.cW° 4 2 - Tuesday, January 27, 2009 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom MONDAY: TUESDAY: WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers Campus Characters Explained THURSDAY: FRIDAY: Before You Were Here Photos of the Week 1ASPRIT SINGH, YOGA ExibElReNEUR A professor gets f'lexible On State Street, above a flight of creaky stairs over Mr. Greek's Coney Island, is a room covered entirely in brightly colored mats. Rows of ropes are suspended on bars along the ceiling, and exotic music thrums in the background. A man in a cherry red bandana and black stirrup leggings chants instructions to a young woman who is stretching her legs at an almost impossible angle. The instructor, Jasprit Singh, is a professor of electrical engineer- ing and computer science at the University - and happens to be a fiercely devout yoga enthusiast. Singh said that his yoga sessions relieve stress from his life in aca- demia. "This keeps me centered," he said. Singh's long history with yoga can be traced back 50 years to his father, a yogi who instructed his son to practice yoga at least one to one-and-a-half hours every day. Singh took his father's instructions to heart and continued to study yoga after leaving India to study at the University of Chicago in 1975. Singh started teaching at the University in 1985. Throughout his professional career, he has contin- ued to study yoga on a daily basis. Five years ago, Singh formed a yoga studio of his own. He devel- oped the concept of RussaYog, which is unique from other yoga practices because it uses ropes in the stretches. Singh's yoga studio draws a wide variety of students. During one session last week, two 14-year-old twin boys accom- panied their mother to a session, while several female college stu- dents stood together in a cluster. A couple of middle-aged men were also in attendance. Singh attributes the diverse crowd to the studio's accessible style. "It's an easy style to learn," Singh said. "The rope becomes your partner. It's like doing a duet with the rope." During the yoga session, Singh demonstrates every stretch in the front of the class. His voice is soothing as he repeats the mantra, "Look inward. Draw your mind inward," throughout the duration of the class. The class staggered out after the session. Many of the partici- pants were regulars, who will be back in the following weeks. Some were newcomers, intrigued by the notion of yoga with ropes. "We get newcomers all the time," Singh said. "Ann Arbor is a mobile city. Students come in and out. Over 1,000 people have tried (it)." said. JASMINE ZHU lasprit Singh, an instructor at the Ann Arbor Russa Yoga Studio on State Street, performs poses using his unique rope technique. MORE ONLINE For a video of thisoweek's campus character, check out michigandaily.com. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com GARY GRACA ELAINA BUGLI Editor in Chief Easiness Manager 734-647-336734-764-0558 gracatmichigandaitycom bogti@miehigaedaitycem CONTACT INFORMATION Newsroom Office hours: Sun.-Thurs. 11a.m. - 2 a.m. 734-763-2459 News Tips ene@m~ichigandaitp.com torrections correcrions@o ichigandaityuco Lettersto the Editor rothedaily@michigandaily.com Photography Department photo@michigandaily.com 734-764-0563 ArtsSection artspage@michigandaily.com Editorial Page opinion@michigandaily.com 734-763-0379 Sports Section sports@michigandaily.con Display Sales display@michigandaily.com 734-764-0554 ClassifiedSales classified@michigandaily.com 734-764-05s7 OnlineSales onlineads@michigandaily.com Finance finance@michigandaily.com 734-763-3246 EDITORIAL STAFF CourtneyRatkowiak ManagingEditor ratkowiak@michigandaily.com Jacob SmiloVitZ ManagingNews Editor smilovitz@michigandaity.com SENIO NEWEEDITORS ilanBermanTreor CaleoCJuieRoweidySevens uSSISANTsoNS EDInORSCsMattsArsn,Benjamin S. Chase, Caitlir Schneider Jenna Skoer Kyle Swanson RobertSoave EditorialtPageEditor soave@michigandaily.com ASSOCIATEEDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS:EmilyBarton,BrianFlahertyRachelVanGilder ASSISTANT EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Emad Ansari, Emma Jeszke, Matthew Shuter Andy Reid ManagingtSports Editor reid@michigandaily.eom SENIORSPORTSEDITORS:NicoleAuVrbach,MikeEisenstein, DanFeldman,Chris Herring, Ruth Lincoln ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS: Ryan Kartje, Ian Kay, Jasor Kohler, Chris Meszaros, ulex r, ri,aCot Rosernwig DaidWalnick MtagingrtsEditor wanick@michigandaiy.com SENIOR ARTS EDITORS: Jamie Block, Brandon Conradis, Whitney Pow ASSISTANT ARTS EDITORS: Joshua Bayer, Andrew Lapin, Dave Reap, Ben