The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom

Tuesday, March 6, 2012 - 5

The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Tuesday, March 6, 2012 - 5

POLICY
From Page 1
"If we go beyond (allowing a
fair hearing), we could inhibit
people from coming forward,"
Rothman said.
The committee also agreed in
the resolution that the policies on
reporting should include records
of the timelines of investigations
and emphasize the promptness of
criminal reports.
Charles Koopmann, a SACUA
member and professor of otolar-
GYM
From Page 1
November in the exercise rooms
at the CCRB, the Intramural
Sports Building and the North
Campus Recreational Building.
William Canning, director of
" Recreational Sports at the Uni-
versity, said in a Feb. 21 interview
that the monitors are connected
through computer software that
provides television programing
from the Internet, noting that
building managers ultimately
control what content plays on the
screens.
However, Canning said there
have been problems getting the
programming software to work,
and Rec Sports has been working
with Informational Technology
Services to solve the TV sets.
"ITS has (to work out) a few
glitches before we can get a direct
TV feed through the program," he
said.
Canning said Alex Kulcsar,
assistant director of technol-
ogy for Recreational Sports, was
working to fix the faulty system,

yngology, said he was concerned
about pubhlicizing investigations
because of the potential person-
al issues it may cause. He said
policies should treat cases with
sensitivity due to the long-term
implications of a public accu-
sation, adding that even if the
accused is found innocent, the
publicized investigation could
be damaging to an employee's
career.
The committee continued by
debating the wording of the res-
olution and its potential impli-
cations. Specifically, SACUA
butdid notknow whenit wouldbe
fixed. Kulcsar did not return sev-
eral calls for comment regarding
the status of the problem.
University officials are work-
ing to increase efforts to improve
the quality of the gyms, as dis-
cussed at University President
Mary Sue Coleman's fireside chat
with students last month . At the
event, Harper and Coleman dis-
cussed further surveys and col-
laborations among consultants
and student advisory panels on
enhancing recreational facilities.
LSAseniorVivianYu, president
of Building a Better Michigan,
a student group that advocates
for improvement of recreational
facilities on campus, said Rec
Sports buildings are important to
the student experience.
"These buildings embody stu-
dent life on campus," she said.
"When students go to the Rec
Sports buildings, they are looking
to de-stress, to relax and to exer-
cise and to have a better experi-
ence on campus."
Yu said she thinks there is a
definite need for improvement of
recreational facilities and tech-

decided to subsitute the word
"children" with "minors" in the
official resolution because of the
University's middle- and high-
school student programs.
SACUA will continue to edit
the resolution and approve at
its meeting scheduled for next
Monday. Koopmann added that
further revisions are necessary
before a permanent resolution is
approved.
"I think it's wrong to put
something out this morning and
expect to approve it this after-
noon," said Koopmann.
nology.
"I'd say ... there is an under-
standing that buildings and
technology are behind current
standards," she said.
Mariani said she is disappoint-
ed with the stagnant monitors
installed in the gyms.
"I feel like if they get them,
they shouldn't just have them to
say they have TVs; they should ...
be working with channels," she
said.
Medical School student Yashar
Niknafs said he thinks that even
if the televisions were operation-
al, they wouldn't be worthwhile
to the students exercising at the
gyms.
"There are only three TVs for,
like, 1,000 pieces of equipment,"
Niknafs said. "Even if they are
turned on, I don't think they will
be all too effective."
Rather than working televi-
sions, Niknafs said he would pre-
fer other changes at gym facilities
including an increase in upgraded
equipment, which the University
has been working to implement
over the past year through replac-
ing outdated machines.

