154 years of sleepless nights...
Cell Phone Wars in Full Swing
Shivang Naik has the potential to be a powerful soon. With the success of the iPhone’s
shivnaik@umich.edu player in the mobile market, but touch screen capabilities, RIM is now
Staff Writer they’re still probably an iteration or diving into its own touch screen
two away from being a real com- smartphone, the Blackberry Storm.
And so it begins. Since the launch of petitor to Research in Motion and With a sleek looking touch display
the original iPhone by Apple back in Apple. and powerful hardware, the Storm
Summer of 2007, cell phone manu- could be iPhone-killer everyone's
facturers have been looking for that Next is the Blackberry Bold, part of been looking for. It will be interest-
iPhone killer, that smartphone to end Research in Motion’s popular line of ing to see how it does when it re-
all smartphones. While it’s probably smartphones. RIM does smartphones leases on November 21 in the United
still a while until we have that ulti- better than anyone else, and the States.
mate cell phone, a slew of new Bold doesn’t disappoint. Though a bit
smartphones have hit the open mar- on the bulky side, it has a sharp, The Sony Ericsson is also releasing
ket IN the past few weeks, and it’s bright screen and a typical Black- their next smartphone, the Xperia
safe to say that they’re getting peo- berry QWERTY key pad. What X1. Though the name might not be
ple excited about the mobile phone really sets this phone apart from its the best out there, the phone itself
all over again. counterparts is the business focused certainly doesn’t disappoint. With a
functionality. Email, calendar, and touch screen, slide-out keypad, and
One such phone is the T-Mobile G1 other productivity apps are im- sharp display, the Xperia X1 has a
by HTC, otherwise known as the proved for the Bold in comparison to chance of helping Windows Mobile
GPhone. To be fair, Google’s first its predecessors, and it’s now possi- become a more powerful player in
endeavor into the mobile market has ble to edit Word, Excel, and Power- the mobile market.
been anything but a disaster. The Point documents on the device itself.
G1 has a full slide out QWERTY As the cell phone wars continue to
keyboard, though that might be the The G1 and Blackberry Bold are heat up, RIM, Apple, Google, and
best physical feature of the phone. already powerful devices that are Sony Ericsson have established them-
Its real beauty lies in the Android gaining popularity among mobile selves as the big players, but the
operating system. Already with a and smartphone users. However, the battles are only beginning, and ex-
big line of applications available, market is quickly becoming a pect to hear from other companies
and full developer support, Google crowded one thanks to other smart- like Nokia and Samsung very soon.
phones that are being released very
Find out what Engineers are most Need some advice from the best Check out page 6 for more
thankful for this holiday season with advice column this side of campus? information on the UMEC Exec board
two different views on pageS 2 and Turn to page 3 for the newest Dear candidates for the 2009 term, and
3 All-Nighter column! be sure to vote this Thursday and
Friday
the all-nighter volume 6 issue 6 november 19, 2008
What Engineers Are Thankful For
Randy Tim last through all of the day without cheers engineers up like the harsh,
randytin@umich.edu degenerating into an angst-filled, discordant tones of a carillon ringing
Staff Writer cynical mess. through the air all day long!
Thanksgiving, the secular, younger So what are we thankful for? The President-Elect: If not for the
and less-attractive brother of Christ- President-Elect himself, then for the
mas, is upon us once again. Every Career Stability: As long as people beautiful end of month after agoniz-
year we are required by national are lazy, engineers will continue to ing month of constant election cover-
law to be thankful for what life has be hired to find ways to automate age and overly enthusiastic Obama-
bestowed on us, but what (one might all the mundane activities that peo- supporting friends.
ask) do engineers have to be thank- ple used to do by hand. Hopefully
ful for? Surely nights of thankless we won’t still be alive by the time The Lack of Stores, Places to Eat,
research in the Duderstadt Library, human beings are made totally ob- Clubs, Musical Venues, etc. on North
impossible homework assignments solete. Campus: So you think that North
and perfectly inane group projects Campus is a dull, uneventful waste-
provide us ample reason to consider The Video Game Room: Just when land? Be thankful that you spend so
ourselves exempt from being thank- we thought we had a safe, con- little time on Central, where the in-
ful for anything. trolled study environment to protect sidious forces of hedonism, Capital-
us from outside distractions, the folks ism and literary aptitude have firmly
Fortunately, the ever-reliable all- at the Duderstadt generously dedi- entrenched themselves in the very
nighter is here to provide you with cated an entire room purely to video heart of downtown and in the minds
plenty of ammo to make it through games and video game-related en- of the students. We’ve managed to
that awkward, uncomfortable event deavors. Science bless them. shut out such vile influences. So far.
of saying Grace to God (or to Sci-
ence, for the heathens among us) and Music from the Bell Tower: Nothing Thanksgiving Day Football: Nothing
to see here, folks.
