* Chris Koslowski: After Rep.
John Dingell announced
another bid for Congress, it's In season two, MTV's 116 and Pregnant"features
time to consider term limits. teen moms not too thrilled to make sacrifices.
PAGE 4 > PAGE5
~Iie l1fliditgan 4L3atItj
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
michigandaily.com
CREDiT ON CAMPUS
New credit
rules won't
affect deal
for 'U,' bank
IVAN SEKRETAREV/AP
University students Charlie White and Meryl Davis standing on the medal podium at the 2010 Olympics in Vanouver last night. The two won the silver medal in the ice dancing
competition placing behind the Canadian team of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. Last night was the third time since 1976 that a non-Russian team won gold in the sport.
'U' students win silver mSSSedal
Bank of America
contract won't change
after new policy went
into effect yesterday
By TORREY ARMSTRONG
Daily StaffReporter
The Credit CARD Act, a piece
of federal legislation reforming
credit card laws and limiting
some of the credit card indus-
try's most profitable and punitive
practices, took effect yesterday
after being signed into law in
May.
The law bans companies from
issuing credit cards to anyone
under 21 unless they have an
adult co-signer or can demon-
strate the ability to repay the
debt through a financial back-
ground check.
While some have praised the
legislation as protecting college
students from being targeted by
the credit card industry, others
have decried the restrictions it
places on students' and teenag-
ers' abilities to apply for credit
cards.
President Barack Obama said
in a statement released yesterday
that the law will make the pro-
cess of applying for a credit card
more transparent.
"These new rules don't absolve
consumers of their obligation to
pay their bills, but they finally
level the playing field so that
every family and small busi-
ness using a credit card has the
information they need to make
responsible financial decisions,"
Obama said in the statement.
Though the legislation could
have far reaching implications
for the way credit card compa-
nies advertise to students, Jerry
Sigler, senior vice president and
chief financial officer of the
University's Alumni Associa-
tion, said the new laws will not
significantly affect the Alumni
Association's contract with Bank
of America.
The Daily reported in Febru-
ary 2009 that, under the con-
tract, the Alumni Association
provides Bank of America with
student and alumni information
in exchange for revenue based on
the number of accounts opened
with that information.
According to Sigler, the pro-
gram mostly targets alumni,
which is why it won't be signifi-
cantly affected by the legislation.
See LEGISLATION, Page 7
Charlie White,
Meryl Davis bested
by Canadian pair in
Vancouver last night
Staffand Wire Reports
University students Meryl
Davis and Charlie White danced
their way to second place last
night in Vancouver, earning sil-
ver medals for the United States
Olympic team.
Davis and White's silver was
the 25th medal for the U.S. team,
matching its record set in 2006
for medals won at a non-domestic
Olympics and giving the United
States back-to-back ice dance
medals for the firsttime ever.
With the medal, the Americans
are now all butcguaranteed to sur-
pass that 25 medal-win notch, as
the U.S. women's hockey team can
do no worse than a silver medal
after advancing to the finals.
In an interview last night,
Davis told The Associated Press
she was thrilled with winningthe
silver medal.
"There is so much to be proud
of right now," Davis said.
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir
of Canada, who finished with a
score of 221.57, bested-White and
Davis's score of 215.74. The Cana-
dian pair won the Olympic gold
medal in ice dance last night, an
ice dance first not only for Can-
ada, but also for any team from
North America.
The North American first and
second place pushed the Russians,
who have long held a spot atop the
ice dance podium, down to the
bronze medal. For only the third
time since ice dance became an
Olympic sport in 1976, a Russian
or Soviet couple did not win the
dance gold.
Reigning world champions
Oksana' Domnina and Maxim
Shabalin of Russia finished third.
Americans Tanith Belbin and Ben
Agosto, who were the silver med-
alists at the 2006 Olympics, came
in fourth.
Virtue and Moir's program was
tender and sensual, like a mar-
ried couple stealing away for a
See OLYMPICS, Page 3
NCAA INVESTIGATION
'U' alum says he filed suit
to hold regents accountable
A PERSONAL STORY
Robert Davis alleges
regents violated
Open Meetings Act
By KYLE SWANSON
DailyNewsEditor
When University alum Robert
Davis slapped the University's
Board of Regents with a lawsuit
late last week, he said he simply
wanted to stress the importance
of holding the University's leaders
accountable.
Davis's lawsuit stems from a
special, informal meeting of the
Board of Regents held on Feb. 3
behind closed doors in University
President Mary Sue Coleman's
private conference room. A source
familiar with the situation told
The Michigan Daily at the time
that the focus of the meeting was
the NCAA's investigation into alle-
gations that the Michigan Football
team violated NCAA regulations
regarding the amount of time stu-
dent-athletes can spend in practice
and off-season workouts.
Davis's 34-page summons and
complaint filed in Washtenaw
County Circuit Court alleges the
University violated the Michigan
Open Meetings Act by holding the
meeting behind closed doors and
for refusing to release minutes
from the meeting, among other
claims.
In an interview with The Michi-
gan Daily yesterday, Davis said he
simply wanted the University's
governing board to comply with
See LAWSUIT, Page 7
SENATE ASSEMBLY
Before faculty, Wilbanks
discusses state government
SAM WLSON"aily Fra full storyonlthe Students fvr Life
A panel of speakers discussed their experiences with abortion at an event
hosted hy Students tan Life yesterday in the Michigan Unions Pond teem. Panel, goatothetaily's newshlagal
Ah=ve, Karen Hoddren talks at the event about her experience. michigandailccm/hlogs/The Wire.
Arson suspect sentenced yesterday
VP of gov't relations
says she's meeting
with 2010 election
candidates already
0 By ANNIE GORDON THOMAS
Daily StaffReporter
Speaking at a Senate Assembly
meeting yesterday, University Vice
President for Government Rela-
tions Cynthia Wilbanks updated
faculty members on work under-
way in her office.
Wilbanks discussed some of the
challenges her
office will face NOTEBOOK
in dealing with
Michigan's 2011 fiscal year bud-
get. In addition, she spoke about
how her office is preparing for the
upcoming election and pending
legislation that may have conse-
quences for the University.
Wilbanks told faculty that her
office would need to begin to forge
new relationships with potential
state senators and members of
the state House of Representa-
tives because many current sena-
tors and representatives will not
be returning to office due to term
limits.
As many as 29 of the 38 members
of the state Senate will be leaving,
Wilbanks said, adding that she has
been meeting with representatives
who are likely to win their elec-
See SENATE ASSEMBLY, Page 7
Arens apologizes
for 'stupid' act in
South U. fire
By BETHANY BIRON
Daily StaffReporter
Justin Arens - one of two
defendants charged with setting
fire to the former Pinball Pete's
buildingon South UniversityAve-
nue last October - moved to set
a trial date to lessen his sentence
that was determined yesterday at
the Washtenaw County Circuit
Court.
Arens was arrested in Decem-
ber in connection with the fire
that charred the abandoned
building on Oct. 24. The fire also
caused slight damage to neigh-
boring Momo Tea and the Univer-
sity Towers apartment complex.
Before yesterday's sentencing,
Arens made a final statement to
the courtroom to ask forgiveness
for his actions.
"I want to apologize to every-
body here for wasting their time,"
Arens said. "What I did was stu-
pid."
Arens' lawyer, Raymond Mul-
lins, also spoke on Arens' behalf,
See ARENS, Page 3
WEATHER H I: 32
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