SIGH OF RELIEF 0M M Against a mediocre team from Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Norah Jones's ix Michigan halted its three-game losing streak, with star rock 'n' roll that forward Deshawn Sims re-emerging in a big way. as tame as her 0 SEE SPORTSMONDAY INSIDE S3 Ann Arbor, Michigan Monday, December 7,2009 michigandaily.com OLD MEETS NEW COPENH AGEN CLMAT E SUMMIT 'U' team heads to UN talks w TOREHAN SHARMAN/Daily High school students from across Michigan and prospective members of the Michigan Marching Band rehearse with the band at Crisler Arena yesterday. The rehearsal was used as a way to promote the Michigan Marching Band to future students. AMENDING THE CAM US CONSTITUTIN St dent form group to continue push to re-writ stitution St and] UN By J Doze profess the th ing to today t Nation Confer Near expecte ish capi one oft talks o the cor yield a. many o ers - it India ai make f sions. T and otl watchd viding believe the talk The today t togethe 192 cot that wo around The which I udents, alumni including students and faculty from Alma College - asmall school profs. to observe in the center of Michigan - will be one of over 985 non-governmental climate change organizations attending the con- ference. The delegation has been conference granted observer status, which means members will be permitted OSEPH LICHTERMAN to sit in on all of the official delib- Daily Staff Reporter erations. Ricky Rood, a professor of rns of University students, Atmosphere, Oceanic and Space ors and alumni are among Sciences, is leading the University ousands of people head- delegation. Rood said the Univer- Copenhagen, Denmark sity is just one of the many to be o participate in the United granted observer status. 's COP15 Climate Change Rood said these observer groups ence. are in place because the United 'ly 100 world leaders are Nations wants to protect the con- rd to descend upon the Dan- ference's credibility. tal for what is beingbilled as "If you go and look at the all of the most important climate the observers, you would find a f the last few years. While range of universities. You would nference isn't expected to find some NGO advocacy groups, ny major binding treaties, you might find some trade groups, if the world's worst pollut- some trade associations," Rood ncluding the United States, said, "But, essentially, it's a mecha- nd China - are expected to nism to ensure transparency to the sajor concessions on emis- process." 'he University's delegation, When the members of the Uni- sers like it, will serve as a versity delegation are not at the og on this process, pro- conference's official events, they - United Nations officials said they would be at various side - more transparency for events in Copenhagen that will s. focus on different aspects of the conference, which runs climate change debate. hrough Dec. 18, will bring Each University participant will r representatives from be attending and volunteering at untries to discuss policies side events that pertain to his or uld limit carbon emissions her studies and interests. the world. Engineering senior Aubrey Ann University delegation, Parker said she would be going to has more than 40 members, See CLIMATE CHANGE, Page 7A New student group led primarily by officials from MSA By MALLORY JONES Daily StaffReporter After the Central Student Judi- ciary ruled the Michigan Stu- dent Assembly-led Constitutional Convention unconstitutional, the leaders of the former convention and 20 of its members formed a student group to continue the convention's efforts to amend the campus-wide constitution. On Sept. 29, MSA created the Constitutional Convention in hopes of amending the student constitution, but CSJ ruled on Nov. 23 that the convention's participants were not properly elected. Students interested in the origi- nal convention submitted applica- tions to MSA President Abhishek Mahanti, who then selected about 40 applicants and presented their names to the assembly for approv- al. CSJ ruled that this process did not constitute an election as required by the constitution and ordered the Constitutional Con- vention be disbanded. Immediately after the trial, members of the former convention mobilized to create the student group Students for Progressive Governance to continue the effort to revise the constitution. Amendments can be added to See CONSTITUTION, Page 3A FOOTBALL SAT URDAYS Big Ten schools push to curb drinking at football games TELLING SECRETS 'U' officials: There's no plan to bring similar program to the Big House By GRACELIN BASKARAN Daily StaffReporter In an effort to cut down on excessive drinking before foot- ball games, two Big Ten schools are implementing probationary programs for students who are ejected from games because of drunkenness. But the University of Michigan doesn't plan to implement a simi- lar program any time soon. The Show and Blow program at theUniversityofWisconsin allows students who have been ejected from a game due to excessive drinking to attend future games if they take a breathalyzer test prior to kickoff. The University of Min- nesota began a similar program this year called Check BAC. Mary Jo Desprez, alcohol and other drug policy and prevention administrator, said University of Michigan officials don't have any plans to implement a similar program, adding that managing incidents of excessive alcohol con- sumption can be difficult given the number of other activities and demands at football games. "Alcohol issues, especially on a Football Saturday, can really be a tremendous issue to manage," Desprez said. "I think it's even See ALCOHOL, Page 7A MSA ELECTIONS Issue with registrar delays MIA MA RINO/Daily PostSecret creator Frank Warren speaks on Friday at the Michigan Theatre. Warren posts 20 new anonymous postcards to his website PostSecret.com every Sunday. He has also published five books, most recently "Confessions of Life, Death and God." MAKIN IHLGRAr official MSA election results Site gives students advice on papers Results are expected to be certified today after bureaucratic hurdle gets cleared By STEPHANIE STEINBERG Daily StaffReporter Because of a conflict between administration officials and the Michigan Student Assembly, about five to10 newly elected MSA mem- bers will not be sworn in as sched- uled tomorrow. Student Affairs Program Man- ager and MSA Adviser Anika Awai- Williams must first verify with the University's Office of the Registrar that candidates are enrolled in the school theyare elected to represent before they can be seated. She must also check their uniqnames and student identification numbers. In previous years, Awai-Williams has been given immediate access to the data. But Williams has been on medical leave for the last four weeks, and the Office of the Regis- trar refuses to release the informa- tion to any other MSA official. MSA fall election polls closed last Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. On Wednes- See MSA ELECTIONS, Page 3A Experts provide writing feedback on Mindbounce.com By BETHANY BIRON Daily StaffReporter The days of waiting around for feedback from your professor or Graduate Student Instructor on a midterm paper may soon beover. Miodhounce.com, a new online given a nurturing environment," company, aims to provide students Speagle said. "And I think that's with the ability to connect with what Mindbounce offers." writing professionals around the President and Founder Said nation who can provide feedback Hamideh originally started the on students' writing. company this past August after Gordan Speagle, Mindbounce's encountering difficulty finding quality assurance manager, said he help for his master's thesis. thinks writing isn't simply a skill "He felt there should be a service that "you either have or you don't." out there that allows people to get "I think everyone can learn to feedback from writing profession- get feedback and help cultivate als who can give them constructive their own writing style if they're See WEBSITE, Page 3A "Oak WEATHER H:36 TOMORROW LU'33 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-763-2459ore-mail news abmichigandaily.com and let us know. NEWON MICHIGANDAILY.COM Mpowered announces 1,000 Pitches winners. MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS/ THE WIRE INDEX NEWS....... Vol CXX, No. 61 SUDOKU.. C2009 The Michigan Daly OPINION.. michigadoilv.com ....................2A ARTS.. . . .........,5A .......3A CLASSIFIEDS.............. 6A .... .... .... 4A SPORTS MONDAY...............,tA