NEWS The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, January 24, 2006 - 7 b CENTER Continued from page 1 Acho said the new center also serves as a tool to recruit new ath- letes. "With all the demands of athlet- ics, parents want to know how my kid is going to go to a place like Michigan - practicing 20 hours a week and in the training room, and competing - how are they going to be able to do that and then also go to a school as elite as the Uni- versity of Michigan," Acho said. But one thing the new Academ- ic Center isn't is a study hub for the general student population. At least not yet. The center is currently open to 700 student athletes across cam- pus, but use will be restricted for other students until after this semester, Acho said. Administrators are waiting to see how much use the building gets before opening it up to student ath- letes. "We'd hate to open up, and then our (athletes) not have access to it," Acho said. "That really defeats the purpose of having an academic center for athletes." The idea for an academic cen- ter isn't new, but it didn't come to fruition until Bill Martin became athletic director in 2000. "It was my first priority," Martin said. "I just found that all of our students, regardless of their aca- demic progress, wanted a center where they could study with their fellow athletes, where they could have their own study halls." Ross, an alum who donated $100 million to the Business School in 2004, donated a separate $5 mil- lion to the Academic Center. Fund- ing for the $12 million structure also included other donations. "From my standpoint, Michigan is a great academic school," Ross said. "And too many people think of us as an athletic school - when you're outside Michigan in the East. And for what the student ath- letes sacrifice, and to attract the best student athletes, they deserve to have these kinds of facilities." Martin said he is not concerned about the increase in the Athletic Department budget as a result of the Academic Center, which is estimated to cost $400,000 in operations each year, said Jason Winters, the executive director of athletic business operations. "Academic aid is not a budgetary line item for our coaches," Martin said. "That's one of the great things about Michigan. Other schools tier their sports. (But at Michigan), it's a part of our culture. It's a part of who we are." - Ian Herbert contributed to this report. GRANT Continued from page 1 retention of minority students already in the "pipeline." "If we are just looking at minori- ties who are retained in engineering, it's only 50 percent," Thompson said. "If we could increase that retention to two out of three, we would have a substantial increase in students that are graduating." The average graduation rate for the rest of the population in the Col- lege of Engineering as freshmen is about 75 percent. All universities in the alliance already have programs geared to recruit and retain underrepresented minorities, through opportunities such as pre- college and undergraduate research programs. But the new initiative will emphasize a stronger collaboration and idea exchange among the four universi- ties and will even involve some coop- eration with community colleges. Students get taste of real world CR IM E men strike the victim with his hand, not Continued from page 1 a gun, before running away. When police arrived with their dog, into a ditch between two houses. The vic- Brutus, they were able to track the scent of tim said one of the men asked him for $50 the suspects, which led them to a Lutheran in exchange for help pushing the car out Ministry building on South Forest Street. of the ditch. When the victim said he had The dog also halted at a few houses on Pros- no money, the suspect hit him across the pect Street Police inquired at all addresses, face with the butt of a small black semi- but found no trace of the suspects. automatic handgun, and forcibly removed Department of Public Safety spokes- $200 from his breast pocket. woman Diane Brown said students A student who lives nearby and walking home alone late at night are observed the incident, told police she advised to call safe-walk, an escort ser- saw the cab driver give one of the men vice that can be reached at 763-WALK money, then get out of the car and try (or 763-9255). She also advises stu- to push it out of the ravine unsuccess- dents to stay alert, walk in groups and fully. She also said she saw one of the stick to well-lit areas. the michigan daily DROP OUTS Continued from page 1 Fromer, who is an Asian studies major, said that while the degree program is strong at both schools, Tufts offers smaller class sizes and more contact with professors in addition to being closer to his home in Albany, N.Y. For Allison Boyd, a sophomore at Georgetown University in Washing- ton, the huge, sometimes impersonal nature of Michigan, and its distance from her home in Rye, N.Y., also weighed heavily on her decision to transfer. "Michigan was so huge, I never saw the same people twice," Boyd said. Both students said that they are happy with their decision to trans- fer and feel their current schools are a better fit for their needs. As a pre-med student, Boyd said Georgetown's curriculum is more practical for her goals. "I have much more opportuni- ties to work with faculty members on really interesting projects (at Georgetown)," she said. "I didn't realize how much red tape there is at Michigan until I came to Georgetown." AID Continued from page 1 "To earn the cost of attendance by working would require a full-time job paying at least $10 per hour ... I don't know how students who do not get any parental support manage to do it," Fowler said. Students such as LSA junior Kellie Reid find themselves in a catch-22. Reid began working in a restau- rant when she was 15 and gradually assumed all of her own financial responsibilities, but is still legally considered a dependent. Her finan- cial aid is calculated assuming that her parents will contribute toward her education, even though she agreed to pay her college expenses. "It's been a struggle to figure out how to make it work," Reid said. She has two jobs this semester, splitting her 40-hour work week between being a waitress at Gratzi and working as a clerical assistant at the Center for Forensic Psychia- try. She is still taking 14 academic credits and getting four credits for an independent study through her job at CFP. "I have to be efficient in every- thing I do," she said. Because financially independent students must still report their fami- lies' financial