The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, January 18, 1994 - 3 .U'responds to computer conference access lawsuit By HOPE CALATI DAILY NEWS EDITOR The University responded last week to a lawsuit that asks for access to the University Board of Regents' private computer conference. The conference is not open to the n blic, states the University's re- onse to a lawsuit University alum Chetly Zarko filed in December. Zarko argues the conference should be in the public domain be- cause: "It is clear that the conference was funded publicly." Zarko's quest for access to the conference began last summer with a Feedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for access to REGCOMP. hen his FOIA request was denied, e looked for the source of confer- SNRE discussion addresses equality By MICHELLE LEE THOMPSON FOR THE DAILY Dartmouth graduate Heetan Kalan said yesterday that 87 percent of South Africans are cramped into 13 percent *the country. Kalan was one of five activists who related instances of global envi- ronmental racism such as biochemi- cal warfare during one of two SNRE panel discussions titled, "Learning From the Future: Advocates of Envi- ronmental Justice." About 100 University community members and guests attended the rning discussion held at Rackham Amphitheater. "The turnout was more than we expected," said opening speaker and SNRE Dean Gary Brewer. Elizabeth Bell of the Environmen- tal Protections Agency's Environmen- tal Equity office said environmental- ists have "respect for all things born on this earth," and noted a "natural coalition" of environmentalists and jghters of racism. Sha-King Alston, instructor of hazardous wastes cleanup at the Uni- versity of Massachusetts at Lowell, followed Bell. Alston said his early work in Harlem with the elderly and youth motivated him to become involved in the environmental justice movement and author "Toxics in the 'Hood."' Speaking fervently, University of *lifornia at Berkeley alum Pamela Chang urged audience members to become active. Chang, currently a Greenpeace organizer, criticized many of the government's "institu- tional racist policies." Havasupai tribe representative Carleta Telusi opened her speech in her native language and then spoke in English. She described the abuses her ople have suffered from industrial elopment. The Havasupai reside on the banks of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, a location tar- geted for uranium mining. SNRE senior Jackie Miller noted that SNRE students made up about half the audience, and said that the issue "relates more to activists than multiculturalism." The Black Student Union (BSU) ported the event, SNRE grad and panel Coordinator Michael Dorsey said, since the issue of activism re- flected King's legacy. "This symposium is not about the environment. It is about environmen- tal racism, and environmental jus- tice," he said. Kalan's plea to the audience to be active reinforced Dorsey's sentiments. "nd if we don't make these correc- ns, Lord have mercy," Kalan said. ence funding and found the regents' expense account. Zarko contends, "If the regents' expense account is used to fund this conference, then it's a public confer- ence." Walter Harrison, vice president for University relations, said, "Con- ferences are private business; they are not the official business of the University." Conferences are run off of a pro- gram called Confer II created by Bob Parnes. The program allows individu- als and groups to participate in an electronic discussion on a particular topic or area of interest. Conferences can be public - open to anyone with an Michigan Terminal System (MTS) account, or private - restricted to a specific group such as students in a class, employees in an office or members of an organization. REGCOMP is a restricted confer- ence. "I didn't request the regents' con- ference because I expected anything nasty in it," Zarko said. "I requested the conference because it was a good place to start." Zarko, who is acting as his own attorney, and the University, which is represented by the Detroit firm of Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, each defended their positions with a bevy of state and federal acts. Zarko cited the Michigan Stan- dards of Conduct for Public Officers and Employees Act in his lawsuit as stating that public funds cannot be used for private reasons. The regents are elected on a state- wide level and are therefore public officials, said Zarko, adding that their communication is of public record. If the University states that the conference is private, then the confer- ence is in violation of the state ethics policy, Zarko said in the suit. He added that he differentiates between the conferences of public officials and those of students or other private citizens. The University called on the Elec- tronic Communications and Privacy Act of 1986 in defense of its denial of access to the conference. Harrison said, "People use con- ferences on the assumption that they are private. If a FOIA officer is going through them, they are not private." Confer program creator Parnes is responsible for initializing all com- puter conferences on MTS. When he initializes a conference, he creates the files the conference will