The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Wednesday September 15, 2010 - 5A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wednesday September15, 2010 - 5A
Toyota official says that he hopes
to continue to collaborate with 'U'
From Page 1A
outlined Toyota's plans to create
an automobile that uses alternative
energy sources and is more fuel
efficient. He said the company will
aim to increase the use of "smart
grid" - when an automobile plugs
into a grid to re-charge - and
hybrid technologies.
Uchiyamada said Toyota hopes
to continue to collaborate with
both the University and Ann
Arbor. Today, over 1,000 engineers
work for Toyota in Ann Arbor.
"I hope some of you will also
join our team," Uchiyamada told
the audience.
Uchiyamada addedthatthelocal
Toyota technical center would be
actively hiring University students
in the future. He said the Univer-
sity has been a great help with
research for Toyota in the past and
he hopes this will continue into the
future.
"I believe that it's important that
we have a lot of good students come
from the University of Michigan to
work at Toyota," Uchiyamada said.
In addition to fuel efficiency,
Uchiyamada said Toyota values
safety. The corporation meets all
safety guidelines for the countries
selling Toyota automobiles, he
said.
Toyota has been under fire in
the past year after it recalled a
number of vehicles for a variety
of problems including unintended
acceleration.
"But beyond that, we have our
own standards that go beyond
those regulations to make the vehi-
cle safe," Uchiyamada said.
Rackham graduate student Ye-
sheng Kuo said he enjoyed Uchi-
yamada's presentation, adding
that it gave him a sense of Toyota's
plans for developing green tech-
nology.
"I think Toyota is a leadingcom-
pany in the future of vehicles for
alternative energy," Kuo said.
OFFICE HOURS
From Page 1A
While some University profes-
sors see the meetings as a cata-
lyst for lasting change, others are
more skeptical of the potential
outcomes.
Mark Tessler, the Universi-
ty's vice provost of international
affairs, said the two entities are
working on long-term issues this
time around rather than short-
term problems as they've done in
past talks.
The issues include the status of
Jerusalem, Israeli settlements in
the West Bank, the region's bor-
ders and the status of Palestin-
ian refugees, Tessler said. Those
issues must be resolved before
a "permanent resolution" to the
conflict can be reached, he added.
Unlike in past peace talks when
the United States suggested cer-
tain policies, the United States is
taking a backseat role during this
year's meetings, according to Tes-
sler.
"(The U.S.'s) contribution is on
the process, not on the substance,"
Tessler said.
But Victor Lieberman, Marvin
B. Becker Collegiate Professor of
History, said the U.S. is still play-
ing a crucial role in the talks.
"The United States is going to be
involved at all stages, in a closely
monitoring capacity," Lieberman
said.
Nothing is off limits during the
peace talks, Lieberman added.
In the past negotiations, the par-
ties have come to the table under
certain coniditions or with agree-
ments to only address certain
issues.
"They're supposed to be uncon-
ditional, with no prior commit-
ments," Lieberman said. "All
topics are up for discussion."
Part of what brought the parties
to the table is a shared concern
over addressing concerns about
Iran, Lieberman said.
"Israel, the U.S., the (Palestin-
ian Authority), and some leading
Arab states share a novel antipa-
thy to Iran, and this sense of a
common enemy may foster novel
threads of alliance and a novel
sense of urgency," Lieberman
wrote in an e-mail.
The peace talks' chances of suc-
cess arebetterthan theyhave been
in the past, according to Political
Science Professor Jim Morrow.
"The thing that I think looks
most optimistic in the current
situation is that the current Pales-
tinianPrime Ministerisveryinter-
ested in trying to build up civil
and political institutions within
the Palestinian Authority, which,
if it's successful, might belay a lot
of Israel's concerns," said Morrow,
who is also a research professor
for the Center for Political Stud-
ies at the University's Institute of
Social Research.
However, Tessler expressed a
different view on the prospect of
an agreement.
"The odds of reaching an agree-
ment on the final status issues are
not impossible, but the odds are
against it," he said.
LSA junior Richard Kallus,
chair of the American Movement
for Israel, pro-Israel group on
campus, said he hopes a resolution
can come from ihe talks.'
"A peaceful resolution would
help establish a two-state solu-
tion and allow both sides to feel
safe and secure within their own
states," Kallus wrote in an e-mail
interview.
LSA junior Ahmad Hasan,
co-chair of Students Allied for
Freedom and Equality - a pro-
Palestinian group on campus
- said he views the situation dif-
ferently.
