Beimeng Fu is an award-winning video journalist and documentary filmmaker based in Shanghai, China. She has covered stories out of the Greater China Area, the U.S. and its Asian diasporas, and East Africa. Her bylines have appeared in The Washington Post, BuzzFeed News, The California Sunday Magazine, ABC News, Quartz, South China Morning Post, Sixth Tone, Tencent Guyu Project, and more. During COVID, she recorded the collective mood of people who experienced the two-month-long lockdown in Shanghai in the Spring of 2022. The documentary, “Thank You For Your Cooperation,” was named a finalist in the 2023 Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA).
In this interview, Fu recalled the ground situation in China where COVID was discovered first. She covered the pandemic news and its impact on migrant workers, residents in Wuhan, education, and rural parts and frontier cities of China. She endured a two-month total lockdown in her apartment in Shanghai while producing two video projects about these lockdowns from home. She also commented on the difficulties of producing video and documentary projects in a highly censored media environment when mobility was tracked and restricted by the government.
April Zhu is a freelance journalist based in Kenya. Her work focuses on gender, urban inequality, and the Chinese diaspora in Kenya. She is a senior editor at Guernica Magazine where she edits interviews and produces a podcast “Until Everyone is Free”. Her work has appeared in The New York Review of Books Daily, Foreign Policy, The Baffler Magazine, The South China Morning Post Magazine, VOA News, and others.
Zhu's COVID reporting helped people understand the systematic issues in the healthcare system in Africa. She recalled the early lockdowns in Kenya, government responses, and police violence. She criticized Sinophobia and racial discrimination and commented on the financial challenges and lack of institutional support for being a freelancer. Regardless, she's grateful for growing professionally during the pandemic. She urges the future generation to connect their crisis reporting with structural issues and make an impactful change.
Ankita M. Kumar is a journalist, analyst, and product manager. During COVID, she covered several high-profile investigative stories on the pandemic in India for Deutsche Welle, Germany's international broadcaster. In 2020, she received a grant from the National Geographic Society's COVID-19 emergency fund to complete a written report on equal access to health care for women in the current Gurugram's urban slums. Kumar was relocated to the United States in 2021, and graduated with a master's degree from Northwestern University, specializing in media innovation and content strategy.
Kumar published several investigative stories that focused on underrepresented groups during the pandemic, including women in Gurugram's slums, cremation urns workers, migrant workers, and diamond polishers. In this interview, she revealed the unique challenges from family, community, and sources she endured to practice journalism as a woman in India. A journalist and a social worker, Kumar advised spending time building a trustworthy relationship with sources and maintaining objectivity in one's journalistic pursuit. She reviewed the difficulties of covering COVID at its peak while enduring the loss of a family member to the virus. The personal loss put her in a unique position to tell other people's suffering with compassion and empathy. She left future generations with lessons of loss and gains.
Amanda Morris is a staff reporter at the Washington Post in the United States. Before joining the Post in August 2022, Morris was an inaugural disability reporting fellow for The New York Times. Previously, she covered science, politics, and national news for outlets, including The Arizona Republic, The Associated Press, and National Public Radio (NPR).
In this interview Morris shared her experiences covering the early months of the pandemic for The Arizona Republic. She recalled challenges such as performing field work as a visual journalist, maintaining work and work-life balance, mental health, and combating public distrust in science reporting and online harassment. She recommended practical tips for organizations and the general public to recognize women journalists' challenges and contributions in reporting the pandemic.
Aliya Bashir is an independent journalist covering India and India-administered Kashmir with a focus on human rights, gender justice, women’s issues, the environment, healthcare, education and minorities. Her work has been published in The Guardian, Time, Reuters, Global Press Journal, Global Health Now, and The New Humanitarian among many others. She is the winner of the 2015 Schizophrenia Research Foundation-Press Institute of India “Media for Mental Health” award for best reporting on mental health issues in India. A HEFAT trainee, she has won reporting grants from the International Women’s Media Foundation and Population Reference Bureau.
In this interview, Bashir recalled her experiences covering the impact of COVID-19 on women and their children. She reflected on the lack of women's representation in mainstream media, vaccination and health data, and the decision-making process in families. Despite the challenges of reaching sources in remote and vulnerable conditions and with little support as a freelance journalist, her reporting brought awareness to the gender gap and urged officials to collect data and build women-centric vaccination campaigns. She also commended more recognition of women journalists' work and minimizing the pay disparity between genders.
Alessandra Bergamin is an award-winning Australian investigative journalist who divides her time between Melbourne and Los Angeles. Bergamin covers the intersection of environmental conflict and human rights around the world. Her work has appeared in The Baffler, In These Times, Harper’s Magazine, National Geographic, and The New Yorker.com, among others. In 2022, Bergamin was honored as a Distinguished Journalist by the Society of Professional Journalists, Los Angeles in the newspaper/print (smaller circulation) category. She has received fellowships and grants from many entities to investigate environmental and human rights issues.
