NIE AiTTYWgan &ijj
Ann Arbor, Michigan
UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY
New CTools
integrates
Google sites
Thursday, September 6, 2012
michigandaily.com
CREW CUTS
ITS seeks to
enhance user
accessibility
By DANIELLE
STOPPELMANN
Daily Staff Reporter
Though CTools still features
its familiar blue banner, Infor-
mation and Technology Ser-
vices added a slate of new tools
to the website in an update that
was made over the summer.
The new system version
2.7.2A launched on Aug. 4, was
designed to enhance the learn-
ing experience beyond the
classroom by further integrat-
ing tools from Google and other
external sources into CTools.
Students and faculty now
have access to core Google apps
including e-mail, documents,
calendar and Google+ accounts.
A new feature called Box also
provides users with 50GB of
external cyberspace storage
where documents can be saved
and shared.
The new version of the web-
site also strives for increased
interactivity through inte-
gration of Piazza, an online
social media tool that allows
students to ask questions and
review instructor responses.
Interactive training modules
on responsible conduct in
research as part of the Uni-
versity's Responsible Conduct
of Research and Scholarship
Research Integrity Project are
also now available through the
site.
Sean DeMonner, director of
Information and Technology
Services Teaching & Learning,
wrote in an e-mail interview
that the new applications will
give students and instructors
more opportunities to interact
beyond lectures and discus-
sions. ,
"The structured learning
environment of CTools and
the collaborative environment
of Google Apps complement
each other nicely and provide a
bridge from the formal learning
space to the social and experi-
ential learning space," DeMon-
ner said.
DeMonner added that it is a
"navigational plus" to have the
ability to access these external
tools from the CTools site.
User feedback was an inte-
gral part of the upgrade pro-
cess, DeMonner said. Students
and faculty gave feedback via
the 4-HELP phone hotline,
user-testing and CTools evalu-
ations led by students in the
School of Information. ITS
internship students also helped
design and develop tools.
See CTOOLS, Page 6A
AUSTEN HUFFORD/Daily
Members of the Michigan men's rowing team transport their boat from the Diag to a waiting trailer on Wednesday. They were recruiting new rowers.
NATIONA L EPIDEMIC
WestNilespikes in U.S.
105 total cases
reported across
Michigan
By TAYLOR WIZNER
Daily StaffReporter
Mosquitoes carrying the
West Nile virus have infected
more people in the United States
this summer than ever before
experts say, despite a scorch-
ing season that caused severe
droughts throughout the coun-
try.
According to the Michigan
Department of Community
Health, there were 105 reported
cases of West Nile in Michigan
as of Wednesday. Nationally, the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention has now reported
1,993 cases and 87 deaths as of
Sept. 4, making it the worst year
the country has experienced
since 2003.
Public Health Prof. Mark
Wilson said though the virus
has now been found in almost
every county in the United
States since it arrived in 1999,
it is fairly new to the region.
According to Wilson, West Nile
likely first entered the United
States by boat from Israel and
spread from bird populations
to mosquitoes, before humans
began contractingthe disease.
Wilson said that while most
mosquitoes usually die off dur-
ing dry conditions, the Culex
mosquito, a prominent carrier of
the virus, is able to survive with
limited rainfall.
"Different species of mosqui-
toes end up preferring breeding
sites and concentrated water
that is more often found dur-
ing the dry season," Wilson
said. "So your backyard might
be a suitable breeding place for
some species of infected mos-
quitoes, but a hundred meters
down the road where there are
houses without much vegetation
it might not be."
Wilson and other experts said
See WEST NILE, Page 6A
NATIONAL POLICY
:bama policy aims to help
undocumented students
Activists elated by the implementation
of President Barack Obama's
cautiously deferred action policy ear-
lier this summer, they also
optimistic about expressed hesitation about the
future of education for illegal
executive order immigrants.
Homeland Security Secretary
By CARLY FROMM Janet Napolitano announced
Daily StaffReporter the program in June, which
gives undocumented immi-
Though most University stu- grants who fall under specific
dents fighting for the rights of criteria the right to apply for
undocumented students were deferred action status and legal-
ly remain in the United States
for an additional two years.
LSA senior Luz Meza, co-
founder of Migrant Immigrant
Rights Advocacy, said though
undocumented students around
the country are rejoicing, they
are also cautious of the tempo-
rary nature of the policy.
"(They thought) this is great,"
Meza said. "(They) have some
sort of relief, although this can
be taken away at any moment,
See POLICY, Page 6A
The newly-built Landmark apartment building towers over South University Avenue.
New luxury apartments
open doors to students
OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS
Incoming class size expected to be
6,000 despite more applications
Landmark, Zaragon
West, City Place
join A? skyline
By ALEXANDRA
MONDALEK and
AUSTEN HUFFORD
Daily StaffReporters
The cranes and bulldozers
have disappeared from South
University Street, Fifth Avenue
and Thompson Street, and have
made way for three new luxury
apartment complexes designed
for students.
The three primary new resi-
dences in the downtown and
Campus areas are City Place Ann
Arbor, Zaragon West and Land-
mark, each of which has attract-
ed flocks of University students.
CITY PLACE ANN ARBOR
BOASTS LUXURY LIVING
Nestled between Jerusalem
Garden and the Ann Arbor Dis-
trict Library's downtown loca-
tion, City Place Ann Arbor is
located on Fifth Avenue near
East William Street. City Place
is operated under the direction
of Arch Realty Company, and
opened to students on Aug. 31.
Jeff Helminski, a developer
and spokesman for City Place,
said the 64,750-square-foot
property provides large rooms
See APARTMENTS, Page 7A
tc
University class as one of the
approximately 6,000 freshmen
applicants due that enrolled for the fall 2012
semester out of a record high of
Common App, 43,535 applicants.
The record-breaking num-
offlcals say ber exceeded the University's
target enrollment rate by
By KATIE BURKE roughly 2 percent, according to
Daily Staff Reporter officials. Last year, the Under-
graduate Admissions Office
uesday, Texas native received 39,570 applications,
rea Case, an Engineering almost 4,000 less than the
man, attended her first 2012-2013 academic year.
University Provost Philip
Hanlon said the variety and
quality of programs offered
at the University are a major
attraction to students across
the country.
"I do think one of the things
that works to our benefit
increasingly is the broad vari-
ety of types of degrees that we
offer," Hanlon said. "We have a
full set of choices."
Hanlon added that the Uni-
See ADMISSION, Page 7A
Ts
Andr
fresh
WEATHER HI: 80
TOMORROW LO: 58
GOT A NEWS TIP? NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail #michlinks
news@michigandaily.com and let us know. MIICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS/THE WIRE
INDEX NEWS ........ ...............2A SPORT.S....................... SA
Vol. CXXIII, No. 3 AP NEWS ....................4A CLASSIFIEDS ............... 6A
©2012The Michigan Daily OPINION ..................:4A TH E B-SIDE .............;..tB
michigondoily~com
A