3-News
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Tuesday, February 9, 2016 — 3
Detroit Public
Schools invests
$300,000 for
building repairs
Detroit Public Schools has
budgeted money from other
departments to repair some of
the building issues in many of its
schools.
This decision follows a series
of sick-out protests staged by
teachers speaking out against
the conditions of their schools.
Teachers called in sick in such
large numbers that classes had
to be cancelled on multiple
occasions.
The newly allocated money
will go toward existing work
orders for building repair
in the system, and property
maintenance and safety
violations uncovered by recent
inspections done by the city.
The inspections done as
part of a district-wide review
during the end of Janurary
revealed multiple code
violations including instances
of rodents, mold and damaged
roofs.
The inspections were called
for by Mayor Mike Duggan after
he visited four schools and saw
their conditions.
The public school buildings
in Detroit have deteriorated
as a result of the growth of
the school district’s debt to a
projected $515 million, leaving
the district unable to pay for
repairs.
Dearborn Heights
man accused of
planning ISIS
attack on church
Khalil Abu-Rayyan was
accused of threatening police
and a large Detroit church with
ISIS attacks.
Abu-Rayyan appeared before
a court on Monday on the
charge of possessing a firearm
while taking illegal drugs.
Though he was not charged
on any accounts of terrorism,
Abu-Rayyam faces up to 10
years in prison.
The FBI alleges that Abu-
Rayyan purchased a gun in
October while regularing
smoking marijuana. The FBI
says that he reported that he
did not take any illegal guns on
an Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms
form at the time of the firearm
purchase.
The FBI had been monitoring
Abu-Rayyan since May and
stated in an affidavit that he
was a supporter of the terrorist
group ISIS and has called for
violent attacks against a Detroit
church with 6,000 members and
against the police.
The FBI states that Abu-
Rayyan has been openly
supporting and promoting ISIS
since as early as November 2014.
-LYDIA MURRAY
NEWS BRIEFS
benefits as charity, but rather a
way to maximize the company’s
overall growth.
He cited that Jeffrey Immelt,
CEO of General Electric, as an
example of this attitude, saying
that one of Immelt’s core values is
treating his workers fairly, a virtue
that lends itself to the recent
growth of his company.
“Businesses are understanding
that there is indeed something to
be gained from what my mother
taught me, which is ‘It’s nice to be
important, but it’s important to be
nice,’ ” Perez said.
Perez also said empowering
workers is an essential part of how
competitive a business is, whether
that is done through labor unions
or other avenues.
Additionally,
he
suggested
companies provide for workers is
by implementing paid maternity
leave for women and increasing
diversity in the workforce.
“Diversity is key to our global
competitiveness,” Perez said.
Perez also touched on wages,
saying that during his tenure in
the White House Cabinet, Perez
said he has met many people who
work full-time jobs and yet cannot
provide for themselves and their
family. Perez emphasized that
there is still a long way to go until
the United States reaches full
economic prosperity.
“If you work a full-time job in
America, you shouldn’t have to
live in poverty, you shouldn’t have
to rely on food stamps to feed your
family,” Perez said. “We can do far
better.”
Public Policy senior Julie Sarne
who attended the event said
hought Perez’s message about
businesses providing for their
workers was especially important.
“I’m really interested in labor
issues and how we can encourage
businesses to grow and also help
U.S. workers at the same time,”
Sarne said.
During his lecture, Perez also
spoke about statewide issues with
economic prosperity, including
the Flint water crisis and the
resurgance
of
Detroit’s
auto
industry. Perez said the water
crisis in Flint was avoidable, and
occurred because the community
was neglected by the government.
“In this most prosperous nation
on the planet, zip codes should
never ever determine destiny,”
Perez said. “We can’t succeed in
Flint if people can’t even drink the
water.”
On a more positive note, Perez
said Ford, Chrysler and General
Motors havebounced back from
dire economic situations and are
experiencing profitability success
comparable to World War II.
“What I love about Michigan is
it’s a state of folks who understand
the importance of resilience,”
Perez said. “Every challenge
here is met with a remarkable
determination and resolve.”
After the event, Public Policy
senior Tommy Hoyt said he
enjoyed the chance to hear a
cabinet-ranking member of the
federal government speak.
“Perez is clearly a principle-
driven man who is leading with
a clear ideology of how he wants
labor to be done in this country,”
Hoyt said. “While he didn’t
dwell on too many specifics and
was often a cheerleader for the
(Obama) administration, it was
an overall worthwhile experience
and I’m glad I heard him speak.”
Throughout his entire lecture,
Perez spoke passionately about
how the United States as a whole
succeeds only when everyone has
the opportunity to succeed.
“The rising tide should indeed
lift all boats and not just the
yachts,” Perez said. “Everyone
who works hard in America ought
to get the chance to get ahead.”
LABOR
From Page 1
school.
Engineering
Prof.
Robert
Ziff, a SACUA member, said a
potential initiative would need
incentives and budgeting from
the University.
