On Feb. 24, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) voted on a proposal that would give USG members a stipend for each semester that they participated in the organization beginning in Fall 2010. The amount each member would receive was based on his or her level of participation within the organization (ranging from $100 for representatives to $500 for executive-board members) and would have been funded by the Student Activity Fee. The proposal was voted down by USG members, however the reasoning given by proponents of the stipend and the very fact that USG members are able to control their own pay is alarming.
USG held the vote for their potential pay raise the night before their executive-board elections opened perhaps in an attempt to avoid accusations of voting themselves a pay raise. Potential executive-board members are the biggest stakeholders in the proposed stipend; they had the potential to earn up to $500 per semester for their work. Since five of the six people running for executive-board positions are current voting members of USG, one has to wonder if they are acting in their best interest or if they are actually voting in a way that corresponds to the students they represent. Of the five candidates who participated in the vote, two voted for the stipend, two voted against it and one abstained from voting.
One candidate for next year’s executive-board who voted in favor of the stipend was Keshon Moorehead, senior USG representative. Moorehead said, “The student body at other schools didn’t like [having a stipend] at first but got used to it.”
Another candidate for next year’s executive-board, Justin Mendenhall, voted against the stipend. He said that he spoke to many students before voting and received a mixed reaction. “It is hard to justify a stipend for representatives,” Mendenhall said.
“I would like to get paid,” said Paul Valencia, junior USG representative. “But, I think it’s not our place to decide [on a stipend].”
After the proposal was voted down, USG members discussed including a question about the stipend on the ballot for USG representatives. Mendenhall said he hopes “that the student body would take more interest in what USG does in order to make a [popular vote] a viable option.” When asked about the possibility of a separate organization outside USG deciding on the stipend, Mendenhall said, “I would only like that option if we get to determine what their compensation is.”
Cara Hanson, USG president, has also stated that she wishes that the president of USG not only receive a stipend, but actually has their tuition paid in full. “Anyone who disagrees has probably not been in a position like mine,” Hanson said. “It is not uncommon for an e-board member’s GPA to suffer because of all of the work…On average I would say that I spend 12 hours a week doing USG work and that doesn’t count the weekends I spend away from campus attending [conferences].”
It is absolutely ludicrous for the USG president to argue that the president’s tuition should be paid in full because of an average weekly time commitment of 12 hours. Assuming a 12-hour workweek, a tuition rate of $350 per credit and an average course load of 15 credits, the president is asking to be paid over $30 per hour. Members of USG’s executive-board (including the president) are already able to earn up to $500 per semester. According to Hanson, “This number is up to the voting body’s discretion, based loosely on officer evaluations that are completed each semester.” It seems a bit contradictory to accept a leadership position on campus and then, once in office, ask for your tuition to be paid in full all while claiming that “none of us are in it for the money” as Hanson stated.
It seems to me that many USG members need to evaluate the reasons why they are part of the organization. If members are truly not in it for the money, why was so much time and energy expended on a stipend proposal? If it is okay for USG to decide the budget for student organizations from an outside perspective, why is it not okay for an outside organization to decide on a stipend for USG members? If executive-board candidates feel that the student body is not interested in what USG does, why do we have the organization to begin with?
Although USG members voted down the stipend proposal, it is unlikely that the concept will disappear. As long as USG members are able to vote for their own pay increase, there is likely to be a minority of members who are more interested in their own agenda than in representing the student body. I urge you to voice your opinion on whether USG members should be paid. Attend a USG meeting. E-mail your class representative. Participate in USG elections. Tell USG that the poor decision-making demonstrated by some of its members is simply not acceptable and surely does not merit being rewarded with a stipend.

Just about every student in the world awaits the end of classes on a Friday with anxious anticipation. After a long week full of work and stress most students look forward to a relaxing weekend.
Here at Michigan Tech, one of the best ways to relax is to get out and enjoy one of the many activities the Keweenaw Peninsula offers, such as skiing, camping, hiking, or my personal favorite, snowmobiling.
