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Monday, April 20, 2020

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Weeks after polls close, dispute over campaign violations halts certification of LSA SG election

Messages sent in group chat break rules, might disqualify candidates from victorious ticket JULIA RUBIN

Daily Staff Reporter

On April 1 and 2, LSA students voted between two tickets for LSA Student Government president and vice president: one with juniors Jordan Schuler and Sai Pamidighantam and the other with juniors Selena Bazzi and Josiah Walker. Two weeks later, the results of the election have not been certified and a winning ticket has not been announced. Bazzi and Walker won the election with 437 votes, 132 more than Schuler and Pamidighantam, according to a copy of the uncertified results shared with The Daily by co-Elections Director Tyler Ziel, an LSA senior. But a Central Student Judiciary appeal filed by Schuler over messages Bazzi sent in two GroupMe chats could lead to her ticket’s disqualification. LSA SG bylaws forbid campaigning during the voting period. Schuler and Pamidighantam have accused Bazzi of doing so on social media and demand her ticket’s disqualification. Bazzi and Walker say the social media posts in

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question were intended to increase voter turnout and cannot be considered campaigning. They add that Schuler and Pamidighantam made social media posts during the voting period that could be considered campaigning, but Bazzi and Walker didn’t report them because they did not want demerits to

impact the outcome of the election. Demerits are issued to candidates when they are found to have violated the Elections Code. A single demerit knocks 3 percent off a ticket’s votes, and four or more demerits disqualify a candidate from the election. Election rules, specifically those

related to online campaigning, are unclear and election directors have broad discretion to interpret them, co-Elections Director Natalie Suh, an LSA sophomore, said. The elections directors ruled that Bazzi’s posts constitute implicit rather than explicit campaigning and thus reduced

Faculty with kids struggle with balance Working from home, professors try to juggle looking after children with academic demands HANNAH MACKAY Daily Staff Reporter

Since the University of Michigan moved classes online March 11, both students and professors have had to adjust. For professors with families, teaching classes virtually and maintaining research projects has created unique and unprecedented situations when combined with childcare. Meghan Duffy, a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology who has three children under the age of 10, explained that the COVID19 outbreak and stay-at-home orders will affect all individuals and families uniquely. She said having children at home is one factor that impacts the experience immensely. “One thing that will be a huge factor in terms of how people experience this is whether they had kids at home, and there’s certainly a lot of variation within that,” Duffy said. Duffy elaborated on the variety in the work and home lives of professionals with families, which are now overlapping. She said in her current working and living

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situation distinct work hours are hard to come by. “There are people who are home with kids who are functioning more or less as they normally would in terms of their ability to get work done,” Duffy said. “There are some people who are getting nothing done and there’s a lot of variation. I do think having young kids at home, it just really limits the number of work hours I have in a day.” Allison Riccardi, professor of Spanish,

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is teaching her classes from home with three young children also at home all day since daycare services and primary schools have closed as of March 12. She said the initial transition period to online classes was strenuous, noting how taking care of her family while maintaining a full curriculum online can add stress. “It was challenging getting everything set up in just the two days that we had, and then having the kids at home is just an extra challenge,” Riccardi said. “It’s

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hard for them to understand that now I’m working and I can’t take care of you right now.” Riccardi said this unique situation has both pros and cons. “Just like anything, there are benefits and drawbacks,” Riccardi said. “So the benefit is, of course, more family time. The drawback would be sometimes when I’m in class they’ll just barge in and that’s a big interruption.” For some people, social distancing and working from home with a family has revealed the importance of downtime. Duffy highlighted her own experience with this, saying she finds herself with reduced working hours. “We’ve now worked out a system where if I’m ultra-focused during all of the child-free hours I have in a day, it’s five hours, so I have to be ultra-focused in that but also there’s no other down time,” Duffy said. “I didn’t realize how much biking to campus was really useful for getting the little time mentally to be thinking of nothing.”

