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Wednesday, January 22, 2025

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Pete Buttigieg speaks at Ford School

GOVERNMENT

Former United States Secretary of Transportation reflects on his tenure, sustainability many of our communities really are the way they are because of transportation,” Buttigieg said. “I think there’s also just a way of doing things in the Midwest that has been helpful in Washington, where sometimes there’s a myth that the only way to get things done is to be intransigent and difficult and overbearing or even mean, and that tends to not be how we do things around here, and I think that cultural influence has helped me get things done in my job.” Buttigieg also told The Daily he sees economic opportunities for Michigan in electric vehicles, given its historical ties to the automotive industry. “I think Michigan has enormous opportunity in clean energy and transportation futures,” Buttigieg said. “That’s one of the reasons why we’ve worked so hard to make sure that the increasingly electrified auto industry is changing in a way that is made in America. I think this region has the talent, the workforce, the historic tradition and the resources to really thrive.” At the event, Buttigieg spoke about striking a balance between economic development and sustainability concerns, specifically in regards to the electric vehicle market. “I think we have to be honest that there often are trade-offs, and we’ve got to decide whether to do something in a way that is unconstrained but has terrible environmental consequences, or try to do everything just right from an environmental perspective, but overlook real, basic economic realities,” Buttigieg said. “I see now both an enormous risk and an enormous opportunity (in the) auto industry, first with electrification, and then a little bit with automation.”

CHRISTINA ZHANG Daily News Editor

United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg spoke at the Ford School of Public Policy Monday afternoon about transportation, public service, sustainability and equitable development. A part of the Policy Talks @ the Ford School series, this was one of Buttigieg’s final speaking engagements before his term ends Jan. 20. Buttigieg was joined by Public Policy Dean Celeste WatkinsHayes for a conversation followed by questions from audience members. Buttigieg highlighted the success of the U.S. Department of Transportation over the past four years, including the implementation of President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which saw a $1.2 trillion investment into U.S. transportation systems. “I believe we are leaving every form of U.S. transportation better than we found it, and it doesn’t mean our work is done,” Buttigieg said. “Take the infrastructure package, which is funding as of latest 72,000 projects around the United States … It was considered impossible to do something that ambitious, especially to do it on a bipartisan basis, but we got it done.” Buttigieg served as the mayor of his hometown, South Bend, Indiana, from 2012 to 2020. In an interview with The Michigan Daily after the event, he said his identity as a Midwesterner has shaped how he approaches his role in public service. “I think when you’re from the Midwest, you understand intuitively how important infrastructure is because so

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In light of President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration, Buttigieg stressed the importance of resisting the pessimism present in today’s political climate. “It’s the negativity,” Buttigieg said. “Sometimes it’s wrapped in dishonesty, sometimes it’s not, but it’s sadly what most people see when they see Washington. It’s what most people think of when they think of politics. It’s why so many people check out. Do not check out right now. I get the temptation, especially right now, to check out. I feel it. But in a democratic society, we can’t do that.” The Q&A portion of the event featured two student moderators

who asked Buttigieg questions submitted by the audience. Paulina Trujillo, Public Policy graduate student and one of the moderators, told The Daily she enjoyed learning about infrastructure’s power to connect people from different communities. “I think it was really cool to get his insight on the importance of infrastructure and transportation,” Trujillo said. “I thought his point about how we can connect and divide was really interesting. We have this phrase ‘wrong side of the tracks,’ and so thinking about how you can use that in a meaningful way, instead of using it to divide people, (using it) to connect people.”

UMich releases 2024 annual report

Center for Campus Involvement hosts Winterfest club fair

“We can look forward to the next fiscal year with anticipation and confidence”

Roughly 360 student organizations were in attendance

JOSEPHINE ANDERSON & MARISSA CORSI Daily Staff Reporter & Daily News Editor

TERRA LAFRENIERE Daily Staff Reporter

Haylee Bohm/DAILY

University, including a proposed transit system; development opportunities for the Central, North, Medical and athletic campuses; and sustainable building practices. However, some of Campus 2050’s initiatives have been the subject of criticism since the announcement. Engineering Planet Blue Student Leader, wrote in an email to The Michigan Daily that he worries the plan’s proposed Campus Connector automated transit system could have negative effects on the Nichols Arboretum. “I think that Michigan is one of the top universities in the country that is spending a lot of time and money on being the ‘best’ at environmental practices and it is exciting to be a part of this work,” Kueffner wrote. “One of my biggest concerns for the university’s expansion is the proposed automated transit system that could go through the arboretum. I think that going through with this plan would go against the

