2 - Tuesday, November 30, 2010 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 2 - Tuesday, November 30, 2010 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom MONDAY: In Other Ivory Towers WEDNESDAY: Professor Profiles THURSDAY: FRIDAY: Campus Clubs Photos of the Week The other block 'M'myth Of all the myths on campus, there is one that is best known among the. student body - that a new student's failure to avoid stepping on the iconic 'M' in the Diag will lead to a failing grade on his or her first blue book exam at the University. The legend has been told dur- ing new student tours at the University, and has led count- less students to walk in a zig- zag fashion through the Diag to avoid stepping on the 'M.' How- ever, some students have tossed the myth aside and purposely stepped on the brass letter donat- ed by the University's Class of 1953. But there's no way to confirm -whether the myth carries any validity. Several students have stepped on the 'M' and haven't failed their first blue books, while other stu- dents who have purposely avoid- ed stepping on the 'M' have had less than stellar starts to their academic careers at the Univer- sity. But if the myth is true, then students who step on the 'M' do have a way to remedy the inevi- table consequences by following the second half of the myth. According to the lore, a student can reverse the curse and avoid failing his or her first blue book exam by running naked from the 'M' on the Diag to the pumas that sit in front of the Ruthven Muse- um of Natural History. And while this feat maybe pos- sible, the jaunt must be complet- ed within the time it takes for the carillon in the Burton Memorial Bell Tower to strike midnight. The problem with this remedy is that while the carillon is played at the start of each new hour dur- ing the day, it sits silently at night - not making any noise when the clock strikes midnight. Additionally, with the renova- tion currently being done to the carillon and the bell tower, the clock doesn't even strike mid- night. Since work began on the upper levels of the bell tower, the clock has been stuck at 6:30. But the myth of stepping on the 'M' is not the only legend that surrounds the bronze figure. In earlier years, it was said that if a student stepped on the 'M' during their undergraduate career he or she would lose their virginity before graduating. And in its infancy, the 'M' also served as a boundary to divide freshmen and sophomores, with freshmen not being allowed to enter the area of the stone that surrounds the 'M.' - KYLE SWANSON 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com JACOB SMILOVITZ KATIE JOZWIAK Editornin Chief . Business Manager 734-418-4115 ext. 1252 734-418-4115 ext. 1241 smilovitz@michigandaily.com tmdbusiness@gmail.com CONTACT INFORMATION Newsroom Officehours: Sun.-Thurs.11 a.m.-2a.m. 734-418-4115 opt.3 NewsTips news@michigandaily.com Corrections corrections@michigandaily.com Letters to the Editor tothedaily@michigandaily.com Photography Department photo@michigandaily.com Arts Section artspage@michigandaily.com Editorial Page opinion@michigandaily.com SportsSection sports@michigandaily.com Display Sales display@michigandaily.com Classified Sales classified@michigandaily.com Online Sales onlineads@michigandaily.com Finance finance@michigandaily.com I I A University student steps on the 'M,' which one myth suggests can lead toa student failing his or her first blue book exam. CRIME NOTES Posters pilfered Trespassing man in School of Ed. caught sleeping CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES Sex-themed AIDS forum WHERE: School of Education WHEN: Sunday at about 5 p.m. WHAT: Three posters were stolen from the first floor, valued at $200, University Police reported. There are no suspects. WHERE: Modern Languages Building WHEN: Monday at about 2:45 p.m. WHAT: A man not affili- ated with the University was discovered sleeping under the stairs, University Police reported. He was read trespass nd Pcntd dff thp nmic Jeopardy WHAT: Students are invited to participate in a game of Jeopardy centered around questions about sex in order to increase awareness about sexually transmitted dis- eases. Hot chocolate and doughnuts will be served. WHO: CoitusLove WHEN: Today at 11 a.m. Parking pass anu ea the rmis. WHERE: Angell Hall taken from car Credit