Last Thursday, the Michigan Court of Claims ruled that residents of Flint may sue the state government for damages relating to the Flint water crisis. The crisis began in April 2014, when the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality switched the city’s water source from Lake Huron — which also services Detroit — to the Flint River. Because the Flint River water was more corrosive, lead from the popes leached into the water, exposing residents to poisioning. Residents initally filed a suit on January 21 against Gov. Rick Snyder (R) Michigan’s departments of Environmental Quality and Health and Human Services as well as two former Flint emergency managers. In it, the residents stated the parties knew about the crisis for months before taking action. In the decision written by Judge Mark T. Boonstra, the court dismissed two constitutional challenges brought forth against the state. These charges were in regards to the definition of a “state-created danger” and “fair and just treatment.” However, Boonstra upheld two other legal challenges. One was in regard to the denial of the right to due process clause of the U.S. Constitution, and the other was about the state’s role in the direct cause of personal injury. These challenges that were upheld empower Flint residents to sue the state government. The court also made important jurisdictional distinctions regarding the Emergency Management Law. This law, which empowers Michigan’s governor to appoint an emergency manager to handle the financial recovery of a city, was applied by Snyder in Flint when he appointed Darnell Earley and Jerry Ambrose as emergency managers in 2013 and 2015. Boonstra noted that because Earley and Ambrose were appointed by the state to oversee the management of Flint prior to the Flint water crisis, Earley was acting as a state official and not a municipal authority. This, according to Boonstra, made the state open to restorative litigation. Tweets Follow @michigandaily Michigan Students @UMichStudents Today is hump day, tomorrow is Friday, then comes Friday part 2, then it’s GAME DAY Big Ten Network @BigTenNetwork The #BTNTailgate truck has arrived at the Big House. We’ll be LIVE from Ferry Field SATURDAY at 10:30 AM ET. University of Michigan @UMich Explore the Arb as it enters its second century and find one of the richest landscapes in the region. Michigan Swim & Dive @umichswimdive It’s November 1. It’s 70 degrees in Ann Arbor. #GoBlue CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES Latinos and the 2016 Election WHAT: This forum will explore the political mobilization of the Latino community and community engagement in the political process and the presidential debates. WHO: Latino/a Studies WHEN: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: North Quad 2435 Study Abroad First Step session WHAT: This presentation will inform students on how to begin the study abroad process and give them the tools and places to use for assistance in this process. WHO: Center for Global and Intercultural Studies WHEN: 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. WHERE: Angell Hall G155 Failure: Lab WHAT: The Failure: Lab showcases the unknown failures of successful people and explains how they responded to these failures and became the people they are today. WHO: Michigan Union Ticket Office WHEN: 5:30 p.m. WHERE: University of Michigan Museum of Art, Apse Open Swing Dancing WHAT: Mswing is offering free lessons on swing dancing as well as giving attendees the opportunity to meet new people. WHO: Maize Pages Student Organizations WHEN: 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. WHERE: Michigan League, Koessler room Old Time Piano WHAT: Jerry Perrine is performing music centered around classic American piano styles of jazz, ragtime and early gospel music. WHO: Gifts of Art WHEN: 12:10 p.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: University Hopsitals, Main Lobby, floor 1 Economic Development WHAT: This lecture will focus on the gender wage gap and worker mobility based on a variety of research projects and data points concerining the eocnomic differences between men and women. WHO: Economics Department WHEN: 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. WHERE: Weill Hall 3240 Medical School Preparation WHAT: This Q&A session is for students interested in applying to medical school and need tips for their applications. WHO: University Career Center WHEN: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. WHERE: University Career Center Office, 3200 Students Activites Building The Inner Workings of the Supreme Court WHAT: Evan Caminker will be giving a lecture on the least transparent branch of the federal government. WHO: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute WHEN: 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. WHERE: Rave Theater, 4100 Carpenter Road 2A — Thursday, October 3, 2016 News The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com BRIEF: FLINT RESIDENTS CAN NOW SUE STATE GOVERNMENT EMMA RICHTER/Daily Robert Biedrón, LGBTQ activist and mayor of Slupsk, Poland, gives the annaul Copernicus lecture at the University of Michigan Musuem of Art Wednesday FROM SLUPSK WITH LOVE 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 September-April are $225 and year long subscriptions are $250. 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. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com ARTS SECTION arts@michigandaily.com SPORTS SECTION sports@michigandaily.com ADVERTISING dailydisplay@gmail.com NEWS TIPS news@michigandaily.