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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
michigandaily.com
MICHIGAN FOOTBSALL
Practice logs
not filed, July
audit found
Eastern Michigan University sophomore Victoria Francola and junior Casey Williamson watch the Leonid meteor shower in the Nichols Arboretum early this morning.
It is expected that the shower will be special this year because of the moon's phase. For more photos of the meteor shower, go to michigandaily.com.
REGENTS PREVIEW
Regents mull$i n projects
Experts on NCAA
rules say latest release
may spell trouble for
Michigan football
By GARY GRACA and
KYLE SWANSON
Editor in Chief and Daily News Editor
A University audit released yes-
terday found the football team
failed to turn in forms that track
various athletic activities for the
2008-2009 academic year. And
though University documents say
the issue has been resolved, sev-
eral experts have said they believe
this seems likely to be the latest in
a growing pile of problems the Ath-
letic Department is facing.
The audit, conducted by Uni-
versity Audits in partnership with
the Athletics Compliance Services
Office was completed on July 24
and came nearly a month before
the Detroit Free Press published its
report on Aug. 30 that alleged the
football team violated rules gov-
erning practice time and off-season
workouts.
The audit -, the University's
annual compliance review - "did
not observe any issues of non-
compliance with NCAA rules and
regulations," but did find that the
football team did not submit Count-
able Athletically Related Activities
forms. Auditors stated that the fail-
ure to turn in these forms did not
violate NCAA rules.
CARA forms, which are essen-
tially practice logs, track the num-
ber of hours student-athletes spend
on their sports and are used to
track compliance with NCAA rules
regarding countable practice hours.
The forms are supposed to be sub-
mitted monthly by both the coaches
and players, though the Athletic
Department allows flexibility for
larger teams. However, the audit
stated the Michigan football team
failed to submit its CARA forms in
a timely manner.
In response to these findings,
the auditors wrote a memorandum
to head football coach Rich Rodri-
guez, Bradley Labadie, director
of football operations, and Scott
Draper, assistant athletic director
for football operations, explaining
the problem and urging the Ath-
letic Department to correct it.
"Athletics should emphasize to
the football program the impor-
tance of submitting CARA forms
timely to ensure compliance with
NCAA limits on athletically relat-
ed activities," the memo stated.
"Athletics should also determine if
the football programs process for
completing CARA forms can be
improved and assist if necessary."
The memorandum ended by
stating, "There will be no follow-
up review for this issue and your
See AUDIT, Page 3
Renovation sites
include Wolverine
Tower, museum
By KYLE SWANSON
Daily News Editor
During its monthly meeting on
Thursday, the University's Board
of Regents is set to review propos-
als that would spend $31.4 million
to renovate facilities and upgrade
operations.
The regents are expected to
approve renovations to Wolverine
Tower, the Edward Henry Kraus
Building, the Chemistry Building
and the Willard H. Dow Labora-
tory. The regents are also expect-
ed to give the OK for a renovation
and relocation of the Alexander G.
Ruthven Museums Building and
the Museum of Zoology collec-
tion and a maintenance project to
strengthen information technol-
ogy services on campus.
The largest of the projects to be
considered is a $17.6 million reloca-
tion and renovation project for the
Museum of Zoology's collection.
According to the formal request
from Timothy Slottow, executive
vice president and chief financial
officer, the project will move most
of the "wet" collection - consist-
ing of specimens preserved in fluid
- into 46,000 square feet of newly
renovated space in the Varsity
Drive building.
Additionally, the project will
include a plan to create a safe stor-
age area for the museum's teach-
ing collection by renovating about
6,800 square feet of space in the
Ruthven Museums Building.
In a communication to the
regents, Slottow laid out his
request for $2.2 million to fund a
renovation of four laboratory facil-
ities in the Edward Henry Kraus
Building. If approved, renovations
will include work on four labora-
tories and their support spaces on
the first, second, third and fourth
floors of the building. The 5,900
square-foot project is slated for
completion in the fall of 2010.
Slottow is also requesting an
additional $6.3 million for a 61,000
square-foot renovation spanning
seven floors of the Wolverine
Tower facility, located on State
Street across from Briarwood
Mall. According to Slottow's letter
requesting approval for the funds,
See REGENTS, Page 3
STAT E L EGISL AT UR E
Ann Arbor representatives
push for two gay rights bills
STRONG FEELINGS ON GENDER-NEUTRAL HOUSING
San
non
pol
pro
Pro
Michi
ward
tion o
legali
the st
a state
comml
prohib
sexual
Bot
same-
and
House
state
includ
The
introdi
Temp
Twp.)
amend
to he
state.
tion w
recogn
perfor
The
a com
ne-sex marriage, clergy members to exempe themo-
selves from performing same-sex
i-discrimination marriages.
