C I~e c40a a1 I Ann Arbor, Michigan 0 HEALTH CARE REFORM Dingell says health care bill will help students Tuesday, March 23, 2010 Legislation allows students to stay on parents' health plan until they're 26 By BETHANY BIRON and MIKE MERAR Daily StaffReporters The long-debated national health care legislation, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives late Sunday evening, will intro- duce sweeping changes to Amer- ica's health care system, some of which could spell big benefits for students, the bill's supporters say. The new system requires employers to offer affordable health insurance to their employ- ees or face fines until they do so. Moreover, insurance carriers will no longer be able to deny poten- tial customers coverage because of a pre-existing condition. In addition, it will allow students to remain on their parents' health insurance plans until they turn 26. Along with health care legisla- tion, the House approved a bill Sunday night that will remove pri- vate banks as intermediaries in the federal student loan process. Rath- er than going to banks to obtain a federal student loan, families will now go to the financial aid office of their school. The money saved from the elimination of fees paid to banks will be used toward increas- ing the Pell grant, which gives money directly to students. U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D- Mich.), said in an interview yes- terday that the passage of the bill was the culmination of more than 55 years of work he's done on the health care issue. "We've carried out an impor- tant responsibility to the Ameri- can people," he said. "We've seen to it that the American people can now be comfortable that their insurance for health care purposes means something." Dingell added the legisla- tion will greatly benefit students because it will allow them to stay on their parents health insurance plans for longer than was the case before. "Students are going to come out very well," Dingell said in the inter- view. "First of all, they're going to be able to remain on their parents' See HEALTH CARE, Page 3 Sabib Singh (far left) mederates a debate between MSA presidential candidates (from left) Kate Stenvig of DAAP, Ian Margolis of MVP and Cbris Armstrong of MForward. MSA candidates debate advocacy, role of assembly President and VP candidates discuss tuition, student group funding By ELYANA TWIGGS Daily StaffReporter The presidential and vice presi- dential candidates for the Michi- gan Student Assembly squared off in a debate last night in anticipa- tion of MSA elections on Wednes- day and Thursday. Sahib Singh, chair of MSA's Budget Priorities committee, moderated the debate, which took place in Angell Hall Auditorium D. He asked the candidates ques- tions that students had submitted online. The presidential candidates - Chris Armstrong of MForward, Ian Margolis of the Michigan Vision Party and Kate Stenvig of the Defend Affirmative Action Party - debated issues like tuition hikes, advocacy for student orga- nizations and the future funding process for MSA. The presidential candidates were asked six ques- tions, with each candidate given the opportunity to answer each one. The vice presidential candi- dates include Jason Raymond of MForward, Tom Stuckey of the Michigan Vision Party and Sofia Bolanos of the Defend Affirma- tive Action Party. After a three- minute opening statement, Singh asked each candidate three ques- tions. The debate started off with an opening statement from the first vice presidential candidate, Jason Raymond of MForward. Ray- mond's past experience includes serving on the MSA Academic Affairs Committee, Budget Pri- orities Committee, Community Service Committee and Rules and Elections Committee. He is cur- rently the chair of the External Affairs Committee. "We have become frustrated See DEBATE, Page 3 SENATE ASSEMBLY Faculty governing body elects three members Two Engineering profs., one School of Medicine prof. to join SACUA By ANNIE GORDON THOMAS Daily StaffReporter At a meeting of the Senate Assembly yesterday, three faculty members were elected to fill posi- tions that will become vacant this spring on the leading faculty gov- erning committee. Seven candidates competed for the three seats on the Senate Advi- sory Committee on University Affairs, which meets weekly and is widely considered the most direct voice the faculty body has in cam- pus and University affairs. At the meeting, each candidate spoke about their qualifications for the position and offered their opinions on the responsibilities of a SACUA member. Forty-six people cast ballots to elect the new SACUA members. School of Engineering Prof. Rachel Goldman netted 31 votes and was elected to the committee along with Engineering Prof. Kimber- lee Jane Kearfott, who netted 23 votes. School of Medicine Prof. Kate Barald was also elected to SACUA with 21 votes. Goldman, a University alum, has served on the Senate Assembly from 2001 to 2005 and is currently the graduate chair in the Depart- ment of Materials Science and Engineering. "I feel like I have seen the side of the people and I've seen the side of the administration," Goldman told Senate Assembly members. Goldman has an office on both North Campus and Central Cam- pus along with her lab space. She said that as a member of the aca- demic community on both ends of campus she felt that she could aid in the communication between smaller academic entities within the University - like departments and units - and the University's See SACUA, Page 3 SAM WOLSON/Daily Steven Benson and Carly Goldberg are running in an uncontested election to become president and vice president, respec- tively, of LSA-SG. Benson, Goldberg lookto make LSA-SG more active Candidates for president and vice president running uncontested By ELYANA TWIGGS Daily StaffReporter LSA Student Government pres- idential candidate Steven Benson and vice presidential candidate Carly Goldberg say they are run- ning to head up LSA-SG to make the body representing students WEATHER HI 59 TOMORROW L 34 in the largest academic school on campus more active. Benson is a junior from West Bloomfield, Mich., and Goldberg is a sophomore from Northville, Mich. As part of their campaign promises, the two uncontested candidates plan to utilize LSA- SG's budget, work with repre- sentatives to follow through on passed resolutions and increase contact with their constituents. LSA-SG differs from the Mich- igan Student Assembly in that it focuses on academic issues and student life within the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Each year, LSA receives a budget of $13,000 to $16,000 to allocate to studenttgroups for funding, according to Benson and Gold- berg. The current LSA-SG executive board is lobbying for a 50-cent increase in the money each LSA student pays to LSA-SG as part of their tuition, which according to Benson and Goldberg would provide LSA-SG with about $7,000 more to disperse to student groups. LSA students currently pay a $1.50 fee to LSA-SG each semester. Benson, the current treasurer of See LSA-SG, Page 3 DANGEROUS DRIVING Bus driver arrested for drug possession while students from ZBT sit on board Driver swerved on highway during trip to Toronto for formal By DEVON THORSBY Daily StaffReporter A Friday trip to Toronto went from a fun night out to a nightmare for 34 University students when their bus driver became unrespon- sive and began to swerve across the three-lane divided highway. Michigan Charter Service bus driver Gerald Blazey, 47, was arrested Friday night by Canadian police for driving under the influ- ence of drugs, which caused him to swerve erratically across the highway. Members of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity were en route to Toronto for a formal when Blazey started driving perilously driving on Queen Elizabeth Way in Can- ada, about 20 minutes outside of Toronto. Michigan Charter Service dis- patcher Kevin Rose said though the company has not yet spoken to Blazey concerning the situation he will no longer be driving for the company. See BUS, Page 3 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know. NEW ON MICHIGANDAILYCOM Obama science advisor talks Earth Day on campus. MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS/THE WIRE INDEX NEWS ...................... Vol. CXX, No.114 SUDOKU.................. 02 0 The MichiganDaily OPINION.................. micbigondaily.com .2 ARTS.. . . ...........5 . 3 CLA SSIFIEDS......................6 . 4 SPO RT S .... .........................7