In this interview, Bergamin reviewed her experiences and takeaways from reporting labor and human trafficking issues during the pandemic. She shared approaches and advice to developing and cultivating sources who reside remotely and in hard-to-reach communities. She also commented on the importance of mental health and the challenges of being a freelancer and woman journalist. Finally, she reflected on the meaning of the pandemic to her personally and professionally. She called for more understanding of the differential impact of the pandemic on different populations.
Chuck Coleman is a former Eastern Michigan University student activist. Before exiting the university in 1978, Coleman was a member of the Black Student Association, Campus Service Corps, and a student representative of the Office of Minority Affairs. Coleman played an important role for bettering conditions for students of color on campus.
On December 15, 2021, Jones talked with former EMU Director of University Publications and Student Media, and YCFE co-chair, Paul Heaton. Heaton arrived in Ypsilanti to work in media and communications at EMU, and remained somewhat on the outside of Ypsi civic life until the Tri-Pride incident in 1997. He became involved with the ordinance efforts early on, attending the first Citizens for Community meetings, and later became a co-chair of YCFE. Heaton worked in tandem with his community members and co-chair Beth Bashert to ensure the campaign would be successful. He was highly regarded for his expertise with communications and messaging, and is still credited with keeping the mission on task. Heaton had to manage the messages and ideas coming from his fellow organizers while also making sure the campaign's focus remained clear and cohesive. Throughout this interview he recalls the reasoning behind YCFE and how its mission worked, along with the ins and outs of working with conflicting opinions, and how he became involved with the campaigns in the first place!
On February 27, 2022, Jones met with EMU alum and former chair-person of Tri-Pride, Kathy Palmer. Palmer found herself at EMU after learning more about the Master's in Social Work program and comparing it to others she was considering. She took up a graduate assistantship from Kathleen Russell, and was eventually picked to serve as a Tri-Pride co-chair. Palmer was only directly involved with the ordinance effort for a short time, as the Tri-Pride complaint was filed in February, and she graduated in April. Despite this, she kept close ties to the community and stayed updated throughout it all, and her "outsider" perspective gave her a new awareness of the campaigns' impact. In this interview, Palmer describes that new awareness and appreciation and shares more of the values and beliefs behind Tri-Pride and its members.
On January 17, 2022, Jones sat down with Citizens for Community member and activist, Bonnie Dawn Clark. Before she moved to Ypsilanti in the mid-1990s, Bonnie was living in the South, always close to where she had been born and raised in North Carolina. With a passion for social justice and activism, she took part in movements advocating for equality for women and LGBTQ people, and even participated in environmental protests. It was only natural for her to become involved with Citizens for Community once the group heard about the incident with EMU group, Tri-Pride. As the city council took on the complaint and pushed it to the Human Relations Commissions hearings, she realized she could use her religious upbringing and knowledge of the Bible to dispel some of the opposing arguments. After the campaign ended, she returned to North Carolina where she has since started a non-profit organization for homeless LGBTQ youth. During this interview, she shares her experiences with being LGBTQ and a woman in the military, and reflects on the importance of an ordinance like 1279.
On January 18, 2022, Jones talked to community organizer and American Friends Service Committee staff member, Jan Wright. After she became a Quaker in graduate school, Wright spent some time living with fellow Quakers in Ann Arbor, and volunteering for the American Friends Service Committee. She eventually became the local AFSC's LGBT Issues Program Director. Wright and her AFSC colleagues hosted community workshops where people could learn to hold non-hostile communication with LGBT/opposing groups. As both ordinance campaigns utilized the workshops, Wright became more entwined in the cause, and found it necessary to support it. Her work with other community members, activists, and organizers left her with meaningful connections, which she reflects on in this interview. Wright also covers the importance of including the Black community in the ordinance, and working closely with religious groups to increase visibility and support through it all.
On January 27, 2022, Jones met with former members of Citizens for Community and Ypsilanti Campaign for Equality, and former EMU faculty, Myrna Yeakle and Joan Sheard. Yeakle and Sheard were both professors in the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, and had met while working together. During their careers at EMU, they became trusted members of the community amongst their fellow LGBT colleagues, including Kathleen Russell. Yeakle and Sheard hit the ground running once they found out about the Tri-Pride incident, and met with neighbors and community organizers to push for an ordinance. Because of their experiences with hate and discrimination, and their status as an established "out" couple, they felt they had a responsibility to support the efforts to make the Ypsi community a more welcoming and safe space. Like other participants in this project, Yeakle and Sheard became important figures during the campaigns, working as Outreach officers within YCFE. In this interview, they shared their experiences as LGBT faculty on EMU's campus and how that translated to the Ypsi community, how important it was for the ordinance to be passed, and the broader implications of it all.