Calvin Boerigter not even Thanksgiving yet!‖ So with dents’ progress in the middle of the
cboerigt@umich.edu only a week until every turkey’s least term, but here at U of M, one mid-
Staff Writer favorite holiday, let’s think about term is never enough. Thankfully
what we as engineers are thankful though, with Thanksgiving comes the
The snow has started to fall here in for this Thanksgiving. end of basically all of those mid-
Ann Arbor which has everyone count- terms and that is something we can
ing down the days until finals are The end of all those annoying mid- definitely be thankful for.
over and the much-needed holiday terms: Ever since the last week of
break arrives. But in the words of September, the majority of us engi- The release of tons of cool new stuff:
the countless number of people that neers have had a midterm exam With Thanksgiving close, Christmas,
Charlie Brown tried to sell Christmas nearly every week. The idea of a
wreathes to in early November, ―It’s midterm exam is to check on stu- Continued on page 3
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN umec.exec@umich.edu
ENGINEERING COUNCIL www.umeconline.com
the all-nighter staff If you have any questions or comments re-
umec.newsletter@umich.edu garding the all-nighter, please contact Dara
Editor-in-Chief Dara Fisher fisherdr@umich.edu Fisher at fisherdr@umich.edu
News Editor Shivang Naik shivnaik@umich.edu
Copy Editor Michael Friedman friedmma@umich.edu Express yourself before
Sports Editor Dan Krinsky danck@umich.edu
Entertainment Editor Eric Congdon efcong@umich.edu you wreck yourself!
Contributing Editor Jordan Raetz jraetz@umich.edu
Staff Writers Aristo Chang abchang@umich.edu Submit articles to
Rob Karamon robkmon@umich.edu
Andrew Martin
Shannon Power
amartino@umich.edu
sepower@umich.edu
the all-nighter
Suraj Raheja srraheja@umich.edu umec.newsletter@umich.edu
Randy Tin randytin@umich.edu
Jacqueline Vitta javitta@umich.edu by Thursday, November 8 for publication on
Wednesday, November 14.
page 2 the all-nighter
What Engineers Can Be Thankful For, Con’t.
Continued from page 2 roommates probably got old in Sep- on North Campus. With snow also
tember and buying yourself lunch comes the return of snowball fights.
Hanukkah and all the other gift- and dinner five days a week is It’s a perfect time to get back at that
giving holidays are right around the really expensive. But with Thanks- one kid that ruined the curve by ac-
corner, so it’s time for companies to giving comes an opportunity for ing all of the exams and give them a
release all of their cool new gadgets nearly everyone to go home for a face full of snow.
and games that engineers love. few days and gorge themselves on
unlimited amounts of turkey, stuffing, Football season is finally over: This
Whether it’s the brand new Guitar mashed potatoes, and whatever else one is specific to just this year but
Hero or Rock Band, Gears of War or they can convince their families to with Thanksgiving comes the end of
Resistance 2, or the brand new cook them, then bring back enough what has probably been the worst
Blackberry and Google phone, eve- leftovers to last until Christmas. season ever for Michigan football,
ryone has something new to put on even if we do miraculously beat
their wish list, not to mention some- Snow: Most of you will probably OSU this weekend. For the first time
thing interesting to read about online disagree with me on this one, but this in 33 years, Michigan’s football sea-
during lecture. Thanksgiving we can be thankful for son ends before Thanksgiving and
all of the good things associated while football Saturdays will be
Home Cooking: For those of you with snow and try to forgot how cold missed, watching Michigan routinely
engineers that live in the dorms, by and wet it is, especially when it’s on choke when it matters is something
now the food there is probably get- the sidewalk. With snow comes ski- we can all be thankful is coming to
ting old and grilled cheese day and ing, snowboarding and sledding and an end.
