The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Friday, November 13, 2009 - 3
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Friday, November 13, 2009 -3
NEWS BRIEFS
" ALMA, Mich.
Bleach washed out
as disinfectant in
Alma due to cost
officials in this mid-Mighigan
city would like residents to have
bleach in their water instead of
chlorine gas.
But after getting an unexpect-
edly high bid for bleach, they're
sticking with chlorine gas as a dis-
infectant and looking at alterna-
tives.
Alma City Manager Phil Moore
tells the Morning Sun of Mount
Pleasant that the city had budgeted
$60,000 for bleach but received a
bid for $256,000. He says ultravio-
let light is among the options under
study.
Alma officials want to dis-
infect city water with bleach
because they say it's safer than
chlorine gas, a toxic irritant to
the respiratory tract that was
used as a weapon in World War I.
CAPE MAY, NJ.
Search halted for 3
missing fishermen
Nearly a day after a commercial
fishing boat sank off New Jersey,
the Coast Guard ended its search
yesterday for the three crew
members.
The presumed deaths of the
captain and two others aboard the
44-foot Sea Tractor bring to nine
the number of commercial fisher-
men based in Cape May who have
died at sea this year.
Boats, planes and helicopters
began searching the storm-tossed
ocean shortly after the boat went
down around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
in treacherous weather due in part
to the remnants of Tropical Storm
Ida.
There are no plans to resume
searching today morning, when
conditions are expected to be even
worse, a Coast Guard spokeswoman
said. Seas were topping 20 feet in
the search area, with winds gusting
to 55 mph Thursday.
"This is nine guys now; this is
really hitting home, and it hurts,"
said Bruce Barto, who knew the Sea
Tractor crew for 22 years through
his marine supply business and
counted them among his customers
and friends.
NEW YORK
0 Dog thrown from
roof, still survives
Oreo was called a miracle dog
when she was thrown off the roof
of a six-story Brooklyn building this
. summer and survived.
But nearly four months later, the
1-year-old brown-and-white pit bull
mix growled and lunged at people
gathered in a playroom to see her,
then turned and lunged at a female
handler who had pulled back furi-
ously on the 62-pound dog's heavy
leash.
After months of working to reha-
bilitate Oreo, the American Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Ani-
mals said it had determined she is
too dangerous to ever be placed in
a home or even to live among other
dogs.
The organization said it plans to
euthanize heryesterday.
"Everything we've tried to do for
her has not worked," said Ed Sayres,
the president and CEO of ASPCA.
"And she hasgotten more aggressive."
OSLO, NORWAY
Munch artwork
stolen from Oslo art
dealership
Police say thieves stole a valu-
able artwork by Norwegian painter
Edvard Munch from an Oslo art
dealer.
Police spokeswoman Britt Boerve
said today the thieves stole "Histo-
rien" - or"History" - fromNyborgs
Kunst, a private art dealership in
downtown Oslo, after smashing one
of the dealership's windows with a
stone.
The owner, Pascal Nyborg, says
the hand-colored lithograph is worth
"in the millions" of kroner.
Boerve says the crime was report-
ed by witnesses late yesterday. Police
W have found agetawaycar,but arestill
searching for suspects.
Munch's emotionally charged
painting style became a major influ-
ence in the birth of the 20th-century
Expressionist movement.
In 2004, gunmen stole his master-
pieces "The Scream" and "Madon-
na," in a brazen raid on a museum in
Oslo. Police recovered the paintings
over a year later.
- Compiled from
Daily wire reports
Officials delay
Palestinian vote
rA-LU iAn iNt/Z MUNIVAIS/AP
President Barack Obama during a rally with US troops in Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, yesterday'
Obama meets troops
en route to Asia visit
Obama promises to
gather public support
before dispatching
more troops into war
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE
BASE, Alaska (AP) - Nearing a
decision on sending more troops
off to war, President Barack
Obama told a military audience
yesterday that he will not dis-
patch them into conflict without
proper support - including the
backing of the American people.
"That is a promise that I make
to you," Obama told more than
1,000 troops and their families
gathered at a hangar here, as
the president stopped briefly
for refueling en route to a four-
country trip to Asia.
The president made no direct
mention of Afghanistan or his
weekslong review, now nearing
completion, of how to revamp
the struggling war effort there.
