The Michigan Daily -- michigandaily.com
Friday, February 11, 2011 - 3
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Friday, February 11, 2011 - 3
NEWS BRIEFS
DETROIT
Ford to reduce
debt by $3 billion
Ford Motor Co. said yester-
day it plans to reduce its debt by
another $3 billion as part of an
ongoing effort to improve its bal-
ance sheet and return to invest-
ment-grade status.
Ratings agencies dropped
Ford below investment-grade
Status in 2005, when its future
looked grim. The following year,
the company took out $23.5 bil-
lion in loans for a major restruc-
turing that has made it healthy
again.
Ford cut its debt by $14.5 bil-
lion last year, saving it $1 bil-
lion in annual interest expenses.
Ford's debt stood at $19 billion at
the end of 2010.
In its latest action, the compa-
ny plans to pay cash for all of its
outstanding 6.5-percent cumula-
tive convertible trust securities.
JACKSON, Miss.
Proposed specialty
license plate to
honor KKK leader
A fight is brewing in Missis-
sippi over a proposal to issue
specialty license plates honoring
Confederate Gen. Nathan Bed-
ford Forrest, who was an early
leader of the Ku Klux Klan.
The Mississippi Division of
Sons of Confederate Veterans
wants to sponsor a series of state-
issued license plates to mark the
150th anniversary of the Civil
War, which it calls the "War
Between the States." The group
proposes a different design each
year between now and 2015, with
Forrest slated for 2014.
"Seriously?" state NAACP
president Derrick Johnson said
when he was told about the For-
rest plate. "Wow."
Forrest, a Tennessee native,
is revered by some as a military
genius and reviled by others for
leadingan 1864 massacre of black
Union troops at Fort Pillow, Tenn.
Forrest was a Klan grand wizard
in Tennessee after the war.
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria
0.
Nigerian officials
arrest two human
traffickers
Nigerian immigration offi-
cials say they have arrested two
human traffickers at the north-
eastern border of Africa's most
populous nation.
Babayo Alkali, the Borno state
chief of immigration, told The
Associated Press yesterday that
agents caught the men attempting
to smuggle three people across
Nigeria's border with Cameroon.
fie said this was the first arrest
this year as human traffickers
have started taking new routes
into the country to smuggle peo-
ple toward Europe.
Alkali saidthe suspects intend-
ed to travel by road to Libya
before taking a boat to Italy.
Nigeria shares porous borders
with three other West African
countries.
MEDFORD, Ore.
Military dog to get
stem cell treatment
A former Oregon military dog
that did two tours of duty sniff-
ing out bombs in Iraq is going to
receive stem cell therapy to treat
osteoarthritis in his hips.
The Mail Tribune reports the
80-pound German shepherd
named Basco was adopted in
November by Debbie Richter in
Medford after he was discharged
by the military.
Hip problems such as arthritis
can lead to early death for larger
dogs, and surgery options such
as hip replacement have a limited
chance of success for an older dog
like Basco, who is 7.
While researching alterna-
tives, Richter says she found
MediVet-America, which offers a
stemcell treatment for joint prob-
lems in dogs and horses using the
animal's own stem cells to regen-
erate damaged tissue.
-Compiled from
Daily wire reports
Past Michigan commission ruling
prevents GSRAs from joining GEO
From Page 1
union initially included GSIs,
GSSAs and GSRAs. But after
a couple years, the Univer-
sity challenged the rights of all
graduate employees for union
representation. The case was
then taken to the Michigan
Employment Relations Com-
mission, which ruled that GSIs
and GSSAs are covered by GEO,
but GSRAs are not.
Gillezeau said the exclu-
sion of GSRAs reflects what he
thinks is the University's stance
- that GSRAs are more inter-
ested in their dissertations than
aiding the University. However,
he said the research GSRAs do
allows them to make significant
contributions to the University.
"I think that it's entirely clear
that over the last 30 years since
that decision was handed down,
research is the main goal of the
University today," Gillezeau
said. "As such, it's pretty clear
that GSRAs are important
workers in achieving that goal
for the University."
