The University of Michigan’s
Black Student Union (BSU) hosted
a public address event titled “More
Than Four” Tuesday evening.
Members at the event presented
the
organization’s
four-point
platform that aims to support and
advocate for Black students at the
University. The platform’s four
points call on the University to
increase Black student admission,
combat anti-Blackness, improve
DEI policies and to help make K-12
education more equitable.
Later Tuesday night, hours after
the “More Than Four” address,
BSU members found flyers they
had posted around central campus
torn down. These posters were
promoting the “More Than Four”
platform, leaving members of
BSU and the campus community
frustrated
with
a
“continued
disregard for the needs of Black
students.”
The first point of the platform
is
increasing
Black
student
enrollment.
Currently,
less
than 4.2% of the University’s
undergraduate student population
was Black in 2021, which BSU said
has not changed significantly from
the percentage of Black students
in 1970. The BSU has continuously
demanded
the
percentage
be
proportional to the demographics
of the state, where 14% of residents
are Black.
Public
Policy
senior
Kayla
Tate stressed the importance of
increasing enrollment of Black
students and pointed to the
University’s lack of support for
Black students.
“It is the University’s strategy to
present itself as a powerless victim
to a racist and unjust society,” Tate
said. “We know, however, that this
institution is not a victim … At
the hands of the University, Black
students are harmed daily.”
The
second
point
of
the
platform demands the University
to
be
transparent
about
the
specific steps they are taking as
an institution to combat anti-
Blackness on campus. At the rally,
Business senior Taylor Smith,
co-community
outreach
chair
at the BSU, said the University
continues to neglect the fact that
all Black students have unique
experiences
with
racism
on
campus and that the University
has historically neglected their
specific needs.
“Everybody else can sit here
and just focus on their academics,”
Smith said. “(Black students) have
so many other things that we are
dealing with, but the University
focuses on it as ‘all minorities need
the same thing.’”
The third point of the platform
urges the University to rectify
flaws in its Diversity, Equity
and Inclusion (DEI) plan, which
Black students have previously
expressed disappointment for the
plan not adequately addressing
anti-Blackness on campus. In their
platform, BSU said they believe
DEI initiatives are not effective
because they do not sufficiently
allow for Black students’ input
to influence the development of
University programs.
In October 2016, the University
launched a five-year DEI plan
— which was an $85 million
investment — aimed at increasing
enrollment of minority students
and
supporting
socioeconomic
diversity.
During
DEI
1.0,
however,
students
questioned
the effectiveness of the plan
after multiple instances of hate
acts occurred targeting Black
and Jewish students on campus.
Following the initial plan, the
University
announced
they
will launch a new DEI plan in
fall 2023, nicknamed DEI 2.0.
Until then, the University is in a
“transitional” phase between the
two plans during which the U-M
administration is evaluating the
first plan and developing the next
DEI strategic plan.
LSA
sophomore
Princess-
J’Maria Mboup said DEI needs to
be created alongside students in
order to fully address the needs of
Black students.
“DEI is structurally top-down,”
Mboup said. “That is exclusive to
students, especially Black students.
When the needs of Black students
are not explicitly centered, they
tend to be neglected.”
The fourth point of the platform
calls on the University to work
with local and state government
officials to invest in addressing
inequalities
in
public
K-12
education, and to help close the
opportunity gap for Black students
in the K-12 educational system.
LSA junior Brooklyn Blevins
said the BSU has sent their
platform to U-M administrative
officials,
including
University
President Santa Ono and the
Board of Regents. Blevins said
BSU
is
requesting
the
U-M
administration to meet with the
organization.
“We expect a response in the
form of a public statement as well
as a scheduled meeting with the
aforementioned parties and the
Black Student Union to establish
a strategic plan and subsequent
measures
of
accountability,”
Blevins said.
University
of
Michigan
students rallied on the Diag
Tuesday afternoon in support of
reproductive rights and against
sexual violence. Students gathered
in front of the Hatcher Graduate
Library to listen and participate in
discussions with members of Roe
v. Rape, the student organization
that hosted the event.
Founded by U-M alum Emma
Sandberg in 2019, Roe v. Rape
advocates for reproductive rights
on campus and assists survivors
of
sexual
violence.
Business
junior Aditi Jain is one of the
co-presidents of Roe v. Rape.
