The Heartland Independent 

Film Forum, in partnership with 
The Michigan Daily, hosted a 
launch event Thursday night at 
the Ann Arbor Public Library for 
an online database containing 
every impact statement of the 
survivors of Larry Nassar. The 
database is intended to aid 
students, families, educators and 
journalists in understanding this 

decades-long pattern of abuse. 
About 25 students and Ann Arbor 
residents were in attendance.

Larry Nassar, a former USA 

Gymnastics 
and 
Michigan 

State University physician, was 
sentenced to 40 to 175 years in 
prison for sexual abuse of young 
girls and women in January. 
More than 160 women came 
forward in court earlier this year 
to testify against him.

The event featured two panels 

— the first with survivors sharing 

their stories and another with 
journalists who covered the trial 
and proceedings — sought to 
reflect on the scandal and educate 
the audience to prevent similar 
patterns of abuse in the future.

Roger Rapoport, director of 

the Heartland Independent Film 
Forum, purchased the records 
for the database, which included 
1,400 pages of accounts from 
survivors. Rapoport, a survivor 
himself, said this project would 
allow the truth to be shared.

“When I heard about Larry 

Nassar case and the courage of 
these women … I was so amazed 
by what they were saying in court 
that I bought the trial transcripts 
(with help of donors),” Rapoport 
said.

Michigan 
Radio 
reporter 

Kate Wells was also present at 
the event. Wells worked on the 
podcast “Believed,” which shares 
many stories of survivors in 
depth. The podcast has already 

The 
University 
of 

Michigan’s 
Interfraternity 

Council 
voted 
Wednesday 

to remove the Alpha Sigma 
Phi fraternity from campus, 
the Office of Fraternity and 
Sorority Life said in a press 
release. 
Members 
of 
the 

IFC voted unanimously to 
terminate Alpha Sigma Phi’s 
Theta chapter following an 
investigation by the Hazing 
Response 
Team 
regarding 

allegations of hazing during 
their new member process.

The termination came after 

the 
Student 
Organization 

Advancement and Recognition 
review process was carried 
out by the Greek Activities 
Review Panel. The Hazing 
Response Team investigation 
revealed extensive evidence 
of hazing violations, leading 
to their removal. The IFC also 
specified the fraternity will 
be unable to recolonize on the 
University campus for at least 
five years.

“These 
sanction 
result 

from 
a 
Hazing 
Response 

Team 
investigation 
that 

found substantial evidence 
of 
dangerous 
recurring 

practices within the Alpha 
Sigma 
Phi’s 
new 
member 

process, 
including 
forced 

alcohol 
consumption 
and 

violent physical hazing,” the 
IFC 
statement 
reads. 
“As 

a result, Alpha Sigma Phi 
has been removed from the 
University of Michigan and 
the Interfraternity Council 
for a minimum of five (5) 
calendar 
years, 
effective 

immediately.”

The removal comes amid 

controversy in the Greek life 
community 
over 
the 
past 

year, including the Nov. 9, 
2017 suspension of all social 
events 
for 
the 
remainder 

of the fall 2017 semester 
following sexual assault and 
hazing allegations. While the 
suspension was self-imposed 
by the IFC, the council cited 
three near-death incidents 
and 30 hospitalizations during 
the weekend of the football 
game against Michigan State 
University.

Social activities resumed 

during 
the 
winter 
2018 

semester.

In the wake of President 

Donald 
Trump’s 
decision 

to 
dismissformer 
Attorney 

General Jeff Sessions, more 
than 400 students, faculty 
and city residents marched 
through Ann Arbor streets 
Thursday night to protest the 
president’s 
announcement 

and show support for special 
counsel 
Robert 
Mueller’s 

investigation into potential 
collusion with Russia during 
the 2016 presidential election.

On Wednesday, the day 

after the midterm elections, 
President 
Trump 
replaced 

Sessions 
with 
Sessions’s 

former Chief of Staff Matthew 
Whitaker. 
According 
to 

national 
news 
outlets, 

Trump had reportedly been 
disgruntled 
with 
Sessions 

for numerous months, after 
Sessions 
recused 
himself 

from 
the 
Department 
of 

Justice 
investigation 
into 

Ann 
Arbor 
City 
Council 

discussed the implications of 
a ballot measure requiring the 
creation of a public park in 
downtown Ann Arbor as well as 
the regulation of Bird scooters at 
its meeting Thursday night.

Alan Haber, a community 

activist and vocal proponent of 
Proposal A, spoke during public 
comment about the creation of 
a public park on the land next to 
the Ann Arbor District Library 
following the ballot measure 
passage on Tuesday night.

Proposal A, which requires the 

city to hold onto the parcel of land 

GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail 
news@michigandaily.com and let us know.

INDEX
Vol. CXXVIII, No. 28
©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

C L A S S I F I E D S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 B

michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Friday, November 9, 2018

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

Alpha Sigma 
Phi kicked 
off campus 
due to hazing

Daily, film forum launch database 
for Nassar survivor statements

CAMPUS LIFE

This is the fourth fraternity to close 
this calendar year at the University 

REMY FARKAS
Daily Staff Reporter

Survivors, journalists share stories of Nassar case at In Our Own Words launch event

SAYALI AMIN
Daily Staff Reporter

A2 council 
discusses 
effects of 
Proposal A

ANN ARBOR

Council also talks possible 
deportation of Guinean 
man with kidney disease

LEAH GRAHAM
Daily Staff Reporter

ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily

Students, faculty and Ann Arbor residents march through Ann Arbor to protest the recent dismissal of former Ator-
ney General Jeff Session.

Stop Trump rally protests Sessions 
firing, supports Mueller investigation

Hundreds of students, residents march across campus after Trump fires Jeff Sessions

ZACK BLUMBERG

Daily Staff Reporter

michigandaily.com

For more stories and coverage, visit

See NASSAR, Page 3A

See CITY, Page 3A
See VETS, Page 3A

See HAZING, Page 3A

As part of a series of public events 

on veterans’ issues in the lead up 
to Veteran’s Day, the Veteran and 
Military Services Program at the 
University of Michigan held a panel 
on LGBTQ people in the military 
on Thursday. Speakers included 
Marine Sergeant Jackie Kelley, 
a student at Eastern Michigan 
University, and LSA senior Necko 
Fanning, a former intelligence 
analyst in the U.S. Army.

Anna Schnitzer, event organizer 

and a University librarian, asked 
the panelists if their sexuality was 
an issue during their time in the 
military.

LGBT vets 
talk of their 
identities, 
military life

CAMPUS LIFE

Panelists discuss their 
challenges, experiences 
in the army and marines

HENRY SMITH

For the Daily

Tip-off

The Michigan women’s 

basketball team will start its 

2018-19 season tomorrow 
against Mount St. Mary’s

 » Page 1B

DANYEL THARAKAN/Daily

Jessica Smith speaks about her experiences as a survivor of Larry Nasser’s sexual abuse at the In Our Own Words event in the Ann Arbor Downtown Library 
Thursday evening.

See PROTEST, Page 3A

