Classical success
How A2 draws the biggest names The B-side
A call for fraternal transparency
The Greek system's PR problem Opinion, Page 4A
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Thursday, April 3, 2008
michigandaily.com
FEDERAL RESEARCH GRANTS RACE'S HAND IN POLITICS
Colemi'ian
pushes for
funding on
Capitol Hill
U president says research
dollars lead to innovation needed
to help struggling economies
By JULIE ROWE
Daily Staff Reporter
University President Mary Sue Coleman urged Con-
gress yesterday to strengthen funding for scientific
research and warned that funding cuts would hurt the
nation's economy.
In an address to members of the U.S. Senate Demo-
cratic Steering Committee in Washington, D.C., Cole-
man argued that increased science funding translates
to innovation and the creation of new jobs.
"Michigan is being forced to reinvent its economy
and research and innovation are at the core of these
efforts," she said.
Coleman was one of a handful of representatives
from The Science Coalition,anorganization comprised
of more than SO major research institutions - includ-
ing the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stan-
ford University and Johns Hopkins University - to
address Congress. Michigan State University, Wayne
State University and the University of Michigan, the
three members of the state's University Research Cor-
ridor, are all members of The Science Coalition.
During her speech, Coleman highlighted the
research corridor's efforts to develop cancer-fighting
technologies and alternative energy sources.
"It is efforts like these, at Michigan and at univer-
sities and research facilities around the country, that
will unleash the people and ideas of the next 50 years
that will create new technologies, new industries and ENNIFER K D
new jobs," she said. Howard Winant, a prominent sociologist credited with developint racial formation theory, spoke in Haven Hall yesterday.
Federal funding makes up about 70 percent of the During his talk Winant dismissed the idea that race has nothing to do with politics anymore. "Everything is as racialized
See RESEARCH, Page 3A as ever," he said. FOR MORE ON THIS STORY, SEE MICHIGANDAILY.COM
SPRING COMMENCEMENT 2008
'U' releases plans for Diag ceremony
ACADEMICS FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES
'U'looks
into leak
of athletes'
transcripts
Official may have broken
federal law requiring student
consent for release of information
ByANDYKROLL
Daily News Editor
University officials have begun looking into how
personal academic data protected by federal law was
leaked to the The Ann Arbor News for its recent four-
part series on University academics and athletics, a
University spokeswoman said yesterday.
"We're now working to determine how this breach
of University security may have occurred," said Uni-
versity spokeswoman Kelly Cunningham.
The first story in the series, titled "University of
Michigan athletes steered to professor," presented
information on which courses certain student-ath-
letes had taken and also included grade point averages
for two student-athletes, both of which are academic
data protected by the Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act.
The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor does not
list penalties for violating the act on its website. But
University of Michigan-Dearborn's site explains that
a compliance office reviews FERPA complaints. If a
university is found in violation of the act, its Depart-
ment of Education funding can be cut.
The article suggested that academic advisers
steered student-athletes toward independent study
courses taught by Psychology Prof. John Hagen
because he graded courses liberally and required stu-
dents to complete little coursework to pass.
See LEAK, Page 3A
Preparations could AT THE HEART OF CAMPUS
disrupt students How University officials plan to lay out the Diagfortgraduation on April 26.
Drop-Off Site
during final exams
By JACOB SMILOVITZ
Daily StaffReporter
In less than two weeks, the Uni-
versity will begin the considerable
undertaking of transforming the
Diag into a commencement venue
for the first time.
Preparations for the ceremony,
including constructing the stage
and installing seating for gradu-
ates and audience members, are
slated to begin April 14, about two
weeks before the program on April
26.
Because the construction sched-
ule will overlap with classes and
exams, organizers anticipate that
noise levels may disrupt final exam
preparations for many students.
In a presentation during the
Facilities Users Network meet-
ing last Thursday, organizers said
they expect the noise to be mini-
mal during the early stages, while
classes are in session. But on the
weekend of April 19 and 20 and
during the exam days of April 21-
24, they expect that noise from
construction will be loud enough
to be a disruption.
The noise from forklifts, back-
up horns and the "constant clat-
ter" from assembly of the main
and band stages in front of Harlan
Hatcher Graduate Library and
Haven Hall are expected to reach
high levels.
