* The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Wednesday, September 11, 2013 - 7A

* The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wednesday, September11, 2013 - 7A

REPORT
From Page 1A
undergraduate program ranked
seventh for the second year in a
row, behind MIT, Berkeley and
Stanford University, among others.
The U.S. News and World
Report's methodology for deter-
mining rankings centers on two
main points: each university's
official mission and an evaluation
of up to 16 indicators of academic
excellence, including an assess-
ment of the administrators at
each institution, student retention
rates, alumni donations and finan-
cial resources.
Though the publication draws
fromanumberofsourcestocompile
the rankings, experts question the
reliabilityofsuchmeasurements.
The U.S. News and World
Report also measures the amount
of money spent on each individual
student to calculate the quality
of a university's degree. Fitzger-
ald said the University does not
believe spending more money per
student necessarily corresponds
with better academic quality.
"It actually penalizes institu-
tions like Michigan, where we've
been able to find more efficient
ways to deliver services and still
maintain thehighestpossible qual-
ity ofeducation," Fitzgerald said.
Earlier this year, U.S. News
World andReportranked 99 of the
University's graduate programs in
the top 10, placing itinthe top five
for all public and private universi-
ties in the nation. The School of
Social Work's graduate program
was ranked the best of its kind in
the country.

FUNDING
From Page 1A
Greimel (D-Auburn Hills)
expressed concern that the
amendment could delay
important decisions for school
districts statewide, such as
what textbooks to buy and
how to proceed with the cur-
riculum.
Despite this potential road-
block, bipartisan support
remains for the standards
as well as optimism that the
amendment will be reversed
before the budget deadline.
Greimel and Walsh believe a
resolution to move forward
with the standards will be
passed this month.
Walsh, the second-ranking
House Republican, said oppo-
nents of the Common Core
fear it might create some sort
of formalized national cur-
riculum imposed by the federal
government. He said he is con-
fident that, as members learn
more about the standards, their
fears will be dispelled and they
can move forward with the
bill, which is expected to come
out of committee and onto the
House floor either this week or
next.
The condition of the state's
roads is another issue that
legislative leaders and Sny-
der hope to resolve before the
budget deadline. Despite broad
support for fixing roads among
both legislators and citizens,
there has been little consensus
over how such a measure would
be paid for.

According to Walsh, the
House was able to allocate more
funds for road repair in the
upcoming fiscal year due to an
unexpected revenue increase.
However, the increase is not
substantial enough to fund
future projects.
Walsh said trying to find
new revenue streams to cover
what he believes is "billion-
dollar-a-year under-spending"
on the state's part for roads is
very difficult.
"It's not just a Republican
or Democratic issue," Walsh
said. "Our citizens are tax-
weary, and we've got to come
up with a proposal that makes
them feel comfortable that the
money will go to (improving)
roads and nothing else and
won't come at the cost of edu-
cation."
If the legislature were to
raise taxes in order to pay for
road improvement, Walsh said
one circulating suggestion is
to remove the state's sales tax
on gas, since that revenue does
not go towards roads. Gas-tax
revenue, however, is allocated
to the state's education budget,
and any dramatic reduction
there would be met with wide-
spread opposition.
While Greimel is pleased
with the bipartisan approach
to both the Common Core and
road improvement issues, he
and House Democrats would
still like to see more increases
in higher-education spend-
ing and would like to fight for
more progressive tax policies
for the middle class and work-
ing poor. As the $49.5-billion

budget for fiscal year 2014
currently stands, K-12 edu-
cation will see a 3-percent
increase in funding. However,
Greimel said he's not confi-
dent that such measures will
pass while his party is in the
minority.
Walsh acknowledged that
while the parties do hold very
different views in areas such as
labor, spending and civil liber-
ties, the House does operate
on a very bipartisan basis - he
approximates that over 90 per-
cent of the bills that come out of
the legislature pass in a biparti-
san fashion.
"By and large and at a great
rate, much of our work is done
on a bipartisan basis," he said.
"People just don't talk about
it."
Meanwhile, one issue that
neither leader mentioned was
the bankruptcy and pension
crisis in Detroit. Walsh said
the House is letting the situ-
ation play out at the munici-
pal level in bankruptcy court.
When judge comes closer to
rendering a an opinion, there
will be some level of activity
by the House, he said, noting
that any action the legislature
could take now would be pre-
mature.
"There's nothing for the leg-
islature under our Constitution
to do at the present time," he
said. "We'd be out in front of
(emergency financial manager)
Kevyn Orr, and the governor
and for that matter the bank-
ruptcy court if we began trying
to legislate some solution to the
issue."

