The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Monday, April 4, 2011 - 5A

The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Monday, April 4, 2011 - 5A

DPS
From Page 1A
armed individual or individual
fitting the description Univer-
sity'Police were given.
Though the incident was
initially reported at midnight,
Brown said because the police
did not receive a confirmation
of the suspect's presence, did
not receive other calls report-
ing the incident and did not
have any reports of shots fired,
the alert was not immediately
sent out. The alert was sent at 1
a.m. when officers encountered
a few students in the Chemistry
Building.

Brown said police will return
to talk to the original person
who reported seeing the armed
man to see if they can find out
any more information. She said
police will also continue to
search the area.
While the emergency alert
was issued through text and
voice messages, a campus wide
e-mail about the incident failed
to activate, Brown said.
Brown said if an incident
like this happens in the future
students should take safe and
appropriate measures.
"If anyone sees anything sus-
picious always call the police
immediately," Brown said. "If
it's safe to do so get out of the

area, if it's not be sure to shelter
in place."
The last armed incident on
campus occurred on Jan. 18,
2011 when a DPS crime alert
was issued about a man who was
robbed at gunpoint at 3:30 a.m.
near Hill St. on the 700 block of
Oxford Rd.
The two male suspects in the
incident were arrested on Feb. 11
by the Ann Arbor Police Depart-
ment.
The last time an emergency
alert was issued was on March
3, 2011, when a severe weather
warning was in effect for south-
ern Michigan, with possible
tornados and 80 mile-per hour
winds.


Students make wax hands at UMix Late Night at the Michigan Union on Friday.

DRINKING
From Page 1A
attracts between 500 and 900
students at each event. But even
with a steady attendance rate,
Heilmeier said it is difficult to
gauge UMix's effect on student
drinking rates at the University.
" The night (students) do
choose to come to UMix, they
more often than not don't par-
ticipate in drinking because they
already have something going
on," Heilmeier said.
In addition to free movies
and karaoke, other activities
that have been offered at UMix
include billiards, video games,
roller-skating and making music
videos using a green screen.
The 2009 Student Life Survey,
conducted by the University's
Substance Abuse Research Cen-
ter and Addiction Research Cen-
ter, examined patterns of binge
M drinking and other alcohol and
drug habits among University
students. The study found that
there has been a statistically sig-
nificant drop in the percentage of
binge drinkers - 52.1 to 46.3 - at
the University between 2007 and
2009.
This continues a downward
progression in the number of
binge drinkers on campus from
a peak of 53.2 percent in 2005 to
46.3 percent in 2009. However,
Mary Jo Desprez, the alcohol and
other drug policy and preven-
tion administrator at University
Health Services, said until the
2011 survey has been completed,
itis impossible to tell if the recent
decreases can be classified as a
trend or as just a deviation in the
data.
Despite the percentage drop
in binge drinking from 2007 to
2009, more students have been
taken to the hospital for their
alcohol intake this year com-
pared to last year. This academic
year, 156 University students
have been transported to the
emergency room by authori-
ties for excessive intoxication,
Desprez said. Fifteen of the stu-
dents were repeat offenders, she
added. In comparison, Desprez
said 113 students were taken to
the hospital for excessive intoxi-
cation during the 2009-10 aca-
demic year.
According to the 2009-2010
executive summary of AlcoholE-
du for College surveys - admin-
istered to uncover drinking
tendencies of freshmen before
the academic year and again sev-
eral weeks into their first semes-
ter - drinking rates of University
of Michigan freshmen are simi-
lar to national averages.
Desprez said when freshmen
come to the University, there is
a range of drinking preferences.
These include non-drinkers who
intend to stay non-drinkers,
non-drinkers interested in try-
ing alcohol in college, students
who already drink a signifi-
cant amount and students who
have an alcohol addiction. The
University attempts to provide
resources and support for all stu-
dents, Desprez said.
"(The University's) respon-
sibility is to make sure we have
something for students wherever
they fall along that continuum,"
Desprez said.
Combating the alcohol cul-
ture among college students and

