The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Wednesday, November 20, 2013 - 3A

The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wednesday, Novemher 20, 2013 - 3A

NEWS BRIEFS
JACKSON, Mich.
204,000 homes
still without power

Residential College courses Science Cafes
open to all students, majors educate students

after storm, winds S

Utility crews in Michigan
are working around the clock to
restore power to about 204,000
homes and businesses still with-
out electricity following a dam-
aging Midwestern storm and
days of high winds, officials said.
The work comes as tempera-
tures across the state dropped
into the 20s and 30s follow-
ing the damaging weather that
began Sunday, knocking out
service to at least 631,000 utility
customers in Michigan. Utility
crews were boosted Tuesday by
improving weather along with
hundreds of additional workers
from different states.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.
Va. congressman
stabbed, son
commits suicide
Virginia state Sen. Crctgh
Deeds, a Democrat who rse
to be gubernatorial nominee
in 2009 despite his reserved
demeanor and humble farmland
roots, was stabbed early Tues-
day, apparently by his son, police
said.
Gus Deeds, 24, was found at
his father's house in rural west-
ern Virginia, dead from what
appeared to be a self-inflicted
gunshot wound, authorities said.
Authorities were still piec-
ing together a motive and the
circumstances that led up to
the stabbing, but "we're leaning
towards it being an attempted
murder/suicide," Virginia State
Police spokeswoman Corrine
Geller said at an afternoon news
conference. She said that finding
wasn't yet definitive.
NEW YORK
New York City
bans tobacco sales
to anyone under 21
Mayor Michael Bloomberg
signed landmark legislation
Tuesday banning the sale of
tobacco products to anyone
under the age of 21, making New
York the first large city or state
in the country to prohibit sales to
young adults.
During a brief ceremony at
City Hall, Bloomberg said rais-
ing the legal purchase age from
18 to 21 will help prevent young
people from experimenting with
tobacco at the age when they are
most likely to become addicted.
City health officials say 80 per-
cent of smokers start before age
21.
The mayor, a former smoker,
also signed legislation setting a
minimum price for all cigarettes
sold in the city: $10.50 per pack.
The same new law bans retailers
from offering coupons, 2-for-1
specials, or other discounts.
M BEIRUT
Suicide bombers
kill 23 in attack on
Iranian Embassy

Suicide bombers struck the
Iranian Embassy on Tuesday,
killing 23 people, including a dip-
lomat, and wounding more than
140 others in a "message of blood
and death" to Tehran and Hez-
bollah - both supporters of Syr-
ian President Bashar Assad.
The double bombing in a Shiite
district of Beirut pulled Leba-
non further into a conflict that
has torn apart the deeply divided
country, and came as Assad's
troops, aided by Hezbollah mili-
tants, captured a key town near
the Lebanese border from rebels.
The bombing was one of the
deadliest in a series of attacks
* targeting Hezbollah and Shiite
strongholds in Lebanon in recent
months.
-Compiled from
Daily wire reports

cha
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chool looks to Arts and Ideas in the Humani-
nge closed-door ties, Drama, Social Theory and
Practice, Creative Writing and
perception Literature, and an Individual-
ized Concentration program.
Students are also allowed to
By AMIA DAVIS take RC Intensive Language
Daily StaffReporter courses with permission from
the instructor. The languages
r years, one question has offered include French, Ger-
nued to haunt Residential man, Spanish, Russian and
ge administrators: "Can Latin. The RC also hopes to
an RC course even if I'm offer Japanese again in fall
the RC?" 2014. Taking a semester of an
ministrators say they've intensive language course is
stently answered the ques- fast-paced - equivalent to tak-
mostly in the affirmative: ing two semesters of a normal
tudents are allowed to LSA language course.
I in RC courses, excluding Accordingto curriculum spe-
rst-Year Seminars, regard- cialist Charles Murphy, most RC
of what college they are courses are composed of more
led in. than half LSA and other non-
e Residential College is an RC students. He said students
-graduate program within might be confused because of
The college works to chal- the RC's past.
students to be creative, "It's a pretty wide-open
outside the box and take game," Murphy said. "We were
nsibility for their educa- closed off for over 45 years. It's.
All RC students live in East hard to change that percep-
Residence Hall for their tion."
wo years of undergraduate Despite these facts, there
r. is often widespread confusion
of 2011, RC majors are also on campus on whether or not
tble to non-RC students. non-RC students are allowed to
RC majors offered include enroll in the courses. Lecturer

Henry Greenspan said the Resi-
dential College has tried to get
the word out for many years,
including working closely with
LSA advisers and student orga-
nizations.
"We want to keep the door
as open as possible," Greenspan
said.
Most non-RC students are
unsure if they can enroll in RC
courses because the issue is
rarely addressed. LSA junior
Alexandria Haimbaugh, who
has taken many multiple RC
courses, said the classes were
scarcely discussed during ori-
entation.
"It made it seem like it was
a separate thing," Haimbaugh
said, adding that the classes
have given her perspectives that
traditional courses have failed
to offer.
LSA senior Madeline Dunn,
who has also taken many RC
courses, said the instruction
she's received from the RC has
allowed her to think outside of
the box.
"I've been opened up to new
things most LSA students don't
know," Dunn said. "The teach-
ers are more creative and expect
more from you."

