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."