The Upper Peninsula is renowned for its extensive network of snowmobile trails and quality of riding. Avid snowmobilers come from all over the Midwest to ride across the UP. Local snowmobile clubs receive money from the state government to maintain and groom the trails in their areas, which keep them in excellent condition. As long as there is snow on the ground there will be numerous snowmobiles out and about across the UP and in the Keweenaw.
Last Saturday after a particularly stressful week I went out riding with some friends. We left around noon from Michigan Tech’s own snowmobile parking lot, which is located right next to Lot 10. We hit the trail through Houghton, went under the bridge, and began what was to be a wonderful ride. A few hours later we ended up in Copper Harbor and watched the Vintage Snowmobile Drag Races that were taking place. After we ate lunch we headed back to campus, arriving shortly after dark. Snowmobiling in the Keweenaw allows you to visit some spectacular places that otherwise you would not be able to reach in the winter. Roads that are not plowed are pretty much off limits to those with regular vehicles, whereas an unplowed road with two feet of snow is perfect for a snowmobile. For example Brockway Mountain, with its view of Copper Harbor and Lake Superior, is closed during the winter but you can reach the top with a snowmobile! As long as you dress warm Snowmobiling is a fun and entertaining way to relax.
Long rides clear your mind and allow you to see the Keweenaw in its winter state. Even if you are not up to a long ride, a quick twenty-mile loop can still be a good way to escape the college life for a while. The one thing about snowmobiling is that it can get to be an expensive sport. New sleds can cost up to $8,000 nowadays and a lot of college students cannot afford one! Luckily, sleds that are taken care of can last a long time, like the vintage sleds raced in Copper Harbor last weekend, and many students can buy used snowmobiles that are still in good condition.
If school is hitting you hard and you need one sure way to relax on a weekend, try to get out snowmobiling before the snow melts! It is a great way to relax and have fun with your friends. If you do not know anyone that owns a sled ask around, somebody will surely let you go with them. Who knows, you might even pass me on the trail!

Energy is free and is produced magically. We are so lucky to have these magic machines and gadgets at our convenience like an Xbox 360, LCD HDTV, laptop, cell phone, refrigerator, microwave, toaster, Ipod and hair dryer. Let’s watch a movie. Let’s play a video game. Let’s leave the TV on while we do something else. Let’s leave the light on in the room we aren’t using. Let’s run a TV all day to display a Power Point.
What would you do in a day without any plug ins or light switches? Watch a play? Start whistling and slamming pots in an attempt to make music? Fall asleep because you don’t know what to do?
I’m not on a campaign to make you pity those who don’t have your same quality of life, rather I want people to make mindful decisions and consider why we tend to be so wasteful. Why do people act like energy is cheap and comes without a large cost? There are other costs besides money (environmental, quality of silence, etc.) Why are restaurants starting to use TVs as displays for menus? Why are there TVs all over campus continually cycling through news and information?
The TV chilling in the showcase on the first floor of Walker is especially displeasing to me. First of all, that is an area where things are supposed to be showcased like some artwork or monthly posters and information. Aren’t the faculty excited to get out of their offices to put up a presentation or something once a month? Let’s get our scissors out and cut up some shapes!
Secondly, that TV has its own Mac constantly running with it. What a waste.
I found myself in a middle of a conversation about that showcase not existing anymore and the TV they recently invested in may not have a home in the near future. The slides are boring anyway.
I sat in on a meeting of the Green Campus Enterprise and found myself listening to a project presentation. One of the first things that they mentioned is their idea of having three TVs on for the duration of their project so the students can be constantly updated. I inquired that they should consider making a material/paper sort of presentation or update the information on a web page. Answer: they don’t want information to get stolen because that would be bad if people did some hacking, plus they wanted constant updates. Well, if a web site is made correctly people cannot access secure information. Also, what is wrong with a little suspense? Why is it necessary to have constant stimulus? Why are we so needy? Stimulus! I can
has it?! (That’s a whole topic onto its own.)
