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Thursday, April 12, 2018 — 3
ODISSI DANCE
Sreyashi Dey, founder and artistic director of Srishti Dances of India, hosts an Odissi dance workshop for Michigan Dance students in the Dance
building Wednesday evening.
RUCHITA IYER/Daily
Walker said. “They would call a
special dish ‘Indian food’ even
though that food could be found
throughout Southeast Asia. The
RAs caught wind of this and
complained to the Hall Director
and the Hall Director ended up
shutting it down before they let
the Multicultural Council know
about it.”
Walker said he understood
why
people
did
not
want
to
go
through
with
the
event. He realized incorrect
labeling — such as calling a
multiethnic dish “Indian” —
could result in the exclusion of
members from other countries in
Southeast Asia.
“If MDining would have went
through with it, then it would
have looked bad for students who
are from Southeast Asia who
(would have) walked in and said,
‘Oh, I have this in my country,’
or ‘This is not limited to India,’”
Walker said. “I wasn’t upset
about (cancelling the event)
because the reasoning behind it
made sense.”
As a member of a multicultural
council,
Walker
emphasized
the importance of thoroughly
planning events to involve other
nationalities so all cultures are
accurately represented.
“It’s not easy to push for
multicultural
events
because
you have to take a whole bunch
of factors into consideration,”
Walker
said.
“You
have
to
make sure you aren’t offending
anyone and make sure you’re
being respective of different
sensitivities.”
MDining
Marketing
Coordinator Elliott Rains said he
appreciated the feedback from
various East Quad community
members.
“I know that (MDining) did
have some meetings with RAs,
and they did have some concerns
that it would not be authentic,”
Rains said. “We always want to
be respective of the cultures in
the room and the cultures that
we serve on a day-to-day basis,
so anytime people bring to us
they feel they’re culture is being
misrepresented, we want to hear
their concerns. I think that was
an instance that happened where
we have some RAs and some
housing staff members bring
their concerns to us.”
However, since this incident,
East Quad has made increased
efforts
to
serve
quality
international food. For example,
this semester, the unit partnered
with the Office of Student Life
to begin talks around including
an improved selection of Middle
Eastern and North African food
in dining halls.
Rains explained while the
increased efforts to serve were
not in direct response to the
incident in East Quad, MDining is
aiming to ensure a more inclusive
campus environment and worked
to improve its menus and provide
authentic food from different
areas of the world.
“It
was
not
necessarily
a
reactionary
measure;
it
was
something
that
we
have been working on for a
while,” Rains said. “We have
internal trainings that we do
and
external
trainings
that
we do. I think it just kind of
compliments the theme that this
is in an incident where people
had concerns, and we’re working
on this at the same time and as
we’re doing these trainings we
are getting better at representing
people’s
cultures
and
bringing people recipes that are
authentic to their culture.”
Director
of
Student
Engagement Keith Soster said
MDining’s learning objectives
when researching multicultural
foods include understanding the
history of the food, identifying
ingredients and spices used,
practicing cooking techniques
common in ethnic dishes and
analyzing existing recipes. He
also
underscored
MDining’s
commitment to DEI initiatives
through food.
“Researching
and
training
around international authentic
cuisine speaks to the DEI work
that we are all embracing on
campus, and we want to serve food
that students want and, because
we have a diverse community, we
are listening,” Soster said.
Along
with
incorporating
student
feedback,
Rains
explained MDining is working
with chefs who specialize in
international cuisines to increase
the cultural food authenticity.
Most recently, MDining has
worked with a chef from India
and a chef from Japan. The
dining program has also worked
with students to create halal,
plant-based and kosher menus.
“One thing we’re really trying
to emphasize this year is bringing
in different perspectives on a lot
of different things,” Rains said.
“So last month we brought in a
chef from India to work on some
of our Indian recipes, and we also
brought in a chef from Japan to
work on some of our Asian and
Japanese restaurants as well. You
can bring in as many chefs as you
want, and I think our chefs are
learning a lot in these training
processes. But it’s the student
feedback we get that is ever
evolving.”
Though MDining is making
an
effort
to
improve
the
international
foods
available
to students, Walker discussed
how the exclusive partnership
between MDining and various
campus
buildings
can
be
restrictive in terms of what food
students can cater for cultural
events they want to hold.
“In order to get food, we
have to get it from MCatering
or from MDining. You can’t
order outside food, and it is to
my understanding that they
do
not
offer
an
incredible
array
of
cultural
foods,”
Walker said. “The few that they
do offer, they often don’t cook
it well, so natives of respective
countries and cultures complain
about it.”
East
Quad
Hall
Council
member Lauren Lee, an LSA
sophomore,
noted
MDining’s
willingness
to
work
with
students and take feedback into
account in response to catering
complications.
In an email to The Daily, Lee
wrote she was pleased with
MDining’s effort to provide
cultural food.
“MDining still served dishes
that Hall Council requested
and really took our feedback
about this event,” Lee said. “I
really appreciated them for this
because we chose this theme and
we chose a list of countries we
wanted to see represented.”
