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One-hundred-thirteen years ofedorialfreedom
www.mzcligandady.com Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXIII, No. 156 x2004 The Michigan Daily
Freshman
relocation
worries
parents
By Farayha Arrine
Daily Staff Reporter
Ayesha Suhail, a resident of the Univer-
sity's Family Housing, was walking with
her children when, to her dismay, they came
upon an undergraduate couple being "quite
intimate."
"I have three kids. They know a little bit
about that stuff because they watch TV but
that's too much exposure. ... I didn't like
that," Suhail said.
Despite this incident, Suhail said the
recent move-in of undergraduates from Vera
Baits Residence Hall into Northwood I, II,
and III has not been as bad as expected.
"We were told that there would be drink-
ing and shouting and that hasn't been hap-
gening so far. Fifty undergraduates have
moved in so far and they are mostly girls and
they are good girls," she said.
In total, 210 students have moved into the
Northwood apartments according to Hous-
ing spokesman Alan Levy. Many residents
of Northwood I, II and III reported only
minimal problems with there new neighbors
- such as occasional loud music, which has
Oeen turned off when requested. In July, Uni-
versity Housing announced that freshman
enrollment had exceeded expectation by 400
students and that administrators would be
relocating upperclassmen to Family Housing
in order to create dorm space for first year
students.
Because the University guarantees on-
campus housing to all freshman upon
completion of the appropriate procedures,
upperclassmen from Baits were shifted to
Northwood I, II, and III - apartment units
that until now were reserved for single moth-
ers, graduate students, and families. To make
space for the upperclassmen, some families
from Northwood 1, II and III were in turn
given the option to move to vacant apartment
in Northwood IV or V and keep their previ-
ous, cheaper rent.
"Everyone is in a permanent residence
hall space so we're very pleased about that.
That (was) the objective," Levy said. "Some
of these students certainly raised concerns
during the summer and we worked as best
we could to accommodate and will continue
to try."
He added that many students were pleased
with the relocation and found that it worked
well for them.
"I like living in Northwood better because
it's more peaceful than staying in the dorms.
It gives you a sense of being able to get
away from school. In the dorms everyone is
always talking abut school," said Engineer-
ing senior Dorian Simmons. "It's a lot more
of a homey feeling."
Simmons, who resided in Baits last year,
was given a choice - like other upperclass-
men in that residence hall - to either moe
off campus or relocate and keep the same
rent they were paying for dorm living. He
opted to move to Family Housing and was
placed in Northwood III.
"I can't complain, moving up from a single
to an apartment. I also stay with my friend
now (whereas) in a dorm I would be staying
with some random guy," he said.
If students who are moving have voiced
no opposition to the relocation, some Fam-
ily Housing residents, in the last two months,
have organized protests, written letters, and
met with administrators in an effort to pre-
serve Family Housing.
These concerns have been voiced in the
past couple months by Family Housing resi-
See HOUSING, Page 10
Campus
reacts
to
student 's
death
By Ashley Dinges
Daily Staff Reporter
As police released the name of a
student who was found dead in her
residence hall room Monday night, one
student recalled her as a woman who
was both caring and kind.
The body of kinesiology sophomore
Kristi Sprecher of Okemos was found
Monday night in her West Quad Resi-
dence Hall room by Department of Pub-
lic Safety officers.
"Every time I talked to her, the hall-
way she would be very cheerful. She
would be very friendly and would ask
how I was doing," said Stephanie Gar-
diner, an LSA junior. Gardiner lived on
Sprecher's floor in Stockwell Residence
Hall last year.
"She seemed very personable and
willing to talk and say hi. She never
seemed like she would judge anyone,"
she added.
DPS spokeswoman Diane Brown said
no results were released from an autopsy
conducted today, but test results will
return within a week. DPS officers found
Sprecher in her room in Cambridge
House after checking on her Monday
night at the request of her parents. She
lived in a single occupancy room.
"The only thing I know is that the last
time someone had spoken to her that
we are aware of was at 9:30 the night
before - Sunday night. Someone else
may have, but it has not been reported
to us," Brown said. She added that it is
not known whether the call was made
by parents or friends.
Brown said DPS has ruled out any evi-
dence of foul play, and that Sprecher had
a pre-existing medical condition.
"We are saying that she did have med-
ical conditions, but details of which, I'm
not releasing," she said.
