2A -Thursday, February 23, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 2A -Thursday, February 23, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom (The fichipan Dail!; 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com JOSEPH LICHTERMAN ZACHARY YANCER Editor in Chief Business Manager 734-418-4115 ext. 1252 734-418-4115 ext. 1241 lichterman@michigandaily.com zyancer@michigandaily.com Engineering Dean David Munson What were your dreams as akid? I grew up in the 1950s and '60s and it was the era of the big space race with the Soviet Union. Iwas reallyinterested in space, but was also really interested in communication systems. My dream was to be working for either NASA or a research lab, or anything that would involve math or science. What brought you to the Univer- sity? I had been a regular professor for many years at the University of Illi- nois and at some point I decided to try administration. So, I came to Michigan in 2003 as the chair of electrical engi- neering and computer science. It was really the opportunity for that kind of job and the overall high quality of the University that brought me here. What do you do outside of work? students achieve. As a dean, I'm too busy to pursue some of the things I used to do. But I Are you morec still do some singing, gardening, land- servative person? scaping and a little bit of kayaking. And In the 1960s and sometime when I retire, I'll get back to ered to be conserva woodworking. considered liberal.' don't think I've cha Tell me about your job as the dean I think society hasc of engineering. I spend a lot of time in meetings, no What would surprise. I'm not able to teach because changed on North my schedule is so erratic since I spend I would like to a lot of time on fundraising. I average roller coaster co about two days a week on matters of North and Centr, fundraising. There are times when would come to No I'm traveling every week, but I very thrill of the ride. much enjoy spending time with the else that's so unu alumni, our donor base. I refer to that that the students fr as spending time with the older stu- would like to visit. dents. I get to see the successes our of a liberal or con- d '70s, I was consid- tive. Now, I'm surely The funny thing is I anged all that much; changed. you like to see Campus? see an all-weather nstructed between al Campus. People rth Campus for the We need something usual and fantastic om Central Campus - JOSH QIAN Newsrnm 734-18-4115 opt.3 Corrections corrections@michigandaily.com Arts Section arts@michigandaily.com Sports Section sports@michigandaily.com Display Sales display@michigandaily.com NesTips news@michigandaily.com Letters tothe Editor tothedaily@michigandaily.com Editorial Page opinion@michigandaily.com Photography Section photo@michigandaily.com Classified Sales classified@michigandaily.com 0 0 COURTESY OF DAVID MUNSON David Munson is the University's Dean of Engineering. CRIME NOTES Bye-bye bicycle Vending WHERE: 1110 Block of North University Avenue WHEN: Tuesday at about 9:45 a.m. WHAT: A bicycle was sto- len from the bike rack near the C.C. Little bus stop, Uni- versity Police reported. The crime is said to have taken place some time between Feb. 17 and Feb. 20. Valet villain WHERE: University Hos- pital WHEN: Tuesday at about 3:30 p.m. WHAT: An embezzlement case was brought against a valet employee who has allegedly been stealing valet parking payments since December, University Police reported. vendetta WHERE: Couzens Resi- dence Hall . WHEN: Wednesday at about 1 a.m. WHAT: A vending machine was broken into and ran- sacked, University Police reported. There are cur- rently no suspects. Mad hatter WHERE: Michigan Union WHEN: Tuesday at about noon. WHAT: A subject report- edly stole a knit hat from the Barnes and Noble book- store in the basement of the Michigan Union around 11:20am, University Police reported. A possible suspect has been identified. CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES - Professional Classical An incresing number of presentation performance Rio De Janeiro residents are being cited for public WHAT: Graduate students WHAT: The Hagen Quartet urination, Reuters reported. are invited to learn how to will be performing several Since January 20, more than present themselves pro- well-known classical pieces. 