lifelong
commitment,
before
making the decision to rush.
Harper
explained
the
expansions
of
learning
communities
and
theme
communities
will
help
to
compliment this improvement
of the first-year experience. She
hopes more students will have
opportunities to take part in more
extracurriculars and community
service to feel more engaged and
connected to the University.
“When students have a chance
to pause and to think about it
and to think about their interests
and to test out some possibilities,
they discover they have a passion
for something else and that they
want to make their contribution
in a different way,” Harper said.
“This is really designed to have us
pause.”
Harper stated the University
had winter recruitment processes
in place during the late 1950s
and early 1960s, and in 2015 a
subcommittee was gathered to
investigate options on delaying
recruitment. By implementing
the new recruitment stage in
2020, Harper said, the Greek
community will be given time for
training and understanding of the
new process.
Harper reiterated her argument
against
conversations
that
this change in the recruitment
timeframe serves as a punishment
to the Greek community.
“There has been some sort
of framing that this is about
punishing the Greek community.
So we’re going to punish them by
doing something 20 months from
now? That’s a little dumb,” Harper
said. “It is really about how do we
ensure that the students we’re
inviting to our community can do
well.”
Racist Snapchat
Harper
also
discussed
the
University’s
actions
and
responses after LSA sophomore
Lauren Fokken released a racist
Snapchat with herself and a friend
in blackface with the caption
“#blacklivesmatter.”
Harper explained the Snapchat
was inappropriate and against
the University values. However,
she was grateful for the number
of students who reported the
incident to the Bias Response
Team on campus. The next step
for the individuals involved is
to see what consequences they
would face at the Office of Student
Conflict Resolution.
“We were of course concerned,
so we were clear about our values
that is not welcome here,” Harper
said. “Lots of students sent it to
the Bias Response Team, which
we enormously appreciate so we
knew what was going on. There
was an outreach to the students
that were involved and they were
in several conversations trying
to understand why this behavior
isn’t okay — it also happened to be
a student employee — so of course
it
has
different
implications.
Students were talked to. It is a
case then that will make it to
OSCR, our coding office, to look at
what are the implications, how do
we hold students accountable?”
The Office of Multi-Ethnic
Student Affairs also held open
office hours Saturday and Sunday
for students who were impacted
by the Snapchat to discuss how
they were feeling. Harper touched
on the widespread effect of
ignorance and how the University
needs to deny its place on campus
as an entire community.
“Those are the kinds of things
that we do when this kind of
ignorance and racism shows up
on our campus,” Harper said. “It’s
very painful, for the students are
subject to it, it’s very painful for all
of us as a community that doesn’t
condone that kind of behavior,
and it is painful I believe for the
students who engage in it.”
She furthered this sentiment
and explained the importance
of not only condemning racism
but, in her opinion also allowing
an opportunity for individuals to
learn.
“Once this happens on our
campus, then we have to decide
as a community what kind of
campus do we want to be,” Harper
said. “We have to condemn it
absolutely, then we have to leave
space for people to change, to
grow, to understand what is
inappropriate about it, and to
make
restoration,
and
that’s
what we try to do in the OSCR
process. Bring students in who
engage in this behavior, have a
dialogue about it, try to help them
understand its impact, sometimes
have them talk with the folks to
whom it impacted.”
She
also
addressed
the
dilemma she faced in her own role
as vice president for student life
and balancing accountability with
room for restoration.
“That’s the challenge in my
role. It is both about holding
people accountable and creating
space for them to change and
grow.” Harper said, “Sometimes
when you’re hurt, when I’m
hurt,
I’m
not
interested
in
anybody changing or growing,
I’m interested in them being
punished, but we don’t want to be
only that kind of community.”
While allowing an opportunity
for growth is important to Harper,
she acknowledged the importance
of calling the Snapchat out for
what it really was.
“I think we have to talk about
that (the Snapchat), and name it
for what it is: It was racist, it was
inappropriate, it does do harm,”
she said. “We have to name it
before we can do something about
it, and when we do something
about it we have to create space
for the person to still be in the
community.”
Harper said she understands
the impact racist incidents have
on minority communities and
emphasized
the
importance
of speaking up to ensure those
groups
are
not
negatively
impacted. She also said actions of
violence, whether they be sexual,
ethnic or racial, all come from
the same place of disrespecting
another individual or group’s
humanity.
“It does mean there are some
students who are carrying a bigger
burden around, and that’s why all
of us have to say something so
that the people that are targeted
are not harmed,” Harper said.
