0 Friday, September 10, 2004 Opinion 4 Sowmya Krishnamurthy blasts Atlanta Arts 8 The Dsnowball' returns: 'Clerks' on DVD The memory of Sept. 11 at a crossroads ... News, Page 14 Weather t c' 77 L') 53 TOMORROW, 81/ 6ow Sports 10 Michigan heads to South Bend One-hundred-thirteen years ofeditorialfreedom www.michigandaily.com Ann Arbor, Michigan m Vol. CXIII, No. 158 x2004 The Michigan Daily B-School receives $100 million * School renaned for donor of largest gift in Uniersity' history By Michael Gurovitsch Daily Staff Reporter The University Business School announced a donation yesterday of $100 million from alum and real estate mogul Stephen Ross. The donation is nearly three times the largest sum ever contributed to the University in its 187-year history, and is about 50 percent more than the largest gift to any business school in the United States. Early yesterday morning, the University Board of Regents met in a special session to approve the renaming of the business school as the Stephen M. Ross School of Business. "I will never lose sight of what a truly * exceptional education the University of Michigan offers," said Ross, who is found- er, chairman and chief executive officer of a real-estate firm worth over $8 billion. "I am living proof of that." The majority of the money - around $75 million - will go toward building new facilities, while $25 million will be ear- marked for an endowment fund at the Busi- ness School. Business School Dean Robert Dolan said he expects to submit a facilities proposal to the regents later this year, which will likely call for a major overhaul of the school. "We have exhausted our footprint here. Some buildings will most likely not be here in five years," Dolan said. Dolan added that he hopes to create a facility with more study group space and gathering areas for students and faculty, which is consistent with the Business School's philosophy of action-based learn- ing and teamwork. University President Mary Sue Coleman announced the donation in front of a stand- See B-SCHOOL, Page 5 Top Five Donors And their total donations - Stephen Ross $106,089,994 - William Davidson $57,343,387 - Alfred Taubman $37,331,961 - Lincoln Knorr estate $33,248,719 - Ann Lurie $44,800,086 A generous uncle's advice By Michael Ourovitsch Daily Staff Reporter A few years after Stephen Ross received a loan from his uncle, Max Fisher, to finance law school in the mid-1960s, he tried to pay him back. Fisher refused. He told Ross to use it for a good cause, instilling in his nephew the impor- tance of giving. That spirit has propelled Ross, a University alum and real estate developer, to donate $100 million yesterday to the University's Business School, the largest gift in school history. Ross, who earned his Bachelor's Business Administration degree from the Business School in 1962, is founder and chairman of The Related Companies, a real estate development firm based in New York, with a portfolio exceeding $8 bil- lion. Founded in 1972, the firm employs more than 1,500 people and is perhaps best known for its stake in the 2.8 million square foot Time Warner Center in Manhattan. Ross is also co-chair of the University's $2.5 bil- lion fundraising campaign, a member of the execu- tive committee attempting to bring the 2012 Olympic games to New York and a trustee of both the Juvenile Diabetes Research Founda- tion and the Guggenheim Museum. Fisher, who Ross calls an "inspiration," attended Ohio State University business school and later made a $20 million donation to his alma mater in 1993 -now called the Fisher Col- lege of Business. Fisher, now 96, realized the irony of his neph- See ROSS, Page 5 Iraq vigil honors 1,000 dead soldiers By Melissa Benton Daily Staff Reporter Silence reigned at the Diag as more than 100 students and Ann Arbor residents held up can- dles and reflected on the ongoing war in Iraq. Powerful emotions ran through the group as they banded together to pray for peace and to commemorate the more than 1,000 soldiers who have died in Iraq. Ashwini Hardikar, co-chair of the Michigan Student Assembly's Peace and Justice Commis- sion, which organized the event, said it's impor- tant to take time to remember that real people are sacrificing their lives in Iraq. "We don't have a lot of time to actually reflect on the occupation - to think about the action that, our country and leaders have taken and to bring out the humanity of the event," Hardikar said. Many people who attended the vigil expressed strong anti-war feelings, but said they still support the efforts of the U.S. sol- diers stationed in Iraq. "I was not in favor (of the war), but I do sup- port the troops and the work they've done over there. I think it's easy to believe this is an easy war. The troops need to be recognized and a tribute paid to them," LSA junior Libby Ben- ton said. Benton said she has many friends who are currently fighting in Iraq, making the vigil a more emotional experience. "I do feel bad that so many of my friends - while I'm going to school - are over there fighting," Benton said. Business School student Kevin Eckerle attended the vigil to recognize the soldiers who died "needlessly." "It's important to show that while the soldiers See VIGIL, Page 7 ALEX DZIADOSZ/Daily LSA freshman Chayla Robles pays respect to the more than 1,000 soldiers who have died in the Iraq war. The vigil, which was sponsored by the Michigan Student Assembly's Peace and Justice Commission, took place yesterday on the Diag and included more than 100 students and Ann Arbor residents. 'U' study: Chicken pox vaccination saves Americans millions of dollars By Genevieve Lampinen Daily Staff Reporter Americans are saving millions of dollars while at the same time staying safe from a common viral infection, thanks to the 1995 introduction of the chicken pox vaccine, a recent University study found. The University's C.S. Mott Children's Hospi- tal has reported the first data ever that shows an apparent correlation between the national decrease 0 in chicken pox-related hospitalization cases and the rise in immunization rates for the disease. "We wanted to find out if the chicken pox vaccination had decreased hospitalizations and, because of that, cost or expenditures," said Mitesh Patel, co-author of the study and a former LSA student. The results were surprising, showing both lower chicken pox hospitalization cases and lower associated costs than expected, Mat- thew Davis, a Public Policy professor and lead author of the study, said. Apnn-~r thc, vnr r~inn.tinn nmrnm ,ni trtarl thta Shots for Savings A University study research- es the effects of widespread chicken pox vaccination Prediction: 90 percent vaccination rate would save $70 million. Findings: 75 percent vaccination rate yielded a $100 million sav- ings. The study also recorded a 74 percent drop in chicken pox-related hospitalization. first six years after the vaccine's introduction in the United States. Hospitalization cases dropped most dramati- cally for children, but adults also benefit from widespread vaccination. Researchers have observed a "herd-immunity" effect in which r~ereaecin arilt rates of hn-nial~tin r and 20 times more likely to die from associated illnesses, which include infections from chick- en pox sores and encephalitis - the swelling of the brain and membranes surrounding the spinal cord. Michigan is among more than 40 states that have implemented a vaccination or previous infection requirement for entry into daycare programs and school. There are no chicken pox vaccination requirements for University admittance. A childhood vaccination consists of one dose administered between the ages of 19 months and 12 years. People above the age of 12 receive two doses, four to eight weeks apart. The study examined data from the Federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality which gathered data for three years before a national chicken pox vaccination program was implemented and six years after the program was in effect. The study used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, which includes a random sampling of dearh e i nforml1ation from U.S. community - ~ _________