ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Friday, October 28, 2016
Ann Arbor, Michigan
michigandaily.com
Michigan in Color
Paul Bunyan Battle
Three pieces exploring how: a mother’s love crosses oceans; dissonant reflections do not define us; choices can unite or divide a community plagued by violence
The undefeated Michigan football team heads up to East Lansing on Saturday in search of its first win at Michigan State since 2007
» Page 7
» Page 3 ANN ARBOR
Development is top issue in Ward 5 City Council race PAUL AHNN/Daily
Samar Habib, associate researcher at the Centre for Gender Studies at the University of London, speaks about gender relations and sexuality in Islam at Weill Hall Thursday.
Panelists talk issues of gender and sexuality in Islam for event series
Researchers from three institutions talk women’s and LGBTQ rights MATT HARMON Daily Staff Reporter
Three panelists discussed gender relations in the Quran, the decriminalization of homosexuality and the targeting of Yazidi women in Iraq by the Islamic State at a Digital Islamic
Studies Curriculum event on human rights, gender and sexuality in the Islamic World Thursday night. About 75 University of Michigan students, faculty and Ann Arbor residents were in attendance at the event, hosted as part of an ongoing series Contemporary Islamic Identities
through the Islamic Studies Department among others. Each panelist was given 15 minutes to present their topic before Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi, a former judge in Iran and human rights activist, who provided remarks afterwards. Ebadi spoke Wednesday as part of the symposium on gender and
sexuality in Islamic cultures, emphasizing that providing information on Islam is the best way to combat Islamophobia. Asma Barlas, professor of politics at Ithaca College, spoke on the topic of sex and gender in the Islamic holy book, the Quran, by highlighting segments of the See ISLAM, Page 2
In campaign for only contested seat, candidates emphasize housing SOPHIE SHERRY Daily Staff Reporter
There are five Ann Arbor City Council positions up for re-election this November, but Ward 5 on the city’s northwest side is the only contested race. Incumbent Councilmember Chuck Warpehoski (D), who has served four years on City Council, is running against political newcomer David Silkworth (I), an insurance claim representative for homeowners and businesses. In the August Democratic primary election, Warpehoski defeated challenger Kevin Leeser, a nurse in the University Health System, garnering 2,424 votes compared to Leeser’s 1,120. Warpehoski was expected to run
unopposed in the general election until Silkworth decided to enter the race as an independent in July. Silkworth initially began collecting signatures to run as a Democrat in this year’s City Council election, but after attending the council’s meetings and further involving himself in local politics, he said he noticed his ideologies did not truly align with the sitting Democrats on the council, deciding to run as an independent. Warpehoski and Silkworth hold opposing views on several issues, including property development in their ward and throughout the city. In particular, Silkworth said he thinks there is currently a proSee COUNCIL, Page 2
Engineering Student Government hosts Fatal crash Company highlights student-led review of diversity plan backs out
ANN ARBOR
CITY
pedestrian safety in A2
Town hall aims to create more comfortable, open environment for discussion
Following Tuesday’s accident, city residents raise funding concerns
About 15 student leaders from organizations in the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering gathered Thursday night in Chesborough Auditorium on North Campus to hold a student-led review of the University President Mark Schlissel’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan. The forum, sponsored by Engineering Student Government, is the first review in the College of Engineering to be restricted strictly to students to discuss the DEI plan — a five-year initiative launched earlier this month with the goal of improving campus diversity. The DEI plan includes strategies for each individual college at the University to cater to its own needs for diversity. Attendees discussed racial, gender and identity diversity in an effort to expand upon earlier town halls held by the college and further the concerns raised in the college’s statement about the plan previously published in The Michigan Daily. At a town hall organized by the College of Engineering on Oct. 11, Engineering Dean Alec Gallimore and members of the DEI planning team outlined the college’s goals to attendees. Engineering graduate student Abbhinav Muralidharan said
BRIAN KUANG
Daily Staff Reporter
Following a fatal car crash Tuesday near Huron High School that resulted in one death, some Ann Arbor residents have raised questions about whether City Council has deferred funding for pedestrian safety in favor of downtown projects — putting off slated crosswalk improvements for areas including the site of the crash. Ann Arbor Huron High School student Qi-Xuan “Justin” Tang was struck by a car and killed around 7:20 a.m. on Tuesday morning while crossing Fuller Road, according to Ann Arbor Police and Ann Arbor Public Schools. There is no definitive link between the crosswalk and this accident, and the AAPD has not yet released its accident report on Tuesday’s incident. However, local residents, like Kathy Griswold, a former Ann Arbor School Board member, noted there is no lighting for the crosswalk to Huron High School.
Read more online at MichiganDaily.com See CRASH, Page 2 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
ALEXA ST. JOHN Daily Staff Reporter
in an interview before the Thursday event he felt it was productive to have a different dynamic than forums held in the past, especially with no faculty or administration present. Thursday’s review consisted of an open dialogue during which student attendees discussed the contents of the College of Engineering’s
strategies for improving diversity — specifically the plans for driving innovation and fostering creativity while reflecting the changing diversity in higher education nationwide. Students who spoke during the forum remained anonymous. Speakers vocalized concerns about what they described as the vagueness of a phrase “compelling
reasons for diversity” as well as the prioritization of its main objectives and whether the strategic objectives can be applied to each of their organizations in narrowing the college’s gender and minority gaps.
ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily
michigandaily.com
INDEX
Developers cite disagreements with city requests for project
Read more online at MichiganDaily.com
Rackham student Abbhinav Muralidharan, Engineering Student Government President Rebekah Andrews, an Engineering senior and Rackham student Chris Reynolds facilitate the Engineering Student Government DEI plan review at Chesebrough Auditorium Thursday.
For more stories and coverage, visit
of plan for library lot
Vol. CXXVI, No. 18 ©2016 The Michigan Daily
LYDIA MURRAY Daily Staff Reporter
The Chicago-based real estate agency that agreed to purchase the vacant Library Lot in Ann Arbor has backed out of a major redevelopment plan for the Fifth Avenue and Williams Street lot , according to the Ann Arbor News. The Habitat Company terminated the contract after disagreements with the city’s requests that the company include more affordable housing and energy efficient practices in their plans for construction. Habitat had planned to construct a building featuring 233 apartments, office space and ground-floor shopping, in conjunction with CA Ventures and Hughes Properties. However, Habitat Chairman Daniel Levin wrote in a letter to Mayor Christopher Taylor Wednesday that his company would no longer pursue the acquisition of the property, which is also located next to the Blake Transit Center. “Although we have enjoyed See LIBRARY, Page 2
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 CLASSIFIEDS..........6
SUDOKU.....................2 ARTS...................5 SPORTS....................7