On January 25, 2022, Jones talked to EMU alum and former student secretary of Tri-Pride, Eric Monat. Monat, one of the group's founders, worked on promoting and programming events like Visibility Week, and eventually spoke at the Queer Student Leadership Summit. During the ordinance campaigns, he attended human relations commission hearings, and like his fellow students, kept Tri-Pride visible throughout. Monat recalls the camaraderie and support among the students and how they kept each other safe and sane in the midst of hatred. Throughout this interview, he talks through the trauma of the hearings, some of the ins-and-outs of Tri-Pride, and how he saw the campus evolve after all was said and done.
On January 20th, 2022, Jones met with activist, creative, and mother, Dawn Richberg. Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Richberg moved all across the country with her family before making her way to Ann Arbor in the 1980s. While attending graduate school at University of Michigan, she got involved with the American Friends Service Committee's LGBT Issues Program, which led to her participation in the ordinance campaigns. Richberg's experiences as a Black lesbian meant she brought an important perspective to the campaigns that was needed to help bridge the gap between Black communities and queer communities in Ypsi. In this interview, she shares those personal experiences, her work with the AFSC, and her passion for social justice. Richberg also reflects on the process of making change in the community.
On March 8, 2022, Jones interviewed EMU alum, former Tri-Pride co-chair, and outspoken supporter of the ordinance, Donna Regan-Southwick. Before she made her way to Eastern, Southwick was a mother and activist working with Noel Keane in the early days of surrogacy. She enrolled at EMU as a non-traditional student, earning both her bachelors and masters degrees here. During her time in the MSW program, Southwick joined her classmates in the formation of Tri-Pride, where she acted as co-chair. After the group was denied service, she became an outspoken proponent of the ordinance and helped further bridge the gap between student and community campaign perspectives. Southwick had to balance activism and academics, all while raising a son, who witnessed the fight alongside her. In this interview, she sheds light on finding that balance, understanding grief, and finding the strength to stand up for what's right.
On January 3, 2022, Jones talked to community organizer, activist, and member of Ypsilanti Campaign for Equality, Lisa Zuber. Zuber had close ties to the ordinance early on thanks to her work with PFLAG in Ann Arbor, which granted her the opportunity to speak at the very first council meeting. She became an important figure in the ordinance campaigns from there, eventually taking on the role of volunteer coordinator in YCFE. Zuber worked tirelessly alongside her fellow community members and organizers, and ensured that all the canvassing and cold-calling ran smoothly. During the course of the campaigns, she formed a relationship with former city council-member John Gawlas, and they married on the anniversary of the ordinance's defense. In this interview, Zuber describes the level of coordination and work it took to successfully organize volunteers for the campaigns, the highs and lows of the movement, and how she's seen Ypsi change since then.
On June 6th, 2022, Jones sat down with EMU alum and former Tri-Pride member, Donna Benke. Benke found her way to Eastern in the 1990s, looking to obtain degrees in social work. Noticing the absence of a student org dedicated to LGBTQ students in the Masters in Social Work program, she joined her fellow students in founding Tri-Pride. Later, after the group was denied service by the print shop in 1997 and the incident made its way to the city council, Benke became one of the first students to speak up at the Human Relations Commission Hearings. She continued to be an active presence in Tri-Pride throughout the ordinance campaigns and up until her graduation from EMU in 1998. In this interview, she recounts how her academic and personal backgrounds impacted the way she navigated the campaigns, how the Tri-Pride students supported each other, and the lessons she took with her afterwards.
On December 23, 2021, Jones sat down with former Ypsilanti mayor, Dr. Cheryl Farmer. After moving to Ypsi to complete her residency and learning about the disconnect between city councils and residents, Farmer joined efforts to rewrite the city's charter. In 1995, she became Ypsi's mayor, and until her leave in 2006 she pushed for changes in Ypsi's infrastructure, and fostered a greater sense of trust between Ypsi residents and the government. One of the most memorable and noteworthy acts of her mayor-ship is the creation and passage of Ordinance 1279-deeply entwined in the process, she drafted the committee and eventually signed 1279 into law. During this interview, Farmer sheds light on the ways her upbringing impacted her values as mayor, the workings of local government in contentious times, and all the ways change can happen when communities come together.
On February 15, 2022, Jones talked with Ypsilanti City Attorney, John Barr. Barr, who still serves as City Attorney, was involved with the ordinance efforts from its early stages. With his background and position in the city, he was one of the experts chosen to help draft a nondiscrimination ordinance, which was defended in 1998 and then in 2002. Barr worked closely with city council members on the draft, deciding on what language to use, what sorts of constraints, and even what sorts of repercussions would be part of the ordinance. His knowledge of what successful ordinances looked like helped ensure that this one would succeed too. In this interview, Barr goes over the process of drafting an ordinance like this, how city councils function and change over time, and puts the whole effort in a greater context.
