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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