~I~e E~dpan4hI, Ann Arbor, Michigan Monday, September 14, 2009 s michigandaily.com IVENGN MAR CA MPU Students hit by string of burglaries SAID ALSALAH/Daily Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier (5) gets a hug from wide receiver Darryl Stonum during Michigan's 38-34 upset victory over rival Notre Dame Saturday at the Big House. 'M'wins Rodriguez's way For several, football victory soured by missing belongings $y DEVON THORSBY Daily StaffReporter LSA senior Michael Kaplan was ecstatic returning home from the Wolverines' victory over the Fighting Irish Saturday night. But Kaplan's joy quickly turned to dismay. Upon opening his locked bed- room door, Kaplan soon found that part of his window had been removed from its frame and his laptop was stolen. "Everyone was having a good time, we were all so excited," Kaplan said. "Then I go in my room and find that my laptop is gone. It completely ruined the fun of the day." And it turns out he wasn't the only one. Kaplan was just one of many students who fellvictimto a series of home invasions that occurred this past weekend, resulting in the theft of laptops and other electronic devices. The invasions occurred in the heavily student populated neighborhood south of campus. At least four separate homes were burglarized this week- end, but the Daily received tips for two others that could not be confirmed. Multiple phone calls placed to these individuals were not returned by yesterday night. The Ann Arbor Police Depart- ment currently has no suspects in any of the reported burglaries, and no reported witnesses, offi- cials say. Police do not yet know if any of the home invasions are linked, but theyare not ruling out the possibility. AAPD Lieutenant Myron Blackwell said that because the crimes occurred over the week- end, the police reports have not yet been compiled. He added that the information would be avail- able today. While he said that he is not always aware of the crimes that are committed while he is off duty, Blackwell said he thinks the number of home invasions that occurred this weekend is not abnormal for this time of the year. "It's just the second week of - school," Blackwell said. "Profes- sional (thieves) know students won't be locking their doors; they come with that knowledge into the area. Getting into student houses isn't difficult for a profes- sional." LSA junior Ellis Hamburger, who lives on VaughnWStreet, arrived home Friday night from a party to find that his computer was missingfrom his room. Upon checking the rest of the househis roommates found that their com- puters, computer chargers and an iPod had also been taken. Ham- burger said the intruder entered by climbing through a window in the back of the house that did not have a lock on it. Hamburger said he has spoken with a number of people since See CRIME, Page 7A Rich Rod's system shines in his most compelling victory at Michigan yet By RUTH LINCOLN Daily Sports Editor Rich Rodriguez's first 603 days as Michigan's head football coach didn't go as planned. So after the Wolverines' 38-34 } upset victory of No.18 Notre Dame, it's understandable he was acting unusual on day 604. "He was actually in a different mood than I rarely see - he was all bubbly and happy like he won a million dollars," MICHIGAN 38 junior NOTRE DAME 34 safety Troy Woolfolk said. "It was equiva- lent to that because he knows this game was a big step to getting back the old respect we had." You could say that "old respect" last came when Michigan upset Flor- ida in the 2008 Capital One Bowl, or even as far back as 2006, the last time Michigan started its season 2-0. That respect returned when the Wolverines(2-O) awokelateyesterday morning to a No. 25 national ranking - Michigan's first under Rodriguez. It brought relief when a national audience saw true freshman quar- terback Tate Forcier connect with senior wideout Greg Mathews in the Michigan end zone on a per- fectly executed play with 11 sec- onds left in the game. And for the first time in Rodri- guez's 21-month tenure, the win removed his head from the formi- dable chopping block. Since Rodriguez left his alma mater for what has become the not- so-comfy confines of Ann Arbor, criticisms against him have mounted. Pundits said his spread offense couldn't work at Michigan. His perceived coaching philoso- phy wasn't up to the standards of a "Michigan Man." Amid recent allegations that the Wolverines exceeded NCAA limits on practice and conditioningtimes, Rodriguez could not escape ques- tions about his character. Winning big in a rivalry game will quiet a lot of criticisms. But winning his way makes those criti- cisms barely audible. "I said this for the lastnine months - our guys have been all in," Rodri- guez said. "To watch the way they work, legally, to watch the way they See RICH ROD, Page 7A WORKING OUT ON CAMPUS Cutbacks lead to more rec. facility complaints Chief justice offers advice, laughs With budget in mind, Rec. Sports shortens IM Building's hours By VALIANT LOWITZ Daily StaffReporter LSA junior Evan Begun, who lives near the Intramural Sports Building, prefers to