ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Monday, February 24, 2014
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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PROTEST FOR PE ACE
CAMPUS LIFE
Basketball line chaos stirs waiting students University Police respond to early morning dispute By SHOHAM GEVA Daily Staff Reporter TERESA MATHEW/Daily
Supporters of the SOS Venezuela movement gather on the Diag to protest the civil unrest in Venezuela Saturday.
CHARITY
Polar Plunge raises $130K for Special Olympics org. Denard Robinson, Brady Hoke judge costume contest By EMILIE PLESSET Daily Staff Reporter
After making it through January’s polar vortex, about 420 members of the Ann Arbor community decided it was a good time for a swim.
Dressed in an array of costumes, participants dove into an icy pool for the University’s second annual Polar Plunge. The event was held at Michigan Stadium and aimed to support Special Olympics Michigan. Special Olympics Michigan is an international organization that provides training and competition opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
Sarah Henry, the development and events coordinator for the state’s chapter of the organization, said the money raised through the Polar Plunge allows special Olympics athletes to participate for free in the group’s events. Throughout the winter, the Michigan branch of the organization holds 30 Polar Plunge events around the state and raises about $1 million from all the plunges combined.
This year’s Big House plunge was the second largest event in Michigan and raised about $130,000. “It’s one of those life things you participate in,” Henry said. “Some people run marathons and other people want to jump into freezing cold water in the middle of winter to raise money.” While participants can jump individually, many peoSee POLAR, Page 3A
When the University’s basketball team beat Michigan State Sunday afternoon, the energy inside the Crisler Center was unmatched. But for University students standing outside in line several hours earlier, the atmosphere was a little different. Controversy arose early Sunday morning over the formation of two different lines for first-come, first-served student seating. One line formed at the student gate at around 6:45 a.m. and was composed of students who were part of a pre-line at Kipke Drive that formed around 5 a.m. The second, was formed by a member of Maize Rage, converged in the parking lot of Crisler between 7:00 and 7:30 a.m. At 7:30 a.m., Crisler security guards told the first line to move to the back of the Maize Rage line, which students in the first line objected to since they had been waiting outside longer. Maize Rage is the student organization
FACULTY
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Six professors named to ‘U’ Thurnau honor Award given to teachers who have made a visible impact on students By RACHEL PREMACK Daily News Editor
This week and the week following Spring Break, The Michigan Daily will feature profiles on each of the six newlyselected Thurnau professors. Check back to learn about the recently honored professors’ passions for undergraduate teaching, their subject matter and innovations in pedagogy. A typical day in a class with Prof. Alejandro HerreroOlaizola — associate Chair of Romance Languages and Literatures — might involve a discussion on the themes behind the use of narcotics in Columbian
tellanovellas. On North Campus, Prof. Jamie Phillips, who teaches electrical engineering and computer science, uses a flipped classroom technique — lecturing online and coaching through problem solving exercises in class — to introduce young engineers to circuits and semiconductor devices. Herrero-Olaizola and Phillips are just two of six who have recently been honored with an Arthur F. Thurnau professorship for their commitment to undergraduate teaching. In addition to HerreroOlaizola and Phillips, four other University professors hailing See PROFESSORS, Page 3A
dedicated to creating a prominent fan base for the basketball team. LSA freshman Josh Deyoung, who arrived at Kipke at 4 a.m. and was part of the first line, said there was a lack of communication between the two lines at the beginning of the process. “We waited probably for 15 minutes right by the gate, where precedent was set that you line up and at that point there were rumblings behind us of, ‘Hey, this isn’t the line, there’s a secondary line back there,” Deyoung said. University Police were called in around 7:30 a.m. It’s unconfirmed who called them, though representatives for Maize Rage and the University Athletic Department both said they were not the responsible for the call. Police directed students to either move to the back of the line or leave the property, adding that they would be arrested for trespassing if they stayed where they were. No students ended up being arrested, University Police said. Following the police announcement, most students moved to the Maize Rage line but 119 students who remained in the first line were brought into the visiting football team’s locker room by Associate See BASKETBALL, Page 3A
forUM sets sights on inclusion in campaign Candidates for CSG’s top positions talk election goals REBECCA KEPHART/Daily
Comedian Melvin Bender hosted Kappa Alpha Psi’s annual multicultural talent show in the Michigan Union Friday.
By KRISTEN FEDOR
In 25th year, multicultural showcase draws students
Daily Staff Reporter
Talent show donates funds to Mississippi school By SOPHIE BURTON For the Daily
Featuring spectacles ranging from yo-yo performances to light shows, Kappa Alpha
Psi hosted their 25th annual “A Night at the Set Talent Showcase” on Friday. Nearly 400 students and Ann Arbor locals filled the Michigan Union Rogel Ballroom as10 solo and group acts competed for the $1,000 grand prize. Detroitbased comedian Melvin Bender hosted the event. LSA senior Scott McPhersonMoncrief, Kappa Alpha Psi’s
historian, said the purpose of the showcase was to celebrate campus diversity. “The show is all about having as many diverse acts as we can and representing as many communities as possible,” he said. The show was judged by members of the University community, including Courtney Monroe, an adviser for the UniSee SHOWCASE, Page 3A
In their second election goaround under new leadership, forUM is looking to focus on empowerment over politics. Earlier this month, forUM nominated Public Policy junior Carly Manes as the party’s candidate for CSG president and LSA junior Pavitra Abraham for CSG vice president. Since their selection, Manes and Abraham have been laying the groundwork for the March 26 to 27 elections and said they see themselves as student activists, not politicians. “It’s about empowerment, See FORUM, Page 3A
Alone at the top Michigan moves into sole possesion of first place in the Big Ten after beating Michigan State Sunday
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INDEX
Vol. CXXIV, No. 74 ©2014 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS......................... 2A SUDOKU.....................2A OPINION.....................4A
ARTS........................... 5A CL ASSIFIEDS...............6A S P O R T S M O N DAY. . . . . . . . . .1 B