Ross Speaks on Campus Racism During Conversation on Race
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Do we Trust Mainstream Media? Opinions, page 3 Marianna’s Trench at Get to Know: Their Highest Point Sigma Gamma Rho A&E, page 4 Student Life, page 6 michiganjournal.org THE STUDENT PUBLICATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-DEARBORN VOL. XLV, No. 16 | February 16, 2016 Ross Speaks on Campus Racism During Conversation on Race Ricky Lindsay/MJ Best-selling author Lawrence Ross spoke about campus racism at the University of Michigan-Dearborn Tuesday, Feb. 9 in part of its Conversation on Race series. By RICKY LINDSAY McDonough, OSE’s coordinator for He hoped attendees received “a new Editor-in-Chief greek life, were key in organizing the realization about what campus racism is @RLindz35 event. historically and the various aspects of Best-selling author Lawrence Ross “After looking through a few people, it.” visited the University of Michigan- we just decided that, being some of the “Once they actually do that, then Dearborn Tuesday, Feb. 9 in part of its events that have gone on this past year what they can be able to do is help join Conversation on Race series. in higher education (racial tension at the actually join to be anti-racist in terms of Ross spoke about racism on college University of Missouri, for example), not joining in, in terms of doing things campuses to those in attendance at we just felt that this would be a good and then actually being able to be fluent Kochoff Hall. The event was presented speaker to bring,” Overall said. about speaking to other students about by the Office for Student Engagement Ross covered four areas of campus it,” Ross said. “Once you do that, that’s and the Office of the Chancellor. Ross racism during his presentation: how you break it up. That’s how you is on tour for his book Blackballed: segregation and anti-affirmative action, break it apart.” The Black and White Politics of Race, campus symbolism, Interfraternity Ross said it is important for college which was published Feb. 2. Council (IFC) fraternities and Ricky Lindsay/MJ Dexter Overall, OSE’s coordinator Panhellenic sororities and racial micro- Conversation on Race Lawrence Ross held a book signing following his presentation at UM- for diversity programs, and Kristin aggressions. continued from page 2 Dearborn’s Conversation on Race on Feb. 9. Men’s Basketball Breaks Program Wins Record By RICKY LINDSAY Taylor Langley said. the playoffs and make some Editor-in-Chief The previous program noise. We’re not like the @RLindz35 record for wins in a season Lions, we don’t want to hop The 2015-2016 University was 13. The Wolverines in the playoffs and just hop of Michigan-Dearborn men’s accomplished this feat twice, right out. We want to actually basketball team is the best in winning 13 games in the take advantage of it.” the program’s history. 1982-1983 and 1999-2000 Other Wolverines echoed The Wolverines won their seasons. Standtke’s sentiments 14th game Wednesday — a “It’s huge. It’s kind of a regarding a late-season push. 59-57 victory over Madonna small feat for us because we The team currently sits at — breaking the program still want more... I don’t want sixth place in the Wolverine record for single-season to break the record and then Hoosier Athletic Conference. wins. have a losing record,” senior “We’ve just started. We’re “I’d put it right up there forward Paul Standtke said. trying to finish out the season; with the biggest wins in the “We don’t want to be the best we’re trying to kill this history of the program, well team in school history with Ricky Lindsay/MJ before me for 40 years,” a losing record. We want to Program Record Deonte Bell celebrates after dunking in the second half of UM-Dearborn’s 59-57 win over Madonna Wednesday. UM-Dearborn head coach get a winning record, make continued on page 7 NEWS...........................................2 The Michigan Journal is what’s OPINIONS.................................3 a proud member of the inside A&E..........................................4-5 Associated College Press. ..................... the MJ STUDENT LIFE 6 Michigan Journal @MichiganJournal themichiganjournal SPORTS.................................7-8 NEWSEditor: [email protected] 2 michiganjournal.org | Vol. XLV, No. 16 February 16, 2016 Natarajan Remembered for Impact on Students By MARIA KANSO well, he’ll be a good teacher. I would like to the ISC will be part of. Staff Reporter hire him.’” Michael Bowyer, president of the ISC, saw The University of Michigan-Dearborn lost The number of hours Natarajan spent how much effort Natarajan was willing to put in an immensely revered faculty member, Nattu helping