1 e tc4toan4,.3at Im Ann Arbor, Michigan Wednesday, February 19, 2014 michigandaily.com ADMINISTRATION New chief of UMPD picked after long search Former lieutenant Robert Neumann has been with the police since 1985 By WILL GREENBERG and SAM GRINGLAS Daily News Editors Robert Neumann, previously a University Police lieutenant, has been selected as the University of Michigan Police Department's next chief. The appointment is effective immediately. According to a Tuesday press release, Neumann was chosen from a pool of more than 150 applicants. He has served with the UMPD since 1985 and was one of the original six officers to first be sworn into the force in 1990. He became a lieutenant in 1999. Neumann graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy as well as East- ern Michigan University's School of Police Staff and Command. He is also a Civil Air patrol captain serving as personnel officer and professional development officer with the Willow Run Composite Squadron and serves on the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority Accident Review Board. "I am humbled and honored to accept this opportunity," Neu- mann said in a statement. "Hav- ing worked in the department since before it became a sworn police agency, I've participated in an incredible transformation of safety and security services'at the University. This is a wonder- ful community in which to work." In a statement, Eddie Wash- ington Jr., executive director of the Division of Public Safety and Security, lauded Neumann's con- tributions to the UMPD. "Bob's years of successful experience in working with many campus leaders, students and other law enforcement agencies as well as managing several units within the UMPD, contributed to his strong candidacy for this posi- tion," Washington said. "I admire that Bob consistently provides proven integrity and fairness to every situation." Neumann succeeds current Chief Joe Piersante, who was named chief operations officer for See UMPD, Page 3A Protesters gather on the Diag Tuesday to raise awareness for the recent outbreak of violence against peaceful demonstrations this past week in Venezuela Protest exhibits solidarity Over 100 gather to support anti- government efforts in Venezuela ByALLANA AKHTAR Daily StaffReporter While scores of Venezuelans have taken to the streets of Caracas amid anti-government protests, more than 100 people gathered on the Diag Tuesday to show their solidarity with the movement. Last week, three people were ,killed when Vene7uelan secu- rity forces used tear gas and weapons to break up the street demonstrations in opposition to former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's socialist succes- sor, President Nicolas Maduro. On Tuesday, security forces arrested opposition leader Leo- poldo Lopez. The 42-year-old economist and Harvard Univer- sity graduate surrendered him- self to soldiers after delivering a heartfelt speech that inspired numerous demonstrations. In response to the unrest in Venezuela, two University stu- dents created "SOS Venezuela," a Facebook event posted less than 24 hours in advance of the Diag rally. The event aimed to raise awareness of the govern- ment's violent intervention in response to the mostly peaceful student-led protests. LSA sophomore Fabiana Diaz and Engineering fresh- man Fernando Mezquita, the event's creators, said they felt they needed to bring attention to these protests since the Ven- ezuelan government's Internet service provider has intermit- tently blocked the spread of information on Twitter and Facebook. "With all that's been going on, we've been watching the news and we've been watching the web with everything that's been posted and we really feel a sense of patriotism, to say the least, that we have to do what we can to help the situation," Mezquita said. Born and raised in Venezu- ela, Mezquita has ties to many people still in the city and fac- ing adversity caused by the gov- ernment. "I know people who have been directly affected by what's going on," he said. "The streets are covered with tear gas daily, people hear shots in the streets at all times, there are parts of the city that are completely unable to be transited due to burning cars, militia, guards just blocking the. It is total chaos at this point." Diaz said the protest was successful in bringing the issue to the University community's attention and spurring dia- logue. "I think the event created a lot of awareness, not just for the University students, but in gen- eral," she said. "I think these voices that were heard today are going to keep carrying on; See PROTEST, Page 3A BUSINESS BBQ eaterie to fill empty space along E. Liberty Tomukun Korean BBQ to connect to established noodles restaurant next door By CHRISTY SONG Daily Staff Reporter Empty since March, the space vacated by the Grand Traverse Pie Company will house a new eaterie by April. Tomukun Noodle Bar busi- ness partners Renee Jin, Scott Meinke and Thomas Yon plan to open a Korean barbeque res- taurant on East Liberty Street. The new restaurant, named Tomukun Korean Barbecue, is tentatively scheduled to open in April. "Korean barbecue in general is more of a communal expe- rience," he said. "It's a place where you go with a few of your See EATERIE, Page 3A GOVERNMENT Dingell talks wildlife refuge significance ALEX GALEL/Daiiy Barbara Ransby, a professor of Gender & Women's Studies and African American Studies & History at the University of Chicago, speaks during a sit-in for racial justice in the Shapiro Undergraduate Library Tuesday. Sit-in calls for racial justice across Unive rsity system____ Congressman hails University's 10-year partnership with ecology group ByALLANAAKHTAR Daily StaffReporter The longest-serving mem- ber of Congress visited campus Tuesday to commemorate the University's 10-year partner- ship with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. Rep. John Dingell (D- Mich.) joined alumni, faculty and students from the School of Natural Resources and the Environment in the Dana Building for a press conference to laud the collaboration's suc- cess. The event was prompted by the Detroit River IWR's recent hiring of Catherine Dennis, a SNRE alum. Dennis will join three other SNRE alumni hired by the Detroit River IWR inthe last 10 years. The speakers at the con- ference included SNRE Dean Marie Lynn Miranda, SNRE Prof. Bob Grese and John Har- tig, Detroit River IWR refuge manager. The University's partnership with the Detroit River IWR began, just three years after the project first commenced. The SNRE also partners with the Detroit River IWR for graduate training by sending students to the site to do field-based work and using the Detroit River IWR's resources to teach criti- cal concepts in landscape archi- tecture. The Detroit River IWR is the only international wildlife refuge in North America and one of the major metropolitan wildlife refuges in the country. See WILDLIFE, Page 3A Students occupy alumni and students converged on the Shapiro Undergraduate UGLi to raise Library Tuesday night. The sit-in was hosted by the awareness UCRJ, which ran from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., featured free food, By CAROLINE BARON speeches, student-organized Daily StaffReporter teach-in sessions, hip-hop per- formances, film screenings and The United Coalition for action planning. It concluded Racial Justice's "Speak Out" Wednesday morning with cof- sit-in event continued the cam- fee and breakfast. pus discussion on the Univer- The evening opened with an sity's racial climate as speakers, introduction by former Uni- versity President James Dud- erstadt and a keynote speech from University alum Barbara Ransby, a professor of history and African-American studies at the University of Chicago. Ransby, a scholar and activist, led several movements on cam- pus while earning her doctor- ate in History at the University, including a 12-demand reform package advancing racial diver- sity and inclusiveness. These See JUSTICE, Page 3A , - ,+a.nmm rr wi sin oim ooini e_ WEATHER e HI: 42 TOMORROW LO: 28 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know. NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM The Tangent: The Thought Bubble MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS INDEX NEWS.......... Vol. CXXIV, No.71 SUDOKU..... (c)2014The Michigan Gaily OPtNION..... michigandoilycom ............2A ARTS.. . ..........5A ............2A CLA SSIFIEDS...............6BA ............4A THE STATEMENT..........1B a I