card WEEOxodHuig swiped by thief Lecture on WHERE: Oxford Housing W ehomosexuality WHEN: Sunday at about 8 WH ERE: UniversityHsia WHAT: An information ses- sion about HIV and AIDS will be held to break down stigmas and stereotypes. Refreshments will be served. WHO: PULSE WHEN: Today at 6 p.m. WHERE: The 2nd floor of The Michigan Union Pop concert WHAT: Singer and song- writer Matt White will perform hits from his album "Best Days." Gen- eral admission is $15, and reserved seating is $22. WHO: Michigan Union Ticket Office WHEN: Today at 8p.m. WHERE: The Ark CORRECTIONS 0 Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@michi- gandaily.com. Two University of Colo- rado graduates are mar- keting a business called "Hangover Helpers," Fox News reported. The service cleans up the homes of customers after a party, while also delivering morning breakfast burritos and Gatorade to the hosts. Wisconsin Governor- elect Scott Walker recent- ly refused $810 million in federal stimulus funds for improved passenger railway systems in his state. xv FOR MORE,SEE OPINION, PAGE 4 The number of eating disorders in children has jumped drastically, CBC news reported. The number of hospitalizations due to eating disorders in children under 12 rose 119 percent from 1999 to 2006. Pediatricians are being encouraged to push for legisla- tion to help prevent this. EDITORIAL STAFF Matt Aaronson ManagingEditor aaronson@michigandaily.com Jillian Bennox ManaginN sditor ierman@michigandaily.com SENIOR NEW S EORS: Nicobe Aber, Stephanie Steinberg, Kyle Swanson, Eshwar ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS: Bethany Biron, Dylan Cinti, Caitlin Huston, Lindsay Kramer,JosephLichterman,,Veronica MenaldiElyana Twiggs Rachel Van Gilder Editorial Page Editor vangilder@michigandaily.com SENIOR EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Michelle DeWitt, Emily Orley, Laura Veith ASSISTANTEDITQRIAL PAGE EDITORS: Will Butler, WillGrundler,Harsha Panduranga Ryan Kartje Managing Sports Editor kartje@michigandaily.com SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR S: Mark Burns, Michael Florek, Chantel Jennings, Tim Rohan, Nick Spar, Joe Stapleton ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS: Ben Estes, Stephen Nesbitt, Luke Pasch, Zak Pyzik, Amy JamieBlock ManagingArtsEditor block@michigandaily.com ASSIS^ANTRTSEDTORS: ristyncho eah BurginSharon Jacobs,Kavi Shekhar Pandey, David Tao Max Collins and photo@michigandaily.com Samt Wlson Mantging Phoxtdiors aS OPHonM nDTRAielBot , E rissa McClain ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS: Jake Fromm, Jed Moch Anna Lein-Zielinski and design@michigandaily.com Sarah Squire Managing DesignEditors SENIOR DESIGN EDITOR: Maya Friedman Trevor Calero Magazine Editor calero@michigandaily.com DEPUTY MAGAZINE EDITOR: Jenna Skoller Melanie Fried and copydesk@michigandailycom AdiWollstein CopytChiefs BUSINESS STAFF JuliannaCrimxSalesxManager SALES FORCE MANAGER: Stephanie Bowker MARKETING MANAGER: Gjon Juncaj Hillary Szawala Classified Manager CLASSIFIED ASSISTANTMANAGER: Ardie Reed Jason Mahakian Production Manager Meghan Rooney Layout Manager Nick Meshkin Finance Manager Chrissy WinklerCirculation Manager Zath Yancer Web Project Coordinator The Michigan Daily(ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter termsby studentsattheUniversityofMichigan.Onecopyisavailablefreeofchargetoall readers.Additionalcopiesmaybepickeduprat theDaiy'sofficefor$2.Subscriptionsforfallterm, Sepimbertroughi ais$95.Unesi txffiliaesasbeun nsca i ptionate. On-campussubscriptionsfor faltermore$3.vSubscriptionsmustpitepaid.iThe MichiganDaily isamember of The Associated Pressand The AssociatedColegiate Press. p.m. WHAT: A hanging lot pass was stolen out of the car of a vehicle parked at Oxford, University Police reported. The pass belonged to a male student. There are no suspects. WHEN: Saturday at about 11:15 a.m. WHAT: A credit card was sto- len from a patient's room, Uni- versity Police reported. There are no suspects. WHAT: A lecture entitled "What Makes Gay Life Worth Living?will be led by Dr. John Corvino. The lecture will cover topics such as teen suicide and the value of relationships. WHO: Spectrum Center WHEN: Today at 7 p.m. WHERE: The Amphitheatre at Rackham Graduate School MORE ONLINE Love Crime Notes? Get more online at michigandaily.com/blogs/The