Incumbent
Gov.
Gretchen
Whitmer
and
Republican
gubernatorial
candidate
Tudor
Dixon faced off in the first of two
debates in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Thursday evening. The debate was
hosted in the WOOD-TV studio and
moderated by political reporter Rick
Albin.
Whitmer’s campaign announced
on Aug. 24 that she had accepted
invitations from WOOD-TV for
their Oct. 13 debate and WXYZ,
WXMI and WSYM for their Oct. 25
debate. Later that day, Dixon said
she believed the candidates should
have debated before absentee ballots
were available to Michigan voters.
Whitmer opened by emphasizing
the
importance
of
bipartisan
collaboration and placing democracy
and civil discourse above political
differences.
“I grew up in a household that was
bipartisan, and we had very different
perspectives, but we shared values,”
Whitmer said. “I still believe there is
more that unites us than divides us.
I believe in our democracy. I believe
in decency and that’s what I want to
focus on tonight and every minute
I’m governor of this great state. Let’s
work together and build a better
future for our kids.”
In Dixon’s opening remarks, she
highlighted her experience as a
mother of school-age children and
her time working at a steel foundry,
in addition to criticizing Whitmer’s
policies over the past four years.
“I’m
running
for
governor
because, quite frankly, Gretchen
Whitmer has let us down,” Dixon
said. “I’m sure you remember the
promises that this governor made
four years ago right here on this
stage. She’s going to try to attack me
tonight to distract from her record
of broken promises, but I’m going to
focus on the future. I’m going to talk
about how to make Michigan freer
and more prosperous.”
The first question of the night,
written by an Allendale, Mich.
resident, asked the candidates to
clarify their positions on abortion
and describe what limitations or
exceptions they would support.
Whitmer said the fall of Roe v.
Wade undid years of progress for
reproductive rights and highlighted
her May lawsuit which is currently
blocking the enforcement of a 1931
abortion ban.
“When
the
Supreme
Court
overruled Roe v. Wade, it took away
rights that we had for 49 years,”
Whitmer said. “Michigan could
revert to a 1931 law that makes
(abortion) a felony, no exceptions for
rape or incest, criminalizing doctors
and nurses. The only reason that law
is not in effect right now is because
of my lawsuit stopping that. When
Roe fell, Mrs. Dixon celebrated
that. She said it didn’t even go far
enough.”
Whitmer
said
she
supports
Michigan’s abortion policy as is, in
which abortion is a protected right
up until the point of fetal viability.
Dixon said she remains anti-
abortion, with exceptions only for
when the life of the pregnant person
is at risk, but recognizes that
the upcoming ballot initiative
and Michigan courts will determine
the legality of abortion in the state,
regardless of her personal beliefs.
“I am pro-life with exceptions for
the life of the mother,” Dixon said.
“But I understand that this is going
to be decided by the people of the
state of Michigan, or by a judge.”
The candidates also discussed
Proposal
3,
a
constitutional
amendment on the ballot this
November that would enshrine the
right to abortion, contraception
and reproductive care in the state’s
constitution.
Albin
asked
Whitmer
and
Dixon whether they would accept
the results of the ballot initiative
regardless of its alignment with
their personal beliefs, to which both
candidates pledged they would.
Whitmer criticized Dixon for this
promise, pointing to her support
for false claims of widespread
voter fraud in the 2020 presidential
election and arguing that this speaks
to her ability to serve as governor.
“Saying she will respect the
will of the people when she has
not even embraced the outcome
of the last election or pledged to
embrace the outcome of a future
election tells me we cannot trust
what she’s saying,” Whitmer said.
“These are fundamental rights. We
cannot make any assumption that
The University of Michigan
Hospital will be expanding its
pneumatic tube system across
its campus after being approved
at the Sept. 22 Board of Regents
meeting. The project has an
estimated cost of $6.5 million
and is expected to be finished in
spring 2024.
