The Grandmother Tree
Walk
WHAT: Celebrate the
bicentennial by taking this self-
guided tour of 12 historic trees in
the Arboretum.
WHO: Matthaei Botanical
Gardens and Nichols Arboretum
WHEN: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
WHERE: Nichols Arboretum
As part of its eighth annual
Marshall
M.
Weinberg
Symposium on Saturday, the
Weinberg Institute for Cognitive
Science hosted Noam Chomsky,
an
MIT
professor,
linguist
and
cognitive
scientist.
The
interdisciplinary symposium titled
“The Architecture and Evolution
of the Human Language Capacity”
showcased speakers from the
fields of philosophy, psychology,
linguistics and cognitive science.
The event itself appealed to
people from many backgrounds,
including
Naila
Ashraf,
a
University of Michigan alum.
“I’m not a linguist,” she said.
“I don’t know anything about
cognitive science. I came to see
him because he’s a living legend.
I am really interested about his
political activism and his critique
of American democracy as well as
global political systems.”
Chomsky’s
presentation
centered
on
the
Galilean
Challenge, where Galileo urged
linguists to show how just a few
sounds can construct “an infinite
variety of expressions (that) reveal
all the secrets of the mind.”
University alum Mahela Ashraf
questioned the challenge’s premise
of infinite language.
“Isn’t there going to be a point
at which you come to a realization
that everything meaningful that
had to be said will have been said
by 2050, and from then on, you
are only trying to interpret those
really original thoughts?”
Chomsky explained how he
has addressed this aim and how
the challenge itself has evolved,
asserting the challenge had not
been taken up until the mid-20th
century because the intellectual
tools were not available. However,
mathematicians have established
a theory of computability, which
illustrates how our brains can
generate infinite variations of
expressions.
In doing so, mathematicians
have made possible the “basic
property” of human language —
the ability to digitally build an
infinite amount of structured
expressions,
which
can
be
interpreted into a thought and
externalized. The product of this
is what he calls “the language
of thought,” or the system of
thoughts that, when externalized,
can be used for communication.
“The language faculty of the
human brain provides the means
to construct a digitally infinite
array of hierarchically structured
expressions,” he said. “Each of
which is semantically interpreted
as expressing thought, and each
of which can be, and sometimes
is, externalized in one or another
sensory modality.”
However, Chomsky believes
internal language is used more
than external language. Internal
language refers to the linguistic
knowledge inside the mind of
the speaker; therefore, external
language is only internal language
Famed linguist Noam Chomsky
discusses linguistics and thought
MIT professor, social activist talks emergence of language with human evolution
NICOLE TSUNO
For the Daily
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
Agupacion Xango
WHAT: This will be the first
day in a two-day workshop
series about issues that affect
Argentina’s Black population,
led by LGBTQ and Black rights
activist Carlos Alvarez Nazareno.
WHO: Center for Global and
Intercultural Study Ambassadors
WHEN: Noon to 1 p.m.
WHERE: Michigan Union, Pond
Room
The 27th Golden Apple
Award: The Unexpected
Benefits of Pain, Passion
and Pets
WHAT: Economics professor
Edward Cho will give a his “ideal
last lecture,” open to the public,
as the winner of the Golden
Apple Award.
WHO: Golden Apple Award
WHEN: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
WHERE: Rackham Graduate
School, auditorium
String Quartet Recital
WHAT: String quartets
composed of student performers
will play music by Mendelssohn,
Debussy and Shostakovich.
WHO: School of Music, Theatre
& Dance
WHEN: 8 p.m.
WHERE: Walgreen Drama
Center, Stamps Auditorium
Dinosaur Tour
WHAT: This docent-led tour
leads dinosaur fans through the
Museum of Natural History’s
dinosaur exhibits.