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LSA From Page 1 The question of who will lead LSA SG comes down to code technicalities and a few social media posts. But for the four candidates awaiting the CSJ’s decision, they said in documents and interviews that the decision raises larger questions about power, politics, equal application of rules and free speech on campus. Who posted what and when? Forty minutes after the polls opened April 1, Bazzi sent two identical GroupMe messages in two separate chats: one contained members of the Central Student Government’s Seventh Assembly and the other included members of her first-year hall council, though Bazzi noted only four to five voters were in each group. Bazzi sent the message “POLLS ARE OPEN, PLEASE VOTE ! I am running for President :). Vote. umich.edu.” on Wednesday, April 1. Whether or not the posts’ 10 words constitute explicit campaigning — during a period where campaigning is strictly prohibited — could disqualify her and Walker, changing the outcome of the election. Ziel and Suh issued two demerits to Bazzi and Walker after Schuler and Pamidighantam reported Bazzi’s posts following the end of the official campaigning period. Schuler and Pamidighantam declined to comment for this story due to the ongoing investigation into the election’s results. Demerits can be issued to both students in LSA SG who are not running and candidates. Electionrelated demerits handed to noncandidates do not impact the race, but are issued to note wrongdoing. In an interview with The Daily, Bazzi pointed to the fact that her opponent, Pamidighantam, was in the CSG Assembly chat and that Pamidighantam and Schuler’s campaign manager was in the dorm chat as proof her messages weren’t intended to campaign. “I wouldn’t want to put (Sai) in an awkward position or myself,” Bazzi said. “I guess you could say that it’s support to my point that my intention is just to get people to vote. I’m not going to actively campaign in a chat that my opponent is in. I understand that it’s important to respect other people’s opinions, I feel like that would be crossing a line so I never intentionally tried to do that.” Bazzi and Walker also stressed the limited reach of the messages. Bazzi noted only four to five eligible voters were in each of the group chats, rendering the impact minor in an election of more than 700 votes. Schuler and Pamidighantam both posted on Facebook during the voting period in a public group named “Vote Jordan & Sai for LSA SG President and Vice President!” Right after midnight on April 1, Schuler posted: “Voting is officially open! Please go vote at vote.umich. edu! :)” The next day, Schuler and Pamidighantam commented thanks under a post endorsing the pair. Bazzi and Walker claimed to have seen Schuler and Pamidighantam’s posts, which they said would also warrant demerits, but did not report them to the elections directors because they did not

want to potentially disqualify their opponents. The elections directors’ demerit report is supposed to be confidential, though a copy was obtained by The Daily, as were two briefs submitted by third parties to the CSJ and the elections directors’ demerit report on Bazzi’s post. The question is not if the voting period regulations — which are only in place during the time frame in which students can vote — were violated. The elections directors ruled that they were. The question lies in the extent to which the ticket found in violation of the regulations should be punished. The demerit report Ziel and Suh ruled in a demerit report that each GroupMe message constituted a one-point minor violation of the election code, totaling two demerits –– a 6-percent vote reduction for Bazzi and Walker. The report acknowledges Bazzi’s posts to be major violations of the rule against “campaigning during the voting period.” Each candidate received an email before the no-campaigning period began, reiterating the rules and, according to the demerit report, each candidate “signed a contract waiving their ability to promote themselves during the voting period.” A major violation would constitute three demerits, so a major violation for each of the two posts would have put Bazzi and Walker over the four demerit threshold for disqualification. However, LSA SG bylaws encourage leniency in application of the laws and stress that they are not intended to disqualify candidates. In the demerit report, the elections directors noted a distinction between explicit campaigning, directly calling for people to vote for a candidate, and implicit campaigning, implying that people should vote for a candidate. Though the difference is not stated verbatim in the LSA code, the elections directors interpreted that the former would be a major violation worth three demerits, while the latter would constitute a minor violation worth one point. “It is clear that Selena was implying for the members of the two GroupMe chats to vote for her, but as it was disseminating the voting website to encourage a higher voter turnout and not her asking the members(s) to directly vote for her, it was not her explicitly campaigning, and interpretations of the rules must be construed liberally in favor of free and open communication,” the report reads. Because of this, the elections directors slashed the demerits from a total of six to two. “To issue a major violation demerit for this would be too draconian for the decree of the violation,” the report reads. In an email to The Daily, Suh said she saw merit in the argument that Bazzi and Walker were not fairly penalized. Though she wrote the report with Ziel, she said she found issue with the ruling. “I do believe there is merit to the accusations saying that Selena Bazzi’s violations were underplayed especially if we consider some of the other demerits handed out,” Suh wrote. ‘The full six demerits’: the appeal’s argument

