versity in on its Facebook page 
Wednesday.

“The 
Center 
for 
Campus 

Involvement 
understands 
that 

there 
are 
many 
perspectives 

regarding 
the 
film 
American 

Sniper,” the statement read. “...
We are planning to screen Ameri-
can Sniper separately from the 
upcoming UMix event, in a forum 
that provides an appropriate space 
for dialogue and reflection.”

Tuesday morning, after dis-

covering UMix — a University-
sponsored social event held most 

Friday nights — was planning to 
show the film “American Sniper,” 
LSA sophomore Lamees Mekka-
oui wrote to the Center for Cam-
pus Involvement regarding her 
concerns about the film’s showing.

Directed by Clint Eastwood, 

“American Sniper” is based on 
the autobiography of U.S. Navy 
Seal Chris Kyle, who gained rec-
ognition for having the most con-
firmed kills by a sniper in U.S. 
military history during his ser-
vice in Iraq.

While some see it as a film as 

a testament to American nation-
alism, others, like Mekkaoui, felt 
the film inspired anti-Muslim 
sentiment and did not think it 

was appropriate to show at UMix, 
which is generally a positive and 
safe alternative to other Friday 
night activities.

“The reason why the film was 

disturbing to be played at UMix 
is because UMix is supposed to be 
fun and inclusive, and the movie 
‘American Sniper’ raised a lot of 
controversy from all sides of the 
spectrum,” Mekkaoui said. “It’s 
clearly not something that could 
be fun and inclusive. It just doesn’t 
go with Build-A-Bear and inflat-
able laser tag, those things just 
don’t go with ‘American Sniper.’ ”

Wednesday evening, Univer-

sity spokesman Rick Fitzgerald 
said it is unclear whether the 

“American Sniper” screening will 
still include a panel discussion, as 
promised initially by the CCI.

Mekkaoui said the panel dis-

cussion is central to her support 
of the University’s decision to 
show both films.

“I’m really thankful to CCI for 

taking quick action in order to 
make sure that the voices of stu-
dents were heard on campus and 
that CCI really acknowledged 
and made them feel like they 
mattered,” Mekkaoui said.

In response to the controver-

sy, Michigan football coach Jim 
Harbaugh wrote in a tweet that 
he plans to watch the film with 
his team.

2-News

2A — Thursday, April 9, 2015
News
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

420 Maynard St.

Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327

www.michigandaily.com

The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by 

students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may 

be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $110. 

Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. University affiliates 

are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must 

be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.

JENNIFER CALFAS

Editor in Chief

734-418-4115 ext. 1251

jcalfas@michigandaily.com

DOUGLAS SOLOMON

Business Manager

734-418-4115 ext. 1241

dougsolo@michigandaily.com

Newsroom

734-418-4115 opt. 3 

Corrections

corrections@michigandaily.com

Arts Section

arts@michigandaily.com

Sports Section

sports@michigandaily.com

Display Sales

dailydisplay@gmail.com

Online Sales

onlineads@michigandaily.com

News Tips

news@michigandaily.com

Letters to the Editor

tothedaily@michigandaily.com

Editorial Page

opinion@michigandaily.com 

Photography Section

photo@michigandaily.com

Classified Sales

classified@michigandaily.com

Finance

finance@michigandaily.com

EDITORIAL STAFF
Lev Facher Managing Editor lfacher@michigandaily.com

Sam Gringlas Managing News Editor gringlas@michigandaily.com

SENIOR NEWS EDITORS: Shoham Geva, Will Greenberg, Amabel Karoub, Emma Kerr, 
Emilie Plesset, Michael Sugerman

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS: Anastassios Adamopoulos, Tanaz Ahmed, Neala 
Berkowski, Alyssa Brandon, Nabeel Chollampat, Gen Hummer, Emma Kinery, Lara 
Moehlman, Carly Noah, Irene Park

Aarica Marsh and 
 

Derek Wolfe Editorial Page Editors opinioneditors@michigandaily.com 

SENIOR EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Claire Bryan and Matt Seligman

ASSISTANT EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Regan Detwiler, Michael Paul, Melissa Scholke, 
Michael Schramm, Mary Kate Winn 
BLOG EDITOR: Tori Noble

