Wednesday, February 15, 2006 ALIaN DoAi osTHE iBEST M' vUSEUM\S MVE 'TON! i 'S . a .RTS :' , FACE News 2 Man vice president accidentally shot suffers heart attack Opinion 4 Sports 9 Emily Beam misses feminism Cagers face must-win against Gophers One-hundredfourteen years of editorial freedom - -------------- - www. michigandaily. cor Ann Arbor, Michigan s Vol. CXV, No. 76 02006 The Michigan Daily - - - - - - - - MSA votes down $4 student fee to fund yearbook Rep. Rese Fox, sorority sister of Michiganensian's editor, proposes extra money for yearbook By Ashlea Sures Daily Staff Reporter Use the $4 that won't be tacked onto your student fee this year to buy your- self something nice. The Michigan Student Assembly voted down a resolution last night that would have placed an initiative on the ballot in March's presidential elections to add $4 per year to undergraduate's tuition bills. The additional revenue would have been used to fund the Michiganensian, the University's yearbook. MSA voted not to carry the resolu- tion by a vote of 18 to 3. Michigan Progressive Party presi- dential candidate Rese Fox proposed the resolution. With elections looming close, the debate over the resolution was heat- ed between the dominant Students 4 Michigan party and the newly formed MPP. The MPP supported the resolution to put the funding option on the bal- lot. "Students are more than capable of making the decision about the Michi- ganensian on their own," Fox said in an e-mail to The Michigan Daily. S4M took the opposite stance. "As a student I am in favor of my money going to the yearbook, but as an MSA rep it's irresponsible to vote to fund one organization and not 300 others. I am against preferential treat- ment," S4M vice presidential nominee Justin Paul said after the meeting. Tension at the, meeting increased just prior to the vote, when an S4M member questioned Fox's personal relationship with Michiganensian edi- tor in chief Emily DeMarco. Fox then told the assembly for the first time that she was in a sorority with DeMarco. S4M party chair Robbie O'Brien accused Fox of "cronyism" and said it could be a reflection of her party as a whole. "The fact that I know Ms. DeMarco does not change the fact that students should have been able to vote on this issue," Fox said. There was also contention over a petition to put the increase on the bal- lot, signed by 1,000 students, that Fox presented to the assembly. The assembly deemed the signatures inadmissible because the petition had not cleared MSA standards prior to the signings. The petition sheets read, "Petition to get Michiganensian fees on student tuition" and failed to print an actual question, leading some MSA members to question the validity of the signa- tures. Ally Jacobs, chair of MSA's Com- munications Committee, and several other S4M members said it would be "irresponsible" to put the question on March's ballot because students would not have the background knowledge to make an informed decision. O'Brien said it is important to note "the (Michiganensian's) history of not being able to spend their money right." According to Michiganensian mar- keting manager Katrina Deutsch, one year ago the Michiganensian had a $50,000 debt because fewer yearbooks See ENSIAN, page 7 STEVEN TAI/Daily LSA sophomore Joel Skaistis waits outside University President Mary Sue Coleman's house on South University Avenue yesterday morning. Skaistis intended to propose marriage to University President Mary Sue Coleman, but his efforts were thwarted. Police fo 1 student's quest to propose to PresidentColeman Student who had yearned to make Coleman his Valentine goes home di sappointed, bw i otarrested By Gabe Nelson Daily Staff Reporter Red," is by a 46-year-old amateur poet named Mel Sharrar. "So take my heart and treat it well and forever in this life, come walk with me your hand in mine, the one I call my wife," the poem read. He would never get a chance to read it. At about 7:45 a.m., Coleman's garage door opened and a sport utility vehicle Dressed in a tuxedo, LSA Joel Skaistis stood on the sidew of University President Mary man's house early yesterday m His mission: matrimony. His target: Coleman. Four months ago, Skaistis'1 challenged him to create a Fa group that would attract a lotc He decided to promise that h something embarrassing if en joined the group. When his frier that he pledge to propose marri one on Valentine's Day, Skaisti chose Coleman. "We chose her because she's a local celebrity, she lives right on campus and she's already married," Skaistis said. The group, titled "I'll pro- pose to Mary Sue Coleman on Valentine's Day If 250 People Join This