On February 3, 2022, Jones talked to former Ypsilanti city council-member and participant in the ordinance efforts, John Gawlas. Since he was a council-member at the time that Tri-Pride's complaint was filed, Gawlas became quickly familiar with the campaigns. His position with the city put him in a place where he worked alongside fellow council-members, as well as the activists pushing for the ordinance. After the Human Relations Commission became involved, Gawlas was appointed as a member of the sub-committee tasked with drafting the ordinance proposal. During the initial passage and subsequent defense, he formed a close relationship with Lisa Zuber, former co-chair of Ypsi Campaign for Equality and another participant in this project. The couple eventually got engaged, and held their wedding on the anniversary of the ordinance's successful defense! In this interview, Gawlas recalls his fellow city council-members, the ordinance process, and how he's seen his own neighborhood here change since then.
On January 29th, 2022, Jones talked to community organizer, activist, and former Ypsilanti mayor Beth Bashert about her involvement with the passage of the ordinance. Member of Citizens for Community and co-chair of the Ypsi Campaign for Equality, Bashert was a fierce leader, working with other community members to keep the movement going strong. From mediating meetings, to contacting human rights groups across the country, to trying to stay afloat amidst it all, she worked tirelessly for the campaigns. She also recognized the importance of distinguishing between political campaigns and "hearts and minds" campaigns: To not to try to change opposing minds, but to get allies to vote in favor of the ordinance. Bashert and her co-chair Paul Heaton worked in tandem to keep the campaign's message clear, and to make sure everyone understood where it came from and where it was going. In this interview, she talks about what made the campaign work, the internal and external support they received, and how she's seen Ypsi change since 1279 was passed.
On February 23 and March 2 of 2022, Jones talked with long time Ypsilantian, community organizer and activist, and member of Campaign for Equality and Citizens for Community, Lisa Marshall Bashert. When she moved to the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti areas, Bashert found herself laying activist roots and finding acceptance despite her conservative religious upbringing. She volunteered with LGMPO, where she became close friends with Ayron Smith-Douglas, and got to know Jim Toy. Bashert participated in things like Take Back the Night marches at U of M, and the Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project. When the ordinance campaigns kicked off, she and her wife, Beth Bashert, became involved right from the start after experiencing discrimination in Ypsilanti themselves. From there, Bashert dedicated her time to supporting her community, forming close relationships with other members of C4C and YCFE, and organizing some of the earliest LGBTQ events in Ypsi. She became deeply entangled within the efforts, and recalls just how difficult it was to process things like the city council hearings and homophobia. In this interview, Bashert shares some of the ways that campaign members would try to process those feelings and how they supported each other. She also dives into some of the culture and community building programs she helped organize during the ordinance efforts, how her social world was shifting and changing, and how she's seen Ypsi's sense of community evolve.
On January 27, 2022, Jones talked to third-generation Ypsilantian and member of both Campaign for Equality and Citizens for Community, Brandt Waldenmyer. In this interview, Waldenmyer talks about growing up in Ypsilanti and the deep familiarity he had with the city's cultural atmosphere. LGBTQ visibility in Ypsi was limited until the ordinance effort kicked up and brought more light to the community. Waldenmyer was involved with both of the campaigns from day one: He attended every meeting he could, canvassed and stuffed envelopes, and handled many of the administrative tasks. He recalls being able to use his established Ypsi connections to help the campaign's message carry some more weight, and the massive effort it took many people to come out publicly. Waldenmyer's participation in not only the 1997 and 1998 campaigns, but also the second defense in 2002 means that he has been able to provide a comprehensive timeline of 1279's impact on the community.
On January 12, 2022, Jones talked with attorney, community leader, organizer, and former president of the Willow Run NAACP, Ray Mullins. Under Mullins' leadership, the Willow Run chapter of the NAACP increased its membership, established and developed community youth programs, and won several awards for programming excellence. During the ordinance campaigns, Mullins stood with the organizers in Citizens for Community and Ypsilanti Campaign for Equality, giving them a much-needed and most-important endorsement. Despite receiving backlash from some community members, he remained firm in his alignment, and stayed true to his belief that discrimination is wrong in all its forms. Mullins continued to provide safe spaces and opportunities for Ypsi's youth, and worked closely with churches to maintain strong community relationships throughout the ordinance campaigns and beyond. In this interview, he talks about his upbringing and connections to the Civil Rights Movement, the importance of community care and protection, and of nurturing under-represented youth. Mullins continued to be a beloved cornerstone of the community, representing compassion and integrity until he passed in 2023.
On March 21, 2022, Jones talked to outspoken activist, community organizer, and participant in the ordinance campaigns, Charles Duty. Born and raised in Ann Arbor, Duty found himself in Ypsilanti in the 1980s, when life was becoming more and more expensive in his hometown. At an early age he was taught what discrimination is, and why it is wrong, and he continued to carry those lessons into adulthood. In Ypsi, Duty became familiar with local organizations and city officials, working with them to change the quality of life for everyone. After hearing about the print shop incident, he took the initiative to become an outspoken and highly-visible advocate for the ordinance campaigns, learning how to keep marching and living authentically. In this interview, Duty shares some of the finer details of LGBTQ life in Ypsi before and after the ordinance, expands on his connections to political figures and groups, his passion for justice, and reiterates the importance of standing up for oneself and others.
