marks an important opportuni-
ty to begin to seriously address
the immediate threat of climate
change,” Deutch stated in a
press release. “The status quo is
unsustainable; the time to act is
right now.”
According to Garton, the
University’s CCL chapter has
been working all semester to
have the bill introduced, facili-
tating informational workshops
for students to call on represen-
tatives and senators to endorse
the environmental policy. The
workshops also aimed to build
CCL’s presence on campus as
a platform to educate the com-
munity on the bill and its impli-
cations.
“We’ve written Op-Eds and
Letters to the Editor to have an
online presence and bring out
the issues of climate change
with all of their intersections
with health, with jobs and the
economy,” Garton said. “Cur-
rently we’re working on a bipar-
tisan event with the College
Democrats and College Repub-
licans for early next semester,
where we will discuss this bill
introduced into Congress, and
then have a time for people
from different organizations
and backgrounds to discuss the
bill together, and see what they
both like about it, any concerns
that they have.”
Garton
highlighted
the
universality of the issue, say-
ing CCL’s intentions are to
implement policy specifically
through the means of creating
the political will in communi-
ties.
“Our goal is to create the
political will for bipartisan
solutions to climate change,”
Garton said. “We believe that
members of Congress don’t cre-
ate political will –– we believe
that they respond to political
will. And so we foresee that as
our job to generate action and
political will within communi-
ties.”
Public Policy junior Cathrine
Kelly, communications director
for the University’s chapter of
College Democrats, shared the
organization’s view on the bill,
saying it was “a good starting
point.”
“The Energy Innovation and
Carbon Dividends Act would
be a great step forward for our
country. While this bill doesn’t
cover every aspect of fixing cli-
mate change, it is a good start-
ing point,” she wrote in an email
interview. “It is amazing to see
any bill, let alone a bill that is
meant to clean up our environ-
ment, that is cosponsored by
both Republicans and Demo-
crats. As College Democrats,
we know that the state of our
environment is one of the most
pressing issues of our genera-
tion. Now is the time to step up
and make the changes needed
to secure a clean environment
not only for our generation, but
for the generations to come.”
Last May, the University’s
chapter of College Republicans
rescinded its endorsement of
the bill, citing data from the
Heritage Foundation that esti-
mated the implementation of
the tax would result in the
loss of 400,000 jobs in the U.S
and increase electricity costs
for U.S households by 13 to 20
percent. College Republicans
President Dylan Berger, an LSA
sophomore, commented on the
organization’s continued stance
on the issue.
“We continue to oppose any
renewed efforts to implement
this tax on the American peo-
ple,” Berger wrote in an email
interview. “While we believe
in climate change and want
to address the issue head on, a
massive tax on the American
people is not the way to do it.
We cannot in good faith advo-
cate for a measure that would
harm so many of our nation’s
hard working families. Going
forward, we want to be part of a
solution that will both preserve
our environment for genera-
tions to come and continue eco-
nomic prosperity.”
Trott signed onto the bill
on
Nov.
29,
showing
the diversity of opinion
within the Republican
Party on the policy’s effective-
ness.
LSA junior Hallie Fox, out-
reach chair of the University’s
CCL chapter, was one of five
members of the group who
attended a trip to Washing-
ton, D.C. to get CCL-sponsored
training on advocacy experi-
ence speaking to several repre-
sentatives on Capitol Hill. Fox
highlighted the importance of
the skills she gained and the
vital role students have on cam-
pus.
“Students are the backbone
of the University, and what I’ve
heard from a lot of University
professionals is that when stu-
dents want something to get
done, it gets done,” she said.
Fox emphasized the impor-
tance of undertaking an active
role immediately, not only in
response
to
global
current
events, like the United Nations’
Intergovernmental
Panel
on
Climate Change’s report, which
predicted a high probability of
food shortages, wildfires and
coral reef depletion by 2040,
but also at events on campus,
such as the recent $80 million
expansion of the University’s
Central Power Plant and Uni-
versity President Mark Schlis-
sel’s announcement to set the
University
on
a
trajectory
toward carbon neutrality.
