The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Monday, November 29, 2010 - 3A
NEWS BRIEFS
MORENCI, Mich.
FBI: Planes and
dogs hunt for three
missing children
The head of Detroit's FBI office
says two planes, police dogs and
the agency's behavioral science
experts are aiding the search for
three southern Michigan boys who
went missing on the same day their
father tried to hang himself.
Police in Morenci say they fear
the boys are in "extreme danger,"
and the father hasn't been ruled out
as a suspect.
Chief Larry Weeks says 39-year-
old John Skelton is being treated
at a hospital in Ohio for "mental
health issues" following Friday's
suicide attempt.
Nine-year-old Andrew, 7-year-
old Alexander and a-year-old
Tanner Skelton were last seen
Thursday. Tanya Skelton report-
ed them missing Friday after her
estranged husband failed to return
them on time.
FBI Detroit chief Andrew Arena
said yesterday that it's routine for
his agency to join suspected abduc-
tion cases.
PORTLAND, Ore.
At Christmas tree
ceremony, bomb
suspect hoped for
'spectacular show'
A Somali-born teenager plotted
"a spectacular show" of terror-
ism for months, saying he didn't
mind that children would die if he
bombed a crowded Christmas tree-
lighting ceremony, according to a
law-enforcement official and court
documents.
He never got the chance.
Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19,
was arrested Friday in downtown
Portland after using a cell phone
to try to detonate what he thought
were explosives in a van, pros-
ecutors said. It turned out to be a
dummy bomb put together by FBI
agents, and authorities said the
public was never in danger.
The case is the latest in a string
of alleged terrorist planning by
U.S. citizens or residents, includ-
ing a Times Square plot in which a
Pakistan-born man pleaded guilty
earlier this year to trying to set off
a car bomb at a busy street corner.
In the Portland plot, Mohamud
believed he was receiving help from
a larger ring of jihadists as he com-
municated with undercover agents,
but a law enforcement official who
wasn't authorized to discuss the
case publicly and spoke on a condi-
tion of anonymity told The Associ-
ated Press that no foreign terrorist
organization was directing him.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.
Palin says Iowa
bookstore signing
not a political move
Hundreds turned out for a Sarah
Palin book signing in Iowa, an
event the former Alaska governor
and 2008 Republican vice presi-
dential candidate insisted was not
for political purposes.
Palin's stop Saturday at the Bor-
ders in West Des Moines brought
her back to Iowa, which hosts the
caucuses that kick off the presiden-
tial nominating season.
The "America by Heart" author
has hinted that she's considering a
2012 presidential run, but says the
visit was to promote her new book
and that's all.
Security was tight, and Palin did
no media interviews. People who
bought her book were shuffled to
the signing table in small groups.
RIO DE JANEIRO
Police raid slum to
ensure safety for
upcoming Olympics
Police and soldiers charged into
Rio's most dangerous slum at day
break yesterday, seizing the bastion
of the city's biggest drug gang in a
battle to make the seaside metropo-
lis safe for the Olympics and soc-
cer's World Cup.
Black-clad officers poured into
the Alemao slum complex amid
heavy gunfire, with helicopters fly-
ing low overhead. But the officers
encountered less resistance than
expected and they declared victory
two hours later, even if many gang
members still remained inside.
A Brazilian flag was raised at
the shantytown's highest point at
midday.
- Compiled from
Daily wire reports.
KARTJE
From Page 1A
have the right staff: I used all of
those excuses to justify keeping
him. One more year. That's all he
needed, I thought.
But even I underestimated
how much a game like Saturday's
meant. It might as well have been
2008 again - when Michigan
lost 42-7 to Buckeyes - as the
Wolverines couldn't produce any
offense, the defense got run over
and there were no special teams.
Simply put, they just aren't
a 7-5-caliber team. And sure,
for the first time in three years,
Michigan is going to a bowl. But
really, has Michigan played like a
7-5 team at any point this season?
The Wolverines barely hung
on to beat depleted Purdue and
FCS Massachusetts teams; they
needed a final drive to beat
Indiana and Notre Dame, triple
overtime to beat Illinois, and
they blew out a bad MAC team
in Bowling Green. Thoseare
teams with a combined record
of 26-32.
Michigan's one win to hang its
hat on came in the season's first
game against Connecticut. But
when it comes down to it, a mar-
quee win in your third season
should come against a team more
impressive than an 8-4 squad
from the Big East.
