Thursday, May9, 2013
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Thursday, May 9, 2013
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
ITS to improve
Wolverine Access
Photo Illustration by MARLENE LALASSE/Daily
Campus smoking
rate on the decline
Two years after ban,
students and faculty
report positive impact
By ALICIA ADAMCZYK
Daily Staff Reporter
A survey conducted to gauge
the success of the University's
smoking ban two years after its
implementation shows promising
results for those favoring a smoke-
free campus.
According to the survey - which
was completed by 2,022 students
and 2,405 faculty and staff - 82.7
percent of students and 88.8 percent
of faculty and staff said they sup-
ported the existence of the smoke-
free campus policy. Additionally, 72
percent of faculty and 65 percent of
students reported that they noticed
a decrease in smoking on campus
since the policy's implementation.
Prior to the smoking ban in
2011, the University of Michigan
Substance Abuse Research Center
performed a Student Life Survey
to gain information on student and
faculty smoking habits. According
to a follow-up survey performed in
November, the percentage of faculty
and staff who self-reported smoking
decreased from 6 percent in the 2011
survey to 4 percent.
The decision to implement a
smoke-free initiative on campus
was made by Dr. Robert Winfield,
University chief health officer
and director of University Health
Services, alongwithother executive
health officers.
"The goal of a smoke-free campus
is to create a healthier campus that
sets a good example for students
passing through, and promotes
health and wellness for them in the
future," Winfield said.
He said in the past, smoking
hotspots included the benches
around the Diag, the side entrance
of the Union and the libraries on
North Campus and Central Cam-
pus. He said there's been a "95 per-
cent" decrease in activity around
these areas since the ban went into
effect.
In the year and a half prior to the
implementation of the initiative,
surveys and focus groups identified
how people felt about smoking in
general and how frequently people
smoked on campus.
"We wanted to identify what
kinds of issues were really most
important to the campus, including
faculty, staff and students," Win-
field said.
The fact that the ban uses social
norms and pressure rather than
legal measures to enforce the rules
was an important decision for Win-
field and the creators of the smoke-
free initiative.
See SMOKING, Page 3
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te to have user- "We want you to be able to
pick what you want to see on your
iendly interface homepage, "Carson said.
and enhanced Carson added that these
changes came with the possibility
appearance of implementing a more user-
friendly approach for the website
in the future.
MRUTHA SIVAKUMAR Allen said though Wolverine
Daily StaffReporter Access won't contain any new
customizable features on the
lverine Access - the portal 11th, ITS will continue to work
iversitycommunitymembers on improving the site to provide
ess personal records - tends users with a more dynamic
w down during periods experience. She said in the future,
;h traffic, often struggling ITS would like the home page to be
the strain of thousands of a customizable portal application.
ats attempting to access class "(Users) could then log into
ules or other information. To Wolverine Access to see the
it this problem, Information information that they would like
Technology Services will versus the static look that we have
uce a renovated site on May now where you have to navigate to
links," he said.
shon Allen, the mobile, Recently, ITS has been working
nd portal product manager to get students more involved in its
S, said the changes were system designing processes. Car-
ted by concerns over the son said this process allowed ITS
onality of the technological to formulate upgrades based on
tructure that supported the user demand.
1. "Anything we do, we always
e've had some performance make sure that we meet all the
rns over that environment, accessibility standards," she said.
have decided to upgrade ... ITS analyzed user demand by
version of the software that conducting usability studies and
rine Access rests on," Allen surveys sent through different
points on campus. The department
ile technological upgrades also hired a University student to
being implemented, ITS also work on staff, which has allowed
d to freshen up the site's direct student input in the process.
rance by incorporating anew Education graduate student
cheme and image changes. Florencia Gomez said the lack
en said these changes would of customizability of Wolverine
pactuser accessibility. Access inhibited her ability to
Ve've worked really hard to access certain administrative sys-
ain the existing features tems. She believes that the lack of
inctionality," she said. "This "adequate response to the user"
de should be fairly seamless was the administrative system's
y customer that goes to major shortcoming.
rine Access." "I think customizing the view
sandra Carson, assistant of a website or an online system
or of enabling technologies, is always a benefit for the user,"
he new technology would she said. "It's important to make
:he way for future aesthetic improvements because Wolverine
ccessibility upgrades to the Access looks and feels out of date
and it's notcvery user friendly."
