3-News

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Thursday, September 24, 2015 — 3A

sors to spend in-class hours trou-
bleshooting with students as they 
work through assignments and 
projects.

This semester, more than 1,700 

University courses and 28,700 
students are using Canvas. For 
the rest of the academic year, 
instructors will be able to choose 
between either system.

However, 
students 
have 

expressed frustration with the 
simultaneous use of CTools and 
Canvas, 
a 
grievance 
Pollack 

acknowledged in the e-mail and 
in a September interview with 
The Michigan Daily.

“I can appreciate the chal-

lenge,” she said in September. 
“On the other hand, we’re such a 

big University that we can’t really 
just flip a switch and do it all at 
once. When you go through sys-
tem changes there’s just always a 
little period of some added chal-
lenge.”

Pollack accepted a recom-

mendation from the group who 
oversaw the pilot program — 
the Digital Innovation Advisory 
Group’s Digital Ecosystem Sub-
committee — to expedite the full 
transition to Canvas by fall 2016.

The University of Michigan’s 

Dearborn campus, as well as 
close to 700 other schools across 
the country, currently use Can-
vas.

In an interview Wednesday 

morning before the transition 
was 
announced, 
Comparative 

Literature Prof. Silke-Maria Wei-
neck, chair of the Senate Advisory 
Committee on University Affairs, 

said she thought the transition 
process had been well handled 
and that faculty were generally 
optimistic about it. 

“There’s been a lot of consulta-

tion, so we think that’s been done 
well,” Weineck said. “There’s 
been a lot of faculty input, there’s 
been a careful pilot program 
to identify possible programs, 
so fingers-crossed. There are 
always transition costs.”

Public Health Prof. David 

Mendez, chair of the Digital 
Ecosystem Subcommittee, said 
in the release that faculty should 
take advantage of the resources 
available to aid their transition.

“I encourage faculty to exper-

iment with Canvas and to engage 
with colleagues who have used 
it,” he said. “Talk to your local IT 
support or instructional design-
ers who can help you get the 

most out of Canvas. Once people 
start using Canvas, they realize 
the transition is not that hard and 
the rewards far exceed the cost of 
moving to a new system. I encour-
age our colleagues not to wait too 
long to get started.”

The University’s ITS Ser-

vice Center is offering Convert-
2Canvas assistance, available to 
instructors upon request. The 
service moves material for facul-
ty from CTools to Canvas within 
a few days.

Existing 
course 
sites 
on 

CTools will be available through 
August 2017, at which point they 
will be archived and available 
to faculty upon request. CTools 
sites not used for courses — such 
as those created for student orga-
nizations, research and other 
projects — will remain active for 
now.

would say: ‘You can’t make your 
boys sit around reading books, 
they’ll grow up and they’ll hate 
you.’ … I didn’t like it much at 
first, but as I started reading these 
books, I started knowing stuff; 
stuff that nobody else knew. And 
within the space of a year and a 
half I went from the bottom of the 
class to the top of the class.”

Carson graduated from the 

University’s Medical School in 
1977 and spent his career at Johns 
Hopkins University.

He said growing up he always 

aspired to be a doctor, but did not 
think his career would take a turn 
into politics.

“I never thought when I left 

Michigan that I would end up in 
the political arena,” Carson said.

Though he deemed the higher 

education proposals of other 
candidates fiscally irresponsible, 
including a plan proposed by Ver-
mont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Dem-
ocratic presidential candidate, 
to provide free, universal high-
er education, Carson’s speech 
focused on the key role education 
plays in economic advancement.

He recalled the nation’s history 

of emphasizing education, dating 
back to the early colonists who 
settled the Massachusetts Bay 
Colony.

“That’s one of the reasons we 

were able to rise from nothing 
to the pinnacle of the world on 
such short order,” Carson said. 
“Think about this: before Ameri-
ca came on the scene — 100 years, 
500 years, 1,000, 3,000, 5,000 — 
people did things the same way. 
Within 200 years of the advent 
of America, men were walking on 
the moon. This is the most excep-
tional nation in the world.”

