The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Thursday, December 5, 2013 - 5A The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Thursday, December 5, 2013 - SA SOCIETY From Page 1A This year's event will begin earlier than past fundraisers. The event will run Thursday from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the hospital. The fundraiser will recommence Friday at 6 a.m. and last until 11 p.m. On Saturday, it will run from 7 a.m. to 6p.m. Staff and faculty will assist medical students during their volunteering shift. Volunteers will give donors symbolic tags in exchange for their contribution. Rupley noted that this year some former patients - including young children - will help with the fundraiser at the hospital by giving tags to donors. Although the fundraiser lasts for a few days, deciding where the money is allocated is a rigorous process. The society has a com- mittee that examines requests for funds by various organizations and a vote then decides which charities will receive support. Donations to the fundraising effort can also be made online here. PROGRAM From Page 1A aspect through the distribution of "enthusiasm points." Points are earned by submitting videos pro- posing energy-saving plans and by creating individual sustain- ability events. This year's winners were announced at an event called Kill- A-Watt Unplugged, where cam- pus music groups and solo artists led a "free, zero-waste and low- energy" concert. LSA junior Natalie Stevenson and Public Policy junior Kayla Ulrich worked together to put on the competition as part of the Kill-A-Watt team. This year, the group added more residence halls to the mix and increased their publicity to get the word out across campus. "We find sustainability to be one of the more big issues right now, and we really want to involve everyone and make it not PLEDGES From Page 1A description, along with the value of the tree, will be determined over the course of an investi- gation. Once the investigation concludes, Washtenaw County prosecutors will decide what charges, if any, will be made in the case. In larceny cases, charg- just relevant to environmental- ists, but to everyone at Michigan," Ulrich said. Stevenson added that one of their main goals is to instill behavioral changes within stu- dents to encourage them to lead sustainable lives, even after the competition. At the event, attendees enjoyed free food, watched performances by campus a capella groups and participated in sustainable activi- ties. Kill-A-Watt is one of many programs supported by the sus- tainability initiative announced by President Coleman in 2009, and statistics show that sustain- ability on campus has improved since then. The Office of Campus Sustainability released its annual report Wednesday on the prog- ress made by the University in furthering a greener campus. According to the OCS press release, the University has suc- cessfully encouraged 80 Univer- sity offices to participate in the Sustainable Workplace Certifica- tion program and has lessened energy consumption in 137 Uni- versity buildings by 8.4 percent, since last year, among other achievements. Although progress has been made, new energy tech- nologies offer greater potential for the future. One of the activities, hosted by LSA junior David Levine, invited attendees to make small ecosys- tems out of recycled light bulbs with sand, moss and other mate- rials. As a Planet Blue student leader last year, Levine said he chose to get involved with Kill- A-Watt to continue his support of on-campus sustainability prac- tices. "Just turning off the lights, that simple action, goes a long way," Levine said. "Saving ener- gy is one the easiest hard things to do, so we're trying to show that saving energy is actually easy and can improve how you live your life." -Daily Staff Reporter Jennifer Calfas contributed to this report. STREET From Page 1A she could buy everything she needed to live downtown, not- ing the multiple clothing, food and service stores that existed in the area, including Jacobson's. She added that youstill can finda wide variety of shops downtown, but East Liberty in particular has given way to coffee shops and restaurants. While Jacobson's gave shop- pers a reason to go downtown, Pollay said Borders provided an anchor for local businesses. "It became its own kind of experience and, like Jacobson's before it, Borders had an enor- mous advertising budget and an enormous ability to pull in those name authors," Pollay said. "These huge names came to do book readings and from that again businesses nearby thrived because they sat off of the Bor- ders space." Borders declared bankruptcy and left the street temporar- ily vacant, but it wasn't alone: East Liberty has seen a lot of storefront turnover in the past few years. Some spaces, such as the former @Burger and Grand Traverse Pie Company space, saw two businesses come and go within nearly four years - each restaurant stayed in business for less than a year. Pollay cited the Borders clo- sure, the struggling economy and an increase in outlet and online shopping as the causes of the turnover on the street, adding that Ann Arbor isn't as insulated from the struggling economy as people think. "I think things were pretty fragile here for a while, and I don't know that we all under- stand just how fragile it is to have an independent business," Pollay said. Though there are still a few empty storefronts, Pollay said she sees the street growing and evolving to support a different clientele than in the past: tech workers. Two tech companies, Menlo Innovations and Barra- cuda Networks, relocated to the East Liberty corridor in the past two years, which Pollay said will bring a more stable customer base than that of students, who