The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Thursday, September 22, 2011 - 5A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycomThursday, Septemher 22, 2011 - 5A
DADT
From Page 1A
ly important ... to show the prog-
ress that can be made on LGBTQ
issues."
However, he added that prog-
ress still needs to be made on
issues such as the prohibition
of gay men from donating blood
and the denial of military ben-
efits for partners of those serv-
ing in the military. Additionally,
though gay and lesbian soldiers
are now able to serve openly, the
repeal of "don't ask, don't tell"
did not grant that right to trans-
gender soldiers, Mackie noted.
David Halperin, the Univer-
sity's W.H. Auden distinguished
university professor of the his-
tory and theory of sexuality,
said the repeal of "don't ask,
don't tell" was "a step forward"
and has the potential to advance
other LGBTQ issues.
"As anti-gay discrimination
becomes more and more rare,
it looks more and more bizarre
and archaic to more and more
people, and you wonder why it
still exists," Halperin said. "So
once various kinds of equal-
ity come into being, remaining
forms of inequality look more
and more strange and intoler-
able."
Halperin also noted that the
repeal of the legislation will
allow for more universities
around the nation to institute
Reserved Officers' Training
Corps programs, since many
have previously refused them on
the basis that the program was
not open to students of all sexu-
al orientations.
Additionally, Halperin said
many military leaders have
supported the repeal for years.
Because of this, Halperin said he
does not foresee any problems as
gay and lesbian soldiers begin to
openly enlist in the military.
"It's been clear for a long time
that the only real defenders of
the policy in the military and
in Washington are the elderly
generals and senators who were
pretty much out of touch," Hal-
perin said.
Ariana Bostian-Kentes, the
administrative and program-
ming coordinator for the Uni-
versity's Spectrum Center, said
she expects gay and lesbian
soldiers to join the military at
a greater rate than during the
era of "don't ask, don't tell." She
added that the repeal plays a
crucial role in encouraging dia-
logue on LGBTQ issues and how
to overturn policies that limits
LGBTQ rights.
She added that the repeal of
"don't ask, don't tell" could help
to root out other "glaring ineq-
uities" in LGBTQ rights includ-
ing the Defense of Marriage Act
and unfavorable marriage laws
in most states.
"I think this is going to be
a huge gateway in increasing
equality for the entire commu-
nity," Bostian-Kentes said. "The
military is such a well-respect-
ed, highly-regarded institution
that when you see that service
members are able to serve open-
ly and we have a more effective
military ... it's going to change
people's minds and open doors."
Still, others were not con-
vinced that the end of the policy
would bring a deluge of military
enlistment among gay and les-
bian soldiers. Jonathan Marwil,
a University lecturer of history,
who teaches a course on 2oth-
century wars as a social expe-
rience, said he anticipates a
wait-and-see approach as poten-
tial LGBTQ soldiers determine
how "welcoming" the program
will be after the repeal.
"Ifa year goes by and this has
worked fairly smoothly - there
aren't instances of people being
picked on, humiliated, injured ...
then you will see more sign-up,
absolutely," Marwil said.
Like Marwil, leaders of the
University's ROTC programs
said they could not predict
increased enlistment. The
ROTC officials also declined to
comment on the implications of
the repeal. Lt. Colonel Wayne
Doyle, the assistant chair of the
University's Army ROTC, and
Captain Richard Vanden Heu-
vel, commanding officer of the
University's Navy ROTC, said
they would follow orders as
received from command.
ALLISON KRUSKE/Daily
Sultan Sooud Ai-Qassemi gives the 2011 Josh Rosenthal Education Fund Lecture in Weill Hall yesterday.
From Page 1A
unrest in particular areas in the
Middle East, often times the only
way to communicate is social
media," Al-Qassemi said.
The use of social media dur-
ing uprisings in countries such
as Libya, Egypt and Tunisia over
the past year has gained atten-
tion worldwide. Social media
is also particularly valuable in
these countries, Al-Qassemi
said, because mobile devices help
people who are geographically
spread-apart contact each other.
Social media tools also cre-
ate distinct problems in Arab
countries because many dicta-
torial governments do not want
citizens to speak out against the
government. He said citizens
who retweet something that the
FUNDING
From Page 1A
Foundation increased its fund-
ing by 10.3 percent and money
from the Department of Ener-
gy increased by 30.4 percent.
However, the Department of
Defense decreased its funding
for the University by 4.9 percent
in 2010-2011 compared to the
previous year, the press release
states.
The University's future suc-
cess in receiving federal grants
will depend on how competi-
tive the University is and what
research areas are being empha-
sized, Forrest added. He added
that researchers at the Universi-
ty have recognized the benefits
that their research can provide
beyond campus.
"The faculty at the University
of Michigan have been extreme-
ly competitive," he said. "(They)
have recognized that one of
things that they can do, and
they can do well for the country
- and particularly the state - is
to do good research and create
those innovations."
