University
of
Michigan
Rackham
student
Andrea
Belgrade hosted the opening
event
for
the
Strength
of
Refugees and their Community
in the Hatcher Graduate Library
Wednesday night. A group of
about 50 students and Ann Arbor
residents attended the event.
Belgrade does research with
psychology professor Fiona Lee
focused on Muslim-Americans,
self-identified
multicultural
people, immigrants and refugees.
The gallery at the event was an
extension of her work.
Belgrade began the discussion
with a brief introduction on
her goal for her research with
refugees: allowing refugees to
talk about their own experiences
instead
of
having
their
experiences discussed on their
behalf.
“Refugees are one group that
are very often talked about,
but less often, their stories and
their voices are not centered
and a part of that conversation,”
Belgrade said. “While a lot of
people you might speak to might
be supportive of refugees, it
often follows the single story of
victimization and trauma.”
The reception led to a panel
discussion about research the
panelists had done with refugees.
Dr. Mari Kira, a psychology
research
scientist
at
the
University,
worked
at
the
University
of
Giessen
and
University of Marburg, Germany
in the early 2010s. She said the
migration of millions of refugees
to Germany in such a short span
of time prompted her group to
begin researching refugees and
their lives in Germany.
“We focus on their challenges
that the resettlement is bringing,
but also the positive aspects,”
Kira said. “We grow through
every experience we have; how
does the path of refugees help
them to grow and enriches
their understanding of not only
themselves, but also enriches
their understanding of this world
and how it works?”
Kira
and
her
group
of
researchers
studied
with
refugees in the U.S., Canada
and Germany. She was able to
find commonalities between the
groups: the loss of control over
their own life, uncertainty and
discrimantion.
“I had a Syrian refugee tell
me, ‘We here as refugees are
unsafe,’” Kira said. “‘Maybe one
day the state will say we are to go
back to our home country. And
what should I do there? I lost
everything there.’”
Ayah Kutmah is the co-founder
of
REvive,
an
organization
that goes “beyond the scope”
of
United
Nations
refugee
resettlement organizations. She
spoke about how stereotypes of
refugees as helpless and in need
of others’ help does more harm
than good.
michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Thursday, September 12, 2019
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Approximately
150
community members filled
the pews of First United
Methodist Church to hear
Sister Helen Prejean, a
renowned author and nun,
discuss her book “River of
Fire,” released in August.
She described what it was
like to see injustice impact
others and her advocacy
work.
“We can’t make ourselves
wake up,” Prejean said. “We
can show up for things like
this where someone’s going
to be blowing on the coals
and a fire might happen,
but it’s always grace when
we wake up. And it doesn’t
matter when we wake up.
It’s what we do after that I
think is really important.”
Prejean, who has been
featured on “The Oprah
Winfrey
Show”
and
in
the The New York Times,
began life as a nun at age
18. Her first book, “Dead
Man Walking,” was turned
into an opera and Academy
Award-winning film.
During
her
talk,
she
discussed
her
transition
from a nun who grew
up shielded from other
cultures to living a life
entirely devoted to social
justice.
Specifically, Prejean has
been an advocate against
capital
punishment.
Prejean
said
she
was
inspired by an imprisoned
pen pal, who was killed on
death row two-and-a-half
years after they met.
When
“Dead
Man
Walking” was released in
the early 1990s, 80 percent
of Americans supported the
death penalty. Prejean said
she attributes this support
to fear and sees her role as
changing the conversation.
Move
over,
avocado
—
there’s
a
new
shortage
rocking
American
college
students.
The
country
is
facing the first-ever shortage
of White Claw Hard Seltzer.
White Claw is the hard
seltzer
industry’s
prized
possession, accounting for
nearly 5 percent of all hard
seltzer sales the week of July
4 this year. Drink sales have
grown 283 percent over the
last year and have outgrown
the
speed
of
production.
White Claw confirmed to
CNN Business there is a
nationwide shortage of their
product.
White
Claw
President
Phil Rosse said in an email
statement to The Daily they
are actively working to ensure
stock returns to normal.
“White Claw is currently
growing at 260 percent for the
third consecutive year – all
thanks to consumers that love
our product,” Rosse said. “We
are working around the clock
to increase current supply
and total capacity heading
into 2020 so that we can
get every consumer White
Claw when they want it.”
GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail
news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
INDEX
Vol. CXXVIII, No. 131
©2019 The Michigan Daily
N E WS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
O PI N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
CL A SSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
S U D O K U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
michigandaily.com
For more stories and coverage, visit
Trump admin
moves to ban
flavored e-cigs
Move follows Gov. Whitmer’s MI
ban, enacted due to health risks
Individuals
can
now
voluntarily
update
ethnicity
designations beyond standard
federal definitions on Wolverine
Access, University of Michigan
administration announced in
an email sent out to all students,
staff and faculty in late August.
To do so, individuals access
the newly created “Extended
Ethnicity”
tab
within
the
Campus Personal Information
section of Wolverine Access,
where they can add, delete or
update ethnicity information.
On Aug. 28, an email, signed
by Robert Sellers, vice provost
for
equity
and
inclusion;
Kedra
Ishop,
vice
provost
for
enrollment
management;
and
Richard
Holcomb
Jr.,
associate vice president for
human resources, explained the
highlights and the University’s
commitment to “fostering an
environment of inclusiveness.”
According
to
the
email,
the ethnicity designations of
individuals will not be published.
However, the data may be
used for statistical reports and
approved research as well as for
Student Life, Human Resource
and
Diversity,
Equity
and
Inclusion programming.
‘U’ adds
ethnicity
selection
process
ADMINISTRATION
BEN ROSENFELD
Daily Staff Reporter
Sister Helen Prejean discusses
new book about social justice
Community members gather to hear renowned author, nun talk about importance of advocacy
Shortage
of White
Claw leads
to concern
BUSINESS
MOLLY NORRIS
Daily Staff Reporter
Follow The Daily
on Instagram,
@michigandaily
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
doesn’t
think
President
Donald Trump is blowing
smoke when it comes to
dealing with the youth vaping
epidemic. She praised the
Trump Administration on
Wednesday for its intention to
finalize a compliance policy
that would clear the market of
unauthorized,
non-tobacco-
flavored e-cigarette products.
Last
week,
Michigan
became the first state in
the nation to ban flavored
nicotine products, after Dr.
Joneigh Khaldun, Whitmer’s
chief
medical
executive,
determined that youth vaping
constituted a public health
emergency.
Whitmer applauded the
Trump
administration
for
their parallel move.
“I’m
glad
this
administration is doing the
right thing and following
Michigan’s
lead
to
ban
flavored vaping products,”
Whitmer said. “This is great
news for our kids, our families,
and our overall public health…
Banning these flavors is a bold
step that will keep our kids
healthy and safe from the
harmful effects of vaping. I’m
proud that Michigan has been
a leader on this issue, and I’m
ready to continue working
to protect our kids and our
public health.”
In a statement, Alex Azar,
U.S.
Health
and
Human
Services secretary, explained
the decision was an effort to
combat the harmful effects of
youth vaping.
“The
Trump
Administration
is
making
it clear that we intend to
clear the market of flavored
e-cigarettes to reverse the
deeply concerning epidemic
of youth e-cigarette use that is
impacting children, families,
schools, and communities,”
Azar said. “We will not stand
idly by as these products
become
an
on-ramp
to
combustible
cigarettes
or
nicotine
addiction
for
a
generation of youth.”
Last week, the University
of Michigan released the
annual Monitoring the Future
Panel
Study,
which
has
tracked substance use among
American college students
and non-college youth since
the 1980s. The study found
dramatic increases in the
vaping
of
marijuana
and
nicotine among young adults
nationally.
John Schulenberg, the
principal
investigator
of the Monitoring the
Future
Panel
Study,
discussed
how
public
perception
of
vaping
has a dramatic effect on
youth usage.
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Sister Helen Prejean discusses the background of her most recent book, “River of Fire: My Spiritual Journey” at the First United Methodist Church of Ann Arbor
Wednesday evening.
Panel discussion reflects on
global experiences of refugees
Researchers express findings of migrant experience in Europe, United States
See CLAW, Page 3
MADELINE MCLAUGHLIN
Daily Staff Reporter
U-M students react
to lack of access to
hard seltzer on campus
ALYSSA MCMURTRY
Daily Staff Reporter
ALEX HARRING
Daily Staff Reporter
See SOCIAL JUSTICE, Page 3
MICHAEL BAGAZINSKI/Daily
Dr. Odessa Gonzalez Benson, Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work, presents at the Strength of Refugees and Their Communities lecture in the Hatcher Library
Gallery Wednesday evening.
See ETHNICITY, Page 3
See E-CIGS, Page 3
U-M now gives specific
identifiaction choices
on Wolverine Access
See REFUGEES, Page 3