Ri I an 0I~
ONE li UNI)E TWENTY-FlIFTI I YEAR OF EDITORIA L F EEI)OM
Tuesday, October 7, 2014 michigandailycom
PET ME GOVERNMENT
Marriage
equality
maiy rtr
Bedhead, a Cape Porcupine from the Creature Conservancy, nibbles on a sweet potato during a presentation at the Alpha Delta Pi sorority house Monday
SSACUAt ks impremens
to. faculty, student relati ons
SCOTUS decision
clears path for
same-sex marriage
in five states
By RACHEL PREMACK
Daily News Editor
Same-sex marriage is now
legal in 24 states after the U.S.
Supreme Court refused to hear
appeals from five states con-
cerning same-sex marriage
Monday.
The high court's decision
effectively legalizes same-sex
marriage inIndiana, Oklahoma,
Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin
by upholding the decisions of
lower courts, all of which ruled
in favor of same-sex groups. In
Michigan, however, the deci-
sion remains in the hands of the
Sixth Circuit Cou'rt of Appeals.
On March 21, U.S. District
Judge Bernard Friedman struck
down Michigan's ban on same-
sex marriage and a prohibition
on the adoption of children by
same-sex . couples. Michigan
Attorney General Bill Schuette
(R) followed Friedman's ruling
by requesting the decision be
stayed, which was granted by
the Sixth Circuit on March 22.
Before the stay, more than 300
same-sex couples were issued
marriage licenses by four of
Michigan's 83 county clerks
who stayed open on a Saturday
to process those applications.
The Michigan chapter of
the American Civil Liberties
Union filed a request in May for
the state to recognize the 300-
plus couples married in March.
The ACLU was also co-counsel
in five of the seven petitions
that the Supreme Court denied
today.
Jay Kaplan, an attorney with
ACLU of Michigan's LGBT
Project, said the Supreme
Court's decision to deny the
appeals shows that it approves
of the decisionsby lower courts,
which have been overwhelm-
ingly in favor of same-sex mar-
See MARRIAGE, Page 3
Body discusses ways
to interact better
with University
community
By CAROLINE BARON
Daily StaffReporter
The Senate Advisory Commit-
tee on University Affairs gathered
Monday in the Regents Room
of the Fleming Administration
Building to discuss several ways
in which SACUA can support
faculty members and students on
campus.
SACUA chair Scott Masten, a
professor of business econom-
ics and public policy in the Ross
School of Business, reported on
his weekly meeting with Univer-
sity Provost Martha Pollack. Mas-
ten said they discussed the Office
of Institutional Equity, which
works to encourage diversity and
opportunity for all members of
the University community, their
continued attentiveness to issues
regarding sexual harassment on
campus, and the ongoing investi-
gation by the U.S. Department of
Education's Office of Civil Rights.
Pollack also asked Masten to
propose a new idea to SACUA:
that faculty host dinners for
newly admitted University stu-
dents in an effort to engage them
on campus immediately after they
arrive.
Several SACUA members
expressed interest in this idea,
saying this opportunity might
deter students from immediately
gravitating to the "drunken par-
ties" that often take place during
the beginning of the school year.
"We want to make sure (new
students') first impressions are
not football and alcohol, it's some-
thing more academic - a more
positive side of the University,"
Masten said.
See SACUA, Page 3
t ELECTIONS 2014
Schauer puts
emphasis on
state funding
Gubernatorial
candidate runs on
platform to improve
higher education
By SHOHAM GEVA
Daily StaffReporter
Styling himself as the poten-
tial "education governor," Dem-
9cratic gubernatorial candidate
Mark Schauer has seized on
several issues in higher educa-
tion policy as a part of his cam-
paign platform.
At the heart of most educa-
tions are state appropriations,
where incumbent Republican
Gov. Rick Snyder has had a
mixed record. Snyder cuthigher
education funding by 15 percent
during his first year in office,
then approved increases in the
following three years.
Schauer has criticized those
cuts and said he plans to restore
funding to the state's universi-
ties and colleges if elected.
In an interview with The
Michigan Daily earlier this
month, Schauer said he sees a
number of benefits to increasing
funding for higher education.
"Budgets are a reflection of
our priorities and our values,"
he said. "And higher education
is a priority and value of mine
because it will help strengthen
our economy and help us grow,
become more competitive and
create faster economic growth,
lowerunemployment andbetter
wages for people. It benefits us
* all. It benefits the state."