He said for all the bad things 

people say about the United 
States, there are still always peo-
ple trying to come here and not 
very many trying to leave.

In a span of five minutes, Car-

son was able to touch on all of the 
major social points of contention 
in the election: women’s rights, 
religious freedom and same-sex 
marriage.

“The war on women — what 

a phony thing to say. That is all 
hype,” Carson said. “I say that as 
someone whose life was shaped 
and made successful by women. I 
have the most wonderful mother, 
the most wonderful wife, PAs, 

administrative 
assistants, 
col-

leagues who are women, and who 
I could never have been success-
ful without them, and I recognize 
that. I think most Americans rec-
ognize that.”

Carson also cited examples of 

places where women are worse 
off than in the United States.

“There are some nations in the 

world where they don’t recognize 
that — where women are not even 
allowed to drive, where their tes-
timony in court is worth half as 
much as a man’s, where they’re 
treated more like children than 
like equals,” he said.

On the issue of religious rights 

in the U.S., Carson referenced the 
founding fathers — many of whom 
came to the New World to escape 
religious oppression in Europe. 
He called particular attention to 
Benjamin Franklin, who, Carson 
recounted, asked the founding 
fathers to pray together during 
the stressful process of writing 
the Constitution.

“(The founding fathers) felt 

very strongly that we must do 
everything we can to allow peo-
ple to practice their faith,” Carson 
said. “Many people in our nation 
today who think that our consti-
tution’s law says we should be free 

from religion, but no, it’s freedom 
of religion.”

Despite this outspoken support 

of the First Amendment, Carson 
made national news Tuesday 
when, during an appearance on 
“Meet the Press,” he said he was 
against the election of a Muslim 
president.

Carson said while he disagrees 

with the Supreme Court decision 
in June to permit same-sex mar-
riage in the United States, he has 
nothing against people who are 
gay.

“I personally believe that the 

Supreme Court made a mistake 
when they basically voted to 
change the definition of marriage 
from what it has been tradition-
ally for thousands of years,” he 
said. “I have nothing against gay 
people — zero — but, I’m a prag-
matic person and I realize if you 
change the definition of marriage 
for one group, what right do you 
have not to change it for the next 
group, and the next group, and 
the next group.”

Carson is one of several GOP 

candidates to visit Michigan in 
recent months. Over the week-
end, five Republican contenders 
spoke to state party leaders at 
conference on Mackinac Island.

tions of University students.

“We really want to continue it, 

for the literally thousands of peo-
ple who have played in it and have 
memories of it,” Dubin said.

Mary Beth Seiler, director of the 

Office of Greek life, said the dis-
continuation of Mud Bowl is only 
in response to the involvement of 
members of the former SAE, who 
fall under the category of “rogue.”

“Nobody is trying to discontinue 

the Mud Bowl in Greek Life,” Seiler 
said, “If another organization that 
was recognized were sponsoring 
the Mud Bowl, that would not be a 
problem.”

Rogue fraternities refer to a 

situation in which the chapter is 
either removed from the IFC or its 
national organization withdraws 
recognition. Seiler said SAE has 
been considered a rogue organiza-
tion since it was expelled from the 
IFC, but lost ts national charter this 
summer.

Seiler added that the Office of 

Greek Life simply requests that fra-
ternities uphold the policies they 
have passed. “It’s part of the bylaws, 
and that is why the students will be 
unable to participate, based upon 
our rules,” Krupiak said. “If it were 
hosted by an IFC fraternity, that 
fraternity should be allowed to play, 
but because it’s SAE, they’re not.” 

A Change.org petitition calling 

on the Office of Greek Life to allow 
SAE to reinstate the Mud Bowl cur-
rently has 1,421 signatures. 

ney, but will not be permitted to 
bring liquor.

