The
Yemeni
Student
Association at the University of
Michigan opened its inaugural
cultural night with a simple
invitation to attendees:
“We want you to experience
the beauty of Yemeni culture,”
LSA junior Ryan Shami told the
more than 150 students gathered
Thursday night in the West
Quad Multipurpose Room.
Shami then danced his way
through the middle of the room
with other board members, all
clad in traditional thawbs, multi-
colored shawls and jambiya
dagger belts unique to Yemeni
men’s
fashion.
The
women
of YSA also took the floor for
dabke, showing off dresses and
headpieces from various regions
of the country while making
their way through the diverse
crowds
of
students
packed
between various photo exhibits
and food buffets. Guests ate
dishes spanning from gallaba to
harissa desserts, sipped Yemeni
tea, flipped through pictures
of ancient villages, castles and
mountain and clapped along to
the dance performances.
And so went YSA’s capstone
event
of
the
semester:
a
celebration of not only the rich
heritage honored by Yemenis
on campus, but also a growing
community making its mark in
bringing students together.
YSA was born two years ago
in 2016 with just four students
who saw the a need for a
space created by and for the
Yemeni community. Through
informal shahee circles with
the club’s signature tea service,
networking with prospective
students and showcases like
Thursday’s cultural night, the
student group has exploded
from the four founders to almost
50 members and hundreds of
supporters across campus. LSA
senior Sadeeque Mohamed was
part of the original group in
2016, and was overcome by the
“amazing” scene he saw at the
cultural night.
The University of Michigan
Board
of
Regents’
meeting
Thursday featured 15 public
comment speakers, including
U-M Ann Arbor and Dearborn
students as well as alumni,
faculty and staff. The topics
discussed
included
carbon
neutrality,
divestment
from
companies
supporting
Israel
and the role of letters of
recommendation in a political
context.
At
his
annual
leadership
breakfast earlier this semester,
University
President
Mark
Schlissel
announced
he
would appoint a commission to
establish a timeline and distinct
goals
for
achieving
carbon
neutrality. Starting in 2008 and
2009, a wave of universities
mobilized around the nation
to
aim
for
carbon-neutral
campuses. The University of
Michigan,
however,
lagged
behind. Earlier this week in
an interview with The Daily,
Schlissel said the commission
“can’t be too large.”
Neurology professor Larry
Junck contributed suggestions
to raise awareness and educate
on campus sustainability. In
addition to themed semesters, he
recommended multidisciplinary
weekly
conferences
with
a
variety of topics and groups.
“My proposal is that there
be
University-wide
themed
semesters dealing with various
aspects
of
climate
change,”
Junck said. “This is a large and
great University with resources
in many areas.”
LSA junior Kristen Hayden
said
the
University’s
next
steps toward carbon neutrality
should
include
scientific
recommendations
from
the
Intergovernmental
Panel
on
Climate Change and the national
climate assessment.
“With our dedication, our
The
University
of
Michigan’s
faculty
panel
on
academic
freedom
is
seeking
input
from
the
campus
community
on
“the intersection of faculty
members’ political ideology
and
their
responsibilities
to students,” the University
announced in a press release.
In addition to conducting a
campus-wide online survey
of attitudes on the subject,
the panel will also hold a
series of open meetings in
December and January on the
University’s three campuses
to gather additional input.
The
University
created
the
panel
in
the
wake
of
its
punishment
of
American
Culture
professor
John
Cheney-
Lippold,
who
rescinded
his offer to write a letter
of
recommendation
for
a
student’s study abroad trip
after discovering the program
was
in
Israel.
Cheney-
Lippold’s
punishment
consists of a year-long pay
freeze, as well as a two-
year freeze on his sabbatical
credits and eligibility. Several
professional
institutions,
including
the
American
Association
of
University
Professors, in addition to
many graduate students and
faculty have criticized the
University for imposing the
discipline on Cheney-Lippold
without due process.
University
President
Mark Schlissel and Provost
Martin Philbert announced
the creation of the panel in
an open letter to the campus
titled “Important questions
around issues of personal
beliefs, our responsibilities
as
educators,
and
anti-
Semitism.”
“As we have stated, U-M
strongly opposes a boycott of
Israeli academic institutions,
and
no
school,
college,
department or unit at our
university endorses such a
boycott,” the letter read. “We
will work to make absolutely
clear that faculty members’
personal
political
beliefs
cannot interfere with their
The
local
Ann
Arbor
piercing
studio
Pangea
Piercing
announced
the
store is officially closing its
doors Thursday following its
reopening last Saturday after
months of controversy. The
store
cited
harassment
by
“communists” and local media
in its store front window on
East Liberty Street as reasons
for closing.
In August, store owner J.C.
Potts temporarily suspended
businessoperations
after
he
allegedly
shared
white
supremacist views with his
customers. Customers posted
on social media describing
the
incidents
that
accused
Potts of using racial slurs and
expressing white unification.
Dozens of individuals came
forward with accusations of
Potts’ white supremacist views,
recounting situations in which
GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail
news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
INDEX
Vol. CXXVIII, No. 46
©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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Friday, December 7, 2018
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Academic
freedom panel
begins campus
outreach
Carbon neutrality, #UMDivest
advocates speak out at Regents
COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
The panel, created after letter controversy,
received criticism for lack of diversity
ANDREW HIYAMA
Daily News Editor
Public comment speakers discuss ‘U’ role in climate change, Israeli occupation
SAYALI AMIN
Daily Staff Reporter
Piercing
shop closes
after online
campaign
ANN ARBOR
Pangea Piercing owner
accused of acts of racism
while assisting customers
REMY FARKAS
Daily Staff Reporter
DANYEL THARAKAN/Daily
Students dance during the Yemeni Cultural Night celebration hosted by the Yemeni Student Association in West Hall
Thursday.
Yemeni Student Association hosts
cultural night with cuisine, dance, dress
New student group brings 150 guests to event celebrating Yemeni community heritage
RIYAH BASHA &
ZAYNA SYED
Managing News Editor &
Daily Staff Reporter
michigandaily.com
For more stories and coverage, visit
See REGENTS, Page 3
See PANEL, Page 3
Knight-Wallace
Fellow
Emilio
Gutiérrez
Soto
is
currently awaiting his ruling
in a political asylum case
officially
opened
in
2008,
when he fled Mexico with his
son, Oscar, upon discovering
his name on a military hit list
after writing an article about
soldiers robbing a hotel. He
was detained for nearly eight
months in 2017 and released
one day before a deadline for
the federal judge to produce
documents
explaining
the
reason for his detainment.
The University of Michigan’s
Knight-Wallace
Fellowship
advocated
for
Gutiérrez’s
release and accepted him as a
fellow for the 2018-19 school
year.
Gutiérrez spoke to students
and faculty about his past
and this struggle to receive
U.S. asylum, as well as his
Journalist
discusses
struggle to
get asylum
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Knight Wallace Fellow
Emilio Gutiérrez Soto still
waiting to receive asylum
KATHERINA SOURINE
Daily Staff Reporter
KEEMYA ESMAEL/Daily
Protestors gather at the Regents’ meeting to support the implementation of carbon-neutral initiatives at the University Thursday afternoon.
See PANGEA, Page 3
See JOURNALIST, Page 3
Read more online at
michigandaily.com