* The Daily's managing sports editor and editor in chief offer up their bound-to-fail picks for the NCAA Tournament, which starts today. PAGE 8A
The University of Michigan Ballroom Dance Team
turns those who thought they'd never dance into
champions, year after year. SEE THE B-SIDE
IL£d1an 0aIj
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Thursday, March 18, 2010
A PINT FOR ST. PATRICK
michigandaily.com
UN ~ ~ 3IVR ITY ADITTON
At briefing,
cmte. says
'U' should be
reaccredited
MARISSA MCCLAIN/Daily
Ashley's Restaurant employee Matthew Altruda prepares glasses of green beer yesterday in honor of St. Patrick's Day at the State Street watering hole.
Private eners, Dems clash
over student aid overhaul
HLC delegation
also recommends
University officials
examine diversity
By KYLE SWANSON
Daily News Editor
In a briefing for the Universi-
ty's executive officers and deans
yesterday morning, the chair
of the Higher Learning Com-
mission del-
egation that h
evaluated the
University,
announced
that his com-
mittee would A
recommend KYLE SWANSON
the Univer-
sity be reac- Covin U
credited. A IT n l
The Michi-
gan Daily was given exclusive
access to the meeting, where
Celestino Fernandez, who was
chairing the HLC's delegation
to University, said the commit-
tee will suggest the University
be reaccredited, adding that the
final decision will be made by the
HLC's Board of Trustees later
this year.
Though Fernandez told the
approximately 30 University offi-
cials and fellow HLC committee
members at the briefing that the
HLC site visit committee had
found a great deal of evidence
that the University is meeting or
exceeding standards set forth by
the HLC, he said the University
should examine its commitment
to diversity.
During the process of reac-
creditation review, the Univer-
sity is evaluated by the HLC on
five key criteria areas - how the
University fulfills its mission, the
University's plan for the future,
the quality of the classroom
educational experience, campus
community engagement outside
the classroom and the way in
which the University serves and
interacts with members of the
campus community.
Fernandez said, if anything;
the University officials "under-
stated" the University's perfor-
mance in their self study report
- a document that compiles
information from across campus
on the University's operations
to help both University officials
and HLC representatives better
understand if and how the Uni-
versity is meeting standards.
However, Fernandez did say
See HLC, Page 7A
Supporters say plan
wouldn't spell huge
job losses for banks
By BETHANY BIRON
and MIKE MERAR
Daily StaffReporters
Legislation currently awaiting
a vote in the Senate, which calls
for student loans to come directly
from the government - instead of
through private lenders subsidized
by the government - is facing
severe opposition from banks and
other private lenders concerned
that if the bill passes they could see
their revenues plummet.
But despite the criticism of the
proposed legislation, support-
ers, including those in President
Barack Obama's administration,
are lauding the change, saying it is
crucial in helping students afford
to attend college. In addition sup-
porters of the bill say they believe
the student loan industry doesn't
stand to lose as much money or as
many jobs as critics claim.
Mike Kantrowiz, publisher and
creator of Finaid.org - a website
with information on financial aid
- said the legislation would help
students by allowing them to go
directly through their school to
receive a loan, but that the bill is
not without criticism.
"There has obviously been a lot
of lobbying going on behind the
scenes," Kantrowitz said.
Rich Williams, higher educa-
tion associate for the U.S. Public
Interest Research Group, also
noted that banks heavily oppose
the bill because of the possibility of
losing the money they receive from
the government to back the loans.
"The banks, receiving all of
these subsidies, really want to hold
on to that money," he said.
Thomas Kelly, a spokesman for
JPMorgan Chase, said the bank
has had to prepare for the possibil-
See BANKS, Page 7A
MICHIGAN STUDENT ASSEMBLY
MForward looks to revive
push for Sat.night dining
Housing official says running in the election - is reviv- port of Saturday night dining t
ing a push that began last year to University Housing, RHA and Th
proposal could be bring Saturday night dining back Michigan Daily.
to the residence halls. This weekend, MForward i
viable if there's MForward presidential can- hosting a dinner in three dinin
REHEARSAL IN THE ROUGH
sI
o
e
is
ig
student interest
By ELYANA TWIGGS
Daily StaffReporter
In preparation for next week's
student government elections,
MForward - one of the parties
didate Chris Armstrong, an LSA
junior, said Saturday night dining,
which is not currently available
in the dining halls, should be on
the agenda for the Residence Hall
Association and University stu-
dents.
MSA passed a resolution last
February to write a letter in sup-
halls to raise awareness and create
dialogue among residence hall res-
identstobringthe new mealoption
to the table.
"We want to push (Saturday
night dining) as an issue and make
it something that students care
about and want to see changed as
See MSA, Page 7A
LOCAL GOVE R E N
City Council still waiting on
results of graffiti ordinance
School of Music, Theatre & Dance graduate student Robert Benton practices his euphonium outside the School of
Music building in preparation for a rehearsal yesterday.
Prof. launches site to help the unemployed
Council planning
to review report on
ordinance passed
last January
By DEVON THORSBY
Daily StaffReporter
Graffiti Alley - a small space
next to The Michigan Theater on
East Liberty Street - is one of the
most colorful places in Ann Arbor,
with walls covered top to bottom
in paint from various graffiti art-
ists.
While Graffiti Alley is consid-
ered a kind of haven for graffiti
tags, the spread of graffiti around
the city has become a major con-
cern for property owners, prompt-
ing the Ann Arbor City Council to
unanimously pass an anti-graffiti
ordinance in January 2009.
The results of the ordinance,
which went into effect in May
2009, have yet to be reviewed by
City Council members, though
See a video from Graffiti Alley
council members say there
appears to be some positive feed-
back about the ordinance's effect
on the city.
The ordinance requires prop-
erty owners to remove graffiti
within seven to nine days of the
time of an issued notification
from the city. It also allows for a
less severe punishment for prop-
erty owners, who are required
See GRAFFITI, Page 7A
Program offers
online courses to
help baby-boomers
reinvent careers
By CAITLIN HUSTON
Daily StaffReporter
in an effort to help unem-
ployed baby-boomers who lost
their jobs as a result of Michi-
gan's down economy, a University
professor has created a new pro-
gram, which provides resources
geared toward baby-boomers to
help them get their employment
search back on track.
Launched two weeks ago, the
LEARN program is a series of
free online courses designed to
teach workers and baby-boomers
how to reinvent their careers.
Currently the program - a joint
collaboration between the Ross
School of Business, the Maria
Madeline Project Inc., five Michi-
gan libraries and WJBK/FOX 2
News - offers eight health care
courses.
Lynn Wooten, a professor in
the Business School, said she
was interested in becoming a co-
creator of the LEARN program
because of the need recently for
career resources for unemployed
workers in the state.
"I really envisioned it as a
service to our state to think
about how do we help workers
transition into this new econo-
my," she said.
See LEARN, Page 7A
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