The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Friday, February 24, 2012 - 3
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Friday, February 24, 2012 - 3
NEWS BRIEFS
DETROIT
Detroit to hold
payroll audit
Detroit Mayor Dave Bing's
office is verifying who actually
works and receives checks from
the city as part of a payroll audit.
Bing's office said yesterdaythat
the mayor will pick up his pay
stub this morning.
The audit also will be con-
ducted Monday and March 3.
City employees are required to
bring state-issued identification
or a passport to pick up their pay
checks or stubs.
Finance Director Cheryl John-
son says she doesn't expect to find
any "ghost employees" with the
audit, which is part of Detroit's
efforts to be fiscally responsible
and eliminate waste and fraud.
MILFORD, Mich.
Romney attacks
Santorum's voting
record in senate
Republican presidential candi-
date Mitt Romney tried to upend
Rick Santorum's image as a prin-
cipled defender of conservative
ideals yesterday, telling voters
that the former senator is just
another give-and-take politician.
Romney's team believes Santo-
rum opened himself to the attacks
with a somewhat anguished
explanation of his reluctant vote
for a Bush-era school program
in Wednesday's televised debate.
Romney hoped to stop his chief
rival's momentum on a day when
Santorum was quietly raising
money.
But President Barack Obama
wasn't helping. His allies aired
anti-Romney ads in 'Michigan
while the president campaigned in
Florida, a crucial swing state that
GOP candidates can't afford to re-
visituntil theirnominee is settled.
SALT LAKE CITY
Claims surface that
Mormans batized
Anne Frank
A new claim has surfaced that
the Mormon church has posthu-
mously baptized a Holocaust vic-
tim, this time Anne Frank.
The allegations come just a
week after The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints apolo-
gized when it was brought to light
that the parents of Holocaust sur-
vivor and Jewish rights advocate
Simon Wiesenthal were posthu-
mously baptized by church mem-
bers at temples in Arizona and
Utah in late January.
Researcher Helen Radkey, a
former Mormon who revealed
the Wiesenthal baptisms, said
this week she found Frank's name
in proxy baptism records dated
Feb. 18, showing the ritual was
performed in the Santo Domingo
Temple in the Dominican Repub-
lic.
GENEVA
Syrian gov't could
face U.N. probe
The United Nations has a
secret list of top Syrian officials
who could face investigation for
crimes against humanity carried
out by security forces in Syria's
crackdown on an uprising, a panel
of U.N. human rights experts said
yesterday.
The U.N. experts indicated
the list goes -as high as President
Bashar Assad.
Thousands of Syrians have died
in the violence since March and
the panel, citing what it called a
reliable source, said at least 500
children are amongthe dead.
"A reliable body of evidence
exists that, consistent with other
verified circumstances, provides
reasonable grounds to believe that
particular individuals, includ-
ing commanding officers and
officials at the highest levels of
government, bear responsibil-
ity- for crimes against human-
ity and other gross human rights
violations," said the report by
the U.N.-appointed Independent
International Commission of
Inquiry on Syria.
-Compiled from
Daily wire reports
WOMEN
From Page 1
University than at other U.S.
colleges.
Chemistry Prof. emeritus
Lawrence Bartell said the Uni-
versity has felt pressure to hire
women in recent years, adding
that he has observed a higher
number of females than males
hired in his department.
"I think there was a preju-
dice that females didn't have
the same driving force as
males," Bartell said. "But it has
been contradicted by perfor-
mance by females once they
have a chance."
Bartell added that tests have
shown females do equally as
well as males in areas like sci-
ence, math and spatial abilities,
lauding his female colleagues
in the chemistry department
as valuable assets to University
research initiatives.
"Our department chair is a
woman, our dean was a woman
until recently and our presi-
dent is a woman," Bartell said.
"My colleagues in chemistry
have a much greater apprecia-
tion for women than we used
to. I think the University of
Michigan is very liberal in this
approach.".
Bartell said he has wit-
nessed significant change in
societal beliefs over the years
regarding women in the work-
force, and believes changes
will continue to take place in
the future.
Physics Prof. Henriette
Elvang said her experience as
a female faculty member has
been positive and she has never
felt like a minority.
