The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Friday, September 29, 2017 — 3
election, she doesn’t see what
productivity this book offers.
“I’d like to focus on what
we can do now to build policy
and build advocacy for certain
groups,” she said.
Though the cost of the book
and tour concerns some — pre-
sale tickets for the Ann Arbor
event are currently around $82
to $170 range — many point out
nearly every recent president has
sold a book and gone on a pricey
tour. Wheat said many politicians,
including Joe Biden, who will visit
the University on his book tour in
December, offer pricey books, but
those books usually have some
kind of advocacy or goal involved.
She said this seems to be lacking
from Clinton’s book.
“A lot of people, after losing
the presidency, go through a lot
of public service campaigns, like
Al Gore and environmentalism,”
Wheat said. “Her book seems to
be just about her side of campaign
events.
That’s
definitely
worthwhile reading but at the
same time, with the current
political atmosphere, I want to
know what’s the bigger point,
what’s the bigger issue, whether
it be humanitarian or anything.”
LSA
junior
Jim
Stehlin,
however, sees politicians’ book
tours as problematic for our
country’s interests in general.
Rather than focusing on policy,
Stehlin said the “hero-worship” of
politicians makes us focus on how
politicians function as celebrities
(Biden’s ice cream habit, or
Obama’s humor, for example),
rather than how they functioned
as public servants.
“I find myself consistently
disappointed
by
the
hero-
worship within the Democratic
Party because it distracts from
the policy issues that actually
affect people’s lives,” Stehlin
said. “Former presidents often do
release books, (but) Hillary was
not a former president. She was a
presidential nominee who failed
to win the election.”
Others are upset that despite
the book’s title, Clinton doesn’t
really offer an answer as to what
happened.
Stehlin
explained
that while Clinton does plenty
of talking about how Bernie
Sanders, Russia, James Comey,
and voters’ sexism negatively
impacted her campaign, she does
little to explain her decisions that
may have hurt her campaign —
like her Iraq War vote, her Patriot
Act vote, her orchestration of
interventions
in
Libya
and
Honduras and her abandonment
of single-payer healthcare.
“For me, and many others on
the left, the problem isn’t that
Hillary Clinton chose to write a
book and do a speaking tour, but
rather the content of the book and
the ways in which she has tried to
rehash the 2016 election in order
to set a narrative that fits her
worldview.”
Engineering
sophomore
Lincoln Merrill, publicity chair of
the University’s chapter of College
Republicans,
agreed
Clinton
focuses too much on placing
blame. He said the high costs of
her tour seem contradictory to her
calls for equal access to education
and resources.
“She continues to shamelessly
take people’s money to boost
her own self esteem after a year
in denial that the only person
she has to blame for losing the
election is herself,” Merrill said.
Stehlin added that Clinton
fails to explain the downfall of
her campaign and that of the
Democratic party as a whole.
“The Democrats have lost
over 1,000 seats in the Congress
and
state
legislatures
since
Obama’s
election
in
2008,”
Stehlin said. “Clearly, the status
quo is not working, yet Hillary’s
analysis fails to explain this
trend.”
Regardless, many are still
excited for the opportunity to
hear from one of our country’s
most influential politicians. LSA
sophomore Emma Wergeles said
she already purchased tickets to
the tour.
“As a woman who is incredibly
driven myself, the opportunity
to see someone I have looked up
to my whole life is something I
can’t pass up,” Wergeles said. “I
am also in the middle of reading
her book and hope to gain more
insight on the current political
state from hearing her speak.”
CLINTON
From Page 1
me,” Jawad said.
Williams,
while
at
the
University,
dedicated
himself
to student ministries, leading
small Bible study groups and
cancer research. When he found
out he was nominated for the
Rhodes Scholarship, he planned
to pursue a Ph.D. in oncology
at Oxford, with the hopes of
becoming a physician scientist
and completing his M.D. in the
United States when he comes
back. He said being selected by
the University alone is humbling,
and he’s excited to move forward
in the competition.
“It was really quite an honor
when I found out, considering
that I know only so many students
applying within the University of
Michigan have the opportunity
to be nominated so I was pretty
excited to be honored with that
opportunity and going forward,
I’m excited to be able to represent
the University of Michigan in the
competition,” Williams said. “It’s
really quite a privilege to get to
this point and I’m quite happy to
make it this far.”
