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ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Ann Arbor, Michigan

michigandaily.com

“In-State”: A reflection on the U.P., its

students and the University of Michigan the

statement ANN ARBOR

Issues with water draws conflict with 2 A landlord Tenants recount problems dealing with manager of Carlson Properties

ASHA LEWIS/DAILY Students and Ann Arbor residents enjoy Springfest, the annual festival organized by MUSIC Matters to showcase the best of what the University and Ann Arbor have to offer at the corner of State Street and North University Tuesday.

SpringFest showcases live music, local arts, student organizations

Festival features more than 65 student organziations and Ann Arbor businesses HANNAH MACKAY Daily Staff Reporter

Tuesday afternoon, MUSIC Matters hosted their annual SpringFest, a festival of live performances, art installations and dozens of local and University

showcases. SpringFest was held alongside State Street and North University Avenue, which were closed down for the duration of the event. Attendees enjoying longawaited warm weather walked among food trucks, exhibitions and tables from more than 65

student organizations and local businesses while listening to continuous live music. SpringFest Chair Anuksha Singh, Business senior, said MUSIC Matters went into the year with ambitious goals for the daytime festival, which is actually only one part of

SpringFest — the event also includes a nighttime concert, which this year featured rapper A$AP Ferg. Singh remarked on a desire to continuously expand the event, involving and attracting more people. See MUSIC, Page 3A

RACHEL LEUNG Daily Staff Reporter

Housing disputes tend to be between a landlord and a tenant, but in LSA junior Samantha Goldstein’s and her roommates’ case, their disagreement found them allied with their landlord and fighting against their neighbor’s landlord. Now, Goldstein and her landlord, Kaveh Esmael, are speaking out about their neighbor’s abusive proprietor. Goldstein and her six roommates live in a house on South University Avenue between Walnut and Linden streets, about a five-minute walk from campus. On March 25, Goldstein and her

roommates notified Esmael, their landlord, that their water had stopped working and their basement had f looded. Esmael, manager of Ava Holdings LLC, checked on their property. He suspected the problem was larger than just a plumbing issue and called the Ann Arbor Public Works Department. According to Esmael, an Ann Arbor Public Works employee, whose name Esmael could not remember, responded to the property. The city employee determined the water main line had burst, but it also needed to be replaced due to the 2018 revised Lead and Copper Rule. See LANDLORD, Page 3A

Outgoing VP Jack Hu looks back on PD Soros Sierra Club fellowship career overseeing research at ‘U’ hosts talk

ACADEMICS

awarded to grad student Cherline Bazile receives prestigious scholarship to pursue higher degree LIAT WEINSTEIN Daily Staff Reporter

Rackham student Cherline Bazile won the 2019 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, making her one of 30 students across the country to be selected for the scholarship. The PD Soros Fellowship offers $90,000 to high-achieving immigrants or children of immigrants to pursue a graduate degree in any field of study in the United States. Since its founding in 1997, 12 University of Michigan graduates have been selected for the award. Bazile, who was raised by Haitian immigrants in Florida, earned a bachelor’s degree in English at Harvard University before coming to the University. Currently, she is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and is in the process of writing a novel. Bazile said she is grateful for the support system that helped give her strength to succeed, especially because systemic barriers like poverty and lack of opportunity often stand in the way of many immigrants or first-generation students seeking higher education. See FELLOWSHIP, Page 3A

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ANN ARBOR

After 30 years at Michigan, professor to leave for new post at University of Georgia SAYALI AMIN

Daily News Editor

S. Jack Hu is the current vice president for research at the University of Michigan, but will be joining the University of Georgia as its next vice president for academic affairs and provost beginning July 1. Hu has spent the past 30 years at Michigan, first as a masters and doctoral student (’86, ’90), then as a faculty member. He is a J. Reid and Polly Anderson professor of manufacturing, professor of mechanical engineering and professor of industrial and operations engineering. Prior to his role as vice president for research, Hu served as the associate dean

for academic affairs and the associate dean for research and graduate education in the College of Engineering. The Michigan Daily sat down for an interview with Hu to discuss his time at the University as he reflects on his academic and administrative career. The Michigan Daily: As your time at Michigan comes to an end, how do you feel? Jack Hu: I’m not completely leaving Michigan — I have a few students, I have a few active grants, so those will continue in some way. But as a graduate of the University, I will always be affiliated, associated with the University. I may be departing from here, but the University will

never leave me. TMD: In this position, what are you the most proud of while you have been here? JH: I would say I changed the culture somewhat in a number of areas. We (the Office of Research) really instilled a service attitude, and I think in our value statement we have the word ‘altruistic.’ The words we use are that we take joyful satisfaction in faculty success, so I think that really is what we do: supporting faculty, catalyzing research. I think Michigan has done well as the top public research university for seven years in a row, in spite of challenges with uncertainty in federal support for research.

We tried to diversify sources of funding, tried to have more support from industry, from foundations and from individuals … together, the University has done well. The reputation is always excellent, other universities — big and small, good and not so good, they all come to Michigan to benchmark. Whether we’re doing the right thing or not, people come to us, but I think we are doing the right things. Maintaining that leadership role as the top public research university, of course credit goes to faculty. If they’re not writing grants, they’re not doing research — we would not be as successful. See RESEARCH, Page 3A

on PFAS in Michigan

Presentation analyzes ongoing crisis caused by chemical contamination JIALIN ZHANG

Daily Staff Reporter

On Tuesday, the Huron Valley Group of the Sierra Club hosted a presentation at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens Auditorium addressing the per- and polyfluoroalkyl crisis in Michigan. The presentation featured Christy McGillivray, Great Lakes state organizer for the Sierra Club, and Brian Steglitz, manager of water treatment services for the city of Ann Arbor. The presentation began with McGillivray defining PFAS and identifying its properties and uses. Known as “forever chemicals,” PFAS is a class of chemicals that is waterproof, greaseproof and fireproof. They are often found in industrial and consumer products such as fire fighting foam, non-stick cookware and stain-resistant fabrics. McGillivray then discussed the health risks associated with PFAS, such as cancer and immune system weakening.