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ICERS SWEEP NORTHERN MICHIGAN SPORTSMONDAY
Monday March 1 2007
DEBATING '300'
TWO CRITICS SQUARE OFF
ARTS, PAGE 5A
"I got this vision of the future that I would win this contest."
- LSA junior Eric Gale on his decision to create a soap opera to enter into a contest sponsored by SOAPnet,
a television network devoted to soap operas.
Students
struggle to
get visas
In India, Fulbright
scholars'
applications get
tangled in red tape
By MARIEM QAMRUZZAMAN
Daily StaffReporter
Having obtained a prestigious
* Fulbright Scholarship, Rackham
student Christina Davis was look-
ing forward to studying language
in India. She had already been to
India five times to do preliminary
research.
When Davis applied for a
research visa last February,
she expected to hear from the
Indian government within three
months.
After nine months, the govern-
ment denied her request.
"I knew that many people had
problems before, so it wasn't a
total shock, but it was definitely
upsetting," Davis said.
Davis is one of many students
of late who have struggled to
obtain a visa to conduct research
in India as the Indian govern-
ment makes it harder for students
from abroad to study there. Amy
Kehoe, a Fulbright advisor at the
University, said many students
* BY THE NUMBERS
Number of applicants for Indian study visas
out of 100 who recently had their requests
delayed or denied.
have complained to the New
York-based Institute for Interna-
tional Education - which admin-
isters the Fulbright Scholar
Program - about the visa delays.
Thirty-three students signed a
petition asking Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice to intervene.
Davis said she didn't initial-
ly understand why the Indian
government would reject her
visa request. Her research topic
- language ideologies in Mum-
bai schools - isn't politically
sensitive. Fulbright advisors told
Davis that the Indian govern-
ment might have rejected her visa
requestbecause the areain Mum-
bai where she wanted to work is
poor and often dangerous. The
Indian government doesn't give a
reason for denying visas.
The Fulbright Scholar Pro-
gram - an exchange organiza-
tion that sends students from
the United States to perform
research projects across the
globe while allowing foreign stu-
dents to conduct research here
- usually sends about 100 schol-
ars to India each year. About half
of Fulbright scholars applying to
study in India have been rejected
in the last two years, The Indian
Express newspaper reported.
The newspaper reported last
See VISAS, Page 7A
SOUR CE: T HE INDIA EXPR ESS NE WSPAPER
Approximate percent of Fulbright scholars
applying to study in India rejected in the
last two years.
LSA juniors Nick Lang and Eric Gale and sophomore Matt Lang present storyboards submitted in the USoap competition finals. Their submission, "Buzz,
depicts an interaction between two Hollywood actors and a tabloid magazine.
DAYTIME DREAMS
Young and restless LSA junior, a finalist in soap opera writing competition,
could win a chance to develop a televisiOn show
By Michael Passman I Daily Arts Writer
LSA junior Eric Kahn Gale was busy as
finals approached last semester. That didn't
stop him from making his own soap opera.
Gale and three friends entered a contest
sponsored by SOAPnet, a television net-
work devoted to soap operas. The network
launched its SoapU contest last year, chal-
lenging college students from across the
country to create their own soap operas
for a chance to win a $20,000 development
deal.
While working in the Duderstadt Center
last semester, Gale noticed flyers promoting
the SoapU competition.
"I got this vision of the future that I
would win this contest," said Gale, who was
inspired by Susan Dansby, a writer for "As
the World Turns," who had talked to his
theater group a few weeks earlier. "I had all
these finals and I was working on another
animated movie, butI had to do it."
Before writing and directing his soap,
a short film called "Night Call," Gale had
never even made a live-action film.
A few weeks after submitting his contest
entry, Gale received a phone call from an
See SOAP OPERA, Page 7A
MEN' BAKTBL
Men's basketball coach Tommy Amaker shows his frustration during a 54-42 loss to Illinois last year at Assembly Hall in
Champaign, Ill.
What does missing dance
again mean or Amaer.?
In dorm,
questions
about
asbestos
Students say they
were lied to about
presence of substance
By CHRIS HERRING
DailyStaffReporter
LSA sophomore Karlek Johnson
thought there was no asbestos in
Mary Markley Residence Hall at
the beginning of the school year.
Residence hall staff told him
and other students that their hall
was free of harmful substances
including asbestos, Johnson said.
That's why he was irritated last
week when hall staff sent Markley
residents an e-mail that said asbes-
tos had been found in the building.
Johnson and several other stu-
dents saw a bin outside the dorm
that said it contained asbestos last
semester. They e-mailed Markley
staff to find out whether the asbes-
tos came from the residence hall.
Damian Waite, Markley resi-
dent director, sent an e-mail to
students living on the first floor
of Markley's Little House, where
Johnson lives, last Sunday. It said
the University's Occupational
Safety and Environmental Health
department found a small amount
CHICAGO - The school that
proudly proclaims to be the "lead-
ers and best" has become satisfied
with second-
rate. Placated
by pedestrian.
Appeased by
being no better
than average.
Michigan
basketball
means medi- DANIEL
ocrity. BROMWICH
It's a sad - --
truth, but one
that must be addressed after the
team missed the NCAA Tour-
nament yet again, the fourth
straight time under Michigan
coach Tommy Amaker, not
including the two years Michigan
was postseason ineligible).
Theretis arguably no other
sport where the coach has as
much influence over a program
as college basketball. Just look
at what Bobby Knight at Texas
Tech and John Thompson Itt
at Georgetown have done with
struggling programs.
Amaker was hired to rebuild
the Michigan program, both in
terms of image and on-court
results. He has succeeded on the
first count.
Amaker is a first-class citizen.
There have barely even been
rumors of scandals since he's been
here.
So it's not surprising that
Amaker has proven himself as a
good recruiter. I can imagine that
recruits have an incredibly hard
time saying "no thanks." Many
have cited his earnest approach as
a reason they come to Michigan.
After bringing the nation's
top-ranked recruiting class to
Seton Hall, Amaker has contin-
ued to have success recruiting at
See AMAKER, Page 3A
LSA freshman Drew Rosenberg examines pipes in Mary Markley Residence Hall.
of asbestos in ceiling tiles while
renovating the building, but the
level was "well below" the thresh-
old set by the Environmental
Protection Agency for being con-
sidered dangerous.
Johnson said he suspects that
University Housing officials might
have been trying to cover up the
existence of asbestos in the build-
ing. He said it seems suspicious
that the University only admitted
that Markley contained asbestos
after students found the bin and
began to complain.
"They said there was nothing,
but then changedtheir minds when
we found out," Johnson said.
Diane Brown, spokeswoman
for University Facilities and Oper-
ations, said the accusations of the
University trying to hide infor-
mation concerning asbestos were
"alarmist" and made "without
having a knowledge base of infor-
mation."
"Most University buildings
See ASBESTOS, Page 3A
TODAY'S HI:53
WEATHER LO:40
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