Group," had 285 members as of yes- terday. With the requirement met, a choice: either fulfill his pro appoint the group's members. "As Valentine's Day got c] kind of nervous about going t it, but this morning, I was gung-ho," Skaistis said. "I ha prepare, and I knew exactly going to say." And so Skaistis found hins Coleman's home at 815 Sout ty Ave. at 7 a.m. yesterday, t shrouded in darkness. Two fr with him to witness the propo rying a video camera to record Skaistis was carrying a poen ed to read to Coleman. The poem, called "Deep as sophomore emerged. walk in front Skaistis and his friends grew excited, hoping Sue Cole- it was Coleman. It was her husband Kenneth. orning. He shot the group a puzzled look and continued on his way. By 8 a.m., Coleman still had not left for buddies had work. acebook.com Skaistis' friends were cold and frustrat- of members. ed. They decided to leave. le would do Skaistis, though, remained determined. ough people He stared through the windows and com- nd suggested mented on every sign of movement within age to some- the house. s agreed and At about 8 a.m., Skaistis's attempt was foiled by a call to the Department of Pub- lic Safety. According T d 'tthnto DPS officer Ithik David Dupuis, 're her type." acaller told you'r e ye DPS there were strangers loiter- - Officer David Dupuis ing and video- Department of Public Safety taping outside Coleman's home. It was Skaistis had not clear who called the police. mise or dis- Dupuis assured Skaistis that he was not breaking the law, then asked why he was loser, I was standing there. hrough with Skaistis, after pausing uneasily, said he completely had a "special Valentine's Day present for d months to Mary Sue." what I was "I don't think you're her type," Dupuis replied. self in front Last night, Skaistis wrote an announce- h Universi- ment to members of his group, informing :he sky still them of his failure. riends came "Coleman was too terrified to leave her sal, one car- house, so I didn't really get a chance to lit. ask her to marry me," he wrote. m he intend- Still, he has not given up hope. "On the bright side, she never said 'no,' " the Rose is he wrote. "So there's still a chance!" STEVEN TAI/Daily After waiting an hour and 15 minutes in the early- morning cold, Skaistis decided to leave. Presidential hospitality Student access to president's house Most University presidents have discour- aged students from entering or assembling near the historic president's house, but some have allowed it on select occasions. University President Mary Sue Coleman invites all students, staff and faculty into her home for an open house on the Friday before classes start in the fall every year. Former University President Lee Bollinger famously invited a mob of celebrating stu- dents into his house after a football victory over Penn State in 1997. Hundreds of students crammed them- selves into his home. "You can stay here as long as you want and come inside," Bollinger said. For many students, it was the defining moment of his presidency. "I puked with the president," then-LSA sophomore Andrew Schreiber told The Michi- gan Daily that evening. "I puked on the house. I feel so much better with the president now that I puked." STEVEN TAI/Daily Retired track coach Red Simmons stands in the Track and Field Building. Simmons's vision predated Title IX String of thefts stings Ann Arbor Coach jump-started womens sports at the University after Olympic inspiration By Chris Herring Daily Sports Writer gram while he was coaching the men's team at the University. He attended the 1960 Olym- pics in Rome and saw that the American women's track and field team was perform- ing poorly. "The women did so badly that I said, 'We're going to start a women's track team,' "Sim- mons, 96, said as he watched a recent meet. The program was not officially affiliated Burglary streak rivals winter recess in number of break-ins By Drew Philp Daily Staff Reporter connections among the string of crimes. The crimes occurred on Brook, West Liberty, West Huron, North Maple, Signature Boulevard and Pack- ard Road, while unsuccessful attempts were made on Varsity Drive and Hill house on Green Street. The officers interviewed two men at the house on Green Street. The men admitted to the crime. AAPD Lt. Mark Hoornstra said the men were acquaintances of the resi- dent. The resident was not home. The is either someone knows what they're going in there for or they see it from the outside," Hoornstra said. "Very rarely do you have people break into a place not having any idea what's in there." Hill reminded students to lock their doors before bed as well as before 1 I