After
three
decades
of
minority
student
activism
and
ultimately,
organizing
for a more centrally located
multicultural
center
and
more emphasis on students
of color at the University,
the University of Michigan
broke
ground
Wednesday
morning
at
the
William
Monroe Trotter Multicultural
Center’s new location on State
Street. Alumni and students
representing the Black Action
Movement,
#BBUM
and
current members of the Black
Student Union gathered along
with administrators at the
construction site with shovels
in hand at the spot north of the
Michigan Union and between
the Kelsey Museum and Betsy
Barbour Residence.
The
groundbreaking
comes
four
years
after
#BBUM movement demands
revitalized student requests
for a more centrally located
Trotter Center. Recent alum
Logan Pratt, Trotter Student
Advisory Committee member
and
former
historian
and
academic concerns chair of the
Black Student Union, recalled
his time advocating for the
building.
With United States House
Republicans
introducing
a
sweeping plan for tax reform
last Thursday that outlined a set
of tax cuts for businesses and
a restructuring of the income
tax system, students became
concerned — especially because
the bill contains a number of
changes to the current tax code,
some of which may directly
impact college affordability.
The bill would eliminate two
of three existing tax credits for
students: the Lifetime Learning
Credit and the Hope Scholarship
Credit. The Lifetime Learning
Credit offsets 20 percent of
the first $10,000 of education
expenses for individuals making
$65,000 or less annually. The
Hope Scholarship Credit offers
a $2,500 credit for individuals
making $80,000 or less annually.
Cutting these two programs is
estimated to save the government
$17.3 billion in the next decade.
The American Opportunity
Tax Credit — the third student
credit — is expanded in the new
bill. This offers a $2,500 credit
every year for four years to people
who spend $4,000 or more on
tuition and fees annually. With
the new bill, the program would
be available to students for a
fifth year with a reduced $1,250
credit. This program cost the
government nearly $18 billion
in 2016, making it roughly ten
times as costly as the other two
combined.
Advocates of the bill argue
new federal programs negate the
need for these credits, which were
created before any significant
federal student loan repayment
plan was available. The Obama-
era
student
loan
repayment
program would stay in place under
the proposed plan. This program
allows students to apply for
federal loan aid, which is doled out
depending on income. In general,
the program caps the amount paid
by students at 10 percent of their
discretionary income. Individual
plans offer loan forgiveness after
25 years. More than five million
people are currently paying back
their loans with this program.
The
Obama-era
program,
however, does not cover loans
from private lenders, which make
up 9 percent of all student loans
for the current school year.
The GOP plan also eliminates
the tax-exempt status of tuition
reimbursements up to $5,250 a
year, meaning that they would be
taxed as income. Students whose
education is funded by employers
will be affected by this change.
In the view of LSA senior Grant
Strobl—chairman of conservative
Young Americans for Freedom—
the economic benefits of an
education negate the need for
the tax credits and deductions
changed in the bill. He said the
return on investment of a college
degree is far greater than its cost.
Approximately 17 University
of
Michigan
students,
representing
various
student
organizations, will be attending
the first national conference
hosted by Students Organize
for Syria this weekend at Loyola
University Chicago to discuss
solutions and raise awareness
for the thousands of people who
have died and millions who have
been displaced as a result of
violent oppression and civil war
in Syria.
SOS, a national student-led
movement that aims to spread
awareness, assist and stand in
solidarity with the Syrian people,
focuses on fundraising, human
rights advocacy and education. It
has chapters at several colleges
and
universities,
including
the University of Michigan,
the
University
of
Southern
California and the University of
Florida, among others; most of
which will be represented at the
conference.
michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Thursday, November 9, 2017
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INDEX
Vol. CXXVII, No. 27
©2017 The Michigan Daily
N E WS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
O PI N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 B
S U D O K U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
CL A S S I F I E DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Students hail
beginning of
construction
on Trotter
At DEI summit, questions linger
on action to improve strategic plan
DANYEL THARAKAN/Daily
E. Royster Harper, Vice President for Student Life, speaks to a group of students at the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Summit at the League Wednesday.
ADMINISTRATION
Groundbreaking fulfills thirty years of
demands from community for new space
SAM SMALL
For the Daily
Students and administrators weigh measures on free speech & accountability
One year after the introduction
of the five-year strategic plan for
diversity, equity and inclusion,
students,
faculty
and
staff
gathered Wednesday evening to
evaluate the plan’s effectiveness.
Most students in attendance
at the summit — about 50 total
— were members of Central
Student Government or student
advisory boards related to the
DEI or the Office of Student Life.
The evening kicked off with
an introduction from Central
Student Government President
Anushka Sarkar, an LSA senior,
followed by Robert Sellers, vice
provost for Equity and Inclusion.
Both
speakers
stressed
the
idea of creating a safe campus
community for all students.
E.
Royster
Harper,
vice
president
for
Student
Life,
called on values-based problem
solving.
“When times are tough and
you’re up against a wall, that’s
when you have to live and act
your values or else they’re
meaningless,” Harper said.
ABBY MURO, ABBY TASKAS,
SAYALI AMIN, GRACE KAY
For the Daily
‘U’ groups
will attend
conference
on refugees
CAMPUS LIFE
Campus organizers look
to host talks on solutions
for displaced Syrians
JENNIFER MEER
Daily Staff Reporter
Cutting the Lifetime Learning Credit and Hope
Scholarship Credit is estimated to save the government
$17.3 billion in the next decade.
Eliminates the tax-exempt
status of tuition reimbursements
up to $5,250 a year
Lifetime Learning Credit
Hope Scholarship Credit
American Opportunity Tax Credit
Offsets
of the first
of education expenses
for individuals making
or less annually
Offers a
credit every year for four years to people who
spend
or more on tuition and fees annually
Offers a
credit for
individuals making
or less annually
Cost the government nearly
in 2016
Available to students for a fifth year with a reduced
credit
DESIGN BY AVA WEINER
Trump tax credits are 10x more costly
than eliminated education benefits
Proponents argue new programs cancel out credits, students worry about affordability
RILEY LANGEFELD
Daily Staff Reporter
B-Side: Religion &
the Arts
Daily Arts explores the
various roles faith takes
in the realm of art, be it
through content or creator
» Page 1B
michigandaily.com
For more stories and coverage, visit
Attendees
of
the
Sexual
Assault
and
Prevention
Awareness Center’s 32nd annual
Speak Out were greeted by an
atmosphere full of fairy lights,
candles and the soft chords of
Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide”
this Wednesday night in the
Michigan Union Ballroom. The
organizers of the event said they
created this ambience to make a
safe space for survivors of sexual
assault to share their stories.
LSA senior Nora Akcasu, a
SAPAC volunteer and one of the
main organizers of the event,
said making the ballroom feel
more inviting was something
new SAPAC focused on this year.
“This year we really tried to
emphasize making the space
feel
more
comfortable,”
she
said. “The ballroom is such a big
space, and we don’t want people
to feel more intimidated than
they already are to go up there
and share this deeply personal
story.”
SAPAC
speakout
sees record
attendance
CAMPUS LIFE
32nd annual event for
survivors emphasizes
safety, empowerment
LIZZY LAWRENCE
Daily Staff Reporter
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