The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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Wednesday, September 20, 2017 — 3A

DOG DAYS ARE OVE R

JULIA LAWSON/Daily

Students pet therapy dog Kipper at the Dogs on Diag event, which was moved into the Ugli due to rain on Tuesday.

money is not the issue. It’s the 
struggles that continue once 
you get into college unless the 
proper support is provided.”

Connolly said she believes in 

“student-centered 
planning,” 

and begins by looking at each 
prospective scholar’s needs, 
such as career development, 
life skills preparation, identity 
formation and their university 
community experience.

“We 
provide 
a 
holistic 

approach,” 
Connolly 
said. 

“Each student is different. 
We work through each and 
every aspect of that scholars’ 
undergraduate experience and 
their life to really help them 
gain the skills they’ll need to 
be successful at the University 
of Michigan.”

Scholars have access to one-

on-one support, mentoring and 
community building. They also 
set goals at the beginning of 
each semester and meet with 
coaches at least once a month.

Blavin 
scholar 
Samantha 

Wilson, an LSA senior, has 
been in the program since 
the fall of 2015 when she 
transferred to the University. 
She said her mentor has had a 
positive influence on her life 
and has helped her through 
difficult times.

“My mentor is one of the 

best people on the planet,” 
Wilson said. “It’s just lovely 
to have her in my life. We can 
talk about personal things 
and that’s the beauty of being 
paired with a mentor — you get 
to choose what you want the 
relationship to be like.”

Wilson said the program 

levels the playing field and 
gives students with difficult, 
complicated 
and 
differing 

pasts people they can trust.

“To be on more of a level 

playing field, to say, ‘I am 
here, no matter my path and 
no matter what has happened’ 
is so impactful,” Wilson said. 
“To have someone say, ‘I’ve got 
your back,’ for a lot of people 

it’s unprecedented and it’s 
uncomfortable. … It provides 
such a serene, haven-like place 
for so many people, and I mean 
that in terms of state of mind.”

The program helps students 

eliminate financial barriers by 
providing a $5,000 scholarship 
each year to help pay for 
personal needs in addition to 
their financial aid package.

“It meets any gaps the 

student has in their financial 
aid package,” Connolly said. 
“Our students may have more 
emergent 
needs 
than 
the 

average student. Some scholars 
deal with homelessness while 
others just lack funds to finish 
their degree due to family 
obligations.”

Wilson said she uses the 

scholarship money to pay for 
classes and food.

“It’s 
removed 
a 
lot 
of 

barriers financially,” she said. 
“I don’t have to worry about 
where my next meal is going to 
come from or how I’m going to 
pay for this class. All the who, 
what, where, when and how’s 
now have answers.”

Many 
struggles 
scholars 

face stem from a lack of 
community, 
Blavin 
said, 

which causes pressure socially 
and academically. There are 
therefore 
several 
events, 

including 
dinner 
with 
the 

Blavins on Thanksgiving for 
students without a home and 
social gatherings, in order to 
build a community.

Connolly said a major goal 

of the program is to turn a 
large campus into a small place 
where students feel welcome. 
Blavin added how lonely college 
can be for minority students, 
both socioeconomically and 
racially, without a network of 
support.

“College can be a lonely 

place,” Blavin said. “When 
you’re a minority on campus, 
it can be a very difficult place. 
So 
we 
have 
a 
supportive 

community that I think our 
scholars find beneficial. It’s the 
love and attention our scholars 
receive 
from 
everybody 
— 

that’s where success comes 

from.”

Connolly and Blavin said not 

all scholars have the privilege 
of having a family for support, 
which is where coaches help. 
Coaches, such as Connolly, 
help scholars move and provide 
dorm supplies such as bedding, 
laundry detergent and other 
items.

“Thinking about this idea 

of 
family 
privilege, 
every 

scholar’s 
experience 
is 

different,” Connolly said. “Our 
scholars may not have family 
support like their roommates. 
We may be that support — so 
we’ll load up our cars and help 
them move onto campus. And 
we’ll also supply them with all 
of the things that they’ll need.”