News Under LSA SG’s bylaws, CSJ can interpret election rules if need be. Schuler and Pamidighantam filed an appeal to the Central Student Judiciary April 10 against the elections directors’ decision to minimize Bazzi and Walker’s demerits. The appeal called for CSJ to overturn the elections directors’ ruling and penalize Bazzi and Walker with the six demerits that would accompany two major violations instead of the two minor violations they were initially given. The appeal argued that as soon as a candidate, in this case Bazzi herself, was mentioned in the GroupMe posts, it became explicit rather than implicit campaigning because the bylaws “expressly prohibit any mention of a particular candidate in a message disseminated during the voting period.” The appeal said the elections directors ruled in another demerit report for this election cycle — using the same rules as Bazzi’s post violated — that a social media post made by a student not running in this election that explicitly mentioned a candidate during the voting period constituted a major violation. The student who posted it was issued three demerits. Though only the person who posted was issued the demerits — which would have no effect as demerits only impact candidates — the appeal argued that this application of what constitutes a major violation should also be used for Bazzi’s post. The appeal highlighted the discrepancy between the elections directors’ ruling for Bazzi’s posts and the unnamed student’s post as an unfair application of the bylaws. In an interview with The Daily, Walker said the content of the appeal violates LSA SG’s constitution and CSJ’s purpose. He compared the CSJ overruling the elections director to the Supreme Court overruling a law because the justices personally don’t approve of it. “The Central Student Judiciary can’t overrule the elections directors simply because they disagree with his reasoning,” Walker said. “The Supreme Court can overrule someone’s decision if that decision was unconstitutional, but if the decision is constitutional, and the elections director’s decision was constitutional, it can’t be overruled simply because the Supreme Court doesn’t like it.” The Facebook comments: implicit or explicit campaigning? There were no demerits issued for any posts made by Pamidighantam and Schuler made in the “Vote Jordan & Sai for LSA SG President and Vice President!” Facebook group during the voting period. But according to an amicus curiae submitted to CSJ by LSA sophomore Tyler Watt and LSA junior Chayton Fivecoat in support of the elections directors’ original decision, the actions at the heart of the case committed by Bazzi were “committed in equal measure” by Schuler and Pamidighantam in that Facebook group. “A candidate posting in a Facebook group with dozens of members who are eligible to vote in the election campaigns explicitly for themself; the fact that their name and that of their running mate appear in the masthead of the event certainly create an even stronger suggestion

Monday, April 20, 2020 — 3 for people to vote for that specific ticket,” Watt and Fivecoat wrote in the brief. The elections directors’ demerit report argued that liking and commenting on social media posts explicitly campaigning should only be counted as implicit campaigning. “When liking or commenting (on) a post, it does advertise and endorse the sentiment of the post, and if that post is campaigning, it is the person who liked or commented on it that is implicitly campaigning,” Ziel wrote in the report. Schuler and Pamidighantam’s CSJ appeal, however, claims the Facebook posts were neither implicit nor explicit campaigning. Likes or comments themselves don’t mention a particular candidate and shouldn’t be considered campaigning at all, they argued. “The comparison of (Bazzi’s) messages to liking or commenting on a social media post, which is determined to be implicit campaigning for the purposes of this and other decisions, would be a false equivalency, as such an action would not mention the name of any particular candidate,” the appeal said. Ultimately, Schuler and Pamidighantam’s report and Watt and Fivecoat’s brief present diverging arguments: Schuler and Pamidighantam feel that posting about voting in the Facebook group would be considered posting to increase voter turnout, which would not be a violation of the rules. Watt and Fivecoat, on the other hand, argue that the context of the Facebook page being for their campaign makes it explicit campaigning, which would be a violation. No demerit report was issued for the posts Watt and Fivecoat mentioned because they went unreported during the election. These posts, however, will be at least read by CSJ as they are part of the brief. Student voice versus the code Watt and Fivecoat’s brief notes that Schuler and Pamidighantam’s call for increased demerits for Bazzi’s GroupMe posts would eliminate Bazzi and Walker from the race altogether, a penalty Watt and Fivecoat believe is disproportionate to the posts’ impact. Bazzi said Schuler and Pamidighantam’s appeal disregards the importance of the student body’s voice in elections. Bazzi and Walker did not report the Facebook comments from the amicus curiae brief because it could impact the final vote due to insignificant social media posts. They argued that would be an act of voter suppression. “We didn’t follow through with filing instances of demerits against our opponents because we wanted the results to overall be a reflection of what the student body wants,” Bazzi said. “If anything, what we prioritize first is the student voice. Student voice before all these loopholes in the Constitution and demerits. Student voice is what’s important.” In an amicus curiae brief submitted to the CSJ defending Schuler’s appeal, 2019 elections directors Nicholas Fadanelli, now an alum, and Nicholas Martire, Public Policy senior, said the current elections directors’ decision

