The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com includes NOTEBOOK Alice Llo From Page 1 Other' during Regents approve $70 million in 10,000-s construction and renovations Enginee on Nort The regents approved nearly tional sp $70 million in construction and Solar Ca renovation proposals to upgrade The r University housing, parking and designed academic facilities. sonStree The largest of the three proj- will add ects, a proposed renovation to 9,000 sq Couzens Hall, will cost the Uni- for the versity approximately $49 million ning and to complete. The project will reno- Transpo vate the building's 180,000 square feet beginning in May 2010 and is Michi expected to be completed in time in o for the fall 2011 term. Improvements to the building Busin are slated to include air condition- who sen ing and wireless Internet access Michiga for the entire building, renovation for assi of the building's bathrooms, utility ting thi and safety upgrades and modifica- may fort tions thatallowforgreater building longtime accessibility. Due to the renova- League. tions, the building will be closed for Boore the 2010-2011 academic year. with a16 Though Couzens will need close what ha for the year, University President gan Revi Mary Sue Coleman said North to interv Quad - scheduled to open in time Accor for the 2010-2011 academic year - Michiga will offset the loss of housing due register to the renovations. with the University Executive Vice Pres- bly. Bec ident and Chief Financial Officer tion did Timothy Slottow said the renova- about re tion is part of the University's Res- the comi idential Life Initiative, which also Boore economi NUCLEAR also reds From Page 1 Prof. and Rad Nuclear Engineering and Radio- been re logical Sciences, has been working ter repr in a field called computational par- nuclear i ticle transport. His focus, he said, eration o is on the simulation of radiation in advan transport for applications in nucle- cooled fa ar reactor and shielding design, as "Nucl well as cancer treatment planning. excelleni "Basically the reactor analyst or carbon-f shielding analyst or radiation oncol- of energ ogist needs to know where the radia- of the w tionisgoing and where itis absorbed future," L and where does it leak out," he said. His r Martin, along with multiple cial bes graduate students, has been using point ag stochastic simulation - which imprope simulates particle tracks and col- Marti lisions on a computer - in his timent t research. With this, researchers one of he can model complex systems of "In th nuclear reactions. reservat Martin explained that these power se models are an advanced reactor the wast concept that helps improve safety, to the pre the michigan daily SCOREKEEPER'S SPORTS GRILL & Pub now hiring talented, hardworking individuals for our wait and kitchen staff, and floorman. No exp. necessary. Apply in person at 310 Haynard, Ann Arbor. 734-995-0t00. FUNDRAISE FOR THE U! $9.25- +/Hr. at Michigan Telefund. On cam- pus, flexible hrs. Students, apply @ telefundumichedu or 7e3.4400. ____ OWN A COMPUTER? Put it to Work! Up to $t,eee to $5,000/mo " PT/FT Free Info! www.ptibusiness.com WANTED ADMINISTRATIVE AS- SISTANT to work in the food trading business. Knowledge of Excel, Word, and Power Point in a mac environment For St very helpful. Salary commensurate ARIE with experience 248-851-4500. (Mars Contac EARN EXTRA MONEY. Students female f needed ASAP. Earn up $150 per day and in f being a mystery shopper. No experi- tional. ence required. Call 1-800-722-4791. someon TAIJRI summer employme (April: Some might s today! F argumen mcember. CANCER RESEARCH SUMMER GEMI INTERNSHIP PROGRAM (May (CaRSIP) You d As part of its Cancer Biology Training get awa Program, the University of Michigan do some Comprehensive Cancer Center, in part anywhe with funding from the National Insti- scenery! tutes of Health(NIH) is providingexpo- CANt sure to cancer research for highly moti- (June vated and talented college undergradu- All yo ates. This program will give the suc- are moi cessful applicants an opportunity to ex- notice tt plore potential careers in the ers, be cancer. Interns are paid a stipend of erb $4,500 for ten weeks during the sum- might f mer and are aimed at students who are that is jo completing their sophomore or junior LEO undergraduate year this spring. In (July keeping with the terms of the NIH Today grant, we especially encourage applica- relations tions from individuals from minority definitel groups that are currently underrepre- react to sented in biomedical and behavioral ('loo sill research. VIRG The deadline for application is 17 April (Aug. 2999. Your application must be up- Duty loaded at the following site: to be o http://www.cancer.med.umich.edu/pro- aware fessionals/summerinternship.shml chance, duties, e Questions about the program? Please others e email La Cheryl