From The Daily: It's time for the state of Michigan to look at the legal justifications for same-sex marriage. PAGE 4A
The Literature This week's The Statement features the Daily's
UNIMO . mwlmwu
-ew W'"0 annual selections of the best student-submitted
issue poetry and prose.
SSEE THE STATEMENT, INSIDE g
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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
michigandaily.com
ITAND LOVE AND IJ'
Eldersveld,
storied prof.
and mayor of
A2, dies at 92
The Avett Brothers perform at the Michigan Theater last night. The band known for their alt-folk music released their
latest album lAnd Love And Youlast year to much fan and critical acclaim. In an interview with the Daily this week, the
band's cellist Joe Kwon said college students are especially important in cultivating the band's fan base.
PcRIDENTy.wan/ rs/ iA ul. C CE,
ENT
With Obama, increased security
delays graduation start one hour
Family, colleagues
remember 'absolute
giant' in the field of
political science
By JOSEPH LICHTERMAN
Daily StaffReporter
Samuel Eldersveld, legendary
professor emeritus of political sci-
ence and a former mayor of Ann
Arbor, died at his home on Friday
at thce age of 92.
Eldersveld taught at his alma
mater for more than five decades
and as mayor of Ann Arbor worked
to provide equal rights for all the
city's citizens. Throughout his aca-
demic career, Eldersveld also trav-
eled to many countries throughout
the world to further his studies and
research about political parties, in
addition to writing 22 books and
countless articles. As Political Sci-
ence Prof. Hanes Walton, Jr. put it,
Eldersveld was an "absolute giant
in the field (of political science)."
Eldersveld was born in 1919 in
Kalamazoo, Mich. and grew up
in Muskegon, Mich., where his
father was a minister. He earned
his bachelor's degree from Calvin
College in 1938 and received both
his master's degree and Ph.D. from
To ensure all guests
get through security
in time, ceremony
will start at 11 a.m.
ByKYLE SWANSON
Daily News Editor
In an e-mail to be sent to
graduating seniors this morning,
University officials are expected
to announce the time for this
Spring's commencement ceremo-
ny will be delayed by one hour
from it's original start time.
The decision to delay com-
mencement - originally sched-
uled to begin at 10 a.m. - until 11
a.m. was the result of discussions
about the additional security that
will be required when President
Barack Obama is on site to deliver
the commencement address.
The decision was made to
ensure that all in attendance will
have enough time to clear security
and make it to their seats, accord-
ing to a statement from University
President Mary Su~e Coleman in a
press release that is expected to
be distributed later this morning.
"We want students and their
guests to have plenty of time
to comfortably make it to cam-
pus and through security at the
stadium, so that they can enjoy
this historic event honoring the
achievements of our 2010 gradu-
ates," Coleman is quoted as say-
ng.
White House officials and
event planners on campus coordi-
nated the announcement, accord-
ing to University officials.
Obama, who will be the third
sitting president to deliver the
University's commencement
address, is the first president to
visit the University since height-
ened security measures were
implemented at public venues like
Michigan Stadium after the Sept.
See COMMENCEMENT, Page 8A
ELDERSVELD
the University of Michigan in 1939
and 1946, respectively.
After earning his master's
degree, Eldersveld joined the U.S.
Navy as a lieutenant, serving as
a communications officer in the
Philippines during World War I.
After the war, he returned to the
University where he finished his
doctorate and later joined the fac-
ulty.
Eldersveld was elected mayor
of Ann Arbor in 1957, running as a
Democratic candidate, which was
quite a feat at the time, when Ann
Arbor was known for its conserva-
tive politics. Eldersveld became
See ELDERSVELD, Page 3A
MICHIGAN STUDENT ASSEMBLY
MSAwebsite $6,000 over budget
MSA President
Mahanti says failed
site is his fault
By ELYANA TWIGGS
DailyStaffReporter
At last night's Michigan Student
Assembly meeting, MSA President
Abhishek Mahanti, apologized
for the costly and unsuccessful
attempt he led to fix MSA's website
this past year.
