BACK IN THE TOURNEY MIX
Michigan women's soccer - worst in the Kid Cudi takesr.
Big Ten in 2008 - is going to the NCAA despondency to ne
Tournament for the first time in four years. .on his latest album.
PAGE 8

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Tuesday, November 9,2010

michigandaily.com

MICHIGAN STUDENT ASSEMBLY
Shirvell fired
by attorney
general over
anti-gay blog
AG Cox: Shirvell's of conduct unbecoming a state
employee," Cox wrote in the state-
actions were ment.
According to the press release,
'unbecoming a state Shirvell went to Armstrong's
house three times - one of which
employee' was at 1:30a.m.
"That incident is especially tell-
By NICOLE ABER ing because it clearly was about
Daily NewsEditor harassing Mr. Armstrong, not
engaging in free speech," Cox
Andrew Shirvell - the Michi- wrote.
gan assistant attorney general The former assistant attorney
engulfed in general's behavior also included
a firestorm First reported on "harassing Armstrong's friends
of criticism MichiganDailycont as they were socializing in Ann
after he cre- Arbor" and "attempting to 'out'
ated a blog attacking Michigan Armstrong's friends as homosex-
Student Assembly President Chris ual - several of whom were not
Armstrong - has been fired by the gay," Cox wrote,
attorney general's office. Shirvell had been on a leave of
Michigan Attorney General absence since the story, which was
Mike Cox wrote in a statement first reported by the Daily in Sep-
released this afternoon that tember, started attracting national
Shirvell "was fired for conduct headlines in late September.
unbecoming a state employee." This is a change from Cox's
Cox wrote that Shirvell wasn't opinion on Shirvell's behavior last
fired for exercising his First month, when the attorney gen-
Amendment rights, but rather for eral was on CNN's Anderson Coo-
"harassing conduct," among other per 360. On the show, Cox said
reasons. Shirvell's actions were protected
"The cumulative effects of his by the First Amendment.
use of state resources, harassing Shirvell's "use of state resourc-
conduct that is NOT protected by es" included calling Speaker of
the First Amendment, and his lies the U.S. House of Representatives
during the disciplinary conference Nancy Pelosi's office - where
all demonstrate adequate evidence See SHIRVELL, Page 7

JAKEFROMM/Daily
University President Mary Sue Coleman (right) and Vice President for Student Affairs E. Royster Harper hold a fireside chat with students in the Kuenzel Room of the
Michigan Union yesterday. Topics at the event ranged from campus diversity to vampire novels to the two administrators' favorite restaurants in Ann Arbor.
At fireside chat, Coleman fields
questions on campus diversity

Wide-ranging event
also covers vampire
novels, top eateries
By KYLE SWANSON
Daily News Editor
Speaking before an intimate
group of students gathered in
front of a crackling fire in the Kue-
nzel Room of the Michigan Union
yesterday, University President

Mary Sue Coleman answered a
variety of questions that ranged
from serious matters like diversi-
ty at the University to more light-
hearted topics like the book she
recently read about vampires.
Coleman's first monthly fire-
side chat of the year drew approx-
imately 40 students who pitched
questions to Coleman and E.
Royster Harper, the University's
vice president of student affairs.
Among the topics discussed at
yesterday's gathering was diver-

sity on campus - an issue that
multiple students asked Coleman
about.
Questioned about the Univer-
sity's commitment to diversity,
Coleman said it is an overarch-
ing commitment of which she is
extremely proud.
"I think if there's one thing that
defines the University of Michi-
gan, at least in higher education
and the people who go to the Uni-
versity of Michigan, they say this
is a University that puts its money

where its mouth was,"' Coleman
said. "We were willing to go all
the way to the Supreme Court,
and I'm very proud of that."
In fact, Coleman said the Uni-
versity's commitment to diversity
is one of the reasons she decided
to take the job as the University's
president.
"One of the reasons that I was
attracted to come to Michigan in
the first place was because of the
commitment of the institution (to
See FIRESIDE CHAT, Page 7

PUS BAR SCENE
Ann Arbor bar owners report no
major fallout from smoking ban

Some watering
holes see increased
family business
By K.C. WASSMAN
Daily StaffReporter
More than six months after
Michigan's statewide smoking
ban took effect, owners of local
restaurants and bars say more
families have been eating at their
establishments.
While some owners worried
that the smoking ban - which

took effect May 1, 2010 - would
decrease the number of customers
who frequented their establish-
ments, local restaurant owners
and managers told The Michigan
Daily that their businesses have
actually picked up.
Jim Higgins, day manager of
Ashley's pub on State Street, said
foot traffic has increased and that
more parents are taking their chil-
dren to the pub for meals.
"People aren't afraid of the
smoke anymore," he said.
Though Ashley's has seen a
spike in family business, other
businesses have seen no differ-

ences in clientele.
Ed Evers, manager at Score-
keepers Sports Grill and Pub
Maynard Street, said he has
seen neither an increase nor a
decrease in business because of
the ban.
"(The ban) hasn't really affect-
ed us too much," Evers said.
"Everybody's taken to the law
well."
Evers added he was not a fan
of the ban at first, but he now
thinks it's beneficial.
"The smell of bars has gotten
better," Evers said. "It's nice to
See SMOKING BAN, Page 7

Governor-elect Rick Snyder holds a press conference at Weill Hall yesterday to announce his appointments of Republican Dick
Posthumus (left) to senior adviser and Democrat Andy Dillon (right) to treasurer.
Snyder appoints bipartisan
picks for Lt. Gov., treasurer

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Ross symposium lauds alternative
energy as state's economic future

Democrat Dillon
and Republican
Posthumus named
to cabinet in A'
By BETHANY BIRON
Daily StaffReporter
In a press conference at the
Ford School of Public Policy today,

Michigangovernor-elect Rick Sny-
der announced the appointment of
former lieutenant governor Dick
Posthumus as senior advisor and
current Democratic House Speak-
er Andy Dillon - a former Demo-
cratic candidate for governor - as
treasurer in the Snyder adminis-
tration.
In naming both appointees -
one Republican and one Democrat
- Snyder is bringing in two politi-
cians with extensive experience

working in Lansing. During his
campaign, Snyder branded himself
as an outsider with the business
acumen needed to fix the state.
At the press conference, Snyder
said the two appointees repre-
sent a continuation of the vision
he laid out for the state during his
campaign, adding that they have
experience in both the public and
private sectors.
"It's bringing the best of both
See SNYDER, Page 7

Sen. Stabenow,
GM official speak
at event yesterday
By JENNA SIMARD
Daily StaffReporter
Joint efforts between the Uni-
versity and alternative energy
researchers may be the solution

to Michigan's troubled automo-
bile industry and economy - as
evidenced by a recent symposium
held at the Ross School of Busi-
ness.
Nearly 200 students gathered
in-Blau Auditorium for the sixth
annual economic symposium
hosted by business fraternity Phi
Chi Theta. The event included
speeches from Stephen Forrest,
the University's vice president for

research, Tim Grewe, chief engi-
neer for General Motors's hybrid
powertrain, and U.S. Sen. Debbie
Stabenow (D-Mich.).
The event, which had the
theme "Econ and the Environ-
ment," focused on alternative
energy and its implementation
to improve Michigan's economy.
Though the topic has only recent-
ly gained major prominence in
See EVENT, Page 3


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