michigandaily.com Ann Arbor, Michigan Thursday, April 16, 2015 CELEBRATING OUR ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM 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 Consent can be withdrawn by either party at any point.”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 michigandaily.com NEWS......................... 2A OPINION.....................4A SPORTS ......................7A SUDOKU..................... 3A CL ASSIFIEDS...............6A ARTS.......................... 5A NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM Students face mental health challenges MICHIGANDAILY.COM/SECTIONS/NEWS GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know. 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’