10 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
T g m a .WY Tuesday, April 12, 2011- 3
NEWS BRIEFS
LANSING
0 Legislators unveil
plan to preserve
campground areas
Twelve Repubican legisla-
tors from northern Michigan are
proposing a plan that might keep
some forest campgrounds now
targeted for closure by the state
open for business.
The plan detailed yesterday
calls for giving local governments
in northern Michigan the option
to take over the 23 state forest
campgrounds that could be closed
by the state's Department of Natu-
ral Resources next month.
The lawmakers say they're
developing legislation that would
allow the land rights to be trans-
ferred for $1 if local governments
agree to keep the property open
for campground purposes.
The campgrounds targeted for
closing are seldom-used compared
to other campgrounds. Many are
near some of the other 110 state
forest campgrounds that would
remain open for the upcoming
season
DETROIT
Toyota warns of
car shortages due
to Japan quake
Toyota Motor Corp. is telling
U.S. dealers that new vehicles
could be in short supply this
summer because of production
slowdowns in Japan and North
America.
In a memo to dealers obtained
yesterday by The Associated Press,
Toyota's U.S. general manager
Bob Carter said Toyota is produc-
ingcars and trucks at significantly
reduced levels in April and hasn't
set its production schedule for
May through July.
"The potential exists that sup-
ply of new vehicles could be sig-
nificantly impacted this summer,"
Carter said in the memo.
Production has been hampered
by parts shortages after hundreds
of suppliers were damaged by the
March 11 earthquake and tsu-
nami in Japan. Even paint colors
have been affected. Carter said
in the memo that the company is
changing exterior colors on some
vehicles because of shortages of a
chemical produced by a supplier.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.
JQ scores deemed
unreliable evidence
for execution
Tennessee judges can no longer
rely on a standard IQ test score to
see if a prisoner is too intellectu-
ally challenged to be executed.
The Tennessee Supreme Court
ruled yesterday that testimony
from mental health experts also
must be considered.
Tennessee law bars the execu-
tion of intellectually disabled peo-
ple and an IQ score of 70 or below
is one of several factors that deter-
mine it. However, the court says
experts must also weigh in to say
if the test score accurately reflects
the defendant's functional IQ.
The decision comes from the
case of a prisoner sentenced to
death for a 1979 robbery and mur-
der of a Memphis man.
MINSK, Belarus
Subway explosion
* kill 11 civilians
An explosion tore through a
key subway station in the Belaru-
sian capital of Minsk during eve-
ning rush hour yesterday killing
11 people and wounding 126. An
official said the blast was a terror-
ist act.
President Alexander Lukash-
enko did not say what caused the
explosion at the Oktyabrskaya
subway station, but suggested out-
side forces could be behind it.
"I do not rule out that this gift
could have been brought from
outside," Lukashenko said. The
authoritarian leader, under strong
pressure from the West over his
suppression of the opposition, has
frequently alleged outside forces
seek to destabilize his regime.
-Compiled from
Daily wire reports
SACUA
From Page lA
tenure clock be subject to more
flexible guidelines to accom-
modate extenuating personal
circumstances. The body also
expressed its hesitancy about
changing the University's Board
of Regents bylaws to extend the
probationary period for each
school.
University Provost Philip
Hanlon discussed a change to
Regents bylaw 5.09 in January
that would add two years to the
maximum probationary period
schools and colleges can offer
its tenure-track faculty. Schools
and colleges are currently able to
offer tenure-track faculty up to
seven years probation and a ter-
minal period of one year.
Christina Whitman, the Uni-
versity's vice provost for aca-
demic and faculty affairs, said
at the meeting yesterday that
Hanlon hasn't decided what his
recommendation to the Regents
will be.
SACUA member Kate Barald,
a professor in the Medical
School and College of Engineer-
ing, submitted an amendment to
the motion for SACUA to con-
duct a poll, proposing the poll
be conducted by an uninvolved
third party.
SACUA Vice Chair Gina Poe,
an associate professor in the
Medical School, suggested the
use of a publication like The
Michigan Daily or The Uni-
versity Record, while others
suggested the Administration
Evaluation Committee, a com-
mittee of the Senate Assem-
bly that organizes faculty
evaluations of University offi-
cials. However, the AEC was
later removed from consider-
ation because it interacts with
SACUA.
