The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Tuesday, September 4, 2007 - 3A NEWS BRIEFS AL-ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq Bush: Some troops could come home if security improves President Bush, briefed by U.S. military commanders and Iraqi leaders, said yesterday some Amer- ican forces could be sent home if security across Iraq improves as it has in Anbar province, a former hotbed of Sunni insurgency. But the president, flanked by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, did not say how many troops could be withdrawn or how soon. SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras Tourists flee from Hurricane Felix on Miskito Coast Planes shuttled hundreds of tourists from the island resorts of Honduras and Belize in a desper- ate airlift yesterday as Hurricane Felix's pounding rain and punish- ing winds bore down on the Cen- tral American coast. The powerful Category 4 storm spurred Grupo Taca Airlines to provide special free flights to the mainland. Planes were quickly touching down and taking off again to scoop up more tourists. Some 1,000 people were evacu- ated from the Honduran island of Roatan, popular for its pristine reefs and diving resorts. Another 1,000 were removed from low- lying coastal areas and smaller islands. TEHRAN, Iran ' Iranian-American released from jail after eight months An Iranian-American academic who was held in a notoriously harsh Tehran prison before being released and allowed to leave Iran said yesterday she was "elated" to be heading home after eight months of detention. Haleh Esfandiari flew to Aus- tria late Sunday to reunite with her family one day after Iranian authorities returned her passport. Family and colleagues said they felt great relief at the end of a crisis that caused sharp new ten- sions between Iran and the United States. - Compiled from Daily wire reports Administrators hail freshman class's credentials at Convocation Admissions more competitive than ever By GABE NELSON Daily NewscEditor Chances are a lot of those con- fused freshmen wandering campus got better grades in high school than you did. A record number of applicants sought places in the University's undergraduate class of 2011, making it harder than ever to gain admis- sion. At the New Student Convocation on Thursday night at Crisler Arena, University faculty and administra- tors praised those who made it. "I can say without hesitation that this year's class is more actively engaged and academically well- qualified than any other class in the history of the University of Michi- gan," said Ted Spencer, director of 2005, when the middle 50 percent of that is, leadership and service." the University's Office of Under- incoming freshmen scored between University President Mary Sue graduate Admissions. 3.6 and 3.9. Coleman encouraged students to Whether that's true is difficult to Twenty-eight percent of fresh- make the most of their education by say, but the increasingly competitive men in the classes of 2010 and 2011 exploring Ann Arbor during their admissions process seems to have had 4.0 GPAs in high schoolup from freshman year. caused an uptick in the academic between 22 and 24 percent in the "Now that you're at the finest pub- credentials of freshman classes over previous several classes. lic university in the country, it'stime the last several years. Spencer said the class stands out for an assignment," Coleman said. A record 26,796 students applied because of its members' involvement She said students should visit for a spot in the class of 2011, mark- in public service. five places during their first year ing the third straight year of an About a third of students volun- on campus: the reference room of increase in the number of under- teered in community health settings the Hatcher Graduate Library, the graduate applications. Admissions during high school, while 62 percent planetarium at the Exhibit Muse- officers admitted 49.5 percent reported participating in civic proj- um of Natural History, the School of applicants this year - a slight ects. of Music's E.V. Moore Building for increase from lase year, when they In line with the convocation's a concert, Michigan Stadium for a accepted 47.4 percent, but a sharp theme, "Plugged In," speakers sug- football game and her private resi- drop from 56.9 percent in 2005 and gested ways for incoming students dence at 815 S. University Ave. to 62.4 percent in 2004. to become engaged on campus. visit her. The middle 50 percent of fresh- "A lot of you are already plugged Coleman holds an open house at men in the incoming class had high in - to your iPods and your cell her house at the beginning of each school GPAs between 3.7 and 4.0. phones," said E. Royster Harper, school year. Those numbers are the same as last the University's vice president for This year's open house is sched- year, but they're an improvement student affairs. "We hope you'll plug uled for 4 and 5:30 on Tuesday after- from the years between 2002 and into what is the heart of Michigan, noon. WANT TO WORK FOR THE MICHIGAN DAILY? COME TO ONE OF OUR MASS MEETINGS Student Publications Building, 420 Maynard St., just northwest of the Michigan Union " Thursday, Sept. 6at 8 p.m. " Sunday, Sept.9 at8 p.m. " Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. CRIME NEAR CAMPUS Outside pizza joint, man stabbed after astrology talk NSE ADVERTISER'S INDEX 2007 Suspect caught by police hours after incident By JESSICA VOSGERCHIAN Daily StaffReporter A. discussion about astrology ended in bloodshed early Sunday outside of Backroom Pizza on Church Street when a 21-year- old man was stabbed in the back by a stranger with whom he had been discussing zodiac signs, police said. The victim and two of his friends were sitting with a 35- year-old man at a picnic table at about 2 a.m. After the group talked for about an hour, the older man pulled three beers out a bag and put them on the table, the police report said. The victim told police he told the man to put the beer away because it would draw attention to them. Then he and his friends started to walk away from the table. The older man began to taunt the group. He followed them toward South University Avenue before running up and stabbing the victim in the left shoulder. The victim told police he didn't realize he had been stabbed until he saw the knife in the assailant's hand and felt blood soak through his shirt, the report said. One of the three men called the police and the victim took a taxi to the hospital. The suspect was arrested at 4 a.m. by a Department of Public Safety officer near Ann Arbor City Hall and is being held at Washtenaw County Jail until his arraignment this week, said Sgt. Brad Hill of the Ann Arbor Police Department. 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