing that captures the
student experience.
"We're always looking to
increase the quality of our con-
tent and give all students on cam-
pus the voice that they deserve
and really highlight the most
pressing issues that face stu-
dents," Dillingham said.
Art & Design sophomore
Shane Achenbach and LSA soph-
omore Emily Schumer will serve
as co-managing design editors.
Schumer said she is looking for-
ward to further innovating the
Daily's page design by working
more regularly with individual
sections.
"We are alsolookingto remod-
el some aspects of the paper and
create a more regular variety in
the way of illustrations and lay-
out," Schumer said.
LSA junior Hannah Bates and
LSA sophomore Laura Schina-
gle, co-copy chiefs, said they are
working to streamline the appli-
cation process of their section.
This year, they said, 80 people
competed for six spots on the
copy desk, and the six weren't
chosen'until after Fall Break
because of the application vol-
ume.
The Michigan Daily involves
around 200 student editorial
staff members each semester
and is financially and editorially
independent of the University's
administration.
.4
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www.michigandaily.com
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