The University of Michigan
Hillel, the Black Student Union
and
NOiR
fashion
runway
hosted an open Shabbat dinner
Friday
evening,
followed
by
a
conversation
about
intersectionality
and
activism
facilitated by Yavilah McCoy, an
African-American Jewish activist
and educator. This event was a
follow up to Thursday evening’s
event, where McCoy spoke on
similar topics.
Hillel’s weekly Shabbat dinners
are normally attended by several
hundred students, most of whom
are Jewish, each Friday. During
this event, about 20 non-Jewish
students in leadership positions
in BSU and NOiR joined them,
sitting at round tables with Jewish
student leaders in the center of the
dining room.
The
conversation
McCoy
facilitated focused on developing
relationship-building skills and
how these depended on an honest
communication
of
personal
truths.
Making the connection to the
current political climate, McCoy
expressed the importance of
communicating personal truths
— like the ones found in religious
tradition — as key to outreach in
difficult times.
“Tonight when we go into
the secondary room together,
we’re going to talk about what is
Students and faculty alike
ditched their winter coats and
flocked outside Saturday to study,
work or simply enjoy the sunshine
and warm temperatures. But
for environmental activists, this
sudden increase in temperature
was no blessing — it served as a
reminder of global warming and
the effects of climate change seen
each day.
That
afternoon,
hundreds
gathered to rally for a cleaner
planet and to promote a healthier
future for generations to come.
Bearing
signs
with
slogans
such as “listen to the 97% of
climate
scientists,”
“respect
your mother” and “there is no
Planet B,” protesters marched
from downtown Ann Arbor to
the Diag, where they heard from
an array of speakers passionate
about
promoting
protection
of the environment and public
health.
Engineering
sophomore
Lyndsey Covert, member of
Epsilon Eta, the professional
environmental
fraternity
on
campus that co-sponsored the
event, explained the importance
of
mobilization
and
the
encouragement of community
members to get involved in issues
that matter to them.
“I
think
that
the
most
important part of activism like
this is just getting the word
out to people who don’t really
understand,” she said. “It’s just
mobilizing to get people who
aren’t really engaged in the
movement curious about it, and
maybe the more people that we
have informed, the more people
we have who are trying to do
what’s right for the planet and the
people who live on it.”
The rally came one day after the
United States Senate confirmed
the appointment of Scott Pruitt
to the Environmental Protection
Agency. Environmental activists
expressed their concerns about
the actions Pruitt has taken that
they feel will potentially harm
the well-being of the planet.
State Rep. Debbie Dingell
(D–Dearborn) was the opening
speaker at the event, where she
highlighted
these
arguments
opposing Pruitt’s policy.
“We now have a director of the
EPA that says that global warming
isn’t real,” she said. “His entire
career has been dedicated to
undermining the agency he was
appointed to lead and opposing
the laws he was asked to enforce.
It’s scary — he’s the poster boy
of rolling back environmental
safeguards to benefit polluters
and
irresponsible
business
practices.”
Dingell
further
discussed
issues
that
are
even
more
concerning
to
environmental
activists of Michigan specifically,
An
audience
of
about
50
Rackham students and community
members gathered Friday evening
at the Walgreen Drama Center for
a panel discussion on the effects
of
President
Donald
Trump’s
executive order banning travel and
immigration from seven different
Muslim-majority countries to the
United States.
The panel, sponsored by the
Engineering Office of Graduate
Education and tailored toward
graduate students, aimed to clarify
questions surrounding the legality
and status of the executive order.
It began with remarks from
University President Mark Schlissel,
who reiterated the words of his
initial statement regarding the ban.
He was among the first of university
presidents to publicly denounce
it, confirming the University of
Michigan would not release the
immigration status of any of its
students.