James Sayer, an associate
research scientist at the Univer-
sity Transportation Research
Institute, is working on a pilot
model for communication
devices to increase vehicle-to-
POSHH
From Page 1A
"I've always had a love of
fashion, but for me it was a
desire to bring something new
to the Ann Arbor area," Batiste-
Johnson said. "I was 22 years
old, and I decided to take a risk,
and the risk paid off for me."
While Batiste-Johnson said
the recent lack of foot traffic on
East Liberty has affected her
boutique, she noted that the
support of locals and University
students has allowed her to stay
in business.
"We've been very fortunate
in having a long-lasting busi-
ness that has been supported by
not only the University, but by
the surrounding areas," Batiste-
Johnson said. "We've had a
wonderful connection with our
clients, and because of that, our
clients stay loyal to us."
While she has watched East
Liberty transform over the past
10 yeas as stores moved in and
out of the area, Batiste-John-
son said she believes coopera-
tion among the businesses on
the street could help improve
sales.
"I think it's really impor-
tant for all businesses to work
together as a team to ensure the
stability of their community.
It's our community - it's not
just one store for themselves,"
government does not approve of
can receive three to 10 years in
jail.
Al-Qassemi also spoke of the
importance of his own online
community, where he has 78,000
Twitter followers.
"The social media also pro-
vide an avenue for me to tell my
family which areas they should
avoid, which areas are danger-
ous at a given time," he said.
Al-Qassemi also noted that
he is "on the record and not
afraid" of his beliefs and convic-
tions about the Middle East and
the political development in the
region.
Al-Qassemi concluded his lec-
ture by saying that even in times
of unrest, he is optimistic about
the future of Arab countries.
"Not everything will go the
way we want it to go, but the
vehicle communication and
safety. His project was recently
awarded $14.9 million, with 80
percent of the funding coming
from the U.S. Department of
Transportation.
Though Sayer said he isn't
concerned that his current proj-
ect will suffer from a decrease
in federal funding, he acknowl-
edged that he is worried about
upcoming research endeavors.
"Certainly we're concerned
about other programs that will
be happening in the future,"
Sayer said.
He added that focusing on
environmental sustainability
in the future could be a way to
receive federal research funds
for other projects.
"I think we have the opportu-
nity to see a growth in research
funding as a result of increased
interest in sustainability," Sayer
said.
Huei Peng, executive direc-
tor of the University Inter-
disciplinary and Professional
Engineering Programs, said he
thinks there is an urgent need
to solve sustainability issues,
which is why it is such a pop-
ular research topic. Peng is
working with the U.S. Clean
Energy Research Center-Clean
Vehicle Consortium - one of
three programs recently estab-
lished by the U.S. Department
she said. "My hope is that busi-
nesses would do as such or do it
more so there could be a larger
attraction to the area."
Catherine Berlucchi, man-
ager of Allure Boutique on
East Liberty, said the closing
of Poshh doesn't come as a sur-
prise.
"I was not surprised because
I know her on a personal level
as well, and I know she has
small kids that she wants to be
with all the time," Berlucchi
said.
Berlucchi added that the
closing of Poshh could either
increase her business, as
Poshh's customers will be
looking for a new boutique, or
decrease it as foot traffic in the
area may go down with the clo-
sure of Poshh and Borders. The
East Liberty Street Borders
- a 37,000-square-foot area -
closed last week.
While Batiste-Johnson said
she doesn't know what business
will fill Poshh's spot, Berlucchi
said she hopes to see another
retail store in the East Liberty
location.
"I think Ann Arbor (residents
need) another nice clothing
boutique to go to," Berlucchi
said. "I would like to see anoth-
er retail spot go in there - wom-
en's or men's."
Batiste-Johnson said Poshh
customers can expect mark
downs and eventually a store-
trajectory we are on is a positive
one," he said.
Public Policy junior Kevin
Mersol-Barg said he appreci-
ated the choice of Al-Qassemi as
a speaker because of his unique
background.
"Knowing that this profes-
sional speaker was coming from
a financial background, this is
something not generally asso-
ciated with that (social media)
profession," Mersol-Barg said.
"He took his skill set from his
job and tied it into something the
community needed."
The Rosenthal Lecture is
held each year in memory of
Josh Rosenthal, a University
alum who passed away on Sept.
11, 2001 while working in the
World Trade Center as a senior
vice president at Fiduciary Trust
International.
of Energy - to create cleaner
vehicles with smaller environ-
mental blueprints.
The CERC-CVC will receive
$12.5 million over the next five
years, which will be matched
through private funding, for a
total of $25 million. But Peng
stressed that money is not the
most crucial component of a
research project.
"The most important thing is
the quality of the researchers,"
Peng said. "The way to grow
our research is not to focus on
money."
Peng said the University's
reputation as a top research
institution did help the CERC-
CVC and other prominent Uni-
versity initiatives receive the
money they needed.
Peng added that even if the
federal government makes sig-
nificant cuts in research spend-
ing, he hopes funds for the
CERC-CVC will be the last to get
cut. He said the work being done
by the center is a multi-nation
commitment that is important
to the global community. He
added that he thinks the project
will continue regardless of how
much money is available.
