The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Friday, March 16, 2012 - 3 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Friday, March 16, 2012 - 3 NURSING From Page 1 Timothy Slottow, the University's executive vice president and chief financial officer, the project is esti- mated to cost about $50 million. The 75,000-square-foot structure will also accommodate approxi- mately 40 new faculty members that the School of Nursing plans to . hire in the next decade. Hanlon projected that ground- breaking on the building will take place within a year and a half, pending completion and regent- al approval of the architectural design. The current building will remain occupied, but Hanlon added that it is rapidly becoming less useful. CRISLER ARENA BECOMES CRISLER CENTER The regents also voted to change the name of Crisler Arena to Crisler Center during yester- day's meeting. Addressing the regents, Slot- tow said because Crisler Center now contains training centers and retail shops, it is no longer appro- priate to refer to the complex as simply an arena. "Crisler Arena has expanded and been converted into many, many things beyond a basketball arena," Slottow said. UNIVERSITY HIRES EXTERNAL AUDITOR CASE In her opening remarks, Cole- TORNADO From Page 1 Hall, but said there was "apparent water" inside the Ross Academic Center. University of Michigan Health System spokesman Ian Demsky said there was a small leak in a stairwell in the Comprehensive Cancer Center and that precau- tions were taken to protect patients depending on their condition and their location in the hospital. He said blinds were closed, some patients were moved into hall- ways and other interior spaces, and blankets were placed over several patients to protect them in case of shattering glass from a tornado impact. Brown said the typical response to a tornado warning depends on the amount and type of calls DPS receives. For example, Brown said if there is a power outage on campus, police officers are often required to respond to calls of indi- viduals stuck in elevators. Still, if severe weather is report- ed close to the University, Brown said officers will take necessary precautions to protect themselves. "If it's really coming to campus, then they've got to take cover for themselves," Brown said. Ann Arbor Police, Housing Security, and Hospital Security could all be heard over police radio yesterday afternoon performing checks to ensure that University buildings took necessary precau- tions to protect students, staff and faculty. LSA senior Courtney Fletcher said she had been stuck in Angell Hall for more than three and a half hours waiting for the worst of the weather to pass. While the weather may have interfered with her day, Fletcher was not bothered studying in the hallways alongside the leaks. man shared with the regents that the University hired former senior auditor Fred White Jr. as the external auditor per the regents' order. White will oversee the implementation of recommenda- tions made by the earlier internal audit and will also serve as liaison for an external audit. In May, a University of Michi- gan Health System staff member found a flash drive belonging to former resident Stephen Jenson and reported it to UMHS authori- ties. UMHS waited more than six months to report the incident to investigators and proceed with the case. "We are making excellent progress in following up on the internal audit in the pediatrics residence case," Coleman said. REGENTS APPROVE HON- ORARY DEGREE RECIPI- ENTS In addition to Monday's announcement that Sanjay Gupta, CNN's chief medical cor- respondent, will serve as the key- note speaker at the 2012 Spring Commencement address and will receive a Doctorate of Humane Letters, a slew of other notable professionals will be in atten- dance to receive awards. The regents approved that honorary degrees also be grant- ed to The New Yorker's Susan Orlean - who will deliver the Rackham Graduate School address - and Chris Van Alls- burg, author of "The Polar "I mean it needs to be fixed, but now they know what's going on so hopefullythey fix it as soon as pos- sible," Fletcher said. "I'm not wor- ried about anything going wrong. It's leaking but most buildings leak." Because of the inclement weath- er, Central Student Government had to cancel its presidential and vice presidential debates that were scheduled for yesterday evening. CSG President DeAndree Wat- son, who was taking shelter from the storm in the Michigan Union, said time spent takingshelter from the storm allowed him to get some work done. Watson said conditions at Angell Hall as a result of the storm are not fit for students at the University. "We get heavy rainfall, we start leaking and use trash cans at the University of Michigan - I don't think that's acceptable," Watson said. "We're going to push hard to make sure we improve our facili- ties." A tornado that spurred from the storm damaged and destroyed sev- eral homes in nearby Dexter and Pinckney in northwest Michigan. Dexter resident Victor Hola, a nurse at the UMHS Cancer Cen- ter, said the roof and garage of his home near Hudson Mills Metro- politan Park were torn aparthby the tornado. He said he didn't suffer any injuries, but was driving home when the tornado touched down in his neighborhood. Scott Ferguson, Hola's partner, said he did not hear any tornado sirens go off