. NOT FULLY DEVELOPED e MichiganThe Flaming Lips's Embryonic is epic 1y' rutin spirit, but not in execution. SEE ARTS, PAGE 5 EE OINIO , PA E. it i i a 4,3 t 1 Ann Arbor, Michigan Tuesday, October 13, 2009 michigandaily.com SECURING MICHIGAN STADIUM * Big House bans bags for good Permanent policy change will allow police officers to focus on other issues, official says By VALIANT LOWITZ Daily Staff Reporter A ban on bags of any size at Michigan Stadium duringhome football games is now permanent, the Department of Public Safety announced today. The policy, which was first implemented for the Indiana game, extends to all bags, including, but not limited to, camera bags, purses and fanny packs. Exceptions may be granted for medical rea- sons, but patrons are required to show documenta- tion - a prescription or written authorization - to security before entering the stadium. DPS has instructed attendees to bring permitted items that will not fit into pockets, like medicine and medical equipment, in clear plastic bags no larger than the gallon size. Inan interview today, DPS spokeswoman Diane Brown said the majority of items that are not pro- hibited are children's necessities, like diapers and bottles. Brown said the new policy will allow police offi- cers to focus on more important aspects of stadium security. "(Security) will be able to focus their attention on other security measures and not be distracted by a lot of bags and wondering what is in those bags," she said. Though no specific threats have been issued toward Michigan Stadium, Brown said officials from the office felt that the change in protocol was See SECURITY, Page 3 COMING OUT ON THE DIAG REGENTS PREVIEW Endowment tops regents Oct. agenda Two construction But with colleges around the country posting record declines in projects also on bill their endowments, it's unclear how much the University of Michigan's for meeting in Flint endowment was damaged by the economic downturn. By KYLE SWANSON Harvard University's endow- Daily NewsEditor ment suffered a 27 percent loss over its last fiscal year and Yale At its monthly meeting Thurs- University's, endowment dropped day on the University's Flint cam- by about 30 percent in value. The pus, the Board of Regents will UniversityofVirginia, suffered a21 receive an updated report on the percent loss in its endowment. University's investment portfolio, A decline in the endowment including details on the state of the would be the first in a while for the University's endowment. University. The last annual loss in The report, submitted by Tim- investment returns for the endow- othy Slottow, the University's ment was the 2002 fiscal year, executive vice president and chief when the fund lost 6.59 percent of financial officer, will outline the its value. University's financial performance To protect the endowment from for the last fiscal year - which instability in the market, Univer- ended on June 30. sity officials calculate the value The endowment, which is made for the endowment's payout based Up of a litany of stocks and other on a seven-year rolling average - assets, was valued at $6.5 billion meaning that they average togeth- as of Dec. 31. Through its payout, er the value of the endowment for the endowment funds financial aid every year over the last seven years programs, academic departments in their calculations. This helps and many of the other necessary to guard against volatile ups and operations of the University. downs in the market, like the ones At last October's Regents meet- felt over the past year with the eco- ing, the endowment was reported nomic downturn. to be valued at $7.6 billion, which The report on the endowment is was a 6.4 percent increase from its traditionally given at the October previous fiscal year. See REGENTS, Page 7 AARON AUGSBURGER/Daily Read thefull story about the A rally was held as the Diag yesterday to celebrate the start Diag rally onssutwebsite at of National Coming Out Week. Above, Chris Armstrong, chair of MSA's LGBT Commission, speaks tothe crowd. michigandaily.com. An academic diagnosis for health reform's public plan U experts weigh in on government option's pros, cons By DARRYN FITZGERALD Daily Staff Reporter As the current health care reform bill rattles its way through the legislative process, Republi- cans and Democrats alike con- tinue to grapple with a central question of the debate: whether to create a public option or a govern- ment-run health care alternative for those who either can't afford or lack access to other private alternatives. Proponents of the public option argue that without some govern- ment intervention into the health care market, private insurers will continue to drive up premiums and other costs because they hold near monopolies in many areas throughout the country. But the notion of handing even a part of the nation's health care system over to the government has been a point of consternation for some, who worry that bal- looning fiscal obligations could bog down the federal budget for decades to come. Amid these deliberations, The Michigan Daily sat down with five experts on health care reform from the University's faculty to discuss the debate between pri- vate insurance companies and publicly funded alternatives. While some express concern that a public option would bring premiums and medical costs down so low it would drive out competi- tion and put private insurers out of Members of the faculty's leading governing body at their meeting yesterday in the Regents Room of the Fleming Building. 'U, praises faculty fundraisers STUDENT SALESPEOPLE Hype help: Companies tap students Red Bull, Microsoft, Apple among those using students to plug new products By DAVID TAYLOR For the Daily Thanks to the Internet'sfacilita- tion of more rapid communication a by way of blogs, e-mail and social networking sites, consumer mar- keting now has a fresh look. Com- panies all around the world have expanded their outreach by using college students as representatives, bloggers and local experts. Kaplan Test Prep and Admis- sions, Microsoft, Bianchi-Rossi Tours, Red Bull and Apple are among the companies that have established such programs, and all have tapped University stu- dents to help. Business Prof. Puneet Man- chanda, who specializes in mar- keting, said such initiatives are an effective method of promoting products to the next generation of leaders and consumers. "What they're tryingto do is win some mind-share and heart-share from the emerging generation of young adults," Manchanda said. "In this sense, peer marketing has been shown to be quite credible. People tend to trust their peers, so it is a fairly sensible thing to do." See CAMPUS REPS, Page 3 Professors donated more than $100M in Michigan Difference By STEPHANIE STEINBERG Daily StaffReporter Alumni and friends of the Uni- versity have been widely recog- nized for helping raise $3.2 billion in the eight-year Michigan Dif- ference Campaign that ended last year. But one donor group has remained under the radar: Univer- sity faculty and staff. At yesterday's meeting of the faculty's top governing body, the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs, Vice President for Development Jerry May spoke to the board about the faculty's impact on the campaign. Faculty and staff contributed more than $100 million in cash pledges and more than $60 mil- lion in bequests to the campaign, according to May. Throughout the course of the campaign, an advisory committee from the University's Office of Devel- opment collaborated on ways to seek donations from University employ- ees in an appropriate manner. May said the development office doesn't believe in "arm twisting" to get people to give, adding that the office makes sure department chairs didn't ask for donations from the faculty who worked under them. "We believe that philanthropy is a voluntary act," he said. "We don't believe that you should be asked by somebody who is your superior for a gift." While May said faculty willingly gavemoney,participationstretched past reaching into their wallets. During the last seven years, about eight to 12 faculty mem- bers traveled to alumni events in See SACUA, Page 7 WEATHER ' HI:46 TOMORROW LO: 36 GOT A NEWS TIP? NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM INDEX NEWS........ ..........2 ARTS...... .................5 Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail One blogger's very own "Best Of" A2 restaurants. Vol. CXX, No. 26 SU DO KU...............................3 C LA SSI F EDS.....................6 news@michigandaily.com and let us know. MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS/THETABLE m209 The Michigan Daily OPINION-...................,.......4 SPORTS ...............................8 '