The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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Wednesday, February 1, 2017 — 3A
HALEY MCLAUGHLIN/Daily
American Culture professor Philip Deloria and Political Science professor Lisa Ditch discuss the film “This Changes Everything” at a panel
after a viewing of the film in Rackham on Tuesday.
“THIS CHANGES EVE RY THING”
Many of these representatives
are working with more than
160 colleagues in the House of
Representatives
to
introduce
legislation that would defund
Trump’s executive order.
“By seeking to halt all refugee
admissions in the short term,
and slash the number of refugee
admissions to a modern historic
low, today’s order betrays our
proud heritage as a Nation of
immigrants and a place of refuge,”
the representatives wrote.
Engineering freshman Lincoln
Merrill, publicity chair of the
University of Michigan’s chapter
of College Republicans, reiterated
that while many people have
labeled the order a “Muslim ban,”
the title ignores many Muslim
countries that were not affected.
“To be clear, President Trump’s
immigration
order
is
not
a
‘Muslim ban,’ nor is it a ban on
anyone or anything,” Merrill said.
“If the people calling this order a
‘Muslim ban’ were correct, that
would imply that immigration
from around 50 Muslim-majority
countries would be terminated
and that a religious test would
be implemented to enter the
country.”
Al-khersan
pushed
back
against claims that America’s
highest risk comes from “terror-
prone” regions.
“The U.S. already has the
strictest vetting process,” she
said. “If we really wanted to talk
about protecting our citizens, we
would have to look within them.”
LSA senior Adam Mageed,
president
of
the
campus
Muslim Coalition, agreed with
Al-khersan, and said this policy
ignores refugees whose lives
could be in greater danger.
“I think that Americans are
incredibly safe and take their
safety for granted,” Mageed said.
“Security at the cost of heavy
discrimination isn’t security.”
However, College Republicans
president Enrique Zalamea, an
LSA junior, maintained that no
matter how unlikely terrorist
attacks may be, the government’s
duty is to uphold security.
“I
am
a
first-generation
American, and I love this country,
but I would rather have a more
secure immigration process in
order to reduce the risk of future
terrorist threats,” Zalamea said.
“It truly bewilders me to see so
many people protesting what is
essentially a vital step towards
proving our national security.”
Still, LSA junior Haleemah
Aqel thinks more consideration
should be given to the refugees
affected. Aqel leads the Books
Not Bombs campaign, which
advocates for admitting Syrian
refugees to the University.
“There’s
an
idea
that
Americans are at the highest
risk, but more Muslims are killed
from terrorist groups,” Aqel said.
“They’re the ones that need to
flee and that need to be kept safe.
They need to flee, we don’t need
to isolate.”
LSA junior Taiwo Dosunmu,
communications director of the
University’s chapter of College
Democrats, agreed and said the
United States already has an
“incredibly thorough” vetting
process in place, and making it
even stricter could have adverse
effects.
“For a would-be terrorist
trying to sneak into the U.S.,
the refugee program is probably
the most difficult possible way
to enter the country,” Dosunmu
said. “In fact, the ban may make
us less safe as it sends a clear
message to persecuted people
around the world that the
United States no longer stands
by them.”
Aqel
said
the
Trump
administration’s
recent
executive orders ignore the
intersectionality
of
multiple
policies’ effects on the Muslim
community.
“There are Muslims who use
Planned Parenthood and pay for
it through (Affordable Care Act)
insurance,” Aqel said. “There are
Latina Muslims that are affected,
as they are being kept from our
country because of a ban and
because of the prospects of a wall.
Right now we are thinking that
these things are separate, but
they are really just piling on top
of each other.”
Implications of the order on
international
relations
worry
students as well. Al-khersan
noted that with Russia and
Iran
supporting
the
Syrian
government, the dynamics of
the Syrian war could change
drastically under the Trump
administration.
American Culture Prof. Evelyn
Alsultany expressed concern for
the potentially negative treatment
of
Americans
abroad
and
mentioned a worrisome prospect:
adverse to the policy’s goal, the
immigrations restrictions could
aid ISIS’s mission.
Alsultany
fields
concerns
from multiple students as to
whether
their
families
will
be able to visit them, and
expressed doubts in regards to
the effectiveness of this policy
domestically.