when the tornado warning was issued because his neighborhood - located about five miles away from the Village of Dexter - does not have an alert system. However, Ferguson said he heard the warning over National Public Radio broadcasts and quick- ly took shelter in the basementwith his dog and cat. Though he sustained no physi- Express" and "Jumanji," who will also receive a Doctorate of Humane Letters. Additionally, Richard Sarns, chairman of J.1. Harris & Associ- ates, will receive a Doctorate of Engineering; J. Ira Harris, a for- mer member of the University's Investment Advisory Commit- tee, will receive a Doctorate of Laws; and Jose Antonio Abreu, founder of a youth program for children in Venezuela and a prominent musician, will receive a Doctorate of Music. BOARD APPROVES INCREASED BUDGET FOR RENOVATIONS TO YOST ICE ARENA The regents also gave the green light for a $2-million increase yesterday for renova- tions to Yost Ice Arena- which is slated to include seating replace- ment and window installation - bringing the project total to $16 million, up from the initially approved $14 million. In a communication to the regents, Slottow and Athletic Director Dave Brandon sug- gested the increase, in order to properly accommodate for the renovations. "Due to a strong desire to include the alternates, and the fact that the bids received were higher than expected due to the cost of the steel and bleachers, we are recommending increasing the budget by $2 million," Slot- tow and Brandon wrote. cal injuries, Ferguson said the tornado ripping through his home was a terrifying experience. "I've never been so scared in my entire life," he said. "Think of ten freight trains coming at you all at once and you can't move ... that's what (the tornado) was like." Hola added that his neighbor's garage and roof were also torn off during the storm. The first responders in the neighborhood worked to remove fallen trees and repair down power lines that lit- tered the streets. In an e-mail interview yester- day, Perry Samson, a professor of atmospheric, oceanic and space sciences, wrote that yesterday's storms came as a "surprise" to him so early in the year. "Usually this time of year we're worried about ice storms and/ or episodes of dense fog," Sam- son wrote. "This warm weather is remarkable." Samson wrote that the cause for the storm isn't clear, as it could be the result of several factors. "No scientist worth their salt will say this is due to global warm- ingbecause we knowthe only thing normal about weather is that it's rarely normal," Samson wrote. "On the other hand, no scientist worth their salt will claim with certainty that this is not related to a larger trend as we frankly don't know with confidence how the warm- ing of the globe will affect specific weather phenomena. We'd need to see a trend on top of the wild fluctuations that normal weather presents." Samson added that examining causes behind rarities in weather is a major aspect of his course, AOSS 102. "I am working on a review of today's events and remain a bit perplexed to be honest," Samson wrote. "This storm happened away from any major fronts and away. from the jet stream where we nor- EQUALITY From Page 1 about them, and that we are doing something to remedy the situa- tion," Meza said. After Meza spoke, Darlow requested that University Provost Philip Hanlon provide the regents with information about the status of undocumented students at the University for later review. Han- lon stated that the Provost's office would make that information available to the regents as soon as possible. Rackham student Laura Wash- ington spoke on behalf of eRA- Cism, a University organization that focuses on fighting racism on campus and advocates for affir- mative action based admissions policies. Washington described occurrences of racism and pro- vided testimonies from anony- mous students at the University who have encountered racial dis- crimination. "Unfortunately, it is a common misconception that we live in a post-racist society and we should no longer discuss such historical attitudes," Washington said. "We know that racism isstill alive and shaping the experiences of stu- dents at this university." Washington described the des- ecration of images of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez in the Mary Markley Residence Hallandthe alienationofAfrican- American students in group work, among other incidents. Washington added that eRA- Cism aims to see a 10-percent increase in African-American student enrollment by2016. The group presented informa- tion from the Office of the Reg- istrar, showing a decline in the enrollment of African-American students from 6.58 percent in 2007 to 4.71 percent in the fall of 2011. Washington echoed Meza, say- ing that an intergroup relations class was essential for breaking down barriers at the University. The two groups had previously arranged to protest their griev- ances on the same day. organi- zations such as the University's chapter of the NAACP also sent students in support of the Coali- tion and eRACism. Members of the Graduate Employees' Organization - the union that represents graduate students' interests - also spoke to request improved access to day- care services at the University. The University provides a $150,000 fund to help graduate students cover the cost of child- care. According to Rackham