“I believe it’s the same kind of
disregard
for
other
people’s
humanity and for their bodies and
their minds and their intellect
that causes a person to do sexual
violence – (it) comes from the
same place of, ‘I get to decide who
ought to be in the community.’
Who put you in charge? Who put
you in charge of deciding who is
the ‘other’ in the community?”
La Casa
In February, the Latinx Alliance
for Community Action, Support
and Advocacy released a list of
demands to the administration
with steps they felt needed to be
taken to better support the Latinx
community. The demands arose
after several racial incidents
and a boycott against the lack
of Latinx representation across
different University levels. It has
been about a month and a half
after the initial demands were
released, and Harper commented
on the University’s efforts toward
implementing La Casa’s requests.
“We
have
been
meeting
with La Casa members and
faculty members of the Latinx
community, I would say for maybe
at least a month, and sometimes
twice a day,” Harper said. “Going
through what the concerns are,
and in some cases bringing people
in to help us understand what
we’re currently doing.”
She also said the administration
was looking over the Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion Campus
Climate
survey
released
last
fall to better understand the
experience of Latinx students at
the University.
“Last Friday, we looked at
the climate data, what does our
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
student data tell us about the
experience of Latinx students,
and what they are experiencing
in relation to other students,”
Harper said.
Harper
explained
the
administration is also working
to
consolidate
the
different
demands
and
come
to
an
understanding of how they will
proceed with actionable steps.
She praised the members of
La Casa for calling attention
to issues their community is
facing and acknowledged the
administration’s
willingness
to work with them on creating
solutions.
“It would be premature for
me to say this is where we are
because we are in the process of
figuring out together where we
are,” Harper said. “I think that
the Latinx community has raised
some important issues. That is
one of the things really I admire
about our students here that they
will see a concern and raise the
issue, and what I love about the
administration is that we are
responsive. So we are engaged in
that discussion dialogue process
right now to better understand
and then to figure out given what
the needs are what it is that we
are able to do.”
Commuting and accessibility
In terms of accessibility for
students, Harper spoke on current
resources available to students,
as well as the University’s push
to make these resources more
widely known and available. In
response to students on campus
calling for more accessibility,
including
commuter
students
and those who face financial
strain in paying for on-campus
and finding off-campus housing,
Harper stated administration has
been working more closely with
individual schools and colleges to
provide resources.
“We
have
many
more
resources than students know
about,” Harper said. “With our
communications department and
each of our units, we’re trying to
get better at making sure students
understand the resources that
are available. Right now, we’ve
asked the schools and colleges
and others who are providing
resources to tell us what is the
resource, who is it for, how many
people does it involve, and trying
to get a catalog of what’s available
so we can figure out how we
make this more apparent and
transparent to students.”
Harper
also
discussed
providing
resources
to
first-
year students, explaining while
administration is working to
make the depth and breadth of
resources more transparent for
students, freshman orientation
can often be too busy of a time to
highlight all of these resources.
Harper said the problem is often
caused because of the immense
quantities of options.
In addition, Harper spoke
on the importance of listening
to students and explained that,
while it may not always be
possible to resolve the issue in
the ways students are asking for,
there is always room for progress
and improvement.
“As the vice president, when
I hear from students of color
or
students
with
disabilities
or
underrepresented
minority
students or low-income students
or
high-income
students
for
whom this place isn’t working,
I take it seriously,” Harper said.
“I first try to listen then I try to
understand, I take the concern
seriously,
because
sometimes
it affects a small population,
sometimes it’s a large population,
but to me all of those students are
important.”
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Thursday, March 22, 2018 — 3A
day, I’m certainly a fan. A lot
of us are fans, that’s why we’re
here. You have to love the music,
and you have to love the art.”
Students and local residents
from all backgrounds said they
came to the event in hopes of
gaining valuable advice from
experts who were once in their
shoes.
LSA senior Dyshon Toxey
Jr. is a local artist who said
he attended the event to learn
more about the industry he’s
passionate about. He said it was
helpful hearing the panelists
speak about the challenges they
once faced and learned they all
took non-linear paths.
“I’m trying to meet up with
them, network and build more
connections, just so that I can
grow and potentially be in their
position, and next year be the
one speaking,” he said.
Jacobson also had some advice
for artists like Toxey.
“Just keep doing what you’re
doing. If you make good music
and you’re passionate about it,
people are going to follow you
and come to your shows,” he
said.
The music industry requires
experience, and many students
at
the
University,
including
LSA senior Jessie Baren, feel
as though their classes aren’t
preparing them properly.