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university’s commitment to increasing biodiversity and native grounds.” Another project, Dr. E. Royster Harper Hall, which broke ground in October 2023, will allow Central Campus to house 2,300 additional students by summer 2026. The dormitory complex will feature energy-efficient building standards in the hopes the construction will receive LEED Platinum certification. Ono wrote he hopes the growing need for student housing will be addressed by the new residential project especially as University enrollment continues to hit record enrollment numbers. “The project will meet the needs of our growing student population and be transformative for both our Central Campus and the undergraduate experience,” Ono wrote. “And that housing will be needed, since this fall U-M garnered a record enrollment of almost 53,000 students, making us the largest and most sought-after

public research institution in the state.” Further construction plans include the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Health Care Pavilion, which will add an additional hospital to Michigan Medicine’s campus. Additionally, the new U-M Center for Innovation in Detroit, financed with a $100 million donation from U-M alum Stephen Ross, broke ground in December 2023. Tom Baird, vice president for development, wrote in his report that he hopes the building’s workforce development and graduate program spaces have the potential to positively impact the region’s economy. “UMCI will be a worldclass research, education and entrepreneurship center designed to advance innovation and talentfocused community development to drive city, regional and statewide job creation and foster inclusive economic growth,” Baird wrote. Read more at MichiganDaily.com

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When it comes to his future plans, Buttigieg told The Daily he doesn’t know where exactly he sees his role in public service. “I’m certain about the things I want to work on, including a sustainable future for the industrial Midwest, the growth and recovery of cities like the city where I grew up, the future of a state where my kids are growing up now — in Traverse City,” Buttigieg said. “Questions of democracy, reform, technology and infrastructure, so I’ll find ways to work on those things. Whether it’ll be in or out of government or politics is a little too soon for me to know.”

CAMPUS LIFE

ADMINISTRATION

The University of Michigan released its annual report for the 2024 fiscal year Dec. 19, addressing major initiatives, research developments, construction projects and Campus Plan 2050. The report celebrated the University’s accomplishments and impact both regionally and globally. In his opening President’s Message, University President Santa Ono addressed the launch of Vision 2034, which lays out the University’s goals for the coming years. These include four key impact areas: Life-Changing Education, Human Health & WellBeing, Democracy, Civic & Global Engagement and Climate Action, Sustainability & Environmental Justice. The plan also featured commitments to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; growing in areas of research, discovery and artificial intelligence; and engaging in partnerships and economic development. In the annual report, Ono wrote Vision 2034 would help support the University’s continued success. “Guided by that vision, we will become the defining public university, educating learners, advancing society and making groundbreaking discoveries that impact the greatest challenges facing humanity,” Ono wrote. The report also highlighted Campus Plan 2050, a 25-year plan announced by the administration in September. The plan, which includes Vision 2034’s four impact areas, encourages collaboration and connectivity between members of the campus community. It also features several physical changes to the

Public Policy graduate student Cara Clay said in an interview with The Daily that she enjoyed attending the event and hearing Buttigieg’s emphasis on resilience when it comes to enacting policy changes. “One of the big takeaways from his talk today was just about maintaining hope in the face of difficult policy challenges,” Clay said. “It’s kind of a simple idea, but we didn’t go into policy because things were easy. Things have always been difficult, it’s just a matter of how we approach it and remain encouraged and determined in the face of those difficulties.”

INDEX

The University of Michigan Center for Campus Involvement hosted the annual club fair Winterfest Monday and Tuesday evening to connect students with organizations on campus as the semester begins. More than 300 tables filled the first and second floors of the Michigan Union with student organizations distributing flyers and recruiting prospective members. This year’s Winterfest differed from previous years, with the event’s expansion into the first floor of the Union. Joel Lauritzen, CCI student developer program advisor, told The Michigan Daily CCI scaled up this year’s Winterfest to include more student organizations. “This year we were able to use not only the second floor of the Union, but also the first floor, which allows us to have more (student organizations),” Lauritzen said. “We’re looking roughly at about 360 (organizations) that are participating this year, up from 295 (last year).” In an interview with The Daily, Public Health senior Bella Charfoos said she enjoyed meeting new students and sharing information about her student organization, the Sopranos A Cappella. Charfoos said she believed the event was a great opportunity for students to learn more about different organizations on campus. “Especially for students who come in the winter or who didn’t get the chance to go to Festifall,

Winterfest is another opportunity to be able to get exposed to all the different kinds of groups,” Charfoos said. “I feel like there’s so much on campus that you wouldn’t even know exists. To be able to come here and have it all in one place is really helpful.” After attending Winterfest, Engineering sophomore Nihar Ogale said he enjoyed being able to learn more about all of the student organizations in-person. “It’s always nice to be able to see in-person the people there,” Ogale said. “It’s a more personal experience than just applying online.” Engineering sophomore David Ren, who was representing the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers at the event, told The Daily he believes Winterfest helps students connect with student organizations looking to recruit new members. “I think it really helps especially freshmen, but also other nontraditional and transfer students by letting them know what clubs are interested in recruiting new people,” Ren said. Lauritzen said CCI’s ultimate goal for Winterfest was to help the University’s nearly 53,000 students get involved on campus. “We’re really trying to make students feel like they can find people to connect with,” Lauritzen said. “Some of their lifelong friends can come from being involved in student organizations, and we know that students that get plugged in on campus enjoy campus more.”

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