On December 13, 2021, Jones met with long time Ypsilantian, figure-skating coach, and community activist, Gary Clark. Clark became involved with the ordinance efforts very early on, when his partner encountered protestors in Depot Town after Tri-Pride was denied service. From there, they called up their friends, neighbors, and fellow community members and held what would become the first Citizens for Community (C4C) meeting. C4C became the group that took on the fight for the first campaign and initial ordinance passage. With Clark's leadership, community ties, and strong sense-of-self, the campaign was able to effectively advocate for an ordinance and bring more visibility to the LGBT community in Ypsi. He understood the importance of bringing in other communities to support the effort, and even visited the very same churches who strongly opposed the campaigns. In this interview, Clark shares a more in-depth look at C4C's work, the initial drafting of the ordinance, and the shift towards Ypsi Campaign for Equality for the defense.
On June 9, 2022, Jones met with longtime University of Michigan faculty member, Director of the Bentley Historical Library, and former Ypsilanti mayor pro-tem, Terrence McDonald. McDonald began his career in Ypsilanti politics by volunteering for Pete Murdock, during which his wife worked on the city council. After McDonald's wife convinced him to run for council in the next election he launched a campaign, and was eventually appointed in 1994. He got to know a lot about civic life in Ypsi, and recalls how Depot Town businesses and community members interacted before the ordinance efforts kicked off. Of course during his career in office, McDonald became involved in the efforts and collaborated with, managed, and listened to different communities in the city so that everything might go more smoothly. In this interview he gives in-depth detail at how a new city charter impacted the way council functioned and how that played into the passage of 1279, and how much goes in to working with council-members and their constituents efficiently.
On February 10, 2022, Jones sat down with member of Citizens for Community and Campaign for Equality, Brian Baum. Hailing from Livonia MI, Baum spent time in Ann Arbor for school before he came over to Ypsilanti to live with his partner, Holly Ferrise. Only a short while after his move, the print shop incident occurred in 1997, prompting the ordinance campaigns. After finding out more about the campaign during the Human Relations Commission hearings, Baum and Ferrise decided they needed to show up to see where they could help. New to activism and social justice movements, Baum worked with C4C and YCFE to handle administrative tasks and help keep the group on task. In addition to giving time to Ypsi's campaigns, he also worked with the GLSEN Conference in Ann Arbor, all while planning a wedding! During this interview, Baum narrates some of the daily goings-on of the campaigns, explores what his role in all this meant, and shares the messages he took with him afterwards.
On July 28th, 1998, after the long battle for the non-discrimination ordinance had found its end, Ayron Smith-Douglas sent out a letter she had written to her activist colleagues. She expresses that despite the "win," she still feels sadness. Smith-Douglas shares her fears that COST could still win, that homophobia and hate could still undo all the work they had done. She talks about the burn-out and fatigue that comes along with a movement like this one, while emphasizing the need to continue to be visible. At the end of her letter, Smith-Douglas shares the conclusions she came to after her reflection on the ordinance campaign, and hopes her words bring comfort to her friends.
On January 26th, 2022, Jones talked to long time Ypsilantian and community activist, Ayron Smith-Douglas, about her involvement with the passage of the ordinance. Smith-Douglas spent much of the 1960s and 1970s living in Chicago and Detroit, two cities that became central hubs for social justice activism and change. During this time she was able to gain experience as an activist, which she carried with her when she settled in Ypsilanti in 1987. Those experiences continued to be useful as she joined the ordinance movement in 1997, just two years after the loss of her partner, Billie. Smith-Douglas played an important role, working closely with the American Friends Service Committee to bring some de-escalation techniques into the campaign, and providing emotional support to her fellow activists and friends. In 1998 after the successful defense and passage of the ordinance, she wrote a letter to the community in which she reflected on the long battle, sharing her fears and hopes for the future. Smith-Douglas also speaks on the potential for burnout and fatigue and the importance of moving forward and healing.
This 2 1/2 story Queen Anne structure was built between 1863-69 for insurance and real estate agent Hezekiah Brinkerhoff. The Brinkerhoff's owned the home until 1890. In 1891, it was purchased by Charles J. Becker who remodeled it to include the prominent tower. Eventually, the home was purchased by John M.B. Sill who was the Principal of the Michigan State Normal School from 1886-1893. The home is currently owned by EMU and is split into four different apartments that students over the age of twenty can rent during the school year.
The home of the EMU Honor's College is 511 W. Forest. Being a part of the Honors College provides students with many benefits, such as exclusive honors advising, priority class registration, scholarships & fellowships, access to Honor’s residence halls, and smaller class sizes. The Honors College Hosts a number of programs that allows students to engage with fellow scholars as well as faculty from many departments. Once accepted into the Honors College, students will have the opportunity to graduate with three different levels of Honors - including the possibility of a published thesis!