on modern issues

Zimmerman served divorce
papers while in prison for assault

Monthly sessions
at Connor O'Neill's
combine food,
presentations
By BRIE WINNEGA
For the Daily
If the informative atmo-
sphere doesn't get you to attend
Wednesday night's Science Caf,
the free food might.
One Wednesday every month,
students, faculty and community
members alike flock to Conor
O'Neill's Irish pub on Main
Street to learn about and discuss
current science-related news.
Guests are invited to arrive at
5:30 p.m. on the evening of the
Caf6 to find a seat at one of the
pub's banquet room tables and
enjoy free appetizers. At 6 p.m.,
presenters take turns introduc-
ing themselves to the audience,
explaining their area of work and
involvement with the evening's
discussion topic.
Audience members at each
table are then invited to talk
amongst themselves and have
questions answered by the pre-
senters. During the remaining
half hour of the Caf, the audi-
ence reconvenes to continue dis-
cussing the issue ina large group
format.
The program derives its name
from the Caf6 Philosophique
movement that began in France
in 1992. Scientists in the country
worked to educate the public on
current scientific issues by hold-
ing gatherings at popular meet-
ing places.
The Ann Arbor Cafes began
in 2007 under the initiative of
Kira Berman, assistant director
for education at the University's
Museum of Natural History.
Berman decided to introduce
the program after realizing that
much of the museum's program-
ming was targeted toward young
people and not the adult Ann
Arbor community. She wanted
to create a relaxed environment
that would allow scientists to
interact and share information
with the public.
"The larger goal is scientific
literacy," Berman said. "It's to
help the public understand Uni-
versity of Michigan research
and its value, to help people be
engaged in issues of science that
relate to public policy and to help
people enjoy learning about sci-
ence."
The Science Cafes are open to
everybody, and Berman chooses

topics based on what science is
being reported in the news.
LSA junior Jaykob Wood, a
frequent participant in the cafes,
said they're both educational and
entertaining, providing the pub-
lic with an opportunity to learn
from researchers ina given field.
"The audience is interested
and asks many questions," Wood
said. "It's very interactive as
well. People are encouraged to
spark conversation and ask ques-
tions concerning the issue in the
second half of the dialogue."
Wood is looking forward to
this month's Caf, which will
take place Wednesday night
and cover issues regarding
high-volume hydraulic fractur-
ing, or "fracking" - a method
of natural gas mining that has
seen an increased popularity in
and around Michigan. Assistant
Engineering Prof. Brian Ellis,
Biology Prof. Knute Nadelhoffer
and Kim Wolske, a research fel-
low in the Business School, will
host.
Berman said the Caf6 will
teach the public about the dan-
gers that fracking may pose.
"We'll learn what the poten-
tial is within our state for the
development of this industry,
what we know about where the
concern areas are and what the
right kind of regulation would
look like," Berman said.
October's Cafe topic focused
on the honeybee crisis in the
United States due to a mono-
crop agriculture system. One of
the presenters during the Cafe
was Lisa Bashert, director of the
Ypsilanti Food Co-op's Local
Honey Project.
Bashert said she liked being
able to connect with and inform
a large audience that she normal-
ly doesn't have the opportunity
to reach out to.
"One thing that I continuous-
ly learn from audiences is how
truly disconnected people are
fron. the natural environment
and natural systems," Bashert
said.
The Science Cafes are working
to remedy this disconnect, Bash-
ert said.
"It certainly helps the public
understand the questions that
are faced with public policy and
understand some of the solu-
tions that might be being tried at
the moment and help to form an
informed opinion," Berman said.
"If you enjoy talking to people
about current events and current
issues, and even politics, the Sci-
ence Cafe would be something
you would enjoy."

Florida man was
charged with third-
degree felony by
girlfriend
SANFORD, Fla. (AP) -
George Zimmerman's girl-
friend said he tried to choke
her about a week ago during
an altercation that was not
initially reported to police, a
prosecutor told a judge Tues-
day during Zimmerman's first
court appearance on domestic
violence-related charges.
Samantha Scheibe feared
for her life because Zimmer-
man mentioned suicide and
said he "had nothing to lose,"
according to Assistant State
Attorney Lymary Munoz.
After the hearing, Zim-
merman's public defenders
said he did not appear to be
suicidal and expressed confi-
dence he would be acquitted of
any wrongdoing in Monday's
domestic dispute.
Hours later, Zimmerman
was released from jail after
posting $9,000 bond. He was
seen walking out of the jail
smiling and getting into a car.
Judge Frederic Schott
ordered him to stay away from
Scheibe's house, wear a moni-
toring device and refrain from
contact with her. He was for-
bidden from possessing guns
or ammunition or travelling
outside Florida.
Zimmerman has been
charged with aggravated
assault, a third-degree felony
punishable by up to five years
in prison. He also has been
charged with battery and
criminal mischief, both misde-
meanors. An arraignment was
set for Jan. 7.
The judge said Zimmer-
man's previous brushes with
the law were not a factor in
the conditions he imposed, but
he did cite the new allegation
of choking as a reason for the
bond amount.
Earlier this year, Zim-
merman was acquitted of all
charges in the fatal shooting
of teenager Trayvon Martin
in a case that drew worldwide
attention. The Justice Depart-
ment has been investigating
whether to file civil rights
charges against Zimmerman
related to Martin's death,
and a department spokesman
said Tuesday that it would
announce its decision soon.
Zimmerman, 30, wore gray
jail garments and handcuffs
during the hearing and spoke
only when answering yes or no
to the judge.
Public defender Jeff Dowdy
said Zimmerman's family has
been supporting him finan-

