Fire at the U-M's Mary Markley Residence Hall displaces about 100 students

The Ann Arbor News has more but a fire on the sixth floor, room 6215 to be specific, caused enough water and smoke and fire damage that about 100 students have been told they cannot return to their rooms at this time.

U-M DPS investigating some athlete on athlete violence in Tree City

Sounds to us reading the Detroit Free Press and listening to local reports, that former U-M wrestler and current walk on football player Mike Milano assaulted and took a real pound of flesh off of Michigan hockey defenseman Steve Kampfer this past weekend on Church Street in Ann Arbor.

Kampfer suffered a fractured skull and a fractured neck in the alleged assault. Kampfer is most likely also done playing hockey this season because of his injuries.

This is really a sad state of affairs.

What gets into people's heads?

U of M coeds who appeared in Playboy's 'Girls of the Big Ten' issue will be signing autographs on Thursday

Yes, you read that right. 3 University of Michigan students, Renee Alison, Bobbie Korina and Caitlin Shannon, who appeared in the October Playboy issue featuring 'The Girls of the Big Ten' will be signing autographs this Thursday at the Campus Corner, 818 S. State, from 4 to 6 pm and then will hang at Rick's Ann Arbor from 10 pm to 1 am.

Student body indeed. Now before we go too crazy here, all our worst fears about U-M MAY have been addressed with the fact Playboy has only 3 U-M ladies gracing the pages and SEVEN from MSU. There's an old joke in there somewhere....

Sadly, another construction death on the U-M campus (UPDATED 1:37PM)

A construction worker fell five stories to his death this morning at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business. This is the second death this year at a construction site on U-M property. Last February, a worker died in a fall at the U-M Museum of Art site.

Hopefully a full investigation is done. In the tragic February fall the Michigan branch of OSHA fined the masonry company some 60K for knowingly disregarding proper safety procedures.

Update: (AP) 31-year-old David J. Smith of Jackson fell down an empty elevator shaft about 6:30 a.m. Monday. He worked for Schindler Elevator Corp.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the University of Michigan WILL PAY 2.5 MILLION for Rich Rod's lawsuit

What kind of CRAP is that? Tuition is going up 5% while U-M pays 2.5 MILLION dollars for a football coach. How many improvements can't get made? How many projects sit due to lack of funds? How many classrooms need updating? Computer labs? The Michigan Daily offices need some help? How about the basketball program, devoid of life at U-M?

This is the worst money spent at the University of Michigan in a LONG LONG time.

This should incense every taxpayer in the state of Michigan, you just subsidized a football coach who ran afoul of a school in West Virginia.

F THAT.

Free Press story here

Radioactive man, the brick thief, now in custody

The guy who stole 5,000 pounds of bricks used to contain radiation in tests, has been caught and is housed in the Washtenaw County clink. Radioactive man was captured by police when he tried to sell the blue colored bricks to a scrap yard in Inkster.

The far more frightening aspect of this case is that the perp is a 43 year old Toledo, Ohio man. This means radioactive zombies are wandering Ohio and coming here to commit crimes.

You just can't trust Ohio radioactive zombies like you used to. Some even have high falutin TeeVee jobs where they harass furries with their radioactive hands...

U-M tuition this fall going up 5.6 percent

An incoming Universty of Michigan freshman student from Michigan can expect to pay now upwards of 11K a year on tuition. Graduate students at U-M will be paying 5% more this upcoming year.

Did we mention the 7.1 BILLION dollar endowment the University of Michigan sits on?

At some point in the near future we're gonna have to ask the question: Is an undergrad degree from Michigan worth all that? The knee jerk reaction has always been "Well yes, it's Michigan after all".

We're just not so sure that dog hunts anymore.

A question for U-M Vice Provost Phil Hanlon, is it dark down there, where you keep your head in the sand?

