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One-hundredfourteen years ofeditorialfreedom
www.micAiganday.com Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXV, No. 113 ©2005 The Michigan Daily
FROM THE EDITOR
The Michigan Daily is committed to the high-
est standards of journalistic integrity. We at the
Daily strive to earn and maintain your trust as
a respected source of news and information for
the University community.
Earlier this week, we discovered that a num-
ber of articles written by film editor Marshall
W. Lee contained plagiarized content. Lee
was also recently elected summer managing
arts editor.
As soon as we learned that one of his reviews
was plagiarized, we began searching his other
work. or more information on which articles
were.plagiarized, see page 7.
This news is quite troubling to us at the
Daily, especially because it comes on the heels
of similar incidents by a former associate arts
editor. Following the discovery of those earlier
instances of plagiarism, we promised to write a
new ethics code and to hold workshops for our
writers. We completed the ethics code, and all
members of the aily's staff will be required
to read and sign it. We have also taken steps to
more closely monitor the sources our writers are
using for their stories and to provide more guid-
ance for new writers.
The new ethics code is available online on
our website, and we will intensify our efforts
to train the staff. We are also in the process of
developing an even more comprehensive strat-
egy to combat and prevent plagiarism, as this
most recent case has shown us that the previous
occurrence was not an isolated incident.
We will keep you updated regarding the steps
we will be taking in the near future. We owe
you, our readers, a serious examination of the
Daily's practices so that you can feel confident
relying on the information in the Daily.
Jason Z. Pesick
Editor in Chief
* Lecturers to
vote on strike
LEO may stage a walk-out or have
public demonstrations at commencement
ceremonies on April 30 and May 1
By Ekjyot Saini
Daily Staff Reporter
The Lecturers' Employee Organization quietly waited in the
wings while the University dealt with the Graduate Employees'
Organization and their contract negotiations, but now LEO is pre-
pared for action. The University and LEO have run into conflict
concerning implementation of the contract, which was signed last
June, especially in regards to the re-assignment of titles to lecturers
and their performance evaluations.
LEO's Ann Arbor membership will meet today to vote on
whether it wishes to take job action in the coming days. The Flint
and Dearborn memberships will vote on the same issue tomorrow.
According to an LEO press release, job action options range from
a walk-out to having public demonstrations at commencement cer-
emonies on April 30 and May 1.
LEO President Bonnie Halloran said the meetings would
be used to measure what the sentiment was among LEO
members. She said that no specifics would be decided today,
but further meetings would take place so that action could be
taken quickly.
LEO has been pushing the University to meet deadlines that
LEO suggested in order to begin the process of implementing cer-
tain provisions of the contract. LEO claims that the University has
not made any significant movement from earlier in the year.
"There has been very little change," said Halloran. "We do meet
in implementation meetings but for the last three weeks we've been
asked to re-explain proposals that have been on the table."
University spokeswoman Julie Peterson said that the University
has been trying to work as hard as it can to reclassify lecturers and
provide performance evaluation criteria to LEO, but she said the
See LEO, Page 7
AEPhi closed for pot use
Panhel is negotiating with
national organization for chapter's
return to campus by fall 2006
By Carissa Miller
Daily Staff Reporter
Sunday's closing of the University's chapter of the
Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority by its national organization
was prompted by photos the University received show-
ing members of the sorority engaged in alcohol and
marijuana use last month, according to Bonnie Wunsch,
executive director of AEPhi.
Wunsch said that although the University's hazing
report played a part in the closing of the chapter, the
decision was ultimately made after an investigation of
recent allegations against AEPhi revealed continued
problems with alcohol, marijuana and hazing.
In December, AEPhi was placed on social proba-
tion by its national organization for violations of its
policies and was the only sorority found guilty of haz-
ing by the University.
Wunsch said that following the penalties in December
and the release of the hazing report in February, there
was no indication that the national organization would
have to close the chapter. But she said that in mid-March,
the University received a letter and photos depicting
many AEPhi women taking part in activities that are
against the policies of the national organization.
The University, which does not have the authority
to close the chapter, notified the national organiza-
tion of the new developments, according to University
spokeswoman Julie Peterson. Prior to Sunday's noti-
fication, the Panhellenic Association and the national
organization engaged in discussion over alternate
actions that could be taken toward the sorority, but it
was ultimately the decision of the national organiza-
tion to close the chapter.
"We felt it was enough of a pervasive problem though
that the only step we could take would be to close the
chapter," Wunsch said, stressing that not every AEPhi
member is guilty of the violations.
Peterson said that it was disappointing that these inci-
dents occurred even after the University tried to work
on improvement plans with the Greek houses sanctioned
as a result of the hazing investigation. She added that
the women of AEPhi were most likely involved in these
types of activities in the fall as well.