Wicker at LIBRA lwicker@umich.edu (Sept. WORK ON MACKINAC Island this Summer - Make life long friends. The Island House Hotel and Ryba's Fudge Shops are looking for seasonal help in all areas: Front Desk, Bell Staff Wait Staff, Sales Clerks, and Baristas. Hous- ing, bonus, and discounted meals avail- able. Call Ryan 1 (00) 626 - 6304. www.thseislandhouse.com Friday, April 17, 2009 - 7 a future renovation of oyd Hall. proposals approved the meeting included a quare-foot addition to the ring Programs Building h Campus to provide addi- ace for student groups like r and Concrete Canoe. egents also approved a re- d proposal for the Thomp- etParkingStructure,which 273 parking spaces and a uare foot office building Office of Budget and Plan- the Office of Parking and rtation Services. dgan Review seeks help office space dispute ess senior Karen Boore, ves as publisher of the n Review, asked regents stance yesterday in cut- rough bureaucracy that ce the publication from its e office in the Michigan presented the regents -page packet that outlined A happened to the Michi- iew and urged the regents ene in the situation. ding to the report, the n Review failed to re- as a student organization Michigan Student Assem- ause of this, the organiza- not receive information newing office spaces for ing year. said the group did not re- cs, non-proliferation and uce nuclear waste. of Nuclear Engineering io Sciences John Lee has searching ways to bet- ocess and recycle used fuel, both in current gen- f light water reactors and ced reactors like sodium- sst reactors. ear power offers an t potential for reliable, ree and economic form y for the U.S. and the rest world for the foreseeable Lee said. esearch, Lee said, is cru- cause a major arguing ainst nuclear power is the r disposal of waste. n agrees that popular sen- oward nuclear energy is sitation. he public eye, the primary ion about using nuclear ems to be how to get rid of te," Martin said, referring oblem as a political, more register as a student organization because the group does not receive MSA funding. Furthermore, Boore said communication from MSA did not mention that a student organi- zation status would be necessary to renew the group's office space lease. After listening to Boore and reviewing some of the supporting documentation, several regents voiced support for a closer exami- nation of the process and assis- tance for the group. Regent Andrew Richner (R-Grosse Pointe Park) asked administrators to look into the matter further. "It seems to me there are some valid issues that have been raised," he said. "I'm particularly con- cerned about due process and how the student organization were notified." Laurence Deitch (D-Bingham Farms) also said steps should be taken to assist the Michigan Review in securing an office space. "We ought to try to figure out with students a way the students can support the Michigan Review because I think the diversity of views is very important," he said. "I probably don't agree with most of the things in the Review but I think the voice is very important on this campus and it's a value that's con- sistent with our institution." Regent Andrea Fisher Newman (R-Ann Arbor) supported Rich- ner's and Deitch's request, but said administrators needed to respect the student control of the process. than technical, issue. "We have known for decades how to dispose of the waste safely and effectively but no jurisdiction wants the waste stored in their domain," Martin said. The Yucca Mountains in Nevada have been isolated as a no-man's land for nuclear testing. And this would be an ideal loca- tion for disposal, Martin said, but governments are not complying. "They don't want the waste in their backyard," he said. Martin explained that while waste disposal has been a signifi- cant issue, nuclear power actually pays for its waste disposal. "All customers pay $1 mil/ kwh for the ultimate disposal of the waste. This waste fund was supposed to pay for the facil- ity at Yucca Mountain," Martin said. "Instead, it pays lawyers on both sides of the Yucca Moun- tain issue. So our money is being wasted, but the waste is not being stored." CAMPUS GROUPS From Page 1 moment, which is called tuition- free detached study, which allows a whole lot of flexible uses," McGirr said. "Our really big concern is that this reduces diversity atthe Univer- sity of Michigan." McGirr, along with three other Rackham students, also spoke in front of the Board of Regents at its monthly meeting after the rally. McGirr presented the regents with a petition signed by over 750 gradu- ate students who oppose the policy and urged the regents to block it from being implemented. Rackham student Marie Puccio spoke at the meeting to outline why so many graduate students have concerns about the policy. "We believe 'Dean Weiss and Rackham, though well-intentioned, have pushed this