CELEBRATING OUR ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Ann Arbor, Michigan
michigandaily.com
CAMPUS LIFE
President’s open house draws 1,200 despite rain ROBERT DUNNE/Daily
LEFT: Engineering junior Peter Larsen, the Chi Phi “little brother” of Joshua Brigham, lights candles at a vigil held in his memory at Chi Phi fraternity house on Sunday. RIGHT: LSA Senior Alec Buchholtz shares his memories of Brigham to those gathered.
Student honored at vigil Friends remember Josh Brigham, who fell from Nickel’s Arcade rooftop By EMMA KINERY Daily Staff Reporter
With candles in hand, fraternity brothers and friends of Josh Brigham — the LSA student who died in July after falling from the roof of Nickel’s Arcade — came together to celebrate his life with a vigil at the Chi Phi fraternity house.
Brigham, who was a rising senior studying psychology, died July 24. He fell through the arcade’s glass ceiling while climbing to the building’s roof through an unlocked stairway door. According to the Ann Arbor Police report, obtained by The Ann Arbor News, Brigham was intoxicated at the time of the incident. Since many of the Saugatuck, Mich., native’s friends were unable to attend his funeral, LSA senior Alex Buchholtz, a friend and fraternity brother, said the vigil was held for friends to commemorate his life. Tealight candles were given
to the hundreds of people who filled the Chi Phi porch and lawn. On the porch, a photo of Brigham was placed with a candle, a pamphlet from his funeral, flowers and a can of Natural Ice beer. Several people shared stories of the fun, happy friend who lived life in the moment. “Josh was a very smiley guy,” Buchholtz said. “He made everyone laugh; he could make anyone laugh instantly … He was a very fun guy. He kind of lived it up and had fun when he could.” Buchholtz, who organized the vigil, said since Brigham’s
From the Daily: Nuance lacking in new policy University communications on alcohol missing needed context By MICHIGAN DAILY who has this position
In a brief August 25 e-mail to all University students, E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life, announced the University will implement “additional strategies” in its continuous effort to reduce students’ alcohol consumption. The widely publicized pilot program will notify parents of first-year students under the age of 21 who receive a second alcohol or drug violation, or “a violation accompanied by other serious behavior such as needing medical attention, significant property damage or driving under the influence.” Harper also wrote that the University of Michigan Police
Department and the Ann Arbor Police Department will collaborate further on outreach efforts. Though the ultimate goal is to have joint jurisdiction in off-campus student neighborhoods, UMPD will initially “provide early engagement and feedback to students to help them better understand how to avoid being in violation of alcohol laws.” How these strategies will be put into practice remains to be seen. It is understandable that the e-mail was concise, for if it were longer it may have gone unread. But that came at the price of omitting critical information, as discovered in a recent Michigan Daily interview with University officials. A subsequent article published by the University Record on Sep. 1 also failed to provide full details. In the interview, University officials explained first and foremost that these changes See POLICY, Page 4A
Schlissel’s second ice cream social caps off Welcome Week festivities By ISOBEL FUTTER and GEN HUMMER Daily Staff Reporters
passing he’s found himself instinctively trying to call or text him. “It’s just weird because last week I moved back to Ann Arbor, and when I was pulling into Ann Arbor I almost picked up the phone and called him,” Buchholtz said. “The other day I woke up after a long night and texted him to see if he could get some food.” Seeing Nickel’s Arcade is hard for Buchholtz. He said the other night he visited it and cried for a half hour. The passing of their beloved friend was hard on everyone, but the See VIGIL, Page 3A
Weathering some light sprinkles of rain, about 1,200 University students, faculty, staff and parents gathered for an ice cream social at the President’s House on Saturday. Attendees, who had the chance to explore the first floor of the residence, were also given the opportunity to meet and snap pictures with University President Mark Schlissel and his wife, Monica Schwebs. Students were invited to the event, which offered ice cream bars, cookies, water and apple cider. Schlissel, who dressed down in a block ‘M’ polo shirt, greeted those willing to wait in
line for a chance to shake his hand. The social, which began in the 1930s when Florence Ruthven, wife of seventh president of the University, began hosting tea parties for female students. During the 1950s, University President Harlan Hatcher opened the event to all students. Since then, the social has been an annual event. Open to both parents and students, the backyard of the house filled up quickly as students meandered around the gardens, munching on homemade block’M’ cookies and ice cream. Last year was the first year Schlissel hosted. Many students who attended this year were excited to meet the relatively new president. “It was cool to talk to him, because he’s still new,” LSA junior Alaina Stevenson said. “It’s nice to put a personality to a face and a name.” Others came to tour the renowned South University See SCHLISSEL, Page 5A
‘U’ introduces new alcohol policies UMPD to expand off-campus presence AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
Mary Jo Desprez, director of Wolverine Wellness, speaks to Michigan Daily staff about the new university alcohol policy in a meeting on Wednesday.
Wellness staff to involve parents for repeat offenses University to consider alerts on ‘case-by-case’ basis By MICHAEL SUGERMAN Daily News Editor
A week after unveiling a plan to involve the parents of first-year students following
violations of University alcohol policies, administrators say the new protocol will be implemented on a case-by-case basis — not uniformly. In an exclusive conversation with The Michigan Daily on Wednesday, University higherups provided further details, and framed the new directive as a matter of health and wellness. E. Royster Harper, vice president of student life; Mary Jo Desprez, director of Wolverine
Wellness; and Eddie Washington, executive director of the Division of Public Safety and Security, spoke to the reasoning and goals of the initiative. Desprez noted that the policy is present in some form at a majority of schools in the Big 10 conference. The University’s iteration of the practice will notify parents if a first-year student under the age of 21 “commits a violation accomSee PARENTS, Page 3A
New emphasis on ‘community policing’ to drive approach to alcohol abuse By SAM GRINGLAS Managing News Editor
Under a proposed collaboration with the Ann Arbor Police Department, officers with the University’s Division of Public Safety and Security could have joint authority to police offcampus neighborhoods heavily populated by students. The initiative is one component of a set of recently announced University efforts designed to curb alcohol abuse at the University. “Our philosophy — and the shift that we see is happening See UMPD, Page 3A
» INSIDE
Sports Tuesday
Michigan lost Jim Harbaugh’s debut, 24-17.
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 73 LO: 56
GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM Iran deal negotiators speak on campus MICHIGANDAILY.COM/NEWS
INDEX
Vol. CXXIV, No. 121 ©2015 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS......................... 2A OPINION.....................4A ARTS......................6A
CL ASSIFIEDS...............6A S P O R T S M O N DAY. . . . . . . . .1 B