Opinion

S

hould annual reports be 
published annually? For the 
University 
of 
Michigan’s 

Office of Institutional Equity, this is 
apparently a difficult question. OIE, 
the office that handles investigations 
of sexual misconduct within the 
University, 
estimates 
that 
their 

annual report for the fiscal year that 
ended on June 30 will be ready in 
mid-January 2021. The last report 
was published on Nov. 11, 2019. 

Spokesman 
Rick 
Fitzgerald 

attributed the delay to the “new 
umbrella policy” (effective Aug. 14, 
2020) and “other matters (that) were a 
higher priority.” The umbrella policy is 
the University’s policy for addressing 
sexual and gender-based misconduct. 
It applies to the University’s Ann 
Arbor, Flint and Dearborn campuses 
and 
encompasses 
faculty, 
staff, 

students and third parties. 

Granted, timeliness has never 

been OIE’s strong suit, nor has 
transparency, a fact acknowledged 
recently by Regent Denise Ilitch (D). 
Transparency is a priority in a year 
marked by multiple high-profile 
instances of the University utterly 
failing to address sexual misconduct 
and then further marred by distrust 
from faculty, students and staff. 
These annual reports are supposed 
to provide some measure of clarity, 
as previously indicated by Fitzgerald. 
It is simply unacceptable that the 
University of Michigan community 
will go at least 14 months without any 
measure of accountability from OIE. 

OIE has a tendency to be sporadic 

with their annual reports. They have 
been published in September (2018), 
October (2016) November (2014, 2019) 
and January (2016). Multiple calendar 
years have elapsed without an annual 

report, so this is not a problem that 
can be chalked up to any one year’s 
increased 
responsibilities. 
It 
is 

important to note that OIE estimates 
that their next report will be ready in 
January — there is not a hard release 
date. As a student at this institution, I 
would be expected to communicate 
with my professors if I were to turn in 
a paper a day late, let alone give myself 
a five-month cushion. 

For 
comparison’s 
sake, 
the 

University’s Annual Fire and Safety 
Report is published every single year 
at the beginning of October. This year, 
they have been given an extension, a 
date clearly noted on the front page of 
their website. 

Another 2020 shocker — OIE is late on something

JESSIE MITCHELL | COLUMNIST

I

n September, Ann Arbor City 
Councilmember 
Elizabeth 

Nelson presented the idea 

that the University of Michigan 
open vacant campus housing to 
Ann Arbor’s homeless population. 
Shelters in Ann Arbor lack the space 
to adequately house the homeless, 
but on-campus housing will only 
house up to 3,000 students for the 
winter 2021 semester, leaving plenty 
of empty rooms. 

Many in Ann Arbor support 

Nelson’s proposal, but others are 
skeptical. 
Comments 
in 
some 

University 
of 
Michigan 
parent 

Facebook groups reflect frustration 
toward the situation: Why will the 
University house the homeless in 
dorms for free when students, who 
were willing to pay full price, were not 
given the opportunity to live there? 
Though the frustration is warranted, 
it does not overshadow the argument 
for housing the homeless population 
in University of Michigan dorms. 
Using vacant on-campus housing 
to house the homeless promotes 
public health in Ann Arbor, balances 
the University’s contribution to 
the increase in Ann Arbor housing 
prices and reflects positively on the 
University’s commitment to the 
surrounding community. 

Providing the homeless population 

with 
stable 
housing 
options 

minimizes their risk of exposure to 
COVID-19, therefore minimizing 
the risk of everyone in Ann Arbor. 
Homeless people are at high-risk of 
contracting COVID-19, as they do 

not have the resources necessary 
to follow many CDC guidelines. 
They do not have shelter in which 
to isolate or quarantine, and social 
distancing often is not an option. The 
homeless experience even greater 
risk in Ann Arbor, given the increase 
in population density during the 
academic year and frequent student 
gatherings that break COVID-19 
guidelines. 

In providing more of the Ann 

Arbor homeless population with 
housing stability, we give them the 
necessary resources to better adhere 
to CDC guidelines, minimizing their 
own risk of contracting COVID-19 
and, as a result, the whole of Ann 
Arbor’s risk. 