The pneumatic tubes within
Michigan
Medicine
are
a
network of highly-compressed
air ducts that allow the hospital
to transport specimens, such as
blood and urine samples, through
the pneumatic tube system to the
laboratory.
Scott
Marquette,
associate
chief
operating
officer
of
Michigan
Medicine,
said
pneumatic
tubes
increase
efficiency because healthcare
workers are able to transmit
information
across
the
long
distances between the buildings
on the medical campus.
“(The pneumatic tube system)
is kind of like a train system
that’s built within our building,”
Marquette said. “So you can
send one train from one clinic
to the central lab and from the
central lab to the inpatient area
… It allows us to more efficiently
deliver care across an expansive
campus very quickly.”
Kristina
Martin,
clinical
pathology operations director for
Michigan Medicine, explained
that the pneumatic tube system
connects multiple health centers,
such as the main hospital, the
C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital,
the Von Voigtlander Women’s
Hospital and other buildings on
the medical campus.
“In the laboratory, we can
also use the pneumatic tube
system to send blood products,”
Martin said. “So patients who
need transfusions … we actually
pack (the blood products) into
the pneumatic tube and get those
sent out.”
Walking down North Ingalls
Street, you may hear the sound of
bells ringing from Burton Memorial
Tower. Located steps from popular
campus stops such as the Modern
Languages Building, the Michigan
League and Hill Auditorium, many
passersby stop to admire the looming
structure and to hear the bells ring.
Many may wonder: What is it like to
play those notes? What is it like to
view Ann Arbor from the very top
of the tower? Who are the people
playing the bells?
The first mention of building a
clock tower on campus is found in an
editorial in the Michigan Alumnus
published in 1919, just a few years
after the clock tower attached to
University Library was torn down.
Former University of Michigan
President Marion LeRoy Burton
suggested the tower be built in
memory of the 231 men enrolled at
the University of Michigan who lost
their lives in World War I during
his Commencement address in
1921. Instead, after Burton’s death
in 1925, the tower was built in his
memory. In honor of the University’s
bicentennial in 2017, the tower was
given an updated floodlight system,
which can be programmed to shine
in a variety of colors, including maize
and blue.
Students use the Charles Baird
Carillon, the sonorous bells within
the top of the tower, for performances
and for classes. The tower usually
plays the Westminster Quarters on
the hour, but on special occasions,
people can also hear different tunes,
ranging from classical études to
more modern tunes like “You’ve
Got a Friend in Me” from Pixar’s
“Toy Story.” The music is incredibly
varied,
as
Rackham
student
Alexander Gedeon commented.
“You’ll find that there’s a lot
of music that is written for the
instrument that is either very old or
very young,” Gedeon said. “So either
from the 17th and 18th centuries or
News
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Whitmer, Dixon face off in first gubernatorial
debate in Grand Rapids
GOVERNMENT
Candidates dispute over abortion, gun control in schools, public education and more
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
LILA TURNER/Daily
ANNA FIFELSKI &
SAMANTHA RICH
Daily News Editor & Daily Staff
Reporter
B(ringing) people together: What
it’s like to play the carillon in the
Burton Memorial Tower
Students provide insight into the campus
landmark, experiences with creating music
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
JI HOON CHOI &
ALEXANDRA VENA
Daily News Contributors
NADIA TAECKENS
Daily News Contributor
CAMPUS LIFE
RESEARCH
The University of Michigan Central
Student
Government
convened
Tuesday evening in a hybrid format
to
hear
from
the
Coordinated
Community Response Team (CCRT)
and Sexual Assault and Harassment
Law
Student
Advocacy
Services
(SAHLAS). CSG also discussed a
possible investigation into the Speaker
of the CSG assembly.
Rebecca Veidlinger, intermittent
law lecturer and one of three CCRT
co-chairs, spoke at the Assembly
about CCRT’s missions and actions.
The CCRT was created as a result of
a settlement in a class-action lawsuit
filed against the University’s handling
of the over 1,000 sexual misconduct
allegations against former athletic
doctor Robert Anderson.
