Joe Palca, an award-winning 

science 
correspondent 
from 

National Public Radio, visited 
the University of Michigan 
Thursday afternoon to give a 
talk 
titled 
“Communicating 

Science for Fun and Profit” at 
West Hall. The talk focused 
on how to better communicate 
science with the general public.

Palca, who has worked for 

NPR since 1992, has covered 
a large range of science news, 
such 
as 
the 
new 
genome 

editing technology and the first 
snapshots of Jupiter’s north 
pole. He used his previously 
written stories as examples to 
illustrate several points, like 
the low scientific literacy of the 
U.S. population. According to a 
survey in 2013, just 58 percent 
of 18- to 29-year-olds answered 
correctly that carbon dioxide is 
the gas associated with climate 
change.

Palca said he constantly asks 

himself what he can expect his 
audience to know. Using his 
recent article on Jupiter’s north 
pole as an example, he explained 
how scientific research always 
has jargon, like “aurora” — 
lights caused by the interaction 
between particles from the sun 
and the Earth’s magnetic field. 
Palca said, as a writer, he needs 
to first understand the jargon 
to translate it into simpler 
language.

“There is always a certain 

amount of jargon,” he said. 

“Now, aurora — people don’t 
really, really know what aurora 
was. I had to go and look it up 
and remind myself what an 
aurora was. And I certainly 
didn’t explain why there are 
poles (on Jupiter) and why 
magnetic fields come together at 
poles. … I tried to, in the piece, 
keep the simplest words I can.”

He also spoke of his efforts 

to portray scientists as people, 
not as “body of brains” [COPY: a 

body of brains? Bodies of brains? 
Plural bc we’re talking about 
scientists] without passion or 
interest who sleep in the lab or at 
their computer. To illustrate the 
human side of scientists, Palca 
pointed to comments made by 
several competing scientists he 
interviewed who said though 
they would be happy for anyone 
to discover the ninth planet, 
they would be happier if they 
were the ones who find it first.

“Scientists have said, ‘look 

it’s not about me, it’s about my 
science,’ ” Palca said. “You can 
say that to other scientists when 
you’re talking to them, but when 
you’re on the radio and you’re 
talking to me, it’s about you. I 
think people respond to people.”

Finally, Palca said while 

there are many new findings 
in science covered by media, 
they are not necessarily the 

The Trotter Multicultural 

Center kicked off the year 
with its A Peace of Trotter 
event, which offered a variety 
of global activities Thursday 
evening.

The 
event 
featured 
an 

assortment 
of 
international 

cuisine, yoga on the lawn, 
Congolese dancing and Paint 
No Pour — a program based 
off Painting with a Twist, a 
painting studio that includes 
in class instruction, without 
alcohol 
or 
other 
altering 

substances.

The 
activities 
were 
all 

led by various members of 
the University of Michigan 
community, 
including 

professors, faculty and staff.

Program Manager Jessica 

Thompson said she wanted 
this event to demonstrate what 
students can expect from the 
Trotter Center for the rest 
of the year. Looking ahead, 
Thompson said Trotter will 
continue to host its regular 
events — like Paint No Pour, 
Soul Food Sundays and Congo 
dancing lessons — in addition 

michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Friday, September 16, 2016

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail 
news@michigandaily.com and let us know.

INDEX
Vol. CXXV, No. 135
©2016 The Michigan Daily

NEWS......................... 2A

OPINION.....................4A

C L A S S I F I E D S . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 A

SUDOKU..................... 2A

A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 A

FOOTBALL SATURDAY..1B

The City of Ann Arbor is 

working to develop a new long-
term plan recycling in the city 
after being sued by the city’s 
former 
recycling 
operator, 

ReCommunity.

Currently, recycling in the 

city is being managed by a 
short-term 
operator 
put 
in 

place to temporarily continue 
recycling services while an 
interim company is found.