We cannot discuss homelessness 

in Ann Arbor, though, without 
discussing the University’s role in it. 
The University of Michigan has an 
enrollment of approximately 48,000 
students, many of whom reside in off-
campus housing. This large demand 
for housing in Ann Arbor results in 
an increase in housing prices, making 
it unaffordable for many Ann Arbor 
residents. Ann Arbor real estate has 
appreciated by 67.85% since 2000, 
while that of the state of Michigan 
has appreciated by only 46.20% since 
2000. While this increase in value 
has made housing expensive for 
many students, it has made housing 
impossible for many residents, and 
many become homeless as a result. 
The University’s presence in Ann 
Arbor is a catalyst for homelessness, 
so it makes sense for the institution to 

help to solve the problem it helped to 
create. 

Still, 
opponents 
to 
Nelson’s 

proposal view the use of University 
dorms as housing for the homeless 
population as unrealistic, unsure of 
how the University will implement 
the plan. They will be relieved to 
know that the University of Michigan 
will not be the first to house homeless 
residents in their vacant dorms. 

Suffolk 
University 
opened 
a 

residence hall to Boston’s homeless 
population in March of 2020. With 
help from a local hotel and the 
Boston Public Health Commission, 
the University was able to offer 172 
rooms to those who needed shelter, 
and the few students in the dormitory 
were relocated. Providing isolated 
spaces to members of the homeless 
population minimized the spread of 
COVID-19 among the community. 

Similarly, 
Sonoma 
State 

University 
opened 
facilities 
to 

the 
Sonoma 
County 
homeless 

population in April of 2020. In 
tandem with Sonoma County, the 
University provided residents with 
food and water, healthcare, and 
access to government benefits. 
The areas in which they lived 
were fenced off in order to allow 
residents to adequately shelter in 
place in accordance with the state’s 
guidelines. 

BRITTANY BOWMAN

Managing Editor

Stanford Lipsey Student Publications Building

420 Maynard St. 

Ann Arbor, MI 48109

 tothedaily@michigandaily.com

Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890.

CLAIRE HAO

Editor in Chief

ELIZABETH COOK 
AND JOEL WEINER

Editorial Page Editors

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS

Jessie Mitchell can be reached at 

jessiemi@umich.edu.

ILANA MERMELSTEIN | COLUMNIST

We cannot continue to ignore 
homelessness in Ann Arbor

Ray Ajemian

Zack Blumberg

Brittany Bowman
Emily Considine
Elizabeth Cook

Jess D’Agostino
Jenny Gurung
Cheryn Hong
Krystal Hur
Min Soo Kim

Zoe Phillips
Mary Rolfes

Gabrijela Skoko

Joel Weiner
Erin White

Stanford Lipsey Student Publications Building

420 Maynard St. 

Ann Arbor, MI 48109

 tothedaily@michigandaily.com

Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890.

Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of The Daily’s Editorial Board. 

All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS

Wednesday, January 20, 2021 — 7
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Ilana Mermelstein can be reached 

at imerm@umich.edu.

MADELYN VERVAECKE | CONTACT CARTOONIST AT MIVERVAE@UMICH.EDU

YOUR WEEKLY

ARIES

How you interact with the wider 
world becomes a focus for you this 
week, as the Sun leaves your 
career zone and heads into your 
social and community zone 

instead.

AQUARIUS

GEMINI

Lots of deep thinking this week. 
The Sun is starting to transit your 
philosophy zone now, so you are 
opening your heart and your 
mind to alternative views.

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

SCORPIO

CANCER

This week you may well be 
overcome by a desire to do 
something ‘useful’ or ‘meaning-
ful’ for the world, or for your local 
community.

TAURUS

Expect an upsurge in energy this 
week, as the Sun shifts into your 
public and career zone. Feeling 
more ambitious and more 
confident, you’ll want to think 

about your future plans.

VIRGO

PISCES

LIBRA
LEO

The Sun begins to transit your 
love zone this week, which should 
help you to feel centered, loved, 
nourished and cherished in a 
relationship.

Read your weekly horoscopes from astrology.tv

The Sun transits your health zone. 
Although you’re normally a 
creature of habit, you are a 
mutable sign at heart, flexible and 
ready to change.

