CELEB\TIN G ( OulR ONE I IUN RtlEl TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR OF EI)ITOR1IAL IREEIOM Moday, October 6, 2014 michigandaily.com RESEARCH Nat'l Medal of Science aw Foi Customers line up outside the new Blimpy Burger location on South Ashley Street before the restaurant's grand re-opening Friday. ClaSSic burgerjoint p u By MICHAEL SUGERMAN Daily StaffReporter Rich Magner, the owner of Blimpy Burger, was in the kitchen. He opened the fridge to check on the ham- burger meat, which he and his employees still prepare the old-fashioned way: hand- grinding it. Once he finished checking the beef, he returned to his vat of onion ring coating, mixing in vinegar and then pouring in a barrel of raw onions. He then strained the onions before covering them in seasoning and a dry rub. At one point, he turned away from the work and said with a weary grin, "Let's be honest. The bottom line is that we're tired." Blimpy re-opened Friday at 304 South Ashley Street - just over a year after clos- ing its original location on South Division and Packard. The University purchased the property for $1.075 million to construct the $180-million Munger Graduate Residences. a.m. Over the next two hours, Though it was a rainy, gray the flow of traffic was consis- morning, nearly two dozen tent, with about 40 people in line at any given moment. Magner said they con- lot sidered closing for an hour lot means a Friday to recuperate before openingup shop again for the of things to a lot dinner rush. But really, it's of people" just business as usual. OI~pe~pleThe restaurant is plastered with polar bear parapher- nalia. The most prominent item is a standing, human- lined up outside of the burger sized stuffed bear christened joint before its opening at 11 See BLIMPY, Page 3A Robert Axelrod takes interdisciplinary approach to social science inquiry By IAN DILLINGHAM Daily News Editor President Barack Obama's Friday announcement of this year's recipi- ents of the National Medal of Science included, among nine others, Univer- sity Prof. Robert Axelrod. The award is "our Nation's highest honors for achievement and leadership inadvanc- ing the fields of science and technol- ogy," according to a White House press release. The President will honor Axelrod andhis fellowmedalrecipientswithaan Oval Office ceremony and dinner. "These scholars and innovators have expanded our understanding of the world, made invaluable contribu- tions to their fields, and helped improve countless lives," Obama said in a White House press release. "Our nation has been enriched by their achievements, and by all the scientists and technolo- gists across America dedicated to dis- covery,inquiry, and invention." In a Friday interview, Axelrod said he was informed of the award by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy earlier this week. He added that he was especially excit- ed to be the first political scientist to be honored with the award. Axelrod is currently spending the academic year at the U.S. State Depart- ment as a Jefferson Science Fellow, a program that promotes cooperation between scientific experts and the gov- ernment. His areas of focus are nation- al security policy and mathematical models of politics, making his work very interdisciplinary. He encouraged students to branch out andtake classes across the Univer- sity to get a truly interdisciplinary and well-roundededucation. "Don't settle on a focus for your career or your major too early,"he said. "Look around at all kinds of stuff at the University ... Find a good teacher and take a course almost regardless of what they're teaching. Follow your nose in terms ofwhatinterestsyou.You don't have to explain those interests to anyone else - that's something that's See MEDAL Page 3A ENTREPRENEURSHIP Students learn from top seed accelerator Silicon Valley business incubator offers office hours to entrepreneurs By RACHEL PREMACK DailyNewsEditor The Silicon Valley startup business incubator that invest- ed in Reddit, Airbnb and more than 700 other tech companies visited Ann Arbor Friday to hear student pitches and dis- cuss entrepreneurship. Qasar Younis, a partner from Y-Combinator, which accepts less than 3 percent of applicants to its intensive seed accelera- tor program, as well as Jesse Vollmar, a co-founder of a YC- backed startup, spoke about how to compose a solid team of founders, campus entrepre- neurship resources, the value of not working for a corporation and other related topics. More than 100 students crowded into a room at TechArb in down- town Ann Arbor to hear the talk and visit office hours with YC officials. MPowered Entrepreneur- ship hosted the event. LSA senior Saad Jangda, vice presi- dent of programs for MPow- ered, said YC's visit to the University shows that Michi- gan's entrepreneurial icons are noting the University's startup savvy. "This is big," Jangda said. -"And I keep telling everyone it's big because it means that people have started noticing that Mich- igan is a place for entrepreneur- ship. It's something we've been tryingto do for 10 years now." "It's not just about Silicon Valley anymore, it's about the Silicon Mitten." YC is rated first among business accelerators by publications such as TechCrunch and Forbes. Its three-month-long program provides seed funding, which covers a startup's expenses See ACCELERATOR, Page 3A ROBERT DUNNE/Daily Student-athletes and their families gather to see the Michigan Football Team Friday outside Schembechler Hall. Student-athletes support team with Rutgers sendoff ANN ARBOR Council to iscuss crosswalk ordinance City to revist 2013 legislation to improve pedestrian safety By EMMA KERR DailyStaffReporter This week's Ann Arbor City Council meeting will feature dis- cussion on the implementation of last year's controversial cross- walk ordinance, a new resolution altering the fees associated with dog ownership, and an updated countywide ordinance aiming to better control and eliminate harmful pollutants within the city through further restriction, among other zoning changes. First Reading: Crosswalk ordinance Following extensive discussion last year regarding pedestrian- vehicle interactions, StephenKun- selman (D-Ward 3) is sponsoring an ordinance that would amend the crosswalk ordinance currently See COUNCIL, Page 3A Group gathered as football team battles historic losing streak By CLAIRE BRYAN Daily StaffReporter After a tumultuous week for the Athletic Department, the athletic community gathered together to show their support for the football team with a formal send off. Student-athletes, coaches, athletic administrators and alumni gathered in Schembechler Hall Friday afternoon to cheer on the football team as they boarded the buses to Piscataway, New Jersey for Saturday's game at Rutgers University. The energy was positive at the indoor field. Pompoms were passed out to students as they created a tunnel down the center of the field. Members ofthe base- ball and volleyball teams came dressed in uniform. "We thought it would be a great way to show our support for our football team, cheer them on, let them know we got their back and that we are here as a family," Associate Athletic Director David Ablauf said. The Student Athlete Advisory Council, a committee consist- ing of representatives from each varsity and club-varsity sport on campus to encourage the stu- dent-athlete experience, orga- nized the send off. Similar send offs and homecomings happen often for teams, usually when See SUPPORT, Page 3A rr rrrrrr ir WEATHER HI: 63 GOTANEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail TOMORROW LO: 40 news@michigandaily.com and letus know. NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM INDEX AAFD responds to downed power lines on Olivia Vol. CXXV, No. 6 MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS ©204The Michigan Dai michigondoily.corn NEW S......... .............2A ARTS.............. A......... 5A SUDOKU....................2A CLASSIFIEDS... 6A........ 6A ly OPINION.....................4A SPORTSMONDAY..........1B