PENN
From Page 1
the coming months, as young
people will be critical to Obama's
re-election efforts.
"Young people came out in
huge support of the president
back in 2008, and that made all
the difference," Penn wrote.
"We want to make sure they get
involved again."
Penn wrote that Thursday's
event will be a good opportunity
for students to have an open dis-
cussion of the presidential cam-
paign.
"You'll hear some great con-
versations and also have a chance
to meet abunch of the President's
young campaign organizers and
volunteers," Penn said. "The vibe
tends to be really respectful and

conversational, and there are
plenty of opportunities to sign up
to get more information on vol-
unteering."
LSA freshman Pavitra Abra-
ham, a campus organizer for the
Obama campaign in Ann Arbor,
is scheduled to speak at the event
and said she thinks the event will
help unite Obama supporters
and foster healthy discussion on
political issues that impact col-
lege students.
"I think all of us involved
are really excited and optimis-
tic about everything he's done
and everything he's capable of
doing," Abraham said.
Abraham said she is excited
that Penn is coming to campus as
a prominent national figure tak-
ing political action.
"It really goes to show, no mat-
ter what your occupation is, that

what happens in the political
arena affects everyone," Abra-
ham said. "I think it's great to see
a prominent political figure like
himself taking part in really get-
ting the youth active and excited
in a cause he believes in."
Matt McGrath, Obama's
Michigan press secretary,
said students who want to get
involved with the Obama cam-
paign will learn about many
opportunities for participation
on Thursday.
"There are untold numbers of
ways to help," McGrath said.
The campaign will also stop
at the University of Wisconsin-
Madison tomorrow before the
visiting the University.
Doors to the event open at 6
p.m., and the discussion begins
at 7 p.m. The event is open to the
public, but space is limited.


TRANSIT
From Page 1
plan.
Councilmember Stephen Kun-
selman (D-Ward 3), who voted
no on the transit agreement last
night, said he wanted to continue
exploring different options for
transportation in the city.
Councilmember Jane Lumm
(I-Ward 2) echoed Kunsel-
man's sentiments, and said she
was concerned with the binding
nature of the agreement.
"It is not a question of yes or
no but how to accomplish it and
at what pace," Lumm said.
Other members, including
Councilmember Christopher
Taylor (D-Ward 3), countered
these arguments and said that
the plan is not binding, only a
first step in the direction toward
an effective mass transit system.
"The issue tonight is that the
four-party agreement doesn't
cost us anything," Taylor said.
"It only puts out the idea that
we want a mass transit system
in Ann Arbor."
The meeting extensively
addressed amendments to the
plan, including clarifying the
text of the document to give
more power to Ann Arbor in

the party agreement, which was
largely shot down.
Taylor and councilmember
Marcia Higgins (D-Ward 4)
said equal jurisdiction is crucial
for ensuring that all the parties
stay involved in the transit plan.
At the start of the meeting,
five residents spoke in agree-
ment with the four-party agree-
ment, urging Council to support
it.
Ann Arbor resident Elizabeth
Donoghue Colzin spoke about
the importance of broadening
transit throughout the region,
despite the possibility that tax
rates could increase.
"I would encourage you in
your efforts to move this for-
ward," Colzin said. "If this were
to be added to the millage, I
would vote for it. I would like
to pay for transportation in this
county and I hope that this four-
way agreement would move for-
ward."
Carolyn Grawi, an Ann Arbor
resident and a representative
of the Ann Arhor Chamher of
Commerce, said she wanted
the agreement to pass because
it would assist the disabled and
elderly. She mentioned a survey
commissioned by the AATA in
which 86 percent of the respon-
dents said there is a need for

door-to-door service.
"We need to look at how (resi-
dents), as the puzzle piece in the
center of the county, the key
part to that region, are going to
figure out the element of what
needs to take place," Grawi said.
Ann Arbor attorney Christine
Green spoke on behalf of the
Michigan League of Conserva-
tion Voters, saying that she was
in favor of the four-party agree-
ment for its potential to create
jobs and foster environmental
efforts in the community.
"Bus transportation is a
healthier, more active mode of
transportation. It create jobs
and helps local businesses. (It)
revitalizes the city," Green said.
Ann Arbor Mayor John Hief-
tje said he approved of the proj-
ect because of the widespread
support of the residents and
the aforementioned community
programs.
"Public transit and expand-
ing public transit is something
we are going to need if we are
going to continue on that path,
and I know its easy for us to
see why two organizations like
the Chamber of Commerce and
the Conservation Voters would
come together at the same meet-
ing and endorse this proposal,"
Hieftje said.

