4 Thursday, June 27, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com OPINION 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. ERIN WHITE Editorial Page Editor Zack Blumberg Emma Chang Joel Danilewitz Emily Huhman Tara Jayaram Jeremy Kaplan Magdalena Mihaylova Ellery Rosenzweig Jason Rowland Anu Roy-Chaudhury Alex Satola Timothy Spurlin Nicholas Tomaino Erin White Ashley Zhang Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Editorial Board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. CASSANDRA MANSUETTI Editor in Chief EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS The lack of adequate reasoning for Schlissel’s abstention from testifying, especially in a situation where he is not intended to be cross- examined, is concerning. It is clear that President Schlissel’s position grants him oversight over the University as a whole, but it remains worrisome that he is uncomfortable or incapable of publicly explaining the intricacies of the University’s sexual misconduct policy; a policy that is integral to student safety and rights. These sentiments were publicly supported by Judge Arthur Tarnow, who criticized Schlissel for his and the University’s unwillingness to streamline the case proceedings, writing, “The University’s attorneys appear to be more concerned with keeping the President out of the public eye than with prompt resolution of this case and providing a fair process for adjudicating sexual misconduct claims.” The lack of definitive public figures surrounding the University’s sexual misconduct policy points to broader confusion surrounding the foundation of the policy itself. When legal representatives for the University offered to bring in a different spokesperson to testify about the sexual assault policy, they were unable to identify who that would be when prompted by the judge. This begs the question: Who is the authority who can be held accountable for the policy and its implementations, if not President Schlissel? It is evident that the University does not have a clear person in charge and is hoping to merely avoid confrontation about this lack of leadership. This is unacceptable, and we implore the University to point to a clear and reliable source on the matter. Considering the current social climate regarding sexual misconduct, especially within institutions of higher education across the country, we feel that President Schlissel and the University should be considering a settlement meeting regarding these University policies to be a top priority. Delaying the process more will ultimately only serve to undermine the University’s authority on the subject going forward. The University’s President should have a clear idea of the direction we are moving in terms of our treatment of accusations and cases of sexual misconduct, and avoiding policy discussions like this is only counter-productive to the creation of a fair and safe school environment. D ioxane, a potentially carcino- genic chemical that has leaked into Ann Arbor’s aquifer slowly over two decades from Gelman Sciences, Inc., was found in our drinking water on two separate occasions in the Huron River and Barton Pond. The plume, discovered in well water in 1985, has migrated in the groundwater over the last three decades and now encompasses a much larger area. While the fed- eral, state and local governments have been entrenched in legal battles over this environmental issue, the threat to public health has steadily increased. As a Masters of Social Work student at the University of Mich- igan, and as someone who cares not only about the environment but also the health and well-being of students and community mem- bers who drink this water, it is alarming that this issue has gone unresolved for decades. Across the state and country, similar issues have taken several years and an abundance of resources to resolve (Flint, Baltimore and several others). As a result of agonizingly slow and expensive undertakings, residents are left endangered, confused and often defeated, lacking a real solution. The longer we wait for the gov- ernment to devise a plan, the lon- ger Ann Arbor residents have to worry about their ability to feel safe and healthy while enjoying the natural resources around them. While some feel powerless to address issues like the dioxane plume, I am not alone in feel- ing the University of Michigan should look locally for solutions and start doing the necessary research regarding this poten- tial health hazard. Perhaps the University lacks a sense of urgen- cy — even government officials litigating the issue seemingly lack this resolve. Or maybe the donation made by the family of the founder of Gelman Sciences, Inc. to U -M’s Risk Science Cen- ter creates a conflict of inter- est and gives pause to action. Regardless of the root cause, the wealth of knowledge and poten- tial resources from a university should not be held back when jus- tice and the safety of the commu- nity is at stake. In social work, our mission is to promote social justice and the dignity and worth of all indi- viduals regardless of race, socio- economic status and background. This includes advocating for our community and its members, ensuring they have access to the resources needed to live healthy and fulfilling lives. Issues like the dioxane plume dispropor- tionately affect communities of color and vulnerable people. Given this marked disparity, it is everyone’s responsibility to raise awareness and promote action around issues in order to serve these marginalized com- munities that may not have the resources to adequately advocate for themselves. This call applies not only to social workers, but to all schools within the University of Michigan that seek to produce leaders within their field of study and continue to build the prestige of the University. At the University of Michi- gan, we claim to be “the Lead- ers and Best.” But, is that motto fulfilled in our relationship with nearby communities? When we, as a University community, choose to bypass opportunities to perform research and develop high-impact projects that cre- ate positive change in our own neighborhoods, we fail to uphold that standard. By investing research capabilities and skills in environmental safety and public health projects, we could utilize the privilege afforded to the Uni- versity of Michigan and play an active leadership role in the com- munity, laying the groundwork for positive community interac- tion. Reassuringly, several stu- dents have already taken up this call and have begun to pioneer their own initiatives to support their community. The environmental and health impacts for the greater Ann Arbor area due to the dioxane plume worsen as time passes, and there is still no solution in sight. The University of Michigan should leverage its resources and the skills of students and faculty to develop innovative solutions to this decades-long problem and, in doing so, renew its dedication to serving its neighbors. Neglect- ing to do so will result in further contamination and ill-placed reliance on time-consuming legal action. Is the University responsible for local issues? MEGAN VAN KOOTEN | OP-ED Megan Van Kooten is a Masters of Social Work Candidate at the University of Michigan. FROM THE DAILY The University needs to stop dragging its feet O n June 13, 2019, University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel was due in U.S. District Court in Detroit to explain the University’s sexual misconduct policy in a settlement conference for the ongoing Doe v. University of Michigan lawsuit. On June 12, this hearing was delayed until further notice. The stay, prompted by an emergency petition sent by University lawyers, was the latest in a set of actions by the University to keep Schlissel from testifying publicly on the matter. We as an Editorial Board feel that the University should stop delaying the case and encourage President Schlissel to appear before the court; furthermore, we find the University’s lack of clarity surrounding the policy in question to be extremely disconcerting, and it should be actively working to remedy this issue.