policy forward without adequate consultation of those affected," she said. "With- out providing a strong rationale, they are completely overhauling the current system and without considering the unintended nega- tive consequences of the policy for those students who currently use tuition-free detached study or will require it in the future." Rackham student Tiffany Tsang, who serves as president of the Rack- ham Student Government, told the regents she thinks many Rackham students are opposed to the policy because they don't fully understand what the policy will do. "A significant number of stu- dents are still clueless about the policy," she said. "Of the remain- ing students, many have been fed misinformation, and of the group that has the correct information, some are supportive, especially in the biological and physical sci- ences." In response to the speakers at the meeting, University Provost Teresa Sullivan told the regents that the continuous enrollment policy is still being worked out, which is why she believes there is so much confusion and opposition to the proposal right now. "The fact that there are perhaps more questions than answers now is because there really has not been an implementation of those yet, that phase is just now starting," she said. "I think I would just ask that we all keep an open mind as we go through the implementation phase and see if we can make it work." Several of the regents expressed concern about the impact the policy could have on graduate students who have families. Regent Laurence Deitch (D-Bingham Farms) said he was concerned with the policy and was especially troubled that it may be unfair to women who have children while in school. Echoing Deitch's sentiment, Regent Julia Darlow (D-Ann Arbor) asked Sullivan for clari- fication about the policy regard- ing maternity leaves and leaves of absence under the new policy. Sullivan assured the regents that maternity leave and personal leaves of absence would be available. Regent Denise Ilitch (D-Bing- ham Farms) questioned whether the regents would be able to review the policy before it was implement- ed. Sullivan told the regents she would brief them in the fall, since the policy is currently under devel- opment and isn't scheduled to take effect until Fall 2010. In an interview after the meet- ing, Rackham Dean Janet Weiss said she was currently working to address students'concrns,but that concrete reassurances wouldn't be available until more planning has been completed. "I am concerned about the same things that they are concerned about and I am doing my very best to put in place the funding piece, the policy piece and the advising piecethatwill all speaktotheircon- cerns," she said. "I want to address them, I plan to address them and it will just take some time to do that." Weiss said she is working to ensure that no graduate student is forced out prematurely because of financial changes that may affect some students. When asked whether consider- ationhad beengivento implementing the policy for incoming students and maintaining the existing policy for current students, Weiss said it would not be logistically possible. Weiss said a split implementation would be too cumbersome on the adminis- tration and information technology operations and would be highly con- fusing to faculty who handle funding sources for graduate students. Members of the Lecturers' Employees Organization also par- ticipated in yesterday's rally and regents meeting. LEO was protest- ing the handling of its contract with the University, claiming that Uni- versity administrators have been hiding money for faculty pay raises in funds that are not considered when making equal pay raises for lecturers. LSA Lecturer Marc Ammerlaan, who serves as co-chair of LEO, said at the rally he was planingto speak at the regents meeting because he was hoping the regents would urge administrators to go back to the table with LEO to settle the dispute without arbitration. "We really have been pushing to get this issue settled in talks, and I think only the regents can make the provost come back and talk to us," he said. "I do think that this is the last best hope, otherwise we con- tinue on and go through the arbi- tration." In the meeting, LSA Lecturer Elizabeth Axelson told the regents she was seeking a renewal of col- laboration between LEO and the University and to rebuild their now strained relations. "We're looking for greater coop- eration, we're looking for good faith in our negotiations and in the implementation and the mainte- nance of the contract that we share and we're looking for a kind of res- toration of trust at this point," she told the regents. LEO's contract with the Univer- sity stipulates that "all employee full-time salary rates shall increase by the average annual percent increase, excluding retention, pro- motion and equity