A WORTHY OPPONENT
Michigan takes on Akron,
which beat the Wolverines
7-1 in October, tonight in the
NCAA semifinals. PAGE
1*tditan 0aIt

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Friday, December 10,2010

ENGINEERING THE P-P-P-PERFECT P-P-P-POKER FACE

OPEN HO USING INITAl I E
With letter,
ACLU makes
push for open
housing plan

CHRIS RYBA/Daily
For afull story on the Mr. Engineer - he Engineering senior Andrew Gavenda sings Lady Gaga's hit song "Poker Face" for the talent portion of the Mr. Engineer
pageant visit the Daily's News blog contest in Stamps Auditorium yesterday. Michigan Student Assembly President Chris Armstrong and Engineering
at michigandaily.com/blogs/TheWire. w ire Dean David Munson judged the competition.
BIG CHIL I TH IG HOS
Students criticize assigne
seating scheme for Big Chll
S 9

Proposal is 'critical
to ensuring equal
rights,' letter says
By CLAIRE GOSCICKI
Daily StaffReporter
The University's chapter of the
American Civil Liberties Union
sent a letter to University Housing
administrators this week urging
them to enact the Open Housing
Initiative, a proposal designed by
members of the Michigan Student
Assembly and other student groups
that would offer students living in
University residences the option of
choosing a roommate of anygender.
The letter states that implemen-
tation of the initiative is "critical to
ensuringequalrightsforallstudents
living in residence halls," and that
"adapting housing policy to include
an open housing option is consistent
with the University's commitment
to non-discrimination."
The Washtenaw County and state
of Michigan ACLU branches also
expressed support for gender-neu-
tral University housing by signing
the letter.

The Open Housing Initiative sub-
mitted a report months in the mak-
ing to University Housing officials
last month, urging the body to offer
a gender-neutral housing option
starting in the fall. The day after
the students submitted the propos-
al, Director of University Housing
Linda Newman said it was unlikely
that the proposal would be imple-
mented come fall.
"Typically we always do the room
sign-upforreturningstudentsinlate
January," Newman told the Daily
at the time. "Before people sign up,
we have a marketing period where
we let people know what to expect,
what we're offering."
LSA senior Mallory Jones, chair
of the University's chapter of the
ACLU and a former news editor
for the Daily, called the initiative a
"good, progressive policy," adding
that it's important because it would
ensure that all students have equal
access to University Housing.
"As the ACLU, we feel that the
implementation of an open housing
policy is critical to ensuring equal
rights for all students living in resi-
dence halls, including transgender
students,"the letter states."The cur-
See ACLU, Page 3A

Originally, policy
allowed for general
admission in
student section
By JOSEPH LICHTERMAN
Daily StaffReporter
Though this Saturday's Big
Chill at the Big House is sold

out, some students aren't pleased
about a change in the student'
ticket policy for the outdoor
hockey game at Michigan Stadi-
um between the Wolverines and
Michigan State University.
When officials first announced
the Big Chill last January, the
Athletic Department initially
planned on having the student
section - located in sections
25-32 in the northwest corner
of the stadium - be a general

admissions area. However, after
exyeriencingproblems with gen-
eral admission seating at the Big
House for Spring Commencement
in May, the Athletic Department
changed its policy, according to
Athletic Department spokesman
David Ablauf.
"At graduation, it became very
obvious that people would not
fill the sections to capacity and
there was concern from a security
standpoint about getting all stu-

dents adequately seated," Ablauf
wrote in an e-mail.
Tickets to the game were
included in both football and
hockey student season ticket
packages for $5. Students were
also able to purchase additional
tickets for $10 each.
In March, when the initial
e-mail about purchasing tickets
was sent to students, the Athletic
Department intended to allow
See TICKETS, Page 3A


