The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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2 — Wednesday, November 10, 2021 

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Bright Sheng, School of Music, The-

atre & Dance professor, will continue to 
teach composition lessons this semes-
ter and is scheduled to teach a regular 
course load next semester, the University 
of Michigan announced in a statement 
on Nov. 3. This comes after the situation 
received national scrutiny and opened 
up conversations on political correctness 
and academic freedom. 

Though Sheng has not been rein-

stated to teach the composition class in 
which controversy originally arose, “no 
sanctions have been imposed on him,” 
the statement reads.

Sheng initially faced backlash from 

students for showing a video featuring 
an actor in blackface to an undergradu-
ate seminar on Sept. 10. The use of this 
video in class caused students to speak 
out and criticize Sheng. 

Sheng, after consultation with SMTD 

administration, stepped down from 
teaching the class on Oct. 2. A different 

professor took over the class in which 
the controversy arose and continues to 
teach the course. 

On Sept. 16, Sheng released a formal 

apology to the department, yet this too 
received backlash from students, spe-
cifically the part of the apology in which 
Sheng listed people of color that he has 
worked with. Sheng has also offered to 
meet with students and discuss different 
perspectives one-on-one.

Following Sheng’s apology, students 

wrote an open letter to SMTD Dean 
David Gier calling for Sheng’s removal 
from the undergraduate composition 
seminar and an investigation into the 
course, citing a failure to create a safe 
environment. This letter was signed by 
18 undergraduate composition students, 
15 graduate composition students and 9 
SMTD staff and faculty members.

Gier responded to the letter in a Nov. 3 

email to his colleagues, emphasizing that 
the incident opened up conversations 
regarding the intersection of academic 
freedom, freedom of speech and the 
importance of fostering a diverse envi-
ronment for students.

“SMTD students and faculty rou-

tinely confront complex, challenging 
material, and consider complicated his-
torical legacies that require purposeful 
discussion, critique, and analysis,” Gier 
wrote. “As dean I am steadfastly com-
mitted to fostering such dialogue within 
our School, and protecting the rights of 
both students and faculty to pursue lines 
of inquiry and express ideas without fear 
of reprisal, a value that is fundamental to 
the university’s core missions of research 
and education.” 

On Oct. 21, around 700 University 

faculty members and students signed an 
open letter addressed to Grier calling for 
Sheng’s return and for the administra-
tion to apologize. The University has not 
yet reinstated Sheng. 

On Oct. 20, the University’s Office of 

Public Affairs confirmed that the Equity, 
Civil Rights & Title IX Office deter-
mined they will not be investigating 
Bright Sheng’s course.

In the Nov. 3 statement, the Univer-

sity says it supports academic freedom 
and free speech and plans to continue 
discussing these issues with the Office of 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the 
National Center for Institutional Diver-
sity. SMTD is also set to host a series of 
facilitated conversations to promote dif-
ferent perspectives on campus.

University President Mark Schlissel 

said in a Nov. 3 statement that the Uni-
versity is committed to having open con-
versations about diversity.

“Discourse that addresses conflicts 

among differing viewpoints is essen-
tial to higher education,” Schlissel said. 
“Honest and respectful discussions of 
ideas 
— even those that make us uncom-

fortable — help us learn and grow. These 
are issues we must address together as 
an academic community committed to 
inquiry and greater levels of understand-
ing.”

Provost Susan Collins and Robert M. 

Sellers, Vice Provost for Equity & Inclu-
sion and Chief Diversity Officer, both 
said in the statement that work within 
the community to navigate these issues 
and their intersection will continue.

Daily Staff Reporter Kate Weiland can 

be reached at kmwblue@umich.edu.

ACADEMICS
UMich releases official statement on Bright Sheng 
 President Schlissel, SMTD dean pledge commitment to academic freedom

KATE WEILAND

Daily Staff Reporter

MADELINE HINKLEY/Daily

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks with The Michigan Daily at the Michigan Union on Friday, Nov. 5.

PHOTO

 Gretchen Whitmer talks higher education, voting rights

GOVERNMENT

The governor sat down with The Michigan Daily during her visit to Ann Arbor

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer sat down 

with The Michigan Daily in the Michigan 
Union on the morning of Nov. 5 while in 
Ann Arbor to sign the second bill repeal-
ing the state’s “tampon tax,” a term 
referring to the state’s value-added tax 
on menstrual products. In the interview, 
Whitmer discussed efforts to increase 
gender equity in Michigan, the impor-
tance of student political involvement and 
her vision for state-wide improvements in 
education, child care and infrastructure. 

The Michigan Daily: Yesterday, 

you signed a bill repealing the state’s tax 
on menstrual products, and you’re here 
today signing similar legislation. What 
kind of message do you hope to send, 
and how do you think it will benefit 
Michiganders? 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer: (Twenty-

three) other states do not collect sales 
tax on tampons and pads. Michigan has 
though, and so for 10 years we’ve been 
trying to change this law. I actually was 
the author of it a couple of times in the 
legislature. Rebekah Warren, who used 
to represent Ann Arbor, was one of the 
first authors of it. 

