ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Friday, November 17, 2017
Ann Arbor, Michigan
michigandaily.com
CAMPUS LIFE
TEDx event announced to be Black Box themed Annual event aims to ask participants to discuss topics that have not been solved JULIA FORD For the Daily
HALEY MCLAUGHLIN/Daily
CSG members vote at the CSG Divestment Resolution meeting in the Modern Languages Building Tuesday.
Students reflect on #UMDivest decision, discuss divided campus
After CSG passes resolution to encourage ‘U’ to divest, students concerned for safety JORDYN BAKER Daily Staff Reporter
During Tuesday night’s Central Student Government meeting, which extended into early Wednesday morning, the resolution to call for a committee within the University of Michigan’s Board of Regents to investigate and consider divesting from companies allegedly involved in Palestinian human rights violations passed for the first time in the University’s Ann
Arbor campus history. The results of this vote were met with a wide range of intense emotions from students across campus as well as attendees of the public meeting. For those in support of the resolution, the announcement of the final vote — 23 in favor, 17 against and 5 abstained — yielded hugs and tears of joy followed by celebration outside the Modern Languages Building. One member of Students Allied for Freedom and Equality, the group that proposed the resolution, contrasted these tears from those
of disappointment shed in years past by resolution supporters. “We see tears after every resolution for people that want it to pass because we’re so sad that it didn’t pass. But the tears this time, it was tears of joy, tears of disbelief, and people were really sobbing because it was so unprecedented,” the SAFE member, who asked to remain anonymous for safety concerns, explained. They spoke of one Palestinian student who, before coming to the University, was urged by
family members to choose a different university because of the marginalization of Palestinian voices the family had seen on campus. When the results were announced, the SAFE member explained, this student fell to the ground in astonishment. LSA senior Hafsa Tout explained the atmosphere of the room as the results were announced. They especially noted the uncertainty they felt that the resolution would pass. “Up to the very moment of See RESPONSE, Page 3A
Thursday night, a large, painted cube sat in the Diag and invited passersby to chalk their answers to questions such as: “What is a mystery that can’t be solved?” The cube, along with hot chocolate, donuts and glow sticks were featured for the reveal of TedxUofM’s 2018 conference theme: “Black Box.” While the speakers have yet to be announced, eight University of Michigan affiliates will present talks in February, all centered around the idea of “Black Box.” Kinesiology senior Jackie Katz, co-director of the conference, said selecting a theme was a lengthy process. “We chose ‘Black Box’ this year kind of with the idea of when you know the input and you know the output, but you don’t know what’s happening on the inside,” Katz said. “It’s
like a mystery that needs to be solved, kind of like unknown. Also, the black box is a term for the recording device in an airplane, so it holds the secrets.” TedxUofM aims to select an inclusive theme that will work for a variety of speakers and strive to find a concept that will excite their audience. Business sophomore Neil Desai, attendees lead co-director, said he was impressed with the reaction within the membership to this year’s selection. “Black Box is kind of unique because someone shouted it out at one of our meetings, and right away, the immediate reaction was like ‘ooh, wow,’ and everyone just started talking,” Desai said. “That’s the biggest thing, we want people to be talking about this theme.” Engineering senior Umang Lathia, TedxUofM speaker coach, said members research and try to select speakers See TEDX, Page 3A
Shift talent show celebrates cultural University A2 police team wins individuality through performance oversight
CAMPUS LIFE
ANN ARBOR
big data challenge
Students feature visual arts and poetry about immigrant and first-gen experiecnce
Team from the University won the Adobe Analytics Challenge earlier in Nov.
Featuring visual art, poetry and performances from University of Michigan students and organizations about the experiences of immigrant and first-generation students at the University, the Shift Talent Showcase drew a crowd of 100 students, faculty and Ann Arbor community members to the Pendleton Room of the Michigan Union Thursday night. Hosted by University organizations Redefine, Call for Humanity, the Iraqi Student Association, Refugees To College, Students Organize for Syria and Zeta Omega Eta, the showcases highlighted performers and artists on campus who seek to express their individual cultures and create dialogue for social issues. Prior to the performances, attendees circulated in the back of Pendleton, browsing photo exhibits and illustrations by University students and the Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County, a refugee resettlement organization. The exhibits and performances displayed themes of cultural individuality, acceptance in the United States and combatting cultural stereotypes. According to LSA junior Mariam Reda, a cofounder of Redefine and organizer of the event, the idea for Shift was developed in August and is
RENATA TERRAZZAN For the Daily
Earlier this month, the University of Michigan took first place in the Adobe Analytics Challenge. The challenge focuses on giving college students access to Adobe’s analytics products and data from real-world organizations and companies. This year the groups analyzed MGM Resorts International, using data science to compete for the grand prize of $35,000. This year’s team, “Adjusted R Squared,” was comprised of three Business graduate students: Rajiv Khattar, Rei Liao and Erica Kirshensteyn, along with their academic adviser, Prof. Hyun-Soo Ahn. Kirshensteyn said though they did not know each other before they got started, they quickly became a very strong team. “The call for teams was fairly early on in our programs, so admittedly, our group was somewhat randomly assembled,” Kirshensteyn said. “However, our various backgrounds and perspectives complemented each other, with Rajiv coming from HR See CHALLENGE, Page 3A
GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
MATT HARMON Daily Staff Reporter
Redefine’s first event. She said the founders wanted to focus on cross-cultural communication and art. “We thought that, in the campus climate right now, it’s really necessary for students of all different backgrounds and ethnic groups to come together in one room with all their creative talents and be able to discuss one topic and I feel like, right now, it’s a really good time to have
something like this happen,” Reda said. “Through this, we really just try to promote the connection and congregation between art and social justice.” Cultural exhibitions from regions including the Middle East, Brazil, India, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and others were included in Shift. The performance element of Shift kicked off with a demonstration from the
University’s Capoeira Club, an organization on campus that practices the Afro-Brazilian form of martial arts. Inviting audience members to perform and play instruments along with the organization fostered community among cultures from the beginning of the event. Performances from individual students and groups followed, including spoken word poetry, See SHOW, Page 3A
REVIEW
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor listens to the report of the Human Rights Commission meeting in the Community Television Network Thursday.
For more stories and coverage, visit
michigandaily.com
INDEX
Vol. CXXVII, No. 33 ©2017 The Michigan Daily
board faces criticism
AAPD event drew both support and opposition from local community ANDREW HIYAMA Daily Staff Reporter
Eight months after Ann Arbor City Council approved a $200,000 review of the practices and policies of the city’s police department by the Chicago-based security firm Hillard Heintze LLC, many residents and City Councilmembers expected the review would result in the recommendation to create a citizen oversight board. The firm has released its comprehensive 105-page report on the department, which includes 67 recommendations. Chief among those is the recommendation to create what many residents see as a watered-down version of an oversight board –– what Hillard Heintze is calling a “Co-Produced Policing Committee”. Unlike a civilian oversight board, the CPPC would not have the power to conduct its own investigations of complaints against the AAPD –– instead, it would review investigations conducted by the AAPD’s office of internal affairs and communicate with AAPD regarding such investigations on behalf of the community. At a City Council work session See AAPD, Page 3A
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................6
SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6 SPORTS....................7