On a scale of one to 10, with one
being students and foot traffic and
10 being front row at a rock con-
cert, organizers say that the level
will be a five on most exam days.
a University officials announced
Dana
Building
two months ago that graduation
would be held on the Diag after stu-
dentsvoiced their displeasure with
earlier plans to hold the ceremony
at Eastern Michigan University's
Rynearson Stadium. The usual
site for spring commencement,
Michigan Stadium, is unavailable
because of ongoing construction at
the Big House.
Set-up on the Diag will be com-
pleted in several stages beginning
April 14 with bleacher setup along
the east side of Mason Hall. A lane
of North University Avenue will
also be closed for the first stages of
construction.
over the next several days, tem-
porary snow fences will be set up
in the Diag to block off traffic from
W e t
the seating areas. Once the fences
are up, workers will install a floor
to keep the seating areas level,
mark off aisles and set up chairs.
Workers will also build a platform
for seating in between the Natural
Science Building and the Chemis-
try Building.
In total, about 30,000 chairs and
20 sets of bleachers will be brought
in to accommodate graduates and
their families.
These seats will fill in the area
spanning east to west from the
Dana Building to Mason Hall
and north to south from North
University Avenue to the Gradu-
ate Library. Graduates will be
seated closest to the main stage
and bleachers will fill in the area
KEY
Audience members will be
seated around the gradu-
ates. They can arrive from
N drop-off sites from shut-
ties on North University
Avenue, South University
Avenue or State Street.
Shuttle drop-off site
* Graduates will congre-
gate on the east sideof
West Hall and proceedto
the seating area through
the Engineering Arch.
Staff and speakers will use
Hatcher Graduate Library
for a waiting room. The
main stage will be directly
in front of the library., with
the bandstage standing
west of the main stage.
sOURCE: UNIVER TY O F MICHIGAN
GRAPHIC: ALLISON GHAMAN/Daiy
behind the seats, according to site
plans.
one of the major tasks for orga-
nizers will be removing kiosks and
poles used to hang banners and
trimmingtrees on the Diag so that
guestswill have a clear line of sight
to the main stage.
Video screens and audio towers
will also be set-up throughout the
Diag between the main stage to
North University Avenue in case
audience members still do not have
a clear view of the stage.
Organizers also had to deal with
the lack of parking available near
the Diag, compared to Michigan
Stadium. Eighteen shuttles will
start running at 6:45 a.m. the day
See GRADUATION, Page 3A
HRC director talks
about difficulties
with coming out
to co-workers
By DANIEL STRAUSS
Daily StaffReporter
In a talk with Public Policy stu-
dents yesterday, the leader of the
largest gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgender organization in the
country discussedthe dilemma that
faces many gay employees - decid-
ing whether to disclose their sexual
orientation to coworkers.
Joe Solmonese, the director ofthe
LGBT advocacy group the Human
Rights Campaign, led a roundtable
discussion in Weill Hall, saying that
being labeled as the 'gay coworker'
can have its hazards depending on
where someone works. His talk
focused on how to judge whether
people should share their sexual
identity at work.
"Look,ifyou're goingtogotowork
at the floor of the New York Stock
Exchange or go to work for a progres-
sive think tank, the degree to which
your sexual orientation or your phi-
losophy of your sexual orientation
makes a difference is going to be very
different," Solmonese said.
Questions during the roundtable
centered on how to test whether a
workplace environment is welcom-
ing to the LGBT community.
Solmonese said that it can be very
hard to shake association with sex-
ual identity in today's workforce.
Solmonese said people can talk
around hard issues like sexual ori-
entation by asking what benefits a
company offers.Ifsame-sex benefits
are mentioned, he said, the person
has successfully avoided having to
talk about their sexual orientation.
The majority of students who
attended Solmonese's roundtable
said they planned to join nonprofits
or progressive organizations like
Google - businesses that Solmo-
nese said were generally welcom-
ing to the LGBT community.
At the end of Solmonese's ques-
See WORKPLACE, Page 3A
Public Policy students listen to Joe Solmonese, director of the LGBT advocacy group
Human Rights Campaign yesterday in Weill Hall.
LGBT advocate discusses
sexuality in the workplace
WEATHER H I: 45
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