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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Monday, December 12, 2016 — 3A
years later. He also discussed
early tensions between Jewish
Greek life and Hillel as well as
the contrasting ideologies over
how to combat anti-Semitism
that existed at the time.
“On a snowy day like this,
for a book that is relatively
specialized and a bit obscure,
for them to come out on a day
like this, that’s a big deal,”
Markovits said of the event. “I
felt very good that people were
here.”
Hillel Development Manager
Shayna Millman highlighted
the value of Markovits’ book for
the organization.
“I
think
it’s
just
really
important
for
us,
as
we
celebrate our 90th anniversary,
to really continue to remember
where we came from and
what we were founded upon
in order to successfully move
forward and to see what things
we do differently and what
aspirations and opportunities
and challenges we face that are
still the same,” Millman said.
LSA senior David Beer, who
has taken multiple classes with
Markovits, said he found the
event to be informative and also
beneficial for the University as a
whole.
“I’m a Jewish student here so
I find the history of Hillel pretty
interesting, but I don’t really
know anything about it so it’s
good to learn,” Beer said. “For
the history of the University
of Michigan, I think it’s very
important. Knowing where we
come from is always important
in my opinion.”
Some
members
of
the
audience were students who
helped Markovits conduct his
research and write the book.
Law student Charles Sorge who
was a research assistant for this
project, said it raised important
points for the University.
“I
worked
for
Professor
Markovits on this and another
project and I think just his
genuine
interest
in
this
University
and
his
passion
toward the subject really shows
through in the writing,” Sorge
said. “I think it’s important for
the University to commemorate
Hillel’s birthday and to bring
topics up that perhaps not a lot
of other students, for sure not
Jewish students, are aware of.”
Markovits acknowledged the
experience of writing about an
organization at the institution
where he is employed, but said it
hadn’t impacted his work.
“It’s perfectly possible —
in fact it’s required — to be
dispassionate,” Markovits said.
“If I had been a professor at
Berkley, it would have been the
same. If this had been the Ohio
State Hillel, it would have been
the same.”
He added that he’s currently
working on another, similar
book.
“The future book is almost
a little bit inverted. Here the
whole story is about Hillel. It’s
about not only Jewish students,
but it’s about particular Jewish
students. I want to look at how
the University behaves toward
Jews,” Markovits added.
For now, he said he is pleased
with the book he’s just released.
“If you had said to me, a year
from now, you’ll have a book on
Michigan Hillel, I’d have said
you’re insane,” he said.
HILLEL
From Page 1A
state of Michigan, the state was
not projected to turn red and
hasn’t voted Republican in over
a generation — the last time
being in 1988.
In Michigan, Trump won by
10,704 votes — the narrowest
margin in the history of the
state. The close margin of votes
led to an ultimately thwarted
recount effort by former Green
Party presidential nominee Jill
Stein just hours prior to the
victory tour rally. In opening
remarks,
Ronna
Romney
McDaniel, the chairman of the
Michigan Republican Party,
called the recount a “temper
tantrum” on the part of Stein.
“Winning one was nice,”
McDaniel said. “But winning
twice is huge.”
The recount may be officially
over in Michigan, with Trump
set to be the president, but
the election was still fresh on
his mind. The majority of his
speech focused on recalling his
17 months on the trail leading
up to Nov. 8. He said the
election allowed him to travel
all over the United States.
“This gets you to stop at
states that you won’t stop at
and that’s what our founders
had in mind and that’s what
people had in mind,” Trump
said.
Now on the victory tour,
Trump stuck to issues pertinent
to the state like maintaining
jobs. He hinted to the crowd
that Ford Motor Company has
made a promise for him that
involves staying in Michigan
and not Mexico. Ford has for a
long time depended on Mexico
for open trade and with Trump
vowing to create more jobs and
trade in the United States, this
could change.
“No state has been hurt
worse by our trade deals,”
Trump said. “And that’s how
I knew I was going to win
Michigan.”
In addition, Trump also
brought Dow Chemical CEO
Andrew Liveris to the stage
and announced he will lead
the national Manufacturing
Council.
Dow
Chemical
is
based in Midland, Mich., and
Liveris said he intends to
expand operations in the state.
“I
might
have
a
funny
accent,” said Liveris, who is
from Australia. “But I believe
in America and I believe in
Michigan.”
Michigan,
Trump
said,
is something he believes in
as well. Trump has already
welcomed
three
Michigan
natives — and two University
of Michigan alumni — into
his Cabinet. Betsy DeVos, who
resides in Grand Rapids and
whose family donated greatly
to the Trump campaign, was
chosen to be the head of the
Department
of
Education.
DeVos too spoke Friday night,
stressing
her
devotion
to
“(making)
education
great
again in this country.”
In
Michigan,
Devos’s
appointment has been met
with wariness, and experts
nationwide have attacked her
education credentials. Trump
said at the tour stop she was
“considered by everybody to
be one of the top education
reformers in the country.”
