and evaluation experts — to 
determine whether the current 
course evaluation instrument 
is in line with best practices. If 
it is not, the committee will be 
charged with recommending a 
new instrument.

According 
to 
Weineck, 

University 
Provost 
Martha 

Pollack wants the issue of how 
and when to release course 
evaluation data to be decided 
by faculty and students.

“(Pollack) 
seemed 
very, 

very open to having students 
and faculty hash this out and 
not get involved, which I 
think is wonderful,” Weineck 
said.

In an October interview 

with The Michigan Daily, 
Pollack confirmed this desire 
for 
students 
and 
faculty 

to work together to find a 
solution.

SACUA 
members 
also 

discussed 
the 
faculty 

governance conference the 
University is scheduled to host 
in March. The conference will 

be open to faculty governance 
at other Big Ten schools, 
the University of Virginia, 
the 
University 
of 
North 

Carolina, the University of 
California, Los Angeles and 
the University of California, 
Berkeley.

Though still in the planning 

stages, SACUA members hope 
to facilitate panel discussions 
about the purview of faculty 
governance 
and 
academic 

freedom, among other issues.

This is the first time the 

University will host such a 
conference.

SACUA
From Page 1

2 — Tuesday, November 3, 2015
News
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

THREE THINGS YOU 

SHOULD KNOW TODAY

The Michigan men’s 
basketball 
team 

opened practice to 

fans for an hour ahead of 
Friday’s exhibition against 
Le Moyne at 7 p.m. at 
Crisler Center.
2

CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES

The Russian airline 
Kogalymavia has 
blamed an “external 

influence” for the plane 
crash in the Sinai Peninsula 
of 
Egypt 
last 
Saturday. 

According to BBC News, 224 
people were killed. 
1

According to federal 
authorities, students 
who 
identify 
as 

transgender 
 
are 

allowed 
to 
use 
school 

locker room facilities in 
accordance 
with 
their 

gender identity, The New 
York 
Times 
reported. 

3

420 Maynard St.

Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327

www.michigandaily.com

The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by 

students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may 

be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $110. 

Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. University affiliates 

are subject to a reduced subscription 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.

ROSE FILIPP
Business Manager

734-418-4115 ext. 1241

rfilipp@michigandaily.com

Newsroom

734-418-4115 opt. 3 

Corrections

corrections@michigandaily.com

Arts Section

arts@michigandaily.com

Sports Section

sports@michigandaily.com

Display Sales

dailydisplay@gmail.com

Online Sales

onlineads@michigandaily.com

News Tips

news@michigandaily.com

Letters to the Editor

tothedaily@michigandaily.com

Editorial Page

opinion@michigandaily.com 

Photography Section

photo@michigandaily.com

Classified Sales

classified@michigandaily.com

Finance

finance@michigandaily.com

EDITORIAL STAFF
Lev Facher Managing Editor lfacher@michigandaily.com

Sam Gringlas Managing News Editor gringlas@michigandaily.com

SENIOR NEWS EDITORS: Shoham Geva, Will Greenberg, Amabel Karoub, Emma Kerr, 
Emilie Plesset, Michael Sugerman

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS: Tanaz Ahmed, Alyssa Brandon, Katie Penrod, Sami 
Wintner, Gen Hummer, Emma Kinery, Tanya Madhani, Lara Moehlman, Lea Giotto, Isobel 
Futter

Aarica Marsh and 
 

Derek Wolfe Editorial Page Editors opinioneditors@michigandaily.com 

SENIOR EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Claire Bryan and Regan Detwiler

ASSISTANT EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Mary Kate Winn, Melissa Scholke, Stephanie 
Trierweiler, Ben Keller

Max Cohen and
Jake Lourim Managing Sports Editors 
sportseditors@michigandaily.com

SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS: Max Bultman, Minh Doan, Jacob Gase, Simon Kaufman, Jason 
Rubinstein, Zach Shaw
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS: Chloe Aubuchon, Chris Crowder, Kelly Hall, Ted Janes, 
Kevin Santo, Brad Whipple

Adam Depollo and 
 
 adepollo@michigandaily.com

Chloe Gilke Managing Arts Editors chloeliz@michigandaily.com
SENIOR ARTS EDITORS: Jamie Bircoll, Kathleen 
Davis, Catherine Sulpizio, Adam Theisen 
ARTS BEAT EDITORS: Alex Bernard, Karen Hua, Jacob Rich, Amelia Zak

Allison Farrand and 
 
 photo@michigandaily.com 

Ruby Wallau Managing Photo Editors 

SENIOR PHOTO EDITORS: Luna Anna Archey, James Coller, Virginia Lozano
ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS: Amanda Allen, Robert Dunne, Zach Moore, Sam Mousigian, 
San Pham

