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One hundred three years of editorial freedom
S ,A , g 0 1994 TheMichigan y

Regents say
counsel told
*them not to
appeal case
By JAMES R. CHO
DAILY STAFF REPORTER
DEARBORN - While the Uni-
versity Board of Regents announced
>ublicly last Friday that it would not
appeal a recent court ruling requiring
them to release documents pertaining
to the 1988 presidential search, the
regents continue to privately express
disapproval with the decision.
But that decision was made, in
part, because their lawyers told them
not to appeal and because they didn't
want to spend anymore money.
In interviews with regents during
a reception after the board's monthly
meeting held yesterday at Dearborn,
many regents bemoaned the order by a
Washtenaw Circuit Court Judge Patrick
Conlin requiring them to release
unedited minutes, evaluation sheets,
list of candidates and notes relating to
the search.
Regent Paul Brown (D-Mackinac
Island) said a number of factors went
Onto the decision not to appeal the court
decision.
"University counsel recommended
that we not appeal the case," Brown
said. "The cost of further court battles
was also a factor in making the deci-
sion."
Regent Shirley McFee (R-Battle
Creek), who was not on the Board of
Regents during the search, said, "I think
*he consensus was that it was time to
put this behind us."
The regents continued to criticize
the decision for being too broad. They
said they are most concerned about
the disclosure of information about
prospective candidates obtained from
sources in confidence.
"The documents to be released
will not embarrass the regents or any-
one in the administration," Brown
aid. "The problem lies with people
who provided us with information in
confidence that will be released."
Regent Nellie Varner (1-Detroit)
said, "When we were conducting the
search for a new president we did not
expect to have the information we took
on the candidates revealed."
University President James J.
Duderstadt said, "I have been a third
party to the discussions. Iwent through
the search under the auspices of the
Open Meetings Act. I'm kind of the
innocent in all of this."
Regents Deane Baker (R-Ann Ar-
bor), James Waters (D-Muskegon),
Philip Power (D-Ann Arbor), Varner
and Brown were on the board during
the presidential search.
Duderstadt added, "There are many
arts of the files that I was not privy to.
am curious about the information
too."
Within the next two weeks, the
University will turn over the docu-
ments to The Ann Arbor News and the
Detroit Free Press, who filed the law-
suit against the University for violating
the Open Meetings Act.

--Ja Ck Lip

riat

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Archer to speak
at Rackham
commencement

REBECCA MARGOLIS/Daily
Nathan Irving Hentoff speaks before the free speech vs. hate speech panel at the League ballroom yesterday.
Sheatedexchane panelists
debate fele vs. hate spRIeech

By JAMES R. CHO
DAILY STAFF REPORTER
DEARBORN - Detroit's most
influential politician will address
Rackham graduates at the University's
spring commencement to be held at
Hill Auditorium April 30.
The University Board of Regents
unanimously approved awarding De-
troit Mayor Dennis W. Archer an hon-
orary degree at its regular meeting held
at the Dearborn campus yesterday.
In making the announcement, Uni-
versity President James J. Duderstadt
said, "I think this is tremendous for the
University."
Archer will speak at the Rackham
commencement ceremonies, which do
not include students graduating from
the School of Medicine or the Law
School.
Walter Harrison, vice president for
University Relations, added that the 19
University schools and colleges will
have their own commencement cer-
emony this year.
Last year Hillary Rodham Clinton
and the year before President George
Bush addressed all graduating students
in similar ceremonies held at Michigan
Stadium.
Nellie Varner, (D-Detroit), who
served as treasurer for Archer's cam-
paign, said, "I think it's great that we
have the mayor speaking at commence-
ment. Dennis Archer is one of the more
high-profile local politicians today."
Dennis W. Archer Jr., the mayor's
son who is a third-year law student at
the Law School, did not know his fa-
ther had been tapped to speak at com-

By ROBIN BARRY
DAILY STAFF REPORTER
Calling speech codes "stupid," keynote speaker Nathan
Hentoff opened the Undergraduate Political Science
Association's 7th annual Jack L. Walker Memorial Confer-
ence with strong words of his own.
The question of where lines should be drawn between
freedom of expression and regulating hate speech was
debated last evening at the Michigan League Ballroom. This
year's topic was free vs. hate speech in the academic setting.
Hentoff opened the conference by saying one could,
"say anything you want about me and I won't bring you up
against whatever speech board you have here."
Hentoff is awriter for the Village Voice, the Washington
Post and the New Yorker, as well as author of "Free Speech
For Me - But Not For Thee."
Hentoff said he thought speech codes were "stupid," and
urged universities and other organizations to encourage an

open forum instead of inhibiting speech. "College is not
supposed to be comfortable, students are supposed to learn
by being challenged," he added.
While Hentoff said he opposed any type of speech
restrictions, some panelists held different views. Jayne
Thorson, executive assistant to the faculty senate, said she
felt some restrictions may be necessary to limit hate speech.
"I think hate speech intends to deny people their freedom
of expression," she said.
Hentoff raised issues of racism as it influences a person's
speech in public situations. He said it is important for people
to be able to speak their minds so others know where they
stand.
LSA sophomore Gloria Black said she was pleased with
the evening in general, but "Although they did a good job
talking about sexual harassment, they didn't deal with the
original issue of race."
See SPEECH, Page 2


