ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Ann Arbor, Michigan
michigandaily.com
GREEK LIFE
National chapters of SAE to end pledging ‘Deadliest fraternity’ to halt induction practices for new members
LUNA ANNA ARCHEY/Daily
Karen Staller, associate professor of social work, speaks at a SACUA meeting about University President-elect Mark Schlissel and nominations to the Oversight Committee Monday in the Fleming Administration Building.
Committee talks Schlissel SACUA discusses administrative issues, member elections in meeting By ANDREW ALMANI Daily Staff Reporter
At the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs’ meeting Monday, the faculty governance body discussed an array of topics and concluded with an executive session with University Provost Martha Pollack. SACUA members addressed the proposed awarding of honorary degrees at Spring
Commencement, appropriate grievance procedures and an upcoming meeting with University President-elect Mark Schlissel. This meeting will be the first time SACUA has had the chance to meet with and engage in direct discussion with the President-elect. During the presidential search process, SACUA expressed concern that their input was not solicited to a greater degree during his selection. Nonetheless, some members expressed approval of the Board of Regents’ Choice when Schlissel was named in January. During their meeting Jan. 24, Dentistry Prof. Rex Holland, SACUA vice chair, said he was optimistic that Schlissell will
serve as an exemplary president. “I’m very impressed with President-elect Schlissel’s credentials,” Holland said. “His speech was short but contained several very positive references to faculty governance. I have great confidence that Presidentelect Schlissel will be a splendid leader for a splendid institution.” The non-executive discussion during the meeting consisted largely of questions about SACUA’s duty to nominate individuals to the Department of Public Safety Oversight Committee. The committee is an independent group that monitors the DPS and any problems or complaints that may occur, advising the University admin-
New awareness day recognizes rare disease By AMABEL KAROUB Daily Staff Reporter
Thirteen years ago, Pam Mace was diagnosed with fibromuscular dysplasia, a rarely diagnosed disease. Today, the disease is being recognized in a statewide awareness day. After a year-long effort by Mace to garner more public awareness of the disease, the Michigan state Legislature has declared March 11 as Fibromuscular Dysplasia Awareness Day. Experts said awareness is crucial for the treatment of the disease, which is commonly misdiagnosed due to lack of understanding by medical personnel. FMD causes abnormal growth in the medium-sized arteries in the body, potentially causing hypertension, strokes and aneurysms. It mostly affects women in their 30s and 40s. When Mace first had a small stroke, she was repeatedly diagnosed with hypertension, or high blood pressure. “I just kept getting told that my blood pressure was high because of my history with high blood pressure with both of my parents,” Mace said. “I kept getting told to get on with my life.
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 26 LO: 10
No one could tell me what caused it.” Unsatisfied with this answer, Mace kept searching for a cause. When she was finally diagnosed with FMD a full year after her stroke, she said she felt very alone. “You’re told you have a rare disease, you go to the doctor, he says, ‘I’ve never seen a case before,’” Mace said. “There was very little literature on the disease back then.” Faced with the daunting diagnosis, Mace began a campaign to raise awareness. She joined the Fibromuscular Dysplasia Society of America in 2004, and she said she has had many opportunities to raise awareness since. “We got the National Stroke Association to list it, then the American Stroke Association listed it,” Mace said. “More doctors started diagnosing the disease, and different opportunities kept presenting themselves.” In 2009, Mace came to the Michigan Cardiovascular Outcomes Research and Reporting Program and asked them to create a national clinical registry of patients with FMD. The registry now has 14 participating sites nationally, and tracks nearly 900 patients. MCORRP Manager Eva Kline-Rogers said the information gained from patients has allowed for some crucial findings. “What we found in the registry is that 90 percent of patients See AWARENESS, Page 3
Daily Staff Reporter
Almost three years after Sigma Alpha Epsilon was expelled from the University’s Interfraternity Council for hazing allegations, the national chapter has decided to eliminate the new member pledging process. Pledging, a longstanding tradition in many Greek Life institutions, has come under fire for fostering a hazing environment among SAE’s 241 chapters, according to a press release put out by the fraternity March 7. “This change will adopt a method, practice and policy that treat all members equally and fairly and strive for a continuous development of our members throughout their lives,” the press release stated. In place of pledging practices, the fraternity will adopt the True