800 people - both men and fessionally to employers WHO: University Musical women - have been arrested through improved resumes, Society for relieving themselves out- cover letters and practiced WHEN: Tonight at 7:30 . interviewWsituations. Res Online Sales Finance onlineads@vichigandaily.com finance@mihigandaily.com EDITORIAL STAFF Josh Healy ManagingEditor jahealy@michigandaily.com Bethany lron Mangi ews Etdit e y biron@miciivndaily.com nSvNRNESEDTORS: HleyvGltthorn,HleyvGldbeg, Rayza Gldmtnh, Paige Pearcy, Adam Rubenfire ASStsTANNEW SETv RS: Giacomo Bologna, Anna Rozenberg, Andrew Schulman, PeteShhi, K.C.Wassman AshleyGriesshammer and opinioneditors@michigandaily.com Andrew Weiner Editorial PageEditors SENIOR EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Harsha Nahata, Timothy Rabb,Vanessa Rychlinski ASSISTANT EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Jesse Klein, Patrick Maillet Stephen Nesbitt Managing Sports Editor nesbitt@michigandaily.com SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS: Everett Cook, Ben Estes, Zach Helfand, Luke Pasch, Neal Rothschild, Matt Slovin ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS: Steven Braid, Michael Laurila, MattSpelich, Clleen ThmasLiVkelich,DaieIWasserman Leah Burgin ManagingArts Editor burgin@michigandaily.com SnnnnRT SE s TRElliotAernJacobAxeradDaidTaoKaylaeadhya a Chloe Stachowiak Erin Kirkland and photo@michigandaily.com Alden Reiss Managing Photo Editors ASSISTANTPHOOEDITORSdam an,,Austen ufford,AllisonKruske MarleneLacasse, Adamschnitzer Arjun Mahanti Managing DesigntEditor mahanti@michigandaily.com SENIOR DESIGN EDITORS:Krisit Begonja, Anna Lein-Zielinski Dylan Cinti and statement@michigandaily.com Jennifer Xu MagazinetEditors DEPUTY MAGAZINE EDITOR: Kaitlin Williams Christine Chun and copydesk@michigandaily.com Hannah Poindexter CopytChiefs SENIoR COPY EDITORS: Josephine Adams, Beth Coplowitz Zach Bergson OnlineEditor bergson@michigandaily.com Imran Syed Public Editor publiceditor@michigandaily.com BUSINESS STAFF Julianna Crim Associate Business Manager Rachel Greinetz Sales Manager SophieGreenbaum Production Manager Sean Jackson Special Projects Manager Connor Byrd Finance Manager Ashley Karadsheh Client Relationships Manager Meryl Hulteng National Account Manager The Michigan tally 1SSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked p at the Daily's office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S.mal are $110. Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (september through Apri is $195.University affiliates are subject to areduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are$3. Subscriptions must be prepaid. iu~c v C W IL~uuu. 1 g istration for the event is required. WHO: The Career Center WHEN: Today at 3 p.m. WHERE: Rackham Gradu- ate School Movie viewing WHAT: A screening of the 1971 movie "The Panic in Needle Park," starring Al Pacino and Kitty Winn, which portrays the lives of heroin addicts in New York City who fall in love. WHO: Substance Abuse Research WHEN: Tonight at 7 p.m. WHERE: Angell Hall Audi- torium A WHERE: Rackham Audi- torium Security talk WHAT: Author and jour- nalist Shane Harris will give a lecture on the chal- lenges of domestic security. WHO: Gerald R. Ford Presi- dential Library WHEN: Tonight at 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Gerald Ford Library CORRECTIONS 0 Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@michi- gandaily.com. The University has two carillons, the bells heard once a day between noon and 12:30 p.m. They can be found on both Central and North Campus in the bell towers. FOR MORE, SEE THE B-SIDE, INSIDE A New York woman has started a "cat bounty hunting" service in which she lures cats from corners into pet carriers, Time magazine reported. The fee per service is $80 and each service can lastbetween two and 45 minutes. DINGELL From Page 1A Dingell said the kind of bipar- tisanship he remembers from his earlier "puppy" years in congress is still possible, noting the efforts he's made with current members of Congress. However, he blamed the current situation, in part, on the inability of many representa- tives to make their duty to the public a priority. "We have to sit down and say look (what my Dad told me): Son, the best politics is the best public service," he said. "If you do what is best for the country, the people are going to put you back into power. If you don't, they won't." Dingell recalled when he warned his father, who preced- ed him in serving in Congress, about candidates who were pre- paring to run against him during re-election periods. "Dad would say to me, 'Son, don't worry. I take care of my people,"' Dingell said. "That's a great rule to follow, but I don't think a lot of my colleagues have." When discussing legislative issues, Dingell said he favors some form of union between gay and lesbian couples, though he did not comment specifically on marriage equality. Dingell also decried the influ- ence of money on politics, label- ing the Citizens United Supreme Court decision likening corpo- rations to people as "absolutely outrageous." He said he spent $19,000 on his first campaign, much less than the hundreds of millions of dollars politicians spend on campaigns now. Dingell still defended mem- bers of Congress against frequent accusations that they mislead the public. He said it is easy for members of the public to confuse their changing ideals with learn- ing on the job, and using ques- tionable sources of information as distortion. "Most (members), honestly, are trying to tell you the truth," he said. "Some of them will view the truth as something they heard on some broadcast or read in some kind of a