University spokesman Rick
Fitzgerald said the University
aims to maintain its adherence
to the 1981 Michigan Employ-
ment Relations Commission
ruling that established member-
ship guidelines for GEO.
"The University continues
to believe in the ruling by the
Michigan Employment Rela-
tions Commission that essen-
tially separated the GSRAs from
the membership in the GEO,"
Fitzgerald said. "The state
ruled that GSIs are primar-
ily students, and we continue to
believe in that ruling."
Gillezeau added that some
GSRAs shouldn't be included
in GEO's collective bargain-
ing plan and that making the
differentiation between which
TODD NEEDL E/Daily
A member of the Graduate Employees Ortanizaios delivers a giant letter to
Usiversity President Mary S Coleman's office yesterday.
GSRAs are included in the unit
is "not necessarily easy."
"We do acknowledge that
there are a handful of GSRAs
who are in fact - especially in
the later years of the Ph.D.s --
doing research for their own
dissertations, and those people
should not be in the bargaining
unit," Gillezeau said.
Though they aren't required
to join, 70 percent of GSIs and
GSSAs at the University are
members of GEO, according to
Gillezeau. GSIs and GSSAs can
join the union and pay dues or
decline to join and only pay ser-
vice fees for bargaining done by
GEO on their behalf, he said.
GSRAs aren't legally cov-
ered by the GEO contract, but
Gillezeau said GEO believes
it represents GSRAs, as their
wages are determined by nego-
tiations between GEO and the
University. Gillezeau said the
research assistants are mainly
fighting to have full union rights
like GSIs and GSSAs do.
Gillezeau added that not
only did Coleman ignore the
research assistants' efforts to
unionize, but University nego-
tiators also refused to engage
with GEO on the topic.
"They said that they would
not discuss permissive topics of
bargaining," he said.
As of 6 p.m. yesterday,
Fitzgerald said he wasn't sure
whether Coleman had read the
letter delivered to her, but it was
forwarded to appropriate Uni-
versity representatives.
"We've certainly received the
letter; it's a position that's been
communicated previously to
the University," Fitzgerald said.
"The president's office has made
the appropriate people in aca-
demic (human resources) aware
of the letter."
FULBRIGHT
From Page 1
ing of Earth science.
Yunker wrote in an e-mail
interview the experience has
made her value her position as
a representative of the United
States.
"We were told at our pre-
departure orientation that as
Fulbright Scholars, we are cul-
tural ambassadors. I'm con-
stantly aware that however I
present myself, I'm also repre-
senting the Fulbright program,
the University of Michigan and
the United States," she wrote.
Joining Yunker in Israel is
Peter Smith, a professor emeri-
tus of chemistry. Associate His-
tory Prof. Farina Mir is studying
in Delhi, India and William
DeGenaro, an assistant profes-
sor of composition and rhetoric
at the University's Dearborn
campus, is conducting research
and teachingin Beirut, Lebanon.
The Fulbright Program is part
of the U.S. Department of State's
Bureau of Educational and Cul-
tural Affairs and receives most of
its funding from the federal gov-
ernment. The program has vari-
ous scholarships it gives every
year to applicants ranging from
students to professionals.
Applicants must show proof
of proficiency in a foreign lan-
guage to be eligible for certain
grants. Applicants also apply for
a specific scholarship depend-
ing on the country, and each
scholarship differs slightly in its
award value and duration.
The faculty members at
the University of Michigan
received their awards to con-
duct research abroad in consul-
tation with a university in their
host country.
For Yunker, her research
involves a large amount of inter-
action with Israeli students. She
said this allows her to observe
how Israeli students' lives are
different from those in the Unit-
ed States.
"As part of my research, I've
gotten to travel all over (Israel)
with middle and high school
students participating in educa-
tional field trips through their
geology classes,' Yunker wrote.
"It's truly an exchange of every-
thing - conversation, knowl-
edge, ideas, skills, friendship
and emotions."