occupy. A conference organizer actually sets the ground rules for the confer- ence - including its status as public or private. "It is up to that person to extend the permission beyond him or her- self," Parnes said. Approximately 4,000 conferences have been created in the last 20 years, a promotional brochure claims. Zarko must now make a deposi- tion on Feb. 28. He sees the challenge of the case ahead of him. "That's where I'm at the biggest disadvantage.," Zarko said, citing the University's access to legal counsel. "I think that my case is very strong from a legal and moral position." When asked if he thought of him- self as a lone crusader, he answered, "With the University's ability to snow- ball me and bury me in paperwork, I might not be able to accomplish any- thing. "If I set a precedent with confer, it will set somewhat of a precedent with e-mail," Zarko said. He has said that he may bring another lawsuit against the Univer- sity for denying him the e-mail of University President James Duderstadt. DOUBLE PARKED Many students skip MLK events, spend day studying JOE WESTRATE/Daily In the cold winter air, a Brewer's truck tows an Ann Arbor Transit Authority bus on South University Avenue Saturday. -Not ever ollege takes day off By RANDY LEBOWITZ DAILY STAFF REPORTER The University campus bustled with students heading to symposiums, dis- cussions and lectures to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day yesterday, and libraries were packed with students trying to take academic advantage of the day off. But at some schools, corridors were clogged with students attending classes, just like they would any other Monday. "This university does not take off for anything except Thanksgiving, Christmas and the Fourth of July," said Indiana University (IU) senior Paul Miller. Miller, the chief of staff of the Indi- ana Student Government, said he was unaware of any events in honor of the holiday. However, he said there was a display of books, articles and movies about King in the student union. The Bloomington campus' news- paper, the Indiana Daily Student, re- ported yesterday that the Indiana Uni- versity Northwest campus in Gary was the only branch that cancelled classes. The paper reported this was because African Americans make up 23 percent of its student population. Sydney Krackow, an IU senior, said she was bothered by the lack of programming on the campus."Outside the Black Student Union, there really isn't much in the way of formal pro- gramming to commemorate the day," Krackow said. Krackow said she had seen adver- tisements for movies that would be shown in honor of the day, but said they were not going to be shown on campus. In East Lansing, classes at the Michigan State University (MSU) were held, but events were planned through- out the day including a film and a panel discussion. Murray Edwards, coordinator of MSU's minority student affairs, said he hopes more will be done to commemo- rate the day in the future. "The students have to assist the uni- versity and be more willing to make these events available on this particular day," Edwards said. At Northwestern University, yes- terday was like any other day. Karla Spurlock-Evans, director of African American Student Affairs, said Martin Luther King Jr. Day was treated in the same manner as Jewish holidays. "We have a number of floating holi- days that faculty members and students can take off if they choose.... This is one of them," she said. However, at Northwestern, profes- sors were asked by administrators not to give lengthy assignments or exams in honor of the holiday. By WILLIE CLARK FOR THE DAILY On a day when the nation remem- bered the accomplishments and ideas of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., many University students treated yesterday as simply a day with no classes. Library Science student Kathleen Hamel said she went home for the weekend. "I wanted to take advantage of the three-day weekend." While others bundled up for the cold to attend the MLK Day march and other events, many University students spent the day snug in their pajamas, not leaving their residence halls or apartments. LSA first-year student Melissa Fernandez said she slept all day.- As the day went on, students scur- ried in and out of the libraries on campus trying to complete the home- work and studying they neglected during the other days during the week- end. The UGLi and Hatcher Libraries were packed early yesterday after- noon, and a steady stream of students headed toward the libraries for the rest of the day. Thoughts of MLK day took a back seat to English, math and science for many members of the University com- munity. Reported attendance at the MLK events was high. Yesterday's most preferred event was the Unity March, sponsored by the Black Student Union. An estimated 300 participants marched down South University Av- enue. Despite the seemingly impressive turnout, this number only represents about one percent of the University population. The messages spoken by MLK Day presenters were not heard by the majority of the University popula- tion. Many students displayed indiffer- ence toward MLK Day and its activites. "Unfortunately they see it as va- cation time," student teacher Melissa HaFeli said. Some