“The leadership of the University
appreciates that we’re a nation of
immigrants,” Schlissel said. “We
wouldn’t be who we are without
successive generations of talented,
michigandaily.com
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Monday, February 20, 2017
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INDEX
Vol. CXXVII, No. 33
©2017 The Michigan Daily
N E WS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
O PI N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
S U D O K U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
CL A S S I F I E DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
SPORTS..........B-SECTION
Hillel talks
race, role of
the Jewish
community
Ping Chong theater performance
explores Muslim experience in U.S.
See HILLEL, Page 3A
EMMA RICHTER/Daily
LSA professor Rudolph “Butch” Ware discusses issues surrounding the Muslim identity in Hatcher on Friday as part of a panel with performers in “Beyond Sacred:
Voices of Muslim Identity.” Ware provides context before the Ping Chong performance, considering issues of the Muslim experience.
CAMPUS LIFE
Yavilah McCoy facilitates discussion on
social justice, intersectionality at workshop
ALON SAMUEL
Daily Staff Reporter
Award-winning artist talks Muslim identity, politics during Trump Administration
In light of recent events like
President
Donald
Trump’s
attempted ban on seven Muslim-
majority countries, over
1,000
University of Michigan students,
faculty and locals from Ann Arbor
and Detroit attended a University
Musical Society event performed by
Ping Chong + Company on Saturday
night. The event, named “Beyond
Sacred: Voices of Muslim Identity,”
worked to explore stereotypes of
Muslim identity.
Ping Chong + Company is a
unique theatre ensemble based
in New York, which works to
address civic and social justice
issues through the performing
arts. Founded in 1975, Ping Chong
has
collaborated
with
various
universities and organizations to
push the boundaries of identity,
equity and community, through oral
history performances and large-
scale cinematic productions. Chong
was awarded the 2014 National
Medal of Arts by then-President
Barack Obama.
“I’m really just creating a space
for people to speak,” Chong said.
“Because the media is not creating a
space for them to speak, the media is
just perpetuating stereotypes.”
Saturday’s production is a part of
a series, “Undesirable Elements,” a
YOSHIKO IWAI
Daily Staff Reporter
See BAN, Page 3A
Effects of
travel ban
outlined at
Rackham
GOVERNMENT
University law experts
address implications of
ruling for grad students
MAYA GOLDMAN
Daily Staff Reporter
CAROLYN GEARIG/Daily
Ann Arbor resident Jeannine Palms cheers during the Ann Arbor Climate March on Saturday.
Ann Arbor residents march to raise
awareness of global climate change
Hundreds demonstrate in march to Diag on unseasonably warm Saturday
JORDYN BAKER
Daily Staff Reporter
michigandaily.com
For more stories and coverage, visit
See CLIMATE, Page 3A
See CHONG, Page 3A
In light of recent events like
President
Donald
Trump’s
attempted ban on seven Muslim-
majority countries, over 1,000
University of Michigan students,
faculty and locals from Ann Arbor
and Detroit attended a University
Musical Society event performed by
Ping Chong + Company on Saturday
night. The event, named “Beyond
Sacred: Voices of Muslim Identity,”
worked to explore stereotypes of
Muslim identity.
Ping Chong + Company is a
unique theatre ensemble based
in New York, which works to
address civic and social justice
issues through the performing
arts. Founded in 1975, Ping Chong
has
collaborated
with
various
universities and organizations to
push the boundaries of identity,
equity and community, through oral
history performances and large-
scale cinematic productions. Chong
was awarded the 2014 National
Medal of Arts by then-President
Barack Obama.
“I’m really just creating a space
for people to speak,” Chong said.
“Because the media is not creating a
See PROTEST, Page 3A
Protesters
clash over
‘U’ use of
fetal tissue
ADMINISTRATION
Local pro-life groups allege
researchers utilize aborted
body parts for research
KEVIN BIGLIN
Daily Staff Reporter
Out of miracles
The Michigan men’s
basketball team pushed the
contest into overtime with
a late, game-tying 3-pointer
but ultimately fell, 83-78, to
Minnesota on the road.
» Page 1B