ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Friday, November 1, 2013
Ann Arbor, Michigan
michigandaily.com
PRESIDENTIAL PORTRAIT
GREEK LIFE
Fraternity apologizes for racist incident Theta Xi president conciliatory as inquiry continues By PETER SHAHIN and YARDAIN AMRON
TRACY KO
University President Mary Sue Coleman’s husband, Kenneth Coleman, stands next to a portrait of Mary Sue who was unable to greet trick-or-treaters at the President’s House on Thursday evening. Erring from the annual tradition, he served guests candy on her behalf.
CAMPUS LIFE
OSU Blood Battle to begin Annual blood drive starts Nov. 4, aims to collect 2,500 pints By CHRISTY SONG Daily Staff Reporter
Looking for another way to beat Ohio State? The 32nd annual Blood Battle
blood drive between the two schools starts Nov. 4 and runs through Nov. 27 leading up to the rivalry football game Nov. 30 at the Big House. Blood Drives United, a student-run volunteer organization, is holding the annual competition and hopes to collect 2,500 pints of blood over the course of the battle. Two to four blood drives will be held every day at different locations during the three-
week period. In order to find out where the locations will be, students are encouraged to look on the Red Cross website and enter the sponsor code “Go Blue.” The drives will be held at North and Central Campus locations including the University Unions, the School of Education, the School of Social Work, Michigan Stadium and a number of residence halls. There are several different aspects about this year’s compe-
tition than previous drives. For instance, this year there will be more of an emphasis placed on drives taking place at student residence halls. BDU is also focusing on involving non-eligible groups, including MSM, men who have sex with men, through sponsor drives and promoting a petition to change the policy. The current policy prohibits any male who has had sexual See BATTLE, Page 3
Daily News Editor and Daily Staff Reporter
On Thursday, LSA senior Eric Quang, president of the University’s chapter of Theta Xi, issued a statement apologizing on behalf of his fraternity for a Facebook party event associated with his chapter entitled, “World Star Hip Hop Presents: Hood Ratchet Thursday,” a name many deemed to be racist and derogatory. Quang wrote that while the event was “created and emblazoned with the name of our fraternity,” it was not “the result of a chapter decision, vote, or endorsement.” Earlier Thursday, The Michigan Daily reported the fraternity was facing scrutiny as many students of color were offended by the Facebook event, which many viewed as degrading toward women and parodying of black culture, referring to “bad bitch-
GOING BANANAS
HEALTHCARE
RESEARCH
Profs: ACA web woes just a minor bump Experts more concerned with lack of education By YARDAIN AMRON Daily Staff Reporter
While national media outlets continue their extensive coverage of Healthcare. gov’s websitewoes, University health and information experts are not channeling their energy into worrying about these issues. They are confident difficulties surrounding the site’s rollout will be resolved in the future and are more concerned with the potential problems
and promises of the Affordable Care Act itself. A month after a botched launch, the website’s problems continue to cause much frustration. More than 20 million Americans have visited the healthcare exchange website, but only about 700,000 have succeeded in completing applications for insurance. Even fewer have actually received coverage. Visitors have complained about long waits, irksome glitches and unhelpful customer service when just trying to gain access and sign up for the site. The blame is widespread. Republicans have blasted the Obama administration
Rx drug abuse rises among teenagers
for negligently launching the site before it was ready, the White House has blamed the private contractors hired to create the site and the contractors have targeted each other. But Public Policy Prof. Helen Levy, who specializes in health policy, sees the blame game as shortsighted. “A few years from now, all this is just going to look like a bump in the road,” Levy said. Levy said the current outcry parallels the delayed and glitch-ridden rollout of the Medicare, Part D website in late 2005. When mainly elderly beneficiaries went to See ACA, Page 3
University studies show potential for chronic abuse By RACHEL PREMACK Daily Staff Reporter
CITY COUNCIL
Ward 2 candidate focuses on student housing woes EMU student hopes to improve neighborhoods By MICHAEL SUGERMAN Daily Staff Reporter
As a mathematics major at Eastern Michigan University, Samuel DeVarti’s candidacy for Ann Arbor’s Second
WEATHER TOMORROW
Ward city council seat may seem unlikely. In spite of these unconventional credentials, DeVarti accepted enthusiastically when a member of Ann Arbor’s Mixed Use Party approached him and asked him to run. He has previously worked on the city’s Video Privacy Ordinance, attended numerous Human Rights Commission meetings and met with several
HI: 49 LO: 31
city council members. Candidacy wasn’t far off. “I’ve been living in this city for my whole life, for 23 years. Ultimately, I saw this as an opportunity to really get involved,” DeVarti said. “It’s an opportunity to act as a force for good. And it has been a huge learning experience.” Although this is DeVarti’s first time running in a city See CANDIDATE, Page 3
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es,” repeated use of the word “ratchet,” gang references and a twerking contest. The event was canceled after a meeting between Quang, the coordinator of the Bias Response Team, Dean of Students Laura Blake Jones, members of Greek Life and the Interfraternity Council. Jones, coordinator of the University’s bias response team, lodged a formal complaint against the fraternity after outcry from students. The story has drawn widespread media attention as the University has moved swiftly to investigate and resolve the incident. According to an e-mail obtained by The Michigan Daily, the apology was forwarded by Jones to a University listserv which included the Office of the University President; E. Royster Harper, vice president of the Division of Student Life; LSA senior Tyrell Collier, speaker of the Black Student Union; University spokeswoman Kelly Cunningham; Lester Monts, senior vice provost for academic affairs; and Central Student GovernSee APOLOGY, Page 3
TRACY KO/Daily
LSA freshman John Ciaramitaro waited in line at Ragstock to buy two gorilla costumes for his friends on Thursday.
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INDEX
Vol. CXXIV, No. 21 ©2013 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
Nearly two million Americans are addicted to prescription opioids, a family of drugs that includes the commonly prescribed Vicodin and OxyContin. Two recent University studies further demonstrate the prevalence of these painkillers among adolescents and their potential for leading to chronic substance abuse. University of Washington professor Lauren Whiteside — who was the primary researcher in one of the studies during her postdoctoral research fellowship at the University Injury Center — said while adults are more likely to be addicted to prescription opioids, teens were a key group to examine for prevention. “What makes this age group so important is that it’s the highest initiation of nonmedical use of opioids,” Whiteside said. “This age group is important to target for primary prevention before they start nonmedical use.” Whiteside emphasized that teen prescription painkiller misuse is a public health problem. Conducted by a team from the University Medical School and Injury Center, the study led by See TEENS, Page 3
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 SPORTS......................6
ARTS............................. 5 SUDOKU......................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6