On March 20, Acting Provost
Susan Collins announced in an email
that all undergraduate courses at
the University of Michigan would
be graded “Pass” or “No Record
Covid,” with an option to withdraw
from a course until April 21 without
the course appearing on their
transcript. Students will also have
the option to unmask their grades
by submitting a request by July 1.
In light of the new policy
change, many students told The
Daily they are concerned about the
connotations of “P” and “NRC” on
their transcripts when applying to
upper-level admit programs at the
University.
The University undergraduate
admissions
website
lists
five
upper-level
units:
the
Dental
Hygiene program at the School of
Dentistry, School of Education,
School of Public Health, School of
Information and the Public Policy
School. In addition, the School
of Pharmacy offers a bachelor’s
program,
the
Ross
School
of
Business offers a business minor
and LSA offers an Organizational
Studies program students can apply
to in their upper years.
Art & Design freshman Emily
Cao said she hopes to apply to the
School of Information. According
to Cao, she currently plans on
unmasking all of her grades but
expressed concern if she chooses to
keep her grades masked.
“If I do (choose) not to unmask
one of my grades, I’m not sure
exactly how the program will see it
as,” Cao said. “They might question,
‘Why did this person decide not to
unmask this grade?’”
LSA freshman Megan Shohfi
echoed
similar
sentiments
regarding her plans to apply to
both the Ford School of Public
Policy and LSA’s Organizational
Studies program. Shohfi said she
thinks having the option to unmask
grades is an added stress. Shohfi
said she believes the new grading
system does not have a large effect
on students applying to upper-
level programs because they all
aim to achieve a high GPA for a
competitive application.
Thousands
of
disgruntled
Michiganders
descended
on
downtown
Lansing
Wednesday
afternoon
to
provide
a
new
soundtrack to dissent amid a global
pandemic: the blaring horn. Lines of
cars and trucks miles long stopped
traffic on the streets surrounding
the Michigan State Capitol as
part of “Operation Gridlock,” a
protest organized by the Michigan
Conservative Coalition and the
Michigan Freedom Fund against
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s COVID-
19 stay-at-home executive orders.
While
the
event’s
Facebook
page urged attendees to “STAY
in your VEHICLES,” hundreds of
protestors mingled on the Capitol
lawn and surrounding sidewalks,
holding signs and waving flags.
American,
Trump
and
“Don’t
Tread on Me” flags were most
common, with Confederate flags
also interspersed. Speakers on the
Capitol steps led a crowd below in
prayers and chants like, “Lock her
up!”
Participants of the protest sought
to voice anger over last Thursday’s
executive order, which extended
Michigan’s stay-at-home guidelines
until April 30 and further restricted
definitions of “essential” businesses
and activities to slow the spread of
COVID-19 in the state. Michigan
has the third-highest number of
cases in the country, with 28,059
confirmed cases and 1,921 deaths as
of Wednesday.
Whitmer’s
first
stay-at-home
order went into effect on March 24,
and Republican members of the state
legislature voiced their concerns
about the impact of the extension of
the order on the economy. State Sen.
Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, said in
a press release that the Michigan
Senate Republicans trust residents
to take necessary precautions on
their own for themselves, their
families and their businesses.
A petition to recall Whitmer has
been circulating and had 256,000
signatures at the time of publication.
The petition, started by John
Powell, claims Whitmer’s “failures
during the Covid-19 Corona Virus is
causing more Michiganders to get
sick.”
Michael Hoover, who drove to
the protest from Jackson, said he
worried the latest order was an
overstep on personal freedom.
“We cannot let fear dictate our
liberties, because if we start letting
things go because we’re afraid, then
those things that we let go are going
to be very hard to get back,” Hoover
said. “And we have a duty to protect
that.”
Hoover emphasized he believes
many protestors were aware of the
dangers of COVID-19 but think the
state’s response has pushed too far.
michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Thursday, April 16, 2020
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-NINE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Demonstrators object to Gov. Whitmer’s
Stay-at-Home orders, clog streets of Lansing
Upset over shutdown,
protestors participate
in procession of cars
outside state Capitol
Design by Cara Jhang
GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail
news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
INDEX
Vol. CXXIX, No. 107
©2020 The Michigan Daily
N E W S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
O P I N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
michigandaily.com
For more stories and coverage, visit
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on Instagram,
@michigandaily
BUSINESS
University
of
Michigan
alum
Claudia
Haimovici
discovered the order-ahead
food app Snackpass when
the company launched on
campus last spring. She said
the launch was unsuccessful
at
the
time
because
the
company hadn’t partnered
with
popular
restaurants,
so she decided to join the
company
as
the
growth
marketing manager.
App supports restaurants
amid shelter-in-place rules
Programs adapt to new P/NRC grading
Students worry choosing not to unmask grades could hurt applications to upper-level schools
PHOTO COURTESY OF CALDER LEWIS
Snackpass
works with
local stores
CALDER LEWIS
Daily Staff Reporter
MICHAL RUPRECHT
Daily Staff Reporter
FRANCESCA DUONG
Daily Staff Reporter
DESIGN BY CARA JHANG
See SNACKPASS, Page 3
See APPLICATIONS, Page 3
See PROTEST, Page 2