Construction began on the Lakeview Apartments in 2022, and was completed in 2024 when the building officially opened for student residence. Studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and 4-bedroom apartments are available for all EMU students over the age of 20 to rent during the school year. The units come mostly furnished, and with all expected modern amenities.
The IHA Health Center @ EMU (a joint collaboration between Eastern Michigan University, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System and IHA) opened on November 4, 2019, replacing Snow Health Center and privatizing health care services on-campus. The center provides vital primary health care services to members of the Ypsilanti community at-large as well as the EMU community.
Constructed in 2019, the EMU Campus Wellness Center is home to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and the Community Behavioral Health Clinic (formerly known as the Psychology Clinic). The Center also provides educational opportunities for students and faculty in College of Health and Human Services programs.
Dedicated on September 12, 2024, the Windgate Arts Complex is a 23,000 sqft. complex designed to house EMU's 3D Media Arts programs. The facility includes state-of-the-art studios for ceramics, sculpture, furniture design, and digital fabrication. Funding for the complex was made possible by a $3.4 million gift from the Windgate Foundation. The new Windgate Arts Complex, completed in just 15 months, represents EMU’s forward-thinking approach to art education, providing a collaborative environment for students to develop their skills across multiple disciplines.
Dave Willoughby was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1987 until 1992. In this interview, Willoughby describes his upbringing in the College Heights area of Ypsilanti with EMU virtually in his backyard. With a father who owned Willoughby Shoe Store in downtown Ypsilanti, Willoughby details his time at Central MIchigan University before coming to EMU where he lived in "The Hutch," a windowless room in the Arm house with room for a dresser and a twin bed. Willoughby speaks of his Arm of Honor brothers, his decision to join the frat, his mandatory ride, and the relationship between the University Department of Safety and the Arm of Honor Fraternity. Willoughby describes the night the Arm house was firebombed by a rival frat and the all-neighborhood brawl that nearly followed. Willoughby describes managing fraternity events, charging cover for parties, and the effect of the 2008 recession on the fraternity.
Mike Srock was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1965 until he was drafted by the US Armed Forces in 1967. Now a reknowned strength and speed coach, Srock talks about his upbringing, education and athletic exposure in Detroit, before detailing his college experiences, academics, and friendships within the Arm of Honor. He details his off-campus living situation, the atmosphere at EMU in the 1960s, rushing for Arm of Honor, and the six kegs of beer won by his pledge class for various athletic achievments. He talks of fellow Arm Dennis Snary and his unusual method of intramural swimming. Srock describes the fraternity band, Bob Schneider and the Collegiates, and their focus on socializing instead of rehearsal. He speaks of the lifelong friendships gained from the fraternity, and talks about the annual Alumni Day, and meeting former Arms Pat Dignan and Red Miller. He also describes the Motown Revue held at Bowen Fieldhouse, and the roles that the Arms played in making the concert happen. Srock also talks about the challenge of coming back to the fraternity after serving in the War in Vietnam.
Bob Scheloske was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1965 until 1969. In this interview, Scheloske details his upbringing in Cleveland, OH., his introduction to fraternity life at EMU, the ties between Arm of Honor and Alpha Z, the reign of terror by John Norman Collins, baseball coach Ron Oestrike, Arm of Honor brother Jim Zolkowski, and the relationship with rival fraternities. Scheloske also details the economic origins of the Arms, and the larger than life names that abound in the frat history like Elton Rynearson, Lloyd Olds, and Benjamin D'Ooge. He also speaks of the fundraising that Arm of Honor did for various causes and the process of being blackballed from the fraternity, the lottery draft, and some of the construction projects that Arms did on the Arm house.
Phil Riggio was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1968 until 1975, coming to EMU from Detroit, MI, where he sold produce from the back of a wagon before helping with the family produce business. Riggio's sons have followsed him into the business as well. Riggio details his father's journey to America from Sicily, and learning the tgricks of the produce trade from his father. There were expectations for Phil to attend college, he became interested in attending EMU after his team, University of Detroit, played them several times during the basketball season. Riggio details the bonds between Arm brothers, social movements on campus, and the "tight-lipped and tight knit" nature of the frat. Riggio describes initiation rituals, mandatory rides, and what happened when a pledge wanted out. Riggio, a reknown basketball player at EMU, also talk abotu playing at Bowen Fieldhouse, running in intramural cross country events, and the process of evicting the Arms from the fraternity house in 2015. President of the Arm of Honor Alumni Chapter in 2015, Riggio spearheaded the effort to clean up the image of the Arms.
Kirk Profit was an active member of the Arm of Honor from 1970 until 1975. Son of University Controller Louis Profit, Kirk Profit was a student at Roosevelt School until its closing in 1969 when he moved to Ypsilanti High School. Profit details some of the physical changes to campus since his student days, and the more familial aspect of campus in the 1950s and 1960s. Profit speaks of his father's friendship with President Harold Sponberg, and the need to keep a low profile during the tumultuous days on campus in the late 1960s. Profit describes fraternity living, and the pursuit of the All Sports Trophy, given to the most decorated fraternity in intramural sports. Profit discuesses fraternity initiation and taking clandestine drives to Silver Lake to try marijuana. Profit walks the reader through the Arm house, explaining the orgins for many of the room names.
