2 — Monday, March 16, 2020
News
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
The
University
of
Michigan Central Student
Government’s
executive
branch has transitioned
its
funds
to
support
emergency
resources
within
the
University.
While the weekly CSG
Assembly meetings will
now take place virtually,
all future CSG executive
programs and events have
been canceled, according
to
a
statement
from
President
Ben
Gerstein
posted on social media
Friday.
The
announcement
comes
two
days
after
University
President
Mark Schlissel announced
classes will be held online
beginning
Monday
due
to the threat of COVID-
19. On Friday, Schlissel
encouraged all students
who are able to leave
campus and return home.
In
his
post,
Gerstein
recognized
the
mixed
emotions
students
may
feel about the University’s
decision.
“Sometimes
things
come to an unexpected
end,” Gerstein wrote. “As
evidenced by this week,
our lives can suddenly
change and we are forced
to adapt to unfamiliar
situations. I know these
last few days have brought
significant
uncertainty,
anxiety,
sadness,
and
fear
to
the
University
community.
In
times
like these, we should not
forget the strength our
community
possesses
even if we are physically
isolated from each other.”
In Gerstein’s Facebook
post, he said the Executive
Team
has
reallocated
its
budget
to
provide
$10,000 to the Maize and
Blue Cupboard, a food
pantry based out of Betsy
Barbour Residence Hall
for students, and $10,000
to the Dean of Students’
Student Emergency Fund,
which is available for
students facing unusual
situations or hardships
with a one-time monetary
assistance of up to $500.
After
noting
the
budget changes, Gerstein
thanked
the
student
body for allowing him
to
serve
as
president.
He
noted
CSG’s
work
to
ensure
financial
access and privacy for
students seeking testing
for sexually transmitted
diseases
or
infections
and
its
passage
of
a
resolution calling for Big
Ten schools to freeze
fossil fuel investments, as
well as the organization’s
support
for
increasing
mental health resources
on campus and renewing
a scholarship to mitigate
monetary
barriers
to
leadership.
“It has been an honor
to be a partner in so many
important
movements
driven by students on
our
campus,”
Gerstein
said. “There are endless
other
accomplishments
and moments of progress
I could name—and none
of
these
would
have
been
possible
without
the
many
students,
organizations,
and
friends who contributed
to these efforts.”
The
CSG
debate,
originally scheduled for
Wednesday evening, has
been
canceled.
Spring
elections for the executive
branch
and
Assembly
are still expected to take
place online March 25-26.
Gerstein thanked the
University
community
for the opportunity to
help make changes to
improve student life on
campus. He said his work
will continue until a new
administration is elected.
“The list of individuals
to thank is too extensive,
but to everyone in CSG,
and all students on campus
who spend their hours,
days, and weeks fighting
for others: thank you for
showing me what it looks
like to strive for better,
both as a leader and as a
human being,” Gerstein
wrote. “This unexpected
closing to my term as CSG
President is bittersweet.
Thus far, this has been
the
greatest
personal
honor of my life, and I am
forever grateful to those
who trusted me with this
responsibility.
Although
many of us might not be
physically
on
campus,
this work does not stop. I
will continue supporting
students
through
this
challenging time until the
next administration takes
office.”
He
also
reminded
students
of
the
importance
of
keeping
love and justice as central
components
of
the
University community.
“To
close,
I’m
constantly
inspired
by
the
late
Reinhold
Niebuhr’s quote: ‘Love is
the motive, justice is the
instrument,’”
Gerstein
wrote. “We are—and can
always be —a community
of love at Michigan, and
one that diligently works
towards justice.”
Daily News Editor Alex
Harring can be reached at
harring@umich.edu
Central Student Government
meetings to be held virtually
CSG reallocates executive budget to emergency support services
ALEX HARRING
Daily News Editor
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DOMINICK SOKOTOFF/Daily
Ann Arbor residents stock up on groceries from Meijer in preparation for the following weeks of the coronavirus pandemic.
RUCHITA IYER/Daily
CSG President Ben Gerstein says the executive budget has been reallocated to emergency support services.