I am going to urge that they simply have a person travel to the three locations and update a handmade presentation once a day. People can then wait for the ice-cream truck of updates and TVs won’t needlessly be on. I’ll personally volunteer to make the manual updates!
I think this community can step it up a notch. Maybe we can all ‘inconvenience’ ourselves by working with our hands and non-electronic tools. I’d like people to ask themselves if they are inconvenienced when they stay up late and avoid the sun, sit around watching TV, play video games for hours, stare at a computer screen all day, nuke meals instead of preparing them or leaving a TV on. Isn’t it an inconvenience to degrade ecosystems, forget how it feels to be completely full of energy, ignore life skills and hobbies or never have the excitement of receiving long awaited news?
What are we all trying to make time for and what are we trying to achieve? Do we even consider why it is we are motivated to act as we do?
Certainly we could all use a break from automation and electronic stimulus. Certainly there are things that are relatively easy to give up or find replacements for. Certainly we can rethink priorities. What else do we have to do with our time besides trying to boost levels of happiness and health?

When people ask me what my major is, two options for a response pop into my mind. I can tell them I am a Social Sciences major with a concentration in Law and Society or I can mumble something indistinct and make an excuse to leave before I suffer any embarrassment. When I glanced at the latest enrollment statistics for Spring 2010, I felt very alone. Only 38 students share my major; just a handful share my concentration. Not having mathematics or science in my curriculum is a challenge at Michigan Tech, one I expect to keep confronting until graduation.
The most common accusation I face from engineers is having a “fake major”. Unless my tuition bill and countless hours spent writing papers are a figment of my math-deprived imagination, I am fairly certain my major is indeed real. Some say that my major is easy and is only in place for those who find engineering too difficult. Judging by the spelling and grammar on friends’ Facebook stati and the scrawling on whiteboards, I have serious doubts as to whether some would fulfill the expectations of my major without some difficulty.
Without going into the depths of the various types of learning and ways of measuring academic success, I believe many students at Michigan Tech have a very fixed idea of what constitutes a difficult or easy major. Usually if a bubble sheet can accurately measure it, a subject is worth studying. If, however, the measurement is a bit more abstract or subjective, the subject becomes simple and obsolete.
I assure you, I do not believe this prejudice is directed only one way. I have seen many humanities majors turn up their nose at calculus or engineering and bury themselves in Milton, pausing only to sip their latté or green tea, believing that they are in pursuit of “what really matters”.
Surprisingly, the constant testing of my major’s worth has actually been beneficial. Being barraged with negative criticism has caused me to question the validity of my subject many times and constantly have I reaffirmed my belief in the importance and legitimacy of my major. Had I gone to a small, liberal arts college, I would be bombarded with positive feedback and collegial propaganda, which would never tempt me to explore studies outside my own. It is important to be tested; the more faith is shaken, the stronger its foundations become.
I will say that as frustrating and difficult as Algebra and Calculus have been for me, my most challenging class has been without a doubt Creative Writing.
I am sure many people choose the class looking for an easy A. If one fills their journal with nonsense and completes the assignments on time, an A wouldn’t be too difficult to achieve. But to do well in the subject is an entirely different matter.
Academia is ill-equipped to judge success of students who pursue less measurable forms of study, such as Creative Writing. Throughout the semester I have been continually frustrated, not with the grade that appears on the computer, but with the merit of my work.
To be one of only 38 students in my major, which is large for non-technical students, can make one rethink choice of schools. But I have always had full confidence in the curriculum and faculty in my department. Michigan Tech provides a quality education, whther you’re an engineer or an artist.
Additionally, my program is small enough that class sizes are kept to a minimum. Professors and advisors are also extrememly accessible. Although my computer lab is the smallest on campus, I’ve found comfort in old-house smell and piles of unwanted books mounded around the computers. The maze of offices (known affectionately as the “rat warren”) in the Academic Office Building has become as familiar to me as the faces within the cramped rooms.
There is certainly no supremacy of one subject over another. Engineers and authors alike change the world, who is to say which is superior? I would like, however, to be able to tell people my major without them having to suppress a smirk or a giggle.