Fires in Republic of Congo
detonate nearby explosives

Officials work
to try to prevent
future damage,
injuries
BRAZZAVILLE, Republic
of Congo (AP) - International
experts fought yesterday to pre-
vent a fire from reaching a second
arms depot and exploding more
munitions, a day after a blaze set
off blasts so violent they flattened
buildings, killing hundreds and
trapping countless others under
debris.
9 Small detonations continued
to shake Brazzaville, capital of
the Republic of Congo, yester-
day. Sunday's blasts buckled
numerous buildings including
two churches and a hospital and
exploded windows nearly 10 kilo-
meters away across the Congo
River in the heart of Kinshasa,
capital of the neighboring Cen-
tral African nation of Congo.
"For the time being, there are
Russian, French and Congolese
experts in the field who are try-
ing to put out the fires. Their goal
is to prevent the fires reaching
a second depot of even heavier
weapons," said Delphin Kibaki-
di, spokesman of the local Red
Cross.
Ongoing explosions and fires
hampered attempts to rescue
hundreds believed trapped under
debris.
A large crowd gathered outside
the municipal morgue, which
along with a nearby hospital had
registered 206 deaths hours after
the first blast on Sunday.
In two hours Monday, another
seven corpses were brought in,
bringing the death toll to at least
213.
Among them was Mathias
Ikinga, who brought in the body
of his only son, a boy he mourned
"who was really intelligent and
had a promising future."
Some of the bereaved labored
under their loss and anger at
their government.
Successive governments "have
never understood that a depot of
weapons of war in a residential
neighborhood represents a great
danger to its citizens," raged
Ikinga, 32.
"It's far easier to avoid these

incidents than to deal with
the deadly fallout," said Chris
Loughran from the Mine Adviso-
ry Group's headquarters in Man-
chester, Britain. The group has a
team in the country working on
cleaning up munitions contami-
nation from a 1997 civil war.
Loughran said unplanned
explosions at munitions sites are
an increasing phenomenon, with
more than 50 explosions in 34
countries since 2009. Many are
in developing countries that store
munitions' in cheap or unsafe
buildings, and countries where
conflicts have ended and muni-
tions are aging.
In coup-prone countries, it's
common to have a barracks and
munitions depot in populated
cities. Brazzaville, a small city of
1.3 million, has at least five such
camps.
The country got a taste of this
weekend's tragedy three years
ago, after a 2009 explosion of
munitions. Then, the govern-
ment promised to move such
depots outside the city, said a dip-
lomat who asked not to be named
because he was not authorized to
speak on the subject. On Sunday
night, a government statement
again promised to remove all
munitions depots from the capi-
tal.
. The death toll is expected
to rise as rescuers begin clear-
ing the debris including from St.
Louis Catholic Church, in front
of the exploding tank regiment's
camp, where dozens of worship-
pers were attending Sunday Mass
when the building buckled under
the blast.
Mission chief Jan Diplo of
Medecins Sans Frontieres, or
Doctors Without Borders, said he
had registered 936 injured people
being treated at three hospitals,
where his organization donated
kits used to treat burns. Others
wounded have gone to private
hospitals, while dozens more
injured were still arriving Mon-
day, he said.
"Most of the injuries we're see-
ing are traumatic injuries from
people who have had houses col-
lapse on them," Diplo said.
He said the overburdened hos-
pitals needed everything, espe-
cially supplies for surgery. One
hospital treating the wounded
made an appeal on national radio