Mexican night don’t come often while Michigan is no Colorado, it’s
enough. For those of you that live not completely flat either, especially
off campus, cooking for yourself and
Dear All-Nighter
Dear all-nighter, Dear Seeking Solace, lack of interest. Tell your GSI about
all the times that you have gone to
I have the most frustrating class! I So, you want your GSI to come to their office hours, only to find that
can’t really understand my GSI too office hours, right? The best advice I they are not there. Mention the up-
well, and they never hold their office can offer you is to talk to your GSI. coming cold weather, and how it
hours. What can I do?!? With the Let them know how badly you want would help you a great deal if your
cold weather coming up, I want to them to host their office hours – and GSI maintained their office hours.
know what I can do to get my GSI be sure to show up at their office Then, once they reestablish their of-
into their office! hours once they start holding them fice hours, visit your GSI often. Per-
again. Perhaps they stopped hold- haps becoming more familiar with
Seeking Solace in Ann Arbor ing them thinking that there was a
Continued on page 4
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the all-nighter page 3
Dear All-Nighter, Con’t.
Continued from page 3 SLC is a resource center provided by The Language Resource Center is
LS&A primarily for students in the designed to support the study and
them will allow you to be able to natural sciences. interaction of foreign languages,
understand your GSI. Familiarity cultures, and literatures. There is
breeds understanding, you know. You can consider going to the space there available for students to
Build up this relationship between Mathematics Laboratory, located in work individually or in small groups
yourself and your GSI, and it may B860 East Hall, if your problem has with a wide variety of audio, video,
help you better understand your to deal with mathematics. Tutoring is and computer materials.
course material. available for mathematics courses
from precalculus through differential And, if you haven’t considered this
What if you still can’t understand equations and linear algebra. Defi- already, definitely go and talk to
what’s happening in class? At this nitely consider going to the Math Lab classmates or people in your hall.
point, you are several different re- because it’s open Monday through Perhaps someone will be able to
sources. If you are in a learning Friday from 11-4 pm and 7-10 pm explain it to you in laymen terms that
community, check and see if they from Monday to Thursday. On will help you understand your home-
offer study groups for your particu- Sunday, it is open from 7-10 pm. work! Hope you resolve your prob-
lar class. You could also head on Hey, if you don’t understand a lem with your GSI! If worse comes to
over to the Science Learning Center; homework problem, even after dis- worse and they still aren’t making it
the main branch is located in room cussing it with your GSI, you can to their office hours, you always
1720 in the Chemistry Building. definitely go to the Math Lab to ask have the power to send your feed-
Nearly 100 GSI’s regularly hold for another GSI to explain it to you. back to the university in the individ-
office hours there each week, and Perhaps someone else will be able to ual GSI surveys sent out every se-
computer labs, research materials, explain in a unique, new way. If you mester.
and meeting spaces are highly avail- have a language class, consider go-
able. Definitely consider going if ing to the Language Resource Cen- Love,
your GSI isn’t able to help you un- ter, which is located in room 2018 in The all-nighter
derstand your course material. The the Modern Language Building!
They Hunt Elk For Breakfast
Grace Hsia songs may have rivaled the variety John Strader, and Albert Yu. Their
hsgracie@umich.edu of Ben & Jerry Ice Cream flavors. voices blended together to meld into
Staff Writer From Broadway show tunes such as one outstanding swirl of sound.
―The Lion King Medley‖ to ―Sex
―Now, we present to you… the Bomb,‖ the Gmen did not leave any The Gmen created a night that was
Gmen!‖ music genre feeling unloved. They truly a thing of beauty.
roused the crowd and, every so of-
With that, the Ann Arbor Wordwork ten, they presented interviews con- The entire show was a success
poet hopped down as the G-Men ducted about, well, themselves on a through the dynamic persona of the
raced into Rackham Auditorium to three-hundred and sixty inch projec- individual members of Gmen. They
take the stage. Dressed to the nines tor screen! Who would have thought devastated the audience with their
in well-cut suits, they lit up the stage that the group could sing the ―Lion good looks and debonair charm,
with power equal to that of 100 King Medley‖ so stirringly? Cory probably winning the hearts of
raging buffalo. Levinson, who is well-renowned for many. Dashing and uproariously
his ―Hopkins Rap‖ and unicycle, was funny, my cheeks ached by the end
So, who are the Gmen? The Gentle- a remarkable Zazu and Gavin Chen- of the night from laughing at the
men started their all-male a cap- sue could have been Simba in human exuberant antics and over-the-top
pella group in 1995, touring stages form. The Gmen imitated the wilds choreography. Ending the night with
across the country. On Friday, No- of the African savannah marvelously ―Stayin’ Alive‖, John Paul Bonadonna
vember 14, Ann Arbor was lucky onstage. made singing in falsetto look ab-
enough to have the group perform to surdly easy. Good-humored, the
a full house. The show started off The Gmen also performed ―I’m Gmen aren’t afraid to poke fun at
with the ―Ace of Base Medley‖, hit- Yours‖ by Jason Mraz, ―Collide‖ by themselves and they’re manly
ting the night off on the right note. Howie Day, and ―Happy Ending‖ by enough to pull it off without blinking
MIKA simultaneously, with remark- an eye.