Max Cohen and
Jake Lourim Managing Sports Editors 
sportseditors@michigandaily.com

SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS: Max Bultman, Daniel Feldman, Rajat Khare, Erin Lennon, 
Jason Rubinstein, Jeremy Summitt 
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS: Chloe Aubuchon, Minh Doan, Jacob Gase, Kelly Hall, 
Zach Shaw, Brad Whipple

Adam Depollo and 
 
 adepollo@michigandaily.com

Chloe Gilke Managing Arts Editors chloeliz@michigandaily.com
SENIOR ARTS EDITORS: Jamie Bircoll, Kathleen 
Davis, Catherine Sulpizio, Adam Theisen 
ARTS BEAT EDITORS: Alex Bernard, Karen Hua, Jacob Rich, Amelia Zak

Allison Farrand and 
 
 photo@michigandaily.com 

Ruby Wallau Managing Photo Editors 

SENIOR PHOTO EDITORS: Luna Anna Archey, James Coller, Virginia Lozano
ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS: Amanda Allen, Zach Moore, Sam Mousigian, Paul Sherman

Emily Schumer and 
 
 design@michigandaily.com 

Shane Achenbach Managing Design Editors 

Ian Dillingham Magazine Editor statement@michigandaily.com 

DEPUTY MAGAZINE EDITORS: Natalie Gadbois
STATEMENT PHOTO EDITOR: Luna Anna Archey
STATEMENT LEAD DESIGNER: Jake Wellins

Hannah Bates and 
 
 copydesk@michigandaily.com

Laura Schinagle Managing Copy Editors 

SENIOR COPY EDITORS: Emily Campbell and Emma Sutherland
Amrutha Sivakumar Online Editor amrutha@michigandaily.com

Kaylla Cantilina Managing Video Editor 
Carolyn Gearig Special Projects Manager

BUSINESS STAFF
Madeline Lacey University Accounts Manager 
Ailie Steir Classified Manager
Simonne Kapadia Local Accounts Manager
Olivia Jones Production Managers
Jason Anterasian Finance Manager

THREE THINGS YOU 
SHOULD KNOW TODAY

In this week’s B-Side, 
The Michigan Daily 
profiles 
Xylem, 
the 

University’s 
undergraduate 

student-run literary magazine, 
including its composition and 
submission processes and 
other aspects of its operation.
FOR MORE, SEE B-SIDE

2

CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES

Medical 
school aid 

WHAT: Back by popular 
demand, a workshop will 
be held to help students 
prepare to apply to 
medical schools. 
WHO: The Career Center 
WHEN: Today from 1 p.m 
to 2 p.m. 
WHERE: The Career 
Center 

Japan’s 3/11 
Triple Disaster 

WHAT: A lecture will 
explore the Great East 
Japan Earthquake and the 
impact it had on media. 
WHO: Center for 
Japanese Studies 
WHEN: Today from 
12 p.m to 1 p.m. 
WHERE: School 
of Social Work

CLARIFICATION
In the April 8 issue of The 
Michigan Daily, the byline 
of the author of the piece 
“Investigational Equity: 
Student challenges University 
sexual assault policies” did not 
appear in print. Senior News 
Editor Emma Kerr wrote the 
piece. 
Please report any 
error in the Daily 
to corrections@
michigandaily.com.

The National Football 
League has hired the 
first 
full-time 
female 

referee, 
ESPN 
reported. 

Sarah Thomas was named 
one of nine new offcials 
on 
Wednesday. 
She 
has 

previously 
worked 
on 

exhibition games.

1

Louis Benech 

WHAT: Renowned 
landscape designer 
Louis Benech will give a 
presentation on his work. 
He has carried out over 
300 projects around the 
world. 
WHO: Penny W. Stamps 
School of Art and Design 
WHEN: Today from 5:10 
p.m to 6 p.m. 
WHERE: Michigan 
Theater

Three 
U.S. 
soliders 

were 
shot 
by 
an 

Afghan colleague on 

Wednesday, CBS reported. 
One U.S. solider was killed 
during the shooting while the 
other two were wounded. It 
took place during an embassy 
meeting. 

