~Ryan Malett:.aubefrftr
tem u ar from perfect oe Woiverin
'PTn Chapionshp
Giving Michigan a midterm evaluation
Football Saturday, inside
ZIie lid1iipn Dai1jj
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Friday, October 12, 2007
michigandaily.com
Martin: Crisler next to be renovated
r RENOVATION OF
CRISLER?
Possible changes to
Crisler Arena, according
to Athletic Director Bill
Martin
" Repairs to the roof
" New air handling,
electrical and mechanical
equipment
* New seats
' Improved lighting,
" More concession stands
" More seating for disabled
fans
* Wider aisles with hand-
rails
* A curtain to block offthe
upper deck for smaller events
* An extra mat for the wres-
tling practicefacility
* A practice courtfor bas-
ketball teams
* A new sound system
Athletic Department has
no concrete plans yet to
pay for project
By GABS NELSON
Daily News Editor
Though construction might be several
years away, the Athletic Department is tak-
ing steps toward a renovation of Crisler
Arena.
University Athletic Director Bill Martin
said the Athletic Department hopes to begin
the project after it finishes work on Michigan
Stadium. That project is scheduled to begin
this fall and wrap up by the beginning of the
2009 football season.
He said Crisler's infrastructure needs
major work, though he's content with the
arena's size, location and architecture.
Crisler - the home of the University's men's
and women's basketball teams and the train-
ing facilities for the men's wrestlingteam and
women's gymnastics team - hasn't under-
gone major repairs since it opened in 1967.
The Athletic Department has commis-
sioned a study of the building's infrastruc-
ture to determine what a renovation project
would need to accomplish. Martin said he
has seen a preliminary report and expects
the final version within two months.
According to the initial report, the
arena needs a new roof as well as improved
mechanical, electrical and ventilation
equipment, Martin said. He said the Ath-
letic Department intends to make a variety
of other changes to improve the facility for
athletes and fans, like better lighting, more
concession stands and wider aisles.
"We have to address those issues," Martin
said. "We'll get to it."
But it might take years, if the pace of the
Big House renovation is any indication.
Athletic Department officials were already
developing plans to renovate Michigan Sta-
dium three years ago, as The Michigan Daily
reported in December 2004. After another
two years of planning, they presented project
plans to the University Board of Regents in
May 2006. It took 13 months from that point
for the regents to approve all aspects of the
project. The process ended in June when the
regents gave the Athletic Department per-
mission to grant construction contracts.
Steve Wolters,the presidentof Maize Rage
- a student group that fills the studentsec-
tion at Michigan Men's Basketball games -
said he's disappointed he won't be around to
see the new Crisler Arena but thinks the hir-
ing of John Beilein as men's basketball coach
will make up for Crisler's current flaws.
"I'd love to be here when the football is
done and the basketball is done, butI'm more
excited with the product we're going to have
on the court," Wolters said. "That'll over-
shadow any kind of problems we have with
the arena."
Wolters said the top priority, besides
improved lighting, should be the construc-
tion of a basketball practice facility, because
a top-of-the-line practice facility would help
the University recruit better basketball play-
ers and show that the University is commit-
ted to running a top basketball program. The
men's and women's basketball teams must
See CRISLER, Page 7A
University Athletic Director Bill Martin says Crisier Arena's
infrastructure needs an overhaul.
TRYING TO REVIVE A TRADITION
DEBATING A BAN
By a landslide,
co-op rejects
Israel boycott.
People's Food Co-op
board members say
they're still
open to debate
By DANIEL STRAUSS
Daily StaffReporter
Despite the efforts of a group
called Boycott Israeli Goods,
products made in Israel will
remain on the shelves of the Peo-
ple's Food Co-op of Ann Arbor.
At a meeting of the co-op's
Board of Directors last night,
officials announced the outcome
of a vote to determine whether
the organization should boycott
Israeli products. The final vote
was 262 members in favor of the
ban and 866 opposing it.
The motion to boycott Israeli
goods started this summer when
Boycott Israeli Goods proposed a
referendum to the co-op's board.
The group aimed to protest what
it said was cruel treatment of the
Palestinian people by the Israeli
government.
Although the co-op's Board of
Directors rejected the proposed
referendum, the group collect-
ed 600 signatures - enough to
force a vote by co-op members. A
majority of the votes was needed
to implement the ban.
After announcing the vote tally
yesterday evening at Hathaway's
Hideaway, a meeting place on
South Ashley Street, People's
Food Co-op President Linda Feldt
said she received hundreds of
e-mails and had conversations
about the issue with both passion-
ate supporters and opponents of
the boycott. She said she doesn't
See CO-OP, Page 7A
With a homecoming parade that snaked
around campus yesterday, the Michigan Student
Assembly sought to revive a long-dormant tradi-
tion.
