STRUCK OUT A NG
ichigan drops anotherAatt 4 y
game to a MAC team.a d
SEE SPORTS, PAGE 8AME
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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
michigandaily.com
WORKING OUT ON CAMPUS
New report
offers fix for
rec. facilities
Provost expresses
concern over cost of
proposed projects
By KYLE SWANSON
Daily Staff Reporter
Recreational facilities across
campus could receive a major
facelift if proposals pitched in
a new report submitted to the
University administration are
approved.
In the 91-page report released
to The Michigan Daily earlier this
week, a campus advisory commit-
tee outlined its recommendations
for improving the University's
recreational sportingandexercis-
ing facilities.
The group, the Recreational
Sports Task Force, is a committee
made up of11Universityrepresen-
tatives, includingstudents, faculty
and administrators. The commit-
tee was formed in the fall of 2007
by Provost Teresa Sullivan and
Vice President for Student Affairs
E. Royster Harper to examine how
to best improve the University's
recreational sports facilities.
The task force submitted a
report to Sullivan and Harper
in early February outlining their
recommendations to improve
the University's recreational
facilities.
See REPORT, Page 7A
This year's Golden Apple recipient, Lecturer John U. Bacon, delivers his "ideal last lecture" in Rackham Auditorium last night To see the speech, go to michigandaily.com.
I l e ure, Bacon tells of
lessons learned in life, sports
American Culture
lecturer received
Golden Apple Award
By ASA SMITH
For the Daily
American Culture lecturer John
U. Bacon spoke to some of his for-
mer hockey players, students and
faculty last night about his jour-
ney as a teacher, writer and hockey
coach and his experiences working
with legendary Michigan football
coach Bo Schembechler.
Bacon's talk last night "What I
learned - Despite My Efforts" was
Bacon's "ideal last lecture," which
he got the chance to present as the
winner of the 19th annual Golden
Apple Award.
The award recognizes outstand-
ing University faculty and is given
by the student group Students
Honoring Outstanding University
Teaching.
Three former winners ofthe Gold-
en Apple Award were in the crowd,
including Prof. Ralph Williams, who
taught Bacon when he attended the
University from 1982 to 1986.
Bacon, who taught "History of
College Athletics" and "The Rise
and Fall of the American Sports-
writer" last semester, said during
the speech that he felt humbled to
be grouped with the former award
winners.
"I am stunned," he said. "I had
three former winners of this award
as professors when I was a student,
and to be considered the same as
them, even for if only for a night, is
an honor."
Though he was honored for his
accomplishments, Bacon spent
much ofthe lecture recountingwhat
he has learned from his failures.
He joked about his previous
struggles with teaching on many
occasions, and often used sports
analogies to explain his points.
"This is my first teaching job!"
See GOLDEN APPLE, Page 7A
REVAMPING CAMPUS GYMS
Breakdown of proposed changes to three of the
campuses most-used facilities
CCRB
Provide up to 60,000 square feet of
additional space
1 Additional weight training and cardiovas-
cular equipment
- Additional basketball courts
* Hours of operation would be extended
to 2 am.
. More student friendly atmosphere,
including new amenities like a caf6
NCRB
Transform space to be geared toward
faculty, staff and families
Provide staff spate for U-MoveM-Fit and
Active U programs
Additional cardiovascular and weight train-
ing equipment
Create group meeting spaces for evening
programming on health and wellness
Additional parking
* FUNDING HIGHER EDUCATION
State senators pitch plan for free tuition
President Coleman
says any discussion
of higher ed. funding
is good for the 'U'
By BENJAMIN S. CHASE
Daily StaffReporter
With pay cuts and job losses
plaguing the state, representatives
Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor)
andAlmaWheelerSmith(D-Salem)
have proposed an initiative that
would reshape the way education
in Michigan is funded.
The MI Future plan - which
could take the form of a ballot ini-
tiative or a series of bills - would
help cover the tuition costs and
mandatory fees for students who
choose to attend a state college or
university. It would also fund a uni-
versal preschool program.
