Courtney Ratkowiak: As a public institution, the University's medical school should start paying more attention to in-state students. PAGE 4A
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Ann Arbor, Michigan
UNt V STR RE A L
Wayne State
open center
for research
Monday, February 8, 2010
michigandaily.com
PLAYING UNDER THE STARS
Headquarters in
* Lansing will be
hub for research in
state, officials say
By JOSEPH LICHTERMAN
Daily StaffReporter
LANSING - Michigan's Uni-
versity Research Corridor, a col-
laboration of the University of
Michigan, Michigan State Univer-
sity and Wayne State University
officially opened its headquarters
here Friday afternoon.
Created in 2007, the URC was
formed to foster cooperation and
combine resources between the
three research universities in
order to help strengthen the state's
economy.
University President Mary Sue
Coleman, MSU President Lou
Anna K. Simon and Wayne State
University President Jay Noren
attended the event. Each president
spoke passionately about the URC
and outlined their goals for the
consortium.
Coleman said collaborations
between the three universities
in the state will ultimately help
See photos for this story at
Michigan's economy and future,
adding that the partnerships
extend throughout all levels of the
universities.
"That's deeplysatisfyingbecause
I firmly believe that we will all rise,
we will all challenge each other to
be better as we are collaboratingto
help the state," Coleman said. "We
clearly understand that our future
is deeply connected with the state's
future. We believe that we can be
a positive force for change and we
want to do that."
Jeff Mason, executive director
of the URC, said the consortium
was established in order to bring
the research occurring at each of
the three universities together to
help facilitate growth in Michi-
gan's economy.
"For every company expanding
or locating to Michigan, there were
companies that were contracting
or, at worse, closing," Mason said.
He explained that expanding
companies in the state are in sec-
tors like information technology,
life sciences, advanced manufac-
turing and alternative energy. He
added that the universities have a
See URC, Page 7A
MAX COLLINS/Daily
The Michigan men's hockey team shakes hands with players from the Wisconsin hockey team after the Badgers' 3-2 win in Madison. The game was played on an out-
door rink constructed in Wisconsin's camp Randall Stadium, home of the Badgers' football team. For more on the game, see SportsMonday, inside.
Officials: Betsy Barbour dining
hail willremain open next year
Housing will look
elsewhere to cut
costs, Logan says
By JOSEPH LICHTERMAN
Daily StaffReporter
After much protest from
residents, University Housing
announced Saturday that the din-
ing hall in the Betsy Barbour Resi-
dence Hall will remain operational
for the 2010-2011 academic year.
At a meeting with Betsy Bar-
bour and Helen Newberry resi-
dents last week, University officials
discussed closing the dining hall
in an effort to cut down on costs.
If the dining hall closed, Hous-
ing said residents could eat in the
North Quad Residence Hall that is
scheduled to open next fall on East
Washington Street.
But on Saturday, Linda New-
man, director of University Hous-
ing, sent an e-mail to all Barbour
and Newberry residents announc-
ing plans to keep the dining hall
open. Newman wrote in the e-mail
that the meeting held last Wednes-
day between Housing officials and
residents influenced Housing's
decision.
"The earnest views of the Bar-
bour/Newberry community have
persuaded us to continue to pro-
vide meal service at Betsy Barbour
Hall next year," Newman wrote in
the e-mail.
University Housing spokesman
Peter Logan said in an interview
See BARBOUR, Page 7A
CONSIDERING SOLUTIONS
SA M r S VIK
In campus firefighting, AAFD,
'U' share a complex relationship
As AAFD faces
cuts, union official
says it will seek
University help
By LAUREN DAVIES
For theDaily
While Ann Arbor firefighters
of Local 693 respond to fire emer-
gencies on campus, the Univer-
sity doesn't plan to extend further
financial support to the depart-
ment, which is facing severe bud-
get cuts.
Last month, Ann Arbor fire-
fighters postponed potential lay-
offs by taking a 4-percent pay cut.
However, the city is now con-
sidering laying off 19 firefighters
when a new contract is set in July.
The changes have the potential to
impact fire safety on campus, and
the fire department may turn to
the University for support.
Though Local 693 is strapped
for funds, University officials say
they will not create a firefighting
unit on campus even though the
University has its ownpolice force.
According to University Police
spokeswoman Diane Brown, the
University created the Department
of Public Safety because city police
were strugglingto respond quickly
to campus calls. In addition, DPS
officers are trained specially to
respond to campus-specific crimes
like residence hall incidents and
large University events.
Unlike DPS officers, University
officials don't believe firefighters
need specialized training to serve
campus. Brown said the five fire
stations in Ann Arbor are located
close to the University and have
had no recent history of delayed
See AAFD, Page 7A
MIA MARINO/Daily
Participants at the "Creating the Solutions tothe Problems that Plague Our Broken Cities" sit on a panel discussion on Saturday.
The event was hosted by the University's Law School.
Beanster's Cafe facig money woes
ANN A BOR S NATIONAL 00KSELLER
Decline in sales for Borders
could spell big job losses in A2
Official: 18-percent
loss in sales due to
opening of Panera
Bread nearby
By ALEXA BREEDVELD
For the Daily
Beanster's Cafe, located in the
Michigan League, has long been a
popular spot for students to study
during breaks between classes, grab
a quick lunch and chat with friends.
But despite long lines and tables
that are always filled, the caf6 is
reporting an 18-percent decline
in sales for the 2009 fiscal year.
According to Laura Seagram, the
marketing specialist for the Uni-
versity cafes, sales have been down
since Panera Bread opened a block
away from Beanster's on North Uni-
versity Avenue in April last year.
In an effort to set itself apart
from Panera Bread, Seagram said
Beanster's is trying to offer things
the national chain can't, like using
locally grown ingredients and man-
agers who are trained chefs and
baristas.
"These are things we're trying to
do to stand apart ... both marketing-
wise and operationally, to bring in
that audience, to try and compete
with somebody who is a national
brand," Seagram said.
Beanster's Manager Jessica Rob-
erts also said the cafe aims to give
customers something different from
whatcthey can expect from a nation-
al chain.
"Our focus for Beanster's Cafe is
a core menu that is value friendly,
with seasonal fresh products that
See BEANSTERS, Page 7A
con
15th
Bor
bookst
strugg
emplo
in mai
nn Arbor-based months. And with the chain being
one of the area's largest employers,
npany is county's a decline in sales for Borders may
mean a significant number of Ann
1-largest employer Arbor residents would be out of a
job.
By ROBIN VEECK Like many bookstores, Borders
For the Daily is fighting to compete with online
- - retailers like Amazon.com Inc.
ders, the popular national Borders is also facing the decreas-
tore based in Ann Arbor, has ing profitability of its movie and
led with decreasing sales, music sales. While Borders's com-
yee layoffs and a change petitor Barnes and Nobles Inc.
nagement over the last few reported a 5-percent fall in holiday
sales from last year, Borders's sales
were down 13.7 percent from last
year's.
Borders is Washtenaw County's
15th largest employer, according to
a report released bythe AnnArbor.
com business review. The report,
which states that Borders employs
825 people in Washtenaw County,
was released last month before the
most recent wave of corporate lay-
offs.
David Petrak, Ann Arbor city
See BORDERS, Page 7A
WEATHER HI: 26
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