The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Friday, March 9, 2012 - 3 NEWS BRIEFS LANSING Mich. group pushes for campaign finance disclosure A Michigan group began col- lecting signatures yesterday for a ballot measure requiring far more disclosure of corporate donations so voters can see who's making unlimited gifts to spe- cial interest groups. The Corpo- rate Accountability Amendment would change the state constitu- tion to require corporations as well as any group receiving cor- porate donations to identify who gave the money. A 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling enabled corporations and other well-financed donors to give unlimited money to political com- mittees that don't directly work with campaigns. The decision has resulted in political action com- mittees known as super PACs pouring millions of dollars into the 2012 presidential race. AUSTIN Texas could fund health program without feds Gov. Rick Perry has told Texas health officials to find a way to pay for a women's health care pro- gram if the federal government pulls Medicaid funding amid a fight over Planned Parenthood. ' The governor sent a letter Thursday telling the head of the Texas Health and Human Servic- es Commission to work with legis- lative leaders to identify money to keep the program going. Perry's office made a copy of that letter available to The Associ- ated Press before it was released to the public. The program was expected to close when the state starts enforc- ing a law keeping money from clinics affiliated with abortion provA u ATLANT7A DEPRESSION From Page 1 Knowles discussed how the the involvement of college stu- dents and teenagers across the country helped the movement be successful. "Literally overnight we came up with the idea Love is Loud- er," Knowles said. "And we just watched it take off and it came to mean any form of support or change in perspective that takes us away from that dark negative place to make us feel better." Laura Blake Jones, associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students, attended the conference and said it was an important opportunity to bring people together and foster dis- cussion of mental health issues. Jones added that the Univer- sity has established efforts to address these issues, including the development of a new the- atre performance by the ETC titled "Finding our Footholds: College Students Reflect on Pos- itive Mental Health," that was performed at the conference and created using interviews with University students. "Peer theatre is an innova- tive approach to engage audi- ence and convey information in a very personal way," Jones said. "I've seen the ETC at orienta- tion and their production is very thoughtful and very high quality and engaging. It's a really great way to raise awareness on the campus community and connect students to resources." John Greden, the execu- tive director of the University's Depression Center, wrote in an e-mail interview that depres- sion, anxiety and stress affect one in six college students. "The University of Michigan is dedicated to counteracting these problems," Greden wrote. "The durability of this convic- tion is reflected by fact that this year marks the Depression on College Campuses tenth anni- versary." Greden added that the con- ference provided a medium for campus leaders to develop bet- ter strategies to conquer mental health issues in the college set- ting. "This year we're particularly emphasizing college students' innate and impressive resiliency to share best-practice approach- es to help all students better cope with stress," Greden wrote. Greden also wrote that the media only raises awareness about depression after a tragedy, and the conference allowed indi- viduals to discuss mental health issues that occur in daily life. Angela Farrehi, student advo- cacy manager for the College of Engineering, moderated a panel discussion that focused on help- ing parents build resilience in students. Farrehi said each panelist was able to bring his or her own unique perspective, expertise and experiences to the topic. "It was particularly profound to have our parent and student panelists share so openly their journey through college while dealing with depression and anxiety," Farrehi said. Farrehi added that the dis- cussion pinpointed areas that University officials can focus on when working together as a community to best support the mental health of students. Callie McKee, director of the ETC, hosted a workshop on how educational theater can be used to raise awareness and reduce the stigma associated with seek- ing therapy. "Theatre and performance is really everywhere," McKee said. "It allows new ways of telling our stories and it's about show- ing the real-life struggles and that other people struggle too." McKee said ETC's part- nership with the University's Depression Center is key for educating students about mental health issues. Patricia Ponto, the director of the counseling center at Kalam- azoo College, attended the workshop and said she learned a lot about theater and mental health while enjoying many of the activities. "I thought the workshop was a very nice break from all the PowerPoints," Ponto said. "I attended the workshop because I was looking for information to start a similar theatre program back home. I was really pleased." Jaspreet Malhotra, a psychol- ogy graduate student at the Uni- versity of Florida, attended the conference to conduct research for a school project and said it was an enlightening experience. "Brittany's speech was really touching and it was good for her to speak out for all the people who are struggling," Malhotra said. "I was really surprised at first that a celebrity went through all that." 