Arts 10 The forests are alive with art sports 15 Graham Brown to play in the NFL? tJbe£i& o Tuesday, May 2,2006 Summer Weekly One-hundred-sixteen years ofeditorialfreedom ----- --------- - ------------- www.michigandaily.com Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXVI, No. 116 @2006 The Michigan Daily v C7 Munson named new Engin dean For the second time in a row, College of Engineering's new dean. ment before becoming dean. lege's masters program, said he first hear the University selects an EECS If approved by the Board of Regents, Munson Interim Dean Ronald Gibala said Munson's Munson's appointment during the colle will officially assume the position July 1. experience managing the EECS department, commencement ceremonies last week. prof to fill deat.'s position It is not unusual for searches to last a year - as which composes nearly one-third of the entire Although surprised by the announce ;tAiinu i Al-iii-_'scnom Ase ai1iivrss -so- coi0 t- .as 1npeo reare nim fto ,1, U1tue, Jon.. .l -A+htAA, - > *d of ge's tent, By Kelly Fraser Daily News Editor As the majority students spent last week bus- ily preparing to move out of Ann Arbor for the summer, electrical engineering and computer sci- ence chair David Munson learned he would have to make moving plans of his own. After nearly a year-long search, the University announced Thursday that Munson will be the it idc in Munson's case, said University spokes- woman Kelly Cunningham. To begin any dean search, the provost requests nominations from the colle-t and assembles an advisory committee of faculty, staff and some- times student or alumni representatives to com- pose a list of candidates, Cunningham said. Critics of the dean search said many of the can- didates lacked ethnic and departmental diversity. The previous dean of the college, Stephen Director, was also a professor in the EECS depart- college, has helped prepare him for the job. Gibala was appointed after Director announced his plans to leave the University in March 2005 to accept the position of provost and senior vice president at Drexel University. Gibala said Munson will face the challenge of sustaining research funding on a tight budget. "Virtually everything we do is of highest quality. Maintaining it across the board at times when finan- cial funding is limited can be difficult," he said. Tim Holman, a recent graduate of the col- Holman said he is pleased that Munson is an internal candidate. "He already knows Michigan," he said. If appointed, Munson said he expects the tran- sition from Gibala to himself to be smooth. "When I take over the reins, people aren't going to see a big change in direction or a big change in style," Munson said. Munson,who describedhisleadershipstyle as based on "heavy consultation" with students and faculty, See MUNSON, Page 2 Speaker bids farewell to outgoing seniors Graduates are pleased witlt valuable )ers)ective> provided by Amanpour By Jeremy Davidson Daily Staff Reporter When CNN's chief foreign correspondent Christiane Amanpour took the stage in Mich- igan Stadium at graduation last Saturday, she said she felt right at home, not only because of the warm welcome - but because of the stadium's construction. "I'm used to this kind of scenery ... a little bombed-out, a little devastated, a little bit of reconstruction," she said. While prior to the event many graduating seniors considered Amanpour a low-pro- file speaker, she seemed to please the crowd of graduates, family members and kin who attended the ceremony last Saturday. "People living in America tend to think inwardly a lot," said outgoing basketball captain Daniel Horton. "She offered a valu- able perspective that a lot of people probably hadn't encountered." Amanpour, who has won every major award in broadcast journalism, highlighted the aspect of her career that she has found most rewarding - making a difference around the world. She encouraged the audience to work toward the same goal in their career paths. "Ladies and gentlemen of the class of 2006, self-absorbed is so yesterday. It's out. Cool is now to be a citizen of our world, not just an inhabitant," she said. Amanpour said what really drove her to pursue her stories - which have taken her from the Balkans to Baghdad to Bosnia - was her belief in the power of journalism. "I remain convinced that good journalism still matters," she said. "The United States needs strong, independent journalists of integrity who are committed to reporting without fear nor favor, and who report the good and the bad, never exaggerating, but never shying away from it. Graduating senior Brett Bielory said Aman- pour left an indelible impact on the crowd. "(Her speech) was the highlight of the entire day," Bielory said. CNN's Christiane Amanpour speaks at Spring commencement Saturday, April 29. 'U' launches new prescription drug plan . iIIer the niew })rOgraii, VnlVersity eplp)oyees wit ti 01, ktes Wiii exPerie1ncle rt '1 011'. in lic(iicatloli costs By Leah Graboski Daily News Editor The University unveiled a program last week that will provide its diabetic employees with free and reduced-cost drugs, setting a new standard for innovative healthcare plans in institutions of higher education. Under the MHealthy: Focus on Diabetes two-year pilot program, which begins July 1, diabetic members of the University's pre- scription drug plan and their dependents will experience a reduction in co-payments for recommended clinical services. Co-pays will not be charged for generic drugs that control blood sugar, lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart and kidney problems or relieve depression. For M-CARE members, annual eye exams will be provided free of charge in addition to discounted drugs. The high cost of these medications often hinder University employees and their depen- dents with all types of diabetes from receiv- ing proper treatment, said William Herman, M-CARE's medical director. M-CARE is the University's managed care company. The program is available to Uni- versity employees with any type of health insurance plan. Herman said the total cost of the program for the University could surpass $800,000, adding that there is no projected return on investment because the program's value is largely intangible. Although the initial financial burden on the University will be considerable, support- ers said that the program could enhance the health and overall quality of life of Univer- sity employees. Herman said many diabetics cut back on life-saving medications due to high co-pays. Diabetics may take an average of six to 10 medications, which can add up to hundreds of dollars per month in co-pays. At the University, 2,100 employees receive diabetes medications. Currently, the University follows a three- tiered co-pay system. The new program will make generic drugs in the first tier free, pre- ferred brandname drugs in the second tier half-off and non-preferred brand name drugs in the third tier 50 percent off. The University has also considered reduc- ing co-pays for medications for other chronic diseases, such as asthma and heart disease. See MHEALTHY, Page 8