by the wayside in past years, 
the 
current 
assembly’s 
two 

committees have put a particular 
emphasis on obtaining this data 
again. 

However, the push to release 

the data has sparked concerns 
on campus, namely from faculty, 
over potential biases and impact 
on tenure. In October, the 
Faculty Senate voted to delay the 
public access of the numerical 
evaluation data. 

In response to the concerns, 

CSG exceutives pointed to a 
report released by the University 
of Michigan Learning Analytics 
Task Force, created in 2013 by 
former Provost Phil Hanlon at 
request of the Senate Advisory 
Committee 
on 
University 

Affairs. According to the report, 
there is virtually no correlation 
between 
student 
grades 
and 

perceived workload and biases 
based on gender, race, ethnicity 

or citizenship status in regard to 
course evaluations. Chaired by 
Physics Prof. Tim McKay, director 
of the LSA Honors Program, the 
task force was operated for three 
years and consisted of faculty 
members from several schools 
and colleges.

Certain other parameters have 

also been put in place regarding 
the effects of the data release for 
the instructors. Pitt said first-
year instructors will not have 
their evaluation data released 
publically.

Sarkar and Pitt said their 

committees are the result of a 
three-way partnership between 
the CSG Executive Committee, 
University 
Provost 
Martha 

Pollock and the Faculty Senate.

“As Cooper and the rest of 

the Executive Committee have 
promised, students will now have 
access to previously unavailable 
information to improve their 
course 
selection 
process, 

including evaluation data, by 
backpacking for the fall of 2016,” 
Sarkar and Pitt wrote in a joint 

e-mail.

Pitt also noted that along with 

the course evaluation data, the 
University is working on another 
tool to aid in course selection. The 
Academic Reporting Toolkit 2.0 
is a website that aims to be a one-
stop shop for the course selection 
process. Pitt said the tool will 
contain information about not 
only the professors who taught 
the course and when, but also 
the students who had previously 
taken it — including their majors 
and grades of an average student.

Pitt 
said 
CSG 
executive 

committee’s push for the release 
of course evaluations stems from 
recognizing the high cost of 
University courses and wanting 
students to be supplied with as 
much information as possible 
when selecting their courses.

“Students 
are 
paying 

thousands of dollars for each and 
every course that they take here,” 
Pitt wrote. “Most are taking out 
major student loans and many 
are working between classes just 
to be here. When we recognized 

how little reliable information 
there was to help students select 
the courses that they spend so 
much time and so many resources 
on, we knew we had to make a 
change.”

Pitt said during a CSG meeting 

last 
semester 
that 
releasing 

course evaluation data will allow 
students to form expectations 
of courses without resorting 
to third-party sources like the 
website 
RateMyProfessors.com. 

In a later interview, he noted 
that as an out-of-state student, he 
and many others have particular 
interest 
in 
accurate 
course 

information.

“Each course I take here costs 

thousands of dollars and I’m 
spending so much time and energy 
to be able to be a student here 
and it’s important that I can take 
courses that actually contribute 
to my growth and education,” Pitt 
said. “I only have two sentences 
to look at on the course selection 
website, that doesn’t really give 
me a basis from which to make a 
decision.”

7

2

8

6
8

3

1

6

4
9

5
7

2
7

4
6

9
1

5
6

2

2

7

9
4

3

5

2

HBD TO TWO AMAZING FRIENDS, 
CLAIRE ULAK & CLAIRE ERWIN.
puzzle by sudokusyndication.com

Group hopes to 
provide better 

services for traveling 

students

By MEGAN DOYLE

Daily Staff Reporter

On Sunday night, the Central 

Student 
Government 
Detroit 

Congress held a sparsely attended 
monthly meeting in the Michigan 
Union.

The 
Detroit 
Congress, 

sponsored by the Commission 
on Detroit Engagement, aims to 
bring together various student 
organizations and initiatives that 
work in and with the city of Detroit 
to collaborate and discuss Ann 
Arbor’s connection to the Motor 
City.