VanWagoner ZacharyMeisnerand photo michigandailycom tlif Reeder ManagingPhotpEditors SENIOR PHOTO EDITORS:Said Alsalah, ChanelVonHabsburg-Lothringen ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS:Max Collins,Chris Dzombak,RobMigrin,SamWolson AngelaChih and design@michigandaily.com MaureenStych ManagingDesignEditors SENIOR DESIGN EDITORS: Hillary Ruffe Jessica Vosgerchian Magazine Editor vosgerchian@michigandaiy.com David Merian MultimediaEditor merian@michigandaily.com Katherine Mitchell copychief mitchell@michigandaily.com ASSOCIATE COPY CHIEF: Zenaida Rivera BUSINESS STAFF Michael Schrotenboer Display Advertising salesManager DIP A D ERISIlNG ASSOCIATE MANAGERS: Daniel Newn, rhisie Pillips Ryan Businski classified sales Manager ClassifiedSales Assistant Manager:AlisonnThomas Marissa Gerber OnlineSales Manager Ben English Production DesignsManager Meryl Hulteng Layout Manager Vivian Lee and Emily Loveless Finance Managers TheMichiganDaily(ISSN0745-967)ispublishedMondaythroughFridayduringthefallandwinter termsby studentsat theUniversityofMichigan.one opy isavailablefreeof charge toalreaders AdditionalcopiesmaybepickedupattheDaly'soffiefor$2.Subscriptionsforfallterm,startingin SeptemberviaUS.smailare$110.intertermanuarythrough Aprils$11syearlong(September throughAprilis $19.University affiliates areusubject toa reduced subscription rate. On-campus susciptnio"rltrmre$3.Subscriptonsmutbeprepaid.TheMichiganDailyisamemberof TheAssoatedPressand TheAsoated Colleiate Pres. 4 4 4 CRIME NOTES CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES Apple keyboard Man refuses to Free ballroom. Psychology film stolen provide ID to dancing class on screening WHERE: Cyber Lounge, Mich- hospital staff North Campus WHAT: A documentary on. the "bi d-s bsyoa,'nsn deyn"a igan League WHEN: Sundayat about 1:00 p.m. WHAT: An Apple iMac keyboard was stolen, Uni- versity Police reported. The keyboard was valued at $50. Police have no suspects. Man walks into parked car WHERE: Shapiro Undergradu- ate Library WHEN: Sunday at about 3:45 p.m. WHAT: A male subject walked into a parked Univer- sity van, University Police reported. The incident caused the side-view mirror to break. The pedestrian said that he was not injured and left the scene. WHERE: University Hospital emergency room WHEN: Sunday at about 9:30 a.m. WHAT: An unidentified man refused to provide identifica- tion to hospital security, Uni- versity Police reported. The subject leftthedhospital before officers arrived. iPod transmitter stolen from car WHERE: 1311 Beal WHEN: Between 4:00 p.m. Sundayand 10:30 a.m. Monday WHAT: An AM/FM tras- mitter for an iPod Nano was stolen from a car, University Police reported. There were no signs of entry. Police have no suspects WHAT: A free lesson on ball- room dancingtaught by the University's ballroom dancing club WHO: University Unions Arts and programs_ WHEN: Tonight from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. WHERE: Leonardo's, Pier- pont Commons Arts Break in the Union WHAT: An arts and crafts session with all materials and supplies provided at no charge WHO: University Unions Arts and Programs WHEN: Tonight from 8p.m. to 11 p.m. WHERE: Ground floor, Michigan Union the nue eyea/ orown eyea diversity experiment. WHO: University Libraries WHEN:Tomorrowfrom noon to 1:45 p.m. WHERE: The gallery in room 100, Hatcher Graduate Library Today is the drop/add deadline for regular term classes. This is the last day to withdraw from the term with the assessment of regis- tration and disenrollment fees only. Access to web registra- tion for the winter terms ends at midnight. The Ann Arbor City Cousnclpassed an ordi- 4 CORRECTIONS . nance that gives property . An article in Monday's owners a maximum of nine edition of the Daily (Ex-'U' days to remove graffiti from atudent caught in sex sting) their property. misidentified which agency FOR MORE, SEE OPINION, PAGE 4 handled a prostitution inves- tigation. The Department of Public Safety led the sting. " A photo in Monday's edi- AwomaninDenmarkcon- tion of the Daily (A Brewing vinced abank o exchange Education) misidentified the Monopoly money for photographer. She works for 1,400 Danish kroner valued the Associated Press at $240 last week. The woman " Please report any error was arrested when she made in the Daily to corrections@ a second attempt to exchange michigandaily.com. 8,000 kroner. 