“Six months in jail, this officer
asked me a question that seemed
basic,” Salaam said. “He said
‘Hey there, who are you? ‘I’ve
been watching you. You are not
supposed to be here. Who are
you?’”
LSA
freshman
Temilolu
Yusuf
told
The
Daily
she
enjoyed hearing Salaam talk
about the role of religion in his
journey through prison.
“I love the fact that he
really
incorporated
religion
and the role of religion in his
incarceration process as well
as his exoneration,” Yusuf said.
“He really shows that for some
things in life, that you really
need that belief and support
system… Even in prison, where
many people use religion as
a way to bring themselves up
and not feel like prisoners,
feel like they have control over
themselves. It was amazing to
see that he’s telling us, as people
who have never been in prison,
that religion is something that
you shouldn’t only have when
your back is against the wall.
You should have it all the time.”
During his speech, Salaam
also discussed how, in the
1980s, President Donald Trump,
a prominent business
figure in New York
at the time, wanted
the five teenagers
to be sentenced to
the
death
penalty
only
two
weeks
after
their
arrest.
Salaam discussed the
horrific
statements
Trump made about
them and his reaction
when
Trump
became
president.
Salaam
spoke
about Trump while
holding up a copy
of an advertisement
Trump paid for in
the New York Times.
“In
a
country
where
you
think
you are innocent until proven
guilty,” Salaam said. “In a
country where Dr. King said
we
live
in
two
Americas:
divided and unequal … Then
you turn on the news and you
realize, this can’t be right. You
mean the man who called for
our death. The man who was
the fire starter. The man who
writes in the papers that we
should just take the eldest one
and hang him from a tree in
Central Park … That he will
become the President of the
United States. I wondered what
God was doing.”
Public
Health
sophomore
Aysiah White told The Daily
she appreciated Salaam talk
about his personal experience
and how it has impacted his
life’s work.
“My favorite part about the
event was Dr. Salaam being
vulnerable and sharing his
voice,” White said. “It takes
a lot for a person to stand in
front of a whole crowd and to
tell their story, especially one
as personal as his. So I was just
very appreciative that he took
time to actually tell his part of
his story.”
A
panel
following
the
keynote
speech
featured five panelists
who contributed to the
Black History Month
narrative. Su’ad Abdul
Khabeer,
associate
professor of American
Culture,
moderated
the
discussion
and
asked
the
panelists
questions about hope,
abolitionism
and
the
impact of incarceration
on families.
A
student
asked
the
panel
about
unconscious racial bias
and how to interact
with
people
who
present those attitudes
towards
people
of
color. In response, Erin
Keith, staff attorney for the
Detroit Justice Center, said
unconscious bias is a reaction
to Black people being able to
thrive through centuries of
injustice.
“Black people are in the
future,” Keith said. “(People
with unconscious bias) are
afraid
because
they
are
wondering how we are still
here, how are we still standing.
No matter what anyone says, we
are still gonna be in the future.”
LSA senior Nando Felten said
he appreciated the multiple
perspectives on the panel and
the empowerment of Black
people as the future of America.
Felten
said
hearing
Public
Policy junior Cydney Garner
Brown
and
Cozine
Welch
of the Prison Creative Arts
Project speak on the panel was
especially moving.
“My favorite part was just
seeing the panel, seeing Cydney
Garner Brown on stage with
people
that
have
served,”
Felton said. “Cozine served
20 years in prison and that’s
pretty much as long as (I’ve)
been alive and seeing how he’s
still here. He’s a director of
different
organizations
and
seeing the impact that these
people are making on the world
is amazing. The final ending
part of how they said that Black
people are in the future was
just amazing and touching.”
“They specify the process by
which faculty can be fired or lose
tenure and receive one year of
compensation,
severance,
after
termination,” Glotzer said. “These
bylaws were instituted back in the
McCarthy era to ensure strong
protections for academic freedom
and they were mostly unchanged
since they were written back in the
‘50s.”
Glotzer also elaborated on the
current system instituted by these
bylaws, saying that there is a two-
tiered process in place that can be
very complex and time-consuming.
In this process, two separate trials
run alongside one another in
cases of charged tenured faculty
members.
“Our current bylaws also say that
faculty receive full compensation
until the 5.09 process concludes
with termination, regardless of
the aggressiveness of the alleged
misconduct,”
Glotzer
said.
“And in most cases terminated
faculty members receive a year of
severance pay. The issue is that
our current 5.09 process has been
applied to the type of egregious
misconduct that was never meant
to be afforded the protections of
tenure in the first place.”
The faculty working group
received input and feedback from
faculty members, lawyers and
administrators that had experience
with 5.09 cases.
