ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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ADMINISTRATION
Students aid in new president’s transition Schlissel met with campus leaders to discuss leading issues on campus
MCKENZIE BEREZIN/Daily
Engineering freshman Caleb Glover speaks with LSA Junior Ashley Burnside, chair of the LGBT Issue Commission, at Gayz Craze at Palmer Field on Sunday.
Gayz Craze shows support for LGBTQ community Annual event draws array of student organizations By EMMA KERR Daily Staff Reporter
Gayz Craze returned to campus for another year Monday to promote education and com-
munity for LGBTQ students and their allies. Organizations, performance groups, faith groups and students gathered on Palmer Field, creating a showcase of resources, support and acceptance for the LGBTQ community on campus. The event, which had a theme of “M Go Pride,” included free food, music and volunteers ready to direct and inform students.
LSA junior Michael Bourke, organizer of this year’s Gayz Craze, said both incoming and returning students can enjoy and benefit from both University and student-run resources, and one of the goals of Gayz Craze is to introduce students to these opportunities. “We want this to be a gateway to them to show that this University is inclusive and provides
By MICHAEL SUGERMAN Daily Staff Reporter
The Michigan Daily is publishing an article each day this week to cover the start of University President Mark Schlissel’s first semester. He will be formally installed as the University’s 14th president during a day of inauguration festivities Friday.
resources to students that need them. It’s sort of a Festifall targeted toward LGBTQ resources.” In its seventh year, Gayz Craze drew a variety of performance groups including EnCore, Sinaboro, Amazin’ Blue, Dance 2XS, funKtion and Michigan Sahana. LSA senior Michelle Jendry, a volunteer for the event, has attended Gayz Craze since her See CRAZE, Page 3A
Familiarize yourself with campus; meet new people; move to a new home in a new city. Apparently, the experiences of a new president and a first-year student are not so different. Since starting his new job in midJuly, Schlissel has been busy preparing for the school year. In the last few weeks, he has met with a group of student leaders and opened his
home to University students and parents for introductions, pictures and ice cream. E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life, said both August gatherings demonstrate the president’s desire to be visible and involved in student activities. “I think he is going to continue that tradition of being engaged with students,” Harper said at the Aug. 28 open house. “He’s been really clear (about that).” Schlissel launched the initiative to improve his administration’s relationships with students with a small roundtable of representatives from the University’s largest student organizations on Aug. 20. Organizations present included Central Student Government, the Black Student Union, The Michigan Daily, Hillel and Students Allied for Freedom and Equality. CSG President Bobby Dishell, a Public Policy senior, said Schlissel’s newness has been a key driver behind his push to engage with students. He added that student leaders See SCHLISSEL, Page 3A
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
SCIENCE
Shokar steps down from VP position
Professor appointed to lead research consortium
CSG vice president resigns to undergo medical treatment By SHOHAM GEVA Daily Staff Reporter
LSA junior Meagan Shokar, Central Student Government vice president, announced in a statement Friday afternoon she would be stepping down from her position in CSG. Shokar was elected last winter by the student body, along with her presidential running mate, Public Policy senior Bobby Dishell, for the 2014-2015 academic year. The statement, released on social media, cited an injury and resulting treatment plan as the reason for the decision, and thanked the student body and University administration for their support during her time in CSG, as well as Dishell for his understanding. In an interview Saturday, Shokar said she is disappointed to be stepping down from
the role, but wants to ensure her replacement can be fully dedicated to the role’s responsibilities, both in terms of time and physical ability to get the job done, which she said she is unable to do at the moment. “At this point, I’m taking my life back to basics,” she said. “And that means classes, and my treatment, and there’s not really much else I can do right now.” Both Shokar and Dishell indicated in a separate social media announcement that they would like to see LSA senior Emily Lustig succeed Shokar. Lustig was a co-chair of Make Michigan, the party Dishell and Shokar ran with in the CSG elections. She has also served as the chair of the CSG Campus Safety and Security Commission for two years. “She’s always cared about CSG, especially about the students in general, in so many ways and so much,” Shokar said. “She’s just an extraordinary leader, and I’ve just been See VP, Page 3A
AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
School of Education Senior Jon Nafso waits for LSA senior Arhum Shahab to take his place to battle at the UMOJA festival hosted by the Black Student Union on Sunday in the Diag.
UMOJA Fest encourages campus cultural awareness Student orgs. join forces to highlight campus diversity By NEALA BERKOWSKI Daily Staff Reporter
University students were given a taste — and sight and sound — of other cultures Monday at UMOJA Fest, a day-long event dedicated to promoting cultural awareness through traditional food, music, and dance. Several student organizations
dedicated to cultural awareness, including the Black Student Union, the South Asian Awareness Network, the Native American Students Association, the Michigan Latin Assembly and the Persian Students Association, collaborated to provide an opportunity for students to see cultural diversity on campus firsthand. The event featured free food, drinks, dance performances and carnival games, and was open to all students and members of the Ann Arbor community. The Swahili word “umoja” translates to “unity,” reflecting the partnership of these groups in put-
ting this event together. BSU Vice Speaker Geralyn Gaines, an LSA senior, said the UMOJA Fest is a way for students to become more culturally aware. “It’s really easy to get lost in your own sheltered community,” Gaines said. “Just to open up your eyes and to see maybe I should try this food, or this dance looks really cool, maybe I should talk to somebody about it, or just to give people an opportunity that they may not have had otherwise during Welcome Week.” LSA senior Parisa Soraya, presiSee UMOJA, Page 3A
NOT THIS TIME
Committee on Space Research selects Fisk as group’s first American president By IAN DILLINGHAM Daily News Editor
As tensions continue to escalate following the United States’ and European Union’s economic sanctions against Russia, the scientific community appears immune to the effects. Engineering Prof. Lennard Fisk was elected president of the Committee on Space Research at its 40th assembly in Moscow this August, making him the first American to hold the position. He is the Thomas M. Donahue Distinguished University Professor of Space Science. Fisk will serve a four-year term as head of the organization, which facilitates international scientific cooperation in space research. Historically, a European member has served as president while one American and one Russian member have filled the two vice president See RESEARCH, Page 3A
Michigan crushes Appalachian State in rematch of ‘07 upset
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INDEX
Vol. CXXIV, No. 129 ©2014 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS......................... 2A OPINION.....................4A A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7A
SUDOKU.................NONE CL ASSIFIEDS..........NONE S P O R T S T U E S DAY. . . . . . . . . .1 B