Also in the field of science, Liu
graduated from the University
last April with a degree in cellular
and molecular biology. While at
the University, she participated
in years of biological research,
co-authored
publications
and
conducted summer research at
the Mayo Clinic. She was also a
peer mentor at the Sexual Assault
Prevention and Awareness Center
throughout her undergraduate
career. After applying last year
for the scholarships and not being
nominated, she said this year
was an amazing and humbling
surprise.
Liu said she hopes to bridge
the gap between natural science
and social justice to examine
how medicine has impacted
disadvantaged
members
of
society.
“Science and medicine have
historically been deeply harmful
to marginalized communities,
they’ve often upheld injustice
and oppression and so coming
from both sides … I hope to really
be pursuing a synthesis of those
two disciplines and of those two
communities,” Liu said.
Shepard, the fourth nominee
for
Rhodes
and
Marshall,
dedicated
her
time
at
the
University to studying civil rights
law. She contributed to civil
rights litigation documents for
the online Civil Rights Litigation
Clearinghouse at the University
of Michigan Law School, was
an associate justice for CSG
judiciary and served on the
Office of Student Conflict Student
Advisory Board. She echoed Liu’s
sentiments about synthesizing
disciplines and, like Williams,
plans on pursuing another degree
after graduate study if she were to
be awarded a scholarship.
“My goals are to combine the
certain social science theories
that I get through Rhodes or
Marshall with a J.D. and then
litigate prison reform or criminal
justice reform cases,” Shepard
said.
The
application
processes
for the Rhodes and Marshall
scholarships are long and require
a certain amount of concentration
that demonstrates commitment
to the candidates’ future goals.
After
inquiry
emails
about
information sessions are sent
out to students across campus,
about 150 students came to the
sessions this year. Students
then met with Dyson and other
members of the nominating
committee to figure out if their
resumes and goals were aligned
with the scholarships. After
submitting written applications,
which include multiple letters of
recommendation and a personal
statement, the nominees are
chosen by the University.
After the nominations are
submitted by the University,
a paper cut is made and the
remaining nominees from all
over the country go to regional
selection committees for final
interviews. Each scholarship
will
receive
about
1000
nominations,
according
to
Dyson.
Both Jawad and Shepard
said the application experience
allowed them to explore their
future opportunities and make
some decisions as to what their
goals are.
SCHOLARSHIP
From Page 1
he was “counting on Michigan to
support this and get this across
the line.”
“President
Trump
said
yesterday
tax
reform
has
historically not been a partisan
issue. It doesn’t have to be a
partisan issue today,” he said.
“Call both your senators ––
especially Debbie Stabenow: Tell
her Michigan needs a tax cut, and
Michigan needs it now.”
And
while
Stabenow
has
indicated she supports bipartisan
tax reform, she said she has
concerns with the plan proposed
by Republicans.
“Our tax code shouldn’t be
so complicated that you need
to buy a computer program or
hire an accountant to file your
taxes. I support reform that
simplifies our tax code, puts more
money back into the pockets
of hardworking families, helps
small businesses, and spurs job
creation in Michigan,” she said in
a statement. “I am concerned that
today’s proposal would give most
of the benefits to those at the top
and would take away important
tax
incentives
for
Michigan
manufacturers. As we work on
reform in the coming months,
the bottom line for me is that any
reform must be bipartisan, help
Michigan families and create
Michigan jobs.”
Though there are many details
that have yet to be worked
out,
Republicans
released
a
general framework for the plan
Wednesday. Ahead of Pence’s
remarks,
Gov.
Rick
Snyder
stressed “it is time for reform.”
“If you want to add taxes then
there are three words you should
always look for: Is it simple, is it
fair, is it efficient?” he asked. “If
you look at the current internal
revenue help, it’s confusing, it’s
complex, it’s inefficient.”
Snyder said the location of the
event was symbolic of the power
of American manufacturing.
“It’s
outstanding
––
this
company
has
been
around
only 20-some years and is an
illustration of what we can make
right here in Michigan, what we
can make right here in America,
and we should be proud,” he said.
