A DAY IN MSA'S LIFE
U Will Grundler offers his take on what's wrong
with the Michigan Student Assembly. Hint: It has to
do with Groundhog Day. See Opinion, Page 4.
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
michigandaily.com
SUMMER IN ANN ARBOR
'U' expands
offerings'
for summer
As demand grows,
spring, summer
terms add classes
By STEPHANIE STEINBERG
Daily StaffReporter
Students stressed about fitting
in required classes to graduate
on time have a little less to worry
about. Twenty departments in
the College of Literature, Science
and the Arts have expanded their
course offerings for the spring and
summer terms.
Twenty-five new courses will
be available during the spring
term and 37 during the summer
term. Introductory courses that
have not been offered in more than
fouryears - includingBiology 172,
Chemistry 125, Communication
Studies 101 and Political Science
111 are now available this summer.
Students will also be able to fill
the first year writing requirement
by enrolling in English 125, Com-
parative Literature 122 or History
195, which are each being offered
during both terms.
Robert Megginson, associate
dean for LSA undergraduate and
graduate education, said one of
the reasons LSA is expanding the
course list is so students can grad-
uate on time.
"When I was an undergraduate
45 years ago, it was automatically
assumed everyone would finish
in four years," Megginson said.
"We know the students are having
more and more trouble doing that
for alot of reasons."
Megginson said one reason stu-
dents have difficulty graduating
in four years is because students
choose to minor in a concentra-
tion. When students need to take
more required classes for a minor,
See CLASSES, Page 3
KRISTA BOYD/Dail
People board an AATA bus last night at the corner of State Street and South University Avenue. The AATA has changed its policy regarding using MCards to board buses.
AATAaltersPCard policy
University students, ers, to swipe their cards through
an updated fare box on all fixed
faculty will have to route buses.
The change will take effect
swipe MCards when Feb. 16.
Currently, all University stu-
boarding city buses dents, staff and faculty members
who ride AATA fixed-route buses
By LARA ZADE simply have to present their valid
Daily StaffReporter yellow MCards to the driver on
their way to find a seat.
The days of quickly flashing According to Grant Winston,
your MCard to ride an Ann Arbor the associate director for cus-
bus will soon be gone. tomer service for the University's
To cut down on the use of Parking and Transportation Ser-
expired MCards, the Ann Arbor vices, the change was brought
Transportation Authority will about to assure the AATA that
require all pass holders, includ- riders are valid MCard holders.
ing current yellow MCard hold- In addition, the University
plans to use fare box data to com-
pile statistical information, like
ridership statistics.
The new fare boxes will only
collect the MCard's ID number
and expiration date.'No personal
data will be collected, according
to a press release from the AATA.
Since 2004, the University has
paid AATA approximately $1.8
million a year for eligible stu-
dents, faculty and staff to ride
AATA fixed route buses. How-
ever, some AATA bus drivers have
reported that passengers have
tried to board using outdated
white MCards to bypass the $1
fare.
University MCards expire
five years after the date they're
issued.
Winston said there hasn't been
a recent increase in passengers
trying to board AATA buses with
invalid MCards, but the Univer-
sity wants to ensure that AATA is
driving valid University riders.
"I don't think anyone would
say that it's a growing problem,"
Winston said. "We just want to
assure AATA that our riders are
legitimate."
Any MCard that can't be read
due to damage or expiration will
have to be replaced when the new
policy takes effect. Keeping this
in mind, AATA is allowing a one-
See BUSES, Page 3
SELLING CLASS NOTES
Note trading
raises concerns
HER BERmT H. DOW BUgLaDaIN Gr
N . Campus building evacuated after fire
Cl
ai
The
North
a smal
aroun
A s1
.asses cancelled building's motor control room was
the cause of the fire, Department of
fter a short in a Public Safety Spokeswoman Diane
Brown said.
transformer Though the fire stopped once the
electricity was disconnected, fire
By LINDY STEVENS crews worked for nearly an hour
Daily News Editor to clear smoke from the building,
Brown said.