Veidlinger explained that CCRT
consists of members from all three
University campuses and that the team
is trying to bring in new voices from
all walks of life instead of listening to
people in positions of power.
“The goal is largely to examine,
to learn and to experiment with new
ways of prevention and response
to the problem of campus sexual
misconduct,” Veidlinger said. “It’s an
attempt to bring some new voices to
the table with more of a grassroots
approach rather than top-down.”
Veidlinger urged all students to
go to CCRT’s website and submit
information on their suggestions page
as part of the effort toward bringing
in more voices from the University
community.
Engineering junior Zaynab Elkolaly
asked Veidlinger if there will be a focus
on addressing inequities for people of
Color and other marginalized groups
when it comes to sexual harassment.
Veidlinger said CCRT is giving a
voice to underrepresented groups
better by hosting specific listening
sessions for a wide range of groups,
including students of Color, staff,
faculty, the Graduate Employees’
Organization, survivors of sexual
assault and members of the LGBTQ+
community.
“Our listening sessions have been
targeted at different groups; we had
some for staff, some for faculty,”
Veidlinger said. “(With) GEO, we
have a listening session upcoming, we
have a listening session with survivors
of sexual assault. We have one for
LGBTQ+ students and one for students
of Color.”
Law students Hannah Mezzacappa
and Madison Butler also spoke at the
Assembly about the Sexual Assault and
Harassment Law Student Advocacy
Service
(SAHLAS), a Law School student
organization aiming to educate the
University community about Title IX
and advocate for changes in Title IX
policy. The organization also supports
complaints undergoing the Title IX
process, and members were present at
Tuesday’s CSG meeting to discuss how
more students can get involved.
Title IX is a U.S. federal civil
rights law that prohibits sex-based
discrimination in any educational
program receiving federal government
funding.
Mezzacappa said the University
also has its own rules on what
constitutes as sexual misconduct that
are based on Title IX but cover more
situations.
“University of Michigan prohibits
sexual assault, sex and gendervbased
harassment, exploitation, stalking,
intimate partner violence, sex and
gendervbased
discrimination
and
retaliation,” Mezzacappa said. “Title
IX includes quid pro quo, hostile
environments
sexual
harassment,
intimate partner violence, sex and
gender based stalking and sexual
assault.”
Mezzacappa
and
Butler
then
discussed how victims of sexual
harassment can report their case
and receive assistance. The process
consists of reporting, investigation,
hearings,
outcomes,
sanctions,
remedies,
appeal
and
adaptive
resolution. Reporting can be done
confidentially, but Butler explained
that the investigation process can be
retraumatizing for survivors.
LSA
sophomore
Emma
Sklar
expressed
her
gratitude
toward
Mezzacappa and Butler for informing
everyone about their right to be
protected from sexual harassment.
CSG engages in sexual misconduct training, votes
down investigation into Speaker
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
The body also hears from newly formed CCRT to increase student input on policy
JOEY LIN
Daily News Reporter
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Tudor Dixon and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer answer reporters’ questions after the gubernatorial
debate Thursday evening in Grand Rapids, Mich.
The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is publishing weekly on Wednesdays for the
Fall 2022 semester by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available
free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office
for $2. If you would like a current copy of the paper mailed to you, please visit store.
pub.umich.edu/michigan-daily-buy-this-edition to place your order.