"We will continue to do top
research no matter how much
money we got," Peng said. "If we
continue to focus on quality, we
will be just fine."
wide sale during the shop's last
month of business. Though she
is sad to leave Poshh's custom-
ers, Batiste-Johnson said she
has no regrets since owning and
developing her business was so
satisfying.
"(Poshh) has been my life,
and it has probably been the
most rewarding 10 years of my
life," she said. "There are no
regrets where I'm concerned,
and I'm just so happy that we
had the opportunity to service
the Ann Arbor community and
the surrounding cities the way
we have. We've had a wonder-
ful following - I wouldn't have
lasted 10 years if we had not."
LSA freshman Laurel Ruza,
who has shopped at Poshh, was
surprised to hear of the forth-
coming closure.
"I'm really taken aback,"
Ruza said. "I thought it was a
really popular store. I'm from
West Bloomfield, Mich., and
everybody there talks about
Poshh. It's the place to be."
However, Ruza added that
she often shops at chain stores
like American Apparel and
Urban Outfitters located near-
by Poshh in the East Liberty
area.
"If I go shopping, that's usu-
ally where I head to," Ruza said.
"Some of the independent stores
like Poshh are really cute and
off-the-beaten track, but I stick
mostly to the chain stores."
ZUCKERBERG
From Page 1A
tremendous effect on our lives."
Though Steinerman hopes sup-
port for his petition will guarantee
Zuckerberg as the commencement
speaker, there are many steps that
need to be takenbefore he becomes
eligible - including submitting
a nomination to the University's
Honorary Degree Committee.
Traditionally, commencement
speakers are awarded an honor-
ary degree for their achievements,
but before they can receive their
degree, they must get approval
from the committee, which is com-
prised of University officials, pro-
fessors, alumni and two student
representatives.
The committee typically meets
twice a year - once in November
and once in April - and selects
people the committee members
believe meet a set criteria. Their
selections are then shown to
University President Mary Sue
Coleman, who recommends any
number of people to receive an
honorary degree and one person
to receive a degree and speak at
commencement. Her recommen-
dations then go to the University's
Board of Regents for approval.
People can nominate speakers
by filling out a form located on the
website of the office of the Presi-
dent. The deadline for submitting a
nomination is Oct. 7.
According to the committee's
nomination criteria, one of the
committee's primary consider-
ations is that the recipient has
"distinguished achievement in an
activity related to the University's
missions of research and scholar-
ship, education or service."
Lisa Connolly, project manager
in the Office of the President, said
though the committee provides a
selection of potential speakers and
honorarydegree recipientsto Cole-
man, Coleman likes to hear feed-
back from students about who they
want as a commencement speaker
- whether it be in the form of a
petition with hundreds of signa-
tures or justone student's opinion.
"I don't think there's a magic
number as far as signatures (on
the petition)," Connolly said. "She
takes all requests she gets from stu-
dents very seriously. Even if it just
came in an e-mail from a student
saying'itwouldbegreatifwe could
get this person to be a commence-
ment speaker."'
According to Connolly, another
way students can contribute to the
selection processis to bringdesired
commencement speaker names to
the attention of the student repre-
sentatives on the HonoraryDegree
Committee. This year the student
representatives are LSA senior
Carly Goldberg and Rackham stu-
dent Neal Rakesh.
Goldberg said she is very open
to hearing students' ideas for the
commencement speakers.
"I really encourage students to
contact me ..." Goldberg said. "I'm
sure there are a lot of people who
are really passionate about people
who should speak."
Goldberg started a Facebook
page titled "Who do you want for
Winter and Spring Commence-
ment Speaker?" on which people
can post ideas for who they want
to be the keynote speakers.
"It's pretty informal because
it's through social networking, but
I think it's one of the best ways to
reach people," Goldberg said.
In regard to the petition to have
Zuckerberg as the Spring Com-
mencement speaker, Goldbergsaid
she is glad people are starting peti-
tions for speakers, but is not too
familiar with Zuckerberg's back-
ground.
"I honestly don't know much
about him," Goldberg said. "I've
really only seen 'The Social Net-
work.' If students sign the petition,
I'd love to hear about how he con-
tributed to research, scholarship,
education or service."
Zuckerberg developed Facebook
in 2004 with some of his class-
mates while attending Harvard
University. The site later grew to
have 500 million users as of July
21, 2010. With a net worth of $6.9
billion reported in Forbes maga-
zine, Zuckerberg signed a promise
in 2010 to donate at least half of his
wealth to charity over time.
LSA senior Colette Cascarilla
said she would support Mark
Zuckerberg as a commencement
speaker.
"I think that would definitely
be entertaining," Cascarilla said.
"He's an entrepreneur so he'd have
good advice. There could definitely
be a lot worse picks, like last year.
I think it'd be something fresh and
fun. I'd be all for it."
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