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 Si fri By A Wo forUn to acc to slo of hig under studen schedi comba and introd 11. Ma web a for IT promp functi infrast portal "W concer so we (the) v Wolve said. Wh were I decide appea: color s All not im " maint and fu upgra( to an Wolve Cas direct said t pave t and a site. 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." EDITORIAL STAFF Elliot Alpern ealpern@michigandaily.com ihefildiian &Uij 420 Haynard Sn. AnnArbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com KATIE BURKE MERYL HULTENG Editor in Chief Business Manager CONTACT INFORMATION Newsroom Oficehours Sun-Thurs. 11 a.m. - 2a.m 734-763-2459 opt.3 NewslTips ,news,,iehigadily,,,, Letterstothe Editor othedaily(amichganda iy.com or visit michigandailycomtetters PhotoDepartment photo,,:,sa aiy,omd ArtstSection arts,5michianaily,,com EditorialPage opinion@michigndai1.com SportsSection sports@michigandaiy com Magazine statement@michigandiy.com Advertising Phon:,3476-. 5 Departmen displaymiehiganda iy,,,, tlassifieds Phone:734-764-0557 Department classifed@michigandailycom Wolverines club Toledo Aaron Guggenheim ManagingNews Editor agaggen@michigandaiy com SENIOR NEWS EDITOR: Alicia Adamczyk EricFerguson EditorialPageEditor oin Toned itors@ mich igandai ly DIoR: MeganMcDonald Gregrndio sm adiyManaging Sports Editor sportseditors,,ichiadily,.com SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR: Jeremy Summitt, Alexa Dettelbach John Lynch ManagingArtsEditor jplyn@micigandaiiy com SENIORARTS EDITORS: Max Marlene Lacasse ManagingPhoto Editor Austin Reed ManagingDesign Editor design@michigandaiycom MeaghanThompson ManagingCopy Editor copydsk5,michigndaiycom BUSINESS STAFF Leah Louis-Prescott SalestManager 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 Dailys oftice tr$2. Suhscriptions tartall term, starting in Septemher, via U.S. mail are $110. Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. University attiliates are suhject to a reduced suhscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term 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.