Friday, September 22, 2006 - The Michigan Daily - 7A
Spinach growers WINGED CHOCOLATE
work to draw up
food safety planeii.

SALINAS, Calif. (AP) - Cali-
fornia produce growers and pro-
cessors worked to draw up new
food-safety measures yesterday as
government investigators trying to
pinpoint the source of the deadly E.
coli outbreak narrowed their search
to three counties.
Trade groups hoped to deliver
the guidelines to the Food and Drug
Administration within a week but
were unsure how long it would take
to win the agency's approval.
"We have people who hope
this will be resolved soon so
they can salvage something of
this season," said Tom Nassif,
president of Western Growers
Association, an industry group
representing about 3,000 fruit
and vegetable farmers in Cali-
fornia and other states. "Once
we go to Washington and iron
out those guidelines, we'll be
much closer to a date."
Federal officials have required
the industry to adopt new food-
safety measures before they will lift
a week-old consumer warning on
fresh spinach.
Nassif said it was too early to pro-
vide details, but that the new mea-
sures would likely focus on better
water and soil testing and beefed-up
sanitation standards for field work-
ers and packaging plants.
The guidelines will be part of
a proposal for protecting produce
from the bacteria that have killed
one person and sickened at least 157
others across the country since last
month. Idaho officials were investi-
gating the death of a 2-year-old on
Wednesday, reportedly after eating
spinach.
He said the industry must
"declare war on all food-borne ill-
nesses. We have to do everything to
assure the American public that our
food is safe to consume."
The industry's response to the
E. coli outbreak traced to bagged
spinach from central California
would build on existing efforts
to protect produce from contam-
-BOLLINGER
Continued from page 1A
The Iranian president did speak
in an intellectual setting Wednes-
day at a forum hosted by the Coun-
cil on Foreign Relations in New
York. The council also faced criti-
cism for inviting him. Some Jewish
groups boycotted the event.
College Republicans Chair Rob
Scott said the Columbia invitation
pointed to an important difference

ination rather than entail a com-
plete overhaul, Nassif said.
Bryan Silbermann, president of
the Produce Marketing Associa-
tion, estimated that the FDA's Sept.
14 warning for consumers to stop
eating fresh, raw spinach could cost
farmers and vegetable packaging
companies $50 million to $100 mil-
lion a day.
Investigators found a contami-
nated bag of Dole baby spinach
Wednesday at the New Mexico
home of a person who fell ill. The
spinach was packaged by Natu-
ral Selection Foods, a San Juan
Bautista company that packages
salad greens sold under dozens of
brands.
After analyzing the strain of E.
coli bacteria in the bag, investiga-
tors said they believe it probably
originated in at least one of nine
farms and several processing plants
in California's Monterey, San Beni-
to or Santa Clara counties.
Bill Marler, a lawyer represent-
ing over 40 people who were sick-
ened by E. coli, questioned whether
growers and processors were doing
enough to ensure the safety of their
products.
"The industry is really masterful
at saying, 'We don't know exactly
how it happened, so how do we fix
it?"' Marler said. "But they've got
to get this situation dealt with so the
E. coli doesn't get on the produce in
the first place"
E. coli is often spread by human
or animal waste. Inspectors have
been looking at the possibility
that the germ was spread by con-
taminated irrigation water, workers
relieving themselves in the fields, or
some other means.
Trade groups are seeking com-
pensation from the state for spin-
ach growers who saw the market
for their crops disappear overnight.
They also want the state to help pro-
mote crops from the Salinas Valley,
which has been the center of the
FDA probe to find the source of the
outbreak.

