46F an Ann Arbor, Michigan Tuesday, March 11, 2008 michigandaily.com SMichigan Stadium lawsuit settled T'%* - yy -111 Bi s foo at The settlem over TV bility t the tin House ball sta The ans of, lawsui from t wheelc make ties lik bring t the A] Act. TI U.S. D( signed plainti The sion pr tures c club se Befo expans ber, IM wheelc House will lose them located behind the north and south end zones. tatus as biggest The settlement, filed as a con- sent decree in federal district tball stadium for court, requires the stadium to have least two years at least 329 wheelchair-accessible seats when the renovation proj- ect concludes in 2010. That figure By GABE NELSON includes 96 wheelchair-accessible ManagingEditor seats and companion seats to be added by the start of the 2008 foot- University has reached a ball season in late August. nent that ends the lawsuit The University denied any tichigan Stadium's accessi- wrongdoing in the consent decree. o disabled fans - and, for The various adjustments to the ne being, will end the Big stadium will cost about $2 million, 's reign as the largest foot- according to Gloria Hage, the Uni- dium in the country. versity's interim vice president and Michigan Paralyzed Veter- general counsel. America agreed to drop the Because wheelchair-accessible t in return for a commitment seats take up about 12 times as he University to add more much space as normal seats, the hair-accessible seating and changes will also drop the stadi- changes to stadium facili- um's seat capacity from 107,501 to e bathrooms and ramps to an estimated 106,201 for the 2008 them into compliance with and 2009 seasons. That will make mericans With Disabilities MichiganStadiumthe second-larg- he group was joined by the est football stadium in the country epartment of Justice, which after Penn State University's Bea- onto the lawsuit as a co- ver Stadium, which holds 107,282. ff in November. University officials said they $226 millionstadiumexpan- don't know what the stadium's oject, which will add struc- capacity will be after the expan- ontaining luxury boxes and sion project and said they don't ating, will not be affected. know whether it will again become re construction on the the biggest. The project will add ion project began in Novem- a total of 5,100 seats, but some of tichigan Stadium had 92 the stadium's existing seats will hair-accessible seats, all of See BIG HOUSE, Page 10 KEY: To be ready by 201 To Tbe ready by201C 24wheelchair a 24 companion seats in row 72. At least 72 wheelkhair and72companion seats on tihe new West Concourse. One avalable wheel- chrair seat sill be -ineachluxurybox. Thee will also be 38 accessible club seats, 24 outdoors and 14 ndrss 8 0 81 wheelchair and 81 companion seats in row 72, N %wheekhair and nd N 96cmano seats in ow 54. 5aheelcbr and 56bcompanion seats in row 72. 81wheelchairand r81companion seats sonow 72. SOURCE: COURT FILINGS MICHIGAN AT H E TIC DEPARTMNT GRAPHIC BY ALLISON GHAMAN/Daify SEATING SWAP Under the terms of the settlement, new wheelchair-accessible seating will be added this year and in 2010 The Big House will have a total of 329 wheelchair-accessible seats in 2010. NO LONGER THE BIGGEST HOUSE The settlement means the University will have to turn some bleacher seats into wheelchair-accessible seating. That change means Michigan Stadium won't be the larg- est football stadium in the country for at least two years. 107501 The capacity of the Big House ap untlthe 207wfootball season. 106,201 The capacity of the Big House for the nest two football seasons. 107,282 The size of Beaver Stadium at Penn StateUniversity.Currently the second-largestfootball stadium in the country, it will overtake the Big House until at least 2010. Policy could ban hot dog vendors Councilman cites ordinance from 1947 to prohibit vendors By SARA LYNNE THELEN Da ily S tff Repor te r By the end of this month, the city of Ann Arbor will begin enforcing an ordinance that prohibits park- ing vehicles on public sidewalks. Thou h the nolicv mav seem mun- ftAW. DRUGS ON CAMPUS Among students, illicit prescription drug use rising dane, it could spell doom for long- time campus staples like hot dog vendors and other sidewalk snack shacks. The ordinance has been on the books since 1947, but it hasn't been consistently enforced. Ann Arbor City Council mem- ber Stephen Kunselman (D-Ward 3), who calls himself "the one who dug it up and brought it to light," said he decided the law needed to be enforced because of repeated complaints he's heard about the vendors. He cited an example of a taco stand on the corner of East William and State Streets last year that ran a generator so loudly that blind students couldn't hear the Study finds number of student abusers has increased over last 15 years By ELAINE LAFAY Daily StaffReporter After smoking marijuana every- day for seven months, a visit and