Obama is expected to send in
thousands more troops.
Facing a daunting array of
Asian challenges, Obama was on
his first major trip to the region,
where a surging China and
newly assertive Japan are chip-
ping away at America's standing
on diplomacy and trade.
At home in recent days, from
a somber memorial for the 13
people shot to death at Fort
Hood in Texas to a Veterans Day
ceremony at Arlington National
Cemetery, Obama has lauded the
determination of the all-volun-
teer military.
But his assurance yesterday
about public support was new,
and it was unclear how he would
rally it.
An Associated Press-GfK
poll this week showed that 48
percent of people disapprove of
Obama's handling of Afghani-
stan, up from 41 percent in
October. More than half of all
Americans - 54 percent - now
oppose sending more troops to
Afghanistan, an increase from
50 percent last month.
"I want you guys to under-
stand that I will never hesitate to
use force to protect the American
people and our vital interests,"
Obama told the troops. "But I
also make you this promise: I
will not risk your lives unless it
is necessary to America's vital
interests."
"And if it is necessary," Obama
added, "the United States of
America will have your back.
We'll give you the strategy and
the clear mission you deserve.
We'll give you the equipment
and support you need to get the
job done. And that includes pub-
lic support back home."
Already the most traveled
first-year president ever, Obama
took off for Tokyo on an Asian
journey that will add four coun-
tries - Japan, China, Singapore
and South Korea - to the 16 he's
already visited. The trip also will
highlight a dramatically chang-
ing continent.
Obama was arriving in Japan
a day later than planned, his
schedule scrambled by Tues-
day's memorial for the shooting
victims at Fort Hood. His stop in
Singapore for the annual Asia-
Pacific economic summit, origi-
nally scheduled for two days,
was cut back to a mere 20 hours.
Opposition from
Hamas drives election
commission to delay
January elections
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP)
- Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas, who last week said he didn't
want to run for re-election, may get
to stay in office without a single ballot
beingcast.
The Palestinian Election Com-
mission ruled yesterday that Janu-
ary's scheduled vote should be put
off because of opposition from the
Islamic militant group Hamas,
which controls the Gaza Strip and
is a rival of Abbas' Fatah faction.
Abbas raised international con-
cern last week when he declined to
run for another term, suggesting he
wasfrustratedoveral10-monthstale-
CHINA
From Page 1
Research Stephen Forrest will also
travel to China in the near future to
look at possible researchprojects and
create technology transfer offices.
In addition to its efforts in
China, Coleman said the Univer-
sity has been collaborating in the
humanities and social sciences
with African universities in Ghana
and South Africa, two countries
she visited in February 2008.
Coleman also mentioned Mark
Tessler, vice provost for interna-
tional affairs and a professor of
political science, who has led a
project in the United Arab Emir-
ates to establish an institute simi-
lar to the University's Institute for
Social Research.
Coleman said University faculty
members are working in all parts
of the world. In fact, upon giving
a lecture at Zayed University in
Dubai in March 2008, Coleman
said she was surprised to find Uni-
versity faculty there too.
"They're everywhere!" Cole-
man said. "You can go anywhere in
the world, and they all come out of
the woodwork."
At the same time as this growth
in the international presence of
mate in Israel-Palestinian peace-
making. His departure would have
thrownpeace efforts intoturmoil.
Now it appears Abbas may have
been signaling his need for more
backing from the U.S. against Isra-
el since Hamas' rejection of a vote
was likely.
The Palestinian Election Com-
mission blamed Gaza's Hamas rul-
ers for forcing the postponement.
Hamas overran Gaza in 2007,
expelling Fatah forces loyal to
Abbas. Hamas leaders oppose an
election organized by Fatah, and
without Gaza a complete election
cannot be held.
Abbas has insisted that talks
with Israel cannot resume until
Israel halts all construction in its
West Bank settlements. Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netan-
yahu countered that the issue
should be dealt with in the nego-
tiations.
institutes and faculty, the Univer-
sity is beginning to see a rise in the
number of international applicants.
In the interview, Coleman cited
an increase in the amount of under-
graduate applicants from Asia last
year, but didn't know if the numbers
will further increase in the future.
"It's kind of fascinating to see
whether it continues this year," she
said.
