Posts by Scott Mills
A busy day at headquarters
By Scott Mills, written on Feb. 5, 2008
I walked over to the Obama volunteer headquarters in Chicago’s financial district at about 11am today – Super Tuesday – and was met with a room full of about 200 volunteers gathering signs, coordinating events around the city and making phone calls to thousands of potential Obama supporters. A few hours ago, the number of volunteers surpassed the number of phone lines – so now there are people sitting on the floor using their cellphones to call voters.
Chris Benedik, a sophomore at the University of Chicago, has been working here for months, and said he’s never seen this many people in the office. There’s definitely a palpable energy in the air.
As soon as I walked in the door and announced that I was from the Michigan Daily, about five people swarmed around me saying “Ann Arbor! Yeah Ann Arbor!” They were part of an organization called Michiganders for Obama, and they arrived here in Chicago at about 8am today.
Derrick Jackson, the statewide deputy coordinator of the organization, said their bus left Detroit at about 1:30am, stopping in Ann Arbor, Battle Creek and Benton Harbor on the way West.
Jackson, who is from Ypsilanti and went to the University of Michigan for grad school, said Michiganders for Obama worked on convincing voters in Michigan to vote uncommitted in the January 15 primary. But today’s primary here in Illinois offers him an opportunity to work on a real race, he said.
After spending the morning holding signs and talking to people getting off commuter trains at Union Station, Jackson planned to go out to the West side of the city to talk to voters near polling locations there, he said. It had already been a long day for Jackson, but the polls don’t close until 7pm.
MSA to fund pep rally
By Scott Mills, written on Nov. 7, 2007
At its meeting tonight, Michigan Student Assembly passed a resolution to fund festivities next week hyping the football game against Ohio State University. The events are being planned by the Student Athletic Advisory Council with help from the Athletic Department.
SAAC is planning a pep rally Friday on the Diag, which will be emceed by Jim Brandstatter, Michigan football’s radio announcer. The program also includes captains from the football team and performances by student dance teams and the University’s marching band. A pizza eating contest will follow the rally.
SAAC asked MSA for $2011.50 to fund the event in a resolution proposed by LSA representative Michael Moses. The resolution passed with a vote of 21 to 13.
MSA funding requested for North Campus mini-golf
By Scott Mills, written on Oct. 24, 2007
The North Campus Affairs Commission of the Michigan Student Assembly has requested funding from MSA for the construction of its second miniature golf hole on North Campus.
The first hole – completed, but not yet installed in Pierpont Commons – was funded by the College of Engineering. The commission now wants to start building the second hole, and has officially requested the funding from MSA. The hole is expected to cost between $629.44 and $689.56, according to an itemized estimate the commission submitted to MSA Treasurer Sabrina Shingwani. MSA will vote on whether to fund the project at a meeting next Tuesday.
The estimate may come as a bit of a surprise if you read the Daily’s October 1 story, which covered the project in its planning stages. At that time, Sujata Syamal, co-chair of the commission, placed the estimated cost per hole at $100 to $150 – roughly $500 less than what is being officially requested now.
The funding, if granted, will come out of the MSA Discretionary Fund – which is supplied by the MSA fee on every student’s bill each term.
Students from the College of Engineering and the School of Art and Design have undertaken the project, and hope to construct six holes by the end of next semester. The holes are slated to appear in University buildings on North Campus and are designed to be portable.
A night to remember
By Scott Mills, written on Oct. 10, 2007
The University’s first homecoming king and queen since 1997 were announced this evening in the Pendelton Room of the Union. The crown went to LSA senior Phil Drazewski and the tiara went to LSA senior Gabrielle Sims.
Although the University hasn’t seen celebrations of this sort in a decade, it hasn’t been more than four for most students.
Gibran Baydoun, an LSA sophomore , organized this week’s festivities and lead the ceremony in the Union. He was very complimentary of the nominees.
“We’re here to honor our leaders and the best from Michigan, who make up our homecoming court,” Baydoun said in his introduction. “(The nominees) are the best representatives of what it means to be a Wolverine.”
But before the nominees were presented, the audience was treated to a performance by The Friars, an all male student a cappella group. The group sang original songs about Greek life, sexual woes and women’s fashion.
Once the nominees were announced by Miss Michigan Kristen Haglund, Baydoun revealed the winners.
Interestingly, of the ten students selected for the homecoming court, seven are members of the Greek system – including the newly crowned king and queen.
Drazewski, now king, said that his “campaign of love” paid off. He planned to celebrate by patronizing The Heidelberg on Main Street, accompanied by his fellow pre-law fraternity members.
Sims, now queen, said that she didn’t expect to win.
“There were some great leaders out there,” she said. “I am really humbled to receive the title.”
She planned on going home, where her boyfriend would cook her a “wonderful dinner.”