New-, The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Friday, September 12, 2008 -- 7 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Friday, September12, 2008 - 7 Venezuelan president expels U.S. ambassador Expulsion signals breakdown in fragile relationship between U.S., Chavez By PATRICK J. MCDONNELL and CHRIS KRAUL Los Angeles Times BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Thursday he was expelling U.S. ambassador Patrick Duddy in the latest escalation of tensions between Washington and Latin American leftists. The move came a day after Chavez's close ally, Bolivian Presi- dent Evo Morales, accused the U.S. envoy in his country of fos- tering divisions in his country and ordered him to leave. On Thursday, chaos worsened in Bolivia as clashes between govern- ment sympathizers and opponents in a remote province left at least eight dead and dozens injured. And Washington retaliated for the expulsion of Ambassador Philip S. Goldberg by telling Bolivia's ambassador, Gustavo Guzman, to " leave. In a speech laced with obsceni- ties directed at the United States, Chavez told a cheering crowd that he acted insolidarity with Morales. Earlier, he said his country would come to Morales' aid if "Yankee stooges" tried to oust him. Chavez and the Bush adminis- tration have been bitter rivals for years. While this latest step sig- nals a further deterioration, it is not clear how the expulsions will affect the region's political and economic stability. Washington will continue to have diplomatic relations with both Venezuelaand Bolivia, at least for now. And Venezuela remains a major source of oil for the Unit- ed States. On Thursday, Chavez renewed threats to cut off supplies should Washington launch "some aggression" against Venezuela, but stopped well short of stopping sales. Still, expulsions of U.S. ambas- sadors are relatively rare and pro- vided a shock for the entire region. "This a highly symbolic ges- ture," noted Eduardo Gamarra, a professor at Florida International University in Florida. "And they're doing it at a time when no one in Washington is paying much atten- tion to Latin America." For years, the administration has sought to play down sugges- tions that a new, anti-U.S leftist bloc was forming in Latin America while the White House was pre- occupied in the Middle East. U.S. officials have argued that Wash- ington would be makinga mistake to overreact to Chavez. But Morales and Chavez have been eager to prove that they pose a serious regional challenge. This week, the Venezuelans moved a step further by allowing Rus- sian long-range bombers to visit a Venezuelan base, suggesting that greater military contacts might be ahead. Chavez has found allies in Bolivia's Morales and Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa. But most governments in the region, includ- ing left-wing administrations in Brazil and Argentina, have tried to maintain cordial relations with both Venezuela and Washington. The expulsion of Duddy after a year in Venezuela appeared to have little to do with his public actions. The ambassador has kept a low profile compared with his prede- cessor, William Brownfield, who sometimes responded to Chavez's anti-U.S. invectives. Chavez threatened to eject the ambassador a week ago in response to criticism from White House drug czar John Walters that his country wasn't doing enough to stop the flow of illegal drugs. Earlier, Chavez denounced a plot against him that he said was abet- ted by the United States, something the U.S. denies. Chavez said he also was recall- ing Caracas' ambassador in Wash- ington, Bernardo Alvarez, until "there's a new government in the United States." Sean McCormack, the State Department spokesman, said Bolivia'sdecisiontoexpelGoldberg "will prejudice the interests ofboth countries, undermine the ongoing fight against drug-trafficking, and will have serious regional implica- tions." Bolivia is the world's third-larg- est producer of coca leaf, the raw material in cocaine, and a major recipient of U.S. anti-drug aid. But Morales rose to national promi- nence as president of a coca-grow- ers federation, a post he still holds, and has often been at odds with U.S.-backed anti-drug efforts. The president frequently accused the ambassador of under- mining his government. Morales was apparently incensed when Goldberg met recently with the governors of two provinces who oppose him. Various South American nations, including Brazil, pledged support for Morales' government and offered help if needed to medi- ate the crisis. Morales took office in 2006 amid hopes for national reconciliation in a nation long riven by political, ethnic and regional differences. He was the first Indian president in a nation where much of the popula- tion is of indigenous ancestry. But his socialist' policies and rhetorical flourishes soon caused discontent in the eastern lowlands, home to much of the nation's agri- cultural and energy wealth. He accused "oligarchs" of seeking to break away from Bolivia. Four lowland states voted this year for autonomy in a referendum Morales called treasonous and ille- gal. A fifth state, Chuquisaca, in the central highlands, has joined the four lowland provinces in opposi- tion to Morales, whose base of sup- port is in the western high plains, or altiplano. Andres D'Alessandro of the Los Angeles Times Buenos Aires