3

M-Fly 

WHAT: A team of 
engineering students 
will discuss their work of 
creating a radio-controlled 
airplane. 
WHO: University of 
Michigan Retirees 
Association 
WHEN: Today from 3:15 
p.m to 4:15 p.m. 
WHERE: Wyndham 
Gardens Hotel 

Film 
screening 

WHAT: 2014 documentary 
film “Cambodian Son” 
shows the journey of Kosal 
Khiev from prisoner in 
America to world-class 
poet in Cambodia. 
WHO: International 
Center 
WHEN: Today from 6 p.m 
to 10 p.m. 
WHERE: Palmer 
Commons, Forum Hall 

IRENE KIM/Daily

LSA freshmen Marah Brinjikji and Lane Tobin try to find the 
frequency of a rotating string at Randall Laboratory on 
Wednesday afternoon.

GOOD VIBRATIONS

TUESDAY:

Campus Voices

THURSDAY:
Twitter Talk

FRIDAY:

Photos of the Week

WEDNESDAY:

In Other Ivory Towers

MONDAY:

This Week in History

FDR Lecture 

WHAT: A lecture will 
be held that explores 
America before the entry 
to WWII and how Presi-
dent FDR faced a coun-
try that was against the 
involvement of war. 
WHO: Osher Lifelong 
Learning Institute 
WHEN: Today from 
10 a.m to 11:30 a.m. 
WHERE: Rave Cinema 

American 
public opinion 

WHAT: Guest speaker 
prof. Jack Citrin will give 
a lecture on the varying 
identities in American 
public opinion. 
WHO: Center for Political 
Studies-Institute for Social 
Research 
WHEN: Today from 4 p.m 
to 5:30 p.m. 
WHERE: Institute for 
Social Research, 1430 

President draws 
on experience to 
discuss genetics

By DYLAN BENNETT

For the Daily

When about 150 Biology 172 

students opened their notebooks 
on Wednesday, the lecturer at the 
head of the class was not their 
usual professor; it was University 
President Mark Schlissel.

Schlissel discussed personal-

ized medicine and the human 
genome as a guest lecturer 
Wednesday morning in Rackham 
Auditorium.

Biology Lecturer Laury Wood 

invited Schlissel to teach her 
Biology 172 class for a day. Schlis-
sel’s lecture took the place of 
Wood’s regular Wednesday lec-
ture. Before the lecture, Wood 
said her students were looking 
forward to hearing from Schlissel 
since they had spent time in class 
studying the human genome.

Schlissel’s lecture drew on his 

lengthy career in the sciences. 
He graduated from Princeton 
University with a degree in bio-
chemical sciences and earned 
both an M.D. and Ph.D. from the 
Johns Hopkins University School 
of Medicine, where he also served 

as a faculty member later in his 
career. He also served as dean 
of biological sciences at the Uni-
versity of California, Berkeley, 
from 2008 to 2011 and has years 
of research experience in biology.

Before he assumed the presi-

dent, 
Schlissel 
was 
a 
noted 

researcher in the field of immu-
nology. A focus of his work cen-
tered on how immune cells form 
in bone marrow. In 2013, he pub-
lished five papers while provost at 
Brown University, and during this 
time continued to work with his 
last Ph.D. students at Berkeley.

As he walked into Rackham, 

Schlissel said he was excited to 
have the opportunity to teach, 
especially about a subject he is 
passionate about and in which he 
has a lot of experience.

“I love to teach, and I was 

invited by a faculty colleague 
earlier in the year who thought it 
would be both fun for me and fun 
for the students, and I jumped at 
the chance,” Schlissel said.

At the start of his lecture, 

Schlissel noted that it was his 
first time teaching a class at the 
University.

“I intend to do some more of 

this as the years go by, but thanks 
for being my guinea pigs,” Schlis-
sel said.

Several of Schlissel’s com-

ments centered on recently devel-

oped biological research tools 
used to understand the basic 
functioning of cells and organ-
isms. Schlissel said these tools 
are now used to combat disease 
and improve human health.

“It really represents one of the 

future trends in clinical care,” 
Schlissel said.

To gain a sense of the audi-

ence’s future career plans, Schlis-
sel asked how many students plan 
on applying to medical school. A 
majority of the student audience 
raised their hands.

LSA freshman Eli Simons, a 

Biology 172 student, said he was 
fascinated by Schlissel’s profes-
sional background in biology.

