michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
INDEX
Vol. CXXV, No. 109
©2016 The Michigan Daily
michigandaily.com
NEWS......................... 2A
OPINION.....................4A
SPORTS ......................7A
SUDOKU..................... 2A
A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 A
S T A T E M E N T . . . . . . . . . 1 B
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CSG assembly members sworn in Wednesday
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WEATHER
TOMORROW
HI: 56
LO: 32
Three-percent
increase expected
due to higher cost of
living, ‘U’ says
By BRANDON SUMMERS-
MILLER
Daily Staff Reporter
The
Residential
Halls
Association announced Tuesday
that student housing fees at the
University
of
Michigan
will
increase by 3 percent next year.
The
average
on
campus
residence hall will cost about
$10,870,
according
to
the
University. Housing costs for the
2015-2016 school year averaged
$10,554. The increase is one
percent more than the average
University housing rate increase
each year, which has been 2
percent every year since 2003.
RHA hosted a presentation
Tuesday for students to discuss
their approval of the increased
housing
fees,
noting
that
housing fees pay for a variety
of essentials but also help fund
dorm renovations, as part of the
Residential Life Initiatives.
According
to
presenters,
compared to other Big Ten schools’
housing fees the University ranked
sixth most expensive both this past
year and for the projected future.
Ohio State University, Rutgers
University
and
Northwestern
University
each
had
more
expensive housing fees than the
University, with Northwestern’s
projected housing rate topping
out at $15,412 for the 2016-2017
academic year.
RHA adviser Beth Radecki, who
is also South Quad Residence Hall’s
Director, said she attended the
discussion because she wanted to
see the results of the organization’s
work on behalf of the students they
represent.
“Housing rates typically don’t
stay the same from year to year,”
Radecki said. “I think they did a
great job explaining where we fall
within the different institutions
and
also
talking
about
the
reasoning, how we ended up there,
too.”
During fireside
chat, students raise
concerns with
resources on campus
By LUCAS MAIMAN
Daily Staff Reporter
A new mental health clinic
at the University of Michigan
may be in the works, University
of Michigan President Mark
Schlissel told students at a
fireside chat on Tuesday.
“We are working on ways to
potentially open up a mental
health clinic for students with
very
serious
psychological
and
psychiatric
disorders
that would be within walking
distance of the campus and
that would be able to provide
ongoing medical, psychological
and
psychiatric
support,”
Schlissel said.
Schlissel’s
remarks
come
in light of several speak outs,
most
recently
on
Monday,
aimed at addressing issues
of mental health on campus.
The University also hosted
a
Twitter
chat
on
Friday
featuring Depression Center
Director John Greden and
other University officials to
discuss
mental
health
and
sexual misconduct.
Improving
Counseling
and
Psychological
Services
and
overall
mental
health
at the University dominated
conversation
during
the
fireside chat, which also was
also attended by E. Royster
Harper, Vice President for
Student Life.
Students present at the chat
expressed multiple concerns
about the availability of mental
health services on campus. LSA
senior Marlee Beckering said
there is a lack of accessibility
See FIRESIDE, Page 3A
See HOUSING, Page 2A
Charlton talks
tenure while
Schafer looks to
body’s future
By TIM COHN
Daily Staff Reporter
Tuesday, newMICH members
LSA juniors David Schafer and
Micah Griggs were sworn in as
president and vice president of
Central Student Government,
marking the end of LSA senior
Cooper Charlton’s and LSA
junior Steven Halperin’s terms
in office.
The Make Michigan party
ticket was elected in late March
2015 by a margin of only five
votes, defeating The Team’s
ticket of then-LSA junior Will
Royster and LSA sophomore
Matt Fidel.
The party ran on a campaign
platform that included a number
of initiatives to improve campus
safety,
such
as
introducing
new
safety-focused
mobile
applications and installing more
off-campus
street
lighting.
Additionally, Make Michigan
advocated increasing diversity
on campus by revamping the
course certification process for
Race & Ethnicity requirements,
improving
diversity
and
inclusion
training
and
connecting admissions offers
with financial aid packages, as
well as implementing a school-
wide honor code.
Throughout Charlton’s tenure
as CSG president, some of these
goals were challenged by the
University administration and,
in the case of the street lighting,
the city of Ann Arbor.
In
an
April
interview,
Charlton said the goals often had
to be redefined to address issues
of relevance to the student body.
Ultimately,
many
of
the
CSG resolutions and actions
implemented
throughout
the
year were in areas not heavily
emphasized by the Charlton
and
Halperin
ticket
during
their campaign. Over the past
year, CSG pushed for policies
like renewed student access to
course evaluation data, early
See CSG, Page 3A
Students advocate
for devices to aid in
suspect descriptions,
campus safety
By IRENE PARK
Daily Staff Reporter
Five University of Michigan
students have started a petition
to install cameras on the existing
emergency blue light phones
located throughout campus. As
of Tuesday, 233 students have
signed the petition.
The petition was created on
March 14, but was not heavily
promoted until April 4, after the
five students had a meeting with
the Division of Public Safety
and Security Associate Director
Declan
Lugin
and
police
sergeant Gary Hicks to present
and discuss their proposal.
In the current blue light phone
system, DPSS Communications
Center is alerted if a call is made.
An officer is sent to the location
of the telephone when the
See PETITION, Page 3A
Jack Hu, VP for
research, highlights
importance of
undergrad projects
By LYDIA MURRAY
Daily Staff Reporter
Faculty mentors were given
awards and several students
presented
their
various
research projects at the Honors
Undergraduate
Research
Opportunity Program Mentor
Awards and Top Oral Abstracts
presentation to an audience of
nearly 30 students, faculty and
staff Tuesday.
In past years the Honors
UROP presentation has been
incorporated into the UROP
symposium, which will take
place next Tuesday. This year, it
was separated because of an issue
with space inside the Michigan
Union, where the symposium is
slated to take place.
Vice President of Research
Jack Hu told attendee that when
he talks with alumni from across
the globe, they often cite the
incredible opportunities they
had through UROP.
“When
graduates
from
Michigan come and talk with
me, they don’t usually come
and talk about football or coach
Harbaugh,”
he
said.
“One
ELIZABETH XIONG/Daily
LSA sophomore Victoria Rai presents her research on the transcription of RNA at the Honors UROP Symposium in Palmer
Commons Tuesday.
See UROP, Page 3A
ELIZABETH XIONG/Daily
University President Mark Schlissel speaks with students at the fireside chat in the Michigan Union Tuesday.
A look at the people and events that
made the academic year memorable
» INSIDE
the statement
CAMPUS LIFE
Mental health dominates
discussion with Schlissel
‘U’ housing
rate change
larger than
prior years
CSG reflects
on successes,
failures of year
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Group calls
for cameras
on blue light
telephones
CRIME
Ceremony honors faculty,
student research projects