Officials at the ACT — a
college admissions test taken by
more than 1.9 million students
each year — announced a policy
change earlier this month that
will allow students to retake
single sections of the five-part
test rather than having to sit
for the entire exam in hopes of
improving their score. Typically,
the test takes about three hours
to complete.
In an email to The Michigan
Daily, University of Michigan
spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald
said the University would need
more information from ACT
officials in order to determine the
impact the changes will have on
admissions policies.
“Clarification
from
ACT
regarding how test information
will be shared and viewable
by universities is still unclear,”
Fitzgerald
wrote.
“The
admissions team will continue to
monitor this situation as policies
are shared and make changes to
the process where appropriate.”
The
change
comes
amid
concerns
over
testing-based
anxiety,
the
importance
of
standardized testing and its
role
in
perpetuating
social
inequities. Critics of the change
worry
it
will
increase
the
role of socioeconomic status
on performance, since those
who come from higher-class
backgrounds likely have more
resources that will help them
succeed on the exam, such as
access to coaching and the money
to take the exam multiple times.
For Michael Hartt, a junior
at Grosse Pointe North High
School, the change has relieved
test-related anxiety.
“It
makes
me
feel
less
apprehensive about preparing,”
Hartt said. “I know that if I get
a score in section that I’m not
satisfied with, I can study for that
single section to get my score up.”
In announcing the change,
ACT
leadership
said
a
“superscore,”
which
is
the
culmination
of
the
highest
scores on each section of the test
without regard to when it was
taken to create a new composite
score, is more indicative of how
students will perform in college
courses. Previously, students had
to retake the test in full each time
to obtain a higher score.
Three prominent multicultural
groups — the United Asian
American Organizations, La Casa
and the Arab Student Association
— at the University of Michigan
have
released
statements
condemning
participation
in
Order of Angell, an exclusive
senior honor society formerly
known as Michigamua, due to
the
organization’s
historical
exclusivity and past appropriation
of
Native
American
culture.
The groups announced policies
that bar students who accept
membership in the society from
holding a leadership position
within their cultural organization.
Former University President
James Angell originally founded
Michigamua,
now
Order
of
Angell, in 1902 to bring students
from different corners of campus
together and facilitate “campus
synergy.” The current goal of
the organization, according to
members who spoke with The
Daily on Friday afternoon, is to
bring a diverse group of up to
25 students with demonstrated
leadership on campus together to
better the University.
The Order’s reputation has
been marred by instances of
racism in the past, specifically in
regards to its nature of exclusivity
and use of Native American
rituals.
The
organization’s
meeting
space
previously
exhibited
Native
American
statues and headdresses, and the
room itself had a “wigwam-like”
interior design. Michigamua also
displayed photos of members
taking part in Native American-
like rituals and gave members
derogatory
nicknames
like
“Squaw,” which references female
reproductive organs.
The
University
banned
Michigamua
from
using
the
seventh floor of the Michigan
Union,
its
historical
meeting
space,
in
2000
after
native
artifacts were discovered in the
space and demonstratorsoccupied
the
area
for
37
days.
The
University reinstated the group
as a recognized organization in
2007 after losing the distinction
in 2000, and the organization
renamed itself as Order of Angell
the same year.
Historical documents related
to the Order are available in the
Bentley Historical Library on
North Campus. According to
itswebsite, the Order “recognizes
the
hurt”
caused
by
using
“co-opted
Native
American
rituals” and noted the group
does not partake in any Native
American
practices
currently
and “actively condemns” doing
michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-NINE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
At
Larcom
City
Hall
Monday,
about
50
Ann
Arbor
residents
and
City
Councilmembers
attended
a public meeting to discuss
possible
locations
for
monitoring
water
wells
regarding the Gelman Plume.
According to Washtenaw
County’s
website,
the
Gelman Plume is the spread
of
the
contaminant
1,4
dioxane
throughout
the
county
groundwater
that
is contaminating residents’
drinking water. 1,4 dioxane
is a carcinogen that, from
1966 to 1986, the company
Gelman
Sciences
used
in
their manufacturing process,
in which they improperly
disposed of their waste water.
Brian
Steglitz,
water
treatment plant manager for
Ann Arbor, opened the event
with a quick overview and
introductions,
sharing
the
reason behind the meeting.