“I think in terms of fighting
terrorism,
clearly
targeting
seven entire nations isn’t going
to solve a terrorism problem,”
Alsultany said. “Beyond that,
our politicians have been citing
the 9/11 attack, the Boston
bombing and the San Bernardino
terrorism
attack,
but
this
particular policy wouldn’t have
prevented any of those. Many
of the terrorists from 9/11 came
from Saudi Arabia, and Saudi
Arabia isn’t a part of this ban. It
seems very arbitrary.”
Mageed
also
noted
that
academic issues, including those
pertinent to the University,
could be at risk because the ban
prevents
Iranian
academics
from seeking asylum in the
United States after expressing
sociopolitical
views
not
condoned in Iran.
Alsultany
expressed
gratitude
toward
the
University’s resistance to the
policy, and expressed hope that
the campus would remain a safe
and open place for all students.
Al-khersan
also
emphasized
action.
“Don’t think we’re going to
be quieted,” Al-khersan said.
“I’ve never seen the Muslim
populations from all around the
globe unite like this.”
IMMIGRATION
From Page 1A
over 100 countries around the
globe. The idea of excluding a
significant fraction of the world
as being potential members of our
community, I think would hurt
us.”
The
statement
notes
that
information
on
immigration
status will be kept private unless
“required
to
(comply
with
enforcement agencies) by law.”
Schlissel said he could not
speak to the possible ways in
which this information could
be required or the University’s
possible compliance.
“Like
the
whole
nation,
we’re following very carefully
things that are changing quite
quickly, they change by the hour
sometimes,” he said. “We have a
staff keeping very close watch so
that we know what the situation is
and we can best advise members
of our community.”
Schlissel was not able to
comment regarding a specific plan
for students with refugee status,
as a widely circulated student
petition
calls
for.
University
spokeswoman Kim Broekhuizen
provided a general statement later
Tuesday evening noting a newly-
organized immigration working
group would be better suited to
respond to such issues.
“The group had its first meeting
last week, and we will update
the
community
when
more
information becomes available,”
she wrote in an email.
Schlissel noted the University’s
affiliation
with
national
organizations — like the Association
of American Universities, which
former University president Mary
Sue Coleman now heads — to
share approaches to addressing
such problems. Coleman issued
a statement Saturday urging the
Trump administration to suspend
the executive order.
“We recognize the importance of
a strong visa process to our nation’s
security,” she said. “However, the
administration’s new order barring
the entry or return of individuals
from certain countries is already
causing damage and should end as
quickly as possible.”
Poverty Solutions
Poverty
Solutions,
a
multidisciplinary
program
that uses research to aid low-
income families, was announced
in October. In early January, a
Facebook Live event was held in
which panelists discussed the
initiative.
In response to the University’s
financial support of the project,
Schlissel
explained
that
all
University
contributions
are
consistent with its research goals.
“We only spend money on
the
University’s
mission;
it’s
not as if we’re spending money
directly on impoverished people
in their everyday lives,” he said.
“What we’re spending money
on is supporting our researchers
and our students who are doing
research and teaching in this
area.”
Schlissel acknowledged it is
important to understand that,
in doing this research, people’s
lives are affected. He said without
community engagement, it would
not be right for the University
to enter these areas and make
assumptions about what people
may or may not need.
Schlissel said one of the most
positive aspects of this program
is partnering with community
groups and working with citizens
in impoverished communities to
try to apply and test ideas. He said
the modest amount of money given
to the program allows for this
engagement with the community.
“What has me very excited
about this initiative is it involves
very close partnerships between
experts in many different schools
and colleges here, students, and
then community groups that
actually have the knowledge and
their hands around the problem in
a very real and local way,” he said.
Socioeconomic Diversity
Though Schlissel is in the
process of implementing several
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
initiatives,
a
report
from
the
Equality
of
Opportunity
Project gave the University an
incredibly low ranking in terms
of socioeconomic diversity and
mobility.
The New York Times’ Upshot
noted the report’s finding that
66 percent of students at the
University come from the top 20
percent of the income distribution,
while only 3.6 percent come from
the bottom 20 percent.
Schlissel
said
he
was
disappointed in these numbers,
but not surprised.
