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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Friday, September 5, 2014
michigandaily com
HAPPENING TOOAY: INAUGURATION O PRESIDENt MARK SCHLISSEL
I
ADMINISTRATION
I
Old issues
pending as
Schlissel
settles in
Vicki Zilke, a farmer from Milan, Mich., sells some of her fresh produce to UMHS researcher Mary Ellen LeBlanc at the North Campus Research Complex
Thursday afternoon as part of the M Healthy Eat Smarter: Fresh Produce series.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
StatusOwibrings the arty
Student-launched
application posts
real-time ratings
for local bars
By HILLARY CRAWFORD
Daily StaffReporter
StatusOwl, a new iOS appli-
cation launched by two Uni-
versity graduates last week,
is working to change the way,
people party.
Students can use the app to
both post and follow real-time
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
updates on private and public
venues in the area. In addition
to posting statuses, users can
rate drinking establishments
on entry line length and occu-
pancy level. Currently, 40 local
bars are searchable on the app.
To gauge each post's accu-
racy, "up" and "down" buttons
appear so that others can agree
or disagree with the current
status assigned to a particular
establishment.
The app also syncs with
Facebook, making it easier to
share private events like house
parties only with friends. Users
also have the option to send
friend requests through the
app.
StatusOwl's founders
include University alums
Aakash Jobanputra and Samir
Thanedar, and Engineering
senior Asif Aziz, who was also
responsible for developing and
producing the social media
platform from scratch.
"We're a real time guide for
night life," Jobanputra said.
"Everyone can go on StatusOwl
and see what's going on and
honestly make better decisions
about where they're trying to
go."
The idea for StatusOwl was
born on a wintry night, short-
ly after local authorities shut
down a fraternity party. Not
wanting to risk a walk in the
cold to get to another party
that wasn't a sure bet, Joban-
putra and Thanedar said they
wished they had live updates
of the campus' goings-on, apart
from Facebook event pages that
remained relatively static.
As graduates, Jobanputra
and Thanedar are working on
their project full time. Aziz has
also pushed -Status wltto the=
forefront of his priorities and
is taking a semester offto help
See STATUSOWL, Page 3
New'U' pres. will soon
contend with Trotter
relocation and shared
services
ByYARDAINAMRON
DailyStaffReporter
Fewer than two months have
passed since University President
Mark Schlissel moved into the pres-
ident's office in the FlemingAdmin-
istration Building, and his plate is
already full.
Last year was one to remem-
ber, with big issues springing up
across the Diag. Inthe fall, students
from the University's -Black Stu-
dent Union launched the #BBUM
Twitter campaign that trended
nationally and challenged the Uni-
versity to improve campus climate
and address minority enrollment.
In the spring, the U.S. Depart-
ment of Education launched an
investigation into the University's
handling of allegations of sexual
m sconduct and the administration
was prompted to respond to the
concerns of faculty anditaff-after
the University opted to consolidate
more than a hundred department-
level staff to a shared services cen-
ter.
But while Schlissel is still get-
ting his bearings, University units
pushed ahead throughthese chal-
lenges over the summer.
The Trotter Multicultural Cen-
ter, which was a focus of BSU's
protests, smells of fresh paint and
sawdust from recent renovations
- an achievement of the BSU's
dialogue with the administration.
The $300,000 renovations are just
a temporary fix, and plans to move
Trotter to a more central location,
which the BSU originally demand-
ed, are also in motion.
Jackie Simpson, the new director
of the Trotter Multicultural Center,
said that while she hasn't met with
Schlissel personally, he did make
the cross-campus walk from the
Fleming Administration Building to
Trotter a few weeks ago for a tour.
Schlissel said it was a "nice place,
old building," according to Simp-
son, who said a new Trotter is still
three to five years away. The pro-
cess though, has already begun: an
architecture firm has been hired
and monthly focus groups to gath-
er student feedback on the type of
See ISSUES, Page 3
ow
After appointment, VP
plans for successful term
After unforseen
circumstances,
Lustig outlines new
initiatives, goals
By TANAZ ARMED
Daily StaffReporter
When University students
filled out their online ballots for
Central Student Government
officers last spring, LSA senior
Emily Lustig wasn't on the presi-
dential ticket.
