and Ethnicity requirement and
emergency scholarships.
Currently,
Black
students
make up just 4.4 percent of the
University’s
undergraduate
population –– a statistic for
which the University received
an “F” grade in a report on
racial
equity
published
by
the University of Southern
California.
In
October,
the
Bentley
Historical
Library fulfilled one of BSU’s
original demands by digitizing
over 66,000 records from the
Department of Afroamerican
and African Studies, making
them available to the public.
Many students have criticized
the
University’s
race
and
ethnicity requirement, which
still does not apply to some
schools like the College of
Engineering, for watered down
subject matter.
The display on the posting
walls
also
included
many
historical events and dates
of importance for the Black
community at the University.
Education
senior
Camyrea
Barnes, secretary of BSU, said
history is an important aspect
of the event.
“I hope this event brings
back remembrance and a sense
of appreciation for the different
protests and demonstrations
that Black students have done
on this campus to create a more
equitable
and
comfortable
(campus) for not just Black
students but other students of
color,” Barnes said.
McKinney also mentioned
that the timing of this event
is appropriate for reflection
with the initiatives to promote
student
diversity,
equity,
and
inclusion
having
been
established for over two years
now.
“It’s
a
great
transition
year for the University, going
into year three of the DEI
and Trotter building on State
Street, we thought this was
a perfect time to have some
reflection to see where we
should be going,” McKinney
said.
McKinney
added
in
her
experience, the past five years
have brought some positive
changes in interactions with
University.
“In five years the University
has
become
much
more
open
to
voices
of
Black
students,”
McKinney
said.
“I myself have gotten plenty
of
opportunities
to
sit
down with the administration
and voice what’s going on and
be directly involved with the
changes that are happening.”
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Tuesday, November 20, 2018 — 3
Candidates
running
for
representative
positions
in
LSA
Student
Government
gathered Monday night for
a candidates’ forum to pitch
their platforms in preparation
for the elections on Nov. 26
and 27. Prospective members
discussed topics such as dining
hall
options,
accessibility,
diversity and student health.
LSA SG President Nathan
Wilson, an LSA senior, said
the forum gave candidates
the opportunity to develop
a platform early on in the
election process that would
guide their work should they
be elected. Wilson noted how
urging prospective members
to set goals for the coming
semester exposes them to the
ideas and objectives of their
fellow members, allowing for
increased collaboration.
“(The candidates’ forum)
really encourages the people
running to think about what
they’re going to be doing for
the next year,” Wilson said.
“If they end up winning, then
they have this platform that
they can look back on and
really use that as a litmus test
for what they should be doing
and what they promised that
they would do.”
During the forum, each of
the 25 candidates spent three
minutes presenting their plan
for the coming semester before
opening up to the audience for
questions. LSA SG Appointed
Representative
Kaitlyn
Colyer, an LSA freshman, said
she hoped to tackle issues
regarding financial aid and
scholarships after receiving
misinformation about the Go
Blue Guarantee during her
senior year of high school.
Instituted in January 2018,
the Go Blue Guarantee covers
the full cost of tuition for
Michigan
residents
with
family incomes under $65,000
a year.
“This year my theme is
equity –– making sure all
students have access to the
resources on this campus,”
Colyer said. “I was told by an
admissions
counselor
that
I would be guaranteed the
Go Blue Guarantee and so I
accepted my admissions offer
as soon as I got the offer.
Unfortunately, I am currently
over $28,000 in debt. However,
I know 30 students who are
in the same boat and we are
willing to make a change.”
Wilson said making the
financial
aid
office
more
transparent, an issue touched
upon by various candidates, is
a major project LSA SG hopes
to address because it would
help alleviate the financial
strain
placed
upon
many
students at the University.
“It’s part of the job of
student government to hold
the
University
accountable
and make sure that those
things
actually
happen,”
Wilson said. “Having people
that are aware of those issues
heavily involved in student
government,
that’s
really
heartening for me.”
Candidates also frequently
mentioned
the
difficult
transition from high school to
college in terms of academic
rigor.
LSA
SG
Elected
Representative
Jordan
Schuler, an LSA sophomore,
proposed opening a “general
learning center” that would
provide basic information to
students
about
test-taking
strategies
and
anxiety
management.
Schuler,
who
served as the vice chair of the
Academic Affairs Committee
for the past year, said the
center would help bridge the
gap between high school and
University coursework.
“This is definitely a long-
term project and something
that might not be done by
the time that I graduate, but
I know that it could benefit
so many students,” Schuler
said. “I think that it’s really
important to put in all the
effort I can that while I’m
here.”
LSA student government candidates
present platforms on campus issues
Candidates discuss dining hall options, student accessibility and DEI plans
LIAT WEINSTEIN
Daily Staff Reporter
would have further committed the
city to its climate action policies.
“I think it will be following
through with their stance,” Basile
said. “Right now, people assume that
because Ann Arbor is progressive in
so many other ways that we assume
their sustainability goals and their
climate action programs, but they
actually haven’t done much in terms
of implementing their goals.”
