ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Monday, January 9, 2017
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Rough start The Michigan men’s basketball team lost to Maryland at Crisler Center on Saturday, dropping its conference record to 1-2.
» Page 1B RESEARCH
Mcity tests autonomous bus ahead of U.S. launch MAX KUANG/Daily Leseliey Welch, Deputy Director of the Detroit Department of Health, talks about the need for accessible HIV medications at the HIV Monologues in the UMMA on Friday.
HIV Monologues event challenges stigma to raise disease awareness
National Council of Negro Women, students and experts host speak-out event COLIN BERESFORD Daily Staff Reporter
More than 100 people gathered in the auditorium of University of Michigan Museum of Art Friday night to attend the third-annual “HIV Monologues,” an event which held the goal of increasing
awareness and defeat stigmas surrounding HIV/AIDS through the presentation of poetry and personal testimony. At the beginning of the event — which was presented by the University’s chapter of the National Council of Negro Women — LSA senior Shannon Palmer, vice president of NCNW, shared
BUSINESS
Polarity invites all to try pole dancing Dance form an outlet for physical wellness, mental health improvement ALEXIS RANKIN Daily Staff Reporter
Ann Arbor residents ware head over heels for Polarity, a new pole fitness studio located on South University Avenue, which celebrated its grand opening by welcoming potential clients to a two-day open house this past weekend. Polarity is the latest business venture by University alum Jessie Lipkowitz, who also owns the popular aUM Yoga studio located in the same building. The new studio consists of 14 poles, a professional sound system, a bathroom with full shower and a staff room that enables the studio to host catered events. The open house welcomed potential attendees to meet instructors, explore the space and sign up for a free class anytime that month. Polarity manager Stephanie MacDonald, who also works at aUM Yoga and is a University alum, was recently introduced to pole-fitness through Polarity and offered advice to potential clients by sharing her own experience. “The first class I went to, I was See POLE, Page 3A
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why spreading knowledge about HIV was important to NCNW and relevant in present day. “We really brought it (HIV Monologues) to campus to bring awareness to HIV epidemic and to educate our fellow students on campus,” Palmer said. “We acknowledge the fact that HIV does disproportionately affect
all people, but especially African Americans.” The event featured seven poetry performances on HIV contraction performed by students such as LSA juniors and siblings Micah and Mariah Smith, who performed a poem written by someone whose mom dated a man See SPEAKOUT, Page 3A
French company utilizes University facilities to debut self-driving shuttle ANDREW HIYAMA Daily Staff Reporter
A new self-driving passenger shuttle made its North American debut at the University of Michigan Mcity testing site last month in the hopes it will eventually be approved for public usage. The shuttle, named the ARMA, is manufactured by the French company NAVYA Technologies. It made its first appearance in North America in Mcity, the University’s simulated city and testing site for driverless cars, according to a University press release. The shuttle, will be used to provide self-guided tours of the facility.
Mcity was designed and is operated by the University’s Mobility Transformation Center, which partners with auto manufacturers as well as the U.S. and Michigan Departments of Transportation to conduct research on automated and connected vehicles. Using installed wireless connection channels, “connected” cars will be able to communicate with other cars nearby in order to maximize safety. Since 2013, MTC has already put approximately 3,000 such cars on the streets of Ann Arbor, according to MTC Director Huei Peng. Peng expects that getting See MCITY, Page 3A
City ordinance requires drivers to stay Alum wins five feet from bicyclists, pedestrians innovation RESEARCH
Safe-passing resolution carries penalty of $100 and civil infraction to violators MAYA GOLDMAN Daily Staff Reporter
A safe-passing ordinance went into effect in Ann Arbor on Saturday requiring drivers to maintain at least a fivefoot distance when passing a pedestrian, bicyclist or wheelchair-user on the road. The ordinance serves as a reminder to drivers that bikers are allowed on the road, and that they should proceed with caution when driving near them. Originally passed by City Council in December, the ordinance supports the Ann Arbor “Walk.Bike.Drive.” campaign advocating for safe roads for all types of transport in the city. If drivers fail to follow the new rule, they could be ticketed and fined $100, though whether the situation warrants a ticket will be up to police officers. Violations will be treated as civil infractions and will not go on drivers’ records. City Councilmember Kirk Westphal (D–Ward 2), an occasional bike commuter, called the ordinance a positive step forward for the city. “I’ve heard of several occasions where novice cyclers have gotten spooked by closepassing vehicles and I think that’s a real shame,” Westphal said. “I believe that this can begin signaling to drivers that we all have a right to the road.”
Residents, however, did not meet the ordinance with unanimous support. Ann Arbor resident Kathy Griswold feels the new rule is good in theory, but unnecessary for the city to formally state. “I believe it is basically common sense,” Griswold said. “And I don’t think the city has the resources to educate the public. I definitely support the five-foot rule ... (but) Ann Arbor
sometimes passes these feelgood legislations that they then have no way to enforce.” Griswold said real change will be accomplished when a unified state law is passed. “I would like to see a state law passed that will deal with the consistency across the state,” Griswold said. “Without that, I think this can be kind of confusing.” Ann Arbor has long
been known as a city that accommodates all types of transportation. According to the city’s website, Ann Arbor received a silver-level bicyclefriendly city award from the League of American Bicyclists in 2013. There are 71.8 miles of bike lanes throughout the city, and since 2015, bicycle parking has been required to be included in all new building See CYCLISTS, Page 3A
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Housing within the Ann Arbor city limit.
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Vol. CXXVII, No. 4 ©2016 The Michigan Daily
award for health app
Find Your Ditto program aims to connect those with similar chronic illnesses ERIN DOHERTY Daily Staff Reporter
Find Your Ditto, a project created by a University of Michigan alum and a current student in the School of Public Health, began as an entry into a University-sponsored entrepreneurial competition. The project has evolved since then and last month, it was awarded the Lyfebulb-Novo Nordisk Innovation Award at the Innovation Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark. FYD is a mobile platform which creates support groups for people with hte same chronic illnesses living in the same area. The platform, while still in the works, aims to relieve people with chronic illness of common feelings of depression and loneliness. Co-founders Brianna Wolin, who graduated from the University in April 2016, and Parisa Soraya, a candidate for a Master in Health Informatics at the School of Public Health, began working together after Soraya reached out to University students on Facebook. She was See HEALTH, Page 3A
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