Tom Prieur was active with the Arm of Honor Fratrernity from 1960 until 1963. Coming to EMU from Alpena, Michigan, Prieur is said to have brought several athletes into the fraternity, allowing the fraternity to achieve its athletic dominance on the EMU intramural fields. Quarterback for the EMU football team, Prieur, known as “Puss” to his Arm brothers, describes his introduction to athletics as a child, the occupations of his parents, and being recruited for the FBI following college graduation. Prieur speaks of living in the frat house, hazing rituals, and off-campus hang outs of the fraternity brothers. Prieur also speaks of the importance of talking to his college professors about his academic struggles, the presence of Black players at EMU, and the role of organized crime in the construction field.
Angelo Pizzo was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1968 until 1971. Universally loved by Arms of all generations, Pizzo details his upbringing in Wyandotte, his parents' immigration from Sicily and the importance of family ties while growing up. Pizzo details playing football in high school and then for EMU, his first experiences on a college campus, and the first few friends he made upon arriving in Ypsilanti. Pizzo details the intiation process and Hell Night, describes the living conditions in the house, and describes how he always loved dancing with his Arm brothers' girlfriends at parties. He speaks about parental visits to the Arm house, seeing the movie Animal House with the fraternity, winning the Greek Sing in Pease Auditorium, and the numerous lifelong bonds created in the Arm of Honor. Pizzo also talks of the enduring bond bewteen his fraternity brothers and himself that has lasted well after he left the fraternity.
Tony Pappas was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1963 until 1968, and currently (2024) serves as the President of the Arm of Honor Fraternity Alumni Chapter. In this interview, Pappas recounts his time growing up on the east side of Ypsilanti, above the Seven Seas Restaurant, owned by Pappas’ parents, on Michigan Avenue. Pappas describes the Ypsilanti of his childhood, particularly Ypsilanti Township and the area directly surrounding the EMU campus. Pappas describes his fraternity brothers, their superior athletic acumen, and the criteria for joining the fraternity, along with the core beliefs and values of the fraternity. As in all of the AoH interviews, Pappas emphasizes the ongoing close relationships sustained with other Arms, during and after his active membership.
Mike Pappas, brother of fellow Arm Tony Pappas, was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1970-1974, living in the Arm house fo the entirety of his stint at EMU. Growing up in Ypsilanti Township and Ann Arbor, Pappas describes the Seven Seas Restaurant, which his parents owned and lived above, and his formative years at St. John's Catholic School in Ypsilanti. Pappas describes the Ypsilanti he knew as a child and the differences between the local religious schools. Pappas describes hitchhikinig culture of the 1960s, and talks about how improtant the history fo the Arm of Honor was to pledging members. Pappas also discusses the sexual assault rampant in modern fraternity culture, Ted's Campus Drugs, and the comparisons between Animal House and the Arm of Honor.
Dick Look was active with the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1962 until 1966. Look discesses his personal growth in the fraternity and at EMU, and expresses his appreciation for EMU Dean of Men, James "Bingo" Brown. Look also talks about the presence of the Arm of Honor Fraternity in the coaching field in Michigan. Look emphasizes the importance of a sense of belonging in a community in which all members are mutually supportive. Graduating from Walled Lake High School, Look retraces his journey to EMU, including his father's occupation in the entertainment industry and his own plans for a different life for himself. Looks atttributes his interest in sports broadcasting to listening to Mel Ott and Van Patrick on the radio as a child. Look also recalls his surprise to be dormmates with four Black men, the first Black people he had ever associated with. Look also speaks of Gilbert Gregory, an Arm brother on the Autism spectrum, and describes the day that the Homecoming float caught fire during the Homeecomign parade. On his pledge "ride," Look was taken to Canada and dropped off. Look speaks of the condition of the house and the lengths to which frat brothers went to conserve their sparse collections of clothing.
Robin "Hawk" Kreger was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1962 until 1965.Growing up in Wyandotte, MI, Kreger was the younger brother of the infamous Dale "Luke" Kreger, also an Arm of Honor member in this collection. Grandson of the mayor of Wyandotte, Kreger details growing up in a family that was a fixture of the community, along with several other Arm members as well. Kreger describes his brother Luke and some of the hijinx they found themselves in as fraternity members. Kreger talks of his initiation into the fraternity, the reputation of the fraternity, strong personalities in the fraternity, and the reason for his nickname, Hawk. Kreger also speaks of how to survive the intense swatting sessions, rivalries with other fraternities, and the working class, local aspect of the fraternity that made it so unique.
