aIie Midigan DaiI1j Ann Arbor, Michigan Wednesday, January 14, 2009 michigandaily.com EXPANDING GREEK LIFE Greek houses set for return to campus CLIF REEDER/Daily Myoungdo Chung, a mechanical engineering graduate student, researches yesterday in a lab involved with battery testing in the G.G. Brown Laboratories on North Campus. G,'U' joi to test batteries Two sororities and two fraternities in long process to re-claim chapters By VERONICA MENALDI Daily StaffReporter Students interested in par- ticipating in Greek Life will soon have more options than in the past. Two sororities, Alpha Epsilon Phi and Zeta Tau Alpha, and two fraternitien, Sigma Chi and Alpha Tau Omega, are all returning to campus after taking extended leaves of absence. Both Alpha Tau Omega and Alpha Epsilon Phi were asked by their national organizations to leave campus in 2005 due to haz- ing incidents and risk manage- ment problems. Sigma Chi closed in 2003 also because of a hazing incident and Zeta Tau Alpha was asked to leave in 1995 because they couldn't recruit enough members. In order to return to campus, fraternities must receive support from 75 percent ofthe Interfrater- nity Council,the body responsible for governing most fraternities. Then they are invited to an IFC meeting to give a presentation and the IFC must approve their return by a two-thirds vote. Blake Toll, the IFC's vice presi- dent of public relations said coun- cil tradition limits the number of chapters that can return at a time. "We can only have one frat expand each semester," Toll said. Sigma Chi hasn't folly comn- pleted the return process yet, but it is recognized by the University and has all the benefits of other fraternities. Chris Mathews, Sigma Chi's president, said that before the national organization will recog- nize the University's chapter, it will have to prove it's ready. "We have some requirements that we have to fulfill such as hosting two philanthropic See GREEK HOUSES, Page 7A $5 million deal puts University at center of car innovation By KYLE SWANSON Daily StaffReporter With a new joint program announced Monday, the batteries General Motors Corp. hopes will soon power the cars of tomorrow will now be tested in the Univer- sity's labs today. Continuing the recently evolv- ing relationship between the University and GM, the GM/UM Advanced Battery Coalition for Drivetrains will focus on acceler- ating the development of advanced' batteries through experiments and testing that will help researchers resolve current issues with battery performance. GM has provided $5 million to fund ABCD, which willbe conduct- ed over the next five years. The pro- gram will be headquartered at the University and will use three Uni- versity professors, as well as a fac- ulty member from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. At the Senate Advisory Commit- tee on University Affairs meeting on Monday afternoon, University President Mary Sue Coleman said she was very pleased with the part- nership and was optimistic about the coalition's work. "I see this as a growing area," she said. "I think it's a very good sign about the future." See BATTERIES, Page 7A Alum Gupta nominated for surgeon general post MSA considers Gaza conflict CNN personality offered top medical job by Obama By STEPHANIE STEINBERG Daily StaffReporter Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the long-time medical correspondent for CNN and a University alum, could put a new, high-profile face on the often out-of-the-limelight office of the surgeon general. That is, if he chooses to accept a reported offer for the post made last week by President-elect Barack Obama. Gupta, 39, graduated from the University's College of Literature, Science and the Arts in 1990 and from the Medical School in 1993. He also grew up in nearby Novi, Mich. and attended Novi High School. The surgeon general is appoint- ed by the president and serves a foury raszko, chairwoman of the Department of Neurosur- gery, helpedtrainGuptatobecome a neurosurgeon. She said his per- sonality would help to bring more attention to the office of the sur- geon general. "He has a personality which is very bright, very engaging and very dynamic," Muraszko said. "I think he'll make an excellent sur- geon general particularly in the role of communicator, which is an important part of surgeon gen- eral." Gupta is currently the senior Students disagreed about MSA.'s role in reaching a solution By MATT AARONSON and JENNA SKOLLER Daily StaffReporters In the Michigan Student Assem- bly's first meeting of the semester, a resolution regarding the ongo- ing conflict in Gaza monopolized the meeting's time, as more than a half dozen members of the Uni- versity community weighed in on the issue. The resolution, titled "Peace in Gaza and Israel," was authored by LSA Representative Gibran Bay- doun and MSA Chief of Staff Ash- ley Schwedt. It cited, among other things the death count so far in the conflict, which now stands at more than 940 Palestinian deaths.and 13 Israeli deaths as of last night, according to the Associated Press. MAX COLLINS/Wily MSA President Sabrina Shingwani (white shirt) argues with one of the protestors. The proposal also referenced the for Israel, Students Allied for Free- fact that nearby Dearborn, which dom and Equality and any other is home to a University satellite student organizations interested in campus, has one of the largest con- discussing the conflict. centrations of Arabs outside of the During the portion of the meet- Middle East. ing allotted for public comment, a The resolution called for MSA number of students and Ann Arbor executives to meet with the student residents offered their take on the leaders of the American Movement See MSA, Page 7A DIANE BONDAREFF/AP Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a University alum, is being considered for surgeon general. CAMPUS CRIME Ypsilanti man wanted for larcenies medical respondent for the health and medical unit at CNN. He has reported in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as in New York City after the September 11 World Trade Center Attacks, in South Asia after the tsunami in 2004 and in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. "As a doctor, I take care of patients one at a time," Gupta said in an interview with the Univer- sity's LSA magazine in the fall of 2008. "As a journalist who is a doctor, I have the opportunity to educate masses of people every day on CNN." While he is recognized through- out the country, Gupta has strong Michigan roots. He is the son of two Ford Motor Co. engineers who emigrated from India, and his father received a master's degree from the University in 1968. After graduating from Novi High School in 1986, he was accepted to the University and enrolled in Inteflex - an accelerated program through LSA and the Medical School which has since been discontinued. Jim Lawrence, principal of Novi High School, said Gupta was See GUPTA, Page 7A By TREVOR CALERO Daily News Editor - - ------ - - Thomas Green, a 51-year-old man from Ypsilanti, is currently wanted for questioning by Univer- sity Police. Green is believed to be tied to multiple larcenies from Uni- versity buildings in recent weeks, officials said. "We've had several recent lar- cenies from several buildings, and we have reason to believe that (Green), at least, was in the area and we want to question him," Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Diane Brown said yesterday. Witnesses have reported spot- ting Green at multiple buildings around campus, including Revelli Hall, the Intramural Sports Build- ing and the Central Campus Rec- reation Building. Among the items reported sto- len include a wallet, money and multiple laptops, with the most recent larceny occurring within the past week, Brown said. The Ypsilanti Police Depart- ment also has a warrant out for Green's arrest from a previous incident. According to a security bulletin issued by DPS, Green is 5-foot-9 and about 190 pounds. For a photo of the suspect please go to michi- gandaily.com. Individuals who have any infor- mation on Green's whereabouts are encouraged to call DPS Investiga- tor Cavanaugh at (734)763-7179. WEATHER TOMORROWW HI: 6 GOT A NEWS TIP? LU: 0 Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail newsliimichigandaily.com and let us know. ON T HE DAILY iLOGS The return of the online comment count. EDITORSPAGE.BLOGS.MICHIGANDAILY.COM INDEX NEW S .................................2A CLASSIFIEDS......................6A Vol. CXIX, No. 73 OPINION ...........................4A SPO RTS...................... ....8A ART..9.Thn.Michiga...aily......IA THE STATEMENT. B michigoodoily.com A T A T ES A E E T........ .