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Ann Arbor, Michigan_

Tuesday, December 9,2014_

michigandaily.com


HEALTH
Concussion
concerns
overstated,
prof. says

University President Mark Schlissel speaks at his monthly fireside chat for the semester in the Pond Room in the Michigan Union on Monday.
Schlissel addresses safety;
athletics in fireside clhat

President to hold
office hours for
students at start of
new semester
By ALLANA AKHTAR
Daily Staff Reporter
University President Mark
Schlissel joined 30 students in the
Michigan Union on Thursday for
his fourth and final fireside chat
of the semester.

Covering topics including ath-
letics culture, mental health and
public safety, Schlissel opened by
noting his first semester as presi-
dent is drawing to a close.
He said the fireside chats -
during which a few dozen ran-
domly selected students are
given the chance to participate in
a conversation with their presi-
dent - provided a great forum for
getting to know the University's
student body. However, Schlissel
said he plans to add office hours
in January and begin teaching as
a guest lecturer to further devel-

op these connections.
"All of this is really an effort
for me to get to know and under-
stand you and your fellow stu-
dents, upholding the values here
and how we're doing delivering
that and how I can do my job as
well as possible," he said.
In one of the first questions,
LSA senior Wes Vear, captain of
the men's club rowing team, said
the team's coach is one of just a
few openly gay staff members in
college athletics. He noted that
particularly in men's football,
coaching staff and leadership

positions are predominantly held
by white males,
Vear asked if Schlissel had
any plans to work with interim
Athletic Director Jim Hackett to
increase diversity in the ranks of
the University's athletics staff.
Last week, Hackett hosted a
press conference announcing
that he had decided to fire for-
mer Michigan football coach
Brady Hoke. The firing followed
a tumultuous season. for Michi-
gan football that also included
the resignation of former Athletic
See FIRESIDE, Page 3

After Morris
controversy, lecture
addresses common
misconceptions
By IAN DILLINGHAM
Daily News Editor
When sophomore quarterback
Shane- Morris was pulled out of
the Wolverines' Sept. 27 game
against Minnesota, media atten-
tion was immediately drawn to
his "probable, mild" concussion
and the people responsible for the
care of players on the sidelines.
Monday evening, Associate
Neurology Prof. Jeffrey Kutcher
delivered a presentation refuting
commonly held misconceptions
about concussions and head inju-
ries that he feelshave been widely
circulated by the media in recent
years. The presentation, titled
"Myths and Realities of Youth
Sport Head Injuries," was held
in the Hatcher Library before an
audience of about 30 students,

faculty and members of the gen-
eral public.
Public outcry regarding con-
cussion policies in college ath-
letics has swelled in recent years
following reports of suspected
long-term physical dangers and
mental detriments caused by
concussions. However, scientific
research and media reports have
often told two different stories in
this debate.
Over the course of the hour-
long presentation, Kutcher
touched on many of the greatest
fallacieshe has observed in media
discussions regarding concus-
sions sustained by both collegiate
and professional athletes.
Kutcher drew on his personal
experiences working as a team
physician for the Michigan foot-
ball team, as well as director of
the Michigan NeuroSport Pro-
gram, a laboratory unit located in
the Central Campus Recreation
Building that specializes in con-
cussion research and treatment.
Earlier this year, Kutcher served
as the head neurologist for Team
See INJURIES, Page 6

.

GOVERNMENT
Proposed bill
to extend bar
hours to 4 a.m.

Lel
tc
afte
pro

Patr
have to
to maki
The
a bill l
bars to
weeken
posed 1
busines
approv
authori
hours
$10,000
says liq
State
Detroit
bill, tes
expand
more c
regulat
gallyop
The
will nt
House
will co
the nex
ing for
(D-Ann
port the
er local
own d
hours f
"If th
tomers
if prop