The plan would benefit families
living in Michigan whose incomes
are less than $107,000, and the ini-
tiative's funding would come from
a 1.15 percent increase in the state
income tax.
In an exclusive interview yes-
terday, University President Mary
Sue Coleman said she hasn't yet
reviewed the proposal, but that
she's excited lawmakers are dis-
cussing ways to make higher edu-
cation more accessible.
"If the discussion is around the
importance of education, in par-
ticular higher education in addition
to K-12, then I'm thrilled people are
having the discussion," she said.
Coleman said the bill raises a
larger discussion about making col-
lege a reality for more students in
the state.
"The more important thing to me
is that people are seriously thinking
about ways to enhance participa-
tion in higher education for people
in Michigan," she said. "Whether
this is the right thing or not, I don't
know, but I love that we're talking
about it." -
At a press conference intro-
ducing the plan, Smith said the
state must take "bold action" to
address the burden imposed on
families by the cost of higher
education.
"It has become a reality that
many parents can no longer afford
a college education for their chil-
dren," she said. "This plan will
grant higher education access to
anyone who has not already com-
pleted a bachelor's degree, who
graduated from a Michigan high
school and who earns $107,000 or
See TUITION, Page 7A
IM BUILDING
Renovate the building's swimming pools
and other exercise facilities
Restore the building's ceiling and original
architectural features to highlight its historical
significance
Uncover windows in the building to pro-
vide a brighterand more aesthetically pleas-
ing space
Reallocate building space for club sports
X COLINS/Daily; NCRB and IM BUILDING: CHRIS DZOMBAK/Daily
ANN ARBOR'S NATIONAL BOOKSELLER
* For Borders, a glimmer of
hope on otherwise bad day
STANDING TALL, DEMOCRATICALLY
Bookseller reports
fourth quarter
earnings down 54%
ByVERONICA MENALDI
Daily StaffReporter
On a day in which Ann Arbor-
based Borders reported just how
grave their current financial situa-
tion is, there were some glimmers
of hope for the once-dominant
bookseller.
But the bad news, of which there
was much, was staggering. In the
fourth quarter of the last fiscal
year, earnings for Borders Group,
As Inc. were down 54 percent from
the previous year, the company
reported in a press release yester-
day afternoon.
The final quarter numbers
topped off a dismal year for the
bookstore chain whose landmark
location is on Liberty Street. The
company also owns the mall-based
Waldenbooks.
Sales fell sharply as well. They
were down 8.8 percent in total,
dropping from nearly $3.5 billion in
2007 to $3.2 billion in 2008.
The press release did highlight
some good news though.
The company was able to
decrease its debt load by $218 mil-
lion and its inventory by $327 mil-
lion, making the company more
flexible as it moves forward.
In the press release yesterday,
Borders' CEO Ron Marshall wrote
that he was confident about the
company's future.
"Our top priority is getting our
financial house in order by continu-
ing to reduce expenses, pay down
debt and improve cash flow," Bor-
ders Group Chief Executive Officer
Ron Marshall wrote in the release.
Additional good news for the
company came in the form of a one-
year loan extension worth $42.5
million by Pershing Square Capi-
tal Management - Borders largest
shareholder - late Monday night.
"Borders is a strong brand with
millions of loyal customers," Mar-
shall wrote in the statement. "I am
See BORDERS, Page 7A
tED MoCH/Daily
University students take advantage of Art & Design Lecturer Amanda Krugliak's initiative to speak their mind and experience
democracy first hand. Here, Nolan O'Hara, an LSA freshman, from Amy Carroll's critical creative writing seminar exercises
his performance abilities in a truly democratic setting.
WEATHER HI: 62
TOMORROW 5 LU 43
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INDEX N E W S................................2A CLASSIFIEDSA..... .......... ...6A
Vol CXIX, No.121 OPINiON 4 ST......8...................4A SPORTS.. ......... ......A
200 heMichganDaily ARTS .................................. A THE STATEM ENTt............... tB
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