The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Friday, September 20, 2013 - 3
'U' buses will travel to Detroit starting Oct.
Friday and
Saturday transit
will conntect to A2
to Detroit Center
By MATTHEW JACKONEN
Daily StaffReporter
Eastern Market or Campus
Martius Park on a Saturday
morning? Soon, students will
have the option.
Beginning Oct. 5, a new Uni-
versity-sponsored shuttle transit
service will begin taking students
from Ann Arbor to the Univer-
sity's Detroit Center - with stops
at Eastern Market, the Cultural
Center, Downtown and south-
west Detroit under consideration.
The primary aim of the ser-
vice is to provide the University
community with a more efficient
option for getting to and from
Detroit, where the University has
devoted significant financial and
educational resources in recent
years in an attempt to broaden
student experiences.
The University's Detroit Cen-
ter and Semester in Detroit Pro-
gram announced that a pilot
service will be available free of
FORREST
From Page 1
funding becomes more difficult
from funding from the federal
government - we have to broad-
en our base."
However, Forrest added he's
concerned about the effects
that federal sequestration - an
across-the-board, 5.1-percent
cut to all discretionary spend-
ing - which will be evident in
2014's research report. However,
the University is already expe-
riencing "shortfalls" in funding
because of the cuts.
"The research is about eco-
nomic growth," Forrest said.
"Innovation has long been the
source of economic power of this
country really since the post-war
charge on Fridays and Saturdays
throughout the fall semester.
Addell Austin Anderson,
the director of the University's
Detroit Center and co-director of
the MDetroit Center Connector,
said the continuation of the ser-
vice beyond the fall semester isn't
guaranteed, but she is "optimis-
tic" about securing funding for
the winter semester.
"It's all going to depend on how
successful we are to get riders,"
Anderson said. "I feel optimistic
because we have gotten a huge
outpouring of support and people
that are interested."
Funding for the project almost
entirely comes from a $45,000
grant from the Transforming
Learning for the Third Century
fund - a project of the Third
Century Initiative, a University
program to explores innovative
teaching opportunities.
Anderson also emphasized
that this project is fulfilling a
need that many University affili-
ates and Detroiters have had for a
while.
"This is something that has
been a long time coming," Ander-
son said. "There has been some
frustration that there hasn't been
an easy way to get (to and from)
campus and Detroit."
Anderson added that the ser-
vice will be beneficial to both Ann
Arbor and Detroit residents in
that both can more easily enjoy
the benefits of the two cities,
calling it a "two-way street." She
hopes the service will provide
new opportunity to "get off cam-
pus andgo see what'sgoingon" in
Detroit.
Another shuttle service to the
Dearborn area is also under con-
sideration.
The first shuttle to Detroit
will leave Ann Arbor at 8:15 a.m.
on Friday and the last shuttle
will return at 8:45 p.m. On Sat-
urday, the first shuttle will leave
Ann Arbor at 8:00 a.m., and the
final shuttle will return at 11:00
p.m. The tentative schedule was
formed based on an online survey
filled out by University students
and staff.
LSA senior Haley Sakwa, chair
ofCSG's Detroit Commission, said
the shuttle program's organizers
consulted with the commission
and the newly-reformed Detroit
Coalition in trying to gauge stu-
dent interest and determining
when there would be demand for
the service.
"You can't expect the Detroit
Center to reach out to all the stu-
dent groups (focused on Detroit)
on campus," Sakwa said. "Unless
we make it easy for the adminis-
tration to include what we have
to say, I don't think they'll be able
to include the students voices and
opinions in their decision."
Sakwa added that while the
commission has some concerns
about the funding for the pro-
gram, given that it has a limited
time grant, she is hopeful that it
will continue past the trial period
this fall.
LSA junior Michael Baroody
said the service is long overdue.
"As an institution for higher
education we have much to learn
from Detroit," Baroody said.
"For me personally, having been
involved with the campus farm in
the past, I see a huge potential for
partnerships and programs with
Detroit's urban agriculturists."
Baroody said it would help stu-
dents appreciate what the city has
to offer the University and stu-
dents.
"While there are partner-
ships with Detroit already in
place ... this will most definitely
foster a new level of interest
and appreciation for this great
American city," Baroody said.
"Having only been to Detroit
once or twice, I can't wait until
this takes effect."
era. This is very much going to
hurt our prospects in the future
being able to compete on an
international level."
