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