DeGenaro is studying at the
American University of Beirut in
Lebanon for one year where he
is evaluating a literacy initiative
that works withstudents toteach
English to staff at the university.
He's also working on a cross-cul-
tural project in English classes
between the University's Dear-
DeGenaro wrote in an e-mail
interview that he is using his
experience to increase his
understanding of the cultural
background of many of his stu-
dents in Dearborn.
"Each term at UM-Dearborn,
I meet students who grew up
in Lebanon, or whose families
live here or who go back to visit
their villages and rave about life
here," DeGenaro wrote. "I'm not
Lebanese, butI think ISnow have
a more informed sense of what
makes those students who they
are - and what makes them love
Lebanon, too."
Like Yunker, Smith also has a
two-year research fellowship at
the Weizmann Institute. Smith
is studying organic chemistry in
Israel and will look at how pep-
tide structural changes affect
biomembranes.
Mir wrote in an e-mail inter-
view that she is using her schol-
arship to research the influence
of "Muslim socio-religious
reform in late colonial India."
She is studying at the Univer-
sity of Delhi in India for nine
months and wrote thatshe hopes
to publish a book about her find-
ings. Living in Delhi is a major
change in atmosphere from
Ann Arbor, Mir explained she is
adapting to and appreciating.
"It's an exciting place, under-
going immense growth and
change," Mir wrote. "It's a privi-
lege to be here to be able to see it
firsthand."
Mir noted the significance of
having four University faculty
members receive a Fulbright
award this year.
"For (the University), I imag-
ine that securing faculty Ful-
bright awards is a sign of faculty
commitment to research," Mit
wrote. "It is also a sign of the
faculty's engagement with the
world at large, a sign of the truly
global nature of our University."
For the 2010-2011 school year,
the University also had the high-
est number of students receiv-
ing Fulbright scholarships than
any other school in the nation.
According to an October 2010
University press release, 43
students were offered scholar-
ships and 39 accepted. It was
the fourth time since 2005 that
theUniversity ranked above any
other institution.
The number of faculty mem-
bers receiving Fulbright Schol-
ar grants has lagged behind
the number of students in past
years. In an Oct. 25, 2010 article
in The Michigan Daily, Univer-
sity Provost Philip Hanlon said
that while he was aware of the
difference, he was unable to give
any reason for it.
"All Ican say is I noted that as
well and I want to try to under-
CHINA
From Page)
also sparse, she said.
A group of about 12 to 15 stu-
dents will be accepted into the
program and will research and
document the conditions of the
villages where they will work.
The PearlRiverValleycontains
about 27 villages and is about 2.5
hours away from Beijing, accord-
ing to the course syllabus. Stu-
dents are expected to create to a
new model for rural housing by
modernizing living standards,
which includes improving infra-
structure, water purification and
waste management.
Ray - who has prior experi-
ence taking student groups to
Turkey, Mexico and Italy - has
been working with the Graham
Institute since last semester to
plan the course. Though this
is the first year this particular
course is being offered, the Col-
lege of Architecture has been
taking students to China since,
2004.
Architecture graduate stu-
dent Nicholas Ho said he has
worked with Ray in the past
and plans to participate in the
course this spring.
"This new model will change
the world in some way," Ho said.
"... I think the most rewarding
thing that I can get out of (the
course) is the firsthand experi-
ence," Ho said.
ICE DANCING
From Page 1
petition in Taiping City, Taiwan,
but Davis said their biggest com-
petition will be the World Figure
Skating Championships at the
end of March.
"We got second last year," she
said. "So we're definitely trying
to be on top of the podium this
year."
In preparation for the World
Championships in Tokyo, Japan,
the duo has reviewed their per-
formance after each competition
to make sure their skating skills
are continuously progressing.
"We want to make sure we're
happy with what we put on the
ice," Davis said.
Their practice schedule, which
Davis and White also had last
season, involves about four hours
of skating a day and an hour and
a half of physical training off the
ice. White said this intense prep-
aration is necessary because it's
the only way to overcome nerves.
