ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Ann Arbor, Michigan
michigandaily.com
SCIENCE
Eight ‘U’ professors awarded fellowship Faculty represent various science departments By RACHEL PREMACK
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Daily Staff Reporter
LSA sophomore Arielle Wisbaum (left) and LSA freshman Miles Denudt (right) inform passersby about the dangers of Bangladeshi sweatshops. This “die in” in, which took place Monday in the Diag, was organized by the University’s chapter of United Students Against Sweatshops.
Protest asks for factory safety Students say ‘U’ should require licensees to abide by fire-safety code By AMIA DAVIS Daily Staff Reporter
Anyone walking through the Diag Monday would have seen several students lying on the ground. Fortunately, they hadn’t succumbed to the harsh weather — they were only playing dead.
United Students Against Sweatshops held a “die-in” to symbolize the work-related deaths of thousands of Bangladeshi factory workers. Their goal was to pressure University President Mary Sue Coleman to require the University’s licensees to sign the Accord on Fire and Building Safety, which would ensure facilities that produce Michigan-branded apparel comply with fire safety code. USAS members lay on their backs for 30 minutes, while LSA sophomore Ryne Menhennick, LSA sophomore Sorin
Panainte and Public Policy junior Maya Menlo spoke about factory conditions. Most of the University’s apparel is manufactured in unsafe factories in Bangladesh, Menhennick said. These factories have exposed boiler rooms, non-enclosed staircases and insufficient signage near fire escapes. “The president’s office has indicated that she is concerned about the state of Bangladeshi workers, but that concern has yet to transition into action,” Panainte told passerbys. Menlo said in an interview
HEALTH
Eight University professors, hailing from the fields of psychology, dentistry, biological sciences and ecology, were named as fellows with the American Association for the Advancement of Science fellows Monday. They were among the 388 AAAS Fellows receiving the prestigious recognition this year. The fellows were nominated by their peers, based on their contributions to the advancement of science or its applications. Last year, the University had 19 AAAS fellows — the most of any other institution. AAAS is the world’s largest scientific society and selects fellows who have been members of the association for four years. In order to become a fellow, members must be nominated by three
that the main goal of the protest is to persuade Coleman to add a rule to the University Code of Conduct for Licensees — which governs how licensees like Adidas produce University merchandise — requiring them to sign the Accord on Fire and Building Safety. More than 100 brands have signed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety, including H&M and Abercrombie and Fitch. Duke University has also required their licensees to sign the accord. Menhennick said students See PROTEST, Page 3
FOOTBALL
S I N G T H E N I G H T AWAY
Struggling team says ‘All bets are off’ vs. Buckeyes
Smoking ban to evolve with incoming pres. Coleman will leave having inspired a healthier campus By MAX RADWIN Daily Staff Reporter
University President Mary Sue Coleman will leave behind a healthier student body when her appointment ends this summer. July will mark three years since the University made its campus smoke-free through the Smoke-Free University Initiative, which the University administration hopes to improve and expand under the incoming president. The Smoke-Free University Initiative was developed under MHealthy, a presidential initiative established in 2005 that encouraged a healthier community through cost-effective health delivery, public discussions about healthy living and campaigns like the smoking ban. When the initiative was proposed, the University waited two years to make implementation plans. “I think campuses that tried to (ban smoking) from one day to the next with no preparation just didn’t work,” Coleman said in a 2011 interview.“So this gives us some time, and we’ll try to resolve the issues. I think it’s the right way to go.” After approving the ban,
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 27 LO: 20
Coleman took a hands-off approach to the planning and implementation of the initiative. Robert Winfield, chief health officer and director of University Health Service, spearheaded the operation. In the two years spent researching, five committees representing different aspects of campus developed questionnaires, held town halls and organized student focus groups. “Primarily, they wanted to be sure that the program was respectful to smokers and it wouldn’t in some way demean them and make them into some kind of pariah,” Winfield said of student input. “The principle of the program was being respectful to smokers, (but) creating an environment on campus that was not smoke-welcome.” From this research, the University chose not to install “butt huts” to allow for the disposal of finished cigarettes, believing it would encourage smoking rather than stifle it. It also chose to allow smoking on sidewalks adjacent to road in an effort to prevent smokers from moving onto the property of city businesses. Marsha Benz, alcohol and other drugs health educator for UHS, consulted student focus groups in her role in the development of the campaign. She said they expressed a desire to see posters that showed them what else they could be spending their cigarette money on, See SMOKING, Page 7A
