couch.”
One
anonymous
graduate
student
described
the
ramifications on their mental
health after an incident with
their former professor.
“It has taken years to heal
from the trauma of being taken
advantage of by a professor who
claimed he had my best interests
in mind. I still have to see him
in the hallways and it is very
triggering. It was like a slow,
drawn out assault over many
months of the school year,” they
wrote.
University spokesman Rick
Fitzgerald wrote in an email
interview the University knows
of the existence of the database
and is monitoring it regularly.
“We are aware of this blog
and staff in the university’s
Office for Institutional Equity
check it regularly for allegations
that reference U-M,” Fitzgerald
wrote. “They look carefully at
the information that is provided
to determine if there is any
action that can or should be
taken by the university.”
The status of the University-
affiliated
contributors
range
from
an
undergraduate
sophomore to
visiting
lecturers.
One
common factor was the gender
of their harasser: All of the
incidents cited were perpetrated
by male faculty. The gender of
all reported perpetrators are
overwhelmingly male, with only
roughly 5 percent of reported
harassers women.
High-profile figures, many
men, in politics, entertainment
and media have faced serious
sexual-misconduct
allegations
in the final months of 2017
— ousting many from their
positions.
The
#MeToo
movement,
originating
from
actress Alyssa Milano’s tweet
encouraging survivors to speak
out, is at the forefront of national
conversations around sexism.
Sexual
harassment
cases
at the University more than
doubled in 2017 from 25 to
60 incidents reported to the
Sexual Assault Prevention and
Awareness Center, according to
the University’s annual public
safety report. Sexual assault
incidents increased from 124 to
125 cases in the same year.
When asked about how the
University is combating sexual
harassment in the wake of
#MeToo — including a flood of
charges at universities around
the country from Michigan
State’s
gymnastics
program
to the University of Arizona’s
firing
of
former
Michigan
football coach Rich Rodriguez
— Fitzgerald did not mention
any new scrutiny on harassment.
He referred The Daily to its
own stories on the University’s
history of misconduct policies.
“The Daily has numerous
stories in its archives on the
longstanding policies against
sexual
misconduct
and
the
extensive
educational
efforts
that are in place on our campus
to help students, faculty and
staff understand and combat
sexual misconduct.” he wrote.
Sociology graduate student
Nicole Bedera studies college
sexual violence and masculinity.
Bedera said she was neither
surprised when she saw the
database, nor when she heard the
percentage of women harassers.
“We know that the vast
majority of harassers and sexual
assailants are men,” Bedera
said. “Which doesn’t mean that
women don’t engage in these
practices, they absolutely do, but
one of the central reasons people
engage in sexual harassment or
assault behavior is masculinity.
It’s a gendered crime.”
Bedera
referred
to
the
database as a “whisper network,”
a hushed chain of conversations
between women about men
regarding rumors, allegations
or known incidents of sexual
misconduct,
harassment
or
assault.
“The only thing that makes
this list different from it is that
it’s written down somewhere so
that everybody can see who is on
the whisper network, including
those who are being whispered
about,” Bedera said.
Incidents reported in the
log occuring at the University
described
the
disruption
of
everyday life for survivors. Three
contributors noted they were
less trusting of men in general
following incidents, and would
avoid social situations with their
male colleagues. As a whole,
survivors
cited
irreversible
impacts on their careers.
“I don’t sit next to male
faculty/colleagues
if
I
can
help it and I avoid any events
where drinking is involved,” a
contributor wrote.
“I’m
not
sure
whether
this
would
be
considered
harassment,” one contributor
wrote of a professor asking
her for a kiss. “It did make me
feel uncomfortable and ended
any future potential research
collaborations.
Fitzgerald wrote to the Daily
that students should not hesitate
to report incidents of this nature.
“It also is important to know
that we always encourage anyone
who has experienced sexual
harassment or sexual assault or
is aware of someone who has
experienced sexual harassment
or sexual assault to contact the
Office for Institutional Equity
so those experiences can be
investigated
and
appropriate
action taken,” he wrote.
Kelsky’s list shares some
similarities with the “Sh*tty
Men in Media” list, which is an
anonymous database centered
in the New York City media and
publishing community.
powerful. The other is getting
connected to resources and things
that folks may not have known
about before.”
Dwight Lang, faculty adviser
of the University group First-
Generation
College
Students
at
Michigan,
said
the
first-
generation students he has talked
to over the years claim their
freshman year was the hardest.
As a first-generation student
himself, he helps students adjust
to college life, and connect them
to the University and each other.
“So many first-gens I’ve talked
to who’ve had problems, it’s
always been the first year,” Lang
said. “Many of them have said
they just wanted to flee the place
because it was just so foreign
to them. But they have made
a decision to come to college,
so I tell them to try to find a
reference group where people can
understand them. Maybe find a
staff person or a faculty member,
a peer, someone they can talk to
about your experiences.”
