The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
How the U' saves
energy over break
Wednesday, January 7, 2009 - 7A
THE NEXT CHAPTER
Resident advisors
checked rooms to
make sure power
wasn't wasted
By STEPHANIE STEINBERG
Daily StaffReporter
After Bursley Hall residents
left for winter vacation, LSA
junior John Ray - a Bursley resi-
dent advisor - entered 88 rooms
to check if students defrosted
their freezers, unplugged appli-
ances and turned off lights. As an
RA, Ray assisted the University's
effort to conserve energy over
winter break by inspecting each
room to see if students followed
the University's energy-saving
techniques.
"Most students complied with
making sure their appliances were
off," Ray said. "There were only a
few incidents in which the refrig-
erators were still plugged in."
To conserve energy in the resi-
dence halls, residential computing
sites are completely shut down,
and the dining services staff were
instructed to turn off unnecessary
lights and equipment.
University Housing spokesman
Peter Logan said the University
cannot entirely shut down build-
ings over breaks because people
still work in them.
"One of the challenges is that
because there are some live-in
residential education staff in
some buildings, we can't turn the
heat down completely nor can we
turn the heat off in any facilities
because that would run the risk of
pipes freezing," Logan said.
Logan said that while stu-
dents are gone, housing staff walk
through each building daily to
make sure areas are secure and
energy is not being wasted.
Alan Levy, director of commu-
nications for Information Tech-
nology Central Services, said
computers at ITCS campus com-
puting sites were on low-energy
consumption sleep mode during
FRATERNITY
P From Page 1A
discovered. He said the repair
costs, which are being covered
by insurance, haven't been deter-
mined.
Despite the inconvenience
the break.
"IT administrators in schools,
colleges and departments advise
faculty and staff to turn off as
much computing equipment,
including printers, during the
break as feasible given ongoing
research, laboratory and other
essential activities that don't stop
during the break," Levy said.
Other universities in Michigan
practice similar energy conserva-
tion strategies.
Western Michigan University
officials named its energy plan
"Holiday Setback."
Cheryl Roland, a spokeswoman
at WMU, said WMU plans to save
between $250,000 to $350,000
from Holiday Setback this year.
"Our Energy Command Cen-
ter has computer access to adjust
the settings for about 3,000 ther-
mostats in 75 buildings campus-
wide," Roland said in an e-mail
interview. "Beginning at noon
Dec. 24, our entire campus will
go into holiday mode with much
of the building space at about 55
degrees."
From 1996 to 2008 WMU's
campus experienced a 19-percent
increase in building square foot-
age. During the same period, it
reduced energy consumption by
17 percent.
Roland said representatives
from the University of Michigan
and colleges in Ohio and Indiana
have visited WMU this semester
to observe its energy consumption
practices.
"Our campus regularly attracts
colleagues from other institutions
- including U of M - who pose
just one question, 'How do you do
it?"' she said.
Michigan State University
attempts to conserve energy
through Environment Stewards,
a group of 613 faculty volunteers
who work to make MSU more
environmentally friendly. Almost
every building has one steward
who engages co-workers in ener-
gy-saving, waste reduction and
recycling practices.
Lauren Olson, one of the coor-
dinators of Environment Stew-
ards, said the program works well
because it's easy for volunteers to
talk to their co-workers working
in the same department.
"Having direct contact is bet-
ter than getting some e-mail (with
energy-savingtips)," Olson said.
In preparation for winter
break, the Environment Stewards
advised co-workers to turn off and
unplug appliances and turn down
the heat.
Sharri Margraves, MSU direc-
tor of housing and food services
and maintenance and interior
design, said MSU saves $200,000
for every degree lowered in resi-
dence halls and campus buildings.
"In the campus buildingswe ask
that we do not exceed 70 degrees,"
Margraves said in an e-mail inter-
view. "In the residence halls, the
heating is reduced to about 65
during the break."
MSU Housing also set up post-
ers in residence halls to remind
students what to do before leav-
ing for break. The posters alerted
residents to unplug electronics
because "plugged-in electronics
create phantom energy waste by
drawing electricity." The signs
also told students to report any
dripping faucets or showers since
one dripping faucet can waste
more than 100 gallons of water
per day.
The University of Michigan has
not been able to estimate how much
money it saves from energy reduc-
tions over breaks due to weather
variations, differences in vacation
length and difficulties in measur-
ing energy use for short periods.
"Basically, University Housing
has conducted these 'shutdown'
efforts for years because we know
that it reduces energy and water
consumption, and it's the right
thing to do," Logan said.
When asked if the University
could improve its energy conser-
vation during breaks, Logan said
the University does everything it
can to cut consumption.
"Given the facilities we need to
manage, some of which are pret-
ty old, we do a pretty good job,"
he said.
MAX COLLIN5/Daily
Michigan Book and Supply employee Jenny Gutsue checks out books yesterday for LSA sophomore Tricia Shine in preparation
for the upcoming semester, which starts today.
