Fifth annual 
ceremony gives 

array of awards to 
groups, individuals

By ISHI MORI

For the Daily

About 
100 
University 
of 

Michigan students, faculty and 
staff celebrated the fifth annual 

Michigan Difference Student 
Leadership Awards Thursday 
night at the Michigan Union’s 
Rogel Ballroom.

Hosted by the University’s 

division of Student Life, the 
event recognized individual 
students as well as student 
organizations 
that 
have 

made a positive difference on 
campus and in surrounding 
communities. Nominees were 
selected from a pool of online 
applications submitted both 

by 
prospective 
nominees 

and 
recommendations 
from 

students.

Steve 
Bodei, 
assistant 

director of student development 
and experiential learning, said 
earlier iterations of the awards 
ceremony 
have 
been 
more 

academically-oriented, which 
attendees found discouraging.

“Originally, 
the 
award 

ceremony was drier, academic 
… it was during (the) day and 
no one really came,” Bodei said. 

“We really tried to spice it up 
and put a lot of life into it.”

He said the event committee 

within Student Life remodeled 
the event to recognize students 
across campus and disciplines 
they 
believe 
are 
doing 

remarkable work.

Awards 
in 
multiple 

categories were given out this 
year, including Cross Cultural 
Programming, Excellence in 
Philanthropy and Outstanding 

Benefits Office says 
economic inflation, 

FDA regulations 
played role in hike

By ALEXA ST. JOHN

Daily Staff Reporter

Due to rising prices and the 

increased availability and use 
of specialty drugs, the cost of 
the 
University 
of 
Michigan’s 

prescription 
plan 
through 

the University Benefits Office 
increased significantly in 2015.

Specialty drugs are defined 

as 
high-cost 
drugs 
used 
in 

cases 
requiring 
specialized 

medications, such as rheumatoid 
arthritis, multiple sclerosis and 
oncology.

The prescription plan itself 

cost $121.6 million in 2015 — a 
15.8-percent increase since 2014. 
The total cost on a per-member 
per-month 
basis 
would 
be 

13.4-percent increase, ultimately 
making the cost of the plan $15 
million more than 2014.

Rich Holcomb, senior director 

Group asks 

audience about 
trust in state 
government 

By CALEB CHADWELL

Daily Staff Reporter

The Center for Michigan held 

a polling event in Ann Arbor 
Wednesday, during which 68 
percent of attendees said their 

trust in Michigan’s government is 
“low” or “very low.”

The event, held at the Ford 

School of Public Policy and 
attended 
by 
25 
community 

members, 
aimed 
to 
gather 

research on public trust in state 
government. 
Polling 
topics 

included 
the 
government’s 

ability to protect public health, 
provide services for low-income 
families and foster economic 
growth, as well as the fairness of 
the emergency manager system 
and term limits in the Michigan 

legislature. The group plans to 
publish their findings with the 
aim of affecting policy change in 
Michigan. 

The center is a non-profit 

organization that gathers data to 
gauge how residents feel about 
state-wide issues. During the 
event, each of the 25 people in 
attendance was given a clicker to 
respond to a variety of questions 
regarding their level of trust in 
the state government.

Public Policy Prof. Elisabeth 

Bipolar disorder 
and solutions to it 
focus of movie and 

discussion 

By NISA KHAN

Daily Staff Reporter

The 
University 
of 

Michigan’s 
Depression 

Center aired an early showing 
of 
the 
PBS 
documentary 

“Ride the Tiger: A Guide 
Through the Bipolar Brain” 
Wednesday 
along 
with 
a 

panel discussion featuring 
researchers, activists and Ed 
Moore, the film’s producer 
and director.

The 
film 
features 

prominent 
figures 
living 

with bipolar disorder such 
as Academy Award-winning 
actress 
Patty 
Duke, 
who 

passed away Tuesday. Melvin 
McInnis, research director 
for the Heinz C. Prechter 
Bipolar Research Fund at 
the 
University, 
made 
an 

appearance both in the film 

and as the panel’s moderator. 
He 
discussed 
hisresearch, 

which compares the brain 
matter of those with bipolar 
disorder to those without, by 
working with stem cells.