Wire New editors say they want to utilize new technologies, work together 0 From Page 1 the paper during the next year, she hopes to deliver the product read- ers have come to expect. "I really want to continue to uphold the same standard that the Daily has practiced for the last 121 years," she said. She added that some of her main goals include expanding circula- tion into downtown Ann Arbor and using social networking out- lets like Facebook, Twitter and mobile applications to disseminate news. LSA junior Kyle Swanson, who was appointed as the paper's man- aging editor for next year, said that while he has worked at the Daily for four years, he is excited to be part of the new team. "I'm excited to be at the Daily for another year," he said. "And I'm excited to be able to work with Stephanie, and all the other edi- tors and staffers." Newly-elected Managing News Editor Nicole Aber, an LSA junior, said she plans to further lever- age new forms of technology to revamp how readers receive their campus news. "We're going to really try and 'increase our use of multimedia 'next semester to make more visu- ally interesting components to go with stories," shesaid. Similarly, all the new editors said they had major plans to make improvements within their sec- tions, through organizational changes and new training meth- .ods. Co-Managing Photo Editor Jed Moch, an LSA junior, said that along with his co-editor, Art & Design sophomore Marissa McClain, he plans to ensure all 'photographers have a strong grasp of basic design elements, such as Photoshop skills and use of artifi- cial lighting. "The cornerstone of our cam- paign was staff expansion and staff training," he said. "We want to bridge the gap between people on staff and editors, and bring everyone up to a level where they can feel comfortable editing and taking on significant assign- ments." The newly-elected co-manag- ing sports editors, LSA junior Nick Spar and Engineering junior Tim Rohan, said they hope to improve efficiency between writers and editors to make the most of every- one's time. "I think we have a really great group of people on staff," Spar said. "And I'm confident the sports section will rise to new heights." LSA junior Sharon Jacobs, the newly-elected managing arts edi- tor, said she hopes to increase communication between writers and editors in her section. "I hope to preserve the integ- rity of the writers' self expression while holding Daily Arts to the high standard of writing and con- tent that we have upheld for the last couple of years," she said. Other editors mentioned their plans to make their sections more accessible and familiar, both to student readers as well as to Daily staff members. LSA junior Carolyn Klarecki, who was appointed to be the Mag- azine editor for the coming year, said she has plans to make The Statement more available to Daily writers in all sections. "I want The Statement to be a place where all the best writers at the Daily can showcase their work," she said. "And where peo- ple at the Daily can explore topics in-depth that they don't always get to in other sections." Co-Managing Editorial Page Editors Emily Orley and Michelle DeWitt, both LSA juniors, said they hope to create an editorial page that students are excited to read every day. "We're hoping to write edi- torials that stir up some passion around campus and are applicable to students," Orley said. Despite the varying goals of the sections, Steinberg emphasized the importance of collaboration among the staff to create a stron- ger paper overall. "I hope to instill a new sense of collaboration between the sec- tions and more communication between the editors," she said. Section editors agreed, say- ing stronger collaboration in the future will be necessary to publish the best possible paper. Aber said she believes commu- nication between the news section and other areas of the paper will help make the paper more unified and integrated. "We're going to try to expand on working with the opinion sec- tion, so that we're all on the same page when news breaks or when it comes to relevant news issues," she said. Moch also said the photo sec- tion hopes to send photographers to the meetings of other sections, such as news and design, in order to make sure the lines of commu- nication remain strong. Despite the extra time and