CELLS
Continued from page 1A
cancer.
Opponents of the research say
by killing an embryo, it ends a
human life.
Currently,Michiganlawsregarding
stem cell research are amongthe most
restrictive in the nation, going beyond
even federal regulations endorsed by
the Bush administration.
"The only other state with
restrictions as severe is South
Dakota," said Sean Morrison, who
leads the University's Center for
Stem Cell Biology and is on the
new group's board of directors.
Morrison's enthusiasm for spread-
ing the word about stem cells was
aroused this June when Republicans
in the state House announced a bill
that they claimed would allow stem
cell research to flourish by estab-
lishing an umbilical-cord cell bank.
But Morrison said the Republicans'
statements were inaccurate. He said
umbilical cord research is limit-
ing, as umbilical cord cells can only
replace blood-forming cells, while
stem cells can replace any tissue.

out misinformation on the stem
cell issue," Morrison said.
Schwarz, who lost the Republi-
can primary last month to an oppo-
nent who does not favor stem cell
research, echoed Morrison's cri-
tique of the bill.
"This is a classic example of peo-
ple who don't understand the sci-
ence, saying adult and umbilical are
as good as embryonic, he said.
Scientists say other types of stem
cells do not have the same poten-
tial to advance medical research as
embryonic cells do.
Embryonic stem cells are said
to have pluripotentiality, or the
potential to grow into any one of
the more than 200 types of tissue
in the human body.
When a sperm fertilizes a human
egg and the resulting zygote divides
for four to five days, the product is
a layered bundle of cells called a
blastocyst.
Stem cells are found in the
innermost core of the bundle.
The cells used in research are
obtained from embryos formed in
a laboratory, usually for the pur-
pose of reproductive therapy.
If the egg were fertilized in a
human womb, the stem cells would
eventually grow into the body's dif-
ferent organs and tissues according

to cellular signals.
Researchers are trying to create
artificial environments that mimic
these cellular signals. Depending
on the environment, an embryon-
ic stem cell could be coaxed into
becoming any specified type of
cell needed for medical treatment.
Umbilical and adult stem cells
cannot.
Morrison, who researches
umbilical stem cells, said they
"have only been shown to be use-
ful for producing blood cells."
Adult stem cells are also limited
in potential.
"Each type of adult stem cell is
specialized, generally only mak,
ing cells from its tissue of origin;'
Morrison said.
Currently, the only stem cells
permitted for use in the state of
Michigan are those that were
obtained from outside the state
before August of 2001, when pro-
hibitive laws were enacted.
Although the laws are intended
to protect human embryos, the.
state Legislature has raised no con-
tention with fertility clinics rou-
tinely discarding embryos by the
thousand.
"It doesn't make sense to defend
the Michigan law based on the
premise of protecting human

embryos because the law has no
effect on the number of embryos
that are destroyed," Morrison said.
"It only delays medical research
that thousands of Michiganians
believe represents their best hope."
The new group will address
these points of contention, Schwarz
said.
Unlike the political lobbying
groups that aim to directly influ-
ence votes for specific pieces of
legislation or political petitions, the
new group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization founded to educate,
Schwarz said.
Like Morrison, who finds it
unfortunate that "there are some
people in our state who don't want
our laws to be based on the facts,"
Schwarz said he hopes that learn-
ing about the benefits of stem cell
research will prompt Michigan
residents to demand the legislature
rescind laws that make it impossible
for stem cell research to progress.
He said a few people's personal
objections should not be allowed to
hinder research that could have far-
reaching benefits.
"If people choose to not par-
ticipate in therapy, that's their busi-
ness;' he said. "But they do not
have the right to keep the rest of us
from it."

the michigan daily

between the United States and "That bill and the press release
Iran. in support of it demonstrate the
"It's positive that (Columbia) extent to which people are putting
would give the opportunity for open
dialogue, but I think it's unfortunate
that he doesn't give the same oppor-
tunity for open dialogue in his own
country, Scott said. "It speaks a Continued from page 1A
lot to the freedoms that we have in
the U.S. that he doesn't allow in his sory Committee on University
own country." Affairs with his concerns.
SACUA formed a faculty hearing
- Kirsty McNamara committee composed of three pro-
contributed to this report. fessors from different colleges within
the University to examine the case.
After a semester-long investi-
gation, the committee determined
that the University's response to
Kauffman's complaint was insuf-
ficient.
In January, SACUA sent a
C la ssiie Cd s letter to then-Interim Provost
Ned Gramlich, stating that the
University's investigation was
"Cpincomplete and biased because
the administration appointed
people to carry it out without out-
side consultation. They appointed
SCORPIO people with questionable cre-
(Oct. 23 to Nov. 21) dentials regarding matters of
Are you happy with your friendships? academic integrity, according to
Do you hang out with quality people? If SACUA.
you wunt to have more friends in your This semester, Kauffman was
life, he friendly!Uh s ed t er ra u ate was
SAGITTARIUS switched to undergraduate level

