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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Thursday, April 16, 2015
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Campus leaders cite
policy modifications,
increased involvement
By CAROLYN GEARIG
Daily Staff Reporter
In the last two years, the Uni-
versity
community’s
attitude
toward sexual assault has been
frequently
discussed
and,
at
times, hotly debated on campus.
Most recently, a report in The
Michigan Daily identified a dis-
crepancy between the definition
of consent applied by the Univer-
sity’s Student Sexual Misconduct
Policy and the one taught by the
Sexual Assault Prevention and
Awareness Center.
The Student Sexual Miscon-
duct Policy describes consent is
a “clear and unambiguous agree-
ment, expressed in mutually
understandable words or actions,
to engage in a particular activ-
ity. Consent can be withdrawn
by either party at any point.”
SAPAC’s definition goes farther,
identifying consent as an explicit-
ly verbal agreement, not satisfied
by silence or body language.
Though the issue of sexual
assault has faced scrutiny from
University students and admin-
istrators, and even prompted an
investigation by the U.S. Depart-
ment of Education, a number of
campus leaders say climate around
sexual assault is improving.
SAPAC administrative coordi-
nator Jen Sharkey, a University
alum, said the positive culture
shift has been evidenced in part
by an increase in the number of
SAPAC student volunteers. Nine-
ty-two students joined in January.
By contrast, 54 volunteers joined
in 2014, 56 joined in 2013 and 25
joined in 2012.
She said part of the reason the
number of volunteers increased
so rapidly was because of a new
class offered through the Health
Sciences and Women’s Studies
Departments
called
“Gender-
Based Violence: From Theory
Administrator’s
comments spurred
push for education
on sexual assault
By ALYSSA BRANDON
Daily Staff Reporter
It was a cold January day in
1985 when University students
occupied former Vice President
for Student Services Henry John-
son’s office to protest his com-
ments regarding sexual assault
that appeared in Metropolitan
Detroit Magazine.
The magazine quoted Johnson
saying, “Rape is a red flag word
— in many people’s minds it con-
jures up something that’s to be
suspect at best — a very bad envi-
ronment to be in. (The University)
wants to present an image that
is receptive and palatable to the
potential student cohort.”
He also compared rape to
Alzheimer’s disease and mental
retardation, saying it affected a
small portion of the population
and the issue may have to reach a
crisis level “in order to get things
done.”
He also said he didn’t antici-
pate a centralized rape prevention
and treatment center because of
the University’s current financial
situation.
“Our responsibility is to pro-
vide, within our resources, a safe
environment. Given the current
(financial) climate, I just don’t see
something labeled ‘rape preven-
tion clinic’ or ‘office’ as necessar-
ily germane to the mission of the
institution. That’s a cold thing to
say but it’s (so).”
In an interview with The
Michigan Daily, Holly Rider-
Milkovich, director of the Sexual
Assault Prevention Awareness
Program, said the comments
were taken as offensive by sexual
assault survivors on campus.
“It was not intended to be an
affront to survivors on campus,
but survivors on campus definite-
ly took it that way,” she said.
University alum Pamela Kisch,
See SAPAC, Page 3A
See ACTIVISM, Page 2A
Ford School hosts
debate in advance
of primaries in
August
By ANASTASSIOS
ADAMOPOULOS
Daily Staff Reporter
The Ford School of Public Pol-
icy hosted a debate Wednesday
between seven Democratic can-
didates running for City Council,
addressing topics from affordable
housing, police, traffic congestion
and the electoral system in Ann
Arbor.
The debate featured Ward 1
candidates Sabra Briere (D–Ward
1) and William Leaf; LSA senior
Zachary Ackerman running for
Ward 3; Jack Eaton (D–Ward 4)
and Jamie Magiera running for
Ward 4; and Mike Anglin (D–Ward
5) and Chip Smith for the Ward 5.
No Republicans are currently
running for seats on the council,
meaning that August’s Demo-
cratic primary will largely decide
who takes office in November,
unless candidates from other par-
ties enter the race.
Public Policy Lecturer John
Hieftje, former Ann Arbor mayor,
organized and moderated the
discussion with students from
a class he teaches at the Ford
School of Public Policy on local
government.
Not all the candidates current-
ly running for office participated
in Wednesday’s debate. Coun-
cilmember Stephen Kunselman
(D–Ward 3), up for reelection this
year, was not present. Sally Hart
Petersen, who is running in the
August Democratic primary for
the Ward 2, was present in the
audience, but did not participate
in the debate.
In an interview after the event,
Hieftje said an additional inde-
pendent candidate running in the
Ward 1, Jeff Hayner, also did not
participate because the debate
focused on the August primary
and not the November elections.
Councilmembers Kirk West-
phal (D–Ward 2) and Julie Grand
(D–Ward 3), who are not up for
election this coming year, were
also present in the audience.
