The University of Michigan’s 

chapter of College Democrats, 
along with the Michigan State 
University 
chapter 
and 
the 

Michigan Federation of College 
Democrats, is suing the state over 
two of its voter ID and registration 
laws. The suit claims the laws 
unconstitutionally 
restrict 
a 

citizen’s 26th Amendment right 
to vote, particularly for young 
voters and students.

The 
suit 
concerns 
two 

laws, 
Michigan 
Public 
Act 

118 and Michigan Compiled 
Laws 168.509t(2), which the 
organizations 
claim 
make 

voting 
more 
difficult 
and 

time-consuming and in turn, 
discourage voters from casting 

their ballots.

Public Act 118 requires the 

voter’s residence on their voter 
registration 
card 
to 
match 

their residence on their driver’s 
license. The Michigan Compiled 
Laws statute requires voters who 
register through a third party or 
by mail to vote in-person for their 
first-time vote.

According to a press release by 

the plaintiffs, the complaint was 
filed by Perkins Coie LLP and 
MSU law professor Mark Totten 
and outlined the claims from 
College Democrats alleging the 
laws add to the general confusion 
about voting and discourage 
young voters.

“(Y)oung voters in Michigan 

have 
faced 
unequal 
and 

consequential 
barriers 
in 

registering to vote and voting 

michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tuesday, September 4, 2018

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CAMPUS LIFE
U-M Dems 
join lawsuit 
over state 
voting laws 

Community testimony, protests 
shut down A2 piercing business

ALEC COHEN/Daily

Co-founder and leader of Stop Trump Ann Arbor, Jessica Prozinski, discusses the proposed action items at the Community Meeting on Pangea Piercing at Crazy 
Wisdom Bookstore Sunday. 

ID and registration laws effectively 
discriminate against students, suit argues

ANDREW HIYAMA 
& MATT HARMON

Daily News Editors

Dozens of former customers accuse owner of white supremacy, sexual harrassment

Now that Ann Arbor business 

Pangea Piercing has officially closed 
its doors for good –– the result of a 

massive outcry against the behavior 
of owner J.C. Potts, which many say 
constitutes abuse, sexism, and white 
supremacy –– community members 
are thinking about how best to fill 
now-empty space, and ensure that 
Potts is not able to continue his 
piercing career elsewhere.

After an August 21st tweet from 

user @LauraStroudd went viral, 
describing a situation in which 
Potts 
repeated 
several 
white 

supremacist talking points to her 
during a piercing, Alice Held, 
another previous customer, shared 
her own experiences with Potts, 
as well as similar experiences of 
over 30 others she had collected. 

Complaints 
range 
from 
racist, 

sexist and transphobic comments to 
sexual harassment while customers 
were getting piercings. Many others 
expressed their concerns with the 
safety and professionalism of the 
process, mentioning scarring and 
pain. During one piercing, Held 

RHEA CHEETI 

& ANDREW HIYAMA

Daily Staff Reporter 
& Daily News Editor

After a summer of meetings 

with the Office of Multi-
Ethnic Student Affairs and 

various 
University 
officials 

and departments, the Latinx 
Alliance 
for 
Community 

Action, Support and Advocacy 
and 
MESA 
representatives 

say progress has been made 
on short-term requests and 

conversations 
about 
larger, 

institutional 
demands 
are 

moving in the right direction. 
Last 
February, 
La 
Casa 

sent a list of demands to 
the University of Michigan 
administration 
addressing 

a 
lack 
of 
representation 

and support for the Latinx 
community on campus.

La Casa, an organization 

of students and faculty at the 
University, works to provide 
support and facilitate a positive 
environment for all Latinx 
students on campus looking for 
more support.

La Casa’s demands, which 

were 
emailed 
directly 
to 

University 
President 
Mark 

Schlissel, 
Provost 
Martin 

Philbert and others, called 
specifically for an increase in 
Latinx staff and faculty hires, 
Latinx senior administration 
hires, additional funding for 
the Latina/o Studies program 
and La Casa, the installment 
of Latinx-identified spaces on 
campus and more.

Though 
little 
concrete 

progress has been made on 
the larger demands including 
structural 
diversification 
of 

hiring processes to include 
more 
Latinx 
hirees 
and 

more, 
LSA 
junior 
Lesley 

Rivas, La Casa lead director, 

While you were away this 

summer, you may have missed some 
of big stories from Ann Arbor. The 
Daily will be publishing recaps of 
the summer’s breaking news:

After an entire school year 

of 
contract 
bargaining, 
the 

Lecturers’ Employee Organization 
reached a contract agreement this 
summer 
with 
University 
of 

Michigan officials to increase 
wages, improve health care and 
job security.

LEO represents around 1,700 

non-tenure 
track 
lecturers 

throughout 
the 
University’s 

three campuses. LEO’s previous 

In Review: 
Lecturers 
bargain for 
better pay

ACADEMICS

Administration, Lecturers 
Employee Organization 
strike new contract deal

RACHEL CUNNINGHAM

Daily Staff Reporter

CASEY TIN/Daily

La Casa optimistic about response to 
demands, calls for more representation

Latinx program assistance, increased hiring pool diversity seen as positive first steps

MATT HARMON

Daily News Editor

The Ford School of Public 

Policy 
at 
the 
University 
of 

Michigan has announced the 
creation of the Master of Public 
Affairs program to replace Master 
of Public Administration program. 
The program is a nine-month-long 
degree focusing on analytical, 
communication and management 
skills in the public and private 
sectors.

Michael S. Barr, Joan and 

Sanford Weill Dean of Public 
Policy, announced the program in 
an email last Tuesday to current 
Public Policy students.

“Graduates (of the program) 

New policy 
degree for 
Ford School 
announced

ACADEMICS

Masters of Public Affairs 
program launches at Ford 
School of Public Policy

REMY FARKAS
Daily Staff Reporter

See LAWSUIT, Page 3A
See PANGEA, Page 3A

See LEO, Page 2A
See MASTERS, Page 3A
See LATINX, Page 4A

SportsTuesday

Michigan fell short in its 
opener against Notre 
Dame on Saturday.

Page 1B