Carson’s time at the University
for this story. Mary Masson, a
spokesperson for the University
of Michigan Health system, also
declined
multiple
interview
requests to UMHS and Medical
School faculty and administrators
on their behalf.
Public
Policy
senior
Cody
Giddings,
vice
chair
of
the
University’s
chapter
of
the
College Republicans, said the
organization
has
not
been
in contact with the Carson
campaign, and he does not foresee
the candidate making an official
visit to the University.
“I do not think Ann Arbor will
be one of his future campaign
stops, but anything is possible,”
he said.
The
majority
of
students
approached for this article were
not aware Carson had graduated
from
the
University,
though
a large-scale survey was not
conducted.
“I knew, but then again I
wouldn’t expect most people to
know that he graduated here,” said
LSA senior Stephen Culbertson,
communications director for the
University’s chapter of College
Democrats.
“Most people do not associate
him with the University of
Michigan as far as I know,” he
said.
Political Science Prof. Michael
Traugott
agreed
with
that
sentiment, noting that individuals
in the University community
are
more
familiar
with
his
presidential campaign than his
University roots.
“I don’t think he is well
known as an alumnus because
he graduated from the Medical
School and that was about a
generation ago,” Traugott said.
“He’s much better known as a
candidate than he is as an alum.”
Even those who do know him
as a graduate said they do not
associate him with the University
— or believe he fully represents
what the University stands for.
Medical
School
student
Brian Desmond said though he
knew Carson was a graduate
of
the
University
and
his
accomplishments as a doctor have
made him a figure to be celebrated
in the Medical School, he said
Carson’s
political
beliefs
are
disheartening.
“The thing that I find kind of
surprising, or that makes me a
little bit sad, is that one of the
things that brought me to U of
M was the emphasis on kind of
celebrating diversity,” Desmond
said. “And I don’t think that those
are things that Dr. Carson — at
least in his political campaign —
has represented well.”
Desmond
also
noted
that
while Carson’s medical career
might align with the education
emphases of the Medical School
—
such
as
evidence-based
methodology
—
his
political
career has not.
“I
think,
unfortunately,
and it might be because of the
political climate he’s in, but I
think unfortunately he kind of
has a mixed record of actually
doing that,” he said. “Some of his
statements about climate change
kind of go against what is the
scientific consensus so I think
his practices may be a little more
mixed than what he said about
using evidence.”
However,
Medical
School
student Ben Long said he knew
Carson was a graduate and felt the
fact was well regarded. Ever since
reading Carson’s autobiography,
“Gifted Hands,” the doctor has
been highly influential on Long’s
life. Long said Carson’s story is
the “main reason” he decided to
go into medicine, and he has now
attended the same undergraduate
and medical school as Carson.
“I’d say he’s one of our best-
known graduates,” Long said.
“He is obviously really successful
in the field of neurosurgery,
he’s running for president and I
think that reflects highly on the
Medical School because the sort
of motto is ‘the leaders and the
best’ and he’s one of our probably
most prominent graduates but
also one of our most prominent
minority graduates.”
One of Carson’s draws to many
Republican voters are his strong
religious ties, which a number
of news outlets have contrasted
with his scientific background.
However,
many
students
interviewed said they didn’t think
those contrasts — for example,
Carson has expressed a belief in
creationism — have had much of
an impact on people’s perceptions
of the candidate.
“His life story and how he rose
from poverty, and he worked
really hard to go to school, I
think it’s really inspiring,” Long
said. “I don’t entirely agree with
his creationist views, but it is his
religion though so I can sort of
understand why that is ... I don’t
think it reflects badly on him.”
Traugott said he didn’t think
being both a doctor and strongly
religious
individual
would
necessarily present issues with
regard to public opinion.
“There must be a wide range
of
religious
beliefs
among
doctors, and he has a particular
one which he apparently has
had throughout his career,” he
said. “We won’t know until they
start voting in the primaries and
caucuses how attractive they are
to Republicans.”
Traugott also noted the fact
that being a Michigan alum
wasn’t
necessarily
something
that would be a draw or a negative
for voters.
Culbertson said he believes
most Republican candidates don’t
appeal to University students,
and Carson isn’t an exception.
