2A - Wednesday, March 18, 2009
N ew sThe Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
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MONDAY:
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TUESDAY: THURSDAY: FRIDAY:
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DNS WORt
JAMMING TO A JIG
Casting your vote on campus
Following a barrage of e-mails
from the Michigan Student Assem-
bly, during the last two weeks
encouraging students to vote, the
virtual voting booth for elections
opened at midnight last night. Only
a few students, however, know
exactly how the process for MSA
elections actually works.
Student General Counsel Michael
Benson said students vote for can-
didates running within their own
school or college.
"If you're a student in LSA, you
can vote for MSA representatives,
your LSA studentgovernment repre-
sentatives, as well as the executives
for both LSA student government
and MSA," Benson said.
MSA elections are conducted
through a system of weighted vot-
ing, where candidates win based on
the number of points they receive.
Students' first choice candidate
receives three points, their second
choice two points, and their third
choice one point.
The MSA Constitution states that
there should be one representative
for every 850 students. Half the
MSA representatives are elected
in November, and the other half in
March, when executive positions
are filled.
Benson said the results of the
election will. be available immedi-
ately after the voting ends at 11:59
p.m. tomorrow, but that the results
won't be official until Sunday at 6
p.m.
The election board consists of
both MSA members and nonmem-
bers. After the board meets, 12
hours are allotted for appeals. The
board will meet on Friday.
The new representatives, new
vice president and president are for-
mally seated during an MSA meet-
ing on the Tuesday following the
election, as long as no issues are
raised concerning the validity elec-
tion.
"If there are issues, then it would
go the Central Student Judiciary.
They can delay the seating of repre-
sentatives," Benson said.
This happened after last fall's
election, when there was a contro-
versy concerning graduate students
who voted for both Rackham rep-
resentatives and their own school's
representatives. Seatingwasdelayed
a week while the votes were prop-
erly allocated. In the end, the real-
location did not change the results.
"For exactly this reason, the
information on every student's vote
is stored. The MSA Election Board
does not have access to this informa-
tion unless results are questioned,"
Benson said..
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LSA sophomores Seth Buchsbaum, Alistair Hayden,
and Richard Boehnke play the cello, violin and guitar,
respectively, to promote St. Patrick's Day spirit in
the Diag.
CRIME NOTES
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
$8 fundraiser Camcorder lifted Conference on Discussion on
jar stolen from from Angell Hall college campus women and the
Mott's Hospital auditorium depression economy
WHERE: Mott's Children's
Hospital
WHEN: Monday at about 8:30
p.m.
WHAT: A fundraiser jar was
stolen from a nurse's station
on the fifth floor of the hospi-
tal, University Police reported.
There are no suspects.
WHERE: Angell Hall, Audi-
torium C
WHEN: Monday at about 3:30
p.m.
WHAT: A Panasonic GS-180
camcorder valued at $450
was stolen from Angell Hall,
University Police reported.
Police have no suspects. The
event is under investigation.
Thief swipes
$54 in soda from Flood in Social
Lorch Hall Work building
WHAT: Keynote presenta-
tions, poster sessions, panel
discussions and discussions
dealing with depression on
college campuses
WHO: University Depression
Center
WHEN: Today at12:00 p.m. to
4:00 p.m.
WHERE:. Rackham Graduate
School
Medical school
information fair
WHAT: An information ses-
sion for first and second year
students on undergraduate
preparations and co-curric-
ular activities for medical
school.
WHO: The Career Center
WHEN: Today from 3:00 to
6:00 p.m.
WHERE: Michigan Union
WHAT: A discussion on race
and gender bias in economics
education.
WHO: Institute for Research
on Women and Gender
WHEN: Today from 4 to 5:30
p.m.
WHERE: Lane Hall, Room
.2239
CORRECTIONS
* An article in yesterday's
edition of the Daily (Faculty
puhfor morepro"ection),
incorrectly attributed the
author ofthe article. It was-
written by Kyle Swanson.