citation from the campus police prompted one University student, who would only be identified by his nickname, Vern, to try some- thing new. He turned to prescription drugs. Over the course of about a week, Vern - who asked to remain anon- ymous because of possible legal ramifications - tried Vicodin, a powerful painkiller, Xanax, an anti-depressant and Robitussin, an over-the-counter drug. Abuse of prescription drugs has become a growing regularity among college students. A recent study conducted by University researchers found that about 20 percent of college students take prescription drugs for non-medi- cal reasons. The number of abus- ers has increased among students over the last 15 years. The study found that prescrip- tion painkillers like Vicodin and Tylenol 3 - a stronger version of Tylenol containing the opiate codeine - were among the most abused by college students. Stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin, which students oftenuse to See DRUGS, Page 3 Miriam Lindsey, the owner of Nawnie's Dog Gone Hot Dog, poses near her stand. After enforcement of a city ordinance begins at the end of March, she'll have to close up shop. I have 7,327 dollars sitting out there worth nothing," she said. beep that signals when it's safe to vehicles can only park in designat- Sylvia Nolasco, who runs Pilar's cross the street. ed areas, but Kunselman said that Tamales on the corner of South "I can recall a few people using state law considers a vehicle any- University and East University the city right-of-way as long-term thing that has an axle and wheels. Avenues with her husband, said the storage," Kunselmansaid,referring As it stands, campus vendors ordinance took herby surprise. to vendors not stowing their carts would have to close their umbrellas "I do this for a living, and to be away at night. "I've got a problem and drag their carts home by March given two months notice on what with that." 31, the last day vendors will be per- I'm going to do is not fair," said The ordinance states that motor mitted to sell on the sidewalks. See HOT DOGS, Page 3 UNIVERSITY APPAREL After new contract, complaints of discrimination withdrawn Ha rC- The tionshi Cap Co - at le At a Adviso Standa terday, said th tion an tmaker New Era by workers at a New Era facility in Mobile, Ala. had been withdrawn was accused of after the Teamsters Union and New Era agreed last month to an employ- ice, gender bias ment contract for the factory's workers. ByANDY KROLL "Right now there aren't any Daily News Editor complaints out there, so there's no action for the committee to take," University's tenuous rela- Root said. p with hatmaker New Era The contract will provide every mpanyis backongoodterms worker at the Mobile facility with ast for now. increased wages, improved health meeting of the University's care and benefits, a facility griev- ry Committee on Labor ance procedure and a non-dis- rds and Human Rights yes- crimination policy approved by committee chair Larry Root the National Association for the .e complaints of discrimina- Advancement of Colored People, .d anti-union practices made according to a statement from the Teamsters. Workers who were laid off since the factory began trying to union- ize seven months ago will be given the chance to return to their jobs at the factory, the statement said. Jim Gookins, a Teamsters offi- cial at the union's Mobile chapter, described the contract in a state- ment as a "historic agreement" between New Era and the union. "This is a strong first contract, one that we can build upon in the future," Gookins said. "I am proud of these workers." In a letter to university licens- ees last month, Tim Freer, New Era's vice president of global human See NEW ERA, Page 3 Experts discuss media, voter bias in Democratic presidential contest Insiders say voters are often dishonest in exit polls By JILLIAN BERMAN Daily StaffReporter Political experts explained yes- terday how this year's Democratic presidential contest - which fea- tures a woman and a black man - is being shaped by media and voter biases. About 40 students, faculty and Ann Arbor residents gathered in Lane Hall for the event, called "Race and Gender in Presidential Politics." CLIr REEDER/Daily One panelist, Nicholas Valen- Kathleen Frankovic of CBS News discusses how voting trends in recent Demo- See BIAS, Page 7 cratic primaries have revealed societal views on sexism and racism. WEATHER HI: 43 TOMORROW LO: 29 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-763-24s9 or e-mail newsdmichigandailv.com and let us know. ON THE DAILY BLOGS Canada has a crush on Obama MICHIGANDAILY.COM/THEPODIUM INDEX NEWS.. . . . . 2 ARTS.. . . ...........5 Vol.CXV1ll,No.ln SUDOKU...............................3 CLASSIFIEDS........... . 6 (2007The Michigan Daily OPINION.. . . . 4 SPORTS................. . ..............8 mchigondailycom 4