The parade was part of an effort to boost school
spirit in anticipation of Saturday's Homecoming
football game between Michigan and Purdue.
The University hadn't had a Homecoming
parade since 1996.
band from Churchill High School in Livonia. The
parade faced low turnout and dreary weather,
including light rain.
Public Policy junior Jon Tap, who came to
watch the parade, said he was excited to see stu-
dents showing spirit despite the conditions.
"Our campus doesn't do things like that," he
said. "This is the first step in the right direction.
It may be a shaky step, but I still feel like it's a
OUTBREAK IN ANN ARBOR
Health officials:
Measles not likely
to hit University
Yesterday afternoon's parade, held on State good thing."
Street, featured nine floats led by the marching - KAREY QUARTON and LISA PAUL
At B-School reunion, it's Maya Angelou, not a CEO
Author to speak at
Hill this afternoon
By KIRA ROSE
For the Daily
No one knows what Maya Ange-
lou is going to say when she speaks
at Hill Auditorium this afternoon.
She could speak about her career
as a civil rights activist.
She could speak about her poet-
ry. Or her novels.
Her lecture is simply titled "An
Afternoon With Maya Angelou."
Even the event's organizers say
they have no idea what she'll talk
about.
The best-selling author, poet,
playwright, director, producer,
actress, lecturer and civil-rights
activist could speak about almost
anything - with authority.
Tickets for the.free event, spon-
sored by the Ross School of Busi-
ness, are no longer available.
The Business School is bringing
Angelou to campus as part of its
alumni reunion weekend. (She is
not an alum.)
At first, Angelou seems like an
unlikely speaker for the business
school. ButBusiness School Spokes-
man Paul Gediman, the business
school spokesman, said Angelou
fits well with the school's mission.
"Business doesn't exist in a vac-
uum. It exists in the real, complex
world full of artists, writers, poets,
doctors, activists, and others," Ged-
iman said.
Business school junior Matthew
Wyble said he plans to attend the
event.
"It's cool because it's not some-
thing the business school normally
brings in," he said. "This event is
useful for making us well-round-
ed."
Gediman said Angelou's lecture
fits well with the school's overall
speaker program, which has fea-
tured internationally recognized
speakers like former AOL Chair-
man Steve Case; activist Zainab
Salbi, Demo- "An
cratic strate- Afternoon
gist Julianna with Maya
Malveaux Angelou,
and former
General Elec- Where: Hill Auditorium
Geneal Eec- When: Today at
trit Chair- 1:30 p.m.
Jak Sposo:Ste phtooM.
man Jack Ross School of Business
Welch. Coot Admission by
ticket only, tree
Angelou of charge
spoke at East-
ern Michigan
University in 2004, but this is the
first time she will be lecturing at
the University of Michigan.
See ANGELOU, Page 7A
Nine suspected
cases have been
reported to county
By JAKE SMILOVITZ
For the Daily
An outbreak of measles in
Washtenaw County elementary
schools does not pose a major
threat to the University, local
public health officials said yes-
terday.
Nine suspected cases have
been reported to the Washtenaw
County Public Health Depart-
ment and the Centers for Disease
Control in the last two weeks.
The scare began 11 days ago when
a student at Burns Park Elemen-
tary School in Ann Arbor started
to show symptoms of the disease
after his family returned from a
trip to Europe, county and federal
officials said in a conference call
yesterday. .
The officials said they are not
worried about the disease infect-
ing the University student body
or residence halls.
"There is some reassurance
of the fact that we have not had
a huge number of suspects in
the area and nobody from the
University," said Stan Reedy, the
public health medical director for
Washtenaw County.
He said the only reason to
worry about the virus reaching
the community would be if these
elementary school children vis-
ited campus or if University stu-
dents visit classrooms in the Ann
Arbor area.
"Although the potential is
there, that is not really a major
concern," Reedy said.
Measles is considered an out-
break -.after only one confirmed
case because it is highly con-
tagious, he said. The virus can
spread when an infected per-
son coughs, sneezes or shares a
See MEASLES, Page 7A
TODAY'S HI 54
WEATHER L: 36
GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail
news@michigandailycom and let us know.
ON THE DAILY BLOGS
The University's sister college bans computers
MICHIGANDAILY.COM/THEWIRE
INDEX NEW S....... .................. 2A CLASSIFIEDS ..................... 6A
Vol.CXVIlINo.29 OPINION..........................4A SPORTS..................8A
2007 The MichiganDaily ARTS ................................5A FOOTBALLSATURDAY.........1B
michigandoily.com
of