CSG 
members 
noted 
that 

attendance was down due to 
sickness, as noroviruscontinues 
to be present on campus. Three 
student 
organizations 
were 

represented at Sunday’s meeting: 
Detroit 
Revitalization 
and 

Business Initiative, Detroit Urban 

Debate Education and Trotter 
Multicultural Center organizers.

The 
meeting 
was 
chaired 

jointly by LSA sophomore Dylan 
Bennett and LSA junior Rohin 
Patel, co-chairs of the Detroit 
Congress. Despite the low turnout, 
Bennett said there are several 
other student organizations who 
have attended previous Detroit 
Congress 
meetings, 
including 

Detroit Partnership, JDs in the D 
and Seven Mile Music.

Two of the three organizations 

were new to the Detroit Congress, 
according to Patel who said he 
believes the lack of attendance 
overall did not keep them from 
having a productive conversation.

Sunday’s 
meeting 
focused 

primarily 
on 
the 
issue 
of 

transportation 
difficulties 
for 

students traveling between Ann 
Arbor and Detroit.

Several representatives voiced 

concern that their organizations do 
not have the resources to transport 
people to and from Detroit.

Students who want to get 

involved in Detroit are often 
asked to drive their own cars to 
downtown 
Detroit, 
attendees 

said. They may also be asked 
to pay for taxi cabs or Zipcars. 
The organizations often have 
the funding to reimburse their 
members for their travel expenses, 
but this places a financial burden on 
those members to pay money out of 
pocket before being reimbursed.

Currently, 
the 
University 

runs the Detroit Connector, a 
bus system that takes students 
from the Central Campus Transit 
Center to three different locations 
in downtown Detroit which runs 
four days a week.

However, LSA junior Alexis 

Lowe, the representative from 
Trotter 
Multicultural 
Center, 

pointed out that because the 
Connector requires an Mcard, 

Detroit residents cannot utilize the 
transit system to get to Ann Arbor.

“Because we hold cultural 

events at Trotter, I think it’d be 
really beneficial for Detroiters to 
come up here for that,” Lowe said.

Lowe added that this would fill 

the Connector during hours when 
it is less-used by University of 
Michigan students. She suggested 
implementing a small fee for use by 

2A — Monday, February 22, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

THREE THINGS YOU 
SHOULD KNOW TODAY

The 
Michigan 

women’s swimming 
team won the Big 

Ten Championship for the 
first time since 2004.

>> SEE SPORTS ON 1B 

2

CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES

Film screening

WHAT: Prof. Teresa 
Satterfield will host a 
screening and discussion of 
the film “The New Latinos.”
WHO: Latina/o Studies 
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 
p.m.
WHERE: Ann Arbor 
Downtown District Library, 
Multi-Purpose Room

Lecture on the 
War on Terror

WHAT: Professor Amira 
Jarmakani will host a lecture 
on the representation of 
Arabs and desert romances 
in Western popular culture. 
She will discuss this in the 
context of U.S. imperialism.
WHO: Arab and Muslim 
American Studies
WHEN: 11:30a.m. to 1 p.m. 
WHERE: Angell 
Hall, room 3222

Former Florida Gov. Jeb 
Bush 
(R) 
announced 

Saturday that he will 
drop out of the race for 

the GOP’s nomination after a 
flagging campaign, the BBC 
reported. He came in fourth 
in Saturday’s South Carolina 
primary.

1

Diversity 
town hall

WHAT: The UM Library 
will hold a town hall to 
discuss how it can promote 
inclusion, diversity, equity 
and accessibility to the UM 
community. 
WHO: University Library
WHEN: 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
WHERE: Hatcher Graduate 
Library, Gallery (room 100)

Bomb blasts in the 
Syrian 
cities 
of 

Homs and Damascus 
Sundy 
have 
killed 

more than 100 people, 
the 
BBC 
reported. 

The Islamic State has 
claimed 
responsibility 

for both attacks, which 
targeted areas populated 
by Alawite and Shias. 