WHO: Museum of Natural
History
WHEN: 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
WHERE: Ruthven Museums
Building
Scan the Plan: LSA’s
6-Month Progress
Report
WHAT: Visit a Dean’s Office
representative to get the LSA’s
DEI progress report scanned
onto your phone and a free
donut.
WHO: LSA
WHEN: 10:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
WHERE: Angell Hall , Angell-
Haven connector
Annual Copernicus
Lecture: The Glory
and Poverty of the ‘68
Generation
WHAT: Adam Michnik, a
historian and journalist, will give
a lecture about the landmark year
of 1968 in Eastern Europe.
WHO: Copernicus Program in
Polish Studies
WHEN: 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
WHERE: Museum of Art
University Choir
WHAT: The University choir
will perform several selections
at this free concert.
WHO: School of Music, Theatre
& Dance
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Hill Auditorium
Ann Arbor residents and
Detroiters alike worked together for
the University of Michigan’s largest
day of service learning this past
weekend, as over 900 University
students traveled to the city for a series
of volunteer projects centered around
clean-up and farming.
The event was organized by The
Detroit Partnership, a student-run
nonprofit aiming to unite Ann Arbor
residents and Detroiters. This year
marked the 17th annual day of service
connecting students to volunteer sites
across the city.
“Volunteers participate in various
hands-on projects throughout the city
of Detroit, from urban gardening, to
clean up and demolition with a focus
on community revitalization,” the
organization’s website reads.
Twenty-one service sites from
around the city participated in DP Day.
At each site, Community Coordinators
helped to run volunteer projects and
lead reflections at the end of the day,
with assistance from student site
leaders.
This year, University students
also partnered with volunteers from
University of Detroit Mercy, Wayne
State University and UM-Dearborn.
LSA sophomore Myka Yamasaki is
a member of the education team of The
Detroit Partnership. She participated
in the day herself, volunteering at
Greydale Farm in the Brightmoor
neighborhood.
“It’s an urban farm, so we did
mostly a lot of trash pickup,” she said.
“A lot of people were helping create
dirt piles that will be used to help
grow produce.”
Yamasaki said she and other
student participants felt they were
really making a difference through DP
Day, and were glad they could offer
real assistance to the farm’s owner.
“The woman who owns the farm
… said she was really happy we were
there,” Yamasaki said. “She said that
the amount of trash pickup on the
farm and in the surrounding area,
and the woodchip and leaf litter piles,
would’ve taken her three months to do
on her own. It was pretty good to hear
that we could actually do something
helpful for them, instead of them just
feeling like they’re hosting us.”
The stated goal of the day was to
involve students in the city and begin
to build a connection, and Yamasaki
said she saw students becoming more
invested. She said there was a lot of
interest in The Detroit Partnership’s
weekly volunteer programs, which
connect students to the city
throughout the school year.
“People were really willing to ask
me questions about what (else) Detroit
Partnership does besides DP Day …
which is really cool, because that’s
something we want to encourage,” she
said. “It’s not just one day, volunteering
and forming a partnership with
Detroit, so it’s really great to see.”
- MAYA GOLDMAN
ON THE DAILY: SPRING INTO VOLUNTEER WORK
JOSHUA HAN/Daily
University of Michigan-Dearborn political science professor Ronald Stockton speaks about
Muslim gravestones in Southeast Michigan and what it means to be Muslim in America at
the School of Social Work last Monday.
CULTUR AL E XPLOR ATION
Tweets
Michigan Dining
@MichiganDining
Announcing our newest menu
item at Beanster’s in the
League: the Chicken Bacon
MoJo Cookie Sandwich! Avail-
able 4/3
Follow @michigandaily
Dr. Mark Schlissel
@DrMarkSchlissel
A 3 OT thriller! Congrats to
the @UMichwbball #WNIT
champions #GoBlue!!
Angela Dillard
@adillard4
Worked all weekend & am
delighted -- overjoyed -- to have
my Inbox down to 25 emails.
