On his way to attend an
accessibility event hosted in
Ann Arbor by the University
of
Michigan
Council
for
Disability Concerns in early
December, the Ann Arbor
Metro Airport Shuttle denied
service to Stephen Kuusisto,
a
Syracuse
University
education professor who is
blind. Kuusito said he was
denied service because he had
his guide dog with him.
Days before traveling to
Ann Arbor, while still at home
in Syracuse, Kuusisto phoned
Ann Arbor Metro Airport
Shuttle based on a suggestion
from a University list of
approved services. Despite
being recommended by the
University, the taxi owner
told Kuusisto he would not
give him a ride with his guide
dog.
“The guy was perfectly
cheerful, until I mentioned I
was blind and have a Seeing
Eye dog,” Kuusisto said.
Kuusisto said the University
took the taxi company off the
list of recommended services
immediately
following
his
incident, and sent the service
a cease-and-desist letter to
stop them from using the
University’s logo.
The University may have
separated
itself
from
the
The world can’t stop laughing
— or at least over text.
The crying-laughing face is
the world’s most popular emoji,
researchers at the University
of
Michigan
and
Peking
University determined in a joint
study, according to a University
press
release
published
in
December.
Emojis
—
ranging
from
simplistic
smiling
faces
to
animals to flags to eggplants—
have been seen more recently
with the rise of smartphones
and social media sites, allowing
users to simply place an image
instead of spelling out longer
messages or reactions.
The
University
study
examined emoji usage from
3.88 million active users from
212 different countries and
regions from Sep. 1 to Sep. 30,
2015. Nearly one-third of the
active users analyzed in the
data study consisted of users in
the United States, though Brazil
and Mexico also held heavily
dominant users.
Wei Ai, a doctoral student
at the University’s School of
Information,
authored
the
study report, one of the first
large-scale analyses of emoji
usage.
“(Emojis)
are
becoming
the
ubiquitous
language
that bridges everyone across
different cultures,” Ai said in
the press release.
The red heart and heart-eyes
face ranked second and third,
respectively.
The
study
also
factored
cultural
attitudes
and
norms into emoji usage. The
researchers found that users
from different countries had
considerable
divergence
in
emoji usage, variance which was
mainly related to differences in
cultural backgrounds.
Texters
from
countries
highly valuing individualism
such as Australia, France and
the Czech Republic sent more
happy emojis. In societies more
concerned with uncertainty,
such as those in Portugal,
Chile
and
Peru,
however,
users tended toward emojis
expressing negative feelings.
The widespread use of emojis
presents an opportunity for
researchers in fields ranging
from linguistics to data science.
According to the study, emojis
are shared worldwide, and
research questions previously
restricted by language and
geographic barriers can now be
studied using the icons.
“Research
questions
that
previously
rely
on
small-
scale user surveys can now be
answered through analyzing
large-scale behavioral data,”
the study reads.
Ringing
in
the
new
year
brought
good
news
for
employees
throughout
Michigan
when
the
state
minimum wage increased by
40 cents — from $8.50 to $8.90
per hour — as a part of the
Workforce Opportunity Wage
Act.
The state bill, which passed
in 2014, aims to gradually
increase Michigan’s minimum
wage from the 2014 rate of
$7.40 an hour to $9.25 by the
beginning of 2018. With the
current
increase
to
$8.90,
Michigan has the 15th-highest
state minimum wage in the
country,
according
to
the
Detroit News.
Stagnating
wages
were
a
theme
of
the
recent
presidential
election,
with
one in every five Americans
worried about wage reduction,
according to a 2015 Gallup
poll. President-elect Donald
Trump has said he supports an
hourly minimum wage of $10,
but thinks states should decide
what exact number it should be
michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Thursday, January 5, 2017
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INDEX
Vol. CXXVII, No. 2
©2016 The Michigan Daily
N E WS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
O PI N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
S U D O K U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
CL A S S I F I E DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Taxi service
refuses ride
to visiting
blind prof.
Ross restructures supply chain
management masters program
See TAXI, Page 3A
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
People mingle at the grand opening of Blau Hall on Oct. 21.
ANN ARBOR
University cuts ties with company
following repeated complaints
KEVIN BIGLIN
Daily Staff Reporter
Top-ranked curriculum updated to keep pace with changing job market
Due
to
evolution
within
the demands of the supply
chain industry, the University
of Michigan Ross School of
Business
recently
updated
its Master of Supply Chain
Management
Program.
The
enhanced program is expected
to better prepare students for
the future and help the MSCM
to maintain its ranking among
the top five best programs in the
country.
Business Dean Scott DeRue
said
in
a
University
press
release that maintaining the
program’s prestige will help
future generations of students
stay updated in an evolving
field. The program will help
graduates in future job searches
as well as create more intimate
relationships
with
industry
partners.
“With these new offerings,
we are preparing the next
generation of leaders for the
dynamic and complex supply
chains of tomorrow,” DeRue
said.
One central change to the
program includes shortening
it from 12 months down to 10
months.
Previously,
students
obtained summer internships,
CAITLIN REEDY
Daily Staff Reporter
See WAGE, Page 3A
Minimum
wage in MI
sees small
increase
GOVERNMENT
Ann Arbor salaries
largely unaffected by
scheduled 40-cent hike
CALEB CHADWELL
Daily Staff Reporter
University researchers determine
the most popular emojis worldwide
Crying-laughing face, heart and heart-eyes face outshine the rest
Daily Arts writers
rank their favorites
From albums to songs to TV
shows, directors and movies
— it’s the Best of 2016 B-Side
» See insert
michigandaily.com
For more stories and coverage, visit
Two Michigan-based drill
teams — the Mid America
Cowgirls Rodeo Drill Team
and
the
Michigan
Multi-
Jurisdictional
Mounted
Police Drill Team and Color
Guard — along with Michigan
high
school
bands
and
orchestras, will be performing
in
President-elect
Donald
Trump’s inauguration parade
later this month.
The Presidential Inaugural
Committee
released
the
performance
selections
on
Dec. 30 for Trump and his Vice
President-elect Mike Pence’s
inauguration ceremony, which
will take place Jan. 20 in
Washington
D.C.
following
the
candidates’
official
inauguration.
“People from every corner
of the country have expressed
great interest in President-
elect
Trump’s
inauguration
and look forward to continuing
a
salute
to
our
republic
that spans more than two
centuries,” said PIC CEO Sara
Armstrong in a press release.
See TRUMP, Page 3A
State acts
to play at
inaugural
festivities
ELECTION
Two high school bands
prepare for performance
at Trump inauguration
MATT HARMON
Daily Staff Reporter
ARNOLD ZHENG/Daily
Engineering student Alexander Mize and School of Music, Theatre, and Dance student Lilliana Talwatte showcase
their swing dancing skills at M-Swing’s Open Swing Night in the Michigan League on Wednesday.
DANCE BRE AK
See ROSS, Page 3A
2K
1
6
BEST
THE
OF
SOPHIE SHERRY &
RIYAH BASHA
Daily News Editors