The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Friday, November 9, 2012 - 7A
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MPOWERED
From Page 1A
egories: environment, health,
consumer products and small
businesses, MProvements, edu-
cation, web and software, tech
and hardware, and mobile apps.
The competition ends on Nov. 16,
and is open to any student with
an idea that can be conveyed in a
30-second video.
Last year's winners of the com-
petition included UM Speaks, a
platformshowcasinginformation
on upcoming campus speakers,
and Turtle Cell, a smart phone
case that holds headphones to
prevent them from tangling.
CSG's campaign asks students
to submit ideas to the 1,000 Pitch-
es campaign in whatever category
they choose, and the top four or
five pitches will then be imple-
mented to become reality. Parikh
said within three hours of send-
ing out the e-mail on Thursday,
he received at least 150 responses
ranging from tweets to page-long
documents.
The winners CSG selects will
be given access to necessary cam-
pus resources and administrative
officials through CSG in order
to successfully implement their
projects.
TRANSIT
From Page 1A
State game on Oct. 20 and will
continue for the upcoming home
game tomorrow against North-
western and Iowa on Nov. 17.
Hamet added that though the
group currently has 19 ambas-
sadors, reaching out to LSA-SG
and the SAAC will help MAP
foster-the support it needs, since
more volunteers will be available
to help students make safer deci-
sions.
"Now that we've branched
out, we need to branch out even
further ... we really want to get
30 to 40 ambassadors (but) we
don't want to go too big because
we want to keep everything
organized and under control," he
said.
LSA senior Caroline Canning,
the president of LSA-SG, wrote
in an e-mail interview that all
students are encouraged to par-
ticipate in the program, not just
members of Greek Life, since the
program affects the entire stu-
dent body.
"All LSA students (and non-
LSA students) can volunteer to
be ambassadors in the program,
and we are working in our stu-
dent life and health committees
to increase visibility and aid the
program," Canning wrote.
On game days, the ambassa-
dors' stationed on the corner of
South State Street and Hill Street
offer suggestions on how toavoid
violations of city ordinances and
advise against risky decisions,
such as carrying an open con-
tainer or acting recklessly. There
are also volunteers stationed
at the Michigan Union to serve
as organizers, and if a situation
becomes an emergency, ambassa-
dors are encouraged to call Ann
Arbor Police, the University's
Department of Public Safety or
911, depending on the situation.
In order to become an ambas-
sador, students attend an hour-
long training session with the
DPS, the University Health Ser-
vice and the AAPD. After train-
ing, students may sign up for one
to two hour shifts during game
days or other specified events,
according to Laura Raines, an
LSA senior and vice president of
public relations for the Univer-
sity's Pan-Hellenic Association.
Raines said the program hopes
to increase its visibility on cam-
pus by offering students help
without handing out citations.
"It's definitely about being vis-
ible right now and helping people
become aware of the safety con-
cerns ... we are not trying to be
law enforcement, but if we see
something (dangerous) that is
happening we will approach the
situation," she said.
While volunteering before a
game may seem like a sacrifice,
Parikh said this will be made
possible by giving students access
to CSG's Entrepreneurship Com-
mission which will help them"
institutionalize their ideas by
connecting them with the appro-
priate University administrators,
and promoting the final solutions
to the studentbody."
Last year 1,000 Pitches
received 3,303 pitches, according
to LSA and Business School junior
Scott Christopher, president of
MPowered Entrepreneurship.
This year, the group has already
received more than 3,700 submis-
sions, making it the world's larg-
est student-run elevator pitch - a
proposal for an idea that can be
given quickly- competition.
"This year we hope to reach
5,000 pitches while also having
greater involvement with our
1,000 Pitches Summit," Christo-
pher said.
Eventually, Christopher said
MPowered would like to extend
the competition beyond the Uni-
versity.
"We would love to see 1,000
Pitches spread outside of Ann
Arbor to other U of M campuses
and to universities across the
state and country," Christo-
pher said. "We are also tossing
around the idea to expand to high
schools."
she said incentives are available
for those who give their time to
be an ambassador.
Volunteers are eligible to
receive tickets to Michigan bas-
ketball and hockey games, gift
cards to local restaurants, appar-
el and points towards the H.A.L
program - which offers prizes to
students that arrive early to foot-
ball games or attend non-revenue
sporting events. Ambassadors
can also receive letters of recom-
mendations for their work.
Hamet said since its imple-
mentation last year, the program
has received a generous amount
of support from the University,
and the Athletic Department
has donated prize incentives
and other student groups have
worked to round up volunteers.
"I'm really proud of what it has
become, especially to get the sup-
port from the University itself ...
it is awesome to see the entire
University, not just students,
come together for this program."