The issue of whether to
extend the tenure probationary
GOWNS
From Page 1
"I think what you've got right
now is some strong interest from
the folks who run commence-
ment, and (they are) really look-
ing at the entire ceremony and
the-weekend that surrounds it
and looking at opportunities for
improving environmental per-
formance," Shriberg said.
The gowns are made of
100-percent recycled plastic
bottles, according to Oak Hall
Cap and Gown - the company
that makes the garments. Major
bookstores on campus includ-
ing Barnes & Noble, Ulrich's and
Michigan Book and Supply have
been selling the recycled gowns
in the last few weeks.
Students in Shriberg's
class considered the impact of
resources used at large Univer-
sity events before creating plans
for an environmentally friend-
ly graduation. The students
researched green initiatives
at other universities, analyzed
BALLOONS
From Page 1
launching the balloons later this
week.
"Starting in the fall of 2010,
the 583 group looked at balloons
from a more top-level perspec-
tive of how do we use these to
do something novel and cool
and what came out of that was
the Internet on balloon plat-
forms," said Rackham student
Kevin Drumm, who is taking
AOSS 583.
Rackham student and bal-
loon team participant Zahid
Hasan said the project is being
funded by Google and is one of
the most innovative of its kind
in the United States.
"We're being funded by
Google to try to create Inter-
net that's mobile, so this could
be used for disaster relief ...
but (also) later on to address
rural areas so they can have the
ability to have Internet with-
out costly architecture on the
ground," Hasan said.
Rackham student Alex Bogat-
ko, an AOSS student involved
with the balloon teams, said
many universities enjoy the
"educational benefit" of allow-
ing their students to experiment
with ballooning, but do not
period is on the agenda for the this juncture would undermine
Regents' April 21 meeting. SACUA's authority.
After Goldman withdrew her "We have done this by the
motion, Poe made a motion that book," Lusmann said. "A poll by
polls regarding other issues be us makes us look weak."
conducted in the future to gather
faculty members' opinions. SACUA TO ASK CIVIL
SACUA Chair Ed Rothman, LIBERTIES BOARD FOR
a professor of statistics, said ADVICE ON FOIA
the motion would result in the
creation of a subcommittee of SACUA members unani-
SACUA members that would mously passed a motion asking
prepare the polls. The motion the University's Civil Liberties
passed unanimously. Board for advice on a recent
Poe said it's always good to get Freedom of Information Act
more opinions, but she thinks it records request filed with the
is too late to do so for the tenure University.
probationary period issue. Rothman said SACUA is
Barald, too, said she thinks seeking recommendations from
the "train has left the station" the CLB about how to treat the
for conducting a poll at this late academic freedoms and First
stage in discussion of the issue. Amendment rights of faculty in
"I think we missed our the context of the recent records
moment of opportunity, and I request filed by the Mackinac
want to make sure we don't do it Center for Public Policy, a non-
in the future if possible," Barald profit organization based in
said. Midland, Mich.
SACUA member Kim Kear- The records request, submit-
fott, a professor in the Medi- ted at the end of last month,
cal School and College of seeks e-mails containing infor-
Engineering, said the disagree- mation about the public union
ment among SACUA members dispute in Wisconsin. Similar
was indicative of a "two-part requests have also been filed
dysfunction" - miscommunica- with Michigan State University
tion between faculty and SACUA and Wayne State University.
and miscommunication between The Mackinac Center
faculty and the administration. requested e-mails from fac-
Senate Secretary John Lehm- ulty who work in labor centers,
an, a professor of ecology and seeking e-mails with the words
evolutionary biology, said while "Wisconsin," "Scott Walker,"
SACUA followed internal pro- and "Maddow" - referring to
cedures "to the letter," SACUA Rachel Maddow of MSNBC.