Forrest, who will step down
from his current role in Janu-
ary, has served as vice president
for research since 2006. His ten-
ure has been marked by signifi-
cant growth in the University's
research budget despite econom-
ic challenges - growing from a
little more than $800 million in
2008 to $1.33 billion currently.
Forrest received his doctorate
in physics in from the Univer-
sity in 1979 and went on to work
at Bell Labs - a storied basic
research laboratory owned at the
time by AT&T - and assumed his
first teaching position at Princ-
eton University in 1992. His biog-
raphy states that he has written
around 465 journal articles and
holds 203 patents.
He will rejoin the College of
Engineering as a faculty member
while also working on growing
some of the companies he has
helped found. Forrest will also
devote time to working on his
research project - one of the
largest in the College of Engi-
neering's portfolio.
"What I'm really looking for-
ward to is being able to focus on
one set of problems, rather than
focusing on administration of
a giant University - which has
been exciting in all dimensions -
but I also had to maintain a really
excellent and robust research
program," Forrest said.
Forrest added that during his
eight years in Ann Arbor, the
University has actively worked to
engage both large and small busi-
ness and foster economic growth
in the region.
"When you walked through
the city of Ann Arbor (in 2006
or 2007), you wouldn't see small
business activity," Forrest said.
"Now, if you walk around, walk
down Liberty, walk in any num-
ber of directions, you'll see small
high-tech startups listed every-
where.
"It's definitely helping our
economy in many, many ways -
not just for start-up companies,
but also with our engagement
with big companies like GM,
Toyota and Dow."
University President Mary Sue
Coleman will soon appoint an
interim vice president of research
while the search for a permanent
successor is underway.
-Daily Staff ReporterJennifer
Calfas contributed reporting.
SNOWE
From Page 1
cal process and possible solutions
to these problems. Above all else,
Snowe emphasized that the spirit
of bipartisanship would be the
key to solving the nation's myriad
issues.
"Our (political) system should
be a marketplace of ideas predi-
cated on consensus building, not a
battle of ideology," she said.
Snowe lamented Congress's
many "self-engineered and man-
ufactured crises." The downgrad-
ing of the country's credit rating
in 2011, she argued, was in part
caused by legislative inaction on
the debt and entitlement spend-
ing; this past January, as a result
of earlier failed negotiations, it
took Congress right up to the
11th hour to finally resolve the
fiscal cliff issue, that economists
warned would have had serious
consequences on the economy as
a whole.
The habit of "legislating up to
deferral and brinkmanship," as
Snowe described it, still persists,
as Congress must deal with bud-
get issues to avert a government
shutdown before Sept. 30 and
decide whether or not to raise the
debt ceiling by mid-October.
Compounding this concern
was Snowe's claim that there's
"very little institutional memory"
of how the legislative process
worked within both chambers.
According to Snowe, more than
half of the members of both the
Senate and House have fewer
than 6 years of experience, mak-
ing them only familiar with the
current climate of dysfunction
and inaction.
Snowe acknowledged that part
of the reason for the rise in par-
tisanship and polarization had to
do with shifting demographics
among the electorate, referencing
pollster Nate Silver's statistical
estimate that the number ofswing
districts in the House shrank
from 103in1992 to just 35 in 2012.
Because of this, "most elections
are predetermined before they
even occur," creating"little politi-
cal incentive to reach across the
aisle."
In addition to issues within
Congress, Snowe also cited the
MUNGER
From Page 1
from Thompson Street, with an
additional student entrance and
loading dock at the back of the
complex.
The residence will have eight
floors, and the top floor will fea-
ture lounges, study spaces and a
fitness center, accompanied by a
running track. Becker said this is
his "favorite" floor since it allows
residents to interact with each
other ina common space.
After the regents approved the
design, Regent Andrew C. Rich-
net (R) said he was happy the
design represented an innovative
living space that aims to engage
graduate students from a variety
of disciplines who may not other-
wise interact.
Since the expected cost of liv-
ing inthe hall is $1,000per month,
Rackham students have asked the
regents to work to lower the price.
Rackham student Kaitlin
Flynn, vice president of Rackham
Student Government, spoke dur-
ing the public-comments section,
stressing her opposition to the
building's cost.
