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The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

MICHIGAN STUDENT ASSELY
President Yost resigns, Dar sworn in

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By DAVE MEKELBURG
and SCOTT MILLS
Daily StaffReporters
Dec. 5, 2007 - Zack Yost resigned
the presidency of the Michigan Stu-
dent Assembly at the body's meeting
last night and 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. The- group referenced Hull's
Asperger's syndrome, a mild form of
autism, by saying, "I'll give that kid a
fucking disabilityhe canwrite home
about if he keeps sending these code
amendments to everyone." Baker,
alsoamemberofthegroup,resigned
last week under pressure from LSA
Student Government.
At least 90 people came to watch
the first MSA president resign since

F. Scott Kellman in 1977. The meet-
ing was held in the Hussey Room of
the Michigan League to accommo-
date the crowd, which at most meet-
ings is onlya handful of people.
Yost was the last to arrive to the8
p.m. meeting, and when he did, the
noisy room went silent. He called
the meeting to order, pounding the
gavel harder than usual.
About five minutes into the meet-
ing, Yost asked the assembly if he
could deliver a statement. He stood
up and walked over to a podium fac-
ing the assembly and audience.E
He then delivered a speech
announcing his resignation from
the MSA presidency.
"I want to make it very 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 transgression."
During and after the speech, sev-
eral 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.
"I wouldn't trade my.MSA expe-
rience for anything," Yost said.
According to the MSA Compiled
Code, the vice president - in this
case, Dar - takes over as president
of the assembly when the president
resigns. At the end of his speech,
Yost expressed his confidence in
Dar, who would soon take his place.
"I've never met anyone who
serves the campus with more dili-
gence and with greater integrity

thanyou, Mohammad,"Yost said.
Stepping down from the podium,
Yost embraced Dar. During the hug,
Yost had a few words of encourage-
ment for Dar.
"You go get'em,you understand?"
he said into Dar's ear.
Immediately after delivering
his resignation speech, Yost left. A
recess was called to allowsome rep-
resentatives to exchange a few last.
words with Yost in the hallway. Dar
was sworn in to the presidency as
Yost walked out of the door.
"I want to be your worker, your
guide, your well-wisher and more,"
Dar said.
Dar has been one of the, most
active assembly members during
his tenure. He coordinated a rally
in Lansing with most of the state's
public universities to protest a drop
in higher education funding. He's
also one of the primary assembly

members working with landlords
and the Ann Arbor City Council on
the lease-signing ordinance.
Later in the meeting, several MSA
representatives expressed frustra-
tion that the situation had escalated
to the point where Yost resigned.
"I'm really disappointed, well,
surprised that it had to come to this,"
said Nate Fink, MSA chief of staff.
Not every member was as positive
about Yost. MSA Rep. Liana Mul-
holland said she was disappointed
in the assembly for the way it spoke
about Yost.
"What I don't understand is why
there was all this tearful sorrow
- kind of like a love-Zack fest. No
one talked about Tim at all," she
said after the meeting. "Everyone
was acting like Zack was the victim,
and that what happened was sort of
like a natural disaster and notsome-
thing he did himself."

Several MSA members have said
that Yost was a tremendous moti-
vator for the assembly and acted
as a connector, bringing together
administrators, student groups and
MSA representatives.
Yost helped create an MSA
internship program to familiar-
ize freshmen with the assembly,
planned the rally in Lansing and
worked with faculty and bookstore
owners to reduce textbook prices.
He is a member of Alpha Epsilon Pi
and the senior honor society order
of Angell.
Several assembly members said
during the meeting that they hope
MSA could get over the scandal and
move on. In an interview after the
meeting,Hullechoedthissentiment
and expressed relief that the situa-
tion was finally coming to a close.
"I would say thatI'm glad we will
be able to move on," he said.