members were largely unin- Last month, the Wisconsin
formed of the reasons for pro- Republican Party submitted a
posing changes to the tenure request for the e-mails of Uni-
clock. versity of Wisconsin Prof. Wil-
Goldman agreed, but made liam Cronon, who has expressed
the distinction that SACUA was criticism of Gov. Scott Walker
informed of potential implica- (R-Wisc.).
tions of changes to the policy. Rothman proposed the
"We have to be careful when motion at last week's meeting,
we say we're uninformed," Gold- expressing concerns about the
man said. search of employee e-mails. The
SACUA member Stephen Lus- passed proposal asks for a report
mann, an associate professor of back from the CLB advising fur-
music, said instituting a poll at ther action.
standard commencement prac- gowns, Shriberg said this year's
tices and then focused on areas Spring Commencement will
in which the University could save about 840,000 sheets of
best conserve resources. paper due to a different pro-
"They started by looking at gram design. The event will also
the entire commencement exer- feature more vegetarian food
cise, everything from people choices, and tips for environ-
getting here, to what happens in mentally friendly lifestyles will
the stadium, to all the auxiliary be projected on the Big House
events,"Shribergsaid. scoreboardsceisoporate sus-
While planning the changes, tainability education into the
students considered factors such event.
as cost of the adjustments, envi- Shriberg's course is part
ronmental impact and the prob- of a sustainability initiative
ability of success. The students launched by University Presi-
presented their ideas to admin- dent Mary Sue Coleman in Octo-
istrators who worked with the ber 2009 to encourage campus
students after choosing which community members to be more
of their proposed changes they environmentally conscious.
wanted to implement. "We're creating an increased
To promote the sustainability culture of sustainability on
effort, the Program in the Envi- campus in all kinds of ways -
ronment is offering free recycled everything from offerings in the
gowns to students graduating curriculum to how the Univer-
with a PITE degree, according to sity operates," Shriberg said. "So
Shriberg. Though the students having a more green commence-
may use the gowns at no cost, ment ceremony is just one way of
they must returnthe gowns after demonstrating this commitment
commencement so they can be that we're seeing increasingly
reused nextyear. and encouragingly pervading
In addition to sustainable the entire campus."
usually expand these projects ballooning teams, has also con-
beyond various trials. However, nectedthe projectto IMAGINE,
the University's balloon team is a University-affiliated endeavor
an exception, Hasan said. in which satellites are used to
"We're trying to push beyond bring Internet access to parts of
that," Hasan said. Africa. Drumm said he believes
Because of these efforts, the the work of the balloon teams at
University is ahead of other the University could prove to be
schools in ballooning innova- another resource for IMAGINE
tions. Bogatko noted that Mich- in providing Internet access.
igan Institute of Technology "is There are a variety of bal-
doing today what (the Univer- loon materials used for differ-
sity) did five years ago." ent conditions and length of
Using balloons to make Inter- flights, according to Drumm.
net access more widespread has The teams use latex balloons,
great potential, Hasan said. which typically last an hour
Launching balloons after nat- and a half to two hours, and are
ural disasters, such as the tsu- about 10 to 15 feet in diameter
nami in Japan last month or the before launching. The balloons
earthquake that hit Haiti in Jan- then expand to about 30 feet
uary 2010, would give victims after being launched, though
temporary access to cell phone some differ in size. The team
communication, Hasan said. hopes to use super pressure
As a part of their experi- balloons in the future, which
ments, the balloon teams per- are used by NASA and last lon-
form a series of launches. In ger than other types.
addition to AOSS 583, or the Even without some of the
Floating Point Operation, the more sophisticated balloon
High Altitude Solutions Team is designs, Drumm said it would
an integral part of the launches. be possible to launchballoons to
The HAS Team is responsible provide Internet access where
for operations that help launch many people are currently
the balloons, find the balloons without it, like Japan due to
when they land and track the the recent earthquake. It will
balloons while they are in the only be a few more years until
air. the technology can be used on
AOSS Prof. Thomas Zurbu- a larger scale, according to
chen, one of the advisers for the Drumm.
TUITION
From Page 1
Though the state's 2012 fiscal
year begins in October, Snyder
has repeatedly expressed his hope
that the Legislature will approve a
final budgetby May 3L The earlier
budget deadline would be "much
easier" for the University, Cole-
man said, since administrators
could calculate its budget based
on actual figures, rather than pro-
jections.
