Through internal means,
fraternities and sororities at
the University of Michigan
have
been
attempting
to
address issues of diversity,
equity and inclusion, but face
an obstacle in obtaining buy-in
from across all four Greek life
councils.
More than 6,000 students
are involved in Greek life at
the University of Michigan
according to the Office of
Greek
Life.
Representing
approximately 20 percent of
the undergraduate population,
the community often struggles
with
negative
perceptions,
perpetuated by a national
narrative and a turbulent past
year for the University’s Greek
life community.
Apart from the lack of
demographic diversity among
traditionally white fraternities
and sororities, disparities also
emerge in areas like parties.
Students have noted police
tend to shut down festivities
hosted by traditionally Black
fraternities more than those
hosted by white fraternities.
Many Black students have
experienced overt racism at
fraternity parties in recent
years.
LSA
sophomore
Moe
Charara transferred to the
University of Michigan this
semester. He never seriously
considered studying abroad at
his previous college. However,
with some research and help
from the Center for Global and
Intercultural Study, Charara
will be studying in Greece this
coming summer.
“At my old university, we had
a few study abroad programs,
but (they) weren’t too serious
or anything,” Charara said. “I
went to the CGIS office to see
what they had to offer and see if
I could use the opportunities U
of M had.”
Charara said CGIS helped
find scholarships and programs
that would suit him and for
which he could earn credit.
“There are so many ways
to cover the costs for these
programs,” Charara said. “U of
M does give a lot of scholarships.
(CGIS advisers) are really cool
and they’ve helped me a great
deal.”
According
Scholarship
Program
Assistant
Director
Doug
Fletcher,
the
LSA
Scholarship Office works closely
with CGIS to make students
aware of the available resources
the University provides.
“Scholarships are all need-
based,”
Fletcher
said.
“We
recognize that financial aid
provides
great
support
for
students to go abroad. For many
students, there’s still a gap
between what financial aid can
provide and what they need to
go.”
For the 2016-2017 school year,
Fletcher said the Scholarship
Program provided a total of
$1.7 million in scholarships,
with an average of $4,200 given
per student. Out of the 708
applicants, 407 were awarded
scholarships.
“Students
have
to
have
financial need, that’s the first
thing,” Fletcher said. “Out of
the 708, some of them don’t
have need or didn’t file a FAFSA.
Some of those students were
packaged fully, given all the
funding
they
needed
from
financial aid or departmental
resources. We awarded every
student that wasn’t packaged
fully already.”
Despite being ineligible for
financial aid, LSA junior Kallie
Bernas was unable to afford
a program through the LSA
Opportunity Hub to research
abroad in Berlin this summer.
“I didn’t have the money to
support myself without being
paid for the research I would
have been doing,” Bernas said.
In 2016, the state of Michigan
was
ranked
sixth
in
the
United States for its number of
homeless students. Jennifer Erb-
Downward, a senior research
associate
with
University
of
Michigan’s
Poverty
Solutions
initiative,
analyzed
data
surrounding
schoolchildren
who are considered homeless.
Underfederal
education
law
homelessness is defined as all
children and youth who “lack
a fixed, regular, and adequate
nighttime residence.”
“Michigan
had
the
sixth
largest
number
of
homeless
students in the United States,”
Erb-Downward said. “That’s over
36,000 students in the 2015-2016
school year. That’s a very large
number of children who are going
to school while experiencing the
instability of not knowing where
they’re going to sleep at night, not
knowing whether or not they’re
going to be able to stay in school
or have to transfer.”
michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Monday, April 16, 2018
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Greek DEI
group works
to diversify
membership
Royster talks Greek life, building
name changes and new CSG execs
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Vice President for Student Life E. Royster Harper speaks with The Michigan Daily for the final interview of the semester Friday afternoon.
COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
Collaborative represents all four Greek
councils but has no members in NPHC
SHANNON ORS
Daily Staff Reporter
In interview with The Daily, VP for Student Life says Greek rush changes not punitive
On
Friday
afternoon,
The
Michigan Daily sat down with
Vice President for Student Life
E. Royster Harper for the final
interview
of
the
term.
The
conversation included discussions
on recent administrative approval
to change the names of C.C.
Little
Science
Building
and
Winchell House, Greek life winter
recruitment, and the recent CSG
elections.
TMD: Seeing as the recent
approval to change the names of
C.C. Little and the Winchell House
in West Quad took place after many
protests from various students and
student organizations on campus,
it can be said the names of various
buildings, plaques, etc. at the
University impact student life on
campus. In an interview about
the renaming recommendations,
President Schlissel said “We don’t
want the names of things to be
changing as fashions change.” Do
you suspect this will be a common
occurrence or is the bar too high
after Little and Winchell to change
building names?
AMARA SHAIKH &
JORDYN BAKER
Daily Staff Reporters
Michigan
sixth for
homeless
students
RESEARCH
University research shows
lack of afforable housing
contributes to problem
MOLLY NORRIS
Daily Staff Reporter
ROSEANNE CHAO/Daily
Have scholarship, will travel: Costs
of study abroad remain prohibitive
Students find scholarships insufficient in both size and eligibility criteria
SAYALI AMIN
Daily Staff Reporter
Beilein’s way
The Michigan men’s
basketball team has found
success by following John
Beilein’s blueprint.
» Page 1B
The University of Michigan
is not on track to reach its 2025
emissions goals, according to
Environment and Sustainability
graduate student Tyler Fitch’s
research.
In
2011,
the
University
promised
to
reduce
its
greenhouse gas emissions 25
percent below 2006 emissions
levels.
By
combining
data
from the Office of Campus
Sustainability
and
a
report
by the University President’s
Greenhouse
Gas
Reduction
Committee,
Fitch
tracked
the University’s progress and
found they will not fulfill this
commitment if they continue on
their current trajectory.
Fitch was inspired to conduct
research
on
the
emissions
gap
after
returning
from
the
November
U.N.
climate
conference in Bronn, Germany.
During his time in Germany, he
decided to act on the calls for
community action.
Researcher
finds ‘U’ is
off-pace on
emissions
RESEARCH
School’s goal of reducing
emissions 25 percent by
2025 needs more work
KATE JENKINS
Daily Staff Reporter
GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail
news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
Check out the
Daily’s News
podcast, The
Daily Weekly
INDEX
Vol. CXXVII, No. 112
©2018 The Michigan Daily
N E WS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
O PI N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
S U D O K U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
CL A S S I F I E DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 B
michigandaily.com
For more stories and coverage, visit
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com