About 
600 
University 
of 
Michigan students, faculty and 
community members gathered 
in the Rackham Auditorium 
Wednesday evening to hear 
from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer 
and CNN news anchor Chris 
Wallace about the intersection 
of politics and media. The event 
was hosted by Wallace House 
Center for Journalists, Ford 
School of Public Policy and 
U-M Democracy & Debate as 
part of the ongoing 
 
Democracy 
in Crisis series which hosts 
conversations with journalists 
and public servants to discuss 
the role of the press in protecting 
democracy. 
University President Santa 
Ono 
opened 
the 
event 
by 
emphasizing 
the 
importance 
of civil discourse on political 
issues, specifically highlighting 
the role of the media in this 
realm. 
“In 
today’s 
stifling 
atmosphere of political tribalism 
and partisanship, it is so much 
more essential that we make 

every effort to safeguard our 
democracy through education, 
civic engagement and well-
informed debate,” Ono said. 
“And 
journalism, 
especially 
tough, fair-minded journalists 
such as Chris Wallace, have 
essential roles in this continuous 
work of informing, challenging 
and revealing.”
Wallace 
began 
the 
conversation by asking Whitmer 
how she plans to reduce gun 
violence and ensure students feel 
safe at Michigan state schools 
and colleges, especially in the 

wake of the mass shooting at 
Michigan State University that 
left three students dead and five 
in critical condition. Whitmer 
said various gun reform bills 
making their way through the 
state legislature right now are 
critical first steps in preventing 
future mass shootings, but are 
not the entire solution.
“It is maddening that in this 
country — only in the U.S. — 
the number one killer of young 
people is guns,” Whitmer said. 

Hundreds of students, faculty 
and community members at the 
University of Michigan gathered 
in the Hill Auditorium Tuesday 
afternoon to officially inaugurate 
and install University President 
Santa Ono into office. Delegates 
and representatives from nearly 50 
other universities also attended the 
ceremony. 
University 
Provost 
Laurie 
McCauley opened the ceremony, 
welcoming Ono and commending 
him for his work thus far at the 
University. McCauley also described 
Ono’s ability to match the present 
needs of the University. 
“During every major chapter 
in history … our presidents have 
been responsible for asking the 
fundamental question: how can the 
University of Michigan contribute 
to the public good in this moment?” 
McCauley said. “Today I’m so proud 
to say, without a doubt, that we have 
found someone worthy to ask and 
answer that fundamental question.”
Victor J. Dzau, president of the 
United States National Academy 
of Medicine, spoke after McCauley 
and mentioned that Ono is the first 
Asian-American president in the 
University’s history, going on to 
describe Ono’s ability to connect with 
a community.
“(Ono) is driven by his mission 
and values, which allowed him 
to persevere through challenges 
and provide steady compassionate 
guidance through difficult times,” 
Dzau said. 

Allen Liu, associate professor of 
mechanical engineering and chair of 
the Senate Advisory Committee on 
University Affairs, welcomed Ono 
on behalf of the University faculty 
and expressed his hopes for a fruitful 
partnership between the faculty and 
Ono. 
“I’m confident that under Ono’s 
leadership we will grow and prosper 
as an institution,” Liu said. “On behalf 
of the faculty, I will once again give 
my warmest welcome to Ono, and we 
look forward to having a positive and 
collaborative relationship with Ono 
for many years to come.”
Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist 
welcomed Ono on behalf of the state 
of Michigan and spoke about the 
University — his alma mater — and its 
value as a place of empowerment for 
its students.
“The University of Michigan 
is nothing if not a place where 
people come to respond to cynicism 
with sincerity and despair with 
determination,” 
Gilchrist 
said. 
“That embodies who we are as 
Michiganders: bold problem solvers 
who are not afraid to think outside of 
every box.”
Hanna Holborn Gray, former 
president of the University of Chicago, 
spoke about the challenges that come 
with working in higher education, 
which she said she believes Ono will 
face during his presidency. 
“The world of higher education is 
struggling, today, with a widespread 
sense of crisis, a time of questioning 
and sharp conflict over the quality 
and constant performance of its 
institutions, of doubt as to whether 
higher education is doing its job, 
uncertainty as to what that job 
should be and how it should be 

accomplished,” Gray said. 
Gray went on to express her 
confidence in Ono’s ability to face the 
challenges she described.
“You understand the current 
problems very well, and you will 
confront them, as you have always 
done, with determination, openness, 
with patience and courage, consulting 
widely and wisely to reach solutions 
that will command respect,” Gray 
said.