“I think its really exciting that 

we have someone who is so expe-
rienced in this growing field that 
is likely the future of many cures 
of different diseases,” Simons 
said. “The fact that he is president 
of our school adds a lot of gravitas 
to what he has to say.”

Another student in the class, 

LSA freshman Michael Stan-
do, said he was particularly 
impressed by how Schlissel took 
the time to interact academically 
with students.

“I think it’s nice he spends 

his time with the student body,” 
Stando said. “People actually see 
him as a person rather just a fig-
ure.”

Schlissel lectures biology 
class on the human genome

Matthaei Botanical 
Gardens staff cuts 

down plant

By KATIE PENROD

Daily Staff Reporter

After 80 years at the Matthaei 

Botanical Garden, the Univer-
sity’s American agave plant 
was cut down before a group of 
spectators Wednesday morn-
ing.

According to Mike Palmer, 

the garden’s manager of horti-
culture, the American agave is 
monocarpic, meaning that after 
flowering, the plant naturally 
dies. Most plants grow for 25 
to 30 years before flowering. 
This specific agave grew for 80 
years before it flowered over 
the summer, making it a rarity, 
Palmer said.

Palmer said after years of 

slow growth, the plant reached 

six feet in height and eight feet 
in width, and it began to show a 
flower stalk last year.

“We don’t know why it took 

80 years, but it started sending 
up a flower stalk a year ago in 
April and it was very exciting,” 
Palmer said. “But also we know 
what happens when an agave 
flowers; it eventually dies, so 
that was kind of sad.”

According to a University 

press release, University alum 
Alfred Whiting brought the 
plant to Ann Arbor from New 
Mexico in 1934. The plant is 
native to Mexico and the south-
western United States. It was 
kept in a pot for 30 years before 
being moved to the garden in 
the 1960s.

Palmer said after the stalk 

became 
visible 
last 
April, 

the plant began to grow at a 
rapid rate. At this time, it also 
became a popular attraction 
for the garden; last year, visitor 
traffic increased by 50 percent 

after the agave bloomed.

“It grows so slow for 80 years, 

then when it switches over to 
flowering, the hormones and 
everything in the plant changes 
and it begins to send up this 
unique flower stalk,” Palmer 
said. “It was shooting up at six 
inches every 24 hours. It went 
right up to the glass and then 
we took the glass off so it could 
grow above the glass. It’s 28 
feet tall.”

Palmer said the American 

agave is “officially dead,” and is 
being cut down due to the dan-
ger it would pose if it were to 
fall over.

Though the plant is now 

dead, Palmer said it will live 
on in two ways. For one, the 
Botanical Gardens will reuse 
its seeds to plant a new agave. 
Second, the plant’s stalk has 
been given to a music profes-
sor who is planning on making 
flutes from the material.

Palmer noted the unique 

nature of the plant and that it 
differs from the plants people 
typically interact with in their 
daily lives.

“This speaks to me about the 

fragility of the ecosystem and 
the life that these plants have. 
I think this plant has given 
people more to think about,” he 
said.

American agave plant dies 
after first bloom in 80 years

Zingerman’s CEO Ari 
Weinzweig used to be enrolled 
in the Stamps Art & Design 

“#DYK Ari Weinzweig 
majored in #art while at the 
 
 

University of Michigan? 
#UMichTalks” 

— @umich 

 “New app from @UM_SPH gives users 
the chance to look at their past and get in 
touch with their DNA. 

 
 
 
 
-@umich

A new app from the School of 
Public Health gives users the 
opportunity to learn more about 
their specific genes. 

Each week, “Twitter Talk” 
is a forum to print tweets 
that are fun, informative, 
breaking or newsworthy, 
with an angle on the 
University, Ann Arbor and 
the state. All tweets have 
been edited for accurate 
spelling and grammar. 

Rep. Debbie Dingell spoke highly of 
women’s role in public policy during 
her time at the Ford School last 
Thursday. 

“The Ethics of Caring - that’s 
what women bring to public 
policy. Great to join future 
leaders at @fordschool today!” 

— @RepDebDingell

FOLLOW US!

#TMD

@michigandaily

“
“

SNIPER
From Page 1A