Evan 
Wood, 
Trolley 
Pub’s 

regional manager based in North 
Carolina, helps set up new loca-
tions nationally. He said the com-
pany has been in communication 
with Ann Arbor officials to ensure 
a smooth launch.

“Before we start in new loca-

tions, we build a relationship and 
start conversations with the chief 
of police, City Council and any-
body that may have a major role,” 
Wood said. “We do a lot of public 
relations so that we’re in no way 
inconspicuous.”

Amanda Swan, managing part-

ner for the Ann Arbor Trolley Pub, 
said she is excited to get business 
started.

“It’s going to be really, really 

fun,” Swan said. “I’m excited to 
kick it off by having a complete 
public kick-off, like a meet and 
greet. Anyone can hop on and hop 
off.”

A 14-person private tour costs 

$375. However, if a party does 

not have enough people to fill the 
entire pedal pub, they can pur-
chase $30 single tickets to ride on 
a “mixer” pedal-pub. Both options 
include a tour around the down-
town area and the option to stop at 
bars along the route.

Swan said the pedal pub oper-

ates like any stationary restaurant 
or bar.

“We card everyone that wants 

to drink,” Swan said. “People 
that are over 21 get a stamp on 
their hand so we know they can 
drink and we have a tour conduc-
tor or driver that keeps an eye on 
things.”

Despite the drinking, guests as 

young as 13 years old are allowed 
to ride.

Trolley Pub first opened in 

North Carolina and has expanded 
around the country. Swan start-
ing working for Trolley Pub in 
Madison, Wis. After she moved 
to Detroit, the company asked if 
she was interesting in setting up 
a location in Michigan. Swan told 
the company Ann Arbor would be 
the perfect location.

“I just love the restaurant scene. 

It’s such a fun downtown,” Swan 
said. “It’s something for every-
one, and the energy is really good. 

People are open and relaxed, it’s 
fun and there’s a vibe. I’m excited 
to bring an interesting way to get 
around downtown and for people 
to see Ann Arbor.”

In July, Gov. Rick Snyder signed 

a law allowing individuals to con-
sume beer and wine while pedal-
ing from bar to bar. That means 
pedal trolleys in the state can now 
allow their customers to drink 
beer or wine while on board. How-
ever, individual cities are permit-
ted to pass their own ordinances 
against drinking.

Ann Arbor does not currently 

have an ordinance outlining rules 
and regulations for pedal-pow-
ered pubs. City Councilmember 
Jane Lumm (I–Ward 2), who is 
a member of the Liquor License 
Review Committee, said the city 
is working to fast-track an ordi-
nance.

“The Liquor License Advisory 

Committee and the city staff are at 
this time doing the necessary due 
diligence,” Lumm said. “We’re 
obtaining the necessary staff and 
stakeholder input to inform the 
development of an ordinance and 
policy recommendation for the 
committee’s consideration. The 
committee will then make a rec-

ommendation for council consid-
eration.”

It is unclear whether drinking 

will be banned on the trolley pubs 
or merely regulated. Some cities, 
like Royal Oak, have voted to com-
pletely ban drinking on board.

Wood said the pedal pubs will 

respect whatever ordinance the 
city produces. He also said they 
would continue tours alcohol-free 
if necessary.

“We do a very good job of self-

regulating and I think if it goes 
well-enough and they see how 
responsible we are, hopefully that 
will turn into less of a concern,” 
Wood said. “We like to not take 
advantage of the laws and city that 
we’re in.”

The city has also expressed 

concerns about customers of Trol-
ley Pub exiting the vehicle with 
open containers. Wood said they 
have a zero-tolerance policy with 
open containers leaving the pedal 
pub.

“You wouldn’t walk out of a 

bar into the street with a beer 
or drink, so don’t do that here,” 
Wood said. “We put city laws and 
ordinances way before we worry 
about getting a bad review on Yelp 
or TripAdvisor.”

CTOOLS
From Page 1A

CARSON
From Page 1A

PUB
From Page 1A

MUD BOWL
From Page 1A

