protecting the city’s environ-

ment.

James D’Amour, political chair 

of the Sierra Club, Huron Valley 
Group, said the three candidates 
support the environmental causes 
they value.

“These candidates have been con-

sistent in their policies and standing 
up for fundamental values we are 
looking for,” he said.

D’Amour also commended Kun-

selman for being “steadfast in the 
protection of our parks.”

Running against Kunselman is 

Zachary Ackerman. Ackerman has 
lived in Ann Arbor since he was 
eight years old and currently works 
as an IT supervisor for the Univer-
sity. He also works remotely on the 
national managing committee for 
a Washington DC-based human 
rights advocacy organization called 
STAND. Ackerman also worked on 
current Ann Arbor Mayor Christo-
pher Taylor’s campaign and serves 
on the executive board of the Ann 
Arbor Democratic Party.

Ackerman’s political agenda con-

sists of improving the city’s water 
and sewage systems, planting more 
trees in high-risk flood areas to 
increase initial protection against 
dangerous weather, making plans 
to provide housing or shelter to Ann 
Arbor’s homeless population, devel-
oping programs that allow residents 
to invest in renewable energy and 
improving public transit and traffic 
congestion.

Ackerman is endorsed by Mayor 

Taylor, former Ann Arbor Mayor 

John Hieftje, current councilwom-
an Julie Grand and the HVCLC.

Taylor believes Ackerman to be a 

similar politician to himself.

“Zach is a careful, thoughtful per-

son,” Taylor said. “We share many of 
the same values and visions.”

Ward 4: Jack Eaton (D) v. Jaime 

Magiera (D)

Like Briere and Kunselman, 

Eaton is also seeking re-election to 
City Council. Other than as a rep-
resentative for Ward 4, Eaton has 
served the city as an attorney and 
as the president of the Friends of 
Dicken Woods, an organization 
dedicated to preserving the integ-
rity of the underdeveloped Dicken 
Woods neighborhood. Eaton also 
founded the South Maple Group, an 
organization opposing a proposed 
housing development project on 
South Maple road and co-founded 
the Neighborhood Alliance, a group 
connecting neighborhood environ-
mental protectionists as well as his-
toric preservationists among other 
activist groups.

Eaton’s political agenda consists 

of adding jobs in the public safety 
sector, maintaining weekly trash 
pick-up, improving Ann Arbor’s 
stormwater system, restoring a leaf 
pick-up system in the fall, improving 
the city’s watersheds and protecting 
local transportation.

While Eaton is endorsed by the 

Sierra Club’s Huron Valley Group 
and Michigan Chapter as well as 
the HVCLC, Eaton does not seek out 
endorsements. In an e-mail to the 
Daily, Eaton wrote that he does not 
believe this information is critical to 
garnering votes.

3
NEWS

Thursday, July 30, 2015

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Fund created to cover student’s medical costs

Fraternity brothers 

create page after 
member’s accident

By IRENE PARK

Daily Staff Reporter

After diving into shallow water 

to retrieve a volleyball at Lake Sher-
wood in Commerce Township, ris-
ing business junior Taylor Janssen 
broke his neck at the C5 vertebrae. 
Janssen was taken to the Univer-
sity Hospital, where he was treat-
ed in the intensive care unit until 
Wednesday, when he was trans-
ferred to a general hospital room to 
focus on physical therapy and talk-
ing.

Rising LSA junior Seth John-

son, Janssen’s friend and fellow Phi 
Kappa Psi fraternity brother, helped 
to set up a Gofundme page to raise 
money to help cover Janssen’s medi-
cal expenses. As of Wednesday, the 
page has raised $137,954.

Johnson said the fundraiser is 

the productive effort between his 
fraternity brothers.

“I set up the page with the fam-

ily’s permission but it was really an 
effort of all his friends,” Johnson 
wrote in an e-mail to the Daily. 
“The idea came from his fraternity 
brothers [Phi Kappa Psi] of which I 
am one.”

Janssen’s father, Mark Janssen, 

said in interview with MLive the 
incident has been emotional for his 

family.

“It’s devastating — I won’t sugar-

coat it,” Mark said. “He’s a strong 
kid. It is what it is.”

According to Johnson, Janssen 

was initially emotional once he got 
over the shock, but has made signifi-
cant progress since then.

“Taylor is a strong kid,” Johnson 

wrote. “Understandably, it has been 
an emotional process as the real-
ity of his situation has set in. Since 
then, however, Taylor has held an 
incredibly positive attitude, focus-
ing on surpassing every physical 
therapy goals given to him.”

Johnson added the accident has 

not affected Janssen’s mental state.

“He is completely there mentally, 

and is the same old Taylor,” Johnson 

wrote.