“We’ve identified this as a
problem in recent years,” he said.
“It’s not trending in the right
direction and we’re serious about
reversing it.”
Schlissel pointed to the success
of the HAIL Scholars Program,
now in its second year, which
brought more than 250 low-
income, largely first-generation
students into last year’s freshman
class.
The University also helped
establish the American Talent
Initiative, a program involving
several
higher
education
institutions that are working
to increase the number of
talented, low-income students.
“We’re
making
a
commitment to bring to our
campus
top
students
from
lower socioeconomic groups,”
he said. “We’ve set rough target
goals nationally to increase this
number by a couple hundred
thousand per year … students
from
lower
socioeconomic
communities are very talented,
but they’re not applying to
the same schools, or school
at all sometimes, as similarly
talented students in wealthier
areas. They’re aiming low. The
goal of this talent initiative is
to identify that talent and help
them aim high.”
SCHLISSEL
From Page 1A
learning in his courses to help
student organizations.
“I really wanted to leverage
the things that I am learning in
class to help organizations … that
maybe don’t have as many people
interested in business,” Small
said. “But in every organization,
there are business aspects to it.”
The Business School already
boasts
numerous
consulting
groups such as Nexecon, 180
Degrees and BOND Consulting,
all extremely selective in whom
they admit and consult, primarily
focusing on local businesses and
nonprofits. Capital Consulting
executive board members feel
their organization differentiates
itself from those groups. Capital
is betting that its startup mindset,
executive board membership of
diverse backgrounds and desire
to prove itself as a formidable
club will help it establish itself
as a viable consulting group. Yu
believes these factors distinguish
Capital from other consulting
groups with more experience,
bigger staffs and lengthier client
lists.
“Because we are a startup, I
think it is less structured and
there is more overlap in our
roles, but that also means we
have a lot more opportunities for
our members,” Yu said. “Every
member has the luxury of taking
on an initiative if they think it is
the right thing to do, instead of
just following orders from who is
above you.”
Establishing the club as a
fast-growing presence in the
Business School did not come
without its challenges. Enlisting
clients, recruiting consultants,
narrowing down the list of
candidates and developing a
website all proved formidable
tasks. Though Small is excited
to begin working with clients
such as Pierpont Commons,
WCBN-FM and LEAD scholars,
the previous months of helping
Capital establish itself as an
organization proved challenging.
“We had a meeting during
exam week last semester and I
was just sitting there like, ‘Guys,
with where we are at right
now, we weren’t left with many
resources and we very reasonably
might have to take a semester off,’
” he said. “We all looked at each
other and were like, ‘Is this going
to be it?’ ”
Yet,
board
members
were determined to see the
organization
succeed.
They
worked throughout Winter Break
to develop marketing material,
redesign the website, prepare
for recruitment and reach out to
prospective clients. With their
first consulting projects for the
CONSULTING
From Page 1A
would lead to tuition increase —
will create a fee for all University
of Michigan students equaling
$5 per semester for the next five
years. This contribution will total
more than $2 million toward the
scholarship, a sum of money that
the resolution’s writers said would
aid hundreds of students.
Engineering
senior
Tania
Haddad, a writer of the resolution,
echoed
Shae’s
sentiments,
stating individual contributions
would benefit the University
in
innumerable
ways.
She
noted how the scholarship can
be extended to innovation in
extracurriculars such as Greek
life, entrepreneurship endeavors,
performing arts projects and
student government initiatives.
“Leadership is very much a
public good that we think everyone
should contribute to, because it
benefits all of us,” Haddad said.
“All of the students who would be
coming here the next five years
would be helping student leaders
and therefore helping themselves.”
Some
members
remained
skeptical about the amendment,
fearing that it would result in
widespread
tuition
increases,
despite the writers’ stating that
tuition alterations fall under the
responsibility of the Board of
Regents, rather than the resolution
itself.
Upon request by other members
of the assembly for examples of the
experiences of low socioeconomic
students
who
have
been
compromised by their situations,
many CSG members spoke up and
cited incidents pertaining to the
scholarship.
Public
Policy
senior
Joe
Ambrose said he has known
students
who
demonstrated
interest in student government but
did not apply because they could
not commit so much time to an
unpaid position.