“So why are we here?”
Steglitz said. “We are here
because we want to make sure
that we are doing everything
that we can to make sure
that the city’s drinking water
supply is protected.”
Ann
Arbor
resident
Mozghan
Savabieasfahani,
an environmental taxologist,
told The Daily she feels Ann
Arbor has fallen short in
protecting its residents.
“The spirit of actual change
(is missing),” Savabieasfahani
said. “The city of Ann Arbor
has miserably failed from
protecting us and our water
supply is contaminated. We
want change and the urgency
to clean it up is missing.”
Patti
McCall,
associate
geologist
and
professional
wetland scientist at Tetra
Tech, broke down the plans
for
the
monitoring
well,
which is meant to test water
thought
to
be
untouched
by
1,4
dioxane.
If
the
contaminant is present, then
the monitoring wells will
trigger early warning signs,
McCall said.
McCall said the project
is
broken
down
into
six
phases:
data
collection,
three-dimensional modeling,
independent review, sample
collection,
well
location
recommendations and public
engagement.
The
National
Academy
of Medicine announced the
election
of
100
members
at its annual meeting last
Monday. Three University of
Michigan
faculty
members
are among the new class of
members, including Rebecca
Cunningham, James Dalton
and Gabriel Nuñez. They join
53 other current and emeritus
University
of
Michigan
faculty, and living former
faculty, in the prestigious
society.
According
to
the
NAM
website, election to NAM is
one of the most prestigious
recognitions in the health
and
medicine
fields,
and
recognizes those who have
excelled in their professions.
The
Daily
spoke
to
Cunningham,
Dalton
and
Nuñez about their research in
medicine and health.
Cunningham
is
the
Interim
Vice
President
of
Research,
Director
of
the
Injury
Prevention
Center
and a professor of emergency
medicine.
GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail
news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
INDEX
Vol. CXXIX, No. 19
©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
Update to test allows students to retake
single sections instead of entire exam
When
Atharva
Kharkar,
former Business sophomore at the
University of Michigan, was told
he had leukemia last June, he rolled
his eyes and said with a smile on his
face: “Honestly, life is so dramatic.”
In East Lansing five years prior,
Alex Powell was preparing to
begin his undergraduate career at
Michigan State University when
he found out he was diagnosed
with a rare bone cancer. Though
they have both since passed away,
both these students legacies’ live
on and will be honored by students
and staff of both universities
during Alex’s Great State Race on
November 15.
Every year since 2013 on the
eve of the Michigan vs. Michigan
State
football
game,
Reserve
Officer Training Corps students
from both colleges gear up to
partake in a 64-mile relay race to
deliver the ceremonious game ball.
From 3 a.m. to 3 p.m., flights will
trek through the almost freezing
weather, blustering winds and
pitch-black sky to honor Alex’s
legacy. Though originally set up
by Powell’s parents, this year, LSA
senior and Army ROTC student
Alex Zhang decided to make it
more personal and run in honor of
Kharkar.
Students
run race
in honor of
classmate
CAMPUS LIFE
University community
members to paricipate
in event in memory
of Atharva Kharkhar
SAMANTHA SMALL
Daily Staff Reporter
Ann Arbor residents discuss
concerns about Gelman Plume
Public meeting considered different locations for monitoring water wells
‘U’ faculty
elected to
national
assocation
Changes to
ACT policy
draws mixed
responses
MEDICINE
MICHAL RUPRECHT
Daily Staff Reporter
Follow The Daily
on Instagram,
@michigandaily
KYTO BATT/Daily
Patti McCall, associate geologist and professional wetland scientist at Tetra Tech, presents potential locations for wells to screen for toxic chemical plume at a public
meeting in Larcom City Hall Monday evening.
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com
Multicultural groups at U-M
denounce Order of Angell
UAAO, La Casa, ASA release statements condemning participation in organization
See ACT, Page 3
LIAT WEINSTEIN &
ALEX HARRING
Daily Staff Reporters
DESIGN BY LIZZY RUEPPEL
See ANGELL, Page 3
See RUN, Page 3
ALYSSA MCMURTRY
Daily Staff Reporter
Three individuals named
to National Academic
of Medicine for their
professional achievement
ALEX HARRING &
PARNIA MAZHAR
Daily Staff Reporters
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com