Apple alters song prices
Tech company to use
three-tier system
for song purchases
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Apple
Inc. is cutting the price of some
songs in its market-leading iTunes
online store to as little as 69 cents
and plans to make every track avail-
able without copy protection.
In Apple's final appearance at
the Macworld trade show, Apple's
top marketing executive, Philip
Schiller, said yesterday that iTunes
song prices will come in three tiers:
69 cents, 99 cents and $1.29. Record
companies will choose the prices,
which marks a significant change,
since Apple previously made all
songs sell for 99 cents.
Apple gave the record labels that
flexibility on pricing as it got them
to agree to sell all songs free of"dig-
ital rights management," or DRM,
technology that limits people's abil-
ity to copy songs or move them to
multiple computers. Applehad been
offering a limited selection of songs
without DRM, but bythe end of this
quarter, the company said, all 10
million songs in its library will be
available that way.
While iTunes is the most popu-
lar digital music store, others have
been faster to offer more songs
without copy protection. Amazon.
com Inc. started selling DRM-
free music downloads in 2007 and
swayed all the major labels to sign
on in less than a year.
Schiller also announced that
iPhone 3G users will be able to buy
songs from the iTunes store using
the cellular data network. Previous-
ly, iPhone users could shop for tunes
when connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot.
The iTunes changes marked the
highlights of Schiller's run as a
stand-in for CEO Steve Jobs, who
used to make Macworld the site
for some of Apple's biggest prod-
uct unveilings, such as the iPhone.
Apple said last month that Jobs
would not address the throngs this
time because the company plans to
pull out of Macworld next year.
Apple shares slipped $1.56, or 1.7
percent, to close at $93.02.
Schiller got a warm welcome
from the attendees - who packed
the convention hall despite the pall
cast over the industry by the eco-
nomic downturn - especially at the
start of his talk, when he thanked
them for showing up despite Jobs'
notable absence. He ran seamlessly
through his 90-minute presenta-
tion, getting applause and dohs
from the audience, varying little
from the format of slides and demos
established by Jobs. And like Jobs,
he gushed about Apple's products
being the best in the world.
"Phil did an exceptionally good
job in representing Apple," said Tim
Bajarin, presidentoftechnologyana-
lystgroup Creative Strategies Inc.
Lower iTunes prices were
Apple's only nod to the recession -
and an oblique one atthat, as record
labels have been asking for years to
set varying song prices. Rather than
an inexpensive new Mac to lure
budget-conscious buyers, Schiller
unveiled a new $2,800 Macbook
Pro laptop with a 17-inch screen
and the sleek aluminum casing the
company debuted with the super-
thin Macbook Air.
He also unwrapped new versions
of two software packages for Macs,
includingthe iLife multimedia pro-
grams. For instance, iPhoto '09 can
recognize faces and sort photos
based on who's in them. Garage-
Band '09 includes videotaped,
interactive music lessons given by
Sting and other musicians. Apple
added more professionalvideoedit-
ing features to iMovie '09.
Apple's answer to Microsoft
Corp.'s Office productivity suite,
called iWork, also got a makeover,
including zippy new ways to add
animation between slides in the
Keynote presentation software.
And Apple unveiled a "beta" test
version of a Web site for sharing
documents, iWork.com. Unlike
Google Inc's online documents
program, however, Apple's version
does not allow people to edit docu-
ments in a Web browser.
Apple said the thin new 17-inch
aluminum-cased Macbook Pro,
which joins an existing 15-inch
model, will start shipping at the
end of January. Perhaps the biggest
twist is the laptop's battery, which
is designed to last longer on each
charge - up to seven or eight hours.
caused by the two incidents, spir-
its remain high for the ADPhi
brothers. Barack said the support-
ive response from the Greek com-
munity, is "the silver lining to this
incident."
"Members of the Greek commu-
nity were very much open to and
offering alternatives and options
for the guys in the house," Barack
said. "Some of the other Greek
houses called and offered places
to live. So the response was really
nice."
Any information regarding the
case can be reported to Detective
Amy Ellinger at 734-996-3282 or
aellinger@a2gov.org.
the michigan daily
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For Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009
ARIES
(March 21 to April 19)
Be careful. Slow down. This is an
accident-prone day: It's also very easy to
fall into negative thinking or to be overly
gloomy about something. Let it go. This
is just a temporary dark cloud on your
horizon.
TAURUS
(April 260 May 26)
Your finances are definitely unpre-
dictable today. Furthermore, you might
feel broke. Keep an eye on your money.
Guard against breakages of something
you own. This stress will be gone soon!
GEMINI
(May21 toJune 20)
Something unexpected might happen
that gets you down today. It could relate
to dealing with authority figures - par-
ents, bosses, VIPs, teachers or the police.
Easy does it.
CANCER
(June 21 to July 22)
This is a mildly accident-prone day.
It's also easy to fall into negative think-
ing. Guard against all of this. This is just
a temporary negative celestial influence.
Yikes!
LEO
(July 23 to Aug. 22)
Something about your financial scene
might worry you today. Or you might
lose something and regret it. However,
whatever happens is minor in the big
picture.