How is this my life? What
happened? #RightToBeLazy
Liliana Gorsuch
@lilianag719
St Fratty’s Day and hash bash
or the only times you’ll see
green at umich
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
EMMA KINERY
Editor in Chief
734-418-4115 ext. 1251
kineryem@michigandaily.com
REBECCA LERNER
Managing Editor rebler@michigandaily.com
ALEXA ST.JOHN
Managing News Editor alexastj@michigandaily.com
Senior News Editors: Riyah Basha, Tim Cohn, Lydia Murray,
Nisa Khan, Sophie Sherry
ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY and REBECCA TARNOPOL
Editorial Page Editors
opinioneditors@michigandaily.com
Senior Opinion Editors: Caitlin Heenan, Jeremy Kaplan, Max
Lubell, Stephanie Trierweiler
BETELHEM ASHAME and KEVIN SANTO
Managing Sports Editors sportseditors@michigandaily.com
ANAY KATYAL and NATALIE ZAK
Managing Arts Editors
arts@michigandaily.com
Senior Arts Editors: Tess Garcia, Dayton Hare, Nabeel
Chollanpat, Madeline Gaudin, Carly Snider
Arts Beat Editors: Caroline Filips, Danielle Yacobson, Danny
Hensel, Erika Shevchek, Matt Gallatin
AMELIA CACCHIONE and EMMA RICHTER
Managing Photo Editors photo@michigandaily.com
MICHELLE PHILLIPS and AVA WEINER
Managing Design Editors
design@michigandaily.com
LARA MOEHLMAN
Statement Editor statement@michigandaily.com
Deputy Statement Editors: Yoshiko Iwa, Brian Kung
DANIELLE JACKSON and TAYLOR GRANDINETTI
Managing Copy Editors copydesk@michigandaily.com
Senior Copy Editors: Marisa Frey, Ibrahim Rasheed
DYLAN LAWTON and BOB LESSER
Managing Online Editor lesserrc@michigandaily.com
Senior Web Developers: Erik Forkin, Jordan Wolff
ABE LOFY
Managing Video Editor video@michigandaily.com
Senior Video Editors: Gilly Yerrington, Matt Nolan, Aarthi
Janakiraman, Emily Wolfe
JASON ROWLAND and ASHLEY TJHUNG
Michigan in Color Editors michiganincolor@michigandaily.com
Senior Michigan in Color Editors: Christian Paneda, Tanya
Madhani, Neel Swamy, Adam Brodnax, Areeba Haider, Halimat
Olaniyan, Sivanthy Visanthan
ELLIE HOMANT
Managing Social Media Editor
PHOTOGRAPHY SECTION
photo@michigandaily.com
NEWSROOM
734-418-4115 opt. 3
CORRECTIONS
corrections@michigandaily.com
Editorial Staff
Business Staff
EMILY RICHNER
Sales Manager
ANNA HE
Special Publications and Events Manager
SONIA SHEKAR
Digital Marketing Manager
JESSICA STEWART
National Accounts Manager
JULIA SELSKY
Local Accounts Manager
CLAIRE BUTZ
Production and Layout Manager
Senior Photo Editors: Zoey Holmstrom, Evan Aaron, Alexis Rankin
Assistant Photo Editors: Claire Meingast, Emilie Farrugia, Sinduja
Kilaru, Sam Mousigian, Marina Ross
Senior Sports Editors: Laney Byler, Mike Persak, Orion Sang,
Minh Doan, Chloe Aubuchon, Sylvanna Gross, Chris Crowder
Assistant Sports Editors: Rob Hefter, Max Marcovitch, Avi
Sholkoff, Ethan Wolfe, Matthew Kennedy, Paige Voeffray
Senior Social Media Editors: Carolyn Watson, Molly Force
WHO YOU GOT TONIGHT?
puzzle by sudokusyndication.com
2A — Monday, April 3, 2017
News
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
See LINGUISTICS, Page 3A