Emily Schumer and 
 
 design@michigandaily.com 

Shane Achenbach Managing Design Editors 

Ian Dillingham Magazine Editor statement@michigandaily.com 

DEPUTY MAGAZINE EDITORS: Natalie Gadbois
STATEMENT PHOTO EDITOR: Luna Anna Archey
STATEMENT LEAD DESIGNER: Jake Wellins

Hannah Bates and 
 
 copydesk@michigandaily.com

Laura Schinagle Managing Copy Editors 

SENIOR COPY EDITORS: Emily Campbell and Emma Sutherland
Amrutha Sivakumar Online Editor amrutha@michigandaily.com

Kaylla Cantilina and Katie Colosimo Managing Video Editors 
Carolyn Gearig Special Projects Manager

BUSINESS STAFF
Hussein Hakim Finance and Operations Manager 
Claire Ulak Production Manager
Jordan Yob Marketing Manager
Matt Pfenning UAccounts Manager
Asja Kepes Local Accounts Manager
Colin Cheesman National Accounts Manager
Anna He Special Guides and Online Manager
Claire Butz Layout Manager

JENNIFER CALFAS

Editor in Chief

734-418-4115 ext. 1251

jcalfas@michigandaily.com

TUESDAY:

Campus Voices

THURSDAY:
Twitter Talk

FRIDAY:

Photos of the Week

WEDNESDAY:

In Other Ivory Towers

MONDAY:

This Week in History

Career session
on staffing

WHAT: Students who 
are interested in the 
staffing industry can 
attend this event to get 
a look into the lives of 
recruiters. 
WHO: The Career Center 
WHEN: 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
WHERE: Michigan 
Union, Pond Room 

Mid-autumn 
harvest dinner

WHAT: East Quad din-
ing hall will be featur-
ing a special fall menu, 
including local harvested 
vegetables and produce. 
WHO: Michigan Dining 
WHEN: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
WHERE: East Quad 
Dining Hall 

Bill Staines 
performance 

WHAT: Bill Staines 
is a performer and folk 
artist and has been 
performing for six years. 
WHO: Michigan 
Union Ticket Office 
WHEN: 8 p.m.
WHERE: Off Campus 
Location, The Ark 
Please report any 
error in the Daily 
to corrections@
michigandaily.com.

Major & minor 
meetup session

WHAT: LSA students that 
are interested in exploring 
different majors and minors. 
This event will showcase the 
many different fields of study 
that the LSA offers. 
WHO: The Career Center
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
WHERE: Hatcher 
Graduate Library

Residency 
interview info

WHAT: Students who are 
interviewing to become 
student staff positions 
in residence education 
can attend this event. 
This will help them learn 
how to do well in their 
interview. 
WHO: Career Center 
WHEN: 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. 
WHERE: Couzens Hall

‘Dust in the 
wind’ film

WHAT: “Dust in the 
Wind,” a movie directed 
by Hou Hsiao-hsien will 
be screened. The movie 
is a love story following 
a young couple. 
WHO: Lieberthal-Rogel 
Center for Chinese Studies 
WHEN: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. 
WHERE: Michigan 
Theater

Alzheimer’s research links gene 
groups to disease progression

At Bernard W. 

Agranoff Lecture, 

lecture shows 

promise for a cure

By KATIE PENROD

Daily Staff Reporter

Alzheimer’s 
has 
historically 

been a disease researchers have 
struggled to find an effective 
treatment or cure for — however, 
Stanford University Prof. Carla 
Shatz hopes to change that.

Shatz’s work at the forefront of 

Alzheimer’s research was featured 
Monday during the Bernard W. 
Agranoff Lecture, an annual talk 
honoring the neuroscience pioneer 
who retired from his teaching 
position at the University in 2003.

Shatz was the first woman 

to earn tenure in the basic 
sciences at Stanford, where she 
is currently a professor of biology 
and neurobiology. Her research 

focuses on synaptic plasticity, or 
the ability of the gaps between 
nerve cells to strengthen or 
weaken over time, in relation to 
Alzheimer’s disease.

Throughout her lecture, Shatz 

emphasized the importance of 
a type of gene — MHC class I — 
specifically the MHC gene PirB. 
Her research teams throughout 
the years have focused on studying 
the visual cortex in the brain to 
uncover whether that particular 
gene is involved in regulating 
synaptic plasticity.

The MHC family of genes is 

complex and because the team 
pinpointed the family as important 
in diseases like Alzheimer’s, there 
may be more need to focus on their 
specific functions.

Shatz focused heavily on what 

she 
called 
“critical 
periods,” 

during which learning occurs, 
in the mice she studied. She said 
the genes that enable this type of 
learning remain present in elderly 
people or those with Alzheimer’s, 
but are repressed.

