I REGIONAL RUMBLE
Michigan takes on the balanced
* Nebraska-Omaha team in the first
round of the NCAA Tournament.
* PAGE 8
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Friday, March 25, 2011
michigandaily.com
STUDENT GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS
Uncontested
Larkin and
Laverty take
LSA-SG seats
LSA voter turnout
yields 16 percent,
increases from
last semester
By RACHEL BRUSSTAR
Daily StaffReporter
After staying up late last night
to wait for the results of the LSA
Student Government elections,
LSA juniors Anne Laverty and
Jeff Larkin expressed their ela-
tion and eagerness to get started
in their new executive positions.
In anuncontested race, Laverty
and Larkin received 1575 votes -
1640 including exception ballots
- according to unofficial results
for the LSA-SG spots of president
and vice president, respectively.
Official elections results are
expected to be released today.
In an interview yesterday eve-
ning, Laverty said she is looking
forward to leading the governing
body along with Larkin.
"Jeff and I are really excited
for this opportunity to imple-
ment some of our new ideas and
give attention to ideas that have
beenbroughtup formerlyinother
administrations of student gov-
TYPE-IN VOTES
Our favorite write-in candidates for
MSA president and vice president
Karlos Marks
Mickey Mouse
Lady Gaga
Charlie Sheen
ernment and really bring them
actively to campus," Laverty said
yesterday evening.
Larkin echoed Laverty's ear-
nest outlook on the potential of
LSA-SG in the upcoming year.
"I can't wait to get to work and
help Anne in whatever kind of
capacity that she needs and what-
ever kind ofcapacity government
needs meas a whole," Larkin said.
In an interview earlier this
week, Laverty and Larkin said
they think hearing students'
opinions and channeling them
into LSA-SG is important for the
government to make changes its
constituents will be content with.
"Right now student govern-
ment is just not very reflective of
the constituents we represent..."
Laverty said at the time. "And I
feel that that needs to be changed,
and in previous administrations
thathasn'tbeen addressed."
See LSA-SG, Page 3
cHRIS RYBA/Daily
Newly elected Michigan Student Assembly Vice President Brendan Campbell (left) and MSA President DeAndree Watson (right) celebrate atan MForward
results party after hearing they won the top student government positions early this morning.
MForward to govern
MSA for a second year
Watson, Campbell early this morning.
Watson and Campbell, both
elected president LSA juniors, defeated LSA
freshman Briana Hatcher and
and vice president LSA sophomore Lena Cintron of
the Defend Affirmative Action
By ROBIN VEECK Party. The voting numbers were
Daily StaffReporter unavailable as of 2:45 a.m. last
night.
MForward candidates DeAn- Watson and Campbell's presi-
dree Watson and Brendan dential campaign emphasized
Campbell were elected the next MSA's potential for more stu-
Michigan Student Assembly dent advocacy and the candi-
president and vice president dates' hope to increase interest
in MSA among the student body.
Interviewed after results
came in early this morning,
Watson - who currently serves
as MSA's speaker - said he is
excited to take the top position.
"I want everyone to know
that I'm extremely honored to
know that so many students
have entrusted me with the
responsibilities of president,"
Watson said. "They can expect
great things from this adminis-
tration."
According to unofficial elec-
tion results, this year's turnout
was 11 percent. While the turn-
out dropped from last year's 14
percent, Watson said he is happy
with the number.
"I'm at least excited that over
10 percent of the student body
decided to vote in this election,
especially considering that it
wasn't the most contested,"
Watson said.
MSA Election Director
See MFORWARD, Page 3
' UNIVERSITY ACADEMICS
1000 Voices lobbies LSA
for entrepreneur classes
MPowered petition
reaches goal of
1,000 signatures
By JENNIFER LEE
Daily StaffReporter
Their aim was to get 1,000
signatures. And as of this morn-
ing, members of the 1000 Voices
project surpassed their goal by
five votes.
Launched by student group
MPowered, the 1000 Voices
project is a petition focusing
on expanding student entre-
preneurship beyond the walls
of the Ross School of Business
and College of Engineering. The
campaign's goal is to get LSA to
offer entrepreneurial classes and
other resources for students to
implement their own innovative
ideas.
Many LSA students have
expressed a desire to have the
option of taking such classes,
said LSA junior Ankit Mehta, the
president of MPowered, a group
that focuses on entrepreneurship
and student ventures. He added
the purpose of 1000 Voices isn't
necessarily to incite students to
start their own businesses, but
to engender an entrepreneurial
mindset into LSA classrooms.
"Entrepreneurship is not just
a popular subject, it's also a driv-
ing force of the world," he said.
To spark this entrepreneur-
ial energy in LSA, 1000 Voices
is advocating for courses about
See LSA, Page S
tINSKIRKLAND/Daily
LSA junior Jack Chism, a Pi Kappa Phi member, feeds fraternity member LSA sophomore Salman Ahsan, who was
blindfolded and had his hands bound during a dinner that helped members experience what it is like to have disabili-
ties. The event was hosted by the fraternity in Tishman Hall last night.
Pi Kappa Phi fraternity brothers
host disability awareness dinner
UNIVERSITY RESEARCH
'U' study unexpectedly finds
brain contains more plasticity
Group raises funds
for A2 Center for
Independent Living
By GIACOMO BOLOGNA
Daily StaffReporter
About 60 Pi Kappa Phi
brothers took measures to
experience what it would be
like to be blind or deaf at a din-
ner last night to promote dis-
ability awareness.
As the fraternity brothers
ate dinner, almost every mem-
ber at the table either wore ear-
plugs, had their hands bound
or was blindfolded. This was
meant to simulate the everyday
challenges people with disabil-
ities face.
The University's chapter
of the fraternity hosted the
Empathy Dinner on North
Campus for individuals with
disabilities and presented the
Circle of Life Grant - totaling
$580 - to the Ann Arbor Cen-
ter for Independent Living.
The dinner featured speak-
ers from the Cornerstone-
Wolcott Center - a non-profit
organization based in Davison,
Mich. dedicated to aiding indi-
viduals with disabilities - and
the Ann Arbor Center for Inde-
pendent Living - a community
center at 3103 Homestead Com-
mons Drive that provides edu-
See FRATERNITY, Page 3
Researchers But in a recently released study
that examined how the brain
examine neuron changes as people learn, research-
ers found that cells can change
role in memory their behavior.
The collaborative study between
By PATRICIA SNIDER two University laboratories also
Daily StaffReporter found that the brain contains more
synaptic plasticity - the ability
Prior to a new University study, to undergo change that promotes
scientists didn't believe that a cell learning and memory - than pre-
could change its behavior. viously believed, according to a
March 18 University of Michigan
Health System press release.
Geoffrey Murphy, lab direc-
tor and an associate professor of
molecular and integrative physiol-
ogy, described the surprising cell
behavior discovered in the study.
"For example, if you're waiting
for someone to show up, you modify
your behavior," Murphy said. "For
us, as an organism, that's pretty
See STUDY, Page 5
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