to reduce Bazzi and Walker’s demerit count from seven – six from the GroupMe messages and one from another violation – to three was inherently arbitrary and antidemocratic. “If candidates are capable of violating election regulation to such extremes that they should be disqualified but do not receive any punishment, it cannot be argued that the rule of law is being upheld by even the broad standard set by the United Nations for determining if elections are truly free and democratic,” Fadanelli and Martire wrote in the brief. “Upholding the Defendant’s decision would set precedent chilling enforcement of election regulation and heavily imply to candidates that violations of election regulation do not matter, and encourage them to do so in order to win.” Fadanelli and Martire argued the reduced demerits severely violate the integrity of the LSA SG elections. “(Elections director Tyler Ziel) cites Election Code § 08.05 as justification for establishing this new standard as it enables them to interpret the Election Code in a ‘liberal manner,’” Fadanelli and Martire wrote. “However, Election Code § 08.05 has two clearly competing priorities within it - that rules should be interpreted ‘liberally in favor of free and open communication and debate’ and ‘to protect the integrity of the election process’. Therefore in this case we must ask which of these priorities takes precedence over the other?” In their CSJ appeal, Schuler and Pamidighantam argue that if candidates can break election code without threat to their candidacy, there will be nothing to discourage such violations. “We are concerned that the current decision sets a dangerous precedent that allows candidates to violate election code to win without the threat of the proper enforcement of punishment,” the appeal reads. The positions hang in the balance In April 2019, then-elections directors Fadanelli and Martire advised the LSA SG Executive Board to better define what constituted campaigning during the voting period. “A coherent policy about Facebook events must be codified in the bylaws if campaigning during the voting period is still banned,” Fadanelli and Martire wrote in the email to the board. A year later, the same policy Fadanelli and Martire raised concern about could impact the outcome of this election. All involved parties — Bazzi and Walker, Schuler and Pamidighantam, Ziel and Suh, Fadanelli and Martire, and Watt and Fivecoat — agreed that the COVID19 outbreak forcing students off campus put an additional emphasis on virtual campaigning. Without a final decision, neither Bazzi and Walker nor Schuler and Pamidighantam can assume the positions of president and vice president and begin leading LSA SG. The decision now rests with CSJ to determine the intent of Bazzi’s posts. Daily Staff Reporter Julia Rubin can be reached at julrubin@umich. edu.

Michigan in Color

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Monday, April 20, 2020 — 4

‘Gallo de Oro’ ROBERTO SANCHEZ MiC Columnist

My family, rose from the mud to make matters more pleasant for me. From my environment, I cultivated primal instincts and learned about survivability. The king of our jungle had an igneous spirit. Still I’ve come to learn that powers exist, which could move mountains. This seemed impossible, I grew up idolizing the posture of a rock: MALAK WAZNE /Wikimedia Commons

An isolated Ramadan

12,000 people attended the 2019 Ramadan Suhoor Festival, held annually in Dearborn, Mich.

MAYA KADOUH MiC Columnist

Observed by Muslims, the holy month of Ramadan sets forth a month of fasting, spiritual reflection and personal growth. Muslims are intrinsically joined together by group prayers, shared meals and charitable activities, propelling the meaning of Ramadan through connectedness. Exemplifying this connectedness is Dearborn, Mich., one of the largest Muslim communities in the U.S. Encapsulating the unique experience that is Ramadan in Dearborn is difficult; in broadest terms, Dearborn becomes its most vibrant version of itself showcasing diversity and connectedness. Restaurants extend their hours (some even until 5 a.m.), mosques become filled with people praying and socializing, young entrepreneurs open food stands, community members rally together for charitable causes and gratitude becomes inherent. When asked what motivated him to start a food stand during last Ramadan, Business sophomore Adam Bazzi responded, “Growing up in Dearborn, I’ve had the luxury of being able to enjoy Ramadan in a way that not many other Muslims around the country can say they have, and what really drove us to open our stand was to add to that uniqueness through connecting our community in a meaningful way.”

