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

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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

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