Dear Sassy,
I am in an ethical dilemma. A friend of mine has been stealing money from the cash register at his job. His employers haven’t caught on yet. I tell him to stop doing it every time I see him, but I know he hasn’t. Do I take this to the next level and confront his employers about the issue?
Sincerely,
Frustrated Friend

Read the full story

Michigan Tech students might soon see an additional fee added to their bills. A committee was recently formed to investigate the possibility of changing Michigan Tech’s current health care and health insurance policies. The committee, headed by Dean of Students Dr. Gloria Melton, has yet to form an official proposal but has begun to investigate possibilities for changes to existing policies. Although no official proposal has been made yet, the committee’s main focus at this time centers around opening a new clinic for Michigan Tech students.
According to meeting minutes from the Jan. 25 meeting of the Wadsworth Hall Student Association (WHSA), the “proposed location was where COMPASS [located in the basement of Wadsworth Hall] is currently located.” The proposed clinic has received positive feedback from WHSA but has faced a mixed reaction from Undergraduate Student Government (USG) members. Some USG members are concerned about the increase in the number of sick students present in the residence hall. However, proponents of the clinic claim that the convenience of having a clinic located closer to students would increase the chances of a sick student visiting a doctor.
Michigan Tech’s contract with Portage Health, the company that currently runs the clinic attached to the SDC, expires this year. One of the main concerns of the health care committee is the lack of preference shown towards students. According to Lucia Gregorakis, USG representative, “The committee felt that the new contract needs to be reformed because students are not coming before other patients which is the reason Portage is at the SDC.”
In order to fund the new clinic, students might see a new fee appear on their bills. Much like the Experience Tech fee, students would essentially “buy in” to the service; by paying a small fee, any visit to the new clinic would be free. According to Griffin Roblyer, WHSA secretary, the clinic would provide “free, basic healthcare for the entire student population” and would provide services such as “diagnosis of athlete’s foot, flu, strep throat and pink eye but if they want to test for something serious, you still would go to the hospital.” Since the new clinic would not feature a pharmacy, students would still have to fill their prescriptions at an off-campus location.
I think that the proposed added fee for students in exchange for basic medical services would be a smart decision for the University. Many other schools in the state already provide a similar service to their students. The University of Michigan offers clinic visits, eye care services, nutrition counseling, radiology and other services under their health service fee. Michigan State University offers students three free medical office visits each school year. The cost of these visits are subsidized by the University. Offering these types of services to University students is certainly not a novel idea.
By providing a free clinic to students, Michigan Tech would be able to require students to receive immunizations before coming to school. Currently, freshmen and transfer students are highly encouraged to receive a set of immunizations before coming to Michigan Tech, but are not required to do so because the University currently does not provide these services to students through a free clinic. By introducing a free clinic, the University could shift their policies from “strong encouragement” to “requirement” of certain immunizations.
Graduate students could also see a potential benefit from a change in current health policies. Health insurance provided through Michigan Tech offers the option to add a dependent but the associated costs often deter graduate students from using it. The health care committee is interested in providing graduate students with families a less expensive way to insure themselves and their dependents.
Some students who have health insurance provided outside of the University have voiced concern about paying for both their own health insurance and the proposed medical services fee. Although some students would be paying for their health care twice, the added benefit of having access to a clinic on campus would be worth the nominal added fee. The argument that a certain group of students will not use the services they are paying for was an issue heard when the Experience Tech fee was first proposed. Many students who did not use the facilities covered by the Experience Tech fee were upset that they were funding other student’s recreational activities. In an effort to get as much student input as possible, USG created an online survey that offered students the chance to voice their opinions. The survey showed that there was strong support for adding the Experience Tech fee. A process like this will be absolutely crucial to the success of a change in the University’s health care. The stark contrast between WHSA’s approval of the clinic and USG’s split reaction shows the potential for disagreement among students regarding these changes.
Once a formal proposal has been drafted by the committee, it will likely be reviewed by USG, Hall Councils and Housing (since the clinic may be placed inside Wadsworth Hall) before being voted on by the Board of Control.

