We Midigan BaiI& NEHUN E)-NINEI) "TEEN YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Ann Arbor, Michigan Thursday, March 19, 2009 michigandaily.com Canton residents Dan Gottschalk, Colleen Carefell and Joshua Carefell explore a showcase in the Exhibit Museum of Natural History last week. Exhibiting financial restraint As budgets tighten, local families head in droves to campus museums By MALLORY JONES DailyStaffReporter Looking for an inexpensive alternative to vacations and mov- ies, members of the University community have found a tougher- on-the-mind, easier-on-the-wallet way to spend their free time: going to a museum. The Exhibit Museum of Natural History, which is free but suggests a $6 donation per visitor, has wit- nessed an increase in attendance in the last few months. Senior Exhibit Preparator John Klausmeyer said the economic downtown is a likely cause for this shift. "I've been at the museum near- ly 25 years, so I've worked here through several recessions, and this has always been the trend," he wrote in an e-mail interview. James Steward, director of the University's Museum of Art, said the psychological pressure of a poor economy also increases attendance at museums. Steward's previous institution, the art museum at the University of California at Berkeley, witnessed increased attendance during the recession of the early 1990s, he said. "Many museums - especially those like us that have no admis- sion fee - experience upturns in attendance during periods of tur- moil, including economic chal- lenge," Steward wrote in an e-mail interview. "tn the period after 9/11, for instance, we along with many museums apart from those in New York City saw substantial increases in attendance as visitors sought the solace that art can provide." But attendance trends can go both ways, Steward said. Museums that generally have a lot of visitors from far away, like those in New York City, are seeing a downturn in attendance because people are traveling less. Also, he said, many museums have seen drop-offs in the sales from their stores. Because the University's art museum has been closed since June 2006, attendance.data for the cur- rent recession is not available. But See MUSEUMS, Page 3A Notes from the first day of elections Voting software malfunctions, loses 747 cast ballots By JENNA SKOLLER Daily StaffReporter Malfunctions of the voting soft- ware used to tally votes caused problems for this year's student government elections yesterday. Because of the malfunction in the voting software provided by Information Technology Cen- tral Services, votes cast between midnight and 8:45 a.m. yesterday morning for the LSA Student Gov- ernment elections did not count. The problem was fixed later yes- terday morning. The 747 students whose votes were affected recieved notification by e-mail to recast their votes for the LSA elections. The problematic elections included the Michigan Student Assembly LSA representa- tives and LSA Student Government presidents, vice presidents and representatives. Votes cast for the other 13 student government elec- tions were not affected. The e-mail from the MSA elec- tion directors apologized for the inconvenience and stressed the importance of keeping the election fair. "Maintaining the integrity of our election process is very impor- tant to us," the e-mail read. "And we want to assure you that the problem was promptly addressed very soon after an initial report was received." See LOST BALLOTS, Page 3A Election officials try to boost traditionally low voter turnout ByJENNA SKOLLER Daily StaffReporter In last year's Michigan Student Assembly winter election, 2,246 votes were cast - about 6.4 percent of the entire student body. But this year, the Election Board is hoping that won't be the case. The board has taken new mea- sures to combat the historic voter apathy that has plagued student government elections on campus. The board and current MSA President Sabrina Shingwani, sent out more all-campus e-mails than in past elections. The e-mails were also shortened, which MSA Gen- eral Counsel Michael Benson said would make students more likely to read them. In past election cycles, only independent candidates were permitted to provide their indi- vidual platforms in the all-cam- pus e-mails. This election, both independent and party-affiliated candidates are allowed to provide individual descriptions of their platforms in the e-mails. Representatives were required to be a visible presence around North and Central Campuses the week before the election in an effort to encourage students to vote and answer questions aboutthe election. Benson, who is a student in Rackham Graduate School, said if students are aware the election is See TURNOUT, Page 3A For one prof., operating in an unusual place del Monte teaches, performs surgeries in the back of a plane By STEPHANIE STEINBERG Daily StaffReporter Most doctors operate in hospi- tals. Monte del Monte, professor of pediatric ophthalmology at the University, likes to operate in a DC-10 airplane. During two weeks in Febru- ary, Monte traveled on a medical mission trip to Trujillo, Peru with ORBIS International - a non-gov- ernment organization that brings doctors from the United States to developing countries on a plane called the Flying Eye Hospital used to both perform surgeries and train local doctors. TheFlying Eye Hospital has been traveling since 1982, when United Airlines donated the wide-body airplane to ORBIS. The inside of the airplane was stripped of its seating and replaced with a fully equipped ophthalmological eye operating room, pre-operation and post-oper- ation areas, teaching classroom and video studio which moderates the cameras on the plane used to pho- tograph surgeries. As the only aircraft of its kind in the world, the Flying Eye Hos- pital has traveled to 86 countries and provided eye care treatment to University prof. Monte del Monte takes part in the Flying Eye Hospital program. more than 6.8 million people. to give back to society the knowl- Monte said he volunteers with edge he learned during his medical the Flying Eye Hospital because training and career. the experience is a rewarding way See EYE DOCTOR, Page 7A WEATHER HI 42 TOMORROW LO 26 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail news' michigandaily.com and let us know. NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM President Obama picks Clemson over Michigan. THEGAME.BLOGS.MICHIGANDAILY.COM INDEX Vol CXIX,No.112. 2009 The M chgan Daily michigondailycom NEWS ...............................2A SPORTS.. . . . A........5A SUD K U ............................3A CLASSIPIED .S. . . A..... 6A OPIN ION..........................4A THE B-SIDE ............. . 1B A 4 I I