ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Inside:
The Best of 2018 B-Side ACADEMICS
ANN ARBOR
U Towers violates City housing code Student apartment building issued warning for disobeying regulations OLIVIA TAUBER Daily Staff Reporter
RUCHITA IYER/Daily
The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners celebrated swearing in District 2 Commissioner Sue Think at the Washtenaw County Administration Building Wednesday evening.
Ceremony ushers in new class of Washtenaw Commissioners
Democrats control every seat on the Board after sweeping November elections TAL LIPKIN
Daily Staff Reporter
Elected officials and local residents celebrated the swearing in of the new class of county commissioners at the Washtenaw County Administration Building on Tuesday night. Four incumbents and four new
members, all Democrats, officially assumed their roles on the Board of Commissioners, the first time the body has been entirely Democratic in its history. The county has the most Democratic representatives in the state of Michigan. Lawrence Kestenbaum, the
county clerk and register of deeds for Washtenaw County, led the swearing-in ceremony. In a nod to the “blue wave” that swept the Board, Kestenbaum discussed the importance of considering the entire scope of beliefs within the county, which he said was the “most wonder-
ful constituency anyone can have.” “The people around this table do not represent the whole political scope of this county,” Kestenbaum said. “Reach out to those who you do not agree See COMMISSIONERS, Page 2A
University Towers, a student apartment building on South Forest Avenue, was received a noncompliance notice from the city early this week threatening fines of more than $200 should they continue to fail to comply with municipal regulations. The notice informed University Towers it had failed “to correct violations within the time limits specified” in addition to a “failure to obtain a current certificate or compliance with the city of Ann Arbor.” The warning invokes the City of Ann Arbor Housing Code, which reads, “No person shall lease or otherwise make a dwelling or rooming unit available for occupancy if a certificate of compliance is not in effect for the unit.” Ann Arbor’s Rental Housing
Services office conducts inspections of residential units every 30 months and issues certificates of compliance for each property that passes the evaluation. The notice posted on the doors to University Towers declared “all tenants have the right to put their rent money in escrow for all unregistered rental units and/or those posted as non-compliant” and listed Jan. 10 as the follow-up date for the violation. Failure to comply by that date could result in ticketing of University Towers. When reached by phone, a receptionist from University Towers who did not identify herself said she had no comment on the matter at the time, but a manager may be able to comment at a later date. At the time of publication, The Daily was unable to reach a manager See TOWERS, Page 3A
Dean: ‘generations’ of Alpha Sigma Phi University ME/NA took part in hazing activities settle suit boxes now brothers National headquarters disputes characterizations of the chapter while ACADEMICS
included in Rackham 2019 apps
ADMINISTRATION
IFC and University stand by the disciplinary sanctions imposed in the fall ALEX HARRING Daily Staff Reporter
Dean of Students Laura Blake Jones called out the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity DESIGN BY CHRISTINE JEGARL at the University of Michigan in a message to MLive published Dec. 17. Blake Jones said “several genZAYNA SYED erations” took part in hazDaily Staff Reporter ing activities at the Theta chapter and the fraterniRackham Graduate ty’s national headquarters School announced last turned a “blind eye” to hazmonth they will include ing. Middle Eastern and North On. Nov. 7, the University African identit y options on terminated the fraternity their applications for Fall for hazing infractions with 2019. The identit y will fall opportunity for recoloniunder the white racial catzation after five calendar egor y, with Middle Eastern years. The IFC released a and North African identistatement saying the Counties as further specif icacil supported the Univertion, along with options sity’s decision following for applicants to identif y the Student Organization as European or other. The Advancement and Recognimove follows requests from tion review conducted by Arab students, staff and the Greek Activities Review facult y for the Universit y Panel. to off icially recog nize their Alpha Sigma Phi disassoidentities in a campaig n ciated from the University titled #WeExist. and Interfraternity CounThe #WeExist campaig n cil in September, opting began two years ago when instead to join the newly current and former stuformed Ann Arbor Interdents Silan Fadlallah, Jad fraternity Council. The Elharake, Devin Jones, fraternity cited new zonIbtihal Makki and former ing codes implemented by Central Student GovernCity Council as the reason ment vice president Nadine for the change. According Jawad had conversations to the Office of Greek Life, about what the Diversifraternities must answer to t y, Equit y and Inclusion the University regardless of See ME/NA, Page 3A governance.
#WeExist campaign calls for representation
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“These sanctions result from a Hazing Response Team investigation that found substantial evidence of dangerous recurring practices within Alpha Sigma Phi’s new member process, including forced alcohol consumption and violent physical hazing,” the IFC wrote in the statement. Nicole Banks, interim director of Greek Life and assistant dean of students, did not respond to The Daily’s request for comment. Kim Broekhuizen, associate director of the University’s Office of Public Affairs, said in an email that disaffiliation does not mean the chapter will not be held accountable. “The general practice of a minimum suspension
for five years allows time for the current students to matriculate from U-M and for the headquarters to put greater support in place for the chapter to operate effectively following a closure for cause, to ensure that the same challenges do not recur,” Broekhuizen wrote. “The University investigated complaints against Alpha Sigma Phi that occurred while the chapter was an active member of the Interfraternity Council. Alpha Sigma Phi’s intention to disaffiliate voluntarily did not absolve the chapter of accountability for its behavior.” The suspension from the IFC came before an MLive article published Dec. 5 disclosing the results of a
Freedom of Information Act request regarding the fraternity’s closure. Text messages and emails between members of Alpha Sigma Phi described a “40-yard dash,” during which members would allegedly run on pledges’ backs during the chapter’s “Hell Week.” The fraternity brothers described the event taking place and a student being injured. “We had people run our backs during our hell week,” an Alpha Sigma Phi member wrote in a group message obtained through the FOIA request. “That doesn’t mean it’s a tradition or a (good) idea, but it means (it’s) become normalized by us.” See HAZING, Page 3A
DESIGN BY MICHELLE FAN
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INDEX
Vol. CXXVIII, No. 50 ©2018 The Michigan Daily
for $300k
U-M denies liability for wrongful termination of a former employee AMARA SHAIKH Daily News Editor
The University of Michigan has agreed to a $300,000 settlement after former employee, Amy J. Wang, claimed she was wrongfully terminated by the school. Through an attorney, the University signed the settlement on Dec. 3, which was later released to MLive after a public records request. According to the lawsuit, associate vice president of finance Nancy Hobbs, who was Wang’s boss, had asked Wang to “fraudulently misrepresent” the role of another employee to federal immigration officials. Wang’s complaint arose because the employee, who was working at the University through a North American Free Trade Agreement program allowing temporary work visas, was in a permanent managerial role despite restrictions in the program’s regulations prohibiting such a position. Wang claimed when she refused to lie about the employee’s status she was See LAWSUIT, Page 3A
NEWS......................... 2A OPINION.....................4A SPORTS......................6A
SUDOKU.....................2A CL ASSIFIEDS............... 5A ARTS...................1B- 6B