3

Workout class

WHAT: Rec Sports will 
organize a class that 
combines zumba, yoga 
and strength workouts, in 
support of National Eating 
Disorders Awareness Week. 
WHO: Department of 
Recreational Sports 
(Rec Sports) 
WHEN: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
WHERE: Central 
Campus Recreation 
Building, room 2275

Art show

WHAT: Students, faculty 
and staff of North Campus 
will present their art and 
poetry in this annual 
showcase. Some works 
will be published in the 
Blueprint Magazine.
WHO: Maize Pages 
Student Organizations
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 11:59 
p.m.
WHERE: Duderstadt 
Gallery

Biotrash talk

WHAT: Prof. Sarah 
Hodges will host a lecture 
on the contemporary 
history of health care and 
the afterlives of medical 
garbage in Chennai, one of 
the newest health hubs in 
India. 
WHO: Center for South 
Asian Studies
 WHEN: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. 
WHERE: Tisch Hall, room 
1029

Stress 
workshop

WHAT: This workshop will 
examine the cognitive and 
emotional aspects of stress 
and worry, and prescribe 
evidence-based methods 
for general wellness.
WHO: Mary A. 
Rackham Institute
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. 
WHERE: Rackham Graduate 
School,Earl Lewis Room

ON THE DAILY

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Toledo resident Liu Hua leads protests on the Diag on Saturday 
to protest the manslaughter conviction of Peter Liang, a former 
NYPD officer who fatally shot Akai Gurley, a Black man, in 
Brooklyn in 2014. Rallies in support of Liang occurred across the 
country on Saturday. His supporters say that he has been made 
a scapegoat for police brutality while other, often white, police 
officers with similar cases have not been convicted.

Swiping right on 

that potential suitor is 
becoming more common 
among American adults, 
according to a new Pew 
Research Center survey.

The national survey 

of over two thousand 
adults found about 15% of 
American adults report 
using online and/or mobile 
dating sites, compared to 
11% in early 2013.

A large part of this 

spike in online dating is 
connected to the increase 
in dating apps like Tinder, 
Bumble, Grindr and 
Zoosk, especially with 
high smartphone use 
among young people.

This overall 

increase is particularly 
distinguishable in two 
age groups: 18- to 24- year 
olds and 55- to 64- year 
olds.

In early 2013, only 

about 10% of the first age 
group reported having 
used online dating; today, 
the number has nearly 
tripled to 27%.

The number of users is 

growing across the range 
of American adults. The 
proportion of 55- to 64 
year olds who use online 
dating has doubled from 
6% in 2013 to 12% in 2015.

The study also looked 

into whether the outcome 
of online dating sites is 
the stereotypical one-
night-stand or if they truly 
create relationships. 29% 
of respondents reported 
they know someone 
who has married or 
entered into a long-term 
partnership with someone 
they met via online dating.

The survey also said 

college graduates and 
users from middle-to-
high-income populations 

are more likely to 
know people who have 
entered into a long-term 
relationship that began 
online. Nearly half of 
the college graduates 
know someone who has 
entered into a long-term 
partnership or marriage 
with someone they met via 
online dating.

Data also showed 

digital dating has received 
mostly positive reviews; 
a majority of users agree 
that it is advantageous 
over other ways of meeting 
potential partners. 

80% said that online 

dating is a good way to 
meet people; more than 
60% say that it allows 
people to find a better 
match and is much more 
efficient and easier than 
other means.

-DESIREE CHEW

Juried Art 
Competition 
reception

WHAT: The winners 
of the Juried Art 
Competition will 
receive their awards and 
showcase their work. 
WHO: Center for 
Campus Involvement
WHEN: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
WHERE: Michigan 
League, Hussey Room

DELANEY RYAN/Dailly

Central Student Government president Cooper Charlton presents recent CSG initiatives at the University’s Board of 
Regents meeting in the Michigan Union on November 19, 2015. (Delaney Ryan / DA)