American Axle, however, has
a history of outsourcing their
workforce. In 2008, the day
after workers accepted wage and
benefit reductions at the end of
an 87-day strike, the company
announced it was downsizing ––
shrinking their workforce of 3,650
employees by almost 2,000. And
in 2009, the company chose to
shift much of their manufacturing
operations to Mexico, costing 500
jobs in Detroit.
Discussing the effects of the
plan, Pence said it would get rid
of loopholes “that benefit the
wealthy and the well-connected
at
the
expense
of
working
families.”
“Tax cuts mean more jobs,”
he said. “Tax cuts mean higher
wages. And tax cuts mean more
money in your pockets.”
Though he didn’t refer to any
specific loopholes, the recently-
released framework makes it
clear the wealthy would benefit
greatly. One of the most major
provisions in the proposal is
the consolidation of the tax rate
structure from seven brackets
to three, at rates of 12, 25 and 35
percent. It isn’t clear what income
levels
those
brackets
would
cover. The highest rate under the
current structure is 39.6 percent,
which only applies to married
couples making at least $470,700,
or individuals making at least
$418,400 –– meaning those at
the top would receive a tax cut of
almost 5 percent.
Another highly-touted aspect
of the proposal is the repeal of the
estate tax –– or, as Pence refered
to it, the death tax.
“We will end the American
tax on death,” Pence said.
The estate tax is a tax on the
value of estates handed down in
wills, which only affects the very
wealthy. Only estates worth over
$5.5 million for individuals or
$11 million for married couples
require estate tax filings, and
after deductions and tax credits,
only about half of those pay any
tax –– translating to 0.2 percent
of all estates in the country.
While
she
acknowledged
there
was
significant
need
among
the
middle
class,
Schindlbeck said she di dn’t
think the benefits to the wealthy
under the proposal were a bad
thing.
“Why punish the people who
are successful? That’s how I
feel. I mean, amen. If they’re
successful, I feel, let them be
successful,” she said. “I think
what’s fair for me is fair for you.
That’s how I look at it –– I think
seeing something where it’s
more straight across the board Is
what is more fair. The gentleman
who owns this corporation ––
good for him. If he’s knowing
how to run a business, and he
knows how to create jobs and a
good product, why punish him
for making a good living? Let
him flourish. Go for it.”
GOP
From Page 1
in the Teach-Out discussions
themselves,” Hilton said.
LSA senior Alanah Bratley,
who is taking Professor Samson’s
Atmospheric
Science
class,
submitted a question to extreme
weather
experts:
“Does
the
amplitude of the storm surge play
a role in determining the category
of the hurricane?”
Bratley explained the topics
Samson covers in the course,
including how hurricanes form,
the different types of categories
and the effect these storms have
on infrastructure and economy.
In light of the recent surge
of hurricanes making landfall,
Bratley
emphasized
that
she
appreciated the content, stating,
“I think the professor did a
good job presenting all of this
information to us and making us
aware of factors other than just
how (hurricanes) occur from a
meteorology standpoint.”
Physics
professor
Timothy
McKay also noted the influence
of students’ roles as both learners
and instructors in Teach-Outs.
“The ‘Reach Out and RELATE’
Teach-Out was largely led by
the RELATE team — a group of
UM graduate students who came
together in the wake of the March
for Science to help scientists learn
how to share their research with
the public,” McKay said.
Arun Agrawal, professor of
environment and sustainability,
taught the first Teach-Out —
“Democratic
to
Authoritarian
Rule” — in response to the
growing issue of threats to
global democracies. In an email
interview, Agrawal highlighted
his course’s success in reaching
such a wide range of students.
“We had roughly 1,650 learners
enroll in the teachout with an age
range of 16 to 81 years,” Agrawal
wrote. “They came from more
than 100 countries/regions, and
400 of them engaged with course
materials and issues actively
by contributing remarks and
comments.”
McKay commented on how
international students were able to
contribute their own experiences
to
the
conversation.
“Many
individuals shared stories of how
democratic norms decayed and
disappeared in their countries, and
how they sometimes returned.”
Revamping the the Teach-Ins
of the 1960s on a 21st-century
educational platform has proven
to reach a much broader audience.