Instead of dealing with two professors, following up on an Ann Arbor News report about the University of Michigan pushing athletes towards less rigorous majors (you know, the joke about athletes that's been going on forever filled with classes on underwater basketweaving etc), U-M Vice Provost Phil Hanlon decided those questions were TOO HARD. Phil didn't like them so he HIDES behind the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs. See, Phil at first agreed to be above board and answer the questions, until he saw them. Suddenly the questions weren't SACUA sanctioned. Suddenly Phil stuck his head in the sand again chanting to himself "Everything is fine at Michigan, Go Blue, Champions of the West".

Gutless move Phil, for an athletic program you cover for constantly, a fine example you set. Well if you're hiding from hard questions as Vice Provost, can we be surprised this story is about U-M student athletes hiding from hard classes?

Ann Arbor City Council's empty blather and capitulation

The Ann Arbor City Council last night expressed frustration, anger, invictives and consternation.....then rolled over like trained pets as they capitualted to the closing of one lane of Main Street outside Michigan Stadium to construction crews who have been driving city residents batty with noise. Since the University is under state law, allowing them to work on Michigan Stadium from 6am-10pm SEVEN days a week, the city council could do nothing about the noise or work schedule. But when U-M showed up hat in hand to close the lane on Main Street, the City Council yowled and pewled and then did what the University wanted with assurances from the U that they'd TRY to keep it down.

NICE, well played City Council. Way to back your residents up on that. The University never even alerted the city they'd need the lane closed when the project started. They just simply assumed that the City Council would capitulate......and they did.

And because the University simply decided to go ahead and screw over their neighbors, the city now cannot start work on a planned $7 million city project to replace water and sewer mains and rebuild Pauline Boulevard.

ALL so U-M can have their precious football stadium done in time. They've said as much. University of Michigan talking head Jim Kosteva said the intensive construction is NEEDED to have no interruption in the football schedule. YOU suffer so U-M can make money.

The lane will be closed on Main Street from May of this year to July of 2009. The city council did require U-M to pick up costs related to fixing the strip of road that will bear the brunt of heavy traffic from trucks.

U-M spring football game to be played at Saline High School, no word if U-M Gradzillas have approved this deal

The U-M gradzillas may insist this holy spring football event (scheduled for April 12th) NOT be held elsewhere off campus as this would CHEAPEN the University of Michigan football experience by not having it in the Big House. Some grads may insist the game be played in Crisler Arena.

BTW, the game will be OFF LIMITS to the public, no kidding.

U-M graduate student instructors hit the pickets today

University of Michigan graduate student instructors took to the picket lines this morning, unable to reach a contract resolution with the University.

Grad students want a NINE percent raise in the first year of the contract while U-M has countered with a 3 percent offer. Grad students also want summer stipends for when school is out.

This is part of a two day walkout on the U-M campus and grad student teachers are vowing not to teach their classes.

OK, first off, student teachers, NINE percent in the first year? Do you live in the borough of Oz? Hell we'd ALL love a 9% raise. Ridiculous, try again. Wait, AND you want to be paid while there is no school in session? Don't people denigrate the jobs bank program for the UAW for this reason? You want guaranteed money for not teaching? Maybe you should sit in on an economics class if you think that's how the world should work. You already get full medical and dental and over 15K a year plus a full tuition waiver.

As for U-M, stop being so goddamned chintzy. You're sitting on a 7 billion dollar endowment and the only time you want to spend money is on the football stadium or building new buildings. Maybe you've heard PEOPLE make up a university, not a stadium. You cannot educate a building. A football stadium will not read your doctoral thesis.

A pox on both their houses this morning.

Sounds like U-M are responding like petulant children over the Ann Arbor News reporting over athletic academics at U-M

The Ann Arbor News has been running a four part series over the academics or lack thereof at the U-M for student athletes. The University of Michigan is not denying really any facts stated in the reporting, instead trying to smear the reporting and confuse the issue. Comments from U-M over this story sound like this:

"The committee noted its particular concern over the unauthorized release and subsequent publication of private student information without the permission of the student involved,"--Regent Andrew Richner, R-Grosse Pointe Park

Later Mr. Richner declined to mention other issues the regents may be upset about. Thanks Andrew, thanks for backing your words. However, yours were not as bad as:

(The Ann Arbor News report) "contains many misstatements of fact, several blatant errors, and the use of information completely out of context." --psychology professor John Hagen

Mr Hagen then went on to offer NO specific examples of what he was talking about. Smear the messenger, not the program you helped build eh Mr. Hagen?