She told The Michigan Daily
that
Sandberg
launched
the
organization after having a bad
experience filing a complaint
with another university’s Title IX
office in 2019 when she learned
that
pursuant
to
University
policy,
complainants
at
the
University
of
Michigan
were
required to be cross-examined
by her perpetrator. Effective Oct.
2021, University policy states
cross-examination
processes
must now be mediated by an
advisor from both the respondent
and
complainant,
but
cross-
examination is still required by
the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
in Michigan.
“When a survivor was hearing
their case, their perpetrator could
cross-examine them,” Jain said.
“That means a victim would have
to be interrogated by their rapist
which is completely traumatizing
and not okay at all. So (Sandberg)
formed this to have a demand
against that.”
During the rally, members of
Roe v. Rape spoke about why they
believe overturning Roe v. Wade
has been harmful to a huge portion
of the American population. In
June 2022, the Supreme Court
overturned the 1973 ruling Roe
v. Wade, effectively revoking the
constitutional right to abortion
and enabling abortion bans to take
place.
Andrew Panter, Engineering
senior and co-president of Roe v.
Rape, spoke at the rally about how
a lack of access to abortion care
combined with sexual violence
can create dangerous home life
situations for many women and
children, specifically.
“Roe v. Rape is focused on
sexual violence, but it’s all too
clear how reproductive coercion
can stack with these problems
to not only oppress people, but
further entrench them in their
situation,” Panter said.
LSA sophomore Cory Plotzke,
a member of Roe v. Rape, spoke
about how the government took
away reproductive rights from
students
by
overturning
Roe
v. Wade and urged students to
vote for candidates who will
prioritize reproductive rights in
the upcoming Nov. 8 election. The
ballot includes Proposal 3, which
restores
reproductive
freedom
and prevents the prosecution of
doctors for providing abortion
care in Michigan.
Plotzke congratulated attendees
for embracing political activism by
coming to the rally.
“I want to outline the absolute
importance
there
is
in
this
upcoming election when it comes
to
securing
our
reproductive
rights,” Plotzke said. “Let your
political
action
begin
(with)
voting, volunteering and getting
involved with events like this one.”
After the rally, Panter told The
Daily how Roe v. Rape has worked
to promote reproductive rights
and combat sexual violence over
the last couple of years. One of the
organization’s biggest projects has
been helping to draft Senate Bill
No. 497, which was introduced in
the Michigan Legislature by state
Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor,
in June 2021 and is currently in
the legislative process. The bill
would expand the Michigan penal
code’s definition of “mentally
incapacitated” to include people
who willingly ingested mind-
altering substances like alcohol.
“We think it doesn’t matter if
you drink the alcohol on your own
or someone (forces you to), you’re
still
mentally
incapacitated,”
Panter said. “So our proposed bill
revises that definition to include
more survivors of sexual assault
and protect them.”
Panter
said
he
feels
the
University’s
current
policies
involving sexual violence are not
enough to protect its students.
He added that he is hopeful new
University President Santa Ono
will support survivors and work to
prevent sexual violence on campus.
At the Board of Regents meeting
last month, Ono pledged to create
a central ethics, integrity and
compliance office to help address
sexual misconduct complaints.
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Vol. CXXXII, No. 99
©2022 The Michigan Daily
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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Roe v. Rape holds protest in support of reproductive rights
Undergrads organize for increased support from ‘U’ in cases of sexual violence
CAMPUS LIFE
BSU calls on UMich to increase support
for Black students at Diag rally
Union demands University combat anti-Blackness, fund K-12
education to increase diversity
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
LILA TURNER/Daily
RACHEL MINTZ &
CAROLINE WANG
Daily Staff Reporters
On Monday at 2 p.m., Ulrich’s
shut its doors for the last time.
For 88 years, Ulrich’s was the
go-to place for University of
Michigan
students
in
need
of textbooks, school supplies
and
campus
memorabilia.
Located at the corner of South
University and East University
Avenues, the Ann Arbor small
business has a history dating
back to 1934. Now, the shelves
are vacant, empty cardboard
boxes are scattered around the
floor and the bookstore’s final
customers have taken home
the
last
heavily-discounted
remnants of a literary empire.
Usually, at this time of year,
students would be frantically
dashing in and out of the
store all afternoon, snagging
a Blue Book for an upcoming
midterm exam or scrounging
the basement for a copy of the
history textbook they hadn’t
realized they needed. But this
October, the atmosphere at
Ulrich’s is somber. Patrons walk
aimless laps around the inside
of the store, knowing this is the
last time they will ever be able
to.