STUDENT
From Page 1A
cult beyond measure," Miranda
wrote. "The SNREcommunityis
devastated."
Miranda said the death of a
student is one of "the most pain-
ful things for the entire commu-
nity." Moving forward, the dean
said she'll try to highlight the
strength of the SNRE commu-
nity - one Wilson passionately
helped to build - as students
and faculty deal with the loss
of a colleague and friend. She
said many members of the com-
munity have already been tell-
ing stories, sharing anecdotes

and remembering their positive
interactions with Wilson.
She also encouraged students
and faculty to seek additional
resources if needed, such as
speaking with a counselor at
Counseling and Psychological
Services, which is located on
the third floor of the Michigan
Union.
Miranda said Wilson's death
serves as a reminder to value
the importance of open lines of
communication, both in times
of tragedy and in the everyday
functioning of a school.
"Life is exquisitely fragile,"
Miranda wrote in her email.
"Call everyone you love and tell
them so."


ROSS
From Page 1A
marily on the fundamentals
of business and leadership.
Courses emphasizing business
essentials such as marketing and
finance will make up the basis
of the curriculum, and students
may choose two electives to per-
sonalize their degree.
Beil said students will take
part in workshops outside of
class.
"(The workshops will include)
leadership modulestotrainthem
about understandingthemselves
as leaders, and understanding
how to lead themselves and what
that entails, and then under-
standing how they can use that
knowledge to lead other people
in their career as well," he said.
According to Mark Garrett,
the program's managing direc-
tor, the degree's course load is
tough, as students push through
30.75 credits in a relatively short
period of time.
The program is based on a

cohort model, meaning students
go through classes and work-
shops together in groups.
"A cohort is really going to be
important for them to develop
their own network - a support
system," he said.
Garrett said workshops with
the Career Services Program at
the Business School will train
Master of Management students
in interview skills, resume writ-
ing and the "30-second Elevator
Pitch."
Applicants to the program
will be required to submit GRE
or GMAT scores, two letters
of recommendation, a resume,
transcript and two essays. There
are three different deadlines
for applications, which will be
reviewed within two weeks
after each round.
Garrett said officials are not
sure how many students will
make up the program's first year.
He said the quality and diversity
of the admitted students will
be more important than hitting
a specific number for the first
cohort.


CSG
From Page 1A
Vice President Bobby Dishell, an
increased assembly interest in the
commission's existence prompted
its creation.
In an e-mail obtained by The
Michigan Daily dated Aug. 7,
Audia expressed her interest in
the commission and her willing-
ness to address any queries with
regards to the commission. While
she was not an active member of
the commission in the prior year,
her e-mail suggested that her
future affiliation with the com-
mission was determined before
the commission was publicly cre-
ated eight days later.

"I truly believe that VYV serves
as an essential component to the
CSG commissions," Audia wrote.
"I would be more than happy to
answer any questions to the best
of my ability!"
Four previous members of
the group - which encourages
civic participation on campus -
addressed the assembly, arguing
that Audia is not qualified to be
chair of the commission due to
her lack of prior experience on
the board. The members also said
that they weren't made aware of
the position's vacancy.
In response, CSG president
Michael Proppe told members
of the assembly that he sent out
applications via e-mail to a list-
serv of CSG representatives in

early August in an effort to fill the
position.
Todd Flynn, the previous chair
of the Voice Your Vote commis-
sion, said he was concerned with
the proposed nomination of
Audia.
"We're not here to babysit peo-
ple ... to raise someone in Voice
Your Vote," Todd Flynn said. "If
you want continuity, we'd have
the same chair we had last year."
Proppe also accused Flynn of
running the commission outside
the oversight of the CSG con-
stitution, noting that group was
intending to hold internal nomi-
nations for its next chair. Flynn
responded that the commission
has its own constitution, but
Proppe corrected him in noting