YCD supports the Ann Arbor news reporting in this and we also realize U-M usually responds like caffeinated squirrels when they are called out over almost anything. Until U-M representatives can offer specific point by point examples of poor reporting or actual proof and not hyperbole, the A2 News reporting stands.

Michigan Student Assembly wants MANDATORY student insurance

Now, mind you they're not saying the University of Michigan should cover the costs, no, they are saying ALL students should be REQUIRED to get at LEAST a basic health insurance plan which the University will provide for a mere $2,183 per year. Students used to buy a lot more of this coverage before it hit the magic $1000 mark in 2002.

Are you guys serious? REQUIRE students to carry health insurance that will simply be (and oh so conveniently) rolled into their tuition and financial aid costs? What if they simply don't WANT the added cost? Is this still not a free state where someone over the age of 18 can decide these things for themselves? YCD fails to see ANY need of mandatory at cost to students insurance.

We understand Michigan Student Assembly President Mohammad Dar's contention that foreign students MUST buy health insurance at $81 a month. But Mr. Dar, the best way forward isn't to saddle everyone with mandatory insurance (which we can clearly see is a plan to bring down premiums for those opting in by mandating everyone opt in) but to release foreign students from having to buy a socialized plan.

The plan actually calls for students applying for more state and federal (you know YOUR tax dollars) financial aid to get this health insurance.

Here's the kicker: aid would not be guaranteed.

Sorry Michigan Student Assembly, this plan is tantamount to putting a dress on a pig. Maybe a few more free market classes in the B School would do the job, and you don't need insurance to sit in on those.

Mary Sue Coleman to 'gradzillas': "Cake or Death?"

OK YCD, what the HELL do you mean 'cake or death'? It's part of an Eddie Izzard stand up routine where the SOFTIE Church of England tries to get tough with wayward churchgoers and offers them the choice of 'Cake or Death'. The answer is always "CAKE PLEASE".

Mary Sue Coleman today became the SOFTIE Church of England with her wayward "gradzillas" by telling them "Yes, you precious little ones, we need to make sure your every need is catered to no matter what the situation based in reality says". Mary Sue met with students today over the proposed graduation sites that STUDENTS would find acceptable (and we wonder where the recently displayed sense of entitlement comes from). Mary Sue SAYS she's been listening and then asks them where they want to have graduation PROVING she's not been listening.

Senior Eric Mandell Victorson told the public meeting that not having graduation in Michigan Stadium would be:

"a tragic ending to four years".

Um, Eric, 9/11 was a tragedy, the Titanic was a tragedy, Oklahoma City was a tragedy. You having to graduate in Crisler Arena or Rynearson Stadium is NOT a tragedy.

So, U-M grads, "Cake or Death"?

Uh oh, U-M 'gradzillas' are MAD they would have to come to Ypsilanti to graduate

Now, of course that's just a catchy pot stirring headline, but according to the Michigan Daily, thousands of 'gradzillas' at U-M are awfully mad that they cannot have THEIR graduation at Michigan Stadium. Over 80 emails and 130 comments have been left on the Commencement 08 website at U-M EMPLORING Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman not to make them go to Ypsi. Why there 'gradzillas' have even started forming a group on Facebook, called 'Michigan's Graduation is meant to be in the Big House' and apparently, 2,279 Michigan students and Facebook dwellers have joined the clarion call to DEMAND U-M either stop construction on Michigan Stadium long enough to have it there OR.....well, there is no OR.

U-M says the facility will be unavailable as the bathrooms will be inoperable which means no Big House.

YCD wonders, and we're merely wondering on this and would love your input, if U-M had said graduation would be in the Crisler Arena, would the hue and cry have been this much? Is it REALLY because it's not at the BIG HOUSE, or is it because it's at EMU?