increases, for tenured and non-tenure-track fac- ulty of the respective arts and sci- ences college at each campus." LEO claims that, because the University has decreased the per- centage of money spent on normal payraises andincreasedtheamount of money spent on retention incen- tives and pay equity increases, the University is breaching its agree- ment to maintain pay raise levels among professors and lecturers. In an interview after the regents meeting, Jeff Frumkin, associate provost and senior director for aca- demic human resources, said LEO had a right to follow a grievance, but that it was up to LEO members to take the next step. "We have a dispute about what the language means and we have a contractual procedure that ends in binding arbitration that will deter- mine what that language means," he said. "We're waiting for the union to contact us to schedule arbi- tration. The ball is in their court at this point to reach out and say we're ready to move to arbitration, we're ready to schedule that arbitration." When asked about the Univer- sity's rationale for the transfer of funds from the traditional pay raise accounts to the incentive, retention and equity raise accounts, Frumkin said he was not comfortable speak- ing about the details of an ongoing arbitration. Students from the Stop The Hike coalition were also present at the meeting and rally. They reminded the regents that they support a freeze on tuition if the state appro- priations do not fall from last year's levels. Several students from the group also spoke at last month's regents meeting. In response to their com- ments in March, Regent Andrea Fischer Newman "(R-Ann Arbor) said she supported the group's mis- sion because it included the stipu- lation about state funding holding steady. "I personally think it's a rational proposal," she said in Marcl. Members of the group who spoke yesterday urged regents and University administrators to do everything possible to ensure that if tuition is raised, it be raised by as little as possible to ensure contin- ued accessibility to the University. - Daily News Editor Jillian Berman contributed to this report. bus late again? Child Care the stop095 why rnot do the cro5sword puzzle CHILD CARE NEEDED for 2 year whileyou ait? old & 2 mo. old. Hon. and Wed. after- while you wait? noons and every other Sat .Transafreq 74-RRI-4705 POLICY From Page 1 aturday, April 18, 2009 ;S ;h 21 to April 19) ct with friends, especially friends, will be important today act, possibly personal and emo- You feel rather protective of e. (possibly even jealous.) U1S 20 to May 20) aspect of your most intimate life uddenly be on public display or example, it could be a public it with a loved one or a family rOuch. NI 21 to June 20) efinitely have a strong urge to y from it all today. You want to thing different. You want to be re but here. You need a change of ChR 21 to July 22) iur emotional experiences today re intense than usual. You'll his in your exchanges with oth- they casual or intimate. You eel territorial about something intly shared with someone. 23 to Aug. 22) your attention turns to personal ships and partnerships. Contracts y will be more emotional. Don't others with a knee-jerk response. y.) iO 23 to Sept. 22) comes first today. You're happy f service to others. You're very f htw nd when you have a to fulfill year obligations and especially with respect to what xpect of you. .A 23 to Oct. 22) You might feel very in love with someone today. Even casual flirtations excite you a lot. (Oh, my.) SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21) You need some private time to curl up in a prenatal position at home. Give yourself some relaxing moments to just be comfortable in private. SAGITTAR IUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21) It's easy to be persuaded or influenced by others today. You seem to be waffling about someting. A female retelative night play a strong rote today. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19) It's easy to identify with your posses- sions today. Because of this, you might be reluctant to share something or loan somebody something. