2019-09-04 by The Michigan Daily

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Ann Arbor, Michigan

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GEO demands more info on City calls out new international student fee U-M for lack Graduate students union publishes petition seeking answers on additional expense of help with housing issue As ‘U’ looks to improve facilities, Council questions A2 affordability JULIA FANZERES Daily Staff Reporter

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ALEX HARRING Daily Staff Reporter

The Graduate Employee Organization published a petition last month requesting more information about a recently approved University of Michigan fee for most international students. The additional expense was created to bolster support services for international students at the University. The petition, which was published on Change.org three weeks ago, has amassed more

than 380 signatures as of press time. GEO decided to create the petition to stand up for all University students who will face additional obstacles in their path to degree completion because of the fee, said Rackham student Allan Martell, co-chair of GEO’s International Students’ Caucus. The fee doesn’t actually apply to all graduate students — for example, Ph.D. students currently have the fee waived. But GEO decided to create the petition to stand up for all University

students who will face additional obstacles in their path to degree completion because of the fee, said Rackham student Allan Martell, co-chair of GEO’s International Students’ Caucus. “I know many other international students who are masters and (undergraduates),” Martell said. “They, for the most part, are not covered under GEO — there is only a handful of students who are. Even if most members of our association wouldn’t be affected, we are acting out of solidarity and recognition that

this is going to affect people other than ourselves and people who are making a lot of sacrifices so that they can find their studies here at Michigan.” In the petition, GEO argued the fee contradicts the goals of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan on campus. GEO wrote the fee not only creates additional financial burden but adds to the issues international students already face with national immigration policies and political discourse. See GEO, Page 2A

University representatives faced criticism from city councilmembers Monday night for what elected officials called its lack of involvement in combating Ann Arbor’s affordable housing shortage. The City Council meeting began with a presentation of infrastructure improvement plans by University Campus Planner Susan Gott and Director of Community Relations Michael Rein. The University’s newest plans are centered on enhancing campus life with an emphasis on sustainability. A large portion of the presentation focused on renovating University housing, including Mary Markley Hall and the Northwood IV & V apartments. At the conclusion of the presentation, Jeff Hayner, D-Ward 1, asked if the University would consider aiding the crisis by building affordable housing in

GOVERNMENT

A2 teacher First CSG meeting discusses new pens play projects, STI testing policy, SOFC criticizing Officers to send out survey regarding UHS insurance policy update Sec. DeVos Satirical musical advocates for public education, mocks Education Secretary LEAH GRAHAM Daily News Editor

Standing in Theatre Nova on Saturday night, Ann Arbor Community High School teacher Quinn Strassel welcomed dozens of audience members to a staged reading of the musical he spent the summer crafting. His subject: U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, whom he dubs “the most controversial woman in the world” in the opening number. Strassel wrote and directed “Betsy DeVos! The Musical!” over the summer. DeVos — a prominent Republican donor and an advocate of charter schools — is heavily caricatured in the play and portrayed as a die-hard antagonist of public schools. Strassel said he uses humor to tackle complicated topics, adding that he hopes the show demonstrates the importance of public education as well as critically talking about proposals DeVos has put forward. “I hope it starts a new conversation about public schools,” Strassel said. “I think sometimes humor can help tackle complex and difficult issues in public schools. I think public school policy is complicated, and people of every political persuasion, have difficulty making sense of it — and DeVos advocated for guns in schools.” See DEVOS, Page 3A

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The Central Student Government discussed several upcoming executive projects including game day hydration stations as well as plans to address the change in University policy regarding coverage for sexually transmitted diseases during its first assembly of the school year Tuesday night. At the beginning of the meeting, Isabelle Blanchard, CSG

vice president and LSA senior, discussed the success of the first game day this previous Saturday with the creation of several hydration stations. Hydration stations located across campus provided water and food to ensure student safety. MDining, Center for Campus Involvement and Fraternity and Sorority Life donated hot dogs and water for the stations. Blanchard said CSG hopes to make these stations more sustainable this year by including compostable cups at

water refill stations rather than distributing disposable plastic water bottles. “This year we are trying to make them a little more sustainable,” Blanchard said. “we tried doing compostable cups instead of plastic water bottles, and that is a model we are trying to figure out how to do at other stations.” Both Ben Gerstein, CSG president and Public Policy junior, and Blanchard addressed the recent changes to the University

Health Service insurance, specifically with regard to the elimination of coverage for sexually transmitted infection screening. They expressed concern regarding the issue and the student response. “The change did happen in July, but there is a lot more traction on it now, and so we have been preparing for this already, starting by making a survey to gain feedback on this,” Blanchard said. See CSG, Page 3A

CLAIRE MEINGAST/Daily The University of Michigan Central Student Government holds their first meeting of the school year at the Michigan League Tuesday evening.

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Ann Arbor. “Is there any appetite for the University considering building additional housing for staff, students and faculty to take pressure off the housing market in the city?” Hayner said. “Because we know we have an affordability crisis, and a lot of that is demand — just basic demand for housing — and the open market isn’t able to supply it in a quality way that the University can.” Rein said while the University creates initiatives to bring the Ann Arbor community and University together, the school does not want to compete against the marketplace and, except for student housing, building living spaces are “just not the mission of the University.” This comment sparked pushback from several members urging that affordable housing should also be a University issue.