The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Wednesday, September 28,.2011- 3A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wednesday, September 28, 2011 - 3A
NEWS BRIEFS
LANSING, Mich.
Bill to require 1-yr.
residency to obtain
medical marijuana
Two Republican state senators
said yesterday they're planning
legislation that would require
people to live in Michigan for one
year before getting state permis-
sion to use marijuana for medi-
cal purposes, a proposal aimed at
stopping out-of-state pot growers
from exploiting Michigan law.
The sponsors of the legislation
said the current law can be abused
by out-of-state marijuana growers
setting up shop in homes rented in
Michigan to try and avoid arrest in
their home states.
Michigan State Police say they
have had at least one instance
where an out-of-state resident
rented a home in Michigan, then
got a state driver's license and a
state-issued medical marijuana
card. The out-of-state residents
grow pot in the rental homes and
return occasionally to check on
the crop, selling the drug in their
--home states.
FORT WORTH, Texas
Power utility co.
sued after massive
Texas wildfire
A utility knew about wild-
fire dangers amid Texas' severe
drought but failed to remove
dead trees and branches near
power lines that sparked the
most destructive wildfire in state
history, an attorney said yester-
day after filing a lawsuit for some
families who lost their homes.
A Texas Forest Service inves-
tigation into the Sept. 4 Bastrop
fire near Austin determined that
the fire started after wind gusts
caused limbs and a dead tree to
topple onto power lines. How-
ever, the report did not blame
Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative
for the blaze that destroyed more
than 1,500 Central Texas homes
and left two people dead.
Bluebonnet CEO Mark Rose
released a statement Mon-
day saying the fire was a "ter-
rible incident" brought on by
high winds, hot temperatures
and historic drought in heavily
wooded areas - but those condi-
tions were beyond anyone's con-
trol. He also said the trees that
first caught fire were on private
* property and outside the utility's
rights-of-way.
ACAPULCO, Mexico
Five severed heads
found outside
elementary school
Mexican police have found
five severed heads in front of a
primary school in the Pacific
coast resort of Acapulco.
It's unclear whether the grue-
some discovery is related to
extortion threats that led about
140 elementary schools in the
city to close temporarily earlier
this month after teachers and
parents decided it wasn't safe
enough to start classes.
State police say the five heads
were found early yesterday in
a sack, along with a handwrit-
ten message threatening three
alleged drug traffickers.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina
Argentine gas blast
kills woman, hurts
9 others near city
An explosion wrecked two
homes, a business and several
cars early yesterday, killing a
woman and injuring nine people
on the outskirts of Argentina's
capital.
Early reports by some witness-
es that they had seen a ball of fire
fall from the sky around the time
of the 2 a.m. explosion caused a
sensation, but authorities said
later that evidence pointed to an
explosion of leaking gas.
Officials said a search by the
more than 100 police and others
turned up a canister of natural
gas with a poor connection to a
pizza oven.
-Compiled from
Daily wire reports
Middle EastI
peace talks
urged by U.N.
About 1,300 students join
IFC, Panhel organizations
Israel announces
1,100 new housing
units in Jerusalem
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -
The U.N.'s political chief said
yesterday that Israel and -the
Palestinians remain far apart
on reaching a peace accord but
insists "now is time for everyone
to give diplomacy a chance."
B. Lynn Pascoe told the U.N.
Security Council that the main
obstacles to setting up a Palestin-
ian state - a bid which Palestin-
ian President Mahmoud Abbas
submitted last week despite a
promised U.S. veto - are politi-
cal, not institutional. He said that
the main issue remains the "con-
tinuing Israeli occupation and
the ongoing Palestinian divide."
The remarks at the monthly
briefing on the Middle East came
as Israel announced it would
build 1,100 more homes on con-
tested land in Jerusalem.
They highlighted the tenuous
path confronting not only the
Palestinians and Israelis, but also
the Quartet of Mideastmediators
- the U.N., U.S., European Union
and Russia. The Quartet has
drafted a plan to bring the two
sides together for negotiations,
with an ultimate goal of achiev-
ing a deal by the end of next year.
