The University of Michigan
Senate
Advisory
Committee
on
University
Affairs
spoke
with President Mark Schlissel
Monday about the University’s
sexual
misconduct
policy,
the potential visit from white
supremacist
Richard
Spencer
and the Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion strategic plan. SACUA
also discussed the upcoming
Senate elections and ideas to
increase faculty attendance at
governance meetings.
Schlissel discussed his plan
to tackle sexual misconduct
through
proposed
culture
education training. The trainings
would aim to make faculty aware
of
protections
for
reporters
and whistleblowers, and more
comfortable with reporting any
complaint or concern regarding
social and sexual misconduct.
He went on to endorse the hiring
of an outside professional to
assess how well the University
is addressing sexual misconduct,
and
improving
certain
procedures,
such
as
hotline
calls, in comparison to other
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CAMPUS LIFE
Following the bombings in
Eastern Ghouta last month
which, according to the Syrian
Observatory
for
Human
Rights, have taken the lives of
654 civilians in the past two
weeks, the war in Syria will
reach its eighth year on March
15. With more than 465,000
Syrian lives lost in the conflict,
University of Michigan and Ann
Arbor activists are struggling
to center the conflict at the
local level while death tolls
become astronomical. However,
emergency responses like phone
banks and informational rallies
about large attacks such as the
bombings in the eastern Ghouta
region of Syria and various
education events about the war
have become a primary focus
for activists working to make a
difference.
LSA
sophomore
Ayah
Kutmah,
fundraising
chair
for
the
Michigan
Refugee
Assistance Program, is a Syrian
immigrant
whose
parents
immigrated to the United States
over 20 years ago. Her parents
used to take her back to Syria
every summer to visit family.
These visits ceased in 2011 when
the area became too dangerous
due to the violence and riots
of the Arab Spring against the
Bashar al-Assad regime.
“After the summer of 2011,
things had escalated to a point
where it was no longer safe
for anyone to really go there,
particularly if you have a
political opinion,” she said.
During his sophomore year,
LSA senior Yusuf Ahmed saw
how
perceptions
of
safety
and the Syrian crisis overall
command a very large presence
in the news. Since the conflict’s
inception
during
the
2011
Arab Spring in response to the
authoritarian regime of dictator
Bashar al-Assad, more than
a million Syrians have been
injured and over 12 million
have had to leave their homes
because of the conflict. The
Syrian refugee crisis is now
Shadows of
Syrian war
loom on ‘U’
community
Protesters and police wrangle outside
neo-Nazi lecture on Mich. State campus
PRASHANTH PANICKER/Daily
A protester clashes with police officers at the Michigan State Richard Spencer protest Monday.
With no end in sight, activists struggle to
center Syrians, keep crisis in memory
MATT HARMON
Daily News Editor
White supremacist supporters escorted to near-empty event, 24 arrested on both sides
White supremacist Richard
Spencer and his supporters came
to Michigan State University
Monday afternoon and were
met with protesters outside the
Pavilion for Agriculture and
Livestock
Education,
where
the event was held. In sum, two
dozen were arrested by state and
local authorities.
Spencer was not invited by
MSU to speak on their campus,
and his initial request to do so
was rejected by the university.
In the rejection, the university
cited safety concerns based on
the “Unite the White” rally in
Virginia that resulted in the
death of one woman.
This
rejection
was
met
with a lawsuit against MSU by
Cameron Padgett, a Georgia State
University student and Spencer’s
booking agent and legal advocate.
Padgett won the suit, resulting in
an agreement from MSU to allow
Spencer to speak at the university
on
March
5.
Former
MSU
President Lou Anna Simon wrote
in a statement the agreement to
let Spencer speak was organized
during the school’s spring break
in order to ensure the safety of
the student’s on campus.
“This agreement was based on
the university’s requirement that
the event occur on a date and at a
venue that minimizes the risk of
violence or disruption to campus,”
Simon
wrote.
“The
security
of
our
campus
community
remains our top priority and all
appropriate security measures
will be taken in connection with
the event. Michigan State rejects
this group’s divisive and racist
messages and remains committed
to maintaining a diverse campus
and supporting an inclusive, just
and democratic society.”