newspaper or heard in church, and every once in a while, those folks are right and every once in a while, they're wrong." Dingell added that lobbyists and special interests are wrongly criticized for harming the politi- cal process. While he admitted that many lobbyists go too far in pursuing members of Congress, he said precluding them from voicing their opinion would be a violation of democracy. "The fait of the matter is that everybody is entitled to be heard," he said. "Everybody, including lobbyists, has a right to be heard and their concerns be evaluated properly in the process of writing legislation." In an interview after the event, Public Policy Dean Susan Collins said she appreciated that Ding- ell answered so many questions and contributed to a transparent atmosphere. "Not everyone has to agree with his standpoints, but I think he does an excellent job explain- ing why he holds certain posi- tions," Collins said. Collins pointed to Dingell's assertion of seeking accurate facts on a particular issue as an important lesson she hoped that students learned from the event. Many students echoed Collins, and said they enjoyed the oppor- tunity to hear from Dingell even if they did not share his opinions. Rackham student Ariel Pearl- Jacobvitz said she welcomed the chance to hear about Congress's problems from an insider. "My biggest problem with politics is politics for the sake of politics - egos in the way of actually getting things done and politicians seeing themselves as lords over men," Pearl-Jacobvitz said. "There's just an issue when it becomes this horse and pony show." Rackham student Andrew Bracken said Dingell offers inter- esting insight into the legislative process. "He's kind of an institution in himself," he said. A student hangs flyers outside Studio One in the Walgreen Drama Center yesterd THE NEWS NEVER STOPS. NEITHER DO WE. NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE OVER BREAK, CHECK MICHIGAN DAILY.COM FOR ALL YOUR UNIVERSITY NEWS AND INFORMATION. UNIONIZATION From Page 1A about the issue." McCann said the bill was an attempt to restrict graduate stu- dents' rights, calling its implica- tions "disappointing." Rackham student Stephen Raiman, founder of Students Against GSRA Unionization, said the legislation's passage in the House is a positive develop- ment and will benefit GSRAs if the bill makes it through the House. "GSRA unionization is very harmful to the University and (it's) a bad deal for GSRAs," Raiman said. "This legislation protects us from the threat of forced unionization and will prevent (GEO) from changing the law from the way it (has) been for 30 years." Raiman said SAGU members will continue to work with leg- islators to ensure its passage in the House. He added that the bill is not impeding GEOs ongoing efforts within the Michigan Employ- ment Relations Commission to try to reverse a 1981 ruling that prevents GSRAs from claiming status as public employees. At the beginning of the month, GEO presented evidence and called witnesses before an administrative law judge argu- ing in support of GSRA union- ization. Both the University and GEO had the opportunity to make arguments and cross- examine witnesses. "MERC is simply interpreting the statute, and it was decided in 1981 that the law considered GSRAs to not be employees," Raiman said. "MERC is trying to change that, but really all MERC does is administer the laws that are on the books." Rackham student Liz Rodrigues, communications chair for GEO, disagreed with Raiman's stance and said she believes that the bill is an attack on GSRAs' rights and MERC's involvement in the dispute. "I do think it's an attempt to interfere with the ongoing MERC process," Rodrigues said. "In terms of its impact, I don't know now ... but we are confi- dent that GSRAs are employees and we trust in the MERC pro- cess." She added that the passage of the legislation is not surprising because the issue has continued 0 MCKENZIE BEREZIN/Daily lay. to divide politicians along party lines, noting that the Senate has a large Republican majority. Though members of SAGU are hopeful that the bill will pass through the House, which is forbidden from voting on the bill until at least five days after its passage in the Senate, they are continuing their efforts to be heard by MERC. Julia Stern, the administra- tive law judge assigned to the case, determined that SAGU and Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, who are opposed to unionization, would be allowed to call witnesses and submit evidence outside of the official hearing. This week, Stern has heard testimony from those opposed to unionization, and today she is expected to hear testimo- ny from Stephen Forrest, the University's vice president of research. Stern will consider the evi- dence presented to her and sub- mit a recommendation to MERC next month. MERC ultimately has the power to determine whether or not GSRAs should be classified as public employ- ees and have the right to vote to unionize.