“One of the things that we
are doing right now is that
many of environmental groups
on campus are going to the
regents meeting on Thursday,
to kind of protest but also advo-
cate for a more comprehensive
climate plan, especially for the
power plant,” she said. “Mainly,
the climate plan is a little bit too
vague for a lot of what people
who are involved in conversa-
tion on campus taste for.”
She stressed the unique role
and opportunity that students
have in political issues.
“It’s really important to get
involved on a campus level
because I think the city of Ann
Arbor actually really looks to
the University to do a lot of pro-
gressive action on things like
climate change,” Fox said. “Not
being afraid to stand up for
yourself and stand up for your
future –– I think that’s real-
ly important especially since
we’re on a university campus
and we’re encouraged to show
our beliefs.”
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Thursday, December 6, 2018 — 3A
I love being a geneticist and I
can’t wait to see where being
a Rhodes Scholar takes me as
well.”
The Rhodes Scholarship is
a prestigious award offered
to students who demonstrate
academic excellence, mastery in
various extracurricular areas,
moral character and leadership
ability. The scholarship only
became
available
to
Saudi
students in 2018 and was
funded by Muhammad Alagil,
chairman of Jarir Group. His
donation added Saudi Arabia as
one of many worldwide Rhodes
constituencies. As a Rhodes
Scholar, Abdulghani will have
the
opportunity
to
receive
her Ph.D. at the University of
Oxford in England.
Along with a passion for
science, Abdulghani had other
hobbies
including
karate
and recording episodes for
her award-winning podcast,
“Majd’s Diary: Two Years in
the Life of a Saudi Girl by Radio
Diaries” of NPR. Though the
large audience was daunting
at times, Abdulghani found her
podcast especially rewarding
because she was able to connect
with people around the globe.
“I think (the podcast) was
valuable,”
Abdulghani
said.
“This vulnerability that ended
up making it in the podcast,
this is what all people share
across the world, this is what
really makes us human and this
is what can really connect with.
That’s what made a lot people
from
various
places
across
the world, and from starkly
different
backgrounds
from
mine reach out and tell me that
they could relate to me.”
As it so happened, Vivian
Cheung,
research
professor
at the Life Sciences Institute,
heard
Abdulghani’s
podcast
about her experiences growing
up in Saudi Arabia and her
dreams of pursuing science
in the future. Cheung was so
moved by her determination
that
she
called
the
NPR
station and was eventually
put in touch with Abdulghani.
The
two
women
remained
in touch over the years, and
upon Abdulghani’s completion
of
her
master’s
at
Iowa
State University, she began
working in Cheung’s lab at the
University of Michigan.
Cheung praised Abdulghani’s
investigative work ethic and
scientific thinking that allowed
her to explore the realm of
what is possible in regard to
research.
“She’s absolutely terrific,”
Cheung said. “She’s fearless
and she’s very careful but also
really allows herself to kind
of see where science takes her
rather than being tied down by
what is known. I think she will
make an amazing scientist —
she really follows the data and
goes where it takes us.”
Henry Dyson, director of the
Office of National Scholarships
and Fellowships, also noted
Abdulghani’s
eloquence
and
motivation.
Dyson
had
the
opportunity
to
work
with
Abdulghani as she prepared
for her final interview with the
Rhodes committee.
“I was really excited to meet
her,” Dyson said. “She (had) at
that point already been offered
a finalist review, so we set up a
practice interview for her and
I knew within the first five
minutes — I mean this is easy to
say in retrospect — but I knew
in the first five minutes that
she had a very good chance of
winning.”
Abdulghani confessed she
was initially uncertain about
what type of assistance ONSF
would
offer
her
because
she was not a student at the
University, but instead a staff
member. However her meeting
with Dyson resolved many of
her concerns, and she praised
him for helping her prepare for
her final interview.
“I was like, ‘Well I’m not
really a student, I’m a staff
member, why would he pay any
attention to me?’’’ Abdulghani
said. “But as soon as I walked in
his office, he was energetic. He
was always excited for me and
he went out of his way, despite
the short amount of time that
was between my meeting with
him and my interview at the
Rhodes — I think it was about
two or three weeks max—
he went out of his way to do
everything he could for me.”