The first proposed change is to
eliminate the two-tiered process
and create one pathway with a
clear timeline that uses deadlines to
initiate review processes efficiently.
Glotzer said individual hearing
committees are selected from a
standing committee of members,
and she asked for feedback on the
two-tiered process.
“One of the ideas that we’re
considering is to establish a
standing
Judicial
Committee
under SACUA that would be like a
tenure and promotion committee,”
Glotzer said. “It would be a
standing committee from which
members of the hearing committee
could be chosen.”
Glotzer also said bylaw 5.10,
which
dictates
severance
pay
policy, does not exclude exceptions
for harassment cases and other
“non-crimes”
that
go
against
University policy. She said she was
open to feedback on whether to
adopt or eliminate it.
“Our
current
bylaw
5.10
allows for one-year severance
pay
after
termination,
except
when prohibited by law based on
the character or conduct of the
faculty member, when the faculty
member is convicted of a felony or
serious misdemeanor that involves
students or the university or
when there is intentional refusal
to
perform
properly
assigned
academic duties,” Glotzer said.
The committee then opened the
floor for questions from the town
hall audience and feedback on their
proposed changes to the bylaws.
Astronomy professor Sally Oey
said she would support SACUA
accepting responsibility for review
committee appointments.
“I would just ask that SACUA
be the entity that does the actual
appointment of the committee
and that we just specify that that’s
it,” Oey said. “That the bylaw
itself specifies that SACUA be the
responsible party, and that way if
the judicial panel doesn’t work and
if there are unforeseen things that
may be awkward or logistically
problematic, those things can be
tweaked, but the bylaw itself be
something simple and high level.”
Astronomy professor Michael
Meyer
said
he
supported
eliminating pay suspension before
a review process is carried out.
“I understand that there was
a consensus to get rid of the
suspension of pay before due
processes unfolded and I support
that, but in this case I don’t
think there would be severance,
typically for other employees at
the University who are terminated
for cause,” Meyer said. “I think if
the process is good and it’s gone
through thoroughly, someone has
been fired and they no longer have
tenure.”
Jerry
Sanders,
associate
professor of biology at U-M
Flint, expressed concern at the
ambiguous nature of the current
bylaws.
“One thing that I’m concerned
about the severance pay suspension
and the phrase ‘other non-crimes’,
when you’re being very very vague
about things, that opens up a whole
can of worms,” Sanders said.
“I’m like, guess I’m skipping
class on Monday,” Kosticak said.
She drove nine hours to Des
Moines by herself, in her self-
proclaimed “clown car” — a
hybrid with great gas mileage.
Kosticak wasn’t nervous for
the long drive, she said, but her
parents were.
“I almost didn’t tell them,
but then I’m like, I feel like they
would want to know something
like this,” Kosticak said. “Like,
‘oh, I’m just going to go to Iowa
for four days!’”
Once there, Kosticak said
her job was to knock on doors
and do whatever the campaign
needed at the moment.
“That weekend before, I’m
told, is crucial for reaching
out to folks,” she said. “So just
showing that we care about
having people’s voices heard no
matter where they come from or
what their political beliefs are.”
LSA sophomore Alexander
Zittleman, a member of the
University’s chapter of Students
for Bernie, travelled to Clinton,
Iowa, to canvass for Sen. Bernie
Sanders, D-Vt., with Spartans
for Sanders, a student group
from Michigan State University.
“I decided to go to Iowa for
the chance to get out of my
comfort zone and talk to people
about the issues that matter and
to encourage people to vote,”
Zittleman told The Daily in an
email interview. “Being the first
caucus, Iowa sets the tone for
the rest of the primary season
and Iowa has the potential to
build even more momentum for
Bernie.”
“It was just fun getting
involved because it was the
first time for most of us.”
Seven members of the Ann
Arbor Yang Gang also traveled
to Davenport to canvass for
Andrew
Yang,
entrepreneur
and
Democratic
presidential
candidate. This wasn’t their
first trip for the candidate —
members of the group went to
Westerville, Ohio, to support
Yang
during
the
fourth
Democratic debate this past
October.
“That trip was a lot of fun,”
Engineering
senior
Justin
Zhao, event coordinator for the
group, said. “People were super
receptive to our candidate. It
was just fun getting involved
because it was the first time for
most of us.”
When
they
had
the
opportunity to travel for Yang
again, they jumped at the
chance.
“Andrew is still kind of a
fringe candidate, I would say,”
Zhao told The Daily. “So he
needs to perform well in the
early states for his campaign …
to succeed.”