Moving
forward,
Walker
emphasized how he hoped more
thoughtful research would be
conducted both on the part
of multicultural councils and
MDining to ensure an inclusive
environment.
“I think that people should
do
their
research
–
both
multicultural
councils
and
dining,”
Walker
said.
They
should do their research to make
sure that the food that they’re
providing under the name of
the culture they’re providing is
accurate and inclusive.”
DINING
From Page 1
“Even when we lost (a debate),
the thing that was important to
me was to know that the views
we were putting forward at CEA
were being heard,” Stevenson
said. “And that was one of the
things that the president was
amazing about; he clearly heard
them.”
Stevenson
spoke
about
efforts to increase the national
minimum wage while she was
on the CEA. Obama was unable
to make progress with Congress,
but he worked with the CEA
to raise the wages for some
government
workers,
relying
heavily on academic research
showing
increased
productivity with higher wages.
The panelists also touched
on the difficulties of being
women in the largely male-
dominated field of economics,
including
sexual
harassment
and
discrimination.
They
discussed ways to combat such
discrimination, and Stevenson
said she believes the situation
will improve if more women
choose to study economics.
“We have a cultural shift that
needs to take place,” Stevenson
said. “And one of the few ways
to get cultures to shift is to
change the people in the culture,
so I do think that improving
the pipeline and getting more
women into economics is an
important part of this.”
Stevenson and Black said the
gender dynamics in the White
House were notably better than
in their previous workplaces.
Stevenson noted in particular
there was a wide range of
representation
in
terms
of
gender, race, sexual orientation
and economic status, which she
said helped greatly with crafting
policy and opinions.
“There was a lot of diversity,
and that meant that there was a
different dynamic,” Stevenson
said. “There wasn’t a feeling of
a dominant group. There was a
feeling of a diverse group. And
you’re forced to interact in a
more inclusive way once you’re
in a really diverse group like
that.”
Rackham
student
Hanna
Zlotnick, a research assistant for
the Education Policy Initiative,
helped organize the event and
read audience questions to the
panelists. She also co-authored
a paper with Stevenson about
gender
representation
in
economics textbooks.
Zlotnick said she believes
events like these are a critical
way for students to learn about
the work of people in their field.
“It’s really important because
a lot of people, especially at the
Ford School, might not have
the exposure to how the work
they’re doing in the classroom
and the work their professors
are doing is really impacting
the real world,” Zlotnick said.
“And all of these professors
have come from the position of
both academic research as well
as being in policy work right
at the White House. I think it
shows people that your work
is influential. It might require
reframing your work so that the
general public can see it. … But it
is really valuable work, and there
are a lot of people who really
care.”
Zlotnick also expressed her
happiness with the sizeable
crowd that came to see the panel,
comprised of both University
students as well as those outside
of the University.
“It’s great that the general
public came,” Zlotnick said.
“Sometimes
these
events
only have Ford students or
undergraduates
from
other
programs. I always think it’s nice
when Ann Arbor community
members
come
because
they’re taking advantage of an
opportunity to hear from people
who are really involved in this
field.”
PANEL
From Page 1
Samer Ali wrote the center was
“concerned that the event was
laden with the ultranationalist
messaging,” particularly the
phase “In honor of the 70th
Anniversary of Israel. . .”
“If
you
think
about
it,
that equates attending with
honoring,” Ali wrote. “A truly
public event open to opposing
views
must
not
imply
an
ideological
litmus
test
for
participation. In effect, the
event manufactures consent
by soliciting a sympathetic
audience to normalize state-
sponsored
atrocities,
while
excluding those who might
want to attend for the purposes
of disagreeing and dissenting
in a public forum.”
According
to
the
email,
CMENAS
was
unaware
of
“the full nature of the event”
or
“the
event’s
nationalist
framing” when it initially took
on co-sponsorship.
Tamir
is
currently
the
director
of
international
affairs at the Peres Center for
Peace, an Israel-based non-
governmental
organization.
Before his career in diplomacy,
he served in the IDF as a
company
commander
and
fought in the First Lebanon
War, retiring with the rank of
major.
His lecture focused on the
possibility of peace between
Israel and its neighbors in
the Middle East, including
Palestine. He discussed how
the trauma of the Holocaust
affects Israel’s approach to
national security and peace
processes.
“We
are
not
the
only
traumatized
people
in
the
Middle
East,”
Tamir
said.
“The Palestinians are also
traumatized for other reasons
and this is one of the reasons
why it’s so hard to solve
this conflict, because you’re
dealing with two traumatized
people.”
Tamir
endorsed
a
two-
state solution to the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict and called
for
immediate
negotiations
between the two parties. He
also said while he was a “die
hard Zionist,” he was still
very critical of the Israeli
government.
“You can love your country
and be completely against its
government,” Tamir said. “I
think many Americans feel that
they don’t like your president
at the moment, but are very
proud to be American.”
