Sra Supermen Men's gymnastic's team beats No. 1 OSU to Department of Musical Theater launches performance of The Who's 'Tommy' at Power Mesu Si. Center. Arts, page 8 SportsMonday GN I, NEL)UN \-NTEElr N YEARS EDITPORAL FRE E OM Ann Arbor, Michigan www.michigandaily.com Ft riday, April 13, 2007 THE UNIVERSITY AND THE BIG THREE Second in a three-part series about how the American auto industry's troubles affect the University Ford, DaimlerChrysler and General Motors have been three of the University's largest benefactors over the years. Now, even as the companies struggle, they're... STILL DONATING Ford giving down, GM donations up as industry bleeds red ink By EMILY ANGELL Daily Staff Reporter The rise of the American auto industry decades agobrought with it an economic boom in southeast Michigan. The industry brought financial security to millions and was a benefactor to countless charities and foundations. One of the biggest recipients of the auto company's largesse was the University of Michigan. The land for its Dearborn campus was even donated by the Ford Motor Company. Times have changed. The Big Three are in financial trouble. While the economic struggles have brought with them some drop-off in donations from the industry to the University, the decline hasn't been as dramatic as some might expect. Donations fromFordandDaim- lerChrysler have fallen over the last five years. General Motors, though, has tripled its giving to the University, according to data supplied by Judith Malcolm, the University director of develop- ment communications. GM gave almost $2 million to the University in the 2006 fiscal year, more than it had in the previ- ous four years. That upward trend seems likely to continue - GM has already given the University more than $2 million in the current fis- cal year. The three companies gave the University a combined $4.4 mil- lion last year, slightly down from the $4.6 million the University received from them in 2002. According to the data, Ford gave the University about $2 million in the 2006 fiscal year - less than half than what the company gave it in the 2005 fiscal year, when it donated $4.469 million. Ford has given the University about $850,000 in the 2007 fiscal year to date, Malcolm said. With the fiscal year ending in June, it seems likely that Ford's total donations will drop again. In 2005, Ford suspended a pro- gram in which the company would match every contribution its employees made to the University, said James Vella, the president of the company's charity fund. "We've had to cut back in some areas in terms of community sup- port," Vella said. The program yielded $333,000 for the University in 2005, Vella said. Of that, $302,000 went to the University's Ann Arbor campus and $31,000 was split between the University's Dearborn and Flint campuses. In 2004, the Univer- sity received $341,000 from the matching program. Vella said Ford hopes to rein- state the program within the next two years. DaimlerChrysler's donations have fluctuated over the past several years. Last year, the com- pany gave the University about $490,000. That's about $150,000 more than it gave in 2005, but still less than the roughly $720,000 the company gave in 2002. DaimlerChrysler has given the University about $375,000 so far this year. Although the company's dona- tions have changed from year to year, it has remained dedicated to supporting the University, said Brian Glowiak, vice president of DaimlerChrysler's charitable fund. "If you look at the past five years, the fund has been consis- tent in giving to the University in support of scholarships, curricu- lar development and lab equip- ment, for example," he said. The auto industry will continue giving to the University in part to court graduates who might other- wise ignore a career in the Ameri- can auto industry, Vella said. "The University has so many talented students on campus, and we work hard on our relationship in order to attract many of them," he said. 5 3 Off campus, a greater risk for fire 0 5 4 41, - $720,420 $473500 $330,870 $322,850 $490968 $377,630 0 5 4 3 N2 f C $1.921 $2032 million millron 19 student fire deaths near campuses around U.S. this year By TARYN HARTMAN Daily StaffReporter At 4:30 a.m. on a Thursday in October 2005, Scott Perrin's phone rang. He woke up. "The house is on fire - get out!" said a voice on the other end of the line. Thanks to the phone call, Perrin, then a senior in the College of Engi- neering, escaped from his house at 730 Arbor St. before flames destroyed it. "It was a freak incident that I left my phone on that night," Per- rin said. There's no