"I have been accepted as a
physicist from student, to (post
doctoral), to faculty member,"
Elvang said. "The University
provides a good environment
for all faculty members."
Elvang added that she has
never experienced prejudice
as a female physicist and did
not consider her gender to hin-
der her in any way when she
decided to pursue a career in a
LEVIN
From Page 1A
past the hatred," he said. "For
the most part this has been
a country of opportunity for
immigrants."
Levin explained how family
and community are essential to
members of the Jewish faith,
and praised their "keen sense
of treating people in a just way."
He also emphasized the
importance of education within
the Jewish community, as well
as for immigrants coming to
learn and thrive in America,
particularly in creating a stron-
ger, more diverse nation.
"Diversity is a source of
strength in this country," he
said. "Celebrate it (and) use it to
the advantage of the world."
Martin Shichtman, director
of the Jewish Studies Program
at EMU, said he was deeply hon-
ored that Levin came to speak at
the event.
"At the heart of Jewish tra-
dition is the value of 'Tikkun
Olam,' the admonition to repair
the world, make it more per-
fect, and build a model society,"
Shichtman said. "I can think of
no greater practitioner of 'Tik-
science-related field.
"I encourage all students
to pursue their interest in sci-
ence or outside of science and
not worry about being a minor-
ity," Elvang said. "They should
instead focus on doing well and
doing their best."
Carli Arendt, a Rackham
student who is also a gradu-
ate student instructor, said she
believes she is defying stereo-
types'as a female science stu-
dent and is setting an example
in a field where males comprise
a majority.
"In general, Michigan is
doing better than other uni-
versities," Arendt said. "If you
look at the older faculty, you'll
see that they are mainly male.
But the younger faculty, it's
pretty much 50-50. They are
making it so that females have
equal opportunity."
LSA freshman Austin Yarger
said a person's gender does not
matter in the scientific field
because it is unrelated to an
individual's ability to conduct
research.
Yarger added that she
believes the University should
not implement additional poli-
cies to increase the number of
female science faculty mem-
bers
"I feel that going out of one's
way to encourage a specific
group to perform in a specific
way seems to be impractical,"
Yarger said. "The University
already has a comprehensive
nondiscriminatory policy that
covers a wide spectrum of soci-
etal issues."
LSA freshman Jasmine
Garmo suggested that the lib-
eral environment on campus
and in the Ann Arbor com-
munity serves as reason why
gender equality has not been
perceived as an issue at the
University.
"I don't thinka person's gen-
der identity matters as much
here as it would in a more
conservative environment,"
Garmo said. "Some of the best
professors who have taught me
science-related subjects here
are actually females."
kun Olam' than Michigan Sena-
tor Carl Levin."
EMU provost Kim Schatzel
introduced Levin at the event
and said EMU takes great
pride in creating a welcoming
and diverse campus, lauding
the Jewish Studies minor for
adding another dimension to
EMU's diversity.
Max Rashes, a member of
EMU Hillel, said he came to the
event to listen to Levin, who he
considers to be an important
Jewish politician.
"Carl Levin isjust a cool guy,"
Rashes said. "It's nice to have
senators come to Eastern to talk
to students."
Beni Henig, a Washtenaw
Community College student,
said he attended the event
because of his ties with EMU
Hillel.
"I'm very active in the Hil-
lel," he said. "I felt it would be
my place to go there and check
it out."
EMU junior William McDon-
ald said he attended due to his
interestingovernmentandpoli-
tics, and wanted to hear from a
prominent official.
"As a political science major,
I'm just interested in what a
(senator) has to say," he said.
PRIMARY
From Page 1
ever, he added that Romney has
proven victorious in splintering
the vote among the other candi-
dates including Santorum, former
House Speaker Newt Gingrich
and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas).
As his Republican rivals have
lost popularity and focus has
shifted to the matchup between
Santorum and Romney, the for-
mer Massachusetts governorhas
been less able to disguise his less
conservative ideologies, Hutch-
ings said. He suggested that this
has resulted in increased sup-
port for Santorum.
"If (Santorum) is becoming
the anti-Romney candidate as
opposed to there being mul-
tiple anti-Romney candidates
who split the vote, well, that
spells trouble for Mitt Romney,"
Hutchings said.
