ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Friday, February 10, 2017
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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CAMPUS LIFE
Current and former UM athletes talk stereotyping Football and basketball stars discuss the representation of Black male athletes COLIN BERESFORD Daily Staff Reporter
JEREMY MITNICK/Daily
Students4Justice holds a sit-in in response to racist and anti-Semitic emails at the Michigan Union on Thursday.
Racist, anti-Semitic emails prompt ten-hour-long Union student sit-in
The protestors expressed discontent about the University’s response to the incidents ANNA HARITOS Daily Staff Reporter
Students4Justice held a sitin at the Michigan Union as a response to the emails sent to University of Michigan engineering and computer science undergraduate students and the defilement of a prayer rug in the ref lection room in the Shapiro Undergraduate Library. The event began Thursday with a march of approximately
60 students from the Diag to the Union, which they planned to occupy until it closed at 2 a.m. The crowd grew in size as the marchers chanted and progressed to the Union. Chants included slogans such as: “No justice, no peace, no racist police,” and “No alt-right, no KKK, no fascist USA.” Once at its destination, the group wound its way through the building before spreading out to occupy the study rooms on the first f loor. Over 150 students and community members took
part in the sit-in. Fliers were circulated that had a condensed version of the letter of demands that Students4Justice wrote in response to the racist f liers that first appeared last fall. Members of the organization said they wanted their voices to be heard. LSA junior Victoria Johnson, a leader of Students4Justice, said she does not believe the University’s response has been sufficient. “We feel like the administration hasn’t done enough,” she said. “It has been
silent. They’re not showing up and giving the support that is needed to the students that have been attacked. We’re going to sit in the union until they meet our demands.” Participants of the sitin worked on homework assignments, chatted with those around them and decorated the Union with posters and various f lags. LSA freshman Maria Tout said she noticed a feeling of inclusiveness even though the sit-in was a protest. See SIT-IN, Page 3
Ray Jackson and Jimmy King, two members of the Fab Five — the 1991 recruiting class for the University of Michigan basketball team — discussed the stereotypes surrounding Black male athletes, including athletics overshadowing academics and exploitation by brands. Jackson and King, joined by Maurice Ways, current football player and former Michigan and NFL football player Braylon Edwards, discussed the stereotypes and misrepresentations of Black athletes Thursday night in the Robertson Theatre in the Ross School of Business. LSA junior Maurice Ways began the night by speaking to his experience as a student athlete and going over his daily schedule, including when he has to fit in classes and when he has time that isn’t taken up by school or
athletics. Ways emphasized how people often don’t consider athletes to be students as well. “Someone told me the only reason you’re going to Michigan is to play football,” Ways said. “There’s a stereotype about the Black male athlete that he’s either/ or … I can be whatever I need to be whenever I need to be it.” Ways talked about the number of African-American men at the University and the number of AfricanAmerican male athletes. Only 740 of the 43,000 students at the University are African American men. “The football team makes up more than half of the Black male athletes at the University of Michigan,” Ways quipped. Kelsey Penebaker, an athletic trainer at the University, came to learn about the experiences of the students she works with. See ATHLETES, Page 3
Over 100 gather on Diag to protest New emails Campus sent to list Trump’s immigration executive order divided in
ADMINISTRATION
GOVERNMENT
cite alleged hate crime
Academics United talks about historical parallels of anti-immigrant executive order
An anonymous female sent graduate students messages on the incident
Over 100 students and faculty members congregated on the Diag on Thursday to rally against President Donald Trump’s recent ban on immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries. President Trump’s executive order has temporarily suspended the immigration of citizens and refugees from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia from entering the United States. While a nationwide block has been placed on the ban by U.S. District Senior Judge James Robart in Seattle, the Trump administration is currently working on an appeal. The rally was organized by a group called Academic United — No to Visa and Immigration Ban: U Michigan, in an attempt to show their support for the immigrants, refugees and permanent U.S. residents affected by the ban. Organizers also spoke of the recent racist and anti-Semitic emails sent to students of the College of Engineering on Tuesday night, offering a sitin to provide support. A primary event organizer, who wished to remain anonymous due to concerns about her immigration status
ALEXA ST JOHN & RIYAH BASHA
Managing News Editor & Daily News Editor
Following three racist and anti-Semitic emailssent to University of Michigan engineering and computer science students Tuesday night, an anonymous email was sent out Thursday morning to at least one graduate student email list, this time outlining an alleged incident of racism involving the sender, a Black woman, and two white men. The email expressed disgust with the University for failing to address the alleged hate crime with an investigation. University police, however, say they recieved the email tip a month ago and attempted to contact the sender, to no avail. The email — entitled “Pathetic, Outraged and Disgusted!!” reads: “Dear University of Michigan, you have lost my respect!! I don’t want to hear a freaking thing about racist emails!! I love the See EMAILS, Page 3
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CORY ZAYANCE For the Daily
from a country impacted by the executive order, stated the rally’s goal was to “raise awareness to the University of Michigan community so they will know that the people who are affected by this executive order are actually their colleagues, their friends, their lab-mates,
and people who they interact with on a day-to-day basis.” The goal of Academics United- No to Visa and Immigration Ban rallies, according to their Facebook page, is “to demonstrate the impact of this action on thousands of honest and ambitious students.”
Along with the rally and sit-in provided for students affected by the hate emails sent to College of Engineering students, organizers of the rally provided an open mic for those wishing to share their stories or relate messages of hope and inspiration to the See BAN, Page 3
response to DeVos vote
Students exhibit mixed reactions on controversial Secretary of Education CARLY RYAN
Daily Staff Reporter
JEREMY MITNICK/Daily
Students march through the Diag to protest the immigration executive order on Thursday.
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INDEX
Vol. CXXVII, No. 27 ©2016 The Michigan Daily
The U.S. Senate confirmed Betsy DeVos as secretary of education, with Vice President Mike Pence casting an unprecedented tie-breaking vote Tuesday. Despite a 24-hour effort by Senate Democrats to hold the f loor in protest of DeVos’ confirmation, they were unable to convince another Republican to change his or her vote. The Michigan native has been criticized for her lack of public school experience, which led Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) to describe her as “uniquely unqualified,” a phrase originally coined by former President Barack Obama in reference to President Donald Trump. Additionally, many Democrats, including Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D–Mich.), expressed concern about DeVos’ focus on charter schools, which have proved largely unsuccessful in See DEVOS, Page 3
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................6
SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6 SPORTS....................7