students are a symbol of his passion on the team in order to ensure that each person Natarajan, on Saturday, Jan. 30. He was 63, for teaching and desire to help others. learned what they were supposed to learn. according to the UM-Dearborn Reporter. UM- “He has impressed me very much as being “He spent hours on end with us; he stayed Dearborn held a memorial for him on Friday, absolutely dedicated to the welfare of the late past 10 p.m. with us. Multiple times Feb. 12 in the Institute for Advanced Vehicle students. He just loved teaching and he was he came in on weekends just to teach us Systems building. always here,” said Anthony England, Dean something as simple as a GPS,” Bowyer said. An associate professor in the Electrical and of the College of Engineering and Computer “He spent so much time with all the students Computer Science engineering department Science. “You could come at 11 o’clock at night and really wanted to make sure they excelled since 1988, Natarajan has served as the epitome and he would be roaming the halls, looking for and understood anything he taught. “ of inspiration for thousands of students and students to help.” One of the most significant characteristics faculty members. To help students use the skills they acquire in Natarajan was known for was his sense of Natarajan graduated with a Bachelors classrooms, Natarajan initiated the Intelligence humor and his immense wealth of knowledge. in Technology from the Indian Institute in System Club in 2001. In ISC, members build “He’s so knowledgeable that I could just ask Technology in Madras, India and earned his and design robots and participate in yearly him any question, and I would get essentially Master’s degree and PhD from the University competitions. Professor Natarajan first taught a free lecture on this subject, whatever it may of California, Berkeley. them how to program robots, but mostly gave be,” said Zachary Degeorge, a UM-Dearborn “August 1988 was a milestone month for the members the advantage of discovering how electrical and computer engineer graduate. me, the reason is, I was sitting in my office — I to do things on their own. A new collegiate professorship in was the chair of the department — and a young Because of Natarajan’s efforts and engineering education will be created by the man dressed in a suit is at the counter,” said inspiration, ISC has won first place over UM-Dearborn in the name of Natarajan. M. Shridhar, a professor in the Electrical and several states for the last couple of years. As a “You don’t replace somebody like that; you result, the Dr. Nattu Smile Award has recently just hope that somebody else comes along with Computer Engineering department, about the Photo courtesy of UM-Dearborn been named after him, which will be awarded some of the characteristics,” England said. first time he saw Natarajan. “I went to the dean, Professor Nattu Natarajan died Jan. 20. A I said, ‘I interviewed him. He can communicate for best sportsmanship during a competition “He’s leaving a big hole on the college.” memorial was held for him on Feb. 12. Conversation on Race Dearborn’s Greek Life. continued from page 2 “Before he even came to campus, the OSE got text messages and was told about the reactions of some of our UM-Dearborn kids to put issues — such as last fall’s racial tensions Greeks who went [to the Association of Fraternal Leadership at Missouri or last spring’s incident with the Sigma Alpha and Values conference]. They were even more excited to see Epsilon chapter at the University of Oklahoma — in context him the second time around. And those that didn’t have the and not trivialize them. chance to see him at the conference have actually brought Overall said it was important for Ross to visit UM- friends who didn’t get to see him at the conference as well. I Dearborn because it related to the purpose of Conversation was really happy to see a lot of Greeks who just showed up on Race. on their own,” Overall said. “That’s the purpose of the Conversation on Race. To Ross said he was “encouraged” that UM-Dearborn’s Greek present new ideas, to challenge the thinking of people in our Life appeared to be “a nice, multicultural and integrated type communities and to educate and uplift,” Overall said. “You of Greek Life. had some students where, as he was speaking on some of the “Basically my whole thing is, when you’re going into the things that he presented on, [it] was brand new information to history of it, you should be able to join whatever organization Ricky Lindsay/MJ them. You had some individuals that felt relief that someone that you want to join, without any barrier, and you should be presented these issues because they were too scared to.