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College Dems unite after Obama's nomination

Students for Hillary, hjunior Kelly Bernero said she, along ter of College Democrats chapter,
with the majority of her group, will said that come fall, he expects that
Obama to campaign campaign for Obama. Democrats on campus will set aside
"Students for Hillary was a sub- their differences and work toward
together on campus group of College Dems and was electing aDemocrat in the fall.
established on the premise it would "There's a little bit of chiding, but
in the fall dissolve once the Democratic nomi- there's no animosity," Styer said. "I
nee was chosen," think everyone's
Bernero said. looking forward
By JAKE HOLMES The same goes to seeing a Demo-
Daily StaffReporter for Students for "I think everyone's crat in office."
Obama. LSA In fact, mem-
June 6, 2008 - Since Sen. Barack juniorTomDuvall, looking forward to bers of Students
Obama clinched the Democratic chair of the group, for Hillary and
presidential nomination and Sen. * said that while Students for
Hillary Clintonsuspended her cam- his group will seeing a Democrat Obama watched
paign last week, campus political dissolve, its role ,, the primary
groups are takingsimilar action. won't. Duvall said in office.". results come in
Despite the contentious race members of his together on Super
between Clinton and Obama for groupwillallwork Tuesday in Feb-
the Democratic nomination, the as part of College ruary and worked
University's chapters of Students Democrats this fall. side-by-side with the College Demo-
for Obama and Students for Hillary While some disgruntled Clin- crats in other efforts.
will merge with the College Demo- ton backers have started sporting Styer said that, ultimately, all
crats on campus. "NObama" T-shirts and swearing the Democratic candidates stand
In a concession speech Saturday, to vote for presumptive Republican on similar platforms. When Sen.
Clinton called on her supporters nominee Sen. John McCain, campus Joe Biden and former senator John
to work as hard to elect Obama as politicos are mostly playingnice. Edwards were knocked out of the
they had for her primary campaign. LSA junior Nathaniel Eli Coats race, the members of Students for
Students for Hillary chair and LSA Styer, chair of the University's chap- Biden and Students for Edwards
NIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
PARKING & TRANSPORTATION SERVICES (Ps)
508 Thompson Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2414
Phone: (734) 764-8291
Fax: (734) 763-4041
Parking for students in U-M lots is extremely limited, and ovemight
(storage) parking is not available in University lots, except for a few
designated areas. There are many services available for moving
around campus and the City of Ann Arbor, so personal vehicles are
usually not necessary. Students may ride any U-M bus or shuttle
free of charge as well as any Ann Arbor Transportation Authority
(AATA) bus route (free) by showing their valid University of Michigan
Identification card to the bus driver.
Student permits for juniors, seniors and graduate students are available
for purchase and are issued on a first come, first issued basis. Permits are
valid from July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009 parking fees are prorated
per an established schedule. Freshman and sophomore students are not
eligible to obtain a U-M permit.
NOTE: Parking and Transportation Services does not issue per-
mits for University Residence Halls or Northwood Community
Apartments.
Students are not eligible for faculty and staff parking permits (Gold,
Blue, Yellow or Orange). Please be aware that only permits obtained
from and issued by Parking and Transportation Services are valid in
University lots and structures.
For detailed parking and transportation information, please visit the
Parking and Transportation Services web site at www.pts.umich.edu or
call (734) 764-8291.

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joined College Democrats because
they hoped to elect anyone other
than Republican candidate Sen.
John McCain, Styer said.
But LSA junior Brady Smith,
chair of the University's chapter of
College Republicans at the Univer-
sity, isn't convinced that supporters
of Obamaand Clinton willbe able to
put aside their differences.
Although he said he wasn't sure
what the climate was like on cam-
pus, he said the drawn-out primary
season has taken a toll on unity in
the Democratic party.
Smith said that despite a rough
primary fight between McCain and
former Republican candidate Mitt
Romney, members of Students for
Romney have campaigned door-to-
door for McCain with the College
Republicans.
"I don't think there is that con-
geniality on the Dems' side," Smith
said. " I think it's much more bitter."
By having a nominee four months
before the Democratic Party, Smith
said Republicans, including those
at the University, had a strategic
advantage over the Democrats.
"We were the first ones to get
the word out there," Smith said.
"We've had a couple months on the
Democrats in terms of getting peo-
ple excited about our candidate."
- Managing News Editor Julie
Rowe contributed to this report.

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JEREMYtCHO/Daily
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is popular among 'U' students.


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