VANESSA KIEFER
Joshua Mitnick, 92’, 95’ Managing Editor vkiefer@umich.edu
DOMINIC COLETTI and KRISTINA ZHENG
Managing News Editors news@michigandaily.com
Senior News Editors: Anna Fifelski, George Weykamp, Navya Gupta, Roni Kane,
Shannon Stocking
Investigative Editor: Julian Wray
JULIAN BARNARD and SHUBHUM ‘SHUBS’ GIROTI
Editorial Page Editors tothedaily@michigandaily.com
Deputy Editorial Page Editor: Olivia Mouradian
Senior Opinion Editors: Quin Zapoli, Brandon Cowit, Jess D’Agostino, Alex
Yee, Evan Stern
LILLIAN PEARCE and SABRIYA IMAMI
Managing Arts Editors
arts@michigandaily.com
GRACE BEAL and TESS CROWLEY
Managing Photo Editors photo@michigandaily.com
GRACE TUCKER
Managing Statement Editor statement@michigandaily.com
Deputy Editors: Taylor Schott, Julia Maloney
Associate Editor: Lilly Dickman
CAROLINE ATKINSON and ETHAN PATRICK
Managing Copy Editors copydesk@michigandaily.com
Senior Copy Editors: Abbie Gaies, Lizzie MacAdam, Dana Elobaid, Ali Chesnick,
Emily Wilson, Alex Stamell, Audrey Ruhana, Rena McRoy, Melissa Kurpiers
DORA GUO and ERIC LAU
Managing Online Editors
webteam@michigandaily.com
Data Editor: Zach Breger
Project Managers: Isis Meng, Aasher Akhlaque,
Christina Tan, Salik Aslam, Eli Yazdi
HANNAH ELLIOTT and JULIA RAGUCKAS
Managing Video Editors video@michigandaily.com
Senior Michigan in Color Editors: Yasmine Slimani, Safura Syed, Kat Andrade,
Neil Nakkash, Anchal Malh
Senior Sports Editors: Josh Taubman, Spencer Raines, Lily Israel, Paul Nasr,
Connor Earegood, Abbie Telgenhof
Senior Social Media Editors: Cristina Costin, Joey Goodsir, Cole Martin, Mae
Veidlinger, Martina Zacker, Jillian Sacksner, Christian Juliano, Justin O’Beirne
Stanford Lipsey Student Publications Building
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327
www.michigandaily.com
ARTS SECTION
arts@michigandaily.com
SPORTS SECTION
sports@michigandaily.com
NEWS TIPS
tipline@michigandaily.com
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
EDITORIAL PAGE
opinion@michigandaily.com
AARON SANTILLI
Business Manager
business@michigandaily.com
PAIGE HODDER
Editor-in-Chief
eic@michigandaily.com
PHOTOGRAPHY SECTION
photo@michigandaily.com
NEWSROOM
news@michigandaily.com
CORRECTIONS
corrections@michigandaily.com
JARED GREENSPAN and NICK STOLL
Managing Sports Editors sports@michigandaily.com
Senior Arts Editors: Emilia Ferrante, Hannah Carapellotti, Erin Evans, Sarah
Rahman, Fia Kaminski
Arts Beats Editors: Emmy Snyder, Mitchel Green, Laine Brotherton, Matthew
Eggers, Julian Wray, Nora Lewis
ERIN SHI and SOPHIE GRAND
Managing Design Editors
design@michigandaily.com
ELIYA IMTIAZ and JESSICA KWON
Michigan in Color Editors michiganincolor@michigandaily.com
EVAN DELORENZO and ZOE STORER
Managing Social Media Editors socialmedia@michigandaily.com
Editorial Staff
Business Staff
Senior Photo Editors: Anna Fuder, Kate Hua, Jeremy Weine, Julianne Yoon,
Emma Mati
IRENE CHUNG
Creative Director
DOUG MCCLURE and MAX ROSENZWEIG
Managing Podcast Editors podeditors@michigandaily.com
KATIE LYNGKLIP
Sales Manager
ADVERTISING
wmg-contact@umich.edu
AYA SALIM
Digital Managing Editor ayasalim@umich.edu
AKSHARA KOOTTALA
Chair of Culture, Training, and Inclusion accessandinclusion@michigandaily.com
Senior Layout Editor: Lys Goldman
KATE WEILAND
Managing Editor kmwblue@umich.edu
2 — Wednesday, October 19, 2022
University Hospital to expand
pneumatic tube system, construct
new Pavilion hospital
Michigan Medicine staff talk increasing
transportation efficiency