Monday, July 14, 2008 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com WHITE OUT PIZZA HUT From Page 3 to stay with that because it's always attracted a large student popula- tion," she said. And because many student orga- nizations hold meetings within the walls of the Union, Fraenkel said having full pizzas available for pur- chase is a high priority. In late May, Fraenkel and other board members began the process of finding another pizza company to fill the vacant spot and directed their attention to Pizza Hut. Fraenkel said they considered both restaurants from the begin- ning and easily picked up negotia- tions with Pizza Hut. "Domino's and Pizza Hut were neck-and-neck," she said. Dan Rubino, co-owner of the new Pizza Hut Express, said he was interested in the space from the beginning. And although the last pizza place in the Union didn't attract many customers, Rubino said he is confi- dent that Pizza Hut Express will be able to change that. "I'm sure everybody's familiar with Pizza Hut. We're hoping that helps us to be successful," he said. Rubino currently owns a Taco Bell and a Pizza Hut Express on the Wayne State University campus and said he thinks both franchises will do very well in Ann Arbor because of the larger student population. Rubino is also co-owner of the new Taco Bell that will open in the Michigan League this fall. Despite originally choosing Domino's because of its strong advertising and continued involve- ment with University activities like Dance Marathon, the MUBR said it is excited about adding Pizza Hut Express to the Union. Construction for Taco Bell and Panda Express is on schedule, and both restaurants should be avail- able to open in the fall. But due to its slow start, Pizza Hut Express is planned to open a couple of weeks later. 4 CUF REEDER/Daily Passersby in the alley on Liberty Street, which was whitewashed last week. For more, go to www.michigandaily.com. HEALTH CARE From Page 2 that students whose universities offer an insurance plan are exclud- ed. "There's an expectation that someone would apply for that and get that coverage and not ask to be part of the charity program." Kuczmera said that she wasn't paying attention when information aboutthe University's health insur- ance plan came in the mail eight months before her mother's layoff. "I wish I would have been more responsible about it," she said. Other local charities have simi- lar restrictions for students. Ellen Rabinowitz, executive director of the Washtenaw County Health plan, a health care charity serv- ing Washtenaw County residents, said program has a "blanket rule" excluding any resident with access to assistance like University Health Service or the University's Domes- tic Student Health Insurance Plan because of "incredible demand" for the charity's funds. "Our little program is a program to meet the needs of lowest income, most needy members of our com- munity," Rabinowitz said. "And if people have other services, we're not going to enroll them. We're truly a last resort." Rosemary Corbin, the service delivery leader of financial coun- seling at the charity program through Ypsilanti's St. Joseph's hospital, said that students with the option of health care or insur- ance are not specifically excluded, but will be directed to other pro- grams first. "All patients are handled the same, so if a student is from an institution where they provide health care services, we won't pro- vide for future services any charity, but for past or emergency services we might," she said. Bob Winfield, the director of University Health Service, said the economy is creating trouble for students who can't afford the rising cost of health insurance, which have more than doubled in the past seven years. He said that prices play a large role in the shift- ing membership in the University's health plan, which has dropped from 3,300 in 2000 to about 1,700 people today. Eight years ago, insurance for students cost about $1,000. Today, it costs more than $2,350. "We're really in a very serious situation with it, because the plan is almost beyond reach for a lot of students," Winfield said. University Health Service sur- veys estimate the rate of uninsured undergraduates was about 3 per- cent in 2000 and 5.6 percent in 2005. Rates for. uninsured gradu- ate students were higher, rising from 7 to 10.5 percent over the same period. Students may be in trouble regardless, said Tom Marks, the director of revenue cycle at the University hospital. "Even insured patients often are finding big bills at their home," he said. "You hear the term health care crisis, I personally dtn't think that's an exaggeration." RODRIGUEZ From Page 1 Paul Astorg, who expected West Virginia to recover the full $4 million. "Everybody needed to move on." But Astorg said he thought the legal process could reveal other issues. "I think that lawsuit was going to show some of the deficiencies in the athletic department at West Virginia," Astorg said. Ken Kendrick, another West Virginia booster and the managing STEM CELLS From Page 1 rison makes it illegal to perform scientific research in which a human embryo is imperiled or destroyed. Takingstem cells from an embryo destroys it, so Morri- son has only two options. They can take stem cells from adults, but Morrison said adult stem cells don't have the same potential as embryonic stem cells. Research- ers can buy expensive embryonic stem cells from outside the state, but Morrison said they can't be boughtwith public funding. Marcia Baum, executive director of Michigan Citizens for Stem Cell Research and Cures, an organiza- tion supporting the proposal, said the current law doesn't fulfill its intended goal. It doesn't stop their destruction outright, she said. Couples that undergo in vitro general partner of the Arizona Dia- mondbacks, has been particularly outspoken about what he describes as West Virginia's "inept, incompe- tent, political" athletic department. "Essentially, they are a good- ole-boy network," Kendrick said before the lawsuit was settled. "They don't operate their athletic department in a professional, state- of-the-art way." West Virginia booster Mike Smith sees another side to the issue, saying a change in Rodriguez sparked the coach's departure. "Rich has been getting bad fertilization and don't want to store their unused embryos can destroy them, but can't donate them for research. "In 45 other states, couples are given the option to donate embry- os to a research facility to find treatments and cures,"Baum said. Amber Shinn, communications director for the CureMichigan ballot initiative, said the group is working hard to explain the ben- efits of stem cell research. "Of course we're going to work on educating the voters," Shinn said. "Making sure that they understand that this is a great choice for the health and wellbe- ing of our state." Michigan Citizens Against Unrestricted Science and Experi- mentation (MI-CAUSE) formed in opposition to the ballot initiative. Dave Doyle, the spokesperson for MI-CAUSE, said the group's goal is to educate people about advice from his people for the last couple years," Smith said. "His agent (Mike Brown) has really guided him in the wrong direction. Let me tell you something, Rich turned, changed after he won the Sugar Bowl in 2006. He became a different coach." Rodriguez agreed to terms on a 6-year, $15-million deal with Michi- gan in December. It includes a simi- lar $4-million buyout that decreases by $500,000 each year. "It would've been a heck of a lot easier not to go through this," Rodri- guez said prior to the settlement. what he said is really in the con- stitutional amendment. "What the proponents are say- ing and what's actually in the lan- guage are two different things," he said. "What this proposal allows for is completely unregu- lated and unrestricted experi- mentation on human embryos." Brady Smith, chair of the Uni- versity's chapter of the College Republicans, said his group has not made a decision whether or not to support the initiative, but will consider the amendment. Nathaniel Eli Coats Styer, chair of the University's chapter of the College Democrats, said hisgroup is very excited about the proposal and will support it in the fall. "By having this ballot initia- tive we can excite Democrats and especially kids on campus here," he said. "We'll definitely be push- ing for it along with the rest of our campaigning this fall." 4