With social distancing in full effect, the Dearborn community will have to redefine what community connectedness means during this unprecedented Ramadan. “Community connectedness will no longer exist through shared meals, bonfires, festivals and food stands, but come from the fact that we will be social distancing and fasting together,” LSA senior, Silan Fadlallah said. Last Ramadan, more than 12,000 people attended the annual Ramadan Suhoor Festival, which was created by community members to combine Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal Muslims have each day before fasting, with charity. Social distancing has canceled the community gathering component of the Ramadan Suhoor Festival but their pillar of charity lives on through their current work. Currently, the organizers of the festival are utilizing their platform to gather donations for N95 face masks for local hospitals and funeral homes in Dearborn. More than 12,000 masks will be distributed this upcoming week. Hassan Chami, founder of the Ramadan Suhoor Festival, wants to inspire community members to invest in their spirituality. “Ramadan will definitely be different this year, and will be one to remember. With Ramadan approaching us during these uncommon times, God has created a platform for us to build a stronger and more spiritual relationship with him by limiting our normal

worldly distractions,” Chami said. “For this reason, I hope to take advantage of this Ramadan as we don’t know if we’ll ever have a time like this again.” With a new definition of community connectedness, there comes the question, “where are Muslims left spiritually?” LSA freshman Noor Moughni, a columnist on Michigan in Color, reflected on how she will continue her spiritual journey while social distancing. “The time I would’ve spent waiting in line at Bohemian Bowls, bonding with others over how amazing the almond butter there is, I will now spend on my prayer rug, exploring my spirituality and the complexities of faith,” Moughni said. “Ramadan this year will be my time to realign my beliefs. A time to escape the confusion of the world and confide in God. I look forward to a month devoted to reflection and self-improvement. I look forward to an isolated Ramadan.” Dearborn’s experience with this year’s Ramadan is a microcosm of what the greater Muslim world will be facing. Despite the community isolation Muslims worldwide will experience, the true essence of Ramadan will prevail: A reminder to Muslims that all is temporary and that faith transcends all adversities — even a global pandemic. Muslims will be able to experience spirituality in its truest form: isolated.

the immovable object, the unaffected entity. Some things are above me and not because they’re heavenly; but I miss when that meant, the vast never ending sky. I try to understand the underhanded movements which control society. Silently sliding my environment’s tectonics, unbeknownst to them this would leave my life reminiscent of the ground zero of a nuclear bombing. We lived from the earth and paid the country’s dues, worked hard to be polished people, doing what we had to do to get through. Lived off the earth, we bonded by nurturing its creatures, prepping grain in exchange for early morning melodies. Unable to fulfill the hollow feeling “they” have left me with me, unlike the deciduous tree who deals with ICE in a seasonal stride. But the sun will shine tomorrow and today just as it did yesterday. Together forever and never we stray.

UNSPLASH

A reading list to celebrate Arab Heritage Month (and beyond) HIBA DAGHER MiC Columnist

In case you didn’t know, what with the whole global pandemic and everything, we’re right in the middle of Arab Heritage Month! In the U.S., April is dedicated to celebrating the rich history, culture and contemporary voices of Arabs and Arab Americans. And what better way to celebrate than with new reading material!

For the poets: Water and Salt by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha

For those who love fantasy: The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhader

Lena Khalaf Tuffaha’s debut collection of poetry, “Water and Salt” gives a voice for those (past, present and future) who have been forever marred by displacement from their home country. It explores loss, suffering and unimaginable pain, but also strength, defiance, resilience and determination. It’s a gorgeous collection of poetry and a forever recommendation.

In Zeyn Joukhader’s debut novel, he takes readers on a beautiful journey that follows the parallel stories of Nour, a young Syrian girl who flees her homeland and travels across North Africa with her family, and Rawiya, a 12th-century adventurer who disguises herself as a boy in order to apprentice herself to a famous mapmaker.

For those who love fantasy: Sitt Marie Rose by Etal Adnan Sitt Marie Rose is one of those books that, once you start reading, you can’t put it down. Set before and during the Lebanese Civil War, the novel creates a split between West and East Beirut, Muslim and Christian, Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian, and explores how all of these variables interacted with one another during the Civil War. Adnan critiques sexism, xenophobia and the idea that a single person can speak for all the people in Lebanon.

For the feminist: Him Me and Muhammad Ali by Randa Jarrar Randa Jarrar is a writer, memoirist, and comedian sharing her experience as a Muslim American born of Egyptian and Palestinian parents. SAnd she’s not only an incredible writer, but she’s a Michigan alum too! Her work is biting, funny, and brilliantly honest. If you end up falling in love with this collection of short stories, you should definitely check out her debut novel, A Map of Home.