Affordable housing
Many questions asked candi-
dates to address the creation of
more affordable housing in Ann
Arbor. The issue has been dis-
cussed in various City Council
meetings throughout the year
— most recently, citizens spoke
before council in favor of acces-
sory dwelling units.
Accessory dwelling units are
built within a property and can
take the form of either a separate
unit within one’s own home or a
new unit attached to the house.
The unit can then be rented out.
Anglin said he believes recon-
sidering zoning regulations pres-
ent a useful tool, as the problem
must be dealt with on the neigh-
borhood level.
Briere also favored zoning
reconsideration
to
facilitate
accessory dwelling units and
denser neighborhoods. She added
that all these schemes, however,
would not solve the underlying
factors that lead to expensive
Protest supports
national movement
to raise pay to
$15 an hour
By EMMA KINERY
Daily Staff Reporter
Imagine a $15 minimum wage.
Protesters in support of raising
the minimum wage to $15 for Uni-
versity staff marched to the Flem-
ing Administration Building on
Wednesday in hopes of receiving a
response from the University.
LSA seniors Liana Kallman and
Kamille Tynes led the protest,
which called on the University
and all of their subcontractors pay
employees a minimum wage of $15
and recognize and bargain with
the appropriate union or organiza-
tion of employees.
Currently, the University sets
minimum wage for temporary
employees at the same rate as the
state of Michigan. Minimum wage
in the state of Michigan is $8.15
per hour. Gov. Rick Snyder (R)
signed a bill into law last year that
will increase the state’s minimum
wage to $9.25 by 2018. Full-time
University employees currently
earn a University minimum wage
of $22,320 per year, or $10.73 per
hour.
The protesters at the Univer-
sity were not alone. The Guardian
reported that protesters in cities
across the country also rallied for
a $15 minimum wage on Wednes-
day. These efforts follow decisions
in Seattle and San Francisco to
raise the minimum wage to $15
per hour, and in Massachusetts
to $11 per hour beginning in 2017.
These numbers have surpassed
the $10.10 federal minimum wage
President Barack Obama called for
during his 2014 State of the Union
address and in a speech at the Uni-
versity in April 2014
The protesters gathered on the
steps of South Quad Residence
Hall holding signs reading, “$15 for
all workers” and “15 and a Union.”
They began by chanting: “What do
we want? 15. When do we want it?
Now.” and “Low pay is not OK.”
Several individuals came forward
to share their stories pertaining
to wages. One such individual was
University alum Blair Ellis, who
spoke dressed in his Starbucks
uniform.
“Asking for $15 an hour is ask-
ing to be part of a conversation,”
Ellis said. “A lot of people say why
they don’t want $15 an hour; they
say it’s going to hurt small busi-
nesses or be too much of a change
at once, and that’s a conversation
that could be had, but that’s a con-
versation that’s being had amongst
people who are making $15 an
hour. If we want to make decisions
that will have the best outcome,
we need to have people who are
involved to be a part of it, and if
those people are working, then
they can’t be a part of it.”
While he spoke, a small group
of counter-protesters against rais-
ing the minimum wage shouted at
him and booed.
LSA senior Ryan Miller, a leader
Lawyers point to
challenges beyond
same-sex marriage
legalization
By ISOBEL FUTTER
Daily Staff Reporter
Before the U.S. Supreme
Court hears a case on the
legality of same-sex marriage,
Outlaws,
the
University’s
Law School LGBTQ organi-
zation, hosted a community
conversation Wednesday on
LGBTQ rights.
About 35 people attended
the event, which began with
speakers and then opened up
to a Q&A session focused on
LGBTQ issues in Michigan
and the United States.
Speakers
included
Jay
Kaplan, LGBT project attor-
ney for ACLU Michigan, Lisa
Ruby, Michigan Poverty Law
Program attorney and Angie
Martell and S. Kerene Moore,
co-chairs of the Washtenaw
County
Bar
Association
LGBTQ Rights Section.
The conversation centered
on the upcoming Supreme
Court case on the state’s ban
on same-sex marriage. The
court is scheduled to begin
oral hearings on April 28.
The case could have several
major implications, including
the possibility of legalizing
same-sex marriage across the
country.
Many attendees said they
wished to know how the
See LGBTQ, Page 3A
See WAGE, Page 3A
See CANDIDATES, Page 3A
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Teal forks are placed in the grass on the Diag on Wednesday afternoon to represent survivors of sexual assault at the University.
DELANEY RYAN/Daily
LSA seniors Kamille Tynes and Liana Kallman lead a march with low wage wage workers to attempt to raise the mini-
mum wage to $15 on State Street on Wednesday.
INDEX
Vol. CXXIV, No. 104
©2015 The Michigan Daily
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WEATHER
TOMORROW
HI: 72
LO: 45
GOVERNMENT
ELECTIONS
HISTORY
Students
prompted
creation of
SAPAC
A2 City Council
candidates talk
housing, police
Campus sees push to increase
activism around sexual assault
Discussion
highlights
LGBTQ
legal issues
Students lead march to raise
minimum wage at the ‘U’