I never dreamed that it would take 

this long to get done, number one, and 
number two, that I’d be the one who’s 
signing it. But I’m thrilled because 
we know that the purchase of these 
essential items is not discretionary. It’s 
an absolute essential need, and when 
we tax it, we disproportionately hurt 
women and girls in Michigan, and that’s 
why it’s so important that we eliminate 
this tax: So anyone who mentrautes in 
the state of Michigan now will not have 
to pay this additional burden. 

People spend thousands of dol-

lars (on menstrual products) over the 
course of a lifetime. This is a meaning-
ful improvement in terms of the bottom 
line for people like my daughters and 
me, all of us who menstruate. 

TMD: Michigan is only the 23nd 

state to repeal the tax on menstrual 
products, while 28 more haven’t done 
so. What would you say to the other 
states that are continuing to tax these 
products as luxury goods? 

Whitmer: What I’ve said to past 

legislatures who wouldn’t get the bill 
passed is that there is an extra burden 
on women, and we should alleviate it. 
So other states should as well. But this is 
something that we can boast in Michi-
gan. We’re going to have a day of action 
in 90 days, when this goes into effect, 
where we’re going to encourage people 

to buy these products and give them to 
(shelters). 

TMD: After you recently vetoed 

a bill that would institute voter ID 
requirements, Secure MI Vote has 
begun work circulating a petition to 
implement these requirements without 
your approval. How would you antici-
pate students being affected by these 
efforts?

Whitmer: We had a historic elec-

tion in 2020. We had huge turnout. It 
was a fair and safe election despite all of 
these false narratives that are out there, 
all of these attacks on our electoral sys-
tem, and it worked. The results reflect-
ed the will of the people, and that’s what 
our democracy is all about. 

Usually, the person who doesn’t 

win an election goes back and tries to 
change how they communicate, change 
what they focus on, and earn the sup-
port of the masses. Instead, the Repub-
lican reaction to the outcome of last 
year’s election is to cut people who val-
idly voted of the ability to vote by creat-
ing barriers by making it more difficult. 

This is absolutely undermining our 

democracy, and it’s trying to turn over 
an election that was fair and full and has 
been litigated to the nth degree. They’re 
trying to cheat, and I’m not going to let 
it happen on my watch. So I’m going to 

veto any additional threat to our elec-
toral system that is designed to make 
it harder for people to vote, including 
students. 

We’ve recently made it easier for 

students to vote when we amended our 
Constitution. It used to be that you had 
to vote in-person for your first election. 
That had a disparate impact on younger 
voters, so I’m not going to let any addi-
tional threats and any additional hard-
ship happen. I want to make it easier for 
students to vote, because I think stu-
dents have the longest interest in out-
comes of elections and they need to be 
able to vote. 

TMD: What would be the one piece 

of advice that you have for students who 
want to pursue a career in public ser-
vice, but might be discouraged by the 
current political climate? 

Whitmer: Don’t get discouraged. 

Don’t tune out. Right now is the time 
to tune in. Any students who are inter-
ested should jump in and either work on 
a campaign or run for office themselves.

Now, younger people have a tenden-

cy to think that they don’t quite have 
the credentials to run. That’s baloney. I 
encourage young people to get out there 
and to run for office. 

JULIA RUBIN

Daily Staff Reporter

NEWS BRIEFS 

Rising numbers attributed to fall break, Halloween weekend

COVID-19 cases at the University of 

Michigan have increased over the past 
two weeks, according to an email sent to 
the campus community from Universi-
ty President Mark Schlissel Nov. 5. The 
increase in cases can be attributed to 
social gatherings and household expo-
sures, Schlissel wrote. 

According to the U-M COVID-19 

Dashboard, the recorded number of 
cases jumped from 68 the week of Oct. 

17 to 104 cases the week of Oct. 24. Of 
these cases, just over two-thirds of 
them can be traced to the student popu-
lation. 

The positivity rate on campus also 

rose from 1.3% the week of Oct. 24 to 
2.4% the week of Oct. 31. 

The University identified two clus-

ters this past week, which are believed 
to have contributed to the rising num-
bers. The clusters involved a total of 40 
students from two different academic 
programs. All positive cases are now 
isolating. 

Schlissel wrote that the cluster cases 

are linked to gatherings over the Hal-
loween weekend and travel during Fall 
Break rather than in-person classes.

“As changes in weather have driven 

more activities indoors, it is very impor-
tant to wear a face covering, make good 
decisions when interacting and stay 
home if you’re sick,” Schlissel wrote.

The University has also implement-

ed “enhanced surveillance measures” 
to isolate any additional cases that 
might stem from these clusters, accord-
ing to the dashboard. 

The campus community is also 

experiencing a rise in influenza cases, 

Schlissel wrote. The University Health 
Service saw flu cases increase from 13 to 
154 this past week. UHS said the major-
ity of flu cases are in individuals who 
have not received the flu vaccine. In 
his email, Schlissel urged community 
members to get their flu shot as soon as 
possible. 

“As we’ve said before, the flu is likely 

to be a larger concern this year after sev-
eral months of fewer in-person interac-
tions,” Schlissel wrote. “Please get a flu 
shot.” 

Daily Staff Reporter Justine Ra can be 

reached at rjustine@umich.edu.

JUSTINE RA

Daily Staff Reporter

COVID-19 cases increase on campus

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

