Gov. Rick Snyder recently
sparked
controversy
by
appointing Bishop Ira Combs
Jr. to the Michigan Civil
Rights Commission. Combs,
a Republican and Pentecostal
minister in Jackson, is well-
known for condemning pro-
LGBT legislation. However,
Snyder
said
he
appointed
Combs
because
of
his
background in fighting for
racial justice and people with
disabilities.
In February 2017, Combs
outwardly
opposed
an
ordinance
that
would
ban
discrimination
against
individuals
in
the
LGBT
community. The Jackson City
Council eventually passed the
ordinance with 5 in support
and 2 against the vote.
Combs’ anti-LGBT record
dates back farther than 2017.
He has supported anti-LGBT
lawsuits, including defending
marriage
discrimination
against same-sex couples. He
also opposed the formation
of a Gay-Straight Alliance at
Jackson High School.
The Michigan Civil Rights
Commission is an eight-person
body that investigates civil
rights complaints and proposes
legislation to the governor.
Speaking of their experiences
wearing the hijab, the pressures
hijabi
women
face
in
the
United States to compromise
their identity and the unique
significance it carries in their
own lives were several hijabi
women who spoke as part
of the second annual Hijabi
Monologues commenced Friday
night in the packed Rackham
Amphitheatre.
LSA
sophomore
Ayah
Kutmah,
co-coordinator
of
Hijabi Monologues, said the
annual event was created last
year
after
the
presidential
election to combat a surge in
hate crimes against Muslim
women.
“Last year was much more
reactionary in a sense that as
we did it specifically in response
to Trump and the increase in
hate crimes, but this year, not
to say that the hate crimes and
Islamophobia doesn’t exist, it
was a continuation of giving
people voices,” Kutmah said.
Some of the speakers spoke
of the insensitive comments
they’ve
received
in
their
hometowns and the Ann Arbor
community, and how even in a
progressive city, Islamophobia
still occurs. Other women spoke
about their decision to wear the
hijab and how their encounters
with
the
community
were
modified.
LSA junior Alyiah Al-Bonijim,
fellow
co-coordinator
of
Hijabi
Monologues,
said
she hopes people will walk
away from the event with a
greater understanding of the
complexities of being a hijabi
woman.
“I think the main takeaway
from the event is the nuances
every hijabi women has in her
experiences wearing the hijab,
as well as what led her to wear
the
hijab,”
Al-Bonijim
said.
“Because even in the narrative
of Hijabi women, it tends to be
homogenous, where it doesn’t
take into account our various
identities, that influence why we
wear it.”
LSA freshman Nada Eldawy
explained she came to the event
partly because of her sister’s
recent decision to wear the hijab.
“It was really nice to come
and
hear
people’s
personal
narratives, because I feel like
there’s a story that’s always
spread
about
the
hijab
as
oppressive,
and
I
liked
hearing people challenge that
stereotype,” she said. “Especially
because
my
sister
recently
started wearing the hijab and it
was nice to hear people who had
similar stories to her, and that it
doesn’t have to be a stigma.”
On
Saturday
night,
close
to 1,400 students, faculty and
community
members
flocked
to the Power Center for the
Performing Arts to attend Arab
Xpressions — the University’s
annual
showcase
of
Arabic
culture. Xpressions is organized
by the Arab Student Association,
and featured Arab dances, skits,
poetry and student talent to
celebrate the beginning of Arab
Heritage Month. It is the only
Arab culture show produced on
such a large scale at the University
of Michigan.
LSA seniors Jad Elharake
and Haleemah Aqel were the
hosts of the event. On stage, they
described how Arab Xpressions
had transformed in terms of
attendance and venue, year by
year. Starting in the dorms, it
was later moved to the Angell
Hall Courtyard computing site
–– commonly known as the
Fishbowl –– then the Diag, the
Michigan League and finally the
Power Center.
michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Monday, February 19, 2018
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Anti-LGBT
clergyman
to join Civil
Rights board
ROSEANNE CHAO/Daily
GOVERNMENT
Governor Rick Snyder appointed Ira
Combs Jr. to Civil Rights Commission
MAEVE O’BRIEN
Daily Staff Reporter
Beginning in May, University will put end to tradition maintained since 1930s
LSA sophomore Lexi Michaels
wasn’t expecting to be late to her
Psychology 280 exam. In fact,
she thought she was early. But
when she walked into the testing
accommodations
room
a
few
minutes after 2:30 — she’d run
there right from her last class — she
realized the exam was not being
administered on Michigan time,
and everyone else had already
started.
“My
expectation
was
that
it would (start on Michigan
time), because that’s what most
of my classes and exams start
on, even if they’re in a testing
accommodations room,” Michaels
said. “And it didn’t. I walked in
really flustered. I was like, ‘Are they
going to let me take the exam?’”
After
the
initial
scare,
everything turned out fine for
Michaels. She was still given a full
two hours to take her exam, and no
one was angry at her for coming in
late. However, start time confusion
is common at the University of
Michigan, and the administration
has decided it’s time to take action.
Starting May 1, no University
classes will run on Michigan time,
the 10 minute late-start built into
most
undergraduate
classes
at
the University. Michigan time is a
MAYA GOLDMAN
Daily News Editors
Event Arab
Xpressions
showcases
dance, skits
CAMPUS LIFE
Event by Arab Student
Association hosts 1,400,
discusses transformation
RACHEL CUNINGHAM
Daily Staff Reporter
CAT MYKOLAJTCHUK/Daily
The Hijabi Monologues focused on the stories of Muslim women who wear the hijab, where women had the chance
to tell their stories and unique experiences to a crowd in Rackham Friday.
Second annual Hijabi Monologues
discuss unique pressure and identity
Event was created last year in response to resurgence of hate crimes against Muslims
CATHERINE NOUHAN
Daily Staff Reporter
Bucks stopped
The No. 22 Michigan
basketball team earned a
huge win over No. 8 Ohio
State on Sunday afternoon.
» Page 1B
See TIME, Page 2A
Patrick Doyle, CEO of Domino’s
Pizza, discussed the importance
of data analytics as part of the
Economics at Work lecture series
Friday. Doyle graduated from the
University of Michigan with a
degree in economics in 1985 and
began working at Domino’s in 1997.
Doyle began by discussing the
company’s
revitalization
under
his direction and illustrated their
three-step plan for success. The
company began by refining their
pizza flavors, improving customer
convenience and developing their
data analytics system. Since the
implementation of these programs,
Domino’s
has
seen
dramatic
progress in their business.
In 2009, Domino’s released a
commercial depicting customer
dissatisfaction in the taste and
quality
of
their
product.
In
the
advertisement,
Domino’s
emphasized it’s desire to improve
their flavor and brand.
“To date, we remain the only
brand ever to go out and spend
tens of millions of dollars to tell
customers exactly how crappy
our pizza is,” Doyle said. “We
Domino’s
CEO talks
economics,
analytics
CAMPUS LIFE
University alum, Patrick
Doyle, talks methods for
reimagining business
REMY FARKAS
Daily Staff Reporter
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Check out the
Daily’s News
podcast, The
Daily Weekly
INDEX
Vol. CXXVII, No. 78
©2018 The Michigan Daily
N E WS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
O PI N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
S U D O K U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
CL A S S I F I E DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
SPORTS........................1B
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See DOMINO’S, Page 2A
A timely solution? Administration
announces end of Michigan time