On 
July 
27, 
Resource 

Recovery Systems LLC and 
FCR LLC, better known as 
ReCommunity, filed a federal 
lawsuit against the city of Ann 

Arbor 
alleging 
a 
wrongful 

termination of its contract. 
ReCommunity says the city 
violated terms of its contract 
by failing to pay the costs of 
revenue shortfalls and repairs, 
and used wrongful means to end 
the contract when it saw it as no 
longer financially beneficial.

The city of Ann Arbor 

alleges 
the 
contract 
was 

terminated 
due 
to 
safety 

concerns and a multitude of 
fires at ReCommunity plants. 
ReCommunity 
managed 

the city’s Material Recovery 
Facility on Platt Road, as well as 
the city’s recycling facility and 
transfer station.

See RECYCLE, Page 3A

ELIZABETH XIONG/Daily

University President Mark Schlissel listens to speakers at the regents meeting at the Michigan Union Thursday.

The University of Michigan 

Board of Regents held its first 
meeting of the academic year 
Thursday afternoon, passing 
measures including a pay raise 

for University President Mark 
Schlissel, new renovations and 
new bylaws concerning student 
input on the board’s decisions, 
along with the announcement 
of a new robotics laboratory.

New renovations to Dental 

Building, Kraus Building and 
LSA Building

The board approved a $122 

million renovation project to 
the W.K. Kellogg Institute and 
Dental building. The repairs 
will cover 172,000 square feet 
of the current buildings and 
add 37,000 square feet to the 
complex, addressing concerns 
such as patient accessibility 

and 
deferred 
maintenance. 

Upon approval by the state 
legislature, $30 million will 
come from the state, while the 
Office of the Provost will front 
the remaining cost. The board 
also authorized architecture 
firm SmithGroupJJR to oversee 

See TROTTER, Page 3A

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

NPR science reporter, Joe Palca gives a talk about communicating science at West Hall on Thursday.

Miracle at Michigan
On Sept. 24, 1994, Colorado 

stunned Michigan in a 
shocking ending. As the 
Buffaloes return to Ann 

Arbor, those involved look 
back at that bizarre finish.

» Page 4B

michigandaily.com

For more stories and coverage, visit

The University of Michigan’s 

Monitoring the Future survey 
announced last week that they 
found college-aged adults’ use 
of marijuana has continued to 
steadily increase since 1975, 
while the rate of “being drunk” 
has held at near 60 percent 
prevalence level since 2000.

Lloyd Johnston, the study’s 

principal investigator and a 
senior research scientist at the 
Institute for Social Research, 
said 
alcohol, 
marijana, 

narcotics and cigarettes are 
among the most frequently 
used substances on campus. 

Alcohol
Johnston said one of the 

more significant and relevant 
facets of the study is its focus 
on alcohol use among college 
students, a demographic which 
often drinks in excess in short 
periods of time.

Johnston said the numbers 

on alcohol use are concerning, 
“particularly for people who 
are binge drinking and doing 
what we’ve called extreme 
binge drinking, which is very 
dangerous — having 10 or 15 

See MARIJUANA, Page 3A

See NPR, Page 3A

See REGENTS, Page 3A

A2 works to 
develop plan 
for recycling 
operations 

Regents reinstate bylaw section, 
vote to award Schlissel pay raise

LOCAL

Following ReCommunity lawsuit, 
city focuses on long-term changes

SOPHIE SHERRY
Daily Staff Reporter

At first fall meeting, body considers additions to increase student input

RIYAH BASHA &

KATHERINE CURRAN

Daily Staff Reporters

Peace of 
Trotter 
kicks off 
semester

CAMPUS LIFE

Students, faculty and 
staff gathered for food 
and activities Thursday

LYDIA MURRAY
Daily Staff Reporter

NPR correspondent gives lecture on 
challenges in scientific journalism

Joe Palca discusses communicating technical concepts effectively

IRENE PARK

Daily Staff Reporter

Study finds 
 

youth more 
likely to use 
marijuana

RESEARCH

University survey shows 
trends in college drug 
and alcohol use

ALEXA ST. JOHN
Daily Staff Reporter