telling what would have happened if he had turned his phone off. Perrin said he couldn't remember whether the smoke detectors in his house ever went off. Shortly after Perrin emerged from his basement bedroom, another one of his six housemates - the last to escape the blaze - dove headfirst through the win- Fire and housing Last in a three-part series about fire danger in stu- dent housing dow of his second-story bedroom. Perrin said fire inspectors thought his housemate opened his bedroom door and found the hallway on fire before jumping through the win- dow. "I remember standing outside, watching my house burn down, all my belongings going up in flames, and thinking, 'Is this real?'" Perrin said. Perrin's experience is hardly uncommon, though. According to Campus Firewatch, a monthly newsletter published by former Center for Campus Fire Safety director Ed Comeau, a total of 108 fire-related fatalities have occurred on or near college campuses since January 2000. Eighty-one percent of those deaths occurred in off-campus housing, he said. Nineteen students have died in fires near colleges since August, making this academic year the most deadly since Comeau began See FIRE, page 3 $1879 million 0 20o dnatrriscal yerroatre sOURCE: JUDITH MALcOLM, THE UNIVERSInn' DRECcO O DONOR RELATIONS CAMPAIGN 2008 McCain makes stop in Michigan For senior, today is 'Peace Day' '08 hopeful faces tough challenge from Romney, Giuliani in state primary By ALESE BAGDOL Daily StaffReporter WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWN- SHIP - After naming a slew of Arizona natives who have tried and failed to be elected president, Sen. John McCain began his keynote speech at the third annual Ron- ald Reagan Memorial Dinner with these words: Arizona might be the only state where mothers don't tell their children they can be presi- dent. The guests, who paid $150 to attend the event and support the 9th and 11th congressional district the Republicans across the coun- try surveyed favored McCain. He trailed Giuliani by 22 percent and had the least support of any major Republican candidate in Gallup polling of likely Republican voters since the firm started tracking the 2008 race in November. McCain was the top choice in a March poll of Michigan Repub- licans with the support of 30 per- cent of respondents, but Romney has deep roots in the state. Romney's father was governor of Michigan from 1963 to 1969. McCain was speaking yesterday just miles from Romney's boyhood home of Bloomfield Hills. Republi- can Congressman Joe Knollenberg, who represents the 9th District and was at last night's event, has endorsed Romney. McCain does have some high-profile support in Michigan, though. Attorney Gen- See MCCAIN, page 3 Student moonlights as motivational speaker By EMILY ANGELL Daily StaffReporter If you call LSA senior Kevin Szawala on his cell phone and he doesn't pick up, i you'll get his ' voice mailj He'll ask you e: to leave your name, phone SZAWALA number and a detailed message describing what your passionate about. Szawala, a motivational speak- er and co-hostof"Keepin' it Real," a motivational talk show on the campus television station WOLV- TV, said he is passionate about Peace Day, an event he organized to promote collaboration between student groups on campus. Szawala said he expects more than 1,000 people to attend the event, which is sponsoredby Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, the Black Student Union, Expect Respect and Phi Delta Theta Fra- ternity. The event, scheduled from 2 to 6 p.m. today in the Michigan Union Ballroom, will include music performances,speeches and poetry recitals by students. "I grew from embracing diver- sity," Szawala said. "Now I want others to grow too." Szawala, a South Lyon, Mich. See PEACE DAY, page 3 DEREK BLUMKE/Daily Arizona Sen. John McCain speaks at a Republican fundraiser last night at a West Bloomfield Country Club. McCain continues to campaign in Michigan today. Republican parties, laughed. he may end up being just one more But if McCain doesn't catch up name on that list. with Rudy Giuliani in the polls A Gallup poll conducted April and Mitt Romney in fundraising, 2-5 found that just 16 percent of TODAY'S HI 47 WEATHER LO:27 HAVE A NEWS TIP? Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail news@michgandaily.com and let us know. ON THE DAILY BLOGS The Order of Angell holds a forum MICHIGANDAILY.COM/THEWIRE INDEX Vol. CXVII, No.135 02007 The Michigan Daily michigandailygcom NEWS...... SUDOKU.. OPINION. .2 ARTS........... .3 CLASSIFIED ..4 SPORTS....... ' P:!Y4' 5: UIF. ° 3 z r . 3t <: r r- Y' _ 1 ~!r. Y F' . .