"Resuming negotiations, and
making progress, is easier said
than done," Pascoe told the coun-
cil.
With the Quartet's proposal
and the push to restart nego-
tiations, he said, "this would be a
moment where the parties would
be truly tested in their readiness
to make serious proposals that
addressed the core concerns of
the other."
Abbas' insistence on present-
ing the application for Palestine's
full membership to the U.N.
pushed the long-stalled peace
process again to the forefront
of this year's General Assembly
discussions and sparked a frenzy
of last-minute diplomacy to dis-
suade him from submitting the
application. The U.S. has vowed
to veto the statehood bid in the
Security Council.
Abbas said that if it was reject-
ed, the Palestinians could turn
to the General Assembly to raise
their current status as a perma-
nent observer to the a nonmem-
ber observer state, and resubmit
the application again with the
council.
The Palestinians have refused
to resume negotiations with Isra-
el until the Jewish state halts the
building of settlements on occu-
pied land.
Israel, however, has rejected
the Palestinian demand, with
Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin
Netanyahu again ruling out a
freeze in an interview published
yesterday.
Also yesterday, Israel
announced 1,100 new housing
units in east Jerusalem, a move
that U.S. Secretary of State Hill-
ary Rodham Clinton criticized
as counterproductive to the Mid-
east peace process.
Netanyahu has called for
the resumption of peace talks
without preconditions. He has
dismissed demands that a Pales-
tinian state be based on Israel's
1967 prewar lines - putting him
at odds with the administration
of President Barack Obama.
Pascoe said the new settle-
ment announcement was "of
particular concern," adding that
"we have repeatedly stated that
settlement activity is illegal and
contrary to Israel's" commitment
to the peace efforts.
He also said extremists on
both sides should not be allowed
to "inflame the situation," noting
several arson attacks by Jewish
settlers on a mosque and a knife
attack in Tel Aviv by aWest Bank
Palestinian on Aug. 29, as well
as Israeli reports of a foiled sui-
cide bombing the same month in
Jerusalem.
The Palestinian request for
recognition is to come up at the
Security Council on today.
Diplomats said the council
president will read a statement
saying the Palestinian applica-
tion has been transmitted to the
council committee on the admis-
sion of new members, which
includes all15 council nations.
Number of was the emphasis the organi-
zation placed on ensuring the
Panhel recruits safety of potential new mem-
bers, according to Sarah Smith,
a record high at Panhel's vice president of public
relations and a former Michigan
797 women Daily columnist.
In response to the sexual
By RAYZA GOLDSMITH assaults that occurred over the
DailyStaffReporter summer, Panhel organized sev-
eral programs in an attempt to
'Go Greek' continues to be a increase safety during recruit-
popular slogan on campus, with ment, Smith said. One of these
about 1,300 University students efforts - spearheaded by Adam
joining the Greek community Davis, IFC's executive vice presi-
last week. dent - involved fraternity mem-
After about a month of recruit- bers who walked prospective
ment, 797 women accepted bids sorority members back to their
from one of the 16 Panhellenic residences after recruitment
Association sororities and about activities.
500 men accepted bids from one Panhel also kept the William
of the 31 members of the Inter- Monroe Trotter Multicultural
fraternity Council. Center open late at night dur-
Though IFC fraternities have ing recruitment so students had
not yet completed their recruit- a centrally located and well-lit
ment process, LSA senior Rick place to go between house visits.
Stepanovic, the IFC's vice presi- Overall, the Greek commu-
dent of recruitment, said he nity saw a 1-percent increase in
expects the number of men who membership for Panhel and IFd
accept bids to increase beyond this year. Though the University
the 500 who have already has seen an increase in fresh-
accepted. He said he projects man enrollment in recent years,
the number to be higher than Director of Greek Life Mary
last year's 542. Beth Seiler said she doesn't think
The IFC is welcoming a new this influenced the growth in
chapter to campus this year, Greek Life membership.