* A photo caption in yes-
terday's edition of the Daily
(MSA candidates talk plat-
forms) misspelled the name
of Abhishek Mahanti.
* Please report any error
in the Daily to correc-
tions@michigandaily.com.
A spring breaker in Orlan-
do, Florida survived a
6-foot-tall fall off a build-
ing, the Click Orlando reported.
Police said the man had no inju-
ries and was showing off to his
friends by standing near a chair
at the end of the balcony.
Michigan Law School
alum Jordan Harbinger
foundedTheArtofCharm,
a social coaching program with
24 million podcast listeners.
FOR MORE, SEE THE STATEMENT.
3In Latvia, a new restau-
rant has opened with
a hospital theme, New.
com.au reported. The restau-
rant serves food resembling
body parts and then custom-
ers eat the food with tweezers
and scalpels. Mixed drinks are
served in test tubes, according
to the article.
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WHERE: Lorch Hall
WHEN: Monday at about 9:15
a.m.
WHAT: Several cases of soda
were stolen from a storage
room in Lorch Hall, Univer-
sity Police reported. The inci-
dent is under investigation.
WHERE: School of Social
Work building
WHEN: Monday at about 3:45
p.m.
WHAT: Two Dell com-
puter monitors and a laser jet
printer suffered $900 worth
of damage, University Police
reported.
On Africa trip, pope says
condoms aren't necessary
Catholic leader says
a moral attitude
toward sex will fight
the HIV epidemic
YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) -
Pope Benedict XVI said condoms
are not the answer to the AIDS epi-
demic in Africa and can make the
problem worse, setting off criticism
yesterday as he began a weeklong
trip to the continent where some 22
million people are living with HIV.
Benedict's first statement on an
issue that has divided even Catholic
clergy working with AIDS patients
came hours before he arrived in
Cameroon's capital - greeted by
thousands of flag-waving faithful
who stood shoulder-to-shoulder in
red dirt fields and jammed down-
town streets for a glimpse of the
pontiff's motorcade.
In his four years as pope, Bene-
dict had never directly addressed
condom use, although his position The late Cardinal Alfonso Lopez
is not new. His predecessor, Pope Trujillo made headlines in 2003
John PaulII, often said that sexual for saying that condoms may help
abstinence - not condoms - was spread AIDS through a false sense
the best way to prevent the spread of security, claiming they weren't
of the disease. effective in blocking transmission
Benedict also said the Roman of the virus. The cardinal, who died
Catholic Church was at the fore- last year, headed the Vatican's Pon-
front of the battle against AIDS. tifical Council for the Family.
"You can't resolve it with the Three-quarters of all AIDS
distribution of condoms," the pope deaths worldwide in 2007 were in
told reporters aboard the Alitalia sub-Saharan Africa, where some
plane heading to Yaounde. "On the 22 million people are infected with
contrary, it increases the problem." HIV - accounting for two-thirds
The pope said a responsible of the world's infections, according
and moral attitude toward sex to UNAIDS.
would help fight the disease, as he Rebecca Hodes with the Treat-
answered questions submitted in ment Action Campaign in South
advance by reporters traveling on Africa said if the pope is serious
the plane. His response, was pre- about preventing HIV infections,
sumably also prepared in advance. he should focus on promotingwide
The Catholic Church rejects the , access to condoms and spreading
use of condoms as part of its overall information on how to use them.
teaching against artificial contracep- "Instead, his opposition to con-
tion. Senior Vatican officials have doms conveys that religious dogma
advocated fidelity in marriage and is more important to him than
abstinence frompremaritalsexaskey the lives of Africans," said Hodes,
weapons in the fight against AIDS. head of policy, communication and
research for the group.
Hodes said the pope was right
that condoms are not the sole solu-
I tion to Africa's AIDS epidemic, but
added they are one of the very few
proven measures to prevent HIV
infections.
