The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Thursday, November 3, 2011 - 5A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycomThursday, November 3, 2011 - 5A
OUTAGE
From Page 1A
all classes scheduled in East
Hall have been cancelled for the
remainder of today (November
2, 2011)," Nurse wrote. "If you
have an exam today or this eve-
ning in East Hall, you will need
to contact either the instructor
or the department."
Due to East Hall's contin-
ued outage into the evening,
Economics Prof. Miles Kim-
ball moved the Economics 102
exams scheduled for last night
from East Hall to the Modern
Language Building and the
Dennison Building. In addi-
tion to notifying students of the
changed location via e-mail,
signs with redirections were
placed in East Hall. The exam's
start time was also delayed in
case students went to the incor-
rect location.
East Hall will be open for all
normal activities starting this
morning.
Other buildings reportedly
affected by the outage included
Angell Hall, Dennison Build-
ing, the Shapiro Undergraduate
Library, the Chemistry Building
and the Ross School of Business.
After the outage, there was a
subsequent surge at 12:23 p.m.
at one of DTE Energy's nearby
switching stations, accord-
ing to Brown. Many build-
ings experienced a "power
bump" following the incident
that caused them to temporar-
ily lose electricity. The second
outage, which extended to the
Medical Campus, caused the
buildings to temporarily lose
power again.
University spokeswoman
Kelly Cunningham said the
University used several forms
of social media including
e-mails, Twitter and Facebook,
along with website announce-
ments and digital displays at
the Hill Dining Center and
North Quad dining hall to alert
students of the outage.
Islamic history Prof. Michael
Bonner continued teaching his
class in Angell Hall despite the
outage. In an e-mail interview,
Bonner likened the experience
to a concert that pianist Vladi-
mir Horowitz gave at Carnegie
Hall in 1965 despite a power
outage in the auditorium that
forced him to play in the dark.
"I didn't want to waste time,"
Bonner wrote.
- Daily Staff Reporter
Haley Goldberg contributed
to this report.
MARLENELACASSE/Daily
University alum Hana Malhas performs at Ra!s!ng Our Vo!ces: SAPAC's 25th Anniversary Celebration Concert at the
Michigan League on Oct. 25.
SAPAC
From Page 1A
based on the one used by the Uni-
versity's Counseling and Psycho-
logical Services. The database,
which will be implemented this
semester, allows SAPAC to keep
track of itswork and see whether
it is effectively meeting students'
needs, Rider-Milkovich said.
"We're also really excited to be
bringing about new technology so
that we're able to follow students
better and provide better care to
survivors when they do come to
us," she said.
Rider-Milkovich reflected on
the center's past achievements,
which include three grants,
each for $100,000 from the U.S.
Department of Justice's Office
of Violence Against Women.
The grants were used for a wide
range of efforts including a sexual
MSA
From Page 1A
administration, including Jackie
Simpson, director of the office of
LGBT Affairs, which has helped
gain support for the initiative.
"(We are) investigating the pos-
sibilities, whether something like
that would work at the University
of Michigan," Simpson said. "I'm
definitely supportive of that."
Lester Monts, the University's
senior vice provost for academic
affairs, wrote in an e-mail inter-
view that he, too, supports the stu-
dent movement and appreciates
students' desire to make changes
in academia.
"I am very pleased our students
have taken the initiative to inquire
about this ..." Monts wrote. "We
are always interested in teaching,
learning and research that sig-
nificantly expands knowledge and
engages our diverse community of
scholars."
In the past, student initiatives
led to the creation of the women's
studies and Afroamerican and
African Studies departments,
which became a department last
LANGUAGE
From Page 1A
" pare students for the proficiency
exams, Murphy said the depart-
ment has a valid reason for not
basing evaluations on a tradi-
tional grading system.
"The priority of the RC lan-
guage classes is to have students
achieve proficiency in foreign
language, and the pass/fail grad-
ing is one way in which it works
to accomplish that goal," Murphy
said. "We've found ways to make
it work. It's the system we have,
and it's not going to change."
The evaluations are detailed
and vary based on the level of
difficulty of the class, according
to Murphy. Some are one page
assault prevention video, preven-
tion services, outreach to stu-
dents living on North Campus
and a response team to help sur-
vivors.
SAPAC was also recognized
by the department as being one
of the best programs of its kind.
Rider-Milkovich said she's proud
of the recognition and pointed to
the University's environment as
the key to SAPAC's success.
"We are the best in the work
that we do and that is very much
because of the institutional help
that we receive, and it's also
because of the ways in which our
students push us to always do bet-
ter," she said.
