CELEBRATING OUR ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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HEALTH
Concussion concerns overstated, prof. says SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
University President Mark Schlissel speaks at his monthly fireside chat for the semester in the Pond Room in the Michigan Union on Monday.
Schlissel addresses safety, athletics in fireside chat President to hold office hours for students at start of new semester By ALLANA AKHTAR Daily Staff Reporter
University President Mark Schlissel joined 30 students in the Michigan Union on Thursday for his fourth and final fireside chat of the semester.
Covering topics including athletics culture, mental health and public safety, Schlissel opened by noting his first semester as president is drawing to a close. He said the fireside chats — during which a few dozen randomly selected students are given the chance to participate in a conversation with their president — provided a great forum for getting to know the University’s student body. However, Schlissel said he plans to add office hours in January and begin teaching as a guest lecturer to further devel-
op these connections. “All of this is really an effort for me to get to know and understand you and your fellow students, upholding the values here and how we’re doing delivering that and how I can do my job as well as possible,” he said. In one of the first questions, LSA senior Wes Vear, captain of the men’s club rowing team, said the team’s coach is one of just a few openly gay staff members in college athletics. He noted that particularly in men’s football, coaching staff and leadership
positions are predominantly held by white males. Vear asked if Schlissel had any plans to work with interim Athletic Director Jim Hackett to increase diversity in the ranks of the University’s athletics staff. Last week, Hackett hosted a press conference announcing that he had decided to fire former Michigan football coach Brady Hoke. The firing followed a tumultuous season for Michigan football that also included the resignation of former Athletic See FIRESIDE, Page 3
After Morris controversy, lecture addresses common misconceptions By IAN DILLINGHAM Daily News Editor
When sophomore quarterback Shane Morris was pulled out of the Wolverines’ Sept. 27 game against Minnesota, media attention was immediately drawn to his “probable, mild” concussion and the people responsible for the care of players on the sidelines. Monday evening, Associate Neurology Prof. Jeffrey Kutcher delivered a presentation refuting commonly held misconceptions about concussions and head injuries that he feels have been widely circulated by the media in recent years. The presentation, titled “Myths and Realities of Youth Sport Head Injuries,” was held in the Hatcher Library before an audience of about 30 students,
faculty and members of the general public. Public outcry regarding concussion policies in college athletics has swelled in recent years following reports of suspected long-term physical dangers and mental detriments caused by concussions. However, scientific research and media reports have often told two different stories in this debate. Over the course of the hourlong presentation, Kutcher touched on many of the greatest fallacies he has observed in media discussions regarding concussions sustained by both collegiate and professional athletes. Kutcher drew on his personal experiences working as a team physician for the Michigan football team, as well as director of the Michigan NeuroSport Program, a laboratory unit located in the Central Campus Recreation Building that specializes in concussion research and treatment. Earlier this year, Kutcher served as the head neurologist for Team See INJURIES, Page 6
GOVERNMENT
CAMPUS LIFE
Proposed bill to extend bar hours to 4 a.m.