It’s the time of year again when the frenzy of deciding where and who you’ll live with next semester takes hold. Classifieds are scoured, halls investigated, and contracts are hastily made to ensure, if nothing else, that the next semester will not be spent sleeping in a broom closet in the most dejected house in Houghton. Although panic may set in, it is vital to keep a level-head to avoid making a horrendous mistake.
Perhaps the first concern for students is finding a roommate or housemates to share the next year with. People instinctually gravitate towards people they like the most. Besties, bros, and home-slices are perhaps the most sought after roommates. At first these comrades-in-arms may seem like the ideal roommates; they are sure to be friendly, considerate, and thoughtful. These admirable characteristics will eventually fade and disappear over the course of your semester. Sure, a movie night with the bestie may be great on a Friday night. But what about on Monday nights? Or Tuesday afternoons? Or the Thursday after a bad break-up? Playing video games with your buddy is surely a fantastic way to vent testosterone-infused anger. But what about at two in the morning right before a big exam?
Before you lived together, these dilemmas were easy to solve. You could go home, close and lock your door and have been done with it. Now, however, your heartbroken friend will be standing outside (or perhaps inside if they are a particularly gifted lock-picker) your bedroom accusing you, amid incoherent screams and tears, of not wanting to be their friend anymore.
It is nearly impossible for a friendship that was once given a healthy buffer zone, to flourish in such an intimate environment. Friendships, like bears, are best enjoyed from an appropriate distance.
If you manage to settle on an individual to room with, the next, and perhaps most monumental decision, is to determine where to live.
On-campus housing is an expensive, but extremely rewarding option. If you are plagued with loud neighbors, a peeved Resident Assistant will appear within minutes issuing write-ups left and right. If the shower pressure isn’t what it should be, a crew of maintenance staff will be there the next day to fix it. Almost every day, a full Resident Assistant staff, student government, and hall student association provides you with engaging activities and free t-shirts. As far as the college living environment goes, dorm life is a breeze. However, the cost and pressure of keeping to anti-alcohol regulations drive many students off-campus in the search for a home away from class.
Over the years, houses in Houghton and Hancock have been plagued with the most persistent and damaging of pests: college students. This demographic is the number one cause of severe home damage in the United States today. It is amusing that naïve, first-time renters believe their space will be in even the remotely same condition at the end of the rent period. Their scrubbed floors and freshly painted walls will be covered with a layer of grime whose composition would require an electron microscope and a hazmat suit to define.
If you manage to find an apartment or house in which the walls aren’t spattered with a grotesque mixture of beer and vomit, you’re in luck. Off-campus housing can provide a welcoming reprieve from campus activity; one can only take so many socials of cookie baking and movie watching. However, you’ll begin to miss the activity when you’re dozing off during Gilmore Girls with your hand buried in a bowl of Cheez-its on a Saturday night because you don’t have hall-mates to relieve you from your isolated stupor. The peace and independence offered by off-campus housing is a mirage. This siren will lure you with promises of off-the-chain house parties and daily vacations from academia.
Obviously on and off-campus housing each have their respective pros and cons. As for me, the stability and safety of the dorms is far too tempting to resist. I’d rather pay the extra bucks in exchange for pre-made food, patrolled hallways, and a toilet that doesn’t threaten to spew its contents with every flush.

This morning, a plethora of bundled up, jolly families perused the campus and marvelled at the beautiful snow statues.  They wondered at their intricacies and commented on how marvelous it is that students willingly spend their free time on such a constructive and unique occupation.  The kids shrieked with delight as they spotted their favorite board games and video game characters being brought to life.  The image of the snow statues presented on that quiet Thursday morning is a highly romanticized and misleading representation of a realistically cold and bitter process.
This insight into statue building is not intended to diminish such gargantuan accomplishments, it is merely meant to communicate the other side of the story.  This story exists behind the smooth glazed surface and beyond the shining eyes of impressed and astonished admirers.  This is the story of students facing negative 25 degree wind chill and standing ankle deep in cold, icy slush, furiously stomping.  This is the story of precariously balanced scaffolding, which threatens to fling machetes and hatchets from its upper level to the ground below at the slightest jostle.
