Why college k*ids are p3y'n poke g a'n l, 111CI gaailij Ann Arbor, Michigan Wednesday, December 5, 2007 michigandaily.com TER PROPOSAL 2 Touted by 'U,' outreach often absent in city schools MAX COLLINS/Daihi Mohammad Dar, then the vice president of the Michigan Student Assembly, and more than 90 onlookers waited for Zack Yost to arrive at the body's meeting in the Michigan League last night. Shortly after Yost called the meeting to order, he addressed the assembly and offered his resignation as president. Dar was then sworn in. i s ani Former president says decision best for MSA, campus By DAVE MEKELBURG and SCOTT MILLS Daily StaffReporters Zack Yost resigned the presi- dency of the Michigan Student Assembly at the body's meeting last night. Mohammad Dar was sworn in to the post. Yost's resignation comes a week after MSA Rep. Kenneth Baker made public a private Facebook. com group that mocked MSA Rep. Tim Hull and referenced his Asperger's syndrome, a mild form of autism, with the words "I'll give that kid a fucking disability he can write home about if he keeps sending these code amendments to everyone." Baker, also amember of the group, resigned last week under pressure from LSA Student Government. At least 90 observers came to watch the first MSA president resign since F. Scott Kellman in 1977. The meeting was held in the Hussey Room of the Michi- gan League to accommodate the crowd, which at most meetings is only a handful of people. Yost was the last to arrive to the 8 p.m. meeting, and when he did, the noisy room went silent. He called the meeting to order, pound- ing the gavel harder than usual. About five minutes into the meeting, Yost asked the assembly if he could deliver a statement. He stood up and walked over to a podium facing the assembly and audience. He then delivered a speech announcing his resignation from the MSA presidency. "I want to make itvery clear that in no way am I being forced out of the presidency of MSA," Yost said. He said his decision is best for MSA and the University. "I'm holding myself personally responsible for our current situa- tion," he said. "But the issue here is much larger than my transgres- sion." During and after the speech, several members of the assembly were sobbing. After apologizing to Hull and laying out his plans to participate in MSA's Students with Disabilities Committee - a revival of which is in the works - Yost addressed the assembly members. See MSA PRESIDENCY, Page 3A Guidance counselors wonder: Where are the recruiters? By CHRIS HERRING Daily News Editor Dan Crosato, a guidance coun- selor at Crosman Alternative High School in Detroit, said he's not sure why he hasn't seen any admissions recruiters from the University of Michigan at his school this year. In past years, he said, University of Michigan admissions recruiters came early and often to talk with his students about applying to the University. Not this year. "I guess us moving buildings could be a reason," Crosato said. "But then again, I guess we get brochures and applications from them in the mail, so if they know our address, they must know where we are." Crosato is one of many guidance counselors at Detroit public high schools who claim the University hasn't recruited as aggressively in their schools since last year's pas- sage of Proposal 2, which prohibit- ed public institutions in Michigan from using race- or gender-based affirmative action. As of Friday, officials at 10 of 17 public high schools in Detroit said they have seen University admissions recruiters less fre- quently than in the past. There are 29 public high schools in Detroit. Officials at 12 of those schools didn't return calls for comment or refused to comment for this story: Seven reported that recruiters vis- ited their schools at the same rate. University administrators have repeatedly talked about the impor- tance of strengthening outreach efforts to high schools with high underrepresented minority enroll- ments, which the Detroit high schools generally have. After Proposal 2 passed, the University formed the Diversity Blueprints Task Force to come up with ways to maintain and encour- age a diverse campus. One of the task force's recommendations was to "expand engagement in targeted partnerships with underserved K- 12 schools" and "on-campus high school counselor partnerships." Julie Deschryver, a guidance