Zhao said they may look into
planning a canvassing trip to
New Hampshire, the next state
to hold a primary, as well. South
Carolina, another early state, is
“too far of a drive.”
The group has been working
to drum up support for Yang
on campus through tabling
in Mason Hall and postering
around Ann Arbor, but Zhao
said they’re putting most of
their energy into making sure
Yang can stay in the race long
enough to get to the Michigan
primary.
“We’re probably going to be
most energized if he’s doing well
in the early states. If he’s doing
well in the early states and he
has a viable chance to win then
we’re going to do more work for
sure,” he said.
“Even if we’re not in Iowa,
we’re still going to make our
presence felt.”
Some students who couldn’t
physically be in Iowa this
weekend still chose to help out
their chosen candidates from
afar. Kosticak said her fellow
Students for Pete members who
couldn’t travel this weekend
were planning a phone banking
event to reach Iowa voters
remotely.
Similarly,
LSA
freshman
Andrew Schaeffler, co-founder
of the University’s Students for
Biden chapter, had hoped to
organize a trip to Iowa for some
Students for Biden members.
They weren’t able to coordinate
a ride, but Schaeffler said they
planned to make calls to Iowa
residents in support of the
former vice president.
Students for Biden has held
regular phone banks for the
campaign this fall — “every
weekend
or
every
other
weekend,” Schaeffler said. They
used the campaign’s website to
call into Iowa and talk to caucus
voters about why they support
Biden and to make sure voters
have information about their
caucus locations.
Schaeffler said the group has
placed an emphasis on phone
banking into Iowa because it’s
a crucial point in the campaign.
“I was definitely more so
expecting to do things that
were on a more local basis,” he
said. “But we’ve put such an
emphasis on our phone banking
calling into Iowa because we
know … that’s a priority that we
want to commit to. And then
once Iowa passes, we’ll be much
more focused on Michigan.”
Schaeffler was also asked to
serve as a precinct captain, a
person who serves as a liaison
between a political party and
voters, for Biden at the first-ever
satellite caucus in Ann Arbor on
Monday. The caucus is one of 99
events that will allow registered
Iowa Democrats who can’t be at
their allocated caucus location
to cast their vote on Monday.
“Even if we’re not in Iowa,
we’re still going to make our
presence felt in Iowa, and do
everything we can to reach out,”
he said.
Back in Davenport
After
receiving
their
instructions, the Students for
Warren group left canvassing
HQ and drove to a quiet
Davenport street a few miles
away.
Chamra and Kumar walked
up the driveway and through the
fence of the first house on their
canvassing list. Kumar knocked
on the door, and they waited a
moment until a man opened the
door a crack, his young daughter
peeking out next to him.
“Hi, my name’s Ashvin, I’m
a
volunteer
with
Elizabeth
Warren’s campaign, and this is
Maya,” Kumar said, following
the script on his clipboard.
They talked to the man for a
moment, but he said he already
supported Warren and already
knew his caucus day plan, so
Chamra and Kumar thanked
him and said goodbye.
As they walked back down
the driveway, Chamra said she
thought it had gone pretty well.
“A lot of people kind of don’t
like to be disturbed at their
house,” she said. “But he opened
the door and said he supported
Warren and that he has a caucus
plan, so that’s good!”
The
pair
huddled
over
Kumar’s phone, trying to figure
out where to go next. With a
direction decided, they started
off down the street, feeling
warmed up and ready for a day
of knocking on doors.
Benjamin
Rosenfeld
contributed reporting to this
article.
“We don’t just have therapy,”
Saniyah said. “We have yoga,
massage, energy work because
we do believe that healing is an
integrative journey.”
Saniyah
exemplified
the
necessity of diverse healing
approaches
by
leading
the
audience in a brief two-minute
breathing exercise. She said
with meditation, attendees have
the opportunity to connect with
their surroundings and with
their breathing.
The event progressed to a
larger discussion of identity
and healing. Saniyah said when
she was first invited to speak,
she was unsure what she would
share with the audience. What
was most important to her
was the idea of freedom and
liberation in the world today,
especially as someone who has
been marginalized by society.
“What does it mean to truly
be free? How much agency do
I have over what that looks
like in my life?” Saniyah asked.
“We can talk about freedom
from structures and systems
that seek to control us, or
maybe it’s freedom from stories
or narratives that have been
projected onto us.”
In
addressing
these
questions, Saniyah related back
to the practice and importance
of health in wellness in our
communities.
Therapy,
as
Saniyah
described,
provides
the
opportunity
to
share
experiences and heal. Moreover,
Saniyah said she focuses on the
idea of resistance instead of
resilience.
