2015-09-11 by The Michigan Daily

CELEBRATING OUR ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Friday, September 11, 2015

Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Members of Greek life wait in line to enter a community meeting held by university administration at Hill Auditorium on Thursday.

Schlissel to Greek life: Party culture devalues University

In first allchapter gathering, administrators call for turning point

gathering of students from every chapter of University Greek life Thursday. The meeting marked the first of its kind where all members of every University Greek life chapter gathered during their 170-year history on campus. Schlissel’s argument centered on the ways in which an unfettered party culture stains the University’s reputation — not only for current students, but for the 500,000 people who graduated before them. “The value of their degrees are gonna go down because the repu-

By EMMA KINERY and LARA MOEHLMAN Daily Staff Reporters

University President Mark Schlissel discussed alcohol abuse and sexual assault — problems he said are rampant among the Greek community — during a

tation of the University of Michigan won’t be the excitement in the Big House or our teams doing well under our fantastic new coach,” Schlissel said. “It’s not gonna be the kids who receive the Rhodes Scholarships and the Fulbright Scholarships, and the famous professors who do the work that you’re going to get reflected on for, or the National Medal for the Arts that our faculty won this past week. It’s going to be the ‘Shmacked’ videos. So it’s really up to you what the value of your education is going to be, what the reputation of this institution’s

going to be.” The talk was met with mixed reactions, with some students coughing loudly when Schlissel, along with other administrators, mentioned problems such as low Greek participation in the University’s sexual assault survey, among other issues. Each fraternity and sorority was required to have at least 70 percent of its chapter attend the meeting. Those who failed to comply will face a semester of social probation, a letter to their national organization and a $1,000 fine.

The meeting comes after a year of magnified tumult in the Greek community, marked by national press coverage of numerous fraternity “ski trips” gone wrong last winter, in addition to increased scrutiny of the role of Greek life in excessive party culture in university settings throughout the country. Dean of Students Laura Blake Jones told members of Greek life that the issues facing their community are grave. “I fear some of you have embraced a work hard, play hard mentality and that you may have

RESEARCH

SCIENCE

After historic procedure, ‘U’ heart studies move ahead

Genetics could shape pediatric cancer treament Researchers use DNA to improve disease diagnoses By NABEEL CHOLLAMPAT Daily Staff Reporter

Researchers at the University’s Michigan Center for Translational Pathology announced this month a new breakthrough in pediatric cancer treatment — the use of genetic sequencing. Using a practice called precision oncology, a team of University researchers conducted a study that used genetic sequencing to tailor diagnoses and develop new drug treatment for cancer patients for whom standard treatments were no longer effective. In some cases, researchers were able to recommend early counseling for family members based on the results. Genetic sequencing is the practice of determing the

unique composition of an individual DNA strand — a process that can provide researchers and doctors with important information about a patient, the disease they have and the best approach to treating it. The study’s lead author, Rajen Mody, a pediatric oncologist at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and clinical director of pediatric hematology and oncology, said the study was the first of its kind in the field of pediatric oncology. The ongoing study, which began in 2012, is focused on 142 children and young adults who have a cancer diagnosis. Eighty percent of patients in the group had exhausted the standard treatment options available. For each patient, the sequencing produced more than two terabytes of data — a significant amount of information. The tests currently take more than six weeks to complete, significantly faster than previous gene sequencing mechanisms which often See GENETICS, Page 2A

Doctors say more research is needed despite artificial heart success By KATIE PENROD

Ann Arbor residents hold vigil in support of Iran Deal Activists hope to influence legislators before congressional vote By ALLANA AKHTAR Daily Staff Reporter

Ann Arbor residents held a vigil Thursday night to promote

diplomacy with Iran and rally support for the Obama administration’s proposed deal with that country. Chuck Warpehoski, director of the Interfaith Council of Peace and Justice and the event’s organizer, said the vigil was intended to showcase how Ann Arbor residents feel about the deal. “Our goal is to let members of Congress know their constit-

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uents support this reasonable deal that will help make the world safer for nuclear weapons,” said Warpehoski, who is a Democratic Ann Arbor City Council member from the city’s fifth ward. About 35 people — mostly Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti residents — attended the event outside the Federal Building on Liberty Street. See VIGIL, Page 2A

In January, 24 year-old Stan Larkin left the University of Michigan Health System with a SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart. He’s now waiting for a heart transplant. Many patients aren’t so lucky. According to UMHS doctors, there is much more research to be done before this technology is accessible to all patients— particularly children. John Charpie, professor of pediatrics and director of pediatric cardiology at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, said there are three categories of devices doctors can choose from when treating a patient with a failing heart. The first device, extraSee HEART, Page 6A

rom Wilming ton to Ann Arbor

Football Saturday

HI: 63 LO: 42

Daily Staff Reporter

AMANDA ALLEN/Daily

Ann Arbor resident Dorothy Strotkamp and other demonstrators at the Vigil for Peace and Diplomacy with Iran hosted by the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice at the Federal Building on Thursday.

The long, turbulent path f

WEATHER TOMORROW

taken to the extreme what has us on this downward spiral, and we know we have to turn this around,” she said. “It’s clear to me that if we can’t begin to make meaningful, student-led progress and change immediately on our campus, the future of sorority and fraternity life as we know it is in peril.” Issues on campus Though Greek life represents only 22 percent of students on campus, administrators emphasized the influence members wield on campus culture. See GREEK LIFE, Page 6A

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INDEX

NEWS......................... 2A OPINION.....................4A ARTS........................... 5A

S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7A SUDOKU.....................2A CL ASSIFIEDS...............6A