4 4
c ic i an 4,3at IV

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

michigandaily.com


STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Social justice
'focus of CSG
.partnership

STRUNG OUT


Student government
teams with South
Asian Awareness
Network for events
By AMRUTHA SIVAKUMAR
Dafly Staff Reporter
The Central Student Govern-
ment has joined forces with the
South Asian Awareness Network
to advance social justice on cam-
pus.
Last week, the CSG Assembly
passed a resolution that formal-
ized a partnership between SAAN
and the legislative assembly. In
return for a $1,750 sponsorship
from the assembly, SAAN will
promote social-justice events
hosted by CSG, and two members
from the assembly will serve as
ex-officio members on the SAAN
board.
While the majority of student
organizations apply for funding
through the Student Organiza-
tion Funding Commission - the
executive commission respon-
sible for distributing funds to
student organizations based on
established need - the resolu-
tion established that CSG would
sponsor and support SAAN for
the academic year. The $1,750
would go toward supporting the
annual SAAN conference in Jan-
uary.
A partnership with SAAN, out
of all the active organizations
that focus on social justice, was
far from arbitrary. LSA sopho-
more Meagan Shokar, vice speak-
er of the assembly and co-author

of the resolution, said a partners
will give the assembly access to
SAAN's vast network.
"SAAN has a really strong
message and a really strong
network that they've already
- created in the social justice com-
munity on campus," Shokar said.
"It's an issue that isn't really
brought up enough unless you
really seek it."
The resolution also established
a partnership between SAAN and
the newly created Commission on
Social Justice. -
LSA sophomore Arielle Wis-
baum, chair of the Commission
on Social Justice, said her goal
1 over the course of the year was to
bridge the gap between organiza-
tions that work on social justice
1 on campus and CSG.
As per a new structure instat-
ed by CSG in August, all execu-
tive commissions are researching
1 and preparing reports Ion proj-
ects they will be undertaking
throughout the course of the
year. A formalized partnership
with SAAN was the first step in
what Wisbaum hopes 'vill be a
greater network.
"I wanted to have the social-
justice organizations realize that
they can use CSG as a resource
f and use it to be more effective,"
r she said. "SAAN is a really good
place if CSG really wants to get
involved with the social-justice
community."
As the SAAN talks- - biweekly
t dialogues hosted by SAAN that
are dedicated to various social-
justice issues - take place at the
- same time as the weekly commis-
sion meetings, Wisbaum said she
r See CSG, Page 3

LSA Junior Charlie Engelman leads a charge across the Diag with other members of Do Random Acts of Kindness. The student organization led a silly-
string war in part of its campus-wide effort to inspire kindness through small, seemingly random acts.
ANN ARBOR
A2 counc1,i talks safety

Traffic-calming
measures focus of
City Council
By MATT JACKONEN
Daily StaffReporter
At the Ann Arbor City Coun-
cil meeting Monday night, the
council members attempted to
address concerns that drivers
may be driving recklessly on
city streets.
Council members postponed
a resolution that would attempt
to allay speedy traffic within
the city, specifically within res-
idential areas of concern.
Traffic calming has become
a serious answer to the question

ofspeeding andctraffic concerns.
for many residents. Traffic
calming measures include nar-
rowing oflanes and installation
of speed bumps and neighbor-
hood signs, among otherthings.
For an area to qualify, it must
meet certain requirements,
including having an average
daily traffic flow between 200
and 4,000 vehicles and an 85th
percentile of speed averaging 5
miles per hour above the post-
ed speed limit. The Ann Arbor
Transportation Authority and
Ann Arbor Public Schools will
soon give input regarding the
traffic calming plans for streets
that they use.
The council's resolution
tentatively appropriates about
$55,000 out of the city's general

fund to the cause, and would
amend the budget for the 2014
fiscal year to include the addi-
tion.
Councilmember Sabra Bri-
ere (D-Ward 1) said she has had
personal experience led her to
support the issue.
"There were days I would
stand in the street to allow the
ducks to cross ... because the
traffic wouldn't slow," Briere
said. "One of my neighbors had
the entire front porch ripped
off her house because a car
ran into it ... I would like to see
that we include additional traf-
fic calming measures in every
future budget."
Councilmember Sumi Kaila-
sapathy (D-Ward 1) also spoke
in favor of measures and said

she fears for the quality of life
in such neighborhoods where
speeding and failure to adhere
to traffic standards are com-
monplace.
Councilmember Stephen
Kunselman (D-Ward 3)
expressed concern about the
haste of the amendment to the
budget and its consequences.
"I would request that we
postpone this until the next -
meeting to get a little more
information on the traffic-
calming program to figure out
how we can fund it for a much
longer duration or, at least, keep
the program in the eyes of the
public for a much longer dura-
tion," Kunselman said. "As
much as I'd like to spend these
See COUNCIL, Page 3


