STRUCK OUT A NG ichigan drops anotherAatt 4 y game to a MAC team.a d SEE SPORTS, PAGE 8AME ~Ii ffid~an :aIlj 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 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know. NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM Multimedia: Earth Week Fashion Show MICHIGANDAILY.COM/VIDEO 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 michivundoily cow