Despite the overwhelming
support
for
the
president-
elect and his Secretary of
Education
pick
from
the
crowd, the wariness felt across
the country was not absent.
Over the course of DeVos’ brief
remarks, five protestors were
escorted out of the arena in
three spurts.
DeVos, however, carried on
throughout the interruptions,
emphasizing her commitment
to
bolstering
the
school
systems by removing Common
Core and increasing support to
private and charter schools.
Afterward
the
protests,
Trump commented there was
no place safer than a Trump
rally. Those in his audience,
and those who elected him,
were among the population he
said was left behind by the past
administration.
“For the first time for many,
many years what we do know is
that the pages will be authored
by each and everyone of you,”
Trump said. “The American
people will be in charge. You
will never again fall on deaf
ears.”
This, he pledged to the
crowd,
will
be
fulfilled
through campaign promises
and the spirit of adventure and
victory he had promised just a
month before in the same city.
“My message tonight is for
all Americans,” Trump said.
“I am asking you to join this
incredible
movement.
This
movement that nobody has
ever seen before.”
TRUMP
From Page 1A
specializes
in
de-certifying
unions. In a written statement
two weeks later, co-op general
manager Lesley Perkins said
Parmenter
and
Associates
had approached the co-op to
offer
legal
counsel
through
the
election,
unsolicited
by
management.
However, workers and other
local labor advocates claimed
Parmenter and Associates had
a representation as a “union-
buster,” and Parmenter’s hiring
sparked fears that management
was
actively
seeking
to
undermine their unionization
efforts.
Williams suggested the co-op
management acted as though
the pro-union employees were
in the minority, and the hiring
of Parmenter would intimidate
dissenters to avert unionization.
“I think the first couple weeks
they thought that we were the
minority, and them bringing in
the union buster was going to
scare enough people to push it
out,” Williams said.
Co-op board President Ann
Sprunger declined to comment
on unionization efforts, but
said the board would be neutral
throughout
the
unionization
process.
General
Manager
Lesley Perkins did not respond
to a request for comment, and
inquiries
to
management’s
general email address were left
unanswered.
At this point, Bianco took his
fight public, placing a petition
on
Change.org
protesting
management’s hire and calling
for support for the workers’
unionization efforts.
“(Management has) steered
the Co-op onto a path that it
cannot succeed on,” Bianco
wrote in a petition protesting
Parmenter
and
Associates’
hire.
“Upper
management
hopes to make the Co-op more
profitable by cutting labor and
transforming this long-standing
community institution into a
mini-Whole Foods.”
In
a
Nov.
26
statement,
the co-op workers offered a
compromise.
Acknowledging
management had a right to seek
outside counsel through the
unionization
process,
Bianco
suggested the co-op replace
Parmenter
and
Associates
with labor lawyer and City
Councilmember
Jack
Eaton
(D–Ward 4), who was viewed as
more neutral. Management did
not take them up on the offer.
“It’s always surprising that
in a community like Ann Arbor,
that prides itself as being so
progressive, that elected boards
would go to these ends to stymie
their
unionized
workforce,”
Eaton said, noting his offer of
pro-bono counsel was declined.
“They had other things in mind.”
Acknowledging the pushback
their hiring of Parmenter and
Associates caused, the co-op
board decided to terminate the
law firm’s services on Nov. 28.
It remains unclear if the firm
performed any tangible work for
co-op management in the time it
was contracted.
That
same
day,
Perkins
tendered her resignation as
general manager effective Dec.
13, citing “being lied about and
publicly vilified by staff” and
an
increasingly
toxic
work
environment.
Williams
said
he
regrets
Perkins’ departure, saying the
unionization effort was not
intended as a personal affront
to her but rather an attempt to
drive greater dialogue between
management and workers.
“It was really sort of crushing
for me, because that isn’t what we
wanted,” Williams said. “I know
Leslie was under a lot of stress
… but we didn’t want that, we
just wanted to have a dialogue,
and we wanted to work with
you to do that. I think she took it
very personally, and I wish that
hadn’t happened … I know she
felt stabbed in the back.”
Secord said it was regrettable
that frictions emerged between
the
co-op’s
management
and
employees,
but
added
management
has
grown
increasingly cooperative.
“We wanted to work with
them … we weren’t interested
in creating all this friction and
animosity,”
Secord
said.
“I
definitely understand a lot of
this frustration that’s happening
… just the inevitable tension
that arrives when you have two
different groups of people with
two different ideas.”
Last Friday, a secret-ballot
vote was held among the co-op
employees, with observers from
the NLRB present. Twenty-
four workers voted in favor of
unionizing, with nine voting
against.
Sunday, Williams said he’s
hopeful the newly-recognized
union will not only better
represent employees’ voices to
co-op management, but also
improve the store’s impact on the
community. However, he also
noted a sense of concern from
the co-op board for the future of
the establishment.