gislation heads reason not to allow it," Irwinsaid.
Given the authority local gov-
o State House ernments would have under this
new law, the implications the
r Senate passed potential legislation might have
for Ann Arbor bars will depend
posal last week on City Council. The Council's
Liquor License Review Commit-
By BEN ATLAS tee would be in charge of award-
Daily StaffReporter ing the extended hours permits.
Technically, the bill could pass in
ons at Michigan bars may Lansing, but Ann Arbor could deny
stick around a little longer all requests from bars to have later
oe lastcall hours.
Michigan Senate passed "(The committee) will carefully
ast week that would allow look at the implication of this leg-
sell liquor until 4 a.m. on islation for the City and, if appro-
ad nights. Under the pro- priate, make a recommendation to
aw, bars located in "central the City Council," Councilmember
s districts" would still need Jane Lumm (I-Ward 2), committee
al from a local legislative chair, wrote in an e-mail.
ty by obtaining an extended Lumm also said the committee
permit for an annual fee of will consult with legal and finan-
0. Michigan law currently cial experts, as well as the city's
uor sales must end at 2 a.m. police and fire departments, to bet-
Sen. Virgil Smith (D- ter understand the bill's potential
), who is sponsoring the implications.
tified earlier this year that The extent of the proposal's
led hours would make bars impact on Ann Arbor residents and
ompetitive and would help University students could largely
e bars that currently ille- be determined by what parts of the
Aerate past2 a.m. city are considered to be within
Senate-approved measure the "central business district." If
aw move to the Michigan that label only applies to the Main
of Representatives, which Street area, there might not be'
nsider the bill some time in as widespread an impact on stu-
ct two weeks before break- dents as if it were also applied to
the holiday. Rep. Jeff Irwin the South University Avenue area,
n Arbor) said he would sup- which is home to bars frequented
e bill, since it would empow- more often by students.
communities to make their The Brown Jug, one bar in the
lecisions about extending South University area, might not
or drinking establishments. be so welcoming to the potential
here's an interest from cus- change. David Root, Brown Jug's
to buy at those hours, then general manager, said he hopes
erly regulated, there's no See LEGISLATION, Page 6

Nigel Tapela speaks in the Rackham Assembly Hall on Monday, where UMAPS Program scholars presented their
research accomplished at the University.
Mcan Scholars program
hosts annual symposium

CAMPUS LIFE
'Therapaws'
dogs return
to provide
exam relief
Students gather at
UGLi to de-stress
during finals week
By PARISHA NOVA
Daily StaffReporter
A number of dogs were on
hand at the Shapiro Under-
graduate Library on Monday
to provide some extra love to
students stressed by impending
final exams.
The dogs were provided by
Therapaws of Michigan, an Ann
Arbor-based organization that
brings teams of dogs and their
owners to visit schools, health
care facilities and libraries.
The organization first started
by bringing dogs to see patients
at the University of Michigan
Health System.
"Therapaws hosts therapy
dogs, not service dogs," said Jan
Collins, a Therapaws volunteer
who brought her dog Cooper
to the event. "This means that
they love to be pet and love to
give love back."
Therapaws dogs, along with
their owners, must pass exten-
sive tests administered through
the national organization Ther-
apy Dogs Inc. to qualify for the
volunteer opportunity. They
then complete trial runs at local
nursing homes, where their
reactions to strangers are eval-
uated for their ease in interact-
ing with new people.
"It is important to have a dog
who is really calm, likes people
and can enjoy being around all
See PUPPIES, Page 3

University group
invites young
faculty members
to develop research
By TANYA MADHANI
Daily Staff Reporter
The U-M African Presiden-
tial Scholars Program held its
Research Symposium for the
fall semester in the Rackham
Assembly Hall Monday. The pro-
gram was established in 2008
following former University'
President Mary Sue Coleman's
visit to Ghana.
Each semester, UMAPS
invites selected early-career fac-
ulty members from institutions
in Ghana, Liberia, South Africa
and Uganda to the University to
conduct post-doctoral research
for up to six months. During

their visits, scholars study top-
ics ranging from breast cancer
detection to literary depictions
of poverty, all under the mentor-
ship of University faculty mem-
bers.
The scholars are placed in
the African Studies Center and
various departments depending
on their discipline and research
topic.
"We started this research
symposium as a way for the
University community to learn
more about the research that
was being done by these excel-
lent scholars," said Devon Keen,
program manager at the African
Studies Center.
She said the program aims to
foster a better understanding of
global issues through the Afri-
can perspective.
"There's someone from the
Law School who did tax law and
we had a visiting faculty person
whoworked on international tax

from the South African perspec-
tive," Keen said. "And asa result
of their collaboration, in his next
publication the University facul-
ty member included a chapter in
his publication about South Afri-
can tax law. He had been writing
about international tax law for
a while but never thought of it
from an African perspective."
Keen said the collaboration
between the University and var-
ious African universities fosters
cultural exchange.
"In this way the program
benefits the visiting faculty and
benefits our faculty and students
who get a chance to learn from,
meet, and expand their net-
works in research agendas," she
said. "It's a big way to interna-
tionalize the University. One of
the big goals of the University is
internationalization."
UMAPS scholar Nicole
DeWet, an associate lecturer
See AFRICA, Page 3

WEATHER HI: 34
TOMORROW Lo: 21


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