“There
have
been
some
institutional
problems
with
colleges because of overhead,”
Ziff said. “They don’t want to
share the overhead, they want to
keep it. I think this is something
that has to be broken down.”
Ecology and Evolutionary
Biology Prof. John Lehman,
a SACUA member, said he
agreed with Ziff, adding that he
thought the idea was beneficial
to the University.
“I think it’s great because
we’ve got to improve the public’s
perception
of
the
academy
and you’ve got to get them to
understand that education here
is not a private good,” Lehman
said.
As
well
as
increased
collaboration,
Schlissel
also
spoke
on
diversity,
saying
though the University has been
addressing low numbers, it also
needs to focus more on minority
students’ experiences.
“It has to be pushed by me
and it has to be enuciated as an
institutional value,” Schlissel said.
Schlissel noted he has been
meeting with student identity
groups
over
the
semester
and felt that their sentiments
toward diversity on campus
have been relatively consistent.
“They
don’t
experience
the campus in the same way
that the other students do,”
Schlissel said. “That’s one of
my responsibilities: to figure
out ways to work on our climate
and to take advantage of the
diversity that we’re going to
build, to develop a climate
where
we
can
talk
about
difficult things.”
SACUA also discussed an
upcoming faculty governance
conference,
SACUA
nominations and the language
for electing SACUA members.
In particular, they addressed
the terms of SACUA members
if they decide to take a leave of
absence.
The committee decided to
draft two alternate policies
for
the
latter
and
have
them reviewed by the Rules
Committee. The policies on
term-return will be voted on
at the next Senate Assembly
meeting on Feb. 22.
SACUA
From Page 1
HALEY MCLAUGHLIN/Daily
University President Mark Schlissel discusses his desire to establish long term communication between colleges in
the Fleming Building on Monday.
“Because I have all too often
encountered
other
people
trying to tell me who you are
or what they need to be.”
McKinney also emphasized
the negative impacts of self
doubt.
“We ask ourselves, ‘Who
am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented, fabulous?’ ” she said.
“Ask them, who are you not to
be? You are a child of God, and
your playing small does not
serve the world.”
Fox delivered the event’s
keynote
address,
focusing
on the process of success.
According to Fox, there are
three major steps a person
needs to take to be successful:
dream, declare and succeed.
Fox said during his remarks
that people must believe in
themselves and speak with
confidence in order to be
successful while they pursue
their aspirations.
“We can’t use small words
for big dreams,” Fox said. “It
doesn’t work.”
In an interview with The
Michigan Daily, Fox said his
keynote
connected
to
the
University’s Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. symposium’s theme
of “Who Will Be Next?” by
asking audience members who
they wanted to be, and how
they could achieve a nobler
purpose and positively impact
the world.
“When we say, ‘Who’s next?’
you’re next in the event, you’re
deciding this is what you want
to do with your life,” he said.
Fox
added
that
being
successful
begins
with
a
personal choice.
“Who will be the next
champion? Who will be the
next victim?” he asked. “It’s all
dependent on what you decide
for yourself.”
Jessica
Thompson,
the
program manager at Trotter
Multicultural Center, helped
organize the event. She said
Trotter wanted to provide
a platform for each speaker
to share stories about their
personal experiences.
“I’m always so saddened by
the reality that so many of our
faculty and staff don’t get that,
and I was hoping this would be
a start,” she said.
Thompson
added
that
Trotter’s lecture connects to
this year’s symposium theme
by telling audience members
they can be the next to lead to
create positive change in their
communities.
“By declaring, dreaming,
committing and succeeding
you are saying ‘I’m going to be
next — as a matter of fact, I am
right now,’ ” she said. “Let’s
not wait for next, let’s do it
right now.”
LSA
freshman
Alora
Fleenary, who attended the
event,
said
she
liked
the
“declaring” aspect of Fox’s
action plan the most.
“Decide what you want and
make it a reality,” she said.
“Use the words of affirmation
and speak it into being.”
After the event, LSA junior
Sirak Kurban said he had
learned how important it is to
be an individual.
“We’re all ourselves and we
all have a purpose in this life,”
he said. “With our purpose and
with our passion we’re really
able to make a difference in
TROTTER
From Page 1
been donating bottled water
and funds to support the
citizens of Flint, including
several groups on campus.
The Black Student Union
started a water drive in January
through a GoFundMe page.
LSA senior Christopher James,
BSU
mass
communication
chair, said BSU is working
directly
with
organizations
they know and people within
Flint to ensure the money they
raise goes to the right places.
“We’re working with places
directly within Flint, instead
of trying to go online,” he
said. “We are going to the
city, talking to people, making
phone calls to make sure
everything is legit before we
set foot and give money to any
organization.”
James said he was upset
that
people
would
try
to
take advantage of the plight
of Flint’s citizens, but not
surprised.
“Obviously, I’m upset about
it, but I can’t expect anything
less,” he said. “Bad things
happen every day, and it is what
it is. You just have to pray that
the good outweighs the bad.”
FLINT
From Page 1
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