But White said after dealing
with the pressure of the Olympic
games, he has become less ner-
vous in subsequent competitions.
"I think having been through
the stress and coming away
unscathed, let alone with a sil-
ver medal, has given me a better
grasp on how to deal with the
rigors and trying not to worry too
much about competition because
I survived the biggest one," he
said.
Davis added that she doesn't
think their lives have altered
greatly since the Olympics.
"The only thing that's really
changed is how people look at
us," she said. "People recognize
us a bit more."
But achieving their Olympic
dream involved making some
sacrifices. White said the biggest
sacrifice has been their educa-
tion.
"We both would have loved
to graduate from U of M in four
years, but obviously that's just not
attainable with our schedules,"
he said.
Davis and White have junior
standing as a result of each tak-
ing two courses a semester,
though they aren't currently
enrolled. Because of their dif-
ficult competition schedule
this season, White said they
might try to take online classes
through the University's Dear-
born campus in the future since
taking a full load of classes in
Ann Arbor would be impossible
to fit into their daily lives.
"We're both looking forward
to havingcareers once were done
with skating in something else,"
he said. "We don't want to be left
too far behind and to have to go
back to school so little by little
we're chipping away."
Davis said despite the gruel-
ing daily schedule, practice is fun
because the duo is trying out new
routines like a sensual tango.
"We've been exploring a dif-
ferent side of our skating," she
said.
Despite his current love for
ice dancing, White said he didn't
always think he would make it to
such a prestigious level of com-
petitive skating. He began skat-
ing at age 3 and played hockey
until it began to affect his pos-
ture. As a result, he took up ice
dancing.
White said he realized what
they could accomplish at age 18,
when he and Davis began com-
peting at the senior level - the
highest skill level designated by
the United States Figure Skating
Association.
"We were competing against
people that we had watched on
the Olympics and idolized grow-
ing up, and suddenly we were
on the same stage they were,"
he said. "We would go to com-
petitions, and I would compare
myself to them, and I started to born campus and the American stand that better," Hanlon said at
realize that we weren't that far University of Beirut. the time.
off."
Though he has found suc-
cess as an ice dancer, White said LIKE' T HE DAILY ON FACEBOOK
like many University students,
he isn't sure what his eventual
career will be.
"I think law school might be
in my future, but I'm still not
sure," he said. "I'm still figuring
out what I want to do."
Davis, an anthropology major __r-. ,.- .-
and Italian minor, said she's
interested in working for a com- All bay Fish Fry Platter for $6.99
pany like National Geographic
or another a job that involves /'/*/ r - a G O 10-CL
culture, travel and history. $3 Pints & Well Drinks - All 27 Draft Beers
"I have a broad array of inter- $1.75 Heineken & Amstel Light Bottles
ests that I hope to someday har- No Cover Charge
ness into a career," she said.WNDiCWthreCharge
While Davis and White have *0
encountered difficulties balanc- 310 Maynard St,-Food To Go 734.995.0100-Next to the Maynard Parkin Structure
ing academics and competition,
White said anything they had
to sacrifice for ice dancing was
worth the expense.
"We get to travel all over the
world to beautiful destinations
and meet amazing people," he
said. "I think it has broadened
both of our lives so much." 5 3 6 4
But while Davis and White
have traveled around the world, 7 5
White said they also enjoy
spending time here.
"We just like to hang out and 9 4 1 7
enjoy Ann Arbor," White said.
"We've been all over the world, 8 3 16
and it's one of our favorite places."
"I love my life on campus,"
Davis said.
White added though there
are potential job opportunities9 7
nationally and internationally,
it would take a very lucrative 3 5 6 9
offer to convince him to leave
the state. 6 2 3
"I look forward to staying in
Michigan as long as I can," he 8 7
said. "Ann Arbor, Bloomfield, the
city of Detroit, it's all very spe-
cial to us, and I think I'm going 1 1 1
to try to stick around as long-as
I can."