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Wednesday, January 23, 2008
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UNVERSITY CONTRA
Under fire,
'U'Press
changes
guidelines
Change in policy could affect
relationship between
'U' Press, Pluto Press
By ANDY KROLL
Daily Staff Reporter
After taking criticism for its lack of authority
over the content of books it distributes for third-
party publishers, the University of Michigan Press
released guidelines on Friday outlining its policies
for distribution deals. The new rules could impact
its relationship with the controversial left-wing pub-
lisher Pluto Press.
The new guidelines say the University Press will
only consider distribution deals with third-party
publishers "whose mission is aligned with the mis-
sion of the UM Press and whose academic standards
and processes of peer review are reasonably similar
to those of the UM Press."
The University Press's relationship with Pluto first
came under fire in August from pro-Israel groups for
distributing Pluto's book "Overcoming Zionism,"
See PRESS, Page 3A
BOOK FLAP
In October, the University Press's executive committee
announced plans to continue its distribution contract with Pluto
Press. It has sincetfaced considerable pressurefrom both inside
and outside the University.
At the November meeting of the University Board oftRegents,
regents Laurence Deitch (D-Bingham Farms), Andrea Fischer
Newman (R-Ann Arbor) and Andrew Richner (R-Grosse Pointe
Park) delivered a letter tothe other regents advocating for the
University Pressto cuttieswith Pluto Press. The regentssaid
their desire to cattiesmwith Platn had nothing to dowithtfree
speech and censorship, but rather wastfocused on the Universi
ty Press's lack ofreviewauthority over the books it distributes.
The University Presswill decide whether to renew itscontract
with Pluto Press when it comes up for renewal in May.
ROB MIGRIN/Daily
Though beer ingredients have increased in price, managers at Grizzly Peak Brewing Company, an Ann Arbor pub, have not resorted to raising prices for customers.
By LISA HAIDOSTIAN
Daily StaffReporter
Unless it's a special occasion, LSA
senior Andrew Bogaard won't order
more than a pintortwo of beer when
he's at a local pub. It's not because
he doesn't want more - it's because
buying more than a couple brews is
getting too expensive.
Thanks to hefty price hikes for
key beer ingredients, many students
have already started paying more for
their favorite local beers.
While fuel, aluminum and glass
prices are rising too, brewers are
more worried about a worldwide
shortage of hops - a plant used in
brewing to add bitterness, aroma
and flavor to the final product. The
cost of wheat and barley, also used
to make beer, are also at near-record
highs.
Matt Greff, who owns Arbor
Brewing Company and The Cor-
ner Brewery along with his wife
Rene, said he has seen an increase of
between 25 and 40 percent in germi-
nated barley prices in the past year,
while the price of hops has jumped
a staggering 300 percent over the
same span.
Jim Hilker, an agricultural eco-
nomics professor at Michigan State
University, said hops and wheat
prices are increasing because the
crops aren't as attractive to farmers
as they once were.
Because of a global push towards
ethanol, a renewable energy source
manufactured largely from corn,
farmers are devoting more land to
corn to rake in profits from the hot
crop. Meanwhile, production of
other grains has taken a hit.
Hilker places most of the blame
for wheat and hops price hikes on
booming ethanol production, but
said factors like volatile weather and
a bustling world economy - which
requires growing more food - have
also contributed to the shortages.
As a result, Arbor Brewing Com-
pany has charged wholesalers about
a dollar more per case of beer and
about a dollar more per pint of beer
served in the pub. Prices at The Cor-
ner Brewery went up 25 cents a pint.
Still, the microbrewery is taking
a hit along with its customers, Rene
Greff said.
"We didn't increase our prices
enough to cover the entire increase,"
she said.
National breweries like Anheuser-
Busch, Molson Coors and SABMiller
have not been as affected by higher
costs because theytend to brew their
beers using fewer hops than craft
brewers. They also have long-term
contracts with set prices for their
ingredients.
Duncan Williams, the head
brewer at Grizzly Peak, said the
worldwide hops shortage is putting
smaller breweries in a bind and forc-
ing them to ask other breweries for
extra supplies of hops.
"If you don't have them right now,
you're in trouble," said Larry Bell,
the president and founder of Bell's
Brewery in Kalamazoo.
Although Bell's is the largestbrew-
eryinMichigan,ithasn'tbeenimmune
to the price increases, Bell said.
Effective Feb. 25, Bell's will increase
its prices by between 50 cents and a
dollar for each case of beer, depend-
ing on the brand.