Mia
McCrumb,
a
first-
generation business freshman,
said
her
biggest
challenge
arriving at the University was
having no expectations as to what
college would be like. This was a
stark contrast, she noted, to her
continuing-generation friends at
the University. She said they knew
what to expect because it was
always assumed they would go to
college.
“I never knew that I was
going to come to Michigan and
I feel so extremely blessed to be
here,” McCrumb said. “I’ve just
definitely worked so hard to be
where I’m at. And I think other
people have always grown up
knowing they’re going to come
here. It’s a very big deal; it wasn’t
planned for me and it wasn’t
expected for me either.”
For LSA senior Hunter Zhao,
president
of
First-Generation
College Students at Michigan, he
felt his biggest issues were with
taking advantage of opportunities
offered at the University and
with not relating to continuing-
generation students from more
privileged backgrounds.
“It was a two-pronged thing,”
Zhao said. “On one side there
was that social aspect of trying
to connect with kids who really
didn’t understand the experiences
that I was coming from. The
second
part
was
the
more
technical aspect of not seeing
value outside of just getting my
degree.”
According to Lang, Zhao’s
bewilderment when trying to
relate with wealthier students
is not uncommon among first-
generation
students.
Lang
explained that first-generation
students’ decision to attend college
is simultaneously a decision to
ascend to a higher socioeconomic
status. This isn’t apparent to these
students when they enter college;
Lang said gradually their upward
socioeconomic mobility starts to
manifest itself, which can cause
tension between them and their
families.
“I encourage the first-gens that
are in our group to get to know
middle- and upper-class peers
because they’re going to have to
adjust to this new social class they
want to be a part of,” Lang said.
“They all want to be upwardly
mobile. I don’t think they all
realized that in the beginning.
So then they start thinking about
family. If they’re going to get flak
from their parents: ‘oh you think
you’re better than us.’ That’s a
big issue for first-gens.”
LSA senior Ariana Cribbs
didn’t attribute her challenges
at the University to being a first-
generation student until her
junior year when she participated
in the Sociology Opportunities
for Undergraduate Leadership.
With the program, she did
research on the first-generation
student experience and during
her interviews with other first-
generation students, she saw their
experiences mirrored hers.
“I interviewed other first-gens
and figured out the challenges
that I face are not just exclusive
to me, they’re exclusive to first-
generation
students,”
Cribbs
said. “This is something I was
experiencing and I didn’t realize
it was because of my standing of
being a first-gen.”
After she moved in her
freshman year, Zhuo received
emails about a first-generation
student dinner and from that
found
the
First
Generation
College Students at Michigan
student group. This year, she
became the group’s treasurer.
She said because of finding this
community, this year has been
easier for her.
“As a sophomore, since I’ve
done it once before, and I know
how the system works now, it’s
a lot easier,” Zhuo said. “Also,
knowing people on campus helps
a lot. Having a community and
building connections to people
around me helps navigating the
whole system.”
Zhao
affirmed
that,
as
a
senior, things are much easier
for him because he has become
more aware of the different
opportunities
available
to
him. Cribbs said she still has
challenges, but the importance of
her goal of being the first in her
family to earn a degree keeps her
persevering.
“It’s still kind of a struggle to
figure out the new things,” Cribbs
said. “I didn’t even know going
toward senior year about applying
for graduation, and I had to go
meet up with my advisers. That
was kind of difficult but I’m just
super grateful that I’m going to
actually be a college graduate.
Once I get my degree and I’m
making more money, I can go back
and support my family and my
community.”
The University and the First
Generation
College
Students
at
Michigan
student
group
are working to provide better
resources
for
first-generation
students. One newly established
resource is the First-Generation
Student Gateway, a space for
first-generation students to seek
guidance or mingle.
According
to
Lang,
first-
generation student groups are
popping up in the graduate schools
as well. Next fall, First-Generation
College Students at Michigan
is
launching
a
mentorship
program
which
pairs
first-
generation upperclassmen with
first-generation
underclassmen.
The upperclassmen can relay
their
knowledge
and
show
underclassmen
what
a
first-
generation
senior
experience
looks like.
But there’s still more to be
done, McCrumb said she wants
First Generation College Students
at Michigan to continue to grow
on campus.
“I
hope
that
the
group
on
campus
becomes
more
prominent,” McCrumb said. “I
hope the University begins to
work more with them. That’s a
group I had to seek out on my
own. I think giving students that
information is really important.”
In discussing his goals as the
president of First Generation
College Students at Michigan,
Zhao described wanting to raise
awareness and debunk narrow-
minded views of first-generation
students on campus.