istration if changes need to be made. SACUA is in charge of finding faculty nominees when positions open on the Oversight Committee, through a nominating committee. The nominating committee will consist of Medical Prof. Charles Koopmann and Astronomy Prof. Sally Oey, both SACUA members, and Holland. The nominating committee faces some difficulty in the procuring of nominees, due to technical problems with the Senate Assembly’s computers. The server has recently been in use by other sections of the Senate Assembly, preventing the nominating committee from utilizing it in their search. See SACUA, Page 3
TA U B M A N T H E S I S
HOSPITAL
State to formally acknowledge fibromuscular dysplasia today
By MAX RADWIN
Gentleman Experience, which will “enhance the educational and leadership experience of our members and build upon their development during each year of their collegiate tenure.” The new program intends to move away from the concept of a pledge period to a more holistic educational period that teaches members about the values, mission and history of the 158-year-old organization. Since 2006, there have been as many as nine deaths connected to SAE fraternities across the country, earning it the nickname, “the deadliest fraternity,” according to Bloomberg News. Earlier this year, the University’s chapter underwent investigation after a Halloween party ended with two stabbings on Nov. 1. “The bad publicity Sigma Alpha Epsilon has received is challenging and regretful because we know that some of our groups have great new-member (pledge) programs and do the right thing,” SAE’s national chapter said in its press release. “At the same time, we have experienced a number of incidents and See SAE, Page 3
CAMPUS LIFE
Screening of foreign film looks at LSA theme Film series examines Indian society and politics through the silver screen By EMILIE PLESSET Daily Staff Reporter
LUNA ANNA ARCHEY/Daily
Taubman student Allen Grillers works on his thesis project in the Art & Architecture Building Monday.
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
CSG Judiciary examines election irregularities Engineering Council elections allegedly violate UMEC bylaws By KRISTEN FEDOR Daily Staff Reporter
The Central Student Judiciary, the highest judicial authority of Central Student Government, heard allegations of irregularities in the University Engineering Council elections Tuesday night, which took place in December. Rackham student Kyle Lady, the Eta Kappa Nu represen-
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tative for UMEC, and Engineering sophomore Kelsey Hockstad, an officer of Tau Beta Pi, filed the suit against UMEC for alleged undemocratic behavior. The petitioners cited the timing of the election and withholding of official results to the public as some of their concerns violating basic democratic principles. The eligibility of elected officials due to their constituency within the University was also called into question. Rackham student Chris Stevens, chief justice of the CSJ, said that an official opinion may be released by early next week. The final written verdict
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INDEX
will address in detail all issues raised during the meeting. According to Article II of the UMEC Bylaws, UMEC elections should coincide with Central Student Government elections in November. This year, elections did not take place until December 5 to 6. According to Article IV, results should have been released to the public by Dec. 9. Formal public results have yet to be published, and they were only given to the plaintiffs at the Jan. 22 UMEC meeting. At the Jan. 22 meeting, Engineering graduate student Christina Zuchora, the outgoing UMEC president, See ENGINEERING, Page 3
Vol. CXXIV, No. 79 ©2014 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
The University community got a taste of classic film Monday evening when roughly 30 students, staff and Ann Arbor residents gathered to watch Golmaal (Confusion), a 1979 Bollywood comedy film. The movie follows the trials of a young man as he pretends to be his twin brother to avoid being fired by his traditional boss. The movie screening was co-sponsored by the Center for South Asian Studies, the department of Screen Arts and Cultures, the Cohn Fund and the Language Resource Center as part of the LSA Theme Semester Program, India in the World. This semester, Indian films are shown every Monday evening with each movie focusing on different political and social aspects of Indian history. “They want to demonstrate how much of an impact that India and Indian culture has made on society,” said LSA seniorDustin Hartz, a student advisory board member. “The focus is to bring to light more aspects of Indian culSee FILM, Page 3
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ARTS............................. 5 CL ASSIFIEDS.................6 SPORTS.........................7