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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
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CARSON
From Page 1A
PUB
From Page 1A
MUD BOWL
From Page 1A