“As far as the student body
is concerned, I don’t really
believe that Ben Carson appeals
to Michigan students, despite
what people say about students
not being involved or engaged
in politics,” he said. “He’s kind
of an appeal gap here and I don’t
think the University association
is going to be able to overcome
that.”
Students who support the
Republican Party said Carson’s
alum status is also not a draw,
though they noted there were
many other reasons they could
have for supporting him.
“Carson’s accomplishments in
the medical field as a University
of Michigan Medical School
graduate certainly serve as a
source of pride for those that
support him within the University
of Michigan College Republicans
but I believe his political policies
are the primary reason some in
UMCR support him.”
2-News
2 — Friday, December 11, 2015
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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
THREE THINGS YOU
SHOULD KNOW TODAY
The Michigan hockey
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Minnesota this weekend
for a two-game series. The
Wolverines will look to sweep
their second Big Ten series of
the season.
>>SEE SPORTS, PAGE 7
2
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
Philosophy
lecture
WHAT: Erin
Frykholm parses the
debate over whether
human motivation
is self-interested.
WHO: Department of
Philosophy
WHEN: Today from 2 p.m.
to 4 p.m.
WHERE: 3222 Angel Hall
Bagel
Bonanza
WHAT: The Dean of
Students Office will pro-
vide bagels, fruit, drinks
and stress-relieving
activites for students.
WHO: Dean of Stu-
dents Office
WHEN: Today from
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
WHERE: Arbor Blu-Lobby
Connecticut Gov. Daniel
Malloy
(D)
plans
to
issue an executive order
blocking access to guns
for anybody on the no-fly list,
the New York Times reported.
The measure would be the first
to block access to that group.
1
Gift Your
Culture
WHAT: Students can
share artifacts that
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The event will feature a
multicultural food buffet,
games and prizes.
WHO: Office of Academic
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WHEN: Today from 4:30
p.m. to 6 p.m
WHERE: 3009 Student
Activities Building
North Korean leader
Kim Jong Un suggested
the
country
had
a
hydrogen bomb during
a tour of a historical site
Thursday, Reuters reported.
The White House and U.S.
State
Department
both
expressed skepticism about
the veracity of the claim.
3
Smith lecture
WHAT: Shawn Domagal-
Goldman, research
scientist at NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center,
discusses the possiblity
of other lifeforms in the
universe.
WHO: Earth and
Environmental Sciences
WHEN: Today from 3:30
p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
WHERE: 1528 Clarence
Cook Little Building
Beads and
bracelets
WHAT: Make your very
own glass and wooden bead
bracelet with the help of
a professional instructor.
WHO: Center for Campus
Involvement
WHEN: Today from 6 p.m.
to 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Michigan League,
Kalamazoo Room
Attica Prison
Uprising talk
WHAT: Heather Ann
Thompson will talk about
the challenge of writing
the first comprehensive
history of Attica leading up
to a 1971 uprising.
WHO: Residential College
WHEN: Today from 3:30
p.m. to 5 p.m.
WHERE: 1405 East
Quadrangle
Cookies & ‘Elf’
WHAT: A free screening
of the popular Christmas
movie “Elf” along with free
cookies from Insomnia
Cookies
WHO: Dean of Students
Office
WHEN: Today from 7 p.m.
to 9 p.m.
WHERE: The Courtyards,
South Building Theatre
Drug discovery
lecuture
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fessor discusses the use of
patient-derived neurons to
study severe genetic epilepsies.
WHO: Center for the Dis-
covery of New Medicines
WHEN: Today from
9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
WHERE: Palmer
Commons, Forum Hall
TUESDAY:
Campus Voices
THURSDAY:
Twitter Talk
FRIDAY:
Photos of the Week
WEDNESDAY:
In Other Ivory Towers
MONDAY:
This Week in History
LEFT:
Rabbi
Aharon
Goldstein,
director of the Chabad House of Ann
Arbor, lights a giant menorah on the
Diag for the second day of Hanukkah
on Monday. (HALEY MCLAUGHLIN/
Daily)
RIGHT: Team Sharknado engineering
freshmen
Matthew
Novak,
Tyler
Pangerl, Jimmy Ruan and Zhi Ming Lin,
present the blimp designed in their
Engineering 100-700 class during
Aerospace Day in the FXB Atrium on
Saturday. (ANDREW COHEN/Daily)
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