Opinion

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ELIZABETH COOK | COLUMN

The volatility of voting in 2020

s of April 2020, we can all recognize that Michigan is in a state of turmoil. The protest against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home decision in East Lansing, Mich. demonstrated the political unrest of some Michigan citizens. COVID19 has left our campus a ghost town. The fulfilling sense of community we once enjoyed dissipated beginning in midMarch. Not only are we facing unprecedented obstacles in confronting a global pandemic that has significantly altered our lives, but we are also faced with a “lesser of two evils” election, yet again. On March 8, more than 10,000 students, citizens and spectators gathered to see candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. speak in hopes of returning to his 2016 primary success in the great state of Michigan. Cheers echoed among the reinforced concrete. The sails of the leftwing progressive movement lost its wind after a series of major losses bringing Sanders to suspend his campaign just a month later. Yet again, the millions of young people Sanders and the progressive movement mobilized are left disillusioned — now, a potential voting block is being condescended to with the well-known phrase “Vote blue no matter who.” Now, we must choose between former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump. This is disheartening for many, particularly because both candidates have been accused of sexual assault. Sadly, the presidency of the United States is no stranger to sexual misconduct. It is widely acknowledged that Trump has assaulted numerous women. This is evident from both his lengthy list of accusations and his own comments dismissing the allegations. As his defense, he explained he couldn’t have sexually assaulted these women because they were not appealing to him, not because assault is abhorrent. President Bill Clinton is known for his famous quote, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky,” in which he lied

under oath about inappropriate relations with a subordinate. This often takes precedence in conversation over multiple other allegations against him. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush have been accused of sexual misconduct. Even the revered Founding Father Thomas Jefferson has an incriminating record of maintaining a toxic sexual power dynamic with Sally Hemmings. While the current election is uncomfortable thanks to the validity and gravity of the allegations against both men, it should not be a surprise. However, this agonizing discussion will be either swept under the rug or hypocritically weaponized against the opposition. For many, the choice to vote for Joe Biden is easy. He is currently advocating for multiple forms of prison reform including sentencing justice, ending cash bail and abolishing the death penalty. Biden has also adopted Sanders’ stance to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and supports paid sick leave. Importantly, while he rejects the notion of Medicare for All, he would like to expand coverage for health care. These policy stances are bold, considering his moderate track record and tendency to stay away from controversial stances. When comparing Biden to Trump, the numerous instances of gross incompetence and disrespect Trump touts in a trail of tweets and press conferences makes the decision seem obvious, leaving Democrats, leftists, moderates and some moderateconservatives with a correct and incorrect choice. Policywise, there should be a clear winner. The narrative is quickly echoing that of 2016 — even if you don’t like the democratic candidate, you must vote for them, or you are directly responsible for the (re)election of Trump. In order for this country to be able to move forward from this period of uncertainty, division and distrust, we must diligently respect that every individual has one vote, and

actively maintain the humanity of the democratic process for every single voter. Silencing the discourse of abusive gender power dynamics will only continue the suppression of survivors. I am privileged to be able to vote, yet as a survivor of sexual assault, being told I must choose between two men that have been accused of sexual misconduct to be president is revolting. I understand that lifelong Supreme Court seats may be filled in the next four years. Presidential elections impact the American political landscape for decades, shaping discourse, policy and perception. While we have a representative democracy, people of color and women have been historically disenfranchised, so the ability to vote cannot be taken lightly. But just because the electoral system currently in place reinforces the two-party system does not mean that voters must vote a certain way. The right to vote is relatively new on a historic and global scale, yet it is being minimized by discourse from within the left today. The “vote blue no matter who” coalition is leveraging a vote for Biden as a vote against Trump, and while this sentiment has truth in our current electoral system, it is disheartening, even condescending, to the disillusioned voters grappling with their decision. Ultimately, the process of voting is deeply personal as well as political, and in a time of fear, what we must do as Americans is engage with our community, acknowledge the complexity of the election at hand and empower one another to vote for a candidate that earns it. Both as a student majoring in political science and American culture at the University of Michigan and as a survivor, I urge you to tread very carefully in discussions about the upcoming election, and embrace varying opinions with grace and empathy rather than aggression. Elizabeth Cook can be reached at elizcook@umich.edu.

