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Monday, February 16, 2009
michigandaily.com
FINANCING YOUR EDUCATION
Congress adds
to Pell Grants
QB Threet to transfer
More than 3,000
University students
benefit from federal
scholarship program
ByBENJAMIN S. CHASE
Daily StaffReporter
Much of the attention surround-
ing the federal economic stimulus
package has focused on the benefit
it will provide for large, struggling
institutions, like national banks
and domestic automakers.
However, the effects of the stim-
p ulus package could soon be felt by
thousands of students here at the
University.
When Congress passed Presi-
dent Barack Obama's $787 billion
American Recovery and Reinvest-
ment Act on Friday, the Federal
Pell Grant Program -federally
funded scholarships for students
with demonstrated financial need
- received a significant boost in
funding.
For the 2007-2008 academic
year, 3,349 University students
received Pell Grants, totaling over
$9 million in aid with each student
receiving an average of $2,776,
according to Margaret Rodriguez,
senior associate director of the
Office of Financial Aid.
The bill proposes changes to
the program that could increase
both the number of students who
receive grants and the amount of
money students receive.
The federal government grants
between 5 and 6 million scholar-
ships through the Pell Grant pro-
gram each year. That number, and
the number of applicants for the
grants, has increased every year
since 2005, according to the U.S.
Department of Education.
Federal funding for the Pell
Grant program has fluctuated over
the past several years, from $12.35
billion in 2005 to $17.34 billion in
2006, according to the U.S. Depart-
ment of Education. In 2008, fund-
ing for grants was $16.26 billion.
The increases in funding per
grant are modest under the bill.
But, the bill includes provisions
for more substantial increases the
future.
Calling for an additional $13.869
billion to be allocated for Pell
Grants in the 2009 and 2010 fiscal
years, the stimulus package will
permit an increase of $281 in indi-
vidual grant money for 2009-2010
and $400 for 2010-2011.
Additionally, the bill will
increase the maximum amount for
individual grants to $5,012. The
See PELL GRANTS, Page 7A
Redshirt freshman
started eight games
last season
By DAN FELDMAN,
COURTNEY RATKOWIAK
and ANDY REID
Daily SportsEditors
Redshirt freshman quarterback
Steven Threet will transfer from
Michigan, according to a state-
ment released early this morning.
"I have decided to transfer
from the University of Michigan,"
Threet wrote in the statement. "I
have requested and received my
release.I do not yet know where I
will continue my collegiate career,
and have no further comment until
that decision is made."
Calls to StevenThreet's cell phone
last night from The Michigan Daily
were not returned. When contacted
last night by the Daily, Threet's
father, Jewel Threet, said his son
would release astatementtoday and
declined further comment.
AnAthletic Departmentspokes-
person also declined to comment
about the statement.
TheWolverines'starterin8-of-12
games last year, Threet transferred
from Georgia Tech prior to the 2007
season. He finished last season 102-
of-200 for 1,105 yards, nine touch-
downs and seven interceptions.
Michigan signed two quarter-
backs, Tate Forcier and Denard
Robinson, on National Signing
Day on Feb. 5. Forcier, a four-star
recruit according to rivals.com,
enrolled early in January and will
practice with the team this spring.
Redshirt sophomores Nick
Sheridan and David Cone are the
only returning quarterbacks on
Michigan's roster. Sheridan start-
ed four games last season. Fresh-
man Justin Feagin, who began last
season at quarterback and moved
to slot receiver, will also return.
Phil Jacobs, Threet's coach at
Adrian High School, said yester-
day he didn't know about Threet's
plan to transfer.
"He's pretty much kept it to
See THREET, Page 7A
VIDEOGAMES IN THE CLASSROOM
'U' course offers
gamer's paradise
Education 222 looks
at role of videogames
in education
By JOHN A. WEISS, JR.
Daily StaffReporter
Staring at a flat-screen televi-
sion, Nintendo 64 controller in
hand, ignoring piles of schoolwork
and replacing it with nine straight
hours of Super Smash Bros., may
not actually be a complete waste of
time.
Thanks to Education 222: Vid-
eogames & Learning, a new class
offered by the School of Education
this winter semester, video game
enthusiasts will now be able to do
homework and play their favorite
game at the same time.