James DeVaney, associate vice
provost of academic innovation,
underscored the success of having
Teach-Outs on massive online
open courses through edX and
Coursera.
“We
recently
surpassed
6
million
enrollments
in
U-M
(MOOCs) since launching our
first in 2012,” DeVaney said. “We
are comfortable with reach. With
our Teach-Out experiments we
are seeking to go beyond reach
and increase diversity, improve
interactions and create more
inclusive learning environments.”
Using the edX and Coursera
platforms
as
a
foundation,
Devaney emphasized the series’
goal to change the University’s
approach to public engagement.
“We are well on our way to
moving beyond a broadcast model
and toward creating a sustained
model for two-way engagement
with lifelong learners from around
the globe,” Devaney said.
After the first several Teach-
Outs, Hilton noted a few changes
that will be made to improve the
series, such as having more rapid-
response style courses and having
a more timely release schedule.
The
“Hurricanes:
What’s
Next?” Teach-Out models this
instant approach, since according
to
Hilton,
Samson
covered
hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose
and Maria within one week in the
middle of hurricane season.
“In
contrast
to
Teach-
Outs with a somewhat longer
development timeline, this type
of Teach-Out aims to provide
an immediate opportunity for
informed discussion during, or
immediately
after,
culturally-
significant
stories
emerge,”
Hilton said.
The program is always looking
for fresh ideas and relevant
topics
for
future
Teach-Out
events. Hilton emphasized their
continuous efforts to collaborate
with University students and
faculty to discover diverse topics
and create engaging campus
events
to
foster
meaningful
discussion.
According to McKay, some
of the upcoming topics include
conversations
about
internet
freedom, sleeplessness, privacy
and reputation.
DeVaney
mentioned
the
program’s goal to engage other
institutions in these current
Teach-Out
conversations
like
they did several decades ago when
the teach-in series was born.
TEACH-OUT
From Page 1
the decision.
Business
junior
Jovany
Flores, president of Lambda
Theta Phi, said he wanted to
contribute to the collective
efforts
of
a
community
that nurtured him and his
brothers. Over the past two
weeks, Flores and his brothers
held
fundraisers,
accepted
donations from alumni and
people in the community and
spread awareness about the
situation.
“Since the community we
are most involved in … and we
(ourselves) are Latinos, we
thought this was a great way to
give back,” Flores said.
Business
sophomore
Salvador Vargas, vice president
of Lambda Theta Phi, added
that his fraternity has also been
in contact with other Latino
organizations
on
campus,
such as the Latinx Alliance for
Community Action, Support
and
Advocacy
Pluma
and
graduate students, looking for
potential applicants.
Vargas said he made sure the
scholarships were awarded on
a first-come, first-serve basis
so that the fraternity did not
need to screen people.
“We don’t want to create a
criteria for something’s that’s
so sensitive,” Vargas said. “It
becomes very, very hard to
select somebody over another
especially with such a serious
topic.
Flores said his fraternity is
currently in contact with two
students who are interested in
the scholarship. He noted that,
as a minority in a predominantly
white institution, he wanted
to help his community out in
anyway possible — whether
economic, academic or social.
“We want to empower each
other
because
there’s
low
percentages of (Latinos) on
campuses around the U.S. in
general,” Flores said. “So we’re
trying to break the barriers
that are preventing us from
having that number increase.”
Lambda Theta Phi’s program
is the latest in a series of
initiatives in Ann Arbor set
up
to
help
undocumented
immigrants in uncertain times.
In the past few months, City
Council passed an ordinance
forbidding
police
officers
from
soliciting
residents’
immigration
status,
and
churches
and
synagogues
in
Washtenaw
County
formed a coalition to shield
undocumented
immigrants
facing deportation from U.S.
Immigration
and
Customs
Enforcement agents. BAMN,
an action-oriented civil rights
group, led a rally earlier this
month demanding Ann Arbor
become a sanctuary city.
Vargas said allowing others
to continue their education
undisturbed
is
central
to
Lambda Theta Phi’s identity
because one of his fraternity’s
missions
is
academic
excellence.
“A lot of us come from
marginalized communities, you
know,” Vargas said. “If we’re
given this opportunity to come
study out here, it’d be great to
be able to give that opportunity
back to somebody.”
DACA
From Page 1
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com