Health care is not created equal

he impact of COVID19 exemplifies how the existing health system in the United States discriminates against marginalized groups. Data supports that in larger cities, such populations are contracting coronavirus and dying at a disproportionately high rate. For example, in Michigan, African Americans make up about 33 percent of COVID-19 cases and 40 percent of deaths, despite constituting only 14 percent of the population. But this disparity does not only exist with health care outcomes. Rather, these disparities start early within the chain of medical care: lack of testing for the African American population. This leads to delays in diagnosis and therefore delays in treatment, leading to worse outcomes due to coronavirus’s quick progression. Lack of testing is often due to the fact that lowerincome areas of the country and institutions with little funding do not have equal access to testing equipment and personal protective gear. It’s important to realize that this is not a new issue, but the by-product of a pre-existing system that caters best to the elite class in the U.S. If you’re not financially stable and you’re a person of color, it’s likely that health care services are not readily available to you as health care is a privilege rather than a right. This isn’t a riddle, it’s a reality that lower-income areas of the U.S. lack hospitals and primary care physicians. For example, a special report produced by Journal Sentinel maps a breakdown of primary care physicians in poorer neighborhoods in comparison to large aff luent cities. It’s clear that the poorer areas are facing a physician shortage, which means that there are upwards of 3,500 residents per primary care physician in that area. These patient populations are often heavily reliant on student-run clinics and emergency care community centers. This is because single income households cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket costs and premiums. Programs that support marginalized groups include but are not limited to Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. A figure in a health report on “Racism, Inequality, and Health Care for African Americans” constructed by The Century Foundation depicts the stark maternal health outcomes between African American and white women. “However, disparities still exist across health conditions when comparing African Americans and whites, including maternal mortality, infant mortality, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other health issues.” In addition, underrepresented minority groups suffer from the effects of social factors compounded with medical conditions. Social factors include income inequality, insurance status, inequities in education and lack of access to health care, thus impacting a person’s ability to lead a healthy life. Racism and discrimination are additional examples of social factors that not only take a toll on mental well-being but also impact the level

of access to health care. During this pandemic, many of us live with the security that if we do not have underlying health conditions we’re better protected from the worst of it. However, minority communities more frequently fall under the category of at-risk populations as they’re disproportionately impacted by chronic illnesses and underlying health conditions like diabetes and lung disease. Dr. Sharnell Barber, assistant professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at Drexel University, states that “these communities, structurally, they’re breeding grounds for the transmission of the disease ... It’s not biological. It’s really these existing structural inequalities that are going to shape the racial inequalities in this pandemic.” The maintenance of structural inequalities is how the cycle perpetuates. These inequities in the current health care model are unacceptable. So then the question that arises is: How can hospitals better serve and deliver care to diverse patient populations? To better serve diverse patient populations, the hospitals within this system must embrace a patient-centered focus with consumer-friendly health solutions. To accomplish this requires an entire paradigm shift in the purpose of the health care system. Currently, the health care system is driven by churning out a high volume of patients rather than focused on producing better health care outcomes. Per the Health System Tracker, in comparison to international prices for health services and prescription drug costs, today the costs of medical procedures in the U.S. are more costly than medical procedures anywhere else. Many may argue this is proportional to the standard of care available in the U.S. such as readily available testing and innovative health care solutions but upon further examination, the demand for lower costs and improved outcomes surpasses the standard of care here. It’s beautiful to see how in times of true need, so many community members are stepping up to contribute to the efforts. This type of support for at-risk populations needs to operate year-round with or without a pandemic present. Listen to the numbers and listen to the public health experts, they serve as a voice for those who are silenced by the system. Universal health coverage cannot be achieved while racism, biases and other oppressive barriers persist in health care. COVID-19 opened our eyes to the fact that as a nation, we are not prepared to address the public health needs of all people. Providers and hospitals need to invest in closing the gaps in medically underserved communities. While innovative health care solutions that serve all patients equally aren’t easy to come by, we also cannot continue to fail our at-risk patient populations with the current systemic barriers in place. Because health care is a human right.

Inequities in the current health care model are unacceptable.

Varna Kodoth can be reached at vkodoth@umich.edu.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Arts

Monday, April 20, 2020 — 6

FILM NOTEBOOK

Six underrated Disney sequel films worth giving a chance SABRIYA IMAMI Daily Arts Writer

