washtenaw voice staff

8/2/2019 Washtenaw Voice Staff

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The Washtenaw Voice, Section C February

A Fuqu-ShStaff Writer

President Barack Obamaalled Friday for the recon-truction of the higher educa-ion tuition system and cau-ioned colleges and universitieso control tuition increases orace federal funding cuts.

Ad dre ss in g mo re th an,000 students in the Al Glickield House at University of

Michigan, Obama said he wasputting colleges on notice that

the era of never-ending spikesin tuition each year was over.

You cant assume that youlljack up tuition every singleyear, Obama said on a stopnear the end of his three-daypost-State of the Union address.

If you cant stop tuition fromgoing up, then the funding youget from taxpayers each yearwill go down.

At the start of an electio nyear, the president directed hisaddress toward students andworking families, two groups

important to his 2012 re-elec-tion. And he conceded that hiscollege aordability plan mayface odds down the road be-cause each aspect of it has tobe approved by a contentiousCongress before it goes intoaect.

Higher education is not aluxury, he said. Its an eco-nomic imperative that everyfamily in America should beable to aord.

And when I say higher ed-ucation, I dont just mean

four-year colleges and univer-sities; I also mean our commu-nity colleges and providing life-long learning for workers whomay need to retrain for jobswhen the economy shifts.

As Obama came to t he de-fense for families and students,he announced that his admin-istration is increasing federalstudent aid so more studentscan aord college.

Tens of billions of dollarsthat were going to subsidiesfor banks are now going to

students in the form of moregrants and lower rates on loans,he said. Weve capped student-loan payments so that nearly1.6 million students are going tohave to pay 10 percent of yourmonthly income towards yourloans once you graduate.

Obama asked the crowd tourge Congress to do more.

They (Congress) need tostop the interest rates on stu-dent loans from doubling thisJuly, he said. They need to ex-tend the tuition tax credit that

weve put in place thaing some of you and mof folks all across the cthousands of dollars.

Obama advocateCongress to give morepeople the chance totheir way through colldoubling the number ostudy jobs in the next v

If tuition is going uer than ination, fasteeven health care is going

OBAMA CHEERED AT U-M,unveils Race to the Top or college afordability

B SlManaging Editor

Whil e Pres iden t Barac kObama gave a campaign speecho nearly 3,000 adoring sup-orters at the University of

Michigan, a small politicaltorm was brewing outside the

Al Glick Field House.He is the worst president

n American history, said HalDotson, 63, a conservative

rotester from Scio Township.Hes just as bad as slick Willie

Bill Clinton) and the peanutarmer (Jimmy Carter).

Gathered near the gated en-rance of the building where

the attendees had made theirway inside the building beforethe bulk of the protesters hadarrived.

Amassing a total of nearly50 Obama objectors, the min-iature rally did not fail in ex-pressing the individual protest-ers controversial views, andsignage, on the president andhis policies.

Were here to let peo-ple know that Obama-caredoesnt work, said Otto GagoJr., a 50 year-old protester

who was joined by his friendIan Chapman, 59. Free healthcare de-incentivizes compa-nies from offering their em-

Conservative protesterssend message to Obama: GET OUT OF ANN ARBOR!

JOSH CHAMBERLAIN THE WASHTEN

resident Obama addresses the audience o 3,000, backed by dozens o dignitaries at the University o Michigans Al Glick Field House on Jan. 27.

OBAMA RECAP CONT

PRESIDENTIALMichigan gets


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February 6, 2012 The WashtenawMichigan gets presidentialC2

Adrian Hedden

Features Editor

Slamming car doors, bluend red lashes o light andhe beeping o construction

ehi cle s in rever se sho oknn Arb or. Des pite beinghoked o trafc, the typicallyleepy streets in the downtownrea were brought to lie ear-er than usual on the morning Jan. 27.

The president o the Unitedtates was coming.The entire area will be

ocked down, said Dianerown, a University o

Michigan Public Saety spokes-woman, three days beore

resident Barack Obama waset to speak on University o

Michigan campus at the AlGlick Field House. The streetswill be blocked and no pedes-

rians will be allowed. It will

e a ghost town.One thing was clear outside

uring the presidential address.he community was at a hush.

police-secured events on UMscampus. Gago knows what goeson.