that it falls under CSG's constitu-
tion.
Responding to remarks by
members of the group, Audia said
she feels she's capable of being
chair.
"I want to inform you that I
do not need a babysitter," she
said. "(I'm) not coming in here
to undermine Todd's authority;
I want to reiterate that I hope to
lead this commission."
Following the comments, the
assembly went into closed session
for about 35 minutes. When the
commission returned to an open
session, Assembly speaker Andy
ModellsaidProppehadwithdrawn
his nomination of Audia, and that a
formal application process for the
position would begin Wednesday.

Russians sit
on Cyprus
bank board
after bailout

Mayor to be silent at 9 11 event

No political
speeches allowed
at Bloomberg's last
ceremony as mayor
NEW YORK (AP) - When this
year's Sept. 11 anniversary cere-
mony unfolds at ground zero, the
mayor who has helped orches-
trate the observances from their
start will be watching for his last
time in office. And saying noth-
ing.
Over his years as mayor and
chairman of the National Sept.
11 Memorial & Museum, Michael
Bloomberg has sometimes tan-
gled with victims' relatives, reli-
gious leaders and other elected
officials over an event steeped in
symbolism and emotion.
But his administration has
largely succeeded at its goal of
keeping the commemoration cen-
tered on the attacks' victims and
their families and relatively free
of political image-making. In that
spirit, no politicians - includ-
ing the mayor - were allowed
to speak last year or will be this
year.
Memorial organizers expect
to take primary responsibility
for the ceremony next year and
say they plan to continue con-
centrating the event on victims'
loved ones, even as the forth-

coming museum creates a new,
broader framework for remem-
bering 9/11.
"As things evolve in the
future, the focus on the remem-
brance is going to stay sacro-
sanct," memorial President Joe
Daniels says.
At Wednesday's ceremony
on the 2-year-old memorial
plaza, relatives will again read
the names of the nearly 3,000
people who died when hijacked
jets crashed into the World
Trade Center and the Pentagon
and near Shanksville, Pa. Read-
ers also will recite the 1993
trade center bombing victims'
names.
At the Flight 93 National
Memorial in Shanksville, where
Wednesday's ceremony will
include bell-ringing and wreath-
laying, officials gathered Tuesday
to mark the start of construction
on a visitor center. The Pentagon
plans a Wednesday morning cer-
emony for victims' relatives and
survivors of the attacks, with
wreath-laying and remarks from
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel
and other officials, and an after-
noon observance for Pentagon
workers.
Deciding how to mark the
anniversary of the worst terror
strike in U.S. history was a sensi-
tive task for Bloomberg and other
leaders in the months after the
attacks, perhaps especially for

the then-new mayor. Officials
were planning a memorial ser-
vice for thousands of families
from 90 countries, while also
setting a tone for how the public
would commemorate 9/1.
"That was the challenge that
we faced, and it was an enor-
mous one," recalls Jonathan
Greenspun, who then was part of
Bloomberg's community affairs
unit and now is a political consul-
tant. "There was a recognition,
by the mayor, that the ceremony
had to transcend typical memo-
rial services and the politics that
are sometimes associated with
them."
Officials fielded about 4,500
suggestions - including a Broad-
way parade honoring rescue
workers and a one-minute black-
out of all Manhattan - before
crafting a plan centered on read-
ing names at ground zero.
"Our intent is to have a day of
observances that are simple and
powerful," Bloomberg said as
he and then-Gov. George Pataki
announced the plans in 2002.
For years, the ceremonies
did include politicians reading
names and texts, and Bloomberg
made remarks that over the years
touched on Hurricane Katrina,
the 2005 London subway bomb-
ings and the Biblical King David's
grief at the death of his son Abso-
lom, among other topics.
Bloomberg's role hasn't always

