2B Wednesday, February 2, 2011/ The Statement Wednesday, February 2011 7B statement Magazine Editor Carolyn Klarecki Editor in Chief: Stephanie Steinberg Managing Editor: Kyle Swanson Deputy Editors: Stephen Ostrowski Elyana Twiggs Designers: Maya Friedman Hermes Risien Photo Editor: Jake Fromm Copy Editors: Josh Healy Hannah Poindexter The Statement is The Michigan Daily's news magazine, distributed every Wednesday during the academic year To contact The Statement e-mail klarecki@michigandaily.com. Cover illustration by Marissa McClain THEJUNKDRAWER random student interview by adam rubenlire Welcome to the Random Student Interview, where the line between journalistic integrity and per- sonal boundaries becomes blurred. What are your thoughts on the Snowpocalypse? It's kind of exciting. I don't really like snow, but Ilike when big events happen. Big events like a bar mitzvah? Just like, all over the news. Every- one's freakingout,you know. So like if somebody dies or is murdered? Not like that. Just like fun things. How much snow do you think we'llget? Like a foot, I'mgonna guess. Do you think that's enough to cancel classes? I definitely think so. I feel like walk- ing in a foot of snow is a lot. That'd be very challenging. What are you going to think about President Mary Sue Cole- man if she doesn't cancel? I only have two classes tomorrow, so I'll just be like, whatever, but I think she should because it's kind of ridiculous. You ever thought of slipping something in her drink to make her do it? No, I don't care that much. Why do you think we haven't had a snow day in 3O years? I don't think it's ever really been that crazy before, snow-wise. So, did youhear about all the pro- testing in Egypt? No, not really. You haven't heard about it?! No, very minimal. Well they're protesting because Mark Whalberg got snubbed out of an Oscar. Did you hear about that? The Egyptians are really upset. Is this for real? I don't know, like, anything.. No, it's not, I was lying, you caught me. I was just making sure. So did you hear the Black Eyed Peas are performing at the Super Bowl? No, I didn't. You didn't? What do you think about that? That's good, they're pretty current and popular. I like them, so that's godd. What do you think Fergie's. chances are of a wardrobe mal- function? It's probably not gonna happen. I think everyone's learned from before. Would you like it if it happened again? No, I don't roll that way. Oh, OK. I'm sure other people wouldthough. Oh ... so you think she's attrac- tive? I think she's pretty. What do you think her cup size is? I don't know, kind of big I feel like. What classes are you taking this semester? I have two psych classes, and then econ and musicology, so it's pretty good. What's that musicology class about? First we learn about the elements of music, and now we're going to the history and a lot of classical stuff. So Mozart and all that crap? And Beethoven, yeah. So dead guy music? Yes, very, very old. Do you ever have a musicology class about people who actually matter?! Like Taylor Swift? They have one on rock, which is a little bit more current, but a lot of them are dead too. So is the one on rock all about groupies and LSD? I know that The Beatles are in it, I think Elvis is in there too. So basically everybody who got drugged up and recorded? Yeah, basically. Foundations of Rock is what it's called. Do you ever make music when you're drugged up? No, I play clarinet and piano, but I don't really get drugged up. What's your major? Brain Behavior and Cognitive Sci- ence. So ... you're thinking about how you're thinking? Yeah. Yeah? What am I thinking right now? About your interview? I don't know. Wrong! I'm thinking about Jimmy Johns, and I'm about to go eat it. Oooh, Jimmy Johns is good. - Stephanie is an LSA sophomore * 1 75 v/ Y 96 75 94 " 7 " 1. BarsamianPrepatoryCenter 2. Cass Technical High School 3. Central High School 4. Chadsey High School 5. Cody College Prepatory Upper School of Teaching and Learning 6. Communication & MediaArts HS 7. Cooley14igh School 8. Crockett High School 9. Davis Aerospace High School 10. Denby High School 11. Detroit City High School 12. DetroitInternational Academy for Young Women 13. Detroit School of Arts 14. Douglass AcademyforYoungMen (Frederick Douglass High School) 15. Ferguson Academy for Young Women(tgrades 7-12) 16. Finney High School 17. Ford High School 18. Kettering High School 19. King High School 20. Mumford High School 21. Northwestern High School 22. Osborn Upper School of Global Communication and Culture 23. Pershing High School 24. Renaissance High School 25. Southeastern High School 26. SouthwesternrHigh School 27. Trombly Alternative High School 28. Western International High School 29. West Side Academy Alt. Ed LOCATIONS OF DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS 4 y lto FOR SNOWPOCALYPSE UPDATES FOLLOW @MICHIGANDAILY ON TWITTER .. DELTA G a A FOUNDATION CF- N-Tr FzFOR ETH I Cs I'U0L-I C L IF UOocEnm a MCHGA Inaugural Delta Gamma Lectureship in Values and Ethics 'Speak Truth to Power' Kerry Kennedy, International Human Rights Advocate and Author Wednesday, Feb 2nd, 4pm Mendelssohn Theatre Michigan League WANT YOUR WORK PUBLISHED IN THE MICHIGAN DAILY? SUBMIT YOUR PROSE AND POETRY TO THE STATEMENT'S ANNUAL LITERARY ISSUE. E-mail your submissions to klarecki@michigandaily.com by Feb. 25 for consideration. process. According to Spratling, the 75 University also conducted an on-site admissions process at Mumford where University staff looked over students' transcripts. Though they would not tell students whether they were accepted, they would tell students if they were likely to gain admission or what steps to take if they weren't likely to gain admission. Erica Sanders, director of recruitment and operations in the University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions said when reading applications, the University reviews students' academic performance in the context of their academic environment and their school's resources. "This ensures that we have students from a variety of academic backgrounds who are able to learn from each other both in and out of the classroom," she said. The University's Detroit Admissions Office focuses on students from DPS by working directly with the community through outreach programs. Through these programs, DPS students and their families are informed of the University's academic