“Coming
into
Michigan,
there’s not a music business
or
entertainment
industry
classes,” he said. “So I think
it’s really cool Maize Collective
and
organizations
like
that
are putting on these kinds of
events for us, because they are
beneficial.”
Maize
Collective
founder
James Roeser, an Information
senior, said he also felt this
frustration during his time at
the University. Between his
sophomore and junior year, he
crafted the Maize Collective, a
hands-on organization to help
interested University students
get the real-life experiences they
need for starting careers in the
music industry.
“There’s a lot of disperse
music communities on campus,
but no central place to learn
what’s going on, or how you
can get involved and meet other
people, especially if you’re not in
the music school,” he said.
The Maize Collective isn’t
just for musicians. The club
offers opportunities for growth
in areas like art and design
and
marketing.
Events
like
“Industry Insight” are meant to
give students interested in all
creative industries the chance
to meet professionals who were
once students like them.
“The stuff people are talking
about is all applicable to other
industries and areas,” Roeser
said. “Most people have a central
interest in music and creating,
even if you’re not 100 percent
going into the music industry,
it’s
also
a
great
learning
opportunity.”
their own unique, authentic
and powerful narratives that
inform
their
decisions
and
create alignment, confidence
and coherence in their lives,”
Dodd wrote.
Nashiker said her adviser’s
interest in getting to know
her was one of the reasons she
had a positive experience with
advising.
“He’s made an effort to talk
to me about my hobbies and
my life,” Nashiker said. “So
he’s said that this major may
suit your hobbies or might suit
the classes you’ve been taking
and have been liking. I think if
you have the time to get to talk
to a student then you’re better
off when suggesting classes or
majors or minors.”
Newnan adviser Tim Webb
said he looks at his students
holistically, not just in terms of
their academic goals.
“I like to talk to students
how that will work with their
professional goals, clubs and
social life: how to be a successful
student, but also maximize
their
time
on
Michigan’s
campus,”
Webb
said.
“I’m
also an advocate for health on
campus, making sure you have
the time and space to take care
of yourself.”
Part of Webb’s job is helping
students navigate the resources
on
campus,
which
include
the
Opportunity
Hub
and
departmental advising, among
others.
For LSA senior Jenny Luo,
specific departmental advising
was more useful to her than
general Honors advising.
“I always felt like when I
talked to (my general adviser)
it was always about what he
wanted rather than my own
direction and ideas for my
education,” Luo said. “There
was something that he wanted
to push.”
Luo went to see her general
adviser the end of her freshman
year before selecting classes
and has not returned to general
advising since.
“There was one instance
where I went to see him before
I chose my classes second
semester of my freshman year
and he was very condescending
towards
me
regarding
the
Honors core classes,” Luo said.
Apart
from
general
advising, Luo has also gone
to see departmental advisers
in chemistry and computer
science for more major-oriented
information.
Luo
said
the
departmental
advisers
have
been helpful before selecting
classes and in providing more
information
about
potential
post-graduation plans.
“Most of the departmental
advisers that I’ve worked with
have always been more about
what do you want accomplished
and how we can help you with
that,” Luo said.
With
there
being
many
advisers on campus, Dodd wrote
students should find advisers
that work well for them.
“I want students to find that
advisor who makes them feel
comfortable and confident in
their exploration and decision
making,”
Dodd
wrote.
“No
advisor gets upset if a student
meets with a different advisor.
A
coordinator
for
the
undergraduate
program
in
the
Sociology
department,
Tammy Kennedy is also an
adviser for students pursuing
a major or minor in Sociology.
Kennedy works with current
as well as prospective students
to help them get a feel for the
department.
Kennedy
said
students
majoring
or
minoring
in
sociology are required to come
to her for two reasons: to declare
their major and get a release
for
graduation.
Other
than
that, students mostly go if they
have any questions about the
department, classes and future
career paths after sociology.
“I
want
to
make
the
University as small as possible
for them,” Kennedy said. “It’s
a really big university that’s
often siloed and we sit in our
own departments. I want to
connect students as easily as
possible to other departments
and resources that I know of
and would be helpful to them.”
If a student is unsure about
committing
to
the
major,
Kennedy
usually
arranges
for the student to meet with
a faculty member, speak to
another
student
or
attend
social
events
within
the
department to give them a
better idea.
“I
think
students
are
pressured earlier and earlier in
their academic career to pick
a major and make a decision,”
Kennedy said. “My line is that
I don’t get paid any more if
you major in sociology. I’m not
trying to convince you for my
own personal gain.”