Flynn said graduate students,
like many undergraduates, live
on a fixed income and do not have
financial help from their parents,
making $1,000 per month an
unreasonable amount to expect
for housing.
Along with Flynn, Public
Obama administration's failure
to communicate on a consistent
basis with congressional lead-
ers as a cause of dysfunction. She
referenced how former President
Ronald Reagan and former House
Speaker Tip O'Neill would meet
every week, and despite their vast
ideological differences, under-
stood what they had to overcome
for the good of the country.
Since leaving office, Snowe has
embarked on a speaking tour to
promote her book, "Fighting for
Common Ground," and has estab-
lished Olympia's List, a political
action committee that supports
congressional candidates in both
parties who value bipartisanship
and consensus.
College campuses have been a
popular destination on Snowe's
tour because of her desire to com-
municate to young people about
the importance of public service
and what the mission of public
service is all about: to solve prob-
lems and achieve practical results.
"I don't want (students) to be
turned off by this (political) cli-
mate and I don't want them to
take their cues from this climate,"
Snowe said in an interview before
the event. "I'd rather change it."
Prior to delivering her lecture,
Snowe spent much of her day
meeting with students. She had
a question-and-answer session
with Prof. John Schwarz's pub-
lic-policy class, had lunch with
another group of Public Policy
students, and held a question and
answer session with Women and
Gender in Public Policy, a student
organization within the Ford
School.
Public Policy graduate student
Erin Sullivan, amember of WGPP,
said Snowe was very candid in
talking about her experience in
the Senate.
"She wanted the full experi-
ence, and she gave plenty of stu-
dents the opportunity to engage
with her, which is what we should
be striving for," Sullivan said.
Crucial to changing the cul-
ture of dysfunction, according
to Snowe, is involving people -
especially students - in the polit-
ical process.
"We're a representative gov-
ernment; we get the government
we demand," Snowe said before
the event. "If we value bipartisan-
ship, we will get it."
Health student Cameron Glenn,
president of the Public Health
Student Assembly, and Michael
Proppe, the Central Student Gov-
ernment president, said at the
meeting that they wished the
University took more student
input into consideration before
proposing the schematic design.
In response to the students'
comments, E. Royster Harper,
the University's vice president
for student affairs, said she hopes
the board can make the housing
more affordable. She added that
the creation of the residences is
necessary as the last graduate stu-
dent housing option constructed
was Northwood V in 1971.
Harper attended a forum host-
ed by Rackham students last week
to answer questions and concerns
that students had over the design.
At the forum, students were pri-
marily concerned with the com-
munity-livingstyle ofthe building
and its cost to future residents.
Harper told the students that
the administration has to signifi-
cantly consider Munger's vision
for the building because he was so
heavily involved in the planning
process.
"If this were 'just us' and
the funding were 'just us,' we
would have some different kinds
of options," Harper said at the
forum. "But I think when you are
in partnership ... you make some
agreements about what you're
going to offer, then we have to
honor those agreements."
W MUG
From Page 1
"The Michigan Union is actu-
ally all about people," Union
Director Susan Pile told the
Michigan Daily. "The food is a
key motivator, but what we actu-
ally want to see is people hanging
out with their friends down here
or meeting for a study group."
Pile said her favorite part of
the new design is the community
table, which was brought out of
storage after being carved by stu-
STEALING
From Page 1
stole them at all.
UMPD Chief Joe Piersante
said an individual called police
after the suspect was spotted
carrying multiple laptops. The
trespass warning - which was
issued in May - required that
the man stay away from all Uni-
versity buildings.
"At that time, it was just a
dents in 1911.
"We were able to bring it out
and I think it's a really nice way
to marry the present with the
past," Pile said. "It tells a story
and serves a function and that's
really what we're about, so I
think it's perfect."
She added that the University
Unions's motto is "creating life-
time memories," which she feels
the space will better allow stu-
dents to do.
"In the past you might have
done it or seen people where
they're like 'I'm just going to get
my sandwich and leave, I don't
want to be down here,' "Pile said.
"It was dark, and the response
that we got from students was
that it felt like you were eating in
a basement, which no one wants
to do, so it definitely doesn't any-
more."
LSA senior Adam Kleven was
one of several students who
offered his input as part of the
Union committee. One of the
committee's duties was assessing
which restaurants and vendors
would be a part of the Union's
new lineup.