for donors to give blood.
The World Health Organiza-
tion's Kinshasa office sent 2.5
metric tons of medication to treat
traumatic injuries on Sunday, said
spokesman Eugene Kabambi.
A team of unexploded ord-
nance experts from the Mine
Advisory Group, funded by the
European Union, said they were
working with the government to
help clear the area of danger.
"More lives are thought to
be in danger from the threat of
unexploded ordnance kicked out
by the blast. Early reports indi-
cate that the incident has seen
potentially unstable projectiles
scattered around urban areas,
already causing a number of
explosions and subsequent fatali-
ties," a statement from the group
said.
People are fleeing the neigh-
borhoods closest to the epicenter
of the blast. Kibakidi said that the
Red Cross had set up two camps
inside churches, and had already
welcomed some 600 refugees.
The government says it has taken
charge of the many children
found wandering alone, appar-
ently separated from their par-
ents in the chaos.
"It is estimated that thousands
have effectively been displaced
and lost their homes. Several
schools were also destroyed by
the blasts," said a U.S. Embassy
statement reporting on a meet-
ing of foreign ambassadors with
government officials yesterday.
It said the United States, other
embassies and non-governmental
organization were working with
the government on how best to,
deliver aid.
Government spokesman Bien-
venu Okyemi blamed a short
circuit for the fire that set off
the blasts. In a statement to the
nation, President Denis Sassou-
Nguesso described the ordeal as
"a tragic accident." And the coun-
try's defense minister rushed to
reassure people in this nation that
the fire was not a sign of a coup or
a mutiny.
Among the dead were six
employees of a Chinese construc-
tion firm which had 140 Chinese
workers at its construction site
when the first blast happened,
according to the Chinese news
agency Xinhua. Dozens were
injured.

Obama, Netanyahu clash
on how to deal with Iran

Both leaders pledge
unity in Oval
Office meeting
WASHINGTON (AP) - Tak-
ing sharply different stands,
President Barack Obama yester-
day urged pressure and diploma-
cy to prevent Iran from getting a
nuclearbombwhile Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
emphasized his nation's right
to a pre-emptive attack. Even in
proclaiming unity, neither leader
gave ground on how to resolve
the crisis.
Seated together in the Oval
Office, Obama and Netanyahu
at times tried to speak for each
other, and other times spoke
past one another. The president
and prime minister are linked
by the history and necessity of
their nations' deep alliance, if
not much personal warmth, and
both sought to steer the Iran
agenda on their terms.
"I know that both the prime
minister and I prefer to resolve
this diplomatically," Obama
said. "We understand the costs
of any military action."
If he agreed, Netanyahu said
nothing about sanctions or talks
with Iran, or Obama's position
that there still is time to try to
deter Iran peacefully. Instead,
Netanyahu drew attention back
to Obama's acknowledgement
that Israel is a sovereign land
that can protect itself how it
sees fit.
"I believe that's why you
appreciate, Mr. President, that
Israel must reserve the right to
defend itself," Netanyahu said.
Israel, he added, must remain
"the master of its fate."
Israel has not yet decided
whether to launch a unilateral
strike on Iran, a point under-
scored in the White House
meetings.
Across days of comments,
speeches and interviews,
Ohamaand Netanyahu left no
doubt about where they stand
on Iran. Far less clear is wheth-

er they have done anything to
alter each other's position in
what has become a moment of
reckoning over Iran, and an
important foreign policy issue in
the U.S. presidential race.
Both are adamant Iran must
not develop a nuclear bomb.
Obama's aim is to keep Israel
from launching an attack on
Iran's nuclear facilities, fearing
that would do little lasting good
toward the goal and engulf the
region and the United States in
another war.
Senior Obama administra-
tion officials said the talks at the
White House left the two sides
closer than they were a week
ago. The Israelis walked away
with prominent statements from
Obama that he would not stand
for containing a nuclear-armed
Iran, and that the crisis was in
the United States' interests to
solve.
In turn, Israelis did acknowl-
edge privately they would prefer

a diplomatic solution, despite
enormous skepticism of the Ira-
nian government, officials said.
And there were no demands
that Obama set a new "red
line" of what it would take for
a U.S. strike - the U.S. position
remains that Iran must not get a
nuclear weapon.
The officials spoke on condi-
tion of anonymity to discuss the
private conversations.
Netanyahu emphasized that
Israel must defend itself from an
Iranian nuclear threat.
He said after his talks with
Obama: "I think I was listened to
and understood."
The last time the two men met
in the Oval Office, in May, Netan-
yahu lectured Obama in front of
reporters as differences over
Mideast peace unfolded. This
time, theirbody language as they
spoke was not so glaring but still
telling: Obama addressed the
media; Netanyahu spoke directly
to Obama and locked on him.

I1Mo5UW

d5 LIKE THE DAILY ON FACEBOOK

I

A

1