That night, their vast repertoire of able solos by John Paul Bonadonna,
page 4 the all-nighter
Engineering Eminence Program
Grace Hsia through just a year ago! And, holy actly have I done with myself since
hsgracie@umich.edu mother of pearl, there was another being here? Their questions left me
Staff Writer girl applying to Yale because of thinking about my experience at the
Gilmore Girls. At Mosher-Jordan, University of Michigan.
This weekend, Ann Arbor played the girls also got to know each other
hostess to thirty or so high school through Link. Playing Link, the girls I mean, I know I don’t have all that
seniors. These seniors went all over had to start listing their likes and if much experience here – being a
campus and got a chance to watch someone shared your like, they had freshmen, I know I don’t know where
the Gmen perform at Rackham Audi- to yell Link and race across the room all the Ann Arbor hangouts are and I
torium. They even had free dinner to link arms with you. The goal was am pretty close to the bottom of the
at Pizza House – complete with deli- to make a giant human chain in the registration totem pole.
cious breadsticks. (Being a tour Cesar Chevaz Lounge. Some of the
guide, this meant that I also got free interests I remember were (and this is There are so many things that I have
dinner with delicious breadsticks.) definitely not a conclusive list in any left to do that I wondered how I
way, shape, or form): could encompass the entire experi-
These thirty or so high school seniors ence that is the University of Michi-
were part of a unique program ―I like to play tennis!‖ gan in a single reply.
called, ―Engineering Eminence.‖
―No one else with the name Carli Yet I thought that I could answer
Not only did each senior score in the spells it C-A-R-L-I.‖ them truthfully. I was where they
top 2nd percentile on the ACT or SAT, would be in another year. Come
they were all females considering ―I love driving with the windows next November, they would be the
the University of Michigan as their down.‖ freshmen wondering why they were
future school. Katrina Williams, an giving advice when they had only
amazing individual who is also the ―I’ve been up north.‖ been a college student for less than
Admissions Associate Director from a year.
the College of Engineering, helped ―I’m taking calc 3 but I can’t tell time
plan this event. The girls arrived or add anymore.‖ Question after question, I felt like I
Thursday and stayed until Saturday could tell them honestly what I knew,
morning – getting home just in time ―I love my TI-89.‖ but I would always add that the best
to miss the Saturday snowfall. When way to answer their questions would
they arrived, they headed to a Wel- The girls were each notable in that be to come to the University of
come Reception at Palmer Commons they were so different; yet they still Michigan and experience it for them-
before going over to Mosher-Jordan had so much in common that they selves.
for a tour of MRC and WISE, the Hill were able to form a mammoth hu-
Dining Center, and the state-of-the- man chain around the lounge furni- After the Gmen concert, the girls
art Learning Classrooms. There, I ture. were absolutely dazzled by what
was lucky enough to first meet the they had just seen. Dashing, debo-
girls. Friday, they went to eat dinner at nair, and blessed with the voice of
Pizza House… their prelude before angels, who wouldn’t be charmed by
It was just fascinating how, despite the Gmen concert. Walking towards the Gmen? Wishing I had a bit more
being in the top 2 percentile, the Rackham Auditorium, one of the girls time, I said my goodbyes to Katrina
girls were remarkably human. Most got a chance to talk to me about the Williams and some of the girls, and
showed a keen interest in the Univer- University of Michigan. The girls then headed back to Mosher-Jordan.
sity of Michigan; all but one girl had really made me think when they
sent in their applications to the Uni- asked me questions like, ―What is it As I walked away, blanketed by the
versity thus far. Chatting with the like to live on campus?‖ and ―How night swirled with the grey of cloud
girls, it was easy to relate to them – do you feel at such a big university?‖ and star, I could only hope that some
so many of them were going through of the girls would someday under-
the whole laborious process of ap- What exactly does it feel like to be stand the college experience that the
plying to colleges that I had been at such a big university? What ex- University of Michigan could offer.