“Something
our
executive
board is working on this year
is demystifying who is a first-
generation
college
student,”
he said. “I think for a long
time the narrative of a first-
gen student has been a rural
white student. And we’re really
hoping to expand that image.
Within
each
racial
minority,
they’re disproportionately first-
generation students. We want to
encourage students to see first-
generation college students as
intersectional as well.”
After senior year, the journey
for
first-generation
college
students is not yet over. Cribbs
applied to graduate schools last
semester and said she is now
anticipating
the
obstacles
of
being a first-generation graduate
student.
“Knowing what I know now
about being a first-gen, I’m
looking forward to when I go to
grad school and connecting with
first-gen grad students,” Cribbs
said.
First-generation seniors have
four years to adjust and to openly
discuss
their
first-generation
identity. But Lang thinks it’s best
to tell people from the start.
“My advice is to be open and
honest about who you are and
where you’ve come from your first
year here,” Lang said. “Be proud
of who you are. You’re a risk-taker,
you’re a boundary crosser. That’s
a real strength that you have. You
got a lot of guts coming here to
college. You might as well be open
about it from the get-go.”
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between airports and hotels
as well as hotel to hotel in
Las Vegas and San Francisco.
Through a mobile app, users
can arrange for a worker to
pick up their luggage at a
designated time –– two pieces
of luggage pieces cost $35, and
additional items are $10 each.
The company will debut
at CES to introduce itself to
the consumer market. Last
year,
more
than
184,000
people attended and 4,000
companies had exhibits –– Eu
said he would use it to gauge
consumer interests.
“We see it as an opportunity
because these people traveled
there...they bring stuff there
and they want everything
to be productive,” Eu said.
“With 180,000 people coming,
we are trying to watch out for
interests of the market share.”
In
an
attempt
to
gain
customers from an obvious
base,
the
company
will
also offer a 50% off code
to University of Michigan
students and alumni for the
first three months of usage.
Anne Perigo, the Associate
Director for the Zell Lurie
Institute at the Ross School
of
Business,
has
advised
Eu on his entrepreneurial
journey since his first year
at the University. She also
mentored the development of
Carrycott, another company
Eu
co-founded.
Carrycott
offers strollers designed to be
easily carried with one hand
and cooling technology to
prevent children from being
hot or uncomfortable while in
the stroller.
In an email to The Daily,
Perigo
described
her
excitement about Eu’s new
endeavor.
“Benjamin
is
a
great
role
model
to
other
entrepreneurially-minded
students at Michigan,” Perigo
wrote. “He is willing to put in
the hard work necessary to be
successful and smart enough
to really listen (to potential
customers, coaches, advisors,
judges) to know when to pivot
or move on to a different idea/
venture. I look forward to
seeing his success as a serial
entrepreneur.”
While
he
anticipates
difficulty
with
attending
school
and
managing
his
company,
Eu
remains
optimistic of his ability to
balance his time between
the two because of the way
he and Yong will manage the
company.
“I will mainly be managing
the technological and backend
side of the operations while
my co-founder will be in the
state managing the drivers
and
operations,”
Eu
said.
“That’s helpful for us because
we are able to connect with
the developers and develop
the product while staying in
school.”
LSA
freshman
Kate
Sherwin welcomes the idea of
the company. While she is not
a business traveler, she resides
out-of-state and would find
the service helpful for moving
in and out of campus.
“I think that a lot of people
coming
off
airports
don’t
really want to deal with a lot
of luggage,” Sherwin said.
“Especially for me when I
was moving into school, my
family had to carry four or
five suitcases...especially for
students, it’s a great product
and a great company.”
“I think there is a definitely
a lot of room for improvement
in helping people learn about
local government. So I am
really happy to see the city is
offering the citizens academy.
It is difficult to really judge
the
application
process
that they have until you see
what the outcome is. I think
that having some kind of
application process reflects a
level of interest,” Morgan said.
Despite concerns regarding
the
application,
Morgan
emphasized that the Citizens
Academy is a positive step
toward
increasing
avenues
for
civic
participation
within Ann Arbor. Morgan
cited uncontested races for
City Council and low voter
turnout as evidence for the
disengagement among the Ann
Arbor community.
“I think especially since the
2016 national election there is
a heightened awareness of the
importance of our democracy
and our civic health. But a lot
of that heightened attention
is directed at national level
issues and to some extent state
level issues like concerns about
gerrymandering. I think that
it starts local and you actually
have the ability to influence
outcomes more easily at the
local level but people often
tend to discount it. There is a
lot of things that we can do as
a community and I am glad to
see the Citizens Academy, but
of course I would love to see
more,” Morgan said.
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