In an interview yesterday,
icies the focus of Byrnes said the main motivation
in introducing the amendment
posed legislation was to ensure equal rights for all
people.
By NICOLE ABER "I think it's time for people to
Daily StaffReporter acknowledge the change in atti-
tude...that more and more people
ponents of gay rights in are acceptingofhomosexual rela-
gan took two big steps for- tionships and the need that these
recently with the introduc- people have to be respected and
tf a resolution that would honored as anybody else as far
ze same-sex marriage in as their rights are concerned,"
ate and the passage through Byrnes said.
e House of Representatives But opponents of the bill, like
ittee of a bill that would Rep.DaveAgema(R-Grandville),
bit discrimination based on argue that Byrnes's proposal is
1 orientation. unwarranted because Michigan
h the proposal to permit citizens voted in 2004 to ban
sex marriage in the state same-sex marriage in the state.
the anti-discrimination "In 2004, we voted on that
e bill were introduced by issue and the people in the state
legislators whose districts of Michigan overwhelmingly
e Ann Arbor. voted not to do that," Agema
marriage resolution, said. "So to me, what's going on
uced by House Speaker Pro here is completely trying to erase
ore Pam Byrnes (D-Lyndon or eliminate what the people in
, would overturn a 2004 the state of Michigan have voted
dment that limits marriage on."
terosexual couples in the Legal rights and benefits for
Additionally, the resolu- married couples were the main
could also make the state concerns that contributed to
nize same-sex marriages Byrnes's decision to introduce
med in other states. the amendment.
proposal also contains "I'm looking at the legal aspect
tponent that would allow of acknowledgment and benefits
in law that married couples, het-
erosexual married couples have,
and I believe that those same
benefits should be accorded to
same sex partners," Byrnes said.
But Byrnes said she decided to
includethecomponentthat would
exempt clergy members from
performing marriage ceremonies
to same-sex couples because she
does not want to mandate this
law for those who do not agree
with it because of certain reli-
gious beliefs - a nuance that was
modeled after Vermont's same-
sex marriage legislation.
"There are religious beliefs
out there that do not support
that position and...at this point
in time, I felt very uncomfortable
about mandating that all clergy
must perform this ceremony
because of religious beliefs,"
Byrnes said.
As Byrnes introduced this pro-
posal, the House Judiciary Com-
mittee passed a separate bill that
would prohibit discrimination
based on sexual orientation.
The bill, introduced last year
by Rep. RebekahWarren (D-Ann
Arbor), would update the Elliott-
Larsen Civil Rights Act passed in
1976.
The bill was introduced in
order to extend equal civil rights
to people of all sexual orienta-
tions as a moral imperative, War-
See LEGISLATION, Page 7
AAKON AUSBUER/Lcaily
LSA senior Joel Berger shows his support for gender-neutral housing at a rally on the Diag yesterday. For a complete story on the
rally, check out our news blg, The Wire, at michigandaily.com/blogs/the wire.
LITIG A TItN ReEPOR T
Whilstleblo0wer trial verdict delayed
Verdict expected
today, after day of
testimony Monday
By BETHANY BIRON
DailyStaffReporter
The case brought by a former
University research assistant
alleging wrongful termination
from his research post will drag
on for another day after the jury
decided yesterday to hold off
deciding on the final verdict until
this morning.
Robert McGee, 54, filed the suit
against the University Board of
Regents after he was terminated
from his job as a research assistant
in the Nuclear Engineering and
Radiological Sciences Department.
McGee alleges that he was fired
because he reported safety viola-
tions in the laboratory.
McGee said he saw Assistant
Prof. Michael Hartman, who led
the project, engage in various
safety protocol violations, includ-
ing dumping dangerous chemicals
down a drain and entering another
lab without proper access. McGee
saidHartmanalso puthim inadan-
gerous situation in which he could
have been exposed to the highly
radioactive isotope Cesium-237.
Yesterday the judge called two
new witnesses to the stand: Bill
Martin, professor and chair of the
Nuclear Engineering and Radio-
See TRIAL, Page 7
WEATHEHR : 52
TOMORROW LO 46
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City Council approves Silvio's liquor license.
MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS/THE WIRE
INDEX NEWS ................................... 2 SPORTS.. . . .......... 5
Vol. CXX, No. 49 SUDOKU .............................3 CLASSIFIEDS.. . .........6
2009 TheMichiganoDaily OPINION ............AR.................. ............ . .. . . . .....8
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