expectations of students. The office also holds college planning workshops, application review days and workshops. * The culture shock Beyond recruitment, the University takes steps to ensure students coming from districts like DPS feel socially and academically comfortable when they arrive on campus. Many DPS students admitted to the University join the Comprehensive Studies Program - a Michigan Learning Community within LSA that provides academic support for students. Students in the program can enroll in CSP courses on subjects ranging from English to chemistry. In these settings, students learn in smaller groups with other CSP students and have more one-on-one time with professors. One of the most beneficial CPS programs is the Summer Bridge Program. An intensive, highly individualized academic program, the Summer Bridge Program allows a limited number of students from across the country to develop their academic skills and become comfortable in the University's social environment before the fall semester. Students in the program typically enroll in an English course, a mathematics course and a freshman seminar. These courses help students develop the fundamental skills they didn't learn in their high school curriculum. Each of these courses contributes to the number of credits students need to graduate. Ralph Story, associate director of the Comprehensive Studies Program, said it helps students develop a sense of camaraderie with their peers. "It familiarizes them with both institutional and human resources," he said. "It gives them a firm handle and understanding of classrooms, buildings, and the physical lay of the land of the University. And they take small classes with very empathetic teachers who spend a lot of time with them inside and outside of class." Spratling, a Summer Bridge Program participant, believes the program reduces the "culture shock" that many underrepresented minority students and students from inner-city schools feel upon arriving at the University. "The neighborhood I grew up in was a predominantly black neighborhood. All of my schools were predominantly black, so when I came to U of M for Summer Bridge, I thought, 'Wow this is an entirely different environment,"' Spratling said. "I felt - I'm not going to say alone - but I didn't feel like the diversity that Michigan was supposed to aim for was what I was witnessing at the time." The Summer Bridge Program has helped the University ease the potentially difficult transition period for incoming students from areas like the inner city of Detroit. "The Summer Bridge Program helps get (DPS students) to a place so they can say, 'OK, I'm adequately acclimated to my surroundings, I know what to expect, I can succeed here,' " Conway said. Other resources work to ensure that students' time at the University is positive. Intellectual Minds Making a Difference (IMMAD) is a voluntary student organization that aims to eliminate the academic achievement gap in the state of Michigan. While the organization largely focuses on preparing students for the ACT, it also serves as a mentoring opportunity. Students in IMMAD go to Detroit Public Schools to encourage students to attend college. Logan said IMMAD was what ultimately motivated him to apply to the University. "One of the reasons why I did go to Michigan was because I met people in IMAD who were just like me, who came from the same place that I came from, who experienced the same struggles, and actually were excelling in life," Logan said. The academic challenge Still, some former DPS students feel they are at a disadvantage because University professors assume students have certain fundamental skills that should've been taught in high school. "I very much had to work twice as hard to get half as far for the first couple of semesters ... I had to show them I'm a black man from DPS, and yes, I am still intellectually capable of doing the work that you assigned," Conway said. Despite students' various academic backgrounds, the University strives to accept applicants who can handle its rigorous academics. Sanders explained that the University doesn't want to set students upfor failure. "All students admitted to the University are prepared for the academic environment the University of Michigan offers," she said. But several DPS students, whether they graduated from a "Big Three" school or a Detroit neighborhood high school, felt they were often playing catch-up during their first semesters at the University. Ross School of Business junior Tangela Cheatham graduated from Cass Tech, but doesn't feel that the college preparatory high school adequately prepared her for college. "Academically, I think I'm at a disadvantage ... I struggle with how to study effectively. I don't feel as prepared as my counterparts who had more preparation with study habits in high school," Cheatham said. But LSA sophomore and Cass Tech graduate William Campbell explained the DPS system is not entirely to blame. "I'm not saying the Detroit Public School system is a great system because it's not," Campbell said. "The resources are terrible, but you are your own person, and you can always make something out of nothing wherever you go." Despite frustration over their high school curriculum, most DPS alumni did not regret their DPS roots and see themselves as ambassadors for their district. "I look at ita lot like, no matter where you come from, you can get to the same place, and I use it as an inspirational tool because a lot of people did come from better schools than me, but we all ended up at the same University," Spratling said. I What's next? For the DPS alumni, returning to Detroit is a definite part of their future. Many of these University students claim one of the key problems with the DPS system is that the most motivated and capable graduates leave the city and often don't return. Current University students and recent graduates are ready to change this precedent, be it through non-profit organizations, teaching, mentoringin Detroit Public Schools or simply having a job in Detroit and paying taxes. "If it weren't for Detroit, I wouldn't be the person I am today," Logan said. "I feel like Detroit has helped raise me ... And I owe so much to the city of Detroit and its people. My wife and I are moving back to Detroit, and I don't have any qualms about it and I won't think twice about raising my kids in Detroit Public Schools."