University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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Alphabetically: Justin Benson, Alicia Benavides, Peter Borock, Katherine Musbach, Nathan Fink, William Foss, Elizabeth Harris, Laura van Hyfte, Alana Kuhn, Michael Lafferty, Arielle Linsky, John O ' Brien, Kellie Paich, Justin Louis Paul, Joanna Slot), Nicole Stallings, Perry Teicher, Robert Tony Vulaj, Andrew Yahkind, Zachary Yost. Photo courtesy Arielle Linsky students 4 michigan r I I I i he Michigan Student Assembly (MSA) changed immensely with the establishment of a new party during the fall of 2004: Students 4 Michigan. Installing qualified candidates who were determined to further promote diversity was a motivating factor behind the creation of Students 4 Michigan. Candidates were dedicated to brainstorming new, progressive ideas and implementing policies that would improve student government and campus life. Since their establishment, Students 4 Michigan had not found difficulty throughout elections in placing its party members in open seats. In fact, they had succeeded in obtaining the of the open seats since the fall of 2004. Their effective campaigning likely served as a great tool for gaining popularity among students at the University. Also, many of their innovative ideas captivated the interests of students. Junior philosophy and psychology major Casey Dowell said, When I listened to their speeches, they mentioned their intentions to increase the number of academic minors at the University, and that stuck out to me because I truly believe we lack a sufficient amount of minors that [by alicia benvenuto] appeal to students here. Sure enough, Students 4 Michigan helped create an International Studies minor. There was stiff competition from the Michigan Progressive Party, but when it came time for elections, Students 4 Michigan surpassed other candidates. There was something very unique about Students 4 Michigan, which enabled them to thrive. Party member and senior political science major Joanna Slott stated, Candidates and campaign staff came from different political, racial, and economic backgrounds, but they shared a common vision for a better student community here in Ann Arbor. One of Students 4 Michigan ' s biggest achievements was having created the position of City Council Liaison, which was essential to their fight to push back lease-signing dates - something that alleviated the anxieties of many students who lived off campus and felt that they had to rush to sign a lease so early in the year. Essentially, Students 4 Michigan was an enormous success on campus. Slott confirmed this by concluding, Students 4 Michigan was the most successful campus political party in University history. . organizations 245

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prison creative arts project [by zach gasior] he Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) was dedicated to promoting creative expression for incarcerated adults and youths, persons formerly incarcerated, and urban youths. PCAP believed that art helped individuals grow and connect with one another, and perpetuated societal change. PCAP conducted poetry, fiction, theater, and music workshops at prisons and urban schools, producing original plays, readings, and an annual statewide prison art show. PCAP ' s administrator, Michigan alumnus Rachel Hudak, said, Bringing people to our Annual Exhibition of Art by Michigan Prisoners is always an amazing experience. When guests enter the gallery, they gasp, they exclaim, some cry, [and] they get excited. It ' s a space filled with energy and creativity. PCAP was full of dedicated individuals who recognized prisoners as human beings, working towards improving prisoners ' quality of life. PCAP ' s administrative assistant, junior English major Greg Monroe, said, PCAP is all about working with amazing people I was never supposed to meet. As Michigan had one of the nation ' s highest rates of incarceration, many of its unique individuals were overlooked by society at large. PCAP was determined to reach people frequently dismissed or ignored by most of the populous and the state itself. Monroe found his work with PCAP to be as educational as it was important. He said, I truly understood what poetry was one evening in my workshop. I ' ve studied the romantics, the impressionists, even the modernists, but I really got a much better glimpse of the essence of a poem when a man in our workshop wrote a piece about what he was afraid to write about. I felt his energy; I heard his voice through the text. It all made my heart feel loose. PCAP connected with people on a deeply emotional level. Mary Heinen, a member of PCAP ' s Executive Committee, said that through collaboration, PCAP ultimately allowed prisoners to tell their stories to the world through the creative expression of what it means to be a human being. Front Row: Schuyler Hilbrd, Anita Feingold-Shaw, Jenna Melman, Emily Harris, Alissa Talley, Amit Weitzer, Teresa Manion, Carol Gray, Kelsey Adolphs, Karen Soell. Row 2: Valerie Haddad, Geetha Iyer, Jon Gerhart, Ted Pixley, Katie Craig, Alexandra Lazar, Anna Paris, Rachael Hudak, Mary Heinen, Ann Mudie, Kate Schuster. Row 3: Erica Friedman, Leslie Buffen, Neil Rao, Drew Philp, Chase Finney, Elizabeth Baskerville, Rebecca Fisher, Amy Kurtz, Erin Anthony, Mary Warbelow, Naomi Milstein. Back Row: Alyaa Welch, Mo, Laura Rosbrow, Caitlin Graziano, Sarah Carswell, Dustin Frankel, Matt Erickson, Greg Monroe. L. Deaton photo n creative arts

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alpha phi omega [bylisat rsiello] Ipha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fra ternity that began in 1925, was loosely based off the principles of khe Boy Scouts of America. APO gained a reputation for promoting the development of leaders who dedicated themselves to the bettering of humanity after graduation. This year APO continued its well respected tradition of social responsibility at the University by carrying on several different events including the annual Michigan vs. Ohio State University blood battle. We organized blood drives for two weeks and tried to beat the amount of donor pints collected by Ohio State. As a result of this battle we helped thousands of people in need of blood transfusions, said sophomore LSA student Jessica Schneider. Our main goal is service and we accomplished that this year in some large ways, like the blood battle, but we also accomplished that in smaller, more personal ways, added Schneider. The organization also volunteered with families of children being treated at Mott ' s Children ' s Hospital. In conjunction with the Ronald McDonald House chari ties, APO members prepared meals for the families who were staying at the Ronald McDonald House. Sophomore LSA student Brian Nadeau said, It was a great opportunity to brighten up the day for families that already had so much on their minds. In addition to the benefits of personal fulfillment and service experience, APO also prided itself on the spirit of community and friendship it promoted within the group. Schneider said, I have made some of my best friends through this fraternity. APO president and senior sociology major Angie Carrier said, This past year, one of our main goals was to grow as a chapter since we lost a substantial amount of members to graduation. We definitely accomplished this goal; our pledge class for fall semester was 115 students. Front Row: Courtney Power, Jennifer Cho, Evan Seigerman, Patricia Dale, Erica Szotek.Tim Korhumel, Kara LaPlante, Brad Gamache. Row 2: Vickie Chan, Daniella Lang, Katy Wallander, Ashley May, Jennifer Musbach, John Lyons, Julie Moran, Rebecca Siegel, Bradley Mock, Adam Heinlein. Row 3: Alyson Croen, Zachary Bay, Gina Valice, Rebecca Barrett, Patrick Veasy, Russell Morell, Jeffrey Birou, Eric Burgess, Jordan Bradley, Michael Ashby. Back Row: Arthur Brannon III, Renee O ' Brien, Katie Darcy, Miriam Schwartz, Whitney Johnson, Lauren Koch, Daniel Murdock, Scott Migut, Brian Restuccia, Alex Tranbitas, John Taylor Leackfeltd. P. Andrews photo la phi omega