ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Monday, December 14, 2015
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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PUBLIC SAFETY
Bill could extend med. amnesty to drug use GRANT HARDY/Daily
LSA junior Noor Ahmad chants before beginning the Michigan Climate March outside the Federal Building on Saturday.
Activists march in A after climate agreement in Paris 2
Dingell, students call on officials to curb climate change during Diag rally By LYDIA MURRAY Daily Staff Reporter
After representatives from 195 countries at the United Nations Climate Change Conference on Saturday pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, about
840 protesters took to the streets of Ann Arbor to promote the importance of efforts to counteract climate change. The march was organized by several environmentally focused student groups in coordination with a series of marches held around the world and promoted by the climate change activist group 350.org. Protesters walked through Ann Arbor holding signs and chanting for more than an hour before arriving at the Diag for a rally. LSA junior Alex Kendig, presi-
dent of Students for Clean Energy and an organizer of the march, said the group wanted to create an opportunity for the community to show their support for efforts to curb climate change. “We saw an issue that needed action, but we didn’t see any opportunities to act,” he said. “We wanted to form a march where people could get involved and show they’re on board with this issue.” The rally drew speakers including U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D–Dearborn), Yousef Rabhi,
Minors would not face legal action for seeking medical assistance By ALEXA ST. JOHN Daily Staff Reporter
a member of the county commissioner and a candidate for the state legislature, and a few University students. In her speech, Dingell talked about the upcoming budget legislation Congress will soon review. She said it is important that there are no clauses in the budget that prevent the government from taking action on climate change. “You all need to make sure there are no bills or parts put into that bill that don’t let the United States address climate change,” See CLIMATE, Page 3A
Following the successful implementation of medical amnesty for minors who consumed alcohol, Michigan representatives have introduced a bill to extend this amnesty to drug use as well. As stated in the bill, medical amnesty will prevent legal penalties for individuals under 21 who seek medical assistance for drug use for themselves or another. Rep. Al Pscholka (R–Stevensville) introduced House Bill 4843 in August, aiming to encourage those at risk of overdosing to seek help by granting medical amnesty.
U N I N T E R R U P T E D U LY S S E S
CAMPUS LIFE
TV INTERVIEW
Catching up with ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ star Jack Falahee
Student raises $15K to help Troy-bound Syrian refugee LSA senior made GoFundMe after reading man’s story on HONY By RACHEL COHEN For the Daily
Seven photos, an idea and a top Facebook comment led Daniel Kang, an LSA senior and Troy, Mich. resident, to raise more than $15,000 on a GoFundMe page for a Syrian refugee coming to his hometown. Kang’s efforts to help the unnamed refugee were eventually recognized by Brandon Stanton, the creator of the Humans of New York blog and Facebook page. On Dec. 8, Stanton posted a seven-part photo story to Facebook as part of his collection of 12 interviews he had with Syrian refugee families during his
trip to Turkey and Jordan. The interview told the story of an elderly refugee who was once a successful scientist before the war. Before he sought refuge in Turkey, the man said his home was destroyed and many members of his family were killed. The man said he is unable to work in Turkey and has been diagnosed with stomach cancer. His story drew sympathy and comment from hundreds of thousands of people, including President Barack Obama. After seeing this refugee’s story, Kang decided to start a GoFundMe page to make this man’s transition to a new life in Troy a little easier. Many refugees from Syria fleeing violence in war-torn will likely make their homes in Michigan, though Gov. Rick Snyder (R) has called for a pause on accepting new refugees following recent terrorist See FUNDS, Page 3A
Pscholka introduced the bill after a Michigan teen died from a drug overdose and his friends did not get him medical help for fear of getting in legal trouble, according to CBS Detroit. The bill is an amendment to Michigan’s 1978 Public Act 368 titled, “Public health code,” which discusses the legal repercussions of being found in possession of drugs. Legal action taken with regard to drug possession often includes felony or misdemeanor charges or paying a fine, depending on the type and amount of the drug. Lifetime probation or compliance with substance abuse and addiction services are potential penalties as well. According to the University’s National College Health Assessment survey from February 2014, 70 percent of undergraduates reported drinking alcohol at least once See AMNESTY, Page 3A
GRANT HARDY/Daily
LSA senior Gavin Gao reads James Joyce’s “Ulysses” as their English 464 final at the home of one of his classmates on Friday. The final, which primarily consists of collectively reading the entirety of “Ulysses” in one day, permeates the rest of the students’ activities for the day.
Obama to sign education reform proposal into law After passage with bipartisan support, bill to replace No Child Left Behind By CAITLIN REEDY Daily Staff Reporter
No Child Left Behind — the education reform bill signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2007 which has
generated widespread criticism in recent years — is on its way out. A new bill, the Every Student Succeeds Act, now awaits President Obama’s signature after it passed the U.S. House and Senate. The final bill includes bipartisan amendments proposed by Sen. Gary Peters (D–Mich.). After three failed attempts to replace NCLB, this is the first large scale education reform bill to achieve passage
in recent years. Most notably, the bill states that it will end “the federal test-based accountability system of No Child Left Behind, restoring to states the responsibility for determining how to use federally required tests for accountability purposes.” Education Prof. Don Peurach, who works with the University’s Center for Higher and Postsecondary Education, said he believes the ESSA will alleSee EDUCATION, Page 3A
Ann Arbor native still getting used to recognition and sudden, newfound fame By KAREN HUA Daily TV/New Media Editor
Over Thanksgiving weekend, I caught up with “How to Get Away With Murder” ’s Ann Arbor-born and Huron High-educated actor Jack Falahee. Shonda Rhimes’s most recent series drew 14.3 million viewers when it premiered in 2014, outperforming both “Scandal” and “Grey’s Anatomy” ’s pilot episodes and launching it to the No. 1 most popular show last fall. The legal drama on ABC just wrapped its sophomore mid-season finale and will resume this February. As Connor Walsh, a gay, sharptongued and fiercely competitive member of the “Keating Five,” Falahee found his breakthrough role working alongside the likes of Viola Davis (“The Help”), Alfie See FALAHEE, Page 6A
Split Decision Michigan fell just short Saturday, splitting a series with Minnesota » INSIDE
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 50 LO: 37
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INDEX
Vol. CXXV, No. 45 ©2015 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS......................... 2A OPINION.....................4A ARTS..........................5A
SUDOKU.....................2A CL ASSIFIEDS............... 5A S P O R T S M O N D AY. . . . . . . . 1 B