The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 - 3
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Tuesday, October11, 2011 - 3
NEWS BRIEFS
LANSING
Likely voters give
Sen. Stabenow
high ratings in poll
Democratic U.S. Sen. Debbie
Stabenow is better known than
her Republican rivals but is fight-
ing a negative job rating as she
heads into her 2012 re-election
bid, according to a poll released
yesterday.
The EPIC-MRA poll shows 40
percent of 600 likely voters polled
statewide gave her a job rating
of "excellent" or "pretty good,"
while 28 percent ranked the job
she was doing as "just fair" and
24 percent of voters said she was
doing a poor job. Eight percent
were undecided.
Half queried for the Oct. 1-4
poll had a favorable opinion of
Stabenow, while 36 percent had
an unfavorable opinion and 11
percent were undecided. In an
Aug. 13-16 EPIC-MRA poll, 47
percent said they had a favorable
opinion of the two-term senator
from Lansing, while 38 percent
had an unfavorable view and 13
percent were undecided.
FORT WAYNE, Ind.
Mich. basketball
recruit returns
home after crash
The family of a high school bas-
ketball star from Fort Wayne says
he has returned home more than
three months after suffering a
serious head injury in a Michigan
plane crash that killed his father
and stepmother.
Austin Hatch, who had accept-
ed a scholarship to play basket-
ball at the University of Michigan
starting in 2013, still faces a long
recovery from the June 24 crash
that also left him with a punc-
tured lung and broken ribs and
collarbone, according to a family
statement emailed Sunday to The
Journal Gazette.
"While Austin has made great
improvemerits; he still has obsta-
cles to overcome as he continues
to heal, grieve and acclimate tolife
after tragedy," the statement said.
PRINCETON, N.J.
Two American
profs. win Nobel
Prize in economics
Christopher Sims and Thomas
Sargent have no simple solutions
to the global economic crisis. But
the work that wonthem the Nobel
Prize in economics yesterday
is guiding central bankers and
policymakers in their search for
answers.
The two Americans, both 68,
were honored for their research
in the 1970s and'80s on the cause-
and-effect relationship between
the economy and government
policy.
Sims is a professor at Princeton
University. Sargent teaches at
New York University and is a vis-
iting professor at Princeton.
Among their achievements,
tie two Nobel laureates - work-
ing separately for the most part
over the years - devised tools to
analyze how changes in interest
rates and taxes affect growth and
inflation.
BEIJING, China
China discontented
by U.S. arms trade
China says it will again raise
the issue of U.S. arms sales to
Taiwan when the two sides hold a
high-level meeting today.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister
Cui Tiankai told reporters yes-
terday that he will voice China's
strong displeasure when he meets
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State
for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
Kurt Campbell.
China says last month's
announcement of a $5.85 billion
arms package for Taiwan will
hurt relations but it has not said
what it will do.
Cui also says a proposed U.S.
law to punish countries with
artificially low currencies could
result ina trade war.
-Compiled from.
Daily wire reports
Fuller Road
tjbertYSre
Rashtenaw
enue
----- Packard Road
Graphic by Helen Lieblich
The area examined by the Ann Arbor Connector Feasibility Study to determine new transit options for the city. -
HARPER
From Page 1
"This year, (it has) gotten to
the point where (the police) are
taking groups of people, no mat-
ter if they're 21 or not, and forc-
ing them to leave houses," Wolf
said. "So it just has students scat-
tering everywhere and kind of
taking away the spirit, I think,
for the pregame - especially
when the University is doing so
well in the sport."
Coleman directed the ques-
tion to Harper, who said there
has been an increase in heavy
drinking on Saturday mornings,
so the police are tryingto control
the behavior.
"I think the intent (of the
increased presence) is to tone
it down, to get everybody more
conscious and to not have it
begin so early," Harper said.
The attendees also addressed
campus safety at the fireside
chat - a periodic event in which
Coleman invites a small number
of students to talk with her in a
personal setting about any cam-
pus topic or concern.
Dean of Students Laura
Blake Jones also attended and,
explained new safety measures
being implemented this year like
the Beyond the Diag program -
a new effort to unite students in
off-campus residential to help
increase safety awareness. Jones
said there are plans to expand
Beyond the Diag into several
neighborhoods surrounding
campus and to improve late night
transportation.
At the chat, Coleman also dis-
cussed how to increase minor-
ity enrollment at the University.
The University values diversity
and is working to keep enroll-
ment rates of minority students
high, she said. However, the
task became more difficult when
Michigan voters banned affir-
mative action in 2006, Coleman
said. As a result, the University
had to amp up its recruitment
efforts.
"When the state, against my
better judgment, changed the
constitution to restrict our abil-
ity to use affirmative action
in admissions, then we really
kicked into gear even more of the
programs we've been doing tra-
ditionally," Coleman said. "The
good news is that every year our
applications for underrepresent-
ed minorities has gone up."