They secured it like a weekago, Gago said. The commu-nity just shuts down when the

president comes.Gago remembers Obamas

2010 commencement speechto U-M graduates as having astronger police presence thanthis years campaign stop.

(Then) they had him ownin in a helicopter. There wereplanes and oicers every-where, Gago said. It was a bitmore intense at the commence-ment speech.

Displaying hand-made signsalong with Gago, Ian Chapman,59, o Ann Arbor was airlypleased with the ew interac-tions he had with ofcers, cit-ing the good manners o policeat the event.

We were stopped on oot

trying to cross the baseballield. It was blocked o andthey asked what we were doing,Chapman said. No one has re-

were situated with barricadesand large utility trucks to blockaccess to South State Streetrom the corner o State andStimson and northward toGranger Avenue. Pedestrian

trafc was restricted to the eastsidewalk only. Ofcers linedState Street in groups o threeor our, watching to keep pe-destrians back.

Our agenda is to ensure saemovement o participants a ndspeakers in the event as well asto control crowd movement,said First Lt. Joel Allen o theMichigan State Police at theBrighton Post. Our job is pro-viding a sae environment.

Coordinating with the pres-idents secret service, MSP o-cers throughout the state as-sisted in blocking roads alongthe path o the presidentialmotorcade rom Detroit Metro

Airp ort to his hotel and then

into Ann Arbor.Police could not reveal what

hotel the president was stayingat. Secrecy was also high on the

inormation.We alert the public as soon

as the plan is ready, Bush said.All I can say is that we workwith Secret Service to ensurethe saety o t he president and

the community. But we dontdiscuss it at all ahead o timebecause it is a saety issue.

Knowledge o the visit wasntmade public until Mon., Jan 23,our days beore the speech. Apress release rom the re-garding the road closures wasnot sent out until Jan. 25.

The University o Michiganwas also tasked with keep-ing inormation about thePresidents visit u nder wraps.

I we talked about securitymeasures, they would not be

secure, said Rick Fitzgeraldo U-M Public Aairs in anemail. It is something we nev-er discuss.

Surveying the streets aterthe president had nished hisnal words and the event be-gan wrapping up, Sgt. Matt Ligeo the , in charge o his

departments securitywas satised at a lack odent. He pointed to teamexhibited by the varioenorcement outts pre

Its gone very smoo

successul operation, LiIt was a good exampleoperation between staederal agencies to protpresident.

There was not a sinverse occu rrence duripresidents visit to U-cording to Lige.

U-M campus a ghost townAnn Arbor on lockdown for President Obamas visit to campaign for education, jobsand himse

Josh Chamberlain

Staff Writer

When the President o theUnited States approaches youor a handshake, you orget ev-rything. The most importanterson in the country is, or

he brieest moment, ocusingis attention on my hand, my

wo words, mouthed because crowds noise: Thank you.

He had already spoken or5 minutes, and was makingis way around to the rst ewows o the standing-room-nly event recently at the

University o Michigan. The

rowd was no longer manicwith anticipation, but we stilleaned orward to meet theresident.

President Obamas handsre cool, strong and smoothrom shaking thousands oands. Theyre small, to t hisodyhes imposing but hesslender dude. Standing next

o dozens o suited guards, hemight have disappeared i notor his crisp white shirt and in-tantly recognizable ace.

Secret Service agents silent-y edged behind us in the nar-ow roped-o area. The shout-ng high school girl behind mead been replaced by a 6-oot-4

wall o a man, moving paral-

el to the president around theemicircle o people. We werenstructed to keep our hands

visible at all times. Every per-son within 20 eet o PresidentObama was within arms reacho at least one man who neversmiled and kept his eyes onyour every move.

President Obama had justnished his speech to ollow uphis State o the Union address aew days earlier. Cynics mightknow it as a campaign speech.

The audience was no longermanic, rom anticipation, andabsolute silence ell when hecommanded it. The tone waslight and the president ac-knowledged many interjec-tions rom audience members,but the palpable respect heldthe crowd and kept us listen-ing hard.

