4A - Thursday, October 22, 2009 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com I c Iicl ig n wily .I Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu GARY GRACA EDITOR IN CHIEF ROBERT SOAVE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR COURTNEY RATKOWIAK MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. Science sells Venture Center a good way to bring 'U' innovation to world T he University has already established itself as a hub of research and innovation. On Oct. 13, the University is already among the top 10 colleges in the country for cre- ating startup companies based on university-licensed inventions and technologies. And with the creation of the new Michigan Venture Center, the University will be able to do an even bet- ter job of bridging the gap between innovation and enterprise. Researchers and professors interesting in marketing their inno- vations should take full advantage of the Michigan Venture Cen- ter and give the state economy a much-needed edge in the field of new technology. The Michigan venture Center will, according to a University press release, "help faculty inventors create business plans, assess a technology's commercial- ization potential, deal with intellectual property issues, attract investors and acquire gap funding to enhance the mar- ket appeal of a new technology." Jim O'Connell, the associate director for busi- ness formation at the University's Office of Technology Transfer, will lead the venture Center. He hopes to increase the number of average science-based startups per year at the University from nine to 12 by giving professors new incentives and opportuni- ties for research. The launching of the Venture Cen- ter comes just two weeks after President Mary Sue Coleman announced in her State of the University address that the Univer- sity would put more money into research than ever before. The Venture Center is a great opportunity to turn the innovations that grow out of this research money into benefits for the University, and by exten- sion the state economy and consumers. Researchers who want to bring their prod- ucts to the market will now have a better resource to connect them with businesses that can sell the product. More start- ups will bring enormous benefits to the University's reputation as a place of new developments, as well as offering real tech- nological improvements for the world. After all, science-based startups are just what Michigan needs to carve out a niche for itself in a modernizing U.S. economy. Bringing the best and brightest minds to the state and then offering them resources to market their innovations will contribute to the transformation of the state economy into one that favors science and research. Michigan's economy could certainly use the boost that the Venture Center will pro- vide. And when scientists are given the resources to make their developments widely available, everyone wins. New technologies are constantly revolutioniz- ing the world and improving the quality of life. Scientific leaders - like the University - can always use more programs like the Venture Center to close the gap between the development and marketing stages of innovation. Professors and researchers who are interested in patenting their work should take full advantage of what ;he Venture Center has to offer. Some of the country's most interesting and important research is being done here at the University, and the Venture Center will help these exciting innovations make the leap from prototype to reality. I don't want to be a Roman Catholic, there was a Reformation, you remember." - Bishop Martyn Minns, commenting on his lack of confidence in the Roman Catholic Church's plan to accept conservative Anglicans back into the faith, as reported yesterday by The New York Times. CHRIS KOSLOWSKI I E-MAIL CHRIS AT CSKOSLOW@UMICH.EDU Did you see Paranormal Yeah And so few resources Im nottryingany arder Actviv? You it would be an 6 Yeah, don't u wish you ero heir work could make somethin so Typica. The weighty woes ofcollege students, we ask ourselves ily servesvegan andvegetarian meals, cult to resist the urge to speed up to lots of difficult questions like, something I didn't know before sign- show them who's boss, which usually "What do I want to major in?" ing up to live there for eight months results in embarrassment and lung and, "Will I be able of my life. Veganism/vegetarianism failure. Not to mention it's going to be to get a job in this isn't the worst invention of human- winter awfully soon, so you'd have to economy?" But as ity when it comes to eating (there's start going to the gym to run. always, the most always cannibalism), but because I'm The gym. It's always been an awk- pressing inquiry set in my ways as a carnivore I spend ward place for me and, I imagine, remains, "Since far too much time eating cheap, many others. I think it's