Last year's freshman classwas
composed of 10.6 percent under-
represented minority students -
a 1.5-percent increase from the
2009-2010 freshman class.
To Coleman, the most impor-
tant aspect of increasing minor-
ity enrollment is to improve
matriculation rates after admit-
tance. She said the University
is making greater efforts to
encourage students to choose to
attend the University after being
admitted.
"We win some, we lose some,
but we need to keep at it because
it's very important," Coleman
said.
TRANSIT
From Page 1
frequencyridership areabetween
North Campus, the main Medical
Campus and Central Campus. It
also suggests that "end-to-end"
services such as buses, streetcars
or lightrail be installed from the
University's East Medical Cam-
pus to North Campus as well as
from Central Campus and down-
town to Briarwood to comple-
ment the core service.
The researchers found that
Fuller Road - a major road that
connects North Campus to Cen-
tral Campus and leads to the
University Hospital - has the
same number of people using
public transit as the number of
people drivingvehicles.
Nau said University buses
traveling between North and
Central campuses are a sig-
nificant part of the traffic on
Fuller Road. The corridor has
a substantial amount of traffic
because it includes what Nau
called "key places" in Ann Arbor
like the University Hospital.
Buses run frequently along
that route - on average, one bus
every two to three minutes - and
have more than 30,700 riders per
day, according to Nau. He added
that many passengers have to
stand on the buses at peak times.
The University and several
government entities are cur-
rently working on plans for the
Fuller Road Station - a transit
project separate from the con-
nectorstudy-whichisproposed
to have links to future commuter
rail lines and parking for Univer-
sity of Michigan Health System
employees.
The cost of the plan for the
busy route depends on the type
of system the city chooses, but
Nau's estimates range from $15
million to $200 million. Annual
operating costs could range
from $500,000 to $1.5 million
per mile, according to Nau. The
project could receive 50 percent
of its total funding from the fed- the baby boomer population is
eral government because of the aging, and the number of people
number of travelers along the with disabilities is increasing,
corridor. Nieuwenhuijsen said. She added
In an interview after the that returning veterans might
meeting, Jim Kosteva, the Uni- also contribute to an increase in
versity's director of community residents with disabilities.
relations, said the University is Beside the benefit to resi-
aware it is not satisfying peak dents, Nieuwenhuijsen noted
transportation demands and is that an increase in accessibility
very interested in being involved within the city would contrib-
in the project. ute to an increase in economic
"There's little question that growth and tourism, as disabled
we're going to be a player in members of the community and
this activity, and this needs to other visitors would have better
be not only a University com- access to shops, restaurants and
munity consideration, (but) this other amenities. She added that
needs to be a University and Ann increased accessibility can also
Arbor consideration because this improve the standard of living
impact is on the entire commu- in the community, which could
nity," Kosteva said. attract more people with disabil-
Kosteva added that the city ities to live in Ann Arbor.
and the University have similar "People want to stay in the
motivations to participate in the community when it is accessible
project. and when it is friendly," Nieu-
"Both the city and Univer- wenhuijsen said.
sity combined share the goals Addressing council members,
of (a) more sustainable future, Nieuwenhuijsen said voting
increased utilization of mass booths are "all accessible," and
transportation, reduced depen- disabled voters are part of the
dence on single occupancy vehi- voting population who elect the
cles and reduced dependence on members.
carbon footprint," he said. Kosteva said in an interview
,frthe presentation that acces-
'U' DOCTOR PRESENTS sibility at the University is an
STUDY ON ACCESSIBILITY -area"where thbeis'aiWajTrioin.
for improvement." He added that
Earlier in the meeting, Dr. the University is particularly
Els Nieuwenhuijsen, a research cognizant of its need to improve
investigator in the UMHS the proximity of paratransit and
Department of Physical Medi- handicap parking to University
cine and Rehabilitation, pre- buildings.
sented the results of a study she He also referenced a current
conducted of handicap accessi- University project to make PDF
bility in AnnArbor. files more accessible to people
Nieuwenhuijsen said some who are visually impaired as
areas in the city are acces- an example of the University's
sible to residents with vision, efforts to make the lives of stu-
hearing, or mobility impair- dents, staff and visitors with dis-
ments, but other areas could abilities easier.
use improvement. She said "We do make a concerted
she has experienced difficulty conscientious effort to make the
while navigating the city with campus (as) accessibility friend-
her husband who is visually ly and appropriate as we can,"
impaired. Kosteva said.
It is important that Ann
Arbor addresses its accessibil-
ity issues promptly, because
- Charlene Lerner and Andreea
Mosincat contributed to this article.
