The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
NEWS BRIEFS
G GRAND RAPIDS
Synder introduces
new budget plans
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder
unveiled a plan yesterday to use
hundreds of millions of tax dol-
lars to reward local governments
that heed his call to cut spending
and consolidate public services at
the expense of those that don't.
Snyder's plan would replace
part of Michigan's tax revenue
sharing program that supports
local governments, which is
expected to have about $200 mil-
lion to give out when the new
budget year starts Oct. 1.
Communities that meet what
Snyder deems the "best practic-
es" standards would be eligible
for incentives, although all would
see cuts averaging 30 percent
or more under his proposal to
" reduce money for local govern-
ments by nearly $100 million to
balance the budget.
SACRAMENTO, Calif.
Calif. panel weighs
nuclear risks after
Japan earthquake
State lawmakers raised sharp
questions yesterday about wheth-
er California's nuclear power
plants can withstand a major
earthquake and tsunami like the
ones that have left Japan scram-
bling to control radiation coming
from some of its reactors.
Even before officials from the
state's nuclear plant operators
laid out their extensive prepara-
tions and safety plans to protect
the public in the event of a tem-
blor, Sen. Sam Blakeslee asked
why Pacific Gas and Electric Co.
located its Diablo Canyon plant
near not one but two fault lines,
including the recently identified
Shoreline fault off the coast.
"I'm a little concerned that
PG&E ... failed to notice a fault of
this size," said Blakeslee, a Repub-
lican from San Luis Obispo who
has previously pushed for new
seisamicc uies of the pB~nta,
RAS AJDIR, Tunisia
Libya releases NY
Times journalists
Four New York Times journal-
ists who were held captive in Libya
for six days were freed yesterday by
authorities and crossed the border
into Tunisia, the newspaper said.
Reporter Anthony Shadid,
photographers Tyler Hicks and
Lynsey Addario and videographer
Stephen Farrell left Libya at the
dusty border crossing into Tunisia
that has been used by tens of thou-
sands of people fleeing violence.
"We're overjoyed to report that
our four journalists missing in
Libya since this morning are free
and have arrived safely in Tuni-
sia," New York Times executive
editor Bill Keller wrote in a mes-
sage to staff.
Turkey, acting on a U.S.
request, played the pivotal role
in getting the journalists freed
and transferred to Tunisia, said
Namik Tan, Turkey's ambassador
to the United States.
UNITED NATIONS
Libyan request for
emergency meeting
rejected by U.N.
The U.N. Security Council yes-
terday rejected a Libyan request
for an emergency meeting to halt
what it called "military aggres-
sion" by France and the United
States, but the council will get a
briefing on Libya Thursday from
the secretary-general.
Council members held closed-
door discussions in response
to a letter dated Saturday from
Libyan Foreign Minister Musa
Kousa who claimed that "an
external conspiracy was target-
ing ... (Libya) and its unity and
territorial integrity."
According to the letter,
obtained by The Associated
Press, Kousa accused France
and the U.S. of bombing "several
civilian sites" in violation of the
U.N. Charter and called for "an
emergency meeting in order to
halt this aggression."
-Compiled from
Daily wire reports
JAPAN
From Page 1
She said many health facilities in
Japan face challenges because of
the lack of food, water and elec-
tricity. And since a quarter of the
Japanese population consists of
the elderly, obtaining health care
has becomes increasing difficulty,
Abir said.
Additionally, Abir discussed
the economic implications and the
psychological impact the events
could have on people.
The death toll as a result of the
natural disasters is more than
8,900, and officials are project-
ing this number will rise to more
than 18,000, the Associated Press
reported yesterday.
Philip Brown, a history profes-
sor at The Ohio State University,
said Japan is historically resilient
and routinely faces natural haz-
RUNNING MATES
From Page 1
dree Watson and vice presiden-
tial candidateBrendan Campbell.
The LSA juniors' main campaign
platforms include making MSA
more transparent and to better
encompass the interests of the
majority of the studentbody.
Cintron said one of her main
goals if elected MSA vice presi-
dent will be to facilitate a sense
of unity on campus by bridging
gaps between student groups.
"You come to the University
to learn about other cultures and
learn about the world and see
things from other peoples' per-
spectives," Cintron said. "And
it seems as though the Univer-
sity is pretty segregated, and
people seem to stay in their own
groups."