work out in the morning before class. But after the University scaled back the IM Building's hours, Begun now has to walk across cam- pus to fit in hitting the gym. "It's a lot more difficult getting my workout in before class now that I have to walk to the CCRB (Central Campus Recreation Build- ing)," Begun said. And Begun isn't alone. After the IM Building shortened itshours inthe morningandevening, some students were forced to alter their workout routines. For example, in the morning, the IM building now opens at 8:30 a.m., while last semes- ter it opened at 7 a.m.. Director of Recreational Sports William Canning said the changes were "absolutely financial in nature." "The a.m. hours were not well attended, and the evening hours were not well attended," he said. "And with the financial difficulties that we are experiencing, cutting the building hours will help to get our budget back into balance." "I understand the need to save money," said Kevin Raftery, an LSA sophomore, "butthere must be some other way that does not affect such a large amount of students." Canning said the department has suffered a drop in revenues, as most of its funding comes from memberships held by University faculty and staff. "Fifty percent of the speculative income comes from between 3,000 and 3,500 faculty and staff member- ships," Canning said. "Those 3,000 folks are basically subsidizing a lot of the use by 30,000 students." But recently, he said, staff and faculty memberships have dipped, causingtRecreational Sports to reevaluate its budget. At the same time, some students think more should be spent on facilities, not less. Engineering sophomore Jake Askari, who uses the IM Building daily, finds the facility subpar. "I know that many other univer- sities have televisions next to their cardio equipment and a lot newer equipment," he said. LSA sophomore Jake Holbrook agrees. "It would be nice to have more See REC FACILITIES, Page 3A At Hill Auditorium, John Roberts talks law, takes cheap shot at Yale By KYLE SWANSON Daily News Editor Speaking before a crowded Hill Auditorium, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts shared his insights and a couple of laughs as he fielded questions from audi- ence members during his visit to the University last weekend. Roberts was on campus to cele- brate the 150th anniversary of the University's Law School. While at the University, he participated in a wide range of events, includ- ing attending the weekend's Notre Dame game at the Big House. The question-and-answer session was open only to faculty, staff, students and alumni of the Law School. Law SchoolDean Evan Camink- er introduced Roberts and began the eventby asking Roberts a series of questions. When asked what surprised him most when becoming a member of the court, Roberts told audience See ROBERTS, Page 8A MORE ON JOHN ROBERTS'S VISIT Read about the Law School's groundbreaking event at michigandaily.com. ctF REEDER/Daily U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts talks at Hill Auditorium on Friday. DANGER EHoIND T HwE W H EElL State House considers ban on texting while driving 18 other states have already enacted similar legislation By STEPHANIE BERLIANT Daily StaffReporter At work, in class, inbed or walk- ing, text messaging has become a regular part of daily life. But Michigan residents may soon be putting down the Blackberry - at least while operating a vehicle. If two new bills pass the legislature, text messaging while driving may soon be banned Though no laws currently exist to prohibit Michigan drivers from text messaging while behind the wheel, a bill will soon be consid- ered that would make it an offense. If the bill passes, offenders would receive a fine and two points on their driver's licenses. Eighteen other states have already passed similar bans, the most recent of which was Illinois. Lt. Renee Bush of the Ann Arbor Police Department said she sup- ports the initiative. Though she said she has not dealt with any car accidents caused by text messag- ing, she recognizes the potential danger text messaging poses. "We want people to be safe," she said."Sowe'd prefertheyminimize distractions, especially in a heavily domestic area like Ann Arbor." In July, The New York Times reported the findings of a once- secret National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study, which concluded that drivers are four times as likely to cause a car acci- dent if they are using a cell phone. The study also found the likeli- hood of a cell phone-using driver getting into an accident is the same assomeonewithabloodalcohollevel See LEGISLATION, Page 7A WEATHER yHI:79 TOMORROW LO:54 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know. NEWONMICHIGANDAILYCOM INDEX NEWS.............2A ARTS............................ 5A In pitch for health reform, Obama cites 'U' study Vol. CXX,No.5 SUDOKU ............................3A CLASSIFIEDS ......................6 A MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS/THE WIRE ©2009The Michigan Daily OPINION............................4A SPORTSMONDAY...............1B michigandaily.com