Wolverines advance in CCHA playoffs After weekend sweep of UNO, Michigan headed back to the Joe SportsMonday le didxgan Bailj )N E-H U NDRED-EIG1 ,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 wichigandaily cow t