In addition to the support from 

the gofundme page, Janssen has 
received support from the Uni-
versity’s football players, who vis-
ited Janssen at his hospital bedside. 
Coach Jim Harbaugh sent him 
an e-mail. The 1980 U.S. Olympic 
hockey team captain Mike Eru-
zione tweeted his support for Jans-
sen, and former Detroit Red Wings 
coach Mike Babcock sent the family 
an inspirational video. The hashtag 
#JanssenStrong 
helped 
spread 

Janssen’s story on social media, 
building a community of support-
ers.

“It really kind of blows my mind 

away,” Mark Janssen said. “I’m just 
shocked by the response and hum-

bled, all at the same time.”

LSA rising junior Gabrielle Hous-

ka, Janssen’s friend, said she finds it 
great to see support from all over.

“It’s been amazing to see so 

many different communities come 
together to support Taylor and his 
family,” Houska said. “Every dona-
tion counts, and every ‘share’ shows 
the Janssens how much support 
they have behind them.”

Houska added Taylor’s friends 

hope to support him to return the 
positivity Taylor has given them.

“So many of his friends hope to 

support him in any way that returns 
one of the hundreds of smiles he put 
on our faces,” Houska said.

Navy awards University student scholarship 

Post-graduate training 
focuses on military and 

technical skills

By ALEX JUNTTI

Daily Staff Reporter

Engineering senior Johnathan 

Klee was selected for one of the 
Navy’s most prestigious and com-
petitive scholarships, the Navy 
Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candi-
date program.

Klee will receive a monthly 

income from the Navy throughout 
his senior year, including a food 
and housing allowance as well as 
military health-care benefits, in 
exchange for his service as a nucle-
ar engineer after graduation.

Lieutenant Jesse Hermsen, an 

engineering officer recruiter for the 
Navy, said Klee is a well-groomed 
student ready to take on the many 
challenges the NUPOC program 
has to offer.

“For the NUPOC scholarship, the 

Navy values leadership potential 
and a strong STEM academic back-
ground,” Hermsen said. “When I 
first met with John, I knew that 
he was somebody I’d like to serve 
with. John is a hard-working, bright 
young man who I saw as a future 
leader. I am confident that John will 
go far in the Navy with his work 
ethic and University of Michigan 
education.”

Klee said the Navy will give 

him an opportunity to utilize his 
engineering degree while gain-

ing organizational and leadership 
experience.

“The Navy is really one of the 

best employers for specialty and 
technical fields, which I am going 
into. In addition there is no better 
place to gain leadership and team-
work experience,” Klee said.

Klee has already taken a VIP 

trip to San Diego, where he vis-
ited a naval base and took a guided 
tour of both a Navy destroyer and a 
submarine. Klee has also flown to 
Washington D.C. where he inter-
viewed with the Navy’s top nuclear 
engineers and the Director of the 
Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, 
Admiral John M. Richardson.

The next step for Klee is to attend 

a 12-week Officer Candidate School 
program in Rhode Island after he 
graduates. 

The course is designed to push 

recruits to their limits with an 
emphasis on training and militari-
zation, academics, weapons, leader-
ship management and naval history.

After OCS, Klee has several addi-

tional steps before he will trusted 
with managing nuclear reactors 
aboard naval aircraft carriers.

He will attend Nuclear Power 

School in Charleston, South Caro-
lina for six months. Following that, 
he will be sent to a nuclear power 
training unit and then he will be 
assigned to his first submarine.

Klee said he was both nervous 

and excited to be a part of the Navy 
and the nuclear propulsion pro-
gram.

“Of course, because I am in fact 

going to be on a warship, I’m a little 

apprehensive about the real-world 
experiences involved in protecting 
our national security,” Klee said.

Lt. Hermsen was very reassuring 

that the NUPOC program is one of 
the finest opportunities for dedicat-
ed engineers who show the capacity 
for leadership and excellence.

“The NUPOC program will pre-

pare future leaders for their initial 
training. Then they will be placed 
in charge of Sailors, cutting-edge 
technology and billions of dollars 
of advanced equipment,” Hermsen 
said. “NUPOC selectees will be 
taking on monumental responsi-
bilities while their counterparts in 
the civilian world are still working 
to get their careers off the ground. 
Whether students stay in the Navy 
for four or 24 years, they will gain 
valuable leadership experiences and 
responsibilities that will advance 
their careers, all while serving our 
country.”

Ready to dive into one of the 

greatest challenges of his life, Klee 
thanked the University of Michigan 
for preparing him for a career as a 
nuclear engineer with the Navy.

“My time here at Michigan has 

put me in a great position to take 
on this leadership role,” he said. 
“Whether it was from our group 
projects in Eng. 100 or just working 
on homework with friends, I have 
already gained experience get-
ting the group on track and work-
ing toward the same goal. Another 
component that has prepared me 
for this is simply challenging cur-
riculum and high expectations set 
by the professors.”

ELECTIONS
From Page 2

See ELECTIONS, Page 8