From the start to the endo the address, there was onetheme: airness. The idea thatall Americans should have ac-cess to an education and a job is

a cornerstone o the hardwork-ing American perspective. Thisocus is an important one, be-cause everyone eels they haveworked hard or their moneyand status. He identies withthe majority o Americans whoeel cheated by the wealthy mi-nority between this and a go,Blue! President Obama, in aninstant, has the crowd behindhim.

Apparently, hes done thisbeore.

The speech continued tobuild on the bedrock o hard-working mentality in theDetroit area, with reerencesto the ormidable power o asuccessul automotive industry.

Im sure I wasnt the only onetaking pride in the place I live,motivated to take action and

ocus Michigan on education.It was the power and energyrepresented by that car com-mercial rom last years SuperBowl, but Eminem had beenreplaced by the leader o the

ree world.The bulk o the speech dealt

with higher education, and howwe must work together to makeit aordable or everyone. Towork most jobs, some collegeeducation is required, so tomake college unaordableis to limit our own potential.People who have succeeded inthis country did so by standingon the shoulders o the inra-structure and education sys-tem thats unique to powerulnations such as ours. By payingthe country back with employ-ment opportunities and a airtax system, the cycle o educa-tion and prosperity or every-one can continue.

President Obama wasnthere to re liberals up abouthis campaign, though many or-ganizers were in attendance.He wasnt here to ask or do-nations, though his supporterswould have gladly showeredthe stage in checks had secu-rity allowed it.

He instead came to our cityto speak rankly about howwrong it was that the top tiero Americans pays less in tax-es than their ellow citizens.He is trying to prove his alle-giance to the people by implor-ing Congress to extend a taxcut or poor Americans, and byopenly calling or people likehimwealthy Americansto

be taxed airly.And the crowd went wild.

I met ObamaShaking the presidents hand, andlearning the secrets of success

JEWEL SAMAD AFP/GETT

Josh Chamberlain, one of several Voice staffers to attend the event, extends his hand towards the President of tUnited States seconds before the handshake.

JOSH CHAMBERLAIN THE WASHTEN

President Obama greets audience members after exiting the stage.


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February 6, 2012The Washtenaw Voice

members loosely ailiatedwith the Tea Party and agentso the American Coalition orClean Coal Electricity, all owhich had something difer-ent to say about Obama.

We want him to know thatwe dont want him here or inoce, Chapman said. Hesnot here to help or do anything.Its just a campaign speechabout education. We dontneed that.

Chapman added that as aparent o two, he would haveliked the president to explain

how to create more jobs, in-stead o ocusing on an edu-cation system that may nothold much or students likehis 25 year-old daughter, a

WCC student.We need jobs in our state

rst beore (students) can takecare o planning their educa-tion, Chapman said.

Gago and Chapman identi-ed themselves as Republicansand held signs attached to thelong cardboard boxes thatcalled Obama a liar and a cheat.

Neither men heard thepresidents speech, but hopedthat their involvement outsidewould send a clear messageto the GOP candidates to take

Michigan, and Ann Arbor, asseriously as Obama has.

We thought that by havingGov. Snyder here in oce, lesso Obamas policies would a-ect us. Now were playing ex-perimentation with our econ-omy and we dont know i itllwork, Chapman said.

Other protestors ocusedinstead on social issues.

President Obama has tak-en away our right to practiceour religion openly, assert-ed Beth Justice, 56, o Dexter.

Im here to protest his attackon the Catholic Church.

Justice held a sign denounc-ing the president, calling himan Uncle Tom and claiming

that he supports the geno-cide o Arican Americans.She also told passersby thatthe Planned Parenthood

organization aids in scking and prostitutio

A Right to Lie proeven went so ar to teporter or The WashVoice that Obama was aand that he wanted his c

out o his church. Othried signs o dead etustesting the presidentson abortion.

Yet not all objectorsto protest Obamas aance in anger and wereto have him as an honguest.

