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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Check out the 
Daily’s News 
podcast, The 
Daily Weekly 

INDEX
Vol. CXXVIII, No. 17
©2018 The Michigan Daily

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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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