Acclaimed 
author 
Peter 

Kornbluh, an Ann Arbor native, 
advocated for open negotiations 
between the U.S. and the Cuban 
government 
with 
several 

anecdotes about secret meetings 
and spies at Literati Bookstore 
Monday evening.

Kornbluh spoke to promote 

his new book, “Back Channel 
to Cuba: The Hidden History 
of 
Negotiations 
between 

Washington 
and 
Havana,” 

which 
he 
co-wrote 
with 

William LeoGrande, professor 
of government at the American 
University School of Public 
Affairs. 
The 
event 
had 
a 

question and answer format 
moderated by Jesse Hoffnung-
Garskof, associate professor of 
history and American culture at 
the University of Michigan.

The book explores events 

during former President Bill 
Clinton’s administration, the 
CIA’s attempt to recruit Fidel 
Castro as an informant and 
President 
Barack 
Obama’s 

appearance 
on 
a 
Cuban 

television show. It also discusses 
secret 
political 
associations 

throughout the Cold War and 
the American embargo on Cuba.

“We have to be able to say it 

is not heresy to negotiate with 
the Cubans; every president 
since Kennedy has done it. Even 
Henry Kissinger and Gerald 
Ford 
wanted 
to 
normalize 

relations with Cubans — why 
can’t I?” he said. “And that was 

the history we wanted to put 
into place, to create a foundation 
for that argument.”

Kornbluh has traveled to 

Cuba several times with his 
work and interviewed many 
high-level figures, including the 
divisive former Cuban President 
Fidel Castro. For his book, 
Kornbluh also worked with 
The National Security Archive 
to help declassify documents 
and interviewed government 

officials on the significance of 
the documents.

“This is the best way, I think, 

to not only get to the heart of 
these events, but also to bring 
people together around it,” 
Kornbluh said.

He joked that many people 

accused him of having insider 
knowledge that Obama was 
planning to normalize relations 
with Cuba, as his book was 
released only a few months 

prior to Obama’s July 2015 
announcement.

“Everybody thought we were 

prescient, that we had known 
all along but were keeping the 
secret,” he said. “I had two 
reactions — one: damn, this is 
a timely book, and two: damn, 
I’m going to have to go back and 
rewrite it now.”

Hoffnung-Garskof 
said 

he thought the event was 

Though nicotine’s addictive 

qualities are the most obvious 
reason for why people use 
vaporizers, a recent study at 
the 
University 
of 
Michigan 

found that for eighth, 10th and 
12th graders, the various flavor 
options are more enticing.

According to the U.S. Food and 

Drug Administration, vaporizers 
— or e-cigarettes — are battery-
powered 
devices 
generally 

designed to look like pens, 
often using a liquid containing 
nicotine in combination with a 
variety of flavors, glycerin and 
other ingredients to mimic a 
traditional smoking sensation.

Richard Miech, Institute for 

Social Research professor and 
lead author of the study, has 
previously 
conducted 
studies 

on adolescents and other drugs 
such as opioids. He said while the 
survey has traditionally asked 
students about gender and drugs, 
it now also asks about the role 
of government and the use of 50 
different substances. Questions 
about e-cigarettes, examining 
exactly which substances were 
being vaped, were added in 2013 

michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tuesday, September 13, 2016

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail 
news@michigandaily.com and let us know.

INDEX
Vol. CXXV, No. 133
©2016 The Michigan Daily

N E WS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

O PI N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

CL A SSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

S U D O K U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

On Monday, the University of 

Michigan released a new online 
tool for faculty and staff to report 
instances of sexual and gender-
based misconduct as defined 
under the University’s recent 
update to its sexual misconduct 
policy.

The University released a new 

version of its sexual assault policy 
on April 6, also renaming it “The 
University of Michigan Policy and 
Procedures on Student Sexual 
and Gender-Based Misconduct 
and Other Forms of Interpersonal 
Violence.” The new policy went 
into effect July 1. The updates 

revamped a 10-year-old document 
and included updates such as fine-
tuning the meaning of consent 
and streamlining sanctioning and 
appeals procedures.