According to an e-mail sent to
MSA representatives, MSA Stu-
dent General Counsel Jim Brus-
star wrote that
MSA spent close NOTEBOOK
to $9,000 to hire
graphic and web designers to fix
MSA's website.
The cost, Brusstar wrote in the
e-mail, was an "egregious mis-
take."
MSA treasurer Vishal Bajaj said
the money to fund this website
renovation - which was estimated
to cost $3,000 - came out of MSA
payroll funds.
Mahanti said that the cost to fix
the website is on his shoulders.
"I take full responsibility for it,"
Mahanti said at the meeting last
night. "I have done a large disser-
vice to the students. I am whole-
heartedly putting my effort into
getting it fixed."
As head of the project, Mahanti
hired two University student web
designers to launch a new MSA
website in the fall and the develop-
ers worked on the project for eight
See MSA, Page 3A
* SOUTH U. BLAZE
Defendant found guilty of arson
for fire at former Pinball Pete's
SAMANTHA TRAUBEN/Daily
Psychology Prof. Chris Peterson gave his ideal last lecture last night, which he entitled "The First Lecture." Peterson gave the
lecture after he was presented with the 20th annual Golden Apple Award.
Peterson talks teaching
in Golden Apple lecture
18-year-old Ian
MacKenzie plead
guilty to one count,
other two dismissed
By DEVON THORSBY
Daily StaffReporter
One of the defendants charged
with setting fire to the former loca-
tion of Pinball Pete's on South Uni-
versity Avenue was convicted last
week after pleading guilty to arson
of real property.
In front of Washtenaw County
Judge Melinda Morris, tan MacK-
enzie pled guiltyrto one of the three
original counts - arson of real
property valued at over $20,000.
Prosecutors dismissed the count
of preparation to burn property
at the hearing and also dismissed
the count of arson of personal
property valued at over $20,000 in
December.
MacKenzie turned himself in
to Ann Arbor police weeks after
setting fire to the vacant building
on South University Avenue on
Oct. 24, 2009. The fire devastat-
ed the building and caused minor
damages to both the University
Towers apartment complex and
Momo Tea.
MacKenzie's lawyer, Patrick
Carmody, said in an interview that
the sentencingis tentativelysched-
uled for March 29, though Morris
has granted a possible delay at the
request of the defense.
MacKenzie is asking the .court
to grant him Holmes Youthful
Trainee Act status, which would
erase his criminal record once the
sentence is served. -
According to Carmody, Mor-
ris denied MacKenzie's request for
Holmes Youthful Trainee Act sta-
tus in January but has allowed the
delay in sentencing so that MacK-
See SOUTH U. FIRE, Page 3A
Psychology prof. is
known for his
love of students
By KAITLIN WILLIAMS
Daily StaffReporter
Christopher Peterson, Arthur
F. Thurnau Prof. of psychology,
was honored with the Golden
Apple Award for outstanding
teaching last night at Rackham
Auditorium.
Students Honoring Outstand-
ing University Teaching pre-
sented the 20th annual award to
Peterson, in conjunction with the
University of Michigan Hillel and
Apple Inc.
S.H.O.U.T. Chair Eytan Shtull-
Leber, who spoke at the event,
said the Golden Apple Award is an
achievement reserved for teach-
ers who treat each lecture as if it
were their last.
Though Peterson was given
the honor of delivering his ideal
last lecture after winning the
award, Peterson called the talk
he delivered last night "The First
Lecture."
"People are also pulled by the
future," Peterson said. "A first lec-
ture is necessarily one that looks
ahead. It is necessarily one that
takes us into the future."
David Brandon, in his second
day as the University's Athletic
Director, offered greetings to the
See GOLDEN APPLE, Page BA
WEATHER
TOMORROW
HI: 59
LO: 43
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