been comfortable, especially for
a mayor whose brisk, pragmatic
personality and early criticisms
of the memorial struck some vic-
tims' relatives as insensitive.
When the ceremony was shift-
ed to nearby Zuccotti Park in
2007 because of rebuilding at the
trade center site, some victims'
relatives threatened to boycott
the occasion.
The lead-up to the 10th anni-
versary brought pressure to
invite more political figures and
to include clergy in the ceremony.
And when Bloomberg mentioned.
the idea of ending the name-
readingthe next year, some of the
relatives were aghast.
By next year's anniversary,
Bloomberg will be out of office,
and the museum is expected to
be open beneath the memorial
plaza.
While the memorial hon-
ors those killed, the museum is
intended to present a broader
picture of 9/11, including the
experiences of survivors and first
responders.
But the organizers expect they
"will always keep the focus on
the families on the anniversary,"
Daniels said. "We see ourselves
as carrying on a legacy."
That focus was clear as rela-
tives gathered last September
on the tree-laden plaza, with a
smaller crowd than in some prior
years.

Six seats are part
of agreement with
intl' creditors
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) -
Shareholders of Cyprus' larg-
est bank on Tuesday elected
six Russians to sit on its new,
16-member board of directors,
a consequence of the country's
bailout agreement with interna-
tional creditors.
The vote puts more foreign
nationals on the board of the
Bank of Cyprus than ever before.
The fact that they are all Rus-
sians - one of whom, Vladimir
Strzhalkovskiy, was elected by.
other board members as vice
chairman - reflects the large
stake they had in Cyprus' bank-
ingsystem.
Russians kept billions
in Cypriot bank accounts
because of benefits such as
low taxes and high interest
rates, helping to swell the size
of the financial sector at its
peak to eight times the coun-
try's entire economy.
Cyprus turned for help to
its euro area partners and the
International Monetary Fund in
June, 2012, to rescue its Greece-
exposed banks and to stave
off bankruptcy. But Cyprus'
creditors sought a fundamental
restructuring of the country's
financial system which they saw
as unsustainable.
According to the terms of
Cyprus' rescue deal it agreed
in March, depositors with over
100,000 euros in the Bank of
Cyprus, and the second-largest
lender Laiki, were forced to take
huge losses on their savings in
order for the country to qualify
for a10billion euro ($13.2 billion)
loan.
Money from the deposit grab
- or 'haircut' - was used to
replenish Bankof Cyprus' capi-
tal buffers, while Laiki ceased

to operate and large chunks of
it were absorbed by the larger
lender.
The haircut sapped trust
in Cypriot banks, prompt-
ing authorities to impose
restrictions on money trans-
fers and withdrawals to pre-
vent a run. Many restrictions
have since been relaxed,
but officials say it may take
many months before they're
fully lifted.
Some 47.5Spercent ofuninsured
deposits in the Bank of Cyprus
were converted into shares, turn-
ing large Russian depositors into
big shareholders requiring repre-
sentation on the board.
The Russian board members
include Igor Lojevsky, who has
worked at both the World Bank
and Germany's Deutsche Bank.
The board also elected Cypriot
Christis Hassapis as its chair-
man.
Some 3.500 shareholders
attended the banks' annual
general meeting either in per-
son or by proxy, representing
53.6 percent of the total share
capital.
The meeting was a tumultu-
ous affair as several old share-
holders - who saw almost all of
the value of their shares slashed
under the bailout's conditions -
loudly opposed the proceedings
because they hadn't received
the banks' post-bailout finan-
cial results. Some stormed out
of the meeting, saying that they
were being asked to legitimize
"illegal" decisions made without
their consent.
The new board replaces an
interim one which had been
tasked with stabilizing the
bank in the bailout's after-
math and starting to downsize
it after absorbing Laiki's oper-
ations. The bank still faces
significant challenges, includ-
ing how to deal with non-per-
forming loans and restoring
trust.

MASS MEETINGS
THURSDAY, SEPT. 12
SUNDAY, SEPT.15
TUESDAY, SEPT. 17
THURSDAY, SEPT. 19
ALL MEETINGS @ 420 MAYNARD 7:30 P.M. WE ALREADY LIKE YOU.

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