After finishing her Ph.D. at
Oxford, Abdulghani hopes to
return to Saudi Arabia, become
a
professor
and
eventually
establish a research hub for
women in the Gulf region.
“I really want to get research
going
in
Saudi
Arabia,”
Abdulghani said. “There is
a lot of research happening,
but I don’t think it’s quite
enough
yet.
There
is
not
enough involvement of women
in research; the percentage
of Saudi women faculty in
scientific fields is extremely
low. I think it’s around 30
percent and we really need
to fix that. I hope to go back
to Saudi Arabia and initiate a
research hub eventually that
provides world class education
in research to people across
Saudi Arabia and across the
region.”
Dyson
expressed
his
excitement for Abdulghani’s
goals in the future and praised
her ability to intertwine her
identities
and passions
with
what
she hopes to
accomplish.
“One of the things that’s
so interesting about Majd is
how (speaks) in her blog about
her lived experience, that she
does have these other pursuits,
such as karate and horseback
riding,” Dyson said. “But also...
she interprets those things
through her Islamic values,
practices and heritages and
how she’s able to talk about
how those things contribute to
her vision for what she wants
to do with women’s education
in Saudi Arabia in the future.”
Though
Abdulghani
is
hopeful
for
her
post-Ph.D.
plans, she also acknowledged
some of the challenges that
come
with
being
a
Saudi
Muslim
woman
pursuing
science.
However,
she
is
optimistic that her journey and
the obstacles she has faced will
inspire others to realize their
own dreams are achievable as
well.
“This might be self-imposed,
but I definitely feel like I’m
still navigating how to be a
hijabi and a biologist at the
same time,” Abdulghani said.
“I hope that this is really just in
my head, and that people don’t
actually attach these thoughts
to my identity, but right now
I think it’s challenging. But, I
hope that what I’m doing will
encourage more women, and
Muslims, and hijabis to be in
the sciences.”
With ambitious plans for the
future, Abdulghani reflected
back once again on how her
mother’s
experience
and
encouragement inspire her to
remain optimistic about what
she is capable of doing as a
Rhodes Scholar.
“If I could give the Rhodes
Scholarship to anyone else,
I would give it to my mom,”
Abdulghani
said.
“She
has
overcome so many obstacles
and when I see that, I ask her,
‘How am I supposed to do
that, too, when you’re facing
all of these problems and
being a Saudi woman scientist,
how can I come back and do
anything?’ She always brings
out the positive energy and
she always encourages me to
come back and telling me that
because these problems exist,
this is why I need to get the
Rhodes Scholarship.”
RHODES
From Page 1A
president’s decision.
“The press announcement
by interim President Engler
announcing the closure of
the Healing Assistance Fund
came as a surprise and we
do not support his decision,”
the statement read. “This
decision is counter to the
research and advice provided
to us by the Relationship
Violence
and
Sexual
Misconduct Expert Advisory
Working Group.”
According
to
Rachel
Campbell, the chair of MSU’s
Relationship
Violence
and
Sexual Misconduct Expert
Advisory Workgroup, when
asked by members of Engler’s
administration what should
be done about the fund,
the group advised the fund
should be reopened as soon
as
possible.
The
group’s
document,
“Summary
of
Research on Trauma and
Treatment for Sexual Assault
Survivors,” was published in
The State News.
“If sexual assault survivors
have entered into treatment
based on the understanding
that there were dedicated
funds available to cover the
cost of therapy, and then
learn that they are no longer
eligible for those funds, they
are likely to feel that such
changes are a gross violation
of trust,” the summary read.
“This betrayal will likely
cause
significant
distress
that will compound trauma
symptoms they are already
experiencing.”
Engler’s decision to cut the
fund has incited criticism
from Rachael Denhollander,
who was the first survivor to
publicly share her story about
Nassar’s abuse.
In a series of tweets,
Denhollander
laid
out
a
timeline of the fund, and said
“Engler/MSU are lying about
the
purposes,
terms
and
circumstances of creation,
for this fund,” also writing
MSU determined in October
no survivors had committed
fraud related to the fund.