The
resolution
has
been
controversial because of how the
money was acquired. In November
2017, Ann Arbor residents voted to in
favor of a millage that allocated funds
towards mental health facilities and
public safety, though Council has
reconsidered millage funds to go
toward things like affordable housing
and climate action which were
not initially included in the ballot
proposal passed by voters.
Carman said she understands the
controversy but feels climate action is
already underfunded in the city.
“On the one hand, I recognize
that it’s complicated,” Carman said.
“The source of the controversy is
not that money is being taken away
from mental health. It’s that there’s
people who believe there should be
additional funding for mental health.
My feeling is that it’s not being taken
away from mental health. It’s adding
money that can go to something else.”
Ann
Arbor
Resident
Ryan
Hughes, who was defeated by City
Councilmember Jeff Hayner, D-Ward
1 during the 2018 election, questioned
how the city will fund climate action,
affordable housing and pedestrian
safety without the revenues to do so.
“If millage money isn’t how we
think these things should be funded,
then well how do you intend to (fund
these)?” Hughes said.
City
Councilmember
Anne
Bannister, D-Ward 1, and City
Councilmember Jack Eaton, D-Ward
4, sponsored a resolution to fund a
pilot program for net zero energy
affordable
housing
and
electric
vehicle chargers. The resolution
failed 6-5.
Eaton said climate action should
not be addressed by creating new
government entities.
“I really believe that we have as
our core value the desire to address
climate change and that it should not
be accomplished through setting up a
new bureaucracy and pouring money
into a new department,” Eaton said.
Ackerman said the resolution does
not create new bureaucracy in the
city, but rather shares the city’s values
with city employees.
“This isn’t establishing another
bureaucracy because it’s as simple as
making sure every single department
at this city hall share our values and
live those values at their 9-5 every
single day,” Ackerman said.
Basile believes Bannister and
Eaton want to address climate
action in specific ways rather than
holistically.
“The responses from Eaton and
Bannister (seem like) ‘We like the
plan but we don’t like where the
funding is coming from,” Basile said.
“Now, they’re saying ‘We like the plan
but we’re gonna decide what parts to
fund instead of taking it as a whole
way to address these promises that
we made.’”
Smith said the time to take action is
critical due to the time period humans
have to address climate change before
damage is irreversible.
“I
understand
where
Councilmember Eaton is coming
from by saying it’s not critical,” Smith
said. “I look at the United Nations’
International
Climate
Change
Organization paper that came out
that we have 12 years to turn this
around. That seems pretty damn
critical to me.”
Ann
Arbor
Resident
Brian
Chambers
supported
both
amendments
to
the
budget,
specifically due to natural disasters
throughout the nation that could
cause migration north.
“We’ve
got
a
good
climate
generally,” Chambers said. “Now it’s
like ‘everyone knows’ and they’re
gonna move here. Our challenge to
sustainability as it ties to affordable
housing is that they’re tied together.”
Council also voted to purchase four
automated side loading refuse trucks
and postponed a vote to authorize a
lower town area mobility study and
appropriate street funding.
Councilmember Kathy Griswold,
D-Ward
2,
quoted
a
previous
Michigan Daily article regarding
a blind student’s experience using
the crosswalk at the intersection
of E. Madison and State Street.
Commenting on the mobility study,
Griswold critiqued the Council for
what she says is inadequate use of
data and public guidelines.
“We don’t use the data we have,”
Griswold said. “We don’t follow
federal and state guidelines and it
troubles me that we would do yet
another plan when we do not have
crosswalk design guidelines and we
do not have safe crosswalks.”
COUNCIL
From Page 1
this case TV, maybe particular
series,
maybe
particular
representations,
etc.,
so
that writing becomes a way
of discovering and joining
conversations in meaningful
ways, not just some practice of
spitting out what they think a
professor wants to hear.”
LSA sophomore Bhoomika
Gupta said in her course,
focusing
on
photography
and writing, the differences
between
it
and
previous
courses allow for an increased
interest in the field.
“I
think
it
provides
a
different lens to writing,”
Gupta said. “Everyone in high
school and middle school, we
write the same, but with this,
you get to see writing in a
different way and you also get
to explore an art form a lot of
people haven’t worked with in
high school.”
DANCE 100: Introduction
to Dance (87 percent)
With 15 different sections
this
past
semester,
the
Introduction to Dance course
provides
lessons
on
the
technical and creative aspects
of a variety of genres in dance.
Though many sections were
available last semester, each
term offers a new variety of
genres, decided on by current
Graduate Student Instructors
in
the
department,
according to Katie Gunning,
administrative
assistant
in
the Department of Dance.
“The Intro to Dance classes
change each semester and
are based off of our graduate
students and what they want
to
offer,”
Gunning
said.
“We always have intro-level
modern and ballet classes
available, but all the time
we’re getting new intro-level
classes and it’s because of
the graduate student cohort
that we have and what they
are interested in and want to
bring to the department.”
