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INDEX
Vol. CXXX, No. 68
©2022 The Michigan Daily

NEWS............................ 2

A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

M I C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

O P I N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 1
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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wednesday, March 9, 2022

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY ONE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

UMich community gathers on the Diag to show 

support for Ukraine amid Russian invasion

Local leaders join rally welcoming refugees, advocating for greater sanctions on Putin

Dozens of signs with messages 

such Dozens of signs with messages 
such as “We Stand With Ukraine” 
and “No War” could be spotted 
alongside the yellow and blue hues 
of Ukraine’s flag on the University 
of Michigan Diag, where over a 
hundred people gathered Saturday 
afternoon to show support for 
Ukraine and its people amid an 
ongoing invasion by the Russian 
military.

The “Stand with Ukraine” vigil 

and rally featured six speakers, 
including U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, 
D-Mich., and Ann Arbor Mayor 
Christopher Taylor. In between 
remarks, 
the 
crowd 
recited 

chants such as “ ,” a 
Ukrainian national salute meaning 
“Glory to Ukraine.”

Social Work lecturer Carrie 

Rheingans opened by thanking 
attendees and calling for a moment 
of silence to honor the lives lost in 
the ongoing invasion. 

Dingell said she wants to see 

the United States impose strong 
sanctions 
against 
Russia 
and 

condemned those in the U.S. who 
have expressed support for Russian 
President Vladimir Putin in the 
wake of the attack.

“I do believe we need to take 

stronger sanctions,” Dingell said. 
“I want us to do everything we 
can to help the people of Ukraine 
right now, but if the situation 
escalates, the president must seek 
congressional approval pursuant 

to the War Powers Resolution 
before any U.S. troops deploy into 
areas of situation where there is 
an imminent risk of hostilities.”

Dingell went on to praise 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr 
Zelensky 
for 
his 
leadership 

despite being “Putin’s number-
one enemy.”

“(Zelensky) is a hero,” Dingell 

said. “He is an example of those 
that believe in their countries 

… and (are) fighting for the 
people that (they) represent. His 
leadership is giving strength to so 
many in Ukraine.”

Mayor Taylor followed by 

saying Ann Arbor will welcome 
any and all Ukrainian refugees 
just as it welcomes migrants from 
a myriad of backgrounds.

“Just as we regularly welcome 

immigrants and refugees from all 
corners of the globe in the weeks 

to come, we particularly welcome 
the immigrants and refugees 
from Ukraine who make it to our 
corner of the world,” Taylor said. 
“They will have a home here, 
honored and always.”

One attendee held a sign 

reading “Russians are against war 
in Ukraine.” Over the past few 
days, thousands have gathered 
across multiple Russian cities to 
protest the invasion, resulting 

in the arrests of hundreds of 
demonstrators.

Rackham 
student 
Egor 

Korneev, who is Russian, said 
he attended the event to show 
support for the people of Ukraine, 
adding 
that 
many 
Russian 

citizens are afraid to act publicly 
for fear of retribution by the 
Russian government. 

IRENA LI & NIRALI 

PATEL

Daily Staff Reporters

TAYLOR PACIS/Daily

The Michigan Daily sat down with 

Interim University President Mary Sue 
Coleman on Wednesday morning for 
 
presidential search, the controversy with 

Mary Sue Coleman: Before we 

get started, I thought I’d just tell you 
about several things that have been 
really on the top of my mind. I want 
to make sure the University continues 
with carbon neutrality because those 
efforts are really important to me. 
I was really happy with the regents 
meeting at the Geothermal Facility 
up on North Campus — that’s really a 
groundbreaking way for us to achieve 
Carbon Neutrality. And I’m excited 
about that and looking forward 
to it, and then we’re getting these 
electric buses. One of the things I’ve 
heard from students was this worry 
about food insecurity, and so we’ve 
put forward $20,000 into the bulk 
pantries on the North Campus. The 
third thing is Spring Break coming up, 
and I know some people are staying, 
some people are going, and I just 
encourage everybody to take a COVID 
test before you leave and a COVID test 
after you get back. I know people will 
be responsible.

The Michigan Daily: What is it like 

being back at Michigan? 

MSC: I love the University. I had 

some of the best years of my life here 
from 2002 to 2014; even though the 
circumstances were sad when I came 
back, when the regents called me, I 
thought ‘Oh, well my life is going to be 
sort of upended.’ But quickly, I shed all 
the responsibilities that my husband 
and I had and came back. 

It’s a different time — eight years 

is quite a long time, and a lot has 

happened in the world and in the 
community …. What I worry about 
is mistrust, and I think we have to 
rebuild trust and confidence. I’m glad 
that people are speaking out now 
about harm and so that’s been a big 
positive for me, because I don’t think 
you can really address harm unless 
you’re willing to talk about it. So many 
things are the same, some things are 
different, but the University is just 
doing so many exciting things that I 
sort of revel in learning more about 
those.

TMD: Looking back into your 

tenure, what would you have done 
differently?

MSC: The times are so different, 

and I think you have to adjust your 
actions and your expectations to the 
times, and so everything changes. I 
think we know more now about things 
that created harm for people. And 

so we look at things differently now. 
But for me, change has been positive 
because we evolve, and we get better at 
what we do. We hope and we try.

TMD: As interim president, what 

role do you have in the Presidential 
Search Committee and what qualities 
are you looking for in a good University 
president?