I n20"?, the Snyder admin-
istration cited an acute budget
shortfall and a push for fiscal
responsibility as reasons for the
15-percent cut. The budget also
saw cuts to tax credits for low-
income workers and the end of
Michigan's subsidies to movie
production companies filming
in the state. Following those
cuts, there were increases in
higher education funding of 3.1
percent in 2012, 2.2 percent in
2013, and 6.1 percent in 2014.
During the fiscal year 2015
budget announcement, then-
State Budget Director John
Nixon said the cuts weren't nec-
essarily a permanent decision
and the eventual goal was to
bring funding back to pre-2011
levels.
Kurt Weiss, communications
director for the state's Depart-
ment of Technology, Manage-
ment and Budget, confirmed in
an e-mail interview that this
goal is still on track, though
he added that specific levels
of funding for programs like
higher education can't be deter-
mined until state revenue fore-
casts for the year are released.
"While at this point we can't
give a specific timeline as to
when full restoration of high-
er education funding will be
achieved because we have not
yet seen the revenue forecasts,
the governor will continue to
make strategic investments in
education given the revenues
that are available," Weiss wrote.
The University's Ann Arbor
campus lost $47.5 million in
funding due to the 2011 drop.
See ELECTIONS, Page 3
Dr. Samuel N. Mathew speaks about India, disabilities and technology accessibility at North Quad Monday.
Lecture examines how to
em--power disabled inIndia
ANN ARBOR
Council
considers
crosswalk
ordinance
City officials
postpone vote on
amendment by
6-5 margin
By JACK TURMAN
Daily Staff Reporter
Discussion at Monday
night's City Council meet-
ing became heated over a
proposed amendment to the
city's controversial crosswalk
ordinance.
The proposal would have
amended the ordinance's cur-
rent language, which states
that drivers are required to
stop when a pedestrian is
approaching a crosswalk,
by adding the phrase "if the
driver can do so safely." The
change would mean drivers
are no longer required to stop
for pedestrians nearing the
curb if they deem stopping
unsafe.
The Council ultimately
voted to postpone a vote on
the amendment, which was
sponsoredby Councilmember
Stephen Kunselman (D-Ward
3). The postponement passed
with a 6-5 margin.
During discussion of the
ordinance, tensions flared
and the dialogue quickly
escalated once the Council
considered postponing the
vote.
Kunselman, who opposed
the delay, said the ordinance
required immediate changes,
citing accidents caused by
See COUNCIL, Page 3
Dr. Samuel Mathew
emphasizes need for
technology to improve
opportunities
By NABEEL CHOLLAMPAT
For the Daily
Mobile technology could open
new possibilities for people with
disabilities.
On Monday, the School of
Information hosted Dr. Samuel
N. Mathew, executive director of
the National Institute of Speech
& Hearing and director of the
Regional Institute of Physical
Medicine and Rehabilitation in
Kerala, India, who delivered a
lecture on access to technology
for people with disabilities.
Duringthe talk, Mathew high-
lighted the necessity of mobile
technology platforms for improv-
ing the quality of life for people
with disabilities in India. He said
these platforms can be especially
beneficial for the visually chal-
lenged, speech-impaired, hear-
ing-impaired, those with limited
cognition and agility impairment
and people on the autism spec-
trum.
However, Mathew said imple-
menting this kind of technology
requires a different approach in
India compared to in other coun-
tries.
"It's not about trying to make
things like here, but instead try-
ing to dothings thatare applicable
there," he said. "The environment
definitely has its constraints, but
examining that and then applying
technology is what will ultimate-
ly work."
NISH, also based in Kerala,
provides language and speech
training for congenitally deaf
students. Recently, the institute
began providinghigher education
and granting degrees to these
children.
Kevin Smith, a graduate stu-
dent in the Information School,
worked with NISH and Mathew
this past summer to. launch the
website accesshub.org. The site
is dedicated to providing policy
information and services for peo-
ple with disabilities in India.
Smith stressed that the web-
site's main goal is accessibility.
"Oftentimes in web develop-
ment, accessibility isn't neces-
sarily on the forefront, and that's
something I think the School of
Information and web designers
can work on," he said.
Mathew said Access Hub,
along with other efforts to expand
access to technology in India,
could help break down cultural
barriers. He said many people
with disabilities believe they did
something wrong in a previous
life - a concept found in a num-
ber of faiths in India - to deserve
their condition.
"Indian cultures and religions
See LECTURE, Page 3
WEATHER H1I:58 GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail
TOMORROW LO: 4 news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM
Daily wins seven awards from Ml Press Association
MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS
INDEX NEWS ............................2 ARTS.............................5
Vol. CXXV, No.6 SUDOKU.......................3 CLASSIFIEDS ................6
©2013TheMichiganDaily OPINION.....................4 SPORTS .........................7
michigandoily cow