courses.
The source familiar with the
conflict said the University's
actions are a response to Kauff-
man's public distribution of
SACUA's opinion. The source is
not affiliated with the University.
The source also said that the
University asked Kauffman to
teach a lower-level class, but
Kauffman declined. Because of his
refusal, the source said, the Univer-
sity threatened to fire him, and has
begun taking steps to do so.
The source said someone called
the police alleging Kauffman was
planning on committing an act of
violence against the University.
Kauffman declined to com-
ment, but told The Michigan
Daily in 2003 that the University
routinely intimidates professors
to get its way.
In the past quarter century, the
University has attempted to fire
tenured professors fewer than five
times, Cunningham said. In such
cases, the University Board of
Regents is responsible for making

the final decision.
Students' response to the can-
cellation of Kauffman's classes
has been mixed.
In a letter to the Daily, sec-
ond-year aerospace engineering
graduate student Ryo Cheng said
he was disappointed that Kauff-
man's classes were unavailable
this term.
"I was told that the course I've
waited for almost three years has
been banned," Cheng wrote. "And
the worst thing is, this is my last
semester. I just couldn't believe
that even for a Master's student,
we cannot decide to take what we
are interested in."
Cheng also said Kauffman's
classes are popular and engag-
ing.
Other students applauded the
department's decision to remove
Kauffman from the graduate pro-
gram.
Some students said Kauff-
man's courses were easy classes
that would guarantee an A grade
regardless of effort.

"My colleagues and I who
took this course agree that virtu-
ally no actual technical material
was taught, and when it was, it
was often wrong," said Adam
Steinberg, a third-year aerospace
engineering graduate student. "In
the end, I received an A-plus in
this course doing virtually zero
work and gaining absolutely zero
knowledge."
Andrew Lapsa, a third-year
aerospace engineering graduate
student, also criticized Kauff-
man's teaching.
"I could not have been hap-
pier when I heard that Dr. Kauff-
man would no longer be teaching
these courses," Lapsa said. "By
reassigning him, the door is open
for a different professor, one who
cares about delivering a quality
and in-depth education, to teach
these important topics. After
speaking to the department chair
and several other faculty, I am
fully confident that these courses
will be undertaken by a more
competent professor."


For Friday, Sept. 22, 2006
ARIES
(March 21 to April 19)
This is a good day to think about what
you can do to improve your efficiency
and effectiveness at work, and in your
daily activities. Think of one thing that
would make your life run more
smoothly.
TAURUS
(April 20 to May 20)
You're a hardworking sign. However,
it's also important to rest and play. We
all need balance in our lives. Do you
give yourself enough playtime?
GEMINI
(May 21 to June 20)
This is the day to think about how to
improve where you live, as well as how
to improve your relations with family
members. This is your nest.
CANCER
(June 21 to July 22)
Studies indicate that in the best of
communications, only 40 percent is
really getting back and forth. Never take
communication with your relatives and
sihlings for granted.
LEO
(July 23 to Aug. 22)
Today's Solar Eclipse is the perfect
time to try to reorganize your financial
4scene. Figure oat how much is coming
in; figure out how much is going out.
VIRGO
(Aug. 23 to Sept. 22)
Today's New Moon occurs in your
sign. Now is the time to scrutinize and
examine your self-image and Ite first
impression you create on others.
LIBRA
(Sept. 23 to Oct. 22)
In a hasy world, it's easy to forget
your spiritual life. Nevertheless, these
values and your ability to get in touch
with your heart and soul are important.

