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Friday, March 12, 2010 -- 5

TRANSPORTATION
Frorm Page 1
itself; it's a systemic fix," he said.
"We have to be able to under-
stand human behavior, eco-
nomics, politics, as well as the
technology to be able to address
these problems."
Seeger said the topics dis-
cussed at the summit could have
a huge impact on the Detroit
area, where transportation
largely affects the economy.
"Southeast Michigan is a real-
ly wonderful network for explor-
ing these questions," he said.
"We know that transportation
resources can really be the heart
of economic transformation.
This is the place where the car
was invented and this is where
transportation can be reinvent-
ed."
At the upcoming summit
the consortium plans to bring
together scholars and research-
ers from many different fields,
DEARBORN
From Page 1
time soon.
Currently, the University
invests some of its $6 billion dol-
lar endowment in companies like
Boeing, Northrup-Grumman
and BAE - corporations which
reportedly provide Israel with
support in the form of military
weapons and machinery.
Hussein Berry, the author of
the resolution in Dearborn, said
these kinds of University finan-
cial investments are unethical
and take advantage of the Ise-
 li-Palestinian conflict.
"There are people dying with
our dollar... it's blood money,"
Berry said.
But there are currently no
plans for a similar resolution in
MSA. When asked if the Michi-
gan Student Assembly would
support their Dearborn coun-
terpart, Michael Rorro, vice
president of MSA, said that he
couldn't comment on that pos-
sibility specifically because "it
hasn't been, brought up to the
assembly in any official way."
Rorro added that the job of the
student government is to "make
student life better at the Univer-
sity of Michigan. If a resolution
like this can do that...the govern-
ment can consider it."
Richard Kallus, chair of the
American Movement for Israel
here, wrote in an e-mail that
divestment efforts will not go far
GROCERIES
From Page 1
ed," Zhangsaid.
Garske and Zhang buy non-
perishable items in bulk from
Sam's Club and all other grocer-
ies from Meijer and sell them toi
students at a 15-to-25 percent
markup price on average, which
is 24 percent cheaper than White
Market's prices and 34 percent
cheaper than Village Corner's
prices, according to the students'
business plans.
"Convenience stores know
they can mark up a lot because
they know they're most stu-

dents' only option," Garske said.
"They do this because they know
they can get away with it."
Garske said the business is
also involved with MPowered
Entrepreneurship, a student
organization focused on foster-
ing student entrepreneurship at
the University.
Engineering sophomore
Devin Min, a member of MPow-
ered, wrote in an e-mail inter-
view that the Student Start-up
Outreach Program - a sub-
group of MPowered that pro-
vides consulting to student
start-ups - is working with Ann
Arbor Grocery Delivery.
"They approached us asking
for help," Mm wrote. "We, as a
team, analyze the problem they
are facing and brainstorm what
the best possible solution is."
Min wrote that he thinks the
grocery delivery service is a
worthwhile business venture, as
many students don't have easy
access to affordable groceries.
"We like to think (that) every
venture has potential to expand
and become successful," he
wrote. "Knowing students are in
need of groceries and how they
complain about other resources
given to them, we feel that this
venture can make a huge impact
on campus."
Zhang said the business cur-
rently has about 190 items avail-
able for delivery, but they have
plans to add more.
Garske said they currently
have about 20 paying custom-
ers and are working toward
promoting their brand image
through posting signs in Angell

in addition to representatives
from stakeholder groups and the
national transportation commu-
nity, Seeger said.
"This is an opportunity to get
everyone together at the same
table and have discussions about
what are the important issues
and how can we put together
research teams across the uni-
versities and across disciplines
to explore these issues," he said.
Susan Zielinski, manag-
ing director of the Sustain-
able Mobility and Accessibility
Research and Transformation
initiative - a part of the Univer-
sity of Michigan's Transporta-
tion Research Institute - wrote
in an e-mail interview that the
most pressing transportation
challenges are in urban areas
because half of the world's popu-
lation lives in cities.
Overcrowding in cities poses a
challenge for the transportation
industry,' as it leads to problems
like congestion, social inequity
and commuting, according to
in addressing the conflict in the
Middle East.
"Divestment or any talk of
divestment would do nothing to
solve the conflict in the region,"
he said.
The U-M Dearborn student
government passed similar reso-
lutions in 2005 and 2006, but
according to David Skrbina, a
lecturer of philosophy and fac-
ulty advisor to the Arab Student
Union at U-M Dearborn, the
University didn't follow through
with the resolutions because
they weren't in accordance with
the regents' rules on student
activism.
Skrbina said instead of asking
the Board of Regents to form an
investigative advisory commit-
tee on the issue, the previous
resolutions "went directly to
divestment."
He added that students passed
the current resolution in an
attempt to pressure the Universi-
ty to withdraw its financial sup-
port from companies involved in
the conflict.
Though she hasn't comment-
ed on it recently, University
President Mary Sue Coleman
said in a statement in 2002
that the University wouldn't be
divesting.
"I do not support divestment,"
Coleman said in the statement.
"As a matter of University policy,
we do not believe political inter-
ests should govern our invest-
ment decisions."
According to Coleman, two
Hall and setting up stands in the
Diag to allow students to sign
up and receive a free delivery of
sampler groceries. Zhang said
they also plan on doing marketc
research on how to attract more
students.
"What we're trying to let stu-
dents know is that our business
is convenient, fast and cheap," he
said.
Engineering freshman Varun
Annadi wrote in an e-mail inter-
view that he found out about the
business through a Facebook
group invitation.
"I chose to use their service
because I noticed that their web-