While we dont alwaywith the presidents pol

is an honor to have hithe University o Miagain, said Brian Kthe vice external chairU-M College Republiday beore the presidedress. We know that be talking about eduwe just hope that it wanother campaign speopposed to being Campin Chie, instead wedhave him come up witsolid education proposwork with congress in gthem done.

However, Kozaria dithat much o the U-M CRepublicans work toawareness to importa

ty platorms happens ofU-M campus, a serioulenge in a vastly Demostronghold such as Ann

For Dotson, the ocwas about sticking itparties in support o Owith Ann Arbor includ

Im just here exemy right to protest, bcouldnt pay me to

Ann Arbor, said DotWCC graduate who havarious positions withRepublican Party and evor mayor o Saline in 1ter serving two terms council. The city counthinks that art is moretant than employing the

and re departments.

Staff Writer Bob Ccontributed to this repo

Michigan gets presidential

matter how much we subsi-ize it, sooner or later, wereoing to run out o money,

he said. And that meanshat others have to do theirart. Colleges and universi-

ies need to do their part toeep costs down as well.While asking Congres s,

olleges and universities to

ake responsibility, he alsohallenged the states.Were telling the states,

you can nd new ways toring down the cost o col-

ege and make it easier ormore students to graduate,well help you do it, he said.We will give you addition-l ederal support i you are

doing a good job o makingure that all o you (students)rent loaded up with debt

when they graduate romollege.And you know what else

t means? It means that weenew the American val-

ues o air play and sharedesponsibility.

Obama urther expressedis displeasure by saying that

he uture thats on the tablesnt the uture he wants.

I want this to be a big, bold,enerous country where ev-rybody gets a air shot, ev-rybody is doing their airhare, everybody is playingy the same set o rules, heaid to rousing cheers.

While Obama applaudedtudents who made the deci-ion to pursue higher educa-ion, he made sure to remindveryone that he can sym-athize with their currentituation.

Your president and yourrst lady were in your shoes

not that long ago. We didntome rom wealthy ami-

ies, he said. The only rea-on that we were able tochieve what we were ableo achieve was because weot a great education. And

we could not have done thatunless we lived in a country

hat made a commitment topening up opportunity toll people.

BAMA RECAP FROM C1

OBAMA PROTESTS FROM C1

BOB CONRADI THE WASHTEN

Beth Justice, 68, of Dexter, holds two signs outside Al Glick Field Ho

JARED ANGLE THE WASHTENAW VOICE

Christina Beckman, a University of Michigan sophomore,introduces President Obama.

JOSH CHAMBERLAIN THE WASHTENAW VOICE

President Obama waves to the crowd just before exiting the stage.

JOSH CHAMBERLAIN THE WASHTENAW VOICE

DeAndree Watson, president of the U-M studentgovernment, speaks before Obama.


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February 6, 2012 The WashtenawC4 Michigan gets presidential

Matt Durr

Editor

Whil e Pres ident Bara ckObama is traveling across the

ountry to support the variousgendas he laid out at the Statef the Union Address, politi-ians here in Michigan are rally-

ng support for Obamas vision.I really believed that when

e said weve got to out-edu-ate and out-innovate in the

world economy, thats exact-y what I want, said U.S. Sen.

Debbie Stabenow.Obama visited the University

f Michigan campus in Annrbor last week to deliver apeech on the aordability ofigher education and the im-ortance it has on the future of

he U.S. Stabenow also felt that

Obamas message applied to thestruggles workers in Michiganface as the economy tries to

rebound.I think that rst of all, as a

lifelong Michigander, we wantthe president of the UnitedStates here in Michigan under-standing the sacrice, the hardwork and the turnaround thatsgoing on, Stabenow said. Thepresident has really focused onMichigan for all of his presiden-cy in the sense that understand-ing that we need to make thingsin America.

In his speech, Obama spokeabout the need to keep tuitionrates at a level that college stu-dents can aord without having

to go into debt to do so. U.S. Sen.Carl Levin felt the presidentmade a good choice of where

to deliver his message.Theres no better place than

Ann Arbor to ma ke a speech

like this because Ann Arborhas played such an importantrole in higher education in thecountry, not just in Michigan,said Levin.