Acacia, which is one of the chap- Similarly, Stepanovic said he
ters still recruiting, according to doesn't think freshmen enroll-
Stepanovic. ment caused the increase in new
The number of women accept- IFC members.
ing bids for Panhel sororities is "It is my impression that the
the highest on record, surpass- number of freshman coming to
ing last year's record of 790 the University was significantly
women. Upon completion of the lower this year," Stepanovic said.
recruitment process, 85 percent "So the fact that our numbers
of women who went through the stayed roughly the same, I think
recruitment process accepted was a huge success."
bids. This represents a 5-per- Despite the fact that soror-
cent increase from last year and ity and fraternity members are
7-percent more than the national required to pay dues to their
average. organizations, the country's
One difference during this ongoing financial crisis hasn't
semester's Panhel recruitment made a noticeable impact on
Greek Life numbers.
"Evidently (the economy) has
not really affected our recruit-
ment in Michigan," Seiler said.
Still, fraternities and sorori-
ties have made an effort to make
Greek Life more affordable.
Along with offering scholar-
ships, potential sorority mem-
bers are required to view a
presentation about the financial
commitment of joining Panhel.
While fraternities tend to
have less expensive dues than
sororities and offer a degree of
leniency for members struggling
to pay, the benefits outweigh the
costs, Stepanovic said.
He added that he thinks the
reason for the increase in stu-
dents interested in fraternities
and sororities is due to Greek
Life programming and the com-
munity's involvement in other
areas of campus, as well as the
connections being in the orga-
nization offers. Stepanovic said
he's particularly happy with
IFC's numbers this year because
the council has lost a chapter
since last fall. In March, Sigma
Alpha Epsilon fraternity was
expelled from the IFC after
alleged hazing activities sur-
faced.
"I think our numbers are
great, especially considering
that we expelled a fraternity in
the past year," he said. "They're
trying to recruit outside of us. I
don't think they dampened our
efforts at all."
LSA freshman Connor
Toohey, a Sigma Chi fraternity
pledge, echoed Stepanovic's
sentiments about the benefits of
Greek Life.
"I kind of think that being
(in) a fraternity would give me
a brotherhood, as cliche as that
sounds," Toohey said. "The con-
nections you can make in a fra-
ternity are pretty unique."
N.Y. college student
paid for taking SAT
New York District Attorney Kathleen Rice
said.
authorities charge Eshaghoff is a 2010 gradu-
ate of Great Neck North who
seven people in spent his freshman year at the
University of Michigan before
transferring to Emory Univer-
sity in Atlanta.
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (AP) Rice said that between 2010
- A college student from New and 2011, six students at Great
York was paid between $1,500 Neck North High School paid
and $2,500 to stand in for at him to take the SAT in hopes
least a half dozen students of achieving a higher score.
attending a prestigious Long The six students implicated
Island high school and take the in the case were not identified
SAT exam for them, a prosecu- because of their ages, a spokes-
tor said yesterday in announc- man for the prosecutor said.
ing criminal charges in the Earlier this year, Great Neck
case. North faculty members heard
Six students were also arrest- rumors that students had paid a
ed yesterday on misdemeanor third party to take the SAT for
charges, although authorities them, Rice said. Administra-
said the investigation remained tors then identified six students
active and that other high who "had large discrepancies
school students in the area may between their academic perfor-
also have been involved. The six mance records and their SAT
were all released on their own scores," the prosecutor said.
recognizance. The students had registered
Sam Eshaghoff, 19, of Great to take the tests at a different
Neck was arraigned on charges school where they would not
of scheming to defraud, crimi- be recognized. Eshaghoff then
nal impersonation and falsify- went to the schools and showed
ing business records, according a photo ID with his picture,
to the Nassau County District but another student's name
Attorney's Office. His bail was on it, Rice said. At least once,
set a $1,000 bond or $500 cash. Eshaghoff flew home from col-
Eshaghoff's attorney, Matin lege primarily to impersonate
Emouna, said his client is not two students and took the SAT
guilty. "He has cooperated with twice in one weekend.
