As part of Transgender 

Awareness 
Week, 
the 

Spectrum 
Center 
and 

TransForm, 
a 
student 

organization 
that 
focuses 

on 
transgender 
activism 

and support, held a panel 
discussion Thursday where 
speakers at the University 
of Michigan who identify 
as transgender women or 
transgender femme shared 
their experiences on campus.

At the discussion, attended 

by 
about 
35 
students, 

panelists told stories of when 
they 
struggled 
to 
realize 

their gender identities and 

determine how they wanted 
to represent them publicly. 
Panelists 
described 
how 

they struggled with realizing 
and 
expressing 
their 

gender identities, as well as 
anecdotes 
about 
receiving 

threats 
and 
being 
called 

names on campus because of 
them.

Panelist LaVelle Ridley, a 

Rackham graduate student, 
said it was important to 
discuss transgender women’s 
positive stories to contrast 
those 
of 
bullying 
and 

intimidation.

“Trans 
women, 
and 

especially trans women of 
color, fall into these stories 
of just being harassed or 

Students 
and 
staff 
filled 

the Hatcher Graduate Library 
gallery Thursday for the annual 
Campus Sustainability Town 
Hall Meeting to discuss the 
University of Michigan’s efforts 
to meet long-term sustainability 
goals.

In 2006, the University set 

several goals for reducing the 
campus’s negative effect on the 
environment by 2025, including 
the reduction of greenhouse gas 
emissions by 25 percent and of 
landfill waste by 40 percent. 
At Thursday’s event, various 
University 
staff 
members 

addressed 
these 
particular 

goals by outlining initiatives 
to reduce both emissions and 
waste.

Andy Berki, director of the 

Office of Campus Sustainability, 
said the University’s efforts 
thus far have been moderately 
successful, citing the relative 
stability of the University’s 
environmental 
footprint 

despite its 22 percent growth in 
infrastructure — an increase of 
8 million square feet in the past 
10 years.

However, 
he 
also 
said 

additional 
efforts 
and 

innovative 
solutions 
are 

necessary to meet the reduction 
numbers set in 2006.

“A lot of efforts are making a 

difference, yet our goals are not 
normalized,” he said. “They’re 
absolute. … As an institution, 

that’s one of the big challenges 
we face, is how to meet our long-
term sustainability goals.”

Presenters 
described 

several operations that will be 
implemented in the coming 
years, including an increase 
in the amount of power the 
University produces internally, 
the transition of the Big House 
to zero-waste production by 
2017 and a boost in composting 
opportunities around campus. 

Presenters also raised the topic 
of fostering a sustainability-
oriented 
campus 
climate, 

highlighting initiatives like the 
Sustainable Living Experience 
theme community for freshmen.

The 
event 
also 
included 

various booths, manned by 
various University departments 
and student organizations that 
audience members could visit 
before and after the event. 
Focusing 
on 
sustainability 

efforts, these booths included 
Planet Blue Student Leaders 
and the Student Sustainability 
Initiative, which aim to facilitate 
a campus-wide commitment to 
sustainability-related actions.

Tracy Artley, an employee 

with 
the 
University 
Waste 

Reduction 
and 
Recycling 

Office who presented during 
the 
town 
hall, 
emphasized 

the importance of events like 

Over 
the 
past 
month, 

MHealthy’s 
Tobacco 

Consultation 
Service 
has 

encouraged smokers in the 
University 
of 
Michigan 

community to “Quit For A 
Day” on Thursday as part of a 
nationwide anti-smoking day 
sponsored by the American 
Cancer Society.

As part of their campaign, 

TCS 
connected 
with 
other 

branches 
of 
the 
University 

Health System by attending 
staff meetings and discussing 
their services throughout the 
month.

The service also distributed 

quit kits on campus, which 
hold information about ways to 
quit, including devices like Red 
Hots candies, worry stones and 
other resources, and to patients 
across the health system who 
are interested in quitting.