Still, Hutchings suggested
that a victory for Santorum in
the Michigan primary would be
more essential than it would be
for Romney, particularly since
Romney's campaign is better
funded and organized and could
potentially make a comeback
more easily if he loses.
According to Hutchings, if
Santorum loses the Michigan pri-
mary, the loss might damage his
rising perception among Repub-
lican voters as a viable opponent
to President Barack Obama in
November's general election, sub-
sequently hindering his fundrais-
ing efforts.
"In many respects, it's actually
more of a make-or-break state
for Santorum than it is for Rom-
ney," Hutchings said. "(Santorum)
needs to rack up a series of victo-
ries in order to generate more rev-
enue on behalf of his campaign.
If he loses here, particularly after
appearing to have the momen-
tum, it's going to be increasingly
difficult for him."
Given the unit rule in the
Republican nomination - that
most state's primary elections
award all their delegates to the
Republican National Conven-
tion to the winner of the popular
vote - this year's race has lasted-
longer than most, according to
Political Science Prof. Nicholas
Valentino.
He suggested that indecision
among Republican voters who
think Romney is not conservative
enough and Santorum is not elect-
able enough could elongate the
nomination, but Valentino added
that he was unsure why Republi-
can voters have taken this long to
choose anominee.
"That's the $64,000 question,
is why this year, when seemingly
the incumbent president is in a
historically weak position with
regard to the economy and jobs,
the opposition couldn't more
quickly settle on a (candidate),"
he said.
Like Hutchings, Valentino said
Romney has had trouble connect-
ing with the party's Republican
base, causing a growth in support
for Santorum.
"People are gettingthe ideathat
(Santorum might have a chance,
actually, in the general election,"
Valentino said. "And they might
vote for him. His viability is much
higher than it once was."
Valentino added that a win for
Santorum in the Michigan pri-
mary could be an enormous blow
to Romney.
"A win in Michigan would be a
very symbolic, powerful victory
because this is Mitt Romney's
birth state," he said. "This could
be very, very important for San-
torum's campaign."
However, LSA senior Brian
Koziara, external vice chair of
the College Republicans, said he
predicted Romney would win the
Michigan primary. He compared
the upcoming primary to the
situation in Florida last'month,
where he said Gingrich was
doing well in polls after a victory
in South Carolina, before Rom-
ney unleashed a barrage of attack
ads against the former speaker.
He added that he believes
Romney will still be the more
electable candidate against
Obama, particularly in Michi-
gan, which has historically
served as a swing state in presi-
dential elections.
"Michigan Republicans
understand that if Michigan
goes red in the general election,
it's going to be very difficult for
President Obama to get a sec-
ond term," he said. "Republicans
don't have to win Michigan in
order to get the White House.
Democrats do."
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HOT TUB
From Page 1
Chris Wendel said he had the
opportunity to see the func-
tioning tub and confirm that the
rooftop Jacuzzi was indeed real.
"I thought it was fake at first,
but then I went over and saw it
for myself," Wendel said.
Engineering senior David Por-
ter said he heard about the hot
tub fromhis friends and aposton
the social news site Reddit.
"When I saw the Reddit post,,
I was in the Duderstadt (Center)
studying on Sunday afternoon,
and people were already mur-
imuring about it," Porter said.
Porter said he had the oppor-
tunity to use the hot tub, along
with two professors and several
other graduate students, adding
that the group joked that the
Jacuzzi might have an impact on
recruiting top-level students.
Similar pranks like the hot
tub incident have happened at
other schools, like the Massa-
chusetts Institute of Technolo-
gy, where student hackers have
previously documented their
trickery on a website depicting
moments like the placing of a
replica campus police cruiser
on the roof of an academic
building in 1994.
I have logged over 1000 hours as a
volunteer EMT over the past 5 years.
That's TEN x TEN x TEN! I was the first
cadet for my home town volunteer
first aid squad during high school
and I haven't stopped volunteering
since then. Whether I am home for
Thanksgiving or spring break, I can be found riding in
the ambulance. My trainig as an EMT allowed me to
volunteer in Haiti last year during the earthquake
relief efforts as well.
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