Moore 
said 
the 
film’s 

initial focus was on bipolar 
entrepreneurs 
who, 
in 

anticipation 
of 
a 
heavy 

workload 
and 
need 
for 

professionalism, 
stopped 

taking their medication. This 
is known as “riding the tiger,” 
which Moore said is similar 
to a Chinese proverb about 
a fear of facing reality, and 
can result in patients’ driving 
themselves into hypomania, 
a persistent state of mood 
elevation.

The 
panel 
discussion, 

which 
featured 
people 

from the documentary, was 
livestreamedon 
the 
PBS 

website, following the film 
screening.

Moore said he was informed 

early on by one of the film’s 
advisers that the goal of the 
documentary should be to 
spread knowledge about the 

Messages like “Stop 

Islam” on Diag 

draw student calls 

for action

By ALEXA ST. JOHN

Daily Staff Reporter

Several 
political 
and 

religious statements chalked on 
the Diag this week, including 
“Stop Islam,” “Trump 2016” 
and “Build the Wall,” prompted 
students to call University of 
Michigan 
police 
Wednesday 

and group together to wash the 
chalkings off.

Though the phrases were 

written 
in 
chalk, 
students 

gathered 
on 
the 
Diag 

Wednesday 
afternoon 
said 

they thought the effects of 
them were more permanent on 
campus climate.

Rackham 
student 
Banen 

Al-Sheemary said she and fellow 
students who encountered the 
writing and gathered in the 
Diag found the sayings hurtful 

and disturbing. 

“This is so reflective of 

our student campus and the 
depths 
of 
racism 
and 
the 

things that students of color 
have to endure and that the 
administration is continuously 
silent on,” Al-Sheemary said. 
“This is just another example. 
This is happening year after 
year and we’ve been telling the 
administration the same things 
over and over again.”

Al-Sheemary 
said 
she 

and other students had been 
attempting 
to 
contact 
the 

University’s Division of Public 
Safety and Security as well as 
the University’s administration 
regarding the writing since 
Wednesday morning without 
much response.

“I’ve been getting bounced 

around from one person to 
another, and I understand it’s 
after hours, but there should be 
some kind of emergency number 
besides the police because a lot 
of students of color don’t feel 
comfortable calling the police,” 
Al-Sheemary said. “They’re our 

michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Thursday, March 31, 2016

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

INDEX
Vol. CXXV No. 100
©2016 The Michigan Daily
michigandaily.com

NEWS......................... 2A

OPINION.....................4A

CL A SSIFIEDS .............. 5A

SUDOKU..................... 2A

S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 A

B - S I D E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 B

NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM
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See CHALK, Page 2A
See AWARDS, Page 2A

See PANEL, Page 2A
See FORD, Page 3A
See DRUGS, Page 3A

SINDUJA KILARU/Daily

Dwayne Barnes, Center for Michigan outreach coordinator, speaks at the Ford School of Public Policy Wednesday. 

MARINA ROSS/Daily

LSA junior David Schafer presents an award to LSA freshman Linday Lore at the Michigan Difference Student Leadership Awards at Rogel Ballroom in the 
Michigan Union Wednesday.

Then and now: your complete guide 
to shopping and dining in style

» INSIDE

the statement

The B-Side celebrates April Fool’s a day early by 
envisioning a University fight club.

» INSIDE

The (April Fool’s) B-Side

Police called 
in response 
to anti-Islam 
 
 

Diag chalk

Michigan Difference event 
recognizes student leaders

Nonpartisan polling center 
gauges opinions of residents

Documentary 
film panel talks 
mental health

U’ plan for 
prescription 
 
 

drugs jumps 
 

in total cost

CAMPUS LIFE

HEALTH
SCIENCE