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The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is
published every Thursday during the
sprint and sammer terms hy students
at the University at Michigan. Dee copy
is available free of charge to all readers.
Additional copies maybe picked up at the
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are $110. Winter term (January through
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are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid.
The Michigan Daily is a member of The
Associated Press and The Associated
Collegiate Press.
Managing Editor
By JEREMY SUMMITT
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan baseball team's
offense has been dormant recent-
ly, but the Wolverines woke up
to unleash two huge offensive
innings en route to a 7-0 victory
over Toledo (12-15 MAC, 19-27
overall) on Wednesday.
It didn't take long, either.
Junior
center field- TOL EDO 0
er Michael MICHIGAN 7
O'Neill got
things going with a hard double to
left field after senior second base-
man Patrick Biondi was hit by a
pitch to lead off the game. Biondi
immediately left the game with a
back injury, and was replaced by
sophomore second baseman Eric
Jacobson. Michigan coach Erik
Bakich said he was still gather-
ing details from the team trainer
regarding Biondi's status.
"He's as tough as they come,"
Bakich said. "But he took a hit by
pitch in the back, so that's never
good."
After Biondi left the game,
the Wolverines (10-8 Big Ten,
25-22) soon loaded the bases
with no outs and the runs quickly
followed. An inability to take
advantage of runners in scoring
position has been a consistent
offensive liability this season, but
there weren't many signs of that
on Wednesday.
Freshman designated hit-
ter Jacob Cronenworth scored
Jacobson on a groundout to first
base, and O'Neill reached home
off a passed ball on the next play.
Sophomore right fielder Kevin
White hit a deep ball to left-
center, but settled for a sacrifice
fly before a double steal scored
sophomore left fielder Zach Zott
to conclude the inning.
White slugged a pitch over the
left-field wall for a three-run shot
in his next at-bat to cap off the
most productive offensive perfor-
mance of any Wolverine. He went
2-for-3 with a run and four RBI
on the evening.
"I simplified everything and
slowed it down today," White
said. "I was a little more selective
and just got better pitches to hit
instead of chasing pitches that
the pitchers wanted me to hit."
Alongside a much-improved
offensive showing, the pitching
By ERIN LENNON
Daily Sports Writer
On Wednesday, seven mem-
bers of the Michigan softball team
proved they do more than just win
games - they win awards.
As she has done in so many
games this year, freshman short-
stop Sierra Romero knocked the
competition out of the park, earn-
ing both Big Ten Freshman of the
Year and Player of the Year honors.
Romero is just the second fresh-
man to win both awards, joining
Michigan's Sara Griffin who earned
the distinction in 1995. Romero
follows in the footsteps of former
Michigan first baseman Amanda
Chidester, who won Player of the
Year in 2011 and 2012.
The Murrieta, Calif. native has
been hailed by Michigan coach
Carol Hutchins since she stepped
onto campus in August, even draw-
ing comparisons to Detroit Tigers'
slugger, Prince Fielder.
"She has the quickest hands I've
ever seen," Hutchins said. "If you
watched her in the fall you would
have known it there. She has a
tremendous presence both in our
offensive lineup and on the field."
Romero finished the regular
season batting .397 with a slug-
ging percentage of .897, 66 RBI and
a program-record 22 home runs.
During conference play, the short-
stop strung together a 14-game hit-
ting streak. An additional 42 walks
put Romero on base in each confer-
ence game, earning her a stagger-
ing .534 on-base percentage. Her
62 hits is tied with junior first base-
man Caitlin Blanchard and senior
second baseman Ashley Lane for
the team lead - a lethal combina-
tion at the heart of the Michigan
batting order.
"It's great how we've kept it
going one after another," Romero
said. "We're very contagious. It can
be good and it can't be bad, but late-
lyit'sbeen workingforus and we're
rolling with it. It's been fun."