Wilson 
said 
she 
has 

struggled to build consistency 
in her life.

“Abandonment 
can 
be 
a 

huge component of being in 
care,” Wilson said. “I’ve had 
a lot of overturn in my life. 
It’s like a revolving door. To 
have someone stay is a rarity. 
To have consistency, I think 
would be a component that 
needs to be worked on.”

Going 
forward, 
Connolly 

and 
Blavin 
would 
like 
to 

have 
100 
scholars 
in 
the 

program and create a positive 
experience for students who 
have experienced foster care. 
Other goals include growing 
their alumni base, expanding 
even more in the community 
and affecting governmental 
policy.

“In 
the 
future 
of 
the 

program, I do see us going to 
100 students,” Connolly said. 
“And I do see us changing the 
narrative around students who 
have experienced foster care. 
We’re looking at how we can 
improve these outcomes.”

Paul Blavin said he hopes 

organization, 
faculty 
and 

even students continue their 
support 
for 
the 
program 

because they drive its success.

“We all can be rooting for 

the success of these students,” 
Paul Blavin said. “It’s an 
amazing example of the power 
of the human spirit.”

PROGRAM
From Page 1A

Sarkar later expanded on this 

in a statement. 

“The anti-black targeting of 

students this past weekend in 
West Quad is indicative of a larger 
problem that is perpetuated by 
both active hatred and quiet 
bystanders,” she wrote. “It is 
impossible to stop every force 
of racism and hatred, but it 
is certainly within the reach 
of every single member of the 
Michigan community to vocally 
and actively stand up against 
these acts of hatred. If you are 
not doing so, you are complicit 
in these continued incidents. 
I encourage those of you who 
have stood by until now to join 
those who continue to face these 
attacks. 
Without 
community-

wide and active solidarity, hatred 
will continue to manifest in these 
cowardly acts.”

The assembly then moved on 

to their guest speakers. Dean of 
Students Laura Jones explained 
what the Dean of Students Office 

offers and how they hope to 
facilitate leadership advancement 
with CSG. She said working with 
students from CSG is one of the 
matters that has defined her 
perception of the University of 
Michigan as such a distinguished 
institution.

“I want to acknowledge and 

thank you for caring enough 
about the institution to run for 
office and to be a part of student 
government,” she said. “I really 
value and appreciate the role that 
you play and what your purpose 
is.”

Jones also introduced Jim 

Hoppes, the newly hired program 
adviser 
for 
Central 
Student 

Government. 
Taking 
over 
a 

role that works closely with 
CSG, Hoppes, who attended the 
University as an undergraduate, 
looks to build upon previous 
experience working with student 
leaders.

“I’m very excited for this 

year and I hope to help you all 
accomplish your goals,” he said.

In updates from the executive 

branch, Sarkar discussed projects 
such as CSG’s new partnership 

with Lyft, featuring $10 passes 
that work from midnight until 6 
a.m. and that CSG hopes to make 
available to students next week.

“One of the things we had 

campaigned on was security 
threats for walking home late at 
night among students, especially 
in the South U, East U area,” she 
said. “I worked with Lyft over 
the summer to get late night ride 
passes for everyone.”

Other 
projects 
currently 

addressed 
by 
the 
executive 

branch include food insecurity 
initiatives that look to build upon 
last year’s progress, in which CSG 
worked with the dean of students 
to facilitate a referral program 
by CAPS and SAPAC that allows 
students in need to receive six 
free meal swipes at University 
dining halls.

In addition, CSG approved the 

appointments for new leadership 
in 
several 
positions 
and 

commission chairs, including LSA 
sophomore Isabelle Blanchard as 
chief programming officer and 
LSA junior Niccolo Beltramo as 
chair of the Student Organization 
Funding Commission.