“In
my
view,
resilience
highlights
the
ability
for
marginalized folks to be strong
and overcome,” Saniyah said.
“It’s our responsibility to be
strong and resilient rather than
the system’s responsibility to
change? For me, I’m driven
by the idea of resistance, not
resilience. Through my actions,
I want to inspire others to resist
the narratives and systems that
try to suffocate us and make us
feel small.”
The event then opened up to a
Q&A segment. Neal Elkin, alum
of the University of Michigan’s
Medical School, asked the first
question. He spoke about his
experience marching in the 1973
gay pride parade in Ann Arbor.
His question concerned the
current political climate in the
country.
“I’m really worried about
where our country is going right
now, all of the benefits we’ve
been able to achieve are under
threat,” Elkin said. “I’m just
wondering what you personally
think about political activism
and the role it will play in
preserving where we’re at right
now and making progress in the
future.”
Saniyah
responded
by
addressing how activism can
create
change.
According
to
Saniyah,
both
activism
and therapy have an equally
significant
role
to
play
in
making marginalized groups
and individuals feel heard.
“Political activism can be
really helpful and empowering
for folks and can effect change,”
Saniyah said. “My hope and
my dream is that we don’t have
to change who we are. That’s
why voting matters, supporting
candidates who share our values
matter and having conversations
with people who don’t always
share our views matter.”
LSA freshman Lydia Stevens
said
a
quote
mentioned
by
feminist
writer
Audre
Lorde
about
how
self-care
is a revolutionary act really
resonated with her.
“I really liked the quote from
Audre Lorde,” Stevens said.
“The best resistance is self-
care and thriving. That’s really
important to keep in mind,
especially in today’s climate.”
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Tuesday, February 4, 2020 — 3
LGBTQ
From Page 1
IOWA
From Page 1
HISTORIC
From Page 1
TOWN HALL
From Page 1
In
the
first
round
of
preferences,
five
Iowans
supported
Warren,
three
voters supported Sanders and
one supported Buttigieg.
Due to Iowa Democratic
Party rules, Buttigieg and
the other candidates who
received less than 15 percent
of the initial vote were deemed
“non-viable” for the caucus
in Ann Arbor. The Warren
and Sanders supporters had
a fifteen-minute period to
try to convince the lone
Buttigieg
supporter,
Law
School
student
Michael
Goodyear, to join their group.
This realignment period took
up the majority of the time
in the caucus, and Goodyear
was resistant to odes from the
Sanders and Warren groups.
“I’m a fan of Buttigieg’s
moderate policies,” Goodyear
said. “I went through all
the
platforms
online
and
Buttigieg’s are all extremely
well thought out. As a law
student, I like that there are
footnotes that have actual
sources for everything and
credible depth to a lot of
policies.”
Goodyear
ultimately
decided
to
abstain
from
voting rather than join the
Sanders or Warren groups
after the realignment period.
“It felt odd, like my vote
wasn’t counting,” Goodyear
said. “Caucuses are a very
different
experience
but
certainly
not
the
most
democratic. It was great for
the 19th century but not so
great for the 21st.”
Before the caucus, LSA
freshman Andrew Schaeffler
told The Daily that close to
half of the satellite caucus
locations are in college towns
like Ann Arbor.
“It’s really cool for college
students who are registered
Iowa Democrats to have their
voices
heard,”
Schaeffler
said. “It’s a phenomenal job
by the Iowa Democratic Party
to put the focus on students
… since it’s not a primary
system in which they can just
cast an absentee ballot.”
After the caucus, Iowan
Joanna Courteau reflected
on the differences between
the traditional Iowa caucuses
she’s attended since 1976 and
the new satellite caucus.
“The
participants
in
a
regular
caucus
totally
outnumber
observers
and
media people,” Courteau said.
“They’re really involved and
there’s a lot of haggling going
on and a lot of persuading the
non-aligned people. People
today were so polite with the
Pete Buttigieg guy.”
Every
Iowan
caucusing
Monday
night,
beside
Courteau, were University
students.
Courteau,
who
splits
time
between
Ann
Arbor and Aimes, Iowa, was
grateful for the large student
presence.
“I am trying as hard as
I can to pass the torch to
the
younger
generation,”
Courteau said. “Seeing them
be
involved,
them
being
interested is really important
to me.”
SATELLITE
From Page 1
“In a country where Dr. King said we live in two
Americas: divided and unequal … Then you turn on
the news and you realize, this can’t be right. You
mean the man who called for our death. The man
who was the fire starter. The man who writes in
the papers that we should just take the eldest one
and hang him from a tree in Central Park … That