Barry Fishman, associate pro-
fessor of Educational Studies and
Information Sciences, said he start-
ed the class as a way to change how
people view videogames, to help
them understand that they can be
used for more than just late-night
fun.
"The objectives (of the class)
are to give people a different way
to think about videogames, about
learning and about schools," Fish-
man said.
Fishman said videogames are
built off of a rewards system, the
ability to "die" and start a level
again without penalization. This
keeps a player committed to play-
ing, to get to the next level and
eventually beat a game.
See VIDEOGAMES, Page 7A
Officers rope off part of the fourth floor of Van Duren house in Bursley Hall late Friday night after flooding caused damage tothe hallway and nearby rooms.
Flood causes damage to Bursley
Nearly three dozen
students displaced
from rooms after
sprinkler goes off
By LINDSAY KRAMER
Daily StaffReporter
The third and fourth floors of
the Van Duren House in Bursley
Hall are littered with industrial
fans and lined with caution tape,
the lone remains of a flood that
left roughly three dozen students
without a place to stay late Friday
night.
University Housing spokesman
Peter Logan said the fans are being
used to help soak up the water left
by a damaged sprinkler in one of
the roomson the fourth floor.
Nearly all students displaced
by the flood could return to their
room early Saturday morning,
Logan said, with just the residents
of the two rooms directly connect-
ed to the sprinkler that started the
flood left in temporary housing.
Logan said their rooms should be
ready this week. .
Significant portions of the hall-
ways affected by the water are still
taped off, leavinglimited access to
the 18 damaged rooms.
Around 9:30 p.m. Friday night,
a sprinkler in a room on the fourth
floor of the Van Duren House went
off, flooding the east wings of the
third and fourth floors. The sprin-
klers triggered the fire alarms
throughout the building, and stu-
dents were forced to evacuate.
"It was like brown water every-
where," LSA freshman Anne Ber-
renberger said. "It flooded the
hallway and came into (our) room
through the door."
Berrenberger lives in the room
directly connected to the room
where the flood started, and said
she won't be allowed back into
Bursley until Tuesday.
Berrenberger's roommate, LSA
freshman Jenny Nowierski, said
they have both been staying in a
friend's room since Friday.
All of the residents whoseroons
were not affected by the water
returned to their rooms within a
half hour. Those in the affected
hallways returned to their rooms
around 12:30 a.m. to collect some
of their belongings, but were
advised not to sleep there.
See BURSLEY, Page 7A
NAACP'S 100TH ANNIVERSARY
COMMUNITY R EMEMBERS
Ford School mourns sudden
passing of beloved administrator
Members of the Univensity's chapter of the NA ACP col a reae celebrate the erganization's tDO-year ansiversary en Friday.
Vlcek passed away
after car accident on
way to work Tuesday
By EMILY ORLEY and
STEPHANIE STEINBERG
Daily Staff Reporters
Yesterday afternoon, mem-
bers of the University community
gathered to honor the life of Faith
Vlcek, a program administrator
in the Ford School of Public Pol-
icy who was killed in a car acci-
dent on her way to work early last
Tuesday.
A memorial service was held at
the Manchester United Methodist
Church, as friends and colleagues
paid their respects to Vlcek, who
worked at the Ford's School Inter-
national Policy Center.
Colleagues remember Vlcek for
her kind spirit, helping hand and
the great impact she had on the
lives of those whso krnew her during
the 10 years she spenut working at
the University.
"She was the hseart and soul of
every place I worked," said Jan
Svejnar, director of the Interna-
tional Policy Center.
Vleek first came to the Universi-
ty to work at the William Davidson
Institute as an executive assistant.
In 2004, she moved to the Faculty
Support group at the Ross School
of Business. She later joined the
Ford School in 2007.
While Vlcek's main responsi-
bilities were to make travel and
event arrangements, Svejnar said
she always went well beyond what
was asked.
"Professorn woculd visit fromru all
over the world," Svejnar said, "anud
mone than just nmaking their travel
arrangements, sire would tarke cute
of that-t."
"She did whatever was needed,"
said Alan Deardorff, associate
dean of the Ford School.
Deardorff said Vleek will be
remembered as a truly warm per-
See VLCEK, Page 7A
WEATHER
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