2015-07-30

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MichiganDaily.com

Weekly Summer Edition Ann Arbor, MI

CELEBRATING OUR ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

GIMME MO POP

inside

Thursday, July 30, 2015

CITY

A 2 Council candidates endorsed by community

NEWS

Grove Project Renovations to the North Campus Grove seek to create popular space. >> SEE PAGE 2

NEWS

Four city wards to hold primary elections Tuesday

Naval Scholarship Engineering student will work as a nuclear engineer for U.S. Navy >> SEE PAGE 3

By LEA GIOTTO Daily Summer News Editor ZACH MOORE/Daily

James Bay performs at the music festival Mo Pop at West Riverfront Park in Detroit on Saturday.

OPINION

Family Planning New bills would allow for greater contraceptive access in Michigan >> SEE PAGE 4

ARTS

‘I am Cait’ Caitlyn Jenner opens up about her transexuality >> SEE PAGE 6

SPORTS

Summer Hoops Catching up with former Michigan basketball stars >> SEE PAGE 12

INDEX Vol. CXXIV, No. 115 | © 2015 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com

NEWS .................................... 2 OPINION ...............................4 ARTS ......................................5 CLASSIFIEDS......................... 6 CROSSWORD........................6 SPORTS..................................10

Peters and Stabenow reveal plan to increase graduation rates Four Southeast Michigan colleges receive extra funding By JACKIE CHARNIGA Daily Staff Reporter

Michigan Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters proposed this month that $1.1 million will be awarded to Southeast Michigan students to increase graduation rates. The plan is funded by the Department of Education’s TRIO Student Support Services Program, an outreach resource dedicated to assisting students from underprivileged backgrounds. Rachel McCleery, a spokesperson for Stabenow, said the Department of Education selects schools to receive the program’s benefits, however, she added, the senators may also influence the selection process. “Schools have in the past asked us to write letters of support and that kind of thing,” McCleery said. Eligible students include those from low-income families, first generation college students, and

students with disabilities. The Wayne County Community College District will be receiving $388,500 of the plan’s funding, the largest cut of any other beneficiary. The second highest beneficiary is Siena Heights University in Adrian, which will be receiving $284,219. The University of Detroit Mercy and Madonna University in Livonia will acquire $219,263 and $244,120, respectively. These four schools are part of the more than 20 colleges in Michigan that were selected this year to receive support from TRIO in the form of tutoring and financial aid planning. This grant is simply the latest attempt to boost college graduation rates, specifically in Southeast Michigan. In April, Sen. Stabenow introduced the Early Pell Promise Act, which dedicates two years of Pell Grants, government funding for college students, to low-income 8th graders. Stabenow based the Promise Act on the Kalamazoo Promise, a program that provides complete tuition and fees for resident graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools for four years at Michigan’s public universities and community col-

leges. In a press release, Sen. Stabenow said students with good work ethics deserve the opportunity of a college education. “Students who work hard and are accepted to college deserve every opportunity to succeed,” said Sen. Stabenow. “Thanks to today’s announcement, more college students across Southeast Michigan will get tutoring, financial aid counseling, and other support they need to finish school.” Sen. Peters said in the press release the newest plan to provide extra assistance to Southeast Michigan students will strengthen the state’s middle class. “Whether it’s improving academic support services or increasing financial resources, this support from the Department of Education will bolster efforts to retain and graduate more students in Southeast Michigan,” Sen. Peters said. “Higher education increases economic opportunity and provides a pathway to the middle class, and putting the dream of completing a higher education degree within reach for more Michigan students is critical.”

The primary election for seats on Ann Arbor’s City Council will take place on August 4th, with candidates from four of the city’s five wards – including wards 1, 3, 4 and 5 — hoping to secure a seats for the next two years. While some candidates are currently sitting on council and seeking reelection, others are new to Ann Arbor government, and here is what you need to know about all eight of them. Ward 1: Sabra Briere (D) v. Will Leaf (D) Briere is seeking re-election to City Council for what will be, if re-elected, her sixth term. She is a long-time member of the Ann Arbor community, having served in positions such as officer in the Washtenaw County Democratic Party and chair of the Ann Arbor City Democratic Party. She also spent a lot of time volunteering for organizations like the Huron River Watershed Council and the Natural Area Preservation/Parks. Briere’s campaign agenda seeks to accomplish many projects, including: updating the city’s building and zoning laws, developing better transportation by spending more on sidewalks and roads, seeking more affordable housing, and increasing financial opportunities for local businesses. While Briere does not solicit or accept endorsements from her felSee ELECTIONS PAGE 2


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