4 UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 4 WHAT DO IHODES/MARSHALL/MITCHE1LL SCHOLARS DO AFTER THEIR STUDIES Well, this guy became president. What will you do? Anything you want. You've written your own game plan so far in life. Why not take it one step further and become a Rhodes, Marshall, or Mitchell Scholar? Palestinians clean up debris from a destroyed house in eastern Jebaliya, northern Gaza Strip, Monday, yesterday. Israel launched its 22-day offensive to try to halt Hamas rocket fire on southern Israel. UN increases role in Gaza -2000 nne united States on America,1 Come to a Rhodes/Marshall/Mitchell Orientation Session: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 . 5:00-6:00pm Koessler Room, Michigan League Thursday, January 29, 2009 . 5:00-6:00pm Pierpont Commons Center Room Thursday, February 5, 2009 . 5:00-6:00pm Kuenzel Room, Michigan Union To learn more, please contact the Provost's Council on Student Honors at 734-763-8123 or visit the website at www.provost.umich.edu/scholars/ Repairs to 21,000 homes in Gaza expected to top $2B ' JEBALIYA REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip (AP) - Crouching against piled mattresses in a room crammed with refugees, Bissan Abu al-Eish focused on her home- work, blocking out the relentless shrieks of dozens of toddlers and the stench of overflowing latrines. "I'm so happy to be studying," said the 9-year-old girl, bent over the new textbook she received this weekend when classes resumed for 200,000 Gaza children at United Nations facilities. Beyond being schooled by the U.N., Abu al-Eish and her seven siblings eat the igency's food, wear its clothing and now live in one of its buildings after their own house was leveled during Israeli bom- bardments on Gaza. Hamas may be politically in charge of the Gaza Strip, but it's to the U.N.'s relief agency that the majority of the 1.4 million Gazans turn for health care, garbage col- lection, food assistance and just about every other service usually provided by a state. With much of the territory dev- astated by Israel's latest military offensive, the agency's job is bound to get even bigger. Many expect the U.N.'s agency for Palestinians to take the lead in reconstruction, though its role is currently limited to the refugee camps that house more than 1 mil- lion of Gaza's population. The U.N. spearheadingefforts to rebuild Gaza could open a door to international donors, many of whom don't want to give Hamas money because the group doesn't recognize Israel and is considered a terror organization by the U.S. and European Union. It is estimated that $2 billion is needed to repair the 21,000 homes damaged or destroyed, along with factories and government build- ings, in the three-week Israeli attack to end Hamas' rocket-firing. Fundraising has hardly begun, and the question of how the money will be funneled remains unanswered. "We're delivering the services of a state, until the state is estab- lished," John Ging, the head of Gaza operations for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, told The Associated Press this week- end. At the same time, it must exist side-by-side with Hamas' govern- ment - and take care to maintain its neutrality, which some Israelis question. In one classroom Saturday, when UNRWA schools reopened, a Palestinian teacher was filmed asking children about their trauma during the war. The unidentified teacher then told the children that Palestinians have to "wage war against them (Israelis) until they leave their land," and asked her students, aged about 8, how they should react. Two children in the class sug- gested hurling stones or rockets back at Israel. "Okay," the teacher said, apparently summing up her class' position. "We throw rockets at them, we throw stones at them," she said. Ging said such behavior is "com- pletely unacceptable," and will be "dealt with in the most severest of fashions." He said the teacher would likely be removed once identified. Teachers have been fired from UNRWA in the past for incitement. Ging said that following the latest war, which ended Jan. 17, UNRWA briefed teachers - them- selves often victims of the fighting - on how to channel the children's grief away from revenge and vio- lence. In schools across the territo- ry, teachers led students in games to ease their trauma and encour- aged them to talk about lost class- mates to deal with their deaths. "We're in a battle with extrem- ismhereinGaza," saidGing, adding that UNRWA schools aim to "guide (children) to a civilized place." Robert Blecher, the senior Mid- dle-East analyst for the Wash- ington-based International Crisis Group think-tank, says UNRWA's staff comes from a cross-section of society and it's "logical that this staff reflects the political spectrum of Gaza, of which Hamas is obvi- ously an important component." P