This Thursday and Friday, November 20 & 21
vote.umich.edu
the all-nighter page 5
UMEC Elections: Meet the Candidates!
Want to make an educated decision when you vote for UMEC Exec board on Thursday and
Friday? Here’s a quick rundown of the candidates and what they love about the CoE!
Vice President
Shannon Power, Sophomore, Aerospace Engineering—Currently Publicity Director
My favorite thing about North Campus is how alive the community is with academics, project teams, and socie-
ties!
Director of Leadership
Neal Rakesh, Sophomore, Biomedical Engineering—Currently on Leadership Committee
I like the inherent camaraderie and progressive nature that exists within the College of Engineering.
Director of Administration
Dara Fisher, Sophomore, AOSS (Space Weather)—Currently all-nighter Editor-in-Chief
I love hanging out with engineers! We’re pretty much the coolest kids on campus, and it’s always a good time
when a bunch of engineers get together.
Director of Finance
Aristo Chang, Sophomore, Industrial and Operations Engineering
I love the collaboration of diverse students from around the world, and our 24/7 library suited to meet our
engineering needs.
Publicity Director
Eshwar Thirunavukkarasu, Sophomore, Biomedical Engineering—Currently on Leadership Committee
I love that the CoE is a foundation for students to tackle everyday engineering issues with practical solutions.
Oh, and CAEN printing rocks my world.
Jacqueline Vitta, Sophomore, Industrial and Operations Engineering—Currently on Publicity Committee
The opportunities and challenges presented to me everyday!!
Social Affairs Director
Michael Friedman, 3rd Year Graduate Student, Biomedical Engineering
There are so many opportunities to get involved and work with the best students in the nation.
Ahmed Suhaib, Junior, Biomedical Engineering
Diversity of Students and Faculty
Teresa Wang, Junior, Biomedical Engineering
I remember browsing through the CoE website and coming across a slogan that went along the lines of "People
like you. Leaders like you." It's really as simple and sweet as that. Over the past three years, I have come to love our
CoE because of people like you. Leaders like you. GO BLUE!
Honors & Service Director
Nashmia Khalid, Junior, Biomedical Engineering
How there are endless opportunities to get involved and develop yourself in newer dimensions. I keep thinking
there is so much to do and so little time, so it is important to make the most of it while we are here.
Kunal Mehta, Freshman, Undecided
1. The number of cool societies available to us. 2. The fact that we’ll get jobs when we graduate.
VOTE
This Thursday and Friday, November 20 & 21
vote.umich.edu
page 6 the all-nighter
Entertainment
Eric Congdon
Entertainment Editor
umec.entertainment@umich.edu
Celebrity
Gossip
Highest Paid Actors
5. Leonardo DiCaprio - $45 million - DiCaprio possesses the rare talent of being able to
earn major money off of R-rated dramas. Three of
his last 5 movies were nominated for Best Picture.
4. Mike Myers - $55 million - Myers is most known for Austin Powers and Shrek. Shrek
the Third just made him almost $50 million.
3. Eddie Murphy - $55 million - Recently known for playing in such horrendous movies
as Norbit, his movies still manage to gross $160 million.
2. Johnny Depp - $72 million - Depp hit it big
with his Pirates of the Caribbean
trilogy. His most recent movie,
Sweeney Todd, grossed $154 mil-
SUDOKU lion.
1. Will Smith - $80 million - Will Smith just
knows how to make hits. His
blockbuster I Am Legend
grossed $585 million with a
lot of support coming from
overseas.
List provided by Forbes.com
the all-nighter page 7
Sports
Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament
Dan Krinsky
Sports Editor
umec.sports@umich.edu
For those of you that haven’t been paying attention, Michigan’s Men’s Basketball team has started
off the year with a bang. The Wolverines are in the 2k Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Can-
cer. The tournament began in Ann Arbor last week, with Michigan soundly defeating Michigan Tech
and Northeastern. The tournament features perennial powerhouses Duke and UCLA. The Wolver-
ines will face #4 ranked UCLA this Thursday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. If they
win, they will play the winner of #5 ranked Duke vs. Southern Illinois. Let’s hope Michigan can turn
some heads and get some national recognition by taking down UCLA and Duke. They have a shot,
but it would be a monstrous upset if Michigan were to win.
page 8 the all-nighter