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ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

Monday, April 8, 2019

Ann Arbor, Michigan

michigandaily.com

Title-bound

Michigan women’s gymnastics moves to NCAA Championships after edging out Alabama for secondplace finish at regionals in Ann Arbor.

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HASH BASH celebrates legalization

Festival hosts US representative Debbie Dingell and activist John Sinclair, among others SAMANTHA SMALL Daily Staff Reporter

MAX KUANG/Daily

For the past 48 years, the first Saturday of April is accompanied by a potent haze that drifts across the Diag and all the way down State Street. At “high noon,” the University of Michigan’s campus welcomes a swarm of marijuana activists, entrepreneurs and enthusiasts from across the globe, all raising a joint in unison in celebration of the annual Hash Bash festival. This year, though,

marked the start of a new era in cannabis culture. In a 56-44-percent margin, Michigan voters passed Proposal 18-1, an initiative legalizing marijuana for those above the age of 21. Michigan is the first state in the midwest to pass this legislation, joining California, Colorado and the District of Columbia, among others. This Saturday, following

GOVERNMENT

‘U’ students arrested in New York City protest Incoming LSA transfer and junior rally against Taglit-Birthright Israel CATHERINE NOUHAN Daily Staff Reporter

Two University of Michigan students were arrested in New York City Friday for their role in protests outside the headquarters of Taglit-Birthright Israel. In total, seven students from the University were present at the demonstration, which included approximately 200 Jewish members of IfNotNow, an activist group that opposes Israel’s presence in the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and the West Bank. IfNotNow wants Birthright Israel to address political issues such as the treatment of Palestinians and to educate participants on Palestinian perspectives on Israel’s control over the region. The students protesting Friday demanded changes to the Birthright Israel trip, the free 10-day trip to Israel for young Jewish adults aged 18 to 32. Incoming LSA transfer student Zu Weinger and LSA junior Becca Lubow were arrested along with 13 other activists for blocking the entrance to the Birthright Israel building.

the victory at the ballot box in November, a banner underneath the Harlan Hatcher Library that last year read “LEGALIZE 2018,” was adjusted with black spray paint to now proclaim: “LEGALIZED 2018.” Originally, Hash Bash was held on April 1, 1972 in protest of the conviction placed upon cultural activist and poet John Sinclair.

The decision, made by the Michigan Supreme Court, sentenced Sinclair to 9.5 to 10 years in prison for the possession of two marijuana joints. This conviction sparked national outrage, prompting The John Sinclair Freedom Rally in 1971, bringing worldwide superstars like John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Bob Seger and Stevie Wonder to the Crisler Center.

Shortly after the historic assembly, Sinclair was released in December of 1971. This year, Sinclair stepped up to the microphone to perform his spoken word poetry with guitarist Laith Al-Saadi, who kicked off the celebration with an electric guitar cover of the “Star Spangled Banner.” Before delivering his poetry, Sinclair encouraged the crowd to “light

up and join me, if you got one,” and touched on how he’s seen the legacy of Hash Bash grow. “Welcome to legalization in the state of Michigan,” Sinclair said. “You haven’t been here before unless you were here in 1972 when we started it.

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

Annual ‘Festifools’ parade showcases Symposium puppets created by students, volunteers highlights RESEARCH

Creative event aims to entertain, educate and increase appreciation of arts SONIA LEE

Daily Staff Reporter

Sunday afternoon, students and Ann Arbor residents gathered for the annual FestiFools public art parade on South Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor. Papier-maché puppets created and controlled by University of Michigan students and volunteers, along with other artists and dancers, performed under the theme “Dancin’ FOOLS.” The parade, organized by WonderFool productions, is one in a series of public art parades the group puts on throughout the year, including FOOLmoon and ypsiGLOW. All of the events feature puppets and luminaries — puppets lit up in the dark — parading in a public area to both

entertain the community and to increase appreciation for arts and arts education. Emilia Smith, a volunteer at FestiFools who had traveled from Chicago for FOOLMoon and FestiFools, said her first experience with the puppets at FOOLMoon amazed her. “I went to the FOOLMoon on Friday night and that was incredible,” Smith said. “I made a luminary that was a worm and that was really fun. Everyone was taking photos and dancing and enjoying it together so that was great, definitely brings people together, and brings out their creative sides.” First-year students in the Lloyd Hall Scholars Program along with community volunteers created a vast majority of the puppets, which

are human-powered and made using wires, papier-maché, fabric and any other materials students found. Puppets included a cow representing climate change, a dragon and one of Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor. Students in the Lloyd Hall Scholars Program class Art in Public Spaces were tasked with building puppets conveying a message important to them. Engineering freshman Shivangi Sinha is enrolled in the course and built a puppet together of Queen Elizabeth II. Sinha emphasized the work the students put into making the puppets and hoped onlookers would appreciate the messages within the art. “I hope everyone has fun and sees students spent weeks on the puppets,” she said. “This past

week we spent so many hours finishing our puppets.” FestiFools also collaborates with Ypsilanti Community High School students to build artwork for the parade as well. Ypsilanti Community High School seniors Alexis Smith and Maximilian Harper created boxes they would wear in the parade to convey social justice issues important to them. “We made a total of seven different boxes,” Harper said. “We wanted them all to cover different social issues, so I did gun violence, we did pride, we did women’s equality. And on the back, we all had letters, which all spell out ‘We are one.’”