To improve the campus cli-
mate at the University, Cintron
also said she hopes to address the
issue of minority retention.
"(It's) a very serious issue
at the University of Michigan
because even if you are lucky
enough to be accepted here, you
don't necessarily feel as though
you're welcome here," she said.
"I know a lot of minority stu-
dents who ... feel very isolated
wh=gjLrst getting to campus and,
throughout the whole college
experience."
This academic year, underrep-
resented minority students com-
prise 10.6 of freshmen students
- an increase from 9.1 percent
for the 2009-2010 academic year.
Though this rise may be attrib-
uted partly to a change in the
reporting of students' ethnici-
ties, this percentage increase is
the first since 2003.
To increase the number of
minority students at the Univer-
sity, Hatcher said, if elected, she
would work to expand outreach
efforts to high school students so
they can see the University as an
accepting place.
"I just want to be able to
change (the University climate)
so that when I talk to a high
school student, they can say, 'Oh
yeah, University of Michigan,
ards. Disasters like the Niigata
earthquake in 1964 and the Kobe
earthquake in 1995 prompted
Japan to make safety improve-
ments, but capital losses continue
to increase as a result of the events
the'64 and'95 earthquakes.
Rieko Kage, a Toyota Visiting
Professor of Japanese Studies at
the University and an associate
professor of political science at the
University of Tokyo, drew com-
parisons between the Kobe earth-
quake and this month's Tohoku
earthquake. She determined
three factors that are necessary
for recovery: economic resources,
state assistance and social net-
works.
In addition, William Martin, a
professor of nuclear engineering
and radiological sciences at the
University, and Jeroen Ritsema, a
Henry Pollack Endowed Profes-
sor of Geological Sciences at the
University, discussed the scientific
aspects of the earthquake.
Martin detailed the conse-
quences of the explosion at the
Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant
right after the tsunami hit. Japan
has 55 reactors in total, and six of
these were in the vicinity of the
quake, he said, adding that the
radiation levels have been small.
"(The) most likely outcome is
that the reactors will continue to
be cooled and the spent fuel pools
will be stabilized soon," Martin
said.
With a magnitude of 9.0,
Japan's earthquake is the fifth-
largest recorded earthquake in the
past hundred years, according to
the U.S. Geological Survey.
Because of various shifts intec-
tonic plates around the world, the
United States could also eventu-
ally experience a similar situation,
accordingto Ritsema.
"Seismic risk is high every-
where," Ritsema said.
they care about me. They want students on campus, many Uni-
me to come here. They want me versity students are unaware of
to succeed,"' Hatcher said. the entire scope of the party's
She added in a separate e-mail platform, Cintron said.
interview that as a freshman, "We don't want people to be
she feels her relative youth will afraid because our party says
make her more approachable for 'affirmative action,"' Cintron
underclassmen. said. "We don't just care about
"Many people think that minority students ... We're trying
because Iam afreshman, Iam not to stand for everyone who feels
capable of leading an entire stu- unrepresented, which includes
dent assembly, but I look at it as gay students, immigrant stu-
an opportunity, not a downfall," dents - not just black students
Hatcher wrote. "... I can only hope or minority students in general
that other students look at my age - but anyone who feels like their
difference in comparison to my voice isn't reallybeing heard."
opponent as being a way to start Cintron said she and Hatcher
off fresh, and help make MSA into will work to defend the rights of
the student government organi- immigrant students at the Uni-
zation it should be." versity, especially in respect to
She said that she hopes to the national Development, Relief
combat the University's increas- and Education for Alien Minors
ing tuition rate to amplify minor- Act. The DREAM Act, which
ity retention at the University. the U.S. Senate voted against in
"I know multiple students of December, would help undocu-
different races who are actu- mented college students to get on
ally planning to leave next year a path to citizenship.
because they can't afford the Another initiative of DAAP is
continuous increase in tuition, to be a voice for students who are
and they plan to go to maybe a victims of sexual assault, Cintron
community college or just differ- said.
ent schools (that) don't have such "We also want to change the
an increase in the price," Hatcher Student Code of Conduct, which
said. currently says that students that
While Hatcher and Cintron are victims of sexual assault can-
are relatively new to studentgov- not speak publicly about that
ernment at the University, the assault, and we think that that's
running mates have experience wrong," Cintron said. "(It) shows
in leadership positions through not enough support of students
their ongoing involvement in that have been sexually assault-
the Detroit chapter of By Any ed."