Engineering
senior
Katie
Culver
mentioned
similar
instances in which her peers
were unable to access resources
provided
by
the
University
because of financial barriers,
which she said could be aided with
contributions to the Leadership
Engagement Scholarship.
“I was at an information
session for GM, and the woman
said they want interns that are
very involved on campus and in
extracurriculars,” Culver said.
“And one kid said, ‘I don’t have
any internships, and I’m not very
involved on campus, but can I still
get this job?’ He said, ‘I work at
Pizza Hut.’ And to the recruiters,
it didn’t look very good, but what
if he couldn’t afford to give up that
job to be involved on campus?”
Besides
limiting
access
to
internships
or
job
positions
through the University, financial
burdens
also
limit
students’
access
to
scientific
research.
Haddad noted an instance in
which potential researchers were
unable to pursue important career
opportunities due to the strains of
unpaid time commitments.
“I know that a lot of my friends
on engineering design teams can’t
dedicate a full-time job’s worth
of time on top of their classes,
towards something that would
benefit them in the future, when
looking for internships, or full
time-jobs, or just for the hands-on
experience,” Haddad said. “That’s
the exposure I’ve had, and why I’m
passionate about the LES.”
Rackham student Rep. Andy
Snow, who opposed the resolution
when it was introduced last week,
voted against it for a second time.
He said he will never support a
resolution that could potentially
result in tuition increases.
“You can call it a fee, you
can call it a tuition change, but
either way it is an increase,”
Snow said. “I want it on the
record and this will absolutely
increase what people will say,
and I cannot be for it.”
CSG
From Page 1A
Associate Prof. Rebecca Hardin,
one of the project leaders, said
there is almost no difference in
user experience.
“At this point, the technology
doesn’t look much different than a
normal bathroom infrastructure,”
she said.
Hardin
led
the
project
with Nancy Love and Krista
Wigginton,
both
professors
of
civil
and
environmental
engineering.
The professors and researchers
created many goals for the project.
They hoped to utilize urine’s
nutrients effectively to reduce
water pollution, but also create a
fertilizer that is safer than many
synthetic fertilizers.
“We believe our work will take
urine-derived fertilizer to a point
where it’s safer than synthetic
fertilizers and biosolids,” Love
said in a Michigan News article.
The launch of the new toilets
coincided with the announcement
of a survey analyzing users’
opinions on the new technology.
The survey is presented on tablets
in the bathroom toilet users can
give immediate feedback. The
team is working on “how to most
effectively convey this technical
information to the public to
try to advance acceptance and
instruction,” Love said.
“None of this is going to go
anywhere if people have negative
impressions of this technology,”
Love said.
By using the survey to gauge
user experience and opinions
about the new toilet technology,
the leaders of the project plan to
introduce these toilets in other
regions of the United States.
“There will be many related
types of surveys in the project as
we expand uptake potential of
the project in New England, the
Upper Midwest and possibly a
third area,” Hardin said.
Urine recycling first began
in
2014
when
researchers
from the University’s School
of Engineering, the School of
Public Health and the School of
Natural Resources collaborated
with researchers from the Rich
Earth Institute in Vermont and
researchers from the University
of Buffalo. Since then, the team
examined and tested ways to filter
urine to create an effective plant
fertilizer.
“We had been doing trial runs
where we took urine collected
from festivals and events and
then we used the collected urine
and we’d been using them to apply
to crops,” Love said. “During two
seasons of field visits, we grew
carrots and lettuce and tracked
the way technology killed the
bacteria and viruses.”
Since the launch of the new
technology,
researchers
are
recognizing
the
toilet
could
be a step in developing ways
to
promote
sustainability
on campus, especially as the
University plans to launch the
School for Environment and
Sustainability in July.
“One other exciting aspect is
that it is kind of the harbinger
of
the
times
to
come
for
sustainability
on
campus,”
Hardin said. “In July, we will
be launching the School for
Sustainability and Environment,
and that will foster more bridge
building across units.”
Love said she was appreciative
of the University’s willingness to
help with the project.
“It’s been interesting because
on
campus
we’ve
had
no
resistance, we’ve had extensive
enthusiasm,” she said. “This is
promising from the perspective of
a campus.”
TOILET
From Page 1A
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