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Ann Arbor, Michigan

Monday, September 21, 2009

michigandaily.com

FLYING HIGH, BUT NO LONGER PERFECT

STUDENT DEBT
New credit
card rules
hit campus
Free giveaways for 2004, accordingto Sigler.
As reported in The Michigan
students banned, Daily in February, under that
contract, the Alumni Association
along with tables provides Bank of America with
student and alumni information
set up on campuses in exchange for revenue for the
Alumni Association based on the
By NICOLE ABER number of credit card accounts
Daily Staff Reporter opened.
Sigler said the Alumni Associa-
Maxed out student credit cards tion has been working with Bank
might soon become a thing of the of America over the past several
past. months to develop plans to mod-
Or, at least that is part of the ify the way the bank works with
goal of new legislation that is the University to fit the terms of
expected to go into full effect at the legislation. This includes ter-
the start of the new year that will minating direct mail marketing
limit the possibilities for students to students - which Sigler said
under the age of 21 to open credit Bank of America hasn't done in
accounts nationwide. The new over a year - and not setting up
rules, which were signed into law tables around campus as the bank
by President Barack Obama in had done in the past, though there
May, tighten restrictions on cred- will still be tables in Michigan
it card companies trying to raise Stadium.
interest rates and curb the ways Though the Alumni Associa-
in which companies can market tion will be required under con-
credit cards to teenagers and col- tract to make these changes,
lege students. Sigler said the changes aren't far
Underage students will have from the way things are already
to prove they have the essential run.
assets and income to pay off a "The kinds of changes they
credit card, and banks will no would need to make in their mar-
longer be allowed to provide give- keting campaigns more or less are
aways on campuses in exchange already being made," he said.
for students opening a credit Sigler said the new legisla-
account. tion will just reinforce the main
Jerry Sigler, senior vice presi- goal with the Bank of America
dent and CFO of the University's agreement, which is to market
Alumni Association, said the the bank's card to alumni. He
contract the University has with acknowledged, however, that
Bank of America will not be sig- current students are also eligible
nificantly affected by the new leg- for the card, but the bank's direct
islation because it mostly targets targeting of students will now be
alumni. more limited.
The University currently has a Under the current Bank of
$25 million,10-year contract with America agreement, there are
Bank of America that started in See CREDIT RULES, Page 8A

Senior outside hitter Juliana Paz serves against Oregon State at Crisler Arena on Saturday, Entering the game, Michigan was undefeated and ranked No, 6 in the nation.
Unranked Oregon State swept the Wolverines, ending Michigan's 52-game regular season, non-conference win streak. For more, see SportsMonday, Page B.
'U' alum traverses cout ry,byfo

Fairchild embarks
on journey raising
money to fight MS
By A. BRAD SCHWARTZ
Daily StaffReporter
University alum Joe Fairchild
arrived in Ann Arbor last Tuesday
for what could have been a simple
four-day visit. Only, rather than
arriving by car, bus or Amtrak train,
Fairchild walked into town pushing
the modified baby stroller he's been
living out of since early August.
Fairchild's stop in AnnArbor was
a briefrespite from his months-long
journey across the United States, a
fundraising effort to raise money

for multiple sclerosis, an autoim-
mune disease that attacks the cen-
tral nervous system.
A graduate of the class of 2006,
Fairchild started to seriously pur-
sue running when he came to
college, inspired by his younger
brother, who was then running
track in high school.
Last May, having not run seri-
ously for some time, Fairchild real-
ized he needed to challenge himself
and soon called his brother.
"(My brother) was talking about
training for another (marathon),"
Fairchild said, "and he said, 'We
should run across the country or
something like that,' almost as a
joke."
The more Fairchild thought
See FAIRCHILD, Page 7A

THE ROUTE
START: Boston, MA
University alum Joe Fairchild I Ann Arbor, MI
started in Boston on August 8 and i Chicago,.IL
hopes to end up in Los Angeles St. Louis, MO
hope toeod pinLos ngeeo } Tulsa, OK
by the end ofthe year. Here's his Flagstaff, AZ
tentative route, FINISH: Los Angles, CA


Through profs' eyes: What's
happening in Afghanistan?

Editor's Note: Today the Daily debuts
a new series, "OfflceHours,"in which
we sit down with experts on campus
to discuss important stories of the
day. The goal of the series, which will
runperiodically throughout the year,
is to distill current affairs and events
into their most significant parts
through quotes and explanations
from these experts. We begin with
last month's much-disputed Afghan
presidential elections.
By DARRYN FITZGERALD
Daily Staff Reporter
Afghanistan's presidential elec-
tions were held over a month ago.
But a winner has still not been
announced among the three top
contenders, incumbent President
Hamid Karzai, former Foreign
Minister Abdullah Abdullah and
RamazanBashardost. Instead, accu-
sations of voter fraud and other dis-
crepancies have swirled, serving
only to compligte and destabilize an
already confusing and delicate situa-
tion. Because of the controversy, the
country's United Nations-backed
Electoral Complaints Commission
has recently begun the process of
recounting and investigating about
10 percent of polling places to find
evidence ofballet-box stuffing,

As these events unfold, The Mich-
igan Daily sat down with four of the
University's top Middle East experts
to try and make sense of it all.
Juan Cole, professor of Middle
Eastern and South Asian History at
the University, said the election was
at first seen as an exit strategy for
the United States from its involve-'
ment in the country. Without a
stable Afghan government with
the power to control the Taliban,
though, the United States can't end
its military occupation, Cole said.
But because the election has
been destabilizing, Cole said, the
U.S. occupation in the country will
only be prolonged.
"The election has turned into a
full-scale fiasco for Washington,"
he said.
The Independent Election
Commission of Afghanistan ini-
tially reported that Hamid Karzai
received the majority of the vote
with 54.6 percent, beating out
Afghanistan's former Foreign Min-
ister Abdullah Abdullah, who gar-
nered 27.8 percent of the vote.
Cole said that, although Karzai's '
majority implies he should be the
new president, if the Afghanistan
Electoral Complaints Commission
determines there was voter fraud,
a runoff will be held.

Election officials have said that
the current recount could last as
long as three months.
History Profs. Ronald Suny and
Jonathan Marwil argue that the
United States cared more about the
transparency of the election and
the end goal of transferring power
than the actual results.
"Either (candidate) would have

MARKETING STUDENT LIFE
Hired help: Campus tours go pro
Experts turn visits In efforts to meet enrollment Evangelist" with TargetX, esti-
goals and enhance their campus mates that he has visited and
into big business, images, schools like American advised hundreds of schools, and
University, Albion College, North- he claims that all of them have
but not here ern Michigan University and Ohio reported positive impacts from
State University have enlisted the his advice.
By TORREY JOSEPH help of TargetX, a private consult- Greg Grauman, acting director
ARMSTRONG ing firm that offers campus visit of admissions at American Univer-
Daily StaffReporter audits. In an audit, a representa- sity, said the changes suggested by
tive from the firm participates in TargetX were beneficial for guides
The breathless, backpedaling a campus tour and later reports on and prospective students.
tour guide is disappearing quickly its strengths and weaknesses to "Our tour guides are more con-
from college campuses across the the school. fident now that they walk forward
nation. But not here. Jeff Kallay, an "Experience See TOURS, Page 7A

ANNA BAKEMAN/Dail,
Guy Louis teaches his audience about the mandolin at the Ann Arbor District Library yesterday. Guy Louis calls his program
"Chautauqua Express" and he gives interactive performances to teach children about music and instruments.

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