While the majority of thespeech was focused on four-year institutions, Obama didmention the practical role thatcommunity colleges play in stu-dents lives.

Higher education is not aluxury. Its an economic im-perative that every family in

America should be able to af-ford, Obama said. And I dont

just mean four-year collegesand universities; I also meanour community colleges andproviding lifelong learning for

workers who may need to re-tain for jobs when the economyshifts.

Former Washtenaw Com-munity College trustee and cur-rent state Rep. David Rutledgesaid the presidents remarkswere in line with the beliefs andgoals of those in charge at WCC.

This is a unique space andplace in order to talk about stu-dent tuition and keeping tuitionlow. And of course, at the com-munity college level we knowthat, Rutledge said. Our boardof trustees and administrationsare always seeking ways to keeptuition low, because it is educa-tion that is the key.

During his speech Obamamade it clear that colleges thatdo not make eorts to lower tu-ition will not be given as much

federal funding. Rutledge, how-ever, said he believed that sen-timent was directed towards

four-year institutions.Obama also said that as in-

dustries change, students mustbe able to adapt to those chang-es without having to go brokedoing so. Stabenow agreed.

Its not only critical for fouryear institutions like U of M, i tscritical for community collegesas well. When we talk about thefuture and the opportunitiesfor us in new technologies, inskilled trades, engineers, sci-ence, it doesnt happen with-out education, Stabenow said.

And it doesnt work if whenyou get out of school, youvegot more debt than if you werebuying a house.

Education was the focal

point of the speech, but Oalso used the opportuncriticize the wealthy f

paying their fair share oLevin was extremely fruswith how the tax code for more deductions ththinks are necessary.

Weve gotta do somdierent in the tax code,said. Weve gotta clodamn tax loopholes.

With the Presidentition just around the cLevin thought that Obamit was a clear indicationhow important Michigaits 16 electoral votes wideciding the next presid

The state is always aground state, he said, condent that the presigoing to win Michigan.

State political leaders rally behindPresident Obamas U-M message

MATT DURR THE WASHTEN

JARED ANGLE THE WASHTENAW VOICE

MATT DURR THE WASHTEN

Clockwise from top left: U.S. Sen. Carl Levin (DMich.) talks withAnn Arbor Mayor John Hieftje after President Obamas speech;


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_____________________________________________________________________

2012 Michigan Community College Press Association Judging Form

Place of award: Honorable mentionFirst Place Second Place Third Place Honorable Mention

Category: In depth reporting

Headline/title of entry: Michigan gets presidential

Contestants name: Voice staff

College name: Washtenaw Community College

Judges comments:

In general, I like the flood-the-zone approach here. Youve got a big event to cover, giveit a big treatment. Specific comments are below.

Main bar, Anna Fuqua-Smith: A good and reasonably sophisticated summation ofObamas speech that would have benefitted from some outside context and reactionfrom those who would be impacted by the changes he was calling for, i.e. students anduniversity officials. Some odd phrasing that might have been ironed out. Affect in oneinstance should have been effect.

Conservative protesters, Ben Solis: The story gives a good cross-section of who was

protesting and why. Two thoughts. First, write to scale. You say several times that thiswas a small group. Why give them roughly the same real estate as the speech itself.Second, have more fun. Protests are often colorful. Dont be afraid to write about themthat way.

Timeline: I agree entirely with the decision to include a timeline of the days events. Imnot so sure about putting the activities of the papers staff into it.

I met Obama, Josh Chamberlain: Some good writing and good details, but it could havebeen more focuses or, at least, done more to integrate the small, first-personobservations with the efforts to place the speech in a larger context and talk about what

it meant.

U-M campus a ghost town, Adrian Hedden: A good angle for an event like this andgenerally well executed.

Hare Krishnas, Adrian Hedden: I get that the Hare Krishnas are interesting, but Im notsure why this needed to be a self-standing story. Best not to let the exotic drivecoverage.


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State political leaders, Matt Durr: This was solidly executed, but Im not sure howsurprising it is that Democratic political leaders support the president in an election year.

Again, Id rather have heard from those who would be affected by Obamas plan.

washtenaw voice staff

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