CSG
From Page 1A

bond a carbon atom and a metal. 
To preface her work, Alektiar 
explained most molecules have 
a carbon-hydrogen bond. When 
people get sick, the bacteria 
in their bodies can evolve, she 
continued, eventually making 
them 
immune 
to 
certain 

medicines. 
Therefore, 
there 

needs to be a way to develop new 
medicines efficiently.

“The way that issue is being 

tackled is you kind of have to 
start at ground zero,” she said. 
“You have to start and basically 
make almost exactly the same 
thing, just change one thing 
about it, but you have to start 
from the very beginning. It’s not 
the most effective way because 
you are wasting a lot of the stuff 
that you’ve already made before 
you realized it wasn’t useful. 
So it’s just a much longer, time-
consuming process.”

However, Alektiar explained 

she has recently worked in the 
lab with carbon-hydrogen bond 
functionalization to improve the 
process.

Now, Alektiar is currently 

starting to do more research 
with metals — something she 
said aligns with what she is 
looking to do in the future. She 

said wants to get her Ph.D. in 
organic chemistry, and is very 
interested 
in 
photocatalysis. 

Alektiar offered a simplified 
definition of the photocatalysis 
process, saying it uses light to 
make reactions occur.

“A lot of the fundamentals 

and 
techniques 
that 
I’m 

learning through the different 
projects I’ve been doing at 
the Montgomery lab, I will be 
able to apply them to then do 
photocatalysis in the future,” she 
said.

Wilson 
is 
also 
studying 

chemistry and has been working 
a project in the Montgomery 
lab since January. His work 
involves 
biocatalysis, 
which 

uses natural enzymes to speed 
up chemical reactions, of which 
he uses mutants to modify big 
macromolecules.

“Essentially, 
we’re 

speeding up the process of the 
pharmaceutical company so that 
they can screen more antibiotics 
quicker,” he said.

Wilson 
said 
he 
modifies 

substrates — substances that 
undergo chemical reactions.

“For me, the most interesting 

part 
is 
that 
I 
can 
make 

modifications on the molecule 
and then force something that 
is biologically active to do that 
reaction on a molecule in a 
different way,” he said. “It’s 

a little bit of a power trip in a 
way, but obviously in a nerdy 
way. You’re able to basically 
manipulate the molecule any 
way you want to.”

Wilson took Chemistry 210, 

an organic chemistry course, 
with Montgomery as a freshman. 
He said he was interested in 
the theory behind the material 
so he often stayed behind to 
ask questions after class and 
soon 
expressed 
interest 
in 

Montgomery’s research.

Wilson said he enjoys the 

research he is doing because 
he gets to establish a personal 
connection 
with 
high-level 

faculty that can help him to 
understand the material; he said 
speaking directly with experts 
in the field is a “one of a kind” 
experience that is not necessarily 
offered in classes.

In terms of why research is 

important, Wilson said in the 
current political climate there is 
the perception that research isn’t 
as important because the results 
are not necessarily tangible.

“I obviously have a scientific 

background … I understand that 
essentially all scientific research 
is important in some way no 
matter how far removed away 
from process it is,” he said.

A 

big 

CHEMISTRY
From Page 1A

of different students and a lot 
of different donors and things 
like that. But even if it’s a small 
group of students, we matter 
here and I want people to know 
that. It’s kind of a slap in the 
face when I get an email about 
the Bicentennial when three 
days later there’s no address to 
the racists incidents, and you 
are still sending out emails 
about bicentennials.”

LSA 
freshman 
Dylan 

Gilbert shared some of Land’s 
sentiment, and explained she 
is upset but not surprised by 
Schlissel’s inaction.

“I wasn’t that surprised 

because 
(racist 
incidents) 

happens all the time, and at this 
point I’m pretty desensitized to 
it all. I think people don’t like 
addressing what makes them 
uncomfortable, 
especially 

in 
such 
a 
predominantly 

white 
university,” 
Gilbert 

said. “They probably have no 
idea what to do and are most 
likely floundering a little bit. 
There definitely needs to be 
a statement made explaining 
that we protect students and 
don’t like stuff like this to 
happen.”

