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Thursday, March 13, 2014
michigandaily.com
Abortion
law to have
little effect
on 'U' plans
VIRGINIA LOZANO/Daily
LSA junior DeVante Rollins and LSA senior Susie Robinson, UROP peer advisors, talk to LSA freshman Richard Wu about research opportunities at the Major/
Minor Expo in the Michigan Union Wednesday.
M ors ar dr sstudent
Measure prohibits
abortion coverage
in most new
healthcare plans
By SHOHAM GEVA
Daily StaffReporter
Michigan's controversial new
abortion insurance law will go
into effect Friday, but students
and faculty with healthcare
plans provided through the Uni-
versity should not see a change
in their coverage.
The law, which was passed
late last year, prohibits health-
care plans purchased after
Thursday in Michigan from
covering abortions. Some indi-
viduals, specifically those who
are fully insured through an
employer or enrolling organi-
zation, will have an option to
purchase a rider - an additional
costto their insurance - to have
abortion coverage.
The domestic and interna-
tional student health insurance
the University provides through
Aetna qualify as fully insured
plans, which means that to con-
tinue coverage under this law,
the University would have to
add on that additional rider.
But, since the law only applies
to new enrollments, students
will not see any change until
August, when the University
must renew its plan.
In a statement Wednesday
afternoon, Aetna Spokeswom-
an Cynthia Michener said the
effect of the law on the Univer-
sity's student insurance plans
will not be clear until then.
"It's too early to know,"
Michener wrote. "We will dis-
cuss the University of Michi-
gan's plan options during the
renewal process."
However, Laurie Burchett,
See HEALTHCARE, Page 3A
Pi
an
rograms large their interests.
Staff from the Newnan LSA
d small look for Academic Advising Center
hosted the Major/Minor Expo,
new recruits - held in the Michigan Union
ballroom - to give students the
ByAMIA DAVIS opportunity to meet with facul-
DailyStaffReporter ty, staff and advisers from vari-
ous concentrations and discuss
Wednesday afternoon, potential interests.
ided students paused their The Newnan Advising Center
c hair pulling to explore consists of general LSA academ-
najors and minors that fit ic advisers who help students
choose courses, career paths
and alternative choices to the
plans they make. They also cer-
tify students' graduations and
assist them with academic dif-
ficulties.
All LSA majors and minors
were represented at the expo-
sition. Several programs from
outside LSA also attended,
including those from the Ross
School of Business, the School
of Education and the School of
Social Work.
Erin Trame, department
advising coordinator for Newn-
an Advising Center, said the
expo was a chance for all LSA
departments to come together
in one location. It also gave all
students - freshman to senior,
LSA or non-LSA - a chance to
talk to major advisers and set up
advising appointments.
"It makes it much easier
See EXPO, Page 3A
On
undec
frantic
new n
CAMPUS LIFE
Administration
and IFC plan
for St. Patrick's
STICK 'EM UP
Groups encourage
students to 'stay
in the blue' on the
alcohol-heavyholiday
By ARIANA ASSAF
Daily Staff Reporter
This St. Patrick's Day week-
end, green beer may very well
replace green tea as the breakfast
drink of choice. However, the
University also has a lineup of
non-alcoholic activities for stu-
dents.
Wolverine Wellness, Beyond
the Diag, the Center for Cam-
pus Involvement and the Dean
of Students Laura Blake Jones
worked together to give stu-
dents alternative activities for St.
Patrick's Day that don't involve
alcohol. Joy Pehlke, University
Health Service health educa-
tor and Sarah Daniels, assistant
dean of students, were part of the
effort that created events such as
the Sober Skate and Shamrock It.
Pehlke said that programs
are similar to UMix - including
food, movies and games to draw
crowds. She said she encourages
students to keep up-to-date with
activities on the Dean of Stu-
dents' website.
For example, green donuts and
water will be handed out at oppo-
site ends of the Diag on Monday
for students on their way to class
or on their way to celebrate St.
Patrick's Day at local establish-
ments.
"History here on campus will
tell you that some students will
go out first thing in the morning
as soon as the bars open because
there are some places around
here that do morning specials,"
Daniels said.
Pelkhe said students who go
out - especially over the week-
end - tend to drink in excess. She
listed strategies such as keeping
track of drinks, pacing oneself
and eating throughout the day to
avoid sickness or injuries.
"One of the unique problems
of St. Patrick's Day weekend is
that people drink during day and
at night, so often that's different
than what people normally do,"
Pehlke said.
Although in years past the
holiday has also brought warm-
er weather, the forecast for this
weekend is chilly. Both Daniels
and Pehlke said that this adds to
the risk, as being intoxicated may
See ST. PATRICK, Page 3A
NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily
Art & Design senior Carisa Bledsoe performs "Off the Wall" at Links Hall in Chicago Feb.15. See Page 48 in today's
B-Side for more.
POLIKCY
Cse may lead to same-
sex mrig ealization
ANN ARBOR
Candidates
prepare for
K judicial
election
As two judges retire,
competitive race
ahead for numerous
contenders
ByEMMA KERR
Daily StaffReporter
As Washtenaw County judges
Nancy Wheeler and Donald Shel-
ton prepare to step down from
their posts in January, the race to
fill their positions is heating up.
The judicial election will have
its primary on Aug. 5 followed
by the general election on Nov.
4. Candidates running so far
include Jane Bassett, Tamara
Garwood, Constance Jones,
Julia Owdziej and Tracy Van den
Bergh, all of whom are compet-
ing for Wheeler's seat, and Vero-
nique Liem, Patrick Conlin and
Michael Woodyard are vying for
Shelton's seat.
Wheeler's successor will be
responsible for family law, pro-
bate cases and ensuring that
claims to an estate of a deceased
person are properly recognized.
There is also a potential for
change in the docket over the fol-
See ELECTION, Page 3A
State considers
arguments in
adoption controversy
By ALLANA AKHTAR
Daily StaffReporter
Michigan could be the next
state to legalize same-sex mar-
riage upon the review of recent
case hearings by a federal
judge.
Last Friday concluded a
series of arguments regarding
the legality of same-sex mar-
riage in the state of Michigan
and the validity of a 2004 pro-
posal that banned the practice,
lasting two weeks. At the heart
of controversy is whether same
sex couples are able to be ade-
quate parents.
Hazel Park residents April
DeBoer and Jayne Rowse
brought the case to court after
the state denied them joint
adoption of their three chil-
dren. While the case began as
a matter of changing the adop-
tion process in Michigan, the
lawsuit ultimately called into
question the same sex mar-
riage ban itself.
The state, represented by
Attorney General Bill Schuette,
is defending the voters' 2004
See MARRIAGE, Page 3A
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a24The Michigan Daily
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