LSA Student Government
kicked off its Mental Health
Week Monday afternoon
by gathering student
organizations focused on
mental health for a Diag Day.
At the far end of the Diag,
LSA SG representatives Eli
Rachlin, an LSA junior, and
Kristen Ball, an LSA senior,
blew bubbles and blasted music
as students walked by.
Rachlin, spouting
positive encouragement to
passersby said the Diag Day
is an important part of the
Awareness Week because of
its ability to reach so many
students.
“You got to do something
where you get exposure …
everyone’s down this week, it’s
right before fall break, there
are probably a lot of midterms,
whatever it is — also the game
result,” Rachlin said. “But it’s
really important to get out
there to people who are maybe
very stuck in their own path,
or whatever’s going on in the
day, and say: ‘Hey, be happy!
Do something that makes you
feel good!’ and just try to take
some stress out of your life.”
LSA SG has been planning
the week since last year’s
winter semester, which will
also include events like yoga
in the Michigan Union, panels
discussing mental health
awareness and the annual
Send Silence Packing event,
where hundreds of backpacks
will be laid on the Diag to
encourage discussion about
suicide prevention. LSA junior
Nick Meier, chair of LSA SG’s
Mental Health Task Force,
wrote in an email interview he
finds the topic of mental health
on campus to be extremely
important and not discussed
enough.
“I’ve seen the effects of the
poor mental health up front,”
he wrote. “I’ve had friends
attempt suicide, fail tests due
to depression, and been hurt
by anxiety. UofM is one of the
most stressed campuses in
Michigan. Long-term stress
can lead to depression and
subsequently suicide. We
can’t stand idly by and excuse
systematic anxiety.”
Meier said he knew there
needed to be more dialogue
about mental health on
campus after an eye-opening
discussion with University
of Michigan President Mark
Schlissel.
“(A)t a Fireside Chat, I
had the opportunity to talk
to President Schlissel about
mental health,” Meier wrote.
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2 — Tuesday, October 10, 2017
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University Council explores policy
to protect targets of bias incidents
Agenda items include academic extensions, ME/NA box and course evaluations
The
University
Council
convened Tuesday evening in
the Michigan Union to discuss
topics
such
as
documenting
student racial categories and
the possibility of a resolution to
academically protect students
targeted by racist incidents.
To
begin
the
meeting,
guest speaker Jad Elharake,
an LSA senior, presented an
initiative to the council calling
for all University documents
and applications to include a
racial category checkbox for
undergraduate
and
graduate
students who identify as Middle
Eastern / North African. He
explained the state of Michigan,
outside of the Middle East, has
the
largest
concentration
of
Middle Eastern / North African
individuals. In working with
faculty and staff from the Ann
Arbor and Dearborn campuses
of the University, Elharake hopes
those who identify as ME/NA
individuals will no longer be
included in the “white” category
on University documents.
“Those who can identify with
the category include the 22 Arab
countries and the three non-
Arab countries that may identify
because of regional purposes,”
Elharake
said.
“That
also
includes communities that don’t
have nationalities … just so that
we’re more inclusive and we’re
not creating an Arab box.”
CSG Vice President Nadine
Jawad, a Public Policy senior,
expressed her support of the
initiative, one that has been
promoted for several years within
Central
Student
Government.
Last year, CSG unanimously
passed a resolution supporting
the initiative. Jawad highlighted
problems
of
unsustainable
discussion
within
student
governments.
“I
think
right
now
it’s
especially relative because of the
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
planning, there’s a large push,
and I think that finally there’s
a larger sense of urgency to the
issue,” she said.
In discussion of the campus
climate, Jawad introduced a
resolution that would encourage
a codified policy to protect the
academic pursuits of students
victim to bias incidents. She
explained a hypothetical policy
could,
for
instance,
provide
students who are targeted by a
racist act during exam season
with a few extra days to prepare.
“There’s so many ways you
could write this policy,” she said.
“I think just encouraging people
to start having this conversation
with something standardized in
place should be the first step.”
While
council
members
voiced their interest in the
resolution, a common theme
among members’ comments
was ensuring the resolution
be very specific, so as to avoid
exploitation by those wishing
to
take
advantage
of
its
protections.
Public Health Rep. Taylor
Sullivan, a master’s student
in Public Health, suggested
such a policy could provide
professors currently unsure of
how to address racist incidents
on campus with a concrete way
to help their students directly
affected by such acts.
“Maybe
this
is
an
opportunity somehow to talk to
professors … and (explain) this
is a way that you can actually
make this inclusive, equitable
environment,” she said.
Following
discussion
from council members, the
resolution
was
tabled
for
further conversation at a future
meeting.
JORDYN BAKER
Daily Staff Reporter
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
Gaither Junior Fellows
WHAT: Apply to this program
for a research position at one
of Carnegie’s many projects
focusing on different parts of
the world.
WHO: Office of National
Scholarship and Fellowships
WHEN: Noon to 1 p.m.
WHERE: Mason Hall, Room
1330
Medieval Lunch
WHAT: This program brings
faculty and graduate students
together to discuss their on-
going research.
WHO: Medieval and Early
Modern Studies
WHEN: Noon to 1 p.m.
WHERE: Tisch Hall, Room 1014
Central Campus Off-
Campus Housing Fair
WHAT: The housing fair aims
to help students find places to
live off-campus for the upcoming
year. Here, you will be able to
talk to landlords and receive peer
support.
WHO: Beyond the Diag
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 2 pm.
WHERE:Michigan Union, Rogel
Ballroom
Redistricting in Michigan
WHAT: From the League of
Women Votes of Michigan, Sue
Smith asks if politics should
choose the voters and answers
what can citizens do about it.
WHO: Osher Lifelong Learning
Institute
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
WHERE: Washtenaw
Community College, Towsley
Auditorium
ARNOLD ZHOU/Daily
Sophomore LSA students Josie Gilmore and Kevan Casson table for the
LSA Student Government at the Diag Day for Mental Health Week Mon-
day.
ME NTAL HE ALTH WE E K
ON THE DAILY: HEADS UP ON THE DIAG
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com
See DIAG, Page 3