Because of this, students 

have taken matters into their 
own hands: The Black Student 
Union 
and 
the 
Michigan 

branch of the NAACP held 
an 
event 
titled 
“Destress” 

Tuesday evening to discuss 
strategies for supporting the 
Black community and moving 
forward after the recent racial 
incidents that have taken place 
on campus and downtown Ann 
Arbor. 

Black students, faculty and 

allies piled into the Modern 
Language Building to look for 
ways to ensure that African-
American students feel safe and 
comfortable at Michigan. The 
event was orginally slated to 
be held in the Yuri Kochiyama 
lounge of South quad but 
changed due to high interest. 
It was casual, and offered 

students a chance to voice 
their emotions, experiences 
and opinions following recent 
incidents of racism in a safe 
and comfortable environment.

One of the students was LSA 

sophomore 
Kaitlyn 
Brown, 

who reflected on the alarm she 
felt after finding out about the 
writings in West Quad.

“I was also shocked — hurt 

— that this is something that’s 
happening at my school and in 
my community. It’s personal. 
I’m 
appalled 
that 
this 
is 

happening now, in 2017, on 
my campus, happening to my 
people. Why is this something 
that is still going on?” Brown 
said. “And it’s hurtful that 

people even think that’s OK. 
Like they actually thought 
about it, and then did it, and 
didn’t think there would be any 
consequence.”

The 
Destress 
event 
is 

one of many ways the Black 
community 
on 
campus 
is 

working to heal and move 
forward. During the discussion 
portion, 
suggestions 
such 

as having mandatory race-
relation 
training 
for 
each 

student, faculty member and 
GSI 
and 
reclaiming 
Black 

spaces 
on 
campus 
were 

explored.

Throughout 
the 
day 

Tuesday, students and allies 
also participated in a “Black-
Out,” dressing in all black to 
show solidarity with the Black 
community.

Land 
explained 
the 

importance of a “Black-Out” 
and explained how the show of 

solidarity is comforting during 
tough times.

“When you look and see 

someone wearing all black, 
whether it’s an ally or someone 
in your community, you can 
easily look at them and say, 
hey, you’re with us, you’re not 
against me and you want to 
make a change with me,” Land 
said.

The 
University 
chapter 

of the NAACP, The Muslim 
Students Association, Central 
Student 
Government, 
and 

JustDems, 
the 
University’s 

chapter 
College 
Democrat’s 

social 
justice 
committee, 

as 
well 
as 
handful 
other 

students 
organizations, 

tweeted in solidarity with the 
Black Student Union and the 
statement they released. 

Public Policy junior Lauren 

Schandevel, 
communications 

director for the University’s 
chapter of College Democrats, 
wrote in an email interview 
the black-out had full support 
from her organization.

“College 
Democrats 

supports the black-out 100%,” 
she wrote. “We encouraged our 
members to participate, too.”

Both 
Gilbert 
and 
Land 

hope people continue to show 
their support for the Black 
community 
and 
that 
the 

administration 
makes 
more 

of an effort to help minority 
students on campus.

“They can start talking about 

it, holding people accountable 
for their actions and showing 
that if they find the people who 
did it that they take serious 
measures. Also by addressing 
it and showing that they stand 
with the Black students in the 
University,” Gilbert said.

Land 
urged 
the 
entire 

community 
to 
stand 
in 

solidarity 
and 
support 
the 

movement.

“This 
movement 
is 
for 

everybody. I think typically 
we come and see it’s mostly 
Black students in these type of 
spaces, and I encourage anyone 
who is with us to come out and 
voice your opinion and show 
support.”

Read more online at 

michigandaily.com

RESPONSE
From Page 1A

I’m appalled that 
this is happening 

now, in 2017, 

on my campus, 
happening to my 

people

