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