"The increases in price of raw
materials have just been so astro-
See BEER, Page 7A
Duderstadt: Model field after law or medicine
By ELIZABETH LAI
Daily StaffReporter
Former University President
James Duderstadt recently pub-
lished a report calling for Ameri-
can colleges to model an education
in engineering after professional
disciplines like medicine and law,
which require a graduate degree.
Duderstadt suggests in the
report that students be required to
attain a graduate degree in engi-
neering before entering the field.
The report, titled "The Millen-
nium Project," says recent trends
like the outsourcing of American
engineering jobs, rapid technolog-
ical advancements and decreasing
enrollment in engineering pro-
grams are key indicators that an
academic overhaul is long over-
due.
Duderstadt said in an interview
that in an increasingly global econ-
omy, American engineers won't be
able to compete with engineers
from other countries unless their
skill sets are bolstered. Duder-
stadt said the current system can-
not provide that extra edge.
"We just do not believe that can
be achieved just by an undergrad-
uate degree in education," Duder-
stadt said.
Some students, like Engineer-
ing sophomore Henry Kohring,
said they worry that graduate
school for engineers could dis-
courage an already small pool of
students from choosing engineer-
ing as a career.
"It just really would definitely
make it more difficult to get an
engineering degree, or at least
make it seem more difficult,"
Kohring said. "That would defi-
nitely decrease the number of
undergraduates."
Others disagree. Engineer-
ing freshman John Sidhom, who
plans to attend medical school,
said engineering could become
more attractive if a graduate
READ DUDERSTADT'S
REPORT
Visit www.michigandaily.com
degree were required because
many would come to consider it
more prestigious. Sidhom said he
chose medicince over engineering
partly because it provides a more
secure future.
"Engineering is not respected
enough," said Sidhom, who said
he's concerned with the outsourc-
ing of engineering jobs.
Ideally, Duderstadt said, engi-
See REPORT, Page 3A
The Ann Arbor City Council last night unanimously passed a proposal to change the
leasing ordinance - a move that will affect both students and landlords.
City Council passes
change to lease law
'U' releases survey on ceremony to graduating students
Officials hope to
gauge students'
priorities for
graduation ceremony
By ALEX KAZICKAS
Daily StaffReporter
The University sent an e-mail
to graduating students last night
inviting them to take a survey
about their priorities for this year's
Spring Commencement ceremony.
The survey will be available until 9
a.m. tomorrow.
The survey, which consists of 12
questions, comes weeks after Uni-
versity officials announced that the
ceremony would be held at Eastern
Michigan University's Rynearson
Stadium instead of Michigan Sta-
dium because of the ongoing con-
struction of new luxury boxes. The
$226 million stadium renovation
projectbegan Nov.18, the day after
the final home game of the football
season, against Ohio State.
The survey was designed to
inform University officials of
students' preferences for com-
mencement. One question asks,
"How important is it for you to
have the ceremony on campus?"
Another asks, "What is the mini-
mum number of tickets you need
for guests?" Most questions let stu-
dents give responses ranging from
"Very Important" to "Not impor-
tant at all".
The survey's first two questions
ask students what school they are
graduating from and what level
degree they'll be attaining.
The survey comes in response
to the uproar created by students
READ THE SURVEY
and a letterfrom the University, at
www.michigandaily.com
and alumni. Numerous students
started Facebook groups opposing
the change. One of them has gar-
nered more than 3,700 members.
Some alumni have written e-mails
to University President Mary Sue
Coleman protesting the decision.
E. Royster Harper, the University's
vice president for student affairs,
originally said it would take an
See SURVEY, Page 7A
Waiting period
shortened from 90 to
70 days, waiver
loophole closed
By KELLY FRASER
Daily News Editor
In a compromise between stu-
dents and landlords, the Ann Arbor
City Councilunanimously approved
revisions to the city's lease-signing
ordinance last night.
The revisions shortened the
period landlords must wait before
showing properties to prospective
renters and closed a loophole that
allowed landlords to show a prop-
erty before the wait period had
expired with the tenant's permis-
sion.
The revised ordinance will first
affect students next fall.
The revisions reduce the period
into the current lease landlords
must wait to show a property from
90 days to 70 days.
This means that if a lease starts
in September, landlords can begin
showing the property to other pro-
spective renters in early November.
The initial purpose of the wait-
ing period was to alleviate pressure
on students, who usually decide
See ORDINANCE, Page 7A
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