'U' to hold upcoming lecture series based on Occupy movement Provost Phillip wrote in an e-mail interview that and more broadly the comm hb lnrir caia xill r ntibhi ni h~i~x le innanl nffa POLICE From Page 1 his department's commitment to student safety. "AAPD is there to pledge the full support of the police department in this initiative to improve student safety," Seto said. "I think our other role is along with the University of Michigan police and the Dean of Students Office, to collectively evaluate ideas that may improve student safety and see how we can implement those in a collab- orative effort." Seto has also participated in campus discussions regarding student etiquette on Football Saturdays. In November 2010, Seto met with members of the SHAKESPEARE From Page 1 Royal Shakespeare process that does this work at this stage in the development of plays." The partnership, which start- ed after the RSC first performed plays at the University in 2001, will continue on Saturday when the RSC returns to campus for its sixth visit. Instead of perform- ing shows at the University, the organization is focusing on cre- atively developing two plays for its upcoming fall season, titled "A World Elsewhere," at its home in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. The group will also host sympo- siums and workshops on campus through March 20. Williams, who has been key in forming the relationship between the RSC and the Uni- versity over the last decade, said this year's visit will be more involved than the past. In 2010, the RSC brought directors, writers, actors, stage managers, voice coaches and other players in the produc- tion process to the University to consult with experts about the historical and technical aspects of the plays, Williams said. This year that will be the same, but Williams added the visit would also bring in more knowledge and expertise fromboth parties. "This year ... there is deep pen- etrationby the Royal Shakespeare Company into the University, and our people get a chance to work with them and the scholars else- where," Williams said. "It touches on the intellectual life of the Uni- versity more broadly than ever before. This is really exciting." Gary Krenz, special coun- sel to University President Mary Sue Coleman, wrote in an e-mail interview that both parties were pleased with the success of the 2010 visit, which catalyzed mutual interest in a return trip. "They thought that the inter- actions with faculty, students and audiences here were really topnotch and instrumental inthe development of the three plays they worked on - all of which have gone on to successful pro- duction in England,"he wrote. Krenz added he heard from various members of the campus community that the visit two years ago spurred desire for the company to return among both faculty and students. "From our standpoint, the 2010 residency was also a great success," he wrote. "I've had a number of faculty tell me that it was a fantastic experience for themselves and their students, and that they would welcome the RSC any time. So the question Interfraternity Council and the Michigan Student Assembly- who were frustrated with an increasing amount of noise and trash violations being issued to students due to game celebra- tions. Seto told students that police involvement on the street comes mostly from the con- cerns neighboring residents, but encouraged them to bring their complaints to the Ann Arbor City Council. Seto also praised the Greek community's Sober Moni- tor Training Program, which assigns specific fraternity mem- bers to remain sober and vigi- lant at parties in order to prevent alcohol-related injuries. At the meeting with IFC and MSA, he called the program "a great idea" with "aslot of potential." wasn't so much whether to come, but rather when." Ina Feb. 16 press release, Cole- man said the return of the RSC is important to fostering the arts at the University. "Creating and conveying the arts to inspire, captivate and edu- cate is part of our mission," Cole- man said. Williams pointed specifically to a daylong symposium that the University's Confucius Institute will host with the RSC on March 12 as one example of the intel- lectual collaboration that will be showcased during the visit. The visit will also center on the plays "Boris Godunov" by Alexander Pushkin, as recently adapted by Adrian Mitchell, and "The Orphan of Zhao," which Williams said is one of the most important Chinese plays. Wil- liams said he is excited to be working on the two productions, noting that they are "really not just two plays - they are cultural artistic streams." The upcoming RSC visit grew out of the group's first creative residency at the University in 2010 titled "Creative Project 2010," which Williams called "mutually enriching." Williams added that Univer- sity students stand to gain from working with members of the RSC, who are true professionals in their fields. "It's a mutually deeply benefi- cial relationship," Williams said. "It gives our students a sense of possible excellence. They get to work with and observe and imagine the processes of the very best, and learn that they can do that too." School of Theatre junior Emily Lyon, a self-proclaimed "Shake- speare dork" who was chosen to be an assistant director for the RSC's upcoming residency, said she is thrilled for the RSC to return to the University and for the opportunity to work with its directors and actors. Lyon was able to view the RSC's production of Macbeth - directed by the RSC artis- tic director Michael Boyd, who will be among the group mem- bers traveling to the University this week - as part of a theater program she participated in last summer in London. Lyon said her experience watching the production and the skill of the RSC makes her hopeful about her opportunitycto work with the RSC in the coming weeks. "Working with the Royal Shakespeare Company has actu- ally been my dream .since sev- enth grade," she said. "It's a huge opportunity, and extremely thrilling and exciting. It's sort of absurd in terms of how lucky I feel." nu- Hanlon to hold Court blocks two first event today more parts of Ala. immigration law A federal appeals court yester- day blocked two more sections of Alabama's tough new law target- ing illegal immigration pending the outcome of lawsuits that seek to overturn the law entirely. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order tempo- rarily halting a section that says courts can't enforce contracts involving illegal immigrants and another that makes it a felony for an illegal immigrant to do busi- ness with the state. The law adopted last year was challenged by both the federal government and a coalition of activist groups. A three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit heard arguments last week but said it won't rule on the overall case until the U.S. Supreme Court decides a federal challenge to a similar law in Arizona. The appeals court is also weighing Georgia's law. JERUSALEM * Netanyahu: Iran cannot acquire nuclear weaponry Israel will not allow Iran to obtain atomic bombs but prefers a peaceful solution to the issue, Israel's prime minister said yes- rerday after intensive talks in Washington about Iran's nuclear program. Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Israeli TV stations a day after returning from talks with Presi- dent Barack Obama and other American officials. Both leaders said they would not permit Iran to obtain nuclear bombs. While there is concern that Israel might launch a unilateral strike against Iran, Netanyahu said in Washington that no such decision has been made. On Thursday he spelled out his policy on local TV stations, saying that this a matter of life or death for Israel. -Compiled from Daily wire reports By ALICIA ADAMCZYK Daily StaffReporter For students interested in learning more about the Occupy movement,but notkeenon camp- ing outside in the cold or going days without showering, the University recently announced a lecture series focused on activist movements and contemporary political issues. Titled "Equity, Justice and Social Change: The Michigan Tradition of Activism and Edu- cational Opportunity," the pro- gram is a month-long series of lectures and panels that will address pressing issues facing students today. The series was put together by groups of stu- dents and administrators across campus, and will cover a broad range of topics including the University budget, the history of activism at the University and the growing income and educa- tional gaps in America. Philip Deloria, the LSA asso- ciate dean for undergraduate education, helped plan the series and will serve as a panelist in the "Growing Up Activist: Discus- sion of U-M Faculty from Activ- ist Families" session. Deloria JOIN DAILY NEWS E-MAIL RAYZA GOLDSMITH AT RAYZAG @MICHIGANDAILY. COM the lecture series wil contrioute to the University's mission to foster critical discussions about important issues. "We'd like to engage thebroad University community in a broad set of presentations and discus- sions concerning these issues," Deloria wrote. "In doing so, (we hope to) continue the tradition of the University's long and deep engagement in matters of equity, social justice, activism, educa- tional opportunity, and to fulfill our role as the location for some of the conversations about things that matter most in our society." Deloria noted that the Univer- sity's campus offers an ideal set- ting to instigate change. "Michigan has a long and storied history of activism," he wrote. "Students and young people in general, are in the best position to change the world. They have energy, ideas, and a serious stake in the future. Of course universities will be the places where they organize their thoughts - and their friends - and try to bring about change." Laura Blake Jones, associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students, also helped plan the lecture series and said it will appeal to a large audience. "We think that all students have interest in this ... the well- being of our society and our future as a campus community nity that we live in, are an attect- ed by all of this. So we want to engage as many people as we can in the conversation." She added that the issues cov- ered by the lectures are relevant and touch on topics that the cam- pus community is passionate about. Deloria added that the events have widespread appeal to indi- viduals with varying interests, noting specifically that students studying economics may be par- ticularly engaged in lectures on Universitybudgeting, the history of social justice activism at the University and the language of the 99 percent and one percent. Vice President of Central Student Government Brendan Campbell said the series will focus on past and present activ- ism at the University. "The University of Michigan has a proud tradition of progres- sive social movements and we wanted to plan the lecture series to help students understand the history and inspire them to con- tinue in that tradition," Camp- bell said. The first event, "Financingthe University of Michigan" by Pro- vost Phil Hanlon, will take place tonight at 5:15 p.m. on North Campus. - Daily News Editor Paige Pearcy contributed to this report THE HONOR t4 SOCIETY OF Are you tops in your class? Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi Iis the nation's oldest, largest, and most selective collegiate UMPHI KAP PA P H I.1UM IC H . E D U honor society for all academic disciplines. Membership is by invitation only to the top 7.5% of juniors and the top 10% of seniors and graduate students, as determined by the University Registrar. Each year the Society distributes more than $700,000 through national and chapter scholarships and awards. Along with academic recognition, members are eligible for exclusive partner discounts and networking opportunities. Invitations were sent to qualified students' umich email on February 15. Don't miss this opportunity! DEADLINES: University of Michigan Chapter March 11, 2012 Scholarship Applications Completed Election Form and March 17, 2012 Society Dues Paid A ; 11