2018-03-13 by The Michigan Daily

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Ann Arbor, Michigan

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GOVERNMENT

‘U’s ask for delay in vote on bill about misconduct State public universities ask to postpone Nassar-inspired bills fearing higher risk LEAH GRAHAM Daily Staff Reporter

MATT VAILLIENCOURT/Daily

Derrick Kayongo, founder of the Global Soup Project and CEO of the Center for Civil and Human Rights, speaks about ethics and his experiences in Uganda, the United States, and other countries at Rackham Monday.

Global Soap Project founder talks significance of service in business

Derrick Kayongo ties his experience as a refugee to lessons of believing in others AMARA SHAIKH Daily Staff Reporter

The Delta Gamma Foundation and the University of Michigan Office of Greek Life welcomed 2011 CNN Hero Derreck Kayongo Monday evening as the keynote speaker for the University’s fourth Delta Gamma Lectureship in Values & Ethics. Kayongo’s speech centered on how his personal experiences with his family and as a refugee in Kenya shaped his desire to establish

the Global Soap Project, which takes donated, reprocessed soap from hotels and distributes it to communities in need. Along with founding the Global Soap Project, Kayongo is currently the CEO for the Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. LSA sophomore Kim Ira, director of lectureship for the Delta Gamma Xi chapter, explained the organization selected Kayongo for his humanitarian efforts and desire for social change. The annual lectureship, endowed in 2010 by Ann Arbor Delta Gamma

chapters and alums, is one of 20 such lectureships which take place across the country. “Derreck embodies a lot of humanitarian values and I thought his story of social entrepreneurship could be something really relevant to the Michigan campus because so many people here are ambitious and driven but they have a social change mindset along with this,” Ira said. “Derreck’s message, his backstory as a refugee, his message of public health, social change and a business mindset is something that appeals to so many people on the Michigan

campus and it really represents the values of Delta Gamma.” Kayongo began by describing how his parents’ professions in business fields shaped his childhood in Uganda as well the various political issues the country faced, which eventually led to his family fleeing to Kenya. He recalled an instance where a firing squad began killing people in his village and caused him to distrust adults because of the damage they could cause in an area. “I was 10 years old watching See KAYONGO, Page 1

Michigan’s 15 public universities requested the state legislature on Monday to postpone voting on a package of bills aimed at combating sexual assault and expanding survivors’ legal rights, citing worry about measures that would allow more lawsuits to be filed against government agencies including the universities by giving victims more time to file. The Michigan state Senate is scheduled to vote later this week on the legislation, which was inspired by the recent trial of Larry Nassar, a former doctor at Michigan State University who sexually abused hundreds of young patients and students. The Michigan Association of State Universities — of which the University is a member — the coordinating board for the state’s public universities, wrote in a letter to lawmakers and Gov. Rick Snyder the bills would have a “profound impact.”

An analysis from Dykema, a law firm commissioned by the board, indicated the laws would lead to a “significant number” of lawsuits against the universities and other organizations, including governments and churches, posing a financial risk by potentially increasing the cost of insurance and negatively impacting government credit ratings. MASU’s CEO Daniel Hurley asked for more time to consider the effects of the legislation. “We ask that decisions on these bills be delayed to allow for more analysis and discussion to ascertain their full impact,” Hurley wrote in the group’s letter to lawmakers. Currently, survivors of childhood sexual abuse in Michigan have until their 19th birthdays to file lawsuits. Under the proposed legislation, children who suffered abuse in 1993 or later would be able to sue before they turned 48 and adult victims of assault would have 30 years to file a claim after the fact. See NASSAR, Page 3

City Council discusses affordability of New center Educators will study water rates, pay of City Administrator in state see

RESEARCH

ACADEMICS

substance use, health

Citizens criticize higher water fees, while members debate increase in overhead costs

School of Nursing’s DASH Center to focus on how use affects at-risk groups

In a budget meeting and special session on Monday night, Ann Arbor City Council discussed incorporating a new customer classification for water rates, implementing a capital financing strategy to address issues such as street lighting and a compensation increase for the City Administrator. During the budget meeting, City of Ann Arbor Public Services proposed plans to create a new addition to the customer classification system used to address affordability in Ann Arbor water rates. Water rates were previously classified among three categories: Residential, non-residential and water only. With the new public services model, the rates would reflect a fourth category; multifamily, which, according to Public Services Administrator Craig Hupy, is a class of customers that is easier to serve. “We identified it as a class that is easier to serve,” Hupy said in response to a question fielded by City Council regarding each individual’s ability to pay these rates. “We can only look at that, we can’t look at what they can pay.” If the new classification goes through, about 2,500 accounts will be reclassified. During the public comment, several Ann Arbor residents including Leon Bryson expressed their concern

KATE JENKINS

Daily Staff Reporter

In January, the University of Michigan opened the Center for the Study of Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking, and Health, affiliated with the School of Nursing. Carol Boyd, a Deborah J. Oakley Collegiate professor in the Nursing School, and Sean Esteban McCabe, former director of the Substance Abuse Research Center, co-direct the new center, which increased its public persona when its website went live last week. The University already has multiple research centers that explore addiction and substance use and abuse, including the Addiction Center, housed in the Michigan Medicine Department of Psychiatry, and the University of Michigan Tobacco Research Network. The DASH center, however, will hone in on substance use and the wider reaching social issues associated with it. Specifically, the center’s researchers share an interest in at-risk See DASH, Page 3

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GRACE KAY

Daily Staff Reporter

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regarding this new water rate plan. “The resolution is to increase the rate so that the residents are actually paying what it costs,” Bryson said. “If we use this model for water rates we are setting a model. I’m concerned that if we do this, we have to do it for all areas of government. We can’t just apply it to water. I think there needs to be a bit more discussion for structuring the

tiers based on how we use the services.” Explaining their reasoning behind this new classification and the rate increase, Andrew Burnham, vice president and practice leader at Stantec, argued their proposal was common and meets the needs of the data from water use. “We now have a way to serve to customer classes and we are reflecting that in our rate

system,” Burnham said. “Now we have identified how much we use for each customer. Then what rate structure fits each customer. These are directly proportional rates based on the demand per cubic feet that these place on the system peak demands.” In addition to discussing water rates, Hupy told the council they are currently interviewing four vendors for the Solid Waste See COUNCIL, Page 1

increase in average pay

Rising $405 from last year, 2016-17 is the first pay increase in five years REMY FARKAS

Daily Staff Reporter

During the 2016-2017 school year, the average salary of teachers in Michigan increased for the first time in five years. The Michigan Department of Education reported the average salary of a Michigan public school teacher was $62,280 this past school year, up $405 from the 20152016 school year. Salaries peaked during the 2009-2010 school year at $63,024, $744 higher than the current salary. As reported by MLive, the average teacher’s pay does not include benefits, but includes extra pay beyond base salary including longevity bonuses, compensation for coaching or large class size. MLive stated lower average salaries in recent years were the result of fewer raises, wage rollbacks, an increase of younger, less-experienced teachers and decrease of older, more-experienced teachers (as teachers are paid by experience) and an increase in charter schools. DARBY STIPE/Daily

Mayor Christopher Taylor and city council members debate changes to the employment agreement for city administrators at the city council meeting in City Hall Monday.

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INDEX

NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................6