The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Monday, January 9, 2012 - 5A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Monday, January 9, 2012 - 5A
BUSES
From Page 1A
friendly fuel source, according to
the press release.
Johnson added though that the
University's plans to expand the
program may not be feasible, not-
ing that in 2008 the University
attempted to purchased hybrid
buses, but it was unable to secure
funding.
LSA sophomore Zachary
Gizicki, a frequent bus rider, said
ORDINANCE
From Page 1A
was difficult to apply to different
road types, citing a revision made
to the original ordinance that
requires a vehicle to stop when
the pedestrian is on the half of
the roadway on which the vehicle
is traveling.
"On a typical neighborhood
street where there's a crosswalk
and two lanes of traffic, it's abso-
lutely easy for the driver to see
a pedestrian on either side of
the street and stop," Briere said.
"But when you talk about five
lane roads through town like
Plymouth Road, it's difficult for a
he is pleased the University is
making a step toward increased
sustainability. However, he
doesn't believe funding for the
buses should come from the fed-
eral government.
"I think the University should
be putting up its own money,"
Gizicki said. "Every student pays
$20,000 in-state (tuition) and
$40,000 out-of-state (tuition).
Where does that money go?"
Gizicki also said he believes the
University should explore other
mass transportation options, like
a monorail.
Engineering graduate student
Parkin Furia said he was skep-
tical of how environmentally
friendly the buses really are.
"I don't know how much dif-
ference they will make," he said.
School of Information gradu-
ate student Melissa Hernandez
said she supports the University's
sustainability efforts and the new
busingsystem.
"I think that they can (make a
difference) and are willing to do
it," Hernandez said.
driver traveling in one direction
to observe a pedestrian four lanes
over waiting at the curb."
City Council member Tony
Derezinski (D-Ward 2) said
council must continue to protect
pedestrians in Ann Arbor and
seek new ways to ensure safety.
"We are there for a reason,"
Derezinski said. "We have an atti-
tude and a value of really promot-
ing pedestrian traffic and making
it safe."
LSA freshman Claire Erba
said she believes that the newly
passed ordinance is more realis-
tic and will benefit both pedestri-
ans and drivers.
"Pedestrians will now need to
clearly indicate their intention to
use the crosswalk by standing on
the curb," Erba said. "This will
definitely prevent drivers from
guessing whether or not someone
is about to cross the street and
will prevent rear-end collisions."
Kinesiology freshman Chel-
sea Morgan said though she was
unaware of the revisions, she
was confused when cars have
stopped long before she arrived at
a crosswalk. Regardless, Morgan
said she is not concerned for her
safety.
"I haven't noticed the effect of
the new law after I arrived back
on campus from home," Morgan
said. "But even without the revi-
sions, I felt safe as both a driver
and pedestrian in Ann Arbor."
P1'AULSEMMAN/aLily
Engineering sophomores Jill Bender and Wade Phillips and Engineering freshman Felipe Carvallo Lopes Rogerio attempt
to launch a ping pong ball into a recycling bin during the Rube Goldberg Competition at Bursley Hall on Saturday.
COOKIES
From Page 1A
Insomnia Cookies truck from
parking in its usual location - on
State Street near East Williams
Street - for more than a specified
amount of time. The policy made
it impractical for the business to
continue in Ann Arbor, and it was
an inconvenience for customers,
Berkowitz said.
According to the city ordi-
nance, a vehicle is prohibited
from selling foods "on a street or
otherpublic property... forlonger
than 5 minutes within a 2-hour
period unless issued a street use
permit for that location."
Kristen Larcom, an assistant
attorney with the city of Ann
Arbor, said she didn't know the
specifies of Insomnia, Cookies'
* withdrawal -from Ani "Arbor'
However, she confirmed that for
safety reasons, the city's traf-
fic code generally does not allow
food sales from vehicles.
"The city is looking to pro-
tect the people (and) control the
* COCKROACHES
From Page 1A
say the infestation in South Quad
is an ongoing issue.
"The employees that have
been here for years say there's
always been a huge cockroach
problem," the student said.
However, in an interview last
night, Logan said he is unaware
of cockroaches being a prob-
lem prior to last month, adding
that University Housing always
responds quickly to pest issues
when they're brought to its
attention.
"t don't know how much of
an issue they were before the
middle of December," Logan
said. "We routinely do preven-
tive treatment for pest in the
facilities and whenthere's some
indication there's increased
activity we'll do more aggres-
sive treatment.
The student who posted
the video said he doesn't think
University Housing will com-
pletely rid South Quad of the
cockroaches completely because
they haven't done so thus far.
"I don't eat the food there
anymore so it's up to whoever
sees the video to make their
own decisions," he said.
Engineering sophomore
Mike Brajer works at the South
Quad Community Center and
said he purchases food at Ciao
Down about once a week.
Brajer said while he didn't
know why Ciao Down had
closed, he was not shocked
upon hearing about the infesta-
tion.
"I would always notice that
they keep the bread out ... I was
@michigandaily
streets," Larcom said.
