How the University shaped a president SPECIAL SECTION jRltc i ari' '3atim Ann ArborMichigan www.michigandaily.com sday anuary4 C ourt: Stop affirmative action now Admissions office stops reviewing apps until next week By JAKE HOLMES Daily StaffReporter The University must immedi- ately stop using affirmative action admissions, an appeals court said last week. In response, the Univer- sity has halted the processing of all applications until Jan. 10 while the administration considers its options. On Dec. 29, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a six-month delay granted earlier in the month by a lower court that delayed the implementation of Proposal 2 at Wayne State Uni- versity, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. The three universities had asked for the delay to avoid admitting part of next fall's class under one set of guidelines and the other part under another. Students whose applications were processed on or before Dec. 29 will still receive notification of their application status, and the University is still accepting new applications. University spokes- woman Julie Peterson said she expects the University will con- tinue to receive new applications during this period. Peterson said that although the University has formulated plans for post-Proposal 2 admissions, she refused to release the details. She said the University will announce changes to its admissions policies by Jan. 10. In the original stay request, the University had argued that chang- ing admissions procedures part- way through the application cycle is unfair to incomingstudents. Changing standards after stu- dents had already applied could disenfranchise some students, lawyers for the three universities argued in court documents. Despite the debate over Proposal 2, Chris Lucier, associate director of admissions, said applications are up 7 percent this year over last year. So far the University has filled about half of next year's freshman class, he said. Pro-affirmative action group By Any Means Necessary plans to continue to fight Proposal 2, said Maricruz Lopez, chair of the University's chapter of BAMN. She said the group hopes that Michigan State University, Wayne State, and the University of Michigan will work with BAMN to fight the Sixth Circuit's decision, perhaps taking it as far as the U.S. Supreme Court. But in its opinion overturning the injunction that had delayed Proposal 2's implementation, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals said there was no legal basis for the case to be taken to federal court. The appeals court said that if such a delay was necessary, a state court would grant it. US32, Michigan 18 Bill Clinton to speak to grads Presidential commencement choice thrills students By JESSICA VOSGERCHIAN Daily Staff Reporter After a string of relatively low- profile commencement speakers drew complaints from many grad- uating seniors, this year's choice, former President Bill Clinton, is eliciting a much different reaction. Clinton will address an audience of about 40,000 in Michigan Sta- dium on April 28. Having a speaker as famous as Clinton is a cause for excitement among many members of the class of 2007. Students said the past several speakers have lacked name recog- nition. "The University has focused on distinguished alumni in the past, but I think we're a lot more excited with someone we see as a world figure," LSA senior Allison Jacobs said. Recent speakers include CNN correspondent Christiane Aman- pour, who spoke during last year's ceremony, and former Xerox chief scientist John Seely Brown. Documents obtained through a FreedomofInformationActrequest filed by The Michigan Daily in 2005 show that the University tried for a big name by inviting former Secre- tary of State Colin Powell, but Pow- ell declined. The fact that Clinton was a world leader as the class of 2007 was growing up is a bonus, Jacobs said. "We watched him when we were in middle school and just learning about politics," she said. Gary Krenz, special counsel to See CLINTON, page 7A Robbie Thornbladh (25) and Jamar Adams (22) leave the field after the 3rd-ranked Michigan football team's 32-18 loss to 8th-ranked USC in the Rose Bowl on Monday. The Wolverines finished the season 12. By STEPHANIE WRIGHT Daily Sports Editor PASADENA, Calif. - This year's Rose Bowl was billed as a consola- tion prize for two teams that came up just short of playing for the National Championship. Southern Cal won the prize. Michigan still needs consoling. Nearly a month after Bowl Championship Series voters select- ed Florida to face No. 1 Ohio State in the BCS Championship game, the third-ranked Wolverines had a chance to prove they deserved another shot at the undefeated Buckeyes. A chance to become just the sec- ond 12-win team in program his- tory. A chance to regain their position as the nation's No. 2 team. Michigan blew its chance. On Monday, No. 8 Southern Cal embarrassed the Wolverines 32-18 in a game that was considerably more lopsided than the final score indicated. Michigan couldn't move the ball against the Trojans' imposing defense - and couldn't stop their explosive offense, either. "(The Trojans are) a great team; they can score points, and the offense put the defense out there too many times," co-captain Jake Long said. "That type of offense, with that many chances, you know they're going to score points." For the Wolverines (7-1 Big Ten, 11-2 overall), it was a disappointing finish to an otherwise impressive season. After racking up 11 straight wins to start the year, Michigan ended its season with back-to-back losses for the third year in a row. The Wolverines have dropped their last four bowl games, includ- ing three Rose Bowls, and haven't won The Granddaddy of Them All since the 1997 season. In contrast to the loss to No. 1 See ROSE BOWL, page 7A Regents approve revamped North Quad plans After delay, board OKs 'northwestern gateway' to campus By BRIAN TENGEL Daily StaffReporter The University Board of Regents approved a new design for North Quad at its December meeting. It will be campus's first new resi- dence hall since Bursley Hall was built 1968. The schematic design and bud- get for North Quad were originally scheduled to be approved at the Regents meeting in March. At the last minute, though, administrators decided to delay the approval, cit- ing concerns over the aesthetics of the building's exterior. In an interview after the meet- ing, Coleman said the original design wasn't welcoming enough. A nine-month delay means that the dorm University President Mary Sue Coleman has called the northwestern gateway to Central Campus will open at least a year later than scheduled. The hall is ON ARCHITECTURE Read Daily architecture critic Austin Dingwall's take on the new design at www.michigandaily.com/thewire. now slated for completion in 2010. It will also cost an extra $38 mil- lion. The University hired architec- tural firm Robert A.M. Stern to rework the designs with help from Einhorn Yaffee Prescott, the archi- tecture firm behind the original designs. Coleman said the new structure will echo many of the other build- ings on campus, reflecting the aes- thetics of structures like Weill Hall, also designed by architects at Rob- ci t A.M. Stern. "It's more urban, it's more Mich- igan, it's more who we are," Cole- man said of the new design. The architects said the building will cost $175 million, up from the original estimate of $137 million. University Chief Financial Offi- cer Tim Slottow said the extra expenses reflect a one-year delay in the original construction schedule, See NORTH QUAD, page 7A Schematic drawings of North Quad approved by the Regents in December TODAY'S HI: 48 WEATHER LO: 39 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail news@michgandaily.com and let us know. COMING FRIDAY INDEX N E W S..... Over break, students traveled to Saudi Arabia for S o T.CXVI h gNo n 69 yS U Do K U.. .200 The Miohigan Daily the H-ajj NEWS michiandoilycom 0OPI N . ..2A A RTS ..................... ..3A SPORTSTH U RSDA 4A GERALD FORD......, ..5A ..1 A