attracting them to non-alcoholic-

based events is something the
University has been working
toward and will continue to do,
Desprez said.
"Right now we don't really
have anything as powerful as
the beverage industry has in
their advertisements, and that
becomes really difficult," she
said. "Until we can really do well
with media literacy and really
pick apart those ads - that's sort
of what we're up against in terms
of how do I feel like I can connect
with someone."
The University's Office of Stu-
dent Conflict Resolution has also
seen a significant rise in the num-
ber of students going through
the center's Adaptable Conflict
Resolution for Alcohol and Other
Drugs Program. OSCR Director
Jay Wilgus said the program has
seen an increase from 112 stu-
dents last year to more than 300
so far this year.
"I'm not certain that (the
increase) is a result of increased
drinking," Wilgus said. "All fac-
tors indicate that it's a sign of
increased reporting from Ann
Arbor Police Department."
Because of improved com-
munication between AAPD and
OSCR, students who had previ-
ously received Minor in Posses-
sion citations but had not sought
help from OSCR are now being
referred there, Wilgus said.
According to the University's
Department of Public Safety
website, in 2009 there were
324 liquor law arrests or cita-
tions - defined as violating laws
including the transportation
and possession of alcohol - on
campus property and 655 refer-
rals to non-police programs like
OSCR for disciplinary actions.
For reports in 2007 and 2008, the
number of citations and referrals
were about 500.
Wilgus and Desprez said
the funding firm grants AAPD
received for enforcement this
fall has probably accounted for
part of the increase in the num-
ber of violations reported to their
offices.
Desprez noted that UMix's
sole purpose is not to combat
alcoholism on campus.
"(UMix's) goal is not neces-
sarily to do alcohol reduction,"
she said. "Their goal at the (Uni-
versity) Unions is to do a really
fun event in the Union on Friday
night, because when you do that,
people will come."
The AlcoholEdu for College
surveys indicated that students'
most important reasons for
drinking included having a good
time with friends, celebrating
and being outgoing in social situ-
ations. Desprez also said many
students drink to try to form con-
nections among peers.
Desprez said she believes
UMix provides a place for stu-
dents who don't drink or who
drink rarely to come and have
fun.
In attendance at UMix this
past Friday LSA sophomore
Katie Gauthier said she and her
friend, LSA freshman Elizabeth
Swindle, come to almost every
UMix event because the specific
activities offered, like the wax
hands students could make at
Friday's event, are a fun alterna-
tive to going out.
"We don't drink, and there's
not a lot to do on a Friday night

if we don't drink," Gauthier said.
Though UMix is a non-alco-

holic event - asnare all programs
administered by UUAP - even
students who have been drinking
are welcome to stop by and get
food before heading home, Heil-
meier said.
"We don't advertise it as a
non-alcoholic event because it's
not about the drinking," he said.
"The event is about students
coming together and having
fun."
Other events on campus,
however, are more explicit alter-
natives to drinking. Students
for Recovery, a campus organi-
zation established almost two
years ago, advocates sobriety
and lends support to students
recovering from drug and alco-
hol addiction.
"Our purpose is really just to
promote an overall wellness on
campus and to promote an alter-
native to the social culture here,"
Jennifer Cervi, a master's stu-
dent in the School of Social Work
and the group's president, said.
The organization, which is
supported entirely by donations,
hosts movie and game nights,
coffee crawls instead of bar
crawls and dances in collabora-
tion with the Michigan Electron-
ic Dance Music Association that
are open to all students, not just
those in recovery, Cervi said.
"We have 20 core members
that are in recovery, but we'll get
up to 200 people at our dance,
easy," she said.
The University's Residence
Halls Association also provides
alternative events on the week-
ends, according to Public Policy
sophomore DJ McKerr, RHA's
vice president for public rela-
tions.
In addition to RHA-spon-
sored events like Pre-Class Bash
and Siblings Weekend, RHA
works closely with each resi-
dence hall's multicultural and
hall councils to put on events
such as casino nights and ice
cream socials. McKerr said.the
events draw students who would
probably not attend parties as
well as those who would but
choose to go to the RHA events
instead.
Though Heilmeier said UMix
has a consistent attendance rate
and is considering bringing in
new activities like a live band to
attract more people, many stu-
dents say they never thought
about attending the event.
LSA senior Maria Galano said
she has never been to UMix and
found it unappealing because of
its association with the Univer-
sity.
"I just wasn't interested in
going and hanging out at, kind
of, a school function on a Friday
night," Galano said. "I spent my
whole week in school."
LSA senior Nick Caverly said
he hasn't attended the events
but said he doesn't feel there is a
stigma surrounding them.
"I don't think that it's socially
unacceptable," Caverly said. "I
just think (it isn't) something
thatmy friends and I ... ever
thought about going to, so we
never went."
Though she has never been to
UMix either, LSA senior Kristen
Krause said she thinks it is fun
for students who do attend.
"I know a lot of people that ...
go all the time, so for those that
like to be involved in that kind

of thing, more power to them,"
Krause said.