Worse than the physical dangers of building a snow statue is the abuse suffered when a student neglects their hall or organization’s masterpiece.  
I have heard stories of power being cut to rooms and hefty monetary fines given to those who would rather stay in and do homework than hack away at a solid block of ice for hours on end.  And though being in any hall or organization obligates you to participate in statue, I can’t say I blame anyone who stubbornly refuses to face hypothermia, fifty-dollar fine or not.  
This is my first year participating in a month long statue.  The viciousness of competition is palpable, being the best is the only option, anything else would merely be a waste of sore muscles and frost-bitten fingertips. Although I choose to block the pains of statue building with the prospect of completion, others resort to more potent methods to cope such as alcohol and gallons of Monster, the remains of which litter the ground after the All-Nighter.
It is truly miraculous that each year such time-consuming statues always end up fully completed and highly professional looking. I can testify that the morale of the statue crews do not maintain such a steady trajectory in the lead up to Winter Carnival. The first night of statue building is a veritable geyser of enthusiasm and excitement. The last few hours of the All-Nighter however, are a grim struggle; the last few diehards stubbornly chip away at blocks of ice in a desperate attempt to complete the statue before judging.
All night they have been powered by hot chocolate and deep-fried Twinkies, a remarkably energizing combination.
Although I have painted a grim picture of statue building, this isn’t to say that it’s not all worth it. There are certainly rewards, if nothing else the sound sleep after the All-Nighter. The admiration of family and friends is certainly something to be considered as well. And while we could stay inside until spring, the severity and length of Houghton winters almost demand some sort of icy, arctic endeavor be undertaken.

Walking down campus between classes, small clouds of smoke are seen rising above the crowd. Many of these clouds are not of condensing breath but are, rather, plumes of exhaled cigarette smoke. Many students are used to simply dodging others’ smoke clouds, but some students are taking a stand against smoking and asking smokers to “quit it” across most of campus.
Michigan Tech’s current smoking policy is outlined in the Michigan Tech Board of Control Policy Manual and states that “Smoking is prohibited except where permitted by the administration.” Many of the entrances to buildings on campus have been designated as non-smoking entrances. However, the enforcement of these non-smoking areas proves to be a challenge for Public Safety officers. Public Safety Chief Dan Bennett said that since the University’s smoking entrance policies are not an official law, they are very hard to enforce. “The strictest thing we could do is forward a name to Judicial Affairs if we catch someone [smoking],” Bennett said. If the offender were staff or faculty, their name would be sent to Human Resources for review.
Bennett stated that “if someone was smoking inside a building, we (the police) have the authority to cite them for a civil infraction for violation of the Public Health Code…” However, since this level of authority does not carry over to outdoor offenses, officers are left with a punishment that is no more than a “slap on the wrist” from University Judicial officials. Bennett said that he hopes smokers exercise good judgment when choosing a location to smoke, but “if everybody uses good judgment, we wouldn’t need police.”
Carissa Miller, a second-year Business Management student, recently proposed a partial smoking ban on campus. In an e-mail she sent to Student Affairs, Miller states that she would like to “start some sort of petition or student surveys” to research student reception of such a ban. Miller proposed “allowing people to smoke where there are designated smoking entrances” and “in private vehicles” while also asking for the construction of smoking shelters on campus since she believes the availability of shelter is the main reason smokers choose to smoke next to buildings in areas that are designated non-smoking entrances. Miller also explains that she believes the main reason she has found initial support among students for her proposal “stems from the fact that the university is not enforcing its current policies about not smoking within x amount of feet from the academic buildings.”
While the enforcement of smoking entrances is spotty at best, the problem originates from the lack of an enforceable law with which Public Safety could cite offenders.