effort required to enact their far- reaching goals, many of the new editors admitted they were anx- ious for their terms to begin. Aber said she was excited for the new semester because she antici- pated a lot of change with the elec- tion of the new editing team. "I'm just excited to see where Stephanie takes the paper," she said. "And I'm happy that I get to be a part of it." LSA juniors Zach Bergson and Helen Lieblich were also elected co-managing design editors by the Daily's Design staff. In addition, Engineering junior Sarah Squire, currently a co-man- aging design editor, will focus on special web projects during her second year on the paper's man- agement team as the Daily's web development manager. Steinberg also said the coming year seems to hold a lot of promise, and that she is extremely excited to take on her new position and to begin working with the new staff. "I think we're going to work really well together as a team to put out the best product that we can," she said. "And I anticipate that we're going to have fun doing it." - None of the Daily staffers named in this report edited this article. 0 South Koreanumarines man an armnored vehicle while on patrol on Baengnyeong Island today near the border between North Korea and Sooth Korea. Mil*itary escalation could. endangrer Korean waters Sea border in Korea seen as a recipe for accidental warfare YEONPYEONG ISLAND, South Korea (AP) - The view from this South Korean island takes in the undulating hills of North Korea just seven miles away and the seafood-rich waters all around - a region of such eco- nomic and strategic importance to both countries that one expert calls ita recipe for war. Violence often erupts in this slice of sea claimed by both coun- tries. Boats routinely jostle for position during crab-catching season, and three deadly naval clashes since 1999 have taken a few dozen lives. The South's president took responsibility Monday for fail- ing to protect his citizens from a deadly North Korean artillery barrage on Yeonpyeong Island on Nov. 23. The originsofthe attack can be traced to a sea border drawn at the close of the Korean War, nearly 60 years ago. As the conflict ended in a truce, the U.S.-led U.N. Command divid- ed the Yellow Sea without Pyong- yang's consent, cutting North Korea off from rich fishing waters and boxing in a crucial deep- water port, a move that clearly favored the South. North Korea has bitterly con- tested the line ever since, arguing that it should run farther south. But for Seoul, accepting such a line would endanger fishing around five South Korean islands and hamper access to its port at Incheon. "It is the perfect recipe for 'accidental' warfare," Erich Wein- gartner, editor-in-chief of Can- Kor, a Canadian website focused on North Korean analysis, wrote recently. "The navies of both sides pro- tect their respective fishing ves- sels. Mischief and miscalculation does the rest," he added. "The out- break of hostilities is less surpris- ing to me than the fact that for 60 years these hostilities have been contained." The Nov. 23 attack hit civilian areas in Yeonpyeong(pronounced yuhn-pyuhng), marking a new level of hostility along the con- tested line. Two civilians and two marines died, and many houses were gutted in the shelling. Normally home to about 1,300 civilian residents, the island was declared a special security area yesterday, which could pave the way for a forced evacuation of those who did not flee last week. Military trucks carrying what appeared to be multiple rocket launchers were seen heading to a marine base on the island. Long-range artillery guns and a half-dozen K-9 howitzers were also on their way, the Yon- hap news agency reported, citing unidentified military officials. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, in a nationally tele- vised speech, vowed tough conse- quences for any future aggression, without offering specifics. "I feel deeply responsible for failing to protect my people's lives and property," he said. After his speech, Yeonpyeong officials announced new live- fire drills for Tuesday, warn- ing residents to take shelter in undergroundtbunkers. Another announcement later in the eve- ning said there would be no exer- cise; marines on the island had failed to get final approval from higher authorities. FAN THE DAILY ON FACEBOOK