CONFERENCE
From Page 1A
author and environmental activ-
ist Derrick Jensen yesterday.
Saturday's open mic nightr
featured poetry and literature
readings as well as music per-
formances based on common
themes of the evening. Topics
covered during the event includ-
ed the suicide of a gay student at
Rutgers University in September,
the issue of bullying on college
campuses and the rights of gay
and lesbian students.
The first panel discussion
yesterday morning focused on
divestment from Israel, particu-
larly on college campuses. The
panel included Varilone as the
moderator, as well as Luis Sfeir-
Younis, a University lecturer of
sociology, Robbie Routenberg,
program manager of the Univer-
sity's Student Affairs Program,
and Barbara Harvey, a board
member of the Detroit chapter of
Jewish Voice for Peace.
The panel members discussed
the varying perspectives on

managing the University's rela-
tions with Israel, including total
divestment and dissociation
from the country, restriction of
certain business initiatives with
the nation or ignoring the issue
altogether and continuing busi-
ness relations with the country
- the University's current plan
of action.
Many people in the audience
spoke out during the discus-
sion, voicing opinions on foreign
affairs and the United States's
relations with Israel, as well
as discussing how a change in
the relationship could lead to
changed policy at the University.
The conference culminated
with a presentation and lec-
ture from Jensen, who spoke to
an audience of about 70 people
about a variety of social justice
issues. He began by describing
his research on environmen-
tal affairs and the steps he feels
people must take to formulate
more environmentally conscious
decisions and halt the growing
climate problem.
During his speech, Jen-
son quoted a part of his book

"Dreams" that highlights his
theory that people develop their
personal meaning of life, rather
than science or religion defining
it for them, and how this impacts
their environmental decisions.
"Science is the way to view
religion, and religion is the way
to view science," Jenson said.
Jensen concluded his speech
by detailing his support of legal-
izing medical marijuana in his
home state of California and
highlighted the economically
positive components of legalizing
the drugin more states across the
county.
LSA senior Gahl Liberzon said
he came to the event to raise his
voice and to learn more about
social issues on campus.
"I consider myself someone
committed to social justice and
social change, so I try to come to
events like these to try and get
myself more informed, to educate
myself," Liberzon said. "I think
that events like these are a good
place to do that. A lot of people
here are experts in their fields,
experts in organizing, coming
together, making a difference."


SPARK CEO
From Page 1A
Michael Finney, resigned from
his position at SPARK in Decem-
ber after Snyder nominated him
as the CEO of the Michigan Eco-
nomic Development Corporation
- a corporation that offers busi-
nesses economic development
services.
Since Finney's resignation,
Skip Simms, who was SPARK's
vice president of entrepreneurial
business development, has served
as interim CEO and president.
Simms will resume his position
as vice president when Krutko
starts at SPARK later this month.
Krutko said the University is
a key asset to the city's economic
atmosphere.

"The student body, the profes-
sors and the researchers at the
University of Michigan create a
very rich area for companies to
work to establish themselves and
to grow to global scale," Krutko
said.
While Krutko desires to bring
more high-tech companies to
Ann Arbor, local officials have
also advocated for more manu-
facturing and production compa-
nies in the area.
Ann Arbor City Council mem-
ber Mike Anglin (D-Ward 5)
said in an interview last month
that while Ann Arbor could ben-
efit from the presence of cutting-
edge companies, he would also
like to see more manufacturing
and production companies since
tley would provide more work-
ing class jobs.

Krutko acknowledged that
Ahn Arbor needs to diversify
its economy, but noted that the
products of technological com-
panies also create and safeguard
jobs in the manufacturing indus-
try.
"We need to have a balance of
companies that are creating the
next new thing that can be man-
ufactured or sold somewhere
else," Krutko said.
 1Aeadded that the city needs
to retain people with unique
skills and knowledge to make
Ann Arbor an appealing business
location.
"I think Ann Arbor and
SPARK have created a solid foun-
dation to be a strong competitor
... that is known for spinning out
innovative companies that grow
to global scale," Krutko said.

'LIKE' THE DAILY ON FACEBOOK


Study nature. In nature.
Loyola University Chicago's new Retreat Plant Biology
and Ecology Campus gets you out of Ecology Laboratory
the city and back to nature. Welcome to
a classroom that spans more than 100 Nature in Literature
acres of prairies, savannas, woodlands, Sustainable Agriculture
wetlands, and ponds. Drawing I
To learn more or apply, visit LUC.edu/summer/lurec.
LOYOLA
Preparing people to lead extraordinary lives

WANT TO WRITE FOR NEWS?
E-mail aber@michigandaily.com

,