The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Thursday, March 15, 2012 - 3A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Thursday, March 15, 2012 - 3A
* NEWS BRIEFS
LANSING
Snyder, Bing spar
over Detroit's fate
The debate over how best to
help Detroit avoid going broke
has escalated into a war of words
between the city's mayor and
Michigan's governor.
Gov. Rick Snyder yesterday
urged city leaders to get over
their "cultural challenge" by
accepting his plan for reviving
Detroit's financial health. But
local officials snapped back that
they're up to the job.
Detroit leaders have just over
a week to decide if they're going
to enter into a consent agree-
ment with the state that includes
a nine-member oversight board.
If they don't, they face the likely
appointment of an emergency
manager who would have even
more sweeping powers over the
city.
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ.
Jury gets case in
Rutgers webcam
spying trial
After nearly two weeks of tes-
timony, the case that kick-start-
ed national conversations about
gay youths and Internet privacy
was sent yesterday to a jury that
must decide whether a former
Rutgers University student is
a criminal or just a young man
who was confused by seeing two
men kiss.
Dharun Ravi, now 20, is
accused of viewing a few sec-
onds of his roommate's intimate
encounter with another man in
their dorm room at Rutgers and
telling people about it in text
messages, tweets and in person.
He could face years in prison
if convicted of charges includ-
ing invasion of privacy and bias
intimidation, a hate crime.
Lawyers gave their summa-
tions Tuesday in the case, which
has gotten enormous attention
since the events of September
2010, when the roommate, Tyler
Clementi, jumped to his death
from the George Washington
Bridge.
KABUL
OBAMA
From Page 1A
the College Democrats, was an
ardent Obama supporter in 2008
and said she is looking forward
to campaigning for his re-elec-
tion this year. She pointed to his
progress on issues pertinent to
students - college loans and the
jobs economy in particular - in
calling Obama "the education
president."
"Even people who aren't in the
College Dems have seen (how
much he's done for education)
and will see it when they go to pay
back student loans and realize
how difficult it is," Brill added.
"He's made it a little easier, and I
think students have noticed."
Across campus, Brill said she
thought Obama likely has about
the same support as he did in the
2008 election. While she said
the enthusiasm levels of the last
election cycle might be difficult
to replicate since the histori-
cal nature of his presidency has
passed, Brill added that Obama's
progress in the last four years
should maintain his student sup-
port.
Abraham agreed with Brill
that Obama will find student sup-
port in his educational accom-
plishments, specifically as a result
of his advocacy for Pell Grants
and his introduction of the new
income-based loan repayment
program. Abraham added that
the students she has encountered
at the University have expressed
excitement to restart their efforts
toward aiding Obama's re-elec-
tion.
"There's a lot of enthusiasm
around the campaign and for
everything he's done for people
our age," Abraham said.
In the last presidential elec-
tion, Obama's campaign depend-
ed on the support of students
nationwide, especially at the
University. Data from student-
dominated polling places in 2008
showed a 14-percent increase in
presidential election ballots cast
from the 2004 election.
Still, a growing number of stu-
dents are growing dissatisfied
with Obama's record during his
first term and feel that he hasn't
delivered on his original cam-
paign promises of change.
LSA freshman Vitaliy Studen-
nyy said she believes Obama had
a "decent" first term, but failed
to bring the change he promised
during his last campaign.
"He hasn't lived up to the hype
that he's created," Studennyy
said. "He said he was going to
change things before he got elect-
ed, and right now, he's justgradu-
ally building up to it and making
these same promises again going
up to the next election."
Other students said the coun-
try's economic outlook has
worsened under the Obama
administration. Rackham stu-
dent Benjamin Stewart, who
said he did not vote for Obama
in 2008, said he is concerned
that the deficit and government
spending have continued to rise
over the last few years.
"I was pretty adamant against
what Bush had been doing with
the deficit, and I think it's been
either a continuation or a worsen-
ing under Obama," Stewart said.
Before Obama's election in
2008, the University's chapter of
College Democrats hosted mass
meetings during which they
registered 1,741 new voters and
enrolled more than 1,200 stu-
dents on their e-mail list during
the first week of September.
Nathanial Eli Coats Styer,
then-chair of the University's
chapter of College Democrats,
said he had never seen such a
high level of enthusiasm for a
candidate on campus, following
a 2008 meeting in which 100 of
300 attendees could not fit in the
room.
"The excitement on campus
is amazing," Styer said. "I don't
think that we've ever matched
this kind of excitement."
Brill said the group's January
mass meeting, which the group
advertised as the start of the 2012
campaign push for Obama, was
also packed with attendees.
"Students should know that
Obama's got their back, so they
should have his," Brill said.
GOLDEN APPLE
From Page 1A
courses. When he's not teaching,
Conforth plays country and delta
blues guitar music and serves as
the Director of Curatorial and
Educational Affairs at the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame Museum
in Cleveland.