previous fellows, one of the 24 steering groups of AAAS’ sections or the AAAS chief executive officer. The policymaking council then votes on nominees and constructs the final list. Fellow Bradley Cardinale, an associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and natural resources and environment, is researching how biodiversity can benefit humans. Cardinale’s lab conducted data syntheses from more than 1,600 ecosystems worldwide. These studies revealed the relationship between the number of species and the environment’s productivity. Productive environments include crops repellent to disease, lakes producing more oxygen and forests with a high wood yield. This means that preventing extinction is favorable for people; a greater variety of species promotes a slew of human benefits. “There’s an increasing number of examples that show that biodiversity affects you and things you care about,” Cardinale said. See FELLOWSHIP, Page 3
The Wolverines goals have dwindled, all that remains is a win over Ohio State By LIZ VUKELICH
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Internationally renowned native Hawaiian artist Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole performs with her mother for the Makawalu concert and lecture series organized by the U-M Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies Program at Mendelssohn Theater Monday.
BUSINESS
Bar2Bar Transport aims to provide taxi alternative Seniors’ business caters to Greek life, athletes By WILLIAM LANE For the Daily
One year ago, LSA senior Harris Markowitz and Business senior Daniel Matian founded Bar2Bar Transport, a bus service marketed as a social alternative to taxi cabs. Now, the duo’s LED-lit buses are a frequent sight off campus. For a fixed fee of $3 per person, groups of up to 15 people can hire a Bar2Bar bus anywhere in Ann Arbor between
GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
10 p.m. and 3 a.m. Geared for partiers, the mini-buses are furnished with LED lighting and speakers. Alcohol is permitted onboard for those of age. Markowitz said despite being price-competitive with local taxi services, he believes the social aspect of the ride has a competitive advantage over alternatives. “It’s not just a ride; it’s part of a night out,” Markowitz said. Because of its ability to cater to groups, the service has become popular among the Greek community and athletes who want to go to bars or parties together. The company owns two
NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM Social Disorder: A necessary overhaul of priorities MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS
15- passenger shuttles, each driven by licensed drivers. Max Sanders, a manager at Scorekeepers Bar and Grill and co-owner of Bar2Bar, said the startup has had a positive influence on business at Skeeps. “It definitely helps,” he said. “In my experience, most people come in groups of 15 to 20, so getting them there quickly and easily is more efficient and keeps them together.” Currently, Matian and Markowitz are focusing on publicizing and patenting the ability for users to purchase a ride from their phone. A purchased “ride code” provided by the app eliminates the need See TRANSPORT, Page 3
INDEX
Vol. CXXIV, No. 35 ©2013 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
Daily Sports Editor
Sure, the Michigan football team has squandered its Big Ten title hopes. Sure, redshirt junior quarterback Devin Gardner has been beaten, bruised and battered the past four games. Sure, the Wolverines haven’t shown a propensity for moving the ball consistently. But come Saturday, none of that matters to them. Fifth-year senior left tackle Taylor Lewan has several hopes for when Ohio State comes to town, which include fans potentially putting aside Michigan’s less-than-ideal record and Michigan Stadium being filled with maize and blue instead of scarlet and gray. In a game as big as The Game, preconceived notions don’t mean a thing to the Wolverines. “Saturday, all bets are off,” Lewan said. “We’re playing football. Anything could happen Saturday.” And why does he think the Wolverines would be capable of pulling what would be the biggest upset of the season? “Because we have heart.” In a season in which very little has gone according to plan, pride is the only thing the Wolverines have left to play for. Michigan coach Brady Hoke scheduled a team practice early See BUCKEYES, Page 3
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................5
SPORTS.....................6 SUDOKU...............2 CLASSIFIED..............6