Kyle Bristow, one of Spencer’s
attorneys at the time, called this
agreement a “victory for the alt-
right.” Bristow announced his
resignation from his position
earlier this week.
COLIN BERESFORD
Deputy Statement Editor
The
University
of
Michigan’s chapter of the
National Association for the
Advancement
of
Colored
People
invited
local
law
enforcement
officers
to
the Afro-American Lounge
in
South
Quad
Residence
Hall
Monday
evening
to
discuss prominent social and
legal issues facing African
Americans
on
campus.
Students
voiced
their
perspectives and questions
regarding the treatment of
Black individuals by police
officers and the legal system
—
many
expressed
they
themselves have faced undue
suspicion that non-minorities
aren’t subjected to.
LSA senior Isaiah Land,
president of the University’s
chapter of the NAACP, felt
it was important to give
students a chance to educate
themselves
and
have
an
open,
honest
conversation
especially given the current
political climate.
“We wanted to be able to let
people know what their rights
are, what you can do, what
you can’t do,” Land said.
A video was shown at
the beginning about having
“The Talk” with children
of color. The Talk is known
as a conversation teaching
the
caution
and
hyper-
awareness many Black and
Brown parents impart to their
children on dealing with law
enforcement. Students agreed
they were implored to be extra
respectful and extra careful
in order to avoid ending up
another fatal statistic.
Eddie
Washington
Jr.,
executive
director
of
the
Division of Public Safety and
Security, said he had The Talk
with his children, and felt
that there was an opportunity
to still remind people of color
that they should take pride in
who they are.
Crystal
James,
DPSS
deputy police chief, was also
in attendance and stressed
the importance of talking
about the issue with family
members and not shying away
from the topic.
“The parent should have
The Talk,” James said. “I can
pay a ticket, but you can’t
bring your kid back to life.”
An interactive quiz at the
beginning of the meeting
highlighted several startling
statistics about crime and
police
force:
Police
have
initiated force in 81 percent
of interactions with youth
ages 16-18. Only 308 racially
motivated
crimes
were
reported
in
the
state
of
Michigan in 2016. However,
82,000
African
Americans
were arrested in Michigan
during the same year.
Students told stories of
being pulled over by police
and having a gun drawn on
them simply for reaching for
their license and registration.
Others recalled times when
they were warned against
The Ann Arbor City Council
convened Monday evening to
provide an update on the status
of the City of Ann Arbor’s Solid
Waste Fund, which is currently
at a sufficient balance. The
Environmental Commission aims
to hire an outside consultant to
draft the Solid Waste Fund’s five-
year plan this April. In a special
session, the council also increased
City Attorney Stephen Postema’s
pay by 2.5 percent to $184,500.
The Solid Waste Plan manages
a system for recycling collection
financed by the Solid Waste Fund,
an enterprise fund operating
as a bsusiness. According to
Councilmember
Chip
Smith,
D-Ward 5, at a working session
on
Feb.
22,
the
council’s
Environmental
Commission
provided an update of the fund to
a healthy status, which contrasted
the original concerning numbers.
“The Solid Waste Fund balance
had been given many projections
showing very dire circumstances,
but going back through the audit,
we have been given a revised
figure that that fund is currently
New Solid
Waste Plan
outlined at
A2 Council
ANN ARBOR
City Attorney Postema
awarded 2.5 percent pay
increase in special session
ALEX COTT
Daily Staff Reporter
DARBY STIPE/Daily
NAACP chapter convenes with heads
of DPSS to discuss race-based inequity
With emphasis on community partnership, students worry knowing rights isn’t enough
CHETALI JAIN
Daily Staff Reporter
See NAACP, Page 3
See COUNCIL, Page 3
See SYRIA, Page 3
See MICHIGAN, Page 7A
See SCHLISSEL, Page 3
Schlissel,
faculty talk
new policy
for assault
ACADEMICS
New sexual misconduct
code allows for hire of
reviewer, increase training
SONIA LEE
For The Daily
The Michigan Chapter of the NAACP hosted Executive Director of Public Safety and Security Eddie
Washington in the Afro-American Lounge at South Quad Monday.
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com