Tuesday, September 20, 2005 LEG, -D . "Y I/x_ ME_ SCOME P 2THR°iElA r /f-TIE o 0 aPAGE I News 3 Michigan's gas prices at lowest rate since Katrina Opinion 4 Sports 12 Sam Singer on America's ailing airlines Freshman receivers step in for Blue teulkourn yearsag One-humnded-fourn years of editrznafreedorn www.michigandaily.com Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXV, No. 150 @2005 The Michigan Daily New City Council member sworn in By Jeremy Davidson Daily Staff Reporter Former Ann Arbor City Council member Kimberly Groome (D-1st Ward) was officially replaced last night after her recent resignation from the Council. John Roberts, who is also a Democrat, was appointed as her replacement at last night's Council meeting. "We're very happy to welcome our new Council member, John Roberts, and I would note that he has already gotten down to work," Mayor John Hieftje said (D-Ann Arbor). Roberts's appointment marks his first foray with politics. "Given the fact that I'm a political newcomer, I don't have any hidden agenda," Roberts said. "I've got a lot to learn. But I understand that there are core issues that are of biggest concern ... (including) budget development and affordable housing ... for the city as well as the first ward." Council member Chris Easthope (D-5th Ward) said Rob- erts was the most appropriate candidate for the job. "(Roberts) is a long-time friend of mine," he said. "I know him. I know he's a calm, rational person, and he's very bright. He didn't have an agenda; he just wanted to be involved in community service." Easthope pointed out that as a lifetime resident of Ann Arbor, Roberts would bring an intimate knowledge of the city's recent history to the Council. "We had several great candidates, and we considered many criteria. John best met our criteria," Council member Leigh Greden (D-3rd Ward) said. Roberts said his strong connection with his constituency was one of his best qualifications for his position. "I have an understanding of people of the first ward. I want to be a voice for those people," Roberts said. Roberts, who works as a manager for a wholesale mort- gage lender, said his professional experience has provided him with solid skills - diplomacy in dealing with co-work- ers and the ability to negotiate - that he will need to be effective on the City Council. "He's a great team player," Greden said. Students aim to improve higher ed By Margaret Havemann Daily Staff Reporter University students are joining a nationwide effort to raise awareness about declining state funding to public universities and resultant problems such as higher tuition, fewer full-time faculty members and lower pay for staff members. The goal of the still-unnamed organization, which is composed of more than 100 public schools from across the country, is to halt the corporatization of higher education. According to the College Board - a nonprofit organization that provides students with informa- tion about colleges - tuition rates at four-year pub- lic universities have increased by 10.5 percent since last year - for an average price tag of $5,132 per year. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office raised concerns in July that the process of applying for college aid money is so complicated that it discourages some families from even trying to send their children to school. Graduate student Dave Dobbe, an organizer of the initiative, said the organization hopes to "reverse the trend of a lack of state commitment to higher education." Because of reductions in state funding, universi- ties have been forced to make cuts. For example, Dobbe said that universities are hiring fewer ten- ured professors, which leads to larger class sizes. He added that some college faculty are receiving pay raises that are so small, they barely keep up with the rate of inflation. See HIGHER ED, Page 7 "NOT TO SAY THAT THINGS HERE ARE PERFECT - IT WOULD BE NICE IF THE STATE LAWS WERE CHANGED - BUT I LOOKED AT OTHER (UNIVERSITIES), AND I DIDN'T FIND THE SAME COMBINATION OF ADVANTAGES THAT WE HAVE HERE." - Center for Stem Cell Biology head researcher Sean Morrison. SHUBRA OHRI/Daily Laboratory Technician Chris Mountford works In Dr. Sean Morrison's Laboratory in the Life Sciences Institute. Dr. Morrison is heading the new program on stem-cell research which will be a part of LSA. terncell U' Funding for Stem Cell Research Mass. million Conn. $100 million 5150 million By Kingson Man Daily Science Reporter The University struck back against stringent state regulation of stem-cell research and the brain drain of top scientists in the field with yesterday's announcement of the creation of the new Center for Stem Cell Biology, to be headed by researcher Sean Morrison. In the face of growing competition from univer- sities in states such as California, Wisconsin and New Jersey - all with their own stem-cell funding initiatives - the University has been attempting to keep its own star stem-cell researchers from being lured away. Researcher Michael Clark is relocating to Stanford. The fact that the state of Michigan has some of the most restrictive laws governing stem-cell research has not helped. Current state law prohibits the derivation of new stem cell lines from frozen embryos slated to be discarded by in-vitro fertiliza- tion clinics or from a technique that places mate- rial from the nuclei of stem-cells into an egg cell to induce division. "The legislative environment in Michigan restricts our ability to derive new (embryonic stem cell) lines," Morrison said. "It's a problem I hope we'll change." With the departure of Clark for Stanford, Morri- son himself had been approached with offers from several research universities across the country. "Not to say that things here are perfect - it , Proposed funds Federal funding: $17 million Source:Reason Online would be nice if the state laws were changed - but I looked at other (universities), and I didn't find the same combination of advantages that we have here," Morrison said. Stem cells - which can be transformed into specialized cells such as neurons or bile-producing islet cells in the liver - have recently become the new cutting edge of biology research. The hope is that they can be used for therapeutic purposes - for instance, for growing replacement organs - or to help researchers learn about the development of diseases. The most malleable stem cells, however, are currently derived from embryos, a fact that has sparked a national ethical debate. Several states, responding to federal reluctance to support stem-cell research, have come forward with their own initiatives to fund stem cell investi- gation. The University's new Center for Stem Cell Biology is a part of this growing trend. A joint venture funded by the Life Sciences Institute, the University's Medical School and the Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, the new center will have an initial budget of more than $10 million. Although this figure is dwarfed by the amount allocated in California, Morrison put it into perspective. "Keep in mind that $3 billion (allocated to stem cell research in California) will be divided over many institutions in a very large state over a 10 year period," he said. "There are big questions that remain over there." See STEM CELLS, Page 7 Speaker calls for environmental reform Al-Qaida says it carried out London bombings By C.C. Song Daily Staff Reporter Amanda Katili-Niode, who serves as the special assistant to the Indonesian Minister of Environ- ment, said intervention from the home government and the world community must play a crucial role in mitigating Indonesian's environmental crises. In addition to dealing with the environmental consequences of the tsunami, Indonesia is also struggling to curb the dumping of hazardous waste and deforestation caused by its neighbors. CAIRO (AP) - Al-Qaida deputy Ayman al-Zawahri said his terror net- work carried out the July 7 London bombings. The statement was broadcast yester- nation and Muslims in Pakistan to oppose the infidels," said al-Zawahri, who was shown in the tape wearing a white turban and speaking to someone who was interviewing him off cam- , I