U-M Spring graduation will be held....at EMU

That's right maize and blue grads to be, we congratulate you and welcome you to Ypsilanti. With Michigan Stadium under construction, U-M cannot hold their rather large spring graduation there so instead they will hold it at EMU's Rynearson Stadium, which will allow students to invite far more family and friends than if U-M had to hold it in the Crisler Arena. Still, some U-M grads to be are sad. Hilary Coulisk was quoted as saying this about the magic that is Rynearson Stadium "I've never seen it, but I'm going to go ahead and say it's no Big House".

It's OK Hilary, LOTS of people have never seen Rynearson Stadium, mostly EMU football fans. However, and Johnny TOLD us to add:

"Beggars can't be choosers"

YCD BREAKING NEWS, West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez is NEW Michigan coach

From ESPN:

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan has hired West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez as its next football coach following a search that featured two other top prospects deciding to stay put.

A source close to Rodriguez told ESPN that the Michigan deal will average in the range of $2.5 million per year, which would be more than a half-million per year raise from his West Virginia salary.


West Virginia has now become the cradle of Michigan coaches as both Michigan basketball coach John Beilein and now Rodriguez were coaching the Mountaineers when lured away. You'll pardon them for giving Ann Arbor the stink eye.

Well this arrest took its sweet time in making the blotters

And YCD will be the first to admit we don't spend a lot of time searching police blotters (we're a blog, not the AP, we specialize in commentary) but maybe we need to start since this just hit the Detroit Free Press yesterday and the Ann Arbor News this morning.

Last Saturday night, University of Michigan assistant football coach Andy Moeller was arrested at the scene of a two vehicle crash. Ann Arbor Police Lt. Angella Abrams said Thursday the arrest came after police responded to a crash near the intersection of Stone School and Ellsworth roads at about 7 p.m.

Moeller refused a breathalyzer at the scene and police got a court ordered blood draw, the results of which are pending.

What the hell was the delay on this? Seriously, we can get a murder suspects family info everywhere within 24 hours and yet this goes almost a week without anybody saying anything? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Does it have to do with the fact it's a UNIVERSITY employee? Does it have to do with the fact he's a FOOTBALL COACH AT MICHIGAN?

Your thoughts?

Remember on Monday when U-M offered a COMPROMISE on handicapped Michigan Stadium seating

Monday on the YCD:
Gloria Hage, interim vice president and general counsel at U-M:

"To be clear, we are proposing this plan outline as an offer of compromise -- in the interest of implementing our commitment to full and high quality accessibility to Michigan Stadium for individuals with disabilities who use wheelchairs, and in a way that will avoid the time and expense of protracted litigation with the Department of Justice


TODAY reality hit:
'The federal Department of Education has quickly rejected a compromise the University of Michigan filed Monday to add more handicapped seats than it had originally planned for a renovation now under way.'

Not JUST this, but also NOW the Department of Justice is joining the lawsuit against the University of Michigan.

How'd that press release work for ya Gloria? Just like YCD said it would?

U-M Professor claims a share of the Nobel Peace Prize

YCD has been tough on the AOSS Department when needed but they have BIG NEWS to report this morning. I'll run with their press release but congrats to Joyce Penner and the AOSS team who shared this award (with Al Gore by the way).

From AOSS:
Two AOSS faculty and two AOSS students part of IPCC, co-winner of '07 Nobel Peace Prize

Congratulations to AOSS faculty members Joyce Penner and Natasha Andronova and AOSS students Minghuai Wang and Li Xu — part of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that was a co-winner with Al Gore of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. Joyce was one of the 7 lead authors, Natasha one of 25 contributing authors and Minghuai and Li were contributors to the Fourth Assessment Report chapter, Understanding and Attributing Climate Change.


Professor Penner is the Ralph J. Cicerone Distinguished University Professor of Atmospheric Science and Dr. Andronova is a research scientist in AOSS. Both Wang and Xu are doctoral students in the Department.