mencement.
"This is news to me," Archer said.
"I had Bush at my graduation. The
University's decision to place my fa-
ther among the ranks of the President
makes me very proud. It's a great ac-
complishment."
The commencement speaker is tra-
ditionally one of several people to re-
ceive an honorary degree.
The other honorary degree recipi-
ents this year include syndicated col-
umnist David Broder; Father William
T. Cunningham, founder of
Focus:HOPE; Charles T. Fisher, past
chair and president of NBD Bancorp;
Eleanor M. Josaitis, associate director
of Focus:HOPE; William Seidman,
business commentator; and Horace L.
Sheffield, a retired trade union leader.
"The group receiving honorary de-
grees this year provides strong leader-
ship for Detroit," Duderstadt said.
The list of commencement speak-
ers for the other schools and colleges
willbe released in afew weeks, Harrison
said.
Don Herbert, the mastermind be-
hind the television program "Watch
Mr. Wizard," will receive an honorary
degree from the University of Michi-
gan-Dearborn atitscommencementex-
ercises.
"We have all benefited from Don
Herbert's enormous contributions to
science education," said Dearborn
Chancellor James C. Renick. Herbert
is currently preparing a series of 60 15-
minute programs, "Teacher to Teacher
with Mr. Wizard," to be shown on the
Nickelodeon cable channel.
Lesbians
fight for
equality in
housing
By JUDITH KAFKA
DAILY STAFF REPORTER
Carla Daniels and Gretchen Fogel
consider themselves a family. They
have been living together for 16 years.
And 15 years ago they participated in
a commitment ceremony at the Met-
ropolitan Community Church in Ann
Arbor.
Because they are lesbians, how-
ever, the University Townhouses in
Ann Arbor reportedly told them they
did not constitute a family and could
therefore not apply for family hous-
ing.
"We were rather shocked that this
happened," Fogel explained in an in-
terview. "We had never had any prob-
lems before and we were shocked and
angry."~
Earlier this month, with the sup-
port of the Fair Housing Center of
Washtenaw County, the two filed a
civil rights suit against the coopera-
tive and its past and present board
presidents.
The women are asking for more
than $10,000 in damages.

T0e or ntottoe

. :
..

By KAREN TALASKI
DAILY NEWS EDITOR
Betrayal, anger, the never-ending
quest for truth - all are themes Will-
iam Shakespeare skillfully wove into
his writings. This is something Charles
Vere does not dispute.
Nor does he contest the brilliance of
the author who composed 37 plays and
hundreds of poems considered the fin-
est-crafted works of all time.
However, Vere questions just who
the real Bard is. Could the man we have
come to know as William Shakespeare
be a fraud?
Vere, a young man with a soft En-
glish accent, has his reasons for argu-
ing a case that stretches back to the
Elizabethan age. As a descendant of
Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Ox-
ford, Vere wants to prove his relative is
the true author of Shakespeare's monu-

mental collection of writings.
Vere will speak tonight at 7:30 on
the University's Flint campus in a lec-
ture titled, "Uncovering the Mystery of
William Shakespeare: The Authorship
Controversy."
The current Earl of Burford is not
alone in his quest to discover the heir to
Shakespeare's genius. The debate has
waged for the last 200 years as to who
is the true author of classics such as
"Hamlet" and "King Lear."
Vere said his quest is a labor of
love, especially because he reaps no
monetary gains from proving Edward
de Vere --his great uncle many times
over - is actually Shakespeare.
"I'm happy to serve him. At the
moment I can hardly say I can make a
living out of it," said Vere, who has
been lecturing on this topic for the past
two years. He has since employed an

Shakespeare

agent to make his booking schedule
more organized and varied.
Yet, Vere said he is cautious about
speaking in front of a university audi-
ence because many academics have a
closed mind when the discussion is
broached.
"(Professors) don't want to hear
anything new. If you can give the same
lecture for 50 years, that's ideal I pre-
sume," Vere said.
Many University faculty members
are quick to dispute Vere's claims.
History Prof. Michael MacDonald said
the "de Vere theory" is based on ques-

tionable facts, such as the misspelling
of Shakespeare's name on some signed
documents.
"There's nothing unusual about
people misspelling their name,"
MacDonald said. "We know an awful
lot about (Shakespeare) and we know
he wasn't the Earl of Burford."
de Vere, who lived from 1550 to
1604, was a prominent figure in Queen
Elizabeth's court and son-in-law of
William Cecil, one of the Queen's ad-
visers. This made him privy to many
political controversies found through-
See SHAKESPEARE, Page 2


*Community to remember the Holocaust,
By LESLIE PAPPAS This event focuses on how survivor's
FOR THE DAILY experiences have been communicated
One of the primary messages of through generations, and in what man-
the recent movie "Schindler's List" is ner these messageswill be spread to the
that we must never forget. next generation and the world.
Never forget the millions of inno- The other new event is an after-

SATURDAY, MARCH 12.
" "Remnants," prize-winning
play, Green Aud., Hillel,
8:15 p.m.
SUNDAY, MARCH 13
" Holocaust Memorial

TUESDAY, MARCH 15
" An Evening.with Survivors,
Green Aud., Hillel 8 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16
. "The Generations After"
panel of survivors with children

I