bureau, Times staff writer Paul Richter in Washington, and special correspondents Oscar Ordonez in La Paz and Martin Monasterio in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, contributed to this report. Ina Castro, center, and her son Jonathan Rivera, right, cry during a ceremony to com- memorate the seoenth anniversary nf the Sept. 11 attacks yesterday in New York. Ina's hrother, Jose Castro, worked at the World Trade Center and died in the attacks. Seventh anniversary of 11 mark solemn Zimbabwe power-sharing deal struck Mugabe would rule alongside opposition party leaders HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - President Robert Mugabe agreed to share power with the opposi- tion yesterday after more than two decades as Zimbabwe's unchal- lenged leader, South Africa's presi- dent announced. South African leader Thabo Mbeki, who mediated at the nego- tiation, did not immediately offer details, but said the agreement would be signed and made public Monday. "I am absolutely certain that the leadership of Zimbabwe is committed to implementing these agreements," Mbeki said at a news conference late Thursday. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai also told reporters the parties "have got a deal." There was no immediate statement from the 84'year-old Mugabe. There was no indication of how they would share power. Tsvangirai had argued that as top vote-getter in the March presi- dential election he should be head of government and preside at Cabi- net meetings, relegating Mugabe to a ceremonial position. Mugabe showed little willingness to relin- quish much power: Mbeki had been in Zimbabwe since Monday trying to resolve that impasse. For a year, he sought to bring Mugabe and Tsvangirai clos- er together, insisting that despite accusations he was biased in favor of Mugabe his policy of refusing to confront or publicly criticize either party was the best approach. "The agreement has once more underlined our often stated view that only the people of Zimba- bwe, acting with the support of the international community, can author their own destiny," Mbeki's government said in a statement fol- lowing his announcement. OthersincludingAfricanleaders traditionally reluctant to criticize one of their own, hadbeen increas- ingly impatient with Mugabe, who has been accused of trampling on Zimbabwean's political rights and ruining the economy of what had once been the region's breadbasket. Neighboring countries coping with Zimbabwean refugees were among the sharpest critics. Tsvangirai's party won the most votes in legislative and presidential elections in March, but he did not win enough to avoid a runoff against Mugabe.Anonslaughtofstate-spon- sored violence against Tsvangirai's supporters forced him to drop out of the presidential runoff. Mugabe kept Tsvangirai's name on the ballot and was declared the overwhelming winner of a runoff that was widely denounced as a sham. Citing the March results, Tsvan- girai says he should be head of gov- ernment and preside over Cabinet meetings, while Mugabe should be relegated to a ceremonial position. Mugabe had shown little willing- ness to relinquish much power. Much of Mugabe's popularity at home and across the continent is linked to his image as a proud African leader unafraid to defy the West. Tsvangirai, who lacks Mugabe's anti-colonial credentials, has said Zimbabwe needs to work with the West to overcome its eco- nomic and political crises. A political settlement would free the leaders to address Zimbabwe's severe economic problems -which include having the world's highest inflation rate and chronic food and fuel shortages. Foreigninvestorshavebeenwary because ofthe politicaluncertainty. Western governments are poised to help with grants and loans, but will not deal with Mugabe, who they denounce asa dictator. they don't have something in place where it would count toward their participation in class or something like that," he said. College of Engineering Prof. Michael Thouless, a member of the task force and the vice chair of the Senate Advisory Commit- tee on University Affairs, the fac- ulty's executive governing body, said he doesn't think the Univer- sity should use incentives. "If people want participation rates to go up, then obviously they can encourage students to fill in the forms," he said. All schools within the Universi- ty except for the Business School, Medical School and the School of Dentistry use the teacher evalu- ation 'system developed by the Office of Evaluations and Exami- nations. NEW YORK (AP) - Familiar rituals of grief marked the seventh anniversary of Sept. 11 yesterday as thousands paid tribute at the attack sites, the presidential candidates laid flowers at ground zero and children mourned parents they can barely remember. Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama called off their campaigns for the day, and in the late afternoon descended the long ramp into the pit of the World Trade Center site, bowing their heads and leaving the flowers in a reflecting pool. At the Pentagon, 15,000 people turned out for the dedication of the first permanent memorial built at any of the three sites where hijacked planes crashed. It includes 184 benches that will glow at night, one for each victim there. "Thanks to the brave men and women, and all those who work to keep us safe, there has not been another attack on our soil in 2,557 days," President Bush said at the outdoor dedication. In New York, the crowd fell silent in apark just east of the trade center site at 8:46, 9:03, 9:59 and 10:29 a.m. - the times when two hijacked jets slammed into the buildings and the twin towers fell. Alex, Aidan and Anna Salamone - now 13,11 and 10years old - wore old soccer jerseys belonging to their father, broker John Patrick Salam- one, who was 37 when he was killed. They recalled playing in the yard with atoy wagon. "He was strong. He was funny. He always made me laugh," Alex Sala- COLLIDER From Page 1 - the kuropean Organization for Nuclear Research - and is buried 300 feet below the Swiss-French border. CERN scientists first tested the waters on Wednesday by send- ing a few proton beams at a slower- than-capacity pace. Scientists reported that the first beam, had been steered around the 17-mile track on Wednesday at 4:28 a.m., Eastern Time. University scientists helped develop a muon spectrometer - a machine that looks for the presence* of the mysterious Higgs boson, a particle whose existence scientists hope to prove using the collider. Because the Higgs boson changes its particle state almost instanta- neously, it is very difficult to detect. The Higgs boson is nicknamed the "God Particle," because scien- tists believe it's what gives other particles their mass. Rackham student Andrew Eppig, who is in Europe working at the CERN lab, said while excitement is high, physicists didn't waste any time getting to work. "Once the first beam went through, we were already collecting mone said. I wish I could remember more, but we were so young when he died." "We love you, daddy," said Anna. Still others chose to forgo the public observances altogether and mark the day in quieter, more pri- vate ways. Kai Thompson Hernan- dez toasted her late husband, Glenn Thompson, at a beach, with his favorite brand of beer. "I try andrcelebrate his life rather than mark the place of his death," she said. Family members of the trade cen- ter dead and students representing the more than 90 countries that lost citizens in the attack-- Azerbaijan to Zambia to Vietnam - read the names of the 2,751 victims killed in New York. Others descended seven stories below street level to pay respects where the towers once stood. A giant crane, an American flag hanging from a hook, overlooked the anni- versary ceremony from ground zero, where office towers, a memorial and transithub are under construction. The New York memorial is years away from completion. Some of the mourners worried the, progress on it would prevent them from being allowed to pay respects next Sept. 11 on the ground where their loved ones died. "When you walk through the site, you really feel like you're right where they were, and it's very raw," said Dennis Baxter, whose brther, Jasper, died while attending a-conn ference at the trade center. "I think the spot should remainraw." data," he said. Eppig watched the beam from one of the CERN cafeterias on a big screen display. The displays were scattered throughout the building and lit up each time the beam hit one of eight markers in the loop. "Some people were in the control room, but everyone was just wait- ing," he said. "There was excite- ment, but there was also, 'Alright, what happened? Did everything work in our experiment?' Scientists hope the colliders will provide answers to some unknowns of the universe, like dark matter and dark energy. Both account for much of the mass in the universe, but remain a mystery. "We're looking deeper into mat- ter than ever before," said University PhysicsProf.DanielLevin,whoworks on the University's ATLAS team. University scientists will spend the coming weeks fine-tuning the millions of individual parts that make up the muon spectrometer, Levin said. Once the collision occurs, scien- tists will spend about a year ana- lyzing the data before results are finalized, Eppig said. "We don't really know what's going to happen, so it's pretty exciting," he said. EVALUATIONS From Page 1 maybe usedwhen the systemgoes live later this year. But while questions remain about online participation rates, University officials are quick to point out that the online system will save paper - and money. "With well over 500,000 course evaluation forms being processed by the Office of Evalua- tions and Examinations, I believe that is reason enough to make this change," said Lester Monts, the University's senior vice provost. Kulik emphasized the positive green aspects of the shift. "(The Office of Evaluations and Examinations) will print nothing starting this fall," he said. "Just in terms of the amount of paper, the CONTEST From Page 1 social change, health, local busi- ness, green campus, high-tech and environmental and clean tech. The "green campus" category specifi- cally asks for ideas to make campus more eco-friendly. Students submit their videos through 1000pitches.com. The deadline for submission is Oct. 5, and the winners in each category will be awarded $1,000 in cash to implement their ideas. MPowered, a student organiza- tion focusing on student entrepre- neurship and one of the contest's sponsors, held a similar contest called "BigIdeas 2008" last winter. Submitted student video pitches included "Crepes as Healthy Fast Food," "Flash Freezing Investment trees, this has a benefit." The