This could be a deeply passionate 
week for you, Libra, as the Sun 
begins to transit your dating and 
fun zone. 

The Sun now shines its warmth 
from your family and domestic 
zone, healing rifts and bringing 
plenty of laughter and family 
togetherness. 

Mars conjuncts Uranus in your 
everyday routines zone, 
suggesting that if you don’t 
actively seek change, change may 
be imposed upon you regardless.

Everything about you is normally 
pretty risk-averse, but this week 
it’s anybody’s guess what you 
might feel inspired to get up to!

It’s all change on the domestic 
front this week, as Mars conjuncts 
Uranus in your home zone and 
brings surprises right to your door.

You can expect to be extremely 
busy this week as unforeseen 
tasks, chores, duties or responsi-
bilities are headed your way.

WHISPER

“Mushu!”

“Samoyed’s are clouds.”

“Kim and then Kimmy. I’m so 
sorry!”

Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Read more at MichiganDaily.com

W

hether for a competitive 
match, a networking 
outing with colleagues 

or just to catch up with friends, 
Americans love the game of golf. In 
2017, over 24 million Americans took 
to vast, green stretches of land to drive 
around in a cart and hit a ball with 
a club. While golf courses may look 
pretty on the outside, a deeper look at 
them tells a completely different story. 

Between the valuable fertile land 

that they currently occupy, the billions 
of gallons of water used every day and 
the drastically high use of pesticides, 
golf courses are ecological and health 
disasters. Golf has surpassed its 
expiration date and should go the way 
of the dinosaurs. Americans must put 
environmental and human health 
before pleasure and leisure.

To build a golf course, companies 

must obtain the rights to a large 
chunk of land. In the United States, 
the average size of golf courses 
ranges between 110 and 190 acres. 
For reference, this is larger than the 
world’s smallest country, Vatican City, 
which takes up just over 100 acres. 
According to ESPN, there are more 
than 15,000 golf courses in the U.S. 
This brings the grand total of acreage 
of American golf courses to over two 
million acres — larger than the state of 
Delaware.

The land used for golf courses 

is sometimes located in valuable 
areas situated near oceans or lakes. 
Building golf courses in these places 
takes away from the agricultural 
opportunities that could be used 
to feed local communities. Besides 
occupying potentially fruitful land, 
development of golf courses ravishes 
native ecosystems. Following the 
allocation of the land, all of the 
natural vegetation is cleared to 
allow for the course to be built. All 
of the trees, plants and habitats for 
the animals that lived there are 
wiped out — forcing them to migrate 
into other ecosystems, creating a 
hazardous cycle.

Golf courses also use an incredibly 

large amount of water. According to 
the United States Golf Association, 
water usage from daily golf course 
irrigation totaled 2,312,701 acre-feet 
per year, which equates to an average 
of 2.08 billion gallons of water per day 
between 2003 and 2005. 

In 
comparison, 
an 
Olympic 

swimming pool holds just over 
660,000 gallons of water — this comes 
out to over 3,000 Olympic swimming 
pools of water per day. This immense 
amount of water could be used for 
farming or treated and provided for 
households that do not have access to 
clean running water. 

This issue became increasingly 

relevant during California’s drought 
in 2015. California is home to over 
1,000 golf courses, so when there was 
a lack of water and public officials 
had to decide where to allocate the 
water, the choice should have been 
obvious. California should have shut 
down the golf courses and made sure 
that every resident had access to 
clean drinking water. 

 However, this was not the case. 

As many as two-thirds of Californian 
golf courses stayed open and the 
average 18-hole course continued to 
use 90 million gallons of water each 
day. While Californians all over the 
state were struggling to find clean 
water to drink, cook or clean with, 
golf courses were using enough water 
to fill 136 Olympic-sized swimming 
pools daily. 

Another major health risk posed 

by golf courses comes in the form 
of pesticides. Researchers surveyed 
former golf superintendents and 
found that four types of cancer — 
brain, lymphoma, prostate and large 
intestine — were more common in golf 
superintendents than people working 
elsewhere. 

It’s time to say goodbye to golf

ALEXANDER NOBEL | COLUMNIST

Alexander Nobel can be reached at 

anobel@umich.edu.

Read more at MichiganDaily.com