.:IMMIGRAT N P0 I
'U' supporters are cautiously
optimistic about DREAM vote

NOT YOUR AVERAGE RELATIONSHIP STATUS

After measure clears
House, bill still faces
uphill battle in Senate.
By SUZANNE JACOBS
Daily StaffReporter
In a victorious late-term push
* by the lame duck Democratic
majority, the U.S. House of Rep-
resentatives passed a bill Wednes-
day that would grant temporary
legal status to hundreds of thou-
sands of undocumented students,
and give them the opportunity to

gain permanent resident status.
First introduced to the U.S.
Senate in 2001, the Development,
Relief and Education for Alien
Minors Act - commonly known
as the DREAM Act - would allow
six-year permanent resident sta-
tus to individuals who came to
the U.S. before turning 16, have
graduated from high school or
obtained a GED certificate, are
under the age of 35, demonstrate
"good moral character" and have
lived in the U.S. for at least five
consecutive years at the time of
the bill's enactment.
After completing at least two

years of higher education or mili-
tary service, these individuals
would be able to apply for five
more years of non-immigrant
status, and after ten years, they
would be eligible to apply for per-
manent residency.
Though supporters both in
Congress and at the University say
they are optimistic about Wednes-
day's vote, they said the fight to
turn the bill into law is far from
over.
Sociology Prof. Silvia Pedraza
said she watched the vote on the
bill on C-Span and was happy
See DREAM, Page 3A

A LUMNI A ND THE CO MUNIY
In mentor program, 'U' alumni help
high school students plan for college

TODD NEEDLE/Daily
Student-run dance crews like Dance 2XS, which told the story of two Facebook lovers, competed in the second annual Michi-
gan's Best Dance Crew competition at the Michigan League last night. Funktion ultimately won the competition.
Cabbies say Ann Arbor aprime market

Michigan College
Advising Corps
places graduates in
schools across state
By ROBIN VEECK
Daily StaffReporter
Though University alum Joilyn
Stephensonsignedup forthe Michi-
gan College Advising Corps to help
give Michigan high school students
the tools to attend colleges like the

University, after a few months work-
ing at Pontiac High School, she says
the students have had an impact on
her as well.
"Some of these students come
from a difficult background, but
they still have it in their heart to
make the most out of their future,"
Stephenson wrote in an e-mail
interview. "That in itself is amaz-
ing."
Stephenson is one of eight recent
University graduates currently
working in Michigan public schools
to help students from underserved
districts apply to and attend college.

Each adviser in the program, which
the University launched in April,
works full-time in a school with tra-
ditionally low college matriculation
rates.
Christopher Rutherford, College
Advising Corps program manager
at the Center for Educational Out-
reach, said the program has four
primary goals.
"Those goals are first centered
around increasing the number of
students that go on to four-year
institutions," Rutherford said. "The
second goal is to increase the types
See CORPS, Page 3A

Low barriers to
entry, large student
body help many
companies profit
By ADAM RUBENFIRE
Daily StaffReporter
According to frequent cab rid-
ers, a cab company official and
the self-proclaimed "King o' the
Cabbies," Ann Arbor is a prime
place for the taxi business.
Area cab aficionados say the

combination of a large popula-
tion of students - both sober and
drunk - and a relatively accessi-
ble licensing process has created
somewhat of an oasis for taxicabs
in an area of the country well
known for its reliance on private
vehicles.
According to Ann Arbor Police
Officer Bill Clock, who works in
AAPD's Special Services Unit and
is responsible for the licensing of
taxis and their drivers, there are
currently 166 licensed taxicabs
in the city, as well as 310 licensed
drivers.
In addition to the high volume

of taxicabs, Clock said he's seen a
recent increase in limousines for
hire, which operate on a flat rate
instead of a meter.
James Fowler, assistant to
the owner of Blue Cab, said Ann
Arbor's taxicab scene is especially
vibrant for a place like southeast
Michigan.
"There's a population of about
120,000, plus another 80,000
kids," Fowler said. "It's a good
market; (but) it's a great market
for this area."
Blue Cab has approximately
50 drivers for its fleet of about 40
See TAXIS, Page 3A


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........ 2A CLASSIFIEDS ..... ...A............,6A
.... 4A SPO RTS ... ..................... 7A
... 5A THE BIG CHILL .....................1B

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