student Patrick O'Mahen, the school's Central Student Govern- ment representative, that amount was recently supplemented with another $35,000 from CSG. Rackham student Daniel Bir- chok discussed how the fund has impacted his family and his research. "Without these funds, my wife and I would have to cut Anna's daycare in half," Birchok said. "I would have to write most of my dissertation while simultaneously caring for her, something that would not be fair to Anna or my scholarly pursuits." A graduate student parent whose spouse does not work more than 20 hours a week is not eli- gible for the childcare subsidy. However, Birchok said the policy often excludes international par- ents who do not have work visas in the United States and spouses that are currently unemployed but dedicate many hours per week searching for work. He added that in the last con- tract between graduate students and the University, the gradu- ate students opted to forgo pay increases in order to establish the fund. Samantha Montgomery, presi- dent of the Graduate Employees' Organization, said CSG's recent commitment to the fund was a stark contrast to the University's obstinacy onthe issue. "The latest offer from the Uni- versity was extremely disappoint- ing, and it neglected to adequately address our concerns," Montgom- ery said. "It is also disappointing in light of the recent resolution by the Central Student Govern- ment to contribute an additional $35,000 to this fund, represent- ing the commitment of students to support the fair-'treatment of all members of this University com- munity." Darlow also requested that Hanlon provide information on the childcare issue to the regents at their next meeting. mally expect such storms to devel- op. It was remarkably slow moving (hence the flooding) and there were few indicators in advance that the atmosphere contained sig- nificant convective potential." His class will be conducting a donation drive for the Washtenaw County chapter of the American Red Cross today and Monday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in his class in conduct an initial review of the Angell Hall Auditorium C. Sam- severe weather. son wrote that he will person- ally match the first $500 of student -Daily News Editor Adam donations received during both Rubenfire and Daily Staff Reporter class periods. Students looking to Anna Rozenberg reported from contribute should bring cash or Ann Arbor. Online Editor Zach checks donations made out to the Bergson reported from Dexter. American Red Cross. During those The Associated Press also class periods, Samson will also contributed to this report. ASSAULT From Page 1 Tri-Delt house. After the driver allegedly sexually assaulted the victim, Bush said the victim alert- ed a female passerby who drove her to her friend's house. The e-mail, however, suggests that the victim was picked up by a known acquaintance. Bush also noted that the sus- pect is a state-licensed limo driv- er, not a city-licensed taxi driver, adding that the incident is cur- rently being classified as a "possi- ble misdemeanor sexual assault." In an interview on Wednesday, the driver, whose name is being withheld since he has not yet been charged, denied the e-mail's alle- gations, and said he would be will- ing to submit to a polygraph test to prove his innocence. "I haven't done anything," the driver said. The driver said he is a married man with two "grown daughters," and said he was not contacted by the Ann Arbor Police Department until yesterday. In addition to denying his involvement in the incident, he also said he would have never allowed Emily to ride in his car while he served other customers. "I did not pick anybody up and take anybody anywhere in any wooded area," The driver claimed. "I was very busy (last) Thursday, and it's not my wayof doing things - if the girl wasn't able to get in she would have to go somewhere, because I'm not going to let her ride around with me all night." The driver said he talked to Ann Arbor police last night and they told him that there was no police report filed in the alleged incident. While the e-mail alleges that the incident occurred after the bar closed at 2 a.m., the driver said he doesn't accept customers after 3 a.m., and he said he had recorded in his reservation book that he told two customers he was not able to drive them at 3:31 a.m. and 3:59 a.m. Friday. The driver said most of his pas- sengers are women who use his service because they feel a sense of protection in his taxicab. "They call me because they feel safe with me," the driver said. The driver said he was particu- larly surprised to hear that the reporter of the incident appeared to be a member of Tri-Delt. "Some of my best customers are in Tri-Delt," The driver said, nam- ing off several of the sorority sis- ters that are his regular customers. The driver said he is concerned about his reputation as a result of the e-mail. "I would really like to know where the e-mail comes from," The driver said. "I would like to know what happened." The driver said he was contact- ed by police and will be coming into police headquarters with his attorney at an unspecified time. "I've got nothing to hide," the driver said. "I hope the girl gets her justice, but it ain't me." A Tri-Delt board officer declined to comment on the e-mail, calling the incident a "police matter," not a "Greek mat- ter."