Collegiate coffee: Ann
Arbor baristas share their
thoughts on the art of the
brew and the role of a cup of
Joe on and around campus.
PAGE3B

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Thursday, December 9, 2010

michigandaily.com

PETA floods
'U' president's
office phones
to decry class
Animal rights group But despite the criticisms,
which were so numerous on
a staunch critic of Tuesday that a separate touch-
tone phone menu was set up to
use of pigs and cats screen calls in Coleman's office,
in UMHS cUniversity officials say they do
course not plan to change the curricu-

By KYLE SV
Daily New
The Office
President Mary
was bombarded
phone calls
and e-mails
on Tuesday as
hundreds of
people took
time to voice
their con-
cerns about
the University
of Michigan
Health Sys-
tem's use of
live animals
in a Survival Fli
nurses. .
Animal rights
been criticizing t
use of pigs and ca
for several mont
teaches students
saving procedures
Ethical Treatmen
the world's larges
group - is leading

lum any time soon.
WANSON In an interview yesterday,
s Editor University spokesman Rick
Fitzgerald said the University
of University would continue to use live ani-
Sue Coleman mals as part of their Survival
with a flood of Flight course because the medi-
cal experts teaching the class
believe it is necessary.
"The Medical School staff
that teaches the classhfeels very
strongly that this is an impor-
tant part of this very specialized
training" Fitzgerald said. "The
training is critical and the Uni-
KYLE SWANSON versity supports that continued
training."
However, Fitzgerald empha-
sized the University is complying
will all applicable regulations in
ght course for its care and treatment of animals
used in the course.
activists have Fitzgerald's comments echo
he University's those made by University leaders,
ts in the course like Coleman, who responded to
ths. The class a question on the issue after her
advanced, life- annual State of the University
. People for the address in October by saying the
t of Animals - University would continue the
t animal rights practice as long as those teaching
the campaign. See PETA, Page SA

SALAM RIDA/Daily
LSA junior Alyssa Steinway talks to a panel of state representatives at the Michigan Student Caucus at the Capitol Building in Lansing yesterday. Steinway's proposal dis-
cussed the relationship between improved education and an improved economy.
In program, seno policy
proposals, directly tolaw-makers

Michigan Student
Caucus participants
also get to observe
process in Lansing
By BETHANY BIRON
Daily StaffReporter
LANSING - In a meeting
at the Capitol Building in Lan-
sing, students got the chance
to influence lawmakers when
they presented policy propos-
als to a panel of state officials in
the House Commission on Civic

Engagement yesterday.
The students are part of the
Michigan Student Caucus, a
group created by the House
Commission on Civic Engage-
ment in 2001 to give students the
opportunity to discuss issues
and draft legislation to help
solve the state's problems. Par-
ticipants receive feedback from
legislators about the strengths
and weaknesses of their propos-
als and about how to turn their
suggested legislation into real-
ity.
The caucus members are
mostly students in an educa-
tion course offered at the Uni-

versity's Ann Arbor and Flint
campuses, but all college and
high school students in the state
are welcome to participate. Par-
ticipants present ideas in several
categories: economic develop-
ment and community revitaliza-
tion, arts and culture, human
development and welfare, envi-
ronment and health, justice and
equity and community service.
Gary Weisserman, MSC co-
facilitator and head of the five-
year college preparatory school
Oakland Early College, said the
caucus is a way for students to
address issues that they think
are important in the state.

"In the broadest sense, it is a
program that is designed to give
students at Michigan a voice in
what happens in Michigan,"
Weisserman said.
Jay McDowell, president of
the Howell Education Associa-
tion and co-facilitator of MSC,
said the program provides "a
sense of empowerment" for stu-
dents who often feel restricted
in their university environments
when discussing topics like gov-
ernment policy.
"The ability that you can look
at a problem, you can analyze it,
you can research it, you can put
See LANSING, Page 5A

Experts: WikiLeaks highlights
security, journalistic concerns

Editors scrutinize
cables before they're
released, University
professors say
By HALEY GLATTHORN
DailyStaffReporter
Since WikiLeaks released more
than 250,000 classified U.S. gov-
ernment cables on Nov. 28, con-
troversy over the documents and
the decision to release them has
continued to grow.

The exposure of private cables
detailing the thoughts and activi-
ties of U.S. officials stationed
internationally has created what
some consider to be a serious
security threat and others simply
an embarrassing roadblock in for-
eign affairs. Since the cables were
released, pundits and experts
have also raised questions about
the extent to which journalis-
tic freedom is protected amid
national security concerns.
Communication Studies Prof.
Anthony Collings - who worked
as a reporter or editor for The
Wall Street Journal, The Associ-

ated Press, Newsweek and CNN -
said he has mixed feelings about
the release of the documents.
"On one hand, it's good that the
public learns more information
about our relations with other
countries ... (for) countries where
there are problems in our rela-
tionships, we get a more truth-
ful picture of where things are
going badly," Collings said. "On
the other hand, I'm not quite sure
what (WikiLeaks founder Julian
Assange's) intention is. I'm a little
concerned that his intentions may
be harmful."
See OFFICE HOURS, Page SA

Construction near the Ann Arbor District Library on South Fifth Avenue yesterday.
A2Officials mull building hotel,
ci.
convention1 center in librar lot

'U' partnership revamps two local
public schools' academic calendars

HiE
con
bes

eftje says he's not yet to determine what exactly
will sit on top of it.
vinced plans are The city of Ann Arbor is cur-
rently considering two devel-
t use of the space opment proposals for the space
- one by New York-based Val-
By CLAIRE HALL iant Partners LLC and the other
Daily StaffReporter by Acquest Realty Advisors Inc.
of Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Both
e large hole in the ground schemes offer plans for a hotel
to the Ann Arbor Public and associated conference cen-
ry will be filled with an ter. But Ann Arbor Mayor John
ground parking structure Hieftje says he would like to see
xt year, but officials have a proposal that centers around

something other than a hotel and
conference center.
The three objectives for the
Library Lot, as stated in the
request for proposals for the
site, are beneficial use of the
site, environmental benefits and
financial return. Hieftje, who
said part of the development
area would be put aside to build
a park, said he wasn't convinced
a hotel or conference center
would constitute the best use of
See LOT, Page 5A

Schools would
shorten summer
break, substitute
with intersessions
By SARA BOBOLTZ
Daily StaffReporter
A partnership between the Uni-
versity's School of Education and

Ann Arbor Public Schools may
soon give students at Mitchell Ele-
mentary School and Scarlett Mid-
dle School the option to spend less
time on summer vacation and more
time in the classroom.
Formerly known as the lab
school program, the partnership
aims to create an experimental K-8
campus between the two schools.
The schools would adopt a "bal-
anced" school year model that
would shorten summer break from

ten weeks to six, but extend other
breaks into "intersessions."
Though leaders and experts say
the program would help prevent
students from losing the knowl-
edge they've gained during the
school year in the summer, some
AAPS parents criticized the plan
at a meeting last night, saying it
would cut into already limited
family time. Parents' hesitation
prompted school officials to move
See SCHOOLS, Page 5A

Thi
next
Librar
under
by ne


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