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March 17, 2008 - Image 1

Resource type:
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Publication:
The Michigan Daily, 2008-03-17

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Wolverines advance in CCHA playoffs
After weekend sweep of UNO, Michigan headed back to the Joe

SportsMonday

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,FREEDOM

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Monday, March 17,2008

michigandaily.com

STUDENT-ATHLETE AND ACADE
.'U'scrambles to rebut report

AWARDING MICHIGAN'S DELEGATES
Top state Dems
wantprimary
do -over in June

Article claims
athletes were pushed
to enroll in easy
independent studies
By JACOB SMILOVITZ
Daily StaffReporter
University officials were left
scrambling to provide answers
yesterday, pinned down by a local
newspaper article that said the Uni-
versity has steered hundreds of stu-

dent-athletes toward independent
study courses taught by Psychology
Prof. John Hagen.
The article, published in yes-
terday's edition of The Ann Arbor
News, suggested that the courses
were easily graded and required a
marginal amount of work. Of the
294 independent studies conducted
byHagenbetweenfall 2004 and fall
2007, 251 were with student-ath-
letes, the article said.
According to the Department of
Psychology's website, an indepen-
dent study course provides students
with knowledge and experience in

a subject "when a particular area
of psychology is not covered by a
regular course offering" and that
"course content, assignments, meet-
ing times and grade requirements
are arranged with a psychology fac-
ulty member."
The News's story, the first in a
four-part series to continue today,
cited three former athletic depart-
ment employees as saying that the
Athletic Department - and in par-
ticular Shari Acho and Sue Shand,
co-directors of the department's
Academic Success Program - used
Hagen's independent studies as

a way to improve the grade point
averages of student-athletes who
otherwise might have become aca-
demically ineligible to participate in
their sport.
The article reported that 21 stu-
dent-athletes averaged a 3.62 GPA
in 32 Hagen-taught courses - 25
of which were independent study
classes. But tn their classes not
taught by Hagen those same ath-
letes had a combined GPA of 2.57.
Of the student-athletes who took
part in independent studies with
Hagen, 48 took two or more. Of
See ATHLETES, Page 8A

Lawmakers say
holding new contest
is best way to make
state's voice heard
By EMILY BARTON
Daily News Editor
A committee of Michigan
Democrats agreed Fridayto pro-
mote a re-do of the Michigan
Democratic primary that would
likely be held June 3.
Sen. Carl Levin, Rep. Carolyn
Cheeks Kilpatrick, Democratic
National Committee Member
Debbie Dingell and United Auto
Workers President Ron Get-
tiefinger decided a new primary
election is the best way to ensure
Michigan's delegates are seated
at the Democratic National Con-
vention.,
Speaking on Saturday at a
breakfast hosted by the Univer-
sity's chapter of College Demo-
crats, Gov. Jennifer Granholm

stood on a chair and stressed
the importance of holding a new
state primary.
"We as a state really have an
opportunity to-make our voices
heard by having a primary that
allows us to come in compliance
with the Democratic National
Committee," she said.
Granholm asked the College
Dems to show support by send-
ing a resolution to the state legis-
lature asking for a new primary.
She said the contest would bring
more attention to Michigan's
economic woes.
"If Michigan is able to get
this done it means we will see
these candidates here, we will
see these candidates on campus
in Michigan asking for peoples'
votes," she said.
The Democratic National
Committee stripped the state
of its delegates when Michigan
violated party rules by moving
its primary to Jan. 15. As a show
of good faith to voters in states
like Iowa and New Hampshire,
See DEMOCRATS, Page 3A

GRADUATE EMPLOYEES' ORGANIZATION
Contract talks
extended one week

Student participants doa final line dance at Dance Marathon, which ended Sunday and raised about $428,000 for charity. Many had been standing for 30 hours
DANCING TO A RECORD