Coleman said more and more
families across the world are look-
ing to provide the best college edu-
cation for their children, and with
the University's "internationally
high-profile," parents are interested
in sendingtheirkids to AnnArbor.
"I think it's kind of nice for the
University to have that reputa-
tion," Coleman said. "It's good the
block 'M' is known everywhere."
According to Coleman, interna-
tional outreach efforts are not only
important for creating a diverse
student body, but also for helping
students attain a well-rounded
global perspective.
"I think to be successful in the
future we really need to have an
awareness of and understanding
of the rest of the world," she said.
"The goal is to create great oppor-
tunities for students who come
to the University of Michigan to
emerge as citizens of the world."
LAWSUIT
From Page 1
confidence in her safety systems"
and became nervous about ventur-
ing deeper into the lab.
His fears were further height-
ened when Hartman asked him
if he knew whether the machine
containing the Cesium was on or
off. Since Hartman didn't know if
it was emitting radiation, McGee's
first instinct was to get out of the
area as quickly as possible, and he
immediately vacated the premises.
McGee said he knew there was
a 50-50 chance he had a received
a dose of radiation because the
machine was either on or off.
Turning to the jury, he started
to choke up as he explained how he
got in his car and called his wife to
inform her of what had happened.
He said he was scared because
radiation can cause immediate
effects or produce cancer 10 years
down the road.
"I was upset," McGee said. "I
was mad. I was thinking about my
safety."
He added he was disappointed
by Hartman's actions.
"I trusted him," he said. "Just
a myriad of let downs were going
through my head."
McGee went home and tried
finding a 24-hour radiation service.
Unable to reach anyone and des-
perate to figure out if he had been
exposed to radiation, he called
Joseph Miklos, an Occupational
Safety and Environmental Health
coordinator for the University.
After hearing what happened,
McGee said Miklos became upset
and started to raise his voice and
swear.
Miklos told McGee only four
people were allowed in the area of
the lab he and Hartman were in,
and that the two of them were not
part of the four.
In response to McGee's inquiry
into whether he had been exposed
to radiation, Miklos said he didn't
know if the machine was on or off
and that the only people who knew
were Kearfott and her students.
Yesterday, University attorney
David Masson called Miklos to the
stand as a witness for the defense.
Miklos testified that McGee
called him on Feb. 16 and expressed
concern about possible exposure
to Cesium 137. He said he assured
McGee that radiation exposure
was impossible because the Cesi-
um 137 source had been inactive
since the previous December.
Nevertheless, Miklos told
McGee that he was free to call the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
and speak to one of its specialists.
According to Miklos, McGee
refused to call the NRC because he
didn't want to get Miklos in trouble.
"I told him, 'There's no trouble
because you did not get a radiation
dose,"' Miklos said.
McGee did not contact the NRC,
but sent Miklos an e-mail reiter-
ating his concerns. In response,
Miklos met with McGee the fol-
lowing Tuesday and restated that
radiation exposure was impossible.
"I once again said, 'You have the
right to notify the NRC,' " Miklos
said. "To my knowledge he never
did."
Miklos talked about the safety
system in Kearfott's laboratory
that protects against exposure to
the Cesium 137 source. According
to Miklos, warninglights and signs
activate when the Cesium source is
in use.
"If the source had been func-
tional all the warning lights would
have been working," Miklos testi-
fied.
Miklos explained that he had
approved Hartman to work in Kear-
fott's laboratory on Feb. 16 because
the radiation source was inactive at
the time. Since the source wasn't
active, Hartman and McGee's pres-
ence didn't violate NRC regulations
that require researchers to carry
radiation detection devices in high-
radiation areas.
Miklos said he would not have
permitted access to the lab if the
source was active.
On cross-examination by
McGee's attorney, Christine Green,
Miklos said he hadn't prepared
an incident report about McGee's
phone call or e-mail because he
felt the event didn't warrant filing
a report.
Miklos explained he didn't con-
sider McGee's e-mail an official
report because, according to Mik-
los, McGee did not get a radiation
dose.
Green asked about McGee's
prior safety concerns, and Miklos
responded he thought McGee had
good ideas about safety measures
- some of which were implement-
ed in the design of the neutron cell
lab.