move is also aimed at cut- ting the costs involved with administering and organizing paper evaluations. "With that amount of paper, there are just so many people that have to be involved in distribut- ing and collecting and sorting and returning by campus mail," Kulik said. "There is just a lot of clerical work involved." But keeping student involve- ment high is most important, offi- cials say. University leaders are counting on a communications rollout to generate enough buzz to get students participating. The Provost's office has created a ten-person communication team charged with informing students about the importance of the evalu- ations. team will be able to get students involved. "We have engaged profession- als in the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching and the Marketing and Communications Office to help craft a commu- nications plan that stresses the importance of course evaluations to students and faculty," he said. "Given their effectiveness on past educational initiatives, I believe we will have an effective rollout of this new process." Kulik said the University has no plans to offer any "external rewards and punishments" to stu- dents who participate in the evalu- ations - at least not at first. LSA senior John Pitcher said incentives would be the only way to get students involved. "I do think there will be a reduc- Monts said he believes the tion (in participation), as long as in Peru" and "Micro Brewing in India." No specific numbers were avail- able on submissions so far, but Zur- buchen said he thinks involvement will be high., Many professors have turned contest submissions into homework assignments, immedi- ately guaranteeing at least a few hundred participants. Zurbuchen said the center wanted video submissions so the program could judge students' familiarity with technology and see the face behind the idea. "We feel a lot of entrepreneur- ship is about people, not just about the idea itself," Zurbuchen said. "If you have a good idea, I'm as inter- ested in who you are as I am in what your idea is." Though the Center for Entre- preneurship works mainly with the College of Engineering and the Ross School of Business, contest organizers hope students in other disciplines will enter. "It is a challenge," said Ashwin Lalendran, the president of MPow- ered, of getting more students involved, "but I think the flavor of 1,000 Pitches accommodates all." Engineering senior Andry Supi- an, who is the project director for MPowered, said it's important to create incentives for students to innovate. Those incentives, he said, can create a passion to change the world that is currently lacking on campus. "We want to eliminate the fear that engineering, business or tech- nical knowledge is a prerequisite to entrepreneurship," he said. "You just have to have the passion for change." The University is also partnering this year with DTE Energy for the Clean Energy Prize entrepreneur- ship competition. That contest, open to students at any college in the state, asks stu- dents to submit ideas directly relat- ing to clean energyctechnology. The winning teams will share $100,000 in prize money. The official announcement of the Clean Energy Prize competition will take place.at 3 p.m. today at Stamps Auditorium in the Walgreen Drama Center. "The Clean Energy Prize is important for students because it facilitates collaboration between the technological and business disciplines," John Austerberry, a DTE Energy.spokesman, said in an e-mail interview. "We believe the competition will help reinvigorate a culture of entrepreneurship in Michigan and establish the state as center for new energy research and business." GREEKS From Page 1 Starting in April, all IFC-spon- sored parties required students to bring their own alcohol and check it at the door in a fashion similar to a coat check. When partygoers wanted a drink, "sober monitors" - fraternity members required to remain sober throughout the night - would pour them a drink from the alcohol they brought. If the monitors deemed someone too intoxicated, they could refuse to give them any more to drink. But the experiment didn't last long. Many partygoers this year didn't know an alcohol check existed, and others said fraternity brothers supplied. cases of beer and bottles of liquor despite the restriction. Spotts said the alcohol check didn't work as planned, which is why the IFC is trying to control the size of the parties instead. "We were trying to step up the enforcement on how they actu- ally brought the alcohol. We found that that isn't necessarily whatyou need to focus on," he said. "You learn from experience." Spotts added that IFC-spon- sored parties still technically have a bring-your-own-alcohol rule. "We still have a BYOA policy and you still have to go to the alcohol check if you want to get alcohol," he said. "In that sense, the alcohol check still remains. We still don't allow glass bottles or anything that could be dangerous." Spotts said the IFC also approved an increase in the nu- ber of sober monitors required at a party during last Wednesday's meething. Previously, the IFC mandated that fraternity parties with 200 guests have eight sober monitors. An extra monitor was added for every additional 20 guests. Now, the IFC requires houses hosting parties with more than 200 guests have at least 18 sober monitors.