aren't in the city year-round and don't necessarily venture down the street. "The neighborhood is going to change because the new economy fortunately includes a lot of folks who are doing very well in tech businesses and those employees are now spending their money locally in that neigh- borhood," Pollay said. Anna Flynn of Menlo Innova- tions said though they have only been in their East Liberty loca- tion for about a year and a half, employees enjoy being close to all the shops and restaurants that State Street, Main Street and East Liberty have to offer. Flynn added that they are excited for the new businesses moving into the former Borders building. "We love being downtown and close to everything and seeing Liberty grow and change," Flynn said. "I think that East Liberty is in the middle of town, but it's not on Main Street or on State Street so you can get the best of both worlds." Tom Hackett, who has owned the Afternoon Delight restau- rant on East Liberty for 35 years, said the street has seen a steady decline in foot traffic and overall business since the 1990s. Hack- ett said he believes people don't come to Ann Arbor to shop any- more. Hackett added that because the area has become home to an increasing amount of restaurants in comparison to other proper- ties, he has shifted the restau- rant's focus toward catering to offset the decrease in business. Russ Collins, executive direc- tor and CEO of the Michigan Theater and an Ann Arbor native, said though the Michigan Theater has been a long-standing presence on Liberty, it has seen a longterm decline in patrons. The theater was almost shut down in 1979 after the com- pany running it left following a 50-year lease, but Collins said the community rallied to save the theater. Collins has seen a lot of change on East Liberty - includ- ing the departures of Jacobson's and Borders - and he believes the Michigan Theater is the true anchor business on the street, given how long it has been in existencethe consistentcustom- ers it draws in and the vitality it brings to the street. Having grown up in Ann Arbor, Collins said it's hard to define exactly how downtown Ann Arbor and East Liberty have changed because the area never stops evolving. He added that while stores and restaurants frequently move in and out of downtown, that's the nature of business. "There has been constant change in Ann Arbor in general, but in the downtown specifical- ly," Collins said. "There's an old saying that the only constant in the universe is change, and that is absolutely true." es and consequences can differ based on the monetary value of stolen property. Severalofthesuspectsdeclined to comment, as did brothers at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house. It's unclear what the stu- dents were planning to do with the tree. University Police acknowl- edged that there is a yearly trend in December tree-cuttings, but unlike this case, many tree larce- nies are not resolved. In Decem- ber 2011, UMPD investigated the larceny of a Serbian spruce tree from Nichols Arboretum. That tree was valued at $400 by UMPD, and $1,200 by Arboretum officials. -Daily Staff Reporter Sam Gringlas contributed reporting. CLINIC From Page 1A petrator of this crime was Jason Anthony Ryan," Dixon said. Peterson's former attorney -Al Millstein - approached Michi- gan Innocence Clinic co-director David Moran last spring, Dixon said. Millstein and a Kalkaska County attorney made repeated attempts for the county pros- ecutor to investigate using newer DNA technologies. Though the former prosecutor rebuffed these requests, the current prosecu- tor allowed that recent innova- tions might correctly identify the unknown source of the semen. DNA results identified Ryan this summer as the source of semen found in the rape kit and on Montgomery's shirt. The latter DNA could not be tested in 1996. Dixon said their motion for a new trial would be filed by Dec. 25. If the motion passes, the jury would hear new evidence and decide if Peterson is still guilty. He currently is sentenced to life in prison without parole. Still, Dixon explained that one cannot predict if or when Peter- son will be exonerated, despite the lack of hard evidence that he is not guilty. "I would certainly say that the true perpetrator being arrested is enormous and enormously impor- tant," Dixon said. "We're not going to be satisfied until Jamie Lee Peterson has been released." In a side by side comparison, East Liberty Street circa the 1920s is seen on the left, while the same street Wednesday is seen on the right. The businesses along East Liberty Street have changed while its buildings have remained unchanged. Wildlife workers unable to save 48 stranded whales in shallow water Kerry aspires to strengthen U.S. relations with former USSR As Ukraine rocked by unrest, former senator leads diplomatic mission CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) - Between diplomatic headaches in Afghanistan and the Mideast, John Kerry spent happy hour Wednesday praising a wine-pro- ducing but poor Eastern Euro- pean nation for resisting Russia's grasp. Kerry, the U.S. secretary of state, said he wanted to visit Moldova to do more than sim- ply sample its vast supply of red, white and sparkling wines - although several varieties of each were in abundance as he toured a 15th century wine cellar that is billed as the world's larg- est. He did not mention Russia by name, but U.S. and Western officials have accused Moscow of trying to force its influence in several former Soviet states, including Moldova and Ukraine. Ukraine is undergoing a surge of upheaval over President Vik- tor Yanukovych shelved an anticipated agreement to forge stronger ties with the European Union. As many as 300,000 peo- ple have joined