~II l~d~an&xy DNE-HUNDB , ,k Ann Arbor, Michigan www.michigandaily com L BR IG HT FELLOWSHIPS 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 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail Mews@michgandaily.com and let us know. ONTHEDAIlY 1506 Bush and Chavez up the rhetorical ante MICHIGANDAILY.COM/THEPODIUM INDEX NEWS...... Vol. CXVIlNo.111 SUDOKU. 02507 Tbe MichiganDaily michigandaily.com OPINION.. .2A A RTS................. .3A CLASSIFIED. ..4A SPORTSMONDAY.. .5A .6A 1B