The Ann Arbor Independent - A locally owned newspaper in Ann Arbor

IN A RECENT issue of The Ann Arbor Independent, the newspaper published an article which identified a cluster of Ann Arbor elementary schools at which fewer than 10 percent of the fifth grade students have scored “Advanced” on the MEAP in…

GOOD NEWS FOR struggling writers: the key to sustaining your lifestyle is to go to a city that’s struggling more. A new nonprofit organization called Write-A-House, located in Detroit, Michigan (which, earlier this year, became the…

ON SECOND THOUGHT, perhaps the revolution will be televised. And “Liked.”  And “Tweeted.”And commemorated with an emblazoned equality sign via millions of Facebook profiles. And co-opted by Smirnoff vodka.  And then blessed by Her Lady of…

by P.D. Lesko THE WINTER CLASSIC hockey game that drew over 109,000 people to Michigan Stadium for a match-up between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs showed off the best of Ann Arbor and the worst of Ann Arbor. Having…

THE MAJORITY OF the new and returning members of the Michigan House of Representatives can boast perfect attendance records with respect to the 534 roll call votes taken between January and December 2013. Michigan legislators earn $71,865…

by Alyssa Figueroa A FEW YEARS ago, as David Sleppy was walking around downtown Toronto, he spotted a young homeless man who reminded him of his son, sleeping on a sidewalk. “Whose son is this?” he thought. He snapped a picture,…

Over the past year, unpaid internships in business have drawn more scrutiny. But some schools — notably, their athletic departments — have sought out unpaid interns, too. FOR STUDENTS interested in a career in sports management,…

From the opening few pages of reading a Nadeem Aslam novel, I knew his writing was something to treasure and behold. Maps for Lost Lovers won the Kiriyama Prize, was longlisted for the Booker, shortlisted for the IMPAC Dublin Award, and…

by Tom Watkins RAISED AS A Catholic, I experienced a mix of Catholic and public school education while growing up, eventually graduating from a Catholic high school. Yes, the nuns whacked my knuckles a few times, but honestly, that…

ROMAN SENATOR CATO The Elder, who lived in the 2nd century BCE, had a “mantra.” At the end of each speech delivered in the Senate Cato would declaim: “Carthago delenda est,” or “Carthage must be destroyed.” Ignoring a peace treaty, Rome…