be Midjigan Batty
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
michigandaily.com
RACE FOR THE BOARD OF REGENTS
Candidates
offer ideas
i campus
debate
Hopefuls differ on how to
finance the University, lower
tuition and foster diversity
By ANDY KROLL
Daily News Editor
Six candidates running for the University of Mich-
igan's Board of Regents in the fall election fielded
questions yesterday from faculty members at a forum
held at Palmer Commons.
The candidates included Democrat Laurence Dei-
tch, a current Regent seeking his third term in office;
Democrat Denise Ilitch; Republicans Susan Brown
and John LaFond; Green Party candidate Ellis Boal
and Libertarian Party candidate Eric Larson. There
are two openings -on the Board of Regents in the
upcomingelection.
The candidates began the forum by giving short
opening statements explaining why they should
become regents.
Not surprisingly, financial issues like limiting
tuition increases figured heavily in the opening state-
ments.
LaFond, who served as an executive at Ford Motor
Company for 34 years, said changes to the Universi-
ty's leadership style will be need to help contain the
costs of attending the University.
"I think the most important issue that confronts us
is to raise the level of bold and decisive leadership,"
he said. "University leaders, including the regents, I
believe, must develop more productive ideas that will
create a quality educational experience as well at an
affordable cost."
See CANDIDATES, Page 7
STATE OF TI+E UNIVERSITY
Coleman:
'Uwill
weather
crisis*
In address to faculty, president
praises 'U' financial managers
By ANDY KROLL
Daily News Editor
University President Mary Sue Coleman delivered
the annual State of the University address before
the University of Michigan's faculty governing body
yesterday, giving updates on fundraising campaigns,
her faculty hiring plans and the school's financial
health.
Coleman, now in her eighth year as president, told
members of the Senate Assembly that the University
has felt the impact of the ongoing financial crisis,
but the University's financial team has succeeded
in minimizing its impact on the University's assets,
including the endowment, valued at $7.6 billion as of
June 30.
"Because of prudent, conservative management,
we are weathering this crisis," she said. "Our cash
flow is sound. Our bond rating continues to be the
highest possible. And our capital projects are moving
forward."
Shifting to more optimistic financial news, Cole-
man said in the next several weeks she would have
the final fundraising totals for the University's Michi-
gan Difference fundraising campaign. The campaign,
begin in 2004, recently the $3 billion mark for schol-
arships, endowed professorships, academic programs
and facilities. The campaign's goal was $2.5 billion.
"The strength of our finances is the backbone of
See COLEMAN, Page 7
Spencer Steiff pets a puppy being trained to help disabled people. The dogs are part of a volunteer University program
called the Council for Disability Concerns, which meets once a month and plans programs that assist disabled people at
the University.
STATE POLITICS
Levin goes on the attack for
Schauer at Ann Arbor forum
Visiting politicians focus
on Asian-American voters
Democratic Sen.
attacks incumbent
Rep. Walberg's views
By KYLE SWANSON
Daily StaffReporter
U.S. Senator Carl Levin played
the attack dog role for fellow
Democrat and 7th Congressional
District hopeful Mark Schauer at
a town hall meeting in Ann Arbor
* last night.
About 50 supporters gathered
to hear Levin campaign alongside
Schauer at the Local 252 office of
the International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers union on Jack-
son Road.
Schauer hopes to unseat first-
term Congressman Tim Walberg,
who was elected in 2006. Levin,
a five-term incumbent, is seeking
reelection against challenger Jack
Hoogendyk, who currently serves
in the Michigan House of Repre-
sentatives.
Schauer chastised Walberg's
record, saying he exemplifies the
politics that are hurting Michigan
residents financially.
"Tim Walberg represents all
of the failed economic and failed
national security policies of this
president," he said.
Levin echoed Schauer's state-
ment, adding a metaphor to illus-
trate his point.
"(Walberg) doesn't believe in
government helping folks have
opportunity, or health care or
social security," Levin said. "I
don't know if he served in the
army, but if he did, he would have
See LEVIN, Page 7
Without a house, an unusual Greek life
Delta Upsilon brothers live and
hold rush in temporary locations
while fire damage is repaired
By JILLIAN BERMAN
Daily StaffReporter
Members of the Delta Upsilon fraternity aren't liv-
ing the typical Greek life this year. In May, the broth-
ers were left homeless when a fire tore through their i
campus house, located at the corner of Hill Street and
Olivia Avenue.
Now, rather than living in one house, the broth-- J'in
ers are staying in three smaller houses on the same
street. SAID ALSALAH/Daily
John Markiewicz, president of the fraternity's The Delta Upsilon house, the University's oldest Greek
alumni association that owns the house, said the residence, will be restored to its previous appearance. A
See FRATERNITY, Page 7 fire ravaged the 105-year-old fraternity house in May.
Asian-Americans
tend to vote at rates
below average
By THOMAS CHAN
Daily StaffReporter
A pair of Asian-American poli-
ticians rallied support on campus
Mondai for Democratic presiden-
tial candidate Barack Obama, urg-
ing political participation by a
minority group that has historical-
ly posted lower voter turnout rates
than the general population.
U.S. Rep. Mike Honda, a Califor-
nia Democrat, and State Rep. Hoon-
Yung Hopgood (D-Romulus) spoke
to a handful of students at the
newly-opened Obama campaign
office on Maynard Street about
the relevance of Obama's historic
candidacy to minority groups. The
two came to the office as a part of a
daylongcampaign tour of southeast
Michigan, including a town hall
meeting with a United Auto Work-
ers group in Detroit and a phone
banking event in Canton.
Both Honda and Hopgood said
Obama's campaign has had a dis-
cernable impact on their commu-
nities. Hopgood said the Illinois
senator's message of unity should
appeal to Asian-Americans.
"This is absolutely an historic
election. Let's just say it: we have
a minority candidate for the office
of the President of United States of
America," Hopgood said. "While
he's followed his heritage and he
Congressman Mike Honda of Calif. (middle) State Rep. Hoon-Yung.Hopgood (D-Ro-
mulus) stumped on campus for presidential candidate Barack Obama yesterday.
speaks to minorities across the land,
he speaks to all Americans as well."
The two stressed the importance
of voting among Asian-Americans
and Pacific Islanders, groups that
have voted at lower than average
rates in recent elections.
According to the U.S. Census,
just 29.8 percent of the Asian-
American population voted in the
2004 elections, comparedwith 58.3
percent for the overall population.
In the 2006 mideterm election, the
numbers dropped to 21.8 percent
and 43.6 percent, respectively.
Political Science Prof. Vincent
Hutchings, an expertonrace and poli-
tics,saidthetendenciesofthesegroups
tositoutelectionsmaystemfromtheir
social identities in America.
"Naturalized citizens and immi-
grants are unlikely to be participa-
tory,"he said, adding that theymight
have been raised under different
political systems and cultures that
weren't necessarily democratic.
Despite the low voting rates
among Asian-American and Pacific
Islanders, Honda said he believes
the community is aware of the
issues facing society.
"While they may not vote, they
talk," Honda said.
Brian Straw, the campus field orga-
nizer for the Obama campaign, said he
saw potential in the camp's ability to
turnoutAsian-Americansnextweek.
"It's not necessarily goingto be
likely voters that are the reason
Obama wins, but it's going to be a
lot of those unlikely voters,"he said.
"That's why we're doing this."
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