An
LSA
freshman
who
attended the talk and asked not
to be named said she thought
Tamir offered an optimistic
outlook on achieving peace.
“I think that sometimes
people think that he’s coming at
from a pro-Israel perspective,”
she said. “It’s true that he does
believe in the existence of the
Israeli state, but what I got
out of this talk is that he really
seems to be working toward
peace in general and he wants
a win-win solution, not a win-
lose one.”
Tensions between pro-Israel
and pro-Palestinian student
groups have simmered since
Central Student Government’s
passage
of
#UMDivest,
a
resolution
calling
on
the
University to investigate its
investments
in
companies
committing
human
rights
violations in Israel.
During
a
question
and
answer session held after the
lecture, event facilitators asked
questions be written down on
notecards. After reading the
cards, they would then pose
questions to Tamir.
After
several
rounds
of
questions,
SAFE
member
Carly Marten, an LSA junior
who participated in the die-
in, spoke directly to Tamir
in reference to Palestinian
casualties during protests this
month.
“Literally your organization
just shot down 700 people
in Gaza and you want me to
write down my thoughts on a
notecard about that?” she said.
“You are a terrorist. You’ve
been calling people terrorists
all day and you yourself work
for a terrorist organization.”
When
Tamir
began
to
answer,
she
grabbed
her
backpack
and
left
the
auditorium.
LSA sophomore Alex Harris,
who helped facilitate the event,
wrote in an email he admired
how Tamir responded to the
protesters at the event.
“I was impressed with the
way Mr. Tamir engaged with
people with differing opinions
from his own,” he wrote.
“He demonstrated that even
the
conflicting
narratives
surrounding
the
Israeli-
Palestinian conflict can be
bridged through productive
conversation if we respect
and acknowledge each other
and our unique perspectives. I
believe that this is the only way
that real, positive change will
happen.”
SAFE
From Page 1
“Often
times,
it’s
a
very
underutilized
or
forgotten
program, (but) has a lot of
opportunities or benefits that can
be offered to students of color
on campus,” Timban said. “So,
we really just want to be able to
share that with the community,
especially
because
UAAO
is
a space for Asian and Pacific
Islander students.”
Panelists answered questions
about their own relationships
with the program, as well as
speaking on ways students can
work to help bolster the program,
maintain its importance outside
of the classroom and ensure
administration
can
be
held
accountable for its lack of program
recognition.
Rackham
student
Ivy
Wei
sat on the panel, explaining her
own experiences growing up in
a Midwestern area that lacked
cultural diversity, speaking on
the
importance
of
ensuring
representation in the current
narrative.
“When I was growing up in the
Midwest, I really didn’t see any
cultural or media representations
of myself,” Wei said. “It’s really
important for us to reclaim that
narrative of who we are and what
we are in society.”
Lawsin
expressed
similar
sentiments, explaining the first
time she worked with teachers
and professors who shared her
cultural identity was when she
was ethnic studies student. The
educators provided Lawsin with
resources to more deeply study
figures and theories that shaped
her identity.
“Ethnic studies changed my life
because for the first time I actually
had teachers and professors in
front of me who looked like me
and I could read about all of these
people who were like me and
like my parents and our family,”
Lawsin said. “I think it’s very
important for us to realize that
here in the Midwest, unlike the
West coast where I grew up, we
have so few Asian Americans
in leadership positions, at the
front of the classroom … or even
in administrative positions here
in the University. We have to
ask, ‘Why? Why is that?’ And I
think that’s why A/PIA studies is
important to me, because it allows
us to look at those things, to study
those things, and to talk about
those so we can actually make
some serious social change.”
The
beginnings
of
Asian-
American studies didn’t come
without
conflict,
Kurashige
emphasized.
Protests,
police
brutality and riots erupted as
students in universities began
demanding
for
the
existence
of these programs. Even more
alarming, he noted, is these
programs were established only
recently— despite centuries of
cultural struggles.
“The important thing to realize
is that the first Asian-American
studies programs were created 50
years ago. The student strikes to
create them started 50 years ago,”
Kurashige said. “It was because
people demanded these programs
… They wanted to change what
we studied, but they also wanted
to change the power dynamics in
education.”
Kurashige further highlighted
struggles of the A/PIA program
at the University, noting the
program currently does not have a
full staff, a large budget and even
lacks a sign.
Furthermore,
Kurashige
spoke on difficulties with past
and present LSA deans while
attempting to make coordinated
efforts to boost the program. He
expressed his opinions on the
faults of administration, noting
their actions go against A/PIA
program
efforts
to
increase
institutional equity.
“There are clear rules as to how
these programs are governed,
and when you ask (the deans) for
the rules, they change them,”
Kurashige said. “(The programs)
really set up to fail and the only
way they can succeed is if you find
faculty that care enough to devote
lots of free labor to the University.
I think the deans need to be held
accountable for these decisions.”
In addition, panelists spoke on
the current campus climate and
necessary changes to promote
the
diverse
atmosphere
the
administration advertises.
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com
A/PIA
From Page 1