This weekend's Dance
Marathon raised
more than $428,000
By IVY WEI
For the Daily
Roes School of Business junior
Kaitlyn Ortberg's enthusiasm for
Dance Marathon's cause is conta-
gious,
Ortberg, the event's develop-
ment chair, remained on her feet at
the Indoor Track and Field Build-

ing for 30 straight hours this week-
end while dancing and watching
- the culmination of months of
work.
At Dance Marathon, a student
run, nonprofit organization that
raises money for rehabilitation
therapy for children, dancers stand
and perform for a total of 30 hours.
Each participant in the marathon
pledges to raise at least $300,
which goes to C.S. Mott's Children
Hospital and William Beaumont
Hospital.
Although the program's main
event takes place within a two-day

span, Dance Marathon is a yearlong
commitment, requiring months of
planning and organizing. Event
organizers began holding fund-
raising events for the program in
September. Dancers can sign up
and raise money anytime before
the marathon.
During the event, held from 10
a.m. Saturday to 4 p.m. Sunday,
a combination of energetic back-
ground music, vibrant decora-
tions corresponding to themes that
changed every six hours and hun-
dreds of animated participants.
Craft tables, volleyball, study

tables, ping-pong, morale teams,
and line dancing - along with a
live feed camera crew to docuient
the occasion - helped keep the
30-hour marathon from becoming
monotonous.
During the event, participants
enjoyed the company of the chil-
dren and their families, dancing to
upbeat music alongside the danc-
ers, eating meals with each other
and engaging in various sports and-
activities.
Dance Marathon's Central
Planning Team plans new events
See DANCE MARATION, Page 3A

If no agreement is
reached this week,
GSIs will walk out
By JACOB SMILOVITZ
Daily StaffReporter
Although its contract is set
to expire today, the Graduate
Employees' Organization has
agreedto extend contract negotia-
tions for another week.
The union voted last month to
extend its contract until today but
will now work without a contract
until March 24.
GEO plans to stage a two-day
walkout on March 25 and 26 if it
can't reach a deal with the Univer-
sity by then.
Rackham Graduate School
student Colleen Woods, the lead
negotiator for GEO and a history
graduate student instructor said

the walkout would demonstrate
the importance of GSIs to the Uni-
versity.
During that time, GSIs would
not teach their classes, attend
lectures, respond to e-mails from
students, hold discussion sections
or do any grading.
"We would ask graduate stu-
dents to basically not go to work
and to be on the picket lines to try
to prevent other people from going
into (campus buildings)," Woods
said. "Any of the work they do for
the University, we would ask them
to withhold their labor for those
two days."
Jeff Frumkin, the Unviersity's
senior director of academic human
resources, said the University
hopes to reach an agreement with
the organization before a walkout
would occur.
"We hope everyone can go
to class, both the students and
the instructors," Frumkin said.
See GEO, Page 8A

PLAYING DEAD

Fire damages Church Street house

No one injured in
blaze, investigation
into cause underway
By JULIE ROWE'
Daily StaffReporter
Flames billowed from windows
on all three floors of a nearly-fin-
ished house on Church Streetearly
Friday morning, drawing crowds
of students in bar attire and paja-
mas to watch the blaze from across
the street.
The vacant building was under
construction and was scheduled
to be completed by May. Fire-
fighters expect to determine the
cause of the fire sometime this
week. There were no injuries.
The fire, which started at about 3
a.m., wasn't ruled "under control"
until about 6 a.m. because fire-
fighters had to extinguish it from
outside the building. Kevin Cook, a
battalion chief from the Ann Arbor

RODRIGO GAYA/Daiiy
The house at 922 Church St. was unoccupied when it caught fire Friday at about
3:30 a.m. The fire destroyed the house's northwest corner,
Fire Department, said ittooklonger which contained the fire in the
to extinguish the fire than usual. northwest corner of the building.
Cook said that while the entire Cook said the fire appeared to have
building suffered from extensive originated on the first floor or in
water and fire damage, only one the basement, but said inspectors
of the four units collapsed. The wouldn't be finished investigat-
other three units remained stand- ing the incident until next week.
ing thanks to a fire protection wall, See FIRE, Page 3A

Protesters play dead during a protest march to the Federal Building in downtown Ann Arbor on Saturday. The march coincid
the fifth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq. FOR MORE ON THE PROTEST, SEE MICHIGANDAILY.COM

WEATHER HI:50
TOMORROW LO: 31

GOT A NEWS TIP? ON THE DAILY BLOGS
Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail Granholm attends College Dems breakfast
news@michigandaily.com and let us know. MICHIGANDAILY.COM/THEWIRE

INDEX NEW S ....................-..........2A CROSSW O RDA...................6A
Vol CXVIII, No.114 OPINION .....4.................... 4A CLASSIFIEDS 6A...... . . 6A
K20 8 TheMichigan Daily ARTS 5.................................5A SPORTSIMONDAY .... .1B
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