in

I NSIDE N

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Thursday, January 5, 2012

SCHOOL SUPPLY SHOPPING

michigandaily.com
ELECTION 2012
Paul earns
youth vote
in Iowa.
caucuses

Students line up to buy books and school supplies from Michigan Book and Supply on the first day of classes yesterday.
UNIVERSITY RESE ARCH
Researchers examine effect
f hazards on Huron River

Texas congressman
receives 48 percent
of under-30 vote
By RAYZA GOLDSMITH
Daily News Editor
DES MOINES, Iowa - On
Tuesday night, Valley High
School senior Trey Herbert had
to detide between ttending his
school's football game or voting
in the Iowa caucuses.
He those the caucus.
"There's a big game today,but
I don't really care about it, so I'm
gonna go to (the caucus)," Her-
bert said.
Herbert was one of 800 stu-
dents at Valley High School
here to attend 'Rock the Cau-
cus,' a campaign event hosted
in the school's gymnasium, and
one of 18,000 Iowans under the
age of 30 to cast a vote in Tues-
day's caucuses, according to
the Center for Information and
Research on Civic Learning and
Engagement.
Herbert, who said it was dif-
ficult to choose between Rep.
Ron Paul (R-Texas) and former
House Speaker Newt Gingrich,

said he thought Paul could bet-
ter represent young people, but
he said he was unsure of what
Gingrich had to offer America's
youth.
The uncertainty in candidate
alignment appeared to be a com-
mon theme among other young
voters in
Iowa. Paul
received
from cau-
cus attend-
ees under
age 30, or
48 per-
cent of the youth demographic,
according to CIRCLE. One-third
of Paul's total vote came from
young people, and he has con-
sistently proven to be the most
popular Republican contender
among young voters despite
being the oldest candidate in the
race for the nomination.
At 'Rock the Caucus,' Paul
received the loudest applause
out of the three candidates who
spoke - Paul, Rep. Michele
Bachmann (R-Minn.) and for-
mer Pennsylvania Sen. Rick San-
torum.
Herbert said the enthusiasm
See CAUCUSES, Page SA

In study, 300
gallons of natural
water analyzed
By GIACOMO BOLOGNA
Daily StaffReporter
For the past few months, an
unknowing student may have
been surprised to stumble upon
150 miniature rivers in the base-
ment of the Dana Building.
The experiment, known as
the "Flume Room," began in

late August and officially ended
on Dec. 24. Bradley Cardinale,
an assistant professor in the
School of Natural Resources
and Environment, oversaw the
experiment and said many tests
allowed his research team to
simulate environmental stress-
es on water quality and examine
many different variables that
affect watersheds.
"We've got invasive species,
we've got erosion, we've got
nutrient pollution, chemical
pollution, biodiversity loss, the
list goes on and on," Cardinale

said. "The goal of this project
is to figure out what are the
most pressing environmental
problems that are facing the
streams."
Caridinale said he and his sev-
en-person team took about 3,000
gallons of sediments and water
from the Huron River and circu-
lated the water in 150 containers.
To compare the effects of dif-
ferent hazards, they introduced
variables such as chemicals or
invasive species into separate
mini-streams. The group also
replicated incidents of erosion

and sedimentation in other
mini-streams. Each river's
health was assessed through its
water quality and ability to pro-
duce oxygen.
While the mini-rivers are not
currently running, Cardinale
said he doesn't expect data from
the experiments to be analyzed
until April.
Nonetheless, Cardinale said
some results could be visibly
observed. Mini-rivers that had
been treated with the herbi-
cide Roundup showed increased
See WATER, Page SA


'U AFFORDABILITY
In letter,
Coleman
champions
affordable
education
Proposals offer
plans to decrease
tuition costs
By PETER SHAHIN
Daily StaffReporter
University President Mary
Sue Coleman's Christmas letter
to President Barack Obama was
abitmore pointed than the aver-
age holiday card.
Following the release of an
open letter to Obama lastmonth,
in which Coleman outlined sug-
gestions for making higher edu-
cation more affordable, White
House and University officials
expressed appreciation for her
efforts. Though Occupy U-M
protesters have expressed dis-
content with the University's
tuition policies in the past, they
similarly lauded the letter as a
progressive start, despite not
agreeing with all of Coleman's
stances.
See LETTER, Page 5A

DANCING OFF THE POUNDS

ELECTION 2012
In conference
call, Obama
team critiques
Mitt Romney

Students participate ina Zumba Class in the CCRB during a U-Move Fitness free sample class yesterday.
Student-run food co-op aims
to offer healthy food optons

Staffers say GOP
frontrunner is
inconsistent
By BRANDON SHAW and
HALEY GLATHHORN
DailyStaffReporter
andDaily News Editor
Despite former Pennsyl-
vania Sen. Rick Santorum's
late surge to finish second
in Tuesday's Iowa caucuses,
President Barack Obama's
re-election campaign specifi-
cally attacked former Massa-
chusetts Gov. Mitt Romney,
who won the caucuses by
eight votes, in a conference
call with senior campaign
officials yesterday.
During the call, Obama's
national press secretary
Ben LaBolt, campaign man-
ager Jim Messina and chief
strategist David Axelrod

discussed Romney's slim vic-
tory, particularly focusing on
Romney's policyinconsisten-
cies and Obama's continuing
campaign efforts.
Axelrod addressed
Obama's campaign strategy
moving forward, frequently
criticizing former Romney's
varying stances on major
political issues. Ultimately,
he said Romney's wavering
positions would hurt him if
he enters the general election
as the Republican nominee.
"(He has) a huge credibil-
ity issue, which has created a
great deal of anxiety among
Americans, among even
his supporters last night,"
Axelrod said. "This is the
fundamental point. Taking
two positions on every issue
doesn't make you a centrist,
it makes you a charlatan - it
makes you unreliable."
During the call, Axelrod
See OBAMA, Page 5A

New store to
cater to student
convenience, health
By ANNA ROZENBERG
Daily StaffReporter
Food markets specializing in
organic and specialty foods on
campus have traditionally strug-

gled to compete with the low
prices at chain stores like Meijer
or Kroger, but a new student-
friendly co-op is attempting to
attract student customers.
The co-op - tentatively
titled the Ann Arbor Student
Food Co-op - is still in its plan-
ning stages and co-founder
Alex Green, a Business School
graduate student, said his goal
is to develop a store located

near campus that provides
both healthy food options and
employment opportunities for
students. Green said the co-op's
organizers are still unsure as to
when the store will open.
Green said while grocers like
the People's Food Co-op in Ker-
rytown provide healthy and
sustainable foods, he wants to
establish a store that is more
See CO-OP, Page 5A


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