TRANSIT
3 hybrid
buses
added to
U fleet
Ups green-friendly
bus count to 10
of 58 total
By TAYLOR WIZNER
Daily News Editor
Environmentally-conscious stu-
dents may calm their consciences
during their daily commute, as
three new Hybrid Blue Buses will
jointhe fleetthismonth, according
to a University press release.
The additional three buses puts
the of hybrid fleet at ten, out of the
58 University-owned buses.
The new diesel-electric buses
are replacing older diesel models,
in a steady transformation from
gas to hybrid. The replacements
are part of President Mary Sue
Coleman's sustainability initiative
to reduce greenhouse gases.
"One out of every six Univer-
sity buses is now a hybrid," Keith
Johnson, associate director of
transportation operations, said in
a statement. "Our long-term goal
is an entire fleet of highly effective
and sustainable vehicles."
The buses are charged by a
See BUSES, Page 3

RALLISON FARAND/Daly
Laurita Thomas, assosiate vice president for human resources, speaks at the weekly SACUA meeting Monday.
SACUA talks savings, benefits

INNOVATION
Tech Transfer office
hits all-time record
More than 400 tributions by faculty members
and researchers have been
innovations on the rise, fueled by the
S increased success of inven-
logged for fiscal tions and companies that have
been developed in the business
year 2013 incubator.
Mark Maynard, marketing
By ARIANA ASSAF manager for the office's Tech-
Daily StaffReporter Start internship program, said
although success was grad-
Anyone who has ever feared ual, there has been a steady
getting a flu shot should thank increase in participation.
the University's Tech Transfer "More people are kind of
and FluMist. seeing that things do actually
FluMist, a painless alterna- have the opportunity to get
tive to the flu shot, was one of out of the University and have
the inventions developed in a positive impact," Maynard
Tech Transfer, a 20-year-old said. "People who have invent-
University program that helps ed before didn't think it would
facuty:members andresearch- translate to products, but now
ers develop and commercialize there's a decent shot."
inventions and companies. Maynard added that inven-
The 'University's Office tors tend to consider current
Technology Transfer reported events, including economic
this week that it had harbored recovery, when thinking of
a record 421 new inventions in inventions. Similarly, Nisbet
the 2013 fiscalyear. said local economic challenges
Ken Nisbet, associate vice made faculty "really want to
president for research-tech- see their discoveries help the
nology transfer, said this large regional economy."
number is due to a combination An annual report, which
of factors, including "years will be released on Oct. 23,
of encouragement within the lists inventions that range in
University from Mary Sue on category from dentistry. to
down." naval engineering.
There weren't very many Although things that were
ideas pitched during theearly licensed and launched during
days of the Tech Transfer Nis- this fiscal year will take time
bet said, so it didn't receive the to have a widespread impact,
level of support from the Uni- FluMist is just one example of
versity that it does now. Tech Transfer products that
With Tech Transfer's mis- eventually generate revenue
sion well underway, idea con See INVENTIONS, Page 3

Faculty body enters
closed session to
discuss employee
pension plans
By STEPHANIE SHENOUDA
Daily StaffReporter
Much of the weekly meeting
for the Senate Advisory Com-
mittee for University Affairs
was held behind closed doors
after information regarding
procedural changes for manag-
ingemployee retirementsavings
and benefit plans was deemed
confidential until Friday.
Thoughshecouldnotdisclose
details of the closed executive

session, SACUA Chair Karen
Staller described the meeting
afterwards as "a heated, engag-
ing debate."
Four guest speakers
involved in the proposed
changes were invited to share
their perspectives during the
executive session. They will
return for a larger audience at
the Senate Assembly meeting
on Oct. 21.
At that time, the information
and discussion will be'open to
the public. The agenda was also
approved unanimously and will
be used for the meeting.
A memo to faculty and staff
Monday from University Pro-
vost Martha Pollack and several
other administrators said the
University is "deeply commit-

ted" to health of their employ-
ees.
Due to increasing healthcare
costs, the memo said the Uni-
versity is considering changes
to the retirement and health-
care plans available to Universi-
ty staff and faculty, with a final
decision expected by the end of
the semester.
Up to this point, the memo
stated changes to the plans
offered have been "modest"
with a contribution of $236.5
million made to employee
retirement savings accounts
last year. Without cutbacks, the
funds for mission-driven pur-
poses will be restricted, which
would lead to increasing pres-
sure on tuition.
See SACUA, Page 3


WEATHER HI: 68
TOMORROW LO:45

GOT A NEWS TIP? NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail The Wire: Three hybrid buses added to fleet
news@michigandaily.com and let us know. MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS

INDEX NEWS............................ 2 ARTS......................6A
Vol. CXXIV, No,7 OPINION ....................... 4 SUDOKU,.................. 3A
©2tl3TheMichiganDaily SPORTS .........................5 CLASSIFIEDS -.. ......6A
michigordoilycom

I