Means Necessary - a national To support students who have
organization that works to pro- been victims of sexual assault,
tect affirmative action policies. Hatcher and Cintron said they
Their involvement in the coali- plan to highlight resources avail-
tion sparked their interest to get able to students from the Sexual
involved with political activi- Assault Prevention and Aware-
ties on campus, especially with ness Center on campus. The run-
DAAP. ning mates also said they believe
In compliance with a 2006 there is room to improve the cur-
state ballot initiative outlawing rent system of reporting cases of
affirmative action at public insti- sexual assault.
tutions in Michigan, the Univer- "We just don't want (the Uni-
sity does not have any official versity) to be hostile for anyone
policies promoting affirmative who goes here because they're
action. The University's Cen- paying for quality education, and
ter for Educational Outreach, they're getting that, but they're
however, is one program that also paying for a comfortable,
organizes outreach efforts to dis- safe environment," Cintron said.
advantaged communities. "And that's really what we care
While DAAP is dedicated to about, everyone being in a com-
the empowerment of minority fortable, safe environment."
URC
From Page 1
and the corridor's 2010 annual
report.
In an interview before the
panel discussion, Coleman said
the economic impact of the URC
has grown significantly since
2006, generating a net economic
impact of more than $14 billion.
"I think it's been both inter-
nally important and externally
important for us to be able to
promote this strength, which is a
real asset to the state," Coleman
said.
Coleman commented on how
the current state budget cuts fac-
ing Michigan's public universi-
ties might affect the URC. With
the proposed 15-percent reduc-
tion to higher education funding
- as outlined in Republican Gov.
Rick Snyder's budget - Coleman
said innovation is needed now
more than ever.
"Clearly the economic times of
the state are such that we know
that there has to be new activ-
ity," Coleman said. "We have to
attract talent, we have to keep
talent, we have to provide ways
for the companies to interact
with the universities, we have to
provide the opportunity for stu-
dents to learn how to be entre-
preneurial, we've got to promote
innovation because that's going
to be the 21st century economy of
Michigan."
During the talk, Coleman dis-
cussed several important mile-
stones the URC has made in the
past year.
The URC partnered with
Business Leaders for Michigan
this fall to launch Accelerate
Michigan Innovation Competi-
tion, a competition which aimed
to make Michigan one of the
foremost states for economic
development. Additionally, the
corridor generated more than
$1.6 billion in research activity
in the past year, which brought
$917 million in federal funds to
Michigan. The URC also brings
in 93 percent of research and
development funding from out-
Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - 3
side the state.
Gilmour said the URC is
expanding what the universi-
ties develop in terms of research,
which he stressed isn't just high-
tech research.
Reaching out to students is
also an important aspect of the
URC, Coleman said, adding that
there has been a lot of student
interest in the entrepreneur-
ship programs. She also noted
her surprise that 15 percent of
incoming University students
last year had started their own
businesses in high school.
However, Coleman stressed
that the URC isn't just for busi-
ness students.
Simon said the three universi-
ties form a triangle of collective
resources that make it easier for
businesses to connect with stu-
dents and faculty. Coleman added
that the universities used to con-
duct the same work separately,
but the URC allows for a more
efficient collaboration today.
Gilmour said Michigan's
public universities currently
rank 42nd in the country in the
amount of state funding they
receive. Simon added that one
of the ways the universities can
seek to stay financially afloat is
by working together through
URC projects, for example.
State universities could tell
by the status of state revenue
in recent years that there was
going to be a "day of reckoning,"
Coleman said, adding that she
is proud of the way the Univer-
sity of Michigan community has
stepped up to shoulder the eco-
nomic burden.
Though the University will
continue to construct new
campus buildings and pioneer
research and entrepreneur-
ial projects, Coleman said this
might be at a slower pace than in
the past.
"We understand the reality,
but we also understand that (Sny-
der) believes deeply in higher
education," Coleman said. "And
we believe that when the state
revenues turn around, there will
be more investment in higher
education across the board."
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