DUELING PERSPECTIVES
With the Michigan Student Assembly election only a day away,
the two major parties argue for why they deserve your vote.
U SEE OPINION, PAGE 4
Wie t1idIgan Bai
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
michigandaily.com
CHRIS DZOMBAK/Daily
The three presidential candidates in this week's MSA election, the Defend Affirmative Action Party's Kate Stenvig (left), the Michigan Vision Party's Abishek Manhanti
(center) and the reMichigan Campaign's Gibran Baydoun (right) debate last night at Palmer Commons.
MSA candidates talk platforms
Despite heated race,
few sparks fly in
debate last night
By JENNA SKOLLER
Daily StaffReporter
At a debate last night in advance
of the upcoming Michigan Stu-
dent Assembly elections set to take
place tomorrow and Thursday, the
audience of about 100 people was
split down the middle.
In support of their respective
presidential and vice presiden-
tial candidates, ReMichigan's red
shirts sat to the right, Michigan
Vision Party's green shirts sat to
the left and the Defend Affirma-
tive Action Party sat in the front of
the Palmer Common's auditorium
during the nearly two-hour event
that included a discussion of each
party's plan to reform MSA.
The presidential candidates -
DAAP's Kate Stenvig, a Rackham
graduate student, MVP's Abhishek
Mahanti, an Engineering junior
and reMichigan's Gibran Baydoun,
an LSA junior - took questions
from debate moderator Prof. Scott
Page, a former MSA president from
1984-1985.
Though Page asked the candi-
dates questions about their quali-
fications and managerial styles,
one of the most apparent themes
in the debate surrounded the Stop
the Hike Campaign, an initiative to
freeze tuition at the University.
The candidates had a minute
and a half to answer Page's ques-
tions, which were collected from
interested students. There were no
rebuttals, but Page was permitted
to ask follow-up questions.
Mahanti said that though he
thinks tuition is too high, a tuition
freeze might not be the answer
because of possible future reper-
cussions. He said MSA should take
advantage of its potential to help
students with issues like finding
affordable textbooks and getting
financial aid.
"if we do freeze tuition, it might
jump up later, itrnightnot; we don't
exactly know what the repercus-
sions may be," he said. "But when
it comes to financial aid, it's some-
thing that we have to hold Provost
(Teresa) Sullivan to when she says
that financial aid will increase
if tuition increases, at the same
rate."
See DEBATE, Page 7
ACADEMIC FREEDOM $35
Faculty push for more protection
-~$25
Report from faculty Thursday. a professor from the University of nade outside of his official duties,
V Members of the faculty group Wisconsin at Milwaukee who crit- like in a public newspaper, the o $20
body asks 'U' to the Senate Advisory Committee icized his superiors for mishan- court said his rights may have been
on University Affairs discussed dling a federal grant. Shortly after protected. $15
change policy before submitting a letter to the regents his criticism, the University of In their report, SACUA mem-
at one of its meetings earlier this Wisconsin at Milwaukee returned bers have written that the Renken Q $0
problems arise month. The group decided to draft the grant money and Renken's pay case, among others, demonstrates $Z
a report to the regents on the topic was cut. the need for action by the Univer-
By AKSDJF KALSDFJ k
Daily News Writer
Professors at the University
need greater academic freedom
rights. Or so say members of the
University's top faculty body in a
report that will be submitted to the
University's Board of Regents on
in response to several recent court
cases in which professors' right
to speak out publicly against the
University they work for have been
brought into question.
One recent case SACUA mem-
bers will use as an example in their
report to the regents will be Ren-
ken v. Gregory. The case involved
Renken sued the University of
Wisconsin at Milwaukee, claiming
his right to dissent was protected
by the First Amendment. How-
ever, the court ruled that because
Renken's comments were made in
connection to his official duties at
the university, his rights were not
protected. Had his comments been,
sity of Michigan.
"We have come to believe quite
strongly that Michigan needs
to preempt these developments
by shifting away from the First
Amendment to a reassertion of aca-
demic freedom within the institu-
tion," SACUA members wrote.
See PROTECTION, Page 3
ENGINEERING A NEW AGE
Students connect
Kenyans to the Web
UNIVERSITY SENATE ASSEMBLY
Coleman:'U'will grow
despite economic woes
Engineering students
install satellite
Internet connections
in rural Africa
By MALLORY BEBERMAN
Daily StaffReporter
As they watched Kenyan commu-
nity members search the Internet
for the first time, three University
graduates learned there is nothing
more satisfying than impacting the
lives of others through one's own
hard work.
Last November, three graduate
students from the College of Engi-
neering traveled to remote loca-
tions in Kenya to establish Internet
connections using their own satel-
lite-system designs.
The trip was the result of the
work done by 25 students in the
aerospace system design classes
taught by Thomas Zurbuchen, pro-
fessor of aerospace engineering and
atmospheric, oceanic and space
science. In the classes, students
were challenged to design a satel-
lite-based system that would bring
Internet to rural parts of the world.
Kelly Moran, who graduated in
December with an Engineering
master's degree, was among those
who ventured to Kenya.
She said the class first focused on
See INTERNET, Page 3
Budget process is
on schedule, says
University president
By KYLE SWANSON
Daily StaffReporter
University President Mary
Sue Coleman delivered her
annual update to the faculty's
top governing body yesterday, at
the Senate Assembly's monthly
meeting in Palmer Commons.
. Coleman touched on a wide
range of issues, including the
University's announcement that
it would purchase the former
Pfizer Inc. complex on North
Campus, its budget planning,
and its recently completed fund
development effort, The Michi-
gan Difference Campaign.
Talking about the University's
budget, Coleman said everything
is on schedule and should be
ready to present to the University
Board of Regents in June.
Coleman said the University is
continuouslyworkingtoimprove,
despite tough economic times.
"I'm not satisfied trying to just
keep us where we are," she said.
"We have to come out of this
recession stronger than we went
in."
Coleman indicated she is opti-
mistic about how state funding
and stimulus money will help the
University next year.
"With everything else going
on, what we do in terms of edu-
See SENATE ASSEMBLY, Page 3
WEATHER H I: 54
TOMORROW LU 3)
GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail
news omichigandaily.com and let us know.
NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM
The Anatomy of the Endowment series.
EDITORSPAGE.BLOGS.MICHIGANDAILY.COM
INDEX
Vol CXIX, No. f
02009 The Michigan Daly
michioaily.com
N EW S ................................... 2
SUDOKU..............................3
OPINION..............................4
ARTS .................................... 5
CLASSIFIEDS .........................6
SPORTS ................................ 8