students said they see the MLK events as becoming ritualized and don't feel in touch with the pre- senters. "It was like another day," said LSA first-year student Benjamin Ready. One staff member who did not want to be identified, commented on the lack of student involvement in the University's planning for the day. "Undergraduates have to play a central role in the planning of the events ... Let the students do most of the planning," he said. He also said that while a lot of topics may not interest students, it is still important that students attend the MLK events to gain "a new perspec- tive on history, and they answer imn- portant moral and ethical questions." Klan, protesters clash in rallies, Freedom Rides for MLK holiday By KATIE HUTCHINS DAILY STAFF REPORTER COLUMBUS -- Although ten- sion and anger were high and many were eager to harm the KKK at sev- eral rallies last weekend, the demon- strations were reasonably peaceful. The peaceful passing of Saturday's Columbus rally can be attributed both to the subzero wind chill factor and the hundreds of police in riot gear early that afternoon. However, the crowd was able to hurl a few snow- balls at the Klan as members were leaving, escorted by police. The Ohio Freedom Fighters Coa- lition gathered in front of Columbus City Hall at 11 a.m. on the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., just one hour before the Klan was scheduled to ap- pear in front of the Statehouse. The coalition consists of such groups as the NAACP, the Coalition of Concerned Black Citizens and the National Women's Rights Organiz- ing Coalition - which sent 18 Ann Arborites, mostly University students. Coalition leaders speaking at City Hall encouraged a positive, nonvio- lent demonstration. Ruth Fraling- McNeil, president of the Columbus NAACP, advised, "Let's go bold and let's go peaceful and let's go nonvio- lently." The wind chill of 30 degrees be- low zero caused the estimated thou- sands of anti-Klan protesters to dwindle to about 800. Dedicated lead- ers and demonstrators were jumping, rubbing their hands and using their anger at the Klan to keep themselves warm. , Brandishing signs such as "Rac- ism Sucks" and "No racist, sexist USA," the about 150 City Hall gath- erers linked arms and marched to the Statehouse to wait for the Klan to appear. The city paid more than $70,000 for security, which included erecting two fences, closing off several down- town streets and forcing anyone who got near the Klan to go through metal detectors. Most of the money went to the more than 600 officers for over- time. The Klan was greeted by shouts, protests, racial slurs and the blasting ,of rap music through a loudspeaker when members showed up about 15 minutes late for the event. "Greetings, protesters, agitators, troublemakers and losers," said Vince Pinette, Ohio Knights of the KKK grand titan, in opening the event. He was surrounded by about 25 Klan members, wearing John Deere hats and winter caps, not white hoods. The rally lasted about 40 minutes, more than an hour short of the KKK's original plans for a two-hour event. Jodi Masley, an LSA sophomore and NWROC member, was disap- pointed the Klan didn't receive a more "militant response." "They gained a certain victory this weekend, and they intend to capital- ize on that victory. It's unfortunate, but for us it's a temporary setback. We intend to build a movement to defeat them," Masley said. Masley added the trip to the two rallies cost Ann Arbor NWROC "a couple thousand dollars," and it was paid for by canvassing and personal contributions of the members. Pinette threatened the leaders of the Ohio Freedom Fighters Coalition in a phone interview with the Daily. He said, "They've opened a can of worms, and they have to of course expect something in return." Pinette added that the Klan plans to make the MLK Day protest rally an annual event. "I look forward to see- ing the members of the media in '95." The Freedom Fighters Coalition also arranged Freedom Rides to the homes of several of the Klan leaders yesterday. The turnout was relatively small in comparison to that of the rallies; nearly 100 protesters filled four buses which split up to travel to Pinette's neighborhood in Cleveland and the home of Calvin Reese, an- 'other Klan leader, in Coshocton. lish ed It'll be pu on Febru And It'll Read ah special Spring Break Section of The Dail ib ua dished mry 3 be COOL Group Meetings U Asian American Lesbian-Gay- Bisexual Support Group, Michigan Union, Room 3116, 11:30 a.m. " English Association, Haven Hall, 7th floor lounge, 4 p.m. " Habitat For Humanity, St. Mary's Newman Center, 6 p.m. J Men's Lacrosse, mass meeting, CR '7 n.m Union, Anderson Room, 6-8 p.m. U Hungary; Social and Cultural Impact of Economic and Po- litical Transition since 1989, speaker: Eva Darvas, Interna- tional Lunch Forum, Interna- tional Center, noon. U Internship and Summer Job Search, sponsored by Career Planning and Plcement An- ing, International Center, 7:30 p.m. Q Tripping Across the Boundary Between Applied and Basic Science, Speaker: James Duderstadt, sponsored by the Science Research Club, Rack- ham Amphitheater, 7:30 p.m. Q University of Denver Publish- ing Institute, sponsored by Career Planning and Placement il :x;