FOUR LOKO
From Page 1A
ban on a specific product.
"I'm not much for the govern-
ment banning things. We still sell
40-percent alcoholic drinks and
higher, and we have 101-51-proof
rum on our shelves that people
have killed themselves on," he
said. "I think that it is up to the
consumers to be careful and to
make their own choices."
Maher Jaboro, co-owner of
A & L Wine Castle, also said he
noticed greater interest in the
drink. Before Four Loko was pro-
hibted, Jaboro said he sold one
case each week. Since the ban, he
has sold about five cases a week.
He added that he thinks the
measure is unjustified.
"There's a lot of things that are
similar or even worse, and (the
commission is) just going after
one particular drink. It's just not
right," Jaboro said. "Before it used
to be they were after it because it
looked like an Arizona Iced Tea
can, but it's not 12 year olds that
are buying it, it's adults that are
buying it."
Kinesiology senior Will Cook
shared a similar opinion as
Jaboro, noting that students can
make their own Four Loko-style
drinks by mixing alcohol and caf-
feine.
"My problem with the ban is
that there is already alcohol and
stimulants out there, and they're
forcing the makers of the drink to
not put those two things together,
which is not effective in my opin-
ADVISING
From Page 1A
updates were made to the PAAO
website and included Wolverine
Access tutorials, developed by
Ron Gordon and Chris Luebbe,
both advisors and coordinators at
Newnan.
The tutorials - in the form of
step-by-step YouTube videos -
show students how to complete
various tasks on Wolverine Access
like swapping classes, dropping
classes, registering and using
Maize Pages.
Information about the new
pre-health and pre-law resource
room located in Angell Hall was
also added to the site, Dodd wrote.
He added that Law School, Medi-
cal School, Dental School and
pre-health peer advisors staff the
resource room.
A first-year timeline, developed
by the New Student Committee,
which offers a calendar of "critical
items for first-year students," was
added to the site, Dodd wrote.
Key additions to the Newnan
website itself also include the Aca-
demic Success Strategies website,
informational YouTube videos
and electronic versions of impor-
tant forms, Dodd wrote.
The Academic Success Strate-
gies website, primarily developed
by Amy Muldoon, an advisor who
now works at the University of
Virginia, aims to help students
develop habits and organizational
skills they may nothave utilized in
high school, Dodd wrote.
"What so many of us know is
And maybe that's the sad - which he said will come after
reality of this whole three-year the bowl game - should be much
debacle. That, all along, Rich less about whether Michigan
Rodriguez was never going to could get Harbaugh and much
take a less-talented team in a more about whether Rich Rodri-
tough conference and coach guez has made progress and
them to big-time wins. He was deserves to stay in Ann Arbor.
never going to beat Ohio State It's a decision he's had five
on Saturday or Michigan State months to think about, a ques-
in October, simply because this tion he should already know the
Michigan team never had a answer to.
chance at being that much more "Sometimes people see what
talented than the rest of its con- they want to see," Rodriguez
ference, like his West Virginia said. "We've made progress. But
team was in the Big East. not as much as aslot of folks want,
That's not because the spread not as much as I want."
offense won't work in the Big But on the field against Ohio
Ten - it will, someday. But for all State, there was nothing to see.
the bells and whistles of Rodri- There was no progress. There
guez's and defensive coordina- was just a team lacking any sem-
tor Greg Robinson's schemes, blance of execution, asteam that
the Wolverines forgot to do one has beat itself more than its beat
important thing the past three good Big Ten teams, asteam mov-
years - just execute and play ing in the wrong direction.
fundamental football. That's It was finally clear to me.
what Big Ten and Michigan Maybe Rich Rodriguez was
football were built on from the never the right fit for Michigan
beginning. It's what we've seen and Michigan was never the
from Mark Dantonio this season, right fit for Rich Rodriguez.