because I when did I get two unhealthy food options: Wendy's, can't grunt impressively. If you can't chins?" Panda Express, Jimmy John's. It's grunt while lifting weights you'll feel weight gain: the terrible. They're all so good, I never really wimpy and probably end up questions abound. WILL know which one to choose. leaving. You can try to jog there, too, What can we do So, if you're like me, or if you spend about it? Is it more GRUNDLER way too much time studying while prevalent in col- eating Snickers, or if you live in a lege males or col- dorm and enjoy fourth helpings, or Face it, gaining lege females? How unhealthy is dorm yada yada yada, who's to blame? Well, food? Maybe my extra weight is just yourself, I guess, and maybe the fed- w elght at college is muscle mass? (Fat chance.) When eral government a bit, but not really ordering off the Wendy's dollar menu I don't think. I'm just an English unavoidable. in the Union, is it 99 cents for a Junior major. Bacon Cheeseburger or is it $1.06? But what's to be done? Depress- (It's $1.06.) Isn't that annoying when ingly little. you just want to pay a dollar? (Heck For instance, you could join Intra- but it's so boring going around in cir- yeah it is!) mural Sports, which is what I decided cles, lapping old people. It's depress- Of course, maybe you're abnor- to do this year, but you don't get much ing, really, especially because they mal and don't eat cheeseburgers, but exercise. I played soccer only once a beam at you in that old person way it's a rare student who doesn't get a week and late at night, and the other every time you pass them. bit heavier from something - lack team and my own teammates laughed. Look, let's just forget about this of exercise, energy drinks during , at me throughout each game because whole weightthing and losing weight, study sessions, journeys to vending I usually put the ball in the wrong net ok? It's too much of a hassle. Just keep mahines late at night, alcohol fp, ro ggcident. This caused me to just askingyomirselfAbout your majoraso breakfast, etc. I'll admit that I am eat more after each game. the economy and easy stuff like that. not that student. Even I'm getting If you're not the best athlete you After all, if you concentrate on that heavier, dear readers, and when I could consider a more solitary exer- and end up financially successful, get heavier I can safely assume that cise, like jogging around campus. you can hire a personal trainer and... many of you are, too, so that I can feel Well, peoplestilljudge you, especially you know? I'm hungry. Does anyone better about myself. if you insist on wearing spandex, and have six cents? Because I only have a Now, I don't want to point any fin- every now and again you see REALLY dollar. gers, but it's not really my fault. You nerdy joggers who weargoggles. And, see, my student housing (like I'm just of course, when a faster person (every - Will Grundler can be going to tell you where I live) primar- other jogger) passes ypu it's diffi- reached at wgru@umich.edu. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. Letters should be less than 300 words and must include the writer's full name and University affiliation. Letters are edited for style, length, clarity and accuracy. All submissions become property of the Daily. We do not print anonymous letters. Send letters to tothedaily@umich.edu. Ignoring balloon boy 40 a EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Nina Amilineni, Emad Ansari, Emily Barton, Ben Caleca, Michelle DeWitt, Brian Flaherty, Emma Jeszke, Raghu Kainkaryam, Sutha K Kanagasingam, Erika Mayer, Edward McPhee, Harsha Panduranga, Alex Schiff, Asa Smith, Brittany Smith, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Van Gilder, Laura Veith SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU a U Housing deserves more credit than Caleca gave it TO THE DAILY: In his column, Ben Caleca offered some thoughtful ideas (Going green, the slow way, 10/13/2009). He understated, however, the investment in locally grown foods by Univer- sity Housing. Offering more than an occasional sustainable meal, Residential Dining Services has been expanding its efforts to regularly include local produce and food products - first in East Quad and now in nearly all dining hall menus. Despite the challenge of Michigan's growing season - shorter than the local season for UNC HARUN BULJINA Chapel Hill, which Caleca held out as an example - local produce and products account for nearly 20 percent of the RDS food budget. We hope to increase our selection of local foods as we devel- op additional contracts with local farmers and producers. We think it is supportive of Caleca's perspec- tive to mention that University Housing has been seriously engaged in promoting recycling and sustainable activities in the residence halls and Northwood Community for many, many years. With the support