ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Monday, September 8, 2014
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Leaders call for inclusivity in speeches Ceremony highlights importance of campus dialogue By SAM GRINGLAS Daily News Editor
Following a year when questions of diversity, climate and accessibility reshaped campus conversation and challenged the University community to take a hard look at itself and its policies, University President Mark Schlissel used his inaugural address Friday to articulate his vision for a University marked by inclusion. In the Hill Auditorium ceremony that officially installed him as the University’s 14th president, Schlissel delivered a set of prepared remarks that minced few words in pinpointing accessibility as one of the institution’s greatest challenges. “Michigan’s house must be big and its doors open wide,” he said. Though new leaders often employ inaugural speeches to lay out new policies or initiatives, Schlissel used the podium to evaluate the University’s priorities. He cited three central principles guiding this vision for the University: embrace the University’s mission as a public institution, ensure the University is a diverse
and democratic community and promote the value of all voices. “I firmly believe that we cannot achieve true excellence without leveraging the experiences and perspectives of the broadest possible diversity of students, faculty and staff,” he said. “This is challenging work. Not only building a diverse student body, but also creating an inclusive campus climate that is open to difficult discourse.” Though Schlissel spoke about diversity and access in general terms, his decision to devote extensive space to the topic was evidence of University’s continued struggle to grow minority enrollment and address concerns about campus climate. Last year, the University’s Black Student Union launched the #BBUM Twitter campaign to call attention to the experience of Black students on campus. The initiative drew national coverage and prompted the University to consider action on a wide spectrum of issues, including troubling enrollment numbers for minority students. The University has also found it difficult to shake the view that it’s a place most accessible to those with privileged socio-economic status. In his speech, Schlissel recalled returning home every weekend See INCLUSIVITY, Page 3A
RYAN REISS/Daily
Republican Gov. Rick Snyder looks on as University President Mark Schlissel is officially installed as president at his inauguration Friday at Hill Auditorium.
Schlissel installed as fourteenth president Day-long events celebrates the start of new leadership By CLAIRE BRYAN Daily Staff Reporter
It’s official. Students, faculty and administrators filled Hill Auditorium Friday afternoon for University President Mark Schlissel’s inau-
guration, the ceremony where he was formally installed as the University’s 14th president. With speeches from Republican Gov. Rick Snyder; University Provost Martha Pollack; Ruth Simmons, Brown University president emerita; and Schlissel himself, the inauguration focused on the significant issues facing modern public higher education. In his inaugural address, Schlissel articulated his vision
for a University community marked by inclusiveness, accessibility and a vibrant civil exchange of diverse viewpoints. “I firmly believe that we cannot achieve true excellence without leveraging the experiences and perspectives of the broadest possible diversity of students, faculty, and staff,” Schlissel said. “This is challenging work. Not only building a diverse student body, but also creating an inclusive campus
climate that is open to difficult discourse.” Despite delivering a clear promise to aggressively pursue an agenda of inclusion, Schlissel said the process of exploring the University he now leads in ongoing. “I am walking in new directions, and I am asking a lot of questions,” Schlissel said. “I am meeting with students, staff, and faculty, learning their See PRESIDENT, Page 3A
ANN ARBOR
Power outages linger from high-intensity Friday storm PHOTOS BY VIRGINIA LOZANO/Daily
Republican Gov. Rick Snyder discusses an MHacks project that analyzes his speeches with University of Maryland students Sunday on North Campus.
Students take a break by riding in a hot air balloon above North Campus.
Engineering sophomore Colin Szechy and his team work with Chrysler to create a program that collects data from cars.
MHacks draws Governor tours several nearly 1,000 in projects at hackathon 36-hour event Participants from around the country apply lessons from classes to projects By MICHAEL SUGERMAN Daily Staff Reporter
“This Goldman Sachs pen is my life,” one student exclaimed. “Here, let me teach you,” a 15-year-old told his Hackathon
teammate. “We’re in the middle of a crisis,” another hacker yelled. Empty pizza boxes mingled with crushed energy drinks cans, and the scent of unwashed programmers filled the room. This was MHacks IV, where students came from California, Canada and Ann Arbor “to build amazing things, transform dreams into realities, and to meet with other people with the same level of passion to build their See MHACKS, Page 2A
Students’ accomplishments impresses Snyder By BEN ATLAS Daily Staff Reporter
As MHacks drew to a close Sunday and students put the final touches on their projects, Republican Gov. Rick Snyder was on hand to tour the event, meet some of its participants and see the work they had created. Among the highlights of Snyder’s tour were multiple project demonstrations of new
applications for the Oculus Rift virtual-reality technology, various mobile apps, a robotic arm and software that analyzes the mood in speeches — including Snyder’s own State of the State address from last January. Snyder said he was impressed with how the participants produced “true innovation in a very short period of time” and appreciated the team approach students took in building their projects. Leaders of MPowered Entrepreneurship, one of the student groups that helped organize the event, guided the governor around the expo — which drew students from across the nation.
Houses near South Campus expected to have power restored by end of the week By SHOHAM GEVA Daily Staff Reporter
Engineering junior Diego Calvo, MPowered president, said he enjoyed accompanying Snyder on his tour. “It was really exciting to have the state government support behind us,” Calvo said. “I don’t think any other major hackathon has had that support before. It’s nice to know that all of Michigan is behind it.” Over the course of his term as governor, Snyder has emphasized the importance of STEM education and its potential to help grow the economy, and he has been a supporter of extracurricular events like MHacks that allow students to apply See GOVERNOR, Page 3A
Areas of off-campus student housing lost power Friday evening following a large storm in Ann Arbor. As of Sunday evening, power has not been restored. Affected areas in downtown Ann Arbor included a large portion of Church Street and South University Avenue, as well as clusters on Hill Street, Sybil Street, Benjamin Street and Arch Street. In Southeastern Michigan, over 350,000 people lost power in the storm in what DTE Energy Spokesperson Eileen Dixon said was the 10th worst in the company’s history. According to the National Weather Service’s online incident reports, storm damage to power lines, as well as trees, roofs and cars, was reported See STORM, Page 2A
Smile, it’s over The Michigan football team was historically bad in South Bend
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INDEX
Vol. CXXIV, No. 124 ©2014 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS......................... 2A SUDOKU.....................2A OPINION.....................4A
ARTS........................... 5A CL ASSIFIEDS...............6A S P O R T S M O N DAY. . . . . . . . . .1 B