63 miles away in East Lansing. "Michigan will be back," Ohio
It's also what we've seen out State coach Jim Tressel said
of Jim Harbaugh, a guymany after the game.
fans would love to see return to And it will, no doubt. But it's
Ann Arbor. After all, in his first clear as day now, after three of
year at Stanford, Harbaugh's 4-8 the worst years in Michigan foot-
squad beat then-No. 2 USC in a ball history, that it won't be back
game that the visiting Cardinal with Rich Rodriguez as its coach.
had no business winning. Now,
Stanford is 11-1 and a top-5 team. - Kartje can be reached
But Dave Brandon's decision at rkartje@mich.edu.
ion because people are just going only one product being taken off
to get Red Bull and drink it with shelves.
vodka anyways," he said. "When a party store has over
According to Jaboro, this isn't 1,000 items, just one item is not
the first time a product has gar- going to affect (business) like if
nered interest after being pro- you banned a whole liquor shelf...
hibited, citing a recent ban on Unless it was banned on cam-
whipped cream vodka. pus only, then students would go
"The state banned it only somewhere else to buy it, and we
because of the fact that it was would lose business," Kamano
whipped cream," Jaboro said. "As said. "But since it's banned across
soon as it came out, we got it in, state, it's not affecting anyone
people were really interested in other than the Four Loko tom-
it, and when it got banned people pany."
bought it out." Sierra Ruiz, a sophomore at
Jerome Kamano, manager of the University's Flint campus,
the Diag Party Shoppe on North said in an interview in the Michi-
State Street, said he has seen a gan Union that she supported
"big jump" in the number of stu- the ban because she thinks the
dents buying Four Loko. He added mixture of caffeine and alcohol
that he thinks customers are buy- is unhealthy.
ing the drink not because they "It's making people do stupid
enjoy it but because they want to things faster. I actually went to a
try it before it's no longer available Four Loko going-away party, so
for purchase. they had bought a lot of Four Loko
"I don't think they bought it to flavors," Ruiz said. "I only had one
stock up because it was so good," can, and I was done for the night.
Kamano said. "I think more peo- It is one of those things where it is
ple bought it just to try it." dangerous. People are drinking it
After learning about the dan- like it is punch, but it's not really
gerous effect the product has had safe."
on students, Kamano said he sup- Western Michigan University
ported the ban. senior Rachel Jackson said in an
"We sell a full line of liquor, but interview on the Michigan Union
I think the problem (with Four steps that though she enjoyed
Loko) was the caffeine," he said. drinkingthe beverage, she doesn't
"I guess because of the mixture blame the MLCC for banning it
of alcohol and caffeine it's been for safety reasons.
affecting a lot of the students in "I think it sucks that it's
a bad way. It was right for it to be banned, but I kind of understand
banned." why; it's a blackout in a can," she
Though Four Loko sales have said. "I have blacked out almost
been boosting recent business, every time, but it tastes so good
all the owners said the ban would and it's so functional. It makes
not affect their stores because it's sense but I'm going to miss it."
that UM studentsbring stellar aca- that he just stops by the Newnan
demic records and fine records of office when he needs anything.
extracurricular accomplishment "I have not (used the website),"
with them from high school, but Wolitzer said. "I usually just go in
were able to compile those records if I need anything and it's gener-
of achievement without needing ally to see if I'm still on track for
rigorous preparation and organi- graduation."
zational strategies," Dodd wrote. LSA sophomore Julia Bank also
"At UM, those underdeveloped said she doesn't use the site.
academic planning and success "I don't really know that much
strategies sometimes hinder per- about it," Bank said. "I usually
formance," he continued. "The just call my academic adviser and
Academic Success website points make an appointment if I need
students to a number of resources anything."
designed to improve their ability Dodd said he doesn't expect
to maximize class time, improve the Newnan website to reach all
textbook reading, work with fac- LSA students because of the abun-
ulty and study with peers, for dance of information students are
example." exposed to on a regular basis.
Students can also find YouTube "Students are overwhelmed by
videos on the Newnan website the information culture and the
that include information on study conundrum we face is that the
abroad opportunities, the road to more we try to publicize informa-
business through LSA and how tion, the more information over-
to find internships. The forms load we create," Dodd wrote. "I
section of the Newnan website know that students aren't aware
contains forms for major/minor of every option, opportunity or
declaration, progress checklists resource on campus; they can't
and more. be."
With all the recent updates, However, Dodd added that,
some students, including LSA with limited resources, he con-
freshman Ashlyn Harris, said they tinues to believe online tools can
are finding it easier to succeed and reach a greater number of stu-
access resources on campus. dents.
"I really got alot out of the Suc- "We use electronic resourc-
cess Strategies site," Harris said. es when it is the most efficient
"I've always had a problem with delivery of the information or no
procrastinating on assignments. other option exists," Dodd wrote.