CSG Detroit Congress looks at 
transportation between cities

EVALUATIONS
From Page 1A

420 Maynard St.

Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327

www.michigandaily.com

ROSE FILIPP
Business Manager

734-418-4115 ext. 1241

rfilipp@michigandaily.com

Newsroom

734-418-4115 opt. 3 

Corrections

corrections@michigandaily.com

Arts Section

arts@michigandaily.com

Sports Section

sports@michigandaily.com

Display Sales

dailydisplay@gmail.com

News Tips

news@michigandaily.com

Letters to the Editor

tothedaily@michigandaily.com

Editorial Page

opinion@michigandaily.com 

Photography Section

photo@michigandaily.com

Classified Sales

classified@michigandaily.com

SHOHAM GEVA

Editor in Chief

734-418-4115 ext. 1251

sageva@michigandaily.com

EDITORIAL STAFF
Laura Schinagle Managing Editor schlaura@michigandaily.com

Emma Kerr Managing News Editor emkerr@michigandaily.com

SENIOR NEWS EDITORS: Allana Akhtar, Alyssa Brandon, Jacqeline Charniga, Katie Penrod, 
Emma Kinery

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS: Riyah Basha, Marlee Breakstone, Desiree Chew, Anna 
Haritos, Tanya Madhani, Camy Metwally, Lydia Murray, Caitlin Reedy, Alexa St. John. 
Brandon Summers-Miller

Claire Bryan and 
Regan Detwiler Editorial Page Editors opinioneditors@michigandaily.com 

SENIOR OPINION EDITORS: Jeremy Kaplan, Ben Keller, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Jason Rowland, 
Stephanie Trierweiler

Max Bultman and
Jake Lourim Managing Sports Editors 
 sportseditors@michigandaily.com

SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS: Minh Doan, Jacob Gase, Kelly Hall, Simon Kaufman, Jason 
Rubinstein, Zach Shaw, Brad Whipple
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS: Betelhem Ashame, Chris Crowder, Sylvanna Gross, Leland 
Mitchinson, Ted Janes, Kevin Santo, 

Kathleen Davis and 
 
 arts@michigandaily.com

Adam Theisen Managing Arts Editors 
SENIOR ARTS EDITORS: Caroline Filips, Melina Glusac, Jacob Rich, Ben Rosenstock 
ARTS BEAT EDITORS: Matthew Barnauskas, Christian 
Kennedy, Rebecca Lerner, Natalie Zak

Amanda Allen and 
 
 photo@michigandaily.com 

Grant Hardy Managing Photo Editors 

SENIOR PHOTO EDITORS: Zoey Holmstrom, Zach Moore, James Coller
ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS: Claire Abdo, Robery Dunne, 
Sam Mousigian, San Pham, David Song

Anjali Alangaden and 
 
 design@michigandaily.com 

Mariah Gardziola Managing Design Editors 

Karl Williams Statement Editor statement@michigandaily.com 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

DEPUTY STATEMENT EDITORS: Nabeel Chollampat and Tori Noble
STATEMENT PHOTO EDITOR: Zoey Holmstrom
STATEMENT LEAD DESIGNER: Shane Achenbach

Emily Campbell and 
 
 copydesk@michigandaily.com

Alexis Nowicki Managing Copy Editors 

SENIOR COPY EDITORS: Taylor Grandinetti and Jose Rosales
Nivedita Karki Managing Online Editor nivkarki@michigandaily.com

SENIOR WEB DEVELOPERS: Dylan Lawton and Bob Lesser

Levin Kim Managing Video Editor

SENIOR VIDEO EDITORS: Michael Kessler, Abe Lofy, Emma Winowiecki

Demario Longmire, Gaby Vasquez, Ryan Moody, 
Sarah Khan Michigan in Color Editors 
Michael Schramm Special Projects Manager
Emma Sutherland Social Media Editor
BUSINESS STAFF
Hussein Hakim Finance and Operations Manager 
Claire Ulak Production Manager
Jordan Yob Marketing Manager
Matt Pfenning UAccounts Manager
Asja Kepes Local Accounts Manager
Chris Wang Classifieds Manager
Colin Cheesman National Accounts Manager
Anna He Special Guides and Online Manager
Claire Butz Layout Manager

The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by 

students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may 

be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $110. 

Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. University affiliates 

are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must 

be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.

DIAG PROTEST

See DETROIT, Page 3A

News