of the students, we can, and shall, continue to do more. For more information, visit http://www.housing.umich.edu/dining/ freshmi.html. Peter Logan University Housing Communications Director E-MAIL HARUN AT BULJINAH@UMICH.EDU f you were away from TV dur- ing Fall Break, you might have missed the ridiculous drama of The Colorado Bal- loon Incident. The Heene family of Fort Collins, Colo., ignited a media firestorm after the family's father, Richard Heene, told authorities in a desperate 911 call that his six-year- CHRIS old son, FalconK was floating away KOSLOWSKI aboard a home- made flying saucer- shaped balloon that came loose from its mooring in the Heenes' backyard. After a 50-mile journey, the balloon crash-landed, but little Falcon was nowhere to be found. Thinking the boy might have fallen out during the flight, law enforce- ment launched a search and soon discovered Falcon had been hiding in the Heenes' garage the entire time. Richard Heene claimed he sincerely thought his son had climbed aboard the saucer, but in a Wolf Blitzer inter- view, Falcon let slipthatthe family had put on the whole event "for the show." The next morning, in a live interview with NBC's Today Show, Falcon vom- ited when his father tried to justify his son's comments. Now the Larimer County sheriff's office is certain that the Heenes, who previously appeared on ABC's reality show "Wife Swap," faked the whole incident asa publicity stunt to market themselves for their own reality TV series. The Colorado Balloon Incident is just the latest media frenzy seemingly motivated by a desire for reality fame. You might recall Nadya Suleman, the "Octo-mom," who signed a deal with a European production company ear- lier this year to star her own real- ity show. She gave birth to octuplets conceived through in-vitro fertiliza- tion paid for in government disability money. I'm sure many of us see the atten- tion Balloon Boy and Octo-mom receive and lament how reality tele- vision has tainted a medium we once couldtrust. Television, includinglocal and cable news, has transformed into its own brand of yellow journalism, where sensation trumps substance every time. I'm baffled how Suleman and the Heene family so easily hood- winked us all into giving them atten- tion. Some might blame the public for lapping up celebrity gossip, shock news and soap opera programming. Others might impugn the networks for shoving this garbage down our throats. Almost universally, though, people think this phenomenon of sensationalism is a bad influence. I disagree. I despise Octo-mom. And as much guilty pleasure I take from watch- ing the Heene family train wreck, I'm quickly tiring of them, too. In a less perfect world, I would be forced to endure this drivel until the next ridiculous story broke, but thank- fully I hold in my hands the ultimate power in the universe - the remote control. Over-hyped stories like these remind me and millions of others that we have the power to decide what we watch and the responsibility to ques- tion what is being presented to us as news or truth. The "trusted newsmen" era of Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather and others lulled Americans into compla- cency. People trusted Uncle Walter to be a one-stop shop for news. Now with radio, television, the Internet and hundreds of news sources within. those different channels all compet- ing for the public's attention, people are better able to decide what they consider newsworthy. Overtly sen- sationalist reporting is easier to pick out and avoid, and most importantly, it exposes the hidden motivation behind many news organizations: to make a profit. The more people who realize news sources, just like anything else in our great capitalist nation, are primar- ily out to make a buck, the better, smarter and more discriminating we become as consumers of news. You don't need me to tell you that a smarter audience, willing to seek out truth for themselves, is better than the apathetic alternative. Viewers are finally realizing that reality TV is often anything but. Rather than Viewers need to sift through garbage to get to smart news. watching what's fed to them, smart- er viewers decide to sift through the trash to find programming they appreciate. It might be annoying, but the wisdom and experience that the sifting helps create far outweighs the negative effects of exposure to sensa- tionalism. We shouldn't forget that many' people are actually entertained by the real life drama of a kid-in-a-fly- ing-saucer hoax, and that's fine. If after a long day someone is looking for something to make them laugh or pique their curiosity, I have no prob- lem with Octo-mom filling that need. As terrible as they seem, these sensa- tional scandals have the potential to help everybody - as long as we keep fresh batteries in our remotes. - Chris Koslowski can be reached at cskoslow@umich.edu.