"Ahmo's being a local business
was an important factor in why
we chose them, and Subway has
been a great partner, and they're
an affordable option, so that's
important to students," he said.
Kleven said he believes that
student involvement is always
going to be an important part of
the Union.
"The Union was created by
students for students, soI believe
it's very important that they feel
like it's a place they want to be
and like their interests were rep-
resented," he said. "Overall, I'm
very happy with the turn-out and
know that other students will be
too."
warning," Piersante said of the
initial warning. "He was asked to
leave the property, and if he came
back he was subject to arrest."
University Police described
Kirtikar's current living situa-
tion as transient and between
residences. Up until several
months ago, he was living in an
apartment in Ann Arbor, Pier-
sante said.
Kirtikar was arraigned Thurs-
day on four counts of financial
transaction device crimes and
one count of receiving stolen
property. His bond was set at
$100,000 cash.
Piersante said investigating
Kirtikar for theft of the devices
will probably take a couple of
weeks, during which time Uni-
versity Police will attempt to
determine the origins of the
stolen devices, if any fraudulent
charges were made on the sto-
len credit cards, to whom they
belong and what he planned to do
with all of the belongings.
"It's a little easier for the cred-
it cards because they have IDs on
them," Piersante said. "It's a little
harder for the laptops and cell-
phones."
Piersante stressed the impor-
tance for University students
to register their electronics
and bicycles. Had these devic-
es been registered, Piersante
said it would be much easier to
return them to their rightful
owners.
UN Sec-General meets with Iran's new president
UNITED NATIONS (AP)
- Iran's foreign minister and
the U.N. Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon exchanged views
Thursday on the country's con-
troversial nuclear program
and its potential role in end-
ing the Syrian conflict, two
issues expected to dominate
next week's annual gathering
of world leaders at the United
Nations.
Mohammad Javad Zarif,
a former U.N. ambassador,
returned to U.N. headquar-
ters for the first time since he
was named foreign minister by
the country's new president,
Hasan Rouhani, who will be
making his first appearance at
the General Assembly on Tues-
day.
"I commend the efforts of the
new government in Iran in pro-
moting dialogue with the inter-
national community," Ban said.
"I'm pleased thegovernment... is
now taking some concrete steps
to fulfill the promises made by
president Rouhani during his
recent election campaign."
After years of frozen diplo-
matic relations, U.S. President
Barack Obama and Rouhani,
considered a relative moder-
ate in Iran's hard-line clerical
regime, exchanged letters after
his election. This has fueled
widespread speculation that
U.S. and Iranian officials may
meet on the sidelines of the Gen-
eral Assembly.
Avaaz, an activist organiza-
tion that uses the internet to
mobilize support for various
political issues, said it launched
a campaign this week which has
already been signed by more
than 1.1 million people calling
on the U.S. and Iranian leaders
to agree to talks at the General
Assembly. It is also running
polls in Iran to gauge opinion on
a U.S.-Iran meeting.
"This could be President
Obama's Nixon-to-China
moment that would save Syr-
ian lives - the question is
whether the two reform-
minded leaders who will soon
be mere steps away from each
other in New York will seize
it," Avaaz Campaign Director
Ian Bassin said.
Zarif hosted a lunch for
many U.N. ambassador and
Wednesday and invited the
five permanent members of the
Security Council - the U.S.,
Russia, China, Britain and
France. Several ambassadors
who attended said they did not
see U.S. Ambassador Samantha
Power and a well-informed U.N.
diplomat, speaking on condition
of anonymity because the lunch
was private, said the U.S. did not
attend.
The secretary-general told
reporters he had "a very good
meeting" with Zarif and praised
the government's release
Wednesday of 12 political pris-
oners - a move Ban said he
pushed for when he visited Iran
in August 2012.
U.N. spokesman Martin
Nesirky added that they dis-
cussed "Iran's growing coop-
eration with the international
community on a host of issues,
including the nuclear file, as
well the role Iran could play in
promoting a political solution to
the conflict in Syria."
Zarif was equally upbeat
about the meeting.
"We had a good meeting
with the secretary-general, dis-
cussed various issues of interest
to all countries including Iran
and the United Nations," the
Iranian foreign minister told
several reporters. "We attach
great importance to the role of
the United Nations and we had
a good discussion on the nuclear
issue and on other issues."
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