Last month, SAPAC celebrated
its anniversary with a concert
featuring musical performances
by Ella Riot, Hana Malhas, and
Izzrael.
LSA junior Ellie Howe, co-
coordinator of networking, pub-
licity and advertising for SAPAC,
said what she loves most about
being involved in the center is the
sense of community it creates and
the staff's commitment.
"I love how dedicated SAPAC
is to its mission," Howe said. "Our
professional staff members don't
work 9 to 5. They work much lon-
ger hours because they really care
about the work that they do."
Howe added that it's important
students recognize that SAPAC is
a source of pride for the Univer-
sity.
"I want everyone to know how
exciting it is that we live on a cam-
pus that has such a multi-dimen-
sional and prioritized resource
center like this in our university,
and our group provides some of
the best services in the country,"
Howe said. "Sometimes I don't
think we realize how lucky we are
to have a place for survivors and
allies to go to."
PROJECTS
From Page 1A
going green at the University.
"We're looking for proposals
that are visible and will create
more of a presence of sustain-
ability on campus," Krumbein
said.
Krumbein added that the ini-
tiative creates opportunities for
students to get more involved in
sustainability projects on cam-
pus, allows students to expand
their leadership experience and
fosters partnerships with the
University administration.
The board will review proj-
ects once they are submitted to
determine which projects will
receive funding and the amount
they're granted. All University
students are invited to submit a
project proposal.
Sustainability has become a
major focus for the University
administration, which is dedi-
cating $14 million toward a num-
ber of sustainability projects by
2025. Coleman pledged to intro-
duce measures including hybrid
buses, solar panel fields on North
Campus and an LSA minor in
sustainability.
Rackham and Business stu-
dent Phel Meyer, a member
of the PBSIF board, said he is
happy University officials are
emphasizing sustainability.
"We're all really happy with
the fact that it's gotten the atten-
tion of the administration,"
Meyer said.
He added that it will still take
some time before the University
reaches its potential in the area
of sustainability. Meyer said one
of the areas that needs improve-
ment is decreasing waste at foot-
ball games, which is the topic
of his project proposal. Meyer
wants to work with the Athletic
Department to instate the use
of compostable and recyclable
packaging and wrappers used
at concessions to cut down on
waste at football games.
The Ohio State University
implemented a similar project
at their football games, accord-
ing to Meyer. Based on the OSU
program numbers, he expects
a similar project at the Univer-
sity to cost between $100,000 to
$200,000 a year.
Meyer said he thinks his proj-
ect could succeed in gaining
funds from the PBSIF, but he is
a little nervous about the amount
of competition.
"I was (optimistic) until I
showed up here and saw how
many people were at (the event),"
Meyer said.
LSA sophomore Shaina Kwi-
atkowski attended the session
and said she would like to make
students more aware of how
much they waste in the dining
halls. Her proposal includes a
food waste audit to detail how
much food is wasted per person.
"I actually went to Michigan
State last year, and they had a
food waste audit, and it really
opened my eyes to how much
food has been wasted, and so I
think it will raise awareness for
the students," Kwiatkowski said.
- Ben Cassidy and Erin Forsythe
contributed to this report.
year.
The Michigan Student Assem-
bly will first discuss the possibil-
ity of creating the queer studies
deparment, Monts wrote. Then,
the University will conduct acom-
prehensive review of the research,
literature and teaching in the sub-
ject.
"I look forward to hearing the
thoughts of those who are con-
ductingthese firstimportantsteps
in the process," Monts wrote.
LSA junior Ethan Hahn, co-
chair of the LGBT Issues Com-
mission, said he thinks the current
queer studies minor that is offered
does not supply enough informa-
tion on the subject because it only
teaches the history of LGBT cul-
ture. In the queer studies depart-
ment, he said queer theory and the
future of LGBT culture would be
taught along with history.
Hahn added that he envi-
sions the concentration offered
by the department to be broad
and applicable to many different
professional fields such as law or
medicine.
"(The major) is a way for stu-
dents to have an opportunity to
learn more about queer culture
and how to handle today's issues,"
Hahn said.
Creating the department would
also be a way to provide more job
opportunities for professors at the
University, Hahn said.
The potential new department
would be affiliated with other cul-
tural departments and concentra-
tions, according to Architecture
and Urban Planning junior Kris-
ten Mayer, the other co-chair of
the LGBT Issues Commission.
"Hopefully, there are still some
ties between the queer studies and
women's studies departments,"
Mayer said.
While the main focus of the
commission this year is to spread
awareness of the initiative and
gain student and faculty support,
members of the commission pre-
dict queer studies will become a
potential department in the next
few years.