Herbert H. Dow Building on Everyone inside the building
Ca'mpus was evacuated after was evacuated safely, and one Uni-
1 electrical fire was reported versity electrician sustained minor
d 11:20 a.m. today. injuries from the fire.
hort in a transformer in the Classes that meet in the Dow
building were canceled for the
remainder of the day. Brown said
the building could reopen as early
as tomorrow or later this week.
The building's heating and ven-
tilation systems - which are con-
nected to the motor control room
where the fire began - are current-
ly not working, which Brown said
is part of the reason the building is
still closed.
Electricians worked today to
restore power to the building.
Repairs to heating and ventilation
systems will continue through the
week, but Brown added that it's dif-
ficultto anticipate whatkind of prob-
lems repair crews will encounter.
"It's possible that (repairs) could
be done in stages so that parts of
the building could be occupied so
experiments could take place," she
said.
The Dow building houses labo-
ratories and classrooms for the
Department of Chemical Engineer-
ing and the Department of Materi-
als Science and Engineering.
Though not against
the rules, profs say
practice hinders
students' learning
By MALLORY JONES
For the Daily
Onling note sharing can be a
tempting alternative to 8 a.m.
classes and boring lectures, but
some University faculty members
have raised questions about the
academic integrity of using sites
that allow note swapping.
Websites like StudyBlue.com
offer University students free
access to notes and a chance to
make extra cash for uploading
their own course materials. Some
University professors say the sites
pose the potential for copyright
infringements and declining aca-
demic performances as fewer stu-
dents attend lecture.
Topreventstudents fromprofit-
ing by posting lecture notes, some
History professors copyright their
notes, said Kali Israel, an associate
professor and the associate chair
of the Department of History.
In an e-mail interview, Israel
said these measures have been
taken to prevent unauthorized
recording of lectures and "com-
mercial note taking."
"This becomes especially seri-
ous if the student supplying notes
is profiting," Israel said, citing
that the potential violation of eth-
ics is even greater if a student sup-
plies papers or class assignments
through the sites.
She said students who down-
load notes from the Internet may
be hurting their grades rather
than helping because it prevents
them from learning through the
note-taking process. Although the
sites mediate note sharing, Israel
See NOTES, Page 3
*CAMPUS EATERIES
'Bliss'-ful yogurt shop to soon join
packed South University market
EAT YOUR HEART OUT
Yogobliss owners
say store will appeal
to people looking
for a trendy treat
By MALLORY BEBERMAN
For the Daily
Frozen yogurt shops are grow-
ing increasingly popular across the
nation, from Los Angeles to New
York- and now on South Univer-
sity Avenue.
Mack Kim and Joseph Ann, two
Michigan natives, are in the inter-
mediate stages of opening Yogob-
liss at 1229 S. University Ave. The
store will offer frozen yogurt as a
healthy alternative to traditional
ice cream. -,
Kimsaid theideatoopenayogurt
shop began when his wife tried
Pinkberry - a trendy frozen yogurt
shop located in California and New
York - for the first time while the
couple was on vacation and loved
it. He said he now hopes to share a
similar treat with Ann Arbor.
After first trying to open a
satellite location for an already-
established yogurt franchise, Kim
decided to try "the next best thing"
and start a yogurt place of his own.
"The taste will be similar to Red
Mango," Kim said. He described
yogurt from Red Mango - anoth-
er frozen yogurt chain currently
located in nine states - as tarter
and creamier than Pinkberry
yogurt. He said that the taste will
also be different from the yogurts
from international chain TCBY
and the local caf, Amer's Medi-
terranean Deli.
He admits that the first time
some people taste Yogobliss,
"they'll think its kind of weird."
But don't give up on it just yet,
Kim said, calling Yogobliss's prod-
uct "an acquired taste."
See YOGURT, Page 3
Local chocolatier Nancy Biehn serves samples of some Valentine's Day treats to Tom Mooney at The Produce Station yesterday.
WEATHER HI: 53
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