ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Friday, December 4, 2015
Ann Arbor, Michigan
michigandaily.com
STATE GOVERNMENT
Reps. to consider promise zone bills Legislation could expand scholarship program to five more school districts By SAMANTHA WINTNER Daily Staff Reporter
The Michigan House Workforce and Talent Development Committee heard testimony Thursday on legislation related to the state’s promise zones as they prepare to formulate a recommendation for the full House, where representatives could vote on two bills in the near future. The testimony concerned Senate Bill 0539 and Senate Bill 0540, which seek to expand a statewide program launched in 2008. That program aims to cover some or all of the costs of in-state tuition at public schools after financial aid awards with a combination of state and private funds. The bills propose five additional school districts be labeled as promise zones, making a total of 15. Anna Mooney, deputy chief of staff for Sen. Goeff Hansen (R– Hart), and Brianna McGarry, a legislative assistant for Sen. Jim Ananich (D–Flint), delivered the
testimony Thursday on behalf of the two senators, who each sponsored one of the bills. The Michigan State Treasury supervises the establishment of the promise zones, which currently serve students in 10 high-poverty school districts. Students’ eligibility for these scholarships, as well as the amount they are each eligible to receive, often depend on how long they have attended school in the district, and could also be contingent on factors such as college GPA. In an e-mail interview, Cynthia Wilbanks, vice president for government affairs, noted the growing interest of school districts across Michigan in establishing promise zones. “The expansion of the promise zones has been stimulated by the interest of several more communities in the state that want to support the post-secondary education aspirations among their residents,” she said. During her testimony, McGarry said the creation of more promise zones is important to increasing access to higher education in Michigan. She noted that there have been districts, such as Flint, that want to estabSee PROMISE, Page 3
MATT VAILLIENCOURT/Daily
University President Mark Schlissel addresses students during his monthly fireside chat with students in the Michigan Union on Thursday.
Schlissel talks student debt, diversity in chat During fireside chat, president also expresses opposition to divestment By LARA MOEHLMAN Daily Staff Reporter
For University President Mark Schlissel’s final fireside chat of the semester, several
students had the opportunity Thursday afternoon to engage with the president on a wide variety of campus issues, from student debt to the University’s sexual assault investigation policy. E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life, was also present for the event, which was held in the Pond Room of the Michigan Union. Harper took notes throughout the meeting, which serves as a
M I C H I GA N ’ S B E ST DA N C E C R E W
RESEARCH
‘Messiah’ still a staple of the holiday season in Ann Arbor
Project could also inform understanding of Parkinson’s, other neurological diseases By KATIE PENROD Daily Staff Reporter
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 48 LO: 25
When asked about his next steps following the Diversity Summit held last month to improve diversity, equity and inclusion on campus, Schlissel said the University is very far from its end goal: building a campus community that is reflective of the society which
it intends to serve. “We’ve made some progress this year, but it’s going to be forever,” he said. “We’re going to be working on this as long as I’m president. It’s not going to be over in three years or something, so we have a long way to go.” However, Schlissel did outline specific programs that have already been initiated in the past year to improve the See FIRESIDE, Page 3
ARTS PREVIEW
Prof. studies how space affects brain activities
The brain is one of the most complex organs in the human body and has been studied extensively for years — on Earth at least. Now, a University professor is trying to uncover unique effects the organ experiences as it adapts to microgravity, or the feeling of weightlessness, in space. Kinesiology Prof. Rachael Seidler, through a partnership with NASA, is exploring how long periods of time in space affect the brain and its functions, as well as investigating potential countermeasures for the neurological effects of microgravity. It currently takes several weeks to recover from spaceflight, and her research on how the brain reacts to time in space could help speed up that process. Seidler said the project has connections to research about brain adaption on Earth as well. “I’ve always been interested in monitoring adaptation and how people learn new motor skills,” she said. “Adapting to the microSee BRAIN, Page 3
monthly platform for students to raise topics of concern to the president. Campus diversity
DELANEY RYAN/Daily
Michigan Izzat, a male fusion dance team, placed first out of seven groups at Michigan’s Best Dance Crew at the Michigan League on Thursday.
CITY COUNCIL
Council member faces recall effort over deer cull Save the Deer group targeting Ward 2’s Kirk Westphal By ISOBEL FUTTER Daily Staff Reporter
Councilmember Kirk Westphal (D–Ward 2) is facing a recall effort from the local group Save the Deer Ann Arbor over his vote in support of the city’s forthcoming deer cull.
A 8-1 majority of council members voted in favor of a four-year deer management plan in August and subsequently voted 10-1 in November to hire sharpshooters to kill 100 area deer this winter in an effort to control their population. Westphal voted alongside the majority both times. Sabra Sanzotta, spokesperson for Save the Deer, filed the recall paperwork Monday, citing concerns with the scientific basis underlying the cull and potentially negative ramifications. Her group has previ-
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ously asked the city to gather more data before taking action. “There is an unjust, unidentifiable risk to public safety,” Sanzotta said. “And the cull that Kirk Westphal voted in favor of doesn’t have the benefit of scientific evidence to prove that it’s even effective.” Sanzotta said she chose to file a petition against Westphal specifically because she is a Ward 2 resident. In a Thursday interview with The Michigan Daily, Westphal said he stands by See DEER, Page 3
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INDEX
University Chorale Union continues the tradition with new leadership By MICHAEL FLYNN Daily Arts Writer
One of the longstanding traditions of Ann Arbor’s music scene is the annual per- Handel’s formance of George Frid- “Messiah” eric Handel’s Dec. 5-6 renowned at 8 p.m. oratorio, “Messiah,” Hill Auditorium by the University Choral Union, a choir comprised of Ann Arborites and University students. Every year, Ann Arbor residents comes to Hill Auditorium to witness Handel’s beautiful musical rendition of Jesus Christ’s birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension to Heaven. This year, the job of directing the annual production was given to Scott Hanoian, a conductor, church organist and University alum who now serves as the University Choral Union’s conductor,
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directed the annual production. “It’s a piece that I love really deeply, and a work that I think really speaks to the Ann Arbor community every year,” Hanoian said. “What I think has made ‘Messiah’ stand the test of time and why people keep coming back to it … is that the piece is really a perfect marriage of textslash-story and music, and the way Handel brought the text … to life through music in ways that reading the text doesn’t bring in the same way.” Hanoian grew up as an organist and attended the University of Michigan where he majored in organ performance. During his undergraduate years, he developed an interest in conducting choirs and studied under Jerry Blackstone, whom he succeeded as University Choral Union conductor this year. Hanoian was eventually accepted into the graduate conducting program at the University, earning masters degrees in choral conducting and church music simultaneously. “I really developed a passion for some of the great choral masterworks,” Hanoian said of his experience in graduate school. Among these works was Handel’s “Messiah.” See MESSIAH, Page 5
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SPORTS......................7 SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6