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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