the investigation, and he denies Rice said her office is inves-
the charges," Emouna said. tigating whether similar SAT
He said he expected his client scams occurred in at least two
would be released. other area high schools. Pros-
"Colleges look for the best ecutors also are investigating
and brightest students, yet whether Eshaghoff took the
these six defendants tried to SAT exam for others.
cheat the system and may have Tom Ewing, a spokesman for
kept honest and qualified stu- The College Board, which spon-
dents from getting into their sors the SAT tests, applauded
dream school," Nassau County the district attorney's office
University President Mary Sue Coleman announces new sustainability initiatives yesterday.
SUSTAINABILITY
From Page 1A
blue, and you get green."
By 2025, Coleman said, the
University will cut greenhouse
gas emissions by 25 percent and
decrease University vehicles'
carbon output by 30 percent for
every person in the vehicle.
Other goals include reducing
University waste sent to landfills
by 40 percent and protecting
the Huron River. The University
aims to do so by using less chem-
icals on campus and diminishing
the amount of storm water that
directly flows into the river.
Coleman also announced yes-
terday that all new or renovated
dining halls on campus will not
use trays in order to be more sus-
tainable.
Starting in January 2010, the
University conducted the Cam-
pus Sustainability Integrated
Assessment, which examined
at sustainability in seven areas
on campus - buildings, energy,
land and water, food, purchas-
ing and recycling, culture and
transportation. The University's
new goals were created based on
findings from the CSIA.
Coleman spoke about the
ways sustainability has been
incorporated into all facets of
the University, from teaching to
research. She noted that of the
100 new employees the Univer-
sity hired for interdisciplinary
teaching, more than 25 percent
ofthemwere previouslyinvolved
in sustainability projects.
However; during the talk
about sustainability efforts,
Coleman told the audience why
the University decided not to
sign the American College and
University Presidents' Climate
Commitment - an agreement
between U.S. colleges to elimi-
nate greenhouse gas emissions
on campuses nationwide.
"After seeking expert counsel,
we have concluded we cannot set
a date by which we will achieve
carbon neutrality," Coleman said
in her speech. "There is simply
no viable way forward at this
time to achieve such a feat, and
I will not place an undue burden
on the backs of future presidents
of this great institution."
Engineering graduate stu-
dent Ryan Smith, who attended
the event today, was involved
with the University's Student
Sustainability Initiative and the
CSIA. In 2009, the Student Sus-
tainability Initiative collected
information about which sus-
tainability issues the student
body cared about and relayed it
to the administration. The CSIA
then began, and Smith worked
on the energy use team of the
assessment.
"Through this whole pro-
cess (the administration) really
depended on all the data that
was generated by the students
and the integrated assessment
process," Smith said. "I'm proud
of them for just putting all that
on the table, saying, 'OK, we care
about this. Let's really get some
real good data."'
Smith said his only concern
is that some students will want
bigger and faster changes.
"I know the student body
tends to be very zealous and very
energetic about issues," he said.
"They always want to push it
further. Really based on the all
the data that was presented to
us, (the University has) the most
reasonable, and quite honestly,
ambitious step forward."
To help encourage student
involvement in the sustain-
ability efforts, the University's
Planet Blue Student Ambassador
Program recently started hav-
ing student and faculty advi-
sors. The ambassador program
involves selected students who
live in residence halls and make
others in the community more
environmentally conscious
through a variety of programs.
"I think this Planet Blue
ambassadors program has great
promise," Coleman said. "The
best thing possible would be to
accelerate the pace of change so
that we really begin to see more
and more people taking personal
responsibility. So I'm very hope-
ful."
During the announcement
the lights were turned off in
the Gallery Room when some-
one in the audience pointed out
that there was sufficient lighting
from outside and the lights were
unnecessary - a reminder that
the little changes will make a
difference.
"Students are the story of
environmental awareness and
sustainability at Michigan,"
Coleman said. "They exemplify
our belief that a great public
university continually strives to
make the world a better place."
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