With 13 days until the general
election, tensions were high
as
Michigan’s
gubernatorial
hopefuls convened for their
final debate Wednesday night.
Democrat Gretchen Whitmer,
former state Senate minority
leader,
and
Republican
Bill
Schuette,
state
attorney
general, exchanged blows over
immigration, higher education,
environmental
issues
and
infrastructure.
Whitmer’s campaign frames
her as a pragmatist, is currently
leading by double digits in the
latest polls against Schuette,
who has branded himself as the
“jobs governor.”
Schuette’s critique of Whitmer
centered around her time in
the political “establishment.”
Schuette repeated Whitmer’s
political career in the state
Senate multiple times, saying
she only passed three bills in 14
years –– a report card “not good
enough for Michigan.” He also
emphasized he sees Whitmer’s
policies as “extreme,” painting
her platform as an “economic
collapse plan.” Throughout the
debate, he circled back to his
“Paycheck Plan” for economic
growth.
“I want Michigan to be a
jobs state, a growth state and a
paycheck state.”
Whitmer focused on her
As part of their “High
Stakes Culture” series, the
Institute of the Humanities
and
the
Humanities
Collaboratory
hosted
an
event Wednesday afternoon
titled “How Did We Become
a Troll Nation and What Can
Humanists Do About It?”
Four panelists, ranging from
an
academic
to
software
entrepreneurs, were joined
by about 50 students, faculty
and other audience members
at
North
Quad
Residence
Hall for a discussion on the
increasing toxicity of online
platforms.
The
event
began
with
moderator
Angela
Dillard,
LSA
Undergraduate
Education Associate Dean,
asking audience members to
discuss with people sitting
near them about what drew
them to the event and what
they hoped to learn more
about that afternoon.
A troll, panelists explained,
is a member of a digital
community that intentionally
mocks or harasses others.
Amy
Dawson-Andoh,
a
fifth-year
communications
study
Ph.D.
candidate
argued despite the opinion
that online platforms are
neutral, she believes sites
are inevitably influenced by
the bias of the people who
use them. In support of her
claim, she spoke of her own
experiences with trolling in
the gaming community.
Panel
member
Kamilah
Taylor
concurred
with
Dawson-Andoh,
further
speaking about trolling in
the gaming community and
social media. In response to
toxic digital culture, Taylor
and panel member Daniel
Burke
co-founded
Swaay,
an app currently in private
beta meant to foster diverse
and civil discussion. The app
purposely incentivizes such
behavior by asking users to
consider
whether
opinions
are thoughtful or not before
asking
if
they
agree
or
disagree. Users are also able
to have private conversations
with other users who hold
different opinions.
Burke explained the main
goal of the platform as well
as meaningful online activity
should not be to convince
other people of a point-of-
view, but to first listen to how
the opposing opinion was
formed.
“There
was
a
question
earlier about the difference
between an opinion or an
argument. I hope to create a
place, a safe place, for both,
where someone can just say a
On Monday, University of
Michigan
Knight-Wallace
Journalism
fellow
Emilio
Gutiérrez Soto and his son
Oscar had an immigration
hearing in El Paso, Texas
as part of their effort to be
granted
asylum.
Gutiérrez
and his son have been seeking
asylum in the U.S. for 10 years
ever
since
the
journalist
received
threats
from
the
Mexican military.
Officials from Immigration
and Customs Enforcement and
the Department of Homeland
Security, as well as Gutiérrez’s
lead
attorney
Eduardo
Beckett, presented Gutiérrez
and his son’s case. Gutiérrez
initially began seeking asylum
in 2008, fleeing the country
upon
discovering
that
his
name was on a military hit list
after writing an article about
soldiers robbing a hotel.
After being detained at an
immigration center in El Paso
for nearly eight months in
2017, Gutiérrez was released a
day before the federal judge’s
michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Thursday, October 25, 2018
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Candidates
in gov. race
face off in
final debate
Regent candidates, State Rep weigh
in on campus affordability issues
See DEBATE, Page 3A
MIKE ZLONKEVICZ/Daily
Regent candidates Paul Brown, Jordan Acker, and Michigan State Representative Yousef Rabhi answer students’ questions in a forum hosted by the Michigan
Affordability and Advocacy Coalition in Weill Hall Wednesday evening.
GOVERNMENT
Schuette and Whitmer talk education,
immigration, more 13 days before election
CARLY RYAN
Daily News Editor
The event was hosted by the Michigan Affordability and Advocacy Coalition
The Michigan Affordability
and
Advocacy
Coalition
hosted
an
Affordability Forum Wednesday
night
with
Democratic
University of Michigan Board
of
Regent
candidates
Paul
Brownand Jordan Acker along
with State Rep. Yousef Rabhi.
MAAC
Presidents
Lauren
Schandevel,
a
Public
Policy
senior, and Griffin St. Onge, an
LSA senior, presented questions
and
moderated
the
forum.
The discussed topics included
finding affordable off-campus
housing and dealing with tuition
increases.
Brown said the responsibility
of the University extends beyond
housing for students on campus,
encompassing off campus issues
as well.
“It is the University’s job
and therefore the regents’ job
to make sure that housing and
food is affordable for students
during their whole education
period,” Brown said. “For the
University or Board of Regents
to say, ‘Well, we gave them
relatively affordable dorms as
freshmen and a meal plan and
the last three years are not our
responsibility’ – it’s a city issue I
think that’s a cop-out.”
SAYALI AMIN
Daily Staff Reporter
See ASYLUM, Page 3A
Gutiérrez
continues
in his fight
for asylum
COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
After a hearing in Texas,
Knight-Wallace fellow
returns to Ann Arbor
KATHERINA SOURINE
Daily Staff Reporter
ASHA LEWIS/Daily
Kamilah Taylor, co-founder of Swaay, discusses how her app deters internet trolls in North Quad Wednesday.
“High Stakes Culture” panel explores
importance of fostering respect online
Speakers and students wrestle with questions of labor in moderating trolls
CLAIRE HAO
For The Daily
The Political B-Side
Navigating arts and
activism as key players
in democracy.
» Page 1B
See TROLLS, Page 3A
See REGENTS, Page 3A
The University of Michigan
released
a
statement
Wednesday
announcing
the University will amend
its policy on student sexual
misconduct to incorporate an
in-person hearing where the
students involved in the sexual
misconduct
investigation
can ask questions to each
other
and
witnesses.
The
amendment comes after the
recent U.S. Sixth Circuit Court
of Appeals ruling, which states
public universities “must give
the accused student or his
agent an opportunity to cross-
examine the accuser.”
Following this ruling, the
University petitioned for a
rehearing
from
the
Sixth
Circuit panel that edited the
decision to clarify no student
has the right to a direct cross-
examination.
This
request
for a rehearing was denied.
If the University decides not
to appeal the ruling to the
Supreme Court, the ruling
will apply to all colleges and
universities in the Sixth Circuit
See POLICY, Page 2A
Title IX
policy adds
in-person
questioning
ADMINISTRATION
Amendment to sexual
misconduct rules arrives
after circuit court ruling
ELIZABETH LAWRENCE
Daily Staff Reporter
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podcast, The
Daily Weekly
INDEX
Vol. CXXVIII, No. 17
©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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
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