He added that the program
is important for maintaining a
positive image of the University
among other rival schools.
"We represent the Big Ten,"
Hamet said. "We have other Big
Ten opponents coming to town ...
and we don't want to give them
the wrong impression of what
Michigan is all about. We are not
the only Big Ten School to do this
(program), so we don't want to
fall behind."
Engineering senior Jake
Wood, the vice president of
finance for IFC, said he volun-
teered as an ambassador dur-
ing several events, including the
most recent game against MSU.
"I find that it is a sense of
responsibility," Wood said. "We,
as students, are the ones that are
going about with these recre-
ational activities. I feel that we,
as students, should be the ones
that make sure that our peers are
being safe while still being able to
enjoy themselves."
During his shift, Wood said
he dealt with a few disrespect-
ful students, but the majority of
people were willing to listen to
advice from peers rather than
face discipline from authorities.
"We're out there to help so no
one gets tickets or has to deal with
any law enforcement, as much
as we can help it," Wood said.
"When we tell people, 'We're just
trying to help you from getting a
ticket,' I think people realize lis-
tening to what we suggested is
better than having to deal with
law enforcement."
LSA sophomore Lexi Wyckoff
said she thinks it is important
for the University to take a lead-
ership role in promoting safe
drinking and tailgate practices.
"I think it has become more of
a problem across campuses, and
I think it is cool that Michigan is
taking an initiative."
SAPAC
From Page 1A
Rackham student Ali Chet-
wynd, a volunteer at Speak Out,
said the event was geared toward
cultivating an atmosphere of
safety and warmth.
"A lot of the symbolism of this
event ... is designated to give a
visual correspondence to the
sense of cumulative support and
solidarity described," Chetwynd
said. "Speak Out is very overt
about the idea that each individ-
ual who speaks out becomes part
of a whole by doing so."
The event also aimed to raise
awareness about SAPAC, which
supports survivors of sexual vio-
lence. Speakers emphasized the
severity of sexual violence statis-
tics on college campuses, citing
the fact that one in four college
women and one in nine college
men have been sexually assault-
ed.
They added itis vital that Uni-
versity students are educated in
how to take action when dealing
with an individual affected by
sexual violence.
"My personal goal is that
if anyone has a survivor that
comes to them ... they can take
them to SAPAC and to appropri-
ate resources," Howe said. "So
my goal is for everyone to know
enough about SAPAC so that if
they care for a survivor, they can
help them."
Public Health graduate stu-
dent Carley Flanery, who has
been a member of SAPAC for five
years, said she hopes awareness
about sexualviolence will soonbe
a higher priority for the Univer-
sity's administration, and SAPAC
is working toward advancing this
progress.
"Because of the nature of the
subject, it is not the highest pri-
ority for the University to talk
about, but I feel like we are mak-
ing strides in it at the same time,"
Flanery said. "(SAPAC is) doing
programs that are the best in the
nation in terms of how education
goes."
SAPAC provides numerous.
resources for survivors of sexual
violence, individuals seekinghelp
for others who have.been sexually
assaulted and students who want
information about protecting
themselves against sexual vio-
lence. One of the organization's
most popular resources is its
peer-led support group in which
survivors share and express con-
cerns among peers.
SAPAC also has a 24-hour
crisis line and an office line for
survivors and those assisting
survivors.
ON FACEBOOK
Attend a Cooley Law School Open House in November and talk to Cooley
administrators, department representatives, students, and faculty members at
all five of our campuses.
Register online for one or all five Open Houses at cooley.edu or ' EIJ
register onsite the day of the Open House.You are encouraged
to visit more than one campus.
Lead Today. Lead Tomorrow. Cooley Law School.
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JAMES M. GALLOWAY MD, FACP, FACC, FAHA
Acting Regional Director and Regional Health Administrator,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
THE MILLION HEARTSTM INITIATIVE
Wednesday, November 14,2012,12-1 p.m.
Horace Rackham Amphitheater
Students, Faculty, and Staff Welcome
H eart disease and stroke are the first and fourth leading
causes of death in the U.S., with heart disease being
responsible for one of every three U.S. deaths. Launched in 2011,
Million Hearts is a public- and private-sector partnership intent
upon preventing one million heart attacks and strokes by 2017.
Dr. Galloway will discuss this initiative and the critical role
pharmacists are playing to scale up proven clinical and community
strategies to prevent heart disease and stroke across America.
For more information, call the Office of the Dean, College
of Pharmacy, (734) 764-7144. Or visit the College Web site at
http://plharmacy umich.edu/pharmacy/dean'slecture.
i
OPINION.
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