This website definitely helped me "Competing for student eyeballs
change my work habits and man- is tough when they are continu-
age my time better." ously scanning CTools blasts,
However, many other students Facebook posts, e-mails and texts
said they don't use the Newnan from friends and parents and web
website. searches. Deleting is more com-
LSA senior David Wolitzer said mon than reading."
SACUA chair wants
to form new appeals
cmte. with power
to overrule DPS
From Page 1A
that the committee is supposed
to be an independent oversight
committee," Friedman said. "I
want to do what I can while I'm
chair to make sure that the rules
of the committee and its relation-
ship with the University are con-
sistent with that."
In an interview last year,
Stephen Hipkiss, the then-DPS
Oversight Committee chair,
said the committee typically
receives two grievances each
year, though eight to 12 com-
plaints are usually filed with
DPS. An issue will be labeled a
grievance or complaint based on
which body the grievant chooses
to review the matter.
Since Jan. 1, 2010, the comnit-
tee has received three grievanc-
es, which have been submitted
through the committee's new
online submission form, accord-
ing to University spokesman Rick
Fitzgerald.
Friedman said he could not
disclose information about the
grievances because they are con-
fidential unless the party filing
the grievance allows it to become
public or the matter has been
resolved.
The committee is required to
meet at least twice each year to
discuss grievances. In a Nov. 16,
2009 Daily article, Hipkiss said it
was not uncommon for the com-
mittee to meet only once per year.
The frequency of meetings
has since increased, as Fried-
man said the committee has met
more than twice this semester
and will meet "as many times
as necessary" to resolve issues
brought before it.
"Given what we have before us,
I expect a fair amount (of meet-
ings) plus extensive e-mail cor-
respondence," Friedman said. "It
has turned out to be a real work-
ing committee."
On Nov. 19, LSA senior Rebec-
ca Egler, a member of the Uni-
versity's undergraduate chapter
of the American Civil Liberties
Union, became the third student
to be elected as a student repre-
sentative on the committee.
Five candidates ran in the elec-
tion organized by MSA, and Egler
won with 1,310 votes.
In an interview last week,
Egler said the University's ACLU
chapter encouraged her to rujn.
"We thought it would be a
great idea to try and get someone
with a civil liberties perspective
on the committee to represent
that voice on campus," she said.
Aware of MSA's previous ille-
gal appointments to the commit-
tee, Egler expressed approval of
the campus-wide vote to elect
individuals to the position and
said the election process went
"smoothly."
"I think it's important to make
sure that the people represented
on the committee are also most
representing the students who
are filing these grievances, and
the only way to ensure that is if
the students can elect the com-
mittee members," she said.
To help resolve a grievance,
the committee may make recom-
mendations to University admin-
istrators like Tim Slottow, the
University's executive vice presi-
dent and chief financial officer
who handles the committee's
recommendations. However,
committee members cannot issue
rulings or override previous ver-
dicts.
"They could use persuasion,
but they don't really have the
power to overturn decisions,"
said Ed Rothman, SACUA chair
and professor of statistics.
Because the oversight com-
mittee is only an advisory group,
Rothman said SACUA wants to
form an appeals committee that
has the power to overturn deci-
sions. As an example, Rothman
said the committee would be able
to review trespass orders issued
by DPS.
In the last few weeks, mem-
bers of the University commu-
nity have expressed concern over
DPS's current trespass policy,
which permits all 56 DPS officers
to give trespass warnings when-
ever they deem it necessary.
A trespass order was recently
issued to former Michigan assis-
tant attorney general Andrew
Shirvell, who was banned from
campus after verbally attacking
MSA President Chris Armstrong
at campus events and on his
blog. DPS modified the order less
than two months later, allow-
ing Shirvell at campus locations
where Armstrong is not likely to
be present.
Though changes are needed,
Rothman said he recognizes the
importance of the trespass policy
for protecting members of the
University community.
"There are crazies out there,
and we don't want them running
around campus," he said.
However, he said an immediate
appeals process would make sure
campus officers could not "over-
step their bounds." If implement-
ed, the appeals process would
allow for a small committee to
automatically review the order
the day after a trespass order is
issued to determine if it is jus-
tified or should be withdrawn,
Rothman explained.
Since the DPS Oversight Com-
mittee can only make recom-
mendations, Rothman said it's
necessary to create a separate
committee that can enforce its
own decisions.
"I want a committee that actu-
ally can take action," he said.
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