However, aLustig assumed
office as CSG's vice president
Tuesday. LSA junior Meagan
Shokar, who was elected along
with Public Policy senior Bobby
Dishell in April, resigned Fri-
day due to a medical condi-
tion. Within days, Dishell and
Shokar tapped Lustig to fill the
vacant slot and their choice was
approved Tuesday by the CSG
Executives Nominations Com-
mittee.
Though the leadership transi-
tion was abrupt, Lustig said CSG
has been an integral piece of her
college experience.
"I started off my freshman
year as a rep on the assembly and
that was phenomenal," she said.
"I really got a feel for how resolu-
tions work, how to gauge student
interest and how to really repre-
sent the student constituents as
you're supposed to as an assem-
bly rep."
Although 30 of 40 CSG rep-
resentatives voted in favor of
Lustig's appointment, some CSG
members felt the nomination
and selection process failed to
consider input from the entire
student body.
See VP, Page 3
Engineering junior Guaniun He enjoys the last bit of summer weather by playing frisbee on the North Campus diag
Thursday.
TECHNOLOGY
Students try on
wearable tech.
before MHacks
BUSINESS
App. limits romantic options to 'U' students
Myo armband
allows users to
control technology
I with muscle power
By NEALA BERKOWSKI
Daily StaffReporter
Although it may seem like the
technology of the Iron Man suit
is generations away, students got
a hands-on look at new wearable
technology Thursday night.
Shift, a non-profit and living
space centered on entrepreneur-
ship, hosted this opportunity
Thursday night at their house
on Oxford Road. About 40 stu-
dents tried on the Myo armband,
which allows users to control
their surroundings through hand
gestures.
Business senior Alex Lee,
Shift's general manager, said the
See TECH, Page 3
Fri
ha
Tu
app c
camp
frienc
Th
to Ti
limitE
versit
all ut
Univc
addre
Fri
each
endsy users must pictures and some basic infor-
mation, including class stand-
ve college ID to ing, gender and major. They
are anonymously allowed to
sign up express interest in another user
without the other user finding
By JULIA LISS out, unless the match is mutual.
Daily StaffReporter Unlike Tinder, there is not a
hot-or-not dynamic. Users can
esday evening, a new social choose to indicate that they
ailed Friendsy launched on would like to become friends,
us with a mission: to foster hookup or date the other user.
dships and romance. The app was developed by
e app has features similar two students at Princeton, Mike
nder and Yik Yak, but is Pinsky and Vaidhy Murti, who
ed to members of the Uni- started brainstorming ways for
ty community by requiring students to meet new people
sers to register with their outside of their social circles.
ersity of Michigan e-mail They launched the first version
sses. of Friendsy on the Princeton
iendsy users are shown campus in 2013. The University
other's profiles with a few is one of the campuses that is
included in a push for Friendsy
to reach SO colleges.
There are currently 10,000
users and 150,000 mutual
matches.
Though Pinsky and Murti's
friendship developed organi-
cally when they met while
watching aYankees game in the
Princeton student union, they
recognized that most students
don't simply approach new peo-
ple.
At other universities with
Friendsy, more than 60 percent
of mutual matches have been
requests for friendship. The
other chunk includes requests
for hook-ups and dates. Overall,
Pinsky said one of their goals is
to avoid situations where people
are set up for rejection.
"It removes the social risk of
going up to someone and put-
ting your neck on the line," Pin-
sky said.
Once someone requests to
connect with you, either as a
friend, hookup or to date, you
receive a' notification and can
request a "hint" about that per-
son. The app will then show you
a list of people who fit the crite-
ria of the hint - for instance, ifa
sophomore requests to "friend"
you, you will see a list of all Uni-
versity sophomores on Friendsy.
If you don't connect with the
person who selected you, you
will never learn their identity.
Engineering junior Greg
Stearns, a campus rep for
Friendsy, said one main differ-
See FRIENDSY, Page 3
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