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18) You feel a strong need to belong to others today. You want to be reasssured by friends that they care. Nevertheless, you're also emotionally giving today. PISCES (Feb. 19 to March 20) Work alone or behind the scenes today. You need to withdraw from the busyness of life around you. Take a men- tal health day if you can. YOU BORN TODAY The notion of protecting things or defending others is a strong theme in your life. You value your honor, and you respect the honor of oth- ers. You're fair-minded and highly ener- getic in your attempt to champion the righteous causes of others. Obviously, this means you are loyal to your family. Your year ahead is wonderfully social end pleasant, eand is favorable for rela- tionships. Birthdate of Conan O'Brien, TV host; David Tennant, actor; Clarence Darrow, Scopes trial defense attorney. is making money." Zimmerman said this explains why, in December, the Detroit Three were knocking on the federal government's door asking for funds, and that otherwise they would have completely shut down. He said the issue now is the pres- sure on the companies to make faster progress and more extreme progress on structural cost to not waste taxpayers' money. Zimmerman said this might be a "bargaining strategy" on the part of the Obama administration in order to encourage the automakers to work harder, instead of relying on the government to bail them out. But we'll have to see in the next couple months, he said, whether the Obama administration lets these companies fail or not. Joel Slemrod, director of the University's Office of Tax Policy Research and a Business School professor, said that for a long time our country has been in financial unrest, and many believed that it was "going to take a crisis to get our political system to deal with it" "Well, folks, we have our crisis," Slemrod said. "But it is not clear that it will break down our political impasse." Slemrod said that Washington's tax policies played three crucial roles in the financial crisis - cause, remedy and victim. Slemrod said tax policies have contributed to the crisis by causing more corporate bankruptcy, more American overspending and a nar- row focus on short-term goals to boost the economy. The tax policies caused more Americans to spend beyond their HANI JOIN means by "making us think we are richer than we actually are," he said. Slemrod arguedthatAmericanswere spending without realizing the defi- cit meant more tax increases later. Another factor, he said, is that "we're facinga period with tremen- dous underutilization of resources not only with unemployed people, but with unutilized capital." Slemrod said the will to spend is quite low right now in the country, and that only a fifth of Americans said that if there were tax cuts they would spend more. He said the country should focus on how tax policy has contributed to the growth of the economy, how the taxburden is distributed among people and how much it contributes to spending. But Slemrod said he doesn't believe tax policies were the main cause of the financial crisis. He said "tax cuts (are) the white knight that has kept this contraction from being even worse than it is." The tax cuts of 2009 will be deliv- ered in a different way than 2008, Slemrod said. Instead of a large rebate check being sent through the mail, taxes will be withheld on your take-home paychecks, Slemrod said. This will make peoples' checks larg- er than the month before, encourag- ing them to spend more, compared to the fact that they would be more inclined to save a check with a big number on it. But Slemrod said tax policies would ultimately fall victim to the current recession because "the bud- get gives very little attention to the long-term fiscal problems that the federal government faces." He added that this "may lead us to have worst tax policies in the long run." One goal to boost the economy, he said, is to increase the taxburden on the more affluent citizens. But Slemrod said to correct the current crisis, "there is no way we can do this by raising taxes on only high-income people, it's going to take high increase over a broad sloth of people." Another goal current tax poli- cies aim for is encouraging people to spend more money. But Slemrod said it should be just the opposite. The government should be working to have people spend less and save more, he said. The result will either be that future taxpayers will raise the taxes on themselves, or they will cut back on their promises. He said most likely there would be a combination of the two. Prof. Amiyatosh Purnanandam, the Bank One assistant professor of Finance, and an expert on various aspects of risk management, spoke about the banking sector in the downturn. Purnanandam discussed the three tiers in the banking system: government trying to regain confi- dence in the banking system, inject- ing capital inthe banking sector and injecting liquidity in the banking sector. The recession, Purnanandam said, has caused many consumers to lose faith in the banking system. Purnanandam said one way to increase the capital would be encourage consumers to buy "pref- erable stocks." If not, we need to inject more liquidity by providing consumers with credit, he said. But Purnanandam said he real- izes that this creates a vicious cycle. "If the problemwas too much bor- rowing by consumers and too much borrowing in the market than what are we trying to achieve by supplying more credit?" he asked. v!2009 King Features Syndicate, Inc DY WITH A CAMERA? DAILY MULTIMEDIA. E-mail davazad@umich.edu