2A - Thursday, March 13, 2008 COMMENCE PRUNING Finders keepers? Not so fast. After a pair of black women's Ugg boots was left overnight at the Michigan Union, the owner of the trendy boots returned Monday to find her $150 boots gone. She filed a police report, but the disappearance raises a sticky dilemma: If the boots were left unat- tended overnight, is taking them a crime? Or is it a matter of "finders keepers?" According to Diane Brown, spokeswoman for the Department of Public Safety, followers of the playground rule should think twice before grabbing unattended prop- erty. Even if property is left for long periods of time, taking it is still a crime. Inthe case ofthe Uggboots,Brown said DPS would treat the crime as a larcenybecause it occurred in a pub- lic building that is accessible and open to the public. The penalties for larceny vary depending on the value of the property stolen. The theft is a misdemeanor if the value of the item is estimated to be less than $200. In this case, the crime could be punishable by up to 93 days in jail or a fine of either $500 or three times the value of the stolen property, whichever is greater. If the value of the property is estimated to be between $200 and $1,000, the theft is considered a mis- demeanor as well. In this case, how- ever, the theft is punishable by up to one year in jail or by a fine of either $2,000 or three times the value of the stolen property, whichever is greater. Brown said regardless of when the property is found, it should be reported to police or turned into the building's lost and found. For instance, at the Michigan Union, all items found in the build- ing and on the front steps should be turned in to the Campus Informa- tion Center's front desk, said Amy Watson, the center's assistant man- ager. "It is not your property and you did not report it," Watson said. "It will be considered stealing." In other words, the ancient schoolyard mantra of "Finders keep- ers, losers weepers" isn't quite true. The front desk stores lost and found items for one week before they are turned into DPS, thrown out or donated to charity, depending on the item's value and condition. Watson said the front desk also attempts to contact the owner if there is some form of identification with the property, such as when a wallet or an iPod are turned in. Susan Pile, director of the Union, had one last piece of advice for stu- dents. "Don't leave your things unat- tended, even for a minute or two." SUTHA K KANAGASINGAM SAID ALSALAH/Daily Michael Stoker, an employee of the University's forestry department, cuts a dead branch of a tree on the Diag. He was preparing for Spring Com- mencement, which will take place April 26. The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com LT ie AtId41-an Balm 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com ANDBEWGROSSMAN DAVID GOH Editor is Chief Business Manager 734-647-3336 734-764-0558 grossman@michigandaily.com goh@michigandaily.com CONTACT INFORMATION Newsroom Officehours:Sun.-Thurs.it a.m.- 2 a.m. 734-763-24s9 News Tips rnw@eirtigandaityrcoe Corrections correctiowa@eirtigandaityroe Letterstothe Editor tothedaily@mzichigoadaily.com Photography Department photo@nirhigandaily.com 734-764-0563 Arts Section artspage@michigandaiy.com Editorial Page opinion@michigandaily.com 734-763-0379 SportsSection sports@michigandailycom Display Sales display@michigandaily.com 734-764-05s4 Classified Sales classified@michigandaily.com Online Sales onlineads@michigandail.com 734-61s-013s Finance finance@michigandaily.com 734-763-3246 EDITORIAL STAFF Gabe Nelson Managing Editor nelson@michigandaily.com Chris Herring ManagingNews Editor herring@michigandaity.com NEWS EDITORS:Emily Barton,Kelly Fraser, Lisa Haidostian,Andy Kroll GarplGraca EditoriatrPageEditor groca@eirhigaedaity.coe ASS CITE EDITORILPAGE EDITORS:Emmarie Huetteanmcianal~o Emiy Michels,ArikiaMillikan,KatePeabody,MatthewTrecha fNateSandals Managing sports Editor sandals@michigandaily.com SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS: ft. 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Additional copiesmay be picked upatthe Daily'sofficefor$2. Subscriptionsfor fallterm,startingin September, viaU.S.mailaret$110. Winter termJanuary through April)is$115yearlong(September throughApriltis195.Universityaffliates aresubjectto a reduedsubscriptionrateOn-campus subscriptioor fall tear3Sbrtionsmustbeprepaid.TheMichiganDailyisamemberof TheAssociatedPressand The Associated Collegiate Press. CRIME NOTES Nautical poet tags Big House WHERE: Michigan Stadium WHEN: Tuesday at about 9 WHAT: Construction workers discovered the sentence, "Even as Alexandria's lighthouse yomited into the sea, I sit with my head in my hands waiting on my Tristine," written across three windows of the stadium's press box and the President's yuite in red paint, the Depart- aent of Public Safety reported. The vandal also drew a ship's wheel and a dagger in green paint on a white background. Police estimate the damage occurred between Jan. 4 and March 10. The graffiti will cost about $300 to clean up. Police have no suspects. Man steals room key from student WHERE: Michigan Union CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES Underground WHEN: Tuesday at about 11:45 p.m. WHAT: A female student dropped her room key card from its case as she was pay- ing for her food at the Wendy's in the basement of the Union, DPS reported. The man picked up the card and fled the scene. Police have not located the suspect. Worker injured in fall from scaffolding WHERE: Alessi Plaza, 701 Tappan St. WHEN: Tuesday at about 2:45 p.m. WHAT: A 60-year-old Ypsi- lanti man lost his balance and fell from a five-foot high scaf- foldingwhile installing a dry wna, tile, DPS reported. He was taken to University Hospital by ambulance, where he was treated and released. Ethiopian artist to lecture WHAT: A lecture by Julie Mehretu. a painter from Addis Ababa, Ethopia, and a recipient of a 2005 McArthur genius grant WHO: Penny W. Stamps Dis- tinguished Visitors Series, School of Art and Design WHEN: Today at 5 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Theater Lecture on Antarctic seals WHAT: A talkby Lee Fui- man, a marine biologist at the University of Texas, on the behavioral patterns of seals. He will discuss a study where tracking devices were attached to the seals to reveal how they hunt prey. WHO: Exhibit Museum of Natural History, Program in the Environment WHEN: Today from 5 to 7 p.m. WHERE: Exhibit Museum of Natural History, Ruthven Museums Building Peace Corps info session WHAT: A meeting for stu- dents considering joiningthe Peace Corps WHO: International Center WHEN: Today from 6 to 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Room 9, Interna- tional Center A Boston man is travel- ling the country correct- ing typos and grammatical errors on signs, billboards and postings, National Public Radio reported. Jeff Deck calls his brand of vigilante copy editing the Typo Eradication Advance- ment League. The Big- Ten Men's Bas- ketball tournament begins tomorrow in Indianapo- lis. In its first game, Michigan looks to edge out Iowa in the single-elimination contest. 4 CORRECTIONS >FOR MORE, SEE SPORTS 0 An article in last Friday's edition of the Daily (Former Authorities estimate that law prof claims anti-gay bias a Kansas women spent influenced tenure decision), more than two years sit- misidentified a book written ting on her boyfriend's toilet by Law School Prof. William seat, The Associated Press Miller. The book is titled reported. The seat had to be "The Anatomy of Disgust." 0 Please report any error in surgically removed from the the Daily to corrections@ woman, who had a fear of leav- michigandaily.com. ing the bathroom. (N 4 4 327 S. Main St. (734) 769-1590