RALLY ment under state law. The couple
From Page 1 could be charged nine months
imprisonment and up to $10,000
in fines, he said.
tity. In an interview before the
"The answer to this question event, LSA junior Ethan Hahn,
about what coming out means chair of MSA's LGBT Issues
is that if we lived in a truly tol- Commission, said he became
erant society, there would be no active in the commission because
need to come out," Watson said. in Iowa, where he's from, there
"There is no need to feel ashamed are many civil restrictions.
of the person you are, because Among the commission's ini-
regardless of what our identity tiatives is a queer studies cam-
entails, that is what makes us a paign - a push to develop queer
source of pride, not a reason to be studies as an academic depart-
ashamed." ment at the University. Hahn
Since 1988, the LGBT com- said this would allow students
epynity has observed National to major in queer studies and
Coming Out Day on Oct. 11. Its "explore themselves and their
-purpose is "to'penfihhe equal' ittninniinities in-a-re open
ity, truth, and safety around the light, in the academic commu-
issue of being open about one's nity."
sexuality, as well as respect for Bostian-Kentes said in her
each other's identities," the Spec- speech yesterday that the sunny
trum Center's website states. weather was an homage to the
Watson said America is a warm feeling National Coming
country that inherently embrac- Out Day should bring. She said
es diversity on multiple levels, this feeling of acceptance is the
such as race, religion, culture type of camaraderie she hopes
and gender. Sexual orientation the Spectrum Center provides
should be no exception to that to the many students who use its
standard, he said. services.
"We should be judged not by Bostian-Kentes's partner,
the color of our skin, the content Nicole, is currently serving on
of our income, our religion, or active duty in the military in
by our sexuality," Watson said. Afghanistan. Referring to the
"That is the America I believe in, recent repeal of the military's
and the one I know we all want." "don't ask, don't tell" policy, Bos-
Frier spoke of various state tian-Kentes said educating the
policies regarding gay marriage campus community about the
and the consequences of violat- repercussions of the policy was
ing marriage laws. one of her main goals and initia-
Using Wisconsin as an exam- tives.
ple, Frier noted that if a couple "Now I can be part of fam-
were to travel across the Missis- ily readiness groups before she
sippi River to Iowa, a state where is deployed overseas, attend
it is legal for same-sex couples homecoming events and actually
to wed, and return to Wisconsin express to people and the world
following the wedding, the cou- that I am very much in love with
ple would be subject to punish- Nicole," Bostian-Kentes said.
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SUSTAINABILITY
From Page 1
(that) Mary Sue Coleman kicked
off this initiative and focused us
on education research and oper-
ations and engagement across
the board in sustainability," Sca-
via said.
Scavia discussed the Univer-
sity's plan to work with DTE to
install solar panel fields on North
Campus to increase energy effi-
ciency. The University has also
adopted Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design certi-
fication for all new construction
sites on campus.
Additionally, the University
aims to have 20 percent of the
food it purchases come from
sustainable sources - defined by
the University as food produced
within 250 miles of the campus
- by 2025.
However, SACUA member
Rachel Goldman, a professor of
engineering and physics, said the
issue of food packaging is still
ignored on campus. She asked if
packaging would have to be man-
ufactured inthe United States to
be considered sustainable - a
question to which Scavia did not
have an answer.
"I think the packaging is prob-
ably more harmful to the envi-
ronment than the food itself,"
Goldman said.
Two years ago, the Univer-
sity launched a course called
Sustainability on Campus that
involves the development of sus-
tainability initiatives on campus.
Students in the class worked on
projects such as implementing
trayless dining in the residence
halls, creating a garden on cam-
pus and producing a pamphlet
called "How to Be a Green Wol-
verine," which is sent to incom-
ing freshmen, according to
Scavia. The University plans to
instate a trayless policy in new
and updated dining halls, as part
of the sustainability goals.
Besides introducing sustain-
ability in course, Scavia said
the University's sustainability
efforts are also shown in its aca-
demic offerings. Of the roughly
640 courses offered at the Uni-
versity, about 200 of them are
directly related to sustainability
or focus on issues that pertain to
sustainability. To get even more
students involved in the efforts,
the College of Literature, Science
and the Arts introduced a minor
in sustainability this year.
Planet Blue's efforts have
saved 12 percent in energy sav-
ings in 68 campus buildings,
which equates to $4 million and
13,000 tons of carbon dioxide,
according to Scavia.
The University's long-term
goal is to reach carbon neutral-
ity, though it is unclear when
that can be achieved, Scavia said.
Meanwhile, the University is
striving to reduce its greenhouse
gas emissions by 25 percent and
reduce its waste tonnage by 40
percent in the next 14 years.
SACUA member Ed Rothman,
a professor of statistics, sug-
gested that technologies should
play alarger role in sustainability
efforts on campus. He gave the
examples of software that shuts
off inactive machines and sen-
sors that turn lights off when an
area is not in use.
"There are opportunities for
us to find ways of facilitating sus-
tainability by developing tech-
nologies that would make these
things work better for everyone,"
Rothman said.
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