Professor Earl Lewis, director and 
founder of the U-M Center for Social 
Solutions, spoke in a video message 
played in the auditorium about the 
importance of service in the role of 
a university president. Lewis also 
urged the students, faculty and staff 
to work with Ono to enact change.
“Today, I call on the University 
of Michigan community to engage, 
to challenge when called for, to 
support when necessary, to advance 

always, to care deeply and to believe 
in the power of this great institution 
to transform lives, and thereby the 
world,” Lewis said.
The speeches were interspersed 
with 
performances 
from 
U-M 
professors, 
students 
and 
Ono’s 
brother. Following the speeches, 
Paul Brown, chair of the Board of 
Regents, formally installed Ono as 
U-M president. 
Ono went on to address the 

audience, giving thanks to the 
leadership, faculty, staff and students 
of the University, as well as those who 
spoke at the ceremony and his family. 
“Thank you again, all of you, for 
this opportunity and for your faith in 
me,” Ono said. “It is a singular honor 
and privilege to be inaugurated 
today to serve as the University of 
Michigan’s 15th president.”

Members 
of 
the 
Graduate 
Employees’ Organization gathered 
to protest on the Diag Tuesday 
afternoon, directly in the path of 
the planned procession route for 
the inauguration of University 
President Santa Ono. The protest 
occurred the day after GEO 
announced the filing of an unfair 
labor practice charge against the 
University of Michigan.
During 
the 
protest, 
GEO 
members toted signs demanding a 
living wage for graduate workers 
and circled the block “M” at the 
center of the Diag. The protesters 
also shouted chants in support of 
GEO’s demands.
“Three percent won’t pay the 
rent,” the protestors chanted. “Cut 
tuition, not our wages.”
In an interview with The 
Michigan Daily, GEO president 
Jared Eno spoke on the ongoing 
contract 
negotiations 
between 
GEO and the University.
“HR 
has 
suggested 
that 
(graduate 
workers) 
take 
an 
effective pay cut,” Eno said. “The 
March 1 deadline for a tentative 

contract agreement has passed 
over the break, and HR does not 
seem to have taken that seriously. 
(Affording 
rent, 
housing 
and 
medication) are serious problems 
that grad workers need to work 
with the administration to solve 
and folks are fed up with a lack of 
serious engagement from HR at the 
negotiation table. That’s why folks 
are out here.”
Eno said GEO chose to protest 
on the Diag during the academic 
procession 
to 
maximize 
the 
visibility of their cause. 
“Grad workers are not able to 
ignore not being able to pay for 
rent, food, medication,” Eno said. 
“And that means the folks in the 
University (can’t) ignore it either.”
LSA junior Connor Zahler told 
The Daily he thinks GEO chose 
an effective time and place to hold 
their protest and he supports their 
demands.
“I think (the protest is) an 
effective way to get attention 
on (GEO) and to get attention 
to their demands,” Zahler said. 
“I respect what they’re doing. I 
think that the demands are pretty 
understandable.”
University spokesperson Kim 
Broekhuizen wrote in an email 

to The Daily that the University 
is committed to negotiating a 
fair contract and is awaiting a 
response from GEO about their 
compensation offer.
“The 
university 
remains 
committed 
to 
negotiating 
a 
strong, fair, and forward-looking 
contract 
agreement 
with 
our 
GSIs and GSSAs,” Broekhuizen 
wrote. “Our negotiators patiently 
await the union’s response to the 
compensation offer the university 
proposed nearly a month ago.” 
During 
the 
installation 
ceremony following the procession, 
Paul Brown, chair of the U-M 
Board of Regents, remarked on 
the protests outside, saying the 
presence of both the GEO members 
and the Michigan Marching Band 
as the procession entered Hill 
Auditorium captured the essence 
of the University.
“When 
(the 
Regents) 
were 
walking 
in, 
Regent 
(Jordan) 
Acker turned to me and said ‘The 
Michigan Marching Band playing 
The Victors next to students 
protesting, if that isn’t Michigan, 
I don’t know what is,’” Brown said. 
“And it is. That was great, and 
that’s one of the things that makes 
this University so great.”

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INDEX
Vol. CXXXII, No. 107
©2023 The Michigan Daily

N E WS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

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

S T A T E M E N T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

M I C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

O P I N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wednesday, March 15, 2023

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

 Santa Ono inaugurated as 15th UMich President
U-M community members gather to officially inaugurate University 
President Santa Ono into office Tuesday

ADMINISTRATION

MILES ANDERSON
Daily Staff Reporter

SAMANTHA RICH
 Daily News Editor

GEO protest interrupts Ono’s inaugural 
procession route

ADMINISTRATION

Governor Whitmer and Chris Wallace 
discuss intersections in media and politics
Gov. Whitmer and Chris Wallace discuss journalism and 
public policy at a Ford School event

GOVERNMENT

BRONWYN JOHNSTON & 
MILES ANDERSON
Daily Staff Reporters

GRACE BEAL/Daily

President Santa Ono speaks at his inauguration in Hill Auditorium Tuesday afternoon. 

ANNA FUDER/Daily

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

The Graduate Employee’s Organization holds protest along procession 
route for the inauguration of University President Santa Ono