Lane and Blanchard were two of
six Wolverines named to the first-
team All-Big Ten team.
Blanchard's hot midseason hit-
tingmade herthe natural fitbehind
Romero in the lineup, while her
.981 fielding percentage at first base
kept her from playing her original
position, catcher, all season. The
junior led the league with 33 hits in
conference play, while batting .452
'M' rakes in awards
with three home runs and 26 RBI.
"I relish hitting in any opportu-
nity, and it'sgreat if you want to put
one more runner on," Blanchard
said. "We have a saying in the dug-
out that's pretty simple: 'Walks are
good.' Even if it's Sierra getting
intentionally walked, that's one
more base runner for our team so
of course we're goingto take that."
Behind Blanchard in the cleanup
spot, Lane batted .411 in conference
play with seven home runs and 28
RBI. She slugged .740 She finished
tied for second in the league with
seven home runs and third in both
RBI and hits (30).
Sophomore catcher Lauren
Sweet rounded out the infield
selections thanks to an offensive
surge in conference play. Despite
hitting just .079 through the first
half of the season - her first hit
didn't come until the final week of
non-conference play - Sweet bat-
ted just shy of .500 through 22 Big
Ten games.
Whereas sophomore pitcher
Haley Wagner - who was chosen
second-team All-Big Ten - stole
the show last year, sophomore
right-hander Sara Driesenga rep-
resents the Wolverines' pitching
with first-team honors this season.
An early-season injury to Wagner
allowed Driesenga to step up as
Michigan's ace, a role in which she
performed admirably. The Hud-
sonville, Mich. native struck out 68
batters in 63 innings and boasted a
2.65 ERA with a 9-1 record.
Freshman left fielder Sierra
Lawrence joins Romero as the only
two freshmen to make the first
team. She batted .429 with seven
doubles and four home runs to
compile a .730 slugging percentage.
She knocked in 22 runs and stole
three bases, and remained perfect
in the field with a 1.000 fielding
percentage.
Michigan coach Carol Hutchins
- who won her 3,000th game ear-
lier this season - was awarded her
third-consecutive Coach of the
Year honor, as voted on by her fel-
low coaches in the Big Ten.
"Obviously, it shows I've been
here a long time and I'm really
lucky that way," Hutchins said.
"You don't see many people have
that. It means we've had good play-
ers and good staff. We've had a lot
of good players come through here
and certainly my assistants make
all the difference in the world."
PAUL SHERMAN/Daly
Junior center fielder Michael O'Neill went 2-ftr-5 with a run on Wednesday.
staff performed admirably as
well. After they were roughed up
on Tuesday, Bakich used a boun-
ty of pitchers in this game, and
the right-handed combination
of sophomore James Bourque,
senior Kyle Clark and freshman
Alex Daar never disappoint-
ed. The trio combined to pitch
a remarkable seven scoreless
innings, allowing just three hits
and striking out four.
"We wanted to use Bourque
and Clark," Bakich said. "They
could only go two because that
enables both of them to come
back on Friday. We needed to
save our pitching as best we can
for the weekend. They did a great
job of holding their offense down
and attacking the strike zone."
Sophomore right-hander Don-
nie Eaton and senior right-hand-
er Chad Jasman finished out the
game in the eighth and ninth,
respectively. The entire pitching
staff, from Bourque to Jasman,
did a superb job at attacking the
Toledo batters in the strike zone,
staying away from too many full
counts and forcing contact early
in opposing at-bats. Utilizing
both sides of the plate kept oppos-
ing batters on edge and prevented
the Rockets from stringing qual-
ity at-bats together in any inning.
The Wolverines certainly
needed the momentum boost
stemming from the victory as
they head into a crucial series
with Purdue this weekend. With
an at-large berth to the NCAA
Tournament slowly creeping out
of reach barring a sweep of the
remaining schedule, Michigan
will need to rely on making the
Big Ten Tournament and eventu-
ally emerging victorious. Getting
back on track both offensively
and with outstanding pitching
performances couldn't have come
at a better time.