Dale "Luke" Kreger was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1961 until 1965. Universally known for his fraternity antics, Kreger was the older brother of felloow Arm of Honor member, Robin "Hawk" Kreger. In this interview, Kreger details his time growing up in Wayne County, MI., his teammates in high school athletics, and the occupations of his parents. Kreger describes the pledge process and initiation rituals and Hell Night, and recounts several of his favorite Arm brothers. Kreger discusses how the fraternity system has changed and talks about the unbreakable bonds gained during his time with the fraternity.
Dick Cottrill was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1963 until 1967. IN this interview, Cottrill details his upbringing in Flint, MI before arriving in Ypsilanti for college. Cottrill describes his friend Bob Schneider, leader of Bob Schneider and the Collegiates, the Arm of Honor house band, and his efforts in booking the band in various venues around Ypsilanti. Cottrill describes the criteria for joining Arm of Honor and the initiation process, before talking about his employment iwth the first Domino's Pizza on Cross Street in Ypsilanti and how the fraternity house was received in the neighborhood on Emmet Street. Cotrrill also describes the feeling of leaving the fraternity at the end of his active membership.
Mike Colletta was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1965 until 1969, and is now a member of the Arm of Honor Alumni Chapter. A first generation Detroiter bron to Sicilian immigrants, Colletta describes his time at Allen Park High School and Michigan State University before coming to EMU with a friend to visit. Colletta talks about meeting with Dean of Students Ralph Gilden, the lost sense of community on the EMU campus, a failed Marine enlistment, and having a student deferment plus a married deferment from the arned services. Colletta describes meeting the Arms for the first time, using meal tickets for lunches at the Wolverine Grill, and details living in a fraternity house, the Arm initiation process, and how the experience of being an Arm prepared him for everything that came after college.
Tom Charbonneau was active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1972 until 1976, and now a member of the Arm of Honor Alumni Chapter. Growing up in Catholic school, Charbonneau grew up in Dearborn, eventually joining the Air National Guard before enrolling at EMU and pledging Arm of Honor. Charbonneau speaks of Vietnam War draft lotteries, and of his introduction to the Arms by their reputation in athletics, and by the fact that many of Charbonneau's friends and former coahces attended EMU and were members of Arm of Honor. Charbonneau speaks of his time as a Residential Advisor at EMU, Arm hazing rituals, his beest friend Steve "Tuna" Thompson, working at the Ypsilanti Beer Cooler, the housemother, fireside conversations, fraternity parties and command structure. He also speaks of Dr. Angelo Angelocci, Scott Rynearson, Marsh Plating, Bimbo's On The Hill, and other Ypsilanti establishments.
Tony Catros, nicknamed "Cassius" by his fraternity brothers, served as an active member of the fraternity from 1963 until 1967. Catros relates his grandparents' immigration to the United States and his graduation from Redford Union High School before applying at EMU on a whim with friend Gary Griswold. Catros describes the differences between the Arms and other fraternities, his employment with Ypsilanti State Hospital while an Arm, and the importance of winning the All-Sports Trophy. He describes the reputation of Arm of Honor prior to his membership, and the initiation period that was part of all pledges' lives. He describes Arm of Honor outings to Silver Lake and other places around the Southeast Michigan region. Catros explains the ways that household chores were done in the Arm house, and the relationship between the Arms and their "sweetheart" of a house mother. Catros describes the close-knit relationships bewteen the Arms even to this day, and relates many of the experiences involving Arms beyond his time as an active member.
Michael Beaugrand was an active member of the Arm fo Honor Fraternity from 1988 until 1994 and is the younger brother of fellow Arm of Honor member, Bob Beaugrand. In this interview, Beaugrand details his upbringing in Ypsilanti, the death of his younger brother in a car accident just off the EMU campus, and his stints in the US Military. Beaugrand talks about his mother, Geri Beaugrand, serving as advisor to the fraternity. Beaugrand talks of having no other options as a college hopeful, and his introduction to the fraternity. Beaugrand speaks of the hazing process, Hell Night, and the secrets to surviving a swatting session. Beaugrand competed in manyh intramural sports while in the fraternity, and participated in various renovation projects in the Arm house, including the purchase and renovation of the house following Arm of Honor's expulsion from EMU in 2015.
Bob Beaugrand, brother of fellow Arm of Honor, Michael Beaugrand, wa an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1986 until 1990. Beaugrand details his upbringing in the Ypsilanti area and the origins of the moniker "YpsiTucky." Grandson of the first female foreman at the Ford Motor Company, Ramona Bullet, Bob Beaugrand found the Arm of Honor following serving in the US Armed Forces and deciding that the military was not the future he wanted. Beaugrand describes his closer friends in the fraternity, the philanthropic nature of Arm parties, rivalries with Theta Chi and other fraternities, and the importance of a strong and responsible alumni chapter. Beaugrand also details the purchase of the Arm house following the fraternity's expulsion from campus 2015, and the renovations done by he and his brother Michael to get the house back up to code.