“MSU creates fund to help
survivors
in
December,”
Denhollander wrote. “At this
time, they are trying to get our
suit dismissed and refusing
to answer calls. Fund was not
‘until settlement’. MSU was
refusing to even talk and had
no plans to settle.”
The statement released by
the four MSU board members
said they plan on discussing
the issue with the full board
at the next meeting Friday.
Their hope is to force the
reinstatement of the Healing
Fund.
“At every possible turn, @
MSUPresEngler
confirms
the abusive culture at MSU,
the utter lack of meaningful
change, and his abhorrent
views on SA victims. MSU
spokesperson Emily Guerrant
and the BoT needs to stop
agreeing to spew his lies. This
is shameful,” Denhollander
wrote.
ENGLER
From Page 1A
CARBON
From Page 1A
WE LCOME WE DNESDAYS
MIKE ZLONKEVICZ/Daily
Students enjoy free bagels and coffee at the last Welcome Wednesday of the semester at the Alumni Center
Wednesday morning and will resume next semester starting January 23rd.
interviews with MLive other
tweets he’s made in the past
were in poor taste. An article
from July noted Hayner made
his account private, though
Hayner’s account has since
been deleted.
In one tweet regarding a
past Michigan Daily article
about the April 2017 sale of
the Library Lot, Hayner called
Councilmember Julie Grand,
D-Ward 3, a “hive queen”
and added the hashtag #RBF,
which some Twitter users
suspect stands for “resting
bitch face.”
“Best
coverage
of
#a2council often found in alt
news sources,” the tweet read.
“Don’t miss this w/accurate
quote
from
condescending
Hive Queen Grand #RBF.”
Dzombak said these tweets
may negatively impact the
dynamics of the council now
that Hayner is a member.
“In some of these tweets,
he
was
very
critical
of
councilmembers … I think it’s
an uphill battle,” Dzombak
said. “It seems like he’s burned
a lot of bridges before he even
got on council.”
Grand declined to comment
on Hayner’s tweets.
A
Digital
Millennium
Copyright Act request was
filed on Aug. 1 that briefly
shut
the
database
down.
DMCA requests address the
takedown of online material
due to copyright infringement.
Dzombak does not know if
Hayner submitted the request
himself.
Dzombak
said
Hayner
accused him of hacking his
Twitter account when it was
private.
“These were public tweets
when
I
archived
them,”
Dzombak said. “Claiming that
I did any sort of illegal hacking
is blatantly false.”
Dzombak said Hayner made
many tweets that did not align
with emocratic values.
“In the last four years
or so, he’s made a bunch of
comments
on
Twitter
on
things like SJWs (social justice
warriors), snowflakes, Milo
Yiannopoulos, that are not
consistent with a progressive
democratic agenda,” Dzombak
said.
“It
seemed
really
dishonest that he was running
as a Democrat here.”
One of Hayner’s tweets
mentioning
“snowflakes”
detailed colleges handing out
pins with gender pronouns on
them.
“College hands out ‘pronoun
pins’
#Triggered
by
this,
does exclusion help people
#coexist?
#snowFLAKES,”
Hayner tweeted.
A tweet also mention Ryan
Hughes, Hayner’s opponent
during the 2018 City Council
election, regarding Hughes’
yearly income and Hughes’
support for an income tax.
“Ryan Hughes is making
$90K/year at U of M, and
telling me I need to pay an
income tax to support people
who need affordable housing,”
Hayner
allegedly
wrote.
“Charity starts at home.”
Hughes
said
affordable
housing should not be up to
charity.
“I don’t think charity is
the issue here,” Hughes said.
“I
don’t
think
affordable
housing should be a matter of
individual choosing whether
or not to pay to a charitable
foundation.”
Hughes said Hayner may
not have intended to offend
residents, but his comments
still hurt people.
“Impact isn’t the same thing
as intent,” Hughes said. “Even
if you mean well, you might
hurt people.”
Regardless,
Hughes
is
optimistic
about
Hayner’s
future work on City Council.
“I think he’s toned down
criticism of these people,”
Hughes said. “I’m looking
forward to seeing how he’s
going to actually be.”
HAYNER
From Page 1A