I The Michigan Daily - Monday, September 12, 1994 - 5 Code jurors, randomly selected, learn how to try students By MICHELLE LEE THOMPSON Daily Staff Reporter In a now annual rite of fall, the University spent Saturday training a new class of anonymous students to serve as the interpreters of the State- ment of Student Rights and Responsi- ities, the University's code of non- academic student conduct. As explained to II randomly se- lected students who will serve asjudi- cial board members, the code con- tains different provisions for the treat- ment of hearsay, double jeopardy, property rights and due process than in 4 court of law. Witnesses are not required to take s oath to testify. Instead of "beyond easonable doubt," judicial board members must only reach a "clear and convincing standard" to deter- mine responsibility. "You can have a nagging doubt" and still find someone guilty, said Elsa Cole, general counsel for the University, as she explained the code procedures for student hearings to student panelists Saturday morning at Union. Judicial Advisor Mary Lou Antieau asserted that the purpose of the code proceedings was not to re- place a civil or criminal trial. "Our primary goal is if you find someone has violated the policy, what kind of sanctions can you assign," Antieau asserted. Antieau opened the training ses- sion by telling the judicial board mem- bers how they had been chosen. The registrar's office randomly generated a list of students needed to fill the 50- member board and submitted it to Antieau. Twenty-two students were selected this year to fill vacancies from last year's board. The code stipulates that an equal humber of male and female students should serve on the board, as well as an equal number of graduate and un- dergraduate students. The board members are not screened for racial balance. "It's turned out that the panel of50 has been representative of the student body. The first couple years we were very surprised," Antieau said, noting that the original drafters did not deem it necessary to try to racially balance the pool since it is randomly chosen. Of the 11 students present Saturday, ten were white, one was Black. Once the list was generated, po- tential jurors received a letter notify- ing them that they had been selected. The letter explained that they were to report for the training session, but did not give students the option of not serving on the board. But the policy provides for the judicial advisor to excuse students if serving on the board "could cause undue hardship." Vince Keenan, chair of the Stu- dent Rights Commission ofthe Michi- JONATHAN BERNDT/Daily gan Student Assembly, said he feels that students do not have a choice -- once they are selected, they are ex- pected to serve. "No one told them they could decline," he said. "They shouldn't just be drafted. This (ser- vice) is such a hassle." Keenan asserted that no student has ever turned down a request to serve on the panel. Panelists were given detailed in- formation on how to run the hearings and specific instructions asking panel members to maintain confidentiality in reviewing cases. Both Cole and Antieau maintained that the panelists' identities would be kept confidential to protect them. If a panelist discusses a case outside the hearing room, they could be sued for breaching confidentiality, Cole as- serted. Cole said the University would only represent panelists if their be- havior was in "good faith." "My rule of thumb on talking to the media is don't," Cole said. Jurors were joined by thirty mem- bers of the residence hall judicial board, which hears cases involving incidents in residence halls. The resi- dence hall judicial board members were appointed at the end of last year. Darlene Ray-Johnson, judicial adviser for the residence halls, ex- plained to the panelists that this is the first student hearing panel for the resi- dence halls. "We have no idea of knowing how the hearings will go," Johnson said. om NIA1&C "N"D\ :tR SON V E NTI1O "04 4 Fems pM hopes on high voter mout FLINT (AP) - T-shirts on sale at the Michigan Democratic convention this weekend summed up a key party goal this fall. "Friendsdon't let friends vote Republican," said the shirt. And, party leaders might add, friends don't let friends stay home on Election Day. "This election is 80 percent about snout and 20 percent about persua- sion," said Ken Brock, campaign manager for Democratic gubernato- rial hopeful Howard Wolpe. Brock said party leaders believe there are more than enough voters willing to remove Republican Gov. John Engler from office. "Our challenge is to mobilize these ople," he said yesterday. One organizing tool being pushed at the convention recruits volunteers to turn out the Democratic voters in their own neighborhoods. "They're out there. On your block. More than 300,000 people who vote Democratic - when they bother to vote," said a pamphlet seeking volun- teers to help get people to the polls. Democrats blame failure to get se people out in recent years for incumbent Democrat James Blanchard's 17,000-vote loss to Engler and the loss of five seats in the Michigan House by a total of 676 votes. Wolpe sounded a similar theme when he visited district caucuses. "Remember that four years ago, John Engler did not win that election. e lost it - by a margin of three es a precinct," he said. "When people say one vote doesn't count, you remind them of that." Wolpe urged convention delegates to knock on doors and make phone calls even in local races that seem safe or hopeless, since those votes can help Democrats up and down the ticket. "We don't need to win every pre- ct. We just need