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NEWS

Thursday, July 5, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
U-M awarded for campus 

health and safety efforts

National org 
commends work 
against sex assault, 
alcohol abuse

By ROB DALKA

Daily Staff Reporter

The University of Michigan was 
awarded two Prevention Excellence 
Awards by the Campus Prevention 
Network in recognition of the Uni-
versity’s efforts in sexual assault 
and alcohol abuse prevention. The 
annual meeting was held on June 8 
in New Orleans.
The Campus Prevention Net-
work supports large college cam-
puses across the United States in 
their efforts to address health and 
safety challenges including sexual 
assault and high-risk alcohol con-
sumption.
“By 
providing 
innovative 
research, proven and promising 
prevention strategies, and oppor-
tunities to engage and benefit from 
the collective wisdom of peers, the 
Campus Prevention Network is 
uniquely positioned to help campus-
es make breakthrough progress on 
the critical health and safety issues 
impacting the lives of our students, 
staff, and faculty,” the Campus Pre-
vention Network mission statement 
says.
In being recognized by both 
awards in the same year, the Uni-
versity stands out as one of the insti-
tutions at the forefront of sexual 
assault and alcohol abuse preven-
tion.
“Of the 133 colleges and universi-
ties that have completed the sexual 
assault inventory and the 112 that 
have completed the alcohol inven-
tory, fewer than 10 percent earned 
the distinction of being a Preven-
tion Excellence Award honoree,” 
according to The University Record.
University 
spokesman 
Rick 
Fitzgerald stressed the importance 
of these issues and expressed the 
gratitude the University feels in 
being recognized for its efforts.
“Sexual assault and alcohol abuse 
are two very important issues facing 
college students across the nation,” 
Fitzgerald said. “For U-M to be rec-
ognized on the national level for its 
prevention education and program-
ming is a real honor.”

Fitzgerald also pointed out that 
it is the people who work hard in 
making the University a safe place 
for everyone that ultimately deserve 
the credit for their work.
“It’s important recognition of the 
commitment of our staff, faculty and 
students involved in this ongoing 
work to educate our community on 
ways to reduce harm and improve 
safety of the Ann Arbor campus 
community,” Fitzgerald said
These efforts include the Com-
munity Matters programs, which 
all incoming students must com-
plete. These programs provide 
students with information and 
learning opportunities concern-
ing alcohol and other drugs, sex-
ual assault, healthy relationships, 
bystander intervention and campus 
policies and resources.
The University’s Sexual Assault 
Prevention and Awareness Center 
is dedicated to fostering a respectful 
and safe environment for all mem-
bers of the University’s community. 
The staff and student volunteers 
engage in programs that support 
those who have been impacted by 
sexual assault, intimate partner vio-
lence, sexual harassment and stalk-
ing.
“These awards remind us that 
our work to create healthy and safe 
communities takes intention, dedi-
cation and collaboration,” SAPAC 
Director Kaaren Williamsen said 
in a University Record article. “Our 
partnerships throughout Student 
Life, and collaborations with stu-
dents, student organizations, fac-
ulty, staff and community partners, 
are key to making sure our pro-
grams are effective and responsive 
to the needs of our campus.”
University Health Service dedi-
cates much of their time to alcohol 
abuse prevention and participates 
in many programs, including Stay 
in the Blue and BASICS-IMEP. 
BASICS-IMEP Director Marsha 
Benz, who is also a motivational 
interviewing trainer and UHS Plan-
et Blue lead, commented it was nice 
to receive validation for their efforts 
and that it would inspire their work 
going forward and continue to 
engage with the commu-
nity. 

Republican candidates argue over 
Michigan’s future in final debate

By GRACE KAY 

Summer Managing News Editor 

By RACHEL CUNNINGHAM 

Summer Daily News Editor 

Michigan’s four Republican 
gubernatorial candidates gath-
ered Thursday night at WDIV-
TV in Detroit for their final 
debate before the Aug. 7 prima-
ries, 
discussing 
immigration 
policies, gun violence, income 
tax regulations and economic 
growth.
Despite having similar plat-
forms, Attorney General Bill 
Schuette, Lt. Gov. Brian Cal-
ley, state Sen. Patrick Colbeck 
and physician Jim Hines butted 
heads over their professional 
histories, Trump’s endorsement 
of Schuette and their plans for 
improving education and infra-
structure in Michigan.
Moderator 
Devin 
Scillian 
launched the debate, asking the 
candidates to present opening 
remarks. Calley, who currently 
holds second place to Schuette 
in the polls, highlighted his 
experience working with incum-
bent Gov. Rick Snyder, saying he 
helped cut taxes and led Detroit 
out of bankruptcy. He also criti-
cized Schuette for relying too 
heavily on President Trump’s 
endorsement.
Schuette defended himself, 
explaining 
Trump 
supports 
him as a gubernatorial candi-
date because he will continue to 
cut taxes. While Calley seemed 
to dismiss Trump’s support of 
Schuette, Schuette responded it 
should be a defining reason for 

voter support.
“The endorsement of Presi-
dent Trump, I’d call that huge,” 
Schuette said.
Meanwhile, Colbeck said even 
though the media seems to only 
highlight Schuette and Calley, 
he is the only Republican candi-
date who can truly challenge the 
Democrats.
“There’s no enthusiasm for 
them besides the media and the 
politicos,” Colbeck said.
Hines described himself as an 
outsider, noting the other can-
didates are term-limited, career 
politicians.
Gun violence
In light of Thursday’s shooting 
in Annapolis, Maryland, Scillian 
asked the candidates to comment 
on gun safety.
All the candidates stressed 
their support for the Second 
Amendment, with Schuette not-
ing his membership in the NRA. 
The candidates all brought up 
the idea that criminals, not guns, 
are the real problem.
“One thing I know for sure it 
that you can’t stop violence from 
criminals by going after law-
abiding citizens,” Calley said. 
“We have to get to the heart of 
the problem here.”
Both 
Colbeck 
and 
Calley 
said the state needs to make its 
schools more shooting-resistant. 
Colbeck proposed eliminating 
gun-free zones in schools, saying 
they increase the risk for a mass 
shooting.
Schuette said mass shootings 
are a result of the mental health 
crisis in America.
“The Democrats and Whit-

mer will take guns away from 
law-abiding citizens and that is 
wrong,” Schuette said.
Immigration
Addressing another nation-
wide crisis, Scillian brought the 
immigration debate into the 
conversation. All the candidates 
expressed discomfort with the 
concept of separating children 
from their parents but supported 
strong borders.
“We need to secure the border, 
and we can even build a wall,” 
Calley said. “But separating kids 
from their parents, that’s just not 
who we are.”
Colbeck and Schuette spoke 
out against sanctuary cities.
“If the Democrats had their 
way they would make the entire 
state of Michigan a sanctuary 
state,” Schuette said.
Colbeck added sanctuary cit-
ies should not be tolerated in the 
state of Michigan.
Education
The 
candidates 
discussed 
Michigan’s troubling drop in 
performance in public schools 
and outlined their plans for 
improving the state’s education 
system.
“Money will not solve this 
problem,” Hines said. “We need 
to go back to the basics.”
Hines iterated a common 
theme of the night, a need for a 
higher standard for education in 
Michigan, saying the state needs 
to eliminate the Common Core 
and implement reading coaches 
in the classroom.

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

Aspiring governors target each other’s political histories

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

COURTESY OF WDIV