The sign on the outside of
the door reads, “After 88 years,
Ulrich’s will be closing its doors
on October 31, 2022 … Go Blue
Forever.”
It is not clear why the
store
is
closing.
Ulrich’s
representatives,
including
store manager Tracy Buse, told
The Michigan Daily they were
unable to comment about the
store closing. Ulrich’s has also
declined to speak with other
local media outlets, including
the Detroit Free Press and
MLive, about the reason the
store has decided not to renew
its lease, which ends on Nov. 14,
according to MLive.
The Daily spoke to several
employees working their last
shift at Ulrich’s on Monday
and all of them expressed a
shared sentiment of sadness and
nostalgia. Still, they said they
were not allowed to comment
on the store’s closing.
The
only
public
communication
from
the
company
about
Ulrich’s
shutting its doors has been on
social media. About five weeks
ago, Ulrich’s shared the news in
an Instagram post.
“Ulrich’s
Bookstore
has
seen many changes over 88
years and we have helped
many young people start their
educational journey each and
every semester,” the post read.
“You’ve all been a part of our
Ulrich’s story: past and present.”
Leann Fowler is the vice
president
of
Follett
Higher
Education, a developer that
purchases and operates campus
bookstores
across
the
U.S.,
which acquired Ulrich’s in 2015.
Fowler wrote in an email to The
Daily that she has been grateful
to collaborate with Ulrich’s over
the years.
“Follett is grateful to have
been a part of Ulrich’s story, and
we’re thankful for the support
from the University of Michigan
campus community over the
past seven years,” Fowler wrote.
Fowler said she was unable
to respond to any further
questions about the store.
Former
President
Barack
Obama rallied for Gov. Gretchen
Whitmer and other Democratic
candidates running for office
in
Michigan
at
Renaissance
High School in Detroit Saturday
afternoon.
At the event, titled “Get Out the
Vote”, Obama delivered remarks
for roughly an hour, talking
primarily about the importance
of electing Democrats and calling
on the few thousand attendees to
encourage their friends and family
to go to the polls.
“These days, just about every
Republican
politician
seems
obsessed with two things: owning
the libs … and getting Donald
Trump’s
approval,”
Obama
said. “They are not interested in
actually solving problems.”
Former
President
Donald
Trump visited Macomb Michigan
earlier this month to campaign
for
Republican
gubernatorial
candidate
Tudor
Dixon
and
other Republican candidates. He
criticized Whitmer for her policies
during the COVID-19 pandemic
and her stance on crime and
abortion. Two hecklers attempted
to interrupt Obama’s speech, the
first shouting at him while he
spoke about the violent attack on
Paul Pelosi, husband of Speaker of
the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
Paul Pelosi underwent surgery in
San Francisco for a skull fracture
and injuries to his arm. Another
protester yelled in response to
Obama’s
discussion
of
rising
inflation throughout the country.
Both hecklers were escorted out
by event staff.
Following the first interruption,
Obama spoke about how it is
important to remain focused on
issues that matter to voters and
to avoid getting distracted by
partisan spectacles or becoming
apathetic about politics, no matter
how tempting it might be.
“We get distracted instead of
focusing on what’s important,”
Obama said. “I understand why
people are anxious. I understand
why you might be worried about
the course of the country. I
understand why sometimes it’s
tempting just to tune out, watch
football, watch ‘Dancing With
The Stars.’ But I’m here to tell you
that tuning out is not an option.”
‘Go Blue Forever’: Ulrich’s closes for
good after 88 years in Ann Arbor
Obama rallies for Whitmer, Michigan
Democrats candidates in Detroit
Campus community express sadness, nostalgia
while closing reason remains unknown
Left-wing politicians advocate for getting out to
vote, abortion rights
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
CAMPUS LIFE
NEWS
CAMPUS LIFE
IRENA LI
Daily Staff Reporter
LSA Senior and Black Student Union speaker Kayla Tate speaks at the “More than Four: the 4 Point Platform” rally Tuesday evening on the Diag.
Former President Barack Obama greets supporters with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer after
the Michigan Democrats’ Get Out the Vote Rally in Detroit Saturday afternoon.
JULIANNE YOON/Daily
JOEY LIN
Daily Staff Reporter
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
RONI KANE , SEJAL PATIL
& RILEY HODDER
Daily News Editor &
Daily Staff Reporters