"We're very hopeful that the
Legislature will act and that
everything will get resolved in
May, which is what the governor
had hoped to "have happen, but
since we don't have any certainty
from the state yet that's what
we're modeling," Coleman said.
"We are modeling the 15 percent."
Until thebudget is passed, Cole-
man said the University is making
its budget plans based on Snyder's
proposal.
"Before, with the state, we've
just had to make a guess, and
though we have worked very, very
hard ... if we don't geta resolution,
it makes things much more dif-
ficult for us because we're basing
our tuition decision on a certain
level of expected budget cuts,"
Coleman said.
Traditionally, the University's
PORTMAN
From Page 1
are still considering various
career prospects after receiving a
law degree.
"With his broad base of expe-
rience, Senator Portman is sure
to provide an inspirational com-
mencement address for gradu-
ates who are curious about where
their new Michigan law degrees
can take them," Caminker said.
"Clearly, if Senator Portman's
experience is a guide, the answer
to that question is - anywhere."
Portman graduated from the
University in 1984 and has since
spent most of his life in publct
service. His career has included
serving as associate counsel and
director of the Office of Legisla-
tive Affairs, director of the Office
of Management and Budget, U.S.
trade representative and as a mem-
ber of Congress. He was elected to
his current senatorial position in
the November 2010 election.
In addition to his public service
positions, Portman has practiced
law at various firms in Ohio and
currently works for several non-
profit boards in the Cincinnati
area.
At last year's Law School com-
mencement, Senior White House
Advisor Valerie Jarrett, also a Uni-
versity Law School alum, was the
keynote speaker.
Students expressed mixed
opinions on this year's Law
School's speaker choice. Law stu-
dent Phil Zeeck said he thinks
Portman has recently had a key
role in American politics and will
Board of Regents approves the
University's budget - including
tuition rates - atits June meeting.
With that date still two months
away, Hanlon said he is pleased
with how the University's budget-
ing process is going.
"We've finished the budget
meetings with schools and col-
leges and with the administrative
units at this point, so the units
have all had their discussions
with us and we're still early in
the process in terms of talking to
the board about a tuition increase
..." Hanlon said. "But we're at the
point where we're beginning to
process all the information we've
received; we're beginning to
weigh allthe levers in ourbudget"
As the state plans to decrease
its funding for public higher edu-
cation institutions, the University,
has also been restsucturing its
costs. The University is planning
to eliminate $120 million from its
budget by 2017. However, Cole-
man insisted that regardless of
decreases in state appropriations
or internal spending cuts, the Uni-
versity is committed to a high level
of research and academics.
"We can't stand still on the
quality level because everyone
else is moving forward," Coleman
said. "So, if all those pieces come
together, I think we've got a sus-
tainable system here."
deliver an engagingspeech.
"I think he's played an impor-
tant part in a lot of the national
debates we've had over the last
several years, and I think there
are a lot of people in the graduat-
ing class who would be very inter-
ested in what he has to say," Zeeck
said.
However, Zeeck added that he
is ambivalent about completely
supporting Portman since he hails
from Ohio.
"I like the fact that he's a Michi-
gan alum, I don't like the fact that
he's from Ohio," he said.
Law student Wen Fa also
expressed dismay at Portman's
residential status, but said this
shouldn't be an issue among his
peers.
"I think it's fine," he said. "We
get a lot of our students from
Ohio, and he's a Michigan alum,
so I don't have any huge problems
with it."
Law student Jordan Rosenfeld
said though the University has
been striving to bring speakers to
campus who emphasize philan-
thropy, he doesn't think Portman
represents the values of the Law
School studentbody.
"I think Michigan is continu-
ing along a path of demonstrating
more commitment to public ser-
vice and more pride in its public
service alums," Rosenfeld said.
"I don't necessarily think that a
Republican Senator from Ohiobest
expresses the views of the student
body or the administration."
The Law School commence-
ment ceremony will take place on
Saturday, May 7 at 2 p.m. at Hill
Auditorium.
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