circumstances, their financial aid packages vary widely. For example, Will's mom works a part-time job and has four kids, two of which are in college. "My mom didn't really have the money for (col- lege tuition) and the FAFSA helps us out a lot," Wills said. Their family contribution was cal- culated to be only $300, and much of his tuition is covered by grants. Though he simultaneously holds two jobs - one work-study - in addition to 15 credit hours, Wills shrugs off his decision to pay for tuition himself. "It really wasn't that big a deal," Wills said. So far, he has managed to pay off his loans by working during the summer. He also said that his twin brother, who attends Michigan State Univer- sity, has more loans to repay even though they have effectually the same financial situation. "I think (the University's finan- cial aid package) is great," Wills said. "He doesn't get at all what I'm getting." Reid, on the other hand, has a much less generous aid package. She has $5,500 in scholarships and must pay for the remaining $14,500 through loans. "I'm in a lot of debt," she admits, because her parent's income is fig- ured into her financial aid. While she had a better financial aid offer from Western Michigan University, she elected to attend the University anyway. "It's an investment," she said. "I wanted to go somewhere that was the best." She has not found many resources on campus that specifically address the issues faced by financially inde- pendent students. "I know that they're there, but it's incredibly difficult to take advan- tage of them," she said. 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Hottest Destinations-Biggest Parties Lowest Prices, www.sunsplashtours.com 1-800-426-7710. ing services through the Office of Financial Aid that specifically aid financially independent students. But Fowler added that counselors who work in the University's financial aid office will assist a student by com- pleting the FAFSA upon request. LSA sophomore Monica Sendor, a member of the honors college, has assumed responsibility for her col- lege payments this semester. She also had better aid offers from other universities. "Private universities have a lot more endowments to give and loans to offer," Sendor said. "There was a noticeable difference in the percent- age of financial aid." To make up for the difference, she works a combined 20 hours a week between two jobs, one as a campus tour guide, and another as an office assistant at the Center for Russian and Eastern European Studies. Like Reid, she has found it diffi- cult to get advice about being finan- cially independent. "You have to be responsible for a lot of things - making sure you have enough money to pay the bills on time," Sendor said. She would like to see a counselor or adviser who specifically address- es concerns for students who have to navigate the financial aid process by themselves. While the tuition bills carry a lot of responsibility, there are merits to being financially independent. Amy Mason, a School of Music freshman who pays her tuition. Her parents pay for her room and board, finds the freedom of financial inde- pendence irreplaceable. "I'm really motivated to keep my grades up, because I don't want to waste my money," she said. But she pointed out one drawback: "I have no money." Mason, a viola performance and music education major, pays $3,500 by earning money playing her viola in the Dearborn Symphony Orches- tra and by playing music gigs in the Detroit metro area. Reid said she also finds the same benefit from her situation. "There are times I think I wish I could be one of those students who rides through college, but I know how the real world works already," she said. As a trade-off, students who have the responsibility of paying for col- lege have little time to be involved in college organizations. "Ingthe summer, I allow myself time for (extracurriculars)," Reid said, explaining that she simply can- not fit clubs into her schedule. Nonetheless, Sendor, Reid, Wills, and Mason do not regret their deci- sions to pay the University price tag independently. "It's never easy, but it's always fulfilling," Reid said. E DAILY. BABYSITTER FOR OCCAS. Saturday evenings. $10/hr.Email terribrod63@aol.com CHILD DEVELOPMENT OR Nursing ma- jor wanted for childcare. 30-40 hours May- Aug., 20 hrs. Fall and Winter term. $10/hour in downtown A2 home. Call 734-323-3918. 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You're in a very reasonable frame of mind. Fortunately, so are oth- ers. It's a good day for business. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Today the Moon is opposite your sign, making lovely aspects to Mercury and the Sun. Furthermore, Mercury is your ruler. This means things flow easily in the way you want, especially in discus- sions with partners and friends. CANCER (June 21 to July 22) This is an excellent day to attend to lit- tle details and get better organized at home and at work. Just go at an easy pace. It's a good day to ask for a loan. LEO (July 23 to Aug. 22) This can be a fun day for you! It's also a lovely day to enjoy playful activities with children. Professional sports, romance, flirtations and creative projects will go well. VIRGO acquaintances and siblings. Run around and get little errands done. The world is cooperating! SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21) This afternoon is a good day for shop- ping and for business and commerce (but not this morning). It's also a good day to enter into negotiations or sign contracts. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21) The Moon is in your sign today. You feel great! Today the world owes you a favor. (And you know it's time to col- lect!) CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19) Any spare moments of solitude will please you today. Try to make a little time just for you today. At least sneak away for cup of coffee somewhere. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18) You can rouse the troops today! You're very effective talking to friends and groups or clubs. Others are willing to follow you now. PISCES (Feb. 19 to March 20) Briefly, you will be in the public eye today. People will notice you. Fear not, they will see you in positive terms. You're confident, friendly and capable. YOU BORN TODAY People admire you. It seems as if you don't even have to do anything special. You have a mag- COME TO OUR MASS MEETING TONIGHT AT 9 P.M. AT 420 MAYNARD ST. WE'RE NEXT DOOR TO THE STUDENT AcTivnTEs BUILDING. 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