(Nov. 22 to Dec. 21)
This is the perfect time to think about
how you can improve your relations with
hosses, parents and the authority figures
in your life. We all have to deal with
authority in one way or another.
CAPRICORN
(Dec. 22 to Jan. 19)
What kind of training or further stud-
ies can you explore to enrich your life or
improve your job? One should never
stop learning or pushing the sides of the
envelope.
AQUARIUS
(Jan.20 to Feb. 18)
Make a sober examination of the
responsibilities and duties you have for
others. Perhaps you have responsibilities
for the wealth of others?
PISCES
(Feb 9to March 20)
Partnerships and relationships are a
major focus in your life now. There's no
getting around this. What can you do to
improve this very important part of your
life?
YOU BORN TODAY You're deter-
mined to explore new horizons. You love
to experiment, in large measure because
you love a challenge. You sometimes
shock others with your appearance and
style; nevertheless, personally, you have
a very warm heart. Others often imitate
you, probably because you march to
your own drummer. In the coming year
you will face an important choice.
Chcose wisely.
Birthdate of: Andrea Bocelli, tenor;
Joan Jett, singer; Bonnie Hunt, actress.


RANKING
Continued from page 1A
She has stayed in an entry-
level position for the past year
and a half, which may not seem
like much for a grad of one of
the nation's elite schools.
But according to a recent list
by BusinessWeek magazine, a
lower-level position in the Walt
Disney Company may still top
higher-level positions at other
companies.
In the magazine's 2006 rank-
ings of the 55 best places for
college graduates to launch their
careers, Disney is ranked first.
The magazine consult-
ed career service directors,
employers and students to com-
pile its list.
Half was based on the employ-
ers' responses, while the career
service directors' and students'
surveys counted for the other
half.
BusinessWeek used statistics
on student preferences, hiring,
salary and employee benefits, as
well as information about train-
ing programs, to determine the
rankings.
Even though Disney topped
BusinessWeek's list, after work-
ing with the company for almost
four years, Maiville says that her

time there has "not been great."
The average pay for employ-
ees at Disney is not available
on BusinessWeek's chart, but
she said Disney pays "hardly
enough to live on." She said
most people she knows work six
to seven days a week and still
have to pick up extra hours to
pay the bills.
Maiville also said the explod-
ing Orlando housing market
has made it hard to find any-
thing but a condominium any-
where near Disney World. This,
she said, adds extra cost to an
already tight budget.
Despite these problems, there
are advantages to working for a
company like Disney, she said.
Maiville said many of her
friends have gone on to have
successful careers after taking
advantage of opportunities to
move up within the company.
And even though Maiville plans
to leave the company at the end
of the year, she said she now has
resume experience and business
knowledge she will take with
her.
"Any company anywhere in
United States will look at (your
experience) and recognize that
you have been trained to give
outstanding guest services,"
Maiville said.
Aaron Meyers, a University

alum, works as an electrical
engineer for Lockheed Martin,
which is second on Business-
Week's list.
Meyers graduated with a
master's degree in engineering
from the University last year
and interviewed with Lock-
heed through Eta Kappa Nu, a
national electrical engineering
honor society.
Meyers said Lockheed helped
him transition into the company
with a weeklong orientation and
training sessions.
Meyers said the Sunnyvale,
Calif. location is a plus and the
pay is decent.
Meyers did not originally
plan to work for Lockheed, but
said he's loved the experience.
His only complaint is that it will
take some time before he has
control of his work schedule.
Ryan Wiltshire, who has a
bachelor's degree from the Uni-
versity in aerospace engineer-
ing and is now doing graduate
work in industrial and opera-
tional engineering, had similar
opinions about General Electric
after interning with them the
past three summers.
General Electric ranks eighth
on the list.
Wiltshire said there were "so
many people you get lost in the
mix," but added that he liked

the company's diversity.
He said he interacted with
customers from all over the
world, including Japan, Saudi
Arabia and Nigeria.
Even as an intern, Wiltshire
had the opportunity to be the
"face of the company" for
important clients.
Terri LaMarco, an associ-
ate director at the University's
Career Center, said the rankings
provide a great introduction to
the job market.
Many of the employers on
the list - including the U.S.
Department of State, Goldman
Sachs, JPMorgan, Google and
Teach for America - often
recruit and participate in job
fairs on campus.
However, LaMarco warned
students not to restrict them-
selves to the highly competitive
organizations on the list.
LaMarco also said the rank-
ings do not include many service
and nonprofit organizations that
provide similar advantages for
graduates.
Other corporations thatrecruit
heavily on campus, like Target,
were also left off the list.
LaMarco also recommended
students on the hunt for a job
stop by the Career Center to talk
with University career counsel-

C 2006 King Features Syndicate, Inc.