In his testimony earlier this
week, McGee said he called Kear-
fott the Monday following the inci-
dent to discuss the situation. He
said she started swearing and told
him she didn't give Hartman per-
mission to enter her lab, and they
had "no right to be there."
"She was so upset I thought she
was going to have a stroke," McGee
said.
The two agreed to immedi-
ately meet each other at the lab to
inspect the machine, which Kear-
fott found to be off.
Kearfott told McGee that he
had not been exposed to radiation.
However, he reported the inci-
dent to Radiation Safety Services
through e-mail on Feb.16.
In Kearfott's testimony yester-
day, she said the source was not
functioning properly at the time
McGee and Hartman entered her
lab - which would have made it
more difficult to be exposed. She
explained a person was required to
lift a rod, which would prop up the
source and cause radiation expo-
sure.
Kearfott said she hadn't talk-
ed to Hartman about the prob-
lems with the source because she
claimed he didn't need to know.
"He doesn't need to use the
source in his work," she said.
After hearing that Hartman and
McGee had been in the lab, Kear-
fott asked Hartman to come to her
office.
She said "(Hartman) either
denied or dodged around it in
some way," when asked if he had
been in her lab without following
safety protocol.
"He did not answer my ques-
tion," she said.
Upon returning to the lab that
week, McGee said in his testimo-
ny that his friendly relationship
with Hartman changed "dra-
matically."
The two did not speak to each
other while working in the lab,
and McGee said the atmosphere
was very tense.
"This was such a 180-degree
change from the complimentary
relationship that we had," he
said.
However, Miklos said in
his cross-examination that he
observed "friction" between the
two as early as October 2007.
McGee said he started to
worry that Hartman suspected
that he had reported the safety
violations.
Hartman is scheduled to tes-
tify in court today.
On Feb. 20 McGee contacted
Christine Gerdes, an assistant
general counsel in the Univer-
sity's Office of the Vice President
and General Counsel, because he
was afraid he might lose his job.
McGee said Gerdes assured him
that he would not be fired and that
the University doesn't fire GSRAs
unless they do something wrong
- like take drugs at work or steal
from the University.
Later that day, McGee received
an e-mail from Hartman saying
he was being terminated from his
position, effective immediately.
McGee said the e-mail took him
by surprise.
"I literally threw up," he said.
"Everything that I had feared and
everything that I had tried to avoid
just went up in smoke."
McGee sent an appeal to Wil-
liam Martin, professor and chair of
nuclear engineering and radiologi-
cal sciences, who told McGee he
would look into the situation.
Because he had spent three
years working on his project before
Hartman took charge of it and
because Hartman dismissed him
shortly before the project was
finished, McGee proposed he be
allowed to complete it.
"'I have so much blood, sweat
and tears with this,"' McGee said
he told Martin. "'Let me finish
this.'
Martin agreed he would talk
with Hartman and get back to him,
but McGee said Martin never did.
Hartman said he would pay
McGee for the rest of the semester.
When McGee contacted Gerdes
after being fired she said she could
not help him because the Univer-
sity was still paying him. If it was
not, then she could get involved.
Since the incident, McGee has
not finished his Ph.D. at the Uni-
versity or been able to obtain
employment in the field - though
he said he sent his resum6 to more
than 30 companies.
If he had been able to finish his
degree, he said he would ideally be
working in a laboratory and pub-
lishing papers. His ultimate goal
was to become a professor ata uni-
versity where he could continue
research and do consulting work.
Now unemployed with a house
and two kids, McGee began to cry
during his testimony as he admit-
ted he's making zero income and
his wife is working two jobs to pay
the bills.
"I'm very upset and very ner-
vous about my future," he said.
- Daily Staff Reporter Mallory
Jones contributed to this report.
When your boss is after your fiancee,
. The Marriage of
UMusic,Daance
By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lorenzo da Ponte
Sung in Italian with projected English translations
University Opera Theatre directed by Robert Swedberg
University Symphony Orch. conducted by Kenneth Kiesler
Nov. 12 at 7:30 PM- Nov. 13 & 14 at 8 PM - Nov. 15 at 2 PM
Power Center 'Tickets $24 and $18 - Students $g with ID
League Ticket Office - 734-764-2538
N