Even some priests and nuns
working with those infected
with the AIDS virus question the
church's opposition to condoms
amid the pandemic ravaging Afri-
ca. Ordinary Africans doas well.
Domesti cztrafts "Talking about the nonuse of
-iS i condoms is out of place. We need
condoms to protect ourselves
against diseases and AIDS," teach-
The BEST Place To Watch ger Narcisse Takou said in Yaounde.
College HOOPS t T Stanley Obale Okpu, a civil ser-
Mcla March Madness Package! vant working in the ministry of
Catch Any Crime, urban development in Cameroon,
We'll Carry Them ALL! said: "What the pope says is an
ideal for the Catholic church. But
he needs to look at the realities on
the ground. One should be aware of
these realities. In the case of Cam-
eroon - and Africa as a whole -
condoms are very necessary ... You
need condoms to prevent AIDS and
birth control."
BUFFALO WILD WIN A crowd of photographers and
cameras flashed as the 81-year-old
O H' T B pontiff stepped off the plane into
the steaming 88-degree heat, with
humidity levels measuring a wilt-
ing 90 percent.
President Barack Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, second from right, meet with small business owners and
community lenders and members of Congress on Monday in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.
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resident's plan embraced the role of "confidence-
builder in chief," as one business
cludes reduced leader asked him to become. One
week after his budget director
and better loan declared "fundamentally, the
economy is weak," Obama's eco-
guarantees nomic advisers offered up a buoy-
ant assessment.
SHINGTON (AP) - Seek- Larry Summers, the director
counter a chorus of unhap- of the National Economic Coun-
sublicans and nervous Wall cil and an Obama adviser, quoted
investors, President Barack the president: "It's never as good
a and his economic team as people say it is when they say
king a cheerier tone while it's good and it's never as bad as
g billions in federal loans people say it is when they say it's
tle to the nation's struggling bad."
usinesses. Dealing with a severe reces-
ma and Treasury Secre- sion, Obama has turned to a
imothy Geithner on Mon- public face that emphasizes the
anned to announce a broad potential for recovery instead of
ye that includes reduced its limits.
business lending fees and To that end, the government
rease on the guarantee to plans to take aggressive steps to
Small Business Administra- boost bank liquidity with more
ans. A day earlier, the presi- than $10 billion aimed at unfreez-
advisers said in television ing the secondary credit market,
iews that they remained according to officials briefed on
ent in the nation's economic the plan who demanded anonym-
mentals, at times adopting ity to avoid pre-empting the presi-
rhetoric the president once dent's announcement.
d. Administration officials con-
e fundamentals are sound firmed they would unveil details
sense that the American Monday.
rs are sound, we have a good "We know that small business-
stock, we have good tech- es are the engine of growth in
," said Christina Romer, the economy, and we absolutely
eads the White House Coun- want to do things to help them,"
conomic Advisers. Romer said Sunday morning,
ma, for his part, has speaking broadly on the outline
of the plan. "There are already a
lot of things to help them in the
recovery package, and some of
what will be coming out are the
things that were in the recovery
package: increasing the SBA loan
guarantees, lowering fees."
The move comes as Repub-
licans have sought to build on
some bipartisan misgivings over
Obama's ambitious spending blue-
print. In particular, Republicans
say Obama's budget proposal to
raise taxes, starting in 2011, on
individuals earning more than
$200,000 and on households
earning more than $250,000 will
hurt small businesses, which face
higher dividend taxes and limits
on itemized deductions.
"We've got to do something to
help these small-business people.
We know that they're the job cre-
ators in this economy," the House
Republicans' No. 2 official, Rep.
Eric Cantor, said Sunday. "And the
problem... I think we're seeing out
of the Obama administration is a
lack of focus on how to get things
going again."
The new measures taking effect
Monday focus on opening up
small-business lending, seen as
critical to cities' growth. While
the SBA typically guarantees $20
billion in loans annually, new
lending this year is on track to fall
below $10 billion, according to the
administration.