Michigan Tech needs to consider changing its 23-year-old smoking policy in order to enable Public Safety to enforce the school’s existing smoking policies. Perhaps the threat of a fine or a more severe judicial punishment would curb the number of smokers outside non-smoking entrances. Although I don’t agree with the proposed partial smoking ban on campus, I do agree that the existing rules regarding smoking need to be consistently enforced. I believe that the first step toward effective policy is enacting effective enforcement measures.
If officers were able to punish wrongdoers with more than a report sent to Judicial Affairs, Michigan Tech smokers might think twice before lighting up next to a non-smoking entrance.

Last semester, the members of one living community in Wadsworth Hall began to have their right to free speech taken away. In an attempt to censor the residents of the La Maison de Gaiete hall, a member of Housing decided to ban a chant that has been recited by members of the hall for many years. The chant was deemed by this individual to be inappropriate and if anyone was heard saying the chant by any member of Housing (Resident Assistants (RAs), Program Coordinators, Community Coordinators or any of the “higher-ups”), they were to receive an automatic incident report.
When I first heard about Housing’s ban, I attempted to begin collecting information from the top. I first went to speak to Joe Cooper, assistant director of residence life. When asked about the chant, he said that there was never a ban put into place and that he was unaware of any such chant. When asked about Housing’s policies regarding free speech, he directed me to Housing’s Web site where I could view a copy of the contract signed by all residents and to the Administration building to pick up a copy of the Student Code of Conduct. Travis Pierce, director of Housing, appeared out of his office with brochures in hand that outlined University policy but did not contribute much to the conversation.
Following my conversation with the higher-ups of Housing, I spoke to multiple student members of Housing who were able to confirm that there had, in fact, been a ban of a chant in the La Maison hall. Last fall, the RA of La Maison, Ryan Harris, passed along information from his superior to the residents of his hall. In an e-mail, Harris informed residents that “[a]s of now if you are caught saying the hall chant by a Michigan Tech staff member…you will get an automatic incident report.”
Next, Pierce was informed that members of his staff had told me information that contradicted what his office has previously stated. Housing “never had a ban of the chant. A staff member did write an e-mail at the very beginning of the academic year that was incorrect,” Pierce stated. “…[P]olicy is set by me or the University and such a policy is not and was not in place. We do not restrict speech and there is nothing in our contracts that restrict speech. We follow the governing laws of the United States regarding free speech.”
Since a ban was never “officially” put into effect by Pierce, Housing states that such a ban never existed. However, for a short amount of time, residents of La Maison believed that if they were caught saying their hall chant, they would be punished by Housing staff. The student member of Housing who mistakenly created an unauthorized ban said, “I am not and was not trained in the legality of the situation.”
Although there was never an “official” ban of the chant by Housing, Cooper stated that the Inter-Residence Hall Council (IRHC) Broomball organization had banned the chant at their games. Cooper explained that since IRHC Broomball is a student-run organization, it has the ability to create its own rules and regulations restricting free speech.
Luke Johnson, the captain of La Maison III, received a two-minute penalty for his team saying the chant after one of their games. Members of the La Maison hall say that they still recite the chant despite the potential for punishment, however they now recite it from the southern side of US-41 where Broomball rules are not in effect. A representative of IRHC could not be reached before printing for comment on the ban.
One of the most concerning aspects of this ban was Housing’s unwillingness to share information. A mistake was clearly made by a misinformed member of Housing – a mistake that was initially swept under the rug. The way in which Housing handled my questions was almost laughable. Despite overhearing (and even interjecting in) the conversation in which Cooper gave me incorrect information, Pierce did not attempt to give me the correct information. I would expect Housing – and all branches of the University – to operate in a way in which when queried about a mistake, the mistake is acknowledged and explained instead of an attempt being made to bury the mistake. Unfortunately, when confronted with a controversial subject, University officials seem to immediately seal their lips while simultaneously obstructing information. No less concerning is the apparent free-reign that IRHC Broomball is given when creating rules to regulate their games. According to members of La Maison, all student organizations have been told by University administration that a policy banning chants cannot single out particular chants but should, instead, either ban all chants or none at all. Why IRHC Broomball is free to ignore this rule remains unanswered.