So many of our childhoods are made up of Disney movies. How could you forget the first time you watched Aladdin and Jasmine soaring on a magic carpet, Ariel passionately singing “Part of Your World” or even Tarzan seeing Jane for the first time? But while everyone remembers and appreciates those movies so much, oftentimes we forget that Disney made sequels for a lot of them. They may not have gotten the same amount of attention as their predecessors, but some are worth a watch. So here’s a list of six of the most underrated Disney sequels you should give a chance. “Mulan II” (2004) Besides “Frozen II,” the sequel to “Mulan” is probably the most watched and respected animated Disney sequel. What sets this movie apart from the original is the addition of three princesses, the emperor’s daughters. We get to see their love stories unfold while also getting to watch Mulan blossom into an even fiercer, more determined and more inspiring woman. We also get to see more of Mushu in this movie (who is, of course, the best part) along with the three army men from the first movie, Yao, Ling and Chien Po: supporting characters from the first film whose roles are much more important in this one. Not to mention, this movie has some incredible songs like “Lesson Number One” and “I Wanna Be Like Other Girls” that are often overlooked. I will admit, though, that there are parts of this film that even to this day I have to watch through my fingers because they’re so devastating, but the added suspense and emotion that those scenes add makes the overall movie-watching experience so much better. “Aladdin and the King of Thieves” (1996) The second “Aladdin” movie, “Aladdin and the Return of Jafar,” isn’t very good, and in my opinion, that’s mostly because Robin Williams doesn’t voice Genie. However, he returns as Genie in the third film, “Aladdin

and the King of Thieves.” This movie is absolutely incredible for more reasons than Williams’s return; it focuses more on Aladdin’s childhood and his family, which adds many more dimensions to his already interesting character. There are magical oracles, sword fights and Genie dressing up as Disney princesses — all the necessary components to an all-around perfect film. There are also some surprising voice actors in the film, such as John Rhys-Davies — famous for playing Gimli in the “Lord of the Rings” films — in the role of Aladdin’s father Cassim. This film, though maybe not as well animated as the first, is one that everyone should watch. It’s heartwarming and maintains the actionpacked elements that make the first film so exhilarating. Plus, you finally get to see Aladdin and Jasmine’s wedding, which is well worth the wait. “Tarzan and Jane” (2002) There are actually two films that go along with Disney’s “Tarzan.” One of them is “Tarzan 2,” which is a prequel that shows Tarzan as a young boy, and the other is “Tarzan and Jane,” which features Jane and her friends Terk and Tantor (yes, the gorilla and elephant from “Tarzan”) recounting many stories about Tarzan and Jane. A lot of people choose to overlook films like these because there isn’t one central plot, but these kinds of movies can actually be really fun. For instance, in “Tarzan and Jane,” we get to see Jane’s prim and proper English friends come for a visit in the jungle, along with a story involving diamonds and lava-surfing and another starring an old friend of Jane’s of whom Tarzan quickly becomes jealous. These mini-stories are short but still hold your attention. The final scene of the film explains why Jane, Terk and Tantor have been taking a trip down memory lane, and the reason is sure to bring a smile to your face. “Cinderella II: Dreams Come True” (2001) Similar to “Tarzan and Jane,” the second “Cinderella” film contains three mini-stories.

WALT DISNEY HOME VIDEO

These stories aren’t told by Cinderella though; they’re told by the mice. In my opinion, the first “Cinderella” film didn’t highlight the mice as much as it should have. They’re fun and funny, and we get to see a lot more of them in this sequel. The mice want to make a book for Cinderella, so they begin to handcraft one that features their very own stories. The three stories we get to hear are about Cinderella’s first day in the castle, Jaq’s wish-gone-wrong and Cinderella’s stepsister Anastasia’s love story with the humble baker. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve seen this movie. Each story is short and sweet, punctuated by catchy songs and beautiful colors. One of my absolute favorite things about these stories is the hilarious amount of time dedicated to the evil cat Lucifer’s love life. I’m not sure who came up with that idea, but I would thank them if I could. There is a third “Cinderella” movie, “Cinderella III: A Twist in Time,” which I think is more well-known than the second film. But I’ll be honest: Even though the third film is good, I think the second one is better. “The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea” (2000) I’m pretty sure everyone has that one DVD from their childhood that they watched so many times, they actually ruined the disc. For

me, that DVD was “The Little Mermaid II.” Ariel was always my favorite Disney princess growing up, so of course I loved the sequel, where we not only get to see her as an adult but also get to meet her daughter Melody. The movie is unbelievably ironic considering the events of its predecessor, given the fact that Melody is a human who is forced to stay away from the water. But she’s just as curious as her mother and ends up finding a way there anyway. The sweet story by itself would have been enough to make me love this movie, but it also has many callbacks to the original film that make me nostalgic; there are some shots that look like they were taken straight from the original film and switched from Ariel to Melody. Even the villain in this movie, Morgana, has a connection to the original: She’s Ursula’s sister! There may be some plot holes, like Melody never questioning why she could talk to animals, but I’ve always looked past them to enjoy the happiness of the film. This, in my opinion, is the peak Disney sequel because it does something completely new but remains true to the original. It’s not a perfect movie, but the nostalgia washes over you and makes you feel like a kid again.