Upon hearing the announce-
ment, Conforth, who was
unaware of his nomination, was
in tears.
"I'm flabbergasted," Conforth
said in an interview after the
announcement. "I think this is
the most amazing thing that's
ever happened to me in my teach-
ing career. It was the first time I
was absolutely speechless."
LSA senior Courtney Mercier,
who is taking her second class
with Conforth this semester, said
she was not surprised that he
was recognized with the honor
due to his dedication to teaching.
"He's such a great professor
to receive this award," Mercier
said. "(In my first class with Con-
forth) he wasn't just teaching to
teach, he really wanted (us) to
take something away from this
and apply it to our everyday life."
LSA sophomore Jill Effron
agreed, expressing how much
she admires Conforth's unre-
served and engaging teaching
style. She recalled a time when
he enthusiastically read poet
Allen Ginsberg's works aloud in
lecture, unabashedly including
all the explicit language in order
for the students to get an authen-
tic presentation of the work.
According to Conforth, relat-
ing to his students is something
he ventures to do with every
class. In his office - a room cov-
ered in brightly colored rock 'n
roll posters and relics of the hip-
She also said the goal of the
University's upcoming capital
campaign will be to raise funds
to help lessen student debt.
"I believe when we focus on
reducing student debt, we are
targeting the largest challenge
for students," Coleman said in
her testimony. "Your debt bur-
den should not prohibit you from
attending college or pursuing the
field of study that is most impor-
tant to you. We will work hard at
student debt reduction over the
next few years."
Coleman also spoke of the
University's cost containment
and reduction efforts that have
been implemented since she
came to the University in 2002.
By 2017, the plans will have saved
the University about $355 mil-
lion, she said.
"Despite the 35-percent reduc-
tion in state support over the past
decade, our University sits on a
stable financial foundation today
pie era - Conforth explained the
way his own life experience per-
meates his lectures.
"I think the most important
thing is just being honest about
who you are," Conforth said.
"Students can sense when a
teacher is being honest and real
... I am what I teach, I teach about
what I love, and hopefully that
comes across."
Conforth's classes are among
the most popular at the Univer-
sity and in 2010, the waitlist for
Conforth's "Beatniks, Hippies
and Punks" course filled to 50
students in just the first day of
registration.
For Mercier, the content of the
class combined with Conforth's
teaching abilities explains the
draw of students to the course.
"I never thought that Ameri-
can folklore, beatniks, hippies
and punks could be interesting,"
Mercier said.
because we began tackling the
cost drivers for higher education
long ago," Coleman said.
She also discussed the recent
research fellowship created with
Dow Chemical, announced this
week, which will add 300 new
fellowship positions and other
research opportunities at the
University.
"We are generating an enor-
mous amount of important
research in the life sciences,"
Coleman said. "This is a huge
range of activity from basic sci-
ence to the application of that
science in areas such as medical
devices and technologies."
Cotter said he heard "a lot of
positive" in Coleman's testimony,
adding that though changes may
not be made to the state's fund-
ing for higher education from
Coleman's testimony specifically,
the committee will consider her
suggestions during their delib-
erations.
TRANSIT "I like to ride the bus, and I use
it to travel to other places too."
From Page 7A Since her work schedule
often varies, Karr said she
sometimes I need to come up to sometimes finishes work late
do work on the weekend, which and has trouble finding a bus.
is really hard because there is She said a recent expansion of
no transportation on Sundays," the city's NightRide program -
Ansong said. "I am hoping (the a $5 shared taxi service within
agreement) will make it so that the city of Ann Arbor and a por-
I can commute more often and tion of Ypsilanti - has ensured
to more areas near here." that she has reliable transporta-
Additionally, the agreement tion.
would provide increased bus "I am so thankful they have
services to Ypsilanti and other justcrecently extended the hours
Washtenaw County destina- of the NightRide program,"
tions outside the city of Ann Karr said. "Now if I work later,
Arbor. I have a way to get home.
Ypsilanti resident Erin Karr The pending agreement
also uses AATA to commute to would also extend the breadth
her job as an entrance services of AATA's services throughout
associate at the University Hos- the county. In addition to the
pital, and said she would like to NightRide program, current
see expanded hours of bus ser- AATA riders have access to low-
vices in the future. cost airport transportation and
"I have been riding city buses a shuttle to Michigan football
since I was a child," Karr said. games in the fall.
successful so far.
SPAgRK "We have found that people
From Page lA have an affinityforthe area; they
want to get back to the area,"
"There are a number of job she said. "Employers are say-
opportunities... across the state," ing, 'Yes, we have opportunities.
Doleman said. "But it's our role Come to the area."'
(as) Ann Arbor SPARK to reach Beyond facilitating the Mich-
out to several locations through- AGAIN program, SPARK has
out the country where there are also helped fund micro-grants to
(University) graduates." start-up companies, hosted job
MichAGAIN events will be fairs, and trained new graduates
held across the country, specifi- and mid-career professionals
cally in cities with a large pro- for jobs in high-tech industries,
portion of college graduates, according to SPARK representa-
such as Palo Alto, Calif., Boston, tive Jennifer Cornell.