The policy also holds most 

employees 
responsible 
for 

reporting known and suspected 
instances of sexual misconduct 
to the University to better comply 
with Title IX requirements.

Now, 
two 
months 
later, 

designated 
University-affiliated 

personnel will be able to log into 
an online platform to report 
misconduct 
in 
addition 
to 

receiving online training. Topics 
covered in the training include 
whether the requirement applies 

See TOOL, Page 3

MAZIE HYAMS/Daily

Correspondent Molly Ball speaks at the 31st Graham Hovey Lecture, titled “Election 2016: The Great Disruption of American Politics” at Wallace House Monday. 

While giving the 31st annual 

Graham Hovey Lecture, Molly 
Ball, political correspondent for 
The Atlantic, discussed the 2016 
election — with an emphasis on 
the breakdown of both of the major 

parties. Ball was a fellow at the 
Knight-Wallace House, a sponsor 
of the event, in the 2009-2010 
academic year.

The Knight-Wallace Fellowship 

is a program at the University of 
Michigan that welcomes mid-
career journalists to the University 
for a year to study a topic of their 

choice. When Ball was a fellow, 
she focused on the economic crisis 
following the 2008 downturn and 
was invited to speak by Wallace 
House Director Lynette Clemetson, 
who formerly worked for NPR and 
was a fellow alongside Ball.

Her lecture, titled “Election 

2016: The Great Disruption of 

American Politics,” explored the 
ways in which this election has 
been unprecedented on both sides 
of the political sphere and will 
continue to influence the nature of 
national elections long after Nov. 8.

“Every 
presidential 
election 

is a remarkable event; anything 

See VAPING, Page 3

AVA RANDA/Daily

Peter Kornbluh discussing his book, ‘Back to Channel Cuba’ at Literati Bookstore on Monday.

MCity internship 

opportunities 

expand

Startups partner with 
driverless car facility

» Page 3

michigandaily.com

For more stories and coverage, visit

Three West Coast startups 

recently 
announced 
their 

partnership with Mcity, a 32-acre 
site on North Campus created 
to test and improve technology 
for autonomous vehicles. The 
companies — PolySync, Zendrive 
and Civil Maps — will work 
on 
technologies 
including 

augmented reality, 3-D mapping 
and smartphone sensors.

The partnerships are part 

of 
an 
effort 
launched 
last 

February 
by 
the 
University 

of 
Michigan 
Mobility 

Transformation Center and the 
Center 
for 
Entrepreneurship 

TechLab. TechLab encourages 
collaboration among UM faculty, 
students and startups to improve 
autonomous vehicle technology.

MTC Deputy Director Carrie 

Morton, who helps to identify 
companies that could benefit from 
utilizing Mcity, said there was 
high demand from companies 
interested in joining TechLab.

“We have had a lot of interest 

in TechLab,” Morton said. “The 
team and I work (to) find startups 
that are emerging with positive 

See MCITY, Page 3

See CUBA, Page 3

See PARTIES, Page 3

Tool aims to 
aid ‘U’ faculty 
in reporting 
sexual assault

Journalist discusses impact of 
2016 election on political parties

ADMINISTRATION

Tutorial is designed to clarify 
mandatory employee responsibilities 

ISHI MORI

Daily Staff Reporter

Molly Ball, reporter for The Atlantic, discusses polarization among GOP, Dems

EMMA KINERY
Daily News Editor

Study says 
teens vape 
for flavor, 
not nicotine

RESEARCH

UM research finds 
drug not main reason 
for e-cig use

ALEXA ST. JOHN
Daily Staff Reporter

Acclaimed author promotes open 
negotiations between U.S. and Cuba

Peter Kornbluh talks interviews with Fidel Castro, other notable figures

EMILY MIILER
Daily Staff Reporter

Startups 
come to A2 

for MCity 
research

TECHNOLOGY

Silicon Valley companies 
to aid driverless car 
testing at University

MADELEINE GERSON

Daily Staff Reporter