Zielinski.
Zielinski wrote that she would
like to see the consortium dis-
cuss integrated transportation
systems that would allow oppor-
tunities for people to share car
rides and use free bicycles.
She also wrote that she would
like to see new advances in tech-
nology, with ideas like "door-to-
door wayfinding," a method in
which someone would be able
to enter their origin and desti-
nation into their computer or
mobile phone, and then find out
all modes of transportion they
could take to reach their desti-
nation.
Though the initiatives will
begin in Detroit, Zielinski wrote
that the consortium's ideas are
beginning to move to a national
and global level.
"Given the context of urban-
ization and economic challenge,
all areas of the country benefit
from more sophisticated, opti-
mized, cost effective and user-
focused systems," she wrote.
past instances in which the Uni-
versity divested - in 1978 to pro-
test South African apartheid and
in 2000 from tobacco stocks -
were consequences of sustained
support for the issues from the
campus community.
Both Berry and Skrbina are
currently working to raise cam-
pus awareness and interest in the
issue of divestment. Recently,
the Arab Student Union held a
week-long series of events focus-
ing on issues of divestment and
the realities for Palestinians
involved in the Israeli-Palestin-
ian conflict.
Berry said though awareness
of the conflict has come with the
large number of Arab Americans
on Dearborn's campus, he does
not believe that this resolution is
anti-semitic.
"The issue isn't whether or not
we should divest from Israel," he
said. "The issue is whether or not
we should divest from the killing
of innocent people," he said.
Berry added that he is work-
ing to gain the support of Jewish
students on Dearborn's campuss
by working with groups like the
Jewish Student Organization
and the Jewish Voice for Peace.
In addition, Berry said he
is currently circulating a peti-
tion supporting the resolution
through both the Ann Arbor
and Dearborn campuses, which
already has the signatures of
about 1,500 students and more
than 200 faculty and staff mem-
bers.
site was well organized and their
delivery schedule seemed well
planned and regular," Annadi
wrote. "I was enticed by the pros-
pect of having groceries deliv-
ered to me at prices that were
clearly less than those at local
grocery stores."
Annadi wrote that he is "thor-
oughly satisfied" with the Ann
Arbor Grocery Delivery's servic-
es and plans to continue using it.
"I have no desire to go back
to paying more at local conve-
nience stores for items that could
be delivered to me for a cheaper
rate," he wrote. "It is hassle free
and completely reliable."

COLEMAN
From Page 1
charges "very seriously."
"We are determined to have a
program that meets all_ the rules
and regulations and does it in the
right way. Nobody wants to not do
it in the right way."
However, Coleman made it
clear that there is more left in the
process and that she is focused on
"finding out what the issues are
and then addressing the issues in
the appropriate way."
"I think we just have to get
through the process. It's very
important," Coleman said.
In further discussion with one
of the students at the event, Cole-
man told the audience she believes
the football program is still in good
standing.
"We do have a good reputa-
tion and having a good reputation
in the future is very important,"
Coleman said.
COLEMAN RESPONDS TO
STUDENT COMPLAINTS
ABOUT UNIVERSITY DINING
At the event, students also
expressed mixed opinions about
the quality of the food served in
the dining halls and the selection
of food that is available with a few
students saying they believe they
are paying too much for substan-
dard food.
Linda Newman, director of Uni-
versity Housing, said the Univer-
sity tries to make sure there is a
wide variety of quality food at all
dining halls on campus. She added
that because of the plethora of food
available, and because so much
goes into the making of the food,
prices are higher than at some res-
taurants.
"Granted, in this kind of envi-
ronment it will be more than the
price you will pay for the price of
a hamburger at McDonalds," New-
man said. "But there is a lot more
SUITES
From Page 1
Parker said in order to sell the
remaining suites and seats, his office
will continue to make connections
with loyal Michigan football fans as
well as those currently not involved
with Michigan football.
The suites, which flank both the
west and east sides of the stadium
will cost buyers $55,000 to $85,000
annually. A large portion of the
funds from each sale is considered a
contribution to the University and is
used to finance the stadium renova-
tions.