"The whole peace process,
the whole concept, is meaning-
less, unnecessary, but also kind
of skews the view towards how
people perceive the Palestine and
Israeli conflict right now," he
said.
Hasan said he thinks that the
talks are taking place in a frame-
work that is unfair to the Palestin-
ians because the Israeli officials
have more power when it comes to
control of the region.
"It doesn't make sense to see
Israel and Palestine as equals on
the table," he said.
Kallus said students should
have a vested interest in the con-
flict and in the resolution that will
hopefully follow.
"Students should care because
not only are millions of lives in
the Middle East affected but, ulti-
mately, it will affect all of us," Kal-
lus wrote. "If this conflict can be
equitably resolved then that will
give hope for a peaceful solution
for all other conflicts."
Like Kallus, Hasan said stu-
dents should maintain an active
awareness of the situation.
"It's one of the largest world
issues currently happening that
involves social justice issues and
that's one of the core values of the
University of Michigan," he said.
I
ORDINANCE
From Page lA
tionship between pedestrians and
vehicles, specifically in city cross-
walks.
"My work is fully support-
ive of types of changes that have
occurred," Cooper said.
The individuals involved with
the ordinance began to outline an
education program to get the word
out to motorists and pedestrians
through brochures and media
releases. The members were also
hoping to have additional signage
in various areas of the community
that will provide notice to vehicles
that they must stop for pedestri-
ans in those areas, Cooper said.
Council member Carsten Hohn-
ke (D-Ward 5), who, has also been
a strong advocate for increased
pedestrian safety, said he's already
seen the success of the ordinance.
Hohnke added that he's been
working with attorneys offices and
the Ann Arbor Police Department
for over a year to make sure the
ordinance is enforceable.
"All ordinance changes take
some time to impact the commu-
nity," Hohnke said. "I have noticed
more and more cars stopping for
people at unsignaled crosswalks."
Over the summer, Cooper and
the Ann Arbor Police Department
conducted a targeted enforcement
campaign at two intersections
using changeable message signs
and messaging in the vicinity of
two crosswalks. The messages
announced that the local law was
to yield to pedestrians in cross-
walks.
Police then observed the motor-
ists' interactions with the pedes-
trians and determined that the
new ordinance was necessary for
the safety of pedestrians. Cooper
said the intent of this targeted
enforcement wasn't to purposeful-
ly cause a driver to receive a ticket,
but to raise public awareness of
the rules.
There was a press release that
made drivers aware of this target-
ed'enforcement as well as the visu-
al presence of police that resulted
in no citations, but more public
awareness.
"Everyone walks, so this ordi-
nance affects all. Every trip begins
or ends with a walking segment,"
Cooper said. "I am pleased to see
the community that I work in take
pedestrian rights seriously. Pro-
viding these protections will cre-
ate a safe environment for those
of us already walking in the com-
munity."
Hohnke added that he believes
the ordinance will provide a more
comfortable walking experience in
the campus and downtown areas.
"I hope this ordinance will
make students' walking experi-
ence around campus more pleas-
ant and safer," Hohnke said.
Nancy Shore, a University alum
and program director of the get-
Downtown Program inAnn Arbor,
which aims to reduce the number
of drivers in Ann Arbor, said she
hopes the ordinance will encour-
age people to use public transpor-
tation and not drive.
"I think the ordinance is a good
idea because Ann Arbor should be
finding ways to make itself more
pedestrian-friendly," Shore said.
"A pedestrian-friendly community
attracts young professionals who
are interested in living in a nice,
attractive community."
Cooper added that he has
already seen changes in drivers'
behavior. But he said it is still
important that students still cre-
ate person-to-person contact with
motorists, and are respectful and
aware of the changing laws.
"There is a different mind-
set that is beginning to exist in
our community and the intent is
acknowledging all pedestrians,"
Cooper said. "I hope (University
students) feel more welcomed as
pedestrians with these changes."
Cooper and Shore both
acknowledged that this ordinance
is not the only method of increas-
ing public awareness about pedes-
trian safety.
Cooper added that over time,
the Ann Arbor community will
continue to provide awareness
and future targeted enforcement
activities in order to really raise
pedestrians' comfort as they enter
crosswalks.
Shore said the ordiriance is the
first step in increasing awareness
of pedestrian issues.
"Even if we have the ordinance,
if it is not promoted in the com-
munity, it is hard for people to
know what is happening," she
said. "People can come around
to understanding, they just need
more information."
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