Washington, D.C. and Chica- Cornell added that the part-
go, according to an Ann Arbor nership between SPARK and
SPARK press release. the MEDC is strong because the
"The idea is to reach out to MEDC performs a similar role,
graduates, let them know there but "on a bigger, broader, state-
are lots of opportunities in wide level."
Michigan, (and have them) come While the MEDC grant
back to Michigan," Doleman will certainly help stimulate
said. SPARK's plans for MichAGAIN
She added that many of the events, it remains uncertainhow
jobs MichAGAIN participants effective the program will be in
may find in Michigan are in the bringing back graduates or pro-
fields of information technology, fessionals.
life sciences and technology, Business sophomore Haley
including positions such as soft- Bash said she doesn't think such
ware engineers and program- events would be effective in
mers. keeping her in the state person-
While the challenges of find- ally, and doubts the success of
ing a job are highly relevant programs like MichAGAIN.
to newly graduated students, "I love Ann Arbor. I go to
Doleman emphasized that the school here, but I would really
prospective audience for this like to go somewhere bigger,"
program is very diverse in age. she said.
"The jobs are not just for Bash, who will be interning in
recent graduates," she said. Chicago this summer, said larger
"They can be for people that cities seem to have more to offer
graduated 10 years ago, 20 years than cities in Michigan.
ago." "I'd really like to live in a big
Doleman said the MichA- city," she added. "There are just
GAIN program seems to be very so many things to do."
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Panetta safe after BUDGET
From Page 1A
vehicle crashes on
Afghan runway
An Afghan driver somehow
caught fire yesterday when he
crashed a stolen truck as U.S.
Secretary of Defense Leon
Panetta's plane was landing
nearby, officials said.
No one in Panetta's party was
hurt, said a Pentagon spokes-
man, Navy Capt. John Kirby.
In the bizarre incident, the
pickup truck traveled at high
speed and crashed into a ditch
near the ramp where Panetta's
plane was going to park at the
British airfield in Helmand prov-
ince in southern Afghanistan.
Suddenly the driver caught
on fire, but the truck did not
explode, said Col. Gary Kolb,
a U.S. military spokesman in
Afghanistan, countering earlier
reports that the vehicle burst
into flames. The driver was
treated for burns.
LONDON
James Murdoch
admits failings in
phone hackings
News Corp. executive James
Murdoch acknowledged yester-
day that he could have done more
to get to grips with the phone
hacking scandal that has rocked
Britain and threatened his place
as the likely heir to his father's
global media empire.
Murdoch's admission came
in a seven-page letter written to
British parliamentarians inves-
tigating the scandal. In it, the
39-year-old repeated his insis-
tence that he didn't know the
extent of the illegal behavior at
his now-defunct News of the
World tabloid newspaper, saying
that the details had been hid-
den from him by members of his
staff.
-Compiled from
Daily wire reports
"Under this, the University
would only experience a 1.4-per-
cent increase," Coleman said.
She added that she hopes Sny-
der and the state Legislature
will reconsider the metrics in
consideration of the University's
unique circumstances.
"This is a one-time funding
and can get taken away next
year," Coleman said last month.
"I can't build anything into base
since I don't know what will be
there next year, including stu-
dent programs."
Coleman also explained to the
committee yesterday that the
increase in funding this year is
positive after a decade of cuts
and welcomed by the University.
However, she noted that more
needs to be done.
"I'd like to see the Legisla-
ture set a goal of getting the
state back into the top 10 of state
funding for higher education,"
Coleman said. "I recognize that
would be a long-term goal, but
setting a goal is the first step
toward achievement."
In an interview with The
Michigan Daily, State Rep.
Kevin Cotter (R-Mt. Pleasant),
one of the committee mem-
bers, said each university that
receives state funding is asked
to give a 30-minute testimony
to the committee after Snyder
releases the state budget pro-
posal. The presidents of Grand
Valley State University, Saginaw
State University and Michigan
Technological University also
testified.
In her 10-page remark, Cole-
man also highlighted the Uni-
versity's changes in financial
aid investments to increase the
amount of grant money provid-
ed to students.
"As a result of these invest-
ments, most students with fam-
ily incomes up to $80,000 who
have financial need, pay less
today to attend U-M than they
did in 2005-06," Coleman said
to the committee. "Less. That's
not a misstatement."
r
2012 U-M CANCER RESEARCH
SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM (CaRSIP)
' As part of its Cancer Biology Training Program,
the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
is providing exposure to cancer research for
highly motivated and talented college undergraduates.
1
The program will run for a ten-week period from
June 11th - August 17th, 40 hours per week.
Interns will be paid $,000 for thelO week period.
Only U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens are
eligible to apply. Awardees are responsible for their
own transportation and housing.
I I
0