But some residents of Cambridge
House, such as LSA freshman Jason
Turkish, were unhappy with their treat-
ment by DPS officers.
"They wouldn't even give us the
most basic information as to what was
going on ... When something like that
happens, they need to give some basic
information to people in surrounding
rooms," Turkish said.
He added that he and other residents
of the hall were considering filing a
complaint to DPS. Turkish said he tried
to contact the office yesterday.
But Brown said no complaints had
yet been received by DPS, and specific
protocol must be followed in these situ-
ations.
"There couldn't be a whole lot said
to anybody until the family was con-
tacted," Brown said.
She also added that if students have
concerns about a case being handled by
DPS, they are welcome to contact or file
a complaint to DPS.
A letter was sent out late yesterday
by Associate Housing Director Mary
Hummel to all residents of West Quad
notifying them of the recent situation.
In the letter, students are referred to the
University's Counseling and Psycho-
logical Services if they need to speak
with a counselor. CAPS will have
counselors available at 764-8312.
- Daily Staff Reporter Victoria
Edwards contributed to this report.
City expects surge in absentee ballots
By Donn M. Fresard
Daily Staff Reporter
Ann Arbor officials predict that voter turnout for November's
presidential election will be the highest Ann Arbor has ever
seen, and an expected surge in absentee ballots from U.S. citi-
zens abroad may take much of the credit.
Chris Kallas, an administrative support specialist in charge
of absentee ballots for the Ann Arbor City Clerk's office, said
this year the city expects to process more absentee ballots, reg-
ister more voters and count more votes than ever before.
Unusual interest in the election from U.S. citizens abroad is
credited for the rise in requests for absentee ballots.
"This particular election has spurred greater interest than
prior elections, especially people who are overseas," Kallas
said. "It'll be the biggest turnout Ann Arbor's seen, I'm sure."
Kallas said U.S. citizens living overseas, many of whom have
never voted, are applying for absentee forms in record numbers.
She attributed this year's surge in interest to President Bush's
foreign policy, which has earned him an unusual amount of
attention and strong opinions outside the United States.
Ann Arbor processed more than 9,000 absentee ballots for
the 2000 presidential election, Kallas said. She estimates that
number will reach well more than 12,000 this year.
Overall voter registration and turnout this year is also expect-
ed to be high.
"You can tell by the phone calls, you can tell by the voter
interest, you can tell by people coming in to be election assis-
tants," Kallas said. "We've certainly had voter drives in the
past, but we've never had the numbers of people coming out to
serve that purpose as we have had this year."
Several campus groups will be registering students to vote
in the coming weeks. Both the College Democrats and the Col-
lege Republicans will register students to vote as part of their
membership drives. Pete Woiwode, co-chair of the Michigan
Student Assembly's nonpartisan Voice Your Vote commission,
said the group will begin promoting voter registration on Sept.
16.
"We are looking forward to it ... and are going to push for
it being the biggest voter turnout in Ann Arbor history, and
students are going to be a big part of that," said Woiwode, an
LSA senior.
Woiwode added that he does not expect his group's efforts
to wane because of to a 1999 state law that requires voters to
register in the city listed on their driver's licenses.
At the time of Public Act 118's passage, student groups
including MSA expressed concern that it would depress stu-
dent turnout by requiring students to either go home to vote or
change their driver's license address.
Woiwode said Voice Your Vote will encourage students
See BALLOTS, Page :0
New busing offers students
free rides, additional routes
By Adrian Chen
Daily Staff Reporter
Each day, helplessly watching the crammed Bursley-
Baits shuttle fly by, bus-bound students may yearn for the
comforts of a small, liberal-arts college. Instead, these stu-
dents received a revamped University bus system, designed
reach more students and speed up existing routes.
One of the most notable changes is the new MRide
program, which allows free access to Ann Arbor Transit
Authority's The Ride bus system for University students,
"We're hopeful that people who haven't chosen to ride
the bus in the past will look at this as an opportunity to do
so, reducing cars on the road and in parking lots," Brown
said.
In Pascale Leroueil's view, the program works. Ler-
oueil, a Rackham graduate student, rarely rode the bus in
the past. But with the University providing free transpor-
tation on The Ride, "now I'm hopping all over the place,"
she said. She uses the bus to commute from her off-campus
housing unit to campus and on weekends to get downtown
and to favorite restaurants.
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