to have every single, doggone Democrat to get out and vote," said Debbie Stabenow, Wolpe's running mate. Wolpe and Stabenow didn't have to convince Eric Jackson of Macomb HAZING Continued from page I was forced to drink one of several glasses in front of him, some contain- ing waterand others containing vodka. Later that day, the pledge returned to his apartment and was feeling ill. His pledge brother dialed 911, and the student was then taken to the hospital for treatment. After spending a night at the hos- pital, he was released Monday and has recovered fully. The president of the Michigan Alpha Alumni Board of Sig Eps has been involved in an investigation into the incident. All persons present dur- ing the occurrence were interviewed last week, and the rest of the chapter members will be interviewed before the investigation is completed, Vauclain said. The charter of Sig Eps has been suspended, and the results of the in- vestigation will determine whether further measures will be taken to en- sure that such an incident does not occur again. The investigation is expected to reveal how involved certain members of the chapter were in the incident, and who was responsible. The University Sig Eps president, LSA junior Scott Sandler, denounced the act. "Obviously, the national fra- ternity and the chapter are vehemently against hazing," he said. "Unfortunately, I cannot be re- sponsible for the actions of every one of our members, 24 hours a day." Suspension of Sig Eps' charter means the members cannot hold any events or participate in any activities without permission from Vauclain. The extent of restriction of such ac- tivities will be determined when the investigation is complete, Vauclain added. Also, once the investigation has been completed by Sig Eps headquar- ters, University Fraternity Coordina- tor Terry Landes will become involved in a cooperative effort to properly sanction the chapter. The investiga- tion is expected to be completed by the end of the week. Such sanctions possibly will in- clude creating an educational pro- gram for the fraternity members on hazing, removing members from the chapter and punishing those individu- als involved, Vauclain said, adding that similar sanctions have been suc- cessful with other chapters of Sig Eps involved in hazing incidents. However, "I'm not sure that I per- sonally can ensure that this will never happen again," Vauclain said. Landes said his office is holding off on implementing sanctions until the investigation by Sigma Phi Epsi- lon Fraternity Headquarters is com- plete. Once that is done, Landes said he will determine "what we can do in conjunction to assure this never hap- pens again." Landes, Vauclain and Sanders all declined to release the names of those directly involved in the incident. Landes added that "hazing is not an accepted practice. ... If we have any opportunity to change it, we will." Democratic gubernatorial candidate Howard Wolpe reamed Gov. Engler on crime and education during his acceptance speech during the party's convention yesterday in Flint. Wolpe talks tough to state convention FLINT (AP) - Democrat Howard Wolpe promised more than tough talk against crime yesterday with a speech to the Michigan Demo- cratic convention that tried to put in- cumbent Republican Gov. John Engler on the defensive. Wolpe said he would put more police on the streets, set up special drug courts to deal with nonviolent drug addicts and make sure criminals stay behind bars. "We absolutely have to lock up violent offenders, and keep them there, behind bars strong enough to hold them for as long as their judge and jury decide they should be there," he said. Wolpe needled Engler over the breakout by 10 criminals from the Ryan Regional Correctional Facility in Detroit. He blamed Engler for putting dan- gerous criminals in a facility with too little security, too few staff and little training. Wolpe said Engler had tried to blame the warden, guards and ajudge for the escape. He promised to send Engler a sign reading "The buck stops here" to re- mind the governor who was to blame. Before Wolpe spoke, two people dressed as jailbirds paraded through the convention crowd carrying a sign that read, "Jailbreak John Engler - Tough enough to blame the guards." WlnA vuhn 1.., f..,n affn 1at.. all-, Regents Run Again The other candidates who were elected during the Democratic Party's state convention this weekend in; Flint: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN BOA RD OFREGENTS i=Paul Brown, Mackinac Island. i-Jim Waters, Muskegon, ATTORNEY GENERAL i-Frank Kelley, Okemos. SECRETARY OF STATE i-Richard Austin, Detroit, SUPREME COURT i-Conrad Mallett, Detroit Donald Shelton, Saline. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION i-Gumecindo Salas, East Lansing. carol C. Thomas, Southfield. * [ denotes incumbant capon school administrative expenses so more money goes to classrooms and reopen the Michigan Education Trust to let parents save for their children's college educations. Without being specific, Wolpe called for a top-to-bottom reform of Michigan schools to ensure children are prepared for the 21st Century. For businesses, Wolpe suggested tax incentives for businesses that cre- LARGE PIZZA, 1 1 1 FOR A MEDIUM I PRICE1 I Offer valid Mondays only. I EXPIRES 12131194. One coupon per- order. Valid at participating stores only. Not valid with any other offer. Customer pays sales tax where Iapplicable. Our drivers carry loses than $20. o is.e---- aWo ls s r-a -- m i mJa ; LOIII F Iq * MEDIUM 1-TOPPING PIZZA * HAND-TOSSED OR THIN CRUST. DEEP DISH $1.00 MORE. 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