“I think they started to
get the vibe this (past) week
that the union was going to
happen,”
Williams
said.
“I
think if anything, they’re very
apprehensive or nervous about
what’s going to happen now.”
CO-OP
From Page 1A
tries not to focus as much on
the title as the results of his
volunteerism.
“I obviously consider it very
humbling,” he said. “It’s a cool
opportunity to be honored and
be recognized for my hard work.
But I don’t get too caught up in
the (award).”
Khan
said
his
volunteer
work began in 2013 during
his sophomore year of high
school, when he filled out his
application for the National
Honor Society, an organization
that recognizes high-achieving
high school students. One of the
admissions requirements was
to perform a certain number of
hours of community service.
It was then, he said, that he
realized he had to do something
productive with his time after
school. He added he quickly
found his answer in a local
diabetes clinic in his hometown
of Jackson, Mich. that evolved
into another opportunity at
Allegiance
Health
Hospital.
Khan was acquainted with the
hospital; he had spent time there
in 2011 during his freshman year
of high school when his father
was treated for a debilitating
stroke that forced him to give
up his family transportation
business.
“I was trying to figure out
what I’m good at and what I
should dedicate my time to,”
he said. “I made it a goal to
volunteer 20 hours that summer.
I ended up doing 100.”
Since arriving at University
of Michigan this year, Khan
said he has not had time to
return to those places at home
to volunteer. Instead, he said he
is focused on finding issues that
he is passionate about changing
here in Ann Arbor.
“Since I’ve gotten to UM, I
haven’t been able to go back
to the hospital or the nursing
home,” Khan said. “So I’ve been
seeking other opportunities …
One of my goals at Michigan is
to get as much as I can out of my
four years here and have as big
of an impact as possible.”
One of the ways Khan has
found to make an impact is
through the Syrian Orphanage
Sponsorship
Association,
a
student group centered around
raising
funds
to
sponsor
Syrian orphans who have fled
the country because of the
current Syrian conflict. 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.
“The whole refugee crisis
to me, I thought it’s been
mishandled very badly,” he said.
“If I joined (SOSA), I could help
children around the world and
impact their lives, which seems
like a really cool opportunity.”
Khan
cited
Germany
as
a
leader
in
refugee
policy
compared to the United States.
He said he prefers Germany’s
inclusive approach to taking in
refugees over what he called
the meager policy presented by
the United States, especially
because of its much higher
capacity for space compared
to Germany’s. According to
Bloomberg, Germany took in
1.1 million refugees in 2015.
According to The New York
Times,
the
United
States
reached its goal of admitting
10,000 refugees in August of
this year.
Khan said he has ambitious
plans to help the cause of
Syrian refugees in the United
States, including reaching out
to
national
companies
and
speaking to high schools about
the issue.
“I’m going to try to contact
the biggest names in the country
and find anyone I can to push
this message,” he said. “If I’m
doing something, I want to see
what’s the ceiling I can reach.”
In addition to his involvement
in SOSA, Khan is also on the
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Student Advisory Board for the
DEI plan, University President
Mark Schissel’s initiative to
increase diversity and create
an
inclusive
environment
on
campus.
According
to
the University Student Life
website, the board aims to offer
student perspectives on the
implementation and assessment
of the plan.
Khan said he was motivated
to apply to the board due to his
desire to jump start an initiative
he had been planning since
high school to put low-income
high school students on equal
footing with those of higher
socioeconomic
status
when
applying to college.
“I wasn’t able to bring that
idea to high school because I
didn’t have enough time,” he
said. “But I’m trying to figure
out how I can work it into
Michigan. I saw the opportunity
(of the SAB) and knew that it
fit exactly what I’m trying to
accomplish.
I’m
passionate
about all of those issues.”
Referencing
his
own
volunteer experiences to give
advice to other students who
wish to get involved in similar
work, Khan said students should
seize each opportunity to work
on what they are passionate
about.
“If you’re passionate about it
and can do something about it,
you should definitely take that
opportunity,” he said. “A lot of
people would love to have that
chance.”
VOLUNTEER
From Page 1A
Council at the University, said
even though he is not a Trump
supporter, he is optimistic
that the presidency will open
up discussions regarding free
speech across the nation.
“So, Republicans are really
good at saying, ‘hey, we’re all
in this together, let’s all move
forward together, we’re all
Americans,’ ” Nicholson said.
“It seems like Democrats are
really good at putting people
into specific groups: ‘You’re
Black, you’re white, you’re gay,
you’re straight, you’re Muslim,
you’re Christian, you’re this
and that,’ and what happens
is they fight each other. So, on
the topic of free speech, and
I learned this from a feminist
from DC, it’s not just my
opinion, it’s going to get better
as far as opening up.”
SPEECH
From Page 2A