VIRGO
(Aug. 23 to Sept. 22)
This is a poor day for dealing with
authority figures, parents, teachers, VIPs
and bosses. Wherever you turn, all you
hear is, "Talk to the hand!"
LIBRA
(Sept. 23 to Oct. 22)
Matters connected with work or even
with your health might be disconcerting
today. Things are difficult, and others are
not cooperative. Just bear with all this as
best you can.
SCORPIO
(Oct. 23 to Nov. 21)
Parents, teachers and child-care work-
ers must be vigilant with children under
their care today, because it is an acci-
dent-prone day for kids.
Misunderstandings also can arise easily.
SAGITTARIUS
(Nov. 221t Dec. 21)
Be patient with family members and
partners today. People are quick to take
offense and then suddenly do something
rash or unthinking. Cool your jets.
CAPRICORN
(Dec. 22 to Jan. 19)
Keep an eye on your money today.
Financial matters are unpredictable.
Something to do with your possessions
is also subject to loss, theft or breakage.
AQUARIUS
(Jan. 20 to Feb. 18)
Romance is disappointing today.
Parents must be extra patient when deal-
ing with children. Even your finances
are shaky, Fortunately, this is temporary!
PISCES
(Feb. 19 to March 20)
It's hard to know what is happening
today, because you could be discouraged
or caught off guard by something. Take
it easy. Don't overreact to anything.
YOU BORN TODAY You're an origi-
nal thinker, and you're not afraid to
blaze new paths. Sometimes your dis-
coveries allow you to make a huge
impact on others. Many of you experi-
ence the so-called overnight success.
You're motivated, determined and will-
ing to drive yourself to the limit.
Partnerships, marriage and close friend-
ships will be a major focus this year.
Birthdate of: David Bowie, singer;
Elvis Presley, rock 'n' roll icon; Stephen
-Hawking, physicist, cosmologist.
SMOKING BAN
From Page 1A
customers were no longer allowed
to smoke in the tin-covered diner.
"People come here every single
day because they can smoke,"
Woodward said. "We had a couple
customers who flat out said we
don't only come here for the food."
But Byrnes said some of her
constituents have told her that the
ban would in fact make them more
likely to go to a restaurant or bar.
EVALUATIONS
From Page 1A
dents for gettingthem in."
Later this month, teams will meet
toreviewtheperformanceofthenew
system and discuss ways to improve
it. The teams include representatives
from the Office of Evaluations and
Exams, Administrative Information
Services and CTools. One team will
focus on communication and design
and other teams on evaluation issues
and software design. In tweaking
the system,Kulik said the teams will
also consider input from students
and faculty.
LSA freshman Amanda Gram-
lich filled out all of her course
evaluations without any problems.
She said that her sociology profes-
M-DEN
From Page 1A
local retailers that sell University
apparel.
"We'll all still survive," Duerk-
sen said. "But in this economy we
have to become more lean in each
and every way that we can."
At Moe's Sport Shops, which
sells the same Adidas and offi-
cial University apparel carried
by M-Den, store manager Drew
Christensen said it's too early to
tell what kind of impact the new
competition will have.
Christensen said he had his
fingers crossed that a rival
"I have been told by many that
theywouldmakemorefrequentvis-
its to local business if smoking were
no longer allowed," Byrnes said.
Public health experts argue
that the ban is necessary to protect
non-smoking patrons and restau-
rant employees from second-hand
smoke, a point that Byrnes said
made a decision on the ban par-
ticularly important.
"This legislation was about
workers' health and is an impor-
tant preventative healthcare mea-
sure," she said.
sor devoted class time to having
students fill his out and that all her
instructors pushed for student par-
ticipation.
"One of my political science
GSIs even brought us candy and
asked us to please do it and fill
them out" Gramlich said.
College of Engineering senior
Ray Smith said one of his profes-
sors made filling outthe evaluation
extra credit. After completing that
one, he figured he might aswell do
the rest. Smith said the transition
to online evaluations was easy.
"For me it doesn't make that big
of a difference," Smith said. "It's
probably easier in terms of keep-
ing track of sheets of paper versus
keeping track online. And, I can
generally type faster than I can
write, so it's just faster in general."
retailer wouldn't fill the Steve
and Barry's vacancy. He added,
though, that his .store already
has a good working relationship
with M-Den and that the two
regularly refer customers back
and forth.
Though the two stores sell the
same name brand apparel and tar-
get the same shoppers, Christens-
en said Moe's would find a way to
remain competitive in the local
retail market.
"We've been here since 1915
and we've seen companies come
and go," Christensen said. "We
always find a way to adapt, and
Moe's will find a way to adapt to
this change."
READER
KNOWS
BEST.
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before January 23
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CONQUERING FEAR - A Spiritual
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pm. trazy Wisdom Book Store, Main
St, Ann Arbor. Open discussioneregard-
ing the antidote to any fear and the path
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s2009 King Features Syndicate, Inc.