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Thursday, June 10, 2021
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com NEWS
The University of Michigan’s
Central Student Government (CSG)
gathered on Tuesday to vote on
various resolutions pertaining to
tri-campus equality, scholarship
distribution to U-M personal care
assistants and a student health and
wellness task force, as well as to
confirm CSG cabinet positions.
The Assembly discussed and
passed a proposal, LDF 11-002,
requesting $10,000 from the CSG
budget to fund a rally for tri-campus
equity. Funding for the rally
includes up to 10 ADA-complaint
and disability-conscious buses to
provide transportation from U-M
Flint and Dearborn campuses to
Ann Arbor for the protest, supplies
for staging and victuals. The
proposal was passed unanimously.
LSA senior Joseph Lobodzinski
debated in favor of the motion,
referencing an article by The
Michigan
Daily
regarding
University President Mark Schlissel
asking U-M faculty if they believe
the University should use funds to
expand the Go Blue Guarantee to
the Dearborn and Flint campuses,
even
if
it
meant
sacrificing
‘academic excellence and salary
growth’ at the Ann Arbor campus.
“(The question) pits us against
our fellow students at the University
of Michigan-Flint and Dearborn.
They are using the classic divide
and conquer tactic,” Lobodzinski
said. “This motion will organize
about 400 students from both the
Dearborn and Flint campuses to
come to the University of Michigan
(Ann Arbor) campus and advocate
on their behalf for more funding to
their campuses.”
CSG
also
discussed
two
resolutions
pertaining
to
the
creation of a Student Health
and Wellness task force and the
authorization
of
the
creation
of an initial funding for a task
force charged with producing,
vetting, and gifting scholarships
to employed as personal care
assistants at the University. Both
resolutions passed unanimously.
Tensions
initially
arose
between the executive nomination
committee and CSG President
Nithya Arun after the committee
released a report of disapproval
for LSA junior Grace Roberts’
confirmation as Chief of Staff
following their interview with
Roberts.
CSG
member
Noah
Zimmerman was present at the
executive
nomination
hearing
with Roberts and reiterated the
committee’s
disapproval
for
Roberts for the position of Chief
of Staff. Zimmerman said Roberts’
relationship with Arun, as well as
her contradictory approach, pushed
the committee to express their
disapproval.
“Grace made it very aware
that she wanted to take a unique
perspective on (the role of Chief of
Staff) and that (Arun and Robert’s)
had a working relationship, but
only a working relationship of the
recent past,” Zimmerman said.
“She thought that was a beneficial
quality to have, and we disagreed
on that. We do think it is a good idea
to have someone who disagrees
and someone that is not just a yes
man … but, however, she (said she)
would go with what she wanted.
Those two concerns … gave us no
confidence to give her a positive
recommendation.”
When
asked
about
her
contradictory approach, Roberts
said that she would not simply
follow along with the President
and Vice President’s agendas as a
rubber stamper.
“What was communicated in the
executive nominations report is not
an accurate representation of what
I said or what I believe,” Roberts
said. “I am a voice that (President)
Nithya and (Vice President) Carla
trust, and I want to be able to say
to them my honest opinion about
things, but that doesn’t mean I am
bull-headed and that I will not do
the things expected of me as Chief
of Staff.”
Many members of CSG raised
their hands to defend Roberts
against
the
claims
made
by
the
committee.
CSG
member
Zaynab Elkolaly jumped in on the
discussion to defend the integrity
of the nomination itself, stating that
in the past, a person’s character
was never as important as their
experience and judgment.
“I am also confused by the fact
that her character was particularly
highlighted to begin with,” Elkolaly
said. “I know that historically
in
nominations
we
focus
on
experience and things that relate
directly to the position.”
Members unanimously voted
to confirm Roberts as the Chief of
Staff for the CSG executive branch.
Following many requests from
the
campus
community,
the
President’s Advisory Committee
on University History released
a preliminary report on April 27
recommending the removal of
Fielding H. Yost’s name from the
Yost Ice Arena.
Yost played football during
his time as a student at West
Virginia University and went
on to serve as the head football
coach at six different universities,
bringing him to the University
of
Michigan.
Yost
was
the
University’s head football coach
from 1901-23 and again from
1925-26, and he served as the
University’s athletic director from
1921-41. Yost was known for his
“point-a-minute” teams and led
the Michigan football team to six
national championships and ten
Big 10 conference titles. In 1923,
the University named the Field
House after Yost, and in 1973, it
was remodeled into the Yost Ice
Arena.
The
President’s
Advisory
Committee’s
recent
report
asserts that Fielding H. Yost’s
contributions to U-M athletics
have historically been emphasized
while the “profoundly deep and
negative impact he had on people
of color” has not been equally
acknowledged.
“Some who read this report will
wonder if we are ‘blaming’ Yost for
simply being a ‘man of his time,’”
the report reads. “We reject
this view because our historical
analysis reveals that Yost — and
others at the University in his
day — had choices to make and
evidence from their own times
indicating the right ones.”
The
committee
specifically
cites Yost’s involvement in an
infamous incident in 1934 — while
he served as Athletic Director —
when the U-M football team chose
to bench Willis Ward, the 1933 Big
Ten Athlete of the Year and only
the second Black U-M football
player , in a game against Georgia
Tech. Georgia Tech refused to
play against the University’s team
in Michigan Stadium if a Black
player was allowed to play, so
Yost decided to keep Ward from
playing and met Georgia Tech on
the field with an all-white team.
In
the
Historical
Analysis
section
of
the
report,
the
committee said Yost scheduled
the
game
against
Georgia
Tech despite being well aware
of the traditional racist rules
that Georgia would expect the
University to adhere to. The
report also suggested that Yost
was responsible for maintaining
a “color line” in U-M athletic
programs during his career at
Michigan. It noted that Ward was
the only African American athlete
to receive a varsity football letter
during Yost’s 40-year tenure as
head football coach and athletic
director.
University spokesperson Kim
Broekhuizen wrote in an email
to The Michigan Daily that the
committee’s report was issued and
made available for public comment
after a year of investigating how
the Ward incident and the rest
of Yost’s career has impacted the
campus community.
“In 2020, multiple requests
to remove the honorific name
of Fielding H. Yost from the ice
arena were received and referred
to
the
President’s
Advisory
Committee on University History
for review,” Broekhuizen wrote.
“The
committee’s
preliminary
recommendation
comes
after
a year of study by the panel of
university historians.”
The
committee
invited
members
of
the
University
community
to
provide
feedback on their preliminary
recommendation by June 7 using
an online portal which requires a
U-M email address.
The feedback the committee
receives will be shared with
University
President
Mark
Schlissel, who will then be able to
use it to accept, reject or modify
the
original
recommendation.
However, ultimately, any final
decisions
regarding
whether
or
not
to
implement
the
recommendation must be made
by the Board of Regents. A source
close to the board said the name is
unlikely to ultimately change.
LSA
sophomore
Alexander
Nguyen
said
he
thinks
the
recommendation
to
remove
Yost’s name shows a “positive
improvement” in the University’s
commitment to Diversity, Equity
and Inclusion (DEI).
CSG approves $10,000 for tri-campus equity protest, confirms Chief of Staff
President’s Advisory Committee on University History recommends removal
of ‘Yost’ name from ice arena
Read more at michigandaily.com
Read more at michigandaily.com
DOMINICK SOKOTOFF/Daily
NIRALI PATEL
Daily Staff Reporter
ISABELLE REGENT
Daily Staff Reporter