LSA freshman Alex Beaty
said the unique style of her
Introduction to Dance class
gives her a break from her
academic schedule.
“I think it’s interesting
because a lot of people in
the class don’t have a dance
background
and
it’s
an
experience getting to be in
a dance class where it’s not
super serious and not super
rigorous in any way,” Beaty
said. “You’re all just doing it
for fun and it’s like a break
from normal classes.”
ARTDES 125: Studio: 2D
(82 percent)
This course allows for an
elementary
understanding
of
art
and
design
for
artists working in 2-D. The
course also focuses on the
study of visual perception
with
an
understanding
of the processes of visual
communication.
SPANISH 101: Elementary
Spanish (82 percent)
This
elementary
course
offers an introduction to the
Spanish language. In using
listening, speaking, reading
and writing, students gather
a basic understanding of the
Spanish language and culture.
EARTH 113: Planets and
Moons (82 percent)
This course focuses on the
geology of the solar system as
well as exploring the advances
in space exploration over the
past decade. The course also
looks at the development of
thoughts and attitudes on the
geology of our solar system.
BIOLOGY
101:
Energy,
Food, & the Environment
(81 percent)
This course focuses on
the issue of energy, food
and the environment and its
implications on the well-being
of the Earth. The course takes
a biological and sociopolitical
view to study current and
historical issues regarding the
state of our energy and food
systems.
PSYCH 111: Introduction
to Psychology (80 percent)
This course offers a basic
understanding
and
theory
of human behavior as an
introduction to the field of
psychology. Students in the
course study different mental
processes as well as history
and theory in the field.
COMPLIT 100: Global X
(80 percent)
This course focuses on the
world impact of zombies in
literature,
graphic
novels,
movies and video games and
how they can be applied to
political theory and debates
in public policies. Students
focus on the implications of
race, disease, power and more
in this comparative literature
course.
EECS
183:
Elementary
Programming Concepts (79
percent)
This course focuses on
the basics of programming
language. Students focus on
various concepts such as flow
of control, data structures
and various algorithms as
an introduction to computer
science and programming.
ASTRO 127: Naked Eye
Astronomy (79 percent)
This course focuses on
the basics of the study of
astronomy. Students analyze
the sun, the moon. Stars,
meteors
and
more
while
focusing
on
how
these
can be observed and their
implication on the Earth.
ASTRO 107: The Dark Side
of the Universe (79 percent)
This astronomy class offers
a basis for aspects of the
universe that cannot be seen.
Studies include that of black
holes, dark matter and dark
energy. The course focuses
on how these are studied and
measured from Earth.
SOC
102:
Intro
to
Sociology: Special Topics
(78 percent)
This course allows for an
elementary study of sociology
through
various
subjects
that
encompass
real-world
issues in the field. Students
study various topics such as
wealth and poverty as well
as urban inequality and the
implications of these issues.
SPACE
101:
Rocket
Science (78 percent)
This course allows students
to study the science of space
and its exploration. These
studies include a history of
the exploration of space as
well as the math and theory
of how these processes were
made possible.
-------
Introductory classes on the
other end of the spectrum,
wherein students expresses
courses did not significantly
increase their interest in the
subject,
mostly
comprise
general STEM classes. These
courses include Physics 136,
Math 115, Chem 125 or General
Chemistry and Introduction
to Research, or ALA 104.
COURSES
From Page 1
included the Women’s Glee Club,
which emphasized its 128 years of
history and tradition as a female
community
at
the
University.
Female Gayo, a female Korean pop
group closed the show, celebrating
Korean culture while challenging
ideas of femininity and female
empowerment around the world.
Other
performances
featured
individuals, such as Maleny Crespo,
whose spoken-word performance
and dance was an expression of
their queer identity as a person of
color. Other spoken-word pieces
related gender identity to religion
and emphasized the importance
of recognizing vulnerability in
masculinity.
Engineering junior Malika Taka
said she appreciated the show
because she felt it was different
from what she is usually exposed
to. In particular, she said she liked
a spoken-word performance that
discussed the tension between
masculinity and queerness.
“I really liked the performance
where (the performer) was non-
binary and talked about how
even though (they appear) very
masculine, but it’s not exactly what it
looks like all the time,” Taka said. “I
thought that one left an impression.”
For
Coterillo,
she
said
her
involvement in the show was
meaningful because of the diverse
audience.
“It felt very exhilarating …
Getting to talk about the many
facets of gender to people of
different ages, of different parts of
Michigan, I saw different family
members … It was an absolute
pleasure to be a part of this event,”
Coterillo said.
The
event
was
funded
by
Community Action Social Change
program, Arts at Michigan, LSA
Residential College, LSA Global
Scholars
Program
and
Central
Student Government.
SHIFT
From Page 1
BBUM
From Page 1
A lot of people
in the class don’t
have a dance
background
I hope this event
brings a sense
of appreciation
for the different
protests...that Black
students have done
THE MICHIGAN DAILY’S
GradeGuide
compare and explore course
distributions across colleges at
gradeguide.com