While it's still uncertain if
the Insomnia Cookies truck will
be able to sell cookies in the city
again, Berkowitz said the com-
pany is eager to rejoin the Ann
Arbor community if the opportu-
nity arises. He said he estimates
the company may even return as
early as August or September.
"It was great for us, we were
very happy being (in Ann Arbor)
and we look forward to being
back," he said.
Berkowitz added that the busi-
ness was extremely profitable
on State Street and leaving Ann
Arbor "was a very unfortunate
split."
In past years, the truck had
also parked in front of South
Quad Residence Hall on East
Madison Street, but Berkowitz
said the number of customers at
,the location was not comparable
to the business at'the company's w
regular State Street spot.
Though the truck did draw
business in front of South Quad, it
was only 25 percent of the profit
the company would have made on
State Street, Berkowitz said.
kind of worried a little bit about
cleanliness," Brajer said. "It
doesn't completely surprise me."
Brajer said he thinks the Uni-
versity should have notified resi-
dents in South Quad about the
cockroach problem.
"We have the right to know,
ultimately we're the ones paying
to keep them running," Brajer
said.
"They should let us know
what measures they took to fix
it, too," he added.
LSA senior Dia Bright-John-
son, an employee at Ciao Down,
Jim Seta, owner of Stucchi's
on State Street - a former ven-
dor of Insomnia Cookies prod-
ucts - said though his store is
not currently selling the cookies,
he believes they were popular
among students and would like to
sell them again.
"Right now, it's still up in the
air," Seta said.
Berkowitz said Insomnia
Cookies continues to thrive on
other major college campuses,
including Michigan State Uni-
versity. The shop in East Lansing
is located on East Grand River
Avenue, an area that Berkowitz
described as being very similar
to the State Street and South Uni-
versity areas.
LSA sophomore Patricia
Bynum said that Insomnia Cook-
ies's late hours deterred her from
shopping regularly at the truck,
but added she is understanding of
the frustration held by other stu-
dents who were frequent custom-
ers of the truck.
"I don't really see how it was
a safety issue," Bynum said.
"Around that time (of night),
nobody's out."
said she was not told the reason
why it had closed.
"I'm not surprised they didn't
tell anybody because they obvi-
ously would decrease business
and whatnot," Bright-Johnson
said.
Bright-Johnson said know-
ing that cockroaches caused
the closing is unsettling. How-
ever, she added the University
wouldn't have reopened Ciao
Down if it were unsafe to eat
there.
"I would still eat here, things
happen," Bright-Johnson said.
SALARIES
From Page 1A
tially lower than the previous
five-year average salary increase
of 3.4 percent. For staff members,
the increase this year was an
average of 2.2 percent, also lower
than the five-year average of 2.5
percent.
Last year, the University's
executive officers received a sal-
ary increase of 2.7 percent, higher
than the average increase of 2.5
percent from 2005-2009. Pollack
noted that in 2009 the execu-
tive officers received no salary
increase, potentially skewing the
average.
Pollack added that though
salaries have increased, faculty
pay for more of their health care
benefits - a policy that was made
effective in 2003 and has saved*
the University $90 million a year
in reoccurring costs, and $400
million in cumulative costs.
The funds for salary hikes
come from each school and col-
lege's budget, Pollack said. She
added that the University allo-
cates money for pay raises from
its general fund budget for units
that don't generate their own rev-
enue.
As former dean of the School of
Information, Pollack said she was
once involved with deciding the
salary increases for the school,
and considered a wide array of
factors, including inflation and
retention rates.
"It's very different for faculty,
of course it's a national market
and for staff it's a regional mar-
ket, (so) we'd look at what cost of
living is, inflation, and we'd look
at what kind of funds we have
available," she added.
There are three ranks of
appointments for professors at
the University - assistant, asso-
ciate and full professor. When a
faculty member reaches a new
level, they receive a raise. With
only three raises possible over
the career of an average pro-
fessor, annual salary increases
serve as a modest reward for the
work faculty do, Pollack said.
In her testimony last year,
Coleman outlined the impor-
tance of merit-based salary
increases to keep the University
competitive.
"I am proud that we are able
to offer competitive salaries
throughout the University," she
said in her testimony. "I am not
going to punish people for doing
a good job. We want the best, and
work hard to keep them."
Pollack said that when sal-
ary increases are calculated, an
inflation rate of about 2 percent
is typically used, so if the total
increase is less than 2 percent it
serves as an effective decrease in
pay for faculty.
Pollack added that salary
increases are also calculated into
what students pay for tuition. In
June, the University Board of
Regents voted to increase tuition
by 6.7 percent, or, $797, for in-
state students and 4.9 percent, or
$1,781, for out-of-state students
for the current school year.
"If we had no salary increases,
tuition would be lower," Pollack
said.
Pollack said faculty salaries
at the University of Michigan
are lower than those at schools
such as Northwestern Univer-
sity, Harvard College and Yale
University. An annual increase
is implemented to keep faculty
salaries competitive, she said.
Specifically, University facul-
ty members saw a larger increase
than other Big Ten schools,
including Ohio State Univer-
sity, which increased its sal-
ary by 2 percent and Michigan
State University at 2.5 percent.
Harvard College also received
a maximum salary increase of 2
percent.
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