MSC: I have no official role on the 

Committee. The most important job 
of the Board of Regents is that they 
pick the president of the University, 
and I am really pleased with the 
approach that Regents Denise Ilitch 
and Sarah Hubbard are taking. Having 
these listening sessions on campus is 
essential because they need this input 
to get information about what people 
are looking for in the future president, 
and I think they’re hearing a lot. 

What I’ve said to the Board of 

Regents is if they wish for any advice 

from me, or if they want to talk to 
me, I’m always available to them, but 
I don’t have any official role. I think 
their goal, which I’m very pleased 
about, is that they are hoping to have 
this process completed by early to 
midsummer. I’ve told the Board that 
if they wish, I would be very happy to 
help with the transition, but it’s really 
their call, not mine. 

TMD: On Jan. 19, 2022, the 

University announced it had reached a 
$490 million settlement with survivors 
of the late Dr. Robert Anderson. It 
was widely reported that part of the 
settlement was Jon Vaughn stopping 
his protest in front of the President’s 
house provision in the settlement? 
Can you confirm if these reports were 
accurate? If so, do you support this 
provision in the settlement? 

JASMIN 
LEE 
& 
GEORGE 

WEYKAMP 

Editor-in-Chief & Dai;y 

News Editor

 ‘ 
We have to rebuild trust’: Mary Sue Coleman sits 

down with The Michigan Daily for first interview back

Returning U-M President talks presidential search, sexual misconduct on campus

ADMINISTRATION

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

TESS CROWLEY/Daily

NEWS BRIEFS

Rackham 

Graduate School to 
discontinue GRE 

test requirement for 
all Ph.D. programs

U.S. Department 

of Education 
announces 

distribution of 
ARP funds in 

higher education

Dean Mike Solomon said 

standardized exams no longer needed 

to encourage holistic applications

Over $64 million allocated 
for University of Michigan, 
financial relief for students

The 
Graduate 
Record 

Examination 
(GRE) 
will 

no longer be required for 
Rackham Ph.D. candidates, 
the school’s Executive Board 
announced Wednesday. The 
GRE is a standardized test 
graduate school applicants 
are often required to take, 
similar to the SAT or ACT for 
undergraduate admissions. 
The announcement said the 
Board made this decision 
using input from Ph.D. 
departments and faculty. 

Rackham 
Dean 
Mike 

Solomon 
wrote 
in 
the 

announcement 
that 
this 

decision was made in hopes 
of making the graduate 
admissions 
process 

more holistic for future 
applications.

“By leaving these scores 

behind, the rich information 
of the doctoral application 
can be reviewed in ways 
that are truly holistic and 
responsive to the broad 
demographics 
of 
our 

applicants,” Solomon wrote.

On the Frequently Asked 

Questions page, Rackham 
said removing the GRE 
requirement will make the 
application process more 
equitable. The FAQ also 
said the school did not find 
indications that the GRE 
is indicative of success in 
graduate school, citing a 

presentation from Fall 2021.

According to a virtual 

survey conducted by the 
Rackham Executive Board 
 

, over 90% of the responses 
favored lifting the testing 
requirement. The school 
will provide support and 
consultation 
throughout 

the process of changing 
the 
admissions 
criteria 

for 
all 
Ph.D. 
programs 

over the next three years. 
Those programs with high 
application numbers will 
receive compensation and 
additional resources, such 
as consultation teams, to 
support the transition.

In an interview to The 

Michigan Daily, Solomon 
said removing the GRE 
requirement is critical in 
creating a more equitable 
space in academics.

“A doctoral degree is 

critical to higher education,” 
Solomon 
said. 
“It’s 
a 

pathway to faculty positions 
in colleges and universities. 
This training leads to all 
sorts of careers — in (higher 
education), government and 
nonprofits. What Rackham 
has announced is really 
designed to increase access 
to the Ph.D. education, to 
reduce barriers to applying 
and 
succeeding 
in 
the 

degree. Discontinuing the 
use of the GRE removes a 
barrier (to education).”

ISABELLA KASSA 

Daily Staff Reporter

See UKRAINE, Page 2

MATTHEW 
SHANBOM 

Daily Staff Reporter

The U.S. Department 

of Education announced 
the detailed state-by-
state spread of the 
American Rescue Plan 
(ARP) — which was 
approved 
just 
under 

a year ago on March 
11, 2021 — funding 
in a press release on 
Monday. 
The 
press 

release was followed 
by a press conference 
focused predominantly 
on 
the 
Higher 

Education Emergency 
Relief Fund (HEERF 
II), which focuses on 
funds for colleges and 
universities as part of 
the American Rescue 
Plan. 

The state of Michigan 

received over $1 billion 
in funding for the state’s 
colleges and universities. 
Under 
the 
plan, 
the 

University of Michigan 
will receive $64,724,747. 
Michigan State University 
will receive $81,753,998, 
and community colleges 

in the state will receive 
$303 million.

During Monday’s press 

conference, U.S. Secretary 
of 
Education 
Miguel 

Cardona responded to 
inquiries on the oversight 
for the U.S. DOE to ensure 
relief funds are properly 
distributed by universities. 

“(It’s 
important) 

that 
we’re 
also 

communicating 
with 

colleges, with districts, 
with states on how the 
money is being used,” 
Cardona said. “There are 
reporting features. It’s 
important for us to know, 
but it’s more important 
for you to know. So it’s 
really important in our 
messaging 
to 
them 

that they make this 
information public.”

The release declared 

that the ARP requires 
half of the funding to be 
used for direct financial 
relief for students, and 
the DOE expects more 
will be allocated for this 
purpose. 

Read more at MichiganDaily.

com

NEWS