‘Therapaws’ dogs return to provide exam relief
Legislation heads to State House after Senate passed proposal last week By BEN ATLAS Daily Staff Reporter
Patrons at Michigan bars may have to stick around a little longer to make last call. The Michigan Senate passed a bill last week that would allow bars to sell liquor until 4 a.m. on weekend nights. Under the proposed law, bars located in “central business districts” would still need approval from a local legislative authority by obtaining an extended hours permit for an annual fee of $10,000. Michigan law currently says liquor sales must end at 2 a.m. State Sen. Virgil Smith (D– Detroit), who is sponsoring the bill, testified earlier this year that expanded hours would make bars more competitive and would help regulate bars that currently illegally operate past 2 a.m. The Senate-approved measure will now move to the Michigan House of Representatives, which will consider the bill some time in the next two weeks before breaking for the holiday. Rep. Jeff Irwin (D–Ann Arbor) said he would support the bill, since it would empower local communities to make their own decisions about extending hours for drinking establishments. “If there’s an interest from customers to buy at those hours, then if properly regulated, there’s no
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reason not to allow it,” Irwin said. Given the authority local governments would have under this new law, the implications the potential legislation might have for Ann Arbor bars will depend on City Council. The Council’s Liquor License Review Committee would be in charge of awarding the extended hours permits. Technically, the bill could pass in Lansing, but Ann Arbor could deny all requests from bars to have later hours. “(The committee) will carefully look at the implication of this legislation for the City and, if appropriate, make a recommendation to the City Council,” Councilmember Jane Lumm (I–Ward 2), committee chair, wrote in an e-mail. Lumm also said the committee will consult with legal and financial experts, as well as the city’s police and fire departments, to better understand the bill’s potential implications. The extent of the proposal’s impact on Ann Arbor residents and University students could largely be determined by what parts of the city are considered to be within the “central business district.” If that label only applies to the Main Street area, there might not be as widespread an impact on students as if it were also applied to the South University Avenue area, which is home to bars frequented more often by students. The Brown Jug, one bar in the South University area, might not be so welcoming to the potential change. David Root, Brown Jug’s general manager, said he hopes See LEGISLATION, Page 6
Students gather at UGLi to de-stress during finals week By PARISHA NOVA Daily Staff Reporter
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Nigel Tapela speaks in the Rackham Assembly Hall on Monday, where UMAPS Program scholars presented their research accomplished at the University.
African Scholars program hosts annual symposium University group invites young faculty members to develop research By TANYA MADHANI Daily Staff Reporter
The U-M African Presidential Scholars Program held its Research Symposium for the fall semester in the Rackham Assembly Hall Monday. The program was established in 2008 following former University President Mary Sue Coleman’s visit to Ghana. Each semester, UMAPS invites selected early-career faculty members from institutions in Ghana, Liberia, South Africa and Uganda to the University to conduct post-doctoral research for up to six months. During
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their visits, scholars study topics ranging from breast cancer detection to literary depictions of poverty, all under the mentorship of University faculty members. The scholars are placed in the African Studies Center and various departments depending on their discipline and research topic. “We started this research symposium as a way for the University community to learn more about the research that was being done by these excellent scholars,” said Devon Keen, program manager at the African Studies Center. She said the program aims to foster a better understanding of global issues through the African perspective. “There’s someone from the Law School who did tax law and we had a visiting faculty person who worked on international tax
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from the South African perspective,” Keen said. “And as a result of their collaboration, in his next publication the University faculty member included a chapter in his publication about South African tax law. He had been writing about international tax law for a while but never thought of it from an African perspective.” Keen said the collaboration between the University and various African universities fosters cultural exchange. “In this way the program benefits the visiting faculty and benefits our faculty and students who get a chance to learn from, meet, and expand their networks in research agendas,” she said. “It’s a big way to internationalize the University. One of the big goals of the University is internationalization.” UMAPS scholar Nicole DeWet, an associate lecturer See AFRICA, Page 3
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A number of dogs were on hand at the Shapiro Undergraduate Library on Monday to provide some extra love to students stressed by impending final exams. The dogs were provided by Therapaws of Michigan, an Ann Arbor-based organization that brings teams of dogs and their owners to visit schools, health care facilities and libraries. The organization first started by bringing dogs to see patients at the University of Michigan Health System. “Therapaws hosts therapy dogs, not service dogs,” said Jan Collins, a Therapaws volunteer who brought her dog Cooper to the event. “This means that they love to be pet and love to give love back.” Therapaws dogs, along with their owners, must pass extensive tests administered through the national organization Therapy Dogs Inc. to qualify for the volunteer opportunity. They then complete trial runs at local nursing homes, where their reactions to strangers are evaluated for their ease in interacting with new people. “It is important to have a dog who is really calm, likes people and can enjoy being around all See PUPPIES, Page 3
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