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 

michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tuesday, March 6, 2018

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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