cially.
"I would think it would be
difficult for George Zimmer-
man to get a job in central
Florida," he said.
In an affidavit filed Tues-
day, Zimmerman asked for a
public defense, saying he has
liabilities and debts of at least
$2 million and no income. He
said he had less than $150 in
cash on hand.
Dowdy and another public
defender, Daniel Megaro, said
Zimmerman was not suicidal.
"Hedoesn't appear to be a
danger to himself or a dan-
ger to anybody else," Megaro
said.
Zimmerman has previously
used a website to raise money
for his legal and living expens-
es, including $95,000 spent on
bail in the Martin case. The
site also says tens of thousands
of dollars were spent on living
expenses and security.
The most recent posting on
the site, weeks before Zimmer-
man's acquittal, said the fund
ran out of money in late May
but raised tens of thousands
more after public requests for
help.
A link to donate via PayPal
did not appear to be working
Tuesday.
In this latest scuffle, both
Zimmerman and his girlfriend
called 911 and provided duel-
ing descriptions to dispatch-
ers about the argument at the
home she rented where Zim-
merman was also staying.
Scheibe accused him in the
emergency call of pointing a
gun at her, smashing a coffee
table and then pushingher out-
side. Zimmerman also called
dispatchers, denied pointing a
gun at her and blamed her for
the broken table.
The girlfriend told depu-
ties the ordeal started with a
verbal argument and that she
asked Zimmerman to leave
the house. Her account in the
arrest report says he began
packinghis belongings, includ-
ing a shotgun and an assault
rifle. She says she began put-
ting his things in the living
room and outside the house,
and he became upset.
At that point, the report
said, he took the shotgun out
of its case.
Zimmerman told his girl-
friend to leave and smashed a
pair of her sunglasses as she
walked toward the front door,
the report said. Scheibe told
deputies he pushed her out of
the house when she got close
to the door.
"You point your gun at my
fricking face," Scheibe is heard
telling Zimmerman on a 911
call. "Get out of my house. Do
not push me out of my house.
Please get out of my house."

Seconds later, she told the
dispatcher, "You kidding me?
He pushed me out of my house
and locked me out.... He knows
how to do this. He knows how
to play this game."
Moments later, Zimmer-
man called 911 from inside
the house to tell his side of the
story.
"I have a girlfriend who, for
lack of a better word, has gone
crazy on me," Zimmerman
said.
Zimmerman then said he
never pulled a gun on his girl-
friend and that it was she who
smashed a table. He also told
the dispatcher that Scheibe
was pregnant with their child
and that she had decided she
would raise the child on her
own. When Zimmerman start-
ed to leave, "she got mad," he
said.
Seminole County Chief
Deputy Dennis Lemma said at
a news conference that Scheibe
was not pregnant. He also said
Zimmerman was compliant
and unarmed when deputies
came to the house.
On Tuesday, Dowdy said he
could not confirm whether the
girlfriend was pregnant.
The arrest on Monday was
the latest legal problem for
Zimmerman since he was
acquitted last summer of crim-
inal charges in the fatal shoot-
ing of Martin. Zimmerman has
said he shot the 17-year-old to
defend himself during a fight
in February 2012 inside a gated
community in Sanford, just
outside Orlando.
Relatives of Martin, who
was black and unarmed,
accused Zimmerman of racial-
ly profiling the teen and insti-
gating a fight. Zimmerman,
who identifies himself as His-
panic, said he shot the teen in
self-defense. The case sparked
nationwide debates about race
and self-defense laws.
In September, just months
after his acquittal, Zim-
merman was accused by his
estranged wife of smashing an
iPad during an argument at the
home they had shared. Shellie
Zimmerman initially told a
dispatcher her husband had a
gun, though she later said he
was not armed.
No charges were ever filed
because of a lack of evidence.
The dispute occurred days
after Shellie Zimmerman filed
divorce papers. George Zim-
merman was served the papers
while in custody on the latest
charges, said Shellie Zimmer-
man's lawyer, Kelly Sims.
In 2005, he had to take
anger-management courses
after he was accused of attack-
ing an undercover officer who
was trying to arrest Zimmer-
man's friend.

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