Additionally, TCS sponsored 

a webinar Tuesday led by 
Kate 
Collins, 
regulatory 

counsel in the Food and Drug 
Administration’s 
Center 
for 

Tobacco Products, to discuss 

michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Friday, November 18, 2016

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail 
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INDEX
Vol. CXXVI, No. 32
©2016 The Michigan Daily

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

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

CL ASSIFIEDS...............6A

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

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

FOOTBALLSATURDAY...1B

See STORYTELLING, Page 3A

PAUL AHNN/Daily

Ashley Blake, community and engagement lead at Avalon House, speaks about addressing chronic homelessness in the School of Social Work Building Thursday.

The University of Michigan’s 

School of Social Work hosted 
a talk on the current state of 
homelessness 
in 
Washtenaw 

County and the efforts social 
workers 
and 
organizations 

undertake to combat it Thursday 
evening.

The 
event, 
organized 
by 

the 
Community 
Action 
and 

Social Change Student Board 
and presented to an audience 
of about 20 students, included 
speaker 
Ashley 
Blake, 
a 

community building lead with 
Avalon Housing, an Ann Arbor-

based nonprofit organization 
that both manages and develops 
affordable housing units in the 
county.

According to Blake, there are 

currently 342 known homeless 
individuals 
in 
Washtenaw 

County, 
301 
of 
whom 
are 

unsheltered. 
Blake 
said 
138 

of those individuals reported 

having a serious mental illness 
and 70 reported problems with 
substance abuse, both of which 
are issues heavily associated 
with causing homelessness.

“People with mental illness are 

disproportionately affected by 
homelessness, so it is estimated 
that 26 percent of homeless 

See SMOKING, Page 3A

ELIZABETH XIONG/Daily

Emily Canosa, assistant director of Sustainable Living Experience, speaks at the Hatcher Graduate Library Gallery 
Thursday.

Mike being Mike

Michael Jocz is known for 

being the brainiest member 

of the Michigan football 

team. But it’s not quite that 
simple, and it hasn’t always 

been easy.
» Page 4B

michigandaily.com

For more stories and coverage, visit

See SUSTAINABILITY, Page 3A

See HOMELESSNESS, Page 3A

Preparations are in place to 

fill the seat of Councilmember 
Sabra Briere (D-Ward 1) after 
she steps down in December. 
After nine years in office, 
Briere announced her intention 
to resign last week.

Briere has been an Ann 

Arbor resident since 1973 and 
the 
Ward 
1 
representative 

for City Council since 2007, 
making her the longest-seated 
current council member. On 
Nov. 7, Briere published an 
online letter announcing her 
plans to resign. She stated in 
the letter that she is resigning 
to move with her husband to 
Santa Rosa, Calif. to be closer 
to their son.

Though Ann Arbor’s city 

charter states the council must 
appoint a replacement to fill 
Briere’s seat within 30 days 
of the vacancy, Briere pointed 
out in an interview there is no 
mention in the rules of how 
the council gets news of the 
vacancy or fills the vacancy, 
just that it must be filled. When 
Briere finalized her decision to 

See CITY COUNCIL, Page 3A

Students talk 
about being 
transgender 
at University

Forum explores reasons for chronic 
homelessness in Washtenaw County

CAMPUS LIFE

Discussion focuses on shared 
experiences and hopeful messages

RACHEL LEUNG
Daily Staff Reporter

Event highlights affordable housing, wealth disparities and available resources

KEVIN LINDER
Daily Staff Reporter

‘U’ joins in 
nationwide 
day to stop 
smoking

SCIENCE

The campaign aims to 
advance national anti-
smoking efforts

JENNIFER MEER
Daily Staff Reporter

During town hall, campus community 
reflects on sustainability initiatives

Several offices and departments evaluate current and future long-term efforts

EMILY MIILLER
Daily Staff Reporter

Process to 
fill vacancy
on council 
commences

ANN ARBOR

City must appoint a 
replacement for Sabra 
Briere within 30 days

SOPHIE SHERRY
Daily Staff Reporter