that goes into providing that ham-
burger than there is at McDon-
alds."
Coleman encouraged students
to share any issues they have with
the dining halls, adding that the
University is committed to pro-
viding the best experience for
diners.
"We continue to try and provide
the best we can for the price. We
are not making a profit on the food
service, believe me," Coleman said.
Students also expressed con-
cern about the amount of food that
is wasted in the dining halls each
day.
Dan Schleh, associate director
of Residential Dining Services,
said the University always tries to
reduce the amount of waste.
Schleh said previously the din-
ing hall in Markley Residence Hall
tried to go without trays to reduce
waste, but students didn't like it,
adding that in about two weeks the
East Quadrangle Residence Hall
dining hall will experiment with
not using meal trays.
"I've visited campuses where
they've done it," he told students.
"I've talked to the director at times
and I've talked to the students and
I asked them how they like it. It's
kind of a mixed bag. Some students
said they really liked it and others
say,'I now have to make three trips
to get (food). So it's kind of inter-
esting, but we are trying it."
Another student asked Coleman
about the possibility of moving
the nutritional facts on each menu
option - which are currently
placed directly over the dishes as
their served - away from the buf-
fet line.
The student, who is recovering
from an eating disorder, said it can
be difficult for individuals to take
food, when they see the amount of
calories in each dish.
Schleh said the University was
already in the process of making
this change. He said computers
displaying nutritional facts for all
menu items will soon be placed in
Parker added that every suite
purchased after the 70 percent sale
target has been reached would pro-
vide additional money for funding
other projects in the athletic depart-
ment.
Fewer than 20 of the suite buyers,
Parker said, are "true corporate enti-
ties," and that the majority of suites
has been purchased by individual
consumers. He added that many of
the individual as well as corporate
buyers, like Dow Chemical and DTE
Energy, have had a long-standing
history with the University.
"It has not been, whatI think alot
of people might have anticipated, as
just a lot of companies that have had

dining halls across campus.
COLEMAN TALKS CAMPUS-
WIDE SMOKING BAN
Students also expressed concern
regarding the campus-wide smok-
ing ban - set to go into effect in
July 2011 - to Coleman. One stu-
dent, who has attended previous
fireside chats, questioned Coleman
extensively on the topic and ada-
mantly protested the ban.
Coleman said a taskforce dedi-
cated to the topic, which is made
up of both smokers and nonsmok-
ers, might designate certain areas
on campus for people to smoke
in, but that the ban is moving for-
ward.
"They have discussed the issue
of whether or not they should
create some spaces that would
be a transition," Coleman said.
"We don't want to have these, I
think, forever, but as transition
spaces where people could go and
smoke."
The proposed ban has rubbed
some on campus the wrong way,
including the student who raised
the topic at the fireside chat.
During the event, the student
asked Coleman if she believed
unhealthy food - like cheese-
burgers and pizza - should simi-
larly be banned from dining halls
on campus to make students lead
healthier lives.
"We need to ban the choice or
they're going to make that bad
decision," the student said sarcas-
tically, playing off comments other
students made about the quality of
food in University dining halls.
In an interview after the event,
Coleman said she would encourage
any students who have an inter-
est in the impending smoking ban
to speak to the task force and give
their opinion.
"We are moving," she said.
"We've made the decision to move
on this and we are going to try to
satisfy people's legitimate con-
cerns."
no experience with the institution,"
Parker said.
And, while the economic climate
has been a factor in suite sales, Park-
er said he doesn't believe the foot-
ball team's record over the past two
years has affected sales.
"Most people that we've talked
to, they've invested in Michigan
football for years and they realize,
like all things in life, there are points
in time where its cyclical and there's
going to be some experiences that
are kind of a downturn," Parker
said. "So, they're in it for the long
term. They aren't thinking about
the course of two seasons and wins
and losses."

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