demonstrations this week in Kiev, the largest outpouring of public anger since the 2004 Orange Revolution. Kerry's brief visit Wednesday carried a strong symbolic mes- sage, coming a few days after * Moldova signed an EU trade agreement - a decisive step away from its Russian federa- tion heritage. Moldova held its first democratic elections in 1994, three years after the Soviet Union dissolved. "It is about building the bridg- es of opportunity and defining the future through your own hopes and your own aspirations," Kerry told about 200 govern- ment officials, business owners and journalists gathered at the Cricova winery for his nearly four-hour tour of Chisinau, the Moldovan capital. "And to the people of the Ukraine, we say the same thing: You deserve the opportunity to choose tour own future." Earlier, at the NATO meeting in Brussels, a clearly irritated Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov questioned a statement by Western diplomats support- ing Ukraine's aspirations for a European future. He said the unrest in Kiev should be dealt with internally. "I hope Ukranian politicians will be able to bring this situ- ation back on a constitutional track," Lavrov said. "And we encourage everybody not to interfere." Moldovan officials say Rus- sia's attempts to retain influence in Chisinau have been clear. Moscow banned Moldo- van wine and brandy imports in September in a direct hit to Moldova's economy. Russia said the embargo was the result of the drinks' substandard quality, but it was viewed by many as a warning shot to dissuade Mol- dova from signing the EU agree- ment. An estimated $61 million in Moldovan wine was sold in Russia last year. U.S. officials said Moldova, an agricultural country of about 3 million people, is Europe's poor- est nation with an annual gross domestic product of $7.25 bil- lion. Russia "tried to thwart us signing the association with the EU and influence the results of the elections in our country - and will do so when elections take place in a year," Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti told Kerry in an appeal for stronger U.S. assistance in regional secu- rity. He added: "Moldova has com- mitted itself to actively contrib- ute to promoting democracy and security internally, and interna- tionally with our western part- ners." Kerry sought to step into the economic breach with plans to increase trade opportunities for Moldovan wine, fashion and other goods. It provided a com- fortable cocktail hour travel break for Kerry, who is dealing with a tentative U.S. military future of Afghanistan and foun- dering peace talks between Isra- el and Palestinians. Kerry originally planned to visit Kiev and participate in a meeting of foreign ministers from the Organization of Secu- rity and Cooperation in Europe, during this weeklong trip that took him from Brussels to Jeru- salem. However, following Kiev's rejection of the EU agreement and subsequent protests, the State Department said schedul- ing reasons would prevent Kerry from attending. The department has refused to elaborate on the scheduling problem, and U.S. officials have privately allowed that the cancellation was a sign of displeasure with the Ukrai- nian government. Vice President Joe Biden vis- ited Chisinau two years ago, but Kerry's trip marked the first trip to Moldova by a U.S. secretary of state since 1992. EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, Fla. (AP) - Wildlife work- ers in boats struggled unsuccess- fully Wednesday to coax nearly four dozen pilot whales out of dan- gerous shallow waters in Florida's Everglades National Park, hoping to spare them the fate of 10 others that already had died. The workers suspended their efforts after dark, but planned to return Thursday morning to try again, said Kim Amendola, spokes- woman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is taking part in the effort. Six of the whales were found dead, and four of the whales had to be euthanized Wednesday, said Blair Mase, coordinator for NOAA's marine mammal strand- ingnetwork.Atleast three could be seen on the beach, out of the water. The whales are stranded in a remote area near Highland Beach, the western boundary of Ever- glades National Park and about 20 miles east of where they nor- mally live. It takes more than an hour to reach the spot from the nearest boat ramp and there is no cellphone service, complicating rescue efforts. "We want to set the expectation low, because the challenges are very, very difficult," Mase said. Park spokeswoman LindaFriar said rescuers were trying to sur- round the whales, which were in roughly 3 feet of salt water about 75 feet from shore, and herd them back to sea. "They are not cooperating," Friar said. Workers also tried to nudge the whalesout to seaearlier in the day with no success. The short-finned pilot whales typically live in very deep water. Even if rescuers were able to begin nudging the 41 remaining whales out to sea, Mase said they would encounter sandbars and patches of shallow water along the way. q. :xz;. n. The Online Revolution: Learning without Limits [Dec 7p Thatre Walgreen Drama Center FEATU RI NG Curser'o co-founder & co-CEO Daphne Koller We are at the cusp of a major transformation in higher education. In the past year, we have seen the advent of massive open online courses (MOOCs). In this interactive talk, Prof. Koller will discuss this far-reaching experiment in education, including examples & preliminary analytics. She will also discuss why this model can support an improved learning experience for on-campus students, & provide access to education to students around the world. Register today engin.umich.edu/form/mellorlecture20l3 JAMES R. MELLOR LECTURE SERIES ]KS MICHIGAN ENGINEERING mnUfUVEfffCWWMN1