counselor at Pershing High School in Detroit, said she's unhappy with the University's admis- sions recruiters and their lack of engagement with her school. She said about 20 students there have qualifying grades and test scores to attend the University but this is the second straight year she hasn't See OUTREACH, Page 7A SEX TALK MAX iiCLrvLDilyX As Zack Yost announced his resignation from his post as Michigan Student Assembly president, some representatives and members of the audience sobbed. "I wouldn't trade my MSA experience for anything," he said. After he spoke, he left the meeting immediately. On Liberty, a holiday wonderland Chabad aims to raise profile of Chanukah By JAKE HOLMES Daily Staff Reporter Amid the boughs of holly and carols December brings, Shternie Zwiebel doesn't want people to forget about Chanukah. That's why Zwiebel and the University's Chabad House, where she is activities director, rented out a storefront on Liberty Street and transformed it into Chanukah Wonderland. Chanukah Wonderland is set up like a state fair with meno- rahs, a multimedia room showing films about the Jewish holiday and edible dreidels made out of marsh- mallows. The exhibition opened yester- day across from the Necto night- club and expects to receive more than 500 visitors over the course of Chanukah, the eight-day long Jewish holiday that started at sun- set last night. "The event is to help raise awareness of Chanukah at a time when most people's attention is on Christmas and Kwanzaa," Nicole Adelman, vice president of education for Planned Parenthood Mid and South Michigan, spoke at a forum on sexual health in East Hall last night. 'U' group helps you loan to small businesses Microloans aid LSA alum Loma Colombo is in the process of creating a microfi- Ecuadorian nance advocacy group on campus. Microfinance involves loaning clothing businesses, small amounts of money to people in developing countries so they restaurants in Lagos can start or maintain their own businesses. The group will oper- By SARA LYNNE THELEN ate under the name of its non-profit DailyStaffReporter sponsor, Impact Humanity, one of more thaniO,O000 non-profittmicro- Ginger Marcillo is asking for finance operations in the world. $1,200 to expand the inventory of The group will sell microloan her door-to-door clothing sales gift certificates tomorrow from business in Ecuador. noon to 5 p.m. in Room D of the Kamal Bayishov is asking for Michigan League and 11 a.m. to 1 $600 to buy 10 sheep so he can p.m. Friday in the Mason Hall Hon- begin breeding them and selling ors Commons. them in the Bilasuvar region of Here's how it works: You buy Azerbaijan. a gift certificate in your mother's Emem Okoh is asking for $600 to name for $25 or more. You give it buy more food for her restaurant in to your mom as a gift. She logs onto Nigeria's Lagos state. Kiva.org and scrolls through list- And a new University student ings of people needing microloans. group wants you to help them. See MICROLOANS, Page 3A Chabad House has turned an empty storefront on Liberty Street into an exhibition called "Chanukah Wonderland" goal of raising awareness about the Jewish holiday. Zwiebel said. "Our goal is solely to bring Chanukah alive for everyone here." Similar exhibitions have taken place in other communities around the country and the world. Zwieb- el approached Chabad in August about creating a store in Ann Arbor. Zwiebel and others from Chabad spent the last week setting it up, which is housed in an empty bank on East Liberty Street. Chabad Associate Director Rabbi Alter Goldstein said that, especially in American culture, Chanukah is one of the bigger Jew- ish holidays. He said he's glad to see it getting attention when most people think of Christmas around this time. Moreover, he said it has a uni- versal message of good conquering evil and that Chanukah celebrates freedom. University of Michigan Hillel is also holding Chanukah events. See CHANUKAH, Page 3A TODAY'S WEATHER HI: 27 GOT A NEWS TIP? L0:14 Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail I news(Oimichigandaily.com and let us know ON THE DAiLY BLOGS The young adult books you forgot MICHIGANDAILY.COM/THEFILTER INDEX NEWS......, Vol. CXVlIl,No.63 OP IN ION.. 02007ThiMirigngDaily ARTS rihiivoidail y.icom T ... .2A CLASSIFIEDS...... .dA SPORTS .............. .5A THESTATEMENT. ..6A ..8A .1B r