"We went through a good faith effort, and it seems as
if they weren't completely forthcoming with us," Peter-
son said. "We tried to resolve the problems (without
imposing individual punishments), and it wasn't very
See AEPHI , Page 7
No FUN IN THE SUN
JASON COOPER/Daily
A discussion section of Great Books meets outside Angell Hall yesterday to enjoy the beautiful weather.
Students advised to consolidate loans
The Federal Reserve
projects iiterest rates will
rise to 4.35 percent in 2006,
By Julia F. Homing
Daily Staff Reporter
For many graduating seniors, the
coming freedom of graduation will not
only bring the stress of acclimating to a
new setting, but also the worry of paying
back student loans. But with the signifi-
cantly low interest rates, these students
could save money by consolidating their
loans now.
With tuition ranging from $8,202 to
$13,730 for in-state students and $26,028
to $27,456 for out-of-state students, many
students turn to loans to fund their edu-
cation. In the last academic year, 14,200
students received some type of federal
loan. -
These loans, which require repayment
after graduation, are a common source
of stress for recent graduates. The aver-
age debt of a graduating student with a
bachelor's degree is $18,900, while an
average student graduating with a mas-
ter's degree has a debt of about $36,900.
But students may be able to save
money on these loan repayments if they
consolidate their loans now. The Federal
Direct Stafford Loan - a loan that pro-
vided 13,800 students with aid in the last
academic year - has a variable interest
rate, which varies with the interest rates
for U.S. Treasury Bills. With the inter-
est rate at a low 2.77 percent, Margaret
Rodriguez, senior associate director of
the Office of Financial Aid, advised stu-
dents to consolidate their federal direct
loans to lock into this low rate.
Students must consolidate their loans
prior to July 1 - the date on which the
Federal Reserve will change the inter-
est rates - if they wish to keep this low
rate.
"There are a lot of misconceptions.
(Students) think that they can only con-
solidate after graduation," Rodriguez
said.
While students can consolidate fed-
eral loans prior to graduation, they can-
not consolidate many private loans until
they begin repayment.
The Federal Reserve projects the
interest rate in 2006 will be 4.35 per-
cent, rising to 4.42 percent in 2007 and
4.6 percent the following year.
Economics Prof. Andrew Coleman
said these changes in Treasury Bill inter-
est rates show that the Federal Reserve
is moving away from its concern about
recession and is worried about inflation
in the future. "Of course, things can
change. There could be large inflation,
or there could be a large recession," he
said.
But with the predictions pointing in
the upward direction, consolidating loans
could help students save up to 10 percent
on their debt, according to the Office of
Financial Aid. Students can consolidate
through the federal direct loan program
online or though a private loan consoli-
dation company, an option Rodriguez
said she does not recommend.
"It can be confusing," she said. "We
feel that the direct loan program will be
understanding towards the needs of stu-
dents," she added.
But Barry Coleman, project manager
of Clearpoint Financial Solutions, Inc.
- a credit-counseling agency based in
Richmond, Va. - said students should
not be afraid to use private lenders to
consolidate. "We recommend that the
students shop around and compare inter-
est rates from different lenders," he said.
LSA junior Becky Marx said she
receives the federal direct loan and is
very concerned about paying it back.
Marx, who plays for the women's softball
team, just transferred from the Univer-
See LOANS, Page 7
Columnist: Too few women in media
The Nation opinion
columnist says women vastly
underrepresented in opinion
sections of major daily newspapers
By C.C. Song
Daily Staff Reporter
The misconception that women do not want to
express their opinions results in fewer opinion columns
written by women, said Katha Pollitt, the recipient of
* the Michigan Award, which recognizes writers who
women want to express opinions," she said. Other ste- one else has written something about it. Women should
reotypes include the misconception that women are not also try to get an area of expertise - don't be afraid to
as persistent as men, do not try hard enough and do not be an expert."
speak authoritatively enough, she said. Susan Douglas,c
Pollit began her speech with an
chairwoman of the Department of
Communication Studies, said
incident that has brought the pub- "W omen s
lic's attention to the under-repre-
sentation of women in the media. try to get
She gave the example of Universi-
ty of Southern California Law Prof. Of experti:
Susan Estrich, who accused Michael be afraid t
Kinsley, the editorial page editor of
the Los Angeles Times, of not hiringe
enough female opinion columnists. ex et
T., - 1- --- r + : 1
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S
t<
iould also she agreed there are not enough
women in the media.
in area "There have been a lot of
women in entertainment pro-
e - dont gramming, but other women's
issues are underrepresented,"
o be an she said. "Women do not appear
as experts, and they rarely com-
ment on the economy or wars.
I -. ---
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