"So far, everyone has been sup-
portive," Mayer said. "We haven't
run into any opposition yet."
The LGBT Issues Commission
is holding a mass meeting today
in the MSA Chambers to provide
more information on the initiative
and garner support from students.
Canada company: Pipeline
delays could cost $1M a day
Controversial
pipeline would
span from
Canada to Texas
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A
Canadian pipeline developer that
wants to run an oil line through
six states to Texas refineries
would lose at least $1 million a
day and suffer "substantial eco-
nomic harm" if opponents delay
or derail the project, a top execu-
tive said in response to a federal
lawsuit.
Robert Jones, a TransCanada
vice president who is overseeing
the hotly contested Keystone XL
pipeline project, said in a sworn
statement that delays would sad-
dle the company with unavoid-
able expenses - such as for
pre-ordered construction equip-
ment - and damage its relation-
ship with shippers.
"Successful efforts to delay or
derail the permitting process will
not only affect TransCanada's
investment in the Keystone XL,
but also result in diminishing
the value of the entire Keystone
pipeline system," Jones said in
an Oct. 7 sworn statement filed in
U.S. District Court of Nebraska.
"TransCanada has a significant
interest in being able to satisfy
existing contractual obligations
to its shippers on the Keystone
XL pipeline."
State Department officials,
who have jurisdiction over the
pipeline because it crosses an
international border, have said
they hope to approve or deny a
permit for the project by the end
of the year.
TransCanada and pipeline
supporters have maintained that
the project would create U.S.
construction jobs, help lower gas
prices and reduce dependence
on Middle East oil. Jones' state-
ments are a reminder of the com-
pany's own stake in the fight over
the pipeline that has embroiled
interests from Washington to
affected states like Nebraska,
where the project has met some
of its strongest resistance.
A coalition of environmental-
ists, lawmakers and landowners
are fighting the proposal amid
fears that the Keystone XL could
leak and pollute the Ogallala
aquifer, a groundwater supply
that sprawls beneath Nebraska
and seven other states. Environ-
mental groups have argued the
project could also threaten wild-
life and say there's no guarantee
the oil willgo to U.S. customers.
The Nebraska Legislature
opened a special session this
week to consider changing the
law to give the state more control
over the Keystone XL and other
major oil lines. TransCanada has
promised to file court challenges
if Nebraska tries to intervene,
saying the decision is a federal
issue.
Jones estimated the losses a
delay would cause in a statement
filed as a response to a federal
lawsuit filed by three environ-
mental groups. TransCanada was
not named in the lawsuit, which
targetsthe U.S. State Department
and U.S. Fish and Wildlife for not
stopping early groundwork on
the project. The company filed a
motion to intervene because of its
financial stake in the case.
TransCanada said it already
has spent $1.7 billion on the
$7 billion Keystone XL, which
would carry crude oil fromAlber-
ta to Texas Gulf Coast refineries,
according to Jones' statement.
Jones said the $1 million-per-
day loss estimate was based on
TransCanada's existing prom-
ises to buy construction materi-
als that require a great deal of
advance notice, its commitments
to power utilities, and the costs
of maintaining staff and equip-
ment, among other expenses.
in length while others can be
as long as six pages. Along with
evaluations, other methods are
in place to supplement students'
language proficiency like lunch-
time conversation groups.
RC freshman Adam Molnar is
a student in Spanish 294 - the
final class students take before
the Spanish proficiency exam.
He said his class holds manda-
tory hour-long lunch or coffee
meetings to practice speaking
skills, and his group meets
three times a week to hold con-
versations entirely in Spanish.
Molnar said he thinks the pass/
fail system as a means of mak-
ing a work-intensive class less
stressful.
"(The system is) super nec-
essary because (the class) is
really difficult ..." Molnar said.
"You feel like you're failing at all
times, so you pass the test."
However, other students think
the pass/fail system is unneces-
sary. RC freshman Bailey Binke,
who's taking French, said she
would prefer letter grades over
the written evaluations.
"Having a huge amount of
credit to be pass/fail ... I'd rather
it just to be a letter grade," Binke
said.
'LIKE' THE DAILY ON
FACEBOOK
Mingle n Match for Student Entrepreneurs
Monday, November 7
5-7 pm
TechArb (500 E. Washington St., Lower Level)
Mingle and meet entrepreneurially minded U-M students or give a one
minute 'pitch' and find team members for your business idea. To present,
email minglenmatch~umich.edu with your information, including a
1-2 line business description.
* MICIGANwww.zli.bus~umich.edu