Shatz also said her team found 

that the PirB gene inhibits the 
ability of synapses to strengthen 
and weaken over time in response 
to increases or decreases in 
their activity. This may in turn 
contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.

“PirB downstream signaling 

opposes cascades that are required 
for synaptic plasticity,” she said. 
“Especially, more interesting a 
question for me as I get older is: Is 
this enough? We know that there’s 
a co-regulation between synaptic 
weakening and synaptic pruning 
and the PirB loss of function.”

The goal, Shatz said, is to find 

a way to inhibit PirB in humans, 
which contributes the loss of 
synapses in a process called 
“pruning.” 

“One of the ways we investigated 

this question was simply to take an 
Alzheimer mouse model and cross 
it with germline PirB knocked out 
mice and to ask whether in the 
absence of the PirB receptor, these 
mice might be protected from 
memory loss,” she said.

Employing basic memory tests, 

Shatz’s team found that when PirB 
receptors were blocked in mice 
that modeled Alzheimer’s, they 
performed on par with normal 
mice.

“What we discovered was in 

the absence of the PirB receptor 
they were performing memory 
discrimination at the same level as 
model-type mice,” she said.

Shatz ended her lecture on 

a hopeful note, saying the need 
for a pill to block PirB function 
could be on the forefront of her 
research. Though she said that 
kind of development takes time, 
the advances so far are promising.

Neuroscience 
post-

baccalaureate 
student 
Sharena 

Rice said she learned a lot from 
Shatz’s lecture and was especially 
fascinated by the way in which she 
conducted her research by using 
the visual cortex as a method of 
discovering PirB functions.

“This opened my eyes to visual 

neuroplasticity,” Rice said. “It 
brings up more questions and we 
need questions to identify more 
answers.”

RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily

SACUA member Angela Fagerlin, associate professor of internal medicine, discusses a student proposal for the 
formation of a clean energy committee and the preparation for the March Faculty Governance Conference in the Fleming 
Administration Building on Monday.

NIA ULFERS

App combines social platforms

Whether puppies on the 

Diag, an a cappella concert or 
the view from a new favorite 
study spot, it can be difficult to 
include everything in a mass 
e-mail or a single Yik Yak post.

The new app Speakiesy 

aims to combine the benefits 
of Twitter, Instagram and Yik 
Yak into one social media plat-
form to inform students what is 
occurring on campus. 

LSA sophomore Nia Ulfers 

is the campus representative 
for the app and said she has 
gained invaluable marketing 
experience through the experi-
ence.

What exactly is Speakiesy?

Well, the best way to 

describe the app is a social 
media site almost like Twit-
ter, Yik Yak and Instagram all 
rolled into one, but with the 
exclusivity of being purely for 
University of Michigan stu-
dents, so you have a to use a 
University of Michigan e-mail 
to be able to sign up for the 
app.

What is the purpose of 

Speakiesy?

The purpose of the app 

is to let people know what 
is going on around cam-
pus. You could also use it 
for purely fun purposes as 
well: like posting a picture 
of you and your dog or how 
nice the Diag looks on a 

certain day.

Why did you want to 

become a representative 

for Speakiesy?

I’m looking to get into mar-

keting and advertising. There 
is no major (for that) here so 
I’m currently pursuing an 
Organizational Studies major, 
but I think that through this 
experience I will learn valu-
able real life skills: I get to 
experience building some-
thing from the ground up, and 
how difficult it is to spread 
word on a huge campus like 
this, let alone a bigger city or 
bigger publication.

—REBECCA SOLBERG

Meet with Masha 
Gessen

WHAT: There will be a 
special meet & greet with a 
Wallenberg medalist, Masha 
Gessen. She is an acclaimed 
journalist, author and critic. 
WHO: Spectrum Center
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. 
WHERE: Michigan Union- 
Specrum Center 

CLAIRE ABDO/Daily

Music, Theatre & Dance sophomore Isabel Signoret performs 
at the Voice Department Recital Monday evening at the School 
of Music, Theatre & Dance.

DO RE MI

Outdoors 
workshop

WHAT: The Outdoor 
Adventure staff is teaching 
a workshop to introduce 
students to a variety of skills 
to help hone your outdoor 
leadership abilities. 
WHO: Michigan Outdoor 
Leadership Semester
WHEN: 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. 
WHERE: 36 Hill St. Ann 
Arbor, Mich.

STORY 
SLAM

Friday, November 20
7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
420 Maynard St.

Send entries to Sam Gringlas at gringlas@umich.edu by Nov. 13.
Pieces should be limited to three minutes in length.

