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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

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