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR tothedaily@michigandaily.com EDITORIAL PAGE opinion@michigandaily.com HUSSEIN HAKIM Business Manager 734-418-4115 ext. 1241 hjhakim@michigandaily.com SHOHAM GEVA Editor in Chief 734-418-4115 ext. 1251 sageva@michigandaily.com LAURA SCHINAGLE Managing Editor schlaura@michigandaily.com EMMA KERR Managing News Editor emkerr@michigandaily.com Senior News Editors: Allana Akhtar, Jacqueline Charniga, Emma Kinery, Camy Metwally, Katie Penrod Assistant News Editors: Riyah Basha, Kevin Biglin, Caleb Chadwell, Tim Cohn, Will Feuer, Nisa Khan, Jennifer Meer, Lydia Murray, Caitlin Reedy, Alexa St. John CLAIRE BRYAN and REGAN DETWILER Editorial Page Editors opinioneditors@michigandaily.com Senior Opinion Editors: Caitlin Heenan, Ben Keller, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Rebecca Tarnopol, Stephanie Trierweiler MAX BULTMAN and JAKE LOURIM Managing Sports Editors sportseditors@michigandaily.com KATHLEEN DAVIS and ADAM THEISEN Managing Arts Editors arts@michigandaily.com 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 GRANT HARDY Managing Photo Editors photo@michigandaily.com ANJALI ALANGADEN and FRANCESCA KIELB Managing Design Editors design@michigandaily.com Senior Design Arts Editor: Jacklyn Thomas KARL WILLIAMS Statement Editor statement@michigandaily.com Deputy Statement Editor: Nabeel Chollampat Statement Photo Editor: Zoey Holmstrom Statement Lead Designer: Shane Achenbach Statement Creative Director: Emilie Farrugia EMILY CAMPBELL and ALEXIS NOWICKI Managing Copy Editors copydesk@michigandaily.com Senior Copy Editors: Danielle Jackson, Taylor Grandinetti NIVEDITA KARKI Managing Online Editor nivkarki@michigandaily.com Senior Web Developers: Dylan Lawton, Bob Lesser LEVIN KIM Managing Video Editor video@michigandaily.com Senior Video Editors: Michael Kessler, Abe Lofy, Emma Winowiecki DEMARIO LONGMIRE and TONI WANG Michigan in Color Editors michiganincolor@michigandaily.com Senior Michigan in Color Editors: Sabrina Bilimoria, Christian Paneda, Ashley Tjhung MICHAEL SCHRAMM Special Projects Manager EMMA SUTHERLAND Managing Social Media Editor PHOTOGRAPHY SECTION photo@michigandaily.com NEWSROOM 734-418-4115 opt. 3 CORRECTIONS corrections@michigandaily.com Editorial Staff Business Staff ASJA KEPES Sales Manager ANNA HE Special Publications and Events Manager SONIA SHEKAR Digital Marketing Manager EMILY RICHNER National Accounts Manager JULIA SELSKY Local Accounts Manager CLAIRE BUTZ Production and Layout Manager Senior Photo Editors: Zoey Holmstrom, Ryan McLoughlin, Zach Moore Assistant Photo Editors: Claire Abdo, Sinduja Kilaru, Sam Mousigian, Marina Ross, David Song Senior Sports Editors: Betelhem Ashame, Minh Doan, Jacob Gase, Kelly Hall, Ted Janes, Kevin Santo Assistant Sports Editors: Chloe Aubuchon, Laney Byler, Chris Crowder, Sylvanna Gross, Mike Persak, Orion Sang Senior Social Media Editors: Ellie Homant, Carolyn Watson The Books Not Bombs campaign boasts that students from 173 universities internationally support a movement for scholarships geared toward Syrian refugees including the University of Michigan. As of Wednesday, 883 University students signed a petition calling for 10 scholarships for Syrian students. Syria is currently in an ongoing civil war which grew out of an uprising against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in March 2011. Since the war began, at least 470,000 Syrians have died and as many as 11 million refugees are displaced. University students involved with the scholarship campaign presented a resolution to Central Student Government last Tuesday asking for their support. If approved, CSG will being work with University administrators on next steps in creating the scholarships. LSA junior Haleemah Aqel, the head organizer of the University chapter of Books Not Bombs, wrote in an email CSG had originally planned to vote on the resolution Tuesday of this week but decided to table it until their meeting next week, on Nov. 7, to allow the campaign time to update the resolution. If the University agrees to provide scholarships, it will join the Syrian Consortium, a group of institutions responding to the breakdown of higher education within Syria by providing scholarships. The consortium is facilitated by the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit that promotes education worldwide. Other universities in the consortium include the University of Southern California and Michigan State University, which joined last year, according to Chris Records, a Books Not Bombs campus coordinator. Aqel wrote she feels education is a human right, and the Books Not Bombs campaign facilitates that right for victims of the political turbulence in Syria. “We, with this privilege, need to find a way to make accessible those opportunities for students, and specifically Syrians and Syrian refugees, to come learn and hopefully after all of this ends, give back to Syrian civil society or even help our society,” she said. She cited Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s attempt to suspend refugees’ entrance to Michigan last year as an example of this Islamophobic rhetoric. As well, she pointed to the large number of Syrian refugees in the state of Michigan, specifically in the Ann Arbor area, as the reason national organizers recommended a campus campaign in addition to the petition. Records said the University was a “priority campus” this year, meaning the group is working more closely with student organizers and providing strategic advice, in addition to Berkeley University, Yale University and Columbia University. However, Records also said the control of the campaign ultimately lies with the student organizers, adding that he appreciated Aqel’s progress. “She’s doing great grassroots work and all the fundamentals are in place,” he said. “I’m encouraged to see where it Books Not Bombs campaign includes 173 universities internationally Petition calling for ‘U’ scholarships for Syrian students gains traction EMILY MIILLER Daily Staff Reporter 3.5X SURGE. puzzle by sudokusyndication.com See BOOKS, Page 3A Read more online at MichiganDaily.com