Entries for November 28, 2006

A Wisconsin animal rights group wanted to build a museum that showcases "the history and current use of monkeys and apes in publicly funded experimentation," so it bought a piece of land right between two research centers that conduct publicly funded experiments on monkeys, the Daily Cardinal reports. When the University of Wisconsin-Madison learned about the plan, it tried to outbid the group, topping its offer of $675,000 with a promise of $1 million. But a circuit court ruled yesterday the first sale should be final, though the property's original owner is expected to appeal that ruling.

It took seven months, one density-measuring machine, and two radar technicians, but the University of Utah has finally recovered a time capsule buried inside a student union building almost 50 years ago. Technicians measured the density of red bricks around the union's fireplace until they found a spot with a large air hole--and then, a rusty box, the Daily Utah Chronicle reports. The contents of the box won't be revealed until the union celebrates its 50th anniversary in January. Luckily, radar technology should not be required to open it.

Students at the University of Minnesota law school are signing a petition to protest the school's choice of a constitutional law professor for next semester. Before he came to Minnesota, Robert Delahunty—who also teaches at the University of St. Thomas law school—worked in the Bush administration's Office of Legal Counsel, where he coauthored a memo on the military's treatment of detainees, according to the Minnesota Daily.

• Thieves at the University of Michigan seem to have simple needs. After raiding 17 rooms over Thanksgiving, the Michigan Daily reports they stole only two iPods and a few rolls of quarters.
• A robber near the University of Massachusetts-Amherst may need some remedial thieving classes as well. After allegedly attempting to break into and enter a home, the suspect ran away--but left a book bag with a name on it at the scene, the Daily Collegian reports.