Before applying to the School
of Kinesiology and the School
of Public Health, Nakisher said
her general adviser also helped
her create a back-up plan in case
it didn’t work out.
“I talked to a lot of students
who applied to these programs
and
didn’t
have
a
backup
for when they didn’t get in,”
Nakisher said. “I was ready to
go right after I got notice that I
didn’t get in.”
Webb is also co-president
of the Advising Council at the
University,
which
connects
advisers
from
the
various
schools
across
campus.
Compared to other schools,
Webb said LSA offers more
freedom in their majors in terms
of electives.
“There is so much more
space and time to figure out
their major,” Webb said. “My
colleagues at Newnan really
have a great understanding of
the curriculum and the courses
that
LSA
offers
and
help
students navigate their major.”
In reference to issues Newnan
advising faces, Dodd wrote
adviser turnover is an issue
both the center and students are
forced to navigate.
“I
sympathize
with
the
student who really likes his or
her advisor only to learn a year
or two later that the advisor has
left to take a bigger job or moved
away from Ann Arbor for family
reasons,” Dodd wrote.
For LSA sophomore Lorraine
Furtado, her original adviser
assigned to her at orientation
left in the fall.
“(My original adviser) sent
me a lovely email that she was no
longer advising,” Furtado said.
“She said I would be assigned to
a new adviser, but she didn’t say
who that adviser was.”
Furtado found out who her
new adviser was just a few days
ago, months after orientation,
when she had scheduled an
appointment with a different
adviser, who then checked and
told her.
As a first-generation student,
Furtado said navigating the
course selection process and
selecting a major was difficult
at first.
“The advice I received was
along the lines of follow your
heart’s desire, which is hard to
hear knowing that what I do in
my undergrad has to potentially
be a career option,” Furtado
said. “I ended up taking her
advice, which I’m really grateful
for now.”
“I wish it was happening
when I was younger, 10 years
ago,” Newman said. “Because
you must call it out, you can do
it nicely, but you must call it out.
The #MeToo campaign has given
women everywhere the wake-up
they needed to say something.
When you get out there, most of
you aren’t out there yet, there’s
definitely a difference in how
women are treated by an older
generation. This campaign really
brought a whole new level to this
issue and we can’t let it go away,
it’s too important.”
Public Policy student Erica
Muñoz-Rumsey, who is also in
the School of Public Health, spoke
of how she loved the diversity of
the panel and hearing about these
women’s experiences.
“I was excited to see a panel
where we hear some different
perspectives
from
people
in
different kinds of public service,”
Muñoz-Rumsey said. “I thought
they brought a lot of stories that
I hadn’t heard before to the table.
They had different experiences
and weren’t afraid to disagree
with each other.”
Saskia DeVries, a graduate
student
in
the
School
of
Information and Ford School of
Public Policy, agreed, emphasizing
the honest approach panelists
embodied.
“It was really cool to hear a
candid conversation between a
bunch of women who made the
decision to enter public service
at different points in their lives,”
DeVries said. “I appreciated the
candor and the stories that people
shared. I think it’s important that
when we have these conversations
that inspire women to enter public
service that we are honest about
the challenges too … I want to go in
knowing what to expect and how
to prepare for that.”
officially integrated into the
University. I know a lot of other
people wanted to vote for Reggie
because they wanted to prove
to the other students running
that they didn’t really believe
in their ideas as much as a dog,
essentially.”
However,
on
Wednesday
afternoon, midway through the
two-day election, Reggie Bee
announced his resignation on
Facebook. By that time, the page
created in order to elect him had
already received nearly 600 likes.
“Because some of my good
human
friends
are
‘truly’
running for Student Government
President, I’ve decided to ask all
my friends to get out and Vote
for Them. They deserve your
support in their sincere desire
to become leaders of the student
body.” the post said.
In a follow-up post, Reggie
once again encouraged students
to go online and vote for the
human
candidates
in
the
election, adding he “ran out of
steam.”
While some students were
excited about the prospect of
Reggie
becoming
president,
others, such as LSA senior
Zach Xu, feel that a dog could
not serve as the student body
president.
